Inaccurate staging of colorectal cancer contributes to poor patient outcomes and increased healthcare costs. The current staging process involves a manual and time-consuming search by pathology staff for lymph nodes (LNs) in surgically removed fatty tissues. These LNs are then investigated to determine if the cancer has spread, which informs treatment decisions. We developed a novel robotic system that leverages ultrasound imaging to automatically scan and mark locations of LNs for dissection by pathology staff.

The proposed research projects will expand the scope of computer algebra systems (CAS) into two areas where much remains to be done: symbolic analysis and polyhedral geometry. One of the proposed research projects will also strengthen CAS in one of their well-established territory, namely symbolic integration. These themes will support applications such as the analysis, transformation and scheduling of computer programs as well as the computation of limits of families of geometrical objects (e.g. tangent cones) algebraic geometry.

Sugars play many important roles in our bodies. For example, they provide a supporting environment around cells and are also involved numerous processes, including viral and bacterial infection. In addition to their natural existence, there is also interest in preparing sugar-based polymers, called “glycopolymers”, in the lab both to better understand biological processes and also to develop potential therapeutics. However, most methods to prepare these molecules are costly and time consuming.

Attention, an important aspect of human cognition, is needed for safe mobility and navigation through the environment. With age, the ability to move and navigate through the world requires greater cognitive resources. Previous brain imaging research has shown that mobility impairments are associated with reduced attention. However, previous work was limited to assessing attention while participants were stationary and/or in a laboratory environment, which does not necessarily translate to what would occur in the real-world.

During surgery, a neurosurgeon must refer to three levels of image information: macroscopic from the patient’s MRI or CT, providing anatomical context of the surgical target; mesoscopic information from a surgical microscope or exoscope providing a highly magnified view of the region surrounding the surgical target; and the most important microscopic information provided by histology samples of excised tissue that must be analyzed in a pathology laboratory.

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to represent a global health risk. Definite strides have been made to limit infection through the use of personal protective equipment and mass vaccinations, yet new variants of the virus that causes COVID-19 are still being detected in the population and spreading worldwide. As the pandemic enters its third year, medical professionals must focus on developing new ways to stop these variants. One way is to study compounds that are able to kill cells infected with virus and are known as antivirals.

Presently, sound wall foundation design for steel piles is being governed by the effects of the freeze-thaw cycles. The deformations produced by the freeze-thaw cycles cause structural damage and can be seen as an important index to judge the stabilities of structures in cold regions. A very limited number of studies investigated pile design within the context of sound wall foundation, as the behavior of these foundation under the cumulative freeze-thaw deformations is yet to be characterized.

City landfills release odourous gases from their daily operations which can impact the quality of life for near-by residences. The proposed research will determine how much odourous gas a typical landfill emits from its daily operations and whether odour absorbing materials or changes in in the types of wastes added to a landfill can be effective methods for reducing odour emission.

Sensors, as we know them in robots and many other systems, are usually devices made of tiny and delicateelectrical components. This project, however, is about the design of a sensor that is mechanical. The outcome ofthis project is the first commercially viable acoustic encoder. The definition of the acoustic encoder is simple: It isa mechanical structure that makes a clear resonant and vibrating sound when sensing displacement; The soundsignal then travels through the air to a remote microphone where it is translated to data.

Treatment of wastewater from refineries removes toxic compounds prior to the water being released into the environment. Treatment could be made more efficient and done more cheaply if we knew how to promote the growth of bacteria that enable toxin breakdown. The aim of this project is to identify which bacteria are present and active when the treatment plant is working as expected, and which are present when the treatment plant is ‘disrupted’.