The Phoenician "permanent" display at the National Museum of Archaeology, Malta

In this article the author recounts how the Phoenician display came to be organised and finally exhibited. The author recounts that the team working on this project varied from academics to conservators to proof readers. In order to provide the best possible exhibit for the audience, a survey was also carried out and the information it provided was taken in consideration when drafting a story line for the exhibit.peer-reviewe

Numerical modelling of soil erosion susceptibility in the Maltese Islands using geographic information systems and the Revised Uni- versal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE)

The Mediterranean region is subject to various factors that exacerbate soil erosion pressures. Such factors include agricultural land fragmentation and abandonment, unsustainable agricultural practices and rapid urbanisation. Soil erosion in the Maltese Islands has been identi ed as a predominating land degradation process and a major threat to the sustainability of the agricultural sector. The small scale of the Maltese Islands facilitates an in detail national study of soil erosion processes and contributing socio-economic dynamics. The research methods, erosion rate values and controlling dynamics discussed in this work have a particular relevance to the Mediterranean area.peer-reviewe

Payday Loan Facts and the CFPB's Impact

Pew has conducted extensive research on the high-cost small-dollar loan market over the past five years. The findings show that although these products offer quick cash, the unaffordable payments lead consumers to quickly take another loan to cover expenses. Twelve million Americans take out payday loans each year, spending more than $7 billion on loan fees.The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is expected to release new rules this year that will transform the market for payday, auto title, and other small-dollar loan products. The data below provide facts on the market and borrower usage, plus a brief review of the CFPB's proposed framework to regulate payday and auto title loans

Numerical modelling and economics of agricultural land degradation in the Maltese Islands

The study applies a new GIS-based numerical modelling approach to calculate the economic burden agricultural land owners suff er through soil erosion land degradation. Numerically modelled soil erosion volumes in Maltese agricultural areas were estimated at 766 278 m3/yr costing 7.98M€/yr to replace. The model calculates that the average owner incurs 1170€/0.01km2/yr on soil replacement and soil improvement requirements. With average yearly economic revenue of 1720€/0.01km2/yr, this cost benefi t imbalance may force agricultural land owners to not replace eroded soils. Over time, as a result of soil erosion, an increasingly large proportion of agricultural land may no longer suitable for agricultural purposes. Over 50 years, 1.53km2 (0.5% of Maltese area) of agricultural land may be depleted of soil, incurring an average national agricultural revenue loss of 0.26M€ per year. Soil erosion rates, and associated economic implications, may be mitigated with cost e ffective management practices. Two such practices include conservation tillage, which o ffers various economic advantages to farmers, and the restoration of breaches in slope-facing rubble walls in areas subject to soil erosion. The latter may require an investment of 11.94M€ at the National scale or €1,600 by the average agricultural land owner. Both measures contribute towards the sustainable use of Maltese agricultural areas and maintaining key associated ecosystems services.peer-reviewe

The Rh=ctR_{\mathrm{h}}=ct universe and quintessence

Over the last few years the $R_{\mathrm{h}}=ct$ universe has received a lot of attention, particularly when observational evidence seems to favor this over the standard $\Lambda$ cold dark matter ($\Lambda CDM$) universe. Like the $\Lambda CDM$, the $R_{\mathrm{h}}=ct$ universe is based on a Friedmann-Robertson-Walker (FRW) cosmology where the total energy density $\rho$ and pressure $p$ of the cosmic fluid contain a dark energy component besides the usual (dark and baryonic) matter and radiation components. However unlike the $\Lambda CDM$ this model has the simple equation of state (EOS) $\rho + 3p = 0$, i.e., its total active gravitational mass vanishes, which would therefore exclude a cosmological constant as the source of its dark energy component. Faced with this issue, in this paper we examine various possible sources for the dark energy component of the $R_{\mathrm{h}}=ct$ universe and show that quintessence which has been used in other various dynamical dark energy models could also be a possible source in this case

The formation of catechists through a laboratory

This article seeks to show how the on-going formation of catechists can be more adapted to the contemporary needs of catechists. Today, we can no longer speak of a homogeneous society which encounters the same difficulties and problems. On the other hand, our society is characterised by fluidity and constant change. The laboratory as a method for the on-going formation of catechists seeks to actively meet this demand. The laboratory as a method for the formation of catechists is undergirded by characteristics and advantages over and above the other traditional methods of catechist formation which clearly make it the preferred method for the on-going formation of catechists today. These characteristics and advantages are explored in the text.peer-reviewe

The role of the family in educating children for the faith

One of the major responsibilities of the Christian Family is not only taking care of their children but also the education of the children for the faith. This role which is so important today is iterated in many Church documents. This is not a recent addition to the responsibilities of the family; in fact, it has been the responsibility of the family since biblical times. This paper seeks to highlight the importance of the role of the family in the education for the faith of children, starting as far back as biblical times, and reaching our contemporary times by reviewing the most important Church documents. Once the role of the family in educating for the faith of children is established, then some practical ways in which the family can educate for the faith today are discussed.peer-reviewe

EEC Congress 2015 - Celje Slovenia

The Congress of the Équipe Européenne de Catéchèse (= EEC) 2015 was organized in Slovenia in the town of Celje, Slovenia’s third‑largest town, between 27th May 2015 and 1st June 2015. The theme chosen for the Congress was Conversion. The Act, The Process and Accompaniment. Many European countries were represented either through those who are responsible for catechesis in the different European nations and dioceses and/or by experts in the catechetical sphere.peer-reviewe

Educating through communities of practice

The aim of this paper is to attempt at building a bridge between education and situated learning. The etymology of the word education outlines the two major ways of envisioning education. The meaning which we give to the term ‘education’ surely influences the ways in which the process of education unfolds and is actually conducted. The Constructivist Approach which is being used in education today is characterised by its studentcenteredness rather than teacher‑centeredness. The adoption of Communities of Practice from the industrial sphere to the realm of Catholic schools is a way in which education as bringing forth from the student (e‑ducere) and the constructivist approach developed earlier can be put into practice in Catholic Schools. Communities of practice create the right condition for situated learning in Catholic schools today. It is here that legitimate peripheral participation can be put into practice, thus fulfilling the Church’s mission of evangelisation in our contemporary culture by drawing students from the periphery of the educational endeavour, making them active participants at the core.peer-reviewe