The Hydraenidae (Insecta: Coleoptera) of the Maltese Archipelago (Central Mediterranean)

The Hydraenidae of the Maltese Archipelago are reviewed, based on literature records and examination of historical and recently collected specimens. A total of eleven species is included of which Hydraena (s.str.) sub impressa REY, Ochthebius (s.str.) fossulatus MULSANT, O. (s.str.) punctatus STEPHENS, and O. (s.str.) viridis PEYRON (species complex) are recorded from the Maltese Islands for the first time. The records of the following four species by CAMERON & CARUANA GATTO (1907) are based on misidentifications: Hydraena (s.str.) nigrita GERMAR (= H. (s.str.) subimpressa REY), Ochthebius (s.str.) foveolatus GERMAR (= O. (s.str.) eyrei JACH, and O. (s.str.) fossulatus MULSANT), O. (s.str.) lanuginosus REICHE & SAULCY (= O. (s.str.) punctatus STEPHENS), and O. (s.str.) sub integer MULSANT & REy (= O. (s.str.) celatus JACHpeer-reviewe

Developing Action Strategies For Sustainable Living Amongst Employees At A Uk University

The UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (2005 – 2014) has undoubtedly raised the discourse on the principles of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) and provided a platform for healthy debates on infusing ESD in curricula and ways to overcome the barriers that exist to implementation programmes. Furthermore, the decade has also strengthened community based ESD activities and initiatives. This research study addresses a gap in research within the field of ESD by exploring the routes to the design process of ESD programmes for employees at their workplace. The research also attempts to investigate the potential of infusing thinking skills in ESD training programmes for employees. Primary data was collected from a higher education institution in the UK through in-depth interviews and casual conversations with a set of employees. The findings suggest that a design process for employee programmes on ESD should be needs based and context specific. Whilst it is acknowledged that employees have an important role to play in driving the organisation’s sustainability strategy forward, the study has found that not only are ESD training programmes for employees non-existent, but neither are employees effectively invited to participate and engage in shaping the sustainability strategy of the organisation. The inclusion of thinking skills in ESD training programmes may assist employees feel adequately empowered to engage in needs based ESD training programmes relevant to their role at work and to their life beyond the workplace. The study highlights the role thinking skills have in cultivating a thinking culture within an organisation as part of its response to the challenges of sustainable development today. Yet the research findings suggest employees’ awareness on the benefits of thinking skills training is low. The research has found that employees lack the confidence, competency, motivation and time to engage in an exercise whereby they are able to identify their own training needs for ESD programmes. On the other hand, however, there is clear evidence that employees feel consistent and genuine senior management commitment would be a key requirement if ESD training is adopted as a route for the organisation to attain its sustainability targets. Finally, results from the study indicate that employees are of the opinion that bespoke ESD training for employees would most likely lead to behavioural change. Keywords: education, sustainable development, employee/staff training, thinking skills, organisations, behavioural chang

Hyperglycaemic hyperosmolar non ketotic coma

A case report discussing the management of a patient with hyperosmolar hyperglycaemic state. This is intended to raise awareness about this complication of Type 2 diabetes and the factors that lead to it. HSS is mostly caused by severe dehydration and sepsis. Elderly patients often do not drink enough and infection is commonly seen in patients living in a hospitalised environment.peer-reviewe

The design of a resistive switching characterisation platform based on discrete current-conveyors

In this paper we propose a current-conveyor based circuit to characterise resistive switching devices. The circuit relies on open-loop current-mode techniques that are in principle faster than existing solutions that rely on transimpedance amplifiers for biasing and current sensing [1]. The circuit is able to apply a voltage across a test device and simultaneously provide a measure of current flowing through it. The circuit therefore, results in a compact solution that can be scaled-up to characterise crossbar devices in parallel. In this paper we describe, simulate and evaluate a discrete version of the proposed circuit. We also verify a PCB implementation that is capable of forming, writing and reading different types of resistive switching devices

A new species of Faronus Aube, 1844, endemic to Malta (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Pselaphinae)

Faronus rica sp. nov. endemic to Malta is described and illustrated, and placed in the Faronus hispanus species group. Faronus rica sp. nov. is closely related to F. siculus Fiori, 1913, an endemic species to Sicily, and they can be distinguished based on morphological features highlighted in the present work.peer-reviewe

National strategy for health research and innovation

In 2011, the Malta Council for Science and Technology (MCST) commissioned the Development of a dedicated strategy for health research and innovation in line with its mandate from Government to identify areas of national priority and design and to also implement strategic approaches to enhance economic competitiveness and quality of life. The Strategy was drawn up by a steering group which also included people from outside the health sector, to ensure that it also keeps note of the economic side of things.peer-reviewe

A high-voltage characterisation platform for emerging resistive switching technologies

Emerging memristor-based array architectures have been effectively employed in non-volatile memories and neuro-morphic computing systems due to their density, scalability and capability of storing information. Nonetheless, to demonstrate a practical on-chip memristor-based system, it is essential to have the ability to apply large programming voltage ranges during the characterisation procedures for various memristor technologies. This work presents a 16x16 high voltage memristor characterisation array employing high voltage CMOS circuitry. The proposed system has a maximum programming range of ±22V to allow on-chip electroforming and I-V sweep. In addition, a Kelvin voltage sensing system is implemented to improve the readout accuracy for low memristance measurements. This work addresses the limitation of conventional CMOS-memristor platforms which can only operate at low voltages, thus limiting the characterisation range and integration options of memristor technologies

Generalized gangliosidosis in Malta

The purpose of this paper is to describe the clinical features of four cases of generalized gangliosidosis, two of which in siblings. In two of the cases, and in one of the siblings, B-galactosidase deficiency was demonstrated in blood and urine samples. The point that emerges from these cases is the realization that the clinical distinction between the various ganglioside lipidoses is now no 'longer possible, even in the clinically 'typical' case the resemblance to one or other of the classical Tay-Sachs or Niemann Pick is meaningless without the aid of specialized enzymatic tests. Moreover, the dramatic finding of the cherry-red spots in the retina is now no longer pathognomonic of classical Tay-Sachs disease, as was formerly widely held by clinicians. In every case the exact metabolic defect should be pin-pointed before a definite diagnosis can be made. It therefore becomes mandatory to investigate all patients in this group by special chemical techniques.peer-reviewe

In-body wireline interfacing platform for multi-module implantable microsystems

The recent evolution of implantable medical devicesfrom single-unit stimulators to modern implantable microsys-tems, has driven the need for distributed technologies, in whichboth the implant system and functions are partitioned across mul-tiple active devices. This multi-module approach is made possiblethanks to novel network architectures, allowing for in-body powerand data communications to be performed using implantableleads. This paper discusses the challenges in implementing suchinterfacing system and presents a platform based on one centralimplant (CI) and multiple peripheral implants (PIs) using a cus-tom 4WiCS communication protocol. This is implemented in PCBtechnology and tested to demonstrate intrabody communicationcapabilities and power transfer within the network. Measuredresults show CI-to-PI power delivery achieves 70%efficiency inexpected load condition, while establishing full-duplex data linkwith up to 4 PIs simultaneously

Adaptive Power Regulation and Data Delivery for Multi-Module Implants

Emerging applications for implantable devices are requiring multi-unit systems with intrabody transmission of power and data through wireline interfaces. This paper proposes a novel method for power delivery within such a configuration that makes use of closed loop dynamic regulation. This is implemented for an implantable application requiring a single master and multiple identical slave devices utilising a parallel-connected 4-wire interface. The power regulation is achieved within the master unit through closed loop monitoring of the current consumption to the wired link. Simultaneous power transfer and full-duplex data communication is achieved by superimposing the power carrier and downlink data over two wires and uplink data over a second pair of wires. Measured results using a fully isolated (AC coupled) 4-wire lead, demonstrate this implementation can transmit up to 120 mW of power at 6 V (at the slave device, after eliminating any losses). The master device has a maximum efficiency of 80 % including a dominant dynamic power loss. A 6 V constant supply at the slave device is recovered 1.5 ms after a step of 22 mA