Technological requirements for solutions in the conservation and protection of historic monuments and archaeological remains

Executive summary: This Study has discovered many achievements associated with European support for scientific and technological research for the protection and conservation of cultural heritage. The achievements to date are: 1. Creation of an active research community 2. A body of research of unparalleled and enviable international quality and character 3. Ongoing effectiveness of research beyond initial funding 4. Substantial rate of publication 5. Imaginative tools of dissemination and publication 6. Clear spin-offs and contribution to European competitiveness often going outside the European cultural heritage area 7. Contribution to emerging European legislation, for example, air quality management. The Study has also uncovered important research gaps associated with this field that have yet to begin to be investigated. It has also discovered the need for continuing fine scale advancement in areas where researchers have been active for a number of years. The overall picture is that European research in the field of cultural heritage protection must be put on a secure footing if it is to maintain its commanding lead over other regions of the world. This Study concludes that: 1. It would be invidious to attempt to separate basic and applied research in this area of research. Like any other scientific endeavour, this field needs to integrate basic and applied research if it is to continue to thrive. 2. Small, flexible, focused interdisciplinary teams responsive to European needs, must be sustained, promoted and celebrated as models of sustainability and that what is proposed under the European Research Area (ERA) for large and complex research projects, could inflict serious damage on this area of research. 3. Resources cannot be delegated to Member States because of the interdisciplinary nature of cultural heritage and the need for a co-ordinated pan-European perspective across this research that helps to define the essential character of European cultural heritage. National programmes only serve local needs, leading to loss of strategic output, lessening of competitiveness and risk of duplication. 4. A mechanism needs to be created to help researchers working in this field to communicate and exchange information with related sectors such as construction, urban regeneration, land reclamation and agriculture. 5. There is overwhelming agreement over the need for sustainable research funding for cultural heritage and for an iterative process of exchange among researchers, decision-makers and end-users in order to maximize benefits from project inception through to dissemination, audit and review. For all the reasons mentioned above, the most significant recommendation in this Report is the identification of the need for a European Panel on the Application of Science for Cultural Heritage (EPASCH)

Understanding the economic contribution of tourism in Malta : a literature review

The paper presents a critical assessment of the key studies which present empirical estimates for the contribution of the tourism sector to the Maltese economy. The observed discrepancies in the estimates derived from these studies has in part led to a situation in which there is an effective widespread divergence relating to the specific economic contribution of tourism in Malta. The paper evaluates the estimates derived by these key studies in the context of both the strengths and weaknesses of their respective modelling frameworks, which range from the construction of tourism satellite accounts, to input-output models and computable general equilibrium modelling, as well as an evaluation of the overall quality of the data utilized. The paper therefore attempts to identify and clarify the main causes behind the observed variations in the resulting estimates and through a systematic comparative assessment also aid in the providing a further understanding of the potential economic contribution of tourism to the Maltese economy. On the basis of this assessment it is suggested that the contribution of tourism to the Maltese economy should account for approximately 5.7% of total gross value added when taking account solely direct effects, 12% once indirect effects are included and roughly 17% accounting also for the induced effects. Furthermore, on the basis of this assessment the paper highlights the need for further research in this area given the significance of the tourism sector to the small island economy of Malta.peer-reviewe

Behavioural aspects of smoking (both passive and active) and alcohol consumption on the risk of myocardial infarction

Objectives: To investigate the effect of alcohol consumption and of passive and active smoking on the risk of myocardial infarction (MI). Methods: Data on 429 cases with MI and 434 controls was obtained through an interviewer-led questionnaire as part of the Maltese Acute Myocardial Infarction (MAMI) Study. Regular alcohol drinkers were defined as subjects having at least one drink per week for one year and binge drinkers as having six or more drinks on one occasion this last year. Current smokers were excluded from the analysis of passive smoking. Odds ratios (AdjOR) were adjusted for age, gender, smoking/drinking alcohol, hypertension, diabetes, hypercholesterolaemia and BMI. Results: Regular alcohol drinkers were protected against MI [AdjOR 0.6 (95%CI 0.4-0.8)]. The risk of MI associated with binge drinking varies with the frequency, reaching an AdjOR of 5.8 (95%CI 1.2-27.1) in daily binge drinkers. The AdjOR for current smokers was 3.1 (95%CI 2.0-4.9) and for ex-smokers 1.6 (95%CI 1.1-2.4). Passive smoking also increased the risk of MI [AdjOR 3.0 (95%CI 1.7-5.4)]. Passive smoke exposure in a home setting had a greater deleterious effect [AdjOR 2.8 (95%CI 1.6-4.7)] than exposure in a public setting [AdjOR 1.4 (95%CI 0.9-2.2)]. While periods of 1 hour or longer of passive smoke exposure were found to be deleterious in both the investigated settings, exposure for less than 1 hour was only a risk factor in a home setting. Conclusion: The effect of alcohol consumption on the risk for MI varies from protective to extremely deleterious depending on the frequency of drinking. Daily binge drinking is associated with a high risk of MI. Smoking, even passive smoking, is a risk factor of MI. The effect of passive smoking on the risk of MI is greater in a home than in a public setting

A medical service for slaves in Malta during the rule of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem.

It is not generally known that, apart from the Holy Infirmary and other medical institutions for civilian sick and the aged, the Order of St. John of Jerusalem also made special arrangements of a medical kind for its Moslem slaves during its domination over the Maltese Islands from 1530 to 1798. The subject has not received adequate treatment from historians possibly for two reasons: (a) the Holy Infirmary occupied such a pre-eminent place in the Order's organization that it has overshadowed the importance of other medical establishments; and (b) the fact that references to the medical condition of slaves are scarce and scattered in various volumes of the Order's archives has also contributed to obscure this subject of the Order's activities. The purpose of this paper is to trace and study as many sources of information as possible and to view the subject against the background of the customs and usages of the past and of the Order's economic structure and humanitarian ideals.peer-reviewe