A review of the safety and efficacy of nebivolol in the mildly hypertensive patient

Nebivolol is a third generation beta-blocker, which can be distinguished from other beta-blockers by its hemodynamic profile. It combines beta-adrenergic blocking activity with a vasodilating effect mediated by the endothelial L-arginine nitric oxide (NO) pathway. The effects of nebivolol have been compared with other beta-blockers and also with other classes of antihypertensive agents. In general, response rates to treatment are higher, and the frequency and severity of adverse events are either comparable or lower with nebivolol. Nebivolol is also effective in reducing cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in elderly patients with heart failure, regardless of the initial ejection fraction. Endothelium-derived NO is important in the regulation of large arterial stiffness, which in turn is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Treatment with nebivolol increases the release of NO from the endothelium and improves endothelial function, leading to a reduction in arterial stiffness. Decreased arterial stiffness has beneficial hemodynamic effects including reductions in central aortic blood pressure. Unlike first generation beta-blockerrs, vasodilator beta-blockerrs such as nebivolol have favorable hemodynamic effects, which may translate into improved cardiovascular outcomes in patients with hypertension

Civilian Applications of Atomic Energy

Sir John Cockcroft showed a film illustrating the handling of radioactive materials at Harwell. He concluded the lecture by saying that great care had to be taken in disposing of the radioactive affluent. Before discharging it into the Thames which is the source of London's water supply they had to be quite certain that the radioactivity level in the water was very low

THE RELIABILITY AND USEFULNESS OF BIOMECHANICAL MEASURES OF COUNTERMOVEMENT JUMP PERFORMANCE IN ELITE ROWERS

Countermovement jump performance and associated biomechanical variables are commonly used to monitor athletes’ neuromuscular function. The purpose of this study was to quantify the reliability and usefulness of these variables in a cohort of fourteen elite male rowers, and to apply these findings in individual athlete monitoring. Seven of the nine variables demonstrated acceptable reliability (CV \u3c 5%). Peak power was classified as OK for usefulness (CV ≈ SWC; signal-to-noise ratio ≈ 1) while all others were classified as poor. Within the athlete monitoring program, many of the observed changes in countermovement jump variables exceeded the threshold for interpretation of a clear change based on the signal-to-noise ratio. This study demonstrates the importance of understanding the reliability and usefulness measurements for accurate interpretation of monitoring data

Young athletes under pressure?

Regular participation in exercise has long been known to result in cardiovascular adaptation. Historically, the ‘athlete’s heart’ hypothesis has encouraged a dichotomised view of the heart’s adaptation to sport, depending on whether the physical activity was either of isotonic activity (runners and swimmers) resulting in ‘cardiomegaly’ or of isometric effort (wrestlers and shot putters, ie, ‘strength’ athletes) with clear peripheral adaptations and an ‘obvious increase in cardiac size’. Today, the classification of sports according to their physiological demands acknowledges a greater diversity of exposure, depending on the physical activity, with an emphasis on a ‘graded transition’ between the main categories: dynamic, static and impact. Still, our understanding of the determinants of structural and functional cardiovascular adaptation to exercise are limited, and the consequences for health remain a matter of debate

1st Conference of the South African Society of Biomechanics

Abstracts for the Conference of the South African Society of Biomechanic

A LARGE-SCALE NUMERICAL ANALYSIS OF UNIMODAL AND BIMODAL FEATURES IN FORCE PLATE DATA MEASURED DURING VERTICAL COUNTERMOVEMENT JUMPING

This study presents a novel algorithm for automatically analyzing modality patterns in countermovement jump (CMJ) force-time curves. Bimodal peaks (Fz1, Fz3) are identified using a minimum threshold (Ttrough_drop) for their relative drop to the intermediate trough value (Fz2). In a large sample of athletes (n = 214), 75% of jumps were technically bimodal (Ttrough_drop \u3e 0%) but this decreased to 17% (Ttrough_drop \u3e 5%) and 0% (Ttrough_drop \u3e 20%) using alternative definitions. This suggests that conflicting findings in other studies may be explained by a lack of standardized criteria for classifying modality. The drop from Fz1 to Fz2 in bimodal jumps was also largely correlated (r = 0.75) to the force at zero velocity and braking acceleration (r = 0.63). These findings highlight the potential value of extracting new quantitative features related to curve modality for CMJ research and interpretation

A simple and rapid test of physical performance in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Impaired physical performance is common in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), but its assessment can be difficult in routine clinical practice. We compared the timed up and go (TUG) test and other easily applied assessments of physical performance with the 6-minute walk distance (6MWD). In a longitudinal study of comorbidities in COPD, submaximal physical performance was determined in 520 patients and 150 controls using the TUG test and 6MWD. Spirometry, body composition, handgrip strength, the COPD assessment test, St George’s Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ), and the modified Medical Research Council dyspnoea scale were also determined. Patients and controls were similar in age, body mass index, and sex proportions. The TUG in the patients was greater than that in the control group, P=0.001, and was inversely related to 6MWD (r=−0.71, P<0.001) and forced expiratory volume in one second predicted (r=−0.19, P<0.01) and was directly related to the SGRQ activity (r=0.39, P<0.001), SGRQ total (r=0.37, P<0.001), and total COPD assessment test scores (r=0.37, P<0.001). The TUG identified the difference in physical performance between patients and controls. The TUG test and validated questionnaires provide a measure of physical performance, which is rapid and could be used in clinical practice

Hip-knee coupling in rugby place kicking at three different distances

The purpose of the study was to investigate hip-knee coupling in rugby place kickers, kicking at three different distances from the posts (40 m, 32 m, and 22 m). An optoelectronic motion capture system consisting of ten cameras was used for capturing total body kinematic data. Data collection took place outdoor, on a rugby field. During the forward swing a period of in-phase is reported as both the hip and the knee were flexing, creating a whip-like action. Even though absolute changes in joint angles of hip flexion and knee extension were seen, no changes were reported for the coordination patterns when kicking at different distances (22 m, 32 m, 40 m), indicating no change in movement strategy when kicking at different intensities

Daily physical activity and related risk factors in COPD

Background Factors associated with reduced daily physical activity (DPA) in patients with COPD are still controversial. Physical inactivity in COPD increases risk of cardiovascular disease, frequent exacerbations, reduced health status, and increased symptoms. We hypothesised that reduced DPA in patients with COPD is independent of traditional risk factors including age and spirometry. Methods In this cross-sectional study, DPA (over 7 days) was assessed on 88 community stable patients with COPD and 40 controls free from cardiorespiratory disease. Spirometry, body composition, number of exacerbations, handgrip strength (HGS), modified Medical Research Council (mMRC), arterial stiffness, 6-min walking distance (6MWD) and BODE index were also determined. Frequent exacerbation was defined as ≥2 and non-frequent exacerbation < 2. Results Patients with COPD had reduced DPA and exercise capacity compared with controls similar in age, BMI and gender, p  0.05. The level of breathlessness was superior to lung function in predicting the level of DPA. Conclusion The level of DPA in COPD was independent of traditional risk factors. Breathlessness score is a better predictor of the DPA than lung function and handgrip strength