Malta's participation in Europe's oldest research cooperation frame-work

COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology) is the longest-running European re- search framework supporting networking and knowledge sharing amongst science and technology communities in Europe. It does not fund research as such but greatly facilitates the networking and the coordination between researchers working on nationally funded research across Europe. The wide range of networking activities supported by COST, such as meetings, workshops, short term scientifi c missions, publications and training schools and easy administration made it even very amenable to re- searchers based in Malta. Since 2011 Malta has participated in a constantly growing number of running COST Actions and this has resulted in better exposure opportunities for them. More importantly, early stage researchers have been given an invaluable opportunity to increase their contacts circles in their fi elds of interest. This has resulted in unique opportunities for participation and networking in research for researchers based in Malta on a European scale.peer-reviewe

First record of Xenopsylla gratiosa Jordan & Rothschild, 1923 from the Maltese Islands (Siphonaptera: Pulicidae)

Xenopsylla gratiosa is reported for the first time from the Maltese Islands. The species was found in an abandoned nest of a Cory’s Shearwater, Calonectris diomedea on the island of Filfla. Brief notes are included on previous records of fleas from the Maltese Islands and taxonomic, distributional and ecological notes are provided for Xenopsylla gratiosapeer-reviewe

Data management techniques for space applications Final report

Defining promising technology for improving spacecraft data handling and minimizing data processing and transmission requirement

Deep-water cephalopods from GFCM Geographical Sub-area 15 (Central Mediterranean)

The cephalopod fauna of the circalittoral waters around the Maltese Islands has not been systematically studied to date. A list of the species collected during MEDITS surveys, made in General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean's Geographical Subarea 15 between 2005 and 2012, is presented. Of the 27 cephalopod species recorded, 10 are new records for Maltese waters, bringing the total number of cephalopods recorded from the area to 37, representing about 56% of the cephalopod species known from the Mediterranean.peer-reviewe

Marine litter from circalittoral and deeper bottoms off the Maltese Islands (Central Mediterranean)

During the 2005 leg of the MEDITS trawl survey, benthic anthropogenic debris around the Maltese Islands (central Mediterranean) was quantified for the first time, with the aim of studying its abundance and distribution in the area. 357 items were sampled from 3.5 km2 of swept area. Each item was recorded, measured and its planar and surface areas were estimated. Plastic (47%), metal and glass (13% each) were the most prevalent types of litter in terms of number. Limestone slabs, sacks and fabric were the items with the highest planar and surface area per item. This suggests that it is also important to consider the size of debris items as well as numerical abundance in assessing impact of litter on benthic organisms. An attempt was made to correlate anthropogenic and environmental variables, including fishing activities and wave parameters, to litter abundance and distribution but no interpretable correlations were found, implying that litter abundance and distribution depends on factors other than those considered.peer-reviewe

Bromus cathatrticus Vahl (Fam. Poaceae) : a new record for the Maltese Islands

The discoveries of the first 4 known populations of the alien Bromus catharticus from the Maltese Islands are reported. Notes on the species’ distribution range, local habitat and invasive potential are also given.peer-reviewe

Strengthening extended Gravity constraints with combined systems:\\ \texorpdfstring{f(R)f(R)}{} bounds from Cosmology and the Galactic Center

MOdified Gravity (MoG)) is widely constrained in different astrophysical and astronomical systems. Since these different systems are based on different scales it is not trivial to get a combined constraint that is based on different phenomenology. Here, for the first time (to the best of our knowledge), we combine constraints for MoG from late time Cosmology and the orbital motion of the stars around the galactic center. MoG give different potentials that are tested directly in the galactic center. The cosmological data set includes the type Ia supernova and baryon acoustic oscillations. For the galactic star center data set we use the published orbital measurements of the S2 star. The constraints on the universal parameter $\beta$ from the combined system give: $\beta_{HS}=0.154 \pm 0.109$ for the Hu-Sawicki model, while $\beta_{St}= 0.309 \pm 0.19$ for the Starobinsky model. These results improve on the cosmological results we obtain. The results show that {{\it combined constraint}} from different systems yields a stronger constraint for different theories under consideration. Future measurements from the galactic center and from cosmology will give better constraints on MoG.Comment: 8 pages, 2 figure

Acute stress enhances heterodimerization and binding of corticosteroid receptors at glucocorticoid target genes in the hippocampus

A stressful event results in secretion of glucocorticoid hormones, which bind to mineralocorticoid receptors (MRs) and glucocorticoid receptors (GRs) in the hippocampus to regulate cognitive and affective responses to the challenge. MRs are already highly occupied by low glucocorticoid levels under baseline conditions, whereas GRs only become substantially occupied by stress- or circadian-driven glucocorticoid levels. Currently, however, the binding of MRs and GRs to glucocorticoid-responsive elements (GREs) within hippocampal glucocorticoid target genes under such physiological conditions in vivo is unknown. We found that forced swim (FS) stress evoked increased hippocampal RNA expression levels of the glucocorticoid-responsive genes FK506-binding protein 5 (Fkbp5), Period 1 (Per1), and serum- and glucocorticoid-inducible kinase 1 (Sgk1). Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) analysis showed that this stressor caused substantial gene-dependent increases in GR binding and surprisingly, also MR binding to GREs within these genes. Different acute challenges, including novelty, restraint, and FS stress, produced distinct glucocorticoid responses but resulted in largely similar MR and GR binding to GREs. Sequential and tandem ChIP analyses showed that, after FS stress, MRs and GRs bind concomitantly to the same GRE sites within Fkbp5 and Per1 but not Sgk1. Thus, after stress, MRs and GRs seem to bind to GREs as homo- and/or heterodimers in a gene-dependent manner. MR binding to GREs at baseline seems to be restricted, whereas after stress, GR binding may facilitate cobinding of MR. This study reveals that the interaction of MRs and GRs with GREs within the genome constitutes an additional level of complexity in hippocampal glucocorticoid action beyond expectancies based on ligand–receptor interactions

New records of the genus Pachygrapsus (Crustacea : Decapoda) from the central Mediterranean Sea with a review of its Mediterranean zoogeography

The occurrence of Pachygrapsus maurus and Pachygrapsus transversus is reported from the Maltese Islands for the first time on the basis of one specimen of P. maurus collected in 1990 and numerous recent specimens, and the distribution of the two species is mapped. The controversial presence of P. maurus in Italy is confirmed and two new sites for this species are reported, including the first for the mainland of Italy. The examination of the historical specimen of P. maurus from the Genova area revealed a misidentification of P. transversus; this record could be a result of ship-mediated transport. First notes on the habitat of P. maurus in the central Mediterranean Sea are given. Updated maps of the distribution of P. maurus and P. transversus in the Mediterranean are provided and the zoogeography of these species is revisited.peer-reviewe