Projets novateurs réalisés

Phytotechnologies Monitoring Impacts and Resilience of Native Species and Northern Climates

The Phytoremediation Pilot Project is a collaborative effort between Aya Kitchens and Landscape Architect Pete North to create a buffer system that will stabilize soil contamination left by historic industrial activity at 1551 Catepillar Rd., Mississauga. The site borders the Little Etobicoke Creek, a tributary to the Etobicoke Creek and designated a Significant Natural Area, and prior to the installation of the Phytoremediation Pilot Project groundwater had been transporting contaminants from the soil to the creek. Through strategic tree planting, the Phytoremediation Project takes advantage of plant action, namely the extraction of water, to alter the flow of groundwater so that contaminants never reach the creek. The research proposed here within aims to monitor and analyze the environmental and social impacts of the Phytoremediation Project.

Network security and machine learning development projects – part 2

The main objectives of this one-year study are to enhance systems in data management and integration in three ways: 1) create secure networks that can support BYOD; 2) create a data pipeline system for ETL; and 3) integrate ML content generation into a content management system. An Agile methodology will be used to plan and implement the projects on which the interns will work. This approach is widely used in software development and is based on collaboration, continual improvement and adaptation.

UAV-assisted wireless communication system in remote areas

In Canada, less than 30% of the geography is covered by cellular systems. There are lots of human activities in these uncovered remote areas for either gaining nature resources or outdoor experience. In this scenario, the walkie talkie is the only and vital method helping people to build connection between each other, which can ensures their safety. Nevertheless, the signal of walkie talkie devices can be easily attenuated and/or blocked by complicated terrains such as the forest, large rock messes, and mountains. Besides, the remote workers, such as loggers, have also been suffered from the isolation for a long time due to the lack of connection to the outside world. Therefore, in this project, we propose to study and implement the drone-assisted wireless communication system for remote areas, which not only provides reliable connection among nearby users, but also connects the remote areas to the world.

A Virtual reality (VR)-based yoga exercise program targeting upper and lower extremities function in stroke survivors who are discharged home

A virtual-reality-based yoga training and assessment platform will be developed as a comprehensive approach for training/improving balance, frailty, and cognitive performance and prevent falls in stroke survivors. The project would have 1) a great therapeutic benefit in terms of increasing rehabilitation outcomes post-discharge and 2) would increase the prevention of further disability. The platform can be applied and scaled as a disruptive post discharge stroke recovery model in the rural and remote communities involving less outpatient visits and more in-home self-administered training.

Exploring Small Vessel Interactions with Cetaceans in the Salish Sea

Small vessel interactions with cetaceans (whales, dolphins and porpoises) in the Salish Sea is poorly understood. This is of concern as vessel impacts, such as acoustic impacts and behavioural disturbances, have been categorized as a key threat to the recovery of various cetacean species. To minimize vessel impacts on cetacean species, the Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) and American National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) have drafted and updated over the years mandatory marine mammal viewing distance regulations around cetaceans. However, there lacks data exploring both vessel interactions with cetaceans and the effectiveness of current distance approach regulations. This internship will be in partnership with the Wild 4 Whales foundation to examine small vessel interactions with cetaceans in the Salish Sea. The primary objectives of the research are to: understand small vessel interactions with cetaceans through determining small vessel compliance rates to marine mammal distance regulations, and examine potential variables that influence small vessel interactions with cetaceans in the Salish Sea.

Evaluating of the feasibility of geothermal energy extraction from Valemines

The proposed research project is a study that would be conducted for Vale at all of their

underground operations in Thompson, Manitoba and Sudbury, Ontario. This study is aimed at

gathering data to determine the potential geothermal energy that these mines can provide.

The research will include a series of substantial in-situ data gathering, laboratorial

experiments and analytical analysis which are expected to determine the amount of available

geothermal heat of all the studied mine sites and define the most suitable technique of

extracting the heat energy from each source. The benefits from this project would include a

chance for the company to promote and use a renewable energy source for their operations

which can provide for the surrounding community. For the community, economic benefits

resulting from the provision of this form of energy includes an alleviation of current heating

and cooling energy costs that are incurred on an annual basis

Identification des partenaires des protéines p190RhoGAP

Les stades les plus avancés du cancer sont caractérisés par la présence de tumeurs secondaires appelées métastases. Elles apparaissent suite à la dissémination de cellules tumorales dans l’organisme. Pour cela, les cellules tumorales acquièrent des capacités de migration et d’invasion. Les protéines de la famille des RhoGTPases sont impliquées dans ces phénomènes, il est donc nécessaire que leur activité soit finement régulée, notamment par d’autres protéines. Parmi celles-ci, les protéines p190RhoGAP dont on retrouve deux isoformes p190A et p190B, sont retrouvées mutées dans de nombreux cancers.

Notre projet vise à mieux comprendre le fonctionnement des protéines p190RhoGAP et leur impact sur le cancer. Pour cela, nous déterminerons de manière exhaustive les partenaires de p190A et de p190B, mais également de mutants de p190A retrouvés dans les cancers, par une technique innovante : le BioID. Nous validerons les protéines partenaires de p190RhoGAP par diverses approches biochimiques et évaluerons l’impact fonctionnel de ces interactions, en analysant notamment leur impact sur la migration et l’invasion des cellules tumorales. A terme, ces résultats pourraient nous permettre de définir de nouvelles stratégies thérapeutiques pour améliorer la prise en charge des patients atteints de cancer invasif.

Real-Estate Valuation with Heterogeneous Geospatial Information

The proposed project investigates the extraction of geo-location information from online map services to augment the available attributes of real-estate properties, thereby enhancing model valuation of property sales price. Specifically, five distinct and concurrent objectives are proposed, each undertaken by a separate intern, to explore the feasibility of utilizing different data types retrieved from online map service, including satellite imaging, street-view photography, and traditional mapping of amenities. As these raw data are relatively complex, state-of-the-art machine learning technology, including convolutional network, graph neural network, attention mechanism, and objection detection models will be employed to extract meaningful geo-location information. Completion of this project will yield both commercial and technological benefits for the partner organization, as they control the distribution and access of the proprietary technology of automated property valuation.

A Community-Based Participatory Action Research Project to Examine How People Who Use Drugs are Represented in Anti-Stigma Campaigns and How Anti-Stigma Work Can be Made More Inclusive

Through a review of existing anti-stigma campaigns targeting stigma towards people who use drugs (PWUD) and a series of focus groups conducted with marginalized PWUD, this community-based research project will explore how anti-stigma campaigns can be made more inclusive of all PWUD, especially those most severely impacted by stigma. The project is being guided by a community advisory board made up of drug user activists from the Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users (VANDU) and findings will be mobilized to advocate for improved efforts to address the stigma PWUD face in the current overdose crisis. As VANDU is an organization that regularly consults with governments and policy makers on drug policy (including anti-stigma interventions) and also engages in its own advocacy campaigns this research will benefit the partner organization by informing and empowering its members in their ongoing work to fight stigma and advocate for the rights of PWUD.

Diversity and abundance of and effects of anthropogenic development (forestry harvesting) on crepuscular aerial insect populations (primarily lepidoptera, coleoptera) and how they influence an aerial insectivore (Eastern whip-poor-will)

Birds and insects who are active at dusk and dawn rely on environmental cues, such as light, to forage. Whip-poor-will are one such bird, and they rely on flying insects that are active during the same periods for food. Which insects, however, is not well understood but is important to know for conservation efforts focused on declining whip-poor-will populations. Additionally, birds and insects are sensitive to changes in their environment that result from the expansion of anthropogenic disturbance. Forestry harvesting practices can temporarily affect bird and insect populations by directly altering their habitat or indirectly through other means. Despite that, the way harvesting practices and affect populations of insects and birds that are active at dawn and dusk is poorly understood.

L’impact de l’innovation collaborative sur la création de valeur chez les PME manufacturières québécoises dans le contexte de l’Industrie 4.0

Pour faire face aux changements fréquents dans leur environnement externe, les PME manufacturières sont appelées à effectuer régulièrement des virages numériques leur permettant l’adoption et l’intégration des nouvelles technologies. Pour relever ce défi, elles ont besoin de développer des capacités technologiques leur permettant de mieux gérer leurs ressources et de les rendre plus disponibles aux moments opportuns. Les grandes entreprises relèvent ce défi à travers l’innovation. Faute de moyens et de ressources propres, les PME manufacturières multiplient les efforts pour développer leur potentiel d’innovation à travers l’innovation collaborative.
Avec une approche pragmatique, notre recherche vise à développer un modèle d’innovation collaborative permettant aux PME manufacturières québécoises d’innover ensemble et d’assurer leur pérennité dans le nouveau contexte de l’Industrie 4.0.

The Future of Ontario’s Manufacturing Workforce: A Roadmap to Assess Needs and Capabilities

The purpose of this research project is to better understand the human resource needs and capabilities of the advanced manufacturing sector in Ontario so as to support industry competitiveness and technological change. This research also contributes to labour market development for Ontario’s workforce through an analysis of training and educational providers and recruitment and retention approaches. This project is closely related to the Trillium Network for Advanced Manufacturing’s objective of raising awareness of Ontario’s advanced manufacturing ecosystem. More specifically, it contributes to Trillium’s core programs of work that focus on 1) new production technologies and the modernization of Ontario manufacturing and 2) skills, talent, and the future of Ontario’s manufacturing workforce.