Banning new gas boilers as a no-regret mitigation option.

The low uptake of low-carbon heating systems across Europe has prompted authorities to consider more ambitious measures, including a complete ban on the installation of new fossil fuel boilers. In this analysis, we simulate the impacts of introducing this ban in France under 11,664 scenarios covering major uncertainties. We find that the ban induces major changes in the energy system, leading to efficiency gains.

Contributory conditions for unexpected COVID-19 cases and nosocomial COVID-19 infection cases identified from systematic investigation in a French University Hospital.

Introduction: Nosocomial case (NC) of COVID-19 infections is a challenge for hospitals. We report the results of a seven-month prospective cohort study investigating COVID-19 patients to assess unexpected cases (UC) (no COVID-19 precautionary measure application since admission) and NC.

Patients And Methods: Investigation by an infection control team of 844 patients with COVID-19 infection hospitalized for more than 24 hours (cases).

Trace metal contamination in sediment in the Mhlathuze Estuary, northern KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa: effects on the macrobenthic community.

Mhlathuze Estuary constitutes one of the ecological most important estuaries in southern Africa and is regarded as an estuary of high conservation importance. The ongoing expansion of the adjacent industrialized Richards Bay Harbour increases the risk of metal pollution to the estuary. This study provides insight into the extent and sources of trace metal contamination using pollution indices and sediment quality guidelines and the effect on macrobenthic habitat quality.

Ceria-based solid catalysts for organic chemistry.

Ceria has been the subject of thorough investigations, mainly because of its use as an active component of catalytic converters for the treatment of exhaust gases. However, ceria-based catalysts have also been developed for different applications in organic chemistry. The redox and acid-base properties of ceria, either alone or in the presence of transition metals, are important parameters that allow to activate complex organic molecules and to selectively orient their transformation.

Chronic treatment with Delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol impairs spatial memory and reduces zif268 expression in the mouse forebrain.

Few studies have investigated the effects of chronic cannabinoid exposure on memory performance and whether tolerance occurs to cannabinoid-induced memory impairment. Here, we studied the effects of repeated exposure to Delta-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC: 1 mg/kg) on spatial memory and zif268 expression in mice. One group of animals was not pretreated with THC, whereas another group was injected with 13 daily injections of THC before memory testing in the Morris water maze.

Pacing strategy and VO2 kinetics during a 1500-m race.

We investigated the oxygen uptake response (V.O (2)) to a 1500-m test conducted using a competition race strategy. On an outdoor track, eleven middle-distance runners performed a test to determine V.