Spatial variation, emissions, transport, and risk assessment of organophosphate esters in two large petrochemical complexes in southern China.

Organophosphate esters (OPEs) serve as significant flame retardants and plasticizers in various petrochemical downstream products. The petrochemical industry could be a potential source of atmospheric OPEs, but their emissions from this industry are poorly understood. The present study revealed the spatial variation, emission, and atmospheric transport of traditional and novel OPEs (TOPEs and NOPEs, respectively) in atmospheric particulate matter (PM) across Hainan and Guangdong petrochemical complexes (HNPC and GDPC, respectively) in southern China.

Liraglutide Lowers Body Weight Set Point in DIO Rats and its Relationship with Hypothalamic Microglia Activation.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the effects of liraglutide on the body weight set point (BWSP) in diet-induced obese rats and to determine the relationship between BWSP and hypothalamic arcuate nucleus (ARC) microglial activation.

Methods: Diet-induced obesity (DIO) rats were divided into three groups: continuous high-fat diet (HFD) plus saline, HFD with liraglutide, and HFD with liraglutide pair feeding. Body weight, BWSP, inflammatory cytokines, suppressor of cytokine signaling 3, orexigenic/anorexigenic proteins, apoptosis, and microglia in the ARC were assessed.

Real-Time, Label-Free Detection of Local Exocytosis Outside Pancreatic β Cells Using Laser Tweezers Raman Spectroscopy.

The examination of insulin (Ins) exocytosis at the single-cell level by conventional methods, such as electrophysiological approaches, total internal reflection imaging, and two-photon imaging technology, often requires an invasive microelectrode puncture or label. In this study, high concentrations of glucose and potassium chloride were used to stimulate β cell Ins exocytosis, while low concentrations of glucose and calcium channel blockers served as the blank and negative control, respectively. Laser tweezers Raman spectroscopy (LTRS) was used to capture the possible Raman scattering signal from a local zone outside of the cell edge.