Innovative Projects Realized

Synthesis of Nanostructured Mesoporous Nickel Materials for Energy Storage Applications

With the advent of fuel cell technology, people began to believe implementation of a zero-emission energy system through the construction of a hydrogen-based energy infrastructure. The conventional system for hydrogen production is water electrolysis; however, the production cost is far too expensive for widespread adoption due to the usage of noble metals required as electrocatalysts. Thus, the enhancement of catalytic activity in the lower cost alternatives is of paramount importance. We aim to prepare nickel-based mesoporous materials, which are expected to dramatically reform the electrode function with their improved catalytic activity and surface reaction density. In addition to the comparative inexpensiveness, the high abundance of nickel is appropriate for heavy industry utilization and mass production. This enhancement promotes system function and encourages their acceptance for large-scale hydrogen industries. Eventually, the breakthrough will be the trigger that sets off an energy revolution shifting society towards renewable energy.

Effects of microplastics in soil food webs

Microplastics (Mps) are usually defined as plastic particles <5mm with benefits to human life, although they have become an environmental threat with potential negative interactions with organisms, therefore being considered one of the most important topics for biodiversity conservation. The effects of microplastics have been studied in aquatic systems, however, only a few have looked at the effects of Mps on soil organisms, and the consequences are still not well understood. Lately, increasing evidence has shown that microplastics are ubiquitous in soils and largely influenced by anthropogenic activities. In this study I will focus on mites and collembolans in soil systems because of their high potential for microplastic interactions and their importance role in ecosystem services. Effects of polyester and polyacrylic fibers on microarthropod communities, nutrients and decomposition will be addressed. With microplastics potentially being an issue in urban areas, this topic may also deserve attention of policy makers and regulatory bodies.

Ehrhart Theory on Arrangements of Hyperplanes

Hyperplanes can be thought of as codimension 1 affine subspaces of a given Euclidean space. Given an arrangement A of hyperplanes in R^d, the set of intersections of hyperplanes define a partially ordered set called intersection poset. The characteristic polynomial of A can then be defined using Mobius function of the intersection poset. One can recover some topological information about the complement of hyperplane arrangement from its characteristic polynomial. Some family of arrangements of interest are Catalan arrangements, Shi arrangements and Linial arrangements. Another way of recovering characteristic polynomial is finite field method, which involves counting points in the complement of good reduction of A. Recently, Yoshinaga used Ehrhart theoretic methods to give a uniform proof of Postnikov-Stanley conjectures on m-Linial arrangements. In this project, we would like to extend these methods to other problems of interest. We would also like to explore further into relation of characteristic polynomial and rook factorial polynomial.

The effect of speaker ethnicity and accent on speech processing and speaker evaluation

There is some evidence that people’s beliefs about how someone is ‘supposed to sound’ may affect how they perceive someone’s speech –to the extent of them hearing an accent that isn’t there. This response time study investigates in what ways “expected” and “unexpected” combinations of speaker ethnicity and accent can affect how speech is processed and evaluated. Because these kinds of expectations involving accent are highly culturally- and context-specific, one study was conducted in Vancouver with Japanese and Canadian speakers, while this proposed study will take place in the Netherlands. The reason for this cross-cultural approach is that while Vancouverites generally do not hold strong negative associations with Asian immigrants, Dutch natives DO hold strong negative attitudes toward Moroccan-Dutch immigrants.
For this Dutch replication study, the voices and faces of two white Dutch and two Moroccan-Dutch women will be mixed and matched to create 16 unique ‘speakers’ which together can provide insight into the question whether certain combinations of ethnicity and accent cause a delay in speech processing… To be continued.

Adaptive Algorithm for End Point Estimation in Steel Making Refining and its Industrial Application

In the steelmaking industry, process control models need to be based on a sound physical understanding of the process but should also account for many uncertainties due to the nature and complexity of the environment in which the process is carried out. As a result, it is crucial to extract useful process control information from the raw data stream acquired by the industrial sensors. The proposed project aims at developing advanced algorithms to improve the estimation of key control parameters in the Argon-Oxygen Decarburization (AOD) process, by leveraging on Machine Learning approaches and tools applied to manufacturing data. This research, while being a valuable training for a high-talented student in Canada, will help the partner organization Tenova Goodfellow Inc. in maintaining its leadership in process optimization applied to steel making furnaces.

Morphological investigation of adhesive blends and its effect on multilayer coating performance

In the pipeline industry, the heat shrink sleeves (HSS) are the protective layer usually composed of two layers, namely, an adhesive layer and a crosslinked backing layer such as polypropylene (PP) or polyethylene (PE). In order to maintain the desired properties of HSS, each of the layers must maintain their properties during processing, storage, and installation. In partnership with Canusa-CPS, the proposed research aims at addressing the relationships between the morphological structure and interfacial strength of the adhesive layers with their performance. Combining the characterization, rheological and mechanical analysis, the proposed study will correlate the mechanical performance of the adhesives to their material, design and morphological parameters. The research will be beneficial to our partner in developing a new generation of adhesives.

An IGF-Trap as novel treatment for cancer and metastasis

The present proposal seeks to address an urgent need to evelop new trugs that target metastatic cancer with high efficacy and specificity. The type 1 insulin like growth factor (IGF-I) is a growth-promoting factor implicated in cancer cell growth and metastasis. The receptor for IGF-I has been validated as a target for anticancer therapy in different tumor types. We recently engineered a soluble human IGF-I receptor decoy )sIGFIR) that has already shown anti-metastatic activity in pre-clinical animal models. Presently, the structure of this molecule is being further modified in order to improve its staility and pharmacological efficacy as part of a $875,000 collaborative project supported

mainly by tbe PSVT -3 program of the MDEIE in Quebec. As an important addition to this

project, the trainees will define the mechanism of action of this potential drug, particularly its

effect on cancer-induced and cancer-independent angiogenesis using in vitro and in vivo models. Their findings will…..

Cloud-based Services for Interactive, Collaborative, Smart Cities Platforms

Canadian urban populations are increasingly aware of climate change and generally support mitigation strategies. But understanding how urban form impacts energy use and emissions is challenging. We propose to design, deploy and evaluate digital media tools that support collaborative exploration of urban design scenarios where some participants are joining from remote locations. Key elements of this collaborative platform include hands-on interactive tabletop displays and companion immersive visualization tools, including Augmented and Virtual Reality to support evidence-based understanding of energy usage and emissions. Web-enabled geographic information systems (GIS) and computer-aided design (CAD) information will be integrated into a responsive and interactive displays.

Platform development to assay immune cell chemotaxis in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is an important global health problem afflicting 384 million people and causing 3 million deaths worldwide each year. Currently, there are no effective therapies for COPD patients. In this proposal, we are developing a novel technology that will both monitor the severity of disease in COPD patients, and allow researchers to better study potential targets and pathways for the design of new COPD drugs. Immune cells, such as neutrophils and macrophages, play important roles in the lungs of COPD patients. Our new technology will be able to measure the mobility of neutrophils and macrophages taken directly from COPD patients to assess their disease conditions. Further, this system will improve the way researchers measure these immune cells in large-scale studies for advancement of COPD diagnoses and drug discovery. This project aligns with the mandate of our partner organization, Providence Airway Centre (PAC), to enable researchers to accelerate the COPD biomarker and drug discovery pipeline.

Signature biométrique et blockchain au Desjardins Lab

Dans un souci de se moderniser et d’offrir des solutions plus conviviales à ses clients, notre en-treprise souhaite explorer les capacités des technologies émergentes et ce qu’elles peuvent apporter lors-qu’il est sujet de signature numérique dans un monde totalement sans papier (aussi appelé paperless dans l’industrie), particulièrement dans un contexte où les signataires se retrouvent face à face. Dans cette optique, il est envisagé d’étudier les technologies biométriques pour assurer principalement l’authentifica-tion ainsi que les capacités de la blockchain pour répondre aux contraintes d’intégrité et de non-répudiation d’une signature électronique.

Training the next generation of applied conservation biologists: research to aid Ontario’s first successful re-introduction of an endangered butterfly

The Mottled Duskywing is an endangered butterfly species in Canada. In order to reverse the decline of this species, research is required to fill in knowledge gaps regarding the species biology and life history. There are currently no data available on population size, survival rates of adult or juvenile life stages, dispersal, or optimal habitat management objectives. The objective of the study is to conduct a detailed population study and complementary captive rearing program which will inform potential reintroduction plans at previously occupied sites. NRSI will benefit from this research project because it results in applied conservation science which mitigate future costs of our recovery programs, resulting in significant long-term economic benefits and will increase the research capacity and profile of our company.

Mapping recreation and conservation values in the Yellowstone to Yukon region

Running from the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem to the northern Yukon, the Yellowstone to Yukon (Y2Y) region spans more than 1.3 million square kilometers across five American states, two Canadian provinces, two Canadian territories and the traditional territories of at least 31 Indigenous groups. It encompasses a wide diversity of ecosystems including alpine, forest, parkland, and grassland. Maintaining and improving ecological connectivity throughout the Y2Y region is vital for the wildlife species that live there. The region is also critically important to humans as a source of clean water, as homeplace for farmers, ranchers and communities, and for abundant recreation and tourism opportunities. The purpose of this project is to evaluate where and how different types and intensities of outdoor recreation affect conservation priorities in the Y2Y region, and strengthen the information base for managing access and responsible recreation use.