Astringency and other oral sensations : biological sources of individual variation and association with food and beverage behaviour

Orosensory perception strongly influences liking and consumption of foods and beverages. This thesis examines the influence of biological sources of individual variation on the perception of prototypical orosensory stimuli, food liking, self-reported alcohol liking and consumption, and indices of health. Two orosensory indices were examined: propylthiouracil (PROP) responsiveness, a genetically-mediated index of individual variation associated with enhanced responsiveness to orosensory stimuli often expressed as PROP taster status (PTS); and thermal taster status (TTS), a recently reported index of orosensory responsiveness. Taster status in PTS and/or TTS confers greater responsiveness to most orosensory stimuli. Gender, age, ethnicity, and fungiform papillae (FP) density were not associated with orosensory responsiveness to tastants, an astringent, and a flavour. Unlike PROP responsiveness, FP density was not associated with TTS. Both PROP responsiveness and TTS were associated with increased responsiveness to orosensory stimuli, including temperature and astringency. For PROP, this association did not hold when stimuli were presented at cold or warm temperatures, which are ecologically valid since most foods and beverages are not consumed at ambient temperature. Thermal tasters (TTs), who perceive 'phantom' taste sensations with lingual thermal stimulation, were more responsive to stimuli at both temperatures than thermal non-tasters (TnTs). While PTS, TIS, and gender affected self-reported liking and consumption of some alcoholic beverages, gender associated with the greatest number of beverage types and consumption parameters, with males generally liking and consuming alcoholic beverages more than females. Age and gender were the best predictors of alcoholic beverageAiking and consumption. As expected, .. liking of bitter and fatty foods and cream was inversely related to PROP responsiveness. TTS did not associate with body mass index or waist circumference, and contrary to previous studies, neither did PROP responsiveness. Taken together, TnTs' greater liking of cooked fruits and vegetables and high alcohol, and astringent alcoholic beverages than TTs suggests differences between TTS groups may be driven by perceived temperature and texture. Neither an interaction between PTS and TTS nor a TTS effect on PROP responsiveness was observed, suggesting these two indices of individual variation exert their influences on orosensory perception independently.

The Effects of Drama on Oral Fluency and Foreign Language Anxiety: An exploratory study

Previous research has suggested that drama has positive effects on learners' oral communication and anxiety; however, it is unclear which dimensions, or to what extent, they are affected by drama. This research narrows the investigation by examining how a drama-based EFL program impacts three dimensions of oral communication: fluency, comprehensibility, and accentedness, and one anxiety factor - foreign language speaking anxiety (FLSA) -, over time. Speech samples were collected from EFL learners in a treatment and a control group, and subsequently assessed by untrained Canadian-born raters. FLSA levels were measured through questionnaires and interviews. Pre- and post-test analysis indicate that learners in the treatment group made significant gains in oral fluency while oral fluency among learners in the control group remained unchanged. There was a significant reduction in FLSA levels among learners in both groups. Finally, qualitative analyses suggest that drama activities, among others, enhance learners' comfort levels in speaking English.

Oral French Communication in French Immersion Canadian and World Studies Classrooms: A Primer for Educators

This project presents a primer for secondary French Immersion teachers that facilitates the use of French oral communicative activities in secondary Canadian and World Studies courses. The primer supports collaborative and inclusive teaching strategies that invite students to speak and develop their oral French communication skills. The primer is divided into 2 main components: (a) Rationale for the Primer, and (b) the Strategies themselves, comprising succinct descriptions as well as potential uses and suggestions. A critical content analysis of various Ontario Ministry of Education documents was undertaken in order to explore the importance of oral communication in second-language learning in Ontario secondary schools. Furthermore, holistic and invitational education perspectives were examined in order to define the advantages of collaborative learning. Moreover, research in the stream of French Immersion studies was also referenced to frame the relevance of second-language learning and the significant role the French Immersion teacher plays. The aforementioned research contributes to the advancement of theory and practice regarding the importance of opportunities for oral French communication in secondary Canadian and World Studies courses.

Exploring Capacity Building of Ontario Dental Hygiene Educators During National Curriculum Reform

In times of educational change, educators are given the task of implementing new initiatives that meet the needs of a changing environment; yet, they are often dismissed from developmental phases of the reform. This top-down structure deters educators’ personal capacity building as their knowledge, values, assumptions, and beliefs are not acknowledged or explicitly developed as part of the initiative. This study explored Ontario dental hygiene educators’ perspectives of how they may build personal capacity during an externally mandated national curriculum reform, the Entry-to-Practice Competencies and Standards for Canadian Dental Hygienists (National Competencies). Narratives were collected from 5 dental hygiene educators of diverse educational training and teaching organizations. Three themes emerged that included perceptions of structural influence, perceptions of learning access, and perceptions of identity. Each theme was linked to tasks that were required to build personal capacity for sustainable school change. The theoretical framework and the required tasks demonstrated the interconnectedness between educators, leaders, and the organization for building educators’ personal capacity.

Planeación, desarrollo y elaboración del programa analítico, libro de texto y curso de formación docente para la asignatura de comunicación oral y escrita

Tesis (Maestría en Planeación e Investigación de la Comunicación) UANL

Relación entre el diagnóstico clínico y el diagnóstico histopatológico de muestras recibidas por el Depto. de Patología Oral de la Facultad de Odontología de la U.A.N.L., 1991-1997

Tesis (Maestría en Salud Pública con Especialidad en Odontología Social) UANL

Cambios histoquímicos y ultraestructurales del nervio ciático de la rata con intoxicación crónica con fruto molido de Karwinskia humboldtiana por vía oral

Tesis (Maestría en Ciencias con Orientación en Morfología) UANL

Estrategias didácticas para el desarrollo de la comunicación y expresión oral en los alumnos de la Preparatoria No.9 de la U.A.N.L.

[Tesis] ( Maestría en Enseñanza Superior) U.A.N.L.

La comunicación oral y escrita en el contexto educativo una propuesta comunicativa por Irma Nydia Lagunas Beltrán [y] Griselda Deyanira Pinales Rodríguez

Tesis (Maestría en Letras Españolas) U.A.N.L.

La transliteración en paralelo del lenguaje oral y escrito. Problemas y posibles soluciones

Tesis ( Maestría en Letras Españolas ) U.A.N.L.

Métodos activos comunicativos para elevar la participación oral en la clase de inglés María Antonieta López Castillo.

[Tesis] [Maestría en Enseñanza del Inglés como Segunda Lengua] U.A.N.L.

Estudio comparativo de los perfiles farmacocinéticos de ketorolaco y tramadol administrados vía oral en forma conjunta e individual.

Tesis (Maestría en Ciencias con Orientación en Farmacia) UANL, 2011.

Nivel de conocimiento de los padres sobre los productos de higiene oral para sus hijos.

Tesis (Maestría en Ciencias Odontológicas con Especialidad en Odontopediatría) UANL, 2011.

Actitud y tipo de conocimiento sobre salud e higiene oral en los adolescentes de Monterrey, N.L., México.

Tesis (Maestría en Ciencias Odontológicas con Orientación en Odontopediatría) UANL, 2012.

Prevalencia de la enfermedad periodontal e higiene oral en pacientes escolares de 12 a 15 años de edad en la ciudad de Monterrey N.L. y su área metropolitana en el período 2011-2012.

Tesis (Maestría en Ciencias Odontológicas con Orientación en Periodoncia con Implantología) UANL, 2012.