Innovative Projects Realized

Efficient Computational tools for Magnetic Reconstruction and Image Decomposition

TerraNotes Ltd is a geoscience company based in Edmonton, Alberta. TerraNotes has developed or improved 75 proprietary geophysical techniques to extract important information from geophysical datasets. With the current advanced techniques in making use of airborne surveys, the exploration industry can rapidly and effectively obtain magnetic data which cover very large regions and remote areas. In the present project, efficient computational tools will be developed to reconstruct geophysical parameters utilizing the airborne magnetic data, and new image decomposition software using wavelet-based techniques will be implemented. The developed numerical programs will enhance TerraNotes’ technologies integrating geophysical and geological data to extract important information and features which are of practical applications to the exploration industry in Canada.

A Framework for Robust, Fast, Efficient and Configurable Navigation of Video Game Characters

We will create new software technology for generating intelligent-looking movement behavior of virtual characters in video games. When characters move around in some game worlds, they typically plan their path around fixed obstacles and use some simple rules to avoid dynamic obstacles, such as other characters. Recently a family of methods based on the concept of Velocity Obstacles (VO) has been developed at the University of North Carolina. These algorithms have been shown to produce collision free navigation in theory and in practice. We aim to extend these methods in two ways: (1) find approximate methods with very fast and efficient implementations for real time games; and (2) make the character behavior “tweakable”, i.e. provide good behaviour over a range of parameter settings so that different virtual characters have perceptively different behaviour while still navigating sensibly

Model-Based Detection of Emergent Behavior in Distributed Systems using an ontology-based approach

Lack of central control makes the design of distributed software systems a challenging task because of possible unwanted behavior at runtime, commonly known as emergent behavior. In fact many faults are introduced into the system at this stage of the software development life cycle. Therefore discovering and removing design validation of distributed software systems prior to the implementation phase is greatly desirable as it results in huge savings in time and cost. Developing methodologies to detect emergent behavior prior to the implementation stage of the system can lead to huge savings in time and cost. However manual review of requirements and design documents for real-life systems is inefficient and error prone; thus automation of analysis methodologies is considered greatly beneficial. This paper proposes the utilization of an ontology based approach to analyze system requirements expressed by a set of message sequence charts (MSC). This methodology involves building a domain-specific ontology of the system, and examines the requirements based on this ontology. The advantages of this approach in comparison with other methodologies are its consistency and increased level of automation.

Best Practices for Online Public Consultation in Community Planning: A White Paper

The Marpole Project: Destination Marpole

The Marpole Project: Destination Marpole is an exploration into a specific community and its  potential relationship to public art as an agent of change. This research internship examines the community of Marpole – its history, inhabitants, and community – through artistic practice and creative research methodologies. Utilizing interviews, questionnaires, ethnographic methods, creative art practice, and participant action research, the research aims to understand how this community benefits from public art. The internship will gather qualitative and quantitative data about the impact of public art on industry and community and its usefulness in cultivating a relationship between the two; the project’s findings can then be applied to further research and development.

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 chronic schizophrenia and has been linked to impairments in psychological functioning and social disability. These impairments persist over the lifespan, with approximately 64% of individuals experiencing severe social disability 15 years after first being diagnosed with the illness. Finding ways to overcome barriers to better functioning is of utmost importance to improving patient quality of life and reducing the burden on the health care system. 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, psychological functioning, and social disability in chronic schizophrenia. Neuroimaging methods and standard neuropsychological tests will be used to evaluate changes in brain volume and functioning from study entry to 12-week follow-up. This research aligns well with the visions of BC Mental Health and Addiction Services in that it aims to advance best practices in mental health by establishing evidence for exercise as an effective intervention for chronic illness.

Passages and A/V Performance

Passages and A/V Performances are two sets of art installations that will be prepared for a series of electronic art and music festivals in both the United States and Canada. Passages is the first in a series of installations surrounding Malcolm Levy (of Hybridity Media)’s Other Frames work, developing it in an interactive context. The second series of installations starts with Play Jazz – an interactive music performance installation that allows audience members to create music through a motion-based interface at the Vancouver International Jazz Festival in 2012. These two series of installations are focused on developing both performer and audience interactivity in an art installation context; exploring what interactive technologies can provide the installation medium in terms of both realism and abstraction and developing dynamic content creation tools to accommodate performer and audience input. 

Evaluation of in vivo Hippocampal Volume Assessment in Psychosis Patients at High Field MRI

Schizophrenia is a serious and severe mental disorder of yet unknown etiology. Genetic, developmental and environmental factors have all been implicated in the emergence of the disorder. In particular, abnormalities in both morphology and volume of the hippocampus have been implicated in the underlying mechanisms contributing to the emergence of psychosis in schizophrenia and in other associated schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Hippocampal abnormalities are frequently posited to be a central feature of cognitive dysfunction in schizophrenia, and are believed to give rise to memory impairments and auditory hallucinations, two common features of the illness.  The goal of the current proposal is to compare the major imaging platforms’ segmentation of the hippocampus to the gold standard approach of manual segmentation in a cohort of dual diagnosis psychosis patients scanned at 3T. The intent of this project is to provide a rational approach to streamlining current operations and documenting a "best practices" approach for future publication, particularly for research involving brain regions of critical interest in the field of addiction and psychiatry.

Cretaceous Shallow Unconventional Shale Gas (SUSG), southwestern Manitoba

Shale gas plays are becoming progressively more important in the energy market as gas production from these reservoirs is increasing. With the advances in exploitation technology gas production from shale has become more viable and economic. Based on previous studies southwestern Manitoba can be a good candidate for extracting gas from shale formations at shallow depth. However there is need for more studies in order to find the most productive shaly layers in the area and to design the proper techniques for gas extraction. Researches on this area, as a shallow shale gas potential, have been recently started. What has been done so far mostly includes surficial studies. All the subsurface information should also be investigated in order to make legitimate judgment of the shale gas potential in this area. This research integrates core, log and other subsurface data to provide a link between the surface and subsurface where the gas reservoir really exists. Also, it will aid in the evaluation of the  shale gas potential. The results will guide to the better estimate of the gas resource size.

Multivariate analysis of neuroimaging and non-invasive brain stimulation data to assess functional and structural reorganization in the brain following stroke

The brain is a dynamically evolving structure. Rehabilitation interventions take advantage of its malleable properties that persist even after an injury from stroke. Various interventions are used in clinical practice at an attempt to restore normal activity in the brain. Non-invasive brain stimulation is a novel technique that may act as a facilitator of brain recovery. Due to the complexity of mechanisms that occur within the brain, multiple measures of neurological function are needed to capture the benefits that non-invasive brain stimulation may have on individuals with stroke. To gain a complete picture of this recovery, these measurements should be assessed in a unified framework. This project will use advanced statistical analysis to understand the story of the brain’s road to recovery following rehabilitation from stroke.

Non-destructive Thermographic Stress Analysis of a New Composite Plate for Femur Fracture Fixation

The present aim of this study is to use an infrared thermography technique to non-destructively measure the three-dimensional surface stress field in a synthetic femur fracture model repaired with a new composite plate vs a clinically-used metal plate. To this end, there are three main phases of this study. First, the infrared thermography system will be calibrated, which is needed because the composite plate is made of several layers of woven material which have differing material properties resulting in differing thermographic properties. Second, peak stress on the new composite plate and the host femur will be identified as sites for potential mechanical failure, thereby allowing the optimal repair method to be determined. Third, the mechanical performance will be compared of a standard metal fracture plate vs. the new prototype composite plate made from a polymer-based composite material. 

An assessment tool for evaluation of operational and safety performance of intermodal transit terminals

The proposed project seeks to develop a transit terminal assessment tool that can be used to provide safer and more efficient service to passengers. The objective is to provide the industrial partner with a specifically designed and calibrated analysis tool that can be used estimate the impact of passenger movements around the terminal platforms on the frequency of subway/bus arrivals/departures at terminals. The partner organization is a consultant with long-time expertise in public transportation analysis area. By participation in this project the company will have access to the improved methodologies in assessing transportation transit terminals, which can be used in various potential projects. Interested transportation agencies can benefits by exploring alternative solutions to existing transit terminals that will provide more cost-effective operations of the transit system. In addition, the intern will learn about the interaction between the private industry and the governmental transportation agencies in developing common  projects targeting improvements of the public transportation system.