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Two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides, particularly MoS 2 , are interesting materials for many applications in aerospace research, radiation therapy and bioscience more in general. Since in many of these applications MoS 2 -based nanomaterials can be placed in an aqueous environment while exposed to ionizing radiation, both experimental and theoretical studies of their behaviour under these conditions is particularly interesting. Here, we study the effects of tiny imparted doses of 511 keV photons to MoS 2 nanoflakes in water solution. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study in which ionizing radiation on 2D-MoS 2 occurs in water. Interestingly, we find that, in addition to the direct interaction between high-energy photons and nanoflakes, reactive chemical species, generated by γ-photons induced radiolysis of water, come into play a relevant role. A radiation transport Monte Carlo simulation allowed determining the elements driving the morphological and spectroscopical changes of 2D-MoS 2 , experimentally monitored by SEM microscopy, DLS, Raman and UV–vis spectroscopy, AFM, and X-ray photoelectron techniques. Our study demonstrates that radiolysis products affect the Molybdenum oxidation state, which is massively changed from the stable + 4 and + 6 states into the rarer and more unstable + 5. These findings will be relevant for radiation-based therapies and diagnostics in patients that are assuming drugs or contrast agents containing 2D-MoS 2 and for aerospace biomedical applications of 2DMs investigating their actions into living organisms on space station or satellites.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a leading cause of cancer-related deaths and obesity is a known risk factor for its development and poor prognosis. Adipose tissue (AT) actively contributes to CRC progression and cachexia. Here, we investigated molecular crosstalk between tumor cells and different visceral AT depots (normal, intra- and peri-tumoral), focusing on metabolic and (epi)genetic alterations. Using WGS analysis, we explored VAT role in CRC progression, demonstrating how its proximity to the tumor impacts metabolic and phenotypic changes. Intra-VAT (within 5 cm of lesion), closest to the tumor, underwent significant metabolic remodeling, characterized by upregulation of markers of the white-brown AT transition (UCP-1, TMEM26), lipid metabolism (PON3) and a reduction in adipocyte turnover (Pref-1, adiponectin). Peri-VAT (within 15 cm) and HVAT (over 15 cm) exhibited progressively fewer alterations, suggesting a gradient effect of tumor on surrounding AT. Intra-VAT displayed increased fibrosis (TGF-β, collagen) and cachexia-related markers (IL-8), and mutations in key oncogenes (KRAS, HLA, MET), highlighting a direct interaction between tumor cells and AT driving CRC progression. Mutations in genes such as KRAS, HLA, and PIK3CA were shared between CRC and its Intra-VAT, indicating potential biomarkers for tumor progression and immune evasion. miRNA analysis revealed upregulation of miR-21 and miR-92a in Intra-VAT, with circulating miR-92a correlating with increased body fat and decreased lean mass in CRC patients, suggesting their involvement in both local metabolic remodeling and systemic changes. Altered PON3 DNA methylation patterns were also observed, correlating with metabolic parameters. Our findings underscore AT’s critical role in the CRC microenvironment as an active player in CRC progression and cachexia. Metabolic and genetic alterations decreased in VAT with increasing distance from the tumor. Intra-VAT may serve as a critical therapeutic target and biomarker for CRC progression, impacting surgical and postoperative strategies. Future studies should focus on targeting tumor-adipose crosstalk to improve treatment outcomes, including experimental validation of the identified genetic alterations and investigation of their functional roles in tumor progression and immune evasion.

We test the validity of a possible schematization of DNA structure and dynamics based on the Chern–Simons theory, that is a topological field theory mostly considered in the context of effective gravity theories. By means of the expectation value of the Wilson Loop, derived from this analogue gravity approach, we find the point-like curvature of genomic strings in KRAS human gene and COVID-19 sequences, correlating this curvature with the genetic mutations. The point-like curvature profile, obtained by means of the Chern–Simons currents, can be used to infer the position of the given mutations within the genetic string. Generally, mutations take place in the highest Chern–Simons current gradient locations and subsequent mutated sequences appear to have a smoother curvature than the initial ones, in agreement with a free energy minimization argument.

Interactions of novel bi-dimensional nanomaterials and live matter such as bacteria and viruses represent an extremely hot topic due to the unique properties of the innovative nanomaterials, capable in some cases to exhibit bactericide and antiviral actions. The interactions between bacteria and viruses and two dimensional nanosheets are here investigated. We extensively studied the interaction between a gram-negative bacterium, , and a gram-positive bacterium, , with two different types of 2D nanoflakes such as MoS , belonging to the Transition Metal Dichalcogenides family, and Graphene Oxide. The same two types of nanomaterials were employed to study their antiviral action toward the Herpes simplex virus type-1, (HSV-1). The experimental results showed different bactericide impacts as well as different antiviral power between the two nanomaterials. The experimental findings were interpreted in bacteria on the base of the Derjaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek theory. A simple kinetic model of bacterial growth in the presence of the interacting nanosheets is also elaborated, to explain the observed results. The experimental results in viruses are really novel and somewhat surprising, evidencing a stronger antiviral action of Graphene Oxide as compared to MoS . Results in viruses are complicated to quantitatively interpret due to the complexity of the system under study, constituted by virus/host cell and nanoflake, and due to the lack of a well assessed theoretical context to refer to. Thus, these results are interpreted in terms of qualitative arguments based on the chemical properties of the interactors in the given solvent medium.

The pursuit of environmentally friendly solvents has become an essential research topic in sustainable chemistry and nanomaterial science. With the need to substitute toxic solvents in nanofabrication processes becoming more pressing, the search for alternative solvents has taken on a crucial role in this field. Additionally, the use of toxic, non-economical organic solvents, such as N-methyl-2 pyrrolidone and dimethylformamide, is not suitable for all biomedical applications, even though these solvents are often considered as the best exfoliating agents for nanomaterial fabrication. In this context, the success of producing two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides (2D TMDs), such as MoS2 and WS2, with excellent captivating properties is due to the ease of synthesis based on environment-friendly, benign methods with fewer toxic chemicals involved. Herein, we report for the first time on the use of cyrene as an exfoliating agent to fabricate monolayer and few-layered 2D TMDs with a versatile, less time-consuming liquid-phase exfoliation technique. This bio-derived, aprotic, green and eco-friendly solvent produced a stable, surfactant-free, concentrated 2D TMD dispersion with very interesting features, as characterized by UV–visible and Raman spectroscopies. The surface charge and morphology of the fabricated nanoflakes were analyzed using ς-potential and scanning electron microscopy. The study demonstrates that cyrene is a promising green solvent for the exfoliation of 2D TMD nanosheets with potential advantages over traditional organic solvents. The ability to produce smaller-sized—especially in the case of WS2 as compared to MoS2—and mono/few-layered nanostructures with higher negative surface charge values makes cyrene a promising candidate for various biomedical and electronic applications. Overall, the study contributes to the development of sustainable and environmentally friendly methods for the production of 2D nanomaterials for various applications.

Physics’ curricula of Italian Scientific High Schools in the last years have been enhanced by the introduction of Quantum Mechanics and Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL). Education monitoring reveals that last year’s students are experiencing many issues in learning in their second language (L2) and advanced and counter-intuitive contents. Our experiment is aimed at understanding and then overcoming those problems using educational methodologies based on social aspects. Thanks to the Internet, a communicative style can be exploited where teachers could keep teaching, playing the role of semiotic mediators. Multimedia and simulations broadly available in MOOCS suggested a flipped classroom approach coping with the project of CLIL lessons. In our experience two classrooms of students were selected, starting from very similar performances and skills. The first one was taught with traditional lectures and tests; the second one, instead, attended to experimental lessons. Students could share their ideas and learning supports through a Facebook group, a blog, virtual classrooms and a website. Nevertheless, at the end of the experience an eTwinning exchange was planned, to spread the experiment towards foreign schools. The outcomes of the tests performed on the students were analysed and unexpected results were drawn. An extension to larger numbers of students, the introduction of different methodologies and the research about different topics in Physics could potentially develop this research.

Two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides, particularly MoS , are interesting materials for many applications in aerospace research, radiation therapy and bioscience more in general. Since in many of these applications MoS -based nanomaterials can be placed in an aqueous environment while exposed to ionizing radiation, both experimental and theoretical studies of their behaviour under these conditions is particularly interesting. Here, we study the effects of tiny imparted doses of 511 keV photons to MoS nanoflakes in water solution. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study in which ionizing radiation on 2D-MoS occurs in water. Interestingly, we find that, in addition to the direct interaction between high-energy photons and nanoflakes, reactive chemical species, generated by γ-photons induced radiolysis of water, come into play a relevant role. A radiation transport Monte Carlo simulation allowed determining the elements driving the morphological and spectroscopical changes of 2D-MoS , experimentally monitored by SEM microscopy, DLS, Raman and UV-vis spectroscopy, AFM, and X-ray photoelectron techniques. Our study demonstrates that radiolysis products affect the Molybdenum oxidation state, which is massively changed from the stable + 4 and + 6 states into the rarer and more unstable + 5. These findings will be relevant for radiation-based therapies and diagnostics in patients that are assuming drugs or contrast agents containing 2D-MoS and for aerospace biomedical applications of 2DMs investigating their actions into living organisms on space station or satellites.

We test the validity of a possible schematization of DNA structure and dynamics based on the Chern-Simons theory, that is a topological field theory mostly considered in the context of effective gravity theories. By means of the expectation value of the Wilson Loop, derived from this analogue gravity approach, we find the point-like curvature of genomic strings in KRAS human gene and COVID-19 sequences, correlating this curvature with the genetic mutations. The point-like curvature profile, obtained by means of the Chern-Simons currents, can be used to infer the position of the given mutations within the genetic string. Generally, mutations take place in the highest Chern-Simons current gradient locations and subsequent mutated sequences appear to have a smoother curvature than the initial ones, in agreement with a free energy minimization argument.

A novel technique was demonstrated that overcome important drawbacks to crosslink cells by irradiation with ultrashort UV laser pulses (L-crosslinking). To use this technique coupled to Chromatin ImmunoPrecipitation (ChIP) in a high throughput context, a pre-screening fast method needs to be implemented to set up suitable irradiation conditions of the cell sample for efficient L-crosslinking with no final and long ChIP analysis. Here a fast method is reported where living human cells have been first transfected with a vector coding for Estrogen Receptor (ER), linked to Green Florescent protein (ER-GFP), so that the well-known interaction between the Estrogen Receptor Elements (ERE) region of the cell DNA and the ER protein can be detected by studying the fluorometric response of the irradiated cells. The damage induced to cells by UV irradiation is characterized by looking at DNA integrity, proteins stability and cellular viability. A second novel approach is presented to analyze or re-visit DNA and RNA sequences and their molecular configurations. This approach is based on methods derived from Chern-Simons super-gravity adapted to describe mutations in DNA/RNA strings, as well as interactions between nucleic acids. As a preliminary case we analyze the KRAS human gene sequence and some of its mutations. Interestingly, our model shows how the Chern-Simons current are capable to characterize the mutations within a sequence, in particular giving a quantitative indication of the mutation likelihood.

We test the validity of a possible schematization of DNA structure and dynamics based on the Chern-Simons theory, that is a topological field theory mostly considered in the context of effective gravity theories. By means of the expectation value of the Wilson Loop, derived from this analogue gravity approach, we find the point-like curvature of genomic strings in KRAS human gene and COVID-19 sequences, correlating this curvature with the genetic mutations. The point-like curvature profile, obtained by means of the Chern-Simons currents, can be used to infer the position of the given mutations within the genetic string. Generally, mutations take place in the highest Chern-Simons current gradient locations and subsequent mutated sequences appear to have a smoother curvature than the initial ones, in agreement with a free energy minimization argument.