Innovative Projects Realized

Analyzing and Reducing the Carbon Footprint in Concrete Block Manufacturing Processes

The proposed project for carbon footprint analysis of concrete block will benefit the community. Demand on concrete blocks is increasing dramatically and such massive production of these blocks contributes to an estimated 5% of Carbon emission of total carbon present in atmosphere. Thus, this analysis will help understanding and subsequently reducing carbon footprint of concrete blocks and thus help protecting the environment. As a researcher in this project, I would understand the production cycle of concrete blocks and its impact on environment. As for Day & Campbell Corporation, the project will benefit the company’s image and surge its contribution to society by promoting environmental sustainability. This project will not only benchmark the concrete block carbon footprint, but will also look for alternative materials to that can produce concrete blocks with similar quality but far less carbon emission.

Infection & Alzheimer’s Disease: Investigating Curli Fiber-Amyloid Beta Interactions Using Novel Inclusion Assay

As the general population ages the incidence of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), the leading cause of dementia, has dramatically increased in recent years. One of the main hallmarks of this disease is the buildup of amyloid beta peptides in the brain. This peptide is capable of damaging the cell membranes of neurons and aggregating into plaques that disrupt neural communication. As current therapies targeting amyloid beta peptide are mostly ineffective at halting the progression of cognitive decline, the investigation of novel pathways and drug targets is of utmost importance. Infection and/or changes in gut microbes have been linked as a risk factor for AD and could provide information into new targets or pathways for therapeutic development. These changes in gut microbes include increases in strains that produce curli fibers, a protein that enables the persistence of bacterial species in the host. Our proposed research aims to evaluate the ability of these bacterial curli fibers to bind to the well-known AD-associated amyloid-beta peptide and to affect the ability of the amyloid-beta to initiate its toxic AD disease mechanisms.

Feasibility Study for X-Ray Lithographic Fabrication of Diffractive X-Ray Optical Elements

The University of Saskatchewan (Dr. S. Achenbach), intern Danyil Dmytriiev, and the Oles Honchar Dnipro National University in Ukraine (Dr. Mykhailo Derhachov)/Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, engage in a MITACS-funded research project to innovate microfabrication processes for diffractive X-ray optics. Fresnel Zone Plates (FZPs) are miniaturized focusing and beam shaping elements with nanometer scale dimensions. Such plates are required in, e.g., spectromicroscopy using soft X-ray synchrotron radiation to advance basic and applied sciences, e.g. environmental and life sciences and material development. FZPs have typical overall dimensions between fingernail-size and the diameter of a human hair, with nanometer scale details, at costs comparable to a compact vehicle for a single FZP. Using X-ray lithography available at SyLMAND, the Synchrotron Laboratory for Micro and Nano Devices at the Canadian Light Source, Saskatoon, the research partnership aims at developing fabrication technologies for zone plates that allow for much reduced costs and increased availability. Both would enable more widespread use in academic and industrial research. Successful completion will much elevate Canada’s visibility and the university’s reputation in X-ray optics, serve Canadian companies, and foster international collaboration and student exchange with one of the leading research-intensive universities in the Ukraine.

Enhancing Assistive Robotics for Walking Impairments Through Human Motion Recognition

This research project aims to develop advanced robots and devices to help people with disabilities, like those with cerebral palsy or who have had strokes, move and live more independently. As people get older and the need for such assistive technology grows, it’s crucial to make sure these devices can accurately understand and predict human motion to be safe and effective. The project will focus on improving motion recognition systems by using a combination of muscle activity signals and mechanical sensors to predict a person’s movements before they even start. This could make interactions with robots feel more natural and reduce delays in how these devices respond. By tailoring these technologies to meet the specific needs of individuals with walking impairments, the project aims to make daily activities easier for them, enhancing their quality of life. The involvement of institutions in this research is expected to lead to the creation of more adaptable, safe, and effective assistive devices, contributing to significant advancements in the field of rehabilitation and assistive robotics.

Interrogating ‘Sustainable Mining’: Labour, Social Reproduction and Intergenerational Justice in Extraction-affected Communities

Mining affects communities and contributes to socio-ecological harms despite the proliferation of industry-led sustainability initiatives. These issues demand ongoing scrutiny given the intensification of ‘critical’ extractivism and its intersection with climate-change mitigation, action, and in/justice. The proposed project aims to interrogate the notion of sustainable mining as a source of ‘green’ jobs, community wellbeing, and climate action by considering how it manifests in the two mining-affected communities: Sudbury, Canada and Antonio Pereira, Brazil. We want to investigate this claim in relation to three domains of socio-ecological sustainability: 1) the relationship between environmental safety and the working conditions in mining, 2) articulation of mining with social and community reproduction (as expressed though care provision and small-scale agriculture/community gardening projects), and 3) the question of responsibility to future generations (i.e. intergenerational justice). Our project’s intersectional and multi-dimensional analysis will provide an important contribution to research that critically evaluates mining’s developmental and climate action promise for geopolitically distinct communities. It will also forge closer links between research programs and collaboration of scholars at Carleton University (Canada) and Federal University of Ouro Preto (UFOP), thus benefitting our respective institutions’ internationalization efforts, and enriching graduate education, research and training opportunities in both countries.

An Interactive Scene-centric Testing Platform for Autonomous Driving Vehicles in Unstructured Map Scenarios

LoopX plans to have their intern develop a virtual testing platform in a simulated software program, where the robots mining vehicles with the autonomous driving algorithms that are meant to drive in mines can be put through their paces. These robot mining vehicles are expected to handle complex mining-specific situations, but mines are tricky places with lots of unexpected challenges. By doing extensive tests with sirmulated complex scenarios, LoopX can make sure these autonomous driving algorithms enable the robot vehicles to make the right decisions and navigate themselves, simultaneously, in mines and still obey the mining traffic rules. it’s crucial because it’ll help LoopX ensure that their algorithms are both safe to use and good at their jobs before they ever hit the ground rolling in real mines.

Phytofiltration de PFAS par des saules à croissance rapide

Le présent projet de recherche porte sur l’étude de la distribution de contaminants émergents, soit les substances per- et poly-fluoroalkylées (SPFA, ou PFAS en anglais), dans les plantes, plus particulièrement les saules à croissance rapide, lorsqu’irrigués avec des eaux contaminées ou du lixiviat de lieux d’enfouissement.
Les PFAS sont une famille de composés chimiques synthétiques utilisés pour leurs propriétés uniques, comme la résistance à l’eau, aux graisses et aux taches et leur inflammabilité, et sont donc retrouvés dans plusieurs objets du quotidien. Depuis quelques années, ces molécules sont étudiées puisque celles-ci peuvent avoir des impacts néfastes sur la santé humaine, sur la faune, ainsi que sur les écosystèmes. Ces composés fluorés ont une forte résistance à la dégradation et persistent donc dans l’environnement et les organismes. On peut les retrouver autant dans les sols, que dans l’eau, ainsi que dans l’air, et la taille et la diversité de la famille (plus de 5000 composés) fait en sorte que celles-ci sont difficiles à capter et à traiter. Les lixiviats issus des lieux d’enfouissement de déchets sont potentiellement une grande source de PFAS.

Optimizing Concentration, Separation, and Discharge of High Solid-Fraction Ice Slurry

This research project is centered around enhancing the delivery process of ice stored in tanks, particularly focusing on ice slurry, a mixture of small ice crystals suspended in a liquid phase. Typically, these slurries are created from solutions like saltwater (NaCl). The primary objective is to optimize the methods for extracting the stored ice from these tanks for various applications. Instead of just scooping ice out, we aim to streamline and improve this process to make it more efficient and effective.

Ice slurry technology is widely utilized in industries such as refrigeration, food processing, and thermal energy storage due to its ability to efficiently store and transport thermal energy. However, current methods for delivering ice from storage tanks can be inefficient and cumbersome, leading to energy wastage and operational challenges. By refining the process of extracting ice from these slurries, we can significantly improve the overall efficiency and performance of systems relying on ice slurry technology.

Through a combination of experimental investigations and computational modeling, we will analyze the behavior and properties of ice slurries under different conditions. This comprehensive approach will enable us to understand the underlying mechanisms governing the delivery process and identify opportunities for optimization. By developing more efficient

Validation of genomic biomarker in pooled case-cohort studies

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men. Radical prostatectomy (RP) is a common treatment for this cancer, and after surgery, patients are still considered at risk. It’s important to accurately identify high risk patients after RP in order to reduce risk through further treatments. The genomic classifier (GC) DecipherTM, a product of GenomeDx Biosciences, has been developed to predict early metastasis in prostate cancer patients after RP. Validation of the GC has been performed on individual studies. However, there lacks methodology in validating the GC over several studies several studies through joint validation approach. This research project aims to develop methodology that can estimate the common effect of a GC over multiple studies with case-cohort designs through a joint analysis. With this novel methodology, GenomeDx Biosciences can better validate the genomic classifier and thus evaluate its value more efficiently.

L2M – Development of a Capillary Microfluidic Design Automation Module for Three-Electrode Electrochemical Biosensors

This project is developing an innovative tool that accelerates the design process of lab-on-a-chip devices, which are crucial for the analysis of tiny liquid samples to detect the presence of pathogens or chemical substances, a process known as biosensing. The tool employs a sophisticated algorithm that leverages data from previous designs to optimize and suggest the most effective configurations for new chips tailored to specific queries. This capability significantly enhances the speed and resource efficiency of chip fabrication.
The introduction of this tool provides life science researchers and enterprises with a method to fabricate these devices in a more intelligent and cost-effective manner. This is particularly critical when rapid responses are required for diagnosing health issues or evaluating new medical treatments. Utilizing this tool enables them to conduct their research more swiftly and with greater precision, potentially facilitating significant advancements in medical and healthcare fields. Furthermore, the design of this tool incorporates feedback from actual users, ensuring it meets the practical demands of scientists and industry professionals within the life sciences sector.

The Research on the Positioning of Virtual Humans in AR Collaboration Systems

Our research expands the paradigm of 1:1 AR collaboration systems to multi-party AR collaboration systems, enabling more flexible control over the positioning of the RU. We investigate multi-party conversations involving two or more participants and one VH replacing the RU. Specifically, we vary the distance between the two LUs and the VH to examine RU’s positioning during interactions. In our experimental setup, two LUs and one RU collaborate on a task to reach a consensus, guided by the experimenter for optimal decision-making. We assess the impact of RU’s opinions on users through differences in pre- and post-interaction opinions and measure users’ satisfaction with the decision. Participants also evaluate the RU’s social presence, co-presence, focus, and respect levels toward them based on its positioning.

Valorisation des plastiques agricoles

Le secteur agricole génère de nombreux types de plastiques résiduels selon leurs utilisations. Au Québec, un total d’environ 11 000 tonnes de plastiques agricoles sont générés chaque année, mais environ 50% se retrouve au Centre-du-Québec et ses régions voisines. L’objectif principal de ce projet est de développer des applications pour réutiliser les plastiques agricoles après leur utilisation. Le projet pilote sera réalisé sur le territoire de la MRC Arthabaska avec la participation de tous les acteurs locaux en lien avec la récupération et le traitement des plastiques. L’idée principale est de trouver des débouchés pour les plastiques agricoles recyclés. En particulier, on cherche à déterminer des solutions pour la récupération, le traitement, la transformation et la fabrication de produits à base de plastiques recyclés. Ceci peut se faire en utilisant des plastiques seuls ou pour des mélanges et des composites. Finalement, des prototypes seront produits à l’échelle réelle. On cherche non seulement des applications agricoles, mais aussi dans des domaines comme l’automobile, l’emballage, le transport et la manutention, ainsi que différents produits extérieurs (jardins, parcs, patios, terrasses, etc.).