Cigarette smoking across three Maltese generations

Cigarette smoking, currently the single most preventable cause of disease and death, is very common in the Maltese Islands. Various aspects of smoking among three different Maltese generations were investigated using a standardized questionnaire among 200 randomly chosen subjects from each of three age groups (16-21yrs, 40-45 yrs and 60-65 yrs). They were asked to answer questions regarding duration, amount, mode and effects of smoking and their attempts at quitting. They were also asked to undergo spirometry and expired CO measurement. 66.1% of 16-21 yr olds, 59% of 40-45 yr olds and 75% of 60-65 yr olds chosen participated in the study. 27.7% of the participants were smokers - this comprised 31.1% of the 16-21 yr olds, 34.8% in the 40-45 yr olds and 19.2% in the 60-65 yr older age subset. (p = 0.0105). As a total study population 35 % of the males and 21% of the females (p = 0.0013) were regular smokers. In the 16 ­21 year olds 43.6% of the males smoked vs 20% of the females, while the gender differences for the other two groups were 32.7% males vs 36.5% females in the 40-45 year olds and 28.1% males vs 6.5% females in the oldest age group. The mean cigarette consumption in the 16-21 yr olds was significantly less than the other two age groups studied (p=0.0076). Females were more likely to be heavier smokers in the 40-45 yr olds. There was no significant geographical distribution in smoking and the less skilled workers and unemployed were more likely to be smokers (p=0.0001). 43.9% of the 16-21 year olds tried to stop smoking while 73.2% and 82.8% of the two older age groups tried even harder (p=0.0013). Only 5.3 % of smokers sought medical help to try and stop smoking. Smokers had more chest symptomatology (p<0.0001) but only the oldest age-group of smokers had decreased PEFR 19% of smokers suffered from asthma, 29% from ischaemic heart disease and 16% were diabetics. The Maltese are quite heavy smokers across all ages and gender and most are not seeking medical help to try and stop the habit.peer-reviewe

Catching them young : teaching "history" to the 4-7 age group

If we accept that all normal children, irrespective of their age, are possessed with the desire to find out about the world around them; if it is true that gaining knowledge is a powerful human desire, as basic to life as the need for love, physical safety, trust and security, then it must be the teacher's concern to give a modicum of Social Studies education to children as early in life as one can. Social Studies education teaches children about the nature of people, about the world, and about human relationships and all these are not alien even to young children of the kindergarten and infant classes. How can teachers impart this kind of education? Certainly not by stuffing children with indigestible facts but by accepting the primacy of concepts. Facts, as every educationalist will tell you, are too numerous to learn, date very quickly, and, because they are unrelated to children's experiences, are quickly forgotten. Concepts, on the other hand, while not rejecting the use of facts, always have to do with meaning.peer-reviewe

A first checklist of the lichen-forming fungi of the Venezuelan Andes

Basing on an evaluation of the literature and some unpublished collections, 745 taxa of lichen forming-fungi are reported from the Venezuelan Andes, including 10 infraspecific taxa. Of these taxa 37 are new records for Venezuela: Actinoplaca vulgaris (Müll. Arg.) Vezda & Poelt, Asterothyrium decipiens (Rehm) R. Sant., Calopadia foliicola (Fée) Vezda, C. fusca (Müll. Arg.) Vezda, C. phyllogena (Müll. Arg.) Vezda, Chrysothrix chlorina (Ach.) J. R. Laundon, Cystocoleus ebeneus (Dillwyn) Thwaites, Diploschistes scruposus (Schreb.) Norm., Echinoplacaleucotrichoides (Vain.) R. Sant., Fellhanerabouteillei (Desm.) Vezda, F.dominicana (Vain.) Vezda, F. fuscatula (Müll. Arg.) Vezda, F. sublecanorina (Nyl.) Vezda, Gyalectidium filicinum Müll. Arg., Lecidea limosa Ach., Lepraria neglecta Auct., Ochrolechia africana Vain., Peltigera vainioi Gyelnik, Phyllobathelium nigrum R. Sant. & Tibell, Phyllophialealba R. Sant., Polymeridiumalbidum (Müll. Arg.) R. C. Harris, Porina epiphylla (Fée) Fée, Racodium rupestre Pers., Ramalina asahinae W. Culb. & C. Culb., R. calcarata Krog & Swinsc., R. puiggarii Müll Arg., R. rectangularis Nyl., Rhizoplaca melanophthalma (DC.) Leuckert & Poelt, Strigula antillarum (Fée) Müll. Arg., S. platypoda (Müll. Arg.) R. C. Harris, Tapellaria epiphylla (Müll. Arg.) R. Sant., T.nana (Fée) R. Sant., Tephromela aglaea (Sommerf.) Hertel & Rambold, Tricharia vainioi R. Sant., Trichothelium epiphyllum Müll. Arg., T. bipindense F. Schill. and Vezdaea foliicola Sérusiaux. Another 4 species are new records only for the Venezuelan Andes: Dimerellaepiphylla (Müll. Arg.) Malme, Porinaatrocoerulea Müll. Arg., Ramalina peruviana Ach. and Woessia apiahica (Müll. Arg.) Sérus. A list of synonyms used in the consulted literature is added. Four new combinations are proposed: Dictyonema zahlbruckneri (Schiffn.) V. Marcano, Heterodermia tropica (Kurok.) Sipman, Parmelinopsis cleefii (Sipman) V. Marcano & Sipman and Phyllobaeislinearis (De Vries) V. Marcano & Sipman

Mutations in the EXT1 and EXT2 genes in Spanish patients with multiple osteochondromas

Multiple osteochondromas is an autosomal dominant skeletal disorder characterized by the formation of multiple cartilage-capped tumours. Two causal genes have been identified, EXT1 and EXT2, which account for 65% and 30% of cases, respectively. We have undertaken a mutation analysis of the EXT1 and EXT2 genes in 39 unrelated Spanish patients, most of them with moderate phenotype, and looked for genotype-phenotype correlations. We found the mutant allele in 37 patients, 29 in EXT1 and 8 in EXT2. Five of the EXT1 mutations were deletions identified by MLPA. Two cases of mosaicism were documented. We detected a lower number of exostoses in patients with missense mutation versus other kinds of mutations. In conclusion, we found a mutation in EXT1 or in EXT2 in 95% of the Spanish patients. Eighteen of the mutations were novel.Fil: Sarrión, P.. Universidad de Barcelona; EspañaFil: Sangorrin, A.. Hospital Sant Joan de Déu; EspañaFil: Urreizti, R.. Universidad de Barcelona; EspañaFil: Delgado, María Andrea. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba; ArgentinaFil: Artuch, R.. Hospital Sant Joan de Déu; EspañaFil: Martorell, L.. Hospital Sant Joan de Déu; EspañaFil: Armstrong, J.. Hospital Sant Joan de Déu; EspañaFil: Anton, J.. Hospital Sant Joan de Déu; EspañaFil: Torner, F.. Hospital Sant Joan de Déu; EspañaFil: Vilaseca, M. A.. Hospital Sant Joan de Déu; EspañaFil: Nevado, J.. Hospital Universitario La Paz; EspañaFil: Lapunzina, P.. Hospital Universitario La Paz; EspañaFil: Asteggiano, Carla Gabriela. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba; Argentina. Universidad Católica de Córdoba; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Balcells, S.. Universidad de Barcelona; EspañaFil: Grinberg, D.. Universidad de Barcelona; Españ

Pharmacy and the EU : the impact of European Union membership on the pharmacy profession in Malta

The Malta Chamber of Pharmacists, as the National Pharmaceutical Association, monitors the developments in local, European and international pharmacy. With the current national developments, the Chamber’s primary focus is the impact of EU membership on pharmacists, pharmacy and medicines. The Chamber has in fact been studying the impact of European Union (EU) membership intensively since 1990, at the time when the then Administration had first formally applied for full membership in the EU.peer-reviewe

The Solent Capital Compass Model of Employability

This four page presentation holds the current Solent Capital Compass Model used for embedding employability in our curriculum, along with simple definitions aimed at students. It also holds version four of the Solent Student Employability Journey, reflecting the Solent Capital Compass model. A bibliography page is also available. The model is up to date as at May 201

Reverse engineering applied to a lumbar vertebra

Bone studies can be made in vivo or in vitro. However, disadvantages of both traditional techniques call for a compromise between the two. Reverse engineering allows in vitro bone samples to be simulated and analysed in a virtual in vivo environment thus offering a middle ground solution and a sound foundation on which biomechanical studies of bone could develop.peer-reviewe

The pharmacist’s response to the needs of patients undergoing treatment with psychotropic medication

The usage of psychotropic (Table 1) medication is considerable world wide. In Malta, this can be attested to by the numerous studies that have been conducted by the University of Malta Department of Pharmacy (in conjuction with other institutions and individuals).peer-reviewe

Aphasia and psychiatric disturbances in cerebrovascular accident patients

Aphasia is a condition in which there is a defect or loss of the power of expression by speech, writing, or signs, or a defect of loss of the power of comprehension of spoken or written language. 21-24% of patients admitted to hospital with acute stroke are aphasic shortly after their stroke and in the long-term it is likely that 10-18% of survivors are left with significant aphasia. Among these patients, a variety of neuropsychiatric symptoms arise as a complication of stroke but their diagnosis is often delayed by the presence of speech and language problems.peer-reviewe

Espècie nova del gènere Moitessieria (Gastropoda: Moitessieriidae) per a Catalunya, Espanya

A new species of the genus Moitessieria Bourguignat, 1863 from Catalonia (Spain) is described, found in sediments from a spring in Sant Joan les Fonts (Girona). The new species is compared with other congeneric species from which it conchologically differs.Es descriu una espècie nova del gènere Moitessieria Bourguignat, 1863 per a Catalunya (Espanya), trobada en sediments procedents d’una font a Sant Joan les Fonts (Girona). L’espècie nova es diferencia de les altres espècies conegudes del gènere per diferents caràcters conquiliològics