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Legacy mercury, reservoir dynamics, and dredging effects on methylmercury in San Francisco Bay

Silver et al. | Aug 24, 2026

Legacy mercury, reservoir dynamics, and dredging effects on methylmercury in San Francisco Bay

This study analyzes over two decades of monitoring data (1999-2022) to investigate how legacy mining, reservoir water releases, and dredging activities influence toxic methylmercury (MeHg) levels in San Francisco Bay. The findings reveal a significant delayed correlation between river flow and San Francisco Bay MeHg, and counter to the authors' hypothesis, a strong association between increased MeHg concentrations in the bay and both total annual dredging volume and beneficial sediment reuse / upland sediment disposal.

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Evaluating the impact of prompting styles on LLM accuracy for AIME math questions

Ganesa et al. | Jul 26, 2026

Evaluating the impact of prompting styles on LLM accuracy for AIME math questions

Large language models are increasingly used to solve math problems, but their ability to handle multi-step reasoning remains uncertain. In this study, students tested whether different prompting styles could improve LLM accuracy on challenging AIME math questions and found that detailed step-by-step solutions did not significantly outperform simpler prompts. These results suggest that improving LLM mathematical reasoning may require deeper model-level advances rather than changes in prompting style alone.

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Electrocatalytic oxidation of furfural on Co3O4/nickel foam catalyst: performance and mechanistic study

Song et al. | Jul 19, 2026

Electrocatalytic oxidation of furfural on Co<sub>3</sub>O<sub>4</sub>/nickel foam catalyst: performance and mechanistic study
Image credit: Shraga kopstein

In this study, the authors hypothesized that the unique redox properties of cobalt oxide (Co3O4), combined with the conductive nature of the nickel foam (NF) substrate, synergistically enhances the catalytic performance for furfural oxidation. The study showed successful synthesis of Co3O4 nanoflowers directly grown on NF and tested their capacity to serve as a highly efficient electrocatalyst for furfural oxidation. Beyond furfural oxidation, this study also offers broader implications for sustainable chemistry by establishing design principles for efficient nucleophilic oxidation reaction catalysts, demonstrating an energy-saving alternative to conventional oxygen evolution reaction-coupled processes, and showcasing how biomass conversion can be integrated with renewable energy systems.

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Rethinking the electric vehicle tax policy: prioritizing affordable solutions for environmental impact

Miao et al. | Jan 26, 2026

Rethinking the electric vehicle tax policy: prioritizing affordable solutions for environmental impact

Car emissions harm both the environment and human health, and current U.S. EV tax credits mainly benefit high-income households because EVs are expensive. This study evaluates U.S. vehicle emissions policies by analyzing 2022 national vehicle data to compare the fuel economy and greenhouse gas impacts of the current EV tax credit with a proposed policy that incentivizes hybrid vehicle purchases.

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Analysis of the catalytic efficiency of spent coffee grounds and titanium dioxide using UV-Vis spectroscopy

Jahng et al. | Dec 09, 2025

Analysis of the catalytic efficiency of spent coffee grounds and titanium dioxide using UV-Vis spectroscopy
Image credit: Jahng and Kim

This paper looks at using spent coffee grounds as a partial substitute for titanium dioxide (TiO2) as a catalyst for chemical reactions. Using UV-Vis spectrophotometry, they found that adding the coffee grounds to TiO2 in a 3:1 ratio, there is still meaningful catalytic activity. This offers a cheaper solution than just using pure TiO2.

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