Seasonal changes in populations of Caulerpa taxifolia var. distichophylla in the Maltese Islands

Caulerpa taxifolia var. distichophylla, an alien alga in the Mediterranean Sea, was first recorded from the Maltese Islands in 2013. Initial observations suggested that it underwent complete frond regression in winter, possibly due to the colder temperatures. Since then it has spread rapidly and has become abundant in the infralittoral in some localities. The present two-year study on the Maltese populations indicates that the alga is able to resist low seawater temperatures during the winter and is not regressing completely, potentially increasing its ecological impact.peer-reviewe

Gumsense - a high power low power sensor node

The development of increasingly complex algorithms for sensor networks has made it difficult for researchers to implement their design on typical sensor network hardware with limited computing resources. The demands on hardware can also mean that small microcontrollers are not the ideal platform for testing computationally and/or memory intensive algorithms. Researchers would also like access to high level programming languages and a wider range of open source libraries. To address this problem we have designed and implemented an architecture, Gumsense which combines a low power micro-controller (8MHz MSP430) with a powerful processor (100-600MHz ARM) on a Gumstix board running Linux. This Open Embedded OS supports a wide variety of programming languages, package management and development tools. A similar hybrid approach was also used in the LEAP platform. The microcontroller wakes up frequently to manage tasks such as activating sensors and gathering data. The intended use-case is to power-up the ARM board and storage only during the brief periods it is needed, for example performing computation or communication

The role of the University of Malta Library in scholarly publishing

Scholarly communication is bringing innovative discoveries in science, medicine, and other professions into light for readers and scholars. Every sector in our economy and our culture is confronting the pervasive impact of information technology. To this effect, scholarly publishing is right at the centre of the information revolution - from a reliance on print publishing towards online publishing, and an increasing use of other digital forms of scholarly communication, such as scholarly websites and blogs, as well as a growing emphasis on collaborative projects. As new models of scholarly communication emerge, librarians and information professionals are obligated to play a key role in the development of these models for academic publishing. The University of Malta Library (UML) has embarked on a number of ambitious projects, which support local researchers with the publishing and dissemination of their research output. Reference to the launch of the first Institutional Repository (IR) in the Maltese islands, which was branded as OAR@UoM. An IR is a digital platform whereby academics and researchers can upload their research output in Open Access.peer-reviewe

Proximal femoral focal deficiency : a case report

Proximal Femoral Focal Deficiency (PFFD) is a rare and complex congenital anomaly (1:50,000-200,000 population) that results in varying degrees of femoral hypoplasia with limb shortening and pelvic abnormalities. It may be present bilaterally in association with other malformations/deficiencies of the lower limbs, and the upper limbs may also be involved. Other anomalies may also be present such as cleft palate, congenital heart defects, and spinal anomalies. The aetiology is unknown. We present a case of PFFD who was born locally.peer-reviewe

Clinical and financial consequences of setting up an asthma clinic at St. Luke’s Hospital

The effects of setting up an asthma clinic were assessed in an audit study. A comparison was made between the quality and quantity of medication used by patients before and after attending the asthma clinic. The number and severity of exacerbations during a six month period before and a six month period after attending were also assessed. The cost of treatment before and after was also calculated. In 14% of patients, occupational factors, drugs or underlying lung disease were significant contributors to asthma. The number of acute episodes of severe asthma were reduced from 98 to 47, with hospital admissions falling from 26 to 1. Pulmonary function (%FEV1) improved in the group as a whole with the number of patients having their best FEV above 80% improving from 44 to 71. In spite of the expense of high cost drugs and the running costs of the clinic there were substantial savings largely from the reduced number of hospital admissions. The calculated annual cost fell from Lm 22,769 to Lm 10,654.peer-reviewe

THE EUROSDR GEOBIM PROJECT - DEVELOPING CASE STUDIES for the USE of GEOBIM in PRACTICE

Although the use of location-based data (location coupled with semantic information) within Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and from Earth Observation (e.g. satellite) sources has been long established for decision makers, this has only recently been reflected in the construction sector with a more recent move from Computer Aided Design (CAD) to Building Information Modelling. BIM has opened up an additional source of valuable location-based data, with particular focus on the architecture, structural and engineering detail of both buildings and infrastructure projects. As with most if not all location data, while BIM can be used on its own, major benefits are to be derived from integration with other data sources. When this is done with GIS, the result is known as GeoBIM and although there are some similarities between the two, challenges to integration are both technical and non technical, in particular the need for clear case studies to motivate both developers and senior management. There are synergies to be gained from a multi-national, coordinated approach when addressing these challenges, where participants can benefit from each-others' experience and where the needs of users and the National Mapping and Cadastral Agency (NMCA) perspective underpin the research. This paper summarises final outcomes and findings of the EuroSDR GeoBIM research project, which was set up to provide the required multi-national, user-centric collaborative framework, which had as its overall aim the development of best practice guidelines for GeoBIM, and due to its situation within EuroSDR has an NMCA focus. The paper updates information with regard to GeoBIM projects and maturity in the participant countries, and provides an overview of the two case studies developed