Development of a novel IPM strategy for brown marmorated stink bugs (Halyomorpha halys) using RNA interference (RNAi) technology – Year two

Brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) (Halyomorpha halys (Stål)) is an invasive pest with a large host range that includes many economically important fruits, vegetables, and row crops. Native to Asia, BMSB was first detected in North America in 1998 and since has become established in British Columbia, Quebec, and Ontario; and 44 American states. In […]

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Effectiveness of vegetation and habitat characteristics as predictors of insect parasitoid populations – Year two

Climate change, land development, invasive species, and other disturbances can alter the composition, structure, and functions of native vegetation across landscapes. These disturbances also impact insect parasitoids, which are a key, and often overlooked, component of biodiversity. By their ability to control other insect populations, they are integral for fostering resilient and functional forests. Understanding […]

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Quantifying the value and risk of restoring wetland habitats in agricultural landscapes – Year two

Wetlands provide critical habitat and valuable ecosystem services. Land use conversion in Ontario, however, has led to substantial wetland loss. The restoration of wetlands on agricultural properties has the potential to offset wetland loss, yet these wetlands are also susceptible to contamination by pesticides. Our research will therefore establish: (1) to what degree restored wetlands […]

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Detection of Mental Health Conditions from Textual Device Communication – Year two

Research into child safety applications using Artificial Intelligence (AI) methods is a new area of investigation. SafeToNet is continuing to develop AI monitoring tools together with a team of researchers at the University of Ottawa. These tools, when used over time, will take advantage of outgoing text-based communications from devices to detect the early onset […]

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Characterization and Modeling Inclusion Population during Secondary Steelmaking – Year two

The ultimate goal of this project is to develop a fundamental understanding of inclusion evolution during a particular refining process in secondary steelmaking unit. The particular focus is firstly on developing a detailed characterization of the inclusions formed during refining in the Stelco Ladle Metallurgy Facility, and secondly on adapting the existing McMaster ladle metallurgy/inclusion […]

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Drinking Water Treatment Infrastructure: Responding to Climate Change and Increasingly Variable Source Water Quality

As a result of climate change and other pressures that result in “extreme events” like wildfire and flooding, many drinking water utilities are at risk of potentially catastrophic failure and need treatment adaptation strategies to prepare for increasingly variable and potentially rapid deterioration in source water quality. Currently there are no recognized tools for evaluating the anticipated impacts […]

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Nonlinear adaptive neural controllers

Contemporary machine learning has been very successfully applied to processing static images and words in consumer applications, resulting in billions of dollars in recent acquisitions of machine learning companies by Microsoft, Amazon, Facebook, and Google. However, applications to dynamic information (e.g. movies, controlling robotics) has been less well-developed. In this project, will develop and apply […]

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Identification of transcription factors involved in cannabinoid biosynthesis and glandular trichome formation

As an important medicinal plant, Cannabis sativa produces bioactive molecules that provide symptom relief for conditions such as severe cancer pain, nausea and vomiting associated with chemotherapy. The cannabinoid biosynthetic pathway that generates bioactive molecules has been studied for over a decade. However, understanding of transcriptional regulators that control cannabinoid synthesis is fairly limited. The primary site […]

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Characterization and Improvement of Interfacial Properties of Cathode Materials forRechargeable Hybrid Aqueous Batteries Year Two

A new aqueous rechargeable battery combining an intercalation cathode with a metal anode has been developed recently. The energy density for a prototype battery is comparable or superior to commercial 2 V rechargeable batteries. There is a need to further improve the cycle performance and to reduce self-discharge effects of this battery. In this proposed […]

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Coherent Control of High-Q Devices Year Two

Research into understanding and controlling microscopic quantum mechanical phenomena has led to revolutionary new quantum devices, including quantum sensors and actuators that have unprecedented levels of sensitivity, efficiency, and functionality for a wide variety of tasks. A particularly compelling example is high quality factor (high-Q) superconducting resonators for magnetic resonance. These new devices will be […]

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Effect of Mineralogy on the Application of Sensor-based Sorting Techniques Year Two

Comminution, the process of crushing and grinding ore to liberate minerals, is the most energy intensive part of the processing flowsheet and accounts for upwards of 75% of the overall energy consumption of the processing plant. Ideally we would only crush and grind those rocks that contain economically extractable amounts of minerals. MineSense has developed […]

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