Determining the carbon footprint and lifecycle assessment of magnesium oxychloride cement building materials

The proposed research will involve studying the carbon footprint (i.e. the carbon emissions) involved in the preparation of magnesium oxychloride (MOC) cement materials. MOC cement has been proposed as a more environmentally friendly alternative to traditionally used Portland cement (PC), however many discrepancies arise as there is no work directly comparing their carbon footprints. In […]

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Novel process of organic peroxides synthesis

In this work, we will develop new processes, including new raw materials, to produce known organic peroxides; such processes will include direct coupling to manufacture organic peroxides. We will demonstrate the synthesis processes by selecting the appropriate carboxylic acid(s), hydroperoxide starting material(s), catalysts, and operating conditions to produce the desired organic peroxides, particularly, t-butyl peroxybenzoate […]

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Lives with Houseplants in Times of the COVID-19 Pandemic

This is a research project that will explore human’s relationships with houseplants in times of the COVID-19 pandemic and unpack the psychological, sociological, and environmental significance of these relationships. By digging deeply into our relationship with houseplants and creatively telling stories about them, the project seeks to uncover and deepen our connection with nature in […]

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Durham Region District Energy Assessment and Feasibility Study

The objective of this study is to develop a district energy evaluation and plan for the Regional Municipality of Durham. This will be achieved by analyzing and assessing the current energy demand and response at the Region of Durham throughout all sectors, including commercial, institutional, industrial and residential sectors. There are numerous potential district energy […]

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Développement d’une méthode d’ajustement de biais des précipitations simulées par les modèles climatiques

Selon le plus récent rapport du Groupe d’experts intergouvernemental sur le climat (GIEC), les événements extrêmes tels que les précipitations intenses sont susceptibles d’augmenter en intensité et en fréquence au Canada. Au Québec, cette augmentation aura des impacts considérables sur l’ensemble des secteurs d’activité de la province, tels que l’agriculture, l’énergie et l’aménagement du territoire. […]

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Superhydrophilic Membrane Technology for High-Efficiency Produced Water Treatment

Brine water is often produced in mineral extracting processes. It can cause damage to soil and biota when being spilled during storage and transportation. The damage can last for decades. Even after a mineral extracting process is closed, the damage of soil structure and composition would still not be recovered. The long-lasting devastation may cause […]

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Lifelong reinforcement learning with autonomous inference of subtask dependencies

In this project, we propose a continual learning approach to face the problem of forward transfer in complex reinforcement learning tasks. Concretely, we propose a model that learns how to combine a series of general modules in a deep learning architecture, so that generalization emerges through the composition of those modules. This is of vital […]

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Development of a serological test for early diagnosis and monitoring of cancer

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. In Canada, cancer accounts for 30% of all deaths, and half of all Canadians will develop cancer in their lifetime. Many cancers can be prevented or controlled through early detection, but the availability of such tests is scarce and a reliable general biomarker for different […]

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Documenter le verdissement du centre-ville de Montréal

Face à l’absence de festivals durant l’été 2020 et à la nécessité d’occuper l’espace au Centre-Ville et de le rendre plus accueillant pour ses visiteurs, mais aussi face à la montée de l’intérêt pour la réduction des îlots de chaleur et le verdissement novateur en ville, le Partenariat du Quartier des Spectacles (PQDS) a installé […]

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Establishing the Enabling Conditions Required to Facilitate Indigenous-led Nature Based Greenhouse Gas Offset Projects in Canada

Canada is a signatory to global commitments to reduce greenhouse gas levels and one important way this will happen is through the implementation of nature-based solutions for climate change. One example of natural climate solutions is GHG offsets based on restoration, protection and establishment of forests, wetlands, grasslands and peatland areas. Indigenous Peoples are critical […]

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Marine ecosystem changes in Atlantic Canada: drivers of altered abundance and habitat use by waterfowl and marine birds?

Saltmarshes and coastal wetlands in Atlantic Canada are some of the habitats that have experienced the greatest decline in area over the past 400 years. Various organizations have monitored habitat change and bird use of these sites for decades, but no one has undertaken a comprehensive examination of changes in habitats or avian abundance, potential […]

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Causal Recommender Systems for Sequential Decision-Making

Recommender systems (RS) are intended to be a personalized decision support tool, where decisions can take the form of products to buy (e.g., Amazon), movies to watch (e.g., Netflix), online news to read (e.g., Google News), or even individuals to screen for a medical condition (e.g., personalized medicine). For digital users, RS play an essential […]

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