Projets novateurs réalisés

Pharmacist-physiotherapist collaborative management for early knee osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a slowly progressive chronic condition that is associated with aging and is characterized as joint pain. Individuals with early-stage OA usually attempt to treat their OA with pain medication therefore Alberta pharmacists can be seen as a first point of contact for these individuals to access appropriate care. Education, self-management, and exercise are elements that aid in managing this progressive chronic condition. Typically, a health care professional such as a physiotherapist or pharmacist may help with the development and application of these self-management skills. In this study, the primary objective is to evaluate the effectiveness of a 3-month pharmacist-physiotherapist community collaboration in patients with early knee OA on pain relief and functional improvement. The proposed research looking at early OA in the community will be of particular interest to Arthritis Research Canada (ARC) given its mandate of arthritis including OA. Little research has looked at early knee OA in the community; it has, more often than not, looked at moderate to advance OA when people access the medical system. The findings from this work will be of particular to the arthritis networks such as The Arthritis Society.

Synthesis and Application of Tritiated Activin Receptor Like Kinase 2 Radioligands for Molecular Investigations of Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma

Diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) is a rare childhood cancer that affects part of the brainstem. DIPG is typically diagnosed in children aged 5-10 years old and does not have any effective forms of treatment. Since there are no treatments, the average survival time for children who are diagnosed with DIPG is only 11 months. We are a part of a global, open science initiative to find effective treatments for children suffering from DIPG. There is an enzyme called ALK2 that is mutated to be overly active in many children suffering from DIPG, with up to 30% of patients expressing mutant ALK2. These over-activating mutations are thought to contribute to DIPG tumour growth and aggression, so developing a drug for inhibiting ALK2 is a promising route for treating DIPG. The goal of this proposal is to develop a molecular imaging tool (or radioligand) that can be used to efficiently screen potential ALK2 drug candidates and imaging agents in vitro to help expedite the drug discovery process for treating DIPG. We will also use these radioligands to further study autopsied DIPG tumour tissues to learn more about potential therpeutic targets and imaging biomarkers in this disease.

Development of a low-cost underwater robot for inference of localization and environmental mapping

We will continue work on an inexpensive device developed for water column monitoring, using technology in development by Kinsol Research. The overall research project currently being undertaken is to create a device that can autonomously descend through a column of water to pre-set depths, gather measurements from various sensors (e.g. temperature and light level) during its descent, and then return to the surface. Future applications for this device include: water monitoring, research into multi-robot underwater problems, and engineering education. The ACCELERATE research project would involve adding Kinsol Research’s Spider networking technology as a command and control module for the robot, finishing development of the application, performing experiments, and writing a research paper. Kinsol Research will benefit from the polishing of its Spider software and hardware into a product more usable by customers. The project will also potentially demonstrate that Kinsol Research’s networking technology is ready for marketing deployment in research and commercial markets.

Enhance teaching methodologies and learning by leveraging collaborative software

Smart or intelligent classrooms utilize advanced interactive technologies to support instructors and learners in a hybrid learning environment. However, effectively integrating these technologies with the instructors’ curriculum and aligning them with students’ needs remains a challenge. Distinct from typical hybrid learning platforms, X2O’s OneRoom is designed to preserve the learning experiences of online students and to engage all participants in a collaborative learning process through innovative technologies. While OneRoom has shown many strengths, it has also faced some of the previously discussed challenges. X2O Media wants ?to improve the effectiveness of high-performance individuals through more targeted and efficient teaching and learning methods and better understand what teaching methodologies and tools, including AI, could be leveraged for both the teacher and the student. This proposal outlines a design-based research approach that includes both qualitative (e.g., interviews, think-aloud protocols) and quantitative methods (e.g., educational data mining and machine learning techniques) aimed at thoroughly enhancing the viability and effectiveness of X2O’s smart classroom design. This project represents the first application of design-based research to evaluate an industrial product like OneRoom. It offers an opportunity to iteratively examine various design frameworks and consider the evolving needs of different stakeholders through multiple rounds of experimentation.

Near Real-Time Multi-Sensor Geospatial Data Processing Using Quantum Machine Learning for Forest Fire Hazard Mitigation

Forest fire hazard mitigation is crucial for Canada due to its vast and diverse forests, which are highly prone to wildfires. These fires threaten human lives, property, and wildlife, and can cause serious economic and environmental damage. Effective strategies can reduce the frequency, intensity, and spread of wildfires, protecting communities, preserving valuable timber, and maintaining biodiversity. This project aims to improve fire hazard mitigation by using advanced multi-sensor data and quantum machine learning (QML) to detect, monitor, and predict fires more accurately. Additionally, this project will enhance the understanding of the potential of QML to improve fire hazard mitigation and its applications to other remote sensing uses for students and faculty members of the University of New Brunswick, Canada and Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Petroleum Technology, India. These proactive measures are essential for safeguarding Canada’s natural heritage and ensuring the safety and well-being of its residents.

Multivariable Industrial Alarm Monitoring and Management

This project aims to develop, evaluate, and apply advanced solutions and techniques for assisting industrial plant operators in decision-making during abnormal situations, thereby improving plant safety and reliability. Currently, plant operators receive too many alarms, making it difficult to respond effectively. In industrial facilities, developing strategies for sustainable Environmental, Health, and Safety (EH&S) performance and corporate social responsibility is increasingly important. Achieving EH&S targets can yield significant economic benefits by preventing costly unplanned shutdowns, equipment damage, and operation failures. To ensure quality, efficiency, and EH&S performance, it is crucial that operators are promptly informed of faults and abnormal situations via the alarm system, allowing for timely and appropriate responses. Our goal is to analyze the alarm data and develop advanced solutions to reduce unnecessary alarms and improve the overall alarm system performance. By using data from existing systems, we will identify patterns and causes of alarm floods and create tools to help operators manage these situations better. This project will involve close collaboration with industry experts and use real industrial data to ensure practical and effective results. Ultimately, the improved alarm systems will enhance plant safety, reliability, and environmental compliance, benefiting the partner organization and the wider Canadian industrial sector

Using Historical Aerial Photography to Identify River Changes as related to Forestry Practices in Musgamagw Dzawada’enuxw Territory

The decline of Pacific salmon on the south and central coast of British Columbia has resulted in well-recognized economic, ecological, and cultural impacts. Numerous factors are considered to have contributed, including marine conditions, climate change, and changes to freshwater habitats. Forest harvesting is often considered to have altered freshwater habitats where salmon spawn and rear via changes to temperature, flow regimes, erosion, and sedimentation. This project will use historical aerial photography and records to identify changes to salmon-bearing rivers over time, and qualitatively relate these to forest harvesting history data. As iconic populations with unique cultural, economic, and environmental impacts in western Canada, wild salmon have many Canadian groups who are highly motivated to help protect their health and long-term viability. These groups include First Nations, government, industry, environmental NGOs, and academics. This project, in partnership with environmental NGO Salmon Coast Society, will engage and collaborate with such groups, including Musgamagw Dzawada’enuxw Fisheries Group Society, Pacific Salmon Foundation, Ecofish Research Ltd, and the Universities of Victoria and Toronto.

Investigating Arctic Ringed Seal (Pusa hispida) Haul-Out Behaviours Through Acoustic and Photo Analysis

This research project focuses on understanding how ringed seals communicate during haul-out events in the Northwest Territories. Ringed seals are vital to Arctic ecosystems but face threats from climate change and increased shipping. By analyzing acoustic and photo data provided by our partner organization, we aim to discover if these seals change their vocalizations when they haul out onto sea ice. This study will help us better understand this species’ behaviour since their vocalizations haven’t been directly linked to specific behaviours like hauling out. These results will in-turn help us gain an improved understanding of how environmental factors affect seal behaviour and communication. The findings will assist the partner organization in developing conservation strategies tailored to protect ringed seals and their habitats amidst changing Arctic conditions, ensuring their long-term survival in the region.

Global Country Risk Assessment and Selection

This project will involve the calculation of a global country risk measure for each of the 45 countries included in MSCI All Country World Index. Two alternative approaches will be used to develop our measures. The first is based on market segmentation and will use, for each country, the GICS industry group data consisting of earnings yield, book yield and gross profit. The second approach develops the risk measure based on the country’s susceptibility to extreme risks in local and global markets. These two methods will be constructed from a bottom-up approach which means from individual firms to country level. Once calculated each of these measures will be examined both through time and across countries and the two measures will be compared and contrasted in the hope of finding an optimal country risk measure. This research will give guidance to Highstreet when investing in global markets.

Upgraded: Strategic Innovations in B2B Communication

The proposed project aims to create and implement new strategies for business-to-business (B2B) outreach. By developing innovative approaches to engage with other businesses, the project seeks to enhance communication, build stronger partnerships, and drive growth. The expected benefit to the partner organization includes increased reach, more effective lead generation, and higher revenue through targeted B2B interactions.

Connected and enhanced mobile application for menstrual pain device

The project aims to enhance the connected pain management application complementing Juno Technologies Inc.’s innovative medical device designed to relieve menstrual pain quickly and effectively.

Improving Tennis Canada’s Sustainability Initiatives for the National Bank Open

The project aims to enhance the sustainability of the National Bank Open (NBO), a premier tennis tournament hosted by Tennis Canada. Tennis Canada, as a national non-profit entity, is dedicated to Canadian communities. To address the environmental concerns currently faced by our communities and throughout the world, Tennis Canada has set ambitious sustainability goals—specifically achieving zero-waste and carbon neutrality by 2030.

The project will focus on two key objectives: 1. Reduce landfill waste from the NBO, and 2. Amplify awareness of the NBO’s sustainability efforts, utilizing insights from effective marketing frameworks. To address the current waste management at the NBO, research will include an analysis of the NBO’s current environmental footprint, a best-practices assessment of waste management strategies of other professional tennis events, and the administration of online surveys – employing Community Based Social Marketing techniques – to assess spectator attitudes, motivations, and barriers surrounding the NBO’s current sustainability initiatives. This information will be instrumental in identifying effective waste reducing initiatives and enhancing communication strategies for engaging attendees. This information will be synthesized and an analysis of the effectiveness of the NBO’s current sustainability initiatives will be conducted based on the gathered data to inform recommendations for improving the sustainability of future NBO’s. The findings will be presented in the NBO’s final sustainability report.

The project’s findings will not only serve Tennis Canada in achieving its sustainability benchmarks but also contribute to broader socio-environmental dialogues surrounding the impact of mass gatherings on waste generation and environmental sustainability.