OAR@UM Community:

Connect, collaborate, conquer : how OiPub transforms research discovery and discussion

2025-03-07T10:58:26Z

Title: Connect, collaborate, conquer : how OiPub transforms research discovery and discussion Authors: Bianchi, Robert Abstract: Keeping up to date with Research is HARD WORK. More and more research is published each year. It is hard to find the research that matters, that elusive work that is perfectly relevant, well written and not 10 years out-of-date. You have got that experiment to run, lectures, various meetings, conferences, articles to write, a few peer reviews and perhaps among all that you might even get some work done on that very important thing you are working on. The one that will hopefully change the world but you never have time for.

The influence of migration on Malta’s demographic transition : an observational study

2025-03-07T10:56:44Z

Title: The influence of migration on Malta’s demographic transition : an observational study Authors: Grech, Victor; Cuschieri, Sarah; Gatt, Miriam; Cordina, Charmaine; Calleja, Neville; Scherb, Hagen Abstract: The demographic transition model (DTM) refers to the historical change from elevated birth and high death rates to low birth and low death rates in more advanced and higher education societies with higher levels of economic development. Malta is a small, central Mediterranean country (population ≈ 500,000) with a high influx of workers. This study was carried out to ascertain secular trends in births in Malta by nationality of mother, including age standardised fertility rates, population levels and employment trends. The study design uses ecological methodology. Births, age-specific fertility rates (ASFR), population and employment data were analysed for 2000-2020. Total births increased from 4,311 in 2000 to 4,420 in 2021 (p = 0.0001) as did proportion of nonMaltese births from 5.2 to 46.7% (p < 0.0001). Maltese ASFR only was in significant decline (p = 0.0003). Total population increased from 388,759 in 2000 to 520,971 in 2022 (p < 0.0001) as did the proportion of nonMaltese workers, which increased from 2.2% in 2000 to 20.6% in 2022 (p < 0.0001). Maltese and non-Maltese, part-time and full-time employment rates significantly increased (p < 0.0001). The proportion of non-Maltese increased for part-time and full-time workers also increased (p < 0.0001). Fertility is falling almost globally with ageing population and declining births and populations. In Malta, domestic labour supply cannot keep up with an influx of foreign workers, weathering its demographic transition at the expense of a rapidly expanding population but the long-term results are of significant concern as infrastructures may not cope and a substantial worker efflux for whatever reason could potentially precipitate a significant economic downturn.

The 2024 COPCA conference in Valletta

2025-03-07T10:53:33Z

Title: The 2024 COPCA conference in Valletta Authors: Mifsud, Duncan; Attard-Trevisan, Rebekah; Verkhovtsev, Alexey; Mason, Nigel Abstract: The physical and chemical changes induced by collision processes are of indisputable significance to various fields of scientific inquiry. Indeed, the transfer of energy during a collision needs to be investigated over multiple spatial and energetic scales, ranging from the nanoscale (e.g., nanolithographic fabrication techniques during focused electron beam induced deposition) (De Teresa et al., 2016; Huth et al., 2012) to the cosmic scale (e.g., cometary or asteroidal impacts with planetary bodies in the Solar System) (Gisler et al., 2011; Toon et al., 1997). The evident multidisciplinary nature of collisions research therefore means that experimental and theoretical methodologies used in one particular field of research may prove useful to solving outstanding problems in another (Solovyov et al., 2024), and thus cross-disciplinary collaborations should be encouraged and fostered in order to further advance the current status of investigative research work. Such was the primary motivation of the inaugural Collisions Physics and Chemistry and their Applications (COPCA) Conference, held in Valletta in 2022: to bring together researchers from apparently disparate fields whose work relates broadly to collisions on the nano-, meso- and macroscales so as to provide new insights into ongoing research projects as well as foster the establishment of new collaborations. (Excerpt)

A land use and land use change study of the Maltese islands (1998-2012)

2025-03-07T10:48:49Z

Title: A land use and land use change study of the Maltese islands (1998-2012) Authors: Sultana, Daniel Abstract: A thorough understanding of past spatial and temporal land use variations is critical for evaluating the effectiveness of land use policies and guiding future decisions towards sustainable management. Such knowledge places current land use trends in a historical context, allowing for better modeling of potential future scenarios. This study contributes to this understanding by providing two high-resolution datasets. The first dataset presents a fine spatial resolution land use map of Malta for 2012, with a minimum mapping unit (MMU) of 0.01 km². The second dataset offers a very fine spatial resolution map (MMU of 0.0005 km²) that documents the spatial changes in artificial surfaces and the land uses they replaced between 1998 and 2012. The analysis shows that artificial surfaces in the Maltese Islands covered 48.13 km² in 1998, increasing by 4.68 km² to 52.81 km² by 2012. In 1998, 84% of these artificial surfaces were located within development zones (within scheme), 14% were found outside of combined development and environmental designations, and 2% within environmentally designated areas. Structure Plan policies during this period successfully confined 49% of new artificial surfaces within development zones. However, 48% of new artificial surfaces were constructed outside of development designations, and 3% were built within environmentally protected zones. These findings suggest that the Structure Plan's policy framework was only partially effective in containing urban expansion within designated areas, while environmental policies were more successful in curbing industrial and residential development within protected zones. New artificial surfaces during the study period primarily replaced agricultural land, both used (1.84 km²) and abandoned (1.40 km²), as well as semi-natural areas (0.43 km²). This research highlights a misalignment between the intended objectives of land use policies and the actual land use changes observed over the 14-year period. It underscores the importance of acquiring detailed spatial and temporal data to inform national land use and resource management policies aimed at promoting sustainable land use. An accurate assessment of these variations is crucial for adjusting policy measures to achieve the desired outcomes in future land management efforts.