Regulatory Planning for Economic Development in the Countryside

This article examines the interaction between development control and economic development in the countryside within the context of contemporary debates on shifts in the agricultural sector from productivism to multi-functionality. Using planning application decisions from the case of Northern Ireland for the period 1994–95 to 2005–06, together with insights from high-level key informants with planning, economic development and environmental management expertise, the article critiques a perception that regulatory planning is in line with rural development ambitions to foster a multi-functional countryside. While the quantitative data indicate a high approval rate for economic development projects, the qualitative evidence points to limitations within the policy content and operational practices of the planning system. The article argues that regulatory planning must engage more deeply with rural development objectives.

Software project initiation and planning – an empirical study

This study describes a study of 14 software companies, on how they initiate and pre-plan software projects. The aim was to obtain an indication of the range of planning activities carried out. The study, using a convenience sample, was carried out using structured interviews, with questions about early software project planning activities. The study offers evidence that an iterative and incremental development process presents extra difficulties in the case of fixed-contract projects. The authors also found evidence that feasibility studies were common, but generally informal in nature. Documentation of the planning process, especially for project scoping, was variable. For incremental and iterative development projects, an upfront decision on software architecture was shown to be preferred over allowing the architecture to just ‘emerge’. There is also evidence that risk management is recognised but often performed incompletely. Finally appropriate future research arising from the study is described.

Synthesis of a tetraoxy-bis-nortaxadiene, en route to taxol, using a cascade radical cyclisation sequence

Concise syntheses of the substituted enynediones 28a, 33b and 36 starting from the cyclohexenealdehyde 18, corresponding to ring A in the taxanes, and the vinylstannane 24, are described. Treatment of 36 with Bu3SnH–AIBN did not lead to the oxy-substituted taxadiene 37 expected from a tandem radical macrocyclisation–radical transannulation sequence; instead, a mixture of unidentified products resulted. When the PMB ether 33b corresponding to the alcohol 36 was treated with Bu3SnH–AIBN under similar conditions, p-anisaldehyde was isolated, as a major by-product, but no evidence for the formation of a taxadiene could be observed. In contrast, the iododienynedione 41, i.e., deoxy 36, underwent a tandem radical macrocyclisation–transannulation sequence, when treated with Bu3SnH–AIBN, leading to the tetraoxy-bis-nortaxadiene 42 in 44% yield. Attempts to synthesise the alcohol 28b from the silyl ether 28a en route to the iodide 28c instead gave the substituted tetrahydrofuran 29 via an intramolecular oxy-Michael reaction.