Innovative Projects Realized

Development of a bacterial detection assay for point-of-care infection monitoring

Ineffective diagnosis of bacterial infections leads to excess healthcare costs of $25

billion/year worldwide due to transmission of infections while waiting for diagnosis,

unnecessary antibiotic treatments and resulting increased drug resistance, etc. Point-of-care

molecular testing can help provide timely and effective diagnoses leading to better (and more

cost-effective) patient management. Markets where point-of-care testing would make a large

difference are the hospital-acquired infections markets, sexually transmitted infection (STI)

market, and upper respiratory infections market.

This proposal will marry a unique bacterial detection strategy with a multiplexed chip-based

device for rapid analysis of infectious pathogens. The applicant, Dr. Das, has developed a

strategy that allows trace quantities of bacteria to be analyzed in 30 minutes or less. In the

proposed project, he will test whether it can be run on a multiplexed chip and whether the

resulting assay will be practical for use in a point-of-care testing system. The sponsor,

Xagenic (Canada) Inc., will benefit from this effort as it will speed the….

The Global Charango: Diasporic Perspectives on Cross-Cultural Intersections

This Globallink proposal is “stage 1” of my Master’s thesis. The subject is the charango– an iconic colonial era Indigenous/European hybrid instrument with roots in the Andes in South America, where it was an expression of cross-cultural encounter and musical innovation of indigenous people. Since then, it has spread, changed, and become central to musical culture in South America and beyond. This research concerns the interactions of the charango outside of its home terrains. In a study of cross-cultural musical intersections, this thesis will assert that the charango’s presence in the diaspora creates rich opportunity for re-examining issues of cross-cultural musical interaction, negotiation, and invention. Theoretical concepts from Diaspora studies and multiculturalism shall set the context for a research-creation ‘laboratory’ of cross-cultural musical collaboration. These field experiments will test and illustrate the charango’s versatility and importance in diaspora, and present the ‘global charango’ for the first time in musicological scholarship.

Modification of Sludge Based Activated Carbon for nutrient removal in stormwater runoff through rain garden growing medium

Pollutants in stormwater runoff and municipal wastewater are grave concerns to the receiving environment of lakes and streams, as nutrients (Phosphorus (P), Nitrogen (N)) contribute to eutrophication. While rain gardens are effective to retain and retard stormwater runoff and removal of certain organic pollutants, limited studies have been conducted on nutrient capture.
This research focuses on waste-to-resource for nutrient removal from aqueous environments. While other sorbents are available, activated carbon produced from sewage sludge (sludge-based activated carbon (SBAC)) has the potential to be a more sustainable option as the negative environmental impact from its disposal process will be eliminated. In this proposed work, the chemical activation condition of production of SBAC will be optimized from previous research, including the selection of chemicals and chemical concentration. TO BE CONT’D

Integrating Cultural Heritage into Protected Area Management

In the field of conservation studies, a great deal of recent interest and work has been focused on breaking down the divisions between the conservation of cultural heritage (buildings, objects, monuments, archeological remains, as well as the associated values, beliefs, stories, myths, legends) and the conservation of natural heritage (ecosystems, geological formations, flora and fauna). The overall goal of my doctoral research is to contribute to this conversation, provide further considerations for overcoming these barriers, and strengthening integration. This application proposes a study and research exchange at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden where a study is currently underway to explore these questions in relation to the Lake Vänern Archipelago Biosphere Reserve. During this project I will study with the range of conservation experts situated at the University of Gothenburg, assist with the ongoing study, and conduct a ‘pilot’ test for my larger, and largely similar, study that will be conducted in Alberta, Canada upon return from this exchange.

North Coast Innovation Lab

The two internships proposed in this application are for research and feasibility project coordinators for the North Coast Innovation Lab (NCIL) in Prince Rupert, BC.
In addition to research and feasibility around potential projects that will a) grow the local economy for fish and marine products, and b) enhance coworking and resource sharing, the internships will also explore, at both systems and ground levels, how social innovation strategies of economic development and community building can be applied in the rural, northern and coastal context.
Ultimately, the NCIL hopes to spark a systemic shift in the approach to community-led economic development, and interns will play an integral role in the planning, research, prototyping and feasibility of marine economy-building and resource-sharing initiatives.

Estimation de l’évaporation d’un réservoir hydroélectrique en milieu boréal en contexte opérationnel

Afin de gérer les réservoirs hydroélectriques, des modèles hydrologiques sont utilisés pour estimer les divers apports et sorties d’eau. Ces modèles comprennent typiquement une estimation empirique de l’évapotranspiration qui est la même pour l’ensemble du territoire. Or, les conditions régissant l’évaporation au-dessus d’un plan d’eau diffèrent de celles en milieu terrestre. De plus, les modèles doivent opérer avec peu de données d’entrée, en raison notamment de la faible disponibilité de mesures météorologiques in situ. Au fil du temps, divers modèles de l’évaporation ont été testés dans divers climats. Une synthèse de la performance de ces approches appliquée au contexte québécois des réservoirs en milieu boréal et évaluée grâce à des données fiables est toutefois manquante. Cette étude vise donc à évaluer la performance d’une large gamme de modèles d’évaporation peu gourmands en données d’entrée à l’aide de mesures directes de l’évaporation des réservoirs Eastmain-1 et Romaine-2. Les résultats de cette étude permettront d’améliorer la modélisation hydrologique des réservoirs et ainsi d’optimiser nos pratiques de gestion de la ressource.

Mises en débat de projets d’aménagement à Nantes et Montréal

Dans ma thèse, je m’intéresse à l’apparition, l’évolution et la résolution de conflits entourant certains projets d’aménagement urbain. Je vise ainsi à comprendre les dynamiques conflictuelles qui surviennent dans la planification et la réalisation de projet d’aménagement. Je vais étudier les acteurs qui sont en conflits, la façon dont ils y prennent part et leurs revendications. Je cherche à savoir sur quelles dimensions repose le conflit. Par exemple, je souhaite savoir si le conflit porte sur les caractéristiques techniques du projet, sur le processus de consultation préalable, sur la légitimité de l’action publique en aménagement, sur un décalage entre les aspirations de la population habitante pour le territoire et celles proposées dans le projet, ou bien, s’il repose sur les effets négatifs anticipés par la mise en oeuvre du projet. Étudier les conflits permet de mieux comprendre les pratiques

Greener Routes to Value-Added Fluorocarbons by Metal-Catalyzed Reactions

The current production methods for new generation refrigerants (HFO-1234yf) used in cars, refrigerators, air-conditioners, etc. require energy intensive and sometimes corrosive conditions. The current project seeks to reduce or eliminate these two caveats. We propose, by using readily available feedstock or by-products from Teflon manufacturing, we could use our process to easily manufacture HFO-1234yf. Using our less energy intensive, heating to only 50 °C, and mild conditions could lead to significant cost reductions in plant equipment and energy demands. Thus, the reduction in energy demand will bring about lower production cost. This will also reduce CO2 emissions which could prove beneficial, in Ontario, with the current cap & trade program. These improvements would benefit our partner by allowing them to produce the same quality of product at lower-cost and includes the possibility of the development of new products.

Quality Assessment and Enhancement of Retinal Images – Part 2

Babies who are born prematurely are at risk of developing a condition called Retinopathy of Prematurity (RoP), which if left untreated, can lead to permanent blindness. RoP causes characteristic changes in the retinal vascu-lature, which can be seen when looking into the eye. Because the infants need to be monitored regularly for this condition, and certain traits need to be carefully identified, a special camera is used to take a picture of the retina. These pictures can then be studied for signs of RoP by an ophthalmologist. Unfortunately, a number of factors cause the quality of the images to suffer, including incomplete development of the eye structure, uneven illumina-tion, varying pigmentation of the retina, and simply, difficulty in taking the pictures. We propose to develop meth-ods to measure the quality of these images and identify any degradation issues. TO BE CONT’D

Role of Fluid Redistribution in the Pathogenesis of Sleep Apnea

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common respiratory disorder in adult popUlation where it

increases the mortality risk. The main treatment of OSA is continuous positive airway

pressure and although it is effective in most cases, many cannot tolerate it. Therefore, it is

important to develop new treatments for sleep apnea. We have proposed that fluid which is

accumulated in the legs during day moves towards the head when lay down to sleep. The

consequent accumulation of fluid in the neck could be a major contributor to the development

of OSA. To test this hypothesis, we aim to determine whether intravenous fluid infusion

during sleep will cause fluid accumulation in the neck, narrow the throat and induce OSA. If

so, a new approach for the therapy of sleep apnea would be to prevent fluid accumulation in

the legs during the day and its displacement into the neck at night.

Stage de formation professionnelle en édition et recherche en archives

Le projet de recherche d’Olivier Séguin-Brault comporte trois volets : 1) un stage de formation en édition où il s’initiera et collaborera activement à toutes les étapes de la production, de l’impression et de la diffusion de la revue scientifique “L’Année rabelaisienne”; 2) un stage de recherche dans les archives de sept bibliothèques spécialisées de la grande région parisienne afin de se familiariser avec le travail en archivistique (identification et description bibliographique des imprimés français du XVIe siècle portant sur l’architecture et conservés dans les fonds patrimoniaux et à la Réserve des livres rares; 3) la présentation en anglais d’une communication scientifique lors du cinquième congrès international de l’European Architectural History Network. La combinaison de ces trois activités permettra à ce candidat de développer une expertise dans un secteur original et encore peu exploré des sciences humaines et sociales : les liens entre l’architecture et la littérature du XVIe siècle français.

Supporting Social Inclusion and Well-Being in Metro Vancouver

Social relationships are important for our physical and mental health. In 2012, the Vancouver Foundation conducted a survey to measure how connected and engaged residents are in Metro Vancouver. They found that 1 in 4 Metro Vancouver residents report being alone more often than they would like. Of even greater concern, 1 in 10 residents report they do not have someone they can depend on well enough to ask for help. The overarching objective of this study is to evaluate and support social inclusion, well-being and community involvement in neighbourhoods across Metro Vancouver. The findings from this study will identify neighbourhoods where United Way may want to focus their efforts and provide recommendations to support social inclusion in the communities in Metro Vancouver and across Canada.