The effect of dividend policy on share price volatility : an analysis of Mediterranean banks' stocks

This empirical study investigates the relationship between share price volatility and dividend payments in the case of Mediterranean Banks. We use the dividend yield and the dividend payout as proxies of dividend policy, and regress these ratios together with other control variables to model share price volatility. The robustness of the results is assessed by re-using a data set which omits the outliers relating to the 2007 financial crisis and by forming sub-samples using a clustering procedure. Our results show that inferences may differ across samples and depending on the treatment of outlier observations. Besides adding new empirical evidence, our results offer insights to academics, stock traders and corporate managers in terms of better understanding the effect of dividend policies on share price volatility and its related risks and opportunities.peer-reviewe

A village for an island : Malta in Frans Sammut's novel Samuraj

In Frans Sammut's novel Samuraj, the village in which most of the action takes place, is a metaphor of post-Independence Malta that is trying, and more often than not failing, to come to terms with what has been called the "severity of independence". The isolated, backward Village is plagued by the bipolar nature of its social make-up and strangled by its overpowering Church. Its 'moral' community takes the protagonist's refusal to toe the line as an affront to its authority, and its aggressive reaction forces him to turn to the painful, but fond memory of his battered mother for comfort, echoing independent Malta's inability to wean itself away from its colonised past.peer-reviewe

An iconography of insularity : a cosmological interpretation of some images and spaces in the late neolithic temples of Malta

This paper proposes a fresh model for interpreting some of the iconography and megalithic architectural forms that emerged in Malta during the Late Neolithic. Recent studies of the relationship between the Maltese archipelago and the world beyond, and between the monumental megalithic sites and their landscape setting, will inform an interpretation of some of the iconography and architectural forms that characterize these sites. Patterns in their use of spatial order, architectural devices and carved reliefs are interpreted as elements in a programmatic recreation of an island cosmology. It is suggested that the prehistoric islanders used these images and spaces to express and mediate concerns with cosmological order.peer-reviewe

The idealized nation-mother of the romantics and the status quo

One of the key metaphors in the construction of the Maltese national imaginary through literature was that of the nation-mother who served as a conservative reference point to the male writers and the national family. She is essentially a construct of the patriarchal society that shaped most pre-Independence Maltese prose and poetry. The traditional family of that literature is a closed unit with well-defined roles assigned to the members of the in-groups, whether or not they like it. and with a clear theocentric centre. Like the static mother who is subservient to the strict father and is expected to execute his decisions, Malta is plitically subservient to the colonial master and morally subservient to the patriarchal Catholic Church.peer-reviewe

Local government and community events in New Zealand: a case study of two neighbouring cities

The objectives for this research project were to examine the quality and type of support offered to community events through a case study of two neighbouring councils in the North Island of New Zealand; and to determine the impacts of events staged in the communities of both councils, including their influence on social capital building. The study found that both councils are supportive of the delivery of events by both council and non-council event organisers. The councils are providing human, financial and physical capital to enable the output of events. Event impacts – specifically social and economic impacts – were considered to be positive in nature. However, there is scope for greater strategic planning around community event delivery both by individual authorities and collaboratively, including the establishment of formal monitoring and evaluation systems. There is also scope to incorporate key lessons in regard to good practice, as identified by this study

Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS)

A 57-year-old Caucasian gentleman presented with bilateral progressive distal upper limb paraesthesiae, which he described as a feeling of “heaviness” followed by distal lower limb and mild tongue parasthaesia. He complained of dysaesthetic symptoms in his upper limbs with intermittent burning and tingling and autonomic disturbances such as excessive sweating of the face, hands and legs. He later developed epigastric pain that radiated to the chest, which was not related to exercise. According to the patient, symptoms got worse after taking the influenza vaccine. On examination, he had gait disturbance with weaker left lower limb muscles. During his stay in hospital, he also developed slight dysarthria and diplopia, together with urinary retention and constipation. He had had a similar, though much less severe, episode six years previously where he was diagnosed with Guillain-Barré Syndrome based on his clinical features, EMG result and his high protein levels in the CSF (more than 8g/L). He was treated with IVIG and recovered completely. This was his second presentation of neuromuscular weakness and he was referred for immunoglobulin treatment and intensive physiotherapy. GBS is an acute inflammatory immune-mediated disorder affecting the peripheral nervous system. GBS typically manifests as sudden distal symmetrical parasthaesia that ascends to the upper limbs and progresses to weakness. A few patients undergo sensory dysfunction especially in the demyelinating forms of GBS. About a third of hospitalised patients are mechanically ventilated due to diaphragmatic, respiratory and oropharyngeal muscle weaknesspeer-reviewe

An evaluation of the conservative management of fractures with plaster in a Maltese primary health centre

Introduction: Fracture management still remains a grey area in primary care internationally. In Malta, conservative fracture management operates as the Plaster Slab Service, a service which has never been evaluated. The purpose of this study is to assess this service in Mosta Health Centre (MHC) – the only health centre with a 24/7 X-ray service. The objective is to find common trends and to increase primary care awareness on conservative fracture management. Method: In this cross-sectional study, all patients who had a plaster cast done at MHC between August and December 2017 were included. Retrospective data was collected including demographic data (age, gender, locality), time of application, type of injury and plaster, problems related to the slab and wound healing as well as whether a repeat X-ray was taken. Results: Most plaster casts were required for the younger age group with another peak in the 60s-70s age group. Younger patients showed a significantly increased risk of sustaining a scaphoid or radial fracture. There was a significant link between patients’ locality and time of presentation. Only 44.6% of scaphoid fractures had a repeat X-ray done as follow up. Complications to fracture healing amounted to 1% whilst 5% had problems with the cast. Conclusion: At primary care level, a wide range of fractures can be successfully managed with a very low rate of complications. Possible areas for improvement include guideline adherence in the follow-up of fractures.peer-reviewe

Maltese children with a hearing impairment : analysis of the current situation and its impact on the quality of life of parents

Understanding the effect that a diagnosis of a childhood hearing loss has on parents would help professionals adopt an approach which diminishes parents’ possible negative feelings and concerns. A sample of parents of children with hearing impairment was interviewed to document demographic data related to hearing loss in Maltese children. The present study also attempted to analyse the effect of hearing loss on the parents’ wellbeing. Parents of 23 children with a hearing loss and parents of eight children without a hearing loss participated in the study. Structured face-to-face interviews were carried out with both groups of parents. A self-devised questionnaire was used with parents of children with hearing impairment to collect information about several factors related to the hearing loss. This included documentation of the different types, degrees and causes of hearing loss as well as the ages of suspicion, diagnosis and amplification of children with a hearing loss. The World Health Organisation Quality of Life-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF) questionnaire (World Health Organisation [WHO], 1998) was then used with both groups of parents to obtain a quality of life profile in four domains: physical health, psychological health, social relationships and environment. Slight quality of life differences, which were not statistically significant, were noticed between parents of children with a hearing loss and parents of children without a hearing loss. Quality of life scores were marginally higher for parents whose gap between the day of diagnosis and the interview date was more than 24 months, when compared to parents whose gap was 24 months or less. These findings extend the limited data on the effect of hearing loss on parents’ quality of life in the Maltese context. More intensive support may be indicated for parents of children with hearing impairment, particularly in the initial stages following a diagnosis of a hearing loss. Support would help parents better understand and accept their child’s hearing impairment.peer-reviewe

First-language grammar in the classroom : from consciousness raising to learner autonomy

According to students grammar lessons are boring and tedious. If you ask them why they will tell you that almost all they do in grammar lessons is to study and to practice 'rules' (see Micallef 1995). When asked how they feel about learning 'grammar', Form 3 students at a Juniour Lyceum stated that grammar " ... tad-dwejjaq, fiha qabda regoli, u li fiha ma nifhmu xejn. Kollox trid tistudja bl-amment ghall-eiami" (it is tedious, full of rules that we do not understand. Everything has to be studied for the exam). When asked why they think they should learn grammar they replied that without it "ma niktbux Malti tajjeb u importanti ghax tkun fl-eiamf' (we cannot write Maltese correctly, and it is important for the exam). Form 1 students were also asked to give their opinion about grammar and grammar lessons. They think that they need to study grammar "biex nispellu tajjelf' (to spell correctly); and that grammar is" dik li toqghod taghmel hafna jien, int, huwa, hija. Konna ndum u nimlew pages fil-Year 6 biex ghamilna tal-junior!" (full of conjugations. We used to fill pages of them when we were preparing to sit for the 11 + examination). Little do they know that as native speakers they make constant use of grammar in their everyday communication!peer-reviewe