The ReCoDe addiction research consortium: Losing and regaining control over drug intake-Findings and future perspectives.

Substance use disorders (SUDs) are seen as a continuum ranging from goal-directed and hedonic drug use to loss of control over drug intake with aversive consequences for mental and physical health and social functioning. The main goals of our interdisciplinary German collaborative research centre on Losing and Regaining Control over Drug Intake (ReCoDe) are (i) to study triggers (drug cues, stressors, drug priming) and modifying factors (age, gender, physical activity, cognitive functions, childhood adversity, social factors, such as loneliness and social contact/interaction) that longitudinally modulate the trajectories of losing and regaining control over drug consumption under real-life conditions. (ii) To study underlying behavioural, cognitive and neurobiological mechanisms of disease trajectories and drug-related behaviours and (iii) to provide non-invasive mechanism-based interventions.

Effects of obesity on the rat incisor enamel and dentine thickness, as well as on the hemimandible shape over generations.

Obesity has several effects on the general body metabolism. However, little is known about the impact of obesity on the growth and shape of mineralized tissues like mandibles and teeth, as well as if it effects are passed down from generation to next. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to evaluate, over nine generations using the consanguineous mating (inbreeding), the effect of the obesity condition produced by the reduction in the number of rats per litter during the lactation period on the hemimandible shape, dentine, and enamel of the rat incisor.

Thermoresponsive Hydrogel Containing Extract for Topic and Transdermal Use: Development, Stability and Cytotoxicity Activity.

L. (), also known as European mistletoe, is a semi-parasitic plant that grows on different host trees. Our group recently demonstrated the antitumoral activity of ethanolic extracts in vitro, depending on the dose and the host tree, ssp from being the most active extract.

Microglial FACS for Robust RNA Recovery for Next-Generation Sequencing.

Microglia are immune cells of the central nervous system (CNS), which play an instrumental role in eliminating invading pathogens and help regulate localized inflammation. They also assist in maintaining homeostasis of the brain microenvironment. Microglia isolation from primary brain tissue can be difficult with poor yields from tissue dissociation which precludes many downstream assays from being efficiently conducted.

The Role of Rhizosphere Bacteriophages in Plant Health.

Microbiomes and their hosts influence each other; for instance, the microbiome improves host fitness, whereas the host supports microbiome nutrition. Most studies on this topic have focused on the role of bacteria and fungi, although research on viruses that infect bacteria, known as 'bacteriophages' (phages), has gained importance due to the potential role bacteriophages play in the resilience and functionality of the gut microbiome. Like the gut microbiome, the rhizosphere harbors a complex microbiome, but little is known about the role of phages in this ecosystem.