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Sustainable food systems : change of route in the Mediterranean
Get PDFThe book addresses, through 21 different perspectives from leading authors in their fields, the challenging
topic of a “Change of Route in the Mediterranean”, with an innovative transformative SFS-MED
Vision approach, moving to the future.
It offers unique perspectives essential for comprehensively tackling issues integral to Mediterranean
food systems. These challenges are crucial for aligning with both global and local objectives and
expediting the Agenda 2030.The book takes a transdisciplinary approach for the nature of its subject
matter by addressing together the sustainability of the whole food system, from production to consumption,
and acknowledging inter-relationships ecosystem-dependent and inter-dependencies of
different sectors. [excerpt from the Introduction]peer-reviewe
A rare cause of failure to thrive in infancy
Get PDFPrimary intestinal lymphangectasia (PIL), also known as Waldmann’s disease, is a rare disorder characterized by an exudative enteropathy resulting from morphologic abnormalities of the intestinal lymphatics.
Moderate to severe oedema with pleural effusion, pericarditis, or chylous ascites is the main clinical manifestation but lymphoedema, abdominal pain, weight loss, moderate diarrhoea, vomiting, and fat-soluble vitamin deficiencies may also be present. Patients can also develop hypocalcaemia secondary to failure to absorb fat and fat-soluble vitamins.
We report a nine-month-old male infant with a four-week history of diarrhoea, vomiting, failure to thrive, peripheral oedema and tetany. Hypoalbuminaemia, hypocalcaemia, low vitamin D levels and lymphopaenia were found on initial investigations. A raised stool alpha-1-antitrypsin supported a diagnosis of a protein losing enteropathy. At gastroscopy typical ‘cotton ball or frosted appearance’ was visible particularly in the second (D2) and third part (D3) of the duodenum. Biopsies from D3 revealed dilated lymphatics suggestive of primary intestinal lymphangectasia. The infant was managed with a high protein, high MCT, low fat diet with improvement in his symptoms and growth pattern.peer-reviewe
L-ilsien Malti għal qalbi
No full textIl-psikoloġija hija l-istudju xjentifiku tal-imġiba u
l-proċessi mentali. Tinkludi firxa wiesgħa ta’ suġġetti,
inkluż il-perċezzjoni, il-konjizzjoni, l-emozzjoni, il-personalità, l-imġiba soċjali, l-iżvilupp u s-saħħa mentali.
Il-psikologi jużaw varjetà ta’ metodi ta’ riċerka, inkluż
l-esperimenti, l-istħarriġ, l-osservazzjonijiet, u l-istudju ta’
każijiet, biex jinvestigaw l-imġiba tal-bniedem u l-proċessi
mentali.peer-reviewe
Pneumatic fault monitoring and control for sustainable compressed air systems
Get PDFSustainable development in the industrial sector has been widely explored in recent years, to achieve a carbon-neutral industry. Compressed air systems are widely used in the industrial sector. Numerous energy-saving improvements have been studied within this scope, as leaks make these systems inefficient. Nevertheless, it has yet to be seen how different optimisation techniques can be utilised to mitigate fault effects. This study shows how fault monitoring was performed on a multi-actuator system, using different time domain indicators including, mean and standard deviation. This was followed by exploring the system behaviour when pressure and flowrate control strategies were executed to minimize fault impacts. Fault monitoring, using the indicator data, was successful. For instance, as a 1 mm leak was induced and the consumption increased by 34%, the standard deviation in pressure drop reduced by 6% and the mean actuation time decreased by 13%. Though the mean in pressure drop was useful for fault monitoring other pressure indicators, including standard deviation, provided additional monitoring capabilities. During this monitoring exercise, it was also found that improved sensor accuracy resulted in less reading variations, obtaining more conclusive results and identifying faults of smaller sizes. As faults were accurately identified and characterised, it was then possible to mitigate their effects via pressure and flowrate adjustments. Results proved promising, as both contributed to air consumption decreases of 16% and 11%, respectively. Although such modifications decreased the production rate by 2-5%, the previously mentioned savings outweighed this decrease. This work highlights the need for development of fault monitoring and control systems which maintain the productivity and energy performance of pneumatic systems.peer-reviewe
Evaluation of referrals to the migraine clinic at Mater Dei hospital : a clinical audit
Get PDFBACKGROUND: The recently established migraine clinic at Mater Dei hospital in Malta has been receiving a steady stream of referrals from a number of sources for the investigation and management of patients with suspected migraine headaches. This necessitated the need for a retrospective analysis and clinical audit to determine the appropriateness of referrals to the migraine clinic.METHODS: Data was collected retrospectively from tickets of referral and migraine clinic notes from patients’ medical records over an 18 month period.RESULTS: A total of 63 new case referrals were received with an appointment being given within an average of 18 weeks from the date of referral; 74.6% were female and 25.4% were male with a mean age of 35 years. Six discrete sources of referral were identified including General Practitioners (GP) 25.4%, Accident and Emergency (A&E) 15.9%, inpatients 11.1%, ophthalmology emergency 9.5%, ENT emergency 3.2% and outpatients 3.2%; Attendance rates to the first appointment were 65.1%; 55.1% of patients received a diagnosis of primary headache, of which migraine with aura was the most common (63.0%); 49% of attending patients were referred appropriately with 37.5% of these being referred by GPs and 29.2% being referred from the emergency services.DISCUSSION: Just under half of referrals to the new migraine clinic are appropriate, necessitating the need to improve the quality and accuracy of referrals by defining a clear pathway for referral as well as improving the management at the primary care level by educating both providers and patients in the way of diagnosing and managing headache disorders.peer-reviewe
Personalising learning in Maltese - exploring international students’ expectations towards Ġabra Online Lexicon
Get PDFThe rapid incorporation of digital technologies in formal education has led to significant transformations, albeit not always yielding the anticipated productivity. This study investigates the attitudinal changes towards an online Maltese lexicon, Ġabra, among 46 adult learners of Maltese as a foreign language. By utilising a composite analytical model, the study is grounded in the theoretical frameworks of Technological Frames of Reference, the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), and the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT). These frameworks guided the tracking of the development of respondents’ attitudes over a five-month research period. The survey results gathered at the onset and conclusion of the study highlighted a perceptual discrepancy between the initial expectations towards an e-dictionary and the actual usage experience of the Ġabra platform. As the students gained more experience with the platform, their attitudes towards Ġabra underwent a shift. Despite some initial expectations not being fulfilled, the majority of students ultimately found Ġabra to be a beneficial tool for learning Maltese. The students’ feedback about the Ġabra online dictionary can potentially pave the way for a more personalised learning experience of the Maltese language.peer-reviewe
L-ilsien Malti għal qalbi
No full textFi tfuliti, minn meta bdejt nitgħallem naqra u nikteb
l-iskola, inżergħet żerriegħa, żerriegħa li kibret u żviluppat
fi mħabba għall-kotba. Qas kienet tgħaddili minn moħħi
li din l-imħabba għall-kotba ser tkun l-iżvog tiegħi fil-futur. Tul is-snin, il-preferenzi tiegħi għall-ġeneri ta’ kotba
nbidlu, iżda l-ġeneru li jibqa’ dejjem il-favorit tiegħi huwa
r-rumanz storiku. Kont nieħu gost l-aktar naqra ktieb
tajjeb miktub minn awturi Maltin, ħaġa li llum ma nistax
nagħmel.peer-reviewe
Understanding the education and training requirements of advanced practice within specialist roles in therapeutic radiography
No full textAdvancing practice has developed organically as a form
of role extension since the 1990’s (Leary and MacLaine,
2019). Predominantly found in the field of nursing,
where a foundation of transferable skills unpins their
development. In radiation therapy, radiation therapists/
therapeutic radiographers (RT/TR) possess the necessary
expertise, skills and knowledge, making them
uniquely placed to support advanced practice across
the radiotherapy pathway (Khine, Stewart-Lord, 2021).
However, the concept can be misunderstood since those
foundation ‘nursing’ skills are not required by all within
the specialisms such as in radiation therapy.peer-reviewe
Variations in soil organic matter content in cultivated and uncultivated calcareous soils from the Mediterranean Island of Malta after 15 years of cultivation
Get PDFThe soils of Malta are calcareous and generally undeveloped. Organic matter
(OM) in these soils is low and farmers are constantly urged to increase it. The
objective of this study was to evaluate any temporal variation in soil OM after
15 years of cultivation, and determine whether soil series, soil depth, and cultivation influence variation. OM was determined in the topsoil and subsoil of
7 agricultural and 4 non-agricultural sites. The sites represented 7 different
soil series that are present on the island. In sampling periods 1 (t = 0 years)
and 2 (t =15 years), the OM content in the collective (all soil series) bulk
(topsoil and subsoil) uncultivated soil was 3.9 % and 3.8 % respectively. This
was significantly greater than that of the collective bulk cultivated soil (2.4%
and 2.3%). The OM in the collective uncultivated topsoil was 5.4% and 5.2%
in periods 1 and 2 and was significantly higher than that of the cultivated
topsoil (2.5% in both periods). The OM content in the collective uncultivated
subsoil was 2.3% and 2.5% in periods 1 and 2 respectively but only that
measured in period 2 was significantly higher than that of the cultivated subsoil (2.2% in both periods). On an individual soil series basis, the OM in the
uncultivated topsoils was significantly higher than that of their cultivated
counterparts. The differences in the subsoils were not significant. Across the
uncultivated soil series, OM was significantly higher in the topsoil than in the
subsoil but in the cultivated soil series the differences between topsoil and
subsoil were not significant. There was no significant difference in OM between the uncultivated soils of different series, but in the cultivated the OM
content was higher in soils that were more mature. After 15 years, no significant change in OM occurred in both the collective cultivated and uncultivated bulk soils, the collective topsoil and subsoil, and in most of the individual series. The OM content of each soil series was also similar to what was
reported 60 and 50 years earlier by other researcherspeer-reviewe
Character adrift (on the sea of language) : Robinson Crusoe, Foe, Elizabeth Costello, and the shipwreck of realism
Get PDFThis article focuses on J. M. Coetzee’s exploration of character in Foe and Elizabeth Costello, employing the metaphor of a “shipwreck” to depict the breakdown of traditional realism in literature. It examines how characters “drift” in the expanse between material reality and symbolic representation. This exploration hinges on the dual interpretations of “character”—as both a literal mark or signifier and a figurative embodiment of personhood. The discussion commences with Robinson Crusoe, positing that “drift” has been an inherent characteristic of literary characters since the inception of the novelistic tradition. The article then delves into Coetzee's nuanced narrative style, demonstrating how his characters, adrift on a sea of language and symbolism, strive to maintain their authentic existence against the encroaching tide of linguistic abstraction. This metaphorical “drift” and “shipwreck” mirror broader philosophical and cultural shifts in literature, where characters constantly oscillate between their roles as tangible entities and constructs within narrative frameworks. Coetzee’s works are shown to exemplify this tension, presenting characters who are not only vital to the storyline but also serve as metaphors for the enduring human quest for meaning and reality amid the fluidity of language and fiction.peer-reviewe