Ebola : too far or so close?

The year 2014 has witnessed the escalation of the largest ever Ebola outbreak which started in Guinea, and later spread to other countries in West Africa. The associated disease burden has already exceeded the total number of cases in all the sporadic outbreaks that occurred since the first description of Ebola in 1976. The threat of further spread across Africa, and possibly beyond through international travel, is of concern and has led several countries around the world to implement preparedness measures against Ebola. In an attempt to contain the spread of Ebola, WHO and other non- governmental humanitarian organisations have pooled their resources to fuel efforts at improving patient care, isolation facilities, healthcare worker training, and availability of personal protective equipment in the affected countries. The outbreak has brought to light the lack of past investment in research into treatment or potential vaccine development against the Ebola virus, with the only hope of expediting a cure that can be used in the current outbreak being through the launch of clinical trials investigating experimental drugs in the affected countries.peer-reviewe

Pseudoainhum : a dermatological oddity

An eight week old baby presented with a deep constriction round the base of the third right toe, of one day’s duration. A strand of filamentous material was found and uncoiled from the depths of the cleft which subsequently healed within a week. Recurrence in the same digit four weeks later raised the question of factitious disease. Pseudoainhum refers to a constricting band around a digit or limb, congenital or acquired. It must be distinguished from true ainhum, where a painful, idiopathic constriction of the fifth toe in dark-skinned adults results in spontaneous amputation of the digit.peer-reviewe

The genomics of type 2 diabetes : the Maltese contribution

The genomic revolution has transformed the type 2 diabetes genetic landscape, with many loci reported to have association with disease risk. Such loci exert a weak to modest efect size and are as yet of limited use in risk prediction studies. They also fail to account for robust genotype-phenotype associations. This study aims to address these issues by looking at the quantitative summation of risk alleles and the use of special populations to better define risk and phenotypic associationspeer-reviewe

Adult education in small states : the case of Malta

A small state faces several challenges with regard to adult continuing education and training. The paper discusses some of these challenges with specific reference to the Mediterranean small island state of Malta. It starts with a general discussion of some of the issues affecting adult education in a small state such as Malta that paves the way for the more focused analyses in the second and third sections. These sections focus on a selection of just two topics from among the many that affect adult education in Malta, namely those of adult education and work and adult education for sustainable development. These analyses are tackled from the perspective of the small state condition.peer-reviewe

L-arka ta’ Noe u l-ħmira : ir-rilevanza tal-Vanġelu għall-ġejjieni

Nistqarr magħkom li meta qrajt l-istedina ta' Dr Sant, li qalli li għandi nitkellem fuq kif nara l-futur fl-oqsma li jikkonċernawni, ma tantx kelli ċar quddiem għajnejja x'inhu l-qasam tiegħi. Wara ftit taż-żmien intella' u nniżżel, qtajt li nitkellem xi ftit magħkom fuq kif jien nara l-futur tar-relazzjoni bejn il-Knisja u s-soċjeta'. Spiċċa ż-żmien meta noqogħdu nitkellmu biss fuq il-Knisja u l-Istat, bħallikieku dan kien l-uniku aspett interessanti. Mill-Konċilju Vatikan lI, u bis-saħħa ta' l-esperjenza li kellha l-Knisja matul dawn l-aħħar għoxrin jew tletin sena, rajna li r-relazzjoni bejn il-Knisja u l-Istat hija parti waħda, għalkemm importanti ħafna, mir-relazzjoni ħafna aktar wiesgħa u bażika bejn il-Knisja u s-soċjeta'.peer-reviewe

Gastrointestinal bacteria in obesity and type 2 diabetes : a review of current knowledge

The gastrointestinal tract is home to over 10 bacteria that collectively form the intestinal microbiome, and their joint genetic repertoire is larger than the human genome.These symbiotic bacteria establish and maintain the gut immune system, and contribute to the breakdown of complex nondigestible plant-derived polysaccharides. The relatively recent technological advances in genomics have revolutionized the study of the intestinal microbiome. It is now possible to sequence mixed microbial genetic material directly extracted from environmental samples without prior laboratory culture of individual species. This emerging field, known as metagenomics, enables a survey of the different microorganisms present in a specific environment. Several large-scale projects such as the Human Microbiome Initiative have characterized microbial genomes from hundreds of isolated human symbionts and have shed light on the complex interplay between the human host and its microbial populace, and how this changes in health and disease. This article aims to discuss the emerging body of knowledge that links the gut microbiome to the development of obesity and metabolic disease. The growing prevalence of overweight and obesity are easily linked to the sedentary lifestyles and caloriedense diets typical of ‘Westernized’ countries.peer-reviewe

Is there a role for genetic risk prediction studies in type 2 diabetes?

Type 2 diabetes develops from the interaction between non-genetic (environmental/lifestyle) and genetic factors. One of the challenges of personalized genomics is the prediction of disease risk. This review examines the challenges of risk prediction studies and the barriers to their implementation in the clinicpeer-reviewe

Integrating knowledge, feelings and action : using vee heuristics and concept mapping in education for sustainable development

Although children are regularly showered with environmental knowledge, this is rarely transformed into concerned action, probably because it is not meaningful for the learner and/or is highlighted at the expense of a personalized process of learning. Research in Education for Sustainable Development shows that besides knowledge acquisition feelings, psychological factors and active participation while learning are important determinants of commitment. Fostering an attitude of responsible environmental action is not dependent on what knowledge is delivered, but on how it is delivered and experienced. This paper describes the use of Vee Heuristics and Concept Mapping as pedagogical tools within the context of primary school learnersí different learning patterns. It provides illustrations of Concept Maps constructed before and after the learning programme and discusses some implications of the findings. This paper suggests that the use of Vee Heuristics and Concept Mapping along with an awareness of how the child prefers to learn may be steps towards tapping-in the childís internal talking so that educators can understand how each learner responds to incoming information. Learning about environmental issues becomes relevant, meaningful and, in the long run, conducive to improved environmental responsible behaviour.peer-reviewe

The impact of site-visits on the development of biological cognitive knowledge

Classroom-based science teaching tends to be dominated by teaching that stifles the students’ natural curiosity and eagerness to discover their surroundings. Knowledge makes sense to students particularly when it is learned within the context of an authentic experience. Thus classroom-based science needs to be complimented by out-of-classroom activities which offer direct and relevant information that influences students’ learning. Students build new knowledge on already existing schema, thus it is important for both teacher and students to question and evaluate their knowledge to be able to build on solid grounds. This paper illustrates examples of meta-cognitive tools (i.e. Vee diagrams and concept maps) used before and after site-visits to explore the contribution of out-of-classroom activities to the students’ biological cognitive development. This research shows that site-visits are a necessary part of science learning because they help students develop observational and reasoning skills, link biology to personal life experiences and contextualise inert classroom knowledge, making it more meaningful and easier to remember.peer-reviewe