Innovative Projects Realized

Cross Layer Security Mechanisms: From Design to Integration within Ultra-Dense Virtualized Radio Access Net

A plethora of business models have encouraged the proliferation and expansion of devices connectivity through network densification through 5G core solution. The complexity of the network as well as its ability to evolve constantly have change the way to secure is operated. Security needs to be based on constant monitoring to detect malicious behavior across a domain and mitigate the constantly evolving threats. As such detection and mitigation of these threats requires some intelligence as well as the ability to orchestrate strategies to detect and mitigate the threats. The detection leverages data analytics to reveal attacks as soon as possible, as well as orchestration capabilities to increase the detection efficiency as well as the mitigation. The implementation of orchestration leverages SDN and NFV technologies. TO BE CONT’D

Catalytic Conversion of Glucose into 5-HMF using Bi-functional Solid Acid Catalyst

In this project, we are going to achieve high yield and selectivity of 5-HMFin moderate operating conditions by synthesis of novel Silica-supported catalysts with various functionalization using different metallic compounds (e.g. Nb, Al, Zr, Cu) and acids (e.g. H2SO4, H3PO4) to form Lewis and Bronsted acid sites that can respectively carry glucose isomerization to fructose followed by subsequent fructose dehydration to 5-HMF in biphasic THF/H2O-NaCl solvent.

Fear and Anger in the Way We Speak

A spoken sentence means more than the sum of its words’ meanings. A speaker’s voice, more specifically, the way a speaker shapes speech melody, also conveys emotional information. Healthy brains easily distinguish fear and anger even in short utterances without any meaning. Yet, when we interact with people face-to-face, our brains seemingly ignore this auditory information in favor of the available visual information, i.e., body language, and in this process, our auditory system then fails to differentiate between fear and anger. In this research project, I want to explore the behavioral relevance of this neural pattern. Using a task in which I pit speech melody against body language I want to examine a) how visual and auditory information interact, b) why fear and anger are perceived differently, and c) what consequences this difference has on the way we process visual and auditory information. Understanding how we perceive emotional information is an important step in finding solutions for people whose ability to do so is impaired and improving human-computer interfaces.

Breaking the Barriers to Socially Conscious Business in Edmonton

Breaking Barriers to Social Conscious Business in Edmonton is a research project that aims to help the business community in the Edmonton downtown core and beyond better serve their community through socially-conscious business practices by shedding light on what barriers and facilitators business owners face in adopting socially conscious business practices in their day-to-day operations. In partnership with and learning from The Nook Cafe – a local business that is facilitating positive change in their community by adopting socially conscious business practices – we aim to deliver an analysis of and recommendations for how local businesses can make positive changes in their community and how Edmonton as a whole can celebrate the efforts of businesses like The Nook Cafe to accelerate adoption of socially conscious business practices.

An Artificial Intelligence algorithm for creating personalized learning journeys for students

With the fast growing information available on the web, students are often greeted with countless learning materials. As such, personalization is an essential strategy for facilitating relevant learning materials to satisfy students’ needs. The scope of this project is to design a recommendation system by using a deep learning process for personalized learning based on a quiz module. At the end of the project, we would be able to determine how students like to learn and to evolve the learning path based on strengths to enhance the learning experiences. Moreover, based on the obtained model, we will provide recommendation and dialogue to support learning. The proposed recommender system is based on hybrid filtering that considers both content-based and collaborative filtering properly. Indeed, the students’ historical data and the information of learning resources are taken into account to design a learning path to the students based on their needs.

Intégration de scénarios de climats futurs dans la planification de la conservation et de la restauration de milieux humides dans un but de protection de la ressource en eau de la Ville de Québec

Les milieux humides et les plaines inondables jouent un rôle majeur dans notre capacité d’adaptation aux changements climatiques, surtout en milieu urbain où les conflits d’usage s’intensifient. Le projet vise à 1) évaluer le rôle des milieux humides dans la régulation des crues et étiages en fonction de différentes projections climatiques et d’occupation du territoire, 2) proposer des réseaux de conservation pour optimiser les services écologiques des milieux humides, 3) évaluer les besoins de restauration des milieux humides et hydriques pour l’ensemble du territoire, 4) établir un plan de restauration pour le ruisseau Savard et la tourbière de la Base de plein-air de Sainte-Foy, 5) étudier les seuils de conservation et restauration établis dans d’autres juridictions, 6) évaluer les représentations sociales des mesures de protection des milieux humides et hydriques seront évaluées afin de faciliter l’application de la loi 132.

Crude Utopia: The Performance of Energy Transition in Canada

A wave of energy-related theatrical productions and performances has emerged in Canada in the past decade. “Crude Utopia: The Performance of Energy Transition in Canada” analyzes eight such cultural and artistic productions, ultimately arguing that moments of utopia within them gesture toward possibilities beyond human dependence on oil. Such utopic moments allow audiences to “practice” how to transition from oil to more sustainable energy structures. In light of the current momentum of activities such as fracking and Arctic drilling – made necessary by the depletion of easily-accessible oil and gas reserves – the insight that Canadian theatre and performance can provide about energy transition is both vital and urgent. This project will play a role in this transition by providing analysis to facilitate Canada’s movement toward cleaner energy and sustainable energy-use practices. It will also help to inform the creation of future theatrical productions as part of Open Theatre Company, which aims to build bridges for Newfoundlanders and Labradorians of all levels of experience to come together to explore, create, and develop theatrical work that is sustainable and environmentally conscious.

Exploring Jomon Period Food and Ground Stone Technology through Starch Residues in Southwestern Hokkaido, Japan

The Jomon Period (ca. 16,500 – 2,300 years before present) represents a significant part of prehistory in the Japanese Islands, and this longevity is largely tied to the complex human-environment relationships in Jomon society. My project examines these environmental interactions through microscopic plant remains from Jomon grinding tools, using the residues of human activities to better understand food practices and technology. Grinding tools are commonly interpreted as plant processing implements, and are often seen as evidence for the use of nuts, but my ongoing analysis suggests this is not wholly accurate, especially for Hokkaido. Thus, my current project aims to explore a range of possible uses grinding tools had, as well as the plant resources Jomon communities used for food, materials, and medicines. This research will result in a more comprehensive list of starchy plant species used by Jomon people, and further evidence about a poorly understood category of artifacts.

Pre?misses d’une arche?ologie de la perspective exo-centrique dans les images en mouvement

L’objectif de mon se?jour de recherche en Belgique est de consulter des documents d’archives pour mener a? bon port la troisie?me et dernie?re e?tape de mes recherches doctorales. Mon projet de the?se porte sur une technique cine?matographique que j’appelle la perspective « exo-centrique », soit une image inhabituelle et encore largement méconnue qui traverse néanmoins l’histoire du cinéma. L’objectif de mon séjour de recherche est d’inventorier les exemples de cette technique a? travers l’histoire (grâce aux sources d’archives) afin d’en tracer l’e?volution et l’impact. Gra?ce aux recherches documentaires que je ferai en archive, je compte notamment expliquer les fondements de cette image très inhabituelle qui trouve racines dans les mouvements d’avant-garde cinématographiques en Europe. TO BE CONT’D

Gestion combinee de I’allocation des ordres de fabrication aux usines et desroutes de livraison aux clients chez Toiture Mauricienne

Toiture Mauricienne fabrique des fermes de to its qu’elle livre directement a

partir de ses usines et entrepOts aux sites de construction de ses clients. Lorsqu’un client appelle,

I’ordre de fabricalion (OF) est generalement alloue a I’usine disponible la plus proche du site de

livraison. Une fois les cherpentes fabriquees, cheque usine confectionne des routes de livraison en

prenant des decisions d’allocation des OF aux usines, de choix de remorques et de grues, de choix

des jobs de livraison par camion, et de sequence de livraison, tout en respectant un ensemble de

contraintes liees aux fenetres de temps, a la capacite des remorques, et au retour en charge pour

integrer les transports inler-usines. Ces processus d’allocation des OF et de confection de roules

limitent I’efficacite des routes ainsi conc;;ues. En effet, puisque les routes sont realisees….

Industrial waste tire-derived pyrolytic oil upgrading to fuels and lubricants

Following the COP21 conference in Paris, Canada has made significant commitments to reduce its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. In order to meet these ambitious targets, the evolution of the current energy scenario towards the use of alternative sources of carbon is mandatory. The use of waste as a source of energy is particularly interesting because it represents a problem to manage. Among them, scrap tires are especially challenging, in particular those from the mining industry due to their size, composition etc. Hence, this project aims at converting the tires into an alkanes mixture. The latter will be treated to produce different lubricants and diesel fuel to the mining industry. This approach would hence help displacing fossil fuel and positively impacting on GHG emissions in the country. The project will also help the partners to gain an exhaustive perspective of the market and value of the products derived from their process.

Potentiel antimicrobien et anti-biofilms d’extraits de coproduits du concombre de mer (Cucumaria frondosa)

La transformation du concombre de mer (Cucumaria frondosa) est une activité récente au Canada, présente au Québec et au Nouveau-Brunswick. Cette nouvelle pêcherie a su trouver des marchés lucratifs en Asie et joue maintenant un rôle crucial pour maintenir l’activité économique de communautés côtières dévitalisées. Actuellement, la transformation du concombre génère beaucoup de coproduits (40% et plus de la biomasse) qui sont envoyés au compostage. Ce projet vise à tester le potentiel de valorisation de ces coproduits pour le développement de nouveaux agents antimicrobiens alternatifs aux antibiotiques ou biocides chimiques reconnus pour leurs effets nocifs sur la santé humaine et sur la santé des écosystèmes naturels. Différents extraits de concombre de mer seront testés pour leur capacités antimicrobiennes et anti-biofilms. Les retombées du projet seront l’obtention de nouvelles molécules bioactives d’origine naturelle alternatives aux agents chimiques utilisables dans la bioprotection contre les microorganismes pathogènes en agroalimentaire, et contre la formation de biofilms dans le secteur des revêtements antimicrobiens.