Philip “Ponsonby” Granville, A Pioneering African Jamaican/Canadian Athlete - Lost, Found and Celebrated?

Athletes nominated for Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame can reappear for consideration after being essentially lost. Their lives are resurrected only by a chance encounter with a later chronicler surprised at how persons, prominent in their day, have vanished from the historic record. Few better fit this characterization than Philip “Ponsonby” Granville of Hamilton Ontario. In a ten year period of the 1920s through the early thirties he was a world class ultra-marathoner in three distinct long distance formats, walking, running, and snowshoeing. He set records, won championships and had top three finishes in each. In so doing he not only helped legitimize sports like ultra marathon running, but, by virtue of his personal history, was a pioneer for minority athletes in a troubled time. His ability to go long distances was recognized as he competed for Canada in the 10,000 metre walking event at the 1924 Paris Olympic Games. Afterwards he was a superior ultra-marathoner in the cross-America “Bunion Derby” runs of 1928 and 1929. His combined performances ranking him, if such had existed, as the world’s third best competitor. In doing so he enhanced the profile of ultra-marathon running as it gradually transitioned from its carnival-like, voyeuristic appeal to one with contemporary athletic legitimacy. Finally this Jamaican born, and raised, track specialist competed in Quebec snowshoe races against the best long distance performers of the era and succeeded in a manner possibly surprising for an athlete who likely never saw snow until he came to Canada in 1919

Theorising work : investigating the employment of people with learning difficulties

Paid employment for people with learning difficulties became central to social inclusion agendas over the period of Labour governments between 1997 and 2010. This found its clearest expression in Valuing Employment Now (2009) the first policy document in UK history to specifically focus on the role of employment in the lives of people with learning difficulties. This thesis tests the validity of the claims made in this and other policy documents seeking to embed the idea that employment supports social inclusion. The overarching research question addressed by the thesis is: Is employment a vehicle for social inclusion for people with learning difficulties? Using a qualitative multi-method approach, this question is explored through an analysis of how policy has informed practice over time; the extent to which young people with learning difficulties are prepared for employment; what employment means to people with learning difficulties; and how the identities associated with people with learning difficulties influence inclusion through employment. The thesis analyses relationships between structure and agency in the specific context of learning difficulties and employment. The thesis investigates how employment for people with learning difficulties has been contextualised by policy, service provision and ideologies over time. It interrogates how people with learning difficulties have interpreted this policy- provision-ideas context, and attempted to negotiate it. The thesis analyses the extent to which people with learning difficulties consider employment as an opportunity for them to become involved in a process of social inclusion. In order to support this analysis, the thesis utilises concepts drawn from sociological theory, in particular the concept of structuration (Giddens, 1990). The research found that people with learning difficulties - employed and unemployed - consider employment to have the potential for social inclusion. However, as well as numerous structural barriers research also found that a combination of policy and practice over time has constructed and maintained identity 'types' (Giddens, 1990: 118) which constrain the extent to which employment can facilitate social inclusion. Further, the research found evidence that people with learning difficulties are aware of the identities they are being invited to adopt and draw on them in contradictory ways

Design, Modeling, and Measurement of a Metamaterial Electromagnetic Field Concentrator

This document addresses the need to improve the design process for creating an optimized metamaterial. In particular, two challenges are addressed: creating an electromagnetic concentrator and optimizing the design of metamaterial used to create the electromagnetic concentrator. The first challenge is addressed by developing an electromagnetic field concentrator from a design of concentric geometric shapes. The material forming the concentrator is derived from the application of transformation optics. The resulting anisotropic, spatially variant constitutive parameter tensors are then approximated with metamatieral inclusions using the combination of an AFIT rapid metamaterial design process and a design process created for rapid metamaterial production. The second challenge of optimizing the design of the metamaterial is addressed by considering factors such as circuit board selection, various sets of metamaterial cell geometry combinations, and optimization of the ratio of the widths for the concentric geometric shapes. The resulting optimized design is simulated and shown to compress and concentrate the vertical electric field component of incident plane waves. A physical device is constructed based on the simulations and tested to confirm the entire design process. Experimental data do not definitely show concentration however an optimized design process has been proven

Exploitation of marine turtles and elasmobranchs in Madagascar

Small-scale fisheries (SSF) are poorly documented, yet 90% of the 120 million employed in capture fisheries work in the SSF sector and >1 billion people globally rely on fish as an important source of protein. There is a lack of data on the status of the majority of fisheries in Madagascar owing to the difficulty in surveying the vast coastline and large number of small-scale fishers. In Madagascar, marine turtles and elasmobranchs are important culturally and as sources of income and food for many small-scale fishers. However, very little data exist on the status of these two animal groups. The five chapters of this thesis intend to increase our understanding of the status of marine turtles and elasmobranchs in Madagascar. This is achieved through the assessment of the fisheries, legislation and in the case of turtles, the nesting population. I also document community-based methods for monitoring fisheries and marine turtle nesting, that are easily replicable for gathering data across remote regions. Results show that the turtle fishery in Madagascar appears to have remained at the same level since the 1970s, despite being illegal since the 1990s, with landings estimated to be approximately 10,000 to 16,000 turtles.year-1. To further contextualise the take of turtles in Madagascar, by carrying out a global review, I estimate that the worldwide legal take in turtle fisheries to be over 42,000 turtles.year-1. Contrary to reports from fishers, actual numbers of elasmobranchs (the majority of which are sharks) taken by the traditional (non-motorised) fishery has not declined. Results support previous reports that fishing effort has increased, as well changes in fishing gears, to account for declining catch per unit effort (CPUE) to maintain shark landing numbers. Furthermore, the size of some shark species has significantly declined, even across this study. Community-based turtle nesting monitoring and protection in western Madagascar revealed a small, yet potentially significant, nesting population. Across the 17 current nesting sites recorded, the majority of nesting populations in Madagascar have 40 historic nesting sites were recorded. Community-led monitoring methods not only helped to fill a data gap, but were also found to reduce loss of nests through human disturbance. Misinterpretations, poor enforcement and gaps in current legislation mean that both marine turtles and elasmobranchs are effectively unprotected from overexploitation. This thesis provides recommendations for improved legislation and management of both groups of species and demonstrates that participatory monitoring methods can not only reduce data deficiency, but enhance locally-led management and protection, and increase Madagascar’s capacity for improved management and conservation

Phage display selection of HIV specific conserved mimotopes with IgG from long-term non-progressors

Poster presentation Background The aim of this study is to identify conserved epitopes of HIV-1 neutralizing antibodies in polyclonal plasma from LTNP to finally derive vaccine candidates. Materials and methods The presence of neutralizing antibodies in 9 LTNP sera was proved by in vitro neutralization assays. Phage displayed peptide libraries were screened with LTNP IgG. HIV-specific mimotopes were analyzed for homology to the gp120 structure by a software (3DEX) especially developed for this purpose. Mice were immunized with interesting phages and their sera were analyzed for neutralizing activities against HIV-1. Results After biopannings, between 19% and 75% HIV-specific phage clones were identified by ELISA. Mimotope sequences were identified and could be aligned by 3DEX to linear or conformational epitopes on gp120. A peptide specific immune response was detected in sera of immunized mice. The first mice sera analyzed showed neutralizing activities against HIV-1. Conclusion Mimotopes could be selected from LTNP sera that represent conformational epitopes on gp120. Those ones inducing neutralizing antibodies upon immunization potentially are suited to derive vaccine candidates