Taken together : gender differentiation and mixed schooling

In this article I want to address some of our commonsense assumptions about the education of girls and boys in single-sex and mixed schools. In Malta there has recently been an interest in co-education. People as different as ex-Labour M.P. Ms Carmen Sant (Sodety, 1991), columnist Daphne on Sunday (STOM, 19 May 1991) and others (including the group of Trade School Heads currently engaged in the Trade School Project) have advocated co-education as a possible solution to gender differences in education I would like to question the wisdom of such assumptions The focus is on the construction of pupils' gender identities in school, looking at both foreign and Maltese mixed infant and primary classrooms. l have made the point elsewhere (Darmanin, 1991) that able Maltese girls in single-sex secondary schools are achieving as well, if not better than their male counterparts. Despite this achievement however, their aspirations for future careers are still. within traditional feminized spheres. Whilst I have also argued (Darmanin, 1992) that the labour market in itself works as a constraint on girls aspirations, this is not to diminish the importance of the school as a site in which gender identities are constructed. Indeed this article is intended to focus our attention on the often hidden though powerful processes that differentiate between girls and boys in mixed schools.peer-reviewe

Is-sehem tal-psikoloġija fit-tfassil tal-policies

This document includes the closing address by Dr. Alfred Sant, and the book’s synopsis on the back cover.Il-Kamp tiegħi huwa l-psikoloġija, u se nitkellem b'mod skematiku kif il-psikoloġija tista' taffettwa l-politika tal-pajjiż għall-ġejjieni, u se nieħu tliet oqsma. L-ewwel qasam huwa l-edukazzjoni. Jidhirli li importanti li għal ġejjieni ssir bidla radikali fid-dipartiment ta' l-edukazzjoni b'mod speċjali f' dak li huwa school psychological services. Jidhirli għandha ssir sistema aktar effettiva ta' kif isir dan is-servizz li huwa utili, ta' educational psychologists, ta' counsellors, u guidance teachers. Naħseb li hemm bżonn ta' ristrutturazzjoni għal aktar effettività li jiġu impjegati wkoll, barra educational psychologists, clinical psychologists, għax nafu li t-tfal, il-problemi li jkollhom m'humiex biss ta' natura marbuta ma' l-iskola imma mal-ħajja, mal-familja. Naħseb kien pass tajjeb b'dik li bdiet il-PSE - personal and social education, imma din ukoll naħseb għad hemm ħafna fejn titjieb.peer-reviewe

What is the Best Leadership Style to Confront Anti-Black Racism and Advance Racial Equity in Transit Organizations?

The author conducts the research question explaining their curiosity on which leadership style is the most appropriate to tackle anti-Black racism and advance racial equity. The preliminary investigation will utilize existing research, including Gooden’s (2014) theory of nervousness within public administrators and organizations, combined with transformational and adaptive leadership styles. Looking at the organizational structure and challenges of operating a large organization like the Toronto Transit Commission is the example used for this research. The research will show that using an adaptive leadership style is the most effective in eradicating Anti-Black racism and advancing racial equity in transit organizations. The research design used will be qualitative using content analysis from predominantly American research. Definitions of race and different forms of racism will allow the reader to understand the implications these constructs play in organizations. The analysis will show that transit leaders must adopt a new leadership style to advance racial equity while providing a succession plan for new leaders to advance this work. Furthermore, advancing racial equity and adaptive leadership into various Master of Public Administration (MPA) courses and within academia are critical moving forward

The production of polyclonal, monoclonal and genetically-derived scFv antibody fragments for the detection of the ß-lactam antibiotic, cephalexin, in milk

This thesis describes the production of antibodies for the detection of cephalexin and their application in ELISA and Biacore ‘real-time’ surface plasmon resonance (SPR)-based biosensor assays. The use of antibiotics in food-producing animals has many beneficial effects (e.g. treatment of mastitis in dairy cattle). However, their use and misuse has also been implicated in the increased incidence of resistant microbial strains with the associated public health risks and economic losses for food processors. Antibiotic residues can adversely affect bacterial starter cultures used in the production of milk-based products such as cheese and yoghurts. The P-lactam antibiotic cephalexin was chosen as the target for the production of antibodies due to its generic cephem-based structure, solubility, and, in particular its use of this antibiotic in treatment of udder infections (e.g. mastitis). Cephalexin-protein conjugates were produced and used for the generation of polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies that were then purified and characterised by SDS-PAGE, Western blotting and ELISA. The specificity of these antibodies was determined and they were used in displacement immunoassays for the detection of the relevant antibiotic in ‘spiked’ samples of PBS and whole milk. Recombinant single chain Fv (scFv) antibody fragments were produced using phage-display technology. Naive and immune phage-display libraries were panned using cephalexin conjugates. In addition, a monoclonal antibody-secreting hybridoma cell line was used in the production of a phage-displayed recombinant scFv. The recombinant scFv (wild type) derived from the parental hybridoma cell was purified and characterised by SDS-PAGE, Western blotting and ELISA. Wild type scFv was subsequently used as a template for the production of a mutant scFv phage-displayed library using random mutagenesis and error-prone PCR.Mutant scFv antibodies were isolated, expressed and then purified using immobilised metal affinity chromatography (IMAC). Two mutant clones expressing scFv antibodies selected showed improved functional expression and assay performance when compared to wild type scFv. Comparative gene and amino-acid sequence analysis and protein modelling was carried out on wild type and selected mutant recombinant scFv antibodies and confirmed the presence of mutations in the framework and variable heavy chain complemetarity determining region amino acid sequences. All antibodies were evaluated in ELISA and Biacore assay formats for the detection of cephalexin in milk samples. The polyclonal, monoclonal and recombinant scFv antibodybased assays demonstrated varying sensitivity and reproducibility but achieved cephalexin detection below the legislated European Union maximum residue limit (EUMRL) in milk ( 10 0 Mgflig)

Laparoscopic omentoplasty and split skin graft for deep sternal wound infection and dehiscence patient

Treatment of sternotomy dehiscence secondary to infection is complex. We describe a case where following debridement and negative pressure therapy the greater omentum was harvested laparoscopically, pedicled on the right gastroepiploic artery and transposed through a subxiphoid window and laid into the chest wound. The omentum was covered with a split skin graft. The omental transposition provided a healthy vascular bed for the skin graft to be laid on top of. This technique allows for larger defects to be closed when due to the amount of bone loss the sternum cannot be brought together. Such procedures are normally performed when all other measures have failed and myocutaneous flaps cover the omentoplasty. Our case is novel in that the laparoscopic harvest and the use of direct skin grafting make this an option to be considered earlier as a single definitive procedure.peer-reviewe

Trichopoda pennipes (Fabricius, 1781) - a new tachinid fly (Diptera) for Malta

Tachinidae is a diverse, cosmopolitan family of true flies currently with approximately 8,600 described species (O’Hara, 2013). Of these, about 900 have been found in Europe (Pape et al., 2015) and 61 species have been recorded for the Maltese archipelago (Ebejer, 2011). Tachinid larvae develop as endoparasitoids of other insects, although occasional records on other arthropods are also known (Stireman et al., 2006; Cerretti et al., 2014). Four subfamilies are traditionally recognised, namely: Dexiinae, Exoristinae, Phasiinae and Tachininae. With the exception of a few species belonging to one tribe (Strongygastrini), the Phasiinae are composed of species which attack true bugs (Heteroptera). The North American native Trichopoda pennipes is a parasitoid of Pentatomidae (Stink bugs) and Coreidae (Leaf-footed bugs) such as the green stink bug (Chinavia hilaris), the squash bug (Anasa tristis), the cactus coreid (Chelinidea vittiger) and Leptoglossus spp. (Arnaud, 1978). It is also known to parasitise the southern green stink bug (Nezara viridula) a species also known from the Maltese archipelago. The present note is to provide some information on Trichopoda pennipes which is here recorded for the first time from the Maltese Islands based on photographs taken by one of us (AD).peer-reviewe

Catches of the sport fishing competitions along the Maltese coast

Coastal fish communities suffer from various anthropogenic activities. To improve integrated coastal zone management and conservation, recreational sport fishing along the coast of Malta, unstudied before, is the focus of research that started in July 2012. Results from creel surveys conducted during 35 sport fishing competitions and with 26 hobby anglers are presented here. A total of 13,205 fish were recorded from 64 different species belonging to 25 families. Benthic species were predominant in catches. This first scientific study in collaboration with sports and recreational fishermen allows for conservation measures to be increasingly considered and integrated in the activities of these recreational fishing activities. Stakeholders participate and learn from the scientific process while working closely with conservation scientists.peer-reviewe

‘It Was Worth Every Minute, I’m Proud of the Way It Turned Out!’ Defining Reading and Writing in the Digital Age

Drawing on research conducted in a Maltese government school, this paper presents a definition for the terms ‘reading’ and ‘writing’ in a digital age, given that definitions tend to be dominated by traditional concepts of reading and writing that ignore the role of digital technology (Lankshear and Knobel, 2008; Levy, 2011).  Data were mainly collected through classroom observations with two different groups of children. One of these classes was participating in the One Tablet per Child Pilot Project, a project part-financed by the European Union Social Fund under the Ministry of Education and Employment. Children’s drawings, focus group interviews and semi-structured interviews were analysed in order to explore what it means to read and write today and understand how these terms are defined by teachers and students.  This paper answers the two research questions: ‘How do students and teachers define reading and writing in the 21st Century?’ and ‘How are children reading and writing in the digital age?’  The definitions provided by teachers and students focused on conveying, presenting and comprehending texts through the use of paper-based resources, however this contrasted with the observations.  Reading and writing on-screen involved a complex array of skills that differed from reading and writing on paper. Reading was seen as a collaborative activity which often involved physical interaction as well as a need to follow multidirectional pathways and interact with various modes.  Similarly writing on-screen involved a high element of ‘design’, physicality, touch and collaboration with others. Keywords: digital literacy, definition, reading, writing, digital age, digital technology DOI: 10.7176/JEP/12-26-02 Publication date:September 30th 202

Preliminary results from monitoring of selected sparidae species caught by recreational and sports anglers along the Maltese coast

Conservation research to monitor the catches of Diplodus annularis, Diplodus vulgaris, Diplodus sargus, Oblada melanura and Lithognathus mormyrus with the cooperation of Maltese hobby and sport shore fishermen. Catches were scientifically measured between July 2012 and December 2013. This year -round scientific research allows assessment of demographic, distribution, habitat selection, diet and reproductive patterns for these species. Catches from 701 hobby and sports anglers were recorded to analyse the exploitation rate. Preliminary results indicate that these species are frequently targeted by these fishermen with no previous records of the catches and effects of these activities on respective coastal populations. This research may fill the gap in knowledge aiding conservation measures for these species.peer-reviewe

Switchable and Reversible Superhydrophobic Surfaces: Part Two

In this book chapter, most of the methods used in the literature to prepare switchable and reversible superhydrophobic surfaces are described. Inspired by Nature, it is possible to induce the Cassie-Baxter-Wenzel transition using different external stimuli such as light, temperature, pH, ion exchange, voltage, magnetic field, mechanic stress, plasma, ultrasonication, solvent, gas or guest. Such properties are extremely important for various applications but especially for controllable oil/water separation membranes, oil-absorbing materials, and water harvesting systems