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.

Separation of bioactive biflavonoids from Rheedia gardneriana using chitosan modified with benzaldehyde.

This paper shows the influence of benzenic groups on the chitosan surface for the separation of bioactive biflavonoids from Rheedia gardneriana leaves The yield of the biflavonoids using chitin modified with benzaldehyde (CH-Bz) as adsorbent in column chromatography was higher than that achieved with silica gel and chitosan. The presence of benzenic groups decreases the polarity of chitosan and consequently the interaction of hydrogen bonding between phenolic hydroxyl (OH) of biflavonoids and amine groups of the adsorbent. Therefore, the separation of these compounds appears to be the result of hydrophobicity and pi-pi interaction among electrons from the aromatic ring in sorbent and biflavonoid molecules.

[Drug-addicted mothers].

Drug addiction in Portuguese women has greatly increased recently and affects women of child-bearing age. The lack of scientific knowledge of the influence of drug addiction on pregnancy led us to create a model to approach the problem. With that purpose, a Clinic for Pregnant Drug Addicts was opened in the Alfredo da Costa Maternity Hospital in 1989, intended to set up a special permanent team to provide personalized pre-natal care.

Endemic goitre in the island of S. Miguel (the Azores).

A survey of endemic goitre in the island of S. Miguel (the Azores) was performed. The prevalence of goitre in school-children varied between 11 and 41%.

Plasma vitamin E levels in a chronically hemolyzing group of dialysis patients.

Plasma vitamin E levels and the ascorbate cyanide test were assessed in 15 chronic hemodialysis (HD) patients (group A) exposed to persistently elevated chloramine levels in the dialysis water. The vitamin E levels in these patients, who had evidence of oxidant induced hemolytic anemia, were compared to 15 chronic HD patients exposed to low chloramine levels (group B) and 17 controls (group C). Vitamin E levels were found to be significantly lower in group A than in either groups B or C (p less than 0.