Metallurgy of armour exhibited at the Palace Armoury, Valletta, Malta

The metallurgy of ten armour pieces from the Palace Armoury Collection in Malta was examined. Results showed that out of ten artefacts examined, six were produced in low carbon steel, one from a high carbon steel and three were made from wrought iron. One of the wrought iron armour pieces was fabricated from a phosphoric iron, an unusual material for these artefacts. All the steel artefacts exhibited a ferrite-pearlite microstructure. In their manufacture, no attempts had been made at producing martensite by full or slack quenching. All metal fragments contained slag inclusions. The elongated nature of the latter suggested that these artefacts were forged into shape.peer-reviewe

Panhypopituitarism : a rare cause of neonatal cholestatic jaundice

Although not uncommon, neonatal cholestatic jaundice is usually caused by congenital anatomical defects of the biliary tree or intrinsic liver pathology. We describe a case of persistent cholestatic jaundice in a six week old female infant caused by panhypopituitarism. To our knowledge this is the first report of hypopituitarism presenting with cholestatic jaundice in Malta. Prolonged obstructive jaundice in the neonatal period should be urgently investigated until a cause is found.peer-reviewe

The rock-cut church of Bormla : origins and developments

This paper seeks to establish the origins and start writing the history of a rock-cut church in Bormla, (Malta) which was, for over three centuries, sealed away from public eyes. The study reveals that the church, originally dedicated to the Nativity of Jesus through the Virgin Mother, started as a Christian cave-place of worship during the late Byzantine era (8th-9th century). It was extended during the 13th century and kept functioning till the second half of the 17th century. After 325 years of invisibility, and the focus of many assumptions and reports, this church emerges as a unique and historic site linked to Christianity in Malta and the origins of the Marian cult in the ancient maritime town of Bormla.peer-reviewe

Fluctuation Spectra and Force Generation in Non-equilibrium Systems

Many biological systems are appropriately viewed as passive inclusions immersed in an active bath: from proteins on active membranes to microscopic swimmers confined by boundaries. The non-equilibrium forces exerted by the active bath on the inclusions or boundaries often regulate function, and such forces may also be exploited in artificial active materials. Nonetheless, the general phenomenology of these active forces remains elusive. We show that the fluctuation spectrum of the active medium, the partitioning of energy as a function of wavenumber, controls the phenomenology of force generation. We find that for a narrow, unimodal spectrum, the force exerted by a non-equilibrium system on two embedded walls depends on the width and the position of the peak in the fluctuation spectrum, and oscillates between repulsion and attraction as a function of wall separation. We examine two apparently disparate examples: the Maritime Casimir effect and recent simulations of active Brownian particles. A key implication of our work is that important non-equilibrium interactions are encoded within the fluctuation spectrum. In this sense the noise becomes the signal

Determination of acetylator phenotype with respect to isoniazid in Malta

The studies carried out involved isoniazid, an important chemotherapeutic agent in anti-tuberculous treatment. Two main aims were identified, and both were concerned with the existence of fast and slow acetylators (inactivators) of isoniazid. The first aim was the determination of the distribution ratio of fast and slow metabolisers in a sample of Maltese volunteers, this quite possibly being the first time any such attempt was made locally. A secondary design of the first aim was the possible correlation of factors, other than genetic ones, with the acetylator phenotype. The second aim was an attempt at reasserting certain genetic principles with regards to the isoniazid acetylator phenotype, in a Maltese context. These principles were established in 1960 by Evans et al and stated that the isoniazid acetylator phenotype is determined by a single pair of genes located on an autosomal chromosome, with the gene for slow acetylation recessive to that for fast acetylation.peer-reviewe

Malignant disease in childhood : the price of cure : late physical and socioeconomic effects of treatment

The aim of cancer therapy in childhood is to achieve a lasting cure without physical and psychosocial harm and, preferably, at a low financial cost. Although cure is possible in many types of childhood cancer, this is often accompanied by complications as a consequence of intensive therapy. These late effects primarily affect fertility, the cardio-respiratory and endocrinological systems. Psychosocial adverse effects may have serious implications on the marriage and employment prospects of those patients surviving into adulthood. Furthermore, the risk of treatment-induced, secondary malignancies may increase as survival improves. With current intensive chemotherapy and radiotherapy, the attainment of cure rates in (EXC)ess of 60-70% is, inevitably, associated with significant morbidity. Indeed, recent developments in cancer therapy have focused on ways of reducing this morbidity, whilst still maintaining the overall improvement in survival.peer-reviewe

The relationship between infecting organisms and underlying structural anomalies in children with urinary tract infections

Introduction: Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are a common cause of morbidity in childhood with potential for renal scarring and reflux nephropathy which can lead to hypertension and end-stage renal failure. Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the infecting organism and any underlying anomalies of the urinary tract which may predispose to the development of infections and which may alter the management of children with UTIs. Methods and results: A total of 72 cases of UTI were recorded retrospectively (in- and outpatients), with ages ranging from 3 days to 48 months (mean 9.5, median 5 months). Fifty seven (79%) of patients had their first reported urinary tract infection under the age of 1 year.. Fifty eight (80.6%) were E. coli infections. These presented at an older age than non-E. coli infections. Investigations were abnormal in 31 (43%) cases. The mean age for first infection in patients with abnormal investigations was 7.7 months (median 2 months), younger than those with no renal tract abnormalities. Organisms other than E. coli were rarely found when no significant abnormalities were detected with investigation by US and MCUG and this was a statistically significant difference (p<0.001). Renal scarring was identified in 10 (13.9%) patients. Discussion: This study confirms that non-E. coli UTI is associated with underlying renal pathology and that early infections with any organism are more likely to be associated with underlying abnormalities. We also outline an algorithm based on the recent NICE 2007 guidelines which will be adopted by the Paediatric Department, Mater Dei Hospital for the investigation of UTI.peer-reviewe

Generic medicine prices and their distribution in Malta

Objectives: To analyse the composition of the private pharmaceutical retail market in Malta on the basis of the originator or generic status of available medicines and to observe the change in prices of generics and originators over time. Method: The prices of a sample (n=435) of medicines in Malta were analysed for an eight year period (2002 to 2009). The variation in price in the generic and originator segments was calculated. Thirty-one active ingredients with generics available were identified and the Average Retail Price Per Unit (ARPPU) and the Lowest Retail Price Per Unit (LRPPU) were calculated. The average discount from the originator price was calculated, per compound and also by drug class. Key Findings: The sample population contained 17.2% generic products. The mean drop in the ARPPU was of 10.87% and for the LRPPU of 21.42% for the LRPU. The average discount was 14.59% in 2002 and 37.19% in 2009. Conclusion: The number of generic medicines in Malta has increased in the last eight years, with a consequent decrease in the lowest prices available for the set of medicinal compounds.peer-reviewe