Innovative Projects Realized

Filtering Process Optimization

Scrawlr is a platform for unconstrained, global interaction with all internet content and users. Scrawlr allows for user evaluation and unconstrained classification of any Scrawlr-hosted or non-Scrawlr content. For non-Scrawlr content, this evaluation and classification allowance will be first at the URL level but will subsequently be provided at the individual content component level.
The research conducted in this project will build an improved programmatic solution to the highly prohibitive database queries currently available when returning a precise result count for large and complex queries, a persistent issue that remains pervasive even with the use of advanced estimator usage tools.
This project will develop general and varying search and filtering optimization approaches for large tightly and loosely coupled datasets to be applied on a variety of technologies (rust/sql/php/lua/redis/redis search). Given current capability limitations, we must determine and optimize solutions for specific database and data storage performance issues at scale.

An optimized relay for interoperating between ledgers

In 2008, Satoshi Nakamato introduced Bitcoin, a peer to peer electronic cash system. Unlike traditional banking system, Bitcoin allows people to transfer their money without need to trust a third party. This goal was achieved using the data structure called blockchain. Since Bitcoin, the idea of blockchain has been widely used in several projects. Depending on requirements of a project, a blockchain was designed to have a certain level of security, privacy, speed and etc. Nowadays, it doesn’t seem like there will be a blockchain to rule them all, therefore, all these different blockchains should be able to communicate with each other. Relay is the strongest solution for this problem which is trustless and can be used for general purposes. In this project, we want to design an optimized and incentive compatible relay with some outstanding features that makes cross chain communication possible. This research will allow Aquanow to contribute to the blockchain communities and create the presence of the company by dedicating R&D in blockchain space.

User Experience Design of Next-Generation Electronic Pocket Notebook for Law Enforcement Agencies

Mobile note-taking has soon taken over our digital world. With many digital applications offered on computers, mobile devices, and tablets. We want to further improve on this experience for those working in the law-enforcement industry and create an easy, and readily accessible application for police officers’ use. This mobile application will be a productive alternative to the paper and pens that so many are currently using.
Mobile Innovations delivers secure mobile data applications for Law Enforcement to operate on Android, iPhone & Windows. Our Mobile Police Assist (MPA) suite of Entreprise Apps covers everything from Records Management & Dispatch to Electronic Pocket Notebook, Officer Safety, GPS Tracking, eTicket, Daily Briefing, Form Completion and more.

Alberta Soil Carbon Characterization Project

Croplands are labeled as “climate change mitigators” given their ability to trap carbon dioxide (CO2) as soil organic matter (SOM). SOM is a complex mixture of compounds, primarily carbon (C), derived from plant litter’s decomposition. Healthy soils are now part of “verified C markets”, which are corporate programs in which enrolled farmers receive money for keeping SOM in the ground. Metrics of success are often limited to bulk soil C stocks. This is a critical limitation – not all SOM is created equal and may behave differently in the environment depending on their properties. Within the framework of the “Alberta Soil Carbon Quantification Project”, an Alberta-based C initiative, we propose to study SOM composition among the province. This work aims to provide science-based information for managing soil C at the farm level, taking into account processes that define its potential as a SOM reservoir and resilience in a warming climate.

Novel Experimental and Molecular Dynamics Strategies to Investigate Separation of Various Oil Contaminations from Wastewater Systems Using Functionalized Membranes and Magnetic Nanoparticles

In this project, a collaboration between an industry partner and Memorial University will begin with a PDF working on a project partly funded by MITACS and in part by the industry partner. In this project, we will be investigating how to separate oil contaminations from water using filtration through a membrane. The membrane properties will be changed so that the process will be optimized. The oil contamination could be in the finely-dispersed form (i.e. emulsion) or in a mixture form. The financial support supported by the industry partner will facilitate the completion of this project, which will benefit the industry partner by providing a venue of assessing this technology, and move further toward commercialization depending on the outcomes of this proof-of-concept study.

Active children today, healthy adults tomorrow: Getting serious about physical activity and physical literacy in our schools

As the intern, I will be taking on specific components of this evaluation as my own research contribution. These select components form the research project for which we are seeking Mitacs funding. Specifically, this research project, as a component of the overarching evaluation, will examine: 1) the role, bringing together their perspectives on implementation facilitators, barriers and contributions of partnerships in the development and implementation of the SPA-PL project and 2) the effectiveness of the key capacity-building component – Summer Institute – and the overall impact on pre and in-service teachers’ knowledge, confidence and physical activity-related practices.

The interim work and findings from this project will help the Childhood Obesity Foundation achieve their mission by increasing physical literacy and physical activity opportunities within the school day. The resulting data will inform provincial scale-up and be used to enhance future childhood obesity prevention and management programs.

Assessing the impact of implementing the new draft regulation in Quebec Construction Code for thermal bridge calculation

From December 2021 all the construction projects in Quebec should follow new Draft Regulations Amending Quebec Construction Code. This research investigated the impact of the implementation of section 3 of the new code which relates to the envelope thermal resistance calculation by considering thermal bridges. During phase one the calculation method will be applied for the most common construction details of the building envelopes in Quebec. Phase two will challenge the accuracy of this method compared with other international standards and advanced numerical tools of 2D and 3D heat transfer models. In the end, the most efficient construction details that can meet the Quebec weather and building types requirements will be categorized.

Fundamental Review of the Trading Book. A Factor Analysis

The Fundamental Review of the Trading Book (FRTB) is a set of regulations by the Basel committee, which is expected to be implemented by banks by 2022. The regulation targets market risk management in banking industry. According to FRTB, banks need to post extra capital against non-modellable risk factors, which could account for 30% of total market risk capital requirement. Reducing the weight of non-modellable risk factors can greatly reduce the required capital and thus increase banks’ profitability. In this research, we will first examine three ways for the purpose of reducing non-modellable risk factors: simple rule-based proxies, statistical modelling approach and machine learning. We will also study another machine learning method based on Gaussian process regression. This method requires fewer parameters for calibration and hence less complex. Since the method is based on well-known probability distribution, it can be understood easily.

Development of a novel microwave-assisted synthesis and functionalization method of magnetic nanoparticles for nucleic acids extraction/purification optimized by Machine Learning

The current gold standard for the diagnosis of genetic disorders and infectious diseases involves the use of molecular methods for target gene detection through DNA/RNA amplification techniques. However, this requires a critical upstream step of extracting purified nucleic acid (NA) material from a variety of collected patient samples. This step can be easily performed through magnetic-based NAs extraction techniques which have recently replaced traditional spin-column approaches in diagnostic testing labs in the world. This is due to their enhanced capacity for directly isolation NAs from crude samples such as blood, stool, tissue homogenates, and cell culture media, without the need for additional pre-purification or centrifugation steps, and their amenability for high throughput automated sample processing. However, magnetic-based techniques required the preparation of superparamagnetic iron oxide particles, which currently require long synthesis protocols with low throughput and costly reagents. These and other Green chemistry considerations make them costly and difficult to produce on a large scale. Herein we propose the use of a microwave promoted syntheses in combination with Galenvs’ proprietary Machine Learning algorithms to generate a highly optimized synthesis route, and a post chemical functionalization of MNPs optimized for NAs extraction from different matrices using Galenvs buffer formulations.

Open Data Guidelines and Policy

The intent of this project is to provide the policy and guidelines in support of the Districts Open Data program. The Open Data Guidelines and Policy will provide a framework for data governance across the organization, in order to improve access to and use of data to empower community decision making. Our objective is to develop Open Data Policy and Guidelines designed for the unique needs of the District of Squamish.

Data analytics on city 311 information requests

In the current era of big data, huge volumes of a wide variety of data are generated and collected at a rapid rate. Embedded in these big data is implicit, previously unknown and potentially useful knowledge and information. This calls for data science—which use techniques like data mining, machine learning, etc.—for social good. With popularity of the initiates of open data, more data are made openly accessible to citizens. An example of these open big data is data collected at the 311 contract centre in the City of Winnipeg for the 311 information requests. In this research, we analyze and mine this dataset to find characteristics associated with the callers and the information requests. Knowledge on these characteristics helps users (e.g., decision makers at the City) to get a better understanding of the requests (e.g., why residents request information through 311 instead of other online options). In a longer term, the discovered knowledge and the understanding of the data helps improve the 311 and other online services. Along this direction, this research will add to the growing body of knowledge for all Canadian cities and communities.

Evaluating the potential of using a combination of bioremediation and phytoremediation for a hydrocarbon and metal contaminated site

The main aim of this research project is to develop and test a sustainable green remediation technology to bring down the contaminant levels in a hydrocarbon and heavy metal contaminated site so that it can be used for public use. Anthropogenic industrial activities can lead to accumulation of harmful hydrocarbons and heavy metals in soil environment which can have human health impact and may enter food chain affecting ecosystem as well. If these contaminations happen at a public site, then the space cannot be used by public unless the contaminant levels are brought down below the maximum allowable concentration