Innovative Projects Realized

Desiccation-induced cracking of expansive soils: highlighting volume change behavior

Desiccation-induced cracking is a complicated phenomenon associated with strongly coupled hydro-mechanical behavior of cohesive soils. The soil-shrinkage characteristic curve (SSCC) for intact soils is well established to describe the relationship between void ratio and water content. However, it is questionable to employ the SSCC to predict the volume change based on the reduction in water content during the desiccation cracking. In this project, SSCCs with and without desiccation cracks for two soils (including one expansive soil) will be measured. The state-of-art devices and an electronic balance are utilized to measure the volume change (including the geometry of crack networks) and moisture change during desiccation cracking, respectively. The relationship between crack volume and void ratio of soil matrix and moisture content during desiccation cracking could improve our understanding of the mechanism of desiccation-induced cracking and pave the way to modeling the flow through cracked soils.

Non-invasive quantification of myocardial stiffness using a portable ultrasound device

Heart failure currently affects 14 million people in Europe. Early diagnosis of heart failure is essential in order to successfully address the underlying causes. However, initial diagnosis is difficult meaning that heart failure is only correctly diagnosed in about half of affected patients. Diastolic heart failure, which accounts for more than 50% of all heart failure patients, is due to abnormal ventricular stiffness that remains very difficult to diagnose. Non-invasive evaluation of myocardial stiffness remains a challenge and there is currently no technique that can assess myocardial stiffness in clinical practice. In the proposed project, a novel portable ultrasound device will be developed for non-invasive quantification of myocardial stiffness that will allow an accurate, quick and non-invasive assessment of the diastolic function. TO BE CONT’D

An Alternative Account of Recognition Memory

This project will be focused on implementation of an algorithmic model to help us better understand the underlying processes of recognition memory. Specifically, our computational model is comprised of two memory modules – one representing the hippocampus and the other representing the perirhinal cortex of the brain. According to the dual-process model of recognition memory, recollection is supported by the hippocampus, while familiarity mainly relies on the perirhinal cortex (Yonelinas 1997, Eichenbaum 2007). By contrast, single-process models suggest that the representations in the hippocampus and perirhinal cortex differ in memory strength instead of underlying processing (Squire et al. 2007). Our model will allow us to asses the properties of input and processing through these two regions of the brain, allowing us to analyze their affects on recognition performance.
The internship comprises a significant hands-on experience in computational modelling. TO BE CONT’D

Portable Medical Grade EEG Headset Functional Improvement

Epilepsy affects an estimated 50 million people worldwide. These people can experience unexpected seizures that make it dangerous for them to engage in everyday activities like driving and walking. A portable wireless neuro-monitoring headset prototype that is worn on the head has been developed by Avertus Inc. to address this issue. The headset is designed to read brain waves, and, through a wireless connection to a cell phone, warn the wearer when the device identifies brain activity that is characteristic with an oncoming seizure. Improvements to the functionality of the headset are required to help improve its accuracy of seizure prediction. Contact impedance detection will be implemented to detect when the headset is not properly fitted; which will prevent the software from mistaking a weak connection with a potential seizure. Faster hardware and software will be implemented to increase the rate of information collection.TO BE CONT’D

Implementation and advancement of image analysis for multiplexed microarrays

Microarray testing allows high-volume analysis. This work will compare open-source software to in-house analysis methods within SQI Diagnostics. The goal is to enhance the performance of current assay designs and to inform and guide the next-generation of assay designs (ie 384 well plates) which will support SQI’s technology leadership position. After implementing a print run and analysis using the current quality control protocols, data will be compared with existing SQI results. As well, ArrayNinja will be modified to provide reports in the same format as current reports and expand current assay options to 384 well plates.

The Geography of Capacity–An Analysis of Individual, Organizational and Community Needs and Resources in Three Communities in Canada – Year two

This research presents a conceptual model of the geography of capacity and explores, through a small-scale study, the experiences of capacity across the nonprofit sector at the individual, organizational and community level in three different locales in Canada. By identifying the varied nonprofit capacity needs in different socio-economic and geographic locations, and by examining how organizations and communities understand these needs and strategize to identify resources, this research contributes to the discourse on the geography of nonprofits, infrastructure organizations and service provision. It challenges the dominant assumption that all agents within the nonprofit sector have equal access to resources, knowledge and ultimately the power needed to achieve outcomes. This study problematizes the capacity needs of the sector and corresponding infrastructure supports provided through the lens of socio-economic and geographic difference. TO BE CONT’D

The Geography of Capacity–An Analysis of Individual, Organizational and Community Needs and Resources in Three Communities in Canada

This research presents a conceptual model of the geography of capacity and explores, through a small-scale study, the experiences of capacity across the nonprofit sector at the individual, organizational and community level in three different locales in Canada. By identifying the varied nonprofit capacity needs in different socio-economic and geographic locations, and by examining how organizations and communities understand these needs and strategize to identify resources, this research contributes to the discourse on the geography of nonprofits, infrastructure organizations and service provision. It challenges the dominant assumption that all agents within the nonprofit sector have equal access to resources, knowledge and ultimately the power needed to achieve outcomes. This study problematizes the capacity needs of the sector and corresponding infrastructure supports provided through the lens of socio-economic and geographic difference. TO BE CONT’D

Natural Language Processing Services for the Android Mobile Platform

Smart Phones are fast becoming ever-present personal assistants – personal assistants

which become more useful and productive with the inclusion of Natural Language Processing

power. For many users, smart phones have become their go-to-device for industry news

feeds, checking email and scheduling their agenda.

The sheer quantity of text which is read on these devices, and the number of screen-taps

needed to get things done, can be reduced by applying existing Natural Language

Processing pipelines such as automatic summarization to news feeds, email or attachments.

Summarized text can also be consumed in an eyes-free manner using the smart phone’s

Text To Speech capabilities. Dates, locations and people can be automatically detected using

Named Entity Recognition and integrated in the creation of new events in a user’s agenda.

iLanguage Lab is a Montreal start-up which seeks to put Natural Language Processing (NLP)

in the pockets of consumers, by combining Software Engineering with Field Linguistics to

build Open Source language-independent Natural Language Processing and….

Better predictions of employee events

Machine learning can be used to predict employee events around retention, promotion or movement. This project explores how to generate better predictions by exploring correlations and exploiting them through features that increase predictive strength. Furthermore, the project explores how to reliably fine-tune the predictive model to a particular data set in the presence of interdependence of data points. The results will enable improved Machine learning predictions related to employee events.

Étude historique et banque de données du Chemin du Portage

À la fin du XVIIIe siècle et au début du XIXe siècle, le chemin du Portage était l’une des voies de circulation canadiennes les plus importantes et les plus empruntées. L’organisme Patrimoine et Culture du Portage souhaite documenter l’histoire du chemin du Portage afin de générer du contenu scientifique pour illustrer deux expositions et développer une offre récréotouristique, culturelle et éducative mettant en valeur son riche patrimoine matériel et immatériel. Le stagiaire constituera une base de données qui centralisera l’ensemble de la documentation existante sur la thématique de l’arpentage du chemin du Portage et celle de son service postal. Cette base de données servira à illustrer et à documenter toutes les activités de mise en valeur du patrimoine du chemin, dont deux expositions et un ouvrage synthèse.

Phenotyping and genotyping collection of Cannabis sativa lines

Upcoming legalization of marijuana provides many opportunities for all Canadians. Licensed Producers (LPs) are the main providers of medicinal cannabis to patients and will be the main suppliers for recreational market. The significant disadvantage in the current environment is the limited number of strains available to LPs. Sundial Growers have acquired a collection of Cannabis sativa lines. There is little to no information on these lines. Current research program is aimed at full characterization of these lines, including phenotypic and genotypic analysis as well as evaluation of potential medicinal properties of the extracts from those lines. We propose to grow seeds of these lines, phenotype and chemotype them, select those varieties that have most attractive cannabinoids/terpenoids profiles and growth characteristics, genotype them to identify their genetic background. We then propose to work with selected varieties by analyzing their genetic/phenotypic diversity and by analyzing the potential medicinal properties of these extracts.

Determination of groundwater effects of the new Foothills Regional Waste Management Center storm-water management system

A new groundwater monitoring will be conducted consistently throughout the precipitation period (May~October) to collected a seasons worth of data around the “Engineered Forest”. The newly collected data will then be compared to historical values of the FRWMF to see if there are any observable differences between the two. This will prove there is no measurable effect of the “Engineered Forest”. As well, an idea of the groundwater fate and transport from the storm-water will be identified.
This research is in its primary stages and is a proof of concept of the “Engineered Forest” for Banner Environmental Engineering Consultants. It serves as a case study for future storm-water management systems around the rest of the FRWMF and other waste management centers locally and nationally.