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Global Roadmaps for Post-Quantum Era in Finance: Policies, Timelines, and a Pragmatic Playbook for Migration
No full textQuantum computing threatens the security foundations of global financial systems, exposing long-lived data and signed digital assets to “harvest-now, decrypt-later” attacks. While the timeline for cryptographically relevant quantum computers remains uncertain, regulatory signals from the USA, UK, EU, Canada, and Australia converge: financial institutions and payment infrastructures must begin migrating to post-quantum cryptography (PQC) now to preserve confidentiality, integrity, and systemic stability. This paper maps emerging standards and roadmaps, contrasting binding requirements like the EU’s DORA crypto-agility provisions with non-binding guidance from NIST, ENISA, and ETSI. Despite a shared intent to secure high-risk use cases by 2030–2031 and complete migration by 2035, divergences in enforcement and milestones create uncertainty for cross-border banks and financial market infrastructures. In parallel, technical adoption is advancing: major browsers, cryptographic libraries (OpenSSL/BoringSSL), and CDNs (e.g., AWS CloudFront) have deployed hybrid PQC key exchange in TLS 1.3, proving confidentiality defenses are viable at internet scale. The paper synthesizes historical transition lessons, sector-specific regulatory drivers, and operational constraints in payment infrastructures to derive a new, principle-based migration: crypto-agility, risk-prioritized scoping, hybrid deployment, vendor and supply-chain alignment, independent testing, and proactive supervisory engagement. Acting now reduces long-tail exposure and ensures readiness for imminent compliance and interoperability deadlines
Enhancing fucoxanthin bioavailability: Octyl-modified maltodextrin micelles and ultrasound-assisted encapsulation
No full textMicelles are nanostructures capable of encapsulating hydrophobic substances within their hydrophobic cores, enabling their dispersion in aqueous media. This enhances the solubility, stability, and bioavailability of encapsulated bioactive compounds and allows for their controlled release. In this study, maltodextrin chains were chemically modified by adding hydrophobic octyl groups onto their backbone through an esterification reaction. As the degree of substitution increased, both the particle size of the micellar-like aggregates and the critical aggregation concentration (CAC) gradually decreased. The encapsulation efficiency and loading capacity exhibited a positive correlation with the degree of substitution. Furthermore, ultrasonic treatment, by inducing a cavitation effect, was found to enhance hydrophobic interactions within the micelles and significantly improve the encapsulation capacity and compensate for the lower degree of substitution. It also improved composite properties and imparted environmental stability to the micelle-like aggregates. In vitro modeling of the digestive process demonstrated that fucoxanthin-loaded micelle-like aggregates can effectively avoid gastric release while showing significantly enhanced intestinal release. As expected, the octyl-modified maltodextrin (MD-C8) markedly improved the bioaccessibility of fucoxanthin (49.57%) and increased the micellization rate (90.96%) during simulated gastrointestinal digestion. These findings indicate that MD-C8 is an effective delivery carrier for functional biomolecules. Combined with the approach of ultrasound-assisted techniques, it shows great potential for the applications in the encapsulation of hydrophobic compounds
From Insight to Impact: Reflexivity and Reflection in Educational Research
No full textIn this article I explore reflexive and reflective practices in education and research emphasising their distinctions and benefits for professional learning, examining their role in shaping positionality, and discussing various methods for capturing these approaches. To further illustrate these ideas, a self-reflective academic researcher account is provided, offering a multi-dimensional exploration that enhances clarity and depth to these processes. This self-reflective account demonstrates how personal values, experiences, perspectives, and biases can influence our professional practice. It also demonstrates how engaging in these processes can add rigour and transparency to research and the writing up process. By providing a structured overview, practical tools, and an applied example, this article aims to support researchers and practitioners in effectively integrating reflexive and reflective practices. It encourages a deeper understanding of how these approaches contribute to meaningful professional growth and ethical, informed decision-making
Exploring changes to family support for those affected by someone else’s drug use since the introduction of the Scottish Government’s National Drug Deaths Mission
No full textThe study explores any changes in the support provided to families in Scotland living with those using alcohol and other drugs. It focuses on the period since 2021, when the Scottish Government introduced the National Mission on Drugs. Additionally, the project considers the nature of family support provision as currently available in Scotland. The study utilises he perspective of family members and family support providers.
The conclusions of the study were mixed. They included some evidence which suggesting that the experience may have improved for some families. However, a number of other challenges were highlighted, notably; families' awareness of the support available to them , experiences of shame still preventing some families from coming forward for support and low levels of satisfaction with levels of family involvement in the treatment of their loved one
AI-Enabled Workforce Governance in Public Healthcare: An Applied Legitimacy-Based Model for Polish Hospital HR Systems
No full textArtificial Intelligence (AI) is increasingly transforming healthcare systems; however, its structured integration into public-sector human resource management (HRM) remains limited. Polish public hospitals face persistent workforce shortages, recruitment inefficiencies, and regulatory constraints under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the EU Artificial Intelligence Act. Building upon prior conceptual work on legitimacy-preserving AI governance architecture, this study advances an applied AI-enabled workforce governance model tailored to public healthcare HR systems. Using a structured conceptual-analytical framework development approach grounded in Institutional Theory, the Resource-Based View, Strategic Human Capital Theory, and algorithmic governance literature, the Public AI-HR Governance Framework (P-AIHR) integrates five operational governance pillars supported by a 36-month implementation roadmap and structured risk matrix. Scenario modelling calibrated against OECD workforce indicators and illustrated through a 300-bed hospital simulation suggests plausible reductions in recruitment cycle time (20–30%), turnover rates (3–6 percentage points), and overtime variability (10–18%) under governance-controlled AI deployment. Rather than presenting empirical outcomes, the model provides analytically bounded projections intended to demonstrate the operational plausibility of governance-aligned AI integration. The study contributes a governance-calibrated framework for high-risk regulatory environments and advances the literature on AI-enabled HR transformation in public healthcare systems
AI Adoption and Recruitment Efficiency in European Banking: A Mixed-Method Analysis
No full textThe adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is reshaping recruitment processes in the European banking sector, where efficiency, accuracy, and compliance are strategic imperatives. This study investigates the extent to which AI improves recruitment efficiency, candidate selection quality, organisational outcomes, and candidate trust. Using a mixed-method approach, data were collected from 200 HR professionals and managers in European banks and supplemented with secondary industry evidence. Descriptive statistics, correlation, and regression analyses confirm that AI-driven recruitment significantly reduces time-to-hire and improves candidate-job matching, with recruitment process efficiency (β = 0.562, p < 0.001) and structured evaluation criteria (β = 0.377, p = 0.002) emerging as the strongest predictors of positive organisational outcomes. However, results also indicate that excessive reliance on automation can negatively affect candidate trust (β = −0.259, p < 0.05). These findings extend theoretical debates by applying the Technology Acceptance Model, the Resource-Based View, and Human Capital Theory to the context of banking recruitment, highlighting AI as both a strategic resource and a source of ethical and transparency challenges. Practical implications include the need for hybrid recruitment models combining automation with human oversight, enhanced transparency in candidate communication, and strict alignment with the EU AI Act. This study contributes original empirical evidence from European banking, offering theoretical, managerial, and policy insights into the responsible and effective adoption of AI in recruitment
Exploring changes to family support for those affected by someone else’s drug use since the introduction of the Scottish Government’s National Drug Deaths Mission (Supporting Evidence)
No full textAppendix A – Research methods
This study comprised five overlapping work packages (WPs) using mixed methods to address the research questions in the table below. WPs 1 and 3 used primary quantitative online surveys. WPs 2 and 4 used qualitative interviews and focus groups respectively. WP5 comprised two bespoke focus groups with young carers.
Appendix B – Family member, loved one, and family support characteristics (WP1 and WP2)
This section provides an overview of who took part in the survey and the characteristics of respondents and their families. It includes information on survey completion, respondents’ demographic profiles, their relationship to a loved one using drugs, and the living arrangements of loved ones at the time of participation.
Appendix C – Data from a survey of people affected by a loved one’s drug use on their perceptions and experiences of family support services (WP1)
Appendix C presents detailed findings from the survey of family members and friends affected by a loved one’s drug use. It provides full data tables and figures on perceptions and experiences of family support services across Scotland. The results highlight reported changes in accessibility, availability, and quality of support since 2021, explore factors contributing to improvements and gaps, and set out views on unmet needs. Together, these data complement the main report by offering a comprehensive evidence base on service use, satisfaction, and priorities for development.
Appendix D – Alternative data examples
WP1 received a disproportionately large response from North Lanarkshire family members (n=53, 27% of WP1 respondents). Whilst much of the data aligns with national patterns, in the following responses the North Lanarkshire responses skewed the findings.
• Higher prevalence of stimulant use amongst loved ones.
• Lower awareness and engagement with family support services.
• Greater feelings of shame and guilt, alongside a stronger tendency to manage issues privately.
The following tables present examples of these differences, with the significant areas of difference highlighted in yellow. In all the following tables: NLAN = North Lanarkshire; and RoS = Rest of Scotland.
Appendix E – Qualitative themes and examples from a set of interviews with affected family members (WP2)
This appendix provides a selection of additional qualitative data examples (quotes) that illustrate the main themes that have emerged from a combination of the open-text boxes contained within the family members survey (WP1) and from the 27 interviews conducted with family members (WP2). We have chosen a small number of additional quotes per theme to demonstrate the richness of the data and to provide evidence of the breadth of data that has been combined when identifying themes.
Appendix F – Family support provider sample characteristics (WP3 and WP4)
WP3 – Survey respondent characteristics
This section provides an overview of the support providers who took part in the survey (n=66) and their key characteristics. It includes information on survey completion, respondents’ roles and length of involvement in FSSs, and organisations they represent.
Appendix G – Data from a survey of paid and voluntary staff delivering family support services to people affected by a loved one’s drug use (WP3)
Appendix G presents detailed findings from the survey of paid staff and volunteers delivering family support services. It provides data on their perceptions of accessibility, availability, and quality of support since 2021, factors contributing to improvements and gaps, and views on capacity, resources, and training. The appendix also explores provider perspectives on the National Mission and its impact on family-inclusive practice.
Appendix H – Qualitative themes and examples from family support providers
This appendix provides a selection of additional qualitative data examples (quotes) that illustrate the main themes that have emerged from a combination of the open-text boxes contained within the family support providers survey (WP3) and from the three focus groups conducted with family support providers (WP4). We have chosen a small number of additional quotes per theme to demonstrate the richness of the data and to provide evidence of the breadth of data that has been combined when identifying themes
Evaluation of Buvidal
No full textThis is a synthesis report, which collates the findings from 8 individual project elements that were undertaken to evaluate the use of Buvidal (Opioid Substitute therapy) within Wales. The elements within the report/project are; systematic literature review, process evaluation, impact evaluation, analysis of healthcare activities and costs, theory of change and logic model, and future considerations. The report concludes with a few recommendations for policy, practice and future research
Interweaving Accessibility into Theatre
No full textIn these notes from the field, I explore how accessibility was built into the research, development and final performance for a theatre project on fibromyalgia. Approximately 50% of the cast and crew of this production had a disability (including some with fibromyalgia) and their accessibility needs were incorporated into the content, aesthetics and structure of the production. I explore how consent was approached in the project, given the pressures on disabled people to please in a rehearsal room so they will be included in the arts. I reflect on how the experience of the audience was designed to enabled disabled people to attend and interact with the project. Lastly, I interview a cast member/co-devisor from the project who is a disabled actor who offers her thoughts on the project and her experience of working as a disabled actor
The ‘roots/routes to fruit’ model: developing a ‘fruitful’ collaborative network across universities
No full textThis study explores the development and dynamics of the Wales Collaborative for Learning Design (WCLD), a multidisciplinary network across eight Welsh universities. Funded by Welsh Government, the WCLD aimed to foster collaboration in digital learning design while supporting individual and collective academic growth. The study aimed to investigate what factors impact on the development and sustainability of a personal and professional, multidisciplinary Higher Education collaborative network. Using a collective autoethnographic approach, the research explored the network’s evolution, highlighting the interplay of person attributes, facilitating conditions, and professional relationships. Findings revealed key factors including trust, open-mindedness, and consistent communication as essential to the network’s sustainability and success. Further findings illustrate how positive constraints, diverse career stages, and interdisciplinary opportunities underpin growth and productivity. ‘Outcomes’ included enhanced institutional impact, significant personal and professional conversations, and the cross-pollination of ideas within and beyond the network. When considered as a process, the findings underscore the value of cultivating intentional, yet adaptable, collaborative networks to support higher education innovation and personal academic development. This culminates in the ‘Roots/routes to Fruit’ model. This original contribution builds on existing theory surrounding significant, collaborative networks and provides a process for future interdisciplinary, multi-institutional, collaborative networks to build upon