The splitting of water into its constituents i.e. hydrogen and oxygen using sunlight is one of the key sustainable energy technologies to enable clean, storable and renewable source of energy. Additionally, the more efficient oxidation of such fuels in lower cost fuel cells enable the broader potential use of such solar fuels in many applications. Here we propose to develop high quality group III-nitride nanowire photocatalyst for efficient and stable solar water splitting using advanced growth, structural and optical characterization techniques.

The main objective of this research study is to investigate the potential of proteins from barley as functional ingredients and to study their interactions with some selected flavors. Three specific objectives will be addressed throughout this project. Barley protein will be isolated and qualified, including determining its functionality properties (ex.

Tuberculosis (TB) is an airborne bacterial infection that causes poor respiratory health and even death. TB is transmitted very well in crowded hospitals where people are in close proximity. For this reason, healthcare workers in countries such as India, which has the largest TB epidemic in the world, are at high risk of being exposed to and acquiring TB infection. To control TB infections in hospital settings, we need to understand which health care workers and trainees are vulnerable and why.

Current advanced audio playback systems can provide a feeling of 3D immersion to listeners. Though the technology to listen to 3D audio can provide a good listening experience, the technology used to create 3D audio content has not adapted to those advances. One major reason is due to human aural localization ability that is not as accurate as the visual localization ability, making it difficult for users to create a 3D experience because common authoring tools use visualizations to interact with.

In Hanoi (popn. 6.5 million), the capital city of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, the majority of vendors are rural to urban migrants, often women, who lack access to more durable livelihoods due to limited formal education, financial capital or social networks, who are now being pushed off their household land by the state’s development plans. Simultaneously, government efforts have sought to restrict the use of public space for vending. Although by trading, vendors can be fined, arrested, and have their goods confiscated, vendors can be seen plying their trade throughout the city.

First, particulate matter from air pollution caused by the burning of biomass fuels will be collected on filters at a field site in Sichuan, China. The samples will be comprised of personal exposures (from devices attached to women in the study population) as well as emissions (from devices near the source of the pollution). Next, the particulate matter samples collected on the field site will be analysed in the laboratory of the host collaborator, Dr. YuanXun Zhang, who is an expert in the specific analyses required to determine the chemical composition of the samples.

Agricultural production and trade are central to Chinese economic development and the livelihoods of millions of people throughout the country. In China’s southwest Yunnan province, cardamom is an important cash crop that many rural communities cultivate and trade to make an income. This research project will focus on the current cardamom cultivation practices and trade networks in the Yunnan province, to determine how resources are managed and how knowledge is disseminated.

Magnesium alloys are good candidates for the development of biodegradable implants for cardiovascular and orthopedic applications. A biodegradable implant would perform its desired function and then disappear, avoiding long-term complications and the need of a second surgery to withdraw the implant. Magnesium is biocompatible and its alloys have good mechanical properties, which are required properties for implant applications. However, they corrode (dissolve) too fast in the body, leading to loss of mechanical properties and premature implant failure.

In Brazil, inequities in accessing healthcare are linked to socioeconomic disparities. Poor and middle-income countries – like Brazil – bear the highest burden of cancer morbidity and mortality; yet typically do not have structured screening programs. My research aims to evaluate an innovative program in Brazil for screening breast, cervical, prostate and skin cancer. To combat inequities in access to healthcare, Brazil has implemented mobile units (MUs) to
proactively reach vulnerable populations and provide essential screening and health promotion services.