Innovative Projects Realized

Arkhitecktura and the Imaginary: The Origins of Soviet Avant-Garde Rationalist Architecture in the Russian Mystical-Philosophical and Mathematical Intellectual Tradition

This project aims to edit and publish a work authored by Elizabeth English entitled Arkhitektura and Mnimosti (the Imaginary) : The Origins of Soviet Avant-Garde Rationalist Architecture in the Russian Mystical-Philosophical and Mathematical Intellectual Tradition. . The project will study a series of architects and support understanding of the revolutionary physical, intellectual, and cultural Russian context out of which this work evolved. English is associated with the Empathetic Spaces Partnership, with Principal Investigator Philip Beesley. Funding Partner Riverside Architectural Press will support creation of framing material including an introduction and conclusion, development of high-quality imagery, and coordinate graphic and typographic design. The background of the volume explains the different factors leading to the work of the Rationalist Group of the Russian avant-garde, by explaining the social-intellectual factors of the unique mystical-religious philosophy of the nineteenth century and their effect in the cultural-academic circles of the twentieth century…

Optimization of Fine Solids Removal in Recirculating Aquaculture Systems

The objective of the project is to test and optimize a novel stationary bed filter for removing fine waste solids from the water of recirculating aquaculture systems. The filter uses plastic media to intercept the waste solids. Beta prototypes of the filter have been installed at four hatcheries owned by Cooke Aquaculture Inc. in the provinces of New Brunswick and Newfoundland. The four prototypes operate at different water superficial velocities and use different plastic media. A major issue with all prototypes is a pulse of dirty water after each cleaning of the filter. The main focus of our project will be to assess the performance of the four existing prototypes, identify and rectify the cause of the problems with the cleaning cycle, and propose design improvements. Our work will benefit Cooke Aquaculture Inc. by improving the effectiveness of their four existing filters and by providing design suggestions for the next generation of stationary bed filters.

Microplastic Ingestion Amongst Humpback Whales in Barkley Sound

Humpback whales are filter feeders that can engulf massive quantities of prey. However, because of their indiscriminate feeding strategies, humpback whales often ingest more than their intended prey alone. Alongside fish and zooplankton, microplastics are likely becoming a frequent menu item for humpback whales foraging along the coastlines of BC. Microplastics are a concerning environmental pollutant due to their abundance and potential to cause cellular stress, gastrointestinal damage, and disease. That said, the severity of microplastic exposure for humpback whales in BC waters is poorly understood. Our project will address this knowledge gap by analyzing humpback whale feces and seawater microplastic content. This project will strengthen Ocean Legacy Foundation’s research capacity and scientific credibility in addressing plastic pollution’s impact on marine life.

Étude sur le partage de la croissance de l’assiette fiscale et rapport spécifique appliqué au contexte de la CMM

Le projet de recherche entrepris par la personne stagiaire s’intéressera à la coopération intermunicipale ou interrégionale sur le plan fiscal et, plus précisément, au partage de l’assiette fiscale ou de sa croissance. Le projet permettra à la personne stagiaire d’effectuer une revue de littérature internationale sur le sujet, d’identifier des pistes de solutions pouvant être appliquées en contexte québécois et de réfléchir plus spécifiquement à leur implantation dans la Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal. La personne stagiaire aura donc accès à un grand angle du sujet de recherche avant de réfléchir à son application concrète. Pour l’organisation partenaire, cela permettra d’avoir un portrait clair et complet des modalités potentielles de coopération intermunicipale sur une base fiscale.

Développer la culture et la capacité d’évaluation au sein de partenariats intersectoriels en promotion des saines habitudes de vie

Propulser des partenariats intersectoriels est reconnue comme une stratégie incontournable à la promotion efficace et équitable de la santé. En tant que Table intersectorielle régionale sur les saines habitudes de vie (TIR-SHV), l’organisme Montréal métropole en santé (MMS) est tenu de mobiliser et soutenir les acteurs nécessaires à la promotion de SHV sur l’île de Montréal. La complexité et l’ampleur de ce partenariat intersectoriel de plus de 300 membres posent un défi de taille à l’évaluation de son action. Ainsi, ce projet examinera les impacts d’une intervention visant le développement d’une culture d’évaluation au sein de MMS. Prenant pour assise la recherche-action ancrée dans la communauté et le développement des capacités d’évaluation, ce projet participatif vise spécifiquement à : 1) produire un portrait de la capacité évaluative au sein de MMS?; 2) codévelopper un programme de développement des capacités d’évaluation adapté au contexte de MMS?; 3) implanter le programme en prenant pour objet d’évaluation les plans d’actions régionaux intégrés (PARI) des réseaux de MMS?; et 4) apprécier le programme et diffuser les connaissances développées. Ce projet contribuera à l’avancement de connaissances et à l’amélioration des pratiques.

Performance of cavity nesting birds breeding on reclaimed mine lands: An individual life-history approach

This study will assess the behaviour, physiology, reproduction and survival of individual birds breeding on reclaimed mine tailings and waste rock, and will provide a robust measure of the effectiveness of reclamation efforts on the Highland Valley Copper operating area. By examining a range of life-history traits in two ecologically distinct species, and comparing birds breeding on reclaimed mine lands to those on land that has not historically been exposed to mining operations, we will also be capable of identifying individual measures of quality or reproductive investment that most closely track environmental disturbance. This may become the basis for future cost-effective impact assessments in all industrial sectors engaged in resource extraction, as individual responses to environmental disturbance can provide an “early warning” of future population declines. It has been argued that effective natural resource management requires the application of evolutionary principles such as selection, variation, and gene flow and this study will position Highland Valley Copper, and Teck Resources Ltd more generally, at the forefront of this approach in the context of impact assessment.

Une histoire audiovisuelle de l’industrie pharmaceutique bâloise – Les politiques audiovisuelles de CIBA, Geigy, Ciba-Geigy et Hoffmann-La Roche (1945-1975)

Development and numerical simulation of a novel pneumatic conveying system to transport hemostatic powder for managing non-compressible torso hemorrhage

Severe bleeding is a life-threatening medical emergency that can potentially result in death. Although there are currently available treatments to stop severe bleeding from injuries, these treatments have their limitations and may be ineffective for specific types of bleeding, such as non-compressible intra-abdominal bleeding. The goal of this proposed project is to conduct research on the fundamental mechanisms involved in delivering a novel anti-bleeding powder to control severe bleeding. To achieve this goal, a combination of computer simulation and experimental techniques will be utilized to study the physical factors affecting the effectiveness of the novel powder delivery. A computational model will be developed using engineering software to simulate the transport of the powder. In addition, experiments will be conducted to support the simulations, which will involve the characterization of the powder’s material properties and the visualization of its transport through a long, transparent tube. The results obtained from both the computational and experimental studies will be integrated into computer-aided engineering for designing an optimized delivery system. A final prototype will be constructed, which will be used for testing and clinical study in the future.

Health status evaluations in remote camp workers and impacts of the pandemic

There is an urgent need to better understand large-scale disruptions, including the pandemic, and related workplace health policy changes impact the health and wellness of fly-in fly-out (FIFO) workers, who already experience high levels of stress and anxiety due to their unique work arrangement. During the pandemic, companies made drastic changes to ensure employee safety when living on a work site that may have had unintended consequences. This research is conducted in partnership with the Mood Disorders Society of Canada to better understand the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and associated workplace and public health policies on worker productivity, mental and physical health in FIFO work sites. The research project is mixed-methods, comprising two phases: 1) an evaluation of employee experiences and needs related to FIFO during the pandemic; and 2) a pilot study on feasibility characteristics of smartwatches as tools for remote medical monitoring in FIFO work camps.

By better understanding such these effects, we can better position businesses and society overall to sustain large-scale public health emergencies with employee-centered policies and innovations for improved healthcare delivery. Interventions that improve worker health are expected to increase productivity and economic output….

Assessing the Impacts of Climate Change on Parks and Recreation in Saskatchewan

Parks and recreation in Canada are an integral part of people’s lives as they serve multiple functions and provide several benefits to the municipalities in which they are situated. Hence the threat of climate change on parks and recreation could have a multiplier effect on the lives of people. As a province-wide network, the Saskatchewan Parks and Recreation Association (SPRA) seeks to create equitable access to recreation experiences for all people. As such, it is imperative that SPRA understands the risks climate change poses to its parks and recreational areas and explores ways to build or increase resilience. The proposed study would examine how climate change is impacting Saskatchewan’s municipal parks and recreation departments using a mixed methodology approach. The results will contribute to SPRA’s long-term strategy and support departments to develop a framework to make parks more inclusive and climate-resilient.

Development of a Truly Intelligent Robotic Vacuum Cleaner for Household Applications

Robotic vacuum cleaners (RVCs) have been leading the industry as domestic helpers for several years now, with continuous improvements in functionality and performance. Nowadays, consumers are showing more and more interest in purchasing RVCs. The market size has grown up to 350 billion dollars per year. However to date, most RVCs on the market are intended only for household minor cleaning, and none of them can truly mimic human being in performing a regular deep cleaning. Therefore, partnering with the BW Services (BWS) Inc, the objective of this project is to develop a truly intelligent RVC (TIRVC) that is capable of providing users regular home cleaning services in an efficient and powerful manner, enabling the RVCs achieve a much broader market penetration. As one of Canada’s premier providers for facility renovations and repairs, the BWS is spending a great amount of money each year in hiring full-time and part-time workers for cleaning the relevant rooms on a daily basis. The development of the proposed TIRVC would potentially eliminate the needs of these workers and thereby allow for significant cost saving.

Prescriptive Machine Learning in Pediatric Cardiology

Recent technological advances in data collection, transmission, visualization, and machine learning make it possible to develop healthcare systems with the aim of monitoring the health status of patients. Pediatric Cardiologists rely on referrals from family physicians for abnormal heart conditions. Family physicians are not trained well enough to recognize abnormal murmurs and err on the side of caution, which results in a large number of unnecessary referrals causing a strain on the healthcare system. This proposal proposes the development of software designed to receive the ECG signals, process them in real-time on a computing device such as a laptop in a family physician’s office, and create meaningful data summarization/visualization graphics, followed by prescriptive analysis and recommendations using machine learning (ML). The proposed system is designed to help physicians and medical assistants who have problems distinguishing ECGs and work in deprived regions. Kardio Diagnostix is founded by two Pediatric Cardiologists. They will be advising the interns on the collection, cleaning, and processing of ECG signals as well as model evaluation and software testing.