Innovative Projects Realized

Green technology for the derivation of pharmaceutically important compounds from marine invertebrates and subsequent development of platform for controlled drug delivery

Some species of marine invertebrates are rich source of diverse bioactive molecules with variety of therapeutic properties including immunostimulatory, anticancer and antimicrobial. This research aims to develop an integrated process for the sequential extraction and fractionation of pharmaceutically important from a selected marine invertebrates using supercritical carbon dioxide. The newly developed process will be a greener alternative to the conventional extraction methods and eliminate/reduce the use of toxic organic solvents, employed in the conventional process. Our proposed approach will also address the concern over the presence of residual solvents in pharmaceutical products. The goal also extends to fabrication of novel hydrogel for controlled drug delivery using the components present in marine invertebrates. This project will result in generating fundamental knowledge and development of green technology in the area of natural products.

Jeunes vulnérables en transition vers l’âge adulte : Portrait des trajectoires d’emploi et d’éducation

La transition de l’adolescence à l’âge adulte est une étape charnière qui coïncide avec l’apparition et la chronicisation de problématiques coûteuses pour l’individu et la société (ex. : chômage,sous-scolarisation, pauvreté chronique). Bien que ces problématiques soient plus fréquentes auprès des populations vulnérables, ces dernières sont sous-représentées dans la recherche, qui se centre typiquement sur les jeunes au collégial et à l’université (Côté, 2014). Mon séjour à l’étranger me permettra d’éclaircir ce portrait en concevant des trajectoires d’emploi et d’éducation de jeunes vulnérables dans leur transition à l’âge adulte. Je suivrai deux principaux objectifs. D’une part (objectif 1), avec les données du Pr. Schoon, je travaillerai à l’élaboration de trajectoires auprès de jeunes vivant en Angleterre avec un faible statut socioéconomique, en examinant si des différences s’observent en fonction de l’urbanicité des milieux (rural, périurbain et urbain). D’autre part (objectif 2), je concevrai des trajectoires à partir de mon échantillon de thèse comprenant des jeunes sous-scolarisés, avec comme objectifs de vérifier quels facteurs personnels (p. ex. : agentivité, ténacité, avoir une passion) et sources de soutien (p.ex : famille, organismes communautaires) prédisent les trajectoires harmonieuses en termes d’emploi et d’éducation dans la transition à l’âge adulte.

Design in Inversion

Oil and mining industry are using electromagnetic waves in order to image the subsurface. Such

imaging increase the likelihood of finding geologically meaningful targets and therefore increase the

economical value of exploration as well as minimize the environmental impact of exploration.

In this set of internship we will develop optimal electromagnetic imaging techniques that allow us to

work on complex geological targets and optimally recover an image of the subsurface.

Study of Topologies and Cooling Solutions for a High Power Density, Cost-Effective and Eco-Friendly Motor for Powersports Electric Vehicles.

BRP is a global leader in the world of powersports vehicles, propulsion systems and boats. The company wants to develop electric motors for its future on- and off-road electric vehicles, thus reducing the greenhouse gas emissions of its products.

Powersports electric vehicles require electric motors with high power, but low weight. This type of motors is subject to overheating when delivering the performances required by BRP standards.

This project aims to deeply investigate the heat transfers involved in high performance electric motors. The goal is to determine the motor geometry and characteristics that provide the best compr

A study on soil-pipe interaction: effects of slope grade

Transmission pipelines are the most popular and widely used medium to transport hydrocarbons (e.g., oil and gas) over long distances. Pipelines might pass through various geological and topographic conditions and therefore, pipeline routing is a critical component for successful design and regulatory approval. Due to the environmental and safety concerns or constraints imposed by the land use, pipeline routing often requires designers to allow for crossing adverse ground, e.g. steep slopes, valleys and faults. If a pipeline crosses along or across a slope, it might experience/trigger a landslide and therefore, pipelines need to be properly designed against such slope stability issue. Although a number of research has been conducted on pipesoil interaction in the past, none of them focused on the effect of slope grade on the pipe-soil interaction loading. This research will address the design issues related to the inclined ground surface and thereby, significantly improve the safety of current pipeline design practice.

Synthesis and characterization of new core shell oxides based structure for solid lithium metal batteries

Canada is in the very centre of the global energy storage revolution – a broad introduction of solid state battery technology for Electric vehicles, home use and power grid optimisation. At present, lithium-ion batteries use flammable liquid electrolytes and non-surface protected electrodes, which is expensive and potentially unsafe for the environment. This project aims to develop a new generation of safe and cheaper solid state batteries and fundamental understanding of storage mechanisms and structure-property-performance relationships.

Détection de l’état de « flow » en temps réel par électroencéphalographie et apprentissage machine durant une expérience ludique

Les amateurs de jeu vidéo sont bien familiers avec la sensation d’être profondément captivés par un jeu au point de perdre la notion du passage du temps, tout en état capables de hautes performances sans se fatiguer mentalement. Cet état psychologique particulier a été baptisé « flow » par le psychologue hongrois Mihaly Csikszentmilhayi qui l’étudie depuis les années 70 dans une multitude d’activités allant de la musique au sport de haut niveau en passant par le ménage et le travail. Aujourd’hui, les dernières avancées en intelligence artificielle nous laissent penser qu’il serait possible de détecter automatiquement l’apparition de cet état en analysant l’activité électrique du cerveau d’un joueur dans des conditions naturelles en dehors du laboratoire. Pour les fabricants de jeu, cette technologie leur permettrait de tester plus efficacement leurs créations en identifiant, moment par moment, si les joueurs tombent dans l’état de « flow » (ou en sortent!) et quels éléments ludiques le favorisent, et ce, sans les importuner avec un trop grand nombre de questionnaires.

Classification de déchets en environnement industriel : étude pilote en milieu contrôlé

La compagnie Wastack vise à développer un système permettant d’identifier différents types de déchets néfastes dès leur arrivée aux sites d’enfouissement afin d’éviter que certains matériaux tels que les batteries, les écrans d’ordinateur ou les pneus s’y retrouvent alors qu’ils devraient être traités ailleurs. L’objectif du projet est de fournir une rétroaction continue aux citoyens afin de rendre le cycle d’enfouissement plus vert en détectant grâce à l’analyse automatique d’images certains types de déchets. Des caméras situées sur des sites prédéfinis capteront des images de piles de déchets?; ces images seront ensuite analysées pour détecter les déchets néfastes.

China’s Western Development Program in Inner Mongolia, Gansu, Qinghai and Xinjiang

Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, while coastal ‘Special Economic Zones’ and ‘Open

Cities’ flourished in eastern China, western regions still languished in relative poverty. To

bridge this gap, Chinese authorities launched an ambitious development campaign in

2000: the “Western Development Program”, aimed at bringing domestic and foreign

investment, expertise and capital into the vastness of western China.

As China struggles to meet its growing energy and export needs in the 21st century, an

opportunity awaits foreign commodity companies that can reach these booming regions.

Teck Resources Limited (Teck), like other Western mining companies, has recently been

making some in-roads into China, focusing on resource-rich peripheral regions, in

particular Inner Mongolia, Qinghai, Gansu and Xinjiang. However, there are still many

socio-political barriers that inhibit these foreign companies from accessing the lucrative

Chinese market.

This research aims to shed light on how the WDP is affecting the above-mentioned

peripheral regions and if it has/is impacted/ing Teck’s role in China in the period 2005-……TOECONTINUED

Examining the effects of an integrated parenting and nutrition intervention on child development

Early childhood (up to age 5 years) is an important and vulnerable period of development. Cognitive and socio-emotional skills during this period are strong predictors of later life outcomes such as employment status, mental health, and overall well-being. Children are particularly sensitive to external factors in this period, and it is therefore important to understand the mechanisms which influence their development. The Engaging Fathers for Effective Child Nutrition and Development in Tanzania (EFFECTS) trial is an intervention which aims to improve child development by targeting parenting and feeding practices. Parents were assigned to one of five groups: a mother-only nutrition intervention, a nutrition intervention for both mothers and fathers, a mother-only integrated nutrition and parenting intervention, an integrated nutrition and parenting intervention for both mothers and fathers, and a local standard of care control. My research project will consist of testing the following hypotheses: 1) an intervention approach that engages fathers will benefit children’s cognitive and socio-emotional outcomes, 2) an integrated parenting and nutrition intervention will benefit child outcomes, and 3) an approach that both engages fathers and integrates parenting and nutrition will benefit child outcomes.

Contactless Length Measurement System for Forestry Applications using Optical Flow

Current dangle-head processor measuring systems used in logging operations are prone to a number of problems including component wear and inaccuracies due to inconsistencies in bark thickness, density, and texture. This project aims to mitigate the majority of these issues by implementing a contactless measuring system that utilizes computer vision. With no moving parts, components will be replaced less often, reducing downtime and losses. A measuring system that uses computer vision also creates the possibility of future work involving tree species classification and quality control checks. Axis Forestry Inc. is looking to bring modern, intelligent technologies to a vital industry in Canada that can improve overall operator efficiency and optimize tree usage for less waste.

Development of cold anesthetization and packaging technologies for waterless transportation of live shrimp

Warmwater shrimp are dominant in Canada’s shrimp market, and they are mainly imported from Asian countries. Final market value of the imported shrimp can be increased if they are alive; however, shipping live shrimp in water is cost-prohibitive. To reduce the weight-associated cost, shrimp growers are interested in transporting live shrimp in waterless conditions. Unfortunately, the waterless environment can cause a poor survival rate of shrimp. Thus, we aim to reduce the mortality of shrimp during waterless transportation by developing cold anesthetization and packaging technologies. Both cold anesthetization and packaging processes will be optimized based on their effects on shrimp’s weight loss, survival rate, antioxidant enzyme activities, and lipid peroxidation. This project will provide a cost-effective and practical approach to achieve a high survival rate of shrimp during 18-h waterless transportation.