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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Recent Submissions
From sonic space to sonic place: an architectural and urban design approach to enhancing community soundscapes in Northern Ontario
(2024-04-13) Duffy, Teresa Marie
Whether it is a piece of architecture, the urban
environment as a whole, or the natural world,
sound is an ever-present condition of the physical
environment in which it exists. Despite this
integral relationship, the role that sound plays
in how people interact and understand their
surroundings is often vastly undervalued and
even ignored. Thus, noise pollution has become
a growing global concern, de-sensualizing human
reality through negative impacts on human
health and well-being. As the ‘Gateway to the
North’, the city of North Bay is a transportation
hub, featuring multiple highways and rail lines
that contribute to a noisy environment dedicated
to the convenience of high-speed travel rather
than the cultivation of engaging public places.
This thesis explores how a soundscape
design framework can address these issues in
North Bay’s city centre, connecting the area’s
downtown waterfront through urban design
elements and a Performing Arts Center located
on the shores of Lake Nipissing.
The impact of temperature and pH on lipid production of seasonally bioprospected microalgae
(2024-04-29) McGrath, Samantha Jade
Microalgae produce economically valuable metabolites that can be used in the renewable energy
and biopharmaceutical industries. In particular, microalgae have been identified as promising lipid
producers, where total quantities and profiles can be enhanced by subjecting microalgal cells to stress
conditions such as temperature and pH.
However, while cultivation conditions can influence the feasibility of mass production of
microalgae, harvesting them from their growth medium remains a significant economic hurdle. Therefore,
this thesis initially presents a literature review of available harvesting methods and their associated costs.
The review is followed by a study on bioprospected microalgae from various industrially impacted
aquatic environments. The thesis also examines factors impacting lipid production on microalgae
bioprospected over a year and investigates the effect of exposure to variations in temperature and pH culture
conditions. The impacts on growth rate, total lipid accumulation and lipid profiles were determined.
It was found that changes in temperature affected microalgal biomass and lipid production more
than changes in pH. However, the samples' lipid profiles varied significantly as a function of both
temperature and pH. Therefore, the economical production of biofuels using microalgae requires a careful
selection of strains to match growth conditions to enhance productivity.
Motherhood journeys on and off the ice: a narrative analysis of digital media stories of professional hockey mothers
(2024-04-09) Hladun, Willa
Feminist scholars have problematized the media’s portrayal of elite athlete mothers for
downplaying athletic accomplishments in favor of highlighting motherhood statuses. The focus
of this thesis was how the intersectional identities of heterosexual and queer hockey playing
athletes as women and mothers are constructed and circulated in sport media. A focused case
study of high-profile North American ice hockey players (n=7) was used to examine the social
constructions of their identities. 101 stories were gathered, with 32 images accompanying stories.
Media stories were subjected to a thematic narrative analysis and theorized using relativist
narrative inquiry. The key findings are three narrative themes: be outstanding, a new generation,
and queer mothers: they’re just like us! Recommendations are made regarding re-framing stories
that uphold patriarchal ideals of motherhood, creating policies in sport that support athlete
mothers’ autonomy, and the continued research into athlete mother identity construction using an
intersectional lens.
L'impact du confinement et des mesures d'éloignement durant la pandémie de covid-19 sur la santé mentale des élèves: le cas des élèves en 12e année au secondaire
(2024-05-02) Mballa Mboussi, Brigitte Ornella
La pandémie de COVID-19 entraîne au Canada, la mise sur pied d’une série mesures pour
freiner l’expansion du virus. À travers un cadre conceptuel sur les déterminants sociaux de la santé,
ce mémoire explore l’impact du confinement et des mesures d’éloignement sur les élèves du
secondaire, en mettant en lumière les inégalités sociales et les disparités qui affectent ce groupe
vulnérable. Dans ce cadre, nous adaptons les six dimensions de l’échelle de mesure des
manifestations du bien-être psychologique (ÉMMBEP) pour explorer le vécu des jeunes autour de
l’estime de soi, de l’équilibre, du contrôle de soi et des évènements, de la sociabilité, de
l’engagement social et du bonheur.
Cette étude qualitative exploratoire repose sur des entretiens semi-dirigés effectués auprès
de quatre participants en 12e année. Les résultats montrent que l’isolement cause chez eux un
sentiment de perte de contrôle, des tensions familiales, des habitudes de vie néfastes, une perte
d’intérêt. Les difficultés auxquelles ils font face s’accentuent lorsqu’ils sont confrontés aux
difficultés d’accès aux soins, issus de familles pauvres, ou vivant avec des parents souffrant de
problèmes de santé mentale. Ils démontrent ainsi un niveau de stress, dépression et d’anxiété élevé,
des troubles du sommeil, une détresse émotionnelle, divers problèmes de santé mentale. Étant
donné qu’on note une anxiété qui perdure, il est suggéré de sensibiliser les intervenants de
premières lignes afin de développer plus de programmes en santé mentale, mettant l’accent sur les
besoins des jeunes francophones.
Impacts of wildfire and windfarm construction and operation on herpetofauna community ecology
(2024-04-30) Maloney, Aidan J.
Climate change and its associated impacts threaten global biodiversity. Increases in wind
energy harvesting to reduce carbon emissions, coupled with increases in wildfire frequency and
severity, may pose risks to wildlife. I investigated potential impacts of windfarm operations and
wildfire on herpetofauna biodiversity, anuran calling behaviour, and snake health, in an area
where both impacts occurred simultaneously. I measured biodiversity metrics using squamate
cover surveys and anuran acoustic monitoring across 4 replicated site treatments: Control, Wind,
Burn, and WindBurn (double impact). Anuran diversity, evenness, richness, and relative
abundances were lowest in Wind sites, whereas metrics in Burn sites did not differ from those in
Control sites. Squamate total abundance was lowest in WindBurn sites, but other investigated
metrics did not differ between impacted and non-impacted sites. More research using a Before-
After-Control-Impact (BACI) study design is needed to understand the acute and chronic impacts
of these disturbances on at-risk wildlife species.