Runtime verification using Valour

In this paper we give an overview of Valour, a runtime verification tool which has been developed in the context of a project to act as a backend verification tool for financial transaction software. A Valour script is written by the user and is then compiled into a verification system. Although, developed as part of a project, the tool has been designed as a stand-alone general-purpose verification engine with a particular emphasis on event consumption. The strong points of Valour when compared to other runtime verification tools is its focus on scalability and robustness.peer-reviewe

Low temperature carburised austenitic stainless steel for metal-on-metal tribological contact

S-phase layers formed on biomedical grade austenitic stainless steels have demonstrated significantly enhanced in-vitro wear and corrosion behaviour. To date, most of these tribo-corrosion studies on S-phase treated alloys were conducted using a polycrystalline alumina or cemented tungsten carbide ball as the counterface material. Testing S-phase against S-phase is both scientifically interesting and technologically important in view of their potential applications for the articulating surfaces of metal-on-metal joint prostheses. In this work, biomedical grade 316LVM discs together with AISI 316 balls were low temperature carburised. In-vitro corrosion-wear testing using an S-phase engineered ball against an S-phase engineered disc was performed. Such testing was also complemented with electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, potentiodynamic and cytotoxicity tests. The results have shown that the carburised 316LVM alloy was found to have good in-vitro cytocompatibility and an augmented corrosion and corrosion-wear resistance when compared with the untreated alloy.peer-reviewe

A longitudinal analysis of trends in the number of positive cases and swabbing activities during the first eighteen months of the COVID-19 pandemic in Malta

In March 2020, at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic teams were set up to execute the processes needed to implement COVID-19 related activities. The Helpline team was responsible for the booking of appointments for swabbing, the first step in the process. The Helpline also received calls from the public for other reasons.peer-reviewe

The national helpline during the COVID-19 pandemic : a pillar of support for the public

Soon after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in Malta in March 2020, the number of calls from the public escalated so much that a helpline service, Helpline 111, was set at a private call centre. Calls from the public were answered by a team of trained agents, supported onsite by officials from the Public Health Response Team. The reasons for the calls varied and guidelines for answering the calls were continuously updated in line with the current standards and mitigation measures.peer-reviewe