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Transition challenges in type 1 diabetes mellitus from paediatric to adult clinic
Get PDFObjectives: Transitioning from a family-centred clinic to a patient-centred clinic is an inevitable and fragile process through which patients and
caregivers have to go through. This study aimed to identify transition issues and
assess the role of pharmacists during this phase. Method: A mixed-method approach
combining qualitative and quantitative analysis was used to identify factors that may
contribute to uncontrolled diabetes during the transition period. Due to the
challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, three online questionnaires were
developed, reviewed, and distributed via social media to patients, caregivers, and
healthcare professionals. Key Findings: Concerns were raised about being under the
care of a new doctor and not being provided enough support and care during the
transition. Participants noticed a shift towards self-management as they moved
between clinics. Furthermore, there was strong support for the involvement of
pharmacists in the transition process, with participants agreeing that pharmacists
could help reduce medication errors. Conclusion: A well-structured transition plan
can ease the shift from paediatric to adult care. A multidisciplinary approach,
involving various healthcare professionals, can better equip patients and caregivers
with the skills needed for a successful transition. Identifying specific needs within
the patient and healthcare team may allow pharmacists to tailor their interventions to
improve patient outcomes during this critical period.peer-reviewe
On the edge
Get PDFOn 6th March 1889, HMS Sultan, a Victorian
ironclad vessel, ran aground on an uncharted
rock some 500 metres from shore, off the
South-eastern coast of Comino in the channel
between Malta and Gozo. The bottom was
ripped open, and she started to take on water.
A number of Royal Navy vessels were deployed
to assist; however, all attempts to pull her off
the rock failed and, during a gale on March
14th, she slipped off the rock and sank. She was
raised in August by the Italian firm of Baghino
& Co for a fee of £50,000, and then towed into
the Malta Dockyard for preliminary repairs.
She made the passage back to Portsmouth
in December 1889. The grounding of HMS
Sultan was well covered in the British and
international press. This was not, however, an
isolated ship grounding incident in Malta’s
eventful maritime history spanning centuries.peer-reviewe
Profeedback policy brief : towards a sustainable future for youth : green employment policies and enabling digital skills in the EU
No full textThe European Union is at a critical juncture, navigating a dual green and digital
transition that is fundamentally reshaping its labour markets. This policy brief,
"Towards a Sustainable Future for Youth," highlights the immense opportunities for
inclusive and sustainable job creation for young people within this transformation,
particularly in sectors such as renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, circular
economy practices, building renovation, and low- carbon transport. The brief's core
emphasis is on fostering green-specific skills and successfully integrating youth into
the green economy, with digital skills serving as essential enabling tools rather than
standalone objectives.
While the potential for green job growth is substantial – with projections indicating
millions of new jobs by 2030 across the EU – the analysis reveals persistent challenges.
These include uneven policy implementation across Member States, leading to
disparities in access to opportunities (e.g., only 42% of youth in a global survey found
accessible green jobs locally). Significant skills mismatches exist, with education
systems often failing to equip young people, especially those from disadvantaged
backgrounds, with the necessary skills and mindsets for the new green economy.
Furthermore, structural barriers disproportionately affect marginalized youth, such as
young women who report greater skill deficits and a lack of awareness regarding
green opportunities. Crucially, robust policy evaluation, vital for understanding actual
impact and ensuring equitable opportunities, is often hindered by a lack of universally
agreed-upon definitions for 'green jobs' and sparse or contradictory empirical
evidence on policy effectiveness. Therefore, these brief underscores the critical need
for a more coherent framework to facilitate such evaluations by both national and
international bodies, leveraging insights from existing (though fragmented)
assessments to refine policy approaches. [extract]peer-reviewe
Technology-enhanced language teacher education : opportunities, challenges, and futures
Get PDFThis editorial introduces a special issue on technology-enhanced language teacher education (LTE), highlighting the ways digital tools, artificial intelligence, and online platforms are reshaping teacher preparation and practice. Drawing on the complementary expertise of the editors, the issue presents six contributions that explore topics ranging from reflective practice and affective knowledge in teacher education to the integration of generative AI, teacher agency, and professional resilience. The articles collectively examine both the opportunities and challenges of embedding technology into LTE, emphasizing the need for critical reflection, ethical awareness, and sensitivity to teachers’ identities, emotions, and lived contexts. The editorial situates these studies within broader debates about the transformative role of technology in education and outlines future trajectories for research and practice in this rapidly evolving fieldpeer-reviewe
A comparative study of unsupervised machine learning methods for anomaly detection in flight data : case studies from real-world flight operations
Get PDFThis paper provides a comparative study of unsupervised machine learning (ML)
methods for anomaly detection in flight data monitoring (FDM). The study applies various
unsupervised ML techniques to real-world flight data and compares the results to the
current state-of-the-art flight data analysis techniques applied in industry. The results are
validated by the industrial experts. The study finds that a hybrid Local Outlier Factor (LOF)
approach provides significant advantages compared to the current state of the art and other
ML techniques because it requires less hyperparameter tuning, reduces the number of false
positives, provides an ability to establish trends amongst the entire fleet and has an ability
to investigate anomalies at each timestep within every flight. Finally, the study provides
an in-depth review for some of the cases highlighted by the hybrid LOF and discusses the
particular cases providing insights from an academic and flight safety/operational point of
view. The analysis conducted by the human expert regarding the outcomes produced by an
ML technique is predominantly absent in scholarly research, thereby offering extra value.
The study presents a compelling argument for transitioning from the current approach,
based on analyzing occurrences through the exceedances of a threshold value, towards an
ML-based method which provides a proactive nature of data analysis. The study shows that
there is an untapped opportunity to process flight data and achieve valuable information
for enhancing air transport safety and improved aviation operations.peer-reviewe
The transition of Maltese military veterans to new careers after 25 years of service
Get PDFTransitioning from military to civilian life is a complex and deeply personal journey, especially for Maltese veterans who have served for over 25 years. This paper explores the various challenges that military retirees face as they navigate the shift to civilian employment, adjustments in personal identity, and the psychological transitions involved. Grounded in theoretical frameworks such as the theory of human motivation, rite of passage, and work adaptation theory, this research employs a qualitative approach to capture the lived experience of veterans. Twelve in-depth narrative interviews, were analyses thematically following Braun and Clarke’s (2022) framework to identify recurring patterns and meanings across their narratives. Key findings highlight the difficulties in translating military expertise into civilian job markets, the psychological consequences of leaving a high-adrenaline environment, and the vital role of career guidance in facilitating this transition. Veterans expressed frustration over the lack of recognition for their military qualifications and the substantial costs associated with requalifying for civilian roles. Emotional and psychological challenges, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and the loss of camaraderie, further exacerbate these difficulties. Despite these obstacles, participants demonstrated resilience through adaptive coping strategies, such as exploring new professional and personal pursuits. This paper emphasises the urgent need for policy reforms to recognise military qualifications, establish structured career guidance during mid-service, and develop mentorship programmes to support veterans in their transition to civilian life. By implementing these strategies, policymakers and career advisors can better assist veterans' reintegration and ensure that their service is honoured through meaningful post-military careers.peer-reviewe
Bridging human-centred design and engineering education : a case study of pharmaceutical packaging for the elderly
Get PDFThe integration of real-world case studies into engineering design education enhances students’ ability to develop innovative, human-centred solutions for complex challenges. This paper explores a mechanical engineering undergraduate final year project as a case study for fostering human-centred thinking in engineering and product design curricula. The project focused on designing pharmaceutical packaging tailored to the needs of elderly users, addressing barriers such as limited dexterity, vision impairments, and safety concerns. By employing a rigorous human-centred design process that included user research, prototyping, and iterative testing, the study delivered a packaging solution that balances usability and safety. The importance of designing for diverse user groups, particularly vulnerable populations such as the elderly, has been emphasised, along with meeting regulatory and practical constraints. Using this case study, educators can introduce students to the challenges of developing human-centred products that evoke a positive user experience in a healthcare context, stressing empathy and ethical considerations. This paper highlights how such projects effectively bridge the gap between theoretical concepts and real-world applications, fostering a mindset of empathy and inclusivity in future engineers. Ultimately, this approach can aid in preparing students when creating meaningful innovations that improve the quality of life for diverse populations.peer-reviewe
New and confirmed records of a deep-water decapod (family Acanthephyridae), and five deep-sea fishes (families Alepocephalidae, Gonostomatidae, Myctophidae, and Nemichthyidae) from Maltese waters
Get PDFRecent routine monitoring efforts conducted in 2018 and 2022 under the European Union’s Data Collection Multi-
Annual Program (DC-MAP) have yielded specimens confirming the presence of six deep-sea species in Maltese waters
(FAO GFCM Geographical Sub-Area 15), which were previously either unreported or only dubiously recorded. The
first of these species is the decapod crustacean, Acanthephyra purpurea A. Milne-Edwards, 1881. The remaining five
consist of the teleost fishes: Alepocephalus rostratus Risso, 1820; Gonostoma atlanticum Norman, 1930; Ceratoscopelus
maderensis (Lowe, 1839); Hygophum hygomii (Lütken, 1892); and Nemichthys scolopaceus Richardson,
1848. This contribution, which includes first confirmed national records and verifications of previously questionable
reports, provides valuable information about the deep-sea biodiversity of the Central Mediterranean region, underscoring
the importance of ongoing monitoring efforts.peer-reviewe
Validation of the fermented food frequency questionnaire to assess consumption across four European regions : a study within the promoting innovation of fermented foods cost action
Get PDFBackground: Fermented foods are an integral part of diets worldwide, and
emerging epidemiological data suggest their significant beneficial health effects.
However, assessing their intake is challenging since many of these foods
are sporadically and/or locally consumed, hence current traditional nutritional
assessment tools lack the specificity to capture this variability. To address
this gap, the Fermented Food Frequency Questionnaire (3FQ) was developed
and this study aimed to evaluate its relative validity and repeatability across
European regions.
Methods: In the validation study of the 3FQ, 12,646 adult participants were
recruited across four European regions to assess consumption of sixteen
major fermented food groups. Repeatability was assessed by administering the
3FQ twice, ∼6 weeks apart, to a subset of participants (n = 2,315). Validity
was evaluated using 24-h dietary recalls (24 h). Statistical analyses included
Spearman’s rank correlation coefficients and Intra-Class Correlation coefficients
(ICC) for repeatability, and Bland-Altman plots for validity.
Results: Results showed high repeatability, overall and by region, for estimated
quantities and frequencies of consumption for most of the fermented food
groups (from 0.4 to 1.0), with a few exceptions for infrequently consumed
items (e.g., fermented fish). Validity assessment via Bland-Altman plots revealed
excellent agreement between the 3FQ and 24 h for most of the food groups, with
over 90% of values falling within the agreement interval. Notably, fermented dairy
products, coffee, and bread categories showed the strongest agreement (>95%).
Conclusion: The 3FQ is a robust and reliable tool for estimating the consumption
of diverse fermented food groups across four European regions and provides
valid estimates of the frequency and quantity of intake for specific fermented
foods. The 3FQ could be a valuable instrument for epidemiological research
aiming to elucidate associations between certain fermented foods and health
parameters in European diets.peer-reviewe
Family-friendly tax policies in Poland : balancing personal income taxation with equity principles
Get PDFPURPOSE: The purpose of the article is to present the tax preferences enjoyed by taxpayers
with children in Poland and their assessment from the point of view of tax justice. In order to
verify the hypothesis that pro-family solutions in the personal income tax in Poland comply
with the principles of tax justice, the data of the Ministry of Finance from the settlement of
the personal income tax (PIT) for 2009-2023 was used. The research problem focuses on the
ethics of personal income taxation, in particular, on the assessment of the fairness of profamily solutions in the tax system. The key question is: does preferential treatment of families
through credits and deductions comply with the principles of ethical taxation?DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: The data for the analyses are taken from studies by the
Polish Ministries of Finance. The main research methods used in the study are content
analysis, analysis of the current tax law and individual case studies.FINDINGS: A detailed interpretation of the provisions on family-friendly solutions in the
personal income tax was carried out, taking into account their compliance with the principle
of tax fairness. In addition, data from the Ministry of Finance and the Central Statistical
Office were used to highlight the importance of this fiscal assistance to taxpayers with
children, including the number of beneficiaries and the amounts of such support.PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: The study's conclusions can serve as a basis for optimizing tax policy
on family-friendly solutions. They can also serve as a reference point for institutions involved
in social and tax policy making.ORIGINALITY/VALUE: The issues addressed are relevant and topical. The analyses conducted
and the conclusions formulated can inspire further research on family-friendly solutions in
personal income tax. The article contributes to the discussion of tax fairness and the
effectiveness of mechanisms supporting pro-family solutions.peer-reviewe