Report on the radiometric analysis of the Ghar Dalam fossil specimens prepared for the Ghar Dalam Museum

Uranium is a radioactive element emitting mainly alpha rays, but its daughter elements Th and Ra are gamma ray emitters. A high resolution gamma ray spectrometry system can be used to determine gamma-emitting radionuclides with energies ranging from 1 keV to 10 MeV depending on the type of detector in a large variety of sample matrices. The simultaneous detection of several gamma radionuclide emitters in the sample material was carried out with a coaxial germanium detector of high resolution connected to a multichannel analyser. Automatic processing of the collected spectral data was controlled by a computer system with selected software. Sources of error in the technique may be caused by improper spectral identities, changes in background, errors in calibration and/or geometry, and lack of homogeneity in samples. Since the samples tested were not in a standardised geometry, some variation in the readings could be expected due to the difference in sample homogeneity. The results obtained for the various samples were standardised as a ratio of 40K, on the assumption that the high solubility of potassium salts would result in a steady equilibrium in all samples. Several fossil specimens kept in the Ghar Dalam Museum were borrowed by courtesy of Dr. G. Zammit Maempel. The specimens had unfortunately no information as to the level they were excavated from, and their providence could not be reliably confirmed.peer-reviewe

A contribution to the knowledge of the phylum Sipuncula in the Maltese Islands (Central Mediterranean)

Specimens of the phylum Sipuncula collected through a span of eleven years from around the Maltese Islands have revealed the existence of fifteen species and subspecies. The majority of these animals are new records for the Maltese Islands.peer-reviewe

Baseline ecological data collection from the marine area around Filfla (Malta, Central Mediterranean Sea)

Acoustic and limited video sampling were carried out in a 1.1 nautical mile-radius area around Filfla, an islet 4.4 to the south-west of Malta, to characterize the benthos and the habitat type distribution. In addition, identified priority areas were sampled during SCUBA diving surveys. A total of 173 species were recorded during the current survey. Rhodophytes were the most represented (29 species), followed by molluscs (25 species). The biotic assemblages recorded from the marine area around Filfla are generally representative of those found in Maltese inshore waters.peer-reviewe

Remotely acting SMCHD1 gene regulatory elements: in silico prediction and identification of potential regulatory variants in patients with FSHD

Background: Facioscapulohumeral dystrophy (FSHD) is commonly associated with contraction of the D4Z4 macro-satellite repeat on chromosome 4q35 (FSHD1) or mutations in the SMCHD1 gene (FSHD2). Recent studies have shown that the clinical manifestation of FSHD1 can be modified by mutations in the SMCHD1 gene within a given family. The absence of either D4Z4 contraction or SMCHD1 mutations in a small cohort of patients suggests that the disease could also be due to disruption of gene regulation. In this study, we postulated that mutations responsible for exerting a modifier effect on FSHD might reside within remotely acting regulatory elements that have the potential to interact at a distance with their cognate gene promoter via chromatin looping. To explore this postulate, genome-wide Hi-C data were used to identify genomic fragments displaying the strongest interaction with the SMCHD1 gene. These fragments were then narrowed down to shorter regions using ENCODE and FANTOM data on transcription factor binding sites and epigenetic marks characteristic of promoters, enhancers and silencers

Payment for Targeted Grazing: Integrating Local Shepherds into Wildfire Prevention

Wildfires are one of the most prominent risks for Mediterranean forests, reducing the flow of ecosystem services and representing a hazard for infrastructure and human lives. Several wildfire prevention programs in southern Europe are currently incorporating extensive livestock grazers in fire prevention activities to reduce the high costs of mechanical clearance. Among these the Andalusian network of grazed fuel breaks, the so-called RAPCA program, stands out for its dimension and stability over time. RAPCA currently works with 220 local shepherds who, with their guided flocks maintain low biomass levels in almost 6000 ha of fuel breaks in public forests to meet fire prevention standards. This work analyses the institutional design and performance of the RAPCA payment scheme under a payment for environmental services (PES) framework. Results show effectiveness of the payment scheme while efficiency is achieved through savings relative to the mainstream mechanized biomass removal, as well as through reduced information asymmetry. High-level and stable political commitment has been crucial for the emergence and consolidation of RAPCA. Moreover, key intermediaries and sound monitoring practices increased levels of trust amongst involved actors. Beneficial side-effects include social recognition of shepherds’ activities and reduction of their friction with forest managers.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Potentially preventable infant and child deaths identified at autopsy; findings and implications

Purpose The purpose of the study was to determine the proportion of pediatric deaths investigated by HM Coronial autopsy which were potentially preventable deaths due to treatable natural disease, and what implications such findings may have for health policies to reduce their occurrence. Methods A retrospective study of 1779 autopsies of individuals between 7 days and 14 years of age requested by HM Coroner, taking place in one specialist pediatric autopsy center, was undertaken. Cases were included if they involved a definite natural disease process in which appropriate recognition and treatment was likely to have affected their outcome. Strict criteria were used and cases were excluded where the individual had any longstanding condition which might have predisposed them to, or altered the recognition of, acute illness, or its response to therapy. Results Almost 8 % (134/1779) of the study group were potentially preventable deaths as a result of natural disease, the majority occurring in children younger than 2 years of age. Most individuals reported between 1 and 7 days of symptoms before their death, and the majority had sought medical advice during this period, including from general practitioners within working hours, and hospital emergency departments. Of those who had sought medical attention, around one-third had done so more than once (28 %, 15/53). Sepsis and pneumonia accounted for the majority of deaths (46 and 34 % respectively), with all infections (sepsis, pneumonia and meningitis) accounting for 110/134 (82 %). Conclusion Around 10 % of pediatric deaths referred to HM Coroner are potentially preventable, being the result of treatable natural acute illnesses. In many cases medical advice had been sought during the final illness. The results highlight how a review of autopsy data can identify significant findings with the potential to reduce mortality, and the importance of centralized investigation and reporting of pediatric deaths