https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/11839 Thu, 04 Jun 2026 03:52:20 GMT 2026-06-04T03:52:20Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/11932 Title: Seafood from Norway : food safety Authors: Lorentzen, Grete; Siikavuopio, Sten I.; Whitaker, Ragnhild D. Abstract: Since Norway is a major supplier of seafood worldwide, monitoring the food safety of Norwegian fish products is a priority. This commentary gives a brief overview of the food safety of seafood from Norwegian waters. Several preventative measures during harvest/catch, processing and distribution have been established and are implemented regularly. Furthermore, comprehensive monitoring programmes to detect and quantify undesirable substances, such as heavy metals and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), in Norwegian seafood are carried out. Substances with health benefits, such as omega-3 fatty acids, are also analysed. In general, evidence shows the level of undesirable substances in seafood from Norway to be low. In fact, in the majority of samples analysed, levels of undesirable substances were reported to be below the maximum limit set by the European Union (EU). This leads to the conclusion that consumption of seafood originating from Norway involves a low risk of negative health effects and that consumers can have confidence in the products they purchase. Fri, 01 Jan 2016 00:00:00 GMT https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/11932 2016-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/11931 Title: Reframing dementia care in Maltese Hospitals Authors: Scerri, Anthony; Scerri, Charles Abstract: This commentary addresses the urgent need to improve the care of patients with dementia and cognitive impairment in Maltese hospitals by proposing a number of dementia-friendly hospital-based initiatives. The authors discuss the rationale for developing these interventions in view of the increase in prevalence of persons with dementia in the Maltese Islands, some of whom may require hospital care at any time. Lessons learned from initiatives abroad are reviewed and an overview of the key objectives set out in the National Strategy for Dementia in the Maltese Islands is given. Finally, this article proposes a number of dementia-friendly initiatives that can be introduced in Maltese hospitals so as to induce the required change. Wed, 01 Jun 2016 00:00:00 GMT https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/11931 2016-06-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/11930 Title: Living with Giuillain-Barre' syndrome Authors: Chetcuti, Silvan; Sultana, Victoria; Depares, Joanna Abstract: The potential long-term symptoms associated with Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) have been made evident in various studies. The purpose of the current investigation was to explore the meaning of living with GBS in a Maltese community setting following discharge from hospital. The study adopted a Heideggerian phenomenological approach. Four Maltese female participants were identified through purposive sampling, two to four years following their diagnosis. The women had all been treated in the Intensive Therapy Unit (ITU) of a Maltese general hospital at the acute stage of their illness. They were interviewed twice in their own environments. Data analysis led to the identification of three super-ordinate themes, namely Lost at Sea, Propelled into Change and The Aftermath. Participants spoke about the long-term symptoms related to GBS which left them feeling worn out most of the time. Subsequently, they were induced to delegate strenuous everyday roles to others, typically close family members. Participants highlighted a feeling of indebtedness towards their relatives, although at times they also felt ‘suffocated’ due to being over-protected. The women were very grateful for the professional care they received as hospital in-patients. However, when back in the community they felt that health care professionals failed to empathise with their needs. Participants described GBS as a “shot out of the blue” that totally transformed their lives. Although GBS changed their outlook on life, they never gave up hope of having a better future. However in trying to re-integrate themselves in society, they were faced with various environmental obstacles and 'human barriers' that led them to social isolation. A key recommendation of the study is the need for an effective discharge planning programme intended to help these patients make a smooth transition as they return back to the community. Wed, 01 Jun 2016 00:00:00 GMT https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/11930 2016-06-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/11929 Title: Comparison of hearing aid outcome measures in adult hearing aid users Authors: Miggiani, Pauline; Tabone, Nadine Abstract: Hearing aid outcome measures have become an essential part of audiological intervention. This study aimed to explore hearing aid benefit in Maltese hearing aid users through subjective and objective outcome measures. The Profil Imqassar dwar il-Benefiċċju tal-Hearing Aids (PIBHA), a translated version of the Abbreviated Profile of Hearing Aid Benefit (APHAB) questionnaire, was used to subjectively examine hearing aid benefit in 56 adult hearing aid users falling in the 20- to 60-year age range. Thirty of these hearing aid users subsequently participated in clinical testing to evaluate hearing aid benefit objectively. Real ear measurements (REMs) and two non-word repetition tests, the Maltese Non-Words in Quiet (MNWQ) and the Maltese Non-Words in Noise (MNWN), were used in the study. Analysis aimed to identify which factors correlated with hearing aid benefit. It also explored the extent to which subjective perception of hearing aid benefit correlated with performance on non-word repetition and REMs in the local population. Daily use was associated with gender and hearing aid type. Non-word repetition scores were correlated with the PIBHA scores and with REMs. Unlike findings reported in the literature, REMs were not correlated with the self-reported measures of the PIBHA. Implications for including both subjective and objective measures in hearing aid fitting protocols are addressed Wed, 01 Jun 2016 00:00:00 GMT https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/11929 2016-06-01T00:00:00Z