Striving for the improbable through transformative means : morphing the Malta Police Force

Terms as transformation, reform and change posit very difficult paths towards structural renewal. Such is highly evident in traversing the narrow, gravelly paths taken in the process to transform the Malta Police Force (MPF) into a dynamic, modern, proactive and community‑centric exercise. Guided by an enterprise to push the improbable into a realistic doable endeavour has only been made possible through a focus towards a long‑term structural change process, one that is cognizant of a past anchored in deeply entrenched practices. The latter pertain to an ingrained police culture characterised by bureaucratic traditional practices a top‑heavy structure, failure to implement past reform attempts, routine crisis management and reactivity that was steadily approaching a gridlocked functionality. Old entities are reluctant to change and MPF is not an exception. However, change overcomes those that lag. Two separate reviews of the operations of the MPF carried out in 1996 (MSU Ltd., 1997) and 2015 (Formosa, 2015) respectively highlighted a conservative mentality, encumbered by an internal fear of change as opposed to a proactive approach.peer-reviewe

duloxetine induced pseudolymphoma with features of lymphocytic infiltration of jessner kanof

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[Geological and hydrogeological markers for prevention and reduction of radon exposition risk]

Not available [In Italian

mRNA/microRNA gene expression profile in microsatellite unstable colorectal cancer

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Colorectal cancer develops through two main genetic instability pathways characterized by distinct pathologic features and clinical outcome.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We investigated colon cancer samples (23 characterized by microsatellite stability, MSS, and 16 by high microsatellite instability, MSI-H) for genome-wide expression of microRNA (miRNA) and mRNA. Based on combined miRNA and mRNA gene expression, a molecular signature consisting of twenty seven differentially expressed genes, inclusive of 8 miRNAs, could correctly distinguish MSI-H versus MSS colon cancer samples. Among the differentially expressed miRNAs, various members of the oncogenic miR-17-92 family were significantly up-regulated in MSS cancers. The majority of protein coding genes were also up-regulated in MSS cancers. Their functional classification revealed that they were most frequently associated with cell cycle, DNA replication, recombination, repair, gastrointestinal disease and immune response.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>This is the first report that indicates the existence of differences in miRNA expression between MSS versus MSI-H colorectal cancers. In addition, the work suggests that the combination of mRNA/miRNA expression signatures may represent a general approach for improving bio-molecular classification of human cancer.</p

Case report: Tissue positivity for SARS-CoV-2 in a preterm born infant death of thrombosis: possible intrauterine transmission

Intrauterine transmission of SARS-CoV-2 (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Corona Virus 2) is still matter of debate among scientists and there is limited information concerning this aspect of research. This could lead to severe complications of the growing fetus and, theoretically, of the newborn as well. We report the case of a male infant of 1,100 grams, born at 27th week of gestation to a SARS-CoV-2 mother, tested negative for viral detection at delivery. He was immediately admitted to neonatal Intensive Care Unit (ICU) for severe complications, where he died after 37 days by pulmonary embolism and thrombosis of the superior vena cava. After autopsy, SARS-CoV-2 N-protein and Spike RBD were detected in several tissues, particularly in the esophagus, stomach, spleen, and heart, with a significantly higher H-Score than the placenta. In conclusion, immunohistochemical analysis demonstrated SARS-CoV-2 NP and Spike RBD positivity in different tissues suggesting a possible intrauterine transmission. Newborn thrombo-embolism could be a complication of SARS-CoV-2 infection as observed in adult patients

[A wish for a restarting of the Hydrogeological Map of Italy within the recent recovery stage of the Geological and Geothematic Mapping Project of Italy (CARG Project, 1:50.000 scale)]

Not availabl

[The Geological Survey of Italy contribution to the groundwater activities planned within the Horizon Europe CSA-GSEU "Geological Service for Europe" project]

[In Italian

New hydrogeological results on the Groundwater Dependent Ecosystem of the Pilato Lake (Sibillini Mts, Central Italy)

Located at an altitude of about 1950 m a.s.l. in a glacial cirque of Mount Vettore (Monti Sibillini National Park - Central Italy), Pilato Lake is one of the few glacial lakes existing in the Apennines. Due to the endemic presence of the crustaceous Chirocephalus marchesonii, the Pilato Lake was in the past mainly studied from the biological viewpoint, but hydrogeological information on this groundwater dependent ecosystem is scarce. Furthermore, for investigating the lake drying in the recent 2017, 2019 and 2020 summers, the seasonal lowering of lake levels during 2010, 2012 and 2014-2020 was reconstructed. It resulted that in the preseismic years, the lake emptying was slower than in the post-seismic time. It is then supposed that seismic quaking induced an increase in permeability and, consequently, increased infiltration velocity through the lake sustaining surficial (detrital and glacial) and/or bedrock deposits towards the subsurface. More frequent summer dryings of the lake are then supposed for the next future. The hydrogeological conceptual model of the study area showed that the refilling process of the lake is driven by snow and rain precipitations. The air temperatures during 2017-2020 and their effects on evaporation from lake and on actual evapotranspiration were estimated. The infiltration through sustaining sediments was calculated and the estimation with time of lake wet surface and lake volume variations, and then bulk permeability of sustaining sediments, were evaluated as well

Il "Quaderno ISPRA-Servizio Geologico d'Italia, serie III, vol.14" con le Nuove linee guida al rilevamento e alla rappresentazione della Carta Idrogeologica d'Italia alla scala 1:50.000

Il cosiddetto "Quaderno 5" (Servizio Geologico Nazionale 1995; Quaderni serie III, volume 5), dedicato alle linee guida al rilevamento e alla rappresentazione della Carta Idrogeologica d'Italia scala 1:50.000, è piuttosto conosciuto, anche grazie ai suoi 25 anni di vita, ed è anche stato, almeno parzialmente, preso in considerazione per cartografie idrogeologiche elaborate da altre istituzioni (e.g. Boscherini et al. 2005; Celico et al. 2005; Civita et al. 2005; La Vigna e Mazza 2015). Proprio per la sua vetustà, i contenuti del Quaderno 5 attendevano di essere rivisti, anche in base ai risultati della discussione tecnico-scientifica proposta dal Servizio Geologico d'Italia dell'ISPRA nella seconda metà della prima decade del XXI secolo. Ma procediamo con ordine [...]