https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/11486 2026-09-26T20:48:11Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/149101 Title: Quantitative analysis and characterization of the fungal and bacterial ecosystem of soft cheese Abstract: This work and its abstract are both under embargo until the restriction is lifted. Description: Ph.D.(Melit.) 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/149100 Title: Design, development and optimisation of pulsed electric fields (PEF) processes for microbial inactivation in liquid food products : microbial cellular and molecular mechanisms during PEF mediated treatments Abstract: This work and its abstract are both under embargo until the restriction is lifted. Description: Ph.D.(Melit.) 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/149088 Title: Genomics of idiopathic hypogonadotropic hypogonadism in the Maltese population : a high-throughput DNA sequencing and bioinformatic study Abstract: This work and its abstract are both under embargo until the restriction is lifted. Description: Ph.D.(Melit.) 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/147478 Title: Auditory and visual processing skills in Maltese children Abstract: Auditory processing (AP) and visual processing (VP) abilities are important for language development, learning, and classroom participation; however, evidence from Malta remains limited. This study investigated AP and VP performance in 8-year-old Maltese children according to gender, primary language, and neurodevelopmental profile. Participants included 83 children: 71 neurotypical (NT) and 12 neurodiverse (ND). AP skills were assessed using a computer-based battery administered via TestFlight, while VP skills were measured using the Motor-Free Visual Perception Test–Fourth Edition (MVPT-4). Language processing was evaluated through a Sentence Imitation Test derived from the Language Assessment for Maltese Children (LAMC). A researcher-developed questionnaire collected demographic and language background data. Data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics within an exploratory quantitative framework. Neurodevelopmental status emerged as the strongest determinant of performance, with ND children demonstrating consistently weaker AP and VP outcomes than NT peers. Gender and primary language showed minimal influence. Sentence imitation performance differed according to neurodevelopmental profile but not gender. Findings highlight interactions between perceptual, cognitive, and linguistic processes. Clinically, results support including AP and VP measures in assessment protocols, while educational implications include reducing perceptual load and implementing structured multisensory teaching approaches. This study contributes novel local evidence on perceptual processing in Maltese children within a bilingual context. Description: M.Sc.(Melit.) 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z