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This research explores the suitability of system-based simulation analysis for higher education (HE) policy-planning. A dynamic system model of the Finnish university funding system covering bachelor-level students is presented. The results show that the model captures the nature of the current funding system, which can be considered a zero-sum game, where the funding an individual university can only be improved at the cost of others. Based on the simulations, it seems that in the Finnish HE system increasing the importance of target time graduations in the funding model would favour the small universities. The generalizability of the used model´s and methods' suitability outside the Finnish context is evaluated and discussed.

The purpose of this study was to examine how the members of children's peer groups resemble each other in terms of behavioural and emotional strengths, academic achievement and behaviour at school. The participants were 739 9- to 10-year-old children (354 boys, 385 girls) from 30 Finnish elementary schools. 431 children (241 girls, 190 boys) were part of peer groups. Less than 5% of participants were other than Finnish origin. The children self-assessed their behavioural and emotional strengths, and teachers evaluated the children's academic achievement and behaviour at school. Children also filled the sociometric questionnaire and sociograms were drawn to identify peer groups. Standardized beta values of regression analyses were used as indicators of effect sizes. The results showed that when observed as a strength, children's school functioning was positively linked to both academic achievement and behaviour at school. The intraclass correlations (ICC) revealed that members of peer groups resembled each other in terms of behavioural strengths, and behaviour at school, but not in academic achievement. The gender composition of peer groups explained the variance in behaviour at school between peer groups. The results of this study highlight the importance to consider children's peer group also when implementing behavioural interventions.

El inicio de la carrera de Reima Pietilä estuvo marcado por el éxito de su proyecto para el Pabellón de Finlandia en la Exposición de Bruselas de 1958, caracterizado por la experimentación compositiva basada en el módulo. Este reconocimiento internacional le sirvió para recibir la invitación para participar en el concurso del diseño del Pabellón Nórdico de la Bienal de Venecia en 1958. El primer premio del proyecto de Sverre Fehn opacó el interés del resto de las propuestas. Es por ello, objetivo de este artículo dar a conocer las propuestas elaboradas por Reima Pietilä y contextualizarlas en un momento en el cual su arquitectura irá dejando atrás la atadura de los trazados modulares por unas formas basadas en el reconocimiento del lugar. El análisis de la documentación localizada en el archivo del Arkkitehtuurimuseo - Museo de Arquitectura Finlandesa (MFA) se ha convertido en la herramienta de la investigación con la que reconocer la genealogía del proyecto, revelando diferentes aproximaciones al concurso que muestran los nuevos intereses de Pietilä. Sus propuestas para Venecia han manifestado unas aproximaciones paisajísticas inéditas que, sin embargo, son la base de su posterior obra.

Abstract Protoberberine alkaloids and benzophenanthridine alkaloids (BZDAs) are subgroups of benzylisoquinoline alkaloids (BIAs), which represent a diverse class of plant-specialized natural metabolites with many pharmacological properties. Microbial biosynthesis has been allowed for accessibility and scalable production of high-value BIAs. Here, we engineer Saccharomyces cerevisiae to de novo produce a series of protoberberines and BZDAs, including palmatine, berberine, chelerythrine, sanguinarine and chelirubine. An ER compartmentalization strategy is developed to improve vacuole protein berberine bridge enzyme (BBE) activity, resulting in >200% increase on the production of the key intermediate (S)-scoulerine. Another promiscuous vacuole protein dihydrobenzophenanthridine oxidase (DBOX) has been identified to catalyze two-electron oxidation on various tetrahydroprotoberberines at N7-C8 position and dihydrobenzophenanthridine alkaloids. Furthermore, cytosolically expressed DBOX can alleviate the limitation on BBE. This study highlights the potential of microbial cell factories for the biosynthesis of a diverse group of BIAs through engineering of heterologous plant enzymes.

Abstract Background Although insulin resistance (IR) is among the most frequent and pathogenically relevant complications accompanying childhood obesity, its role in modulating and exacerbating obesity pathophysiology has not yet been completely clarified. Methods To get deeper insights into the interplay between childhood obesity and IR, we leveraged a comprehensive experimental design based on a combination of observational data, in vivo challenge tests (i.e., oral glucose tolerance test), and ex vivo assays (i.e., incubation of erythrocytes with insulin) using a population comprising children with obesity and IR, children with obesity without IR, and healthy controls, from whom plasma and erythrocyte samples were collected for subsequent metabolomics analysis. Results Children with concomitant IR showed exacerbated metabolic disturbances in the crosstalk between endogenous, microbial, and environmental determinants, including failures in energy homeostasis, amino acid metabolism, oxidative stress, synthesis of steroid hormones and bile acids, membrane lipid composition, as well as differences in exposome-related metabolites associated with diet, exposure to endocrine disruptors, and gut microbiota. Furthermore, challenge tests and ex vivo assays revealed a deleterious impact of IR on individuals’ metabolic flexibility, as reflected in blunted capacity to regulate homeostasis in response to hyperinsulinemia, at both systemic and erythroid levels. Conclusions Thus, we have demonstrated for the first time that metabolite alterations in erythrocytes represent reliable and sensitive biomarkers to disentangle the metabolic complexity of IR and childhood obesity. This study emphasizes the crucial need of addressing inter-individual variability factors, such as the presence of comorbidities, to obtain a more accurate understanding of obesity-related molecular mechanisms.

Purpose: Calculating an organization's carbon footprint is crucial for assessing and implementing emission reductions. Although Finnish higher education institutions (HEIs) aim for carbon neutrality by 2030, limited research exists on plans to reach a similar target in any country. This paper aims to address the shared and individual challenges Finnish HEIs have with carbon footprint calculations, reductions, resources and offsetting. Design/methodology/approach: A survey was targeted to sustainability experts in all 38 HEIs in Finland to identify key patterns and trends in the focus fields of the study. SWOT analysis was used to classify main strengths, opportunities, weaknesses and threats, based on which a series of policy recommendations was drafted. Findings: Finnish HEIs are committed to carbon footprint tracking (97%, annually by 87%). The lack of standardization and the number of external stakeholders complicate accounting indirect emissions, impeding comparability and reliability. Only 39% had set separate emission reduction targets, suggesting a preference for carbon footprint over other environmental impact indicators. Insufficient monetary and human resources emerged in 23% of institutions, especially those smaller in size. Only 52% had clear offsetting plans, with shared concerns over trust and responsibility. Originality/value: By including both research universities and universities of applied sciences, the findings provide an unprecedented outlook into the entire Finnish HEI sector. The policy recommendations guide HEIs both locally and globally on how to improve their transparency and scientific integrity, reflect on core successes and weaknesses and how they complete their objectives of education, research and social impact while promoting stronger sustainability.

Aided conversations differ from spoken ones in their transitions between turns and symbols because seeking and choosing symbols takes more time than speaking words naturally. This study adopted the concepts and principles of conversation analysis (CA) to analyze the transitions between symbols during the construction of aided turns. The data was from the spontaneous conversations at home between mothers and four males (sons) who used speech-output technologies. The analyses compared the durations of transitions between turns and symbols and frequency of mothers' talk during the transitions. The mothers most often remained silent during the symbol-transitions, but when they talked, their speech was inspired by the current context and was not coincidental. When the mothers spoke during the symbol-transitions, their sons either continued or paused constructing their turn. Despite the effect on the progress of conversations, the participants did not orient to these expanded aided turns as challenging. The expansions manifested (a) in parallel (b) side by side with the aided turn, and (c) as a part of the ongoing aided turn. Analyzing the structural characteristics of aided conversations deepens our understanding of theoretical concepts, offers strategies to guide aided communicators and their partners, and helps to develop augmentative and alternative communication technologies that promote interactive communication.

This longitudinal study examined the cross-lagged relationships of ADHD symptoms, school adjustment and academic performance during the transition from primary to middle school (Grades 6-7) in a Finnish community sample (N = 311). We found that the mechanisms were different for boys and girls: for boys (N = 149) the effect ADHD symptoms had on academic performance mediated via maladaptive achievement strategies, but for girls (N = 162) the effects on lowering Grade 7 academic performance were direct. In addition, ADHD symptoms were associated with SES and pedagogical support only among boys.

The outcomes of studies on the effectiveness of special education (SE) remain unclear. There are only a few studies on the effects of SE that have used advanced methodology to minimise the influence of potential selection bias. This study examined the plausible effects of SE on students' affective and motivational outcomes using a quasi-experimental method of propensity score matching with longitudinal data within the context of the Finnish multi-tiered support system. The participants of this study were fifth- and sixth-grade students from 30 primary schools who took part in a larger study of school inclusion in Eastern Finland (ISKE). Data from 553 students included information from questionnaires on students' emotional engagement with school, self-concepts, and goal orientations from themselves, academic achievement from their teachers, and socioeconomic status from their parents. We examined the effects of receiving SE service by following students from fifth and sixth grade using three different regression models in ANCOVA. Results revealed not only the influence of selection bias on outcomes but also that when comparing matched groups of students, SE did not have effects on students' affective or motivational outcomes.

The effective implementation of positive behaviour intervention and support (PBIS) requires both organisational and professional change. This means that the whole community including all educators and children commit to shared principles, practices, and structures to create a safe and supportive social climate. In this article, we investigate the initial implementation of the Finnish PBIS ProVaka in eighteen early childhood education and care (ECEC) centres. Our inductive qualitative analysis of longitudinal progress diary data focuses on roles, responsibilities and communication among the ECEC communities. The results show that successful ProVaka development is a matter of successfully expanding the actor network and shared responsibility. The challenges of implementation are related to: 1) an equal knowledge base, 2) sufficient concretisation of ProVaka, 3) a balance between theoretically valid and culturally adapted implementation, 4) regulation of motivation and enthusiasm, 5) the constant need for change and stances towards it and 6) the clashes of everyday life realities and implementation. This actor- and communication-focused inductive qualitative study offers new insight into the initial implementation phase of PBIS in Nordic ECEC and can inform the implementation and development of other evidence-based methods in special education.

Teacher self-efficacy (TSE) is assumed to affect classroom environment, although empirical evidence for this assumption is still elusive. This study examines the relationship between TSE in behaviour management and classroom behavioural climate using a two-level cross-lagged model. TSE in behaviour management was assessed with six-item subscale of the TSE for Inclusive Practices scale while classroom behavioural climate was assessed with a 17-item scale measuring overall behavioural climate in the classroom. The longitudinal questionnaire data comprises responses from 1110 students and 75 class teachers who had not taught the target classes when the pre-assessment was conducted. At the time of post-assessment, the teachers had taught the target classes for a few months. This design may detect associations between TSE and classroom behavioural climate more sensitively than cross-lagged models were the main variables correlate already at the pre-assessment. Based on the analysis TSE in behaviour management significantly affected classroom behavioural climate, but not vice versa, when controlling the effect of several teacher characteristics and class-composition variables. This indicates that a connection between TSE and classroom behavioural climate seems to indeed exist.

Purpose: The overall quality of education may be compromised due to the limited availability of safety and security (S&S) courses in professional teacher education. The purpose of this paper is to identify the main safety-related training needs of a higher education institution, which may provide insights for improving the quality of education from a safety perspective. Design/methodology/approach: This study included 17 interviews with students and staff experienced in S&S due to their professions. The study also used Laurea University of Applied Sciences' (Laurea) S&S reports, which have a variety of S&S events from 28 October 2020 to 20 December 2021. Both data sets were analyzed using qualitative theory-driven content analysis. Findings: Safety risks at schools are mainly constructed through the negative psychosocial atmosphere and lack of safety knowledge and/or skills. There is a need for safety training covering key topics such as crime prevention, violence, fire safety and understanding inclusion and diversity. Practical implications: The study proposes a new risk-based training and development management model for school management and the planning of training activities. Social implications: The analysis offers valuable perceptions of the S&S challenges of educational institutions, which can be used as a starting point to enhance overall educational quality and safety. Originality/value: This paper provides a novel way of improving the safety of education by approaching training needs from a risk assessment perspective.

Abstract Background Insulin resistance is a frequent precursor of typical obesity and metabolic syndrome complications. However, accurate diagnosis remains elusive because of its pathophysiological complexity and heterogeneity. Herein, we have explored the utility of insulin secretion dynamics in response to an oral glucose tolerance test as a surrogate marker to identify distinct metabotypes of disease severity. Methods The study population consisted of children with obesity and insulin resistance, stratified according to the post-challenge insulin peak timing (i.e., early, middle, and late peak), from whom fasting and postprandial plasma and erythrocytes were collected for metabolomics analysis. Results Children with late insulin peak manifested worse cardiometabolic health (i.e., higher blood pressure, glycemia, and HOMA-IR scores) than early responders. These subjects also showed more pronounced changes in metabolites mirroring failures in energy homeostasis, oxidative stress, metabolism of cholesterol and phospholipids, and adherence to unhealthy dietary habits. Furthermore, delayed insulin peak was associated with impaired metabolic flexibility, as reflected in compromised capacity to regulate mitochondrial energy pathways and the antioxidant defense in response to glucose overload. Conclusions Altogether, these findings suggest that insulin resistance could encompass several phenotypic subtypes characterized by graded disturbances in distinctive metabolic derangements occurring in childhood obesity, which serve as severity predictive markers.

Abstract Background In the digital era, developing effective teaching methods is crucial due to the challenges of maintaining students’ concentration amidst distractions. This study assessed the effects of learning-promoting factors both across group boundaries and within RCT learning groups examined in our previous study on the effectiveness of online versus live teaching. Methods The participants’ experiences in the domains of Concentration, Anticipation, Liking and Desire to reuse were evaluated online immediately after a lesson on diagnosing pediatric respiratory issues implemented either in a Live, Live-stream, Vodcast or Podcast setting. The students rated their experiences on a scale of 1–10 with scores above a median of 8 indicating high experience levels in each factor. Learning was evaluated using a Webropol e-Test immediately and five weeks after the teaching session. The 15-minute test, comprised of 10 multiple-choice questions and real-life video scenarios, measured both theoretical and diagnostic skills. The test score scale ranged from − 26 to 28 points. Results High concentration was experienced by 70/72 (97.2%) students in the Live, 41/75 (54.7%) students in the Live-stream, 53/72 (73.6%) students in the Vodcast and 36/79 (45.6%) students in the Podcast teaching groups (P

Abstract Online communities have become a central part of the internet. Understanding what motivates users to join these communities, and how they affect them and others, spans various psychological domains, including organizational psychology, political and social psychology, and clinical and health psychology. We focus on online communities that are exemplary for three domains: work, hate, and addictions. We review the risks that emerge from these online communities but also recognize the opportunities that work and behavioral addiction communities present for groups and individuals. With the continued evolution of online spheres, online communities are likely to have an increasingly significant role in all spheres of life, ranging from personal to professional and from individual to societal. Psychological research provides critical insights into understanding the formation of online communities, and the implications for individuals and society. To counteract risks, it needs to identify opportunities for prevention and support.

IntroductionThis observational study investigated: (1) potential changes in female football players’ in-season training load, intensity and physical performance, and (2) if in-season accumulated training load, intensity, or their progression are associated to changes in physical performance.MethodsThirty-five national level female players (∼21 years, n = 35) from three top-teams of the Finnish national league participated. Players performed tests at the beginning and at the end of the 27-week in-season. Tests were: 30-m sprint, countermovement jump (CMJ) and 1,200-m shuttle run, used to calculate maximal aerobic speed (MAS). Players’ external and internal training load and intensity were monitored in all on-field training sessions and official matches (3,941 data samples) using Polar Team Pro system.ResultsTraining load decreased towards the end of the in-season (p

BackgroundA digital health check can be used to screen health behavior risks in the population, help health care professionals with standardized risk estimation for their patients, and motivate a patient to change unhealthy behaviors. Long-term unemployed individuals comprise a particular subgroup with an increased risk of lifestyle-related diseases. ObjectiveThis study aims to investigate the clinical utility of a general digital health examination, the STAR Duodecim Health Check and Coaching Program (STAR), which was developed in Finland, in the targeted screening of long-term unemployed individuals. For this purpose, we compared health challenges identified by a digital health check with those identified by a nurse during a face-to-face health check for unemployed individuals. MethodsIn this comparison study, 49 unemployed participants attending a health check were recruited from two Finnish primary health care centers. The participants used STAR and attended a nurse’s health check. Data were collected by surveys with multiple-choice and open-ended questions from the participants, nurses, and a study assistant who observed the session. The nurses were asked to name the three most significant health challenges for each participant. These health challenges were categorized into health challenges corresponding to STAR and these were compared with each other. Percentages of agreement between STAR and nurses were calculated. Sensitivity and specificity, as well as Cohen κ with P values and CIs, were computed for agreement. ResultsSTAR identified a total of 365 health challenges, an average of 7.4 (SD 2.5) health challenges per participant (n=49). The nurses named a total of 160 health challenges (n=47). In 53% (95% CI 38.1-67.9; n=25) of cases, STAR identified all categorized health challenges named by nurses. In 64% (95% CI 48.5-77.3; n=30) of cases, STAR identified at least 2/3 of the health challenges identified by nurses. Cohen κ was 0.877 (P

Abstract Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants may have different characteristics, e.g., in transmission, mortality, and the effectiveness of vaccines, indicating the importance of variant detection at the population level. Wastewater-based surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 RNA fragments has been shown to be an effective way to monitor the COVID-19 pandemic at the population level. Wastewater is a complex sample matrix affected by environmental factors and PCR inhibitors, causing insufficient coverage in sequencing, for example. Subsequently, results where part of the genome does not have sufficient coverage are not uncommon. To identify variants and their proportions in wastewater over time, we utilized next-generation sequencing with the ARTIC Network's primer set and bioinformatics pipeline to evaluate the presence of variants in partial genome data. Based on the wastewater data from November 2021 to February 2022, the Delta variant was dominant until mid-December in Helsinki, Finland’s capital, and thereafter in late December 2022 Omicron became the most common variant. At the same time, the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 outcompeted the previous Delta variant in Finland in new COVID-19 cases. The SARS-CoV-2 variant findings from wastewater are in agreement with the variant information obtained from the patient samples when visually comparing trends in the sewerage network area. This indicates that the sequencing of wastewater is an effective way to monitor temporal and spatial trends of SARS-CoV-2 variants at the population level.

BackgroundThe development and quality assurance of perinatal eHealth self-monitoring systems is an upcoming area of inquiry in health science. Building patient engagement into eHealth development as a core component has potential to guide process evaluation. Access, 1 attribute of patient engagement, is the focus of study here. Access to eHealth self-monitoring programs has the potential to influence pregnancy health and wellness outcomes. Little is known about how pregnant users' ability to obtain resources is influenced by their own adaptive activities and the mediating activities of eHealth systems during the process of real-world testing of these systems.ObjectiveHere, we examine the patient engagement process of access occurring during the adaptation of eHealth self-monitoring use from a sociomaterial perspective.MethodsIn this mixed methods convergent evaluation design, we interviewed women about perceptions of the adaptation process of using an eHealth self-monitoring system. Deductive analysis was conducted guided by the definition of access as an attribute of patient engagement. After initial qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis, participants were spilt based on their level of use of the eHealth system (physical wear time of self-monitoring device). Content analysis was then conducted according to user group, using a conceptual matrix developed from ontological perspectives of sociomateriality.ResultsPregnant users' adaptive activities and the mediation activities of the eHealth system represent a cocreation process that resulted in user group-specific characteristics of accessing and using the system. The high- and low-use groups experienced different personal adaptation and eHealth mediation during this process of cocreation. Differences were noted between high- and low-use groups, with the high-use group giving attention to developing skills in recording and interpreting data and the low-use group discussing the manual adding of activities to the system and how the system worked best for them when they used it in their mother tongue.ConclusionsA cocreation process between pregnant users and the eHealth system was identified, illustrating access as a useful core component of perinatal eHealth self-monitoring systems. Researchers and clinicians can observe reasons for why pregnant users access eHealth systems in unique ways based on their personal preferences, habits, and values. Mediation activities of the eHealth system and the different user adaptive activities represent a cocreation process between the users and the eHealth system that is necessary for the personalization of perinatal eHealth systems.

Evidence-based interventions can develop social and emotional competencies and foster social relationships during early childhood. In this paper, we explored the efficacy, implementation fidelity, and social validity of two systemic, preventive social-emotional learning interventions in Finnish early childhood education and care (ECEC)—ProVaka and Papilio—after their initial nine weeks of implementation. ProVaka is an application of Positive Behavior Intervention and Support that provides general guidelines for the development of social-emotional skills. Alongside general guidelines, the Papilio intervention also utilizes ready-made lesson plans and play-based measures. In this study, 80 ECEC classes from 39 ECEC centers participated in a cluster-randomized controlled trial. We measured educators’ feedback, children’s behavior, social validity, and implementation fidelity. The results indicate effects particularly on educator-reported child behavior and educators’ feedback on certain observed areas when the systemic interventions were implemented with sufficient fidelity. Further, both interventions seem well suitable for Finnish ECEC context.