Novel echocardiographic techniques to assess left atrial size, anatomy and function

Three-dimensional echocardiography (3DE) and speckle tracking echocardiography (STE) have recently applied as imaging techniques to accurately evaluate left atrial (LA) size, anatomy and function. 3DE and off-line quantification softwares, have allowed, in comparison to magnetic resonance imaging, the most time-efficient and accurate method of LA volume quantification. STE provides a non-Doppler, angle-independent and objective quantification of LA myocardial deformation. Data regarding feasibility, accuracy and clinical applications of LA analysis by 3DE and STE are rapidly gathering. This review describes the fundamental concepts of LA 3DE and STE, illustrates how to obtain respective measurements and discuss their recognized and emerging clinical applications

Microstructured reactors for development and production in pharmaceutical and fine chemistry.

he true potential of microprocess technol. for process intensification is not yet fully clear and needs to be actively explored, although more and more industrial case stories provide information. This paper uses a shortcut cost anal. to show the major cost portions for processes conducted by microstructured reactors. This leads to predicting novel chem. protocol conditions, which are tailored for microprocess technol. and which are expected to highly intensify chem. processes. Some generic rules to approach this are termed new process windows, because they constitute a new approach to enabling chem. Using such process intensification together with scaled-out microstructured reactors, which is demonstrated by the example of gas-liq. microprocessing, paves the road to viable industrial microflow processes. Several such com. oriented case studies are given. Without the use of new process windows conditions, microprocess technol. will probably stick to niche applications