UTUPub
Not a member yet
55238 research outputs found
Sort by
Non-fungible tokens, tokenization, and ownership
Get PDFThe emergence of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) in the blockchain environment has prompted many intriguing questions for private law scholars around the world. A question as basic as whether NFTs can be owned has proven difficult in many countries. This is the first research question of our article, which focuses on NFTs created in the Ethereum system by utilizing standard ERC-721. Because these NFTs are identifiable and distinguishable from all other tokens, the notion of owning an NFT is not unthinkable. Yet no universal answer can be offered. Whether NFTs qualify as objects of ownership must be studied at the level of individual legal systems. We argue that NFTs can be owned under Finnish law, with the same probably applying to many other legal systems. Starting with this notion, we pose two further research questions. As the second research question, we ask what problems of a patrimonial law nature may arise in attempts to connect different kinds of rights, even irrevocably, to owning or holding an NFT. Creditor rights seem relatively easy in this respect because most legal systems allow prospective debtors to obligate themselves as they wish. We also study whether a limited liability company could issue an NFT as a share certificate with legal effects corresponding to those of a physical (paper) share certificate. While an affirmative answer could be justified in some legal systems, Finnish law makes it difficult to tokenize a company’s shares other than in the framework of a settlement system within the meaning of the European Union’s DLT Pilot Regulation. Even greater difficulties arise in attempts to connect the ownership of a (material) thing and of an NFT so that a person who owns a token also owns the thing. Our third and final research question addresses tokenization of digital art, which gives rise to some special questions. We ask what rights the transferee of an NFT can receive in connection with tokenization of digital art. Here, our main finding is that digital art can be meaningfully tokenized even though digital copies are not regarded as possible objects of ownership.</p
The Novel Inducer of Innate Immunity HO53 Stimulates Autophagy in Human Airway Epithelial Cells
Get PDFAroylated phenylenediamines (APDs) are novel modulators of innate immunity with respect to enhancing the expression of antimicrobial peptides and maintaining epithelial barrier integrity. Here, we present a new study on induction of autophagy in human lung epithelial cells by the APD HO53. Interestingly, HO53 affected autophagy in a dose-dependent manner, demonstrated by increased microtubule-associated proteins 1A/1B light-chain 3B (LC3B) processing in mature polarized bronchial epithelial cells. The quantification of LC3B puncta showed increased autophagy flux and formation of autophagosomes visualized by transmission electron microscopy. The phenotypic changes indicated that autophagy induction was associated with activation of 5 ' adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK), nuclear translocation of transcription factor EB (TFEB), and changes in expression of autophagy-related genes. The kinetics of the explored signaling pathways indicated on activation of AMPK followed by the nuclear translocation of TFEB. Moreover, our data suggest that HO53 modulates epigenetic changes related to induction of autophagy manifested by transcriptional regulation of histone-modifying enzymes. These changes were reflected by decreased ubiquitination of histone 2B at the lysine 120 residue that is associated with autophagy induction. Taken together, HO53 modulates autophagy, a part of the host defense system, through a complex mechanism involving several pathways and epigenetic events
Towards Structural Reconstruction from X-Ray Spectra
Get PDF We report a statistical analysis of Ge K-edge X-ray emission spectra simulated for amorphous GeO2 at elevated pressures. We find that employing machine learning approaches we can reliably predict the statistical moments of the Kβ′′ and Kβ2 peaks in the spectrum from the Coulomb matrix descriptor with a training set of ∼104 samples. Spectral-significance-guided dimensionality reduction techniques allow us to construct an approximate inverse mapping from spectral moments to pseudo-Coulomb matrices. When applying this to the moments of the ensemble-mean spectrum, we obtain distances from the active site that match closely to those of the ensemble mean and which moreover reproduce the pressure-induced coordination change in amorphous GeO2. With this approach utilizing emulator-based component analysis, we are able to filter out the artificially complete structural information available from simulated snapshots, and quantitatively analyse structural changes that can be inferred from the changes in the Kβ emission spectrum alone. </p
Dynamic Outlier Slicing Allows Broader Exploration of Adaptive Divergence: A Comparison of Individual Genome and Pool‐Seq Data Linked to Humic Adaptation in Perch
Get PDFHow genetic variation contributes to adaptation at different environments is a central focus in evolutionary biology. However, most free-living species still lack a comprehensive understanding of the primary molecular mechanisms of adaptation. Here, we characterised the targets of selection associated with drastically different aquatic environments-humic and clear water-in the common freshwater fish, Eurasian perch (Perca fluviatilis). By using whole-genome sequencing (WGS) on a large population dataset (n = 42 populations) and analysing 873,788 SNPs, our primary aim was to uncover novel and confirm known footprints of selection. We compared individual and pooled WGS, and developed a novel approach, termed dynamic outlier slicing, to assess how the choice of outlier-calling stringency influences functional and Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment. By integrating genome-environment association (GEA) analysis with allele frequency-based approaches, we estimated composite selection signals (CSS) and identified 2679 outlier SNPs distributed across 324 genomic regions, involving 468 genes. Dynamic outlier slicing identified robust enrichment signals in five annotation categories (upstream, downstream, synonymous, 5 ' UTR and 3 ' UTR) highlighting the crucial role of regulatory elements in adaptive evolution. Furthermore, GO analyses revealed strong enrichment of molecular functions associated with gated channel activity, transmembrane transporter activity and ion channel activity, emphasising the importance of osmoregulation and ion balance maintenance. Our findings demonstrate that despite substantial random drift and divergence, WGS of high number of population pools enabled the identification of strong selection signals associated with adaptation to both humic and clear water environments, providing robust evidence of widespread adaptation. We anticipate that the dynamic outlier slicing method we developed will enable a more thorough exploration of adaptive divergence across a diverse range of species
Bodily maps of emotions and pain : Tactile and hedonic sensitivity in healthy controls and patients experiencing chronic pain
Get PDFPain is an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience. Both pain and emotions are warning signals against outside harm. Interoception, bodily sensations of emotions can be assessed with the emBODY tool where participants colour the body parts where they feel different emotions. Bodily maps of emotions (BMoE) have been shown to be similar between healthy individuals independent of age, sex, cultural background, and language. We used this tool to analyze how these body maps may differ between healthy controls and patients with persistent pain. We recruited 118 patients with chronic pain. An algorithm-selected matched controls from 2348 individuals who were recruited through social media, message boards, and student mailing lists. After providing background information, the participants completed the bodily topography colouring tasks with the emBODY tool using tablets (patients) and online using their own devices (controls), for pain, sensitivity for tactile, nociceptive and hedonic stimuli, and for the 6 basic emotions and a neutral state. Patients with pain coloured significantly larger areas for pain and more negative emotions. On the whole, their BMoEs were dampened compared with healthy controls. They also coloured more areas for nociceptive but not for tactile or hedonic sensitivity. Patients and controls marked different body areas as sensitive to nociceptive and tactile stimulation, but there was no difference in sensitivity to hedonic touch. Our findings suggest that emotional processing changes when pain persists, and this can be assessed with these colouring tasks. BMoEs may offer a new approach to assessing pain.</p
The Future of Political Institutions - Foucault, Genealogical Critique, and the Normative Implications of His Analysis of the State
Get PDFIn this article, I reconsider the normative dimensions of Michel Foucault's genealogical method, especially as they pertain to analyzing the nature of political institutions. I put forward a normative reading of Foucauldian genealogical critique, and through its lens view political institutions as historically contingent phenomena. This helps us to see how political institutions are transformable.</p
The effect of the severity of parental alcohol abuse on mental and behavioural disorders in children
Get PDFMany studies have shown that children of alcohol abusing parents have a higher risk for mental and behavioural disorders compared to other children. Using a retrospective population-based cohort study, based on health care and social welfare registers that include children born in Finland in 1997 and their biological parents, we evaluated whether the severity of parental alcohol abuse is related to these disorders in children. We examined (1) differences in the incidence of mental and behavioural disorders over time among the children of parents with no alcohol problems, parents with less severe alcohol problems and parents with severe alcohol problems, and (2) associations between mother’s and father’s alcohol abuse and children’s risk of disorders. Children were followed up until the age of 15. A diagnosis of mental or behavioural disorders during the follow-up was received by 15.4% of the boys and 9.0% of the girls. Both less severe alcohol abuse (HR = 1.36, 95% CI 1.14–1.61) and severe alcohol abuse (HR = 1.29, 95% CI 1.11–1.49) in mothers increased the risk of these disorders in their offspring. The corresponding figures among fathers were HR = 1.19, 95% CI 0.92–1.54 and HR = 1.16, 95% CI 1.02–1.32. Our results indicate that both maternal alcohol abuse and paternal alcohol abuse, regardless of severity, are associated with an increased risk of mental and behavioural disorders in children. It is crucial for professionals working with children to pay attention to all children whose parents have any alcohol abuse problems.</p
PACIS 2023 Proceedings
Get PDFDrawing on perceived value theory, this study applies a fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) to examine how different combinations of sub-dimensions of perceived value (including functional, convenience, hedonic, and social value), together with user features (smartphone use habit and travel frequency to theme parks) motivate users to continue using a theme park app from a configurational approach. Further, the functional value was proposed to include five components: real-time information, map navigation, online order, virtual queue, and recommended routes. By analyzing empirical data collected via an online survey in China (N = 347), this study found six different configurations of causal conditions for inducing continuance usage. Particularly, online order and perceived convenience value are found to be core conditions reinforcing continuance usage in combination with different peripheral conditions. This study contributes to the literature by offering new insights into IS continuance from a configuration perspective in a theme park app context.</p
Gamification in Education
Get PDFGamification, or gameful design, refers to the strategic application of game design principles, mechanics, and elements into non-game environments. It is often facilitated using digital platforms, aiming to solve problems, increase engagement, and motivate individuals towards their goals. The technique fosters a gameful and interactive experience, enhancing perceived autonomy, competence, and relatedness among users. With roots in fields like education, business, marketing, and services, gamification is a versatile tool that serves to enrich user experience and create value in a multitude of settings. The widespread impact of gamification across various sectors has transformed traditional methods of engagement, notably in education.</p
‘Culture’ in Finnish migrant-background youth’s discourses constructing togetherness and distance
Get PDF'Culture' as a construct has a complex role in the position of youth with migration background in Europe. It has been used to stereotyping and othering them, but recognising diverse cultural heritages positively affirms their identities. However, migrant-background youth's discourses concerning culture have not sufficiently been investigated. Based on two interview datasets, we analyse how youth with migration background construct their identities and negotiate togetherness with and distance from others through the concept of culture. The discourse analysis paid attention to the linguistic, discursive and social practices. As a linguistic practice, the participants talked about separate 'cultures' when describing similarity with other youth with migration background and distance between them and the 'Finns'. As a discursive practice, 'cultures' were defined as shared norms or communication styles but also similar mindsets. The accounts of intercultural learning brought up the significance of culture in validating migrant-background youth's identity. As a social practice, the notion of culture constructed 'Finns' and 'foreigners' as distinctive groups with certain power imbalance. Schools should deliberately deconstruct the essentialising notion of culture to help youth with migration background find more nuanced explanations to their experiences of togetherness or distance, question the power imbalances and cross inter-group barriers