Projets novateurs réalisés

Bridging the Gap for International Students in Canadian Employment

“THIS IS A GENERIC TEXT PUT IN PLACE AS THERE WAS NO PROJECT OVERVIEW”

Using Machine Learning to Understand, Assess, and Improve Clinical Efficiency

“THIS IS A GENERIC TEXT PUT IN PLACE AS THERE WAS NO PROJECT OVERVIEW”

Longitudinal Associations Between 24-Hour Movement Behaviour and Early Life Mental Health Indicators

Common mental health disorders (e.g., anxiety and depression) can begin in early childhood, with many symptoms (e.g., high levels of irritability) present during the early years predicting mental health disorders in later life. Research suggests that healthy movement behaviours (i.e., physical activity, reducing sitting, sufficient sleep) are associated with lower risk of mental health disorders in older children and adolescents. However, whether these behaviours have the same protective effect in early childhood is unknown. This research aims to explore the link between movement behaviours and mental health indicators in early childhood. Children aged 2-4 years and their parents will be recruited. Children will be asked to wear a device for 7 days to measure their total movement behaviours. Parents will be asked to report information on their children’s sitting time (including screen time) and sleep. Parents will also be asked to complete two surveys to assess early life mental health symptoms (e.g., responding to situations with anger outbursts or temper tantrums, fights with other children). The primary way in which this work will benefit the Children’s Hospital will be through providing actionable recommendations that physicians and health care providers can offer to families in their care.

The Effects of a Novel Knee Brace Design for Assisting Knee Extension in Healthy Individuals

Spring Loaded Technology is a Halifax, Nova Scotia based start-up company focused on developing innovative knee bracing technology. Their Levitation™ knee brace has been developed to assist knee extension in people with leg weakness, but it has not yet been tested. The proposed research project will test the Levitation™ knee brace in healthy people, providing feedback to the Spring Loaded regarding the efficacy of their knee brace. Participants will be tested with and without the brace to compare its effects on knee extension torque and muscle activity. This crucial information will influence future improvements in design, and inform the next stages of testing on more patient and sport specific tasks, ensuring the brace is optimally designed to help its users.

Operationalizing Responsible AI principles to Music Discoverability AI Tools Development

The subproject focuses on the intersection of cultural policy and responsible AI development. The problem of data bias and
automated recommendation are two known problems in cultural industries and AI development relevant to the Discoverability
project. The project seeks to develop alternative forms of algorithmic recommendation that differ from the de facto emphasis
on personalization. This project answers the need to operationalise principles of Responsible AI at the site of music
discoverability. The intern will produce a Responsible AI Scan (RAI Scan) of the terrain where the classifier and recommender
will be developed and deployed. The RAI scan will provide the context necessary for a precise operationalisation. It will be a
review and synthesis of the literature on responsible AI, expert interviews with stakeholders interpolated or impacted by the
creation of these systems (artists, diversity of cultural content advocates, and other relevant stakeholders). The partner
organization will build and learn from the RAI Scan to conduct the large Discoverability project. It will also be useful for the
future projects of the partner organization

Fine-tuning an LLM for patent drafting

The project seeks to optimize the performance of a Language Model (LLM) specifically tailored for patent drafting. Through meticulous fine-tuning, our objective is to elevate the LLM’s capabilities, thereby enhancing the efficiency and precision in the generation of patent documents.

Behavior and design of double-headed studs for bridge concrete deck-toprecast girder connection

In bridges, the deck slab or panels are usually connected to the supporting girders using various types of shear
connector like bent bars or threaded rods which make the interfaces significantly congested. For reducing this
congestion, bridge contractors normally use steel shear studs. The proposed new research is exploring the use
of double-headed fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) studs. FRP exhibits superior behavior over mild steel in terms
of excellent corrosion resistance and durability. The goal of this research is to understand how well the deck
connects to the precast girders using double-headed FRP studs. The Intern with his academic supervisors and
partner organization will investigate the flexural and shear performance of this composite slab-on-girder bridge
system through experimental testing, numerical analysis, and analytical studies. The proposed research will
provide the precast design community with simplified equations for estimating the flexural and shear capacity of
deck-to-girder systems using double-headed FRP studs.

Influence de l’historique des perturbations sur la structure et la composition et vieilles forêts boréales

Les vieilles forêts boréales sont des forêts à très fort enjeu écologique mais gravement menacées par les activités humaines. D’importantes activités de restauration sont nécessaires pour permettre aux forêts aménagées de retrouver des structures et habitats similaires à celles des vieilles forêts. Le succès de ces approches dépend néanmoins fortement d’une connaissance fine de la dynamique des vieilles forêts. Celle-ci se montre plus complexe qu’imaginé, en raison de la forte hétérogénéité des caractéristiques des perturbations (par ex. nature, sévérité, périodicité) qui dynamisent les vieilles forêts. L’objectif de ce projet est donc d’éclaircir le lien entre les caractéristiques de structure et de composition des vieilles forêts boréales en fonction de leur historique de perturbation. Pour ce faire, le stagiaire combinera analyse dendrochronologiques et inventaires de terrain au sein d’un réseau de sites d’études de vieilles forêts au Québec.

Improving Quality of Life at Work for People Living with AD/HD

Many adults living with attention deficit disorder, with or without hyperactivity (AD/HD) struggle in the workplace with daily tasks like time management and focusing at work. Unfortunately, they often face stigma and do not get the support they need. Our goal is to adapt an intervention program to help them with their mental health challenges that can be directly applied to a professional setting. We will evaluate the impact of this intervention through an 8-week program involving psychosocial workers, individuals with AD/HD, and workplace stakeholders. The assessment will encompass various aspects, including job-person fit, diagnosis disclosure, cognitive biases, communication, and emotion regulation. By teaming up with PANDA, we want to make sure these changes benefit people with AD/HD all over Quebec, by sharing our findings with employment services. This research is about making workplaces more inclusive for everyone and supporting workers.

Workplace Mental Health Promotion in Small Businesses: A Scoping Review and Feasibility Study

Workplaces have an important role to play when it comes to promoting the mental health of employees. Whereas we have an extensive body of evidence about how to develop and deliver interventions to promote employee
wellbeing and mental health in large organizations, leaders in organizations often face steep barriers when adapting those interventions in small businesses. This research will fill gaps in workplace mental health literature
through two complementary research phases. Phase 1 involves a rapid, systematic review of academic studies that describe mental health interventions that were delivered within small workplaces. Phase 2 involves semiinterviews
with stakeholders who have experience implementing interventions within real-life small businesses. Findings will offer practical strategies for designing, implementing, and evaluating programs focused on employee
mental health within small businesses. Knowledge mobilization efforts, including written reports, presentations, and publications, are planned to share our research across various domains.

Exploration de nouveaux systèmes salins pour la purification du graphite

La purification du graphite vers des formes à haute pureté implique la transformation des minéraux de gangue afin de pouvoir séparer les éléments le constituant du graphite. L’une des voies considérée pour cette transformation implique l’utilisation de sels capables de réagir notamment avec les silicates. L’objet de ce stage est l’utilisation de mélanges de sels pour un tel traitement. Cette approche pourrait notamment d’aller vers des conditions opératoires moins énergivores, notamment par l’utilisation de températures plus faibles. Différents essais à l’échelle laboratoire sont prévus afin d’explorer ces systèmes salins, leur réactivité et leurs propriétés.

Paper electrochemical devices for bacterial analysis

Background- Bacterial analysis in the field is complex and often imprecise. It is therefore difficult to detect and identify a specific strain in a timely manner, which complicates the choice of an optimal treatment regimen. This is a critical issue and bacterial infection are taking an increasing toll on the population and the health services. Having access to a widely disseminated, easy-to-use and user-friendly device would be a clear asset in this task.

Objective- The purpose of the project is to design a paper-based device for the sampling and detection of bacteria in unprepared samples. The motivation for using paper as a chip substrate are its low cost, its high availability and its capillary action that can be used to sample liquids passively. The bacterial detection will be completed using electrochemical methods with nanofunctionalized electrodes. Important aspects of the device will be i- passive sampling, ii- on board detection and iii- encapsulation of the sample in a hydrophobic layer that will limit contamination and drying of the sample.