ABSTRACTA study conducted in Egypt evaluated the effectiveness of chemical and microbial agents in enhancing sweet pepper (Capsicum annuum var. annuum) defenses against major pests Aphis gossypii and Thrips tabaci and their natural predators, Chrysoperla carnea and Orius insidiosus. Five foliar treatments were tested under greenhouse conditions during the 2022 and 2023 growing seasons: salicylic acid (SA), potassium phosphite (PK), effective microorganisms (EMs), insecticide imidacloprid (IMI), and a water‐sprayed untreated check (control). In addition to monitoring pest and predator populations, several biochemical parameters were assessed in pepper leaves, including total chlorophyll, macronutrients (N, P, K), phenolic compounds, and total protein content. All treatments improved plant growth and enhanced physiological traits, promoting both vegetative development and fruit productivity. Salicylic acid was the most effective treatment, significantly increasing chlorophyll levels, nutrient uptake, phenolic content, and total proteins. Moreover, all agents led to a marked reduction in pest populations while preserving predator abundance, indicating strong plant defense activation and selectivity toward beneficial insects. These findings demonstrate that the tested agents, particularly salicylic acid, can serve as practical and sustainable alternatives to synthetic insecticides and are suitable for integration into environmentally friendly pest management strategies and Integrated Pest Management (IPM) programs.

ABSTRACTThis study explores a dual‐use CO2‐breathing plasma thruster capable of operating in very low Martian orbits (80–160 km), delivering electric propulsion and in situ oxygen generation. Experimental results demonstrate a thrust of over 1 N at input powers ranging from 0.1 to 1 kW across varying discharge frequencies. Optical emission spectroscopy reveals strong emission at 777.1 nm corresponding to atomic oxygen, along with spectral features of CO and CO2, confirming the effective dissociation of CO2 within the plasma. These findings support the viability of propulsion systems as multifunctional platforms for future Mars missions, enabling both aerial/ground mobility and human habitats without stored propellant gas.

ABSTRACTThe connectivity and interdependence of our world and its inhabitants’ health have come under increasing focus. Elucidation of the common and interdependent mechanisms of health and disease requires approaches that facilitate understanding of complex systems behavior and probing of both individual and collective system parameters. To this end, multiscale physical and computational modeling offers a particularly powerful tool to predict behavior over vast time and length scales. Other novel technologies, e.g., rapid isolation nanotechnology developed to analyze nanoscale small extracellular vesicles in ocular tears, enable tracking of “fingerprints” from diseases as diverse as ocular to neurodegenerative (e.g., dementia) and cancer. In the future, it will be possible to track the health and disease of ecosystems and their inhabitants, using geospatial and epidemiological approaches, as well as novel biotechnologies, to prevent and mitigate disease processes and enhance well‐being. These concepts are applied by way of an exemplary approach to understand and address the impact of toxic, recalcitrant manmade chemicals (i.e., PFAS) on the health of ecosystems and their diverse inhabitants. Such convergent efforts will be necessary and a priority for solving the complex problems threatening the health of our planet and its inhabitants.

ABSTRACTHepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains the most prevalent primary liver cancer, characterized by alarmingly high mortality rates and low five‐year survival outcomes. A significant challenge in HCC management lies in its advanced‐stage treatment, with most cases identified at advanced, unresectable stages, resulting in poor prognoses and limited treatment options. Over the last decade, considerable advancements have been made in systemic treatment strategies, notably with the introduction of multi‐kinase inhibitors such as sorafenib and lenvatinib, which have redefined the therapeutic landscape for advanced HCC. The emergence of immunotherapy has further revolutionized first‐line treatment, bringing new hope with agents like the PD‐1 inhibitor nivolumab and the CTLA‐4 inhibitor tremelimumab. Moreover, combination regimens such as atezolizumab plus bevacizumab have demonstrated remarkable clinical efficacy, leading to substantial improvements in overall survival and progression‐free survival. Despite the availability of multiple treatment options, clinical trial outcomes remain suboptimal. Key challenges persist in the selection and sequencing of therapies, the development of more diversified combination strategies, and the implementation of downstaging approaches for advanced HCC. This paper aims to provide a comprehensive review of the current progress in systemic therapies for HCC, drawing on extensive research findings and clinical trial data to assess their clinical applications and explore potential challenges. By offering a critical analysis of these therapeutic strategies, this paper seeks to furnish valuable insights and references for ongoing research and future clinical practice, ultimately contributing to improved outcomes in HCC management.

ABSTRACTAccurate prediction of optical performance in solar cells with multiscale‐textured interfaces is essential for optimizing light management in next‐generation photovoltaics. For the first time, a systematic validation of two complementary modeling approaches is carried out on experimentally fabricated thin‐film silicon (TF Si) solar cells: rigorous coupled‐wave analysis (RCWA), offering a full electromagnetic solution but constrained by boundary conditions, and a ray optics model, operating in the refractive regime. The study involves two device architectures: an a‐Si:H single‐junction cell on commercial Asahi VU‐type glass with random nanotextures, and an nc‐Si:H single‐junction cell on novel micro‐periodic honeycomb‐textured glass developed in‐house. Simulated and measured external quantum efficiency (EQE) and total front reflection losses (1‐R) are benchmarked using the root mean squared error (RMSE). The ray model shows deviations of only 2%–6%, comparable to RCWA, while reducing computation time from 1 week to less than 30 min. Applied to an a‐Si:H/nc‐Si:H tandem device on honeycomb‐textured glass, ray optics reproduced the optical response with spectral deviations below 6% and photocurrent mismatch under 0.2 mA/cm2. These findings uniquely establish ray optics, when combined with accurate optical constants and realistic interface morphologies, as a reliable and computationally efficient predictive tool broadly transferable to thin‐film technologies, including perovskites.

ABSTRACTThermoset polymers with permanently cross‐linked networks have outstanding mechanical properties but cannot be reprocessed or recycled. Vitrimerization is a simple and practical method to convert permanent crosslinked thermosets into vitrimers with covalent adaptable networks, which can be recycled. Vitrimerization is a mechanochemical strategy to convert thermosets into vitrimers by using a ball milling system. In this study, we propose solid‐state shear extrusion (SSSE) as a continuous, room‐temperature route to replace ball milling (BM) for epoxy vitrimerization. The vitrimerized thermosets obtained using the SSSE process exhibit comparable activation energy and mechanical properties with the vitrimers obtained using the BM method. In addition, the SSSE vitrimers can be reprocessed multiple times, maintaining above 80 percent in mechanical properties. This first feasibility study of employing SSSE for vitrimerization may establish it as a scalable, energy‐efficient alternative to batch BM for industrial, closed‐loop recycling of thermosets with the least environmental impact.

The cover image is based on the article CytroCell@Nafion: Enhanced Proton Exchange Membranes by Mario Pagliaro etal., https://doi.org/10.1002/gch2.202500338.

ABSTRACTWe investigate the use of lemon CytroCell nanocellulose as a new biobased filler for Nafion‐based proton exchange membranes. Pristine and composite membranes are prepared via casting and solvent evaporation technique. CytroCell is added up to 20 wt.% with respect to the polymer in a hydroalcoholic solution of Nafion perfluorosulfonic acid ionomer. Composite CytroCell@Nafion membranes are homogeneous on a molecular scale and showed enhanced proton conductivity with optimal performance for the composite membrane embedding 10 wt.% CytroCell. The composite membranes also showed improved flexibility and ductility compared to Nafion pristine membranes. Should stability of the new membranes be confirmed during prolonged PEM electrolyzer or H2 fuel cell operation, these findings open the route to the development of enhanced PEM membranes of broad applicability.

Graphene oxide (GO) is a nanomaterial with excellent physico‐chemical properties widely used in a high variety of technological applications. However, conventional protocols for GO preparation rely on wet synthesis, involving extreme chemical conditions. Recently, mechanochemical synthesis has been postulated as a rapid and sustainable dry alternative for the preparation of new materials. In this work, an optimization of the mechanochemical synthesis of GO from graphite is carried out. To characterize the materials, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X‐Ray photoelectron microscopy (XPS), elemental analysis, and nitrogen adsorption–desorption isotherms are employed. The GO synthesized via dry protocol (d‐GO) and GO prepared via wet synthesis (w‐GO) are coupled with magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) to prepare magnetic graphene oxide sorbents (d‐M@GO and w‐M@GO). Subsequently, the adsorption properties of the prepared materials toward inorganic and organic pollutants are determined and compared. The results indicated excellent adsorption efficiency for d‐M@GO, demonstrating the successful application of the mechanochemical method in magnetic sorbents preparation. To the best of the available knowledge, this is the first work to investigate the applicability of dry mechanochemical GO for the synthesis of a magnetic sorbent (d‐M@GO) and its use toward emerging concern and priority pollutants (PFAS and metal ions).