Innovative Projects Realized

Using Somatic Embryogenesis and Cryopreservation to Generate and Preserve New Balsam Fir Lines

Christmas tree growers in Nova Scotia are experiencing high demand for trees along with increasing pressure to adapt to changing climate conditions. Trees well-suited to local climates showing preferred traits like enhanced needle retention, needle length/colour and later flushing dates is required. Testing and production of these trees requires cloning new lines and somatic embryogenesis (SE) is the key improvement tool with the most promising method. After seeds have gone through initiation and SE proliferation, embryos need to be matured and germinated in tissue culture (TC) to produce seedlings for evaluation. Protocols for maturation and germination in TC of Balsam fir are rudimentary and require optimization. In addition, healthy SE that has been proliferating in TC can begin to degenerate, causing a decline in embryo quality and yield. Stocks of healthy callus must be cryopreserved in liquid nitrogen a few months after being initiated from seed for future seedling production. The reliability, sustainability and success of the cryopreservation protocol needs to be optimized by modernizing the equipment (i.e. the rate-controlled freezer purchased by CTCNS) and therefore also the protocol used. Ultimately the initiation, proliferation, maturation, germination and cryopreservation of new SE lines directly benefits CTCNS in their efforts to perform mass clonal propagation of new Balsam fir genetic lines and seedlings. It will increase field testing of SE seedlings and identify new trees to maximize production and meet demand for live Christmas trees while allowing a quick turnaround time in growing trees with preferred traits in response to changing climate.

A digitalized method for finger dexterity test to evaluate and track neurological health base on daily activities

A digitalized method for finger dexterity test to evaluate and track neurological health base on daily activities, including a digital platform for finger dexterity assessment and a testing way base on the finger interaction between human hands, daily activities and wearables. This method can help XO Technology expand the application of motion analysis and wearable technology to the health field, and will provide XO Technology with an interaction strategy of motion analysis which can directly applied in its wearables products, and a software system for information display and transmission

Timed-Aware Proof Assistant for ASTD, CCSL and Event-B

Le numérique est désormais omniprésent dans nos activités quotidiennes. Nombreuses de nos actions sont numérisées, analysées et assistées par un ordinateur. Or, nous produisons de plus en plus de logiciels et les bugs (ou souvent les défauts de spécification) sont largement sous-estimés. La tendance en effet et à produire des mises à jour (parfois quotidiennes, souvent hebdomadaires) plutôt que de passer le temps nécessaire à développer un logiciel robuste et sûr. Tant que le logiciel reste sur un ordinateur qui manipule « seulement » des données, le risque reste limité. Quand le logiciel envahi nos hôpitaux, nos appartements, nos voitures, nos immeubles, cela pose un risque de sécurité majeur pour la société.

Notre projet s’intéresse à fournir un environnement de spécification formel pour une prise en compte systémique des exigences à la fois fonctionnelles et non fonctionnelles de tels logiciels dits critiques. Il vise à tirer profit de l’expertise des deux équipes qui y sont impliquées pour combiner assistant de preuve (Event-B) et modèles à la fois temporels et temporisés dans notre cas à travers les langages ASTD et CCSL.

Feasibility Study of Waste to Energy in Willow Creek

With an estimated population of 15,893, the Municipal District of Willow Creek is a small municipality. Willow Creek Regional Class II Landfill is the only waste management facility for the entire M.D. of Willow Creek region. The Willow Creek Regional Waste Management Services Commission (WCRWMSC) governs and manages this existing disposal facility. The Willow Creek region is seeing an increase of annual waste volumes as populations and industry increase. Increased waste volumes will eventually require the current landfill area to increase as well. Therefore, Willow Creek Regional Waste Management Services Commission (WCRWMSC) and the member municipalities are aiming for alternative waste management systems of the landfill which will provide green energy, will take less space, and have less adverse impacts on the environment.
The project will propose a highly efficient waste to energy facility which will produce green energy and will reduce amount of greenhouse gas compared to the existing waste management system. The recovered green energy can be used to heat waste mgmt. facility buildings at M.D. of Willow Creek region. Moreover, the project will help to decrease the utilization of large areas for landfill…

A generalizable bilevel reinforcement learning model to solve large-scale unrelated parallel machine scheduling problem with sequence-dependent setups in real-time

Our research addresses the challenges in solving large-scale parallel machine scheduling, an important combinatorial optimization problem in computer science and operations research. With applications ranging from manufacturing to healthcare and supercomputing, our goal is to provide a real-time solution for instances exceeding 1,000 jobs. In this research, we explore the application of parallel machine scheduling to solve production scheduling in the manufacturing industry. Our innovative approach involves a two-level decomposition using two encoder-decoder deep neural networks trained through reinforcement learning. This model ensures scalability by training on small-scale instances and generalizing the learned policies for large-scale instances. The project’s impact is profound for manufacturing industries, promising optimal schedules within short timeframes. The anticipated outcome of this research for manufacturing industries is the achievement of superior production schedules, which can directly translate into a substantial increase in revenue, significant time savings in the preparation of future schedules, and an annual reduction in carbon emissions due to more efficient energy consumption. Furthermore, the development of a real-time production scheduling solution will contribute to the realization of agile manufacturing, empowering quick responses to unforeseen events such as machine breakdowns, job reworks, and urgent orders.

Climate change impact on groundwater quality in Southern Alberta

Access to clean and safe water resources is crucial for the progress and economic development of Alberta, Canada. Ensuring sustainable groundwater use can be a viable solution to address the regional scarcity of sufficient amounts of high-quality freshwater, particularly in certain areas of Southern Alberta where there is a moratorium on new surface water licenses. Given the limited freshwater resources in Alberta, it is imperative to understand the impacts of climate change on shallow groundwater quality and quantity. This understanding is essential for the effective management of both groundwater and surface water resources. This summer research project aims to leverage climate information obtained from climate models to predict changes in groundwater quality in Southern Alberta, Canada. The project aims to assess a comprehensive range of uncertainties arising from scenario selection, model choice, and natural climate variability. One subobjective is to familiarize with post-processing steps, such as the multivariate quantile mapping bias correction method, which proves beneficial in analyzing climate model output. Additionally, the climate information will be utilized to comprehend the surface hydrology of the study area by linking it with post-processed climate model data, thus contributing to the understanding of changes in groundwater quality in southern Alberta.

Gestion de l’énergie thermique pour l’optimisation de la fonctionnalisation des biocapteurs plasmoniques

Ce projet porte sur la compréhension et la gestion de l’énergie thermique apportée par un laser impulsionnel (excitation très courte) pour modifier la surface d’un biocapteur. L’étudiant s’intéressera au contrôle de cette énergie (répartition et durée) pour enlever les molécules d’une surface et optimiser ensuite leur position pour le développement d’un capteur plus sensible. Des simulations sur l’impact de la position des molécules seront également menées. Ces développements permettront d’améliorer les seuils de sensibilités des capteurs otpiques actuels dans le domaine de la santé notamment. Ceci permettra un meilleur diagnostic et de suivi des patients.

Large-scale 3D-vision-aided hybrid manufacturing system for welding, overlay and maintenance operations

The primary objective of this project is to develop a comprehensive additive/subtractive manufacturing system encompassing hardware, sensors, and software for the automated production and repair of non-critical custom
industrial equipment. This innovative system integrates AI and 3D computer vision to provide robust control, continuous monitoring, and effective failure identification. Featuring a groundbreaking PC/PLC-based communication architecture, it ensures a seamless workflow between the additive and subtractive units. Tailored for small and medium machine shops in Canada, this machine aims to facilitate mass customization production. By offering an affordable solution, it empowers these businesses to take a significant step forward into Industry 4.0 and advanced manufacturing, fostering growth and efficiency.

In vitro and in vivo evaluation of novel small molecules on post-surgical peritoneal adhesions.

Post-surgical peritoneal adhesions are the leading cause of the postoperative bowel occlusions and are often associated with increased morbidity and mortality rates. There is no successful treatment developed yet and adhesion re-operations are only a temporary solution. Therefore, there is a strong unmet clinical need to develop novel therapies to help patients. The Kubes lab developed a method to visualize adhesion formation in a mouse model and this method also allows to monitor how administering a blocking molecule prevents this process. Immune cells macrophages have been found by us to be the key players in the initial stages of adhesion formation, and we were able to prevent this by blocking specific receptors on these macrophages called scavenger receptors with a molecule polyinosinic acid (Poly(I)). While we have a core molecule that blocks the adhesions, the Kubes lab in a collaboration with a biotech start-up Medhesion Inc. aims to make better versions of this molecule so that it has fewer side effects and blocks adhesion formation more efficiently. Our ultimate goal is to develop a drug that could be given at the end of a surgical operation to all patients to ensure none develop adhesions.

The numerical response of anglers to fishing quality in British Columbia’s lake trout fisheries

Overfishing has declined 75% of Canada’s recreational fisheries jeopardizing valuable fisheries and threatening wild-stock spcies. Considering that humans interact with nature at large scales, management must better identify large-scale processes affecting fish-human interactions to avoid overfishing. Confronting these challenges requires using spatial information on fish-human dynamics along with computer-modeling that can used to develop sustainable resource policies. Wild-stock lake trout Salvelinus namaycush are one of the most important fishes to the Freshwater Fisheries Society of British Columbia because they are one of the only game-fish to persist in the northern regions of British Columbia. They are easily overfished due to their slow growth and low reproductive rates creating concerns for both fishery-related utilization and conservation of BC’s native fishes. Fish populations are sensitive to environmental changes, thus it is inappropriate to make critical management decisions without understanding expected ecosystem outcomes, accomplished via socio-ecological modeling. The approach of this project will develop a mechanistic computer model that links human dynamics with spatial-information to evaluate fish-human interactions in lake trout fisheries to support the conservation of lake trout. TOBECONT’D

Exploring Medication and Healthcare Trends in First Nations: A Data Integration Approach

The First Nations Health Atlas aims to comprehensively analyze diverse administrative datasets from Alberta Health and Alberta Health Services to produce holistic analytics for First Nations health in the province. The initiative’s core objectives include establishing a comprehensive roster of First Nations individuals from Bigstone, Siksika, and Maskwacis nations, analyzing disease incidence and prevalence, scrutinizing healthcare service and medication utilization, and delivering tailored analytics through interactive and print reports. By employing robust data integration techniques, the project seeks to unveil health disparities and contribute insights crucial for evidence-based decision-making in healthcare service planning. The resulting reports will facilitate efficient knowledge dissemination, aiding interventions, resource allocation, and policy development to address the unique healthcare needs of First Nations communities. This research holds immense significance in improving healthcare delivery, informing policies, and addressing health disparities among First Nations individuals in Alberta.

A Comprehensive Investigation of Combiotics in combination with Conventional Antibiotics in a Mouse lung Infection Model with Pseudomonas aeruginosa

This research addresses a persistent threat to individuals with cystic fibrosis—Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria, known for biofilm formation and antibiotic resistance. Unlike prior studies on natural products, this initiative explores the combined impact of conventional antibiotics and MHCombiotics Inc.’s unique blend of metalloid and plant-based compounds. Demonstrated effective against P. aeruginosa, this study compares their efficacy to traditional antibiotics, seeking optimal combinations. Using experiments and a P. aeruginosa pneumonia mouse model, the research aims to unveil the anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antimicrobial properties of combiotics also presents a promising solution to combat respiratory infections and address antibiotic resistance, potentially enhancing P. aeruginosa infection treatment and offering crucial insights for improved respiratory care.