The cost of soil replacement : a Maltese case study

Soil erosion only enters national accounting systems when soil loss is reflected in lost agricultural productivity, or becomes manifest with costs sustained by damage through flooding, siltation of dams, landslides, and other associated phenomena. On islands that are prone to desertification, however, soil loss needs to be better accounted since the costs of soil replacement and rehabilitation are often prohibitively expensive. Circumscribed agricultural space provides the necessary incentive for investment in soil conservation measures and, in certain cases, a long history of such measures results in a wealth of soil retention structures. Soil conservation has been practised in the densely populated Maltese islands for several hundred years. Slope terracing and armouring of the terrace face with retaining dry stonewalls represents a rich resource which has not yet been quantified. Yet the cost of maintaining such soil conservation structures is becoming increasingly prohibitive despite the downstream costs of their eventual failure. Legislation has been enacted aimed at preserving rubble walls since these are now also regarded as a unique landscape feature but well-targeted economic incentives and support infrastructures are crucial in this regard. In fact, the Maltese Government has, over the past few years, promoted rubble wall repairs by creating groups of skilled workers trained in the craft of rubble wall building. Malta's joining the European Union in May 2004 also means that EU funds would be utilised in this regard but this needs careful management. Despite such state initiatives, alternative non-state subsidies need to be identified and this demands the identification of net beneficiaries of soil conservation. The most easily identifiable stakeholders are farmers but the tourist sector and water management authorities should also be enlisted within soil conservation management. Other stakeholders include those sectors that are adversely affected by soil erosion. In this case, insurance companies and road maintenance agencies should also be involved in soil management initiatives.peer-reviewe

The ocean change : management patterns and the environment

Since the 1960s, the rapid development of the international Law of the Sea has outstripped the capacity of most maritime states for developing and implementing policy. The delimitation of the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), which resulted from the United Nations’ Convention on the Law of the Sea (1982) brought about an extension of its area, within which the sate exercise control over all resources and economic activities. At the same time as the jurisdiction of the state has encroached seawards, there has been a significant increase in the range of opportunities for the use of the offshore zone. Until now, the most common approach to managing Malta's marine and coastal resources has been to regulate activities. Thus, regulations concerning constructions on the foreshore, transport of sand, recreational activities on the coast, commercial fishing, control of pollution, shipping and other related marine activities exist. These regulations are not sufficient to safeguard marine resources or to ensure maximal sustainable use. Some regulations are outdated, others are not enforced and different sets of regulations may actually conflict. This situation is not unique to the coastal zone, but it is also true for the whole island. In general, Malta's development has been haphazard and piecemeal and not regulated by any national plan, formulated on the basis of a scientific study of the country's physical, economic, social and cultural characteristics, existing and projected needs and the necessity for maintaining environmental quality. Recognizing this, the Maltese government is in the process of drafting national planning guidelines in the form of the Malta Structure Plan. As a first step towards fulfilling this objective, the Planning Services Division of the Ministry for Development of Infra- structure commissioned a Coastal Zone Survey of the Maltese Islands. As part of this, a survey of the terrestrial part of the coastal zone was carried out over a six-week period from early July 1989 by a joint team from the Universities of Durham and Malta. The output of this survey comprised a report of the survey, coastal land-use maps on a scale of 1:2,500, a series of synoptic land-use maps on a scale of 1:25,000, and a series of synoptic maps on various scales, depicting coastal features of ecologjcal importance. This in the hope of determining which areas are to be preserved and which are to be used for economic gain.peer-reviewe

Redefining Student Learning Identities: Insights into the Transformation of Identities through a Blended Learning Approach

This paper presents a focused examination of a practitioner research case study, honing in on twelve college students in a class of thirty-seven, enrolled in a chemistry course within a blended learning framework. Over the course of two years, the research aimed to delve deeply into the impact of networked learning experiences on the learning identities of these students. Through meticulous exploration using in-depth interviews, significant positive transformations in the learning identities of these twelve students were unearthed. The research question guiding this work was to understand how the blended learning approach, which included an online networked learning component supplementing face-to-face learning, brought about a change in student learning. The study investigated the impact of online participation on the learning identities of the students and how, in turn, the class was generally affected by the transformation of student identities. By examining the interplay between online and face-to-face learning modalities, this research sheds light on the complex dynamics shaping the learning experiences and identities of college students in blended learning environments. Distinctly, the investigation identified two main components of the student learning identity. These are the academic and positional sub-identities. The academic identity transformation was particularly noteworthy, revealing an emergent sense of control, agency, empowerment, and competence as a result of the students embracing online collaborative learning. Simultaneously, the research brought to light changes in the positional identity, encompassing persona-related, acted, and relational identities. The interplay of these identities within the class fostered a profound sense of belonging, of being valued, and connectedness among the students, extending its influence into the face-to-face learning contexts.The findings emphasize that networked learning collaborative skills not only enhance traditional educational practices but also play a key role in effecting positive changes in students' learning identities. The integration of online collaborative learning within traditional educational settings emerged as a catalyst for fundamental transformations in how students perceive and engage with their learning processes. The research contributes to knowledge on the impact of digital pedagogies on learning identities and suggests that educators can use online collaborative learning experiences to cultivate a more profound impact on students' learning identities and engagement, thereby enriching both theory and practice in education. It offers valuable insights on fostering dynamic and empowered learning environments to educators

Church Member Survey in Africa

A church member survey commissioned by the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventist was done in Africa. This paper focuses on two-way comparison of the religious behaviors, attitudes, and experiences of male and female adults and youths for the purpose of addressing the issues affecting the religious life of church members

The first total synthesis of N1999-A2: absolute stereochemistry and stereochemical implications into DNA cleavage

Enediyne antitumor antibiotics have attracted immense attention among chemists and biologists alike because of their unique chemical structures, potent antitumor activities, and fascinating biological modes of action. As a novel addition to this family, the nonprotein and extremely strained nine-membered enediyne antibiotic N1999-A2 strongly inhibits the growth of various tumor cell lines and bacteria, and cleaves DNA in a base-specific manner. The attractive features of this molecule lie not only within the chemical structure being analogous to the neocarzinostatin chromophore, itself a potent anticancer agent, but also in that it can invoke remarkably strong biological activities even without a stabilizing apoprotein carrier and a glycoside functionality that can accelerate the rate of DNA cleavage. In this regard, N1999-A2 serves as a leading enediyne-based antitumor agent with minimal functionality that is able to act on DNA selectively. We therefore focused on this unique, unstable, and stereochemically unknown compound and undertook the formidable challenge of devising an efficient strategy that would be flexible enough to ultimately construct a series of related highly strained systems