The detection of a population of submillimeter-bright, strongly lensed galaxies.

Gravitational lensing is a powerful astrophysical and cosmological probe and is particularly valuable at submillimeter wavelengths for the study of the statistical and individual properties of dusty star-forming galaxies. However, the identification of gravitational lenses is often time-intensive, involving the sifting of large volumes of imaging or spectroscopic data to find few candidates. We used early data from the Herschel Astrophysical Terahertz Large Area Survey to demonstrate that wide-area submillimeter surveys can simply and easily detect strong gravitational lensing events, with close to 100% efficiency.

[Home self-monitoring of arterial pressure: identification of the white coat reaction]. / Automedición domiciliaria de la presión arterial: identificación del fenómeno de bata blanca.

OBJECTIVES: To validate the reliability of a standard protocol for self-measurement at home of blood pressure (SMBP) in terms of its sensitivity and specificity for the diagnosis of the white-coat phenomenon (WCP), by comparing it with out-clinic monitoring of blood pressure (OMBP) and examining the effect on the two methods' concordance of blood pressure (BP) levels, the intensity of the WCP, age and the body mass index. DESIGN: Crossover descriptive study. SETTING: Two health centres in Asturias. PARTICIPANTS: 58 patients with hypertension, whose BP was not monitored in the clinic, were taught to take 30 SMBP readings in 10 days with a previously calibrated digital sphygmanometer. In the 15 days immediately following, a 24-hour OMBP session took place. Sensitivity, specificity, predictive values and the analysis of individual differences between the variables were assessed. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: SMBP sensitivity was 84.21%. Specificity was 82.05%. For the estimated prevalence of white-coat hypertension in our area (22.7%), positive predictive value was 58%, and negative 95%. The graphic analysis of individual differences did not show that the consistency between the two methods was affected in a relevant way by any variable analysed. CONCLUSIONS: The SMBP protocol presented is a valid instrument, especially for confirming sustained hypertension. It enables the WCP to be suspected, though, if possible, this should be confirmed by means of OMBP.

[The evaluation of the hypertensive patient via self-measured blood pressure at home]. / Protocolo de automedición de la presión arterial domiciliaria como método de evaluación del paciente hipertenso.

OBJECTIVE: Evidence currently exist that treatment, and therefore prognosis, of the hypertensive patient can be improved by complementing the clinic blood pressure (BP) measurements with measurements taken out of the health care setting. The goal of the study was to validate a standard procedure of home BP self-measurement in contrast with a non invasive ambulatory BP monitoring (ABPM). METHOD: This was a transversal and descriptive study set at the primary care level. 58 hypertensive patients with poor office control were instructed to self-measure their BP, with a previously verified digital sphygmomanometer, at home, 30 times for 10 days, and in the close 15 days an ABPM was taken for 24 hours. Reliability was determined comparing the degree of agreement between the different methods via the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and the analysis of the individual differences. RESULTS: The self-measured BP and the ABPM do not differ significantly in systolic BP and only by 1.88 mmHg for the diastolic BP. The results taken in the office are significantly superior to those obtained by other methods -23 mmHg for the systolic BP and from 9 to 11 mmHg for the diastolic BP-. The ICC obtained comparing the results of the self-measured BP and ABPM are of 0.73 for systolic and 0.76 for the diastolic, whereas in the comparisons between office/self-measured, and office/ABPM the ICCs fluctuate from 0.23 to 0.50. The graphic analysis of individual differences allows the evaluation of the degree of reliability and the independence to the "white coat phenomenon". CONCLUSIONS: The BP self-measurement protocol that we present is a valid instrument, capable of confirming hypertension as well a suspicion of "white coat phenomenon" particularly when the availability of ABPM is scarce.

[Consumption of medications in people over age of 65 years: potential problems and associated factors]. / Consumo de medicamentos en mayores de 65 años: problemas potenciales y factores asociados.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the percentage of patients over 65 years of age with potential problems derived from the consumption of medications, and identify associated variables. DESIGN: A descriptive cross-sectional study. SETTING: Otero y Paulino Prieto Health Centers (Oviedo). PATIENTS: A randomly selected group of 298 patients over 65 years. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: A questionnaire using both interview and clinical case notes provided data about sociodemographic details, perceived state of health, and functional status of patients, and qualitative and quantitative aspects of pharmacological treatment. 222 valid questionnaires were obtained. Once having identified patients with potential treatment problems, the associated variables were studied using bivariant and multivariant analysis. The mean consumption of medications was 3.1. 32.9% of patients had treatment problems (95% CI, 26.7-39.1), identified as drug interactions (54.8%), inappropriate use (36.9%) or both (8.3%). The bivariant analysis showed an association between the presence of problems and number of medications consumed (p < 0.001), prescribers (p < 0.001), diagnostic (p < 0.001), number of visit/year (p < 0.004), patient's own perception of health (p = 0.006), age (p = 0.018), socioeconomic status (p = 0.024) and cultural level (p = 0.039); the associations was not significative for functional status (p = 0.150), sex (p = 0.246), and number of UTB (Use Therapeutic Low) drug used (p = 0.751). Logistic regression showed an association between the presence of problems and patient's perceived state of health (OR, 1.56; 95% CI, 1.03-2.36) and the number of medications consumed (OR, 1.67; 95% CI, 1.41-2). CONCLUSIONS: A third of the population studied showed potential problems derived from the consumption of medications, through drug interactions and/or inappropriate use. Variables associated with this problems are the patient's perceived ill-health, and the highest consumption of medications.