The Impact of Organic Farming on the Rural Economy in England

This research report seeks to explore the hypothesis that organic farming provides an additional benefit to the rural economy over and above that of conventional agriculture, defined for the purposes of this project as "non-organic". The approach adopted involved tracing the socio-economic footprint of a range of farm business types. The concept of the socio-economic footprint represents a development of earlier research (Errington and Courtney 2000) tracing the economic footprints of small towns. In contrast to conventional economic analysis, the research focused on examining the socio-economic linkages associated with different types of farming such as sales and purchasing patterns but also evidence of social connectivity and embeddedness.Community/Rural/Urban Development, Farm Management,

Ni vs. Pd in Suzuki-Miyaura sp2-sp2 cross-coupling : a head-to-head study in a comparable precatalyst/ligand system

We thank the University of St Andrews for a PhD studentship (MJW).The Suzuki-Miyaura reaction is a cornerstone method for sp2-sp2 cross-coupling in industry. There has been a concerted effort to enable the use of Ni catalysis as an alternative to Pd in order to mitigate cost and improve sustainability. Despite significant advances, ligand development for Ni-catalyzed Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling remains underdeveloped when compared to Pd and, as a consequence, ligands for Ni-catalyzed processes are typically taken from the Pd arena. In this study we evaluate the effect of using a similar Ni and Pd precatalyst based on a common bidentate ligand (dppf) in a head-to-head format for the most common type of biaryl couplings, establishing the practical implications of direct replacement of Pd with Ni, and identifying the potential origins of these observations in a mechanistic context.PostprintPeer reviewe

The evolution of inverted magnetic fields through the inner heliosphere

Local inversions are often observed in the heliospheric magnetic field (HMF), but their origins and evolution are not yet fully understood.Parker Solar Probe has recently observed rapid, Alfvénic, HMF inversions in the inner heliosphere, known as ‘switchbacks’, which have been interpreted as the possible remnants of coronal jets. It has also been suggested that inverted HMF may be produced by near-Sun interchange reconnection; a key process in mechanisms proposed for slow solar wind release. These cases suggest that the source of inverted HMF is near the Sun, and it follows that these inversions would gradually decay and straighten as they propagate out through the heliosphere. Alternatively, HMF inversions could form during solar wind transit, through phenomena such velocity shears, draping over ejecta, or waves and turbulence. Such processes are expected to lead to a qualitatively radial evolution of inverted HMF structures. Using Helios measurements spanning 0.3–1 AU, we examine the occurrence rate of inverted HMF, as well as other magnetic field morphologies, as a function of radial distance r, and find that it continually increases. This trend may be explained by inverted HMF observed between 0.3–1 AU being primarily driven by one or more of the above in-transit processes, rather than created at the Sun. We make suggestions as to the relative importance of these different processes based on the evolution of the magnetic field properties associated with inverted HMF. We also explore alternative explanations outside of our suggested driving processes which may lead to the observed trend

Global magnetic cycles in rapidly rotating younger suns

Observations of sun-like stars rotating faster than our current sun tend to exhibit increased magnetic activity as well as magnetic cycles spanning multiple years. Using global simulations in spherical shells to study the coupling of large-scale convection, rotation, and magnetism in a younger sun, we have probed effects of rotation on stellar dynamos and the nature of magnetic cycles. Major 3-D MHD simulations carried out at three times the current solar rotation rate reveal hydromagnetic dynamo action that yields wreaths of strong toroidal magnetic field at low latitudes, often with opposite polarity in the two hemispheres. Our recent simulations have explored behavior in systems with considerably lower diffusivities, achieved with sub-grid scale models including a dynamic Smagorinsky treatment of unresolved turbulence. The lower diffusion promotes the generation of magnetic wreaths that undergo prominent temporal variations in field strength, exhibiting global magnetic cycles that involve polarity reversals. In our least diffusive simulation, we find that magnetic buoyancy coupled with advection by convective giant cells can lead to the rise of coherent loops of magnetic field toward the top of the simulated domain.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, from IAU 273: The Physics of Sun and Star Spot

Osteoblast response to disordered nanotopography

The ability to influence stem cell differentiation is highly desirable as it would help us improve clinical outcomes for patients in various aspects. Many different techniques to achieve this have previously been investigated. This concise study, however, has focused on the topography on which cells grow. Current uncemented orthopaedic implants can fail if the implant fails to bind to the surrounding bone and, typically, forms a soft tissue interface which reduces direct bone contact. Here, we look at the effect of a previously reported nanotopography that utilises nanodisorder to influence mesenchymal stromal cell (as may be found in the bone marrow) differentiation towards bone and to also exert this effect on mature osteoblasts (as may be found in the bone). As topography is a physical technique, it can be envisaged for use in a range of materials such as polymers and metals used in the manufacture of orthopaedic implants

Ligand-enabled copper-mediated radioiodination of arenes

The discovery of a copper precatalyst that facilitates the key mechanistic steps of arene halodeboronation has allowed a step change in the synthesis of radioiodine-containing arenes. The active precatalyst [Cu(OAc)(phen)2]OAc was shown to perform room temperature radio-iododeboronation of aryl boronic acids with 1–2 mol % loadings and 10 min reaction times. These mild conditions enable particularly clean reactions, as demonstrated with the efficient preparation of the radiopharmaceutical and SPECT tracer, meta-iodobenzylguanidine (MIBG).Peer reviewe

Upper gastrointestinal bleeding in Scotland 2000-2010: Improved outcomes but a significant weekend effect

Aim: To assess numbers and case fatality of patients with upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB), effects of deprivation and whether weekend presentation affected outcomes. Methods: Data was obtained from Information Services Division (ISD) Scotland and National Records of Scotland (NRS) death records for a ten year period between 2000-2001 and 2009-2010. We obtained data from the ISD Scottish Morbidity Records (SMR01) database which holds data on inpatient and day-case hospital discharges from non-obstetric and non-psychiatric hospitals in Scotland. The mortality data was obtained from NRS and linked with the ISD SMR01 database to obtain 30-d case fatality. We used 23 ICD-10 (International Classification of diseases) codes which identify UGIB to interrogate database. We analysed these data for trends in number of hospital admissions with UGIB, 30-d mortality over time and assessed effects of social deprivation. We compared weekend and weekday admissions for differences in 30-d mortality and length of hospital stay. We determined comorbidities for each admission to establish if comorbidities contributed to patient outcome. Results: A total of 60643 Scottish residents were admitted with UGIH during January, 2000 and October, 2009. There was no significant change in annual number of admissions over time, but there was a statistically significant reduction in 30-d case fatality from 10.3% to 8.8% (P < 0.001) over these 10 years. Number of admissions with UGIB was higher for the patients from most deprived category (P < 0.05), although case fatality was higher for the patients from the least deprived category (P < 0.05). There was no statistically significant change in this trend between 2000/01-2009/10. Patients admitted with UGIB at weekends had higher 30-d case fatality compared with those admitted on weekdays (P < 0.001). Thirty day mortality remained significantly higher for patients admitted with UGIB at weekends after adjusting for comorbidities. Length of hospital stay was also higher overall for patients admitted at the weekend when compared to weekdays, although only reached statistical significance for the last year of study 2009/10 (P < 0.0005). Conclusion: Despite reduction in mortality for UGIB in Scotland during 2000-2010, weekend admissions show a consistently higher mortality and greater lengths of stay compared with weekdays

A Comprehensive Review of Topical Odor-Controlling Treatment Options for Chronic Wounds: A Comprehensive Review

The process of wound healing is often accompanied by bacterial infection or critical colonization, resulting in protracted inflammation, delayed reepithelization, and production of pungent odors. The malodor produced by these wounds may lower health-related quality of life and produce psychological discomfort and social isolation