The stereoselective synthesis of the butyrolactone-bridged [8-5-5] tricyclic ring systems of (+/-)-asteriscanolide via the titanium-mediated Hetero-Pauson-Khand reaction

The stereoselective construction of the tricyclic ring system of asteriscanolide from cyclooctadiene has been achieved. The synthesis involves two main steps; the synthesis of the aldehyde precursor(5)and the titanium-mediated cabocyclization of 5 to make the three rings of 43 stereoselectively

Biofilm formation is a risk factor for mortality in patients with Candida albicans bloodstream infection-Scotland, 2012-2013

Acknowledgements This work was supported by the Wellcome Trust Strategic Award for Medical Mycology and Fungal Immunology 097377/Z/11/Z. Data collection was supported by a grant from Pfizer. G. Ramage was also supported by a research fellowship grant from Gilead Sciences. We are grateful to microbiology colleagues throughout Scotland for submitting isolates.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Reshaping health services and fuel poverty in the Outer Hebrides

Gluasad Còmhla (Moving Together) started in March 2018 with support or grant from the European Social Fund Aspiring Communities Fund. The project built on the existing practice of Tighean Innse Gall (TIG) and other partners in the Outer Hebrides, to develop an innovative approach to identifying and assisting people whose health is compromised by living in a cold or hard-to-heat home. Over the course of two years, 199 households were assisted through the project. Tighean Innse Gall is a Community Benefit Society working across the Outer Hebrides and operating principally across the housing, community group and small business sectors to support people to access homes and to help to make them comfortable and affordable, promote independent living and encourage businesses and communities to be energy-efficient

Mainstreaming urban agriculture : opportunities and barriers to upscaling city farming

Urban Agriculture (UA), i.e., the production of crops or rearing of livestock in cities, is growing in popularity. Upscaled UA is increasingly gaining support from policy makers, funders, local authorities and other key actors across the globe. Radical forms of the concept, in the form of edible rooftops, urban farms and high-tech growing projects, are becoming more commonplace in our cityscapes; enabling production on a level not witnessed previously. With the mainstreaming of large-scale UA comes the potential to further the social, environmental and economic value of the practice, through job creation, biodiversity enhancement, the creation of short food supply chains and other benefits. Yet, despite this growth, there are barriers to upscaling city farming. Evidence suggests that a core issue surrounds urban soil contamination and hesitation with regards to crops in the city. This paper uses a qualitative approach to explore the UK’s largest urban farm and a spectrum of other UA sites to illustrate such barriers. We reveal how public hesitation, financial barriers and soil quality prevent development. We reflect on the breadth of the issue and call for a more pragmatic approach to these barriers. In doing so, we propose a path forward for enabling UA at scale

Delivering the last mile : scoping the potential for E-cargo bikes

Transport is a major contributor to urban greenhouse gas emissions and therefore of priority in mitigating climate change. In responding to multiple pressures that include development, population growth and recent marked increases in online shopping, cities must identify new technologies to reduce emissions and improve freight efficiency, whilst enabling people and goods to reach their destinations. E-cargo bikes are an emerging technology with a low carbon footprint and lower running costs when compared with vans. They demonstrate increased potential to avoid contributing to, and being delayed by, traffic congestion. In comparison to conventional bikes, the combination of an electric-assist motor and larger frame offers the capacity to carry bulkier and heavier objects over longer distances. There is scope for businesses to use the vehicles for local deliveries and for the bikes to be used in connection with distribution hubs to provide a sustainable last mil

Switched On : a qualitative review of energy advice for young people

The Switched On project involved the delivery of freeenergy advice to young people aged 16–25 in theform of workshops, one-to-one individualised advicesessions and advice via text messaging. Young adultsare a demographic group recognised to be at risk of fuelpoverty, and evaluations such as this review are key inensuring that future energy advice provisions maximisetheir potential positive impact in addressing this issue.This report was produced by the Sustainable Housing andUrban Studies Unit (SHUSU), a research team based atthe University of Salford, in order to evaluate the deliveryof the project

‘Why would you swap your nice warm van, where you can eat your butties and listen to the radio?’ Mainstreaming a niche of cycle logistics in the United Kingdom

Due to a high level of dependency on fossil fuels, transport is not only a priority for decarbonsation but also a particularly challenging sector to decarbonise. Significant low-carbon energy transitions in mobility will require changes in practices, technologies, infrastructure and policy. Cycle logistics is a growing economic sector. E-cargo bikes have the potential to replace some delivery and service journeys and to be used in combination with other transport modes to form a network of low-carbon deliveries. In comparison with conventional cargo bikes, e-cargo bikes are adapted with electric assist motors, thereby enabling the carriage of heavier loads over longer distances with lower physical strain on the rider. This study positions e-cargo bikes as an emerging technology within the Multilevel Perspective (MLP), a framework for understanding sustainable transitions that is structured around three levels: niche, regime and landscape. The Covid-19 pandemic has caused a landscape-level shock that has prompted an interest in increasing active travel and local deliveries. E-cargo bikes are a niche technology, and, although they respond to landscape-level trends, such as decarbonisation and air pollution reduction, the development of cycle logistics faces challenges stemming from the dominant automobility regime. There are limitations with e-cargo bikes themselves, although the technology and practice of e-cargo bike use are developing rapidly; there are factors that relate to the ability of the regime to accommodate and support the niche; there are considerations relating to practices and perceptions; and, finally, there are policy choices that reflect a lack of proactivity in encouraging and enabling e-cargo bike use. The paper explores experiences and perceptions of actual and potential e-cargo bike use and configures the MLP and the relationship between niche, regime(s) and landscape in relation to mobility transitions