Landmarks in Maltese Constitutional History 1849-1974

In this final chapter the author would like to thank Professor Frendo and the members of the panel for providing a context to the historical events that were planned to commemorate through the issuance of five two-euro coins between this year and 2014. Their erudite presentations have enriched our knowledge about a very important phase in Malta 's millennia! History during which our ancestors took decisive steps to assert their commitment to the principles of democratic governance, culminating in Statehood as an independent republic. The author also thanks his colleagues, led by the Director of Financial Services, who not only worked tirelessly to prepare this symposium, but who were also developing a new line of business for the Bank in the shape of a profit centre for the sale of numismatic products. This activity is intrinsically linked to one of the Bank's main functions, namely its responsibility for the issue and management of the nation's currency.peer-reviewe

The Euro: A Crisis of the Currency or a Failure of Politics? Paper from the Colloquium: The Politics and Economics of the Euro Crisis, Institute for European Studies, University of Malta, 2 December 2011

Summary: Overall the monetary pillar of the EMU project has worked well so that it is incorrect to speak of a 'euro' crisis though it is at the epicentre of the present crisis. The origins of the problems it is facing have more to do with the economic component, particularly because of the breach of budgetary rules which points to a failure of politics. Hence the solution must be political, namely a strong commitment by governments to achieve balanced budgets and implement structural reforms so as to lay the basis for improved competitiveness, job creation and sustainable growth

Using a hypothetical scenario to assess public preferences for colorectal surveillance following screening-detected, intermediate-risk adenomas: annual home-based stool test vs. triennial colonoscopy

Background To assess public preferences for colorectal cancer (CRC) surveillance tests for intermediate-risk adenomas, using a hypothetical scenario. Methods Adults aged 45–54 years without CRC were identified from three General Practices in England (two in Cumbria, one in London). A postal survey was carried out during a separate study on preferences for different first-line CRC screening modalities (non- or full-laxative computed tomographic colonography, flexible sigmoidoscopy, or colonoscopy). Individuals were allocated at random to receive a pack containing information on one first-line test, and a paragraph describing CRC surveillance recommendations for people who are diagnosed with intermediate-risk adenomas during screening. All participants received a description of two surveillance options: annual single-sample, home-based stool testing (consistent with Faecal Immunochemical Tests; FIT) or triennial colonoscopy. Invitees were asked to imagine they had been diagnosed with intermediate-risk adenomas, and then complete a questionnaire on their surveillance preferences. Results 22.1 % (686/3,100) questionnaires were returned. 491 (15.8 %) were eligible for analysis. The majority of participants stated a surveillance preference for the stool test over colonoscopy (60.8 % vs 31.0 %; no preference: 8.1 %; no surveillance: 0.2 %). Women were more likely to prefer the stool test than men (66.7 % vs. 53.6 %; p = .011). The primary reason for preferring the stool test was that it would be done more frequently. The main reason to prefer colonoscopy was its superiority at finding polyps. Conclusions A majority of participants stated a preference for a surveillance test resembling FIT over colonoscopy. Future research should test whether this translates to greater adherence in a real surveillance setting

Hymn to the heroes of Malta

Ġabra ta’ poeżiji u proża li tinkludi: Alla fil-ħolqien ta’ Ġużè Agius Bonello – Is-sena u l-bniedem ta’ Ġużè Ellul-Mercer – Li tiżra’ taħsad ta’ Vic. Apap – Huwa ta’ Gino Muscat-Azzopardi – Żewġ friefet ta’ Vincent Caruana – Iċ-ċagħka ta’ Ġużè Borg – Warda midbiela ta’ C. Gauci – It-tfajla tas-sulfarini ta’ Albert M. Cassola – L-aħħar traduzzjoni ta’ May Butcher qabel ma mietet – Hymn to the heroes of Malta.N/

An empirical analysis on the operational profile of liquefied natural gas carriers with steam propulsion plants

Liquefied natural gas (LNG) offers negligible NO_{x} and SO_{x} emissions as well as reductions in CO_{2} compared with other liquid hydrocarbons. LNG is a significant player in the global energy mix, with a projection of 40% increase in demand for the next two decades. It is anticipated that the expected rise in demand will cause the fleet of LNG carriers (LNGC) to expand. This work concentrates on steam-powered LNGC, which accounted for 47% of the LNGC fleet in 2018. It performs an empirical analysis of continuous monitoring data that provide high levels of accuracy and transparency. The analysis is done on data collected from 40 LNGCs for over a year to estimate the fleet's operational profile, fuel mix and energy performance. The findings of this work are relevant for bottom-up analysis and simulation models that depend on technical assumptions, but also for emission studies such as the upcoming Fourth International Maritime Organization Greenhouse Gases study

Chronic recurrent ankle sprain: A randomized clinical trial studying the impact of two treatment protocols

See Attache

The role of sexual orientation in the relationships between body perception, body weight dissatisfaction, physical comparison, and eating psychopathology in the cisgender population

Purpose: Body weight dissatisfaction (BWD) and visual body perception are specific aspects that can influence the own body image, and that can concur with the development or the maintenance of specific psychopathological dimensions of different psychiatric disorders. The sexual orientation is a fundamental but understudied aspect in this field, and, for this reason, the purpose of this study is to improve knowledge about the relationships among BWD, visual body size-perception, and sexual orientation. Methods: A total of 1033 individuals participated in an online survey. Physical comparison, depression, and self-esteem was evaluated, as well as sexual orientation and the presence of an eating disorder. A Figure Rating Scale was used to assess different valences of body weight, and mediation analyses were performed to investigated specific relationships between psychological aspects. Results: Bisexual women and gay men reported significantly higher BWD than other groups (p < 0.001); instead, higher body misperception was present in gay men (p = 0.001). Physical appearance comparison mediated the effect of sexual orientation in both BWD and perceptual distortion. No difference emerged between women with a history of eating disorders and without, as regards the value of body weight attributed to attractiveness, health, and presence on social media. Conclusion: This study contributes to understanding the relationship between sexual orientations and body image representation and evaluation. Physical appearance comparisons should be considered as critical psychological factors that can improve and affect well-being. The impact on subjects with high levels of eating concerns is also discussed. Level of evidence: Level III: case\u2013control analytic study

PO-518 Biomarker signature defines a potential therapeutic subclass of triple negative breast cancer

Introduction: Triple Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC) is associated with a worse prognosis among breast cancer subtypes due to the lack of targeted therapy. The protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) is a heterogeneous tumour suppressor complex that is tightly regulated in terms of activity and target specificity. Oncogenic inactivation of PP2A is known to be mediated by various mechanisms. The overexpression of inhibitory regulators and increased phosphorylation of PP2A targets have been associated with the TNBC subtype and a worse prognosis. PP2A is predicted to be deregulated in 60% of TNBC and presents a potential target for therapy. Here, we use novel biomarkers, AURKA and KIF2C to identify a TNBC subclass with actionable PP2A deregulation.peer-reviewe

Evaluating the effects of PIRAC nitrogen-diffusion treatments on the mechanical performance of Ti-6Al-4V alloy

The authors would like to thank the European Regional Development Fund (Malta) for research equipment funded through the application of the project “Developing an Interdisciplinary Material Testing and Rapid Prototyping R&D Facility (Ref. no. 012)”. The authors are also greatly indebted to MATERAþ/ERA-NET Plus for funding support for this research (Project ESM-1935).Powder Immersion Reaction Assisted Coating (PIRAC) is a relatively simple nitrogen diffusion based process which has been proposed as a technique capable of considerable improvements in the tribological performance of ceramics and metals alike; however, the necessary exposure of the substrate material to high temperatures for several hours may have an adverse effect on the bulk properties of materials such as titanium alloys. The effect of PIRAC treatments on the bulk metallography and mechanical properties of Ti–6Al–4V has been studied. Following PIRAC nitrogen-diffusion treatment, studies using X-ray diffraction and cross-sectional microscopy have shown evidence of the formation of a thin (1.4 mm) TiN/Ti2N layer, together with the presence of some Ti3Al intermetallic phase. Semi- logarithmic S–N plots show a deleterious effect after PIRAC treatment in terms of material cyclic fatigue strength, particularly at higher treatment temperatures. Samples processed at 800 1C for 4 h however exhibit better fatigue performance than others treated at lower temperatures for longer nitriding times. Fractographic inspection has shown that fatigue cracks originate at (or near) the surface for the untreated Ti-alloy and from the subsurface regions following diffusion treatment, owing to the build-up of compressive stresses in the latter, which hinder crack propagation.peer-reviewe