Meeting teachers' needs : evaluation of in-service courses run by the Faculty of Education

Since the beginning of 1982 the Faculty of Education has fostered a growth in commitment to in-service education courses for teachers (INSET). The programme of INSET activities is being accelerated throughout the year (1983). This growth has raised a series of questions about the evaluation of INSET. Evaluation usually stems from two major concerns. First there is the concern of accountability. Are the courses offering value for the money spent to provide human and material resources for INSET? Secondly there is the concern for the quality of courses. Is the quality of the in-service programme meeting the participants' needs?peer-reviewe

Meeting teachers' needs (2) : effects of change : in-service education and training (INSET)

In-service education for teachers in Malta is older than initial training. The induction courses for emergency teachers (1957-59), the maturity courses for serving teachers (1962-65), summer vacation courses of the late sixties, the evening courses for teachers and instructors in the trade schools and in further education schools (1965-68), as well as to some extent, the first share of the five year B.Ed (Hons) programme, are all examples of education and training of teachers which is both initial and in-service. In some cases it is difficult to find a line of demarcation between initial and in-service as well as between education and training.peer-reviewe

Axonal regeneration in hippocampal and spinal cord organotypic slice cultures

Under normal conditions, axonal regeneration after lesions is not possible in mature CNS but can occur in embryonic and early postnatal nervous systems. In recent years, a number of possible strategies to enhance axonal regeneration and eventually treat spinal cord and brain injuries have been identified, some of which have been used successfully in animal experiments, but till now there is still no successful treatment available for patients. This problem is partly due to the complexity of the animal experiments which makes it difficult to compare different treatment strategies. In this project, we have used organotypic slice culture models to test the effectiveness of pharmacological compounds that interfere with various signal transduction mechanisms, to promote axonal regeneration. We used the entorhino hippocampal slice cultures to assess regeneration of entorhinal fibers projecting to the dentate gyrus after mechanical lesions and treatment. It was previously shown (Prang et. al., 2001) that there is a marked decrease in regenerating fibers when a lesion is made at 6 7 days in vitro or later in slices derived from postnatal day 5 6 mice. We took this as a control model where there is little spontaneous axonal regeneration, added treatments on the day of lesion and later traced for entorhinal axons with biotinylated dextran amine (BDA). In this study it was shown that compounds acting on the cAMP, PKC and G proteins can promote regeneration. Furthermore, we have identified the inhibition of the PI3 kinase pathway and the IP 3 receptor as potential drug targets that promote axonal regeneration. In order to study axonal growth in a spinal cord environment we have developed a spinal cord longitudinal organotypic slice culture model which allowed us to follow axons along the rostro caudal extension of the spinal cord. Slices of cervical spinal cord were cut in the sagittal plane from early postnatal mice and were maintained in culture for various time periods up to 4 weeks. Histological and immunohistochemical stainings of the cultures have shown that these slice cultures maintain the ventro dorsal polarity of the spinal cord and that an intrinsic fibre projection develops which runs along the rostro caudal extension of the spinal cord slice culture. After mechanical lesion, these fibres have the ability to regenerate spontaneously demonstrating the intrinsic ability of the spinal cord for repair, but this ability is decreased with increasing time in culture. During the culture period the axons became myelinated and expressed synaptic markers. These cultures could thus serve also as a model for myelin formation and synaptogenesis. We have analyzed the potential of axons from longitudinal spinal cord cultures to grow into an adjacent slice of cerebellar tissue. We could show that spinal cord axons do enter the cerebellar slice in particular when early postnatal spinal cord is combined with postnatal cerebellum. Pharmacological treatments were used to enhance axonal growth. Similarly to our findings in the entorhino hippocampal model, cAMP activators and PKC inhibitors promoted axonal growth from the spinal cord to the cerebellum. In cocultures of longitudinal spinal cord slices with cortical slices we have shown that fibers from the cortical slices grew extensively into the spinal cord slice and extended caudally for substantial distances. Our results demonstrate that organotypic slice cultures can be a useful tool to study axonal growth and regeneration. Intrinsic spinal cord axons have a considerable potential for spontaneous regeneration in the early postnatal period and are able to grow both through a mechanical lesion and into another tissue. Moreover, compounds interfering with signal transduction mechanisms, particularly cAMP, PKC, PI3 Kinase, G proteins and IP3 receptors, were able to promote axonal growth and regeneration in diverse slice culture models making them interesting drug candidates for the promotion of axonal regeneration

Landmarks in Maltese Constitutional History 1849-1974

The way in which Independence was achieved for Malta in 1964 was the result of a masterpiece of political manoeuvre. Prime Minister Borg Olivier was in earnest, but had to be engaged in political contests on at least three fronts: that with the British Government, that with the Labour Opposition and that with the Opposition offered by the three other non-Labour parties represented in Parliament. On the content and structure of the Independence constitution he had to produce a draft document acceptable to the United Kingdom Government, because the Independence Act would have to emanate from there, and acceptable also to the three minor parties, who would be expected to add their votes for the approval of the Statute by our Parliament. The Labour Opposition had to be utilised as the component of the Maltese electorate that could seal the question as to whether Independence should happen immediately, but if the famous six points which contained their objections were to be received, that would lose the consent of the three other parties, and a substantial part of the Nationalist Electorate.peer-reviewe

The sharing economy, jobs and skills

The global economy is entering the third wave of information technology, characterized by interconnected platforms of people, objects and resources. The Internet of Things (IoT) as a technology-enabler of the Sharing Economy and its global platforms are due to grow exponentially in the next decade, placing demands on skills and changing the employment landscape. The demand for low-value-adding work will decrease as resources are used more effectively whilst the demand for information technology skills will continue to rise in order to meet the requirements of developing IoT products, software, apps, networks, cloud infrastructure, data management and information systems.peer-reviewe

A two year survey of ophthalmic traumas in the Maltese Islands, 1986-87

Many are the ophthalmic injuries seen daily at the ophthalmic department at St. Luke’s Hospital. The majority are of a minor nature and are treated on an out-patient basis. This is a retrospective survey of ophthalmic traumas of a serious nature occurring during the years 1986/1987. All the case required admission to hospital. The criteria used are various. Since this is a retrospective study no standardised format for data collection was used. There were 110 cases of which 94 were males and 16 females. The aim of the article is not to present the mode of treatment of these cases but to enlighten on the types of injures encountered and their causation.peer-reviewe

My experience as a GP trainer : some reflections

Dr Jason J. Bonnici relects on his experience as a GP trainer, saying that what comes out most with GP Training is that it is professionally and personally very rewarding. The GP who is a trainer benefits as a GP because s/he keeps abreast of what is going on in the specialty, uses communication skills to bring this knowledge and a variable degree of experience across to the GP trainee, and endeavors to fill in lacunae in skills and/or knowledge.peer-reviewe

Urinary tract infections in the community

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are defined as significant bacteriuria in the setting of symptoms of cystitis/pyelonephritis. Urine dipstick is diagnostic in most cases. Urinalysis and Microscopy (U&M) and Culture and Sensitivity (C&S) prior to starting antibiotic therapy is indicated for the diagnosis and as an aid to the correct management of UTIs in certain settings. Antibiotics to treat UTIs must be carefully chosen and their prescribed duration depends on the type of UTI. Over-the-counter products for the treatment and prevention of UTIs are available: these include cranberry products and potassium citrate. Recurrent UTIs in females, UTIs in catheterized men, pyelonephritis and UTIs with unusual organisms require further investigation.peer-reviewe

Towards better protection of modern twentieth century architecture in Malta

This paper attempts to highlight the need to promote more awareness of the value of twentieth century buildings in Malta and to intensify their protection. What to keep and maintain is debatable and depends on which philosophies of restoration are adopted. Heritage protection institutions, such as ICONOMOS, UNESCO and the Council of Europe intend to afford the same protection to modern architecture previously reserved for much older buildings. In Malta the legal framework has long been set up to protect the architectural heritage that has been classified and scheduled according to the guidelines of these institutions but the emphasis is on pre-1920’s buildings. Unless the list is updated regularly to include examples of architecture of later periods there is the risk of losing these in the frenzy of the rapid development occurring at present. Educating citizens to value these buildings and even any architectural features and interior décor inspired by this period, should hopefully lead to a higher level of protection. As an example, the lens will be focused on the Gian Frangisk Abela Junior College.peer-reviewe