Designing a Future Metaverse for Nokia:a Lifecycle for Business Process Management

This article proposes a novel approach to Business Process Management (BPM) for designing a future metaverse for Nokia. The approach combines service design methodologies with quality management principles to create a lifecycle for continuous development. The authors argue that user-centred design and agile development are essential for success in the development of a future metaverse. A new lifecycle model for quality-driven BPM is introduced, emphasizing iterative development, customer co-creation, and data-driven decision-making. The model should help Nokia be more innovative, competitive, efficient, and customer-friendly. The proposed model is a preliminary concept and requires further development in the context of the Nokia Metaverse

Manipulation into unsustainable consumer choices as exploitative abuse of dominance

This article oscillates around the intersection of sustainability and digital platforms, which is an increasingly important and complex area of study in which digital platforms can have both a positive and a negative influence. The interaction between sustainability and digital platforms is crucial at a time when the EU is promoting the twin transition in its economy, a process that entails focusing on both environmental sustainability and digitalization. Online users should have a chance to buy sustainable products and services through digital platforms. However, environmental issues are becoming more and more pressing, and users are more willing to, among others, compensate for their flight emissions, to buy organic food and to ensure the protection of endangered species. The following question arises: who is responsible for ensuring the sustainability of the products and services that are offered online? Is it consumers, who often feel that they want to be environmentally friendly but choose cheaper products over sustainable ones out of habit? Or is it the government and the EU, which are promoting the twin transition in the first place? I argue that these responsibilities could be allocated through competition law. In particular, the article focuses on the possible manipulation of consumers into over-consumption or the purchase of unsustainable products and services, which could be classified as exploitative abuse of dominance. Consumer welfare (i.e., the well-being of consumers) would be enhanced if consumers could buy more sustainable goods and services or if they were not manipulated into overconsumption. Such a development would cohere with the recent attempts to broaden competition law into non-price-related goals that respond to societal needs for transformation (here, the sustainability transition in the face of the environmental crisis). This article is intended to answer the following question: how can different kinds of manipulation into the purchase of unsustainable products and services or overspend-ing be classified as decreasing consumer welfare and, consequently, as exploitative abuses of dominance under EU competition law? For example, digital platforms often nudge consumers into specific behaviours that may not be in their best interests.</p

Beyond equilibrium thinking:dynamic area-based management tools in a changing ocean

Area-based management tools (ABMTs), including marine protected areas (MPAs) are often static and fail to reflect the dynamic realities of marine ecosystems. Marine ecosystems are characterized by their embodiment of constant change, which is further amplified by anthropogenic stressors, particularly climate change. ABMTs and MPAs are, however, premised on an implicit assumption of environmental equilibrium as their boundaries and management framework are often fixed and difficult to adjust. This article seeks to lay bare the tension between static conservation strategies and the deeply and inherently dynamic nature of marine ecosystems. It further seeks to advance the notion of dynamic ABMTs, proposing an integrated conceptualization of ABMT governance, one that is more apt to respond to the type of challenges that the dynamism of complex marine ecosystems presents. Dynamism, in this context, is broadly construed as encompassing three dimensions: spatial, with fluid and adjustable conservation measures; normative, denoting a volatile and adaptive management framework that utilizes ecological and management thresholds as an initiator for adaptive, timely, and prospective approaches to enhance management outcomes; and institutional, i.e., sufficiently flexible and dynamic institutional machinery overseeing ABMT implementation. Following a comprehensive conceptualization of dynamic ABMTs, the article addresses the question whether the legal frameworks governing the ocean can sustain such a dynamic mode of ocean governance

The Arctic Plant Aboveground Biomass Synthesis Dataset

Plant biomass is a fundamental ecosystem attribute that is sensitive to rapid climatic changes occurring in the Arctic. Nevertheless, measuring plant biomass in the Arctic is logistically challenging and resource intensive. Lack of accessible field data hinders efforts to understand the amount, composition, distribution, and changes in plant biomass in these northern ecosystems. Here, we present The Arctic plant aboveground biomass synthesis dataset, which includes field measurements of lichen, bryophyte, herb, shrub, and/or tree aboveground biomass (g m−2) on 2,327 sample plots from 636 field sites in seven countries. We created the synthesis dataset by assembling and harmonizing 32 individual datasets. Aboveground biomass was primarily quantified by harvesting sample plots during mid- to late-summer, though tree and often tall shrub biomass were quantified using surveys and allometric models. Each biomass measurement is associated with metadata including sample date, location, method, data source, and other information. This unique dataset can be leveraged to monitor, map, and model plant biomass across the rapidly warming Arctic

Exploring Tangible Explainable AI (TangXAI):A User Study of Two XAI Approaches

Explainable AI (XAI) has garnered significant attention as a theoretical subject in the research community. However, the practical application of XAI, particularly in the realm of user interfaces, remains limited. Moreover, evaluations of these interfaces from the perspective of end-users are scarce. In this paper, we introduce and evaluate two innovative tangible XAI interface concepts. The tangible interfaces capitalize on the widely recognized advantages of data physicalization, offering users a more intuitive and hands-on experience. We implemented two distinct XAI approaches within this tangible framework: feature relevance and local explanations. These approaches were applied to real-world use cases: recommending recipes and selecting jogging routes, respectively. The findings of our Wizard of Oz study indicate that participants had some challenges in distinguishing between the primary objectives of the XAI interface and the typical interactions associated with an AI recommender system. However, tangibility seems to support users’ understanding of AI’s explanations and enables users to reflect on their trust in the AI model

Students' Thriving and Well-Being in Online Learning Environments in Vocational Education and Training

Context: Recent research on students' experiences with the quality of online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic has increased the challenge to the development of online learning. During the pandemic, anxiety, depression, and fatigue occurred in online studies, which also weakened students' well-being. In this quantitative study, we examined how students thrive in synchronous and asynchronous online implementations. The goal of the research was to support students' well-being in online studies; therefore, the study uses the PERMA well-being theory. Approach: Finnish vocational education and training students (N = 363) participated in the study and answered the questions on positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning, and accomplishment from both asynchronous and synchronous online delivery perspectives using a questionnaire. Findings: This study highlighted the importance of the teacher's online learning facilitation skills and task design skills, and the emotions generated in an online course. Based on the results, the respondents were divided into three student profiles: (1) Students thriving in online courses in general; (2) Students thriving, especially in asynchronous online courses; and (3) Students not thriving in online courses in general. Conclusions: According to the findings, students need different options for completing online courses. The role of the teacher in creating a positive and supportive atmosphere, fostering relationships, and creating clear work-related and versatile tasks is of great importance in the generation of emotions, whether it is an asynchronous or synchronous online implementation. <br/

Kaivostoiminnan aiheuttamien ympäristövahinkojen korvattavuus

Tutkimuksessa selvitettiin sitä, toteuttavatko ympäristövahinkojen korvaussääntely ja sen tulkintakäytäntö oikeutta täyteen korvaukseen, kun aiheuttajana on kaivostoiminta. Lisäksi selvitettiin sitä, miten ja missä ympäristövahingonkorvauksia käsitellään, virallisperiaatteen ulottuvuutta korvausmenettelyissä sekä lis pendens ja res judicata -vaikutusten merkitystä täyteen korvattavuuteen. Menetelmällisesti hyödynnettiin lainoppia. Kaivoslain (621/2011) kokonaisuudistuksessa korostettiin haittojen ja vahinkojen täyttä korvattavuutta ja kaivoksen käyttöoikeuden lunastamisen katsottiin vertautuvan pakkolunastukseen, eivätkä myöhemmät lainmuutokset muuttaneet mainittua lähtöasetelmaa. Kaivostoiminnasta voi aiheutua myös ympäristövahinkoja, joiden osalta korvausperusteet hajautuvat useaan sääntelytaustoiltaankin eroaviin korvaussäädöksiin. Tutkimustulosten mukaan kaivostoiminnasta johtuvia ympäristövahinko ja voidaan käsitellä neljässä eri korvausmenettelyssä, ja korvaustoimivallasta on osittain ollut epäselvyyttä. Liiallisen pirstaloitunut korvausjärjestelmä on itsessään uhka täyden korvauksen saamiselle. Korvaustilanteet hajautuvat lisäksi erilaatuisiin ympäristövahinkoihin, joita useimmiten korvataan kiinteistön arvon alenemisena. Kiinteistön arvo määräytyy kuitenkin markkinoilla koko naisuutena eikä yksittäisen ympäristövahingon taloudellista merkitystä voida luotettavalla tavalla määrittää. Oikeus täyteen korvaukseen on lähtökohtana kaikissa korvaussäädöksissä, mutta osassa on säädännäisiä korvauskynnyksiä, jotka voivat rajata korvausta määrällisesti. Artikkelissa tarkastellaan muun muassa sietämisvelvollisuuden suhdetta Suomen perustuslain (731/1999) 15.2 §:n mukaiseen lunastusoikeudelliseen täyteen korvaukseen