University Of The West Indies Research Articles

Truths and Reconciliation: Reflections on the University of the West Indies and University of Leicester International Summer School 2023

The University of the West Indies and University of Leicester International Summer School is an annual event, a week-long programme of lectures, workshops and social activities aimed at supporting postgraduate research students and early career researchers predominantly from the UK and Caribbean. It is hosted alternately at the University of Leicester and the different campuses of the University of the West Indies, and since its inception has been spearheaded by Dr Lucy Evans and Professor Martin Halliwell at the University of Leicester, Dr Sonjah Stanley Niaah at the University of the West Indies, Mona, and Professor Michael A. Bucknor at the University of Alberta. The 2023 edition was hosted by University of Leicester’s School of Criminology from 5th to 10th of June, under the theme of ‘Crime, (In)Justice, Human Rights’. Sub-topics included crime and culture, histories and legacies, security, surveillance, the police and the state, human rights, gender and sexualities, reproductive rights, the environment, and race. It promised an opportunity to connect with researchers in similar or related fields from around the world, who we may have otherwise not met.

What Happens When Academics Self-Organise?

This reflective piece is based on my attendance at the University of the West Indies and the University of Leicester International Summer School held from the 5th to 10th of June 2023 at the Leicester Institute for Advanced Studies (LIAS), under the theme ‘Crime, (In)Justice, and Human Rights’. My research interest includes women, violence, well-being and the criminal justice system, so I was eager to participate in what was happening. I experienced apprehension and uncertainty because my background is more rooted in practice than academia, so the questions of belonging and ability flooded my mind. However, the week provided the tools I needed to bring confirmation, reassurance, and motivation to continue my journey.

The Aplastic Crisis in HbSS: Observations from the Jamaican Birth Cohort

In order to document the prevalence, clinical features, hematology and outcome of the aplastic crisis in homozygous sickle cell disease (HbSS), a cohort study has been conducted from birth. Newborn screening of 100 000 deliveries at the main government maternity hospital, Kingston, Jamaica between 1973 and 1981 detected 311 cases of HbSS who have been followed at the Medical Research Council Laboratories at the University of the West Indies, Kingston, Jamaica. Clinically defined aplastic crises occurred in 118 (38%) patients at a median age of 7.5 years (range 0.5–23.0 years). All but one event seroconverted to parvovirus B19, the exception being a 9.3 year male with classic aplasia but subsequent IgG did not exceed 3 IU. Defined by zero reticulocyte counts, 94 patients presented with a median hemoglobin of 3.7 g/dL (range 18–87 g/L) representing a median fall from steady state levels of 3.8 g/dL. Clear epidemic peaks occurred at 1979–1980, 1984–1986, and 1990–1993 and the admission rate and use of blood cultures fell with each epidemic, reflecting increased familiarity with the complication. Symptoms were usually nonspecific and all but 7 were transfused. No patient had a recurrence and two died from aplasia (one with remote rural residence and the other following an incorrect diagnosis). Of those seroconverting to parvovirus B19, 68% manifested aplasia and 24% had no hematologic change. Correctly diagnosed and managed, the aplastic crisis is essentially benign. (230 words)

Exploring a cost-effective and straightforward mechanism for uninterrupted in situ maximum wave runup measurements.

Wave runup, the excess water level above mean sea level, has been measured using different techniques with varying degrees of precision and associated practical limitations. This critical parameter, typically included in coastal assessment studies, varies temporally and spatially and depends on variables that include beach characteristics and nearshore hydrodynamics. Access to continuous datasets, using efficient mechanisms can assist resource-limited regions, such as Caribbean small-island developing states (SIDS), in overcoming coastal resilience obstacles. Experiments were conducted at University College London (UCL) and the University of the West Indies (UWI), which were designed to explore the temporal behaviour of the water surface within the bed during runup events. The experiments encompassed linear waves impacting a static porous bed (UCL) and a moveable granular beach (UWI), with pressure sensors buried at the base of each beach. The analyses showed that the averaged values of the time-varying water elevations within the bed, when spatially presented, produced a quadratic or cubic polynomial fit, where the curves' stationary points were accurate indicators of the location of the maximum runup position at the surface of the bed. In this way, an arrangement of buried pressure sensors can be used as an efficient means to accurately produce a continuous time series of maximum runup positions.This article is part of the theme issue 'Celebrating the 15th anniversary of the Royal Society Newton International Fellowship'.

Healthcare Resilience in Trinidad and Tobago: A short report on the Healthy Hospital Initiative at the Sangre Grande Hospital

Objective: To describe the establishment of the Healthy Hospital Initiative (HHI), its activities and accomplishments, challenges and future steps. Methods: The initiative was implemented at the Sangre Grande Hospital in the Eastern Regional Health Authority (ERHA), one of five Regional Health Authorities in Trinidad and Tobago. A review of personal records maintained by members of the Healthy Hospital Initiative was undertaken. These records included descriptions of the activities, accomplishments and obstacles that the team experienced. Results: The Healthy Hospital Initiative was launched in November 2019 with the aim of creating an environmentally sustainable health system and improving the physical and mental health of staff and patients. A senior doctor led the initiative and team members included a range of staff, including both clinical and non-clinical professionals who were all volunteers. This allowed for a multi-directional, inclusive approach and created a sense of ownership amongst the staff. In 2022, several activities were implemented: green spaces, recycling bins, a kitchen garden and staff exercise sessions. In addition, team members participated in training on Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO) Smart hospitals and collaborated with a local non-governmental organisation as well as the University of the West Indies, St. Augustine campus engineering department to develop further projects. Conclusion: Next steps include promoting similar projects in community health facilities, developing a hydroponics system and, assessing the disaster resilience and carbon footprint of the hospital.

Utilizing Agricultural By-Products for Sustainable Agouti (Dasyprocta leporina) Diets: Evaluating Low-Cost Feed Alternatives in Trinidad and Tobago, West Indies

The agouti (Dasyprocta leporina) is a promising protein source in the Caribbean, Mexico, and South America. This study assessed the impact of three by-product diet formulations on intensively reared agoutis, including a cost analysis and nutritional evaluation as well as the nutritional composition, digestibility, and economic viability of three experimental diets. Sixteen adult male agoutis were individually housed at the University of the West Indies’ Field Station. After a two-week acclimatization, a four-week data collection phase followed. The four treatments included a control diet of commercial rabbit pellets and three experimental diets with varying by-product ratios. Key findings revealed that Treatment 2 had elevated Dry Matter, Crude Fat, and fiber but potentially compromised digestibility due to higher fiber and lignin. Treatment 1 resulted in the highest morbidity and was discontinued after two weeks due to significant weight loss but demonstrated the most cost-effective results, with the lowest variable cost per 45 kg, the lowest feeding cost to reach 3 kg, and the highest gross margin. Treatment 2 effectively maintained animal weight. Treatment 3 showed promising growth due to low levels of Neutral Detergent Fiber (NDF) and Acid Detergent Lignin (ADL). Alternative dietary feedstuffs from agricultural by-products show potential for sustaining body weight in adult male agoutis, but further research is needed to refine nutritional requirements for growing agoutis.

Prevalence and Pattern of Tooth Impaction: A Radiographic Study in a Trinidadian Population.

The aim of this retrospective study was to determine the prevalence and patterns of impacted third molars in a Trinidadian population. A total of 1500 orthopantomograms (OPG) taken at the School of Dentistry, University of the West Indies, from 2008 to 2019 in patients between 15 and 67 years old were evaluated. From the data collected, the prevalence of third molar impaction, the parameters of gender, angulation, level of impaction, and associated pathologies were evaluated. Other types of impacted teeth were also recorded. Of the 1500 OPG viewed, 408 (27.2%) of the study sample presented with at least one impacted third molar. 161 (39.5%) were males and 247 (60.5%) were females, with a male-to-female ratio of 1:1.5. There was a greater incidence of mandibular third molars versus maxillary third molars, which had a frequency of 77.9% and 22.1%, respectively. The most common type of impaction (Winter's classification) was horizontal in the mandible and distoangular in the maxilla. The most common level of impaction in the mandible (Pell and Gregory classification) was level 1A. The total number of impacted teeth was 775, and of these, 75 (9.7%) showed other impacted teeth besides the third molars. Canines and second premolars were the most prevalent with 7.6% and 1.5%, respectively. Caries on the second molar (49.3%) and third molars (40%) were the most frequently associated pathologies identified. The prevalence of impacted wisdom teeth in this study was 27%. These results raise awareness and provide insight among dental professionals in Trinidad as to the prevalence of impacted third molars, their patterns, as well as commonly associated pathologies, and the need for screening within the population.

The Other Americans: Michael Dash and the UWI Generation

This article engages with the legacy of a generation of scholars working at the University of the West Indies (UWI), principally at Mona, Jamaica, in the late 1960s. Drawing on interviews with some of the scholars, the article argues that the UWI generation was pioneering in its teaching of and research into Caribbean writing in French, and that it is a key element in the evolution of Francophone Postcolonial Studies more generally. Framed by David Scott’s ideas on Caribbean generations, it argues that the UWI generation was from the beginning wary of exclusionary notions of race and culture and, inspired especially by the examples of Haitian literature, and the writings of Edouard Glissant, it developed a particularly sophisticated, enduring scholarly understanding of the region, its peoples, and cultures. The article is a tribute to the UWI generation, and in particular to the late J. Michael Dash.

Potassium Ion Channel Modulation as a Potential Remedy for Cadmium-induced Hypertension

Objective: Hypertension remains a chief non-communicable lifestyle disease that is negatively associated with dietary cadmium (Cd). The exact mechanism of Cd toxicity and the mitigating role of potassium supplementation are not fully known, hence, this study aimed to investigate their effects on the aorta. Hypothesis: We hypothesized that potassium supplementation can modulate Cd-induced vascular dysfunction. Method: Six cohorts of control, Cd-exposed, and potassium supplemented male Sprague-Dawley rats were selected. Hypertension was induced using cadmium chloride (2.5 or 5 mg/kg b.w.). Blood pressure was measured twice weekly. Reactivity to pharmacological agents with and without potassium ion channel modulation was assessed in thoracic aortic rings after eight weeks, using an organ bath set-up. Data: Statistical analysis was done using one-way analysis of variance and the results were reported as mean ± standard error of the mean. The Games-Howell or Bonferroni post hoc test was used for multiple comparisons. Summary of Results: Cadmium significantly (p<0.05) elevated systolic, diastolic, mean arterial, and pulse pressures, reduced (p<0.001) phenylephrine-induced contraction mostly via BKCa channels, and augmented (p<0.05) sodium nitroprusside-induced relaxation via K-ATP, KV, and KIR channels, without affecting acetylcholine-induced relaxation. Potassium supplementation ameliorated these effects via KIR and BKCa channels. Conclusions: The results indicate that modulation of potassium ion channels in the vasculature might provide therapeutic management for environmentally-induced hypertension and should be further explored. Funding source: The Mona Campus Committee for Research and Publications and Graduate Awards, School for Graduate Studies and Research, University of the West Indies. This is the full abstract presented at the American Physiology Summit 2024 meeting and is only available in HTML format. There are no additional versions or additional content available for this abstract. Physiology was not involved in the peer review process.

Comparing the Performance of ChatGPT-4 and Medical Students on MCQs at Varied Levels of Bloom's Taxonomy.

This research investigated the capabilities of ChatGPT-4 compared to medical students in answering MCQs using the revised Bloom's Taxonomy as a benchmark. A cross-sectional study was conducted at The University of the West Indies, Barbados. ChatGPT-4 and medical students were assessed on MCQs from various medical courses using computer-based testing. The study included 304 MCQs. Students demonstrated good knowledge, with 78% correctly answering at least 90% of the questions. However, ChatGPT-4 achieved a higher overall score (73.7%) compared to students (66.7%). Course type significantly affected ChatGPT-4's performance, but revised Bloom's Taxonomy levels did not. A detailed association check between program levels and Bloom's taxonomy levels for correct answers by ChatGPT-4 showed a highly significant correlation (p<0.001), reflecting a concentration of "remember-level" questions in preclinical and "evaluate-level" questions in clinical courses. The study highlights ChatGPT-4's proficiency in standardized tests but indicates limitations in clinical reasoning and practical skills. This performance discrepancy suggests that the effectiveness of artificial intelligence (AI) varies based on course content. While ChatGPT-4 shows promise as an educational tool, its role should be supplementary, with strategic integration into medical education to leverage its strengths and address limitations. Further research is needed to explore AI's impact on medical education and student performance across educational levels and courses.

Higher education cooperation at the regional level

PurposeThis article focuses on regional-level cooperation in higher education by examining the functional, organizational and political approaches (FOPA) framework for higher education regionalization and using supra-national regional universities as established and successful examples of regional-level higher education cooperation among countries.Design/methodology/approachA conceptual framework is used to provide the structure for analyzing the key approaches to higher education regionalization, followed by an analysis of supra-national regional universities to demonstrate the application of the model.FindingsThe FOPA framework for higher education regionalization includes three approaches. The first is the functional approach, which includes both collaborative academic and research activities among higher education institutions as well strategies and policies to help align systems across a region. The second is the organizational approach, which focuses on networks, organizations, institutions and programs, which facilitate partnerships. The third is the political approach, which includes regional-level agreements, declarations and strategic plans to promote higher education collaboration. Key higher education activities for each approach are discussed in generic terms, with examples provided from major regions of the world.Research limitations/implicationsThe research was based on desk research only. No interviews were conducted.Practical implicationsA conceptual analysis and a model were provided for the concept of regionalization of higher education and for regional universities, which can help readers locate their interests and research in the regionalization of higher education. Examples of three different types of regional universities were provided to give concrete illustrations of a regional university.Social implicationsOne of the rationales driving regional universities is to address and increase a sense of regional identify and to meet the social, economic and educational needs of the specified region.Originality/valueRegional universities, such as the University of West Indies, Arab Open University and the Pan-Africa University, are an understudied phenomenon. Using them as innovative and sustainable examples of higher education regional cooperation and the FOPA model, this study illustrates how single-campus, multiple-campus and virtual regional universities are functioning to meet the diversified needs and priorities across a region through cooperation among countries.

Reverse Engineering of an Automatic Household Composter

In Latin America and the Caribbean, it is reported that 52% of household waste is food waste. Redirecting this waste away from the landfills and into composting systems represent significant wins for the environment, through the reduction in greenhouse gases; the state, by reducing the cost of garbage collection; and homeowners, through the conversion of waste into an organic planting medium. Based on a survey of homeowners in Trinidad and Tobago, design specifications were developed for a composter, which was then fabricated and tested at a workshop at The University of West Indies. The results showed a 98% reduction in the volume of waste to compost and that the composter took 94 hours to produce stable compost. The chemical properties of the resulting compost were a bit higher than expected, but this was due to the small size of the composting chamber and the composition of the waste which was composted. This paper concludes that upscaling the composter to a commercial scale and testing it in a controlled community is necessary to determine both the financial and technological feasibility of the composter.

African Agency and Colonial Committees at Fourah Bay College

Fourah Bay College was the first Western-style university to be established along the West African coast in 1827. Primarily used to train missionaries and traders operating in British West Africa, it remained one of the premier educational establishments, overlooking the docks of Cline Town in Freetown, Sierra Leone. Following the Colonial Development and Welfare Acts and civil unrest in the aftermath of World War II, British colonial policy began to fund a series of secondary and tertiary education institutions. Modeled on the new University of the West Indies, these new universities adopted the residential college dorm typology coupled with the latest modernist architecture designed to enhance climatic comfort.A new campus was proposed for Fourah Bay, and in contrast to earlier precedents, the architectural approach was to be more humble and less monumental. Following a masterplan by London-based architects Norman and Dawbarn, the much smaller and relatively unknown British practice of Frank Rutter was appointed to design most of the campus buildings. The centerpiece is a large concrete tower named after John F. Kennedy, symbolic of the shifting political posturing for control and influence. Following Independence in 1961 and with increasing technical aid offered to neighboring Ghana and Nigeria from Socialist Eastern European powers, Fourah Bay College demonstrated how these political attempts for influence were directly played out through these newly formed institutions. Fourah Bay College also reveals the African agency in appointing architects and who was able to control the procurement processes and design teams. Rutter was dismissed as ‘college architect’ by a small contingent of newly qualified Sierra Leonean architects eager to ensure local appointments and architectural expressions were given opportunity. The campus, with its impressive architectural structures and innovative solutions, mirrors the political flux and shifting global power structures of the late 1950s and early 1960s, along with the local agency of Freetown architects and their quest to shape the future.

Teachers’ Commitment to Promoting Education for Sustainable Development: Outcomes of a Faculty Collaborative Action Research Project

The Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) Working Group (consisting of teacher educators within the School of Education at The University of the West Indies, Mona Campus in Jamaica), conducted a collaborative action research project to infuse ESD skills, issues, perspectives, and values into six courses. The study explored students’ views on the role of teachers in promoting ESD, their personal commitment to ESD, and whether these views were influenced by the infusion process. The study involved 140 undergraduate and graduate students, comprising both pre-service and in-service teachers, and an instrument was developed to gather pre- and post-course responses to open-ended prompts. The results showed development in students’ awareness about their roles and personal commitment to ESD after the infusion process. The findings indicate that teacher education programmes have the potential to promote sustainable development and empower teachers as change agents.

University consortium to address public health priorities and research capacity building in the Caribbean

The State University of New York (SUNY) – University of the West Indies (UWI) Health Research Consortium (HRC) was implemented in 2015 by the SUNY Global Health Institute (GHI) and the SUNY-UWI Center for Leadership and Sustainable Development. The goal was to advance public health in the Caribbean through collaborative research and education among faculty and students at SUNY and UWI. The Consortium is now a dynamic matrix addressing health priorities that were initially agreed upon with the Jamaica Ministry of Health and Wellness. The HRC has built a foundational matrix that is planning for cutting edge laboratory instrumentation, biomedical informatics system, seamless electronic medical records network, national laboratory data management system, and novel biotechnology (e.g., robotic surgery cluster). The SUNY-UWI partnership fills existing gaps through collaborative programs with the SUNY GHI that facilitate UWI faculty interactions with SUNY faculty and core resources and incubators that encourage collaborations while UWI infrastructure expands. The Health Research Consortium utilizes existing academic models at UWI and SUNY to promote collaboration, capacity building, and program implementation. Consortium teams develop sound business development models that foster sustained economic growth and form the pipeline for workforce development and career opportunities. The Caribbean diaspora and UWI alumni are engaged in working together on this effort. In addition, mentoring in K-12 and beyond is needed to create a vision for the next generations.

Revisiting the Plantation Society: The New World Group and the Critique of Capitalism

Abstract This paper examines the critique of capitalism provided by the New World Group. Emerging from the West Indian Society for the Study of Social Issues at The University of The West Indies, Mona, the Group was formed in 1963 specifically to address the reconfiguration of social and political forces in the wake of Caribbean territories gaining formal independence from European colonial powers. This reconfiguration went beyond matters of political economy, and included psychological and ideological reworkings, all items necessary to evaluate the kinds of societies West Indians could strive for. Set within intra-Marxist debates on early capitalist development, this paper focuses on the collaboration and creative tensions between Norman Girvan, George Beckford, and Lloyd Best as they helped one another construct their respective political philosophy, social theory, and economic analysis of the logic of plantation societies, which while incomplete from our vantage point, did mostly capture the historical dynamics found in the Caribbean.

Acute splenic sequestration in HbSS: observations from the Jamaican birth cohort

ObjectiveTo document the prevalence, clinical features, haematology and outcome of acute splenic sequestration (ASS) in homozygous sickle cell disease (HbSS).Study designA cohort study from birth.SettingThe Medical Research Council Laboratories at...

An exploratory study into the interplay of coolness and maladaptive social media use: Identifying profiles of addiction-like symptoms among Jamaican users

This research article examines the interplay between coolness and maladaptive social media use among Jamaican users. In addition, it explores profiles of addiction-like symptoms among social media users in Jamaica and identifies the prevalence of maladaptive use. A total of 180 participants from the University of the West Indies, Mona Campus, Jamaica, completed a self-administered survey that assessed engagement, maladaptive social media use, coolness, and preference for online social interaction. The Bergen's Social Media Addiction Scale was utilized to measure maladaptive social media use, while the inner and outer cool questionnaire and the Generalized Problematic Internet Use Scale assessed coolness and preference for online social interaction, respectively. Latent profile analysis was employed to identify latent subgroups based on maladaptive behavior patterns, as well as perceptions of coolness. The results revealed two latent subgroups based on coolness perception (high perceived coolness and average perceived coolness) and three latent subgroups based on maladaptive behavior (high-risk, low-risk, and no risk). An empirical cutpoint for the BSMAS was found to be 18, which suggested a 27.8% prevalence of maladaptive social media use in Jamaica. Gender differences were observed in maladaptive use and preference for online social interaction, with females exhibiting higher levels of both. The findings also indicated significant relationships between engagement levels, coolness dimensions, and maladaptive social media use risk profiles. Overall, this study sheds light on the complex relationship between coolness, social media use, and addiction-like symptoms, providing insights into the Jamaican context.

Evaluating the crisis communications campaign during the 2020–21 eruption of La Soufrière, St Vincent

Abstract During the 2020–21 eruption of La Soufrière, St Vincent, the University of the West Indies, Seismic Research Centre played a major role in supporting communication of hazard and risk information to publics and stakeholders across St Vincent. Due to COVID-19 restrictions on in-person education and outreach activities, the communications campaign was heavily reliant on social media platforms, and TV and radio broadcasts. Although the communications approach sought to be inclusive of all members of the affected communities, we consider that more vulnerable residents, such as the elderly, children, and those with low literacy levels and limited digital access were likely excluded from the communication efforts. In order to establish effectiveness of the crisis communications campaign at engaging communities and stakeholders with relevant information, and to identify areas for improvement, a large-scale evaluation campaign was conducted in St Vincent in August 2021. The results demonstrate that radio broadcasts are the most important communication tool for broad community reach, but that person-to-person information sharing was more important in the most exposed communities. Agencies such as the Red Cross and grassroots community disaster preparedness groups were instrumental in amplifying the reach of information to vulnerable members of at-risk communities and for evacuation co-ordination.

Excerpted Abstracts of the 7th Water Efficiency Conference 2022

In an increasingly uncertain world, water is constant and central to most things: the economy, energy, transport, agriculture, health, leisure, wellbeing, social and cultural life. The 7th Water Efficiency (WATEF) Conference 2022 was, for the first time, held outside Europe in the Caribbean, at the Faculty of Engineering, The University of the West Indies, Saint Augustine Campus, Trinidad and Tobago on 14th-16th December, 2022. Many challenges reflect the changing climate, increasingly unpredictable weather, and the efforts towards sustainable development necessary for social equity and economic growth. Proactive partnerships and collaborations across civil society is necessary to succeed in this effort. A conference on water efficiency and resilience is justified in the face of these challenges and during an energy, cost-of-living, food, and other crises. The WATEF-2022 Conference’s theme was “Water Resources Resilience for Small Island Developing States (SIDS)”. Trinidad and Tobago has a relatively high reliable water infrastructure (including desalination plants) for its population but in recent times water resources have been impacted by unforeseen climate change events. This twin-island republic was best suited for this conference, geographically and technically. Parallel with invited keynotes and feature speeches, technical presentations and panel discussions were made addressing various topics and areas associated with the conference’s theme. This paper contains a total of 28 abstracts excerpted from the Conference proceedings that address towards collaborative solutions to the water and resilience challenges faced globally and experienced more intensely by SIDS.