Innovative Projects Realized

Implementation and advancement of algorithm for extracting oxygen saturation data from multispectral analysis of the eye

To work on the development of a tool enabling the measurement of blood oxygenation in the eye in vivo, using non-invasive methods. More specifically, the student involved will work on the development, implementation, and advancement of an algorithm for the measurements of oxygen saturation (through oxyhemoglobin content) in the retina.

Cultural Food Security: Building connections and capacities for new immigrants in Nova Scotia

Recent immigrants and refugees to Canada bring knowledge and skills that strengthen the economies, sociocultural aspects, and food systems of their new communities. However, challenges associated with being a newcomer, including access to culturally preferred foods compounds food insecurity – inadequate or insecure access to food due to financial constraints – experienced by new immigrants. Food insecurity data in Canada does not, however, capture cultural perspectives on food; newcomers’ access to food is not solely an issue of constrained financial access, but also an issue of the cultural appropriateness of available and accessible food. 

In-situ evaluation of ground heat exchanger performances

Geothermal systems are an efficient and environmentally friendly technology to cool and heat buildings. However, the system installation remains expensive making its expansion difficult. Versaprofiles, a Canadian enterprise, has developed a thermal enhanced pipe especially designed to geothermal applications. This pipe allows to reduce the system cost, improving its performance. Experimental tests in systems using standard and enhanced pipes will allow to compare the two systems performance, searching to assess the advantages of the thermal enhanced pipes. The project will allow to demonstrate the benefits of the improved geothermal system, to foster their utilization as a clean energy, and contribute to the development of the Canadian geothermal industry.

Study of multiphase flow in a bearing cavity of an aeroengine

Aeroengines operate at very high speed and high temperatures. Therefore, the transmission system of an aeroengine becomes a critical design process because of its proximity to the combustion chamber. As a result, engineers must understand very well the fluid mechanics phenomena involved in the lubrication and cooling of the transmission components such as the bearing cavities. Such cavities isolate the oil and air mixture used to lubricate and cool a bearing from the rest of the air system. Their design and performance are currently limited by the analytical tools that can be used for production applications. The goal of this project is to validate the effectiveness of a new analytical tool based on computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to study bearing cavities. At the University of Nottingham, the student will assist experimental engineers and professors on a bearing cavity rig financed by Pratt & Whitney Canada. The student has already prepared experimental test conditions and a methodology that will allow validation of the analytical tool with minimal risk and minimal costs. “TO BE CONT’D”

Mechanisms of the relationship between ageing and dementia.

As our population ages, the burden of dementia is growing. Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia; currently we do not have any disease-modifying treatments for AD. There is motivation to better understand the mechanisms of AD development and expression to control the burden of disease.

Frailty is related to neuropathological features of AD (i.e. plaques and tangles) and clinical dementia. Frailty and AD-type dementia share many risk factors and clinical features. We aim to to understand the relationship between neuropathological changes in AD and dementia expression, by taking frailty into account.

To accomplish this, we will examine how the relationship between traditional AD neuropathology and cognition differs over levels of frailty, investigate whether combining neuropathological markers could improve our understanding of this relationship, and observe how cognition and frailty change over time in relation to each other and neuropathology.
This approach creates opportunity for new prevention and treatment of dementia.

Sublethal effects of neurotoxic pesticides on bats: from cells to behavior

Pesticide application in crops has been considered a potential cause of bat population declines in Europe. However, no research on this topic has been conducted in tropical agrosystems, where the use of pesticides is extensive and bat diversity is higher. Considering that insectivorous bats can eat more than 90% of their body mass every night, species that hunt preferentially in crops could be highly exposed to pesticides through their prey. This study seeks to determine the sublethal effects of pesticides on bat species foraging in or near crops. I will use an integrative approach to evaluate how these substances affect the ability of bats to hunt, fly and combat illness. Understanding the mechanisms and effects at different scales will enable to better predict the implications on populations and communities and help to face this environmental issue.

Multi-Criteria Supply Chain Design and Management Tool for Food Convergent Innovation in Dairy Business – Year 2

This project will develop new operational management systems by combining the elements of Lean, Agile, Green, Resilient and Nutrition (LAGRN) management of the dairy supply chain. The supply chain of Parmalat Canada will be used as a case study. This study is particularly significant for a company like Parmalat Canada, as it is trying to accommodate the conflict and convergence of elements of LAGRN aspects of the supply chain. However, the convergence of the different elements in dairy supply chain design and management is made particularly challenging by both the diversity of its products in terms of perishability/shelf life in particular, and by the supply-managed nature of the domestic sector as international supply chains and markets are spreading worldwide.

Spatial and Temporal Variability of Primary and Secondary Production in the Salish Sea from a Coupled Model (SalishSeaCast with SMELT)

The Pacific Salmon Foundation is leading a multi-year project: Salish Sea Marine Survival Program (SSMSP) to determine what is affecting the survival of juvenile salmon and steelhead in the Salish Sea. There are three hypotheses to investigate. The impact of availability of food for the fish, the predation on the fish and other factors including habitat loss. In this project we will use a model of the Strait of Georgia to help evaluate availability of food. The model divides the Strait into little boxes (500 m x 500 m horizontal and 1 m vertical) and solves for the water movement, salinity, temperature and the water nutrients, phytoplankton (plant) growth and zooplankton (small animals eaten by fish). We will use the model to investigate the seasonal variations and year to year variations of phytoplankton and zooplankton.

A Novel Combination Therapy to Target Primitive Acute Myeloid Leukemia Cells

Modern molecular targeted therapies have shown promise in treating some blood cancers, but a cure remains elusive for most acute leukemia patients. This is largely due to the survival of some leukemic cells that possess unique properties and can cause treatment failure or relapse, warranting identification of new, distinct targets for improved therapies. In collaboration with Signalchem Lifescience Corporation (SLC), we aim to develop and test a new drug combination strategy to target acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patient cells that are resistant to current therapies. This pre-clinical study will evaluate the efficacy of novel inhibitors (developed by SLC), alone or in combination with available chemotherapeutics, to target primitive AML cells and their survival pathways in vitro and in vivo. We expect that this new combination will be more effective in eliminating critical leukemic patient cells compared to traditional single drugs, and provide directly proof-of-concept for a subsequent clinical trial.

Carbon dioxide: Alternative solutions for conversion of captured liquefied CO2 into valuable fuels

The partner organisation, Sigma Energy Storage, develops energy storage by gas compression. This technology is based on the storage of electricity from intermittent energy sources, such as wind or solar power, and the recovery of unused electricity from diesel-based power sources located in remote communities not connected to the electrical power grid system. During the gas compression, carbon dioxide can be liquefied and extracted. This project aims to convert the liquid carbon dioxide into a valuable fuel, which could be reused to fuel the generators or other devices and decrease the overall carbon footprint. To achieve an electrochemical conversion of carbon dioxide into a valuable fuel, a catalyst made of graphene and copper nanoparticles will be developed based on recent research findings and the expertise of the partner laboratory.

Study the Mechanism and kinetics of Electrochemical Conversion of CO2 to Ethanol: A Molecular Modeling Approach

Closing the carbon cycle by utilizing CO2 as a feedstock for producing new fuels such as Methanol and Ethanol is an appropriate intermediate step towards a carbon-free future. Recently some researches on new nano-catalysts have increased the hope of bringing this technology to the market. While the reaction mechanisms are not elucidated, the present study will look at the kinetics, the structure, the energetics and dynamics involved in a model electron transfer reaction between water and carbon dioxide occurring on the catalyst. This work is thus an investigation using molecular dynamics computer simulations with results validated through experimental data. The developed methodology and the computer model can be used to define the technical specifications and to select the major components of the electrochemical reactor.

Securing IoT in Transportation Applications using Blockchain

The proposed solution will address IoT security challenges by using the blockchain technology to create feasible trust mechanisms. We will develop a solution by which exchanged information remains trusted and confidential to be handled efficiently at different places, and we will apply it to a smart transport use case.