English for all : repositioning English across the curriculum

The curricular reform underway is ostensibly aimed at providing an equitable education for all which acknowledges the different pathways learners may take and their different rates of development. Additional contenders for the reasons behind the reform lie in the acknowledgement that schools could be delivering more to improve results on international examinations and to increase the numbers of qualified school leavers as well as the numbers of those continuing into post-secondary and tertiary education. To achieve this, the discourse of teaching and learning is being reframed as one of outcomes of learning. While there are potential benefits in competency-based models of education, it is here argued that a part- solution to the problems that prompted the reform might lie in improving students’ academic literacy skills. In an educational context where several school subjects are mediated through English, where classes are increasingly multilingual, where post-secondary and tertiary education is mediated through English, where mobility is a growing trend, focussing on academic literacy skills is a worthwhile goal.peer-reviewe

Laurant Ropa and Paul Achard : second thoughts on colonial encroachments

Laurent Ropa’s The Song of the Noria (1932) and Paul Achard’s Man from the Sea (1931) are twin novels which deal with the Maltese community that settled in Algeria under French rule. Today, in hindsight, the reader realizes that the Arabs and Berbers, who in colonial literature are treated with paternalism, were later on in 1962 to ‘turn the tables on’ the European community. In this paper, I intend to dwell on a double insularity, that is, on islanders who in the long run turn out to belong to a besieged community.peer-reviewe

Kawasaki disease

Case regarding a two-year-old boy who presented to A&E with a 7 day history of fever up to 101.8 ºF associated with symptoms of an upper respiratory tract infection with cough, vomiting and diarrhoea and bilateral non-purulent conjunctivitis and fissuring of the lips. Based on clinical findings the patient was diagnosed with Kawasaki Disease and was treated accordingly.peer-reviewe

Doping

Since centuries ago, man has always tried to find ways to improve human performance whilst suffering less in doing so. People who were thought to be the best were preferentially fed better diets and given treatments that were considered to be beneficial to their performance.peer-reviewe

Castellu di la Chitati

One of the least understood of all the works of fortification to have stood watch over the Maltese islands in antiquity is the castellu di la chitati - the medieval castle of the old town of Mdina. The arcanum that surrounds this ancient stronghold stems primarily from the fact that it was dismantled way back in the 15th century and what little had remained of the building thereafter, eventually disappeared altogether in the metamorphosis that accompanied the Hospitaller refortification of the medieval town into a gunpowder fortress throughout the course of the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries. This, coupled with the limited nature of contemporary documentary information has ensured that the true form and features of the medieval stronghold have been lost to the point that now only archaeology can hope to really figure out. Whilst acknowledging the severe limitations imposed by any approach that falls short of a full archaeological investigation, this paper seeks to re-examine the existing documentary, cartographic and physical evidence unearthed to-date in order to suggest a rudimentary model of Mdina's medieval stronghold. Undoubtedly, the greatest contribution to-date to the study of Mdina and its medieval fortifications has been the masterly work of Prof. Stanley Fiorini and Dr. Mario Buhagiar. This paper only undertakes to re-evaluate the evidence and some of the conclusions presented so far in the light of my own research into medieval military architecture and castle typologies.peer-reviewe

Growth factors in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: relative roles

Treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis patients has evolved very slowly; the fundamental approach of corticosteroids alone or in combination with other immunosuppressive agents has had little impact on long-term survival. The continued use of corticosteroids is justified because of the lack of a more effective alternative. Current research indicates that the mechanisms driving idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis reflect abnormal, dysregulated wound healing within the lung, involving increased activity and possibly exaggerated responses by a spectrum of profibrogenic growth factors. An understanding of the roles of these growth factors, and the way in which they modulate events at cellular level, could lead to more targeted therapeutic strategies, improving patients' quality of life and survival

Biomolecular and isotopic characterisation of lipid residues absorbed in Impressed Wares from the Early Neolithic village of Skorba, Malta

Organic residue analysis (ORA) was used to characterise the lipid content of Impressed Ware vessels recovered from the Early Neolithic village of Skorba, Malta. ORA utilises both chromatographic and isotopic analytical techniques, and provides direct evidence for the function of ceramic vessels analysed. Lipid residues were interpreted against authentic reference fats of Mediterranean origin, and in light of the archaeological data available. The results showed that lipid yields were generally low, however direct evidence for the processing of an admixture comprising ruminant fat and marine oil was obtained in a vessel dated to the Early Neolithic period. This investigation also tests the feasibility of carrying out ORA on ceramic vessels recovered from Maltese archaeological contexts.peer-reviewe

A newly discovered late Punic-Roman rock-cut tomb at Limestone Heritage, Siggiewi (Malta)

At Siggiewi, in the area known as Ta' Zagi, situated at a short distance from and overlooking Wied Xkora is a recently discovered rock-cut tomb which was at some point in its history refashioned into a water cistern (GR 49738/67965) (Fig. 1). The tomb is located within the grounds of the Limestone Heritage park, and was recently integrated in the cultural itinerary of its visitors. A request for the study of the tomb was made by Mr Emanuel Baldacchino, the Managing Director of Limestone Heritage, to one of us (NCV). A survey of the tomb was carried out and a set of drawings were produced by the other one of us (MS) (Fig. 2). The aim of this short contribution is to present the results of the survey.peer-reviewe

Education for sustainable development and meat consumption among inhabitants of two Maltese districts - a qualitative study

Malta and Gozo, two small islands forming part of the Maltese archipelago, are so near yet so distinct. As the two islands possess differing geographical features, two districts were selected – the predominantly urban Northern Harbour District (NHD) in Malta and the fertile rural district of Gozo – the main aim being to determine whether there is a relation between the inhabitants’ geographical location, the extent of meat consumption and the possible links of education for sustainable development to a sustainable diet. In fact, global patterns of meat consumption differ between and within countries. In view of this, the role played by the geographical location together with other motivating factors affecting meat consumption were explored, as also the level of awareness related to the environmental impact of meat production. Awareness on how our dietary choices impact our health and the environment is vital and the key vehicle required for citizens to be informed is Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). The qualitative data was collected through four focus groups – two for each district – with the data collected being mainly analysed through thematic analysis. Based on the results emerging from the transcribed focus group texts, this study reveals that the absolute majority of participants in both districts are meat eaters although their meat consumption patterns differ. Gozitans are still more inclined to adhere to the traditional way of life, conforming to religious practices by including a variety of non-meat local produce in their menus. While taste and health are the two most determining factors for consuming meat, chicken is the preferred meat of both districts. The absolute majority are unaware of the negative environmental impact of meat production and consumption, although Gozitans are more knowledgeable about current farming systems. This study therefore reveals that geographical location does have an influential role in the dietary patterns of its inhabitants and that environmental attitudes are not a strong deciding factor. This study continues to uphold the vision that culture should be considered as one of the main pillars of ESD.peer-reviewe

The life-course transitions of young women in a Maltese context

This study analyzed how a cohort of eight young women who underwent certain difficulties whilst at secondary school experienced their transition from secondary school to either work or further education. It explores changes in their perception of events and happenings that they classified as significant to them, and the influence that these changes of perception had on their evolving life-course. While not formally classified as emotionally or behaviorally challenged, all the participants in this study claimed to have had varying depths of difficulty when at secondary school, some alleging that they had been classified as troublesome by their teachers and others claiming to have seen themselves as disruptive in classroom settings. The study was informed by the participants’ voices about how they saw their transitions being forged and has a phenomenological focus.peer-reviewe