BSc (Hons) Human Biology
Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://eresearch.qmu.ac.uk/handle/20.500.12289/7258
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Item 2D:4D Ratio and its Relation to Aggression in Athletic Students Who Play Contact Sports.(Queen Margaret University, 2017)Background: Digit ratio is calculated by dividing the length of the index finger (second digit, 2D) be the length of the ring finger (fourth finger, 4D). Positive relationships have been demonstrated between 2D:4D ratio and the level of testosterone individuals are exposed to prenatally in the womb, which is a sexually dimorphic trait. Aggression is also correlated with 2D:4D ratio, as a biological marker of high prenatal testosterone exposure. As contact-based sport is also associated with aggressiveness, it was hypothesised that a relationship would occur between low digit ratio and aggression in a population of participants involved in contact sport. Methods: A total of 44 QMU undergraduate students (contact n=21, non-contact n=21) participated in this study. All students were asked to complete Buss and Perry's Aggression Questionnaire (AQ). Aggression was measured using a 'Total Aggression Score' and on each sub-category of the AQ to include 'Anger', 'Verbal', Hostility' and 'Physical'. Second and fourth digit lengths were measured using digital callipers and the 2D:4D ratio was calculated. Data was recorded on Microsoft Excel and analysed using SPSS. Results: The results revealed a positive correlation with 'Physical' aggression and 2D:4D ratio on the dominant hand in the non-contact sports group (p = 0.04). Results from this study did reveal there was no significance in aggression scores between groups however there was a trend indicating that the contact sports group exhibit higher aggression levels. Discussion: In part, these results do strengthen the use of 2D:4D as a predictor for the effects of testosterone in utero and human behaviour, particularly for 'Physical' aggression. Although the results are not consistent with the hypothesis that the contact sports group would reveal correlations between low digit ratio and aggressiveness. Key Words: 2D:4D Ratio; Aggression; Testosterone; Prenatal Sex Hormones; Buss and Perry QuestionnaireItem 2D:4D ratio and its relation to spatial Awareness, competitiveness and aggression in contact and non-contact sports(2018)Background- The measurement between the index finger (second finger) and the ring finger (fourth finger) can be used to calculate the 2D:4D ratio. The ratio is a sexual dimorphic trait which is due to androgen exposure. The volume of this exposure which can be of testosterone or oestrogen when a baby is in the womb can have an effect on many different features such as finger length, size of nose and behavioral traits. Behavioral traits such as competitiveness, aggression and spatial awareness have been hypothesized to be closely linked to 2D:4D ratio. This hypothesis has also been lead to believe that those who have a low 2D:4D ratio are more aggressive and competitive which can allow them to have an advantage in sports. Method- A total of 40 QMU undergraduate students were recruited to participate in the study. Out of the 40 participants the gender was split equally (20 females and 20 males) and all were from 4 different sports teams which were either from a contact sport (hockey and football) or a noncontact sport team (running and cheerleading). All four teams were required to fill out three different questionnaires (Buss and Perry’s aggression questionnaire, Santa Barbra’s solids test and a competitiveness questionnaire). The 2D:4D ratios were then recorded using digital calipers then calculated. All the data from the measurements and questionnaires were entered into excel and SPSS. Results- The results from this study showed that men had a higher aggression score in comparison to females; meanwhile females had a smaller 2D:4D ratio in comparison to males. The results from this study revealed that long distance runners have the lowest aggression but highest competitiveness scores in comparison to football, hockey players and cheerleading. The results found that non-contact sports where more spatially aware in comparison to contact sports teams Conclusion – The results from this study have shown conflicted data but the results do not support the popular hypothesis of the relationship of aggression, competitiveness and spatial awareness in relation to 2D:4D ratio despite males are found to be more aggressive than females. Keywords- 2D:4D ratio, Competitiveness, aggression, spatial awareness, Buss and Perry questionnaire, testosterone.Item A comparison of drug knowledge and attitude in primary(5/6) and Secondary (2/3) school pupils(Queen Margaret University, 2015)INTRODUCTION Research has not paid much attention to children in primary school regarding their knowledge of drugs and attitude to substance use compared with the secondary school aged population. The aim of this study is to assess and analyse school pupils drug knowledge and awareness, what is taught within the curriculum, their attitude towards drugs, peer-pressure and their decision making skills. Thus, in turn, accessing whether pupils are achieving expected curriculum outcomes and any future direction in interventions. METHODS This cross-sectional study was conducted in February in Edinburgh. The subjects of the study were primary (younger) and secondary (older) school pupils. The 148 participants, aged 9-14 years, responded to a self-administered questionnaire consisting of 9 questions and 24 items. The analysis was based on frequency of responses to individual questions and, where appropriate, cross tabulations (using the Chi-Square statistical test) to compare and identify statistically significant differences between particular group. RESULTS There was a significant difference in secondary pupils knowing more drugs name specifically cannabis and heroin compare to primary (0.001 and 0.000). Majority of pupils in both groups did not feel peer pressure. Drug knowledge gained was from multiple sources in both school groups. In primary school pupils had a significantly better attitude towards substance use in some outcomes (0.000 and 0.008) meanwhile secondary school pupils had a better understanding of drug knowledge in some outcomes. CONCLUSION Overall, both groups of pupils' drug knowledge and attitude towards substance use was good in terms of what they already knew. Older secondary pupils had heard of more drugs by name and appeared to have a higher autonomy from parents in getting drug related knowledge compare to Younger primary school pupils. It seems attitude about substance use among primary school was encouraging while in secondary school pupil it was slightly lacking on some outcomes but they did have a better drug knowledge and its effect on the body. Future interventions need multifaceted approach in targeting social and environmental factors of school aged children. KEY WORDS Drug knowledge and attitude, primary, secondary, , substance use, children, young people, school pupilsItem A Comparison of Drug Knowledge Between Lower Secondary and Upper Secondary School Pupils.(Queen Margaret University, 2017)Background: The Curriculum for Excellence, the current national curriculum implemented in Scottish schools, offers little in the way of drug education. Choosing primarily to focus on alcohol and tobacco misuse, the framework fails in delivering a broader and comprehensive drug education syllabus to pupils at every level of schooling. Secondary school pupils, and adolescents in general, are a particularly vulnerable and impressionable group of individuals. Therefore it is essential for them to be equipped with up to date and reliable information about drugs. Research, in the area, links several factors to adolescent and long term drug abuse. Some of these factors include early contact with drugs, peer pressure, neglectful parenting style, socio-economic background, and overall lack of drug knowledge. Whilst incidence of adolescent drug use is decreasing, in 2013, drug misuse incidents cost NHS England approximately £488 million. Thus, it is still considered a critical public health issue. Adolescent drug knowledge, of UK pupils, is an area of research which is decidedly scarce. Objectives: To compare, at what level, secondary school pupils, know more about legal, illegal, and addictive drugs, the social implications of taking drugs, and what is missing when it comes to their own drug education. Specifically those who are in lower and upper secondary school. Design: Prospective schools, North Berwick High School (lower secondary) and Carnoustie High School (upper secondary), were first contacted by email. Schools were given a brief overview of aims and objectives in order to verify their participation. A questionnaire was then developed, based on previous research, consisting of 18 qualitative and quantitative questions presented in various formats. Questionnaires were sent to both schools and adapted based upon feedback, participation from schools was confirmed. Information sheets, parent, guardian, and participant assent forms were sent to schools and consent was sought. Questionnaires were then delivered to pupils by a designated teacher. Upon completion, questionnaire data was collated and analysed using independent samples t-test for parametric data and an independent samples Mann-Whitney test for non-parametric data. A total of 63 questionnaires were completed. Males accounting for 43% and females accounting for 57% of study population. Results: Significant differences were observed in the level of knowledge between lower and upper secondary school pupils with regard to identifying illegal (p = .002), legal (p = .015), and addictive drugs (p = .000002). Upper secondary school pupils displaying greater knowledge over all three aspects. Pupil's in upper secondary school also believed legal highs to be significantly more dangerous than pupils in lower secondary school (p = .001). Significantly more females believed medicinal drugs to be completely safe (p = .027) when compared to males. Conclusion: Upper secondary school pupils appear to exhibit a greater knowledge and understanding of drugs. There is inconclusive evidence to suggest that gender is a variable of drug knowledge. The Curriculum for Excellence drug education programme could be reviewed to ensure that pupils of all years, and ages, maintain an adequate level of drug knowledge throughout their school career. Future research should apply longitudinal study formats to obtain greater understanding of changing adolescent perceptions, behaviours, and knowledge of drugs. Keywords: drug knowledge, drug education, secondary school, adolescents.Item A Comparison of the Beneficial Effects of Cherry Juice and Strawberry Volvic Water on Cognitive Function.(Queen Margaret University, 2017)Background: Cherry juice contains phenolic compounds which have found to have the ability to improve cognitive function and lower the risk the cardiovascular diseases. Objective: The aim was to determine the effects of cherry juice and strawberry Volvic water on cognitive function in healthy young 18-25 aged and older 50-70 years old volunteers. In addition to establish if the cherry juice has an influence on individuals blood pressure. Design: In this single blinded randomized cross-over study, healthy volunteers (n=23) from two age groups: younger adults (n=13) and older adult (n=13) consumed 200ml/day of control juice strawberry Volvic water or an intervention of Cherry Good juice for seven days, with a washout period of seven days. In addition blood pressure measurements also been taken before each cognitive test. Results: Younger adults tend to have higher scores all of the cognitive function tests when comparing with older adult population, however the blood pressure of younger adults is lower than the older adults. Conclusion: These study cognitive function tests results showed that to some extend cherry juice have an influence on the improving the working memory, moreover the blood pressure could be influenced slightly by the cherry juice. Key words: Cherry juice; Cognitive function; Flavonoids; Antioxidants; Blood pressure;Item A Study of the effects of Antioxidants and Caffeine in Tea on Cardiovascular Parameters and Cognitive Function(Queen Margaret University, 2015)Introduction: Tea is one of the most highly consumed beverages worldwide. Recently there has been increasing evidence that both green and black teas are beneficial for cardiovascular health and cognitive function. However studies have not focused on the effect of a variety of teas with different antioxidant and caffeine levels after just one cup consumed, where it is of interest if any have an effect on cardiovascular parameter or cognitive function. Aim: The aim of the study was to investigate the effects of two green and two black teas which contained different amounts of antioxidants and caffeine and to assess each tea's effect on cognitive function and cardiovascular parameters after just one cup consumed. Materials and Methods: The study involved the recruitment of 11 healthy university students who were measured at baseline for cardiovascular parameters and cognitive function. Participants returned on four different occasions to receive four teas - Scottish breakfast (46.8mg caffeine, 1020μmol antioxidants), decaffeinated breakfast (0mg caffeine, 1230μmol antioxidants), jasmine chun hao (36.3mg caffeine, 2619 μmol antioxidants) and gyokuro (31.38mg, 1547μmol antioxidants) and returned for the same cardiovascular parameters and cognitive function tests one hour after consumption. The study was randomised and single blinded. Results: Blood pressure decreased after the consumption of jasmine chun hao (p=0.018) and gyokuro (p=0.05). Increases in augmentation index (p=0.03) and heart rate (P=0.03) were seen after gyokuro ingestion but not with other teas consumed. Digit span length increased after Scottish breakfast (p=0.001), decaffeinated breakfast (p=0.0003), jasmine chun hao (p=0.002) and gyokuro (p=0.038). Corsi block sequence length only increased with Scottish breakfast (p=0.03) and improved changes in stroop testing were seen in only black tea consumption. Conclusion: The findings of the study do support previous evidence that both green and black teas are beneficial to health. Higher levels of antioxidants found in green tea are especially beneficially for blood pressure, where as black tea with higher caffeine is more effective in improving cognitive function. Key Words: Tea, caffeine, antioxidants, cognitive functions, cardiovascular parametersItem An Intervention Case Study on the Feeding Behaviours and Dietary Intake of Autistic Children(Queen Margaret University, 2017)Parents and teachers of special needs children have frequently raised the concern of poor dietary intake, in particular to the population concerning children with Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Scientific literatures have explored the links of food selectivity and refusal to poor dietary intake, although findings are lacking. Poor nutrition can have negative impacts on health and wellbeing, which is a stark contrast to the aims of the Scottish Governemnt's plan to include Health and Wellbeing in the new Scottish Curriculum. Due to the heterogeneity of the ASD in terms of symptoms, food selectivity and strict mealtime rituals it is very difficult to generalise for the whole population. For this reason, case studies provide a foundation for investigating this heterogeneity and develop theories in how interventions could be developed for each individual child with ASD. Keywords: Autism; Limited Food Repertoire; Nutrition; Dietary Intake; Case Study; InterventionItem An Investigation of the Relationship Between 2D:4D ratio and Respiratory Function Parameters.(Queen Margaret University, 2017)Background: Sex hormones play an important role in a high number of physiological functions including lung maturation. Studies have brought forward evidence of a direct link between prenatal sexual hormones exposure and lung physiology and capacity. The 2D:4D (second digit and forth digit) ratio is also believed to be influenced by prenatal androgens exposure, and more precisely to be negatively correlated to the prenatal testosterone exposure. Digit ratio is a sexually dysmorphic trait, men have lower digit ratio than women. Therefore it had been hypothesized that there could be an existing correlation between the digit ratio of an individual and his lung function. Objectives: To investigate if there is a significant correlation between digit ratio and lung function by measuring the digit ratio and lung function of a recruited population. Comparison between the total population predicted and measured performances were made as well as between men and women, and smokers and non-smokers. If a correlation is found, discuss any clinical application it might have. Methods: 42 healthy participants with no history of respiratory problems were recruited. First of all, their height was measured thanks to a stadiometer, then their 2nd and 4th digit were measured with digital callipers and from those measures their digit ratios were calculated. Then a Vitalograph Alpha Spirometer was used to carry out pulmonary function tests. The Pearson's Linear correlation, student's paired and independent t-test statistical tests were used for analysis. Results: There was no significant correlation between digit ratio and any of the four lung function tests from the total population (n=40), females alone (n=25), males alone (n=15), non-smokers alone (n=36) and smokers alone (n=4). There were no significant correlations observed between DR and the predicted measurements from the total population, females, males, non-smokers and smokers. Males performed significantly better than females in the lung function tests, and had lower digit ratios however they were not significantly different from females digit ratio (M: 0.99±0.04 vs. F: 1.00±0.03, P=0.289). Overall the total population significantly underperformed. Discussion: Our results did not support the theory of an existing correlation between digit ratio and lung function. However other studies carried out on a larger population presented different results. Our study had some limitations, first of all the results of the pulmonary function tests were collected after the participants' first try, hence most of them probably underperformed. Furthermore, our population was restricted. To further understand the true nature of digit ratio and possibly to find out clinical application, a large scale study with varying ages, health conditions and smoking status would need to be carried out. Other factors such as age, physical activity and smoking habits might have a more important influence on lung function than prenatal androgens exposure. Keywords: 2D:4D ratio, Lung Function, Sex Hormones.Item The Antibacterial Properties and Biochemical Composition of Honey(2020)Antibiotic resistance is a threat posed by the current overuse of conventional treatments. Honey is attracting research for use as a therapeutic agent as it has been established as a remedy for decades, especially for wound care. Honey contains naturally occurring multi-faceted properties. As a consequence, clinical pathogens such as Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa would reap the benefits of dermatological treatment using honey especially as it can ameliorate resistant strains as well as both gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria. There is evidence of variation in the antibacterial ability of honeys from different geographical locations, seasonal times and plants. It is imperative that a range of honeys are tested so that favorable traits are designated for the establishment of a medicinal honey. This study demonstrates the mechanism of action of a range of honeys namely Manuka honey, Active Honey, (Clear) Runny honey and Medihoney will be tested also in combination with antibiotics against facultative anaerobes Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains. Compositional analyses of honeys are examined to determine antibacterial properties. After 24hrs incubation by the method of a serial broth dilution assay, a viable count was obtained alongside sterile Tryptone soy broth (TSB) control solution. Biochemical analysis was carried out by using suitable practices such as pH strips indicators, Ciocalteau and Folin method for polyphenol content, FRAP assay for antioxidant capacity, Refractometer for sugar content and a qualitative analysis for the levels of H2O2 produced. The results are positive for honeys antimicrobial ability for inhibiting growth in 75% honey solutions in comparison with TSB controls (p≤ 0.05). S. aureus and P. aeruginosa mixtures showed less growth. P. aeruginosa has a higher survival rate. The biochemical results support honeys bactericidal qualities. Antibiotic testing reveals that Runny honey and Active honey have the greatest impact. In conclusion, this study is essential to further the research in combatting multiresistant strains of bacteria.Item Antioxidant content of various oils following reaching smoking point.(Queen Margaret University, 2016)Background: Antioxidants are potent reducing agents which inhibit the oxidative process by neutralising or preventing the formation of reactive oxygen species. To better understand the beneficial effects of antioxidant compounds in the chosen oils it is important to investigate whether these bioactive compounds differ in extra virgin or refined types and how heating influences its level. Objectives: To measure the antioxidant content of oils before and after reaching the smoking point. To measure the total polyphenol content of oils before and after reaching the smoking point. To identify the smoking points of oils. Methods: The antioxidant capacity of different oils is determined using the ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) method. The total phenolic content is determined using the Folin-Ciocalteau colourimetric method. The smoking point of each oil is measured by sugar thermometer. Results: Mean antioxidant and polyphenol levels of all oils after reaching the smoking point were higher than before heating. Antioxidant level was higher before heating only for extra virgin olive oil. The total polyphenolic content was higher before heating for extra virgin olive oil, extra virgin coconut oil and coconut oil. Rapeseed oil showed the highest antioxidant level of all oils both before and after cooking what indicates a strong thermal stability. Extra virgin coconut oil showed the lowest antioxidant level of all oils both before and after cooking. Extra virgin olive oil showed the highest polyphenolic content of all oils before and after cooking. The highest smoking point had rapeseed oil and the lowest the extra virgin rapeseed oil. Conclusion: Significant differences in antioxidant and polyphenolic contents were found between oils before and after reaching the smoking point. A strong positive correlation was found between FRAP values and total phenolic content, p < .0005. The mean total antioxidant and polyphenol levels were higher after heating the samples. This suggests that health benefits from antioxidants can be obtained even after reaching smoking point. Key Words: antioxidants, polyphenols, smoking point, oils, FRAP, Folin-Ciocalteau method.Item Caffeine increases the cognitive speed and accuracy of collegiate athletes.(2018)Background Caffeine has been shown to be an effective ergogenic aid and to enhance cognitive function and reaction times. Cognitive speed, accuracy and reaction times are very important to in-game performance, yet there is limited research demonstrating this effect in athletes. Caffeine has also been said to impact women and men differently, however research investigating a gender difference in athlete’s cardiovascular response to caffeine is also scarce. Objectives The aim was to investigate the effect of caffeine on the cognitive function, cardiovascular function and reaction times of collegiate athletes. Objectives were to determine the effect of caffeine on cognitive speed and accuracy, the impact caffeine has on cardiovascular function of athletes and whether response to caffeine is influenced by gender and sport (basketball or rugby) and to use a computerised program to assess the influence of caffeine on athlete reaction time. Method In this randomised, placebo-controlled, crossover study, blood pressure and heart rate along with baseline reaction time and cognitive function (using the Stroop test) of 25 volunteers (11 female) was measured. Subjects then received a caffeinated energy drink (Caffeine) or placebo (Control) and waited 45 minutes before repeating the testing protocol again. After 1 week, participants returned to repeat the protocol again, receiving the opposite drink. Results Cognitive speed improved in the Stroop test (125.3 seconds pre-caffeine to 115.1 seconds post-caffeine, 0.001≤p≤0.002). Cognitive accuracy during the Stroop test also improved (2.92 total errors pre-caffeine to 1.76 errors post-caffeine, p=0.001). Caffeine significantly increased systolic blood pressure (SBP) (p=0.03) but had no effect on heart rate (HR). Whereas Control decreased HR (p=0.03) but had no impact on SBP. There was no difference in response by gender or by sport and caffeine had no effect on reaction times. Discussion Cognitive speed and accuracy were significantly improved following caffeine supplementation in comparison to control. Caffeine significantly increased SBP, a result commonly expressed in previous literature. This was the first study to compare cardiovascular response to caffeine by gender and sport-type, however gender and sport-type had no significant influence. The results of this study suggest caffeine effectively enhances cognitive speed and accuracy of athletes, but will not influence their reaction times. Also, cardiovascular response to caffeine does not differ by gender or between basketball and rugby players. Key Words: Caffeine, Athlete, Stroop Test, Reaction Time, Blood Pressure, Cognitive FunctionItem Changes in 𝛼-amylase activity and total polyphenol and antioxidant content in two varities of barley (Horedeum vulgare) relative to germination(2018)Introduction: The production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (ROS) are by-products produced by a cellular redox process. At high levels, these by-products cause oxidative stress which can cause degenerative ailments such as diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis and atherosclerosis. The body produces antioxidants in response to oxidative stress which are either naturally produced in situ or supplied externally through the diet. Intriguingly, polyphenols which are naturally occurring compounds found in fruit, vegetables and cereals have also been discovered to have strong antioxidant nature. Recently, research has been drawn towards the antioxidant and polyphenol profiles of cereals and more importantly in barley (Horedeum vulgare). Barley is now gaining interest mainly as a functional food but is also a vital component for the beer and whisky industry, this is due to the germination of barley and its increase in alpha-amylase activity. Objectives: This study aimed to assess the effect of antioxidant and polyphenol content and alpha amylase activity in two varieties of barley during germination and thus add to the current body of literature. Methods: For alpha-amylase activity both varieties of barley grain were cut along the equatorial plane separating the grain into embryo and non-embryo halves and used in the starch agar diffusion method. To measure antioxidant and polyphenol content both Ferric-reducing Antioxidant Potential Assay (FRAP) and Folin and Ciocalteau assays were used. The two varieties of barley seed were ground up and supernatant was extracted and used in either a 96 well plate-reader or spectrophotometer. Results: In alpha-amylase activity, Brewer’s barley (BB), ANOVA showed statistical significance with respect to time (p<0.0001), however a paired t test suggested no significance between embryo and non-embryo halves of the grain at time-points 0, 24 and 48 h. Though, in Distiller’s barley (DB), ANOVA results showed there was no statistical difference between embryo and non-embryo halves and paired t test revealed no significance at time 0, 24 and 48. When embryo included halves of both varieties of barley grains were compared, it found no statistical difference at 0 hours but was significant at 24 h (p<0.001) and at 48 h (p<0.0001). This was repeated again, except embryo excluded halves in both varieties and it again found no significance at 0 h but significance at 24 h (p<0.01) and at 48 h (p<0.0001). A standard curve agar plate was set up with concentrations of 1mg/ml and 2mg/ml to confirm that activity depends on both time and concentration of alpha-amylase. For both FRAP and Folin assays, totally polyphenol and antioxidant content decreased over a germination period of 48 h in both varieties of barley with the exception of a minor increase in polyphenol content in DB over 24 h were it then maintained till end of study (48 h). Conclusion: As with previous studies, it was found that amylase activity increased with time and concentration for both varieties and both embryo and non-embryo halves of the grain. Highest alpha amylase activity was seen in Brewer’s Barley and lowest was in Distiller’s barley. The effect of germination on both FRAP and Folin assays predominantly suggests that germination decreases both antioxidant and polyphenolic activity of Brewers and Distiller’s barley. Key words: Barley, Antioxidants, Polyphenols, FRAP, Folin, Alpha-amylase, GerminationItem Comparison of Drug Knowledge Between Upper Primary and Lower Secondary School Pupils(Queen Margaret University, 2016)Background: There is a gap in the literature regarding drug education within Scottish Primary and Secondary Schools. Although a wide variety of substances are included in the teaching guidelines of the Curriculum for Excellence; alcohol and tobacco use take main priority. However, illegal drug use at a young age can have serious consequences later on in life and the abuse of legal drugs such as over-the-counter analgesics and prescription medications is becoming a common normality. Aims: To compare the knowledge of upper Primary and lower Secondary school pupils regarding legal and illegal drugs. Design: A self-created questionnaire consisting of 12 quantitative and qualitative questions. Four questions consisted of right and wrong answers regarding legal and illegal drugs, the most abused drug, medical purposes and street names for marijuana to access knowledge, while others related to peer pressure, sources of information and the effects of drugs on day to day life. Results: Secondary school pupils were significantly more able to distinguish between illegal and legal drugs compared to Primary pupils (p<0.001). Both participating groups were unaware that prescription medicines are the second most abused drug. Medicines were known by more Secondary than Primary pupils (p<0.001) but paracetamol and antibiotics were unknown by 9% of Primary participants. Drug knowledge was rated significantly lower for Primary than Secondary school pupils (5 to 7). Further, 94% of Primary school participants thought marijuana was dangerous compared to 63% of Secondary pupils who were more conversant with the street names of marijuana. Participants drug knowledge sources for Primary Verses Secondary show strong significance for parents, teachers and television (p≤0.05) and friends were a higher source of drug knowledge for males compared to females (p≤0.05). Primary school pupils rated peer pressure significantly higher than Secondary (6 to 4) and females are more pressured than males to take drugs from friends (p≤0.05). Secondary school pupils were more aware of all aspects of life drugs can affect (p<0.001) and 63% regarded their drug education as sufficient compared to 43% of Primary Pupils. Conclusion: Secondary school pupils had greater overall drug knowledge compared to Primary school pupils which could be accredited to the different substance topics covered by either classroom or qualified personal and social education teachers. Drug education incorporating both illegal and legal drugs at earlier years may improve knowledge. Schools and parents should encourage parent-child communication regarding drugs rather than unreliable sources. Key Words: Schools, Scotland, Drugs, Education, Knowledge, AwarenessItem Determining the relationship between hyperglycaemia and endothelial function in young healthy adults(Queen Margaret University, 2015)Background: Evidence suggests that hyperglycaemia can cause endothelial dysfunction, increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease. Previous studies which have investigated oral glucose loading on endothelial function have generally focussed on older individuals with age-associated ailments; therefore little data exists in regards to these effects in younger, healthier adults. Furthermore, only a small number of these studies have used a non-glucose solution as an experimental control in order to rule out effects not directly attributable to glucose. Objective: To investigate the effects of hyperglycaemia on endothelial function in young, healthy adults. Methods: Using a single-blinded, within-subject study design, five healthy participants (3 male, 2 female), aged 21.6 ± 0.24 years old each consumed a glucose drink (75g glucose in 250ml water) and two non-glucose control drinks (1.5g of Canderel in 250ml water or 250ml of water alone) in a randomized order over three separate days. Endothelial function was measured by pulse wave velocity and augmentation index at baseline and at 30, 60 and 90 minutes after consumption of each drink. Blood and saliva samples were collected for the determination of glucose levels in addition to measurements of systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure and heart rate at the same time points. Results: Blood glucose levels significantly increased at 30 minutes following consumption of the glucose drink (p>0.002) but no significant increase in blood glucose was evident at 60 and 90 minutes. Canderel and water did not significantly increase blood glucose levels, however none of the drinks led to a significant difference in salivary glucose. There were no significant differences in pulse wave velocity, augmentation index, diastolic blood pressure or heart rate within or between the drinks over 90 minutes. There were no significant differences in systolic blood pressure within the three drinks over 90 minutes. No significant differences in SBP were found between the three drinks at 30 or 90 minutes, however at 60 minutes, SBP following water was significantly higher compared Canderel (p=0.031). Conclusion: An oral glucose load of 75g did not have a significant effect on endothelial function, measured by pulse wave velocity and augmentation index, among a population of young healthy adults over a period of 90 minutes. Keywords: hyperglycaemia, endothelial function, pulse wave velocity, augmentation index, young healthy adults
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