Effect of caffeine on alcohol drinking in mice.

Mixing alcohol (ethanol) with caffeinated beverages continues to be a common and risky practice. Energy drinks are one type of caffeinated beverage that may be especially problematic when used as mixers, due to their relatively high caffeine content in combination with their highly sweetened flavor profile. The present study used a mouse model of limited-access drinking and lickometer circuitry to examine the effects of an energy drink anid its caffeine content on ethanol consumption.

Neural responses from the filiform receptor neuron afferents of the wind-sensitive cercal system in three cockroach species.

The wind-sensitive insect cercal system is involved in many important behaviors, such as initiating terrestrial escape responses and providing sensory feedback during flight. The occurrence of these behaviors vary in cockroach species Periplaneta americana (strong terrestrial response and flight), Blaberus craniifer (weak terrestrial response and flight), and Gromphodorhina portentosa (no terrestrial response and no flight). A previous study focusing on wind-sensitive interneuron (WSI) responses demonstrated that variations in sensory processing of wind information accompany these behavioral differences.