Estimation of Cosmic-Ray-Induced Atmospheric Ionization and Radiation at Commercial Aviation Flight Altitudes

Biomimetic microfluidic chips for toxicity assessment of environmental pollutants

Various types of pollutants widely present in environmental media, including synthetic and natural chemicals, physical pollutants such as radioactive substances, ultraviolet rays, and noise, as well as biological organisms, pose a huge threat to public health. Therefore, it is crucial to accurately and effectively explore the human physiological responses and toxicity mechanisms of pollutants to prevent diseases caused by pollutants. The emerging toxicological testing method biomimetic microfluidic chips (BMCs) exhibit great potential in environmental pollutant toxicity assessment due to their superior biomimetic properties. The BMCs are divided into cell-on-chips and organ-on-chips based on the distinctions in bionic simulation levels. Herein, we first summarize the characteristics, emergence and development history, composition and structure, and application fields of BMCs. Then, with a focus on the toxicity mechanisms of pollutants, we review the applications and advances of the BMCs in the toxicity assessment of physical, chemical, and biological pollutants, respectively, highlighting its potential and development prospects in environmental toxicology testing. Finally, the opportunities and challenges for further use of BMCs are discussed.

The Updated Version of the A.Ne.Mo.S. GLE Alert System: The Case of the Ground-Level Enhancement GLE73 on 28 October 2021

A ground-level enhancement (GLE) event is a sudden increase in cosmic ray intensity originated by solar sources and recorded by ground-based detectors. GLEs are invariably associated with large solar flares that can release and accelerate solar particles at high energies. The minimum kinetic energy of particles reaching the Earth’s surface is >433 MeV at sea level and about 300 MeV/n at high-mountain altitude of about 3000 m a.s.l. Even though these abrupt events linked to solar activity are quite rare, they can have a great impact on technological systems and human health when recorded. Therefore, the accurate and effective prognosis of such events is of great importance. In this paper, an overview of the most recently recorded GLE event and the first of solar cycle 25, i.e., GLE73, as well as a post-event analysis is presented. GLE73 was detected on 28 October 2021 and was associated with the active region AR12887 on the central part of the solar disk, which produced an X1.0 solar flare. The event was registered by several stations of the worldwide ground-based neutron monitor network. An accurate alert was issued successfully by the ESA R-ESC federated product GLE Alert Plus, as well as the updated GLE Alert++ System of the Athens Neutron Monitor Station (A.Ne.Mo.S.). It should be emphasized that the GLE Alert++ signal by NKUA/A.Ne.Mo.S. was issued 45 min earlier than the one issued by GOES. A short description and the advantages of this last system are provided.