Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences Graduate Theses
Recent Submissions
-
Development of a Vascularized Carotid Artery Plaque Phantom for the Investigation of Novel Ultrasound-Based Technologies
As the global burden of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease continues to rise, there is an increased demand for improved imaging techniques for earlier detection and diagnosis of atherosclerotic plaques, and for ... -
Implications of macrophage recruitment and activation in the immunopathophysiology of endometriosis
Endometriosis is an inflammatory gynaecological disease that affects 1 in 10 women globally. Characterized by the presence of endometrial-like tissues found proliferating outside the uterus, the disease is associated with ... -
Using a Novel Complexity-based Human Dissection Course for Complementary and Alternative Medicine Practitioners of Physical Manipulation: Utility and Effect on Clinical Practice
Background and Purpose: There will always be a discrepancy between theory and practice. The coevolution of the theory and practice of anatomy has become more difficult with the passage of time, and the advancement of ... -
Functional Dissection of the N-Terminal Domains of KIF14: A Mitotic Kinesin Required for Cell Abscission
Kinesins are the largest superfamily of microtubule-binding motor proteins in eukaryotic cells. All kinesins contain a motor domain that hydrolyzes ATP to power their directional movement along microtubules, or to catalyze ... -
Assessing the Presence, Extractability, and Function of Core Histones in the Perinuclear Theca of Murid Spermatozoa
The perinuclear theca (PT) is a condensed cytosolic capsule that surrounds the eutherian sperm nucleus and contains various proteins involved in fertilization. Previously, proteomic analysis of the bovine PT revealed a ... -
Characterizing the roles of microRNA in metastatic lung adenocarcinoma and melanoma
Cancer metastasis is the greatest ongoing obstacle to improving therapeutic efficacy and patient outcomes. Metastasis is a complex process reliant on phenotypic plasticity and dynamic changes in gene expression. MicroRNA ... -
Right Heart Adaptation to Pressure and Volume Overload: Epidemiology, Animal Models, and Molecular Mechanisms
Background: Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a syndrome in which an increase in mean pulmonary artery pressure>20 mmHg is associated with adverse pulmonary vascular remodeling, which results in right heart failure and death. ... -
Investigating the Efficacy of a Combination Therapy and a Nanopolymer-Mediated Drug Delivery Approach to Treat Pancreatic and Breast Cancer
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the most challenging malignancies to treat clinically. The current standard of care for a possible cure requires surgery; however, only a small subset of patients is eligible ... -
Mechanical stretch increases Kv1.5 current through interaction between the S1-S2 linker and N-terminus of the channel
The voltage-gated potassium channel Kv1.5 mediates the ultra-rapid delayed rectifier current (IKur) in the heart, important for human atrial repolarization. In physiological conditions cardiomyocytes continuously undergo ... -
O antigen biosynthesis in Gram-negative bacteria: Characterization of alpha1,4-glucosyltransferase WclY from Escherichia coli O117 and development of glycosyltransferase inhibitors.
Gram-negative bacteria have a polysaccharide coat (O antigen) consisting of repeating units of oligosaccharides that is assembled by glycosyltransferases. Many of these bacteria are associated with disease, and the ... -
Crosstalk Signaling Between cAMP and Calcium on the Leading Edge of Migrating Human Arterial Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells
Vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) are phenotypically plastic. Thus, while the VSMCs in healthy blood vessels are ‘contractile’ and control vascular tone, these cells can increase their synthetic, migratory and proliferative ... -
Integrated Biological Networks Associated with Platinum-Based Chemotherapy Response in High-Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer
Ovarian cancer is the 8th most common gynecological cancer and the 7th leading cause of cancer death in women, as it has the lowest 5-year survival rate of all common female reproductive system cancers. The first-line ... -
The Effect of In Utero Benzene Exposure on Fetal NF-KB Cell Signalling in CD-1 Mice
In utero exposure to benzene, a known carcinogenic environmental toxicant, is associated with the development of childhood leukemia. We have previously demonstrated that in utero exposure to benzene in CD-1 mice can alter ... -
The developmental and functional characterization of glutathione-s-transferase omega 2 (GSTO2) within eutherian spermatozoa
The eutherian sperm head has three main components: the nucleus, acrosome and perinuclear theca (PT). The PT is a dense cytosolic protein layer that lies between the nucleus and acrosome and houses proteins involved in ... -
Investigating the Role of Camp-Signaling in the Regulation of Angiogenic Sprouting
Angiogenesis, the growth of blood vessels from pre-existing vascular structures, can contribute adaptively or mal-adaptively to a myriad of conditions, including ischemic heart disease and cancer. During angiogenic sprouting, ... -
Clinical Symptoms And Biomarkers Of Bermuda Grass-Induced Allergic Rhinitis Using The Nasal Allergen Challenge Model
Bermuda grass pollen is a prevalent allergen that flourishes in subtropical climates, such as the southern United States. Bermuda grass exposure is traditionally believed to be relatively low in Ontario due to the colder ... -
The Role of Fucosylation in a Three-Dimensional Multicellular Tumor Spheroid Model of Prostate Cancer
Multicellular tumor spheroids are a three-dimensional model of cancer with a variety of applications. Spheroids are the preferred preclinical model in drug screening because they recapitulate the tumor microenvironment. ... -
Connecting environmental exposures with allergic and respiratory outcomes - The ongoing study of the Kingston Allergy Birth Cohort
Atopic diseases like allergies and asthma are mediated by several types of immune cells such as Regulatory T cells (Treg), and T helper type 1, 2, and 17 (Th1, Th2, and Th17) cells. Reductions in Treg numbers and the Th1:Th2 ... -
Granulocyte macrophage colony stimulating factor and macrophage colony stimulating factor compete to differentially regulate bone marrow-derived macrophage activation and polarization
Granulocyte Macrophage Colony Stimulating Factor (GM-CSF) and Macrophage Colony Stimulating Factor (M-CSF) are two highly regulated cytokines with a variety of roles in the immune system. One of their most impactful roles ...
RSS 1.0