Influenza and the implications of a pandemic for Malta

An influenza pandemic is inevitable and recent reports from Southeast Asia on avian influenza viruses infecting humans have served to fuel worries that a new pandemic is near. The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of the epidemiological and public health aspects of seasonal, avian and pandemic influenza through a literature review and to describe the possible effects of an Influenza pandemic on Malta using the FluAid model. The results of the model indicate that between 158 and 454 deaths would be expected for a 12-week pandemic causing clinical symptoms in 25% of the population. There would be between 432 and 1,488 hospitalisations and between 40,483 and 74,704 general practice consultations. Although the results of the model show a wide range of estimates and are limited by a lack of local parameters, the data presented in this article shows the severe effect of a pandemic on the Maltese health care system and will be useful for pandemic planning. Further research needs to be undertaken to determine local parameters to improve the model estimates and local health authorities need to ensure that adequate resources are provided to implement an effective pandemic preparedness plan.peer-reviewe

Clinical Update Influenza and the Implications of a Pandemic for Malta

Abstract An influenza pandemic is inevitable and recent reports from Southeast Asia on avian influenza viruses infecting humans have served to fuel worries that a new pandemic is near. The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of the epidemiological and public health aspects of seasonal, avian and pandemic influenza through a literature review and to describe the possible effects of an Influenza pandemic on Malta using the FluAid model. The results of the model indicate that between 158 and 454 deaths would be expected for a 12-week pandemic causing clinical symptoms in 25% of the population. There would be between 432 and 1,488 hospitalisations and between 40,483 and 74,704 general practice consultations. Although the results of the model show a wide range of estimates and are limited by a lack of local parameters, the data presented in this article shows the severe effect of a pandemic on the Maltese health care system and will be useful for pandemic planning. Further research needs to be undertaken to determine local parameters to improve the model estimates and local health authorities need to ensure that adequate resources are provided to implement an effective pandemic preparedness plan

"The university didn\u27t actually tell us this is what you have to do": Social inclusion through embedding of academic skills in first year professional courses

This paper presents findings from a mixed methods project investigating first year social work students\u27 perceived role in academic skills and thier development.  Students expressed the perception that academic skill requirements and how they would be assessed should be made explicit, and idenfied a stigma associated with accessing study support services.  The aper concluses that an intentional design strategy, such as embedding academic skills into the curriculum, helps bridge the different expectations between academics and students and hence constitutes a socially inclusive strategy to teaching professional courses sucha s social work, within higher education.  Recommendations to enhance the succes and sustainability of such an initiative in the current higher educacion environment are offered

Academic skills and beyond : a resource based approach to support student success in higher education

An increasingly diverse range of students are entering higher education, bringing with them a vast range of experiences, skills and pre-existing knowledge. However, approaches to increasing student participation (and therefore success) to date have focused on strategies aimed at supporting non-traditional students to &ldquo;fit in&rdquo;, rather than changing existing structures to accommodate their needs. This paper will outline a resource-based approach to student success, which capitalises on the resources and capacities existing within the student, within their performance of the student role and within the environment that surrounds their learning. This paper will report on a study and propose a resource based approach to student success. Three main sites or domains are identified as a focus of this approach &ndash; intrapersonal resources, skills resources and environmental resources. These domains interact with each other to support student success, and three potential methods for implementing a resource based approach are highlighted in the spaces where they intersect. Pedagogical design, mapping and matching, and learning support all have a role in enabling both students and universities to make the most of their existing resources and develop new ones.<br /

A multidimensional framework for embedded academic skill development : transition pedagogy in social work

As a consequence of the widening participation agenda, student cohorts in Australian higher education are becoming increasingly diverse. While diversity is often characterised by a focus on culture or ethnicity, this variability also independently exists in regard to competence in academic skills (Dillon, 2007). Successfully developing discipline-specific academic skills is crucial to a student&rsquo;s learning, progress and attainment in higher education. The growing recognition that students are entering Australian universities with varying levels of academic preparedness as a result of the widening participation agenda has made effective academic skill support even more important, since &lsquo;access without a reasonable chance of success is an empty promise&rsquo; (International Associations of Universities, 2008, p. 1)

Early postnatal genetic diagnosis for Joubert Syndrome Type 14

BACKGROUND: Joubert syndrome is an autosomal recessive condition characterised by a midbrain-hindbrain malformation giving rise to the characteristic “molar tooth sign” on MRI. Common signs and symptoms include neonatal breathing dysregulation, hypotonia and developmental delay. A spectrum of conditions referred to as Joubert syndrome and Related Disorders (JSRD) have also been described, referring to the presence of multiorgan involvement in addition to the neurological signs and symptoms characterising “pure Joubert”.CASE PRESENTATION: We report a case of JS type 14 (homozygous pathogenic variant in TMEM237) in a male neonate referred antenatally with a brain malformation and bilateral cystic kidneys on ultrasound and MRI, raising the suspicion of a ciliopathy. Clinical features at birth included hypotonia, hydrocephalus, ocular colobomas and breathing difficulties which required mechanical ventilation.CONCLUSION: Antenatal suspicion followed by confirmation of JS in the immediate postnatal period, has enabled early timely intervention by a multidisciplinary team, thus optimising parental counselling, developmental outcomes, and monitoring for potential future complications.peer-reviewe

(5S)-4-(2,2-Dimethyl­prop­yl)-5-isopropyl-1,3,4-oxadiazinan-2-one

The title compound, C11H22N2O2, has one chiral center and packs in the monoclinic space group P21. The asymmetric unit has five crystallographically independent mol­ecules, four of which engage in inter­molecular N—H⋯O hydrogen bonding