Despite being undomesticated, African Grey Parrots () are commonly found in captivity, in zoos or as pets. Captivity can be an ongoing stressor. Non-invasive glucocorticoid metabolites (GCM) measurements from bird droppings are of interest for assessing stress but require careful evaluation in each newly studied species. This study describes the assessment of such methods for to provide tools for evaluating stress and monitoring welfare. We evaluated 12 method combinations of GCM extraction and enzyme immunoassay (EIA) from a pool of African Grey Parrot droppings, through the validation of several analytical parameters. Then, Heterophil: Lymphocyte Ratios (HLR), another reliable stress marker, were determined and correlated to individual dropping GCM concentrations for 29 birds to determine whether the method is biologically relevant. We found that the best procedure to measure GCM in African Grey Parrot droppings is a combination of 60% methanol extraction measured using a Corticosterone EIA kit (Cayman Chemical Company) from fresh or dry droppings. The establishment of a significant correlation (Pearson coefficient correlation = 0.48; = 0.0082) between HLR and GCM in the studied population confirmed the method biological relevance. This method can thus be applied to assess stress in and support welfare monitoring in zoo populations.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6071241 | PMC |
| http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ani8070105 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
Examination of hierarchical form perception in African grey parrots (Psittacus erithacus).
Learn Behav
January 2025
Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Villanova University, Villanova, PA, USA.
The perception of objects is a challenging task that requires recognizing visual elements and integrating them into a whole. While human vision prioritizes attention to the overall configuration, data from other species suggests this bias towards global form perception is not universal. Studies with pigeons indicate preferential attention to local details when both local and global information may be diagnostic, but studies with other bird species are more limited.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBasic Science and Pathogenesis.
Alzheimers Dement
December 2024
University of California, San Francisco, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, San Francisco, CA, USA.
Background: Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other dementia risk may be influenced by the immune function and associated with several white blood cell type counts. In cognitively normal Black, Hispanic, and non-Hispanic white older adults we related three white blood cell types previously associated with AD risk to tau positron emission tomography (PET) values in the medial temporal lobe (MTL), where tau accumulates early. We assessed whether amyloid positivity moderated this relationship.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFVoluntary Medical Male Circumcision's (VMMC) strategy for HIV prevention in Sub-Saharan Africa, prevalence, risks, costs, benefits and best practice: A scoping review study protocol of progress and unfolding insights.
PLoS One
December 2024
Department of General Nursing Science, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Eswatini, Mbabane, Eswatini.
Campaigns to scale up Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision (VMMC) for the prevention of HIV transmission has been going on for years in selected Southern African countries, following recommendations from the World Health Organisations. Despite significant strides made in the initiative and its proven benefits, controversies surrounding the strategy have never ceased, and its future remains uncertain especially as some countries near their initial targets. Over the years, as the campaigns unfolded, a lot of insights have been generated in favour of continuing the VMMC campaigns, although some insights portray the impression that the strategy is not worthy of the risks and effort required, or that enough has been done, as the targets have now been achieved.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPre-HIV α4β7hi CD4+ T cells and HIV risk among heterosexual individuals in Africa.
J Infect Dis
December 2024
Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, University of Manitoba, Canada.
Background: CD4+ T cells expressing α4β7 are optimal targets for HIV infections, with higher pre-HIV α4β7hi expression linked to increased HIV acquisition and progression in South African women. However, similar associations were not observed in men who have sex with men (MSM) or people who inject drugs (PWID) in the Americas, indicating need for further research.
Methods: This retrospective case-control study enrolled heterosexual men and women from South Africa (HIV Vaccine Trials Network; HVTN 503) and East Africa (Partners Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis/Couples' Observational Study; PP/COS), quantifying α4β7 expression on CD4+ T cells as a predictor of subsequent HIV risk using flow cytometry analyses.
Chronic conditions among transgender Medicare beneficiaries: Variation by race, ethnicity, and Medicaid dual-enrollment.
Disabil Health J
December 2024
Center for Health Promotion and Health Equity, Brown University School of Public Health, 121 S Main St, Providence, RI, 02903, USA; Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Brown University School of Public Health, 121 S Main St, Providence, RI, 02903, USA; Department of Epidemiology, Brown University School of Public Health, 121 S Main St, Providence, RI, 02903, USA. Electronic address:
Background: Transgender and gender diverse (TGD) adults experience disability at twice the rate of cisgender (non-TGD) adults in the US. TGD people of color and low-income TGD people experience intersecting discrimination that may compound chronic conditions and disability. To our knowledge, no research has focused on chronic conditions among TGD Medicare beneficiaries with disabilities.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWant AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!