  Strong interaction physics under extreme conditions of high temperature
and/or density is of central interest in modern nuclear physics for
experimentalists and theorists alike. In order to investigate such systems,
model approaches that include hadrons and quarks in a unified approach, will be
discussed. Special attention will be given to high-density matter as it occurs
in neutron stars. Given the current observational limits for neutron star
masses, the properties of hyperonic and hybrid stars will be determined. In
this context especially the question of the extent, to which exotic particles
like hyperons and quarks affect star masses, will be discussed.
