From the Editor

Readers: Our long-awaited Volume 27 is finally here, and includes five articles covering a broad spectrum of topics. We trust that whatever your specialization, you will find something of interest here.

The article on the Blind Cave Fish of the Jackson’s Bay Great Cave highlights the high endemicity of Jamaica, and reminds us how effectively life adapts to whatever environment it must eke out an existence in – whether by elaborating new anatomical and/or functional systems, or indeed, by jettisoning systems (such as eyes) that are ‘expensive’ to support, but do not yield commensurate value.

The Comparative Nutritional Analysis of Grasses documents valuable information in the area of livestock productivity – an area which in the era of Dr T. P. Lecky, brought Jamaica global attention, but which we have not sustained today by building on the seminal work of this giant in his field.

The article on Padovan p-Hurwitz Numbers draws attention to the area of mathematical analysis. We encourage our readers to produce more papers in mathematics, focusing upon creative application of formal numerical/ logical analytical procedures to local, and indeed global problems. Locally, our performance in Mathematics has not been stellar, although we have, in fact, exported some outstanding mathematicians. We wish that we could channel more of the innate creativity of our agile young minds into this fundamental and broadly applicable discipline. Finally, the three Herbal Monographs – I (on Turmeric), II (on Guinea Hen Weed) and III (on Ginger) – return us to the issue of local biodiversity and remind us of the sustained efforts which are being made to develop nutraceuticals and pharmaceuticals from locally available plants. The information in these articles should provide a firm basis for anyone wishing to carry out further research on these plants or to develop new products from them. Or could simply edify those interested in exploiting the nutritionally beneficial properties of these plants for general health or culinary purposes.

We hope that you will find these articles not only interesting, but stimulating and perhaps helpful in prompting you of submit work of your own for publication in the Journal.

Happy reading!

Sincerely,

Ronald E. Young

Editor-in-Chief, JJST

Scientific Research Council