Innovative Projects Realized

Implementation of BMP protocols to manage irrigation and controlled drainage to conserve water and nutrients within agricultural lands

Tile drainage is becoming popular as a way to control excess moisture in the field to increase productivity. Yet, the economic return on investment (ROI) on installing tile drainage is not known in Manitoba. This research will allow us to assess the impact of water management through controlled drainage on yield. Detailed water table depth at different times will help us model water flow within the rootzone and its impact on crop yield. Data collected in this study will be used to calibrate computer models (HYDRUS, DrainMOD) for different locations so that weather data from different years could be modeled to assess the long-term impact of tile drainage. Excess moisture is a big constraint in crop production in Manitoba. At the same time, during a dry summer it is important to conserve the limited precipitation within the field. Since fields with controlled drainage were chosen and instrumented to provide real-time data for decision making it will be possible to utilize limited water for maximizing yield during a dry season. The Manitoba Agricultural Services Corporation (MASC) reported that between 1996 and 2014, approximately 40% of crop losses were the result of excess moisture.

Dual-language development of minority speakers from face-to-face to remote delivery

The rapid shutting down of daycares and schools due to COVID-19 have left many new Canadian families isolated due to limited proficiency in English and small social networks. In regular school programs, teachers have expressed that reaching families who do not speak the language of schooling has been particularly challenging due to the language barrier. On the other hand, families have reported that being at home has strengthened their child’s minority language, suggesting a silver lining to these difficult times. Informed by the challenges faced by our partner, ABC Head Start Society, the proposed project applies a community based participatory framework towards the goal of including and empowering our research partner and members of the community in the research process.
The research being undertaken within the SSHRC Partnership Engage Grant study builds on our previous research in providing dual-language support for young language learners in a preschool or kindergarten environment (MacLeod, Meziane & Pesco et al., 2020), and extends this research to adapt to the COVID-19 context. Our goal is to assess the barriers and facilitators to dual-language learning among children who speak a minority language at home, and pilot a program to adapt to the COVID-19 context.

Analyse d’un systeme de stockage thermique residentiel par masse d’eau

Le projet consiste a faire I’optimisation energetique d’un procede de chauffage et climatisation residentiel innovateur con9u par I’entreprise partenaire. Ce procede consiste d’une pompe a chaleur puisant son energie dans deux bassins d’eau servant de reserve energetique. Un ensemble de capteurs sola ires sert d’appoint energetique pour Ie chauffage des locaux en hiver et de I’eau chaude domeslique en €lIe. Cette optimisation sera basee sur I’analyse energetique du systeme comple! dans I’environnement TRNSYS. Les relombees pour I’entreprise seront d’avoir un outil pour la conception future des prochains systemes qu’ils voudront realiser bases sur ce principe.

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Students’ Housing Needs and Experiences

That the COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on housing is well recognized, however the impacts on students’ housing situations in particular is not well understood. These impacts may differ from those affecting other populations due to students’ housing and employment precarity, and as their housing needs have shifted as a result of the move to online learning. This research will examine how students’ housing situations have changed due to the pandemic by determining the factors associated with students’ higher likelihood of moving, the nature of these moves, and the reasons behind them. In each case, differences by gender, race, and international student status (i.e., those paying non-domestic tuition) will also be considered. The research will allow the partner organization to better identify target markets and new design or conceptual features of the housing they provide in the changing context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Optimization of Drug-eluting Bio-absorbable Scaffolds for Body Piercing Applications

Nearly 20% of all piercings lead to local infection, and therefore, it is imperative to develop alternative and commercially-viable methods of piercing aftercare to prevent infection. The general objective of the proposed project is to optimize the design of drug-eluting bio-absorbable scaffolds for human and animal tissue piercing applications with a focus on multiple drug release properties. The required concentration of drugs to be embedded within the scaffold will be determined based on the drug release profile and degradation rate (in-vitro).

Assessing Data Sources for a Social-Ecological Model of a Recreational Fishery

BC’s rainbow trout fishery consists of over 800 lakes, fished by hundreds of thousands of anglers across the province. It provides some of Canada’s best fishing, but there are key processes occurring that fishery managers can not account for with current approaches. Researchers and managers have created a new management tool that would allow decision makers to predict how a change in regulations or stocking would impact the fishery across the entire province. However, it needs to make the leap from a theoretical study to a practical tool. This study will address some of the remaining questions about the tool’s application by considering informing it with a variety of data sources. The outcomes of this project will help the Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC, our partner organization, advance their objective of enhancing and conserving BC’s freshwater fisheries.

Development of a tool for the assessment of employer preparedness to engage people with visual impairment

The rate of unemployment among the visually impaired is dramatically higher compared to the rest of the population. Even though much research and development has been achived to ,maximize the employability of persons living with a visual impairment, and to make them competitive in the employment market, the same cannot be said for employers themselves. The primary objective of this project is to determine the level of preparedness of employers and their work environment to employing people with visual impairment. The goal is to transform the researcher version of the CNIB TAPE measure in order to develop a tool for the assessment of the level of employer’s preparedness. The outcome of this study will provide an evidence-based solution for building sustainability in an inclusive workplace.

Effects of Angiotensin-(1-7) treatment in cardiac mitochondrial function and characteristics in a rat model of prematurity-related deleterious conditions

In Canada, 8% of youth are born preterm (<37 wks). It is thanks to advances in medical care that these infants have survived and the first generations of very preterm children are now young adults. However, recent studies support a direct association between preterm birth and an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases. How this exactly happens remains unclear. Utilizing an animal model mimicking difficult conditions associated with very preterm birth (newborn rats exposed for 8 days to high concentrations of breathing oxygen (O2), our laboratory has shown that abnormal activation of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) occurs early after O2 exposure and is involved in cardiac failure in young adulthood. The RAS is a powerful hormonal system involved in the development of cardiac diseases in human and experimental animal models. Furthermore, studies have shown that other perinatal abnormal conditions (such as prematurity) can lead to abnormal cardiac cell energy capacity. The current proposal will examine the cardioprotective ("good") arm of the RAS and how it can protect the heart from preterm born babies using our animal model.

Electrochemical treatment of infected titanium, an approach for biofilm obliteration

Peri-implantitis is a destructive inflammatory process affecting the soft and hard tissues surrounding dental implants, whereby progressive bone loss will result in the loss of the functional implant. Every year, 40% of dental implants get infected into such pathological conditions, and ultimately 10% fail. Existing techniques, such as physical and chemical methods, are either expensive or destructive on implants and none of them is entirely useful in cleaning implants or controlling their infections
We hypothesize that the electrochemical properties of titanium implants covered by pathological biofilm are different from those without infection. Therefore, we could determine the adequate electric parameters which is optimized to selectively destroy the pathological biofilm on titanium implants without affecting the surrounding healthy tissues.
Depending on the results, we will finally be able to introduce new technology and innovative method of using electric currents for the treatment of contaminated dental implants to the clinical field.

Satellite Monitoring and Surveillance of Habitat for Right Whales

The critically endangered North Atlantic Right Whale resides in waters with busy shipping lanes in the Bay of Fundy and the Gulf of St. Lawrence, where incidents of ship strikes have proven to be a primary cause of whale death, resulting in their numbers dwindling to less than 400. Though the implementation of speed limits for ships has been somewhat successful in reducing mortality should a collision occur, a lack of knowledge as to the whereabouts of the whales has prevented ships from being able to avoid collisions entirely. This project aims to use high-resolution satellite imagery to monitor right whale habitats, and create an automated alert system which will detect their presence, and quickly send location information to ships in the area. Ships can then use this information to avoid the area when a whale is nearby, preventing collision deaths, and helping to restore a healthy whale population.

Does intensive tree maintenance increase microhabitat diversity in old urban trees?

The proposed research will take place in the City of Mississauga. A recent study by Gro?mann et al. concluded that heavy levels of tree pruning leads to an increased number of microhabitats, compared to trees pruned less often (2020). These trees are often called ‘veteran trees’ in North America, and are very important for urban biodiversity (CITE). They provide homes, food, and other resources to many plants, mammals, birds, and reptiles (CITE). Unfortunately, trees with these microhabitats are often considered a risk by the municipality to keep standing, despite their importance. The goal of the proposed research would be to verify the results of Gro?mann et al. to help increase the pool of knowledge on the relationship between pruning and microhabitats. This will help municipalities decide if and when a veteran tree should be removed.

The partner organization is expected to benefit by being 3rd author on the publishing of the results of this research in a peer-reviewed journal.

IM+NXC Downtown Space Activation

What are strategies to activate underutilized space in Downtown Calgary? Using bottom-up activation tactics in combination with research and development and building partnerships with local stakeholders we will focus on developing pilot projects and proof of concepts tailored for downtown Calgary. The aim is to kick start momentum, energy and atmosphere in different urban spaces. The focus is on streets, building frontages and lobby spaces. These strategies tie in with existing and new partners, including property owners, investors, start-ups and practitioners. Further stakeholders such as the City of Calgary, the Calgary Downtown Association and others will play a role. With this agile production team, we can validate ideas and concepts fast and move them forward to implementation. Rather than unique one offs we focus on concepts that can be repeated and are open source for other to replicate.