OBJECTIVE Noninvasive accurate assessment of left atrial (LA) size and function is an essential requirement in daily clinical practice. Real time three-dimensional (3D) echocardiography (RT3DE) with direct volumetric method has been found to be a highly accurate and reproducible noninvasive tool for the evaluation of LA dimensions and functional properties. Three-dimensional speckle tracking ec...

A modern concept for solar thermal collectors is based on volumetric absorption of sunlight, where nanoparticles suspended in liquids directly receive the incident radiation. Suspending nanoparticles in traditional fluids can drastically enhance their optical properties and improve thermo-physical performances, thus leading to highly efficient volumetric solar receivers. Several studies have be...

The thermal properties of fire resistive materials FRMs as a function of temperature critically influence their ability to protect a steel structure during a fire exposure. Measurement of these properties is complicated by the microstructural heterogeneity of typical FRMs, the need to measure properties over a wide temperature range from room temperature to 1000°C and higher, and the reactions,...

A modern concept for solar thermal collectors is based on volumetric absorption of sunlight, where nanoparticles suspended in liquids directly receive the incident radiation. Suspending nanoparticles in traditional fluids can drastically enhance their optical properties and improve thermo-physical performances, thus leading to highly efficient volumetric solar receivers. Several studies have be...

Nowadays titanium alloys are extensively used for aerospace and biomedical applications. However, despite good mechanical properties and excellent corrosion resistance they possess poor wear resistance and a tendency to galling and seizure. In this study the tribological properties of experimental Ti-Si-Zr based alloys were studied using a standard ball-on-disc wear testing system. The wear and...