Innovative Projects Realized

Collision avoidance behaviours of previously concussed athletes with another athlete

During obstacle avoidance tasks, the cyclic relationship between perception, cognition and action implies that changes to the environment affect a person’s behaviour; however, changes to the observer may also affect this behaviour. Individuals who have experienced a concussion (traumatic brain injury induced by biomechanical forces) display multifaceted deficits during their recovery. Researchers recently investigated the nature of these deficits and how they affect an individual’s abilities. The proposed project aims at studying the strategies used by previously concussed symptom-free athletes when avoiding a collision with another athlete walking along crossing trajectories. Contrarily to non-concussed adults, we expect that behaviours will not be performed collaboratively because recently concussed athletes possess delays in visual-motor processing resulting in poor and delayed path selections. These deficits persist beyond the recovery of concussion symptoms; however, it is unknown how long they persist. It is hoped that the proposed study will narrow the gap in knowledge.

Structure and Function of Heteroenzymatic Complexes Involved in Storage Starch Biosynthesis in Maize

The proposed research project aims to gain novel insight into the mechanism of action of a key protein complex involved in the synthesis of plant starch. This aim will be achieved through the interdisciplinary collaboration of researchers at Guelph and Lille, having complementary expertise in both protein biochemistry and structural biology. The PhD student from Guelph will prepare maize recombinant starch synthase (SS) and starch branching enzyme (SBE), enzymes which form protein complexes crucial for the biosynthesis of starch in maize endosperm. The reconstituted protein complex will be used for structural analysis by the host laboratory in Lille. Understanding the structural and spatial relationships between the enzymes in the protein complex will provide valuable information on the mechanistic action of these protein complexes, and help to solve long-standing questions about their biological role. TO BE CONT’D

Understanding the Interplay Between Membrane Curvature and Conformational States in ABC transporters

ABC-transporters is a superfamily of membrane proteins that are expressed in prokaryotes and eukaryotes. One of the most studied ABC transporters is P-glycoprotein (Pgp). Pgp remove chemotherapy drugs from inside the cancer cell. Therefore, higher concentrations of toxic chemotherapy drugs are needed to kill cancer cells. This has an adverse effect: cancer cells develop resistance the longer the patient undergoes chemotherapy treatment, and chemotherapy will eventually not be effective. This phenomenon is called multidrug resistance (MDR) and the mechanisms that leads MDR remain unclear. A similar behavior is present also for the bacterial multidrug resistance ABC (BmrA), who plays a key role in infectious diseases and resistance to antibiotics.
In this project, we aimed to investigate the physical properties of the membrane curvature for the ABC transporters BmrA and Pgp. TO BE CONT’D

Fabrication et étude des comportements mécaniques des éprouvettes par impression 3D à base de composites à fibres de bois

Les polymères thermoplastiques renforcés de fibres naturelles s’ offrent une gamme intéressante de propriétés mécaniques spécifiques combinées à une empreinte environnementale maîtrisée. Mais, en raison de la faible résistance thermique des fibres végétales, la plupart des voies de traitement appliquées à ces biocomposites, y compris, le moulage par injection, etc., ont un effet important sur l’intégrité des parois cellulaires . Les FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling) sont actuellement les techniques de fabrication additive (impression 3D) les plus communément utilisées en raison de la large gamme de matériaux disponibles.
En effet, le procédé FDM n’implique pas de niveaux de pression comparables à ceux rencontrés dans les procédés courants de moulage par injection. Le matériau (polyéthylène +fibre de bouleau à pourcentage varié+ agent de couplage) est déjà développé et caractérisé par les tests mécaniques (traction, flexion, impact, Charpy, dureté, DMA) à l’UQTR. TO BE CONT’D

Study of Bi-functional Metal Oxide Electro-catalyst for Oxygen Evolution/Oxygen Reduction Reaction and Formic Acid Oxidation / Carbon Dioxide Reduction Reaction

Bi-functional metal oxide electro-catalyst for energy application are a novel area of research with application mainly in energy storage and conversion device. They enable a single device to perform oxidation and reduction reaction subsequently, which reduces the cost and increase the versatility of energy storage and conversion technology such as fuel cell, electrolyser and flow battery. This project will focus on bi-functional catalyst for two pair of reaction:oxygen evolution/oxygen reduction reaction and formic acid oxidation / carbon dioxide reduction reaction. These two pair of reaction are chosen because they can be the basis of carbon utilization technology to create value added products. The reaction mechanism of the electro-catalysis of these reaction on metal oxide catalyst is not currently well studied. Scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM) will be the main equipment used in this project. TO BE CONT’D

Stress Regulation in Modern Times: Technologically Mediated Reduction of Coldness and Stress

Numerous studies have shown the necessity of supportive close relationships in our lives, and how the presence of social support can greatly protect us against stress, depression, and also enhance our perceived quality of life. Furthermore, previous studies have suggested that – throughout evolutionary time – our need for close relationships has primarily developed the burdens of stress and of temperature regulation.
However, past studies have been developed via relatively “low tech” means. Furthermore, what has not been addressed in the literature is whether people need to be in each other’s physical presence to regulate stress and temperature. This notion becomes even more pressing considering the fact that more and more couples are engaging in long-distance relationships. TO BE CONT’D

The Effects of Mild Bilateral Jugular Vein Compression on Cerebrovascular Physiology

This project will investigate the effects of using the Q collar to apply gentle pressure to the jugular veins of the neck to monitor changes in brain (cerebrovascular) physiology during exercise and postural changes. Specifically we will investigate changes in brain blood flow velocity, relative changes in blood volume and oxygen levels, and changes in the space between the skull and the brain called the subarachnoid space. We will also monitor the heart and blood pressure. Following baseline resting data collection, postural changes will include lying down, sitting and standing. Then steady state exercise will be performed at a moderate-intensity for 30 minutes. All participants will perform these procedures with and without the Q collar on. This research will assist Q30 Sports Canada Inc. to validate the safety and efficacy of their collar device. TO BE CONT’D

Finding innovations to improve calf gastrointestinal health

The neonatal and pre-weaned periods are the most challenging in dairy production, resulting in the highest mortality and morbidity rates, with diarrhea proving the most common cause of calf health problems. In order to treat and control this diarrhea, producers often rely on antibiotic therapy. An alternative is to provide living microorganisms (probiotics) that minimize pathogenic bacteria colonization of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT), without producing drug residues, when directly fed to animals. The aim of the proposed project is to examine whether the addition of one specific yeast probiotic, Saccharomyces cerevisiae boulardii (SB), impacts gastrointestinal function, structure, and microbiota, as well as GIT health on gut function in early-life calves. This will be the first large study to explore the molecular and physiological mechanisms behind how probiotics affects GIT health in calves.

Novel Applications and Data Structures Multicore Hardware

For nearly fifteen years the graphics pipeline for processing and rendering has been dictated

by graphic~ hardware. We propose to explore the possibilities for applications and new data

structures opened up by Intel’s multi-core and other hardware projects to allow programmers

to redefine the gr::phics pipeline in softv,ar? The University of Victoria Graphics and Games

research group, in collaboration with the joint Intel Visual and Parallel Computing Group I

Visual Com~,u~inb Software Division (VPGNCSD) research group is working on seven

connected projects aimed at novel multi··core computer graphics architectures. We will

reference the hardware in generic tel”ms for the remainder of the proposal because the

specification of the hardware and current Intel project name is in a state of flux. However, the

goal for our research associated with Intel is the same: utilizing the massive throughput of

highly parallel data on multi-core machines. The research includes data structures and new

parallel layer-based non-photorealistic rendering; speeding up the performance of traversing…

Exploring the structure of nominal expressions in Chuj (Mayan)

This research project as three main objectives: (1) to research and document Chuj, an underdocumented Indigenous Mayan language spoken in Guatemala and Mexico by approximately 45,000 speakers; (2) to conduct fieldwork in a Chuj speaking community in Mexico where I will learn more about Chuj language and culture; and (3) to meet with and learn from professors and students at the Centro de Investigaciones y Estudios Superiores de Antropología Social, in San Cristobal de las Casas, which hosts some of the leading researchers on Mayan language and culture. All research and fieldwork will contribute toward documentation efforts, including the ongoing writing of a Chuj grammar sketch, and the archiving of Chuj in two linguistic documentation databases (www.app.dative.ca and www.aillia.utexas.org). I will moreover use my research to corroborate and challenge existing theories on the structure of nominal expressions in both Mayan languages and cross-linguistically.

Étude comparative des littératures autochtones Mexique/Canada

L’objectif de cette recherche sera de faire une étude des traces littéraires mexicaines autochtones restant de la colonisation mexicaine afin d’éclairer cette difficile cohabitation sur le territoire américain et plus particulièrement d’établir, à partir de ces recherches, un comparatif avec le thème de l’hospitalité dans la littérature canadienne autochtone actuelle. Ces recherches seront à la base de deux chapitres de ma thèse doctorale qui porte sur ce même sujet.
Différents textes et mythes de la colonisation en lien à l’autochtonie mexicaine mettent en scène les mécanismes au cœur du thème de l’hospitalité comme catalyseur des constructions identitaires et sociales, dont particulièrement la figure de La Malinche, une Mexicaine qui permit à Cortés d’envahir le Mexique, et dont les diverses interprétations permettent de comparer les questions complexes de l’hospitalité et de la dépossession sur le territoire nord-américain en lien à la question autochtone. TO BE CONT’D

Anneaux de cohomologie de Hochschild en tant qu’invariants dérivés

Un problème récurrent en mathématique est de trouver un ensemble de nombres, appelés invariants, qui ne changent pas même si l’on modifie selon certaines règles un objet donné. Par exemple, l’aire et le périmètre d’un triangle restent invariants après translations, rotations et symétries; ces nombres sont donc des invariants. Nous étudions un concept mathématique appelé algèbre. Pour chaque algèbre, on peut calculer son groupe de Grothendieck et son anneau de cohomologie de Hochschild, tout comme pour chaque triangle, on peut calculer son aire et son périmètre. Nous nous intéressons aux similitudes que doivent présenter deux algèbres par rapport à leurs groupes de Grothendieck et leurs anneaux de cohomologie de Hochschild pour que leurs catégories dérivées bornées (une autre propriété de ces algèbres) soient identiques. TO BE CONT’D