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Harmonic lattice dynamics calculations have been performed for the antiferroelectric P213 ordered phase of α-carbon monoxide and for two related structures with a different head–tail ordering of the CO molecules. The potential used is an ab initio CO–CO potential with its anisotropy expanded in spherical harmonics, as well as a site–site model fitted to this ab initio potential. Good agreement with experiment is obtained for the structure, the cohesion energy, and the phonon frequencies without any adjustment of the potential. Head–tail reordering of the molecules is energetically almost neutral if it is accompanied by a translational displacement along the bond axes, which is symmetric with respect to the inversion centers of the average Pa3 structure. This displacement is induced in particular by the strong head–tail anisotropy in the short-range repulsion. Translation–rotation coupling is found to be important; it affects especially the frequency of the lowest optical mode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract. Hillege HL, Janssen WMT, Bak AAA, Diercks GFH, Grobbee DE, Crijns HJGM, van Gilst WH, de Zeeuw D, de Jong PE for the PREVEND Study group (University of Groningen and University Hospital Groningen, Groningen; University Medical centre, Utrecht, the Netherlands). Microalbuminuria is common, also in a nondiabetic, nonhypertensive population, and an independent indicator of cardiovascular risk factors and cardiovascular morbidity. J Intern Med 2001; 249: 519–526. Objectives. To assess the prevalence of microalbuminuria in the general population, especially in nondiabetic and nonhypertensive subjects, and its association with known cardiovascular risk factors and cardiovascular morbidity. Design. Cross-sectional cohort study. Setting. Inhabitants of the city of Groningen, the Netherlands. Subjects. All inhabitants, aged between 28 and 75 years, were send a postal questionnaire and a vial to collect an early morning urine sample (n=85 421). Of these 40 856 subjects (47.8%) responded. Cardiovascular risk factors and morbidity were validated in a well defined nondiabetic and nonhypertensive group of 5241 subjects. Main outcome measures. Microalbuminuria, self-reported cardiovascular risk and cardiovascular morbidity in the total study cohort, and additionally more detailed measurements in a subset of the total population. Results. Microalbuminuria (20–200 mg L–1) was present in 7.2% of the subjects and independently associated with age, gender, hypertension, diabetes, smoking, previous myocardial infarction and stroke. Some of these associations were already observed at albuminuria levels of 10–20 mg L–1. After exclusion of the diabetic and hypertensive subjects, microalbuminuria was still prevalent in 6.6% of the subjects. Conclusions. Microalbuminuria appears to be common not only in the general population but also in a nondiabetic, nonhypertensive population and is independently associated with increased cardiovascular risk factors and cardio-vascular morbidity. Importantly, some of these associations are present at urinary albumin levels currently considered to be normal. These findings suggest that urinary albumin measurements may be useful in early risk profiling and prevention of cardiovascular disease in the population at large. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Gastrointestinal disease occurs frequently in antibody deficiencies. This study aims to explore the relation between gastrointestinal infections and mucosal homeostasis in patients with antibody deficiencies. Methods: We performed an observational study including 54 pediatric antibody deficient patients (48 % CVID, 41 % CVID-like, 11 % XLA) and 66 healthy controls. Clinical symptom scores and stool samples were collected prospectively. Stool samples were evaluated for bacteria, parasites, viruses, secretory IgA- and for calprotectin levels. Results were compared between patients and controls. Results: 24 % of antibody deficient patients versus 9 % of healthy controls tested positive for gastrointestinal viruses ( p = 0.028). Fecal calprotectin levels were significantly higher in virus positive patients compared to virus negative patients ( p = 0.002). However, in controls, fecal calprotectin levels were similar between virus positive and virus negative controls. Moreover, gastrointestinal virus positive patients had low serum IgA levels in 13/14 cases (94 %) versus 40/62 (62 %) patients in the virus negative patient group ( p = 0.04). The virus positive patient group also displayed significantly lower secretory IgA levels in stool (median 13 ug/ml) than patients without gastrointestinal viruses detected or healthy controls (median 155 ug/ml) ( p = 0.046). Conclusion: We here report an increased prevalence of gastrointestinal viruses and gastrointestinal complaints in antibody deficient patients. Patients that tested positive for gastrointestinal viruses showed diminished serum- and secretory IgA levels, and only in patients, virus positivity was associated with signs of mucosal inflammation. These findings suggest that particularly patients with low IgA are at risk for longstanding replication of gastrointestinal viruses, which may eventually result in CVID-related enteropathy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The physical environment is presumed to have an effect on aggression and also on the use of seclusion on psychiatric wards. Multicentre studies that include a broad variety of design features found on psychiatric wards and that control for patient, staff and general ward characteristics are scarce.Aims: To explore the effect of design features on the risk of being secluded, the number of seclusion incidents and the time in seclusion, for patients admitted to locked wards for intensive psychiatric care.Method: Data on the building quality and safety of psychiatric as well as forensic wards (n = 199) were combined with data on the frequency and type of coercive measures per admission (n = 23 868 admissions of n = 14 834 patients) on these wards, over a 12-month period. We used non-linear principal components analysis (CATPCA) to reduce the observed design features into a smaller number of uncorrelated principal components. Two-level multilevel (logistic) regression analyses were used to explore the relationship with seclusion. Admission was the first level in the analyses and ward was the second level.Results: Overall, 14 design features had a significant effect on the risk of being secluded during admission. The 'presence of an outdoor space', 'special safety measures' and a large 'number of patients in the building' increased the risk of being secluded. Design features such as more 'total private space per patient', a higher 'level of comfort' and greater 'visibility on the ward', decreased the risk of being secluded.Conclusions: A number of design features had an effect on the use of seclusion and restraint. The study highlighted the need for a greater focus on the impact of the physical environment on patients, as, along with other interventions, this can reduce the need for seclusion and restraint. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]