https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/12098 2026-04-04T20:08:57Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/12231 Title: Supramolecular chemistry in water : self-assembly of multi-component fluorescent molecular logic gates in micelles Authors: Magri, David C.; Costa, Paola F. da; Paterson, Kyle A. Abstract: A recent strategy for developing supramolecular logic gates in water is based on combinations of molecules via self-assembly with surfactants, which eliminates the need for time-consuming synthesis. The self-assembly of surfactants and lumophores and receptors can result in interesting properties providing cooperative e ffects useful for molecular information processing and other potential applications such as drug delivery systems. This article highlights some of the recent advancements in supramolecular information processing using microheterogeneous media including micelles in aqueous solution. 2016-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/12230 Title: Economic and labour market implications of global environmental change on agriculture and viticulture in Malta Authors: Meli, Anthony Abstract: Agriculture contributes but a limited amount to Europe's gross domestic production, and the overall weakness of the European economy to climatic changes on agriculture is deemed low. Agriculture remains more considerable in the southern and southeastern European states with regards to employment and economic contribution and these regions are expected to face decreases in yields of 10% or more as a result of the reduction of the growing season and decreased rainfall. In Malta, other than cereal production as a fodder crop, most other crops are supported with a degree of irrigation that may ultimately mitigate adverse climatic conditions. Local producers have indicated that cereals, olives and vines have so far demonstrated varying degrees of susceptibility to climatic factors, although, arguably management factors are also relevant. The development of drier and warmer conditions in the Mediterranean region would also create conditions that are favourable to pests. Analysis of potential output e ffects triggered by global environmental change indicates that some 6,300 hectares on which wheat, olives and vines are grown, or 55% of Malta's total utilisable agricultural area, could in e ffect be rendered economically unsustainable when productivity falls by about 23%. Such heavy losses could constitute a potential risk to the sustainability of rural farming systems and livelihoods in Malta. 2016-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/12224 Title: CM1106 STEMCHEM : chemical approaches to targeting drug resistance cancer stem cells Authors: Schembri-Wismayer, Pierre; Cassar, Analisse; Blaire Theuma, Krystle; Stipourou, Iona; Passarella, Daniele; Suleiman, Sherif; Micallef, Neville Abstract: STEMCHEM is a COST action aiming to target causes of drug resistance in cancer stem cells. Cancer stem cells are cells which are believed to be responsible for the larger part of the regenerative capacity of cancers. They are also thought to be similar to adult stem cells in that they do not proliferate most of the time and are thus resistant to many kinds of chemotherapy. The action brings together labs around Europe in both biological and chemical fields to work together in this regard. Biologists targeting individual stem-cell related molecules as well as stem cell phenotypes (like the un-diff erentiated state), test chemicals from numerous labs for activity in high throughput screens, with the aim of identifying new drug targets. This COST action, like most others, o ffers opportunities for Malta, both in a general way and also particularly for a small country with small labs. 2016-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/12223 Title: Dativizable or non-dativizable : that is the question? : a syntactic-semantic analysis of English (non)-dativizable constructions in the production of a set of 2L1 English/Spanish simultaneous bilingual twins Authors: Sanchez Calderon, Silvia; Fernandez Fuertes, Raquel Abstract: This paper analyzes the syntactico-semantic factors which trigger Dative shift in English dativizable verbs, i.e. those verbs that allow alternation between double object and prepositional complement constructions. It also focuses on non-dativizable verbs that restrict their subcategorization framework to either double object or prepositional complement constructions. This syntactico-semantic relation between dativizable and nondativizable structures is addressed in acquisition by examining the incidence for the two verb types in a set of English/Spanish 2L1 bilingual twins. Our results show that the syntactic and semantic features that dativizable and non-dativizables present go hand in hand with the age of first occurrence and the language development of the participants. Hence, dativizable to-dative double object constructions (DOC) are the utterances produced the earliest at the age of 2, as opposed to dativizable to/for-datives and non-dativizable constructions, which begin to emerge at around the age of 3. Finally, our results also suggest that the high adult input frequency explains the twins' early production of dativizable structures and that, in the same way, the children's low exposure to non-dativizable utterances correlates with the later occurrence in the twins' spontaneous production. 2016-01-01T00:00:00Z