Projets novateurs réalisés

NAIT BSI for Zero Point Cryogenics

Zero Point Cryogenics (ZPC) is an Edmonton-based company that manufactures cryogenic equipment called dilution refrigerators, which are the platform for quantum computers. Unlike our competitors, we are focused on B2B applications, designing dilution refrigerators for quantum computing industry partners that will satisfy their space, size, and delivery requirements.

The production of quantum technologies such as dilution refrigerators requires advanced manufacturing capabilities. Every component of a ZPC dilution refrigerator is first fully designed and then simulated using advanced simulations to ensure operation at extreme low temperatures. This is then followed by precision CNC machining of high-purity materials, which must meet the exacting standards of accuracy required for reliable cryogenic operation. Many of these components must then be polished to a mirror finish before being plated with gold, to reduce their thermal heat load. The dilution units are then assembled by teams of highly trained and educated professionals, meeting the highest cleanliness standards, which are required for achieving the vacuum conditions for cryogenic operation. ZPC will combine these aspects in a state-of-the-art production facility, producing quantum-enabled dilution refrigerators for today’s quantum computing companies, while preparing for the future of quantum computing.

An Analysis of Power Pole Foundation Conditions

The purpose of the research project is to identify the main soil types found within the FortisBC Electric service territory and identify the best alternatives for power pole installations within each soil type. This information will be made readily available to power line designers for use when selecting the foundation alternative during the design process The large number of power poles installed each year has created a need to streamline the design process and installation cost. This project was proposed to address most typical foundation situations which may be encountered during the installation of power poles and therefore reduce the design and installation costs.

Advanced control solution for managed pressure drilling system

This project will help the drilling industry accept new technologies. This work will focus on create and testing more robust controllers for choke control, applying advanced controller techniques and designing these controllers to accommodate diverse operating conditions in different rigs.

Assessing Implications of Structure-Property Relationship of Acid-stable Cyclicimidioximes on U(VI) sequestration from seawater

Uranium can generate energy efficiently and sustainably, resulting in its high demand due to increasing global energy demand. As a result, there has been significant interest in the search for materials to sequester uranium ions, U(VI), from seawater. Among the materials adopted, the amidoxime-based polymeric adsorbent has shown great promise, but not without challenges. During industrial testing, the active site of the sorbent (CID) was responsible for the preferential adsorption of pentavalent vanadium, V(V) ions over uranium. This interaction led to the degradation of the material during the acidic elution process. Interestingly, the aromatic-based CIDs (Ar-CIDs) are acid-stable. However, the potential co-adsorption of U(VI) and V(V) and possibly other metal ions by the Ar-CIDs remains unknown, as only corresponding U(VI)/Ar-CIDs have been investigated. Therefore, this project will establish a fundamental understanding of metal ion interaction with Ar-CID-type sorbents and provide insights into developing more U(VI)-friendly and efficient adsorbents.

Supporting Patients by Family Education in Psychotic Illness

Family caregivers are an essential component of care for young adults with severe mental illness including psychosis. While their involvement improves outcomes in multiple modalities, family caregivers are often overwhelmed with the care of their loved one. Currently, there are not enough resources for family caregivers of young people with severe mental illnesses. The study involves administering a nine-week course on caring for a person with mental illness to family caregivers. We will asses

Healthy Active Learning

Healthy Active Learning (HAL) is a government wellbeing Initiative. It has been designed to promote and improve healthy eating and physical activity in 800 schools, Kura and early learning services across New Zealand. The student intern will help collect data by visiting primary and intermediate schools (children aged 5-13 years) throughout select regions of New Zealand. The intern will also be required to undertake data analysis and data entry as required. This is a great opportunity to build global relationships in the field and get involved in a nationwide research project. The expected outcomes of this interdisciplinary initiative include the children involved making positive and informed choices surrounding physical activity and nutrition, increasing physical activity of the children, and having the children be actively and positively engaged in learning. These outcomes will be studied via comparative analysis of the data between demographics as well as longitudinal/exploratory analysis. Overall, it is hoped that the data and research generated by the study can inform future health promotion initiatives in children across the world, and can combat childhood sedentary behaviors that contribute to the global spread of chronic disease.

Années de vie ajustées par la qualité : analyse de cinq techniques d’élicitation

Parce qu’il est urgent au Québec, tout particulièrement pour l’Institut National d’Excellence en Santé et en Services Sociaux (INESSS) et la communauté des évaluateurs, de disposer d’un ensemble de valeurs d’utilités pour les états de santé de la population qui reflète ses préférences et soit basé sur les meilleures méthodes, nous proposons ce projet. Il vise ainsi à : 1) comparer différentes méthodes d’élicitation (SG et DCE) des utilités en santé utilisées dans les évaluations économiques en santé; 2) proposer une nouvelle approche (SG-MBDC) qui nous l’espérons sera en mesure de répondre plus facilement et de fournir des données de meilleure qualité

Opérationnalisation et déploiement d’un outil utilisant l’intelligence artificielle afin d’assister la prise de décision pédagogique

Videns Analytics a lancé en 2018 le projet Réussito. Ce dernier est un outil technologique qui aidera le personnel enseignant dans sa prise de décision. Pour ce faire, les commentaires de rétroaction des enseignants sont analysés, à l’aide d’intelligence artificielle, pour les classer dans plusieurs catégories ciblées par des chercheurs en éducation. Les algorithmes d’intelligence artificielle (modèle de prévision) permettent maintenant de classer les commentaires, mais ce n’est pas suffisant pour avoir un outil utilisable. Ce projet vise à réaliser l’interface pour permettre aux enseignants de fournir les données aux modèles et de visualiser le résultat des analyses. Ce projet permettra de mettre en place l’architecture nécessaire pour assurer la performance de l’outil ainsi que sa sécurité.

Geospatial-based Modeling and Prediction of Marine Bird Distribution in the Chilean Patagonia

This internship is included in a bigger perspective that aims to characterize and organize the environmental management of fjords. Based on monitoring data from 2013 to 2022, the density of around twenty bird species has been determined. Therefore, from these data it will be possible to create a geographical model to determine the presence of certain species according to the studied sectors.
With the use geographic information systems modelling tools such as MaxEnt and Forest-based Classification and Regression, the likely presence of certain species and climatic and oceanographic factors having a major influence on the distribution of birds in the territory will be determined. Other indicators will also be used to enrich the quality of the research.
The project will help understand dynamics taking place in the southernmost tip of the American continent. The elaborated models will help understand bird population repartition and will also facilitate predictions for years to come.

Lie Group Statistical Analysis of Human Movement

Statistical analysis of 3-dimensional motions of objects or humans is instrumental to establish how these motions differ, depending on various influences or parameters. When such motions involve no stretching or tearing, they may be described by the elements of the Special Euclidean Group. Statistical analysis of physical processes of this kind is complicated by the basic properties of the group; for example, by the fact that the arithmetic average of two rotations is not a rotation. Algorithms developed by Mr. Till in the course of his doctoral research to date, which exploit the unique properties of a formalism called Conformal Geometric Algebra, permit such statistical analyses to be carried out efficiently by computer despite these complications. This project will extend and generalize these algorithms to create a set of analytical tools which can be made available to a wide variety of researchers, clinicians and commercial users, who can apply them in a wide variety of statistical-discrimination and hypothesis-testing contexts while remaining focused on their own disciplines.

A feasibility study of an adapted psychosocial intervention to improve the psychosocial well-being of asylum-seekers families in Montreal—A mixed methods approach

In 2017, Canada hosted over 13 thousand asylum seekers younger than 15 years. In Canada asylum seekers wait on average for two years for the determination of their refugee status. Moreover, asylum seekers are being vulnerablized not only by pre-migration trauma, but also because of the ongoing stressors of resettlement, including legal precarity, racism, discrimination, insecure housing, and other forms of social exclusion. The need for programs that can protect and prevent mental health problems in asylum seekers families is crucial. The ‘Teaching Recovery Techniques’ (TRT) is a promising psychosocial intervention developed for children affected by war. However, little is known about how this intervention is experienced by children and parents, and how, aside from decreasing posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, this intervention may support children’s resilience. Indeed, there is limited data on the cultural appropriateness of the intervention. This research will address two urgent gaps: first, the lack of preventive services on the ground for refugee claimant children and families in shelters in Montreal despite the ongoing stressors they face affecting their wellbeing and mental health; and second, the lack of data on the cultural appropriateness, safety, and meaningfulness of the TRT model.

Effective monitoring of honeybee health and pathogens

Honeybees are considered the world’s most devoted pollinators as they provide an essential ecosystem service that is vital to the maintenance of both wild plant communities and agricultural productivity. In Canada alone, the honeybee industry is worth over 4 billion dollars annually. Over the last years, beekeepers have been faced with major colony loss due to pathogen infections. Unfortunately, there is currently no easy and rapid way to detect these infections in their early stages and avoid complete loss of hives. Our team is working on developing an assay that will effectively assess the health of honeybee hives and help manage early infections.