Innovative Projects Realized

Scalable Analytics of Massive Graphs

Massive, complex, interlinked information is collected by scientific research in different spheres of natural and social sciences. Graphs are commonly selected as a model of such information: graphs can successfully represent imprecise, uncertain, noisy data; graphs are well suited for the data structure analysis; graph theory has a well-developed mathematical apparatus forming a solid and sound foundation for graph research. Central to the proposed research are community-based analytics of graphs and diffusion of information through graphs. Research project will investigate which community definitions are best correlated with the existence of influential spreaders among the members of the community, and whether the status (relative importance) of an individual in a community allows him/her become an influential spreader in the larger network. Research into the diffusion of information involves developing the Influence Maximization algorithms that calculate the most influential nodes and/or communities in the graph. TO BE CONT’D

The Effects of Exercise on Grey Matter Volume in the Prefrontal Cortex and the Relation to Cognitive and Social Functioning in Schizophrenia

Decreased brain volume in frontal regions is a prominent feature of schizophrenia and has been linked to impairments in psychological and social functioning. These impairments persist over the lifespan, with approximately 64% of individuals experiencing severe social disability 15-years after illness onset. Finding ways to overcome barriers to better functioning is of utmost importance to patient quality of life. Recent evidence suggests that physical exercise can lead to increased brain volume, with implications for psychological and social functioning. The current study will investigate the efficacy of a 12-week aerobic exercise program for improving brain volume, and psychological and social functioning in chronic schizophrenia. Neuroimaging methods and standard neuropsychological tests will be used to evaluate changes from study entry to 12-week follow-up. This research aligns with the visions of BC Mental Health and Addiction Services in that it aims to advance best practices in mental health.

Performance based multi-hazard design of high-rise buildings equipped with self-centering systems

Past earthquakes (e.g. 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake, 1994 Northridge Earthquake, 2010 Haiti Earthquake, 2011 Tohoku Earthquake in Japan) and wind storms (e.g. 2005 Hurricane Katrina, 1992 Hurricane Andrew, 2007 Cyclone Sidr, 2008 Cyclone Nagris) resulted in loss of human lives, economic losses and social disruptions. The current building codes and standards in Canada and the United States consider wind and earthquake effects separately, and suggest designing buildings for one performance requirement. The shortcomings of force based design procedures, coupled with the need to reduce monetary losses after extreme events highlighted the need for performance-based design (PBD) approaches. Within the performance based design procedure, buildings can be designed to meet several performance limit states (occupant comfort, continued occupancy, life safety, collapse prevention, and manageable loss/damage) based on appropriate engineering demand parameters at specified hazard level. TO BE CONT’D

Risk Management Perceptions in the Construction Industry of Japan and Canada

Risk can affect quality, productivity, and performance of construction projects. Therefore, risk management is an important part of the decision-making processes in the construction industry. In a typical construction project, many try to transfer risks to other parties, and extensive amount of time is spent on setting the risk allocation terms. This research examines how various stakeholders in the construction industry perceive risk, what factors affect their preferences towards risk allocation schemes, and how these perceptions and preferences translate into institutional policies and practices. It is interesting to conduct this study in Japan and Canada, and compare the results. Japanese construction industry is known for its leadership and innovation; the Canadian construction industry uses tools and principles such as Lean, which are originally from Japan. Both countries have strong construction markets, and are experiencing similar trends in risk management. TO BE CONT’D

Real-Time Imaging of ATP Release in Rat Ex Vivo Lung

The goal of my research is to study the effect of stretch on the release of the energy-carrying molecule adenosine triphosphate (ATP) in the lung. In response to physical forces, cells release ATP as a signaling molecule to regulate various pulmonary functions, such as the secretion of surfactant, which helps us to breathe. However, little is known about how ATP is released out of the cell. Therefore, I aim to investigate the mechanism of stretch-induced ATP release in an intact rat lung model. For this purpose, I will use advanced imagery techniques to record ATP release in real time. First, I will characterize these responses induced by lung inflation. Second, I will identify the release pathway of ATP by using a pharmacological approach. TO BE CONT’D

Effects of azapeptides on the immunometabolic reprogramming of macrophages

CD36 is a receptor present on the surface of a great variety of cells. On macrophages, specialized cells of our immune system, CD36 can as an environmental sensor. In fact, macrophages can undertake multiple activity profiles depending on their environment. M1 macrophages are formed in response to bacterial attack for example, and promotes inflammation. M2 macrophages mainly play a role in resolution of inflammation and tissue repair. Azapeptides are novel compounds that have been shown to modulate inflammation in mice by acting on CD36. The objective of this study is to investigate if these azapeptides can skew macrophages toward the M2 phenotype, and how they can exert this effect. Because CD36 on macrophages are involved in many pathologic conditions involving a chronic inflammation, the potential to target CD36 is an exciting prospect. Alzheimer’s disease and cancer are some examples in which targeting CD36 holds promise.

Metallisation of Fiber Glass Imbedded Polyamide 6-6 : Impact Modeling and Effect of Spray Angle on Deposition Efficiency

Cold Spray is an established coating additive manufacturing process. Centerline has the opportunity to establish itself in a very large worldwide market if they can improve the ability of their cold spray process to metallize polyamide 6-6 substrates with enhanced deposition efficiency.
The overall general objectives are twofold: 1) Analyze experimentally the cold spray process bonding mechanism of aluminum particles on polyamide 6-6 substrates, under spray conditions used in the proof of concept phase and use these results to validate a finite element model of the impact process to be used to gain more insight into the impact process physics and 2) determine the effect of the spray angle on the process deposition efficiency.
Ultimately, the results could lead to improvement of the manufacturing process deposition efficiency resulting in a cheaper and greener process opening an extremely large market for Centerline SST products.

Hybrid Microgrid System sizing and energy management based on data analysis and load profile

Research and development efforts in solar, wind, and other renewable energy technologies are required to continue for, improving their performance, establishing techniques for accurately predicting their output and reliably integrating them with other conventional generating sources. The objective of this project is to model a hybrid power system for buildings, which is technically feasible and economically optimal. The system will be modeled and the optimal system configuration would be estimated with the help of hybrid optimization model for electric renewables (HOMER); formation of various combinations of distributed resources to achieve a sustainable design for power system .The logic is illustrated with a case study based on the practical data and load profile analysis. Furthermore, it compares all the combinations in terms of cost and carbon emissions to select best sized microgrid for a specific case study. Finally, optimum energy usage is achieved by the design of energy management strategy.

Outils d’aide à la décision pour la planification et la prestation des soins et des services à domicile

Dans ce projet, nous proposons le de?veloppement d’outils d’aide a? la de?cision novateurs pour ame?liorer la prestation des soins et des services a? domicile. Le projet est articule? autour de deux principaux sujets de recherche : A) le de?veloppement d’approches d’optimisation pour la gestion de l’offre (les soignants) et de la demande (les patients); et B) le de?veloppement de techniques d’optimisation spe?cifiques a? la confection de tourne?es de ve?hicules complexes dans un contexte dynamique et multi-crite?res. L’innovation du projet s’appuie sur la formulation et la conception de nouvelles approches d’optimisation qui inte?grent des techniques tire?es de la science des donne?es et de l’optimisation combinatoire. Elles seront adapte?es pour re?soudre des proble?mes complexes et a? grande e?chelle afin de prendre des meilleures de?cisions (de manie?re re?currente) en pratique.

Crossed Surface Relief gratings as cost-effective sensors for uropathogenic E. coli detection

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are among the most prevailing infectious diseases on a global scale. Every year, an estimated of 150 million people are affected by UTIs worldwide, and the majority of those infections (~ 80%) are caused by uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC). Rapid, inexpensive and sensitive detection of UPEC is critical given its recurrence worldwide. In this project, we propose the development of a label-free nanoplasmonic sensing platform, built with off-the-shelf optical and electronic components, which can detect intact UPEC, significantly reducing the time-consuming preprocessing steps, in contrast to traditional DNA extraction and amplification approaches. The nanoplasmonic (bio)sensor based on crossed surface relief gratings (CSRGs) provides a unique approach of quantitative monitoring of bacteria detection event, with the added benefits of being costeffective, facile to fabricate, and easy to scale up for high-throughput applications. We aim to capture and detect UPEC in concentrations typically associated with UTI diagnosis and detect UPEC in complex fluid matrices, like artificial urine.

Alternative Methodologies for Travel Time Studies

Alternative Methodologies for Travel Time Studies

Reza Omrani

Sponsor Organization: CIMA+

Name of Supervisor: Dr. Lina Kattan

University of Calgary

Travel time is one of the largest categories of transport costs. Recent developments within the Bluetooth technology, widespread use of mobile phones, and in-vehicle navigation systems provided the opportunity to obtain travel time information within minimal cost. Although the alternative sources of travel time have emerged into the market since 2007, little independent assessment of them has been conducted and they have not been formally directly compared to the existing methodologies employed. This study can provide decision makers with a better understanding of which methodologies might be valuable for deployment as part of future Travel Time Studies. This is one of the most interesting projects that CIMA+ is involved in, which help the organization to develop the knowledge in projects related to the travel time studies.

ERGO4ALL: Validation d’un algorithme d’analyse des postures et applications de force

Les logiciels actuels de DHM (Digital Human Modeling ou d’ergonomie virtuelle) destinés à la conception de situations de travail et de produits demeurent difficiles à utiliser ce qui en limite grandement l’utilisation par les concepteurs et les ergonomes. Pourtant, l’utilisation plus répandue de DHM permettrait d’en arriver à des environnements de travail plus sécuritaires et minimisant les risques pour la santé des travailleurs. Il apparaît donc utile de concevoir les logiciels de DHM en tenant compte des caractéristiques et exigences (i.e., conception centrée sur l’opérateur humain) de leurs utilisateurs, lesquels sont en grande majorité non ergonomes. TO BE CONT’D