: insights into the entrance of the Roman harbour of Sebastos as obtained through high-resolution multimodal remote sensing surveys

This article presents the results of high-resolution multimodal remote sensing surveys which were performed in the Roman city of Caesarea Maritima at the sunken Herodian harbour of Sebastos. A joint team of scholars from the Universities of Malta and Haifa conducted the surveys at the area of the harbour’s entrance in order to answer questions related to its original architecture, long-term functioning, and gradual degradation processes. The core methodology employed comprised teams of divers performing a meticulous photogrammetric survey in order to generate a high-resolution 3D plan of the harbour’s entrance. The results present two different architectural styles on either side of the harbour entrance, which suggests two different building stages, potentially deriving from a late renovation attempt. The current state of the entrance channel, still deep and wide enough for the passage of vessels despite collapse and sedimentation processes, suggests the long-term functionality of the entrance, even while other parts of the harbour have structurally deteriorated and gone out of use.peer-reviewe

Defining health management : a conceptual foundation for excellence through efficiency, sustainability and equity

The practice of healthcare management is essential for the efficient operation of health services, encompassing leadership, management, and direction within healthcare organisations. ‘Health management’ extends beyond healthcare management by integrating principles of public health and health policy. As health management is commonly practised but not cohesively recognised, the European Health Management Association (EHMA) conducted this study to develop a cohesive definition of health management. Developed through a qualitative methodology comprising focus group discussions and validation through quantitative expert interviews, this study proposed a holistic definition of health management, incorporating social, environmental and economic determinants of health, cross‐sector collaboration, and the ‘One Health’ approach. The publication of this unified definition has important implications for professional training, policy development, and health outcomes. It provides a foundational framework for curricula, informs precise policy formulation, and promotes excellence through health service delivery that reflects efficiency, sustainability, and equity.peer-reviewe

Identifying indicators and targets for the new World Health Organization global framework on infection and prevention and control : an e-Delphi study

Background: The World Health Organization (WHO) recently developed the global action plan (GAP) and monitoring framework (MF) for Infection Prevention and Control (IPC). An e-Delphi survey was conducted as part of a consultative process to achieve consensus on IPC MF indicators and targets. Methods: The study was conducted as an e-Delphi consensus-seeking exercise, with two rounds of sequential surveys. In round 1 participants were asked to assess each indicator and target using a 5- point Likert scale, and in round 2 to re-assess those that did not reach consensus and to rank all indicators and targets in priority order. “Consensus” was defined when >70% of the responses fell within the two positive extreme ranges of the scale and < 5% of the responses fell within the two negative extreme ranges. Findings: 86 country representatives along with experts from 63 countries participated in the initial draft IPC MF development. The e-Delphi study invited 394 participants, with response rates of 36% (142/394) in round 1 and 69% (98/142) in round 2. Of the 134 indicators and 27 targets included in round 1, all but one achieved consensus, and 16 showed >5% level of disagreement. In round 2, three indicators were rejected and participants ranked the top ten global targets and top five national targets. The survey showed strong support for improving IPC surveillance, whilst research ranked lower due to other competing priorities. Conclusion: A high level of agreement on the proposed indicators and targets to be monitored by all countries to track progress in IPC was achieved through a strong consensus building process. The WHO IPC GAP and MF was adopted by all countries during the 77th World Health Assembly in May 2024.peer-reviewe

EPOCHS paper V. The dependence of galaxy formation on galaxy structure at < 7 from observations

We measure the broad impact of galaxy structure on galaxy formation by examining the ongoing star formation and integrated star formation history as revealed through the stellar masses of galaxies at z 1.5. We also find that the stellar mass function for disc galaxies does not evolve significantly during this time, whereas other galaxy types, such as the peculiar population, evolve dramatically, declining at lower redshifts. This indicates that massive peculiars are more common at higher redshifts. We further find that up to z ∼ 7, the specific star formation rate (sSFR) does not vary with visual morphology, but strongly depends on stellar mass and internal galaxy mass density. This demonstrates that at early epochs galaxy assembly is a mass-driven, rather than a morphologically driven process. Quenching of star formation is therefore a mass-dominated process throughout the universe’s history, likely due to the presence of supermassive black holes.peer-reviewe

A biblical reading of the by Filippo Paladini (at the Jesuit Church in Valletta, Malta)

Paladini’s Circumcision takes pride of place in the Church of the Collegium Melitense, that up to the suppression of the Jesuit Order in Malta by the Portuguese Grand Master Manuel Pinto da Fonseca in 1768 was managed by the Jesuits, and consequently evolved as the University of Malta. Understandably, since the JHS is, as it were, the coat of arms of the Company of Jesus, the three-lettered emblem is given due prominence in the retable of the painting. The foundation stone of the baroque church was laid on 4 September 1595, but had to be rebuilt due to explosions that occurred in the building. The architect was the military engineer of the Order of St John, Francesco Buonamici. Architecturally, it emulates the same style as La Chiesa del Gesù in Rome, with the same title of the Circumcision of Jesus. The church in Valletta is the first building in Malta designed by a well-known foreign architect. [excerpt]peer-reviewe

An increase in global daily precipitation records in response to global warming based on reanalysis and observations

Understanding trends in extreme precipitation events in the context of global warming is critical for assessing climate change impacts. This study employs a novel methodology developed by Giorgi and Ciarlo (2022) to analyze record-breaking daily precipitation events from 1980 to 2020, utilizing three reanalysis products (ERA5, MERRA-2, and JRA-55) and one global observation dataset (MSWEP). Our results indicate a consistent and statistically significant increase in record-breaking precipitation events globally, with variations across different latitude bands and between land and ocean areas. This trend is evident in all datasets, with the most substantial increases observed over oceans in ERA5 and over land in JRA and MERRA. Notably, the Southern Hemisphere shows mixed results, with some regions displaying negative trends. This study highlights the increasing frequency of extreme precipitation events, supporting the hypothesis of intensified hydrological cycles under a warming climate. Our findings enhance understanding of precipitation extremes and underscore the importance of regional analyses in climate impact studies. Future work could extend these findings to formal attribution studies linking observed trends directly to anthropogenic climate change.peer-reviewe

Sustainability accounting and disclosures of responsible restaurant practices in environmental, social and governance (ESG) reports

For the time being, there are limited contributions that explore responsible food and beverage operations and their corporate environmental, social and governance (ESG) disclosures. This research addresses these knowledge gaps. Its underlying objectives are threefold: Firstly, it raises awareness on different phases of food preparation and consumption; Secondly, it elaborates about sustainability accounting dimensions, where it advances a theoretical model that clearly depicts ESG performance aspects in the context of hospitality operations; Thirdly, it appraises various accountability standards including those formulated by the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) and the Food Loss and Waste Accounting and Reporting Standard (FLW Standard), among others. This contribution identifies profitable, yet eco-friendly restaurant behaviors. It promotes different standards, principles and guidelines, that can be utilized by practitioners for their ESG accounting and disclosures in corporate sustainability reports.peer-reviewe

Thromboembolic complications of COVID-19 leading to Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension (CTEPH)

A middle-aged woman was diagnosed with Covid 19. Two months later she was referred to respiratory outpatients in view of worsening shortness of breath and decreased functionality. Investigations including a Computed Tomography pulmonary angiogram (CTPA) lead to the diagnosis of an acute right- sided pulmonary embolism, COVID-19, and bacterial pneumonia. Physical examination and echocardiogram revealed associated right heart strain. Further investigations at follow up confirmed the diagnosis of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH). The early diagnosis of the underlying CTEPH has allowed the patient to undergo bilateral pulmonary endarterectomy without undue delay. This was followed by intensive physical and respiratory rehabilitation. In turn the patient improved significantly, so much so that on follow up she was asymptomatic, and she was eventually able to regain her previous functional status.peer-reviewe

Malta [The 2023 Global Review of Constitutional Law]

Introduction: The year 2023 was not an especially active one with regard to the Constitution of Malta, and it is perhaps the lack of activity that is particularly notable. Following significant constitutional updates in the years 2020 and 2021, and the realization of some of these changes in 2022, there has been a sense over the last year that the process of constitutional change and improvement in Malta is unfinished. This year’s report highlights the few developments that have occurred during 2023, as well as a number of important constitutional cases with which the Maltese courts have been faced over the past 12 months. Chief amongst these is the case of Michael Christian Felsberger et v. TSG Interactive Gaming Europe Ltd, in which a Maltese court asserted the supremacy of the Constitution of Malta over a conflicting provision of EU Law. The piece also identifies further ways in which reform is needed as Malta celebrates sixty years since its independence.peer-reviewe

Improving vocabulary and facilitating comprehension : the case of a Maltese lesson study in a primary school setting

Lesson study or Jugyokenkyu is based on a Japanese model of teacher professional development (PD). This PD model fosters reflective practice and can help teachers to become more effective practitioners. It involves a collaborative process of planning, teaching, observation, evaluation and reflection. This lesson study, which involved two lesson trials, aimed to improve teaching and learning the Maltese language, targeting two classes of Year 3 students, aged 8 years. Each lesson was 70 minutes long and involved students in speaking, listening, reading and writing tasks. The focus was to improve their vocabulary and facilitate comprehension. The tasks supported reading comprehension by enabling students to learn new vocabulary through a multi-faceted approach. Discussions in pairs presented ample opportunities for collaborative learning and to use the vocabulary in context. Furthermore, posing higher order questions stimulated student thinking and promoted critical thinking skills, encouraging students to use more complex vocabulary. The results show that lesson study was beneficial for teachers to plan a well-structured lesson through ongoing collaboration and group reflection. The knowledgeable other was instrumental in lesson design, and in fostering teachers' professional growth.peer-reviewe