The sweet potato,

Mode of access: Internet.

The West Indian sandflies of the genus Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) /

Includes bibliographical references (p. 86-98).

Fifty years in Western Africa; being a record of the work of the West Indian Church on the banks of the Rio Pongo.

Mode of access: Internet.

A reply to the arguments contained in various publications, recommending an equalization of the duties on East & West Indian sugar.

Mode of access: Internet.

Immediate, not gradual abolition, or, An inquiry into the shortest, safest, and most effectual means of getting rid of West Indian slavery.

Goldsmiths'-Kress no. 24317.

Immediate, not gradual abolition: or, An inquiry into the shortest, safest, and most effectual means of getting rid of West Indian slavery.

First published in England, 1824.

West Indian bulletin

Mode of access: Internet.

Phosphate forms an unusual tripodal complex with the Fe-Mn center of sweet potato purple acid phosphatase

Purple acid phosphatases (PAPs) are a family of binuclear metalloenzymes that catalyze the hydrolysis of phosphoric acid esters and anhydrides. A PAP in sweet potato has a unique, strongly antiferromagnetically coupled Fe(III)-Mn(II) center and is distinguished from other PAPs by its increased catalytic efficiency for a range of activated and unactivated phosphate esters, its strict requirement for Mn(II), and the presence of a mu-oxo bridge at pH 4.90. This enzyme displays maximum catalytic efficiency (k(cat)/K-m) at pH 4.5, whereas its catalytic rate constant (k(cat)) is maximal at near-neutral pH, and, in contrast to other PAPs, its catalytic parameters are not dependent on the pK(a) of the leaving group. The crystal structure of the phosphate-bound Fe(III)-Mn(II) PAP has been determined to 2.5-Angstrom resolution (final R-free value of 0.256). Structural comparisons of the active site of sweet potato, red kidney bean, and mammalian PAPs show several amino acid substitutions in the sweet potato enzyme that can account for its increased catalytic efficiency. The phosphate molecule binds in an unusual tripodal mode to the two metal ions, with two of the phosphate oxygen atoms binding to Fe(III) and Mn(II), a third oxygen atom bridging the two metal ions, and the fourth oxygen pointing toward the substrate binding pocket. This binding mode is unique among the known structures in this family but is reminiscent of phosphate binding to urease and of sulfate binding to A protein phosphatase. The structure and kinetics support the hypothesis that the bridging oxygen atom initiates hydrolysis.

Sweet potato in Oceania: a reappraisal

allard's introductory chapter reviews the lively debate concerning the introduction of sweet potato into Oceania and its role in debates concerning population growth, population density, and their relationship to agricultural intensification and socio- economic and political change, particularly in New Guinea. Other forms of proxy data include archaeological evidence for cropping and agricultural technology (Coil and Kirch); temporal data indicative of shifts in landscape use and changing agricultural practices (Bayliss-Smith et al.; Haberle and Atkin; Wallin et al.); and data from legends, ethnohistoric documents, and ethnographic studies providing evidence for the timing of the introduction, and the importance of the crop in various Oceanic societies (Allen; Dunis; Wallin et al.).

Academic achievement orientation of West Indian American parents and adolescents

Literature addressing academic achievement orientation of Black adolescents in the United States often depicts poor school related attitudes and adaptation patterns, low academic achievement, and deficient family backgrounds. However, some researchers maintained that certain Black immigrant groups possessed positive academic achievement orientations and exemplary academic achievements (Ogbu, 1991; Gibson, 1991; Vernez, & Abrahamse, 1996). In this study, I attempted to combine qualitative data from multiple sources (surveys, interviews, observations, literature, and document analysis), using standard case study methodology and the constant comparative method of analysis to understand the relationship that existed between the academic achievement orientation of a select group of West Indian American parents and adolescents in Broward County, Florida. The sub-sample of 11 families, comprising 15 adolescents and 13 parents, was selected through maximum variation sampling from a pool of 23 families. The findings were presented as a single composite case study. The participants possessed specific, longstanding educational and career goals for the children. The parents were deeply involved and were knowledgeable of their children's schools and academic progress. While mothers were the parents most actively involved in the schools, fathers were strong authoritative figures. Families evidenced a strong moral religious base with set rules of behavior, firm parenting practices, and established chains of authority. Family members emphasized education over material things; reading over audiovisual or social activities; family cohesion over individual wishes; and academics over extracurricular activities. The parents' strong positive academic achievement orientation was communicated to the children and reinforced by relatives, family friends, and others. In turn, the adolescents possessed positive school-related attitudes and attributional styles. While they admitted their parents were somewhat strict, they voluntarily complied with the rules and were highly motivated to succeed because they believed their parents deeply cared for them and that education leads to success and upward mobility. Each adolescent was pursuing an academic track and planning for college and specific profession. The findings support Ogbu's cultural ecological model (1991). I recommend these findings to teachers, counselors, administrators, parents, and others working with West Indian American families. ^

A phenomenological exploration of how West Indian professionals in South Florida perceive their career construction

This phenomenological study explored how West Indian professionals in South Florida perceive their career construction. The study used Savickas’s (2005) theory of career construction as its theoretical framework. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, transcribed, and analyzed for 15 West Indian professionals, who self-identified as West Indians and met all the criteria for this study. Interview data were analyzed using inductive, deductive, and comparative analyses. Five themes emerged from the inductive analysis of the data: (a) vocational influences, (b) adjustment challenges, (c) employment patterns, (d) career mobility patterns, and (d) career success perceptions. The theory of career construction guided the deductive analysis. The deductive analysis revealed that both extrinsic and intrinsic influences were equally influential in shaping the participants’ vocational personalities. The deductive analysis also revealed that the participants used three of the career adaptive dimensions: career concern, control, and confidence. Career concern manifested as planning for the future through educational attainment and performing meaningful work. Career control manifested as continuous learning and maintaining secondary careers. Career confidence manifested as self-efficacy expectations, beliefs about one’s ability to perform a behavior that produces desired outcomes. The participants’ life themes or challenges included navigating their identity, starting over, and adjusting to their environment. The comparative analysis revealed that all five themes from the inductive analysis were evident in each of the three tenets of Savickas’s (2005) career construction theory (i.e., vocational personality, career adaptability, and life themes). Career compromises emerged as coping behavior to facilitate the participants’ social and occupational integration. The findings of this study imply that the participants constructed their sense of self in relation to those around them and that their vocational behaviors tend to mobilize and reinforce a mixture of personality and ability. The findings also imply that the participants’ decision-making style and habitual pattern of decision making, may be embedded in their culturally norms, producing a specific cognitive style. Finally, the findings imply that the participants’ career adaptive dimensions were grounded in their attitudes, beliefs, and competencies and overall self-concept. Recommendations for further research are given.