Projets novateurs réalisés

Biocontrol in large-scale cricket rearing facility

Aspire Food Group is the largest commercial cricket rearing facility in the world and has recently encountered a significant presence of mites in their facility. The main objectives of this research will utilize the taxonomic and biocontrol expertise to: 1) identify the mite species present in the Aspire facilities, 2) make recommendations based on identifications and biology of the species for generalized control of stored product pest mites, 3) devise standardized protocols for the assessment of mites in feed and other substrates, and on crickets, and 4) perform rearing and feeding experiments of biocontrol mites on stored product pest mites, parasitic mites infesting live crickets, and cricket eggs. This project will ensure that Aspire Canada is able to continue to assist Canada’s agriculture and agri-food sector to more sustainably meet global demand for food, and improve the quality assurance and economic feasibility of Aspire’s operations.

Multi-Plenum Fan Array Coupled with Double Skin Facades Integrating Microalgae Photobioreactors Towards Advanced Carbon Bio-fixation and Thermal Energy Preservation

Growing energy demand in buildings has driven research towards efficient techniques and sustainable sources. Double-skin façades reduce energy consumption, improve thermal comfort, and enable bioenergy generation via microalgae photobioreactors. While recent research has focused on optimizing thermal and bioenergy generation from such systems, it often neglects the impact of heat gain by the occupied space on energy performance. To address this, this project upgraded an existing double-skin façade system by integrating a multi-plenum fan array to reduce heat build-up. The impact on microalgae growth will be monitored to ensure improved temperature stability increases photobioreactor’s productivity. The fan integration will be optimized by determining the the proper selection of fan speed, configuration, and placement. An economic feasibility study will evaluate the cost effectiveness of the fan, while noise and vibration analysis will measure the impact on building occupants and develop mitigation strategies. Machine learning models will optimize key variables like fan speed, flow direction, and vent area, using algorithms such as Gradient Boosting Machines, Convolutional Neural Networks, and Long Short-Term Memory Networks. These algorithms will be integrated into a control system with reinforcement learning to adaptively adjust parameters in real-time and create a proactive building façade system that optimizes performance over time.

Assessment of Cattle Winter Feeding Using Internal and External Accelerometer Data

Extreme cold temperatures caused by disrupted polar vortexes subject beef cattle to a stressful environment, leading to a diversion of energy from cattle growth or fertility to thermoregulatory mechanisms that increase heat production. We hypothesize that simultaneous selection of both heat and cold tolerance could be possible, which might be essential for the volatile effects of climate change. Accelerometer and temperature data provided by internal temperature boluses (Moonsyst) and virtual fencing collars (Gallagher) will enable us to assess winter cold tolerance among different cross breeds of winter adapted cattle (Galloway, Highland, Angus).

Built Stories: a Web-based and Mobile Information System for Community Led Heritage Asset Inventory and the Preservation of History, Culture and Built Heritage

The overarching aim of the study, of which the proposed MITACS funded work is part, is to determine if heritage designation impacts properties and to better understand some people’s support and other peoples resistance to designation. One aspect in particular concerns a building’s time-on-the-market (TOM). Although there have been studies on designation, there is a gap in academic literature that explains how heritage designation may impact a building’s TOM and how people’s perception of that factor influences their attitudes toward heritage conservation. Undertaking this research is significant as it attempts to add to the calculus of valuating heritage buildings and also future approaches to heritage policy. A key tool in relating to and interacting with people in communities is Building Stories a crowd source system for recording historic properties. It is through interaction with users of Building Stories that the intern will enhance the qualitative side of his research.

Incivilités vécues au travail, expériences de rétablissement et épuisement émotionnel des employé.e.s : étude par journaux de bord

Les incivilités au travail sont des comportements impolis ou irrespectueux qui sont très subtils et courants en milieu de travail. Un grand nombre de personnes ont vécu ce type de comportements au travail au cours de leur vie professionnelle. Environ la moitié des personnes disent que cela arrive chaque semaine au travail (Porath & Pearson, 2013). La fréquence de ces comportements est inquiétante puisque ces comportements peuvent affecter la santé mentale des personnes.

Cette étude vise à comprendre comment les incivilités au travail contribuent à l’épuisement des personnes au travail et à leur capacité à recharger leurs batteries après une journée de travail. De plus, nous voudrions aussi vérifier si cela affecte les gens différemment selon qui ils sont (par ex., selon si c’est un homme ou une femme, selon leurs origines ethnoculturelles).

Pour le savoir, nous demanderons aux participants de nous partager chaque jour pendant deux semaines s’ils ont vécu des incivilités au travail et comment ils se sont sentis après. Faire cela chaque jour, nous aidera à mieux comprendre comment ces situations impactent presque immédiatement les travailleurs.

Development and Optimization of an Adaptive Virtual Synchronous Generator (VSG) for Stabilizing Power Grids with High Renewable Energy Penetration

The proposed research project aims to improve the stability of electrical grids, which are increasingly powered by renewable energy sources such as solar and wind, by developing a Virtual Synchronous Generator (VSG). This virtual generator would allow grids with low natural inertia, due to the presence of power electronics (e.g., inverters), to better respond to frequency fluctuations and avoid power outages. This project, conducted in collaboration between Canada and France, will help enhance the integration of renewable energies, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and increase the reliability of electrical networks.

Impacts of salt and enzymatic hydrolysis on thermal stability, physicochemical, and functional properties of plant extracts

Plant-based foods, including beverages, cheese, and yogurts, have gained great attention from consumers due to their sustainability and health benefits. Earth’s Own devotes significant efforts to producing healthy plant-based beverages from sources like oats and almonds. In their next quest to expand their range of plant-based offerings, hempseed and legumes are selected for its richness in protein. Despite their nutritional quality, its physical instability after thermal treatment hinders its widespread use in food applications. To address this issue, the proposed project will investigate the use of salt and protein hydrolysis in plant extract. Furthermore, the physicochemical and functional properties of the treated extracts will also be examined. The knowledge generated from this project will enable the industry to develop plant extract processes with improved physical stability and explore their applications in food.

Exploration des ressources nécessaires au soutien des femmes en milieu de travail en lien avec les défis posés par le cycle menstruel, début de l’âge adulte à la ménopause

L’impact du cycle menstruel sur la vie professionnelle des femmes est un problème significatif. Les études antérieures démontrent que les symptômes liés au cycle menstruel, notamment le syndrome
prémenstruel et la ménopause, impactent négativement la qualité de vie, le bien-être et la carrière professionnelle des femmes (Avis et al., 2009; Fondation canadienne de la ménopause, 2023; Griffiths
et al., 2013; Loukzadeh et al., 2024; Siahbazi et al., 2018). Cependant, il est possible de constater un manque de recherches approfondies sur les besoins spécifiques des femmes et l’efficacité des
interventions qui permettraient de soutenir les femmes dans le lot de défis quotidien engendré par leur cycle menstruel. Ce constat soulève la nécessité d’une approche plus personnalisée et approfondie dans
l’examen des besoins des femmes en lien avec leur cycle menstruel, du début de l’âge adulte à la ménopause, particulièrement dans le contexte professionnel.

Prédiction des risques et planification de carrière pour les artistes du cirque

Le Cirque du Soleil, en collaboration avec le Centre de recherche, d’innovation et de transfert en arts du cirque (CRITAC), lance un projet novateur visant à améliorer la gestion de ses artistes. Grâce à l’analyse des données et à l’intelligence artificielle, ce projet permettra de prévoir les risques de blessures et d’anticiper les transitions de carrière des performeurs. En analysant les données sur les performances et la condition physique des artistes, les chercheurs développeront des modèles prédictifs pour identifier les moments critiques où les artistes sont le plus susceptibles de se blesser ou de nécessiter une transition professionnelle. Ce projet illustre comment la technologie est utilisé dans les performances artistiques, tout en positionnant le Canada à la pointe de l’innovation dans les arts du cirque.

Phase 2: Assessment of a patient turning device to assist in patient handling

Problem Statement: The healthcare sector faces a significant challenge with high rates of work-related musculoskeletal disorders, largely attributed to patient handling (PH) tasks. Existing studies have highlighted this issue, underscoring the need for technological interventions to effectively reduce injuries associated with patient handling.

Objectives and Activities: This proposal focuses on investigating the Vendlet technology, designed to facilitate in-bed patient handling. This technology has yet to enter the Canadian market, but its establishment is anticipated by early 2025. This project marks the second phase of a larger research endeavor. Phase-1 focused on quantifying the physical demands of PH tasks through neuromuscular and biomechanical modeling without the use of technology. Phase-2 expanded on this by evaluating the Vendlet technology and caregiver training protocols to reduce physical demands compared to manual handling tasks.

Anticipated Impact(s): The introduction of innovative technologies like the Vendlet is expected to reduce the incidence of musculoskeletal injuries among healthcare workers in both long-term and acute care settings, enhance healthcare worker safety, and potentially decrease healthcare costs associated with injuries and absenteeism in Canada. The adoption of advanced PH technologies, such as the Vendlet, will create safer work environments for both healthcare providers and patients.

Drone Assessment of Winter Feeding of Climate Resilient Cattle

In the Climate Resilience Cattle project, we are combining the Red Angus, Senepol, Galloway, and Scottish Higland Bos taurus breeds with the objective of producing a novel synthetic breed called the Climate Master Composite. Thermally equipped drones will be autonomously flown to each individual animal using the GPS coordinates supplied by Virtual Fencing collars placed around the animals neck. When in position above the cattle, the quadcopter will record video for a minimum of three minutes, providing stable footage for each animal for later behavioral assessment; and the drone will also capture radiometric JPEG photos to record the external surface temperatures with the goal of assessing the insulative value of each animal’s winter hair coat during morning, afternoon and evening collection periods. The overall objective is to produce a polled composite cattle breed that can withstand both hot and cold temperature extremes. We hypothesize that as the insulative value of an animal’s winter coat increases, the amount of radiated heat detected by the microbolometer on the radiometric camera will decrease and will help characterize the different winter coat phenotypes between our different cattle groups.

Digital Technology and Imposter Syndrome

As an epistemic phenomenon and mental health concern, Imposter syndrome (IS) can affect how individuals believe and see themselves as epistemic peers in an epistemic environment. The online environment, particularly social media, can be an epistemic environment that could provide useful insight into understanding and dealing with imposter syndrome. So far, what has been theorised in the literature on digital technology highlights how social media negatively affects the mental health of its users. However, there is very little theorisation on the potential usefulness of social media for mental health, particularly as it relates to imposter syndrome. Therefore, I propose a novel argument that digital technologies can help further understand and possibly ameliorate the effects of the imposter syndrome both an epistemic and mental health concern affecting black women philosophers.