Sulfur dioxide exposure of mice induces peribronchiolar fibrosis-A defining feature of deployment-related constrictive bronchiolitis.

Deployment-related constrictive bronchiolitis (DRCB) has emerged as a health concern in military personnel returning from Southwest Asia. Exposure to smoke from a fire at the Al-Mishraq sulfur enrichment facility and/or burn pits was reported by a subset of Veterans diagnosed with this disorder. DRCB is characterized by thickening and fibrosis of small airways (SA) in the lung, but whether these are related to toxin inhalation remains uncertain.

Assessment of radiological hazards in terms of gross α -β activities in groundwater in and around Beldih mine region of eastern India.

In the present study, liquid scintillation counting triple to double coincidence ratio technique is used to ascertain the gross α and β activity in groundwater samples collected from the Beldih mine region in the vicinity of the South Purulia Shear Zone (SPSZ) of Chota Nagpur Plateau in eastern India. A total of sixty samples were collected from deep tube wells located in the study area to assess the potential health threats caused by α and β emitting radionuclides present in these water samples. Average gross α activity in the region of study is 0.

Microglia ameliorate delirium-like phenotypes in a murine model of acute ventilator-induced lung injury.

Background: Delirium affects 50-85% of patients on mechanical ventilation and is associated with increased mortality, prolonged hospitalization, and a three-fold higher risk of dementia. Microglia, the resident immune cells of the brain, exhibit both neuroprotective and neurotoxic functions; however, their effects in mechanical ventilation-induced acute lung injury (VILI) are unknown. We hypothesize that in a model of short-term VILI, microglia play a neuroprotective role to ameliorate delirium-like phenotypes.