Maternal weight gain and fetal growth

Extrinsic factors such as maternal nutrition may affect fetal growth giving rise to short and long-term consequences. The present study sets out to explore the inter-relationship between antenatal weight gain, in part dependant on maternal nutrition, and fetal growth as determined by birth weight. The study population included 21573 women who delivered their singleton child at term during 1999-2006. This population was subdivided into 16 subgroups according to BMI and antenatal weight gain. The study confirms that irrespective of maternal BMI, there is a statistically significant trend towards low birth weight with decreasing antenatal weight gain and conversely macrosomia with increasing antenatal weight gain.peer-reviewe

History of leprosy in Malta

Leprosy was always viewed with aborrhence requiring segregation of the unfortunate sufferers. The policy of segregation in dedicated leprosaria, initially introduced during the Medieval Period, was re-adopted during the late 19th century and persisted well into the 20th century. The management of lepers in Malta followed similar principles as elsewhere.peer-reviewe

History of leprosy in Malta

Abstract Leprosy was always viewed with aborrhence requiring segregation of the unfortunate sufferers. The policy of segregation in dedicated leprosaria, initially introduced during the Medieval Period, was re-adopted during the late 19 th century and persisted well into the 20 th century. The management of lepers in Malta followed similar principles as elsewhere

Mid-djarju tat-tarzna

Ġabra ta’ poeżiji u proża li tinkludi: Destin ta’ Charles Coleiro – Uċuħ – Xewqat – Għar Dalam ta’ Ġorġ Borg – Poeżija ta’ Ġorġ Borg – Wirt battal ta’ P. Sciberras – Naf tifel ta’ Ġorġ Borg – Mħabba sewda – Durham 11.5.96 ta’ Joe Friggieri – Data base ta’ P. Sciberras – Ipokrezija ta’ John Buttigieg – Mid-djarju tat-tarzna ta’ P. Sciberras.peer-reviewe

Circular lattice design for UHF geodesic dome phased array antenna with reduced footprint

A circular planar array composed of four equilateral triangle patch antennas with a common triangular ground plane is proposed. The array is a building block for a geodesic dome phased array antenna (GDPAA) based on an icosahedron structure, primarily intended for use in the UHF amateur satellite band of 435-438 MHz. Due to the relatively long wavelength of this band, a novel design for a low-cost GDPAA with a reduced footprint is proposed. It is found that if individual elements are placed in a circular lattice, the footprint is reduced and the overall array performance and antenna isolation are improved.peer-reviewe

Carbon labelling of biofuels in Europe

In the framework of the Carbon Labelling project within the EU Intelligent Energy – Europe (IEE) programme, pilot carbon labelling initiatives were implemented in order to contribute to the reduction of GHG emissions in the European transport sector. Firstly, a supportable methodology for the quantification of carbon lifecycle reductions was identified in co-operation with recent and on-going activities and methodologies. In a second step, the “CO2Star” label was developed and three “CO2Star” labelling initiatives were implemented, namely a biodiesel (B100) and an improved lubricants labelling initiative at Q1 fuel stations in Germany, as well as a labelling initiative of low carbon freight services in The Netherlands. The present paper presents main results of the Carbon Labelling project which was implemented from 2006 to 2008 and give recommendations on the applications of labels in the transport sector.peer-reviewe

Results from the European carbon labelling initiative CO2 Star

Today, passenger cars alone are responsible for around 12% of European CO 2 emissions. An opportunity to reduce CO 2 emissions in transport is provided by the use of biofuels with beneficial life cycle CO 2 emissions. The Carbon Labelling project (Project No. EIE/06/015) promotes the use of biofuels by implementing different labelling initiatives in Europe and applying the developed carbon label "CO 2Star" to biodiesel, efficient lubricants and biofuel based freight services. In a first step a supportable methodology for the quantification of carbon life cycle reductions was identified in co-operation with recent and on-going activities and methodologies by European and worldwide expert groups such as SenterNovem (NL), ifeu Institute (DE) and Imperial College (UK). In a second step the Carbon Labelling initiative actively promoted this carbon reduction to consumers. Finally, a consumer survey was conducted in order to assess the success of this initiative and the acceptance of GHG labels. This paper gives an overview about the current discussion on carbon reductions in the transport sector, different GHG calculation methodologies, and about the results of the 'Carbon Labelling' project which is supported by the Intelligent Energy Europe Programme.peer-reviewe

Nikteb...

Ġabra ta’ poeżiji u proża li tinkludi: L-iben il-ħali ta’ David Agius Muscat – Kaptan ta’ Kit Azzopardi – Il-lanterna ta’ Charles Bezzina – Li kelli mmur lura ta’ Ġorġ Borg – Firda ta’ Ġorġ Borg – Garden fairy ta’ Charles Briffa – Sejf jinfidlek ruħek ta’ Charles Briffa – Waqt ta’ Joseph Buttigieg – Vjaġġ ta’ John Caruana – Ċaqlembuta ta’ Antoine Cassar – Ħaġa tqila ta’ Carmel G. Cauchi – F’tarf il-blat ta’ Leanne Ellul – Int ta’ Victor Fenech – Pippin u l-bojja ta’ Charles Flores – L-arloġġ ta’ Joe Friggieri – Il-fjur tal-ġakaranda ta’ Joe Friggieri – Fjur tal-kaktus ta’ Joel Galea – Biss is-skiet ta’ Joel Galea – Għalissa ta’ Maria Grech Ganado – Ilsna ta’ Maria Grech Ganado – Is-sried ixoqqna fin fin ta’ Adrian Grima – Ħsieb ħalliel... ta’ Patrick Sammut – Lament lil ommi ta’ Salv Sammut – Hekk kif tinħass ġol-arja x-xitwa ta’ Lillian Sciberras – F’għajnejha, il-ħarsa siekta ta’ Clare Azzopardi – Għad jagħdab l-irdum ta’ Paul P. Borg – Forsi...xi darba ta’ Charles Casha – Faxxa ngħas ta’ Sergio Grech – Il-mejda tal-mogħdija ta’ Pierre J. Mejlak – Min jaf bi Stojan Kurepa? ta’ Immanuel Mifsud – L-eħrex jum tal-gwerra ta’ Maurice Mifsud Bonnici – Il-vażett tal-bewsiet ta’ Rita Saliba – Pjanu ta’ Trevor Żahra – Il-ħalliel ta’ Guy de Maupassant, traduzzjoni ta’ Toni Aquilina – Salvu tal-pasturi ta’ Francis Ebejer, traduzzjoni ta’ Steve Borg – Sunetti ta’ William Shakespeare, traduzzjoni ta’ Oliver Friggieri – Nikteb... ta’ Nizar Qabbani, traduzzjoni ta’ Kevin Saliba.peer-reviewe

Silta mill-"Antigone" ta’ Sofokle

Ġabra ta’ poeżiji u proża li tinkludi: Ħajki ta’ Josette Attard – Din l-għanja tiegħi ta’ Rena Balzan – Fl-irdum fejn jidwi ta’ Charles Bezzina – Naqa’ biss ta’ Ġorġ Borg – Gambrinu, 7.45 a.m. ta’ Norbert Bugeja – Għadam ta’ Joseph Buttigieg – Tħarisx biss fil-wiċċ ta’ John Caruana – Petra ta’ Priscilla Cassar – Mhux iżjed dan il-pajjiż tiegħi ta’ Victor Fenech – Twieqi magħluqa ta’ Maria Grech Ganado – Joseph quddiem ir-ritratt ta’ sieħbu jitfarrak ta’ Adrian Grima – Ta’ l-ilma l-fruntieri tiegħek ta’ Simone Inguanez – Għall-kaċċa tal-grejtwajt ta’ Daniel Massa – Ftit weraq mis-Slovenja ta’ Immanuel Mifsud – Dak li kien ta’ Achille Mizzi – Wassalni ta’ Anna Pullicino – Tamiet fiergħa ta’ Patrick Sammut – Fost l-isbaħ jiem ta’ Lillian Sciberras – Kelma ta’ Marcel Zammit Marmarà – Lill-Imdina żagħżugħa ta’ Joe Zammit Tabona – Sodda ta’ l-ilma ta’ Clare Azzopardi – Kurċifiss ta’ Paul P. Borg – Mera mkissra ta’ Lina Brockdorff – No(ra)vella ta’ Joe Friggieri – L-abbati ta’ Henry Holland – L-eħrex ġurnata tal-gwerra ta’ Maurice Mifsud Bonnici – Marija ta’ Lino Spiteri – Ikla ta’ Trevor Żahra – Il-mara midinba ta’ Albert Camus, traduzzjoni ta’ Toni Aquilina – Silta mill-"Antigone" ta’ Sofokle, traduzzjoni ta’ Victor Xuereb.peer-reviewe

Primary care multidisciplinary teams in practice: a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Current recommendations for strengthening the US healthcare system consider restructuring primary care into multidisciplinary teams as vital to improving quality and efficiency. Yet, approaches to the selection of team designs remain unclear. This project describes current primary care team designs, primary care professionals' perceptions of ideal team designs, and perceived facilitating factors and barriers to implementing ideal team-based care. METHODS: Qualitative study of 44 health care professionals at 6 primary care practices in North Carolina using focus group discussions and surveys. Data was analyzed using framework content analysis. RESULTS: Practices used a variety of multidisciplinary team designs with the specific design being influenced by the social and policy context in which practices were embedded. Practices overwhelmingly located barriers to adopting ideal multidisciplinary teams as being outside of their individual practices and outside of their control. Participants viewed internal organizational contexts as the major facilitators of multidisciplinary primary care teams. The majority of practices described their ideal team design as including a social worker to meet the needs of socially complex patients. CONCLUSIONS: Primary care multidisciplinary team designs vary across practices, shaped in part by contextual factors perceived as barriers outside of the practices' control. Facilitating factors within practices provide a culture of support to team members, but they are insufficient to overcome the perceived barriers. The common desire to add social workers to care teams reflects practices' struggles to meet the complex demands of patients and external agencies. Government or organizational policies should avoid one-size-fits-all approaches to multidisciplinary care teams, and instead allow primary care practices to adapt to their specific contextual circumstances.American Academy of Family Physicians Foundation’s Joint Grant Award Program [#G1401JG