https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/48314 Sat, 04 Apr 2026 12:03:37 GMT 2026-04-04T12:03:37Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/101037 Title: Teleonomic creativity : an analysis of causality Abstract: When the human mind searches concept space for solutions to a given condition we have a choice between conventional and creative thinking. But what are the probabilities of improving a given situation using creative thinking compared with conventional thinking? To answer this question we are extending the meaning of creativity beyond human creativity. We view creativity as an optimised search strategy applicable to the larger set of all teleonomic systems and term this creativity teleonomic creativity. We argue that an analog process is common to all manifestations of creativity within teleonomic systems and describe this process and its cause. In order to show this process and to make quantitative comparisons, we utilise the metaphor of an adaptive fitness landscape and simple statistical techniques. The term fitness in our case describes the condition of a well-defined property being suitable for a purpose, rather than an overall evaluation of many complex interactions measuring reproductive success. We define creativity as the successful attempt of either individuals or populations to gain higher fitness via exploration of global fitness peaks as opposed to the exploitation of a currently occupied local peak. We then show mathematically how the inclusion of creativity in a search can dramatically increase the chances of finding appropriate solutions. We also recognise that creative behaviour is most successful when the environment is unstable. We note the existence of a strategic meta-parameter that allows self-adaptation when tuned via a feedback loop from the environment. We show that creativity can be understood as a random process with an optimal setting for the standard deviation that maximises the probability of hitting a target of higher fitness. We support our claims with computer simulations and observe several occurrences of teleonomic creativity in nature. In addition we measure the entropy of a teleonomic system via the phase-space of internal variables and observe a sudden entropy increase during the onset of creative behaviour in a teleonomic system. Our investigations also enable us to rationalise the processes, conditions and phenomena surrounding human creativity such as mistakes, madness, serendipity, humor, analogy making and interpret the function of creativity promoters and inhibitors. Our findings may also allow us to incorporate creativity into artificial computer models. We speculate that creativity is an emerging property of any teleonomic system and as such ubiquitous in nature. Description: PH.D Wed, 01 Jan 2003 00:00:00 GMT https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/101037 2003-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/100526 Title: Studio archeometrico ed analisi del degrado della cupola del Calí nella chiesa parrocchiale di Cospicua (Malta) Abstract: La cupola della cappella del SS. Crocifisso della chiesa di Cospicua venne denominata "Cupola del Call" dopo che ii famoso artista maltese la decoro a inizio '900. La prima chiesa fu edificata nel 1587, con struttura a navata singola ed una piccola cappella dedicata a San Rocco ove fu posto ii SS. Crocifisso ligneo quando fu portato da Creta dai Cavalieri dell'Ordine; venne poi collocato nella nuova Cappella del SS. Crocifisso al momenta della sua costruzione nel 1682. La chiesa e stata successivamente ampliata nel 1730. La cupola della cappella del SS. Crocifisso e stata dipinta nel 1903 da Giuseppe Call con rappresentazioni della vita di Gesu. A causa del suo elevato stato di degrado ha gia subito ii restauro dell'artista Bonnici Call nel 1963. Dalle ricerche effettuate sulle mappe storiche non e stato possibile individuare la cava di prelievo della roccia utilizzata per la sua costruzione; dai "Libri dei Conti" e dalle "Visite Episcopali" presso la Curia Vescovile di Malta, si e riscontrato come la roccia per la costruzione della cupola sia stata prelevata dalla "barriera" (cava) sul sito di costruzione della chiesa. L'analisi visiva del dipinto ha evidenziato ii suo elevato stato di degrado; causa principale e ii distacco delle pitture dal supporto dovuto a fenomeni di blistering ed efflorescenze saline della roccia sottostante. Gli stessi fenomeni sono stati riscontrati anche in altre chiese dipinte da Call. L'analisi micologica ha individuato due generi fungini (Penicillium e Asperigillius), tipici infestanti delle pitture murarie. La crescita fungina dei campioni e risultata non elevata, a conferma che l'umidita nella cupola, dopo la sua impermeabilizzazione negli anni '90, e bassa. La presenza e tipologia dei funghi indica l'elevata organicita dei leganti utilizzati. L'analisi petrografica dei campioni della cupola ha evidenziato che la roccia costitutiva e Globigerina Limestone. Le analisi Raman hanno permesso d'individuare la tecnica pittorica utilizzata: pittura ad olio su roccia: in alcuni campioni si e constatato la presenza di strati di intonaco e tonachino, in altri e stata applicata direttamente sulla roccia. Le analisi Raman hanno portato a risultati analoghi a quelli di Roberta De Angelis nel 2004: i verdi risultano composti da Blu di Prussia assieme a Cromato di Piombo, i rossi da Lepidocrocite assieme a Blu di Prussia; l'analisi e stata complicata dalla fluorescenza prodotta dalla matrice fortemente organica dei leganti. Sul campione COS-4 e stata individuata una lamina metallica color oro; ad analisi XRF e risultata argento dorato, applicata su di uno strata di bolo e Bianco di Piombo. L'analisi petrografica delle rocce provenienti da Kordin, ha dimostrato una composizione diversa da quella della cupola di Cospicua, escludendone la provenienza da questa zona. I campioni di roccia prelevati in vari punti della chiesa sono stati confrontati con quelli della cupola: la roccia dei campioni prelevati al lato e sotto la chiesa risulta la stessa; la roccia prelevata dalla facciata presenta una diversa matrice. Questo fa presumere che la costruzione della cupola sia avvenuta in un momenta precedente alla costruzione della nuova chiesa: per la prima si sarebbe utilizzato del materiale prelevato in situ, per la seconda ii materiale sarebbe stato prelevato nelle vicinanze. Le analisi Georadar hanno individuate un muro sotto al transetto attuale della chiesa e del materiale di riporto in corrispondenza della facciata principale. L'orientamento di queste strutture fa presumere come la disposizione della precedente chiesa fosse perpendicolare a quella attuale con la cupola del Santissimo Crocifisso come cupola principale. Description: PhD Sat, 01 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/100526 2011-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/100525 Title: Clay mineral stratigraphy of Miocene to Recent marine sediments In the central Mediterranean Abstract: X-ray diffraction analyses were made of the smaller than 2 um fraction from about 1250 samples of the central Mediterranean Miocene to Recent and the southeastern North-Atlantic Miocene in order to reconstruct climatic changes. Relative quantities of the clay minerals chlorite, illite, pyrophyllite, smectite, kaolinite and palygorskite and the accessory minerals quartz and goethite were obtained with a new quantification method, combining peak-area and peak height measurements on the diffractograms. Random mixed-layers and sepiolite were found but not quantified separately. Detailed calcareous nannofossil and planktonic foraminiferal biostratigraphic data - and for the Late Miocene to Pleistocene also geomagnetic data - allowed time-stratigraphic correlation of thirteen clay mineral intervals and twenty six subintervals distinguished in the most detailed records. The mineral curves as well as a principal component analysis of the averages per (sub)interval show the existence of regional differences in clay composition within the central Mediterranean area and between the two study areas. These differences were preserved in the course of time and are elated to source characteristics and sorting during transport. Smectite dominates the associations. In most intervals the vertical record of strong smectite trends and fluctuations is not a reflection of contemporaneous changes in soil formation induced by climate. Lateral comparison between curves for Pliocene sections in Sicily, Calabria and the Tyrrhenian suggests that the main mechanism is to be looked for in changes in erosion and reworking from older sedimentary sequences, possibly of Messinian Age. Changes were caused by variator in precipitation and in relief formation. A more distant supply of clay particles as aeolian dust derived from Paleogene sediment outcrops in North Africa is reconstructed for the Late Miocene to Pliocene of the entire central Mediterranean. This signal is suppressed by local riverine supply at times of tectonic uplift causing diachronous sedimentary facies transitions. Also during more humid periods we find an increased local supply, expressed by grey layers in sedimentary rhythmites for which rhythmites a forcing by astronomic precession has been proposed by earlier authors. The influence of a deteriorating climate is envisaged for the Middle Miocene and Pleistocene. Clay compositional changes in the Middle Miocene of the two study areas also reflect rejuvenation of reliefs and possibly changing wind and current patterns, however. The Pleistocene record of the Tyrrhenian shows some influence of weathering of volcanic terrains in Italy. Mediterranean-wide the Messinian clay associations indicate semi-aridity. There are indications for marine-anthogenesis in the middle Tortonian and in the Messinian of Sicily, however. Therefore semi-aridity, possibly in combination with peneplanisation and sea-level-rise, ·cannot be considered the only cause of the observed smectite abundances. Description: PhD Tue, 01 Jan 1991 00:00:00 GMT https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/100525 1991-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/100416 Title: Simulation of oxygen transport in capillaries Abstract: A mathematical model is developed to predict oxygen transport from large capillaries. The model includes diffusion and convection in the plasma and rbc and the reaction in the rbcs. It also includes the radial distribution of red cells and flow velocities of red cells and plasma. The calculated oxygen saturations are in good agreement with the results from experiments in which artificial rubber capillaries are per- fused with red blood cell suspensions. It is found that in the large capillaries most of the resistance to Oxygen transport lies in the plasma. The Nusselt number for mass transfer is determined as a function of various parameters. The fluxes from large capillaries under various conditions can be easily predicted from these Nusselt numbers. The resistance to oxygen transport is found to be greater with rbc suspensions than with equivalent Hb solutions. A mathematical model is developed for small capillaries. The effects of various parameters on oxygen transport are studied using this model. The physiological significance of these effects is discussed. The Nusselt number is calculated as a function of various parameters. It is found that a significant fraction of the transport resistance lies outside the tissue. The model is applied to certain physiological situations and is found to predict the observed behaviour. The experimental methodology developed by Boland et al (13) is validated with the help of a well established mathematical model for haemoglobin solutions. The experimental system is characterized with the help of the model. The effects of physiological factors on oxygen transport from haemoglobin solutions is studied. Description: PhD Fri, 01 Jan 1988 00:00:00 GMT https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/100416 1988-01-01T00:00:00Z