Innovative Projects Realized

Assessing the role of small-scale structures in controlling auriferous fluid flow: Nadaleen trend, Yukon.

Carlin-type gold deposits (CTGDs) are large, high-grade gold deposits named after the world renowned occurrences in Nevada. Despite their economic importance, agreement on how they formed is still lacking. We are undertaking an integrated geological and geochemical study of CTGDs in the Nadaleen trend, Yukon, to better define the hydrological regime that controlled their formation. The proposed Mitac internship will form part of the overall study – performing detailed analysis of small scale features that were potential fluid flow pathways for hot gold-bearing hydrothermal fluids. This work, combined with previous work studying the deposit geology and architecture, will be used as a framework to collect samples for future laboratory analysis. Ultimately, the data and samples collected by the intern will provide the partner organization with an improved understanding of how the deposits formed and this will benefit future exploration for CTGDs.

Night shift work and multiple cancer sites: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Shift work is an increasingly prevalent work pattern worldwide. It’s estimated that anywhere from 10-25% of workers are shift workers in European and North American countries. Within the past few decades, night shift work has been linked to an increased risk for numerous types of cancer, including breast, prostate, and ovarian cancer. However, due to differences in studies, the complete picture of how night work may increase cancer risk is still unclear, especially with less common types of cancer. The goal of this research project is to conduct a thorough review of the evidence, using advanced statistical techniques, to ascertain how night shift work is related to multiple types of cancer. This includes looking at differences in sex, quality of the studies, differences in countries, and commonality of the cancer type. TO BE CONT’D

Intégration et exploitation de la technologie LoRa pour les services de la Ville Intelligente

Le projet de recherche se propose de définir et de mettre en place les bases d’une architecture IoT basée sur la technologie LoRa et LoRaWan, qui sera utilisée pour la collecte et l’exploitation des données de diverses applications de la Ville intelligente, tout en garantissant la couverture du territoire, la sécurisation des données, et la fiabilité des services de collecte de données. On réalisera ensuite une étude pour déterminer un ensemble d’applications phares à développer pour la Ville Intelligente. Des prototypes fonctionnels de ces applications seront ensuite développés à unpour démontrer la fonctionnalité et les capacités de l’architecture. Ces prototypes serviront également comme précurseurs pour le déploiement à grand échelle des applications visées.

Analyse des impacts environnementaux et économiques du cycle de vie des voies de valorisation des résidus agroalimentaires dans une perspective d’économie circulaire : Cas des résidus de chocolat

L’enfouissement de matière organique mène à la production de méthane, un gaz à effet de serre bien plus puissant que le CO2. Pour pallier à cette problématique, le gouvernement québécois a ordonné le bannissement de la matière organique de tous les sites d’enfouissement dès 2020. C’est pourquoi plusieurs entreprises qui oeuvrent dans le secteur agroalimentaire devront s’adapter à cette exigence et ainsi trouver de nouvelles façons de valoriser leurs résidus organiques.
Ce projet, réalisé en collaboration avec l’entreprise Chocolat Lamontagne Inc., aura donc pour objectif d’identifier les voies de valorisation possibles pour des résidus comme le chocolat et d’évaluer la meilleure option d’un point de vue environnemental et économique. Cela permettra ainsi à l’organisme partenaire de réaliser des gains économiques significatifs, en plus de réduire ses impacts environnementaux.

Ergo4All : Comment informer et guider les utilisateurs au sujet des risques ergonomiques associés aux postes de travail?

L’objectif de ce projet de recherche est de déterminer la meilleure manière d’informer et de guider les utilisateurs d’un nouveau logiciel de modélisation numérique de l’humain face aux solutions ergonomiques que ce logiciel propose pour qu’ils comprennent ces solutions, se sentent en confiance vis-à-vis de celles-ci et décident de les appliquer plutôt de décider de consulter un expert en ergonomie.

Feasibility of a long-line flax fiber processing facility for Saskatchewan

This study will develop a business model for long-line flax production in Saskatchewan.

The business model under investigation will necessarily rely on European technology. A scutching facility in Saskatchewan would probably consist of an imported scutching line from Van Dommele Engineering in Belgium, or equivalent. Seeding and harvesting equipment, such as Noudet Gougis seeders and Dehondt pullers, turners, and balers, will also be imported.

A flax scutching facility with flax that has been harvested, retted and rolled up in the same way it is done in Europe can process approximately 2500 kg of straw per hour. While the cost of production line has been established at approximately 3,000,000 euros, author will request a complete budget proposal from a contact at Van Dommele Engineering, tentatively by January 31, 2012. Pricing and specifications for Noudet seeders and Dehondt flax pullers, turners, and balers will be established by the end of January 2012 through a….

Interfaces and algorithms to interactively improve medical datasets for machine learning

Galmed is creating leading edge medical image processing technology that exploits machine learning to empower physicians and improve patient care. The success of our algorithms depends on the availability of high-quality data, which in our current study means working with chest x-ray images (CXRs) that are accurately labeled with the findings that a radiologist would report in their examination.
The goal of this study is to identify and adapt algorithms and their corresponding user interfaces to make significant improvements to the sample CXR dataset at our disposal, while leveraging the limited time available from expert label reviewers. As the larger machine learning community – far outside medical field – relies on weakly-labeled but large publicly-available datasets, this study has a potentially broad impact.
Results from this study will be directly used in the development of Galmed’s products, benefitting Galmed, the Canadian economy, and patients in hospitals where Galmed’s software is used.

Development and optimization of a new roll-to-roll atmospheric pressure plasma reactor: deposition of functional nanocomposite coatings on polymer and paper rolls

Wood and wood-related substances have been among the most important materials in human history. Today, various forms of wood are being used in numerous industries, and therefore a significant market exists for improved and functionalized wood-based products. In this context, we’re proposing an atmospheric-pressure plasma-based approach to treatment of wood-based surfaces using a roll-to-roll cold plasma reactor. Furthermore, this process may be adjusted for other flexible and heat-sensitive substrates, such as various polymeric films. A novel plasma source will be designed, optimized and fabricated that incorporates multiple discharge openings (a ‘plasma showerhead’) and can facilitate the deposition of nanocomposite coatings using solid nanoparticle-containing suspension mixtures. Potentially, a wide range of functionalities, such as hydrophobicity or hydrophilicity, moisture and/or oxygen barrier properties, or photocatalytic properties, may be achieved on wood-based and/or polymeric substrates depending on the plasma parameters, nanoparticles implemented in the process and gas phase composition. The goal of this project is to explore such possibilities and demonstrate the potentials of such novel processes in surface engineering.

Reduced-order thermo-fluid modelling of automotive interior

Recreational vehicles operating off the grid rely on battery power to maintain climate control and, by doing so, the occupants’ comfort. Extended battery usage in these vehicle can be achieved by optimizing the thermal-fluid design of the interior space through the judicious selection of insulation material, properly sized HVAC systems, window glazing, and even external paint selection. The vehicle interior represents a highly-complex thermo-fluid system in which each component affects the other. To understand the mutual interaction between the components, a reduced-order model of the interior thermo-fluid dynamics will be constructed. The uncertainty of the coupled model and subcomponents will be assessed through high-fidelity computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and experimental validation. The model development and validation will help the Erwin-Hymer Group to optimize and inform their thermal design decisions which will help reduce the energetic demands and prolong battery life of their product.

Use of Guide and Outfitter Knowledge and Sampling to Advance Wildlife Health Surveillance Systems

This research intends to work towards establishing essential baselines of health status and trends in the Northern Mountain Population (NMP) of woodland caribou in the Skeena region of northwestern British Columbia. We will use scientific data from a guide and outfitter-led sampling program in combination with local ecological knowledge from practicing guides and outfitters in these regions towards a comprehensive understanding of the health and status of these culturally, ecologically, and economically valuable animals. The intern will be responsible for the development and implementation of a caribou sampling training program to local stakeholders as well as in the systematic collection of local knowledge using in-depth interview techniques with members of this industry. In partnership with the Tahltan Guide and Outfitters Association, this project ultimately hopes to create capacity and develop a framework for a collaborative, locally-driven wildlife health monitoring program extendable to various species and regions. This species is of critical value to the local guided hunting industry and, in filling the existing gaps in knowledge, adaptive and effective wildlife management will be facilitated.

Machine Learning Based Encrypted Traffic Analysis

Accurate network traffic identification would assist network operations and management teams effectively on many different network tasks such as managing bandwidth and ensuring security. The demand for network management methods that optimize network performance and provide quality of service guarantees has increased substantially in recent years. As new social networking and voice over internet protocol (VoIP) applications such as Facebook and WeChat have dramatically grown in popularity over the past several years, they now constitute a significant share of the total traffic on the Internet. Therefore, identification of such network traffic plays an important role in many areas such as network management, traffic shaping, cyber security and so on. In this research, we aim to investigate how encrypted social media and VoIP traffic could be accurately and robustly identified using a machine learning based approach in network traffic data.

Mining Technologies: Optimal Mine Design and Strategies for Increased Productivity and Energy Savings

The purpose of this study is to investigate the interactions and effects of automated and electric mining equipment on mine processes, identify necessary modifications to optimize mine design and account for the cost and environmental drivers in the comparison. Ultimately determining the justification for an economic decision to operate automated and electric-powered machinery on mine sites with ore bodies at large depths.