Projets novateurs réalisés

Evaluating Adolescent Rickets in the Netherlands in the 19th Century

The proposed research aims to use non-destructive MicroCT analysis to investigate the levels of adolescent rickets and potential gender differences in the occurrence of the condition in two 19th century communities, Beemster and Hattem, in the Netherlands. In paleopathology, patterns of rachitic changes are well recognized in individuals that died during infancy and early childhood, however, they have not been properly assessed in adolescents. This research will be the first to observe and evaluate the changes occurring in adolescence, thus creating a framework by which rickets can be evaluated in adolescents of other populations. The Mitacs Globalink grant will give me the opportunity to travel to the Netherlands to work in a European university with an extensive skeletal collection and access to a MicroCT centre. This research will be instrumental in strengthening my skills in the analysis of metabolic bone diseases in archaeological human remains.

Études des vésicules extracellulaires de plaquettes contenant des organelles dans un contexte de transfusion

Au cours de l’inflammation, de nombreuses cellules peuvent s’activer. Dans ce contexte, les plaquettes sont reconnues pour générer des vésicules extracellulaires appelées microparticules, qui sont de petits fragments membranaires pouvant contenir des organelles comme la mitochondrie ou le protéasome. Nous avons récemment observé la présence de protéasome fonctionnel, essentiel pour la présentation antigénique, dans ces microparticules que nous avons nommé protéoMPs. Nous avons démontré la présence de protéoMPs dans différents liquides biologiques tels que le sang, le liquide synovial et les lavages bronco-alvéolaires. La présence de protéasome suggère que ces populations de microparticules puissent jouer de nouvelles fonctions jamais anticipées, potentiellement dans des contextes d’inflammation et immunité. Il a récemment été démontré que les mégacaryocytes et les plaquettes contiennent aussi du protéasome, expriment le complexe majeur d’histocompatibilité de classe I et peuvent effectuer la présentation antigénique et exercer un rôle dans la réponse immunitaire. Notre objectif est donc de vérifier si cette caractéristique est transmise aux vésicules de plaquettes contenant le protéasome.

Effects of feeding management on endocrine responses of dairy calves

It is essential that calves are provided proper nutrition early on in life as they are the future of the milking herd. In addition to milk, many producers opt to provide solid feed, such as grain and forage, to young calves to foster gastrointestinal tract development. Solid feed can be provided as: 1) grain and forage as separate components, or 2) grain and forage mixed together. Previous research has investigated how feed presentation influences calf feed and nutrient intake, and average daily gain. However, there is a knowledge gap as little research has looked at the impact of feed presentation on gut peptides. Gut peptides such as insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), insulin, and glucagon-like peptides (GLP-1 and GLP-2) each play a role in calf development and health. Therefore, the present study will investigate how feed presentation affects the plasma concentration of gut peptides. We aim to improve the understanding of calf development relating to gut peptides, and how feed presentation influences this process. Furthermore, the knowledge obtained from this study can be applied to improving feeding practices in the dairy industry to better calf development and health.

Effects of intervention with elongation factor 1A1 inhibitor on intestinal lipid metabolism and fatty liver disease in obese mice

Fatty liver disease occurs in the setting of obesity and a high-fat diet, and involves a build-up of excess fat in the liver. Excess fat can cause injury to the liver, which can lead to scarring, and in some cases liver cirrhosis and cancer. As obesity rates increase, it is important to investigate possible ways to treat this disease. We are studying a compound called didemnin B (DB), and found that, in obese mice, treatment with DB reduced the amount of fat in both the liver and bloodstream. To understand how this happened, we plan to look at the intestines from these mice to see if some of this fat was redistributed to the intestine. To visualize the fat, we will use a fluorescent dye, and take pictures of the intestines with a microscope. We expect that obese mice treated with DB will have more fat present in the intestines than untreated mice, and that this may contribute to the decreased fat we observed in liver and blood.

The physics of Boltzmann machines

Artificial Neural Networks are powerful tools used in the field of artificial intelligence. Inspired by the human brain, they have shown very good results in certain tasks, such as image classification and even in the generation of new images. The problem with neural networks is that we do not understand why they are working so well. To improve the understanding of neural networks we will study a very simple form of them, a so-called restricted Boltzmann machine (RBM). This kind of architecture of neural networks was inspired by statistical physics and therefore we will focus on the understanding of the learning process as a physical process. We will use the language of statistical physics to describe the learning, which is in our understanding nothing else than a process of physical equilibration. After formalizing this process we will focus on the generalization of RBMs to use them for more complex inputs such as for example continuous variables instead of only binary inputs.

Étude de l’écosystème de Sherbrooke

Alors que les contours de l’écosystème entrepreneurial de Sherbrooke commencent à se dessiner, les acteurs du milieu sont à la recherche de matière pour alimenter leurs réflexions et d’un guide pour aligner leurs actions. Afin d’accompagner la création et le maintien d’un écosystème dynamique, un plan de match est envisagé. Les étapes principales consistent à cartographier l’état de l’écosystème actuel, à identifier les différents parcours entrepreneuriaux, à documenter les initiatives émergentes sur le terrain, à explorer les bonnes pratiques éprouvées au sein d’autres écosystèmes ainsi qu’à envisager d’autres pistes d’actions pour l’avenir.

La recherche-action a été choisie comme stratégie de recherche. Elle permet une intervention rapide et agile, une implication directe sur le terrain, des rétroactions régulières et des ajustements au plan d’action. Il s’agit d’une méthode in situ dont le principe est de réaliser une recherche en cocréation avec les acteurs du milieu.

Les contributions anticipées de ce projet sont prolifiques. La recherche permettra de représenter la singularité du cas sherbrookois de manière à inspirer et guider d’autres initiatives entreprises dans un contexte apparenté. Elle servira à canaliser l’intelligence collective de la région de manière à améliorer durablement la situation entrepreneuriale. De ce fait, le passage à l’action et (…)

Off-Design Engine Modeling for Steam Turbines

Safely prolonging the life cyle of turbomachinery components, which would be replaced through scheduled overhauling, not only reduce the costs of operation but may also contribute to better sustainability of the life cycle management. XactLIFE is a prognostic software developed by LPTi (Life Prediction Technologies Inc., Ottawa, ON) to predict the life cycle of turbomachinery components. Although LPTi has focused in the analysis of gas turbine components, XactLIFE will be expanded towards the life prediction of steam turbine components by improving existing thermal module and adding new off-design turbine maps, as well as using conjugate heat transfer analysis. This added feature will enlarge LPTi’s customer base.

Preparation of Mesoporous Oxides for Electrochemical Applications

Electrochemical technologies, such as fuel cells and electrolysers, could play an important role in the attempt to diversify the energy market. These devices can be used to produce clean, renewable energy and fuels. However, the technology cost is still far too high, preventing their large-scale implementation. A significant portion of the production cost comes from the catalyst material, which is often based on rare metals. Therefore, developing novel materials that make use of earth-abundant metals while maintaining a good performance and durability is a crucial task to electrochemists and materials scientists. This project aims to prepare and characterize novel nickel-based nanomaterials for electrochemical applications as an alternative to currently used catalyst materials. The development of new uses of nickel is beneficial to the Canadian nickel industry, while the possible applications, i.e. alkaline fuel cells and water electrolysers, can significantly impact industrial processes and society as a whole.

Interactive Molecular Modelling in Virtual Reality

The work that the Glowacki lab has addressed concerns two main issues of VR: a lack of multi-user interaction and heavy processing requirements. Using remote cloud supercomputing facilities, his lab can access the processing power to model in real time incredibly complex mathematically systems, with the computational physics simulations performed off-site, thereby enabling multi-user interactions. The research that I am to conduct in Dr. Glowacki’s lab would involve extending already established real-time quantum mechanical simulations, which allows users to make/break bonds and also discover novel chemical reactions. Specifically, I will be enabling the VR code to render molecular orbitals and electronic densities in real-time simulations, so as to furnish chemists with new insights. This project relies on the processing power of the techniques Dr. Glowacki has developed and will benefit from the skills I aquired developing VR software. The expected outcome will be the development of effective visualizations and improved rendering of the reactions modeled.

Safety Labs User and Performance Validation

The Safety Labs platform is an ‘always connected’ Internet of Things (IOT) cloud computing based system that focused on aging in place and well being for older adults through ongoing health knowledge. This project will focus on a trial with a population of older adults in the Ottawa region that will trial the system with a focus on understanding the following key attributes of the system:
• Usability and reliability of the system as assessed by the older adults and their ability to use the system over the trial period.
• Operational usability and performance as assessed by researchers with clinical backgrounds to understand the system capability and value for ongoing knowledge of the older adults.
• Technical performance of the system include uptime and operational accuracy.

Protoporphyrin IX a novel crosslinker for dielectric elastomers

Dielectric elastomers or “artificial muscles” are a class of electroactive polymers that undergo expansion when subjected to an applied electric field. Polysiloxanes commonly referred to as silicones are often the material of choice for dielectric elastomers due to their excellent mechanical properties. However, they suffer from minimal expansion when subjected to an electrical field. This research will seek to improve the electromechanical response of silicone elastomers by incorporating Protoporphyrin IX (P-IX) into silicone elastomers and polymers. Initially, the project will focus on developing synthetic techniques to facilitate the chemical incorporation of P-IX into silicones elastomers, these elastomers will then be evaluated for their electromechanical response. It is expected that incorporation of P-IX will improve the electromechanical response of silicone elastomers leading to the development of a new silicone material for dielectric elastomers.

The Value of Arts and Culture for Community Cohesion

Although the social, economic, and cultural importance of the arts is generally acknowledged, few studies have collected data on how community members (whether engaged in the arts or not) perceive the value of the arts within their community. This study examines public perceptions of the arts within Saskatchewan’s urban and rural communities. Using a mixed-methods research design that includes a random sample telephone survey and qualitative community-based consultations, the project examines the role of the arts in fostering community cohesion, revealing important insights on the social value and meaning of the arts. The study may also expose significant barriers and facilitators for the arts, and social interconnection more broadly, within rural communities, contributing important insights to the work of arts organizations and cultural policy development.