The latest edition of Xjenza Online, the Malta Chamber of Scientists’ open access science journal, has recently been published.

It opens with an article by M. Vella and G. Camilleri from the University of Malta’s Centre for Labour Studies and Department of Economics, giving a detailed decomposition method to explain changes in poverty when the poverty line is not fixed and depends on the income distribution.

The front cover of the latest edition of the journal.

This is followed by an article by S. Fabri, J. Spiteri and V. Cassar from the Faculty of Economics, Management and Accountancy and V. Martinelli from the Faculty of Education looking into the macroeconomic and socioeconomic determinants of early school leaving (ESL). The results show the convolution of ESL involving nonlinearity, equifinality and asymmetric relations with the key determinants being inequality and parental education.

S. Cutajar from the University’s Institute of Earth Systems, E. Duca from the Faculty of Education’s Department of Mathematics and Science Education, and S. Seligova from Slovakia break down the steps towards setting up a valuable and informed mixed method evaluation strategy for science festivals and events taking place on a large scale.

Public opinion and protest efficacy are explored by V. Visanich from the Faculty of Arts in the context of the proposed yacht marina in Marsascala. The study uncovers the underlying factors that resulted in the concerns raised by this proposal. These include the social, environment and economic impacts that would follow such a development, most specifically on the community infrastructure of the locality of this seaside town.

This issue closes with an article by C. Borg Muscat and P. J. Schembri from the Faculty of Science’s Department of Biology, and F. Sammut from Faculty of Science’s Department of Statistics and Operations Research, concerning the factors affecting the abundance and distribution of feral pigeons in Malta’s urban environments. This study helps to come up with a tailormade and economical scientific management plan for the controlling of feral pigeons in urban spaces.

This study helps to come up with a tailormade and economical scientific management plan for the controlling of feral pigeons in urban spaces

Xjenza Online, sponsored by University of Malta’s Research Innovation and Development Trust (RIDT) and the Malta Council for Science and Technology (MCST), explores a broad range of innovative scientific research through its various literature mediums. These include research articles, reviews, research reports and short commentaries. Contributors, including students from any field, are encouraged to submit their articles through the journal website www.xjenza.org