An FPGA-based real-time signal processing unit has been developed to perform Doppler processing i... more An FPGA-based real-time signal processing unit has been developed to perform Doppler processing in a high resolution CWLFM (continuous wave linear frequency modulated) millimeter-wave radar demonstrator. The article focuses on the strategies followed in order to achieve the required throughput as well as on the measures taken to guarantee coherency. Doppler processing is accomplished to output Range-Doppler radar images and
Prosthetic heart valve thrombosis is a serious complication with a high mortality. We report the ... more Prosthetic heart valve thrombosis is a serious complication with a high mortality. We report the case of a thrombosed St Jude Medical valve placed in the pulmonary position, in a patient who had undergone repair of tetralogy of Fallot, which was successfully treated with intravenous thrombolytic therapy with streptokinase.
Development of thermal energy storage (TES) systems for concentrated solar power (CSP) is essenti... more Development of thermal energy storage (TES) systems for concentrated solar power (CSP) is essential in order to match a variable electricity demand with an intermittent energy source supply, enhancing energy generation dispatchability. The high energy storage densities and the possibility of working at higher temperature ranges make thermochemical heat storage (TCS) via reduction-oxidation (redox) cycles of metal oxides a promising concept for energy storage. For this purpose, manganese and cobalt oxides have been selected as feasible candidates due to their favourable thermodynamic properties. In order to explore the potential of these materials, the capacity of both pure (Mn 2 O 3 and Co 3 O 4 ) and mixed oxides (Mn 3 À x Co x O 4 ) to withstand several charge-discharge cycles was evaluated by thermogravimetrical analysis. Results showed better cyclability for the mixed oxides with low Mn content (x Z2.94) and, specially, for the corresponding pure oxides, confirming that these materials may be a viable option for TCS.
Objective: To validate a questionnaire to identify psychosocial repercussions of the lipodystroph... more Objective: To validate a questionnaire to identify psychosocial repercussions of the lipodystrophy syndrome (LD) in HIV-infected patients. Methods: A questionnaire containing 35 items in 6 subscales [body image, anxiety, depression, social support, social distress, quality of life (QoL)] was consecutively administered to 128 patients with LD, 25 naı¨ve patients or on therapy without LD, and to 15 HIV negative patients from January to July '04. Reliability was assessed using Cronbach's alpha and the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). The area under the curve (AUC) was used for discrimination between patients and control groups, and the scores were compared according to the severity of the LD. Results: In all the subscales, the relationship between higher scores and LD severity was statistically significant (0.37-0.64, p<0.01), whereas the control groups had significantly lower scores. The internal consistency showed Cronbach's alpha coefficients ranging from 0.64 to 0.93. Test-retest reliability after 15 days in 30 patients showed ICC values of 0.8-0.94. AUC values for the different subscales were higher than 0.7 with the exception of QoL score, and construct validity showed a significant correlation with the Beck Depression Inventory and the MOS-HIV scores (0.49 and 0.51, respectively, p<0.01). Conclusions: Our questionnaire shows satisfactory psychometric properties for identifying psychosocial repercussions of the LD in HIV-infected patients.
An approach to improve the soft magnetic properties of nanocomposite FINEMET-like alloys is prese... more An approach to improve the soft magnetic properties of nanocomposite FINEMET-like alloys is presented by the study of the theoretical behavior of the coercive field with the crystallized fraction, Hc(νcr), curves where the total anisotropy is taken into account. These curves can exhibit a minimum value that should be used for a proper design of soft magnetic alloys, consisting in matching that value with the optimal crystallized fraction of the alloy. For this, the effect of Si, Ge, Co and Al on the magnetic properties on the material phases and on its microstructure was analyzed while a good relationship between theoretical results and data in the literature was found. Small amounts of Ge and/or Al can improve the magnetic properties of FINEMET while the addition of Co deteriorates the coercive field as is predicted by the theory. Simultaneous addition of two or more solute elements to the α-Fe crystals was also evaluated and discussed. Results indicate the importance of knowing th...
When rapid quenching occurs, avoiding crystallization, the undercooled liquid becomes an amorphou... more When rapid quenching occurs, avoiding crystallization, the undercooled liquid becomes an amorphous solid whose structure is metastable not only with respect to crystalline state, but also with respect to a theoretical deal glass. It is possible, then, that this structure can evolve towards a more amorphous stable state. This evolution is called structural relaxation and it causes important changes in physical, chemical and mechanical properties. The study of structural relaxation is a very important matter because, in many cases, the optimum properties of amorphous materials are obtained after an adequate heat treatment. This paper reports that, up to now different properties have been used for structural relaxation studies: dilatation, Young's modulus, enthalphy, lifetime of positron annihilation, microhardness, electrical resistivity, and Curie temperature. The Young's modulus is a very suitable parameter to analyze the relaxation in metallic glasses because the changes ca...
By a combined use of Mössbauer spectroscopy and polarised small angle neutron scattering, we inve... more By a combined use of Mössbauer spectroscopy and polarised small angle neutron scattering, we investigated the structure and magnetic properties of iron nanoparticles obtained by inert gas condensation techniques. The detailed local information on the intrinsic magnetic properties derived from the Mössbauer data have been used in order to build up an appropriate model for the analysis of the magnetic
To study the changing etiology of prosthetic valve endocarditis (PVE) and the impact of nosocomia... more To study the changing etiology of prosthetic valve endocarditis (PVE) and the impact of nosocomial acquisition of the infection on prognosis in a single hospital. Retrospective review of 121 cases of PVE during a period of 34 years. Two different periods (the period from 1970 to 1986 [P1], and the period from 1987 to 2003 [P2]) were analyzed. During P1, 58 patients with PVE were treated (30 early PVE and 28 late PVE); during P2, 63 patients with PVE were treated (13 early PVE and 50 late PVE). The frequency of early-onset PVE decreased from 0.94% in P1 to 0.34% in P2 (p &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt; 0.001), but the incidence rate of late-onset PVE did not change (0.33% and 0.42% per year, respectively). The microbiology of early PVE changed over the years: Gram-negative bacilli decreased from 40% during P1 to 7.7% in P2 (p = 0.033). Staphylococci remained the main causes of early PVE in both periods. The microbial etiology of late PVE also changed over the years with enterococci and Staphylococcus aureus as the leading causes during P2. Streptococcus viridans decreased from a leading position to a fourth position. Methicillin-resistant S aureus endocarditis appeared first in 1992. Eleven cases of late-onset PVE in P2 were hospital acquired (22%). In comparison, only two cases (7.1%) of hospital-acquired, late-onset PVE were seen in P1 (p = 0.11). Mortality of early-onset PVE decreased from 80% in P1 to 46% in P2 (p = 0.026). The overall mortality of late-onset PVE did not change between periods: 39% vs 34%. Mortality associated with nosocomial PVE in P2 was 63.6% (7 of 11 patients). In comparison, the mortality of community-acquired cases was 25.6% (10 of 39 patients; p = 0.03). In the multivariate analysis, the presence of comorbidities and hospital acquisition were associated with an excess of mortality (odds ratio [OR], 13.9; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.23 to 158 [p = 0.033]; and OR, 10.8; 95% CI, 2.16 to 54.7 [p = 0.0037], respectively). Although the mortality associated with early-onset PVE has significantly decreased, in this series the mortality of patients with late-onset PVE remained high due mainly to an increasing number of patients with comorbidities who acquired the infection during admission for other diseases.
Measurements of magnetic and magnetotransport properties of frustrated metallic ferromagnets are ... more Measurements of magnetic and magnetotransport properties of frustrated metallic ferromagnets are combined to get information on their equilibrium spin pattern over distances of the order of the nanometer. The considered systems are concentrated, chemically homogeneous solid solutions of one or more transition metals in a host diamagnetic metal; competing interactions produce a significant magnetic frustration and a ultrashort ferromagnetic coherence
Vascular complications associated with intraaortic balloon pump placement are quite common and pr... more Vascular complications associated with intraaortic balloon pump placement are quite common and predominantly related to femoral or iliac damage. Iatrogenic injury of the thoracic aorta is less usual and often fatal. Surgery for the lesions of the descending thoracic aorta still has a relatively high morbidity and mortality. Endovascular covered stentgraft prostheses have become a less invasive therapeutic approach to lesions of the thoracic aorta, especially in patients with high surgical risk. We describe a case of perforation of the thoracic aorta caused by an intraaortic balloon pump. The injury was confirmed by aortography and successfully repaired by implantation of an endovascular stent-graft via the left common iliac artery.
An FPGA-based real-time signal processing unit has been developed to perform Doppler processing i... more An FPGA-based real-time signal processing unit has been developed to perform Doppler processing in a high resolution CWLFM (continuous wave linear frequency modulated) millimeter-wave radar demonstrator. The article focuses on the strategies followed in order to achieve the required throughput as well as on the measures taken to guarantee coherency. Doppler processing is accomplished to output Range-Doppler radar images and
Prosthetic heart valve thrombosis is a serious complication with a high mortality. We report the ... more Prosthetic heart valve thrombosis is a serious complication with a high mortality. We report the case of a thrombosed St Jude Medical valve placed in the pulmonary position, in a patient who had undergone repair of tetralogy of Fallot, which was successfully treated with intravenous thrombolytic therapy with streptokinase.
Development of thermal energy storage (TES) systems for concentrated solar power (CSP) is essenti... more Development of thermal energy storage (TES) systems for concentrated solar power (CSP) is essential in order to match a variable electricity demand with an intermittent energy source supply, enhancing energy generation dispatchability. The high energy storage densities and the possibility of working at higher temperature ranges make thermochemical heat storage (TCS) via reduction-oxidation (redox) cycles of metal oxides a promising concept for energy storage. For this purpose, manganese and cobalt oxides have been selected as feasible candidates due to their favourable thermodynamic properties. In order to explore the potential of these materials, the capacity of both pure (Mn 2 O 3 and Co 3 O 4 ) and mixed oxides (Mn 3 À x Co x O 4 ) to withstand several charge-discharge cycles was evaluated by thermogravimetrical analysis. Results showed better cyclability for the mixed oxides with low Mn content (x Z2.94) and, specially, for the corresponding pure oxides, confirming that these materials may be a viable option for TCS.
Objective: To validate a questionnaire to identify psychosocial repercussions of the lipodystroph... more Objective: To validate a questionnaire to identify psychosocial repercussions of the lipodystrophy syndrome (LD) in HIV-infected patients. Methods: A questionnaire containing 35 items in 6 subscales [body image, anxiety, depression, social support, social distress, quality of life (QoL)] was consecutively administered to 128 patients with LD, 25 naı¨ve patients or on therapy without LD, and to 15 HIV negative patients from January to July '04. Reliability was assessed using Cronbach's alpha and the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). The area under the curve (AUC) was used for discrimination between patients and control groups, and the scores were compared according to the severity of the LD. Results: In all the subscales, the relationship between higher scores and LD severity was statistically significant (0.37-0.64, p<0.01), whereas the control groups had significantly lower scores. The internal consistency showed Cronbach's alpha coefficients ranging from 0.64 to 0.93. Test-retest reliability after 15 days in 30 patients showed ICC values of 0.8-0.94. AUC values for the different subscales were higher than 0.7 with the exception of QoL score, and construct validity showed a significant correlation with the Beck Depression Inventory and the MOS-HIV scores (0.49 and 0.51, respectively, p<0.01). Conclusions: Our questionnaire shows satisfactory psychometric properties for identifying psychosocial repercussions of the LD in HIV-infected patients.
An approach to improve the soft magnetic properties of nanocomposite FINEMET-like alloys is prese... more An approach to improve the soft magnetic properties of nanocomposite FINEMET-like alloys is presented by the study of the theoretical behavior of the coercive field with the crystallized fraction, Hc(νcr), curves where the total anisotropy is taken into account. These curves can exhibit a minimum value that should be used for a proper design of soft magnetic alloys, consisting in matching that value with the optimal crystallized fraction of the alloy. For this, the effect of Si, Ge, Co and Al on the magnetic properties on the material phases and on its microstructure was analyzed while a good relationship between theoretical results and data in the literature was found. Small amounts of Ge and/or Al can improve the magnetic properties of FINEMET while the addition of Co deteriorates the coercive field as is predicted by the theory. Simultaneous addition of two or more solute elements to the α-Fe crystals was also evaluated and discussed. Results indicate the importance of knowing th...
When rapid quenching occurs, avoiding crystallization, the undercooled liquid becomes an amorphou... more When rapid quenching occurs, avoiding crystallization, the undercooled liquid becomes an amorphous solid whose structure is metastable not only with respect to crystalline state, but also with respect to a theoretical deal glass. It is possible, then, that this structure can evolve towards a more amorphous stable state. This evolution is called structural relaxation and it causes important changes in physical, chemical and mechanical properties. The study of structural relaxation is a very important matter because, in many cases, the optimum properties of amorphous materials are obtained after an adequate heat treatment. This paper reports that, up to now different properties have been used for structural relaxation studies: dilatation, Young's modulus, enthalphy, lifetime of positron annihilation, microhardness, electrical resistivity, and Curie temperature. The Young's modulus is a very suitable parameter to analyze the relaxation in metallic glasses because the changes ca...
By a combined use of Mössbauer spectroscopy and polarised small angle neutron scattering, we inve... more By a combined use of Mössbauer spectroscopy and polarised small angle neutron scattering, we investigated the structure and magnetic properties of iron nanoparticles obtained by inert gas condensation techniques. The detailed local information on the intrinsic magnetic properties derived from the Mössbauer data have been used in order to build up an appropriate model for the analysis of the magnetic
To study the changing etiology of prosthetic valve endocarditis (PVE) and the impact of nosocomia... more To study the changing etiology of prosthetic valve endocarditis (PVE) and the impact of nosocomial acquisition of the infection on prognosis in a single hospital. Retrospective review of 121 cases of PVE during a period of 34 years. Two different periods (the period from 1970 to 1986 [P1], and the period from 1987 to 2003 [P2]) were analyzed. During P1, 58 patients with PVE were treated (30 early PVE and 28 late PVE); during P2, 63 patients with PVE were treated (13 early PVE and 50 late PVE). The frequency of early-onset PVE decreased from 0.94% in P1 to 0.34% in P2 (p &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt; 0.001), but the incidence rate of late-onset PVE did not change (0.33% and 0.42% per year, respectively). The microbiology of early PVE changed over the years: Gram-negative bacilli decreased from 40% during P1 to 7.7% in P2 (p = 0.033). Staphylococci remained the main causes of early PVE in both periods. The microbial etiology of late PVE also changed over the years with enterococci and Staphylococcus aureus as the leading causes during P2. Streptococcus viridans decreased from a leading position to a fourth position. Methicillin-resistant S aureus endocarditis appeared first in 1992. Eleven cases of late-onset PVE in P2 were hospital acquired (22%). In comparison, only two cases (7.1%) of hospital-acquired, late-onset PVE were seen in P1 (p = 0.11). Mortality of early-onset PVE decreased from 80% in P1 to 46% in P2 (p = 0.026). The overall mortality of late-onset PVE did not change between periods: 39% vs 34%. Mortality associated with nosocomial PVE in P2 was 63.6% (7 of 11 patients). In comparison, the mortality of community-acquired cases was 25.6% (10 of 39 patients; p = 0.03). In the multivariate analysis, the presence of comorbidities and hospital acquisition were associated with an excess of mortality (odds ratio [OR], 13.9; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.23 to 158 [p = 0.033]; and OR, 10.8; 95% CI, 2.16 to 54.7 [p = 0.0037], respectively). Although the mortality associated with early-onset PVE has significantly decreased, in this series the mortality of patients with late-onset PVE remained high due mainly to an increasing number of patients with comorbidities who acquired the infection during admission for other diseases.
Measurements of magnetic and magnetotransport properties of frustrated metallic ferromagnets are ... more Measurements of magnetic and magnetotransport properties of frustrated metallic ferromagnets are combined to get information on their equilibrium spin pattern over distances of the order of the nanometer. The considered systems are concentrated, chemically homogeneous solid solutions of one or more transition metals in a host diamagnetic metal; competing interactions produce a significant magnetic frustration and a ultrashort ferromagnetic coherence
Vascular complications associated with intraaortic balloon pump placement are quite common and pr... more Vascular complications associated with intraaortic balloon pump placement are quite common and predominantly related to femoral or iliac damage. Iatrogenic injury of the thoracic aorta is less usual and often fatal. Surgery for the lesions of the descending thoracic aorta still has a relatively high morbidity and mortality. Endovascular covered stentgraft prostheses have become a less invasive therapeutic approach to lesions of the thoracic aorta, especially in patients with high surgical risk. We describe a case of perforation of the thoracic aorta caused by an intraaortic balloon pump. The injury was confirmed by aortography and successfully repaired by implantation of an endovascular stent-graft via the left common iliac artery.
Uploads
Papers by Javier Moya