IEEE

To achieve net-zero emissions economy, the transition to online entertainment and retail, aging populations, urban population growth, and pressures on public finance have created huge interests for human to run cities differently and smartly. A term titled smart city is created which is considered as an idealistic city, where the quality of life for citizens is greatly improved by utilizing information and communication technology (ICT), new services, and new city infrastructures to efficiently achieve the value, such as sustainable and resilient development. The eco-sustainable method has to be used in several aspects, such as energy, mobility, environment, and social services. Research and development in smart cities is expanding exponentially. SMC is one of the core sponsors of the IEEE Smart Cities

Potentially large post-1505 AD earthquakes in western Nepal revealed by a lake sediment record

International audienceAccording to paleoseismological studies, the last earthquake that ruptured the Main Frontal Thrust in western Nepal occurred in 1505 AD. No evidence of large earthquakes has been documented since, giving rise to the concept of a seismic gap in the central Himalaya. Here, we report on a new record of earthquake-triggered turbidites from Lake Rara, western Nepal. Our lake-sediment record contains eight possibly moderate-to-large earthquake-triggered turbidites during the last 800 years, three of which overlap in age with previously reported Mw ≥ 7 events in western Nepal. Shaking intensity modelling, together with instrumental records, suggests that near-field earthquakes (≤15 km) should have a minimum Mw 5.6, and regional earthquakes (≤80 km) a Mw > 6.5, to trigger turbidites. We present a likely scenario that western Nepal may be as seismically active as central Nepal; however, more data are needed to revaluate the seismic risk in the central Himalaya

Role of STAT5 in controlling cell survival and immunoglobulin gene recombination during pro-B cell development

STAT5 and IL-7 signaling are thought to control B-lymphopoiesis by regulating key transcription factor genes and activating V(H) gene segments at the Igh locus. Using conditional mutagenesis, we demonstrate that transgenic Bcl2 expression rescued the development of Stat5-deleted pro-B cells by compensating for the loss of Mcl-1. Ebf1 and Pax5 expression as well as V(H) gene recombination were normal in Bcl2-rescued pro-B cells lacking STAT5 or IL-7Rα. In agreement with this finding, STAT5-expressing pro-B cells contained little or no active chromatin at most V(H) genes. In contrast, Igk rearrangements were increased in STAT5-or IL-7Rα-deficient pro-B cells. Hence, STAT5 and IL-7 signaling control cell survival and the developmental ordering of immunoglobulin gene rearrangements by suppressing premature Igk recombination in pro-B cells

Roles of mitochondria in apoptosis

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