Innovative Projects Realized

Development of biophilic design strategies in schools to enhance health and well-being

In school buildings, the availability of natural light, indoor temperatures and natural ventilation are factors that can improve student achievement. Biophilic architecture, which promotes a connection between indoor and outdoor spaces, can be beneficial for the well-being of the occupants. However, much remains unknown about these potential benefits in cold climates and during winter. The research aims to provide architects with a better understanding of the architectural challenges and opportunities that affect the health and well-being of students and school staff. The project will develop a classification of design strategies based on their potential to help architects create links between indoor and outdoor spaces in schools. This will emerge from the analysis of a random sample of primary schools in Quebec, the designs proposed by architecture students for case studies and the simulation of school renovation options. TO BE CONT’D

Medical Grade Programmable Smart Battery Charger and Analyzer

Power consumption optimization, space reduction, increased mobility and safety of medical devices in health care

facilities while maintaining efficiency of these devices by using rechargeable battery pack are key issues for cost

saving, durability and reliability, inventory control, and environmental requirements. For these reasons, more and

more medical devices powered by rechargeable battery packs are being used in health institutes around the world.

The main objective of this project, which is jointly investigated by Concordia University and TDE Techno Design, is the

development of a programmable smart battery charging and analysis system that exhibits (1) increased flexibility

(programmable), (2) wider usability (smart), (3) high accuracy and efficiency, and (4) high reliability and safety levels

(approved for medical/ pharmaceutical applications). The battery charger and analyzer shall meet and exceed stateof-

the-art industry standards in performance and therefore shall be validated with the latest verification technologies

for medical and pharmaceutical applications. The deliverable of this project will be the development of………………….TBC

Applications Development of Plasma·Derived Nanostructured Carbons

NanoNB Corp (NNB) is a small business concern established in 2005 in New Brunswick,

Canada. The company manufactures fullerenes/nanotubes and performs application

development. The Intern Cluster (4 students) will focus on process improvements of the

company’s plasma reactor to improve yields and efficiency of fullerene recovery. As well, two

interns will work on conversion of fullerene product to a form used for plastic solar cells. NNB

has established a direct market link for these materials and is heavily market-oriented.

Improvement of yields and conversion will support their fastest growing customer base,

lowering manufacturing costs and increasing production volume to meet the expected

demand of 6 tonnes per gigawatt solar cell capacit

Discovery of Antimicrobial Agents from Marine Microbes

The general aim of this proposal is to discover new natural products with antibacterial activity of relevance to companion animal health. While numerous discoveries of natural products have been made, the rate of discovery of new natural products has declined in recent years. The strategy outlined in this project aims to provide a streamlined approach to the discovery of new bioactive natural products. Nautilus Biosciences is the partner organization that will benefit directly from this project. Completion of the project outlined in this proposal will generate new lead molecules for use as antibacterial agents for companion animals that Nautilus will develop.

Research into grid-forming methods for off-shore wind farms

Conventional power systems rely on synchronous machines for generation of power and also for formation of an interconnected network of generation to which loads are connected via a transmission system (known as a grid). Increasingly renewable sources of energy are interconnected to a grid via power electronic converters. These converters have been traditionally operated with the assumption of an existing grid thanks to the presence of synchronous machines. In recent years, it has been noted that operating conditions have arisen that require the normally grid-following converters to assist in establishment of a grid, a mode known as grid forming. This proposal looks into the methods and algorithms that are required for grid-forming operation of wind energy systems in particular those with a diode rectifier unit. TO BE CONT’D

Creating an autonomous underwriting system for financing approval

This project aims build an autonomous underwriting system that can provide debt financing to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the technology sector without human intervention. The research will explore mathematical methods and key factors that are unique to evaluating creditworthiness of those SMEs. The result will be an underwriting system that incorporates statistical methods and machine learning algorithms to perform prediction with higher accuracy than what humans can achieve. Such intelligent and autonomous debt approval system will streamline the lender’s decision-making process and ensure the SMEs get the funding they need at a lower cost. This will lead to more successful companies, higher employment, and more technological innovations in Cana

Economic and energy efficiency assessment of biomass harvesting for a northern off-grid community: A case study at Brochet Manitoba, Canada.

In June 2011 Manitoba Hydro announced an investigation into the installation of a biomass gasification power plant to displace fossil fuel use at the off-grid community of Brochet Manitoba (Electrical Line Magazine, 2011). High and increasingly volatile fuel costs, risk of air and ground-water pollution, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and the challenge of delivering diesel fuel are all major concerns associated with diesel energy in off-grid remote communities, including Brochet.

Two key components in determining the feasibility of biomass energy systems are: 1) the cost to harvest and transport the biomass feedstock, and 2) the carbon emissions incurred from harvesting and transport activities. Considering the truly remote location of the proposed biomass facility at Brochet, it is our hypothesis that the impacts of harvesting and transportation on the feasibility of the proposed project will be significant and transportation costs will be the largest cost factor.

Encapsulation efficiency and viability of phage-coated implants for the prevention and treatment of periprosthetic joint infections in high risk patients

The widespread use of antimicrobial compounds in recent years has led to a pronounced increase in antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in bacteria. These resistant organisms require increased doses of strong antibiotics for prolonged periods for effective treatment. This is such a significant problem that the world health organization has put in place a global action plan to combat this phenomenon.

Unsupervised Learning of 3D Scenes from Images using a View-based Representation

7.2. Public Project Overview:
We’d like to address the issue of 3D reconstruction from 2D images. This means developing a machine learning algorithm that can take a regular photo as an input and generate a full 3-dimensional reconstruction of the contents of the photo. Such technology can be used creatively or to help the coming generation of robots better understand their surroundings.

Readmission AI: a predictive tool to assess patient risk of hospital readmission

Logibec Readmission AI is a predictive intelligence tool that accurately identifies the patient’s likelihood of being readmitted within 45 days of discharge. Rigorously and ethically developed with machine learning techniques in partnership with three large healthcare organizations in Québec, the predictive model uses reliable, accessible and timely clinical-administrative and sociodemographic data to provide clinically relevant stratification of readmission risk. The benefits of accurately identifying high risk readmission patients include improve population health, care experience and cost.

Machine Learning for Cancer Treatment Plan Benchmarking

Oncology specialists are few in numbers and cannot be present within every hospital or clinic providing their guidance and support. There are institutions in this world with oncology experts that can provide the best possible care and the knowledge of these experts is stored in medical case files within the hospital. With the power of machine learning and the internet, an organization without any experts can compare their cancer treatment plans to the top performing institutions in the world and receive constructive feedback on where their plan needs improvement. Bridge7 AI is developing a platform that allows clinicians around the world to compare and improve their plans with the help of experts in all medical fields.

Be Yourself: How to be a Positive Influencer On and Offline

It has been shown that a mother’s conduct, together with her relationship with her daughter, can directly and indirectly impact her daughter’s well-being and development (e.g., eating habits, body image, and self-esteem). Studies have shown that the mother/daughter relationship influences every stage of the daughter’s development, with particular influence in the formation of the young adolescent girl’s perception of herself and her body. As parent modelling exists offline between mothers and young adolescent daughters (11-14 years old), a similar influence is being exercised by the fast evolution of digital culture, such as social networking sites (SNSs). Working together with community members, mothers, scholars, and educators, we will co-create and evaluate a transformative learning experience for positive influencers, which will consist of a tangible Toolkit and Community Workshop. The materials will be an operational and sustainable outreach service for the Bulimia Anorexia Nervosa Association (BANA) to use after the funding period.