Research Repository

LU|ZONE|UL distributes and preserves the scholarly work of LU faculty. It is a space for faculty to support the dissemination of knowledge created at Laurentian.

Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETD) Repository This section preserves Master's theses and doctoral dissertations accepted at Laurentian University and is a mechanism for making this form of scholarly work widely accessible.

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Ancient Studies (Thorneloe University) 5
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Recent Submissions

Access status: Open Access ,
PMMA-rGO nanocomposite: synthesis techniques and applications
(Laurentian University Library & Archives, 2025-08-29) Alam, Shahriar; Dr. Louis Mercier
This review explores the growing interest in poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) reinforced with reduced graphene oxide (rGO), a nanocomposite that brings together the best of both materials— PMMA’s transparency and ease of processing with rGO’s remarkable strength, conductivity, and thermal stability. This review highlights various synthesis methods, including in situ polymerization, solution blending, and melt mixing, each offering different advantages depending on the intended application. By incorporating even small amounts of rGO, significant improvements in PMMA’s mechanical and thermal properties, along with the added benefit of tunable electrical conductivity have been observed. These enhancements make the composite a strong candidate for use in flexible electronics, optoelectronic devices, biomedical implants, and protective coatings. The review also discusses the challenges that come with ensuring uniform dispersion of rGO, achieving strong interfacial bonding, and addressing environmental or health concerns associated with nanomaterials. Despite these hurdles, the findings suggest that with continued innovation in synthesis techniques and a better understanding of structure–property relationships, PMMA-rGO nanocomposites hold great promise for next-generation materials. This review concludes by identifying key areas where further research is needed, particularly in scaling up production and evaluating long-term performance in real-world application.
Access status: Open Access ,
Perfectionism and body image among young women athletes: a preventative intervention
(Laurentian University Library & Archives, 2025-10-30) Talbot, Karine; Dr. Chantal Arpin-Cribbie
During adolescence, young women athletes may be uniquely vulnerable to body image concerns and maladaptive compensatory behaviours due to the performance and appearance concerns inherent in sports. These risks are often exacerbated by high levels of perfectionism commonly noted among young athletes. The present study investigated how perfectionism influences the effectiveness of a group-based, virtual intervention designed to increase social connectedness and decrease negative body talk among young women athletes. Participants (ages 16-21) were recruited from sports organizations across Ontario and completed measures of perfectionism and body image concerns prior to participating in a dissonance-based prevention program (Youth- Female Athlete Body Project) targeting appearance concerns in sport. Exploratory analyses indicated there were improvements in body image outcomes post-intervention, including decreased fat talk frequency and appearance-ideal internalization, and increased positive body image. Although some perfectionism traits (self-oriented and socially prescribed perfectionism) were associated with smaller improvements in body image outcomes, these effects were not statistically significant across measures. Somewhat unexpectedly, certain perfectionism traits (worry about imperfection and hope for perfection) were associated with greater improvements in body image outcomes, suggesting that dimensions of perfectionism may influence the effectiveness of psychoeducational interventions in different ways. Given the small sample size and a lack of control group, the results should be interpreted with caution. The findings provide preliminary evidence for the complex role of perfectionism in shaping how young athletes respond to body image interventions, with implications for tailoring prevention efforts.
Access status: Open Access ,
Applications of social media monitoring to improve customer satisfaction in the Canadian financial and healthcare service sectors
(Laurentian University Library & Archives, 2024-06-18) Torabi, Mostafa; Dr. Charles H. Bélanger
In the social media era, consumers express their thoughts and feelings about many products and services more openly and freely than before through online platforms and social media outlets. Social media monitoring provides capability for listening, tracking, and gathering relevant content across wide ranges of social media channels. This allows marketers to propose more suitable products and services, ameliorate customer service, and implement a unique and beneficial value proposition. This study aims to investigate how organizations within the Canadian healthcare and financial service industries can effectively glean, analyze, and utilize targeted information from social media platforms to improve customer satisfaction, and create and enhance their unique value proposition. Moreover, this research considers the impact of the pandemic on businesses’ responsiveness on social media outlets. This research project plans to fill the gap in the literature by focusing on qualitative and quantitative research methodologies, utilizing a questionnaire for selected companies and extracting and analyzing relevant data from X (formerly Twitter) in order to build enhanced value propositions, and to ameliorate competitive edge and customer satisfaction. This study aims to integrate various fields and their theoretical frameworks to achieve an insightful analysis of the applications of social media monitoring for businesses. This interdisciplinary study plans to expand existing disciplinary perspectives through the combination of different approaches from business studies and information systems to gain new insights into how companies utilize and monitor social media platforms in the social media age. The findings of this research study suggest that there is a connection between social media monitoring and customer satisfaction. Also, the results revealed that the pandemic impacted several companies’ response time on the X platform. In addition, it was determined that sentiment scores may impact on customer satisfaction. The results of this research can be beneficial for organizations to better understand the importance of social media monitoring and actively monitor their social media platforms to enhance customer engagement and satisfaction. Moreover, decision makers could employ the research outcomes to monitor categories and factors that are associated with negative comments on social media outlets, and take actions promptly to diminish possible negative consequences.
Access status: Open Access ,
Evaluating the impact of an educational intervention on the management of BPPV: an interrupted time series analysis
(Laurentian University Library & Archives, 2024-10-30) Arbab, Erfan; Dr. Kalpdrum Passi Dr. Robert Ohle
This study examines the impact of an educational intervention on the use of key diagnostic and treatment maneuvers for Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV) and the reduction of unnecessary CT scans in clinical practice. Data were sourced from three healthcare institutions in Ontario, encompassing over 2000 patient records from the pre- and post-intervention periods. The primary diagnostic and treatment outcomes analyzed include Dix-Hallpike, Supine Roll, and Canalith Repositioning Maneuver (CRM), while the secondary focus is on the utilization of CT scans. The analysis employs Interrupted Time Series (ITS) methodology, with segmented regression used to assess changes in the frequency of these procedures. Adjustments were made for potential confounders such as history of BPPV, vomiting, and vertigo. The intervention led to an immediate increase in the appropriate use of Dix-Hallpike and Supine Roll maneuvers, followed by sustained positive trends in their application. Similarly, CRM usage significantly increased post-intervention. However, the intervention had no significant effect on reducing CT scan usage, highlighting the complex challenges of minimizing unnecessary imaging in clinical settings. Nevertheless, after accounting for confounding variables, the post-intervention increases observed previously were no longer statistically significant. This research underscores the importance of targeted educational programs in promoting evidence-based diagnostic and treatment maneuvers for BPPV. While the intervention effectively increased the use of appropriate procedures, its impact on reducing CT scan usage was limited. Future work will focus on extending the follow-up period to assess long-term trends and exploring alternative analytical methods to uncover complex patterns and validate intervention effectiveness.
Access status: Open Access ,
Integrated care for perinatal opioid use in rural and northern Canada: an integrative review
(Laurentian University Library & Archives, 2025-10-06) Hambly Lapointe, Chloe; Dr. Diana Urajnik
Although perinatal opioid use is relatively rare, geographic disparities in prevalence exist in Canada. The maternal and infant health risks are exacerbated by social determinants of health (SDH) such as poverty, trauma, and healthcare access. Integrated care (IC) models, which coordinate health and social services, offer promise but remain underexplored in rural perinatal contexts. This integrative review assesses how IC models address SDH and influence access to care for pregnant individuals using opioids in rural settings. Using Whittemore and Knafl’s methodology, a systematic search identified 23 articles covering 10 IC programs. Eight themes emerged, including scope of care; culturally grounded models; SDH in rural and northern communities; intersectionality; mitigating SDH; rural–urban differences; health and social outcomes; and barriers and enablers to integrated service delivery. Findings and recommendations may inform trauma-informed, equity-focused IC models that address intersecting SDH and improve maternal–infant outcomes in marginalized communities.