Wistar rats and C57BL/6J mice differ in their motivation to seek social interaction versus food in the Social versus Food Preference Test

ABSTRACTHere we characterized the Social versus Food Preference Test, a behavioral paradigm designed to investigate the competition between the choice to seek social interaction versus the choice to seek food. We assessed how this competition was modulated by internal cues (social isolation, food deprivation), external cues (time-of-testing, stimulus salience), sex (males, females), age (adolescents, adults), and rodent model (Wistar rats, C57BL/6J mice). We found that changes in stimulus preference in response to the internal and external cue manipulations were similar across cohorts. Specifically, social over food preference scores were reduced by food deprivation and social familiarly in Wistar rats and C57BL/6J mice of both sexes. Interestingly, the degree of food deprivation-induced changes in stimulus investigation patterns were greater in adolescents compared to adults in Wistar rats and C57BL/6J mice. Strikingly, baseline stimulus preference and investigation times varied greatly between rodent models: across manipulations, Wistar rats were generally more social-preferring and C57BL/6J mice were generally more food-preferring. Adolescent Wistar rats spent more time investigating the social and food stimuli than adult Wistar rats, while adolescent and adult C57BL/6J mice investigated the stimuli a similar amount. Neither social isolation nor time-of-testing altered behavior in the Social versus Food Preference Test. Together, our results indicate that the Social versus Food Preference Test is a flexible behavioral paradigm suitable for future interrogations of the peripheral and central systems that can coordinate the expression of stimulus preference related to multiple motivated behaviors.HIGHLIGHTSRats prefer social over food when sated, and this is attenuated by food deprivation.Mice have no preference when sated, and prefer food over social when food-deprived.Rats prefer a familiar social stimulus or a novel social stimulus over food.Mice prefer food over a familiar social stimulus.Adolescent rats investigate social and food stimuli longer than adult rats.GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

Plasmonic nano-shells: atomistic discrete interaction versus classic electrodynamics models

Using the extended discrete interaction model and Mie theory, we investigate the tunability of the optical polarizability and show the size-dependence of the plasma frequency of small metallic nano-shells in the 1–15 nm size region.

Evaluation of Gesture-Based In-Vehicle Interaction: User Experience and the Potential to Reduce Driver Distraction

Objective: We observe the effects of in-vehicle system gesture-based interaction versus touch-based interaction on driver distraction and user experience. Background: Driver distraction is a major problem for traffic safety, as it is a contributing factor to a number of accidents. Visual distraction in particular has a highly negative impact on the driver. One possibility for reducing visual driver distraction is to use new forms of interaction in the vehicle, such as gesture-based interaction. Method: In this experiment, participants drove on a motorway or in a city scenario while using touch-based interaction or gesture-based interaction. Subjective data, such as acceptance and workload, and objective data, including glance behavior, were gathered. Results: As a result, participants rated their subjective impressions of safe driving as higher when using gesture-based interaction. More specifically, acceptance and attractiveness were higher, and workload was lower. The participants performed significantly fewer glances to the display and the glances were much shorter. Conclusion: Gestures are a positive alternative for in-vehicle interaction since effects on driver distraction are less significant when compared to touch-based interaction. Application: Potential application of this research includes interaction design of typical in-vehicle information and entertainment functions.

Lone pair⋯π interaction versus σ-hole appearance in metal-bonded halogens

Three complexes of N-(2,5-diluorophenyl)-2-pyrazine carboxamide and ZnX2 have been synthesized. The crystal structures reveal that in all three coordination compounds, metal-bound halides have interacted with π systems through a negative electrostatic region.

Mononuclear Pd(ii) and Pt(ii) complexes with an α-N-heterocyclic thiosemicarbazone: cytotoxicity, solution behaviour and interaction versus proven models from biological media

Pd(ii) and P(ii) thiosemicarbazone complexes with high selectivity towards cancer cells and a novel biological interaction profile.