Innovative Projects Realized

Analysis and Research on Pile Foundations for Canadian Northern Housing

There is a growing demand for accessible, affordable and high-quality houses in northern communities of Canada.
The intern will study the foundation solutions used to support residential houses and commercial buildings in
northern Canada. The intern will conduct interviews with many stakeholders on the foundation and house
development and then develop a guide to the design of engineered piles based on recent findings from the
UAlberta lab. The project, co-supported by Landmark Group which is a leading provider of residential homes in
Alberta, is anticipated to provide an extensive review of the market and support the expansion of Landmark into
northern Canada. Ultimately the project may assist in alleviating the house shortage and reducing the cost of
houses in the north.

Identifier les freins et leviers pour l’utilisation du génie végétal au Québec : une approche en géographie culturelle et sociale

Les techniques de génie végétal reposent sur l’utilisation de végétaux vivants pour différents usages, notamment la protection des cours d’eau contre l’érosion. Utilisées comme alternative au génie civil, elles offrent de nombreux bénéfices pour l’environnement (maintien ou restauration des habitats, corridor écologique, amélioration de la qualité physico-chimique de l’eau), et pour les sociétés (lutte contre les îlots de chaleur, valeur esthétique, activités récréatives…). Leur utilisation reste cependant marginale au Québec, ce qui peut s’expliquer par des facteurs techniques, mais aussi culturels et sociaux : organisation de la filière, réglementations, représentations des acteurs… L’objectif de ce post-doctorat est d’identifier les freins culturels et sociaux au développement plus large de ces techniques, et de proposer des leviers d’action. Pour cela, nous mettrons en place un protocole de recherche ancré en géographie culturelle et sociale : nous mènerons des entretiens avec les acteurs-clefs de la filière et nous construirons un modèle participatif (sous forme de jeu de rôles). Deux types de résultats sont attendus.

COSMIC – Functional Sizing of Quantum Software

Theoretically sound and industry-robust software measures are necessary to identify and select the most productive software development organizations (internal and external) and avoid significant overspending on software investments. Functional sizing measures, such as COSMIC Function Points – ISO 19761 – are necessary for the quantitative planning, monitoring, control, and objective assessment of software projects. Huge investments are foreseen in the development of quantum software, and the COSMIC Group has recognized the need to adapt its international measurement method and related guidelines to handle the innovative characteristics of quantum software and to facilitate best quantitative management techniques in this emergent software domain.

Optimisation des approches de restauration et de création de milieux humides : comment définir les objectifs et mesurer le taux de succès?

Malgré leur grande serviabilité, les milieux humides sont les écosystèmes les plus détruits et dégradés à travers le monde. C’est pourquoi on tente depuis maintenant plusieurs décennies de restaurer et recréer ces écosystèmes. Toutefois, il s’agit d’une science complexe en plein essor et à ce jour, les taux de succès de ces travaux demeurent faibles. Les causes principales ne sont pourtant pas liées au manque de compétences techniques, mais plutôt à une mauvaise planification et à un mauvais suivi. En effet, les objectifs liés à ces projets sont souvent mal définis, et les critères d’évaluation du succès des travaux sont eux souvent mal identifiés.

L’uniformisation des méthodes en est la principale cause, car elle ne permet pas de tenir compte de la grande diversité écologique des milieux humides.
C’est pourquoi nous avons choisi de nous intéresser au processus d’élaboration de projets de restauration et de création de milieux humides. Notre objectif est d’abord d’identifier les variables clefs qui nous aideront à définir des objectifs de restauration à la fois pertinents et atteignables, puis d’identifier des indicateurs de succès adaptés à différents contextes de restauration.

In Vivo Validation of a Wireless Fiber Photometry System

Fiber photometry is a powerful method for detecting neural activity or neurotransmitter release in specific brain cells. Doric lenses Inc., in collaboration with Benoit Gosselin’s lab, designed a lightweight, wireless optical recording prototype, which allows fiber photometry recordings in freely behaving animals without the constraints of tether. This new technology provides an innovative tool for scientists to record pathway or cell type-specific neuronal activity during natural behavior, with reduced artifacts. In this project, we are aiming to test and improve the prototype through in vivo recordings in laboratory rats performing different motor tasks. We will find and fix any potential functional flaws and validate its efficacy to make it ready for commercialization.

Comparing acute effects of natural and synthetically derived psilocybin using a mixed-methods approach

There is growing public interest in the therapeutic use of mushrooms that contain a psychoactive ingredient called psilocybin. There are two categories of psilocybin available for clinical use right now. Natural psilocybin, which is extracted from the mushroom, and synthetically derived psilocybin-like compounds. Synthetic psilocybin is more commonly used in clinical trials because companies producing synthesized psilocybin have a larger share of the market. Both formulations are used indiscriminately despite some arguing that there are important differences between natural and synthetic psilocybin. This project will help to clarify what differences might exist. The proposed project will use multiple different studies, including reviewing the existing literature and generating new data by interviewing individuals about their subjective experience when taking psilocybin. Findings from this project have the potential to influence product development choices made by Canadian producers of psilocybin-based medicines, such as MycoMedica Life Sciences. Finally, Canadian consumers will benefit from these findings by being able to make evidence-informed decisions about their healthcare.

Robust and reliable mid-infrared pulsed fiber laser as a laser scalpel

Mid-infrared pulsed lasers emitting around a wavelength of 2.94 µm have a great potential for biomedical applications such as a laser scalpel their laser radiation can interact strongly with water in biological tissues. The most popular laser scalpel technology is a solid-state laser that provides pulses that can cut through biological tissues but also cause damage to the surrounding area resulting in pain and an impeded healing process. A mid-infrared pulsed fiber laser that could produce shorter pulses would allow efficient ablation without the surrounding area damage while improving the efficiency and the compactness of the device. The project’s main objective is to develop an efficient, compact, and reliable mid-infrared pulsed fiber laser that generates nanoseconds-scale pulses at high average power and high peak power suitable for biomedical applications such as dental and bone surgery. Another objective is to study their effect on biological tissues since the scientific knowledge in this field is lacking. This collaboration project between LumiIR lasers and a research group at the Center for Optics, Photonics and Lasers (COPL) at Laval University will make use of the state-of-the-art mid-infrared fiber laser architecture currently commercialized by LumIR lasers to ensure its robustness and reliability. The research group’s expertise will make it possible to develop an all-fiber laser that generates high energy and high peak-power nanoseconds-scale pulses suitable for surgical applications. This project will lead to an innovative laser technology for biomedical applications and will provide significant scientific contributions as patents and journal publications.

Development of a novel nanoparticle surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy-machine learning algorithm (nanoSERS-MLA) to diagnose cardiac transthyretin amyloidosis (ATTR)

Transthyretin (TTR) is a protein that can accumulate in the heart. Features of this TTR amyloidosis (ATTR) include muscle weakness and heart failure. Due to problems in current standard of care screening methods, it is very difficult to identify ATTR. As a result, <1% of people living with ATTR are diagnosed. Our project will develop a new diagnostic tool for ATTR that use blood routinely collected from patients during their normal care process. This tool uses a technology known as nanoparticle surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy [nanoSERS]), where laser light create a fingerprint from samples. nanoSERS will be coupled to a machine learning algorithm (MLA), trained to identify common features of ATTR and differentiate it from a patient without ATTR. This project will benefit both our partner organizations. First, Pividl BioSciences Inc. is a small Canadian company that has developed a novel nanoparticle bioprocessing platform. This bioengineering information technology approach will develop new intellectual property for Pividl BioSciences Inc. to grow and commercialize their pipeline of products and marketable service lines.

Examining the impact of invasive dreissenid mussels on the health of the St. Lawrence River

When introduced to a region, non-native invasive species often have negative consequences for native plants, animals, and humans. When introduced to North America, the invasive zebra and quagga mussels altered the structure and function of native aquatic ecosystems. This caused ecological and economic damage by reducing biodiversity and human uses of local surface waters, respectively. The invasive mussels were first documented in the St. Lawrence River in the 1990s. As the main outflow channel of Lake Ontario, the St. Lawrence River has a history of pollution from industrial (waste disposal) and agricultural (fertilizer, manure) sources, that have impacted water quality and the aquatic food web. To improve our understanding of the current health of the St. Lawrence River, an assessment of the river’s ecological condition will provide scientists, policymakers, Indigenous communities, and concerned community members with vital information on the cumulative impact of the invasive mussels in conjunction with water pollution in the St. Lawrence River. This study will provide that information by investigating water quality and the biotic community in the Upper St. Lawrence River (Kingston – Valleyfield).

Effectiveness of placer mine reclamation and associated created wetlands for avian communities in Central Yukon

The Boreal Forest is under increasing pressure from human-caused land disturbances. In Central Yukon, the main source of land disturbance is mining of old streambeds for gold. Gold deposits coincide with wetlands and present-day waterways, areas that provide important habitat for wildlife, including many bird species. Miners are required to return these areas to a condition that provides similar value as the land that was previously there. To achieve this, the mined land is smoothed over, leaving depressions to encourage wetland formation, and put topsoil back ontop. It remains unknown, however, whether this is adequate for wildlife to return and breed. The goal of this project is to answer this question with respect to habitat use by breeding birds. We will do this by putting recording units in both reclaimed mines of different ages and unmined areas. We can identify birds breeding in these areas from their songs and compare whether similar species are using reclaimed and unmined sites, as well as how old a reclaimed site is before these species are detected. We will also count waterfowl using the wetlands created during reclamation from helicopters. These wetlands are a different type from the fens and swamps that would have occurred pre-mining, so we will survey natural open water wetlands from elsewhere in the region as our comparison. Based on our results, we will make recommendations for how to account for mine reclamation in regional land-use plans and wetland policies to ensure sustainable development and habitat conservation in boreal regions.

Empowering Through Education: The Impact of Skill Development

Students learning within challenging contexts often feel disempowered and may not see the relevance of their learning. The proposed research project will assess the extent to which an educational experience that enhances coding skills while also exercising students’ core “skills of success” increases their feelings of empowerment. This assessment will take place within a number of schools in Lebanon, supported by their Ministry of Education. Lebanon is experiencing some very difficult economic and political times at present, and nearly every student is being negatively impacted in some manner. We predict that the clear relevance of the skills they are learning in terms of providing a pathway to a better life will indeed result in higher levels of empowerment and motivation to learn.

Analyse de sensibilité d’un modèle numérique de la moelle épinière

Une blessure à la moelle épinière peut entraîner des troubles neurologiques qui ont un impact important sur la qualité de vie des individus touchés comme la paralysie. L’utilisation de modèles numériques de la moelle épinière est une méthode prometteuse pour mieux comprendre comment se développent les troubles neurologiques. Cependant, les modèles existants n’incluent généralement par le liquide céphalo-rachidien (LCR), alors que des études ont démontré que celui-ci joue un rôle non négligeable dans la protection de la moelle épinière. Partant de ce constat, un modèle simplifié de la moelle épinière et du LCR a été développé. L’objet du stage est de quantifier l’influence des propriétés des matériaux des différentes structures sur le comportement de la moelle épinière lors d’un accident (contraintes, déformations, pression, etc.) L’étudiante réalisera une étude de sensibilité afin de déterminer quels sont les paramètres qui sont le plus influents et de quantifier cette influence. Ces connaissances permettront de mieux comprendre les blessures traumatiques à la moelle épinière.