Innovative Projects Realized

Novel Treatments for bladder inflammation and pain

Interstitial cystitis is an inflammatory disease of the urinary bladder and is recognized as a serious medical condition associated with a profoundly negative impact on patients’ quality of life. Currently, there are no widely acknowledged causes of this disorder and no effective treatments available. Panag is a Halifax based drug company which focuses on development of novel therapeutic treatments which can be used to alleviate both pain and inflammation associated with IC. The goal of our research is to provide IC patients with symptom and pain relief, as well as to improve outcome. Previous research showed that the immune system is regulated by another system within our body, called the endocannabinoid system. Our approach uses special drugs, called cannabinoids, which are designed to target this system and as a result, provide symptom and pain relief and improve patients’ quality of life. Our project uses an established animal and tissue models to evaluate the effectiveness and toxicity of our treatment before human trials. The intern will learn valuable research industry-standard skills while Panag will gain insight into the therapeutic potential of their treatments

Multi-sensor data fusion and quality evaluation in challenging weather environment

A key factor to deliver reliable intelligent vehicles is the proper exploitation of data gathered from the different sensors equipping the vehicle. To do so, a data fusion algorithm is applied. However, the reliability of the sensors can change (for example due to weather conditions), therefore, a solution to evaluate the quality of the data gathered from each sensor must be investigated, to automatically adapt the data fusion algorithm and avoid the use of less reliable sensors or credible data or information these sensors provide directly or they derive through processing techniques. Sensors are becoming more and more complex and are no longer specific to only one type of measure or characteristic/feature. They can be used to measure directly or indirectly (through processing) different characteristics/features (such as velocity, position, size, etc.) of the observed environment. Each sensor category is better adapted to capture a specific characteristic/feature but in a meantime, the data they provide can also be exploited to identify (in a less reliable/credible way) other features. T

L’invocation de la neutralité axiologique dans le déploiement des mesures non-conventionnelles de la BCE

La crise de 2007-2008 a confronté la zone euro à des difficultés pour lesquelles l’Union économique et monétaire n’avait pas été pensée. En déployant dans l’urgence des instruments monétaires nouveaux, la Banque Centrale européenne a agi au-delà des missions qui lui avaient été confiées par les Traités. Dix ans plus tard, cette politique monétaire « exceptionnelle » continue d’être exercée en l’absence d’un contrôle démocratique plus strict. La BCE avait initialement annoncé que les effets politiques, distributifs, environnementaux, etc. de ces mesures non-conventionnelles demeureraient limités. En effet, cette institution revendique une neutralité des fins visées et, dans une certaine mesure, une neutralité des effets de sa politique monétaire, ce qui pouvait justifier, avant-crise, de la soustraire à un devoir de justification. Je propose d’interroger cette perspective, d’examiner les discussions portant sur la neutralité des effets de la politique monétaire d’après-crise et d’y confronter les justifications invoquées par la BCE. Enfin, j’examinerai la légitimité de cette politique monétaire à l’aune d’un modèle de théorie politique du contrat, qui, dans une version contemporaine, postule notamment que la puissance publique doit soumettre ses actions à un système de principes échappant à des objections raisonnables.

Recherche et développement d’un nouveau système de monorail à traction hélicoïdale HubTrack® commercialisable

L’entreprise Mobilités Mondiales inc. a fait breveter un concept de système de transport fonctionnant avec la traction hélicoïdale et des rails tubulaires ouverts. Après maintes preuves de concept expérimentales, l’entreprise a mobilisé une équipe d’experts en conception et fabrication mécanique et en automatisation qui sauront parfaire les travaux de R&D amorcés au respect des normes industrielles applicables de systèmes de levage, notamment. La méthode scientifique mise à contribution va permettre d’identifier les points faibles des plus récents prototypes et de proposer un design qui puisse les résoudre. Au gré de cette étape, nous allons effectuer un relever des normes industrielles applicables (ponts-roulants et monorails) et assurer que le nouveau design soit conforme aux standards attendus. Au terme du projet, nous allons avoir fabriqué une première preuve de concept opérationnelle de véhicule HubTrack®, et ensuite, au moins 4 unités interdépendantes de véhicules autonomes et automatisés afin de permettre d’amorcer avec succès la commercialisation du concept unique de mobilité durable du HubTrack®.

Attraction et rétention de la main-d’oeuvre manufacturière : repenser les pratiques et mesures de gestion pour favoriser l’engagement organisationnel

Bien qu’un nombre grandissant d’acteurs socio-économiques tentent de sensibiliser les employeurs à l’importance d’offrir des ressources favorisant la conciliation travail-vie personnelle (CTVP), l’état actuel des connaissances sur les mécanismes psychologiques expliquant leur effet sur la CTVP et, plus globalement, sur le bien-être des employés se montre fort limité. Par conséquent, la présente recherche vise à apporter un éclairage sur certaines pratiques de ressources humaines favorables à la santé en milieu de travail pour assurer la compétitivité des PME manufacturières en ce qui a trait à la capacité d’attraction et de rétention de la main-d’oeuvre qualifiée et innovatrice. La présente étude permettra de mettre en lumière les mécanismes menant à la réussite de la CTVP et les ressources motivationnelles permettant un plus haut engagement des employés.

Le musée face aux enjeux d’une expographie et médiation culturelle numérique participative. Élaboration et expérimentation d’un prototype d’Application de réalité virtuelle autour d’un corpus d’œuvres d’art du Musée des Beaux-Arts de Montréal et de sa plateforme ÉducArt.ca.

Soyez au cœur de l’expérience muséale! L’Application ÉducArt en VR invite l’usager à découvrir de manière innovante toute une série d’objets et d’œuvres d’art de collection issus du Musée des Beaux-Arts de Montréal, et à participer, en collaboration avec le musée, à la construction de cette exposition virtuelle. Cette “réappropriation patrimoniale” et gamification de la visite place finalement le public au cœur de l’expérience muséale l’appelant à réfléchir autour de la co-création et valorisation du savoir à partir d’une collection et de sa mise en exposition numérique. Le dispositif permettra en même temps aux élèves et aux classes secondaires québécoises participantes à ce projet-pilote, d’expérimenter ce dispositif lors de son développement et d’apprendre, de manière interactive, toute une série de contenus relatifs aux œuvres et aux thématiques présentées dans ce nouvel espace immersif muséal.

Using a dynamic moment of inertia to increase bat speed in baseball players using the “Pro-Impusle swing trainer”

The common method of training and warming-up in baseball is by using weighted disks that are added to the player’s baseball bats. The current scientific evidences showed that the use of these devices doesn’t improve the performances of the players and actually slows down their swing speed and batted ball speed. Our partner developed a new device that focuses on increasing the swing speed in rotational sports such as baseball. The prototype uses elastics to allow a variable resistance and some timing aspect to the player’s training. We therefore want to know if this new device is more effective than using the current weighted baseball bats.

Cretaceous Shallow Unconventional Shale Gas (SUSG), southwesternManitoba

Shale gas plays are becoming progressively more important in the energy market as gas production

from these reservoirs is increasing. With the advances in exploitation technology gas production from

shale has become more viable and economic. Based on previous studies southwestern Manitoba can be

a good candidate for extracting gas from shale formations at shallow depth. However there is need for

more studies in order to find the most productive shaly layers in the area and to design the proper

techniques for gas extraction. Researches on this area, as a shallow shale gas potential, have been

recently started. What has been done so far mostly includes surficial studies. All the subsurface

information should also be investigated in order to make legitimate judgment of the shale gas potential

in this area. This research integrates core, log and other subsurface data to provide a link between the

surface and subsurface where the gas reservoir really exists. Also, it will aid in………..TOBECONTINUED

Development of functionalized electrospun nanocomposite membrane using dendritic polymers

The availability of safe drinking water has emerged as one of the most serious problems facing the global economy in the twenty-first century. Removing heavy metals from drinking water, industrial waste and soil are important environmental engineering tasks to reduce pollution and water scarcity around the world. Biomimetic designs help engineers to produce new technologies and materials for optimum applications in above exemplified applications. In this MITACS project, a novel incorporation of dendritic polymers in electrospun nanocomposite membranes will allow improved efficiency for separation/adsorption wastewater, due to the distinctive features such as high porosity and large specific surface area. The word ‘dendritic’ comes from roots of tree. Similar to the tree roots adsorbing water, dendritic polymers can adsorb and entrap contaminant from wastewater. Next to membranes, application of the new targeted functionalized dendritics will also be explored in other areas e.g. to potentially enhance the resin processing properties during manufacturing.

Developing Foodways and Gardening Strategies for the L.M. Montgomery Museum & Literary Centre

This project will complete an urgently needed feasibility study linking researchers and graduate students from the University of Guelph with the Lucy Maud Montgomery Museum and Literary Centre (LMMMLC) in Norval. Together, this team of researchers and community partners will define current best practices in museum design to create a plan for the LMMMLC to use in developing an innovative educational facility in Ontario that will commemorate both Lucy Maud Montgomery’s legacy and celebrate the history of women in Canada. This feasibility study is the vital first step in the LMMMLC’s vision to develop the Norval site into a globally-recognised museum.

Development of a UV-LED disinfection system for ice-machines.

Contamination by microorganisms is a well-known problem for commercial ice machines. Frequent applications of sterilizing chemicals are necessary to keep the ice machines sanitary, a costly and time-consuming process. The sources of this contamination are microorganisms associated with the water used as the source for ice production, the incoming air to the ice machine, and the interior surfaces of the ice machine. Disinfection of contamination sources using ultraviolet (UV) radiation inactivates microbes prior to their establishment inside the ice machine. This research investigated the application of UV-based water treatment systems using a novel UV radiation source—UV light-emitting diode (UV-LED)—for efficient disinfection of ice machines. The findings of this research are very important for providing safe ice products cost-effectively by utilizing UV-LED systems.

Joint Perception and Motion Prediction System for Autonomous Vehicles

The project is concerned with delivering a real-world joint perception prediction and tracking system that outperforms the current system implemented in the Uber ATG software stack. This will be achieved by implementing a production version of a state-of-the-art academic paper developed by the research team, testing it against real world scenarios, and then modifying the neural network, inputs, architecture, and operations to obtain better within system results.