[The relationship between the effect of amlodipine on carotid intimal-medial thickness and angiotensin converting enzyme genotypes in elderly hypertensive patients].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association between the anti-atherosclerotic effects of amlodipine and angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) gene insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism in elderly essential hypertensive (EH) patients. METHODS: A total of 220 EH patients were treated with amlodipine (2.5 - 10 mg, once daily) for twelve months and complete data were obtained from 208 patients with genotypes of II (n = 90), ID (n = 91) and DD (n = 27). The indices of carotid arterial were compared before and post amlodipine treatment in patients with identical genotype and among different ACE genotypes and each genotype post therapy. RESULTS: The carotid mean intimal-medial thickness (MIMT) was slightly decreased in EH patients with ID and DD genotypes and significantly decreased in EH patients with II genotype (0.96 +/- 0.12 vs. 0.92 +/- 0.13, P < 0.01) compared to pre-treatment values. The decreased degree of MIMT (DeltaMIMT) in II genotype was significantly higher in II genotype than those in ID or DD genotype (0.05 +/- 0.03 vs. 0.01 +/- 0.02, 0.01 +/- 0.03 respectively, P < 0.01). The post treatment plaque score (PS) in patients with II genotype was significantly reduced (4.85 +/- 2.51 vs. 3.90 +/- 2.36, P < 0.05). Multivariate linear regression analysis showed the baseline SBP, the decreased degree of SBP (DeltaSBP) and the II genotype were the major factors affecting the DeltaMIMT. CONCLUSION: Hypertensive patients carrying II genotype ACE genotype are the best responders for the anti-atherosclerotic effects of amlodipine.

[Phosphorus adsorption and regeneration of electric arc furnace steel slag as wetland medium].

The long-term phosphorus (P) adsorption and retention capacities of electric arc furnace (EAF) steel slag materials derived from one batch and a 278-d column experiments with a synthetic P solution were compared. The investigations of the regeneration of the P adsorption capacity by water level decrease was conducted. It was revealed column experiment on a long-term basis can determine P saturation of EAF accurately. And the results can be used for realistic estimations of constructed wetland systems (CWS) longevity. EAF slag showed a high afinity for P, reaching a saturation value of 1.65 g/kg. Regeneration experiment of the P adsorbing capacity by this material showed that, after 4 weeks of water level decrease, EAF steel slag was able to increase its initial P adsorption capacity to 2.65 g/kg. A sequential P fractionation experiment was performed to quantify the proportion of P bound to mineral compounds in EAF. From the most loosely bound to the most strongly bound P fraction, P1 was associated with resin extractable (13%), Fe extractable (0.5 mol/L Na2CO3, 39%), Al extractable (0.1 mol/L NaOH, 21%), Ca extractable (1 mol/L HCl, 13%), and Ca in a stable residual pool (concentrated hot HCl, 14%). X-ray fluorescence analyses of EAF steel slag chemical composition revealed that the continuous application of a P solution resulted in 300% and 170% increases in K2O and P2O5, respectively. Al2O3 and FeO increased by 8%, while the portion of CaO remained unchanged. The investigated properties (P retention potential, regeneration of P adsorption, P fractionation) provide useful data about the suitability of slag material as a media for longterm P removal and dry-wet operation can improve P retention capacity of EAF to prolong the longevity of full-scale CWS.

[Property of ammonium adsorption on sediments in ditches and adjacent soils].

Static adsorption experiments were performed to investigate the adsorption characteristics of ammonium on soils and ditch sediments. Air-dry soil, ditch sediment and wet ditch sediment were used as three kinds of sorbents. The experiments showed that the adsorption isotherms on three sorbents agreed well with linear relation and conformed to Freundlich isotherm; the adsorption ability of soil was stronger than that of ditch sediment, and for the blank ammonium concentrations of soil were higher than that of sediments. The adsorption mechanisms were related to the characteristics of interface, and ion exchange was the main adsorption function under certain concentration range. Effects of temperature on the adsorption of sorbents were observed. The results showed that the quantity of absorbed ammonium slightly decreased with the increasing of temperature under higher concentrations of ammonium.

[Antihypertensive therapy in 357 inpatients of elderly isolated systolic hypertension].

OBJECTIVE: To determine the therapeutic status and rate of reaching target blood pressure in elderly isolated systolic hypertension (EISH) patients who were hospitalized and to discuss the rationality of the drug therapy. METHODS: Three hundred and fifty-seven EISH inpatients were investigated retrospectively. The frequencies of using antihypertensive drugs and the strategy of drug therapy programs were calculated. The drug efficacies were assessed among various drug therapy groups. RESULTS: The frequencies of using antihypertensive medicine categories were calcium channel blocker (CCB) 64. 15%, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI) 32.77%, diuretics 26.33%, beta-blocker (BB) 25.77%, angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) 23.81%, and alpha-blocker 4.20%, respectively. Among the 357 cases 42.86% were treated with monotherapy while 57.14% with combined therapy. Among the combination therapy groups, the diuretic-based multiple therapy occupied 16.53%, and the non-diuretic-based multiple therapy held 40.62%. The systolic blood pressure control rate was 67.79%. The rate of diastolic blood pressure < or = 70 mmHg was 26.89%, 8 cases of them occurred myocardial ischemia. CONCLUSION: How to select the optimal antihypertensive drug therapy for EISH patients is important in achieving the blood pressure goal. While thinking over intervention at lower blood pressure levels to achieve target goals, physicians should prevent from excessively lowering the diastolic blood pressure.

[Laser resonance ionization spectroscopy of even-parity autoionization states of cerium atom].

This paper describes the investigation of even-parity autoionization states of cerium atoms by three-step three-color resonance ionization spectroscopy (RIS). Twenty-seven odd-parity highly excited levels, whose transition probability is high, were used in this research. One hundred and forty-one autoionization states were found by these channels with the third-step laser scanning in the wavelength range of 634-670 nm. The ionization probabilities of different channels, which had higher cross sections, were compared. On the basis of this, eight optimal photoionization schemes of cerium atom have been given.

[Identification of odd-parity high-lying lever of Ce I by laser resonance ionization spectroscopy (I): 32,042-34,575 cm-1].

Laser resonance ionization spectroscopy (RIS) is an excellent technique for investigating the complicated atomic structure of heavy elements especially in their higher-energy region. In order to obtain the optimal photoionization scheme of cerium atom, odd-parity high-lying states were studied using this technique. The 83 odd-parity high-lying levers have been firstly observed by two-step resonance laser excitation followed by non-resonance photoionization in the 32,042-34,575 cm-1 energy region. These high-lying states have been measured. The possible angular momentum quantum numbers J are assigned for these levels.