Innovative Projects Realized

Fast approximate simulation of complex structures and contact in immersive virtual environments

In the proposed project, we will develop a key piece of

technology that will significantly improve interactive simulations of scenarios involving complex

multi-body contact. For instance, the simUlation of human or robotic hand grasping of an

object involves complicated chains of compliant joints combined with distributed contacts.

Multi-legged robots and vehicles in general are similar. Simulating these kinds of systems is

tricky because they result in large systems of equations that can require large computational

effort to solve, and, additionally, special attention must be paid to the setting of parameters to

ensure stable simUlations. The proposed key piece of technology will significantly simplify the

resolution of these kinds of systems, allowing much more complex immersive environments to

be simulated while meeting real-time requirements.

Development of Emergency Response Technologies and Eco-Rehabilitation Framework for Brine Spills

Brine water produced in the mineral extraction process can cause heavy damage to soil and biota when the brine water is spilled during storage and transportation. The damage from spilled brine water can spread rapidly and last for decades, affecting groundwater, ecological security, and human health. In addition, the value of the damaged land will be impacted by this chain reaction and can inflict a huge economic loss to a mining enterprise in land transaction. This project is an opportunity to develop and apply suitable and cost-effective on-site emergency response technologies using an eco-rehabilitation framework for successfully resolving brine spill problems.

Design and Prototyping of a Power Logger for Power Quality Monitoring

Power characteristics of CAE equipment are regularly requested by the customers (some customers are penalized by their service providers for poor power factor, etc.), but there are presently no quick and safe means of logging power at the main power distribution and motion control cabinets. The goal of the power logger, to be designed and prototyped, is to capture hours/days of data for quick upload to laptop for analysis.

Private SQL interface for encrypted data

Querying databases without a layer of privacy protection might lead to serious privacy issues. Such issues include access patterns and communication volume patterns. By combining the state-of-the-art privacy standard (differential privacy) and encryption in provides resilience to a host of attacks on remote databases, including data reconstruction attacks. However, there is still research work needed in building a private access system on top of an encrypted database. In this work, we explore the use of a plethora of privacy preserving data publishing (PPDP) techniques with different definitions and guarantees to build a private access system. We aim at exploring two main questions: i) How and if the privacy guarantees deteriorate when a user asks different queries and combines the outputs or when multiple users collude, and ii) How the functionality is affected by each PPDP technique, e.g., can the system still support joins between two anonymized tables.

Development of Novel Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women worldwide. Estrogen, a sex hormone in women plays a key role in the proliferation of cancer cells especially in post-menopausal women. Selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs) like tamoxifen and raloxifene are the most efficient drugs for treatment of breast cancer. These drugs bind to estrogen receptors (ER? or ER? subtypes) in as much as the same manner as estrogen does. However, these drugs are often accompanied by severe side effects. The proposed investigation aims at developing and evaluating new estrogen antagonists. The designed molecules are based on the structure of estrogen itself and are thus expected to show promising bioactivity. We plan to synthesize and bioevaluate a series of rationally designed SERMs, in collaboration of Paraza Pharma Inc. Over the period of 8-months, ~12 rationally designed SERMs will be synthesized, purified and characterized at Acadia University and bioevaluated at Paraza Pharma, Inc.

Plant level implementation of a model for real time tracking and control of composition changes to steel, slag and inclusions during ladle processing – Part 2

The Ladle Metallurgy Furnace is used for adjustment of chemical composition and temperature, and control of tiny particles called “inclusions”. Controlling inclusions is carried out by adding calcium to modify the solid alumina or magnesium aluminate inclusions to less harmful liquid inclusions.
During ladle process, reaction of top slag, steel and inclusions occur simultaneously. Therefore, establishing a model to describe ladle process is indeed a challenge. The author developed a model to predict the chemical composition changes in molten steel, slag, and evolution of inclusions in the ladle during Ca treatment. The result of calculations was found to agree well with industrial heat data. The objective is to calibrate the model for the ladle used in the KOBM stream at ArcelorMittal Dofasco.

7000XR flight simulator airflow study

This project is addressed to conduct a full detailed airflow analysis on a 7000XR, a level D full flight simulator. Such machine is equipped with advanced electronic systems such as avionics, flight instruments and collimated visual system, where generated heat affects the user thermal comfort during training. The objective of this study is to perform a full analysis of the airflow, so that the optimized airflow is estimated to overcome the above issues. The 7000XR is equipped with blasters which can be used depending on the FFS used platform; the methodology consists of local air temperatures, velocity (portable hot wire) and humidity level measurements, as well as the heat gain generated. In order to provide an appropriate cooling, the blasters total output needs to be estimated and is assumed to be greater than the total heat gain. Recommendations would be provided to CAE to establish an optimized air-cooling strategy.

Ghost Voices in Turkish Cinema

My research seeks to explore the history of dubbing or post-synchronization in Turkey, which from the 1940s on became one of the most recognizable features of the Turkish industry, characterizing both national and imported production. Post-synchronization of sound had been the standard practice in Turkish popular cinema until 1996; it was only then that shooting with synchronized sound became the new standard for Turkish filmmakers.

I am interested in understanding the modus operandi of Turkish popular cinema: its dialogue with Turkish modernization, and its cultural and aesthetic aspirations today. I intend to embark on my thesis particularly through how the history of dubbing – as a cinematic practice defining the narration in popular cinema – reflects the complicated process of westernization in Turkey. If granted, my research in Germany, which is a part of my doctoral thesis, will focus on the workings of dubbing as a post-production technique and a ventral or acoustical art, as well as what replacing voices can mean with regards to the operations of ideology and power.

Deep Learning Method for Micromotion Detection and Mental Health Disease Diagnosis

Over the past few decades, mental disorders (e.g., depressive and anxiety) have become a significant medical burden for people of all ages. According to the survey performed by the World Health Organization (WHO), at least one out of ten people in the world suffers from mental health diseases (i.e., mental disorders, neurological disorders and addition). Many factors, such as heredity, work pressure and aging, can attribute to these disorders and degradations. However, some of these mental health diseases are preventable and treatable. In this project, we aim to develop a software system, especially a mobile app, for the detection of mental health diseases, in particular depression for now. This app uses facial and audio pattern recognition techniques, GPS and gait to assess mental health conditions for patients which will help with early diagnosis of depression symptom and trigger clinical intervention if necessary.

Development of a miniaturized device for optical reading of the quantum semiconductor biosensor

In our experiments with semiconductor microstructures, such as those used for the fabrication

of light emitting diodes (LED), our team has discovered that popular LED devices could also be used

for the detection of micro-organisms that come in contact with the device. As a result of our almost 5

years of research, we have demonstrated the operation of an LED-like photonic biosensor capable of

rapid (less than 2 hours) detection of E. coli. The significance of this discovery is that we can now

design inexpensive LED-biochips (a standard LED costs less than 1$) that could be used for rapid

detection of a variety of different bacteria or viruses. To take full advantage of this technology, and to

create a portable, self-contained biosensing instrument, we have to miniaturize the LED emissionmonitoring

unit from its current 40 cm x 40 cm foot print to approximately 12 cm x 2.5 cm.

SOCIAL PARTICIPATION OF ELDERLY BRAZILIAN AND CANADIANS: COMPARATIVE STUDY

This research proposal aims to verify the effect of hearing loss on the social participation of Brazilian and Canadian elderly, and, in addition, this study intends to understand which personal and environmental factors influence the social participation of these participants. Will be recruited in a clinical-school of Speech Therapy accredited to SUS, located in the southern region of Brazil and will be divided into 2 groups: Group 1 – elderly with hearing loss not users of individual sound amplification device (AASI); Group 2 – hearing impaired hearing aids users; We will use the same structure for the elderly Canadians who will be chosen according to the guidelines of the Speech Therapy clinic of the Faculty of Montreal in Canada. The differences between the Brazilian and Canadian groups will be examined for each of the variables, as well as the relation between them to verify how the hearing loss and the use of hearing aids can impact the social participation of the subjects.

Rural community sustainability research program at the Applied Research and Innovation Center – Selkirk College

This proposed rural community sustainability research program at the Rural Development Institute (RDI) aims to collectively address and support rural issues through research. The main themes surround sustainable economic development and diversification, climate resiliency, environmental protection, and sustainable community indicators for development and prosperity. Economic development and diversification will entail collaboration between different scales of human organization and stakeholders concerning economic projections, and models to help combat future rural community issues. In addition, applied rural climate adaptation and response may include smaller projects that define community-based strategies, expectations, and required supports in adapting to climate change. Throughout all of these themes, the need for a collective approach and collaborative research in the rural region of the Columbia Basin can be identified. The aim of this research initiative is to create a research program that provides the tools, skills, individuals, and resources required to support these themes for sustainable local communities.