Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Alberta, 2009. / A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, Food Science and Technology, Department of Agricultural, Food, and Nutritional Science. Title from pdf file main screen (viewed on January 10, 2010). Includes bibliographical references.

The illicit use of prescription stimulants among college undergraduates is a prevalent and dangerous problem on college campuses across the United States. Though classified by the U. S. Drug Enforcement Agency as schedule II controlled substances (U.S. Department of Justice, 2008), undergraduates obtain these medications through peers and friends, and report misusing of these stimulants to aid their concentration and studying (DeSantis, Webb, & Noar, 2008). Because extant research concludes that the prevalence of the misuse of prescription stimulants (MPS) peaks among undergraduates, this research was guided by the Theory of Planned Behavior (Ajzen, 1985, 1991) as well as a memorable messages framework (Knapp, Stohl, & Reardon, 1981), and sought to examine the messages that college students recall about MPS, how those messages are associated with student’s intention to use stimulants directly, as well as indirectly through changes in attitudes, normative beliefs, and efficacy, and finally, to examine if receiving a memorable message predicts changes in intention to use, or actual use of stimulants over time. Data for the main study were collected in October 2014, and 137 undergraduate students reported a memorable message about MPS and were retained for analysis. Four weeks later, a follow-up survey was launched, and 89 undergraduates also completed the second survey. Results suggest that undergraduates do recall memorable messages about MPS, and the content focuses on the themes of academics, health outcomes, and responsible use. Additionally, memorable messages tended to be more negative than positive, and came from a variety of sources including close friends and peers, family members, instructors, and medical professionals, to name a few. Further, participants’ attitudes and normative beliefs were positively associated with behavioral intention at Time 1. Additionally, behavioral intention at Time 1 was positively associated with behavioral use at Time 2. The findings from this research provide several practical implications for future health education and promotion campaigns.

Diss. (sammanfattning) Stockholm : Karol. inst., 2003. / Härtill 6 uppsatser.

Diss. (sammanfattning) Stockholm : Karolinska institutet, 2005. / Härtill 5 uppsatser.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Alberta, 2010. / A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, Centre of Neuroscience. Title from pdf file main screen (viewed on April 18, 2010). Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin, 1954. / Typescript (carbon copy). eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves [53]-[60]).

The thesis research the frequency of illegal drugs use by student sof Univerzity of South Bohemia in the Czech Budějovice. In the theoretical part are characterized by drugs, illegal drugs and the effects of drug use on health, describes the emergence of drug addiction and its types and developmental stages of drug use. Furthermore, illegal drugs are divided into categories according to their effects and further described. The main aim of the practical part is the analysis of illegal drug use by students of the University of South Bohemia. On the basis of a questionnaire compiled data was found and it was statistically analyzed by the method, compares and conclusions were drawn. Over the past year have used an illegal drug 37.83% of respondents, that 2.91% of the respondents use illegal drugs daily. Earlier experience with illegal drugs has 18.78% of students of the University of South Bohemia. Past experience with drugs is more common in women, while use in the last year is much more common in men. The most commonly used substances are cannabinoids, as well as hallucinogens, opiates and finally stimulanci.

Caffeine consistently enhances endurance performance in temperate environmental conditions, while far less research has examined its ergogenic and physiological effects during prolonged exercise in the heat. Despite the performance benefit of an acute caffeine doses being less pronounced in regular caffeine users versus those not habituated to the drug, few studies have examined the influence of a prolonged period of controlled caffeine intake on endurance performance. The endogenous trace amine octopamine is purported to possess stimulant-like properties and influence fat metabolism, although no study has examined these effects in humans. The aim of this thesis was to further characterise the performance and physiological effects of caffeine during prolonged exercise, while elucidating a potential ergogenic role for octopamine. The first two studies investigated the ergogenic and thermoregulatory effects of low to moderate caffeine doses during prolonged cycle exercise in the heat. Chapter 4 demonstrated that 3 mg kg-1 caffeine, administered either as a single or split-dose (2 x 1.5 mg kg-1) before exercise, improved endurance performance without influencing thermoregulation during prolonged exercise at a fixed work-rate. Dividing the caffeine bolus appeared to confer an additional performance benefit, suggesting repeated low dose may potentiate the efficiency of the same total caffeine dose under these conditions. Chapter 5 demonstrated that a 6 mg kg-1 caffeine dose improved endurance cycle performance without differentially influencing thermoregulation than placebo. The level of habituation to caffeine influences the ergogenic effect of an acute dose, yet previous studies have employed sub-chronic supplementation protocols. Chapter 6 investigated the effect of a twenty-eight day supplementation period on endurance cycle performance. Habituation to caffeine attenuated the ergogenic effect of an acute caffeine dose, without any change in circulating caffeine, substrate oxidation or hormonal concentrations. In chapter 7 the performance and metabolic effects of octopamine was investigated. Octopamine supplementation did not influence performance, hormonal concentrations or substrate oxidation, likely due to low serum concentrations of the drug.

FundaÃÃo de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Cearà / Os acidentes de trÃnsito envolvendo motoristas de caminhÃo pÃem em risco tanto a vida desses profissionais como a da sociedade em geral. Entre outras causas de acidentes, podem estar o consumo de estimulantes e de drogas de abuso; os distÃrbios do sono; a idade; a fadiga e o ritmo de trabalho; a imprudÃncia; as condiÃÃes das vias. Hà poucos estudos no Brasil articulando o uso de estimulantes, os problemas de sono e o estado de humor desses profissionais. à importante que estudos sejam feitos para se tentar reduzir os acidentes nas estradas brasileiras. Este estudo tem por objetivo investigar o uso de estimulantes, as queixas relacionadas ao sono e o estado de humor em 300 motoristas profissionais de caminhÃo oriundos de todo o PaÃs. Foram aplicados os seguintes questionÃrios: Ãndice da Qualidade de Sono de Pittsburgh, Escala de SonolÃncia de Epworth, QuestionÃrio sobre o uso de medicamentos e drogas, M.I.N.I (Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview) e InventÃrio Beck para DepressÃo. A idade mÃdia dos entrevistados foi de 38,2 anos e cerca de 51,5% eram autÃnomos. A maioria dos motoristas trabalhava acima de 60 horas semanais e dirigia mais de 10 horas seguidas, sem intervalo para descanso ou sono. Os motoristas autÃnomos eram mais velhos, possuÃam melhor grau de escolaridade, melhor renda mensal e bebiam menos Ãlcool do que aqueles com vÃnculo empregatÃcio. Os autÃnomos tambÃm trabalhavam mais horas por semana, porÃm dirigiam menos horas seguidas do que os assalariados. Um percentual de 34,9% dos indivÃduos afirmou usar anfetaminas para nÃo cochilar ao volante e 90,7% disseram conhecer colegas que as usavam com essa finalidade, o que pode sugerir uma taxa mais elevada de uso de anfetaminas. Quarenta e seis por cento dos entrevistados tiveram mà qualidade de sono e 55% apresentaram sonolÃncia excessiva. Foi observado estado depressivo em 13,7% dos motoristas, portanto acima da mÃdia da populaÃÃo em geral. Conclui-se que os motoristas profissionais de caminhÃo apresentam freqÃÃncia elevada de mà qualidade de sono, hipersonolÃncia e depressÃo. Esses achados sugerem a alta prevalÃncia do uso de estimulantes e jornadas de trabalho inadequadas, entre outros possÃveis fatores. Sugere-se que sejam tomadas medidas para solucionar esses problemas, tanto para preservar a saÃde, e melhorar a qualidade de vida destes profissionais, quanto para garantir seguranÃa nas estradas brasileiras. / The traffic accidents involving truck drivers put in risk the life of these professionals as well as the society in general. The consumption of stimulants and drugs of abuse, the sleep disturbance, the age, the fatigue and the rhythm of work; the imprudence, the conditions of the rail ways can be the main causes. There are few studies in Brazil articulating the use of stimulants, the problems of sleep and the state of mood of these professionals. Thus, because of the singular rhythm of life and the vices of this population it is important to make studies to try to reduce the accidents in Brazilian roads. Studies had been lead to investigate the use of stimulants, the complaints related to sleep and the state of mood in 300 professional truck drivers by means of the following questionnaires: Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Epworth Sleepiness Scale, Questionnaire on the Use of Medicine and Drugs, M.I.N.I (Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview) and Beck Depression Inventory. The data indicate that the average age of the professionals interviewed was 38.2 years and that about 51.5% was autonomous. The majority of the drivers used to work above 60 weekly hours and used to drive more than 10 followed hours without rest or sleep. Autonomous workers were older, had a better educational level, a better salary and drink less alcohol than the salaried employee. Autonomous workers also worked more hours per week, however they used to drive less followed hours than the salaried employee. This suggests that autonomous workers are more experienced and more careful than the salaried employee. A percentage of 34.9% of the individuals affirmed to use amphetamines not to doze while on duty and 90.7% said to know colleagues who used them with the same purpose, what suggest that more drivers use amphetamines and they had not wanted to admit. Forty six percent of the interviewed people had bad quality of sleep and 55.0% presented excessive sleepiness. It can be said that in general the drivers do not sleep well, fact that it is not compatible with the profession. Depressive state was observed in 13.7% of the drivers, percentage that is above the average found in some studies with populations in general. Because of long and exhausting hours of working without rest, the truck drivers use amphetamines not to doze, have sleep disturbance, excessive sleepiness and depression. Thus, it is necessary to do something to reduce the risks of accidents, involving the drivers, the companies of loads and the authorities.

The abuse of prescription stimulants among college students is a growing public health concern. While these substances are often viewed as safe, “smart drugs”, they are associated with a number of maladaptive outcomes, ranging from poorer academic performance to cardiovascular incidents and even death. To date, the majority of research on the abuse of these substances have focused on demographic factors which are not amenable to intervention, such as race, Greek organization status, and class rank. The current study examined family factors, academic stress, and impulsivity as potential risk factors which are amenable to intervention. In a sample of 335 undergraduate students, no associations were found between family variables and prescription stimulant abuse or academic stress and prescription stimulant abuse. Inconsistent support was found for an association between impulsivity and prescription stimulant abuse.