24762 research outputs found
Sort by
Unraveling the after-hours dilemma : consequences of overworking among teleworkers - a scoping review protocol
No full textBackground: Telework, also referred to as telecommuting, remote work, flexible work, and virtual work, involves working from a location different from the traditional office and often uses online communication technologies. Despite the numerous advantages associated with teleworking, it also raises concerns about work-life balance and health implications due to working after hours (WAH).
Objective: This proposed study aims to understand the health consequences of teleworkers working beyond their scheduled hours. Methods:
This review will search seven online databases (APA PsycINFO, Medline, Embase, Scopus, Business Source Premier, CINAHL, and Sociological Abstracts) to gather relevant articles. The inclusion criteria will encompass peer-reviewed studies published from 2010 onwards, focusing on WAH among teleworkers and reporting mental and physical health consequences. The exclusion criteria will include non-peer-reviewed articles, grey literature, and studies involving patients with pre-existing conditions. Discussion: This review will provide valuable insights into the mental and physical health consequences of WAH among teleworkers, underscoring the urgent need for strategies to mitigate these risks and promote overall well-being. Future efforts, including collaborations between researchers, industry leaders, and policymakers, can guide the development of targeted interventions and evidence-based policies that improve telework environments and support long-term worker health and productivity.peer-reviewe
Renewable energy systems in offshore platforms for sustainable maritime operations
Get PDFThis study presents a novel Offshore Mooring and Power Platform (OMPP) that integrates Platform-to-Ship
systems to electrify anchored and bunkering ships, significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions in maritime
applications. The OMPP consists of a 200 MW floating wind farm, a 300 MW floating photovoltaic farm, and
a hybrid energy storage system, forming an offshore virtual power plant to ensure reliable and continuous
power supply despite the intermittency of renewable energy sources. A case study focused on the Maltese
Islands demonstrates the technical feasibility of the system, utilizing a hybrid energy storage configuration
comprising a 390 MWh battery energy storage system and a 1260 MWh compressed air energy storage system
to eliminate energy deficit hours. The OMPP, rated at 24 MVA, successfully supplies up to four berths with
6 MVA each. While challenges remain in integrating early-stage technologies, the OMPP provides a scalable
and sustainable solution for modernizing port infrastructure, meeting environmental standards, and supporting
sustainable maritime operations.peer-reviewe
Molecular data confirm the occurrence of the allochthonous gambusia holbrooki (Pisces : poeciliidae) in Sicily and the Maltese archipelago
Get PDFA major threat to biodiversity is represented by Invasive Alien Species (IAS), particularly on freshwater ecosystems, which are already heavily altered by human activities. Two of the most pernicious IAS are the eastern and western mosquitofish, i.e., Gambusia holbrooki and G. affinis. These two poeciliids are morphologically very close to each other, and soon after their formal description, G. holbrooki was considered a subspecies of G. affinis. In the following years, several studies proved that these two entities belonged to two different species; nevertheless, it was only at the end of the 1990s that their separate taxonomic status was re-established. In the 1920s and 1930s, both G. holbrooki and G. affinis were asynchronously introduced from the United States into Europe and subsequently translocated globally as biocontrol agents of the malaria vector (i.e., the larvae of the Anopheles mosquitoes), with dramatic consequences for the inland water native fauna. However, due to taxonomic uncertainties and nomenclatural instability, for years, there were doubts about which Gambusia species had been introduced in different regions. The first available molecular studies confirmed the occurrence of G. holbrooki in Europe, but no evidence confirming the occurrence of G. affinis was found. Despite this, some records report the occurrence of western mosquitofish in Italy and Malta. Considering the negative effects that the mosquitofish has on the native biota, it is of paramount importance to know the precise biological diversity of the native and non-native species to better implement environmental management strategies to properly preserve the already-fragile waterbodies. Therefore, to check for the possible occurrence of G. affinis in Italy and Malta, we conducted extensive sampling in Sicily (Italy) and in the Maltese archipelago, aiming to verify the identity of Gambusia populations occurring in the study area. Based on sequences of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene, we consistently observed the occurrence of only G. holbrooki in the investigated area, finding, almost exclusively, the most common haplotype known for the species in the whole invaded range (i.e., “HOL1”).peer-reviewe
Arabic in context : essays on language, dialects, and culture in honour of Martin R. Zammit
No full textThis paper delves into the realm of paremiology, the scientific study of proverbs, shedding light on both proverbs and idioms in different varieties of Arabic that specifically mention Malta, the Maltese people, or the Maltese language. This research aims to provide a list of such expressions and examine the perceptions that Arabic proverbs impart about Malta, its inhabitants and its language. The study consists of four main sections; the first one discusses the role of proverbs in the long-standing Arabic–Islamic tradition, and is followed by an overview of existing literature and research in the field. The third section provides a discussion on the collection of the proverbs taken into consideration in this research, assembling a list of these linguistic expressions and presenting them in transcription and their translated versions. Subsequently, a thematic analysis is presented in the final section, which features the central themes that are prevalent in the collected Arabic expressions about Malta. The paper concludes by summarising key findings and implications from this inquiry.peer-reviewe
The green seaweed Ulva : tomorrow’s “wheat of the sea” in foods, feeds, nutrition, and biomaterials
Get PDFUlva, a genus of green macroalgae commonly known as sea lettuce, has long been recognized for
its nutritional benefits for food and feed. As the demand for sustainable food and feed sources
continues to grow, so does the interest in alternative, plant-based protein sources. With its
abundance along coastal waters and high protein content, Ulva spp. have emerged as promising
candidates. While the use of Ulva in food and feed has its challenges, the utilization of Ulva in other
industries, including in biomaterials, biostimulants, and biorefineries, has been growing. This review
aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the current status, challenges and opportunities
associated with using Ulva in food, feed, and beyond. Drawing on the expertise of leading
researchers and industry professionals, it explores the latest knowledge on Ulva’s nutritional value,
processing methods, and potential benefits for human nutrition, aquaculture feeds, terrestrial feeds,
biomaterials, biostimulants and biorefineries. In addition, it examines the economic feasibility of
incorporating Ulva into aquafeed. Through its comprehensive and insightful analysis, including a
critical review of the challenges and future research needs, this review will be a valuable resource
for anyone interested in sustainable aquaculture and Ulva’s role in food, feed, biomaterials,
biostimulants and beyond.peer-reviewe
Evaluating ChatGPT’s performance in creative text translation for communication : a case study from English into German
Get PDFIn recent years, there has been a growing interest in using generative artificial intelligence (AI) for machine translation (MT) tasks. One notable feature of generative AI systems is prompting, through which users can provide instructions to guide the output. Prompting presents both opportunities and challenges in the field of Translation Studies. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the quality of MT output generated by ChatGPT. The impact of prompting techniques on translation quality is also analyzed in order to gain insights into optimizing the use of generative AI in translation workflows. The study employed three prompts – zero-shot prompt, context prompt, and few-shot with context prompt – to translate a creative text for the English-German language pair. The raw MT outputs were manually annotated, and the results of these annotations were then compared. The results revealed that most errors concern style. Interestingly, the translation produced using the simple zero-shot prompt outperformed those generated with the other two more complex prompts. However, the longer prompts led to a steady reduction in stylistic and fluency errors, while accuracy errors increased.peer-reviewe
Modern radiology eBook
Get PDFUndergraduate teaching of radiology in Europe is provided according to national schemes and may vary considerably from one academic institution to another. Sometimes, the field of radiology is considered as a “crosscutting discipline” or taught within the context of other clinical disciplines, e.g., internal medicine or surgery. This e-book has been created in order to serve medical students and academic teachers throughout Europe to understand and teach radiology as a whole coherent discipline, respectively. Its contents are based on the Undergraduate Level of the ESR European Training Curriculum for Radiology and summarize the so-called core elements that may be considered as the basics that every medical student should be familiar with. Although specific radiologic diagnostic skills for image interpretation cannot be acquired by all students and rather belong to the learning objectives of the Postgraduate Levels of the ESR Training Curricula, the present eBook also contains some further insights related to modern imaging in the form of examples of key pathologies, as seen by the different imaging modalities. These are intended to give the interested undergraduate student an understanding of modern radiology, reflecting its multidisciplinary character as an organ-based specialty. We would like to extend our special thanks to the authors and members of the ESR Education Committee who have contributed to this eBook, to Carlo Catalano, Andrea Laghi and Andras Palko, who initiated this project, and to the ESR Office, in particular Bettina Leimberger and Danijel Lepir, for all their support in realising this project. We hope that this eBook may fulfil its purpose as a useful tool for undergraduate academic radiology teaching. [Preface by Minerva Becker & Vicky Goh]peer-reviewe
Forecast for the development of electric vehicle charging infrastructure in Berlin
Get PDFPURPOSE: Local authorities are increasingly deciding to implement environmentally friendly
solutions in cities, thereby contributing to reducing the negative effects of transport. The
main aim of this article is to verify this development.DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: The article employs a mixed-methods approach
combiningcase study methodology, literature review and statistical analysis. It utilizes HoltWinters method, in which the model calculations take into account the smoothed value of the
forecast variable over time, i.e. F, and the smoothed value of the trend growth over time, i.e.,
S. The study incorporates data from industry documents, official reports and statistical
sources, offering both quantitative and qualitative insights into the current state and future
prospects of electromobility in Berlin.FINDINGS: An efficiently designed network of charging stations contributes to a greater share
of alternative fuel vehicles in overall traffic volume and urban transport networks, reducing
air pollution and noise emissions and positively impacting the health and quality of life of
residents due to the possibility of reducing the number of conventionally powered vehicles.PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: Due to rapidly advancing urbanization processes and the associated
development of cities, the demand for transport services is growing.ORIGINALITY/VALUE: Ensuring an optimal number of charging points for electric vehicles is
becoming a significant problem, particularly in the case of individual transport.peer-reviewe
Bioactive compounds in fermented foods : a systematic narrative review
Get PDFThis systematic narrative review aims to catalogue bioactive compounds that are formed during the fermentation process and identified as contributors to positive health outcomes in human clinical studies where fermented foods were used as dietary interventions. Under “The European Cooperation in Science and Technology” (COST) Action CA20128 – “Promoting Innovation of Fermented Foods” PIMENTO framework, a systematic literature search was conducted across PubMed, Scopus, and the Cochrane Library. The search initially identified 2,411 studies, of which 50 met the predefined inclusion criteria. In all included studies, fermented foods were used as nutritional interventions, and the bioactive compounds they contained were either hypothesised or directly analysed in relation to statistically significant health effects observed in humans. Findings were summarised in “Population, Intervention, Comparator, Outcome” (PICO)-structured tables and classified by health domain. The reported effects were grouped under the following categories: cardiovascular health, lipid metabolism, glucose regulation, immune modulation, neuroprotection, liver function, and other health outcomes. Across the included studies, a total of 31 bioactive compounds and/or compound groups were identified in fermented foods, including bioactive peptides, polyphenols (epicatechin, genistein), γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), acetic acid, curcumin, and arabinoxylans. The mechanisms of action associated with these compounds were explored in the non-systematic section of the review, supported by findings from in vitro, animal and human studies. By linking individual bioactive compounds derived from fermented foods to clinical outcomes and underlying mechanisms, this review provides a comprehensive and functional resource for nutritional science, fermented food innovation, and public health applications.peer-reviewe
and tertiaries : options for women in early modern Malta
Get PDFDevout laywomen across different regions of early modern Europe developed their own
distinctive lifestyles, nomenclature and communities. The history of bizzoche and tertiaries
in early modern Malta is still largely unexplored. Through archival material, this paper
provides an initial overview of the women who opted for a semi-religious lifestyle in Malta
in the period up to c.1700, examining their modes of living and status within society. It
also examines their position within the structures of the Church in Malta, shaped by both
societal and ecclesiastical norms and the female Christian experience, within the context of
the Catholic Reformation.peer-reviewe