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The authors looked at whether youth use of marijuana related to later high-risk drug use. Using survey data from 2010-2019 they found that youth marijuana use did correlate to an increased risk of high-risk drug use.

Here, the authors investigated engagement with #GMOFOODS, a hashtag on TikTok. They hypothesized that content focused on the negative effects of genetically modified organisms would receive more interaction driven by consumers. They found that the most common cateogry focused on the disadvantages of GMOs related to nutrition and health with the number of views determining if the video would be provided to users.

In this study, the authors investigate the effects of acetone on the color of copper chloride (CuCl₂) solution, which has important implications for detecting copper in the environment.

Many species of trees are distributed widely around the world, though not always in a way that makes immediate sense. The authors here use genetic information to help explain the geographic distribution of various conifer species throughout the world.

This study aimed to combat widespread hydrocarbon residue persistently polluting global water sources by developing and testing the ability of modified iron(III) oxide-hydroxide (FeO(OH)) nanoparticles to remove small amounts of motor oil from freshwater

Autonomous drone imaging combined with machine learning offers a promising approach for early detection of invasive species. In this study, students built an autonomous drone and compared three models: CNN, SGDC, and XGBoost, to identify Brassica nigra from aerial footage. Their results show that CNNs most effectively recognize key visual features, demonstrating strong potential for supporting conservation and invasive plant management.

The authors looked at soil quality of former military sites where chemical disposal was known to have occurred. Along with testing for heavy metals, the authors also looked for the presence (and number) of earthworms present in topsoil samples as a marker of soil health.

Hydrogels are commonly used in medicine, pharmaceuticals, and agriculture. Hydrogels absorb water by swelling and re-release this water by diffusion. This study sought to synthesize a biodegradable, cellulose-based hydrogel that is more effective at absorbing and re-releasing water than those produced by current methods. We tested the compressive strength of both the dry and swollen gels and the tensile strength of the swollen gels to elucidate the gel structure.

Almost all urban areas face the challenge of urban heat islands, areas with substantially hotter land surface temperatures than the surrounding rural areas. These areas are associated with worse air and water
quality, increased power outages, and increased heat-related illnesses. To learn more about these areas, Ustin et al. analyze satellite images of Cleveland neighborhoods to find out if there is a correlation between surface area development and surface temperature.

Here, in an effort to identify alternatives to oil-based plastic, the authors sought to investigate the effects of plasticizers on the mechanical properties and chemical composition of gelatin bioplastic matrices. Through measurements of their tensile strength and elongation at break, along with FTIR spectroscopy, they identified 3% w/v polyethylene glycol film as having the best performance in their study..