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\" In an age where official and sponsored violence are becoming normalised and conceived of as legitimate tools of peace keeping, a number of leading academics and activists represented in Pedagogy, Politics and Philosophy of Peace interrogate and resist the intensification of the militarisation of civil life and of international relations. Coming from different areas of study, the contributors to this volume discuss peace and critical peace education from a range of perspectives. The nature of peace, myths related to peace, the logistics of peace and peace-making as well as the relation of peace and pedagogy in the broadest meaning of the term constitute the main themes of the book. The common thread that binds the chapters together is the distinction between genuine/authentic and false peace and the importance of critical reflection on actions that contribute to genuine peace. \"-- Provided by publisher.

Antibiotic resistance is a leading global public health concern and antibiotic use is a key driver. Effective interventions are needed to target key stakeholders, including general practitioners (GPs). In Malta, little is known about factors that influence GPs' antibiotic prescribing, making it challenging to implement targeted interventions. We therefore aimed to explore GPs' understanding of antibiotic use and resistance, and describe their perceived barriers and facilitators to prudent antibiotic prescribing for acute respiratory tract infections in Malta. Face-to-face individual semi-structured interviews were held with a quota sample of 20 GPs in 2014. Interviews were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim, and later analysed iteratively using manifest and latent content analysis. Findings were collated in a socioecological model to depict how GPs as individuals are embedded within larger social systems and contexts, and how each component within this system impacts their prescribing behaviour. We found that GPs' antibiotic prescribing decisions are complex and impacted by numerous barriers and facilitators at the individual, interpersonal, organisational, community, and public policy level. Predominant factors found to impact GPs' antibiotic prescribing included not only intrinsic GP factors such as knowledge, awareness, experience, and misconceptions, but also several external factors. At the interpersonal level, GPs' perceived patient demand and behaviour to be a persistent issue that impacts their prescribing decisions. Similarly, some GPs found pressure from drug reps to be concerning despite being considered an important source of information. Organisational and public policy-level issues such as lack of access to relevant antibiotic prescribing guidelines and current antibiotic resistance data from the community, were also considered major barriers to appropriate antibiotic prescribing. Utilisation of diagnostic testing was found to be low and GPs' perceptions on the introduction of rapid point-of-care tests to support antibiotic prescription decisions, were mixed. This study revealed the complexity of the antibiotic prescribing decision and the numerous barriers and facilitators that impact it, visualised through a socioecological model. Addressing GPs' antibiotic prescribing practices will require targeted and coordinated implementation activities at all levels to change behaviour and address misconceptions, whilst also improving the physical and social environment. NCT03218930; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03218930.

Antibiotic use is a major driver of antibiotic resistance. Although delayed antibiotic prescription is a recommended strategy to reduce antibiotic use, practices vary; it appears less commonly used in southern European countries where antibiotic consumption is highest. Despite these variations, few qualitative studies have explored general practitioners' perceptions of delayed antibiotic prescription. We therefore aimed to explore and describe the perceptions of delayed antibiotic prescription for respiratory tract infections among general practitioners in Malta. This qualitative phenomenographic study was conducted in Malta. A semi-structured interview guide was developed in English, pilot tested and revised accordingly. Interview topics included views on antibiotic resistance, antibiotic use and delayed antibiotic prescription for respiratory tract infections, and barriers and facilitators to antibiotic prescription. Individual, face-to-face interviews were held in 2014 with a quota sample of 20 general practitioners and transcribed verbatim. Data were subsequently analysed using a phenomenographic approach. General practitioners perceived delayed antibiotic prescription in five qualitatively different ways: (A) \"The Service Provider\"-maintaining a good general practitioner-patient relationship to retain patients and avoid doctor-shopping, (B) \"The Uncertainty Avoider\"-reaching a compromise and providing treatment just in case, (C) \"The Comforter\"-providing the patient comfort and reassurance, (D) \"The Conscientious Practitioner\"-empowering and educating patients, and limiting antibiotic use, and (E) \"The Holder of Professional Power\"-retaining general practitioner responsibility by employing a wait-and-see approach. Although general practitioners were largely positive towards delayed antibiotic prescription, not all supported the strategy; some preferred a wait-and-see approach with follow-up. Many delayed antibiotic prescription users selectively practiced delayed prescription with patients they trusted or who they believed had a certain level of knowledge and understanding. They also preferred a patient-led approach with a one to three day delay; post-dating delayed antibiotic prescriptions was uncommon. In this study we have shown that general practitioners hold varying perceptions about delayed antibiotic prescription and that there is variation in the way delayed antibiotic prescription is employed in Malta. Whilst delayed antibiotic prescription is utilised in Malta, not all general practitioners support the strategy, and motivations and practices differ. In high consumption settings, formal and standardised implementation of delayed antibiotic prescription could help curb antibiotic overuse. Diagnosis-specific delayed antibiotic prescription recommendations should also be incorporated into guidelines. Finally, further investigation into patients' and pharmacists' views on delayed antibiotic prescription is required. NCT03218930.

Epigenetic marks are reprogrammed in the gametes to reset genomic potential in the next generation. In mammals, paternal chromatin is extensively reprogrammed through the global erasure of DNA methylation and the exchange of histones with protamines1,2. Precisely how the paternal epigenome is reprogrammed in flowering plants has remained unclear since DNA is not demethylated and histones are retained in sperm3,4. Here, we describe a multi-layered mechanism by which H3K27me3 is globally lost from histone-based sperm chromatin in Arabidopsis. This mechanism involves the silencing of H3K27me3 writers, activity of H3K27me3 erasers and deposition of a sperm-specific histone, H3.10 (ref. 5), which we show is immune to lysine 27 methylation. The loss of H3K27me3 facilitates the transcription of genes essential for spermatogenesis and pre-configures sperm with a chromatin state that forecasts gene expression in the next generation. Thus, plants have evolved a specific mechanism to simultaneously differentiate male gametes and reprogram the paternal epigenome.Borg et al. report that incorporation of the sperm-specific histone variant H3.10, which resists K27 methylation, causes H3K27me3 removal from sperm chromatin in plants, thus facilitating the expression of sperm-specific genes.

Chromatin regulation of eukaryotic genomes depends on the formation of nucleosome complexes between histone proteins and DNA. Histone variants, which are diversified by sequence or expression pattern, can profoundly alter chromatin properties. While variants in histone H2A and H3 families are well characterized, the extent of diversification of histone H2B proteins is less understood. Here, we report a systematic analysis of the histone H2B family in plants, which have undergone substantial divergence during the evolution of each major group in the plant kingdom. By characterising Arabidopsis H2Bs, we substantiate this diversification and reveal potential functional specialization that parallels the phylogenetic structure of emergent clades in eudicots. In addition, we identify a new class of highly divergent H2B variants, H2B.S, that specifically accumulate during chromatin compaction of dry seed embryos in multiple species of flowering plants. Our findings thus identify unsuspected diverse properties among histone H2B proteins in plants that has manifested into potentially novel groups of histone variants.

Alternation between morphologically distinct haploid and diploid life forms is a defining feature of most plant and algal life cycles, yet the underlying molecular mechanisms that govern these transitions remain unclear. Here, we explore the dynamic relationship between chromatin accessibility and epigenetic modifications during life form transitions in Arabidopsis. The diploid-to-haploid life form transition is governed by the loss of H3K9me2 and DNA demethylation of transposon-associated cis -regulatory elements. This event is associated with dramatic changes in chromatin accessibility and transcriptional reprogramming. In contrast, the global loss of H3K27me3 in the haploid form shapes a chromatin accessibility landscape that is poised to re-initiate the transition back to diploid life after fertilisation. Hence, distinct epigenetic reprogramming events rewire transcription through major reorganisation of the regulatory epigenome to guide the alternation of generations in flowering plants. Each pollen grain from a flowering plant houses sperm, which contain half of the genes needed to make a new plant, and a companion or vegetative cell (VC) that serves to deliver sperm to the egg. The genes in the vegetative cell and those in the sperm are identical to the genes of the plant they come from, so how can this set of identical genetic information produce such different cells? Both DNA and histones, the proteins that pack and order DNA, can be chemically modified locally through a process called methylation. The location of these modifications can affect how genetic information in the DNA is read to make different types of cells. The use of processes like methylation to regulate whether genes are switched on or off is called epigenetics. So what role does epigenetics play in plant pollen? To answer this question, Borg et al. examined the epigenetics of pollen in Arabidopsis thaliana , a widely studied plant and common weed. In vegetative cells, DNA methylation is lost together with a different methylation mark (H3K9me2), which unlocks several genes needed for pollen to transport sperm. By contrast, sperm loses an entirely different methylation mark, called H3K27me3, which unlocks a different set of genes that help to prepare development of a new plant once sperm fertilizes the egg. Through these different set of epigenetic changes, activity increases at different groups of genes that are important for shaping the function of each pollen cell type. These results reveal how the loss of DNA and histone methylation are important for plants to reproduce sexually via pollen. This offers insights into the evolution of plants and other related life forms. Learning about plant reproduction may also help to increase food production by improving crop yields.

Following the first COVID-19 infected cases, Malta rapidly imposed strict lockdown measures, including restrictions on international travel, together with national social distancing measures, such as prohibition of public gatherings and closure of workplaces. The study aimed to elucidate the effect of the intervention and relaxation of the social distancing measures upon the infection rate by means of a trendline analysis of the daily case data. In addition, the study derived a predictive model by fitting historical data of the SARS-CoV-2 positive cases within a two-parameter Weibull distribution, whilst incorporating swab-testing rates, to forecast the infection rate at minute computational expense. The trendline analysis portrayed the wave of infection to fit within a tri-phasic pattern, where the primary phase was imposed with social measure interventions. Following the relaxation of public measures, the two latter phases transpired, where the two peaks resolved without further escalation of national measures. The derived forecasting model attained accurate predictions of the daily infected cases, attaining a high goodness-of-fit, utilising uncensored government-official infection-rate and swabbing-rate data within the first COVID-19 wave in Malta.

With the deployment of the TetraSpar demonstrator, a significant cost-reduction is realized in the field of offshore floating wind turbines. The TetraSpar floating wind turbine foundation brings a milestone that emphasizes on a modular and fully industrialized foundation that consists of main components already widely available in the current wind energy supply chain. In an effort to provide an open approach to the development of the concept, this paper aims at giving a description of the design in order to enable an educated discussion of different design philosophies and their influence on material usage and production times. The description of the different subcomponents of the system should allow any entity to build a model for comparison and/or benchmarking any of their own findings against this concept. It is the authors’ expectation that this open approach to technological discussion is paramount to obtaining continued cost-reduction in the area of floating offshore wind—for this concept and others.

In recent years, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) have become a truly global challenge. In addition to the long-known healthcare-associated clones, novel strains have also emerged outside of the hospital settings, in the community as well as in livestock. The emergence and spread of virulent clones expressing Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL) is an additional cause for concern. In order to provide an overview of pandemic, epidemic and sporadic strains, more than 3,000 clinical and veterinary isolates of MRSA mainly from Germany, the United Kingdom, Ireland, France, Malta, Abu Dhabi, Hong Kong, Australia, Trinidad & Tobago as well as some reference strains from the United States have been genotyped by DNA microarray analysis. This technique allowed the assignment of the MRSA isolates to 34 distinct lineages which can be clearly defined based on non-mobile genes. The results were in accordance with data from multilocus sequence typing. More than 100 different strains were distinguished based on affiliation to these lineages, SCCmec type and the presence or absence of PVL. These strains are described here mainly with regard to clinically relevant antimicrobial resistance- and virulence-associated markers, but also in relation to epidemiology and geographic distribution. The findings of the study show a high level of biodiversity among MRSA, especially among strains harbouring SCCmec IV and V elements. The data also indicate a high rate of genetic recombination in MRSA involving SCC elements, bacteriophages or other mobile genetic elements and large-scale chromosomal replacements.

In 2011–12, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) held the first Europe-wide point-prevalence survey of health-care-associated infections in acute care hospitals. We analysed paediatric data from this survey, aiming to calculate the prevalence and type of health-care-associated infections in children and adolescents in Europe and to determine risk factors for infection in this population. Point-prevalence surveys took place from May, 2011, to November, 2012, in 1149 hospitals in EU Member States, Iceland, Norway, and Croatia. Patients present on the ward at 0800 h on the day of the survey and who were not discharged at the time of the survey were included. Data were collected by locally trained health-care workers according to patient-based or unit-based protocols. We extracted data from the ECDC database for all paediatric patients (age 0–18 years). We report adjusted prevalence for health-care-associated infections by clustering at the hospital and country level. We also calculated risk factors for development of health-care-associated infections with use of a generalised linear mixed-effects model. We analysed data for 17 273 children and adolescents from 29 countries. 770 health-care-associated infections were reported in 726 children and adolescents, corresponding to a prevalence of 4·2% (95% CI 3·7–4·8). Bloodstream infections were the most common type of infection (343 [45%] infections), followed by lower respiratory tract infections (171 [22%]), gastrointestinal infections (64 [8%]), eye, ear, nose, and throat infections (55 [7%]), urinary tract infections (37 [5%]), and surgical-site infections (34 [4%]). The prevalence of infections was highest in paediatric intensive care units (15·5%, 95% CI 11·6–20·3) and neonatal intensive care units (10·7%, 9·0–12·7). Independent risk factors for infection were age younger than 12 months, fatal disease (via ultimately and rapidly fatal McCabe scores), prolonged length of stay, and the use of invasive medical devices. 392 microorganisms were reported for 342 health-care-associated infections, with Enterobacteriaceae being the most frequently found (113 [15%]). Infection prevention and control strategies in children should focus on prevention of bloodstream infections, particularly among neonates and infants. None.