Effects of Pregnancy, Outdoor Access, and Antifungal Medication on Hair Loss in Breeding-age Female Pigtailed Macaques ().

Over 18 mo, adult female pigtailed macaques () housed at a breeding facility in Arizona were monitored every 6 mo for alopecia. The study period coincided with the movement of a majority of animals from primarily outdoor housing to continuous indoor housing and a corresponding decrease in available space. These changes were made due to the newly recognized prevalence of coccidioidomycosis at this site.

A longitudinal study of hair cortisol concentrations in Macaca nemestrina mothers and infants.

Cortisol is a well-known glucocorticoid that can be used as a biomarker of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical activity. To explore basal cortisol physiology during pregnancy and infancy in Macaca nemestrina monkeys, hair was collected from a convenience sample of 22 healthy mother-infant dyads. Adult females were housed in pairs as part of a small breeding colony at the Washington National Primate Research Center and infants were reared in a specialized nursery.

Factors influencing alopecia and hair cortisol in rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta).

Background: Alopecia can occur in captive non-human primates, but its etiology is poorly understood. The purpose of this study was to assess alopecia and hair cortisol in rhesus monkeys and to identify the potential risk factors.

Methods: Subjects were 117 rhesus monkeys at two National Primate Research Centers.

Prior facility affects alopecia in adulthood for rhesus macaques.

Alopecia has proven to be a persistent problem for captive macaques; many cases continue to elude explanations and effective treatments. Although almost all captive populations exhibit alopecia rates higher than those seen in the wild, there also appear to be wide ranges in rates reported across primate facilities. In this study we looked at alopecia ratings for rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) obtained from five primary suppliers and currently housed at the Washington National Primate Research Center (WaNPRC).

Socialization in pigtailed macaques (Macaca nemestrina).

In response to new emphasis by regulatory agencies regarding socialization, behavioral management programs are allocating greater resources to maximize socialization opportunities for laboratory primates. Information regarding predictors of compatibility and risk of injury for all laboratory-housed species of macaques are needed to make social introductions and pairings as efficient and safe as possible. This study presents data on 674 pairs of pigtailed macaques (Macaca nemestrina) at the Washington National Primate Research Center over a 7-year period.

A simple alopecia scoring system for use in colony management of laboratory-housed primates.

Background: Alopecia in captive primates continues to receive attention from animal care personnel and regulatory agencies. However, a method that enables personnel to reliably score alopecia over time and under various conditions has proven difficult to achieve.

Methods: The scoring system developed by the behavioral and veterinary staffs at the Washington National Primate Research Center (WaNPRC) uses the rule of 9s to estimate the percentage of the body affected with alopecia (severity) and how the alopecia presents itself (pattern).

A computerized task for investigating the relation between attentional and emotional processes in children.

The authors' goals in this article are to (a) describe a new task for the assessment of shifting attention between different affective stimuli, The Children's Attentional Shifting Task (CAST); (b) present the theoretical background for the development of the CAST; and (c) report initial information on the developmental appropriateness and validity of the CAST. The task was tested using a sample of kindergarten and 1st-grade children, 50% of whom had social and conduct problems. Preliminary analyses showed that the CAST was not subject to problems arising from fatigue or loss of interest.

Statistical methods for describing developmental milestones with censored data: effects of birth weight status and sex in neonatal pigtailed macaques.

Neurobehavioral tests are used to assess early neonatal behavioral functioning and detect effects of prenatal and perinatal events. However, common measurement and data collection methods create specific data features requiring thoughtful statistical analysis. Assessment response measurements are often ordinal scaled, not interval scaled; the magnitude of the physical response may not directly correlate with the underlying state of developmental maturity; and a subject's assessment record may be censored.

Quantifying temporal distributions of self-injurious behavior: defining bouts versus discrete events.

An objective method is presented to group discrete self-injurious behavior (SIB) events into bouts. Survival analysis was used to determine how long after an SIB the probability of observing a subsequent SIB remained elevated. This estimated bout length criterion time point was determined individually for 19 subjects with developmental disorders and severe SIB.

Characteristics of early rhythmic behaviors in children at risk for developmental disorders.

Objective: Abnormal stereotyped behaviors are a significant problem for many individuals with mental retardation or mental illness. To increase understanding of the development of abnormal stereotyped behaviors, the authors investigated the early rhythmic behaviors of children at increased risk for developmental delays.

Method: Rhythmic behaviors in 13-month-old children born prematurely and in children born at term were coded from laboratory videotapes of structured interaction segments.