Innovative Projects Realized

Mise en correspondance d’une source de données relationnelle à un schéma relationnel ontologique

L’extraction et le partage de données sont au cœur de nombreux défis liés aux systèmes d’information, en particulier dans le domaine médical. C’est pourquoi nous avons développé une méthode de mise en correspondance entre de multiples sources de données médicales et un modèle de connaissance (ontologie). Cette méthode permet, suite à l’intégration d’une source, l’extraction des informations et l’expression des requêtes en faisant abstraction de la complexité liée à l’hétérogénéité. Notre projet est de mettre en application cette méthode novatrice par l’intégration d’un entrepôt de données vers notre modèle de connaissances afin de modéliser les prescriptions de médicaments de l’hôpital Georges-Pompidou. En plus de mettre en pratique les différents concepts théoriques, il nous permettra de faire l’essai d’un logiciel émergeant d’une autre collaboration internationale pour la génération d’une telle correspondance à l’aide d’une interface graphique. Le projet nous permettra d’adapter cette interface et de valider qu’il répond efficacement aux besoins.

Who Merits Assistance? Allied Classification of Victims in Bamberg’s Refugee Camps

Examining the refugee camps in Bamberg, Upper Franconia as study cases, this master thesis will aim to identify different victim groups or divisions within the camps’ population and how the authorities and charities dealt with them. Those include women, children, ethnic or religious groups and disabled persons. Using gender as a category of historical analysis, as well as social history to include groups traditionally excluded from the main historical narratives, I will seek to understand how and why some groups got access to food, accommodation, employment and medical services before others. In the context of the rise of victimization within the west-German state and identity, was there some kind of hierarchy between the victims? Had vulnerable people in the camps any control of their own faith? This study thus explores on which basis the organizations involved in the camps managed the disorganized masses and prioritized groups over others.

Fabrication de pales d’éolienne en composites pour les milieux nordiques

L’énergie éolienne connaît une croissance importante dans le monde et le Québec suit cette tendance mondiale. En effet, le gouvernement québécois a mis de l’avant des mesures concrètes afin d’encadrer le développement de l’énergie éolienne. Ceci se justifie par le fait que la province possède un potentiel considérable compte tenu de l’immensité de son territoire, et les coûts de production pourraient diminuer de 40 % d’ici 2030. Pour atteindre cette réduction, il faut augmenter la taille des rotors et améliorer de la fiabilité et de la durée de vie des composantes. Cependant, la taille des pales constitue un obstacle majeur à l’amélioration de leur fiabilité, car les procédés de fabrication à haute pression comme l’autoclave ne sont pas économiquement viables pour de telles structures. Les pales sont donc fabriquées par infusion de résine à travers un renfort fibreux disposé dans un moule sous une bâche à vide. TO BE CONT’D

CARLA Based Autonomous Driver Assessment

With the introduction of numerous automated vehicle development programs, the scientific community has developed several Open Source simulation software packages. The most notable is CARLA: http://carla.org/

With support from the driving simulator team at the Institute for Transport Studies https://uolds.leeds.ac.uk/ the summer intern will use the CARLA environment including both simulation and the Autonomous Driving baseline to develop an imitation learning based autonomous driving module. Driving in the CARLA world will be collected as training data and used to train the AD which will be based on a convolutional neural network to follow a similar path. The AD’s interactions with other vehicles will be studied and compared with game theory approaches.

Prédiction par éléments finis du craquage de cartons ondulés lors du pliage

Les technologies de simulation numérique permettent de prédire le comportement de matériaux et de pièces dans des cadres de plus en plus vastes et ces simulations permettent sont maintenant utilisées dans de nombreux secteurs industriels afin d’éviter ou de minimiser le recours au prototypage et à des tests sur bancs d’essais physiques. C’est particulièrement le cas dans l’industrie papetière où les essais physiques représentent des couts très importants. Dans ce contexte, la mise en oeuvre de tests numériques (de manière virtuelle) permettant de reproduire le plus fidèlement possible les tests réels est susceptible d’entrainer des gains considérables en temps et en cout. L’objectif principal de ce projet est de concevoir un test numérique (ou banc d’essais virtuel) permettant de prédire le craquage de cartons ondulés réalisés avec différentes recettes de papier lors du pliage.

Fibrostenotic Crohn’s disease: Regulation of Fibrosis and inflammation with Cannabigerol and other cannabinoids

The goal of the project is to determine if the cannabis-derived, non-psychoactive compound, cannabigerol (CBG) (a key component of Cannabis), which is known to reduce inflammation in a mouse model of colon inflammation, can also prevent intestinal strictures (fibrosis) and narrowing of the intestine in the setting of intestinal inflammation. We will use cell culture and animal models that develop key features of fibrosis, to determine if CBG can prevent fibrosis and stricture formation. The data will be directly relevant to preventing fibrosis in patients with inflammatory bowel disease, which has a high incidence in Alberta and Canada.

Improvement and automation of the aircraft painting process using autonomous unmanned aerial vehicles

Aircraft painting processes are very complex and involves several working stages. Besides, several highly skilled workers are required to work in a polluted environment for long periods of time. The automation of these processes would result in several benefits for both workers and companies. This project proposes the automation of aircraft painting processes using autonomous Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV). It aims to prove whether a modified commercial UAV is capable of painting the different aircraft curved surfaces. The automation is expected to reduce over 30% of the material usage which will directly reduce the cost not only for the companies responsible for the aircraft painting but also for the airlines due to the reduction in weight.

3D bioprinting hiPSC-derived neural tissues

Tissue engineering (TE) is the science focused on the creation of tissues that resemble the human physiology. The end goal of TE is to create tissues model diseases modeling, test therapeutics, and for regenerative medicine purposes. To create such tissues, a combination of cells, biomaterials, and growth factors are needed in order to create a suitable environment for the tissues to mature and survive. Human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) have been widely used in the field of TE due to their abilities to become into any type of cell found in our body and create another stem cell. 3D bioprinting is a technique in TE that creates living tissues based on specifications provided in a digital file and can be patient-specific by using the cells from the own patient. TO BE CONT’D

Needle segmentation from 3D ultrasound images

In this project I propose to develop a robust and efficient needle segmentation method, which

will be used to localize and track the needle in three-dimensional (3D) ultrasound (US) guided

focal ablation therapy. 3DUS guided biopsy and minimally invasive therapy involves guiding

a needle into the lesion for biopsy (removal of tissue for pathological examination), and

ablation therapy (destruction of tissue). The Peters laboratory has developed image-guided

interventional technology, which makes use of 3D ultrasound imaging. Thus, fast

identification and segmentation of needles in a 3DUS image will allow improved guidance of

insertion of the needle and verification of the location of the needle with respect to the lesion

being biopsied or ablated.

A study on the application and mechanism of action of the lichen Umbilicaria muhlenbergii fractions on osteosarcoma and chondrosarcoma cells as a promising anticancer source

The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of the lichen Umbilicaria muhlenbergii fraction(s) on osteosarcoma and chondrosarcoma cells. MTT assay will demonstrate the activity of these fraction(s) against cancer cells. Appoptosis and inhibition growth analyses will be examined. The following objectives in the allocated time of five months (June 1-October 30, 2019) are planned:
1. Investigate the anticancer effects of selected fractions of U.muhlenbergii extracts on osteosarcoma and chondrosarcoma cells
2. Investigate and characterize the cell cycle control and apoptosis for the most effective lichen compound on cancerous cells
3. Detect and verify cell proliferation using a Ki-67 protein marker
The proposed experiments will allow us to compare the effect of lichen fraction(s) on bone cancerous cells. TO BE CONT’D

Surveying Shallow Water Habitats and Bathymetry in the Baltic Sea

Coastal areas are some of the most biodiverse environments in the world, and are constantly changing. Therefore, mapping projects for this near-shore area are extremely important. Many mapping procedures include optical methods, such as satellite imagery or underwater video, which is limited in effectiveness by cloud cover or water clarity. Other instruments, such as boat and autonomous underwater vehicle mounted sonar are limited by the vehicle’s maneuverability in very shallow waters or environments with many obstacles. A proposed solution to these limitations is an autonomous hovercraft, which can fly seamlessly from water to land, and begin collecting sonar data in waters as shallow as 10 cm. While the hovercraft was built and tested in Nova Scotia, I hope to expand this project to Germany and use this platform to map eelgrass. TO BE CONT’D

Stage de recherche, culture cellulaire pour la confection d’échafaudages dentaires

Dans le cadre du régime coopératif de l’Université de Sherbrooke, les étudiants au baccalauréat en génie biotechnologique doivent faire 5 stages. Celui-ci serait en fait le 4 ème du cursus de l’étudiante.

Ce stage est offert au centre de recherche CSPBAT, qui est en partenariat avec l’Université de Paris 13 avec, comme superviseure de stage, Mme Géraldine Rohman, chercheuse associée et maître de conférences à l’Université de Paris 13. Dans le cadre de ce stage, des entrevues avec le personnel du service de stage et de placement de l’Université de Sherbrooke (SSP), ainsi qu’un rapport traitant sur les compétences développées seront remis. Les compétences visées par le SSP sont suivies depuis le début du cursus académique de l’étudiante, et seront questionnées dans le but de les améliorer jusqu’à la fin de ce cursus. TO BE CONT’D