Comparative cognition: Practical shortcomings and some potential ways forward.

The objectives in the field of comparative cognition are clear; efforts are devoted to revealing the selection pressures that shape the brains and cognitive abilities of different species and understanding cognitive processes in differently structured brains. However, our progress on reaching these objectives is slow, mostly because of several major practical challenges. In this review, we discuss 2 major shortcomings: (a) the poor systematics and low magnitude of the phylogenetic comparisons made, and (b) the weak comparability of the results caused by interfering species-specific confounding factors (perceptual, motivational, and morphological) alongside an insufficient level of standardisation of the methodologies. We propose a multiple-level comparative approach that emphasises the importance of achieving more direct comparisons within taxonomic groups at genus or family level as the first step before comparing between distantly related groups. We also encourage increasing interdisciplinary efforts to execute "team-science" approach in building a systematic and direct large-scale phylogenetic comparisons of bigger cognitive test batteries that produce reliable species-representative data. We finally revisit some existing suggestions that allow us to maximise standardisation while minimising species-specific confounding factors. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Interactive rhythms in the wild, in the brain, and in silico.

There are some historical divisions in methods, rationales, and purposes between studies on comparative cognition and behavioural ecology. In turn, the interaction between these two branches and studies from mathematics, computation, and neuroscience is not usual. In this short piece, we attempt to build bridges among these disciplines. We present a series of interconnected vignettes meant to illustrate what a more interdisciplinary approach looks like when successful, and its advantages. Concretely, we focus on a recent topic, namely animal rhythms in interaction, studied under different approaches. We showcase 5 research efforts, which we believe successfully link 5 particular scientific areas of rhythm research conceptualised as the following: social neuroscience, detailed rhythmic quantification, ontogeny, computational approaches, and spontaneous interactions. Our suggestions will hopefully spur a "comparative rhythms in interaction" field, which can integrate and capitalize on knowledge from zoology, comparative psychology, neuroscience, and computation. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

[Cell therapy in muscular disorders: the future lies in comparisons of progenitors]. / Thérapie cellulaire des maladies musculaires - Un avenir à l'aune d'une comparaison des progéniteurs.

Cell therapy approaches dedicated to the treatment of dystrophinopathies and involving essentially myoblasts and mesoangioblasts have produced mitigated clinical results. If several types of alternative progenitors have been developed, no standardized comparison has been carried out yet to investigate their regenerative efficacy in vivo, at least at a local level. A comparative study has therefore been designed recently aiming at giving a new impetus to this therapeutic field.

TITLE: Thérapie cellulaire des maladies musculaires - Un avenir à l'aune d'une comparaison des progéniteurs. ABSTRACT: Les approches de thérapie cellulaire des dystrophinopathies basées sur l'utilisation de myoblastes ou de mésoangioblastes se sont traduites par des résultats cliniques mitigés. De nombreux candidats cellulaires alternatifs ont été décrits, mais aucune comparaison standardisée n'a pu encore établir leurs efficacités, ne serait-ce qu'en vue d'une régénération musculaire localisée. Une étude comparative a donc été décidée récemment et pourrait permettre de donner un nouvel élan à cette approche.

Effects of experiment start time and duration on measurement of standard physiological variables.

Duration and start time of respirometry experiments have significant effects on the measurement of basal values for several commonly measured physiological variables (metabolic rate, evaporative water loss and body temperature). A longer measurement duration reduced values for all variables for all start times, and this was an effect of reduced animal activity rather than random sampling. However, there was also an effect of circadian rhythm on the timing of minimal physiological values. Experiment start time had a significant effect on time taken to reach minimal values for all variables, ranging from 0400 hours ± 38 min (body temperature, start time 2300 hours) to 0854 hours ± 52 min (evaporative water loss, start time 1700 hours). It also influenced the time of day that minimal values were obtained, ranging from 2224 hours ± 40 min (carbon dioxide production, start time 1500 hours) to 0600 hours ± 57 min (oxygen consumption, start time 2300 hours), and the minimum values measured. Consequently, both the measurement duration and the experiment start time should be considered in experimental design to account for both a handling and a circadian effect on the animal's physiology. We suggest that experiments to measure standard physiological variables for small diurnal birds should commence between 1700 and 2100 hours, and measurement duration should be at least 9 h.