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Spillovers between hydrogen, nuclear, and AI sectors: The impact of climate policy uncertainty and geopolitical risks
Get PDFThis study investigates the spillover effects between hydrogen energy, nuclear energy, and artificial intelligence (AI) sectors in the context of the global clean energy transition, with a particular focus on the impact of climate policy uncertainty (CPU) and geopolitical risks (GPR). Employing the TVP-VAR extended joint connectedness approach, the findings show a high connectedness that indicates significant spillovers among these sectors. Hydrogen energy emerges as a dominant transmitter of shocks, reflecting its sensitivity to regulatory changes and fluctuating demand. However, nuclear energy acts as a stabilising force that offers hedging opportunities and resilience against market turbulence. The AI sector exhibits strong connectedness, primarily as a net receiver of shocks, driven by its dependency on clean energy sources and vulnerability to energy market volatility. Using the GARCH-MIDAS framework, the study identifies a temporal asymmetry in market responses to CPU and GPR. CPU triggers immediate but short-lived disruptions, while GPR induces delayed yet persistent effects that intensify cross-sector spillovers over time. These results underline the vulnerabilities of sectors reliant on regulatory clarity and geopolitical stability. This study provides practical insights for investors, policymakers, technology, and energy companies to better manage systemic risks at the crossroads of clean energy, technological innovation, and uncertainty
Working with neurodivergent people in contact with the criminal justice system
Get PDFIn recent decades, policymakers have become increasingly aware that the inherent differences in how neurodivergent individuals engage with the world around them combined with the, arguably, neurotypical bias of the CJS can create barriers to fair and effective criminal proceedings. There is a well-established concern that neurodivergent people are both over-represented within and under-served by the CJS, experiencing poorer justice outcomes than their neurotypical counterparts.In this evidence review a number of members of the Neurodivergence in Criminal Justice Network (NICJN) look at:Embedding lived experience in the development of policy and practiceThe Youth Justice System (YJS) and Neurodivergent Children and Young People (ND-CYP)Neurodivergent suspects and Policing (including custody)Neurodivergence in Criminal CourtsPrison and Probation based Behavioural Change Programmes for Neurodivergent IndividualsGetting started: How organisations can make their service more friendly to neurodivergent people
Temperature and water availability drive insect seasonality across a temperate and a tropical region
Get PDFThe more insects there are, the more food there is for insectivores and the higher the likelihood for insect-associated ecosystem services. Yet, we lack insights into the drivers of insect biomass over space and seasons, for both tropical and temperate zones. We used 245 Malaise traps, managed by 191 volunteers and park guards, to characterize year-round flying insect biomass in a temperate (Sweden) and a tropical (Madagascar) country. Surprisingly, we found that local insect biomass was similar across zones. In Sweden, local insect biomass increased with accumulated heat and varied across habitats, while biomass in Madagascar was unrelated to the environmental predictors measured. Drivers behind seasonality partly converged: In both countries, the seasonality of insect biomass differed between warmer and colder sites, and wetter and drier sites. In Sweden, short-term deviations from expected season-specific biomass were explained by week-to-week fluctuations in accumulated heat, rainfall and soil moisture, whereas in Madagascar, weeks with higher soil moisture had higher insect biomass. Overall, our study identifies key drivers of the seasonal distribution of flying insect biomass in a temperate and a tropical climate. This knowledge is key to understanding the spatial and seasonal availability of insects—as well as predicting future scenarios of insect biomass change
Enhancing data privacy and trust in e‐learning: A blockchain‐based access control protocol for cloud educational systems
Get PDFE‐learning systems in an educational environment designed for wireless area networks for schools, universities, and research institutions provide consistency and better retention for students, professors, and researchers. An E‐learning system is known for storing lecture documents and live video conferences that are transmitted over public channels. However, E‐learning systems are also vulnerable to various cyberattacks by malicious attackers. Therefore, classic networks have many weaknesses in securing such massive data in the E‐learning system. This work proposes a novel blockchain‐based access control protocol for cloud educational environments. The proposed approach uniquely integrates ciphertext‐policy attribute‐based encryption (CP‐ABE) with blockchain technology to provide fine‐grained, decentralized, and tamper‐resistant access for academic data. Unlike existing methods, our protocol stores learning data on the cloud while securely managing metadata and blockchain access policies, enhancing privacy and scalability. We further introduce a mutual authentication mechanism based on body area networks (BAN) and validate the security of our protocol using automated validation of internet security protocols and applications (AVISPA) and BAN logic. Experimental results demonstrate that our method achieves lower computational costs and higher security guarantees than state‐of‐the‐art solutions, making it highly suitable for practical deployment in academic E‐learning environments
The ‘first look’: Individuals’ initial experiences of viewing their appearance following craniofacial surgery
No full textElective surgeries to improve facial appearance are frequently offered to adolescents and adults with craniofacial conditions. While some studies point to the psychosocial benefits of surgery, others have described patient distress and disappointment. The aim of this study was to explore individuals’ experiences of viewing their appearance for the first time following craniofacial surgery. An existing questionnaire was adapted for the craniofacial population and disseminated online. Retrospective, mixed methods data from 31 adults with a range of craniofacial conditions were analysed using descriptive statistics, Pearson’s correlations and conventional content analysis. Seventy-one percent of participants were worried about looking in the mirror for the first time. Participants reported a moderate level of distress and satisfaction with the surgical results on average, yet ratings varied considerably between participants. Almost half felt more distressed than expected and perceived their immediate post-surgical appearance to be worse than they had imagined. A range of emotions were described in response to the ‘first look’, many of which were negatively valenced. Greater preparedness was significantly associated with feelings of relief and greater initial satisfaction with the surgical outcome, yet most participants felt that support at the time of the first look could have been improved. The findings represent a self-selected group of adults, some of whom underwent surgery several years ago. Nonetheless, patients’ psychosocial experiences of the immediate post-surgical phase appear to be important. Preparing individuals for what they will look like and how they may feel after seeing themselves in the mirror for the first time is therefore an important consideration for craniofacial teams
Creating MAKERS spaces: A guide for universities and colleges
Get PDFThis guide aims to support universities and colleges to organise and operate MAKERS projects on campus. MAKERS projects bring together the technical prowess of Makerspaces with the community can-do spirit of a Repair Café. MAKERS projects aim to tackle waste, support student skill development, and co-develop solutions to community problems.The development of this ‘How to Guide’ was funded by the Royal Academy of Engineering and DSIT (The Department for Science Innovation and Technology), as part of the Diversity Impact Programme. The wider programme aims to inspire change in university engineering departments so that all students succeed and the unique perspectives and experiences of engineers from diverse and underrepresented backgrounds continue to enhance the profession.The experiences highlighted in the guide come from the Making and Knowledge Exchange for Repair and Sustainability (MAKERS) project at the University of the West of England (UWE Bristol). The MAKERS project co-developed a Repair Café on campus, open to all students, as well as maker projects with communities during 2023 to 2024. The project aimed to improve students’ sense of belonging and hands-on engineering skills, particularly among under-represented groups, while embedding sustainability and community engagement.This toolkit is available as an Issue magazine here:creating-makers-spaces-a-guide-for-universities-and-colleges by UWE Bristol - IssuuThe toolkit provides practical guidance on:- establishing local sustainability and repair projects- creating inclusive learning environments- building community partnerships- monitoring impact and sharing best practiceThis work supports the further and higher education sector’s commitment to sustainability, addressing both environmental and social challenges through resource conservation, waste reduction, and enhanced civic engagement. By raising awareness of repair and making, the initiative encourages students, staff, industry partners, and local communities to rethink consumption and reduce waste within the global supply chain.Project lead: Dr Laura Fogg Rogers, Associate Professor Engineering in SocietyProject coordinator: Kat Corbett, Circular Economy LeadProject researchers:Dr Joe Butchers and Dr Hollie LewisTechnical team:Steve Regester, Will Hadrill, Drew Williams-Hicks, Ruth Squires, Luisa Holde
AQ-ResCon: Adaptive quantum-resistant lattice-based key agreement protocol for secure distributed container orchestration in edge cloud environments
Get PDFIn the rapidly evolving domain of smart healthcare, the integration of Docker containers and Kubernetes with Internet of Things (IoT) edge cloud orchestration has significantly enhanced the performance, scalability, and modularity of healthcare applications. However, despite the efficiency benefits provided by microservices architecture, substantial security vulnerabilities persist, particularly in the face of the threat of quantum computing. Quantum algorithms, such as Shor's and Grover's, pose a significant risk to conventional encryption schemes, potentially compromising the integrity and confidentiality of healthcare data distributed across edge cloud environments. To address these critical concerns, we propose AQ-ResCon: an Adaptive Quantum-Resistant Lattice-Based Key Agreement Protocol designed for secure and resilient distributed container orchestration. AQ-ResCon leverages the hardness of the Learning With Errors (LWE) problem in lattice-based cryptography to provide a robust defence against quantum attacks. We further introduce the AQ-ResCon Scheduler Algorithm, which efficiently manages and executes healthcare workloads across decentralised IoT-edge-cloud nodes, ensuring secure data flow and orchestration. Extensive testbed experiments were conducted to evaluate the performance and security effectiveness of AQ-ResCon under realistic containerised healthcare scenarios. Results demonstrate that AQ-ResCon achieves up to 36% improvement in scheduling efficiency, 41% reduction in key compromise rates, and 28% lower latency compared to existing quantum-vulnerable orchestration protocols. Additionally, the AQ-ResCon protocol maintained consistent performance under simulated quantum attack conditions, validating its adaptability and resilience. These outcomes confirm that AQ-ResCon is a viable, secure, and future-proof solution for safeguarding microservices-based healthcare applications against evolving quantum threats in edge cloud environments
The Sibling Sexual Behaviour and Abuse (SSB-A) Practice Outcomes Framework for services and organisations supporting and responding to sibling sexual behaviour and abuse
Get PDFIn the UK practice guidance on how services/organisations and professionals should respond to, and support individuals and families affected by SSB-A is increasing (see, Hanson, 2024; Sanderson, 2024; Yates and Allardyce, 2023a; King-Hill and Gilsenan, 2023). While practice guidance for this group is growing, there is a lack of guidance regarding how services and organisations delivering support to this group can develop outcomes and use evaluation measures to demonstrate that the support, assessments, interventions and treatment that they are offering to individuals and families affected by SSB-A are ‘fit for purpose’ and setting out what they intend to achieve. As research understanding and public awareness of SSB-A increases, the need for services and organisations dedicated to supporting individuals and families affected by SSB-A is likely to grow.In 2020 The UK Home Office funded the National Sibling Sexual Abuse Project in partnership with four organisations. As part of this project, McCartan led one of the two research streams and Adams supported the project as a research officer. Since this project both authors have undertaken subsequent research on SSB-A and from this have concluded that there is a need to provide services and organisations, in the field of SSB-A, with direction and guidance in thinking about how to develop outcomes for their work and evaluating these for effectiveness. To support this, Adams and McCartan have developed the SSB-A Practice Outcomes Overview of the SSB-A Practice Framework for services and organisations that respond to, and support individuals and families affected by SSB-A
Trust by design: An ethical framework for collaborative intelligence systems in industry 5.0
Get PDFIndustry 5.0 highlights human-centricity, sustainability, and resilience. This article presents a novel Trust by Design framework applicable to collaborative intelligence systems within Industry 5.0, addressing the need for collaborative systems to be reliable by design, incorporating ethical principles such as transparency, accountability, fairness, and privacy throughout the entire system lifecycle. The framework is grounded in select ethical philosophies applied to practical design requirements for human-AI collaboration, identifying key ethical challenges that threaten to damage trust and restrict the adoption of collaborative systems. The authors employ a qualitative, literature-driven method, conceptual modeling, and scenario-based case study analysis, synthesizing best practices and ethical policies from the EU AI Act, GDPR, and more. Trust by Design suggests a structured set of principles and implementation measures to embed ethics into every phase of the system’s lifecycle. The applicability and suitability of the framework are demonstrated through representative real-world application scenarios across industries. The results indicate that trust in collaborative intelligence systems is not static but dynamic, context-dependent, and controlled by transparency, fairness, and user experience. The framework includes instruments and methods to measure ethical performance, including trust metrics, override rates, fairness indicators, and incident tracking
Global Political Economy and New World Disorder
No full textDrawing upon a range of resources of critique (including critical realist social theory, realist international relations theory, the sociology of globalization, the Marxist critique of imperialism, and dependency theory), this book is an essential contribution to the critical understanding of nationalism and imperialism in the global age. It conducts a sustained and in-depth analysis of the relations governing the asymmetry in the distribution of economic resources and powers of command, and the recent play of political events involving imperialist wars, including the Russo-Ukrainian and Israeli-Hamas wars. Crucially, Creaven argues that establishing these connections requires theorizing political economy in the so-called global age as comprised of neoimperial and neoliberal orders. As such,the author offers a new interpretation of the relations between neoliberalism and neoimperialism, and between modes of organizing social relations and resulting global disorders and instabilities. This book will therefore be of interest to researchers, scholars, and students working at the intersection of global political economy, international relations, and the sociology of globalization.Sean Creaven is Senior Lecturer in Sociology and Criminology at the University of the West of England, UK. His research interests have included the sociology of modernity and postmodernity, sociological theory, critical theory, Marxism and post-Marxism, critical realism, and criminological theory. Most recently, these include also eco-sociology and the sociology of pandemics