Data processing of natural and induced events recorded at the seismic station Ostrava-Kr¨¢sn¨¦ Pole (OKC)

The operation of the seismic station Ostrava-Kr¨¢sn¨¦ Pole (OKC) (¦Õ = 49.8352¡ãN; ¦Ë = 18.1422¡ãE) which is situated at present in an experimental gallery nearby the Ostrava planetarium started in the year 1983 being equiped initially by analogue instrumentation. Modernization of instrumentation at the station was aimed at the installation of a new digital data acquisition system and the respective software packages for data interpretation and transmission.Data acquisition system VISTEC is based on PC which enables continuous recording of three- component short-period and medium-period systems with the sampling frequency of 20 Hz. The basic advantage of the OS Linux adopted allows remote access (telnet) and the possibility of the recorded data transmission (ftp). Possible troubles in the seismic station operation can be quickly detected (even automatically) and all recorded data are with minimum delay on disposal. The use of the remote access makes possible also to change the parameters of measuring set-up. The standard form of output data allows the application of standard software packages for visualisation and evaluation. There are on disposal following formates: GSE2/CM6, GSE2/INT and MiniSEED. The output data sets can be compressed by a special procedure. For interactive interpretation od digital seismic data, software package EVENT developed in the Geophysical Institute AS CR and package WAVE developed in the Institute of Geonics AS CR are used.Experimental operation of digital seismographs at the station OKC confirmed justification of its incorporation into the seismic stations of the Czech national seismological network (CNSN). Based on the preliminary analysis of digital data it proved that following groups of seismic events are recorded: earthquakes, induced seismic events from Polish copper and coal mines, induced seismic events from the Ostrava-Karvin¨¢ Coal Basin, quarry blasts and weak regional seismic events of the tectonic nature.Daily direct access to the digital data and their transmission via Internet makes it possible continuous evaluation and storage of seismic activity recorded in the frame of the CNSN and also the incorporation of interpreted data into the seismic bulletins prepared in the computer centre of the Geophysical Institute AS CR in Prague

Second asymptomatic carotid surgery trial (ACST-2) : a randomised comparison of carotid artery stenting versus carotid endarterectomy

Background: Among asymptomatic patients with severe carotid artery stenosis but no recent stroke or transient cerebral ischaemia, either carotid artery stenting (CAS) or carotid endarterectomy (CEA) can restore patency and reduce long-term stroke risks. However, from recent national registry data, each option causes about 1% procedural risk of disabling stroke or death. Comparison of their long-term protective effects requires large-scale randomised evidence. Methods: ACST-2 is an international multicentre randomised trial of CAS versus CEA among asymptomatic patients with severe stenosis thought to require intervention, interpreted with all other relevant trials. Patients were eligible if they had severe unilateral or bilateral carotid artery stenosis and both doctor and patient agreed that a carotid procedure should be undertaken, but they were substantially uncertain which one to choose. Patients were randomly allocated to CAS or CEA and followed up at 1 month and then annually, for a mean 5 years. Procedural events were those within 30 days of the intervention. Intention-to-treat analyses are provided. Analyses including procedural hazards use tabular methods. Analyses and meta-analyses of non-procedural strokes use Kaplan-Meier and log-rank methods. The trial is registered with the ISRCTN registry, ISRCTN21144362. Findings: Between Jan 15, 2008, and Dec 31, 2020, 3625 patients in 130 centres were randomly allocated, 1811 to CAS and 1814 to CEA, with good compliance, good medical therapy and a mean 5 years of follow-up. Overall, 1% had disabling stroke or death procedurally (15 allocated to CAS and 18 to CEA) and 2% had non-disabling procedural stroke (48 allocated to CAS and 29 to CEA). Kaplan-Meier estimates of 5-year non-procedural stroke were 2·5% in each group for fatal or disabling stroke, and 5·3% with CAS versus 4·5% with CEA for any stroke (rate ratio [RR] 1·16, 95% CI 0·86-1·57; p=0·33). Combining RRs for any non-procedural stroke in all CAS versus CEA trials, the RR was similar in symptomatic and asymptomatic patients (overall RR 1·11, 95% CI 0·91-1·32; p=0·21). Interpretation: Serious complications are similarly uncommon after competent CAS and CEA, and the long-term effects of these two carotid artery procedures on fatal or disabling stroke are comparable