/library/oar/handle/123456789/40618 2025-11-15T06:17:09Z 2025-11-15T06:17:09Z Agius, Karl Theuma, Nadia Deidun, Alan /library/oar/handle/123456789/40744 2019-10-09T08:29:37Z 2018-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Does absence of charismatic species impact the ecotourism potential of Central Mediterranean islands? Authors: Agius, Karl; Theuma, Nadia; Deidun, Alan Abstract: Central Mediterranean Islands tend to be devoid of large terrestrial charismatic fauna which usually serve as target species for ecotourism. This has raised questions on the potential of ecotourism in such destinations. However it has been argued that absence of charismatic megafauna should not be considered as a limitation. Ecotours were organised on nine islands in the central Mediterranean region. Interviews and focus groups were held with participants of the ecotours and stakeholders. It has been argued that most charismatic species are marine, touting marine ecotourism as the ideal tourism product. Furthermore, rather than focusing on charismatic species, the ecotourism product on such islands should revolve around the various coastal environments and habitats and other smaller species including non-mammals, especially endemic ones thus facilitating a broader approach to conservation. Owing to the remarkable biodiversity of plant species, charismatic megaflora and plants have also been identified as important targets for ecotourism. Furthermore, due to the intense environmental pressure and limited size of protected areas the overlap with cultural, rural and adventure tourism has been suggested. In order for the ecotourism product to be more competitive archipelago tourism also referred to as island hopping is also recommended, a proposal which is supported by the presence of endemic and sub-endemic species. Results show that absence of charismatic species does not limit ecotourism development on such islands.

2018-01-01T00:00:00Z Bonnici, Gary Zhang, Yimeng Calleja-Agius, Jean Schembri-Wismayer, Pierre /library/oar/handle/123456789/40743 2019-10-09T08:30:17Z 2018-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: The development of the sympathetic system of the heart Authors: Bonnici, Gary; Zhang, Yimeng; Calleja-Agius, Jean; Schembri-Wismayer, Pierre Abstract: Development of the sympathetic nervous system begins at about embryonic day 9 in mice with the migration of the neural crest cells to the dorsal aorta and the development of neurons and the sympathetic ganglia. This is followed by the axonal elongation towards the developing cardiac tissue. This process is directed by a series of signal ligands including ephrin-B1, semaphorin 3a (Sema3a), F-Spondin, bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs), Wnt-1 protein, neurotrophin-3 (NT-3), nerve growth factor (NGF) and artemin (ARTN). Once at the developing heart, the nerve fibres follow the coronary veins in the subepicardium using NGF and the chemorepellent Sema3a as signals. Here they interact with the cardiac conduction system. Although these cardiac neural cells are part of the autonomic system, they are developed later, mainly on the epicardial surface. Bilateral innervation of the heart comes from the middle cervical stellate (MC-S) ganglion. Although the left ventricle and atrium receive noradrenaline from the MC-S on both sides, the right ventricle receives more from the MC-S from the left rather than from the right side. The development of the great vessels also contributes towards the pattern of development of cardiac innervation. The afferent fibres leaving the heart are also described. Their development relates to the sympathetic innervation of the heart and therefore to cardiac sensations. We hypothesise about how this reflects on the patterns of ischaemic cardiac pain.

2018-01-01T00:00:00Z /library/oar/handle/123456789/40741 2020-08-05T10:50:29Z 2018-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: The 36th European Seismological Commission General Assembly Abstract: In Trieste, during the 35th General Assembly of the European Seismological Commission (ESC), the Department of Geosciences at the University of Malta was chosen to host the 36th General Assembly (Fig. 1). The city of Valletta won the bid among competition from three other European cities. The event took place at the Mediterranean Conference Centre (Fig. 2) from the 2–7 September 2018 and was preceded by a one-week Young Seismologists Training Course (YSTC; Fig. 3). The ESC is a commission within the International Association for Seismology and Physics of the Earth’s Interior, whose General Assembly takes place every two years. It is primarily a meeting ground for academics and researchers working in the field of seismology and related applications, including applied and social aspects of seismology, such as earthquake hazard and risk, earthquake engineering, education and awareness, and risk prevention.

2018-01-01T00:00:00Z Gatt, William /library/oar/handle/123456789/40740 2019-03-07T02:30:35Z 2018-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Time variation, asymmetry and threshold effects in Malta's Phillips curve Authors: Gatt, William Abstract: This paper estimates a Phillips curve for Malta using data since the 1960s, using Bayesian methods to estimate a time-varying parameter model with stochastic volatility. It presents evidence that the curve has flattened over time. This implies that the link between inflation and economic activity has weakened, consistent with findings for other countries. This phenomenon is driven by downward price stickiness and threshold effects, where inflation is generally unresponsive to domestic economic conditions unless the economy is going through a strong boom. Meanwhile, this study finds an increasingly important role for import price shocks in driving inflation in the Maltese economy, owing to its increased openness and trade integration. The estimated variance of shocks to inflation was high in the 1980s, but has fallen greatly since then, rising somewhat in the run-up to the Great Recession.

2018-01-01T00:00:00Z