In Canada, as of April 21, only 569,878 people (~1.5% of the population) have been tested, with more than 38,413 positive COVID-19 cases identified; yet most people, including the asymptomatic COVID-19 cases, are not eligible for testing. Given that as many as 45% of all COVID-19 cases lack the known symptoms, or so-called asymptomatic cases, up to an estimated 17,000 cases could be asymptomatic and thus endangering public health. Moreover, these symptoms are not observed in the early stages of the disease, even in symptomatic cases.

The goal of this study will be to characterize a SARS-CoV2 antigen and the formulated drug product that will contain SARS-CoV2 antigen and a squalene-based adjuvant under tight timeline to release the material for COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials.

Our proposal continues our SFPE International research project on Anthropometric Data and Movement Speeds but directs the project’s goal to enhancing fire engineering resource development and research dissemination in Quebec. Our proposal is multi-staged. We primarily focus on the finalization of the compilation of existing emergency movement data which can be used by various engineering consultancies conducting ASET / RSET analyses or alternative solutions for egress management.

Ultrasound, an inexpensive, accessible and portable device is gaining popularity in various disease diagnoses. In this project, we aim to analyze the ultrasound images generated for knee joint for diagnosing hemarthrosis (joint bleeding), a common clinical event in patients with severe hemophilia. We aim to analyze the images using machine learning and deep learning techniques.

Poor mental health and stress are an expected outcome of the COVID-19 pandemic. Social distancing is taking another toll on the mental health of individuals. With most of the medical consultations being held online there is an urgent need to enable continuous monitoring of mental health by identifying risk factors for high stress and poor mental health and to provide individuals with information to improve their health and well-being. Wearable and mobile devices are an efficient and effective mean to achieve this goal in a very cost-effective manner.

Wind and solar photovoltaic energy are the fastest growing sources of electricity in Canada, targeting to reach 10% of Canada’s total generation by 2040. Aligned with Canada’s energy transition, this research aims at developing a novel, highly efficient, compact, and reliable power electronics interfaces for high power renewable energy resources. The use of power electronics converters is an attractive solution to significantly reduce the weight and size of the step-up voltage conversion unit in today’s high power renewable energy systems.

With recent changes in legalization of cannabis around the world, there is an urgent need for rapid, yet sensitive, screening devices for testing drivers and employees under the influence of cannabis at roadside and workplace, respectively. Oral fluid test strips have recently been explored for such application. While these strips offer simple and non-invasive detection of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), their detection threshold is about 25 ng/ml which is well above the 1-5 ng/ml per se limits set by regulations.

Climate change is having an affect all aspects of everyday life. In some regions, climate change could also have a negative impact on buildings. To help cope with these expected issues, we will be reviewing the Canadian masonry design standards in order to identify specific aspects of masonry construction that need special attention in their design to ensure our buildings continue to be durable as the local climate in various regions across the country changes.

The purpose of this project is to understand what person-centered planning and care means to people labelled with intellectual disabilities experiencing care in the developmental services sector. If we are able to question labels of intellectual disability, celebrate body-mind difference; desire disability, neurodivergence, and disabled/neurodiverse futures, how will the western industrial complex of care exist (or cease to exist)? What can replace it?

The research will be using visual information from the phone’s camera as well as demographic information from participants and implement various machine learning algorithms such as random forests, support vector machines, etc. to provide feedback regarding different exercises to the participant. Specifically, the algorithms will classify the exercise types. Furthermore, these algorithms will be optimized for use on smart phones. The partner organization intends to incorporate the algorithms in their mobile app for mass use.