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3D-echocardiography using a matrix array transducer was performed in 112 patients. In 98 patients (87.5 %) we were able to acquire adequate 3D-data. The mean time for the 3D-examination was 5.5 min. In valve lesions, septal defects and complex cyanotic heart disease 3D-echocardiography was a confident and helpful innovation for better assessment of the intracardiac morphology in pediatric patients. We conclude that 3D-echocardiography is a useful addition to the conventional 2D-echocardiography.

International audience; New findings of the structure of the Dead Sea sedimentary basin and its eastern and westernbordering regions are obtained by P and PKP wave relative traveltime residuals of 644 teleseisms, asrecorded by the Dead Sea Integrated Research portable seismic network in the Dead Sea basin and itsneighboring regions. The Lisan Peninsula is characterized by relatively small teleseismic traveltime residualsof about 0.14 s, in the latitude range of 31.22°–31.37° and at the longitude of 35.50°, slowly decreasingtoward the west. The largest teleseismic traveltime residuals are in the southern Dead Sea basin, south ofthe Lisan Peninsula in the latitude range of 31.05°–31.15° and along longitude 35.45° and continuingsouthward toward the Amaziahu Fault, reaching values of 0.4–0.5 s. There is a small positive residual at theAmaziahu Fault and a small negative residual south of it probably marking the southern end of theDead Sea basin. East and west of the Dead Sea basin the mean teleseismic traveltime residuals are negativewith overall averages of 0.35 s and 0.45 s, respectively. Using the teleseismic residuals, we estimatethe horizontal dimensions of the Lisan salt diapir to be 23 km× 13 km at its widest and a maximal thicknessof about 7.2 km. The thickness of the Mount Sodom salt diapir is estimated as 6.2 km.

While the Dead Sea basin has been studied for a long time, the available knowledge about the detailed seismicity distribution in the area, as well as the deeper structure of the basin, is limited. Therefore, within the framework of the international project DESIRE (DEad Sea Integrated REsearch project), a dense temporary local seismological network was operated in the southern Dead Sea area. We use 530 local earthquakes, having all together 26 730 P- and S-arrival times for a simultaneous inversion of 1-D velocity models, station corrections and precise earthquake locations. Jackknife tests suggest an accuracy of the derived hypocentre locations of about 1 km. Thus, the result is the first clear image of the absolute distribution of the microseismicity of the area, especially in depth. The seismicity is concentrated in the upper crust down to 20 km depth while the lower limit of the seismicity is reached at 31 km depth. The seismic events at the eastern boundary fault (EBF) in the southern part of the study area represent the northward transform motion of the Arabian Plate along the Dead Sea Transform. North of the Boqeq fault the seismic activity represents the transfer of the motion in the pull-apart basin from the eastern to the western boundary. We find that from the surface downward the seismic events are tracing the boundary faults of the basin. The western boundary is mapped down to 12 km depth while the EBF reaches about 17 km depth, forming an asymmetric basin. One fifth of the data set is related to a specific cluster in time and space, which occurred in 2007 February at the western border fault. This cluster is aligned vertically, that is, it is perpendicular to the direction of the dominating left-lateral strike-slip movement at the main transform fault.

Beginning in September 2006, a temporary network of 30 broadband and 45 short-period seismic stations has been set up on both sides of the Dead Sea Basin (DSB). During one and a half year of successful operation, data were continuously recorded in the field at 100 Hz and 200 Hz sample frequency for the broadband and short-period seismic stations, respectively. The raw data were converted to miniseed format and archived as full seed volume in the GEOFON data center of the GFZ. In the present work, the Receiver Function Method has been applied to the three component passive source data to investigate seismic discontinuities from the crust down to the upper mantle. Unusual negative phases at about 1s delay time have been observed at several stations in the Dead Sea region on the top of the assumed salt diapir. First preliminary receiver function analysis reveals a crustal thickness of about 30 -35 km in the investigated area and possibly low-velocity layer beneath the Moho. It also shows a basin which is possibly filled with salt about 10 km thick beneath the Lisan peninsula (Dead Sea).

Part 1 of the study measured the end-systolic and end-diastolic left atrial (LA) areas and volumes in 30 children through sector echocardiography, and compared these values with those obtained with biplane angiocardiography. A strong correlation exists between the LA area in the frontal plane as determined by apical (r greater than 0.91) and subcostal (r greater than 0.98) echocardiography on the one hand and by angiocardiography on the other. However, there is a slight underestimation of the LA area by the apical 4-chamber view. LA volume as determined by subcostal sector echocardiography in the frontal and sagittal plane also correlated well with LA volume calculated with biplane angiocardiography (r greater than 0.97). Part 2 of the study determined LA areas and volumes in 74 healthy newborns and infants by echocardiography and related them to body weight and body surface area, thus obtaining normal values for this age group. The relation of the LA area and volume measurements in newborns and infants to body weight or surface area was best described by a linear function. The mean of the percentage of systolic-diastolic area diminution was 53 +/- 6% for the apical 4-chamber view and 50 +/- 4% for the subcostal 4-chamber view. LA ejection fraction determined by the subcostal biplane volume measurements was 62 +/- 7% (mean +/- standard deviation). These values were independent of body weight or surface area.

Open commissurotomy for critical aortic stenosis has been performed in a consecutive series of 28 neonates and infants below 3 months of age (average age 1 month) including 5 patients with severe organic mitral valve disease in need of concomitant correction. In the majority of cases, aortic stenosis was due not only to fused commissures but also to excessive immature valve tissue protruding into the valve area. Therefore a technique of extended commissurotomy has been adopted resecting such nodules responsible for a secondary level stenosis. All operations were done under deep hypothermia (17 degrees C), circulatory arrest (33 +/- 11 min) and cardioplegia using the Bretschneider solution (35-50 ml/kg). Hospital mortality was 18% (5) including 1 infant dying at 2 months of thrombosed mitral prosthesis inserted at a secondary operation. Severe organic mitral valve disease proved to be the only significant risk factor for early mortality. During the follow-up period of up to 10 years (average 5 years), 1 child with a hypoplastic left heart died and 2 children had to undergo reoperation for residual and recurrent stenosis, respectively. Actuarial survival for the present series is 78% at 10 years while reoperation free survival for the aortic valve is 64%. It is concluded that careful and if necessary extended open commissurotomy still represents the method of choice in this age group. Alternative methods such as transventricular or percutaneous dilatation did not show a lower risk until now and long-term results are not convincing as yet.

Infants with critical aortic stenosis may have global or regional left ventricular contraction abnormalities. In order to evaluate the clinical significance of these contraction abnormalities, we examined the systolic left ventricular function before and after aortic valvotomy in 16 infants operated on between 1980 and 1987. Left ventricular free wall and septal motion were studied by cross sectional echocardiography using the apical 4-chamber view. Enddiastolic and endsystolic left ventricular frames were digitized. The relative systolic reduction of the total left ventricular area (reflecting ejection fraction) as well as of 5 left ventricular sectors (reflecting regional wall motion) was calculated and compared to previously established normal values. Before valvotomy, 8 infants had normal and the other 8 impaired left ventricular systolic wall motion. These latter infants showed hypokinesia of the apex and/or the posterolateral left ventricular wall resulting in a decreased systolic reduction of the total left ventricular area. Four of these infants had evidence of myocardial infarction on intraoperative inspection. Early after operation, the systolic reduction of the total left ventricular area was normal in all infants, and the left ventricular apex and poster-lateral wall were either normo- or hyperkinetic. Follow-up studies of all infants more than 10 months and of 7 infants more than 3 years after operation showed that the left ventricular systolic wall motion remained normal in all, irrespective of whether it was normal or abnormal preoperatively. This study suggests that left ventricular contraction abnormalities in infants with critical aortic stenosis may be reversible and thus do not constitute a contraindication against aortic valvotomy.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)