Website: http://www.um.edu.mt/healthsciences; E-mail: healthsciences@um.edu.mt; Tel: 23401830 FHS Monthly Newsletter: January 2013 RESARCH, PUBLICATIONS & PRESENTATIONS Paper Publication by Dr Joseph Agius and Main Speaker at the VI Portuguese Stuttering Association Conference 2012 AGIUS, J. (2012) The Smart Intervention Strategy for School Age Children who Stutter. Journal Logopedie: Special Issue Speech Fluency, (4) July-August, 2012. ABSTRACT: Research has shown that children who stutter view speaking more negatively and experience more negative speech-related emotions than do non-stuttering peers. However, while practical strategies for helping children who stutter change their feelings and beliefs about stuttering are widely available, speech language pathologists feel uncomfortable directly targeting such goals. Strategies are needed to use in treatment that could help clinicians help children make changes. These tools could assist the child in finding a balance between modifying speech and developing and maintaining healthier attitudes and feelings. Teaching of thinking as a skill using Prof. Edward de Bono s Direct Attention Thinking Tools are used to help children problem solve and broaden perception to develop and maintain positive attitudes towards themselves and communication. In this paper, the results of a study exploring shifts in the attitude and feelings of school-age children who stutter following a thinking skills programme are discussed. School-age children who stutter were also included in the study as 1 P a g e
observers and young consultants. They were asked to comment and evaluate the sessions. Parent questionnaires assessed the parents perception of changes in the attitude towards speaking situations in their child after the programme. As a clinician and researcher, this study was an opportunity to gather data to evaluate the effectiveness of the programme. The findings of this study led to a suggested model of intervention, the Smart Intervention Strategy (SIS), with school-aged children who stutter. An overview of the SIS is presented. Dr. Joseph Agius, lecturer, Communication Therapy Department, was invited main speaker at the VI Portuguese Stuttering Association Conference held in Lisbon, March 20, 2012. Dr Agius address focused on Re-thinking Fluency Intervention using creativity and change in perceptions. Earlier this year Dr Agius was also invited keynote speaker at the European Symposium on Fluency Disorders held in Antwerp, invited guest speaker at a Study Day held at the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists in London and invited speaker at the World Congress on Fluency Disorders held in Tours, France. Publication by Dr J Valdramidis, Food Studies and Environment Health Department, FHS Title: Characterization and antimicrobial efficacy against E. coli of a helium/air plasma at atmospheric pressure created in a plastic package: Connolly J., Valdramidis V.P., Byrne E., Karatzas, K.A.G., Cullen P.J., Mosnier J.P., Keener K. ABSTRACT: A plasma source, sustained by the application of a floating high voltage (±15 kv) to parallel-plate electrodes at 50 Hz, has been achieved in a helium/air mixture at atmospheric pressure (P = 105 Pa) contained in a zip-locked plastic package placed in the electrode gap. Some of the physical and antimicrobial properties of this apparatus were established with a view to ascertain its performance as a prototype for the disinfection of fresh produce. The current voltage (I V ) and charge voltage (Q V ) characteristics of the system were measured as a function of gap distance d, in the range (3 10^3 < Pd < 1.0 10^4 Pa m). The electrical measurements showed this plasma source to exhibit the characteristic behaviour of a dielectric barrier discharge in the filamentary mode and its properties could be accurately interpreted by the two-capacitance in series model. The power consumed by the discharge and the reduced field strength were found to decrease quadratically from 12.0W to 4.5W and linearly from 140 Td to 50 Td, respectively, in the range studied. Emission spectra of the discharge were recorded on a relative intensity scale and the dominant spectral features could be assigned to strong vibrational bands in the 2+ and 1 systems of N2 and N+2, respectively, with other weak signatures from the NO and OH radicals and the N+, He and O atomic species. Absolute spectral intensities were also recorded and interpreted by comparison with the non-equilibrium synthetic spectra generated by the computer code SPECAIR. At an interelectrode gap of 0.04 m, this comparison yielded typical values for the electron, vibrational and translational (gas) temperatures of (4980 ± 100 ) K, (2700 ± 200)K and (300 ± 100) K, respectively and an electron density of 1.0 10^17 m 3. A Boltzmann plot also provided a value of (3200 ± 200 K) for the vibrationaltemperat ure. The antimicrobial efficacy was assessed by studying the esistance of both Escherichia coli K12 its isogenic mutants in soxr, 2 P a g e
soxs, oxyr, rpos and dnak selected to identify possible cellular responses and targets related with 5 min exposure to the active gas in proximity of, but not directly in, the path of the discharge filaments. Both the parent strain and mutants populations were significantly reduced by more than 1.5 log cycles in these conditions, showing the potential of the system. Posttreatment storage studies showed that some transcription regulators and specific genes related to oxidative stress play an important role in the E. coli repair mechanism and that plasma exposure affects specific cell regulator systems. NEW RECRUITS Ms Sharon Micallef, Administrative Assistant Ms Sharon Micallef has been appointed Administrative Assistant. She can be contacted on: Tel: 23401898; Email: sharon.micallef@um.edu.mt; Room No 2. ANNOUNCEMENTS FHS Students` Population: Academic year 2012-2013 Course No of Students per course Master of Philosophy in Applied Biomedical Science 2 B.Sc. (Hons) Applied Biomedical Science 107 Master of Science in Applied Biomedical Science (by Research) 1 Master of Science in Audiology 7 B.Sc. (Hons) Applied Food and Nutritional Sciences 6 BSc (Hons) Community Midwifery 1 BSc (Hons) Community Nursing 8 Master of Philosophy in Communication Therapy 1 B.Sc. (Hons) Communication Therapy 60 Master of Science in Radiography (Computerised Tomography) 6 Preparatory Course for Diploma in Health Science Environmental Health 10 Diploma in Health Science Environmental Health 7 Certificate in Clinical Nursing Practice (Emergency Nursing) 25 MSc Food Studies and Environmental Health (by Research) 1 BSc (Hons) Health Science 113 3 P a g e
MSc Health Service Management 11 B.Sc. (Hons) Midwifery 57 MSc Midwifery 5 B.Sc. (Hons) Mental Health Nursing 29 MSc Nursing (Mental Health) 14 Master of Science in Medical Physics 7 Master of Science in Radiography (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) 4 Postgraduate Diploma in Nutrition and Dietetics 33 Preparatory Course for Diploma in Health Science Nursing Studies 260 Master of Philosophy in Nursing 2 Diploma in Health Science Nursing Studies 110 B.Sc. (Hons) Nursing 160 M.Sc. Nursing 25 B.Sc. (Hons) Occupational Therapy 53 Master of Philosophy in Physiotherapy 1 B.Sc. (Hons) Physiotherapy 94 B.Sc. (Hons) Podiatry 40 Master of Science in Podiatry (by Research) 1 Master of Philosophy in Radiography 1 B.Sc. (Hons) Radiography 4 B.Sc. (Hons) Radiography 34 Master of Science in Radiography (Radionuclide Imaging) 6 PG Diploma in Radiography (Vascular Ultrasound) 7 Total: 1313 Faculty Annual Report October 2011/September 2012 The report has been finalised. MHSA Students representative on FHS Board Mark Grech: B.Sc (Hons) Podiatry 3rd Year Rebecca Dalli: B. Sc (Hons) Applied Biomedical Science 2nd Year Adrienne Grech: B.Sc Nurse (Hons) Graduate '12 4 P a g e
Executive Board of the Malta Health Students Association 2012/2013 Following the elections on the 19 th December 2012, the new Executive Board of the MHSA are the following: President: Mark Grech: B.Sc (Hons) Podiatry Secretary General: Ashley Schembri: B.Sc (Hons) Radiography Deputy Secretary: Thea Zammit: B.Sc (Hons) Physiotherapy Financial Officer: Nicola' Camilleri: B.Sc (Hons) Podiatry Leisure Officer: Rebecca Dalli: B.Sc (Hons) Applied Biomedical Science Health Officer: Daniela S. Fiteni- B.Sc (Hons) Physiotherapy Educational Officer: Debbie Debono- B.Sc (Hons) Physiotherapy Departments Officer: Tammy Magro- Diploma Nursing Public Relations Officer: Owen Camilleri- B.Sc (Hons) Applied Biomed Science International Relations Officer: AJ Grixti- Diploma Nursing KPS Officer: Luana Vassallo- B.Sc (Hons) Applied Biomedical Science Board Member: Mike A Bencini- B.Sc (Hons) Physiotherapy 5 P a g e