Social cases?

This was a cross-sectional descriptive study of in-patients over the age of 60 years at St. Luke's hospital who were deemed to be social cases (SC). The majority (58.4%) were female and the mean age was 80 years (range 60-92, SD: 6.7 years). Most (80%) were found in medical wards. The mean length of stay was 22.5 days (range 1-290 days, SD: 36.4 days). Social cases were a frail group with a mean number of co-morbidities of 2.8 (range 0-6, SD:1.5). Dependency level was also high with a mean Barthel score of 6.8 (range 0-20, SD: 7.4). A diagnosis of dementia was documented on the patient's medical record in only 12%. However significant low Abbreviated Mental Test scores were found in 64% (mean AMT 5.0, range 0-9, SD: 2.8). These findings illustrate that most social cases at St. Luke's Hospital are not only there for `social' reasons but also have other factors involved, including a high dependency level in activities of daily living which hamper their discharge to the community. Rehabilitation using an interdisciplinary approach may help the less dependent return to the community.peer-reviewe

Depressive illness in institutionalised older people in Malta

Depression in older persons is associated with being placed in a nursing home. Depression is linked to increased medical morbidity in nursing home residents. 150 patients living in two nursing homes in Malta were included in the study. The geriatric depression scale was used to identify depression. Data for risk factors for depression and management of residents for this pathology was also collected. 67.3% (p value <0.01) were found to be depressed. 12% of the total population had major depression while 55.3% had minor depression. Only 40% of those diagnosed with depression in this study had been so diagnosed prior to the study. Significant associations included low Barthel scores, loneliness, being currently in pain, taking several medications, being widowed and having osteoarthritis. The study also showed that those residents already diagnosed with depression were being treated inappropriately with low prescription levels of antidepressants (40.6%). : Results show that depression in nursing home residents is highly prevalent and under diagnosed. There is also a lack of proper treatment in those identified with depression. There is a need for further research to develop intervention and management strategies for depression that is specifically tailored to meet the needs of the frail nursing home population.peer-reviewe

First record of Oestrus ovis Linnaeus, 1758 from Malta, and case reports of myiasis from the Maltese Islands (Diptera: Brachycera)

Oestrus ovis is reported for the first time from Malta. An account is given of four cases of myiasis in Malta, one nasopharyngeal in a sheep host involving O. ovis, and three cutaneous in a human host and in domestic cats, the latter all involving Lucilia sericata.peer-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

Extended depth-of-field imaging and ranging in a snapshot

Traditional approaches to imaging require that an increase in depth of field is associated with a reduction in numerical aperture, and hence with a reduction in resolution and optical throughput. In their seminal work, Dowski and Cathey reported how the asymmetric point-spread function generated by a cubic-phase aberration encodes the detected image such that digital recovery can yield images with an extended depth of field without sacrificing resolution [Appl. Opt. 34, 1859 (1995)]. Unfortunately recovered images are generally visibly degraded by artifacts arising from subtle variations in point-spread functions with defocus. We report a technique that involves determination of the spatially variant translation of image components that accompanies defocus to enable determination of spatially variant defocus. This in turn enables recovery of artifact-free, extended depth-of-field images together with a two-dimensional defocus and range map of the imaged scene. We demonstrate the technique for high-quality macroscopic and microscopic imaging of scenes presenting an extended defocus of up to two waves, and for generation of defocus maps with an uncertainty of 0.036 waves

Orthogeriatrics in Malta : a 3 year experience

The orthogeriatric service in Malta started in 2012 and expanded in 2014. From admission, the patient is offered a ward based hip fracture programme that includes orthogeriatric assessment, management and co-ordinated multidisciplinary review. 457 patients were seen by the orthogeriatric service when this study was done. Mean age was 83 and 69% of patients were female. The Nottingham Hip Fracture Score (NHFS) is a scoring system that reliably predicts 30-day and 1-year mortality for patients after hip fracture. It is made up of seven independent predictors of postoperative mortality that have been incorporated into a risk score. The score ranges from 0-10 and the mean score for this cohort was 5.1. There was a statistically significant correlation between age and high NHFS scores. 30 day mortality was 5.9% and 1 year mortality was 24.4%. Compared with the Nottingham data both 30 day and 1 year mortality were less for the orthogeriatric department in Malta. The orthogeriatric service in Malta achieved better results when comparing mortality with the UK. In the future expansion of data collected should be considered to better evaluate standards of care in the department.peer-reviewe

Computational localization microscopy with extended axial range

A new single-aperture 3D particle-localization and tracking technique is presented that demonstrates an increase in depth range by more than an order of magnitude without compromising optical resolution and throughput. We exploit the extended depth range and depth-dependent translation of an Airy-beam PSF for 3D localization over an extended volume in a single snapshot. The technique is applicable to all bright-field and fluorescence modalities for particle localization and tracking, ranging from super-resolution microscopy through to the tracking of fluorescent beads and endogenous particles within cells. We demonstrate and validate its application to real-time 3D velocity imaging of fluid flow in capillaries using fluorescent tracer beads. An axial localization precision of 50 nm was obtained over a depth range of 120μm using a 0.4NA, 20× microscope objective. We believe this to be the highest ratio of axial range-to-precision reported to date

Water management in sustainable manufacturing

Part of: Seliger, Günther (Ed.): Innovative solutions : proceedings / 11th Global Conference on Sustainable Manufacturing, Berlin, Germany, 23rd - 25th September, 2013. - Berlin: Universitätsverlag der TU Berlin, 2013. - ISBN 978-3-7983-2609-5 (online). - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:83-opus4-40276. - pp. 114–119.Sustainable manufacturing and conservation of resources are more than just energy management. A broader perspective is necessary as stewardship of resources goes to further extents. Water management is expected to take a more pronounced role amongst the metrics for sustainability. This is backed by the reality that freshwater resources are facing extensive stresses which are leading to events of potential scarcity. Opportunities for water management exist in all areas of its demand, especially in the manufacturing sector being a key economic activity, dependent on natural resources. In a local scenario, the effects of water scarcity are on the rise. This paper discusses the relevance of water management for achieving sustainable manufacturing. An evaluation of the water footprint assessment tool is included, as applied in case studies in the manufacturing sector. The assessment method is evaluated against criteria relevant for assessing water sustainability in the local context

Video-rate 3D Particle Tracking with Extended Depth-of-field in Thick Biological Samples

We present a single-aperture 3D particle localisation and tracking technique with a vastly increased depth-of-field without compromising optical resolution and throughput. Flow measurements in a FEP capillary and a zebrafish blood vessel are demonstrated experimentally

Identification of critical building blocks in PLM system implementation in the automotive supply chain

In today’s industrialised world, manufacturers must adapt and evolve their Product Development (PD) processes through the adoption of bespoke ICT tools. Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) and its associated tools are one option manufacturers may choose to assist in this change. However, PLM tools are not always viable due to costs associated and system integration issues; therefore, careful selection and consideration of the most appropriate tool, which meets company requirements, needs to be taken before selection and implementation. This paper presents a case study of a Tier 1 supplier in the automotive industry, identifying the critical building blocks for successful implementation and integration of a PLM system in to their manufacturing operations. A framework is proposed to assist manufacturers in identifying and ranking the building blocks which should be considered when implementing such PLM tools