Innovative Projects Realized

Growing Up With Cerebral Palsy: Transitioning from Childhood to Adolesence in the Healthcare System

Children living with NDDs are often dependent on their parents and healthcare providers. As these children reach adolescence and prepare to transition from the pediatric to the adult health care system many issues affecting their autonomy are currently not being addressed. In addition to feature articles, sidebar articles with multimedia components will further examine these social and ethical challenges. Additionally, monthly articles about NDD science and related social and legal issues will be produced. Work will appear in The Vancouver Sun, in print and online versions. Ultimately, this work aims to benefit The Sun’s audience by explaining complex science and ethical concerns in plain language that accurately reflects the facts and issues. The articles will include stories of real people and their struggles and provide an opportunity for empathy, interest, and understanding of children, adolescents, and adults affected by NDD and their families.

Étudier les interactions des constituants du liquide à vapoter et des aérosols générés par la cigarette électronique avec différentes composantes de la cavité buccale

La cigarette électronique est un dispositif proposé aux fumeurs pour remplacer la cigarette standard dans le but de réduire-éliminer les effets nocifs de la fumée de cigarette. Cette cigarette électronique a été présentée comme une solution efficace de remplacement, et un moyen sans dangers pour la santé des utilisateurs. Cependant, plusieurs études récentes démontrent que la cigarette électronique peut causer des problèmes de santé important.
En effet la présence de plusieurs produits chimiques dans le liquide à vapoter soulève d’importantes questions de santé. Sachant que le premier contact de la cigarette électronique avec le corps de l’utilisateur est la bouche, l’étude des interactions de la vapeur de la cigarette électronique avec les composantes (microorganismes buccodentaires, matériaux dentaires) de la bouche est importante. Après réalisation, cette étude nous permettra d’avoir des résultats qui nous aideront à mieux conseiller les utilisateurs sur les bienfaits/les dangers de la cigarette électronique.

Investigations into HVDC Converter arrangements for a Western Canada Grid

Presently the electrical grids of Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta are operated with limited energy exchange between them. Connecting the three provinces together with a “Western Canada Grid (WCG)” could yield significant advantages. Connection with HVDC transmission is attractive due to its control flexibility and stability. This project will investigate optimum converter types and control methods for implementing a successful Western Canada Grid. Different transmission structures and various operating scenarios for the grid structure in each region will be identified, and control options, including the recently introduced “grid forming” and the traditional “grid following” control options will be investigated for potential application. The result of this study will enhance the consulting knowledge base of HVDC system studies for Electranix Corporation.

Enhanced train marshalling through simulation-driven optimization and operational data feedback

Dr. Iwnicki heads a world renowned research group in the field of vehicle track interaction and has authored many important pieces of literature which researchers rely on in their work. The Manchester Benchmark which Dr. Iwnicki publishes sets the standard in the quality and accuracy of vehicle dynamics simulation software that are widely used in the railway industry. Simon Fraser University is establishing a new research group in vehicle track interaction. The student’s own research involves the application of simulation to improve safety and productivity of Canadian freight trains. Therefore, it would be immensely beneficial for the student to work with Dr. Iwinicki’s group to witness cutting-edge research activities and enhance their abilities in the field. This project would further enable knowledge sharing between the two research groups in the hope of forming a lasting collaborative relationship.

Extracting 3D pose from video potentially using Neural ODEs

The project is self-contained. The goal of the project is to develop advanced AI assisted tools for artistic game
development. It is anticipated that the advanced modeling of pose based on a mix of 3D motion capture (MOCAP)
data and videos capturing human motion will help create advanced AI assisted game design tools that will reduce
the time and skill required to produce high quality game content. The goal of the project will be achieved by learning
a good representation of human pose in the joint space of monocular video and 3D MOCAP data. Developed tools will serve to create an AI assisted human body
posing system that can use monocular video as an input to assist in pose design. The results will also be applicable
in improving the quality of video mocap data captured via professional cinematic equipment.
We anticipate to use dynamical models on monocular videos and motion
capture data jointly and use implicit dynamical models that
circumvent many of the problems of recurrent methods in modeling temporal dynamics. Challenges and risks
include: the pose estimation quality of state-of-the-art is not sufficient to be used in production systems such as
artistry or animation.

AYAZAZI

My doctoral work will leverage data from the AYAZAZI study, a longitudinal cohort study which assesses intersecting socio-behavioural, structural, and biomedical HIV risk factors among HIV-negative or HIV-status unknown youth in two South African communities, to examine the biological and psychological consequences of chronic stressors. This internship will be focused on community engagement and relationship building with community partners, members, and study participants, to identify priorities and direction for my PHD thesis-related work. This exchange will be an opportunity to strengthen a deeper collaborate working relationship with interdisciplinary and community-engaged South African research team. It will also provide me with needed training and support, in particular about research approach and methodology, from South African experts to successfully conduct my dissertation research. Furthermore, it will provide an avenue to identifying areas for potential areas for qualitative work, to support the quantitative analysis. My PHD research will seek to examine how gendered socio-structural vulnerabilities affect physical and mental health, and in particular highlight how psychosocial stress affects the health and well-being of adolescent girls in South Africa, living in HIV endemic communities characterized by high socio-structural inequities.

Testing the use of novel stable isotope tools to determine nutrient sources in an eastern Canadian watershed

Cultural eutrophication, the excess input of nutrients by humans to waterbodies, is one of the biggest global threats to aquatic ecosystem health. Effective management of eutrophication requires the identification of nutrient (nitrogen and phosphorus) sources and their relative contributions to an aquatic system. This is difficult, because there can be sources in a single watershed. For instance, potential nutrient sources include runoff from agricultural, livestock, or urban areas, wastewater treatment effluent, pulp and paper mill effluent, and aquaculture operations. In this study, I propose to test the use of novel stable isotope tracers to differentiate nutrient sources in the Wolastoq River. I will then use this information to determine relative contributions of different sources to overall nutrient loading in areas of harmful algal bloom occurrence. This project aims to establish an approach to effectively manage nutrient inputs, and to ultimately improve water quality, in Canadian watersheds.

L’expérience de marque : La Distillerie

Le projet vise la mesure de l’expérience de marque en vue d’apporter des recommandations qui améliorons l’expérience de marque pour l’entreprise La Distillerie. L’expérience de marque englobe l’ensemble des points de contacts et interactions entre le consommateur et la marque qui améliore la qualité perçue. La mesure de l’expérience de marque de marque fut très peu étudiée dans le domaine scientifique. De plus, on ne note aucun modèle ou outil de mesure à implication managérial. Mon rôle sera donc d’étudier de manière approfondie la littérature sur le domaine, pour la suite développer des moyens de mesures de l’expérience de marque qui s’appliqueront à La Distillerie et à d’autres entreprises. L’utilisation de focus groups et de questionnaires sera nécessaire afin d’effectuer cette mesure.

Vison-based frameworks for automated robotic machining of aerospace composite panels

Canada is a global leader in the aerospace manufacturing industry. Canadian companies produce complex assemblies and system solutions including carbon fiber composite panels used in the body of airplanes. Manufacturing of such panels requires a significant number of operations such as trimming, drilling, and abrasion. Currently, some of these operations are performed manually, which is labor-intensive and time-consuming. The overarching goal of this project is to develop automated and accurate robotic systems for aerospace composite manufacturing applications. Such robotic systems will help the industrial partner improve the productivity and efficiency of their operations.

Modelling of exotic symmetries in nuclei: predicting experimental signatures in new isomeric states

Underlying structure of distinct atomic nuclei shows similarities which have been of long interest to science. These similarities are caused by sets of principles, known as fundamental symmetries, which dictate physical properties, such as the rate at which nuclei decay. Recently, a new set of exotic symmetries has been discovered which lead to low decay rates and unique electromagnetic properties in nuclei. In this project, models will be developed and used to predict which nuclei likely exhibit these new symmetries. These predictions will be compared directly to previously published experimental data allowing for the implementation of new analytical techniques from the symmetry perspective. Additionally, these models will be used to identify promising new experiments by predicting nuclei with unique electromagnetic properties which can be measured as experimental facilities throughout the world.

Modulation de l’activité des réseaux de la corne dorsale de la moelle épinière par des systèmes en boucles fermées

Les réseaux neuronaux de la moelle épinière grâce à leur position à l’interface entre les structures cérébrales et la périphérie de l’organisme, jouent des rôles fondamentaux dans notre perception des informations sensorielles (réseau de la corne dorsale : proprio-, intéro- et extéroceptives) et la production de nos actes moteurs (réseau de la corne ventrale). Contrairement au cerveau pour lequel les activités unitaires et de réseau des neurones peuvent être enregistrées sur animal vigile, une méthode permettant d’enregistrer l’activité des neurones et des réseaux spinaux s’avère beaucoup plus complexe à mettre en œuvre. Les méthodes expérimentales actuelles, ne permettent pas d’étudier le fonctionnement des réseaux spinaux chez l’animal vigile libre de ces mouvements, et demeurent inadaptées pour mettre en place des stratégies thérapeutiques visant l’amélioration des conditions de vie des patients souffrant de douleurs chroniques. Nous proposons donc de développer les outils et méthodes pour accéder à l’enregistrement et à l’analyse de l’activité des réseaux spinaux chez l’animal vigile libre de ses mouvements.

Les applications mobiles de visites de sites patrimoniaux : de Québec à Lyon

Les sites patrimoniaux (monuments historiques, centres urbains, sites naturels) sont le cadre depuis plusieurs années d’une multiplication des dispositifs numériques de médiation de leur patrimoine. Dans ce contexte d’effervescence, un outil rencontre un succès grandissant, en particulier auprès des institutions, les applications mobiles de visite.

L’objectif du projet est ainsi de mettre d’évaluer les possibilités et les limites des applications mobiles à partir de terrains à Québec et à Lyon, deux villes du patrimoine mondial, dans une approche à la fois diachronique et synchronique. Il s’agit de réaliser et de structurer une réflexion critique, interdisciplinaire et grand angle autour d’un objet commun : les applications mobiles de visite patrimoniale à Québec et à Lyon. Cette réflexion les appréhende ainsi comme « objet-frontière », comme trace de la rencontre de ces multiples processus émanant de divers mondes sociaux, et vise à comprendre les enjeux politiques, économiques et symboliques de ces applications.