Guided Catheter System Based on Smart Polymeric Brush Coating for Vascular Surgery

The main cause of cardiovascular disease (CVD) is narrowing of blood vessels due to atherosclerosis. In such cases stents are chronically implanted in -arteries to physically expand and scaffold the vessels. Each year, ~90,OOO stents are implanted in Canadians. All these minimally invasive procedures involve the use of a catheter. Currently available catheter tubes advance straight in blood vessels; it remain a challenge to the cardiac catheterization in bifurcated cardiac arteries which are blocked.

Développement de méthodes analytiques pour la détection et la quantification descontaminants d'intêrets émergents dans l'environnement

Pour réussir à répondre aux questions qui se posent sur la nature et la présence des contaminants émergents (connus et inconnus) dans l’environnement, plusieurs objectifs seront nécessaires.

Ils seront

i) de cibler les familles de composés d’importance selon notre contexte en ce qui concerne l’industrie pharmaceutique, agroalimentaire et le domaine de la médecine vétérinaire;

ii) d’établir une liste de leurs produits de transformation/dégradation dans la l’environnement et leurs métabolites, selon la littérature, ou les travaux faits dans l’industrie pharmaceutique;

Design and Synthesis of Specific Inhibitors of CYP26 for Blocking Retinoic Acid Metabolism: A Safer Approach to Retinoid Therapy for Skin Disease

OBJECTIVE; We will advance our development of novel specific inhibitors of the retinoic acid (RA) metabolizing P450 enzymes, CYP26A1 and CYP26B1, to treat skin disorders - an approach that will have significant safety advantages over current retinoid therapies. These inhibitors will be used primarily to target cystic acne but will also be evaluated for their therapeutic potential in treating other skin disorders including actinic keratosis, rosacea, oral leukoplakia and skin cancer.

Development and Scale Up of Precursors for Atomic Layer Deposition

Research in the Barry lab has been following two independent streams of precursor development: NHC complexes of group 11 amides for the deposition of metal films, and development of designed iminopyrrolidinates to quench low temperature thermal decomposition mechanisms. A series of novel N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC)-containing copper(I) amides have been shown to be viable ALD precursors. This family is represented by the compounds 4,5-dimethyl-1,3-diisopropyl-imidazol-2-ylidene copper hexamethyldisilazide, which was synthesized and structurally characterized.

Development of thyroglobulin specific aptamers for detection of thyroid carcinoma in the presence of thyroglobulin specific auto-antibodies

Thyroid cancer is the most frequent endocrine cancer. Over 90% of thyroid cancers are of the follicular or papillary type termed differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC). Thyroglobulin (Tg) serum measurement is an integral part of the follow up and management of DTC patients. Serum Tg levels are conventionally measured using either an immunometric assay (IMA) or radioimmunometric assay (RIA). Both methods rely on the use of labeled exogenous antibodies.

Agents and processes for forward osmosis

Dewatering and desalination, meaning the extraction of freshwater from waste water or seawater, requires high energy inputs in the form of heat and/or pressure. The disadvantages of the most common method, reverse osmosis, include the irreversible deposition of particulate on the membrane surface and the energy required to surpass the feed solution's osmotic pressure. An emerging alternative that addresses both of these issues is forward osmosis, which relies on the osmotic pressure of a draw solution to pull fresh water from the feed solution.

Catalyst Development for Clean Hydrogen Production

The proposed research project looks at the hydrogen economy, where hydrogen can be used in place of fossil fuels for the worlds’ energy needs. Although touted as a sustainable option for global energy demand, the vast majority of hydrogen continues to be produced by industrial, fossil fuel-based processes such as steam reforming of natural gas. Our research aims to lower costs of hydrogen production in hopes to adopt wide-spread use and eliminate the need to rely on fossil fuels. Our partner organization, FireWater Fuel Corp.

Development and Scale Up of Precursors for Atomic Layer Deposition Year Two

Precision Molecular Design is involved in chemical precursor synthesis, design, and intellectual property for the thinfilm industry. Precursors for this billion dollar industrial sector are required for a variety of metal and non-metal films, including copper, ruthenium, and titanium nitride and tantalum nitride, to name a few. All of these films are metallic conductors involved in interconnect technology (i.e., micro- and nano-scale wiring) for microelectronic devices.

Investigation on developing a scaled-up plant to remove hazardous metals from spent catalyst in Newfoundland and Labrador

The aim of this internship is to investigate the possibility of a scaled-up green process to design, and develop an industrial plant to remove the hazardous materials from spent secondary materials such as spent petrochemical catalysts, in Atlantic Canada. The intern will be responsible to develop a whole process flow diagram, as well as a detailed cost analysis. By identifying a feasible environmentally-friendly process, the industrial plat will be able to treat various hazardous wastes locally, thus there are different potential short and long-term benefits to the partner organization

Pharmaceutical development of a thermo-sensitive polymer for intrabladder delivery

Targeted delivery of drugs can reduce the side effects associated with oral delivery systems. The urethra provides easy access of therapeutic agents to the urinary bladder, an ideal organ for localized therapy for the treatment of bladder cancer, interstitial cystitis, overactive bladder, and chronic prostatitis. We propose a new therapeutic approach to increase the residency time and efficacy of the drugs by using biogradable polymers as a drug carrier, allowing a prolonged release of drugs in the bladder.

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