102,528 research outputs found

    L’applicazione dell’OCM ortofrutta (Reg. CE 2200/96) in Sicilia. In Bertazzoli A., Petriccione G. OCM ortofrutta e processi di adattamento delle organizzazioni dei produttori: materiali e metodi per la valutazione". Collana INEA Studi e Ricerche, ESI, Napoli.

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    Valutazione della OCM ortofrutta (REG. 2200/96: la Sicilia. Il regolamento (Reg. CE 2200/96) avrebbe dovuto incentivare l'orientamento al mercato delle produzioni ortofrutticole fresche, i suoi effetti sono stati diversificati nelle diverse regioni italiane. Il caso siciliano evidenzia particolari carenze funzionali e limitata efficacia della norma

    On the epidemiology, biology and food-dependent reproduction of the feral pigeon (Columba livia)

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    Millions of feral pigeons (Columba livia, Gmelin 1789) live in close association with the human population in our cities. They have managed to adapt extremely well to city life. The partial absence of an effective regulation by enemies and the rich food basis in urban habitats allows the development and maintenance of large feral pigeon populations. These, however, can cause various problems such as fouling with feces, and the transmission of pathogenic microorganisms and parasites to humans. While many wild-living species have a parasitic fauna comparable to that of feral pigeons, no other species lives as close to humans and offers that many possibilities of transmission. Feral pigeons breeding and roosting close to human lodgings thus pose a serious health risk, which is why many homeowners try to protect themselves by repelling the birds from their house facades, window ledges and balconies. New pigeon proofing systems are regularly introduced onto the market, but scientific proof of efficacy and a statement regarding their use from the point of view of animal welfare is usually lacking. We therefore evaluated the effectiveness of two gel repellents on free ranging feral pigeons in an experimental pigeon loft. The gels used an alleged tactile or visual aversion of the birds, reinforced by additional sensory cues. This study concludes that both gels show a restricted, transient repellent effect, but fail to prove the claimed complete effectiveness. In addition, the adhesive effect of the gels conflicts with animal welfare concerns because gluing of plumage presents a serious risk to feral pigeons and also to other non-target birds. The repellent gels are therefore not suitable for feral pigeon management in urban areas. Additionally, an overview of the most essential pigeon proofing systems is provided within the frame of this thesis. It discusses the advantages and disadvantages of the most widespread systems and further sets the focus on animal welfare issues. The overview points out that even initially harmless and animal friendly proofing systems might become dangerous to the birds over time if they are not regularly maintained. It further highlights how important it is to scientifically test each system before usage. Moreover, this outline supports the recommendation that each system should come with a proper installation and maintenance guide when it is introduced onto the market. If untested systems are being put to the test by unknowing end users, they might endanger the birds. Additionally, uninformed homeowners violate the animal protection law if a system harms an animal, even if this happens with no ill intent. In a further study, we examined the effect of a sudden decrease in the natural food basis on the reproduction of a well-studied feral pigeon breeding colony. Despite the known fact that food shortage is a major source of reproductive failure in feral pigeons, it was still unclear at which phase of the reproductive cycle it reduces overall reproductive success. The findings of this study imply that the number of broods per pair decreased significantly under food reduction, while the hatching success remained more or less constant. However, a significantly greater number of nestlings died during the costly rearing phase. Results suggest that the high energy demand of the fast growing feral pigeon nestlings cannot be met under food scarcity. The decreased number of broods and the limited fledging success consequently reduce the total number of fledged young by more than half, which finally leads to a decrease in colony size. Another negative side effect of large feral pigeon populations, maintained through the abundant anthropogenic nutritional basis in urban surroundings, is the overcrowding at breeding places. From an epidemiological point of view, these high population densities can increase the transmission of pathogenic microorganisms and parasites, such as the pigeon tick Argas reflexus. The medically and veterinary important A. reflexus usually feeds on pigeons, but if a natural host is not available, it also enters dwellings to bite humans who can respond with severe allergic reactions including anaphylactic shock. The pigeon tick is ecologically extremely successful due to certain outstanding morphological, physiological, and ethological features. Yet, until today, it was still unclear how it finds its hosts. In the main study, we tested different host stimuli, such as living nestlings as well as begging calls, body heat, smell, host breath and pigeon tick feces, under controlled laboratory conditions. Of all stimuli tested, only heat seemed to play a central role in host-finding. Subsequently, the crucial heat stimulus was tested under natural conditions within a pigeon loft. The results demonstrated that the host finding ability of A. reflexus is restricted to only a few centimeters. We concluded that this ectoparasite finds its host by random movements and recognizes it only shortly before direct contact is made. These findings are useful for the control of A. reflexus in infested apartments, both to diagnose an infestation and to perform successful monitoring after disinfestation. The aim of this thesis was to provide important insights into the epidemiology, biology and food-dependent reproduction of the feral pigeon. With these findings we hope to contribute to the healthier coexistence of feral pigeons and humans in urban habitats

    A sequência comportamental de saciedade em pombos (Columba livia): descrição, proposta de um protocolo para estudo e exame dos efeitos de drogas hiper- e hipofagiantes

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    Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Centro de Ciências Biológicas, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Neurociências, Florianópolis, 2013.A ingestão de alimentos acarreta uma série de alterações térmicas, metabólicas e comportamentais, que são conservadas filogeneticamente. As alterações comportamentais são compostas por uma sequência de comportamentos: beber, autolimpeza e sono, denominada Sequência Comportamental da Saciedade (SCS). Essa sequência foi descrita em roedores, permitindo, desse modo, a avaliação refinada de potenciais inibidores do apetite. No entanto, a presença e os atributos da SCS não foram estudados sistematicamente em animais não mamíferos. Aqui, descreve-se a SCS em pombos (Columba livia) induzida pela:(1) apresentação de uma mistura de sementes (MS) em animais que estavam com água e ração ad libitum e (2) apresentação da ração comum (RC) e da MS a animais que estavam privados de alimentos por 24 horas, examinando por decodificação dos comportamentos registrados em vídeo digital por 2 horas. A simples apresentação da MS em animais ad libitum ou em animais privados de alimento por 24 horas foi suficiente para provocar uma sequência de comportamentos consistente, composta pelo beber logo após o comer; em seguida, a autolimpeza e, por fim, o sono. Essa sequência de comportamentos foi semelhante à SCS observada em roedores. A estrutura e as relações temporais e sequenciais entre esses comportamentos foram quantitativamente examinadas e estatisticamente comparadas por meio de representação gráfica especialmente desenvolvida para tal fim, e por meio de índices como: latência para primeiro episódio do comportamento (L), tempo para o pico (P), intervalo entre picos (IP) e intersecção entre as curvas dos comportamentos (I). Com base nesses resultados, propôs-se e testou-se um protocolo para o estudo da SCS, envolvendo a remoção de água e comida por uma hora, e devolução após esse período acrescido da MS, com registro comportamental por 84 minutos. Os índices comportamentais não foram afetados significativamente pela reexposição ao protocolo (três vezes com intervalo e sete dias entre as exposições); pelo gênero; pela ausência de água durante o teste; pela diferença de palatabilidade do alimento oferecido; por diferentes quantidades da MS oferecidas uma hora antes do início do protocolo (0, 33, 66 ou 100% do consumo na terceira apresentação); e pelas injeções intracerebroventricular de drogas serotonérgicas, como 5-HT(50 e 150 nmol), Fluoxetina (22,5 e 75 nmol), Norfenfluramina (30 e 60 nmol), Metergolina (150 e 300 nmol) e m-CPP (3,9 e 13 nmol). O único tratamento que teve um efeito sobre os índices comportamentais foi o tratamento com a 5-HT na dose de 150 nmol, em que o tempo para o pico de comer e a latência foram postergados em relação aos demais comportamentos, ou seja, o comer foi deslocado para depois do sono. Esses dados demonstram que pombos, assim como roedores, apresentam uma SCS bem definida. Diferentemente do que ocorre em roedores, a SCS em pombos não parece ser afetada pela diminuição na quantidade ingerida de ração. Já os dados farmacológicos sugerem um papel da serotonina no controle da SCS. Por fim, esses dados mostram que a SCS em pombos é um evento que só pode ser controlado até o seu desencadeamento, dado o seu início, não importa a situação apresentada ao animal, a sequência temporal dos comportamentos será sempre a mesma, sempre no mesmo período.Abstract : Food intake leads to a séries of thermal changes, metabolic and behavioral that arephylogenetically conserved. Behavioral changes are composed of a sequence of behaviors: drinking, sleep and self-cleaning, called the Behavioral Satiety Sequence (SCS). This sequence was described in rodents, which allowed the evaluation of potential inhibitors of refined appetite. However the presence and attributes of CSS has not been systematically studied in animals not mammals. Here we describe the SCS in pigeons (Columba livia) induced: (1) the presentation of a seed mixture (MS) in animals that were with water and food ad libitum (2) presentation of the common ration (RC) and MS animals who were deprived of food for 24 h, examined by decoding the behaviors recorded in digital video for 2 h. The mere presentation of MS in animals ad libitum or in animals deprived of food for 24 hours was sufficient to cause a sequence of behaviors consistent, comprising the drink immediately after eating the wiper and then finally sleep. This sequence was similar to the behavior observed in rodents SCS. The structure and sequential and temporal relationships between these behaviors were examined quantitatively and statistically compared by means of graphical representation specially developed for this purpose, and by means of indices as: latency to first episode of behavior (L), time to peak (P ), interval between peaks (IP) and the intersection between the curves of behaviors (I). Based on these results, we proposed and tested a protocol for the study of SCS, involving the removal of food and water for an hour and return after that period plus the MS with behavioral record for 84 min. The behavioral indices were not significantly affected by re-exposure protocol (3 x 7 day interval between exposures), by gender, by the lack of water during the test, the difference in palatability of the food offered by different amounts of MS offered one hour before the start of the protocol (0, 33, 66 or 100% consumption in the third embodiment), intracerebroventricular injections of serotonergic drugs such as 5-HT (50 and 150 nmol), Fluoxetine (22.5 and 75 nmol) Norfenfluramina (30 and 60 nmol), metergoline (150 and 300 nmol), and m-CPP (3.9 nmol and 13). The only treatment that had an effect on the behavioral indices was the treatment with 5-HT at a dose of 150 nmol, where the time to peak of eating and latency were delayed in relation to other behaviors, ie eating was shifted to after sleep. These data show that birds as well as rodents SCS have a well-defined. Unlike what occurs in rodents, pigeons in the SCS does not seem to be affected by the decrease in the amount of feed ingested Already pharmacological data suggest a role of serotonin in the control of SCS. Finally these data show that the SCS in pigeons is an event that can only be controlled by your trigger, since its beginning no matter the situation presented to the animal, the temporal sequence of behavior is always the same, always the same period

    Efeitos da injeção intracerebroventricular de serotonina sobre o sono e sobre o eletroscilograma hipocampal em pombos (Columba livia)

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    Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Centro de Ciências Biológicas.O presente trabalho descreve os efeitos comportamentais e sobre o eletroscilograma hipocampal (EOsG-HP) da injeção intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) de serotonina (5-HT) em pombos domésticos (Columba livia). Foram registrados EOsG-HP, eletroculograma (EOG), eletromiograma (EMG) da musculatura posterior do pescoço e eventos comportamentais, por 20 minutos como período controle, seguidos de 1 hora de registro após a injeção i.c.v. de 5-HT (155 nmol) ou de seu veículo, ácido ascórbico (solução a 1% em H2O). A administração de 5-HT provocou uma intensa ingestão de água que ocorreu logo após a aplicação da droga. Além disso, seguida ou concomitante a ingestão de água estes animais adotaram uma postura típica de sono por longos períodos: permaneciam com os olhos fechados, sem movimentos corporais, a cabeça fletida e apoiada sobre o peito. Contudo, durante estes períodos de sono aparente observou-se aumento dos movimentos da cabeça sem, no entanto, abertura dos olhos. Durante os episódios de vigília ativa (VA) após a injeção de 5-HT, estes animais também apresentaram alteração motora com marcha atáxica além de dificuldade em localizar o bebedouro com água. Comparado ao período controle e ao grupo de veículo, o tratamento com 5-HT diminuiu o tempo em vigília relaxada secundário ao aumento do tempo em postura de sono, não afetando o tempo em VA. Em relação ao EOsG-HP, a injeção de 5-HT induziu o aparecimento de uma atividade dessincronizada prolongada, de freqüência rápida e baixa amplitude e ausência de ondas PGAs concomitante ao estado de sono aparente com postura típica e olhos fechados. Durante este estado o EMG mostrou diminuição do tonus muscular com alterações fásicas decorrentes dos movimentos da cabeça e o EOG mostrou movimentos oculares freqüentes. Este efeitos foram agudos, durando em média 30 minutos. Estes dados sugerem o possível envolvimento do sistema serotoninérgico nos mecanismos do sono paradoxal em pombos

    Spatio-temporal use of the urban habitat by feral pigeons (Columba livia)

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    Despite the large number of feral pigeons and their proximity to humans, their use of the urban habitat is not entirely understood. Previous studies have given various results about the home range of feral pigeons and their temporal activity patterns. The aim of our study is to clarify the situation for Basel and to compare it to other cities. For this purpose, we adapted the global positioning system (GPS) to use it for the first time with feral pigeons. In a first step, we tested the suitability of this method for studying the spatio-temporal use of the urban habitat by feral pigeons. Despite some problems due to the highly structured urban habitat such as poor satellite signal reception in the street canyons, and technical limitations such as short battery life, the method revealed itself to be very suitable. In a second step, we studied the behaviour of 80 free-ranging feral pigeons living in three lofts situated in the city of Basel. In our study, we could prove that pigeons follow individual strategies in using the urban habitat. Some birds covered only short distances (300–500 m), others flew to surrounding agricultural areas 5 km away from the loft. On average, pigeons in Basel covered longer distances than pigeons in many other cities. These differences may partially be due to the method applied. Contrary to other methods, GPS-tracking records all displacements. The differences probably also depend on the availability and distribution of food resources in the cities. The pigeons of each loft visited one or two principal feeding places, but used also other places on a less regularly basis. The pigeons showed flexible behaviour that enables them to adapt to different situations. Pigeons are not dependent on feeding in the vicinity of their sleeping or breeding places, as stated by some authors. Our results show that they are able to fly a few kilometres to search for food. Death from starvation is, therefore, not a valuable argument against pigeon control campaigns which are based on reduction of intentional feeding. Our findings are also important for biomonitoring projects using feral pigeons. For statements about pollution indicated by this species, it is generally assumed that they show a limited mobility in the city. Our results prove that this is not always the case and that the use of the urban habitat must be verified for each project. In our study, females covered longer distances than males. Reproduction is much more energy consuming for females than for males. Females also have problems competing for food with the stronger males. We therefore believe that females preferred flying longer distances to reach more abundant and reliable food sources. The home ranges differed between the lofts but showed an overlap at some feeding places. Diseases and parasites can therefore be transmitted from one subpopulation to another and spread over the entire city. This is of human concern, since at least seven infectious diseases can be transmitted from pigeons to humans. On average, pigeons spent 31.3% of the day outside the lofts. This percentage varied according to breeding state and season. Breeding pigeons spent less time outside than nonbreeding pigeons or pigeons rearing young and had a different temporal activity pattern. Breeding is a constraint to pigeon life, not only because it is time consuming, but also because temporarily restricted food resources can no longer be exploited by one pigeon of the breeding pair. Even during short winter days, pigeons spent on average only 28.5% of the day outside. Day length is therefore not a limitation to finding enough food. In autumn, the pigeons spent more time outside than in any other season. We found no correlation with the day length or the percentage of breeding birds. We suppose that the pigeons must replenish their fat reserves after the energy consuming breeding season, as well as moult, and that they therefore spend more time foraging. The evolution of pigeons’ weight over the seasons reinforces this hypothesis. The weight was highest in winter, decreased during spring and summer and increased again in autumn. During this study, females spent more time outside the lofts than males. We suppose that males must spend more time in the lofts to defend their territories. As stated above, females also have problems competing with the stronger males for food at unnaturally concentrated food sources that are typical for cities. The longer periods of time spent outside may reflect their difficulty to gain access to food. Before starting pigeon control campaigns, it is important to know the size of the population. Census counts are best undertaken when most pigeons have left their sleeping or breeding places. Our results show that, in Basel, the best time for counts is in the early afternoon, between 12:00 and 14:00, when, on average, 60–70% of the pigeons are outside. To sum up, the GPS method allowed us to gather detailed information on the individual use of the urban habitat by feral pigeons. These findings are important for the three practical applications: biomonitoring with feral pigeons, understanding of transmission of diseases, and pigeon control campaigns

    Mudanças de temperatura corporal induzidas por estresse em pombos (Columba Livia)

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    Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Centro de Ciências Biológicas, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Neurociências, Florianópolis, 2014Mudanças na Temperatura corporal (Tc) são consequências fisiológicas significativas induzidas por estímulos estressores em mamíferos e aves. Pombos (Columba Livia) vivem em ambientes urbanos potencialmente estressores e são comumente usados para estudos neurocomportamentais; entretanto, as respostas térmicas ao estresse em pombos são pouco conhecidas. Descrevemos alterações térmicas (intra-celomática), a partir de registros telemétricos, dada a uma variedade de estímulos potencialmente estressores, incluindo transferência a uma nova gaiola, que conduz a um isolamento visual entre os membros da mesma espécie; a presença do experimentador; a manipulação suave; injeção fictícia (i.p.); e contenção para indução à imobilidade tônica (IT). A transferência à gaiola experimental (GExp) provocou uma curta hipertermia (10-20 min), seguida por uma diminuição longa e substancial na Tc, retornando a valores basais cerca de 150 min após a transferência. Depois de cerca de 2 horas na GExp, os outros estímulos potencialmente estressantes evocaram apenas hipertermia marginalmente significativa no teste de IT e entrada do experimentador ou hipotermia na resposta de injeção fictícia. Estímulos oferecidos 26 horas após transferência induziram aumentos intensos na Tc nos testes de entrada do experimentador e manipulação suave ou resposta hipotérmica no teste de injeção fictícia. Essas mudanças na Tc não parecem estar relacionadas com modificações na atividade geral do animal (medidas de dados actimétricos registrados por telemetria). Repetidos testes não conseguiram afetar as respostas hipotérmicas da transferência à GExp, mesmo depois de 9 ensaios com 1 ou 8 dias de intervalo entre eles, o que sugere que o isolamento social (visual) entre os membros da mesma espécie pode ser um estímulo forte e dificilmente controlável nessa espécie. Esses dados indicam que mudanças de temperatura induzidas por estresse podem ser um parâmetro fisiológico consistente e confiável de estresse, mas que também podem mostrar atributos do tipo, direção e espécie específicos para cada estímulo estressor.Abstract: Changes in body temperature are significant physiological consequences of stressful stimuli in mammals and birds. Pigeons (Columba livia) prosper in (potentially) stressful urban environments and are common subjects in neurobehavioral studies; however, the thermal responses to stress stimuli by pigeons are poorly known. Here, we describe acute changes in the telemetrically recorded celomatic (core) temperature (Tc) in pigeons given a variety of potentially stressful stimuli, including transfer to a novel cage (ExC) leading to visual isolation from conspecifics, the presence of the experimenter (ExpR), gentle handling (H), sham intracelomatic injections (SI), and the induction of the tonic immobility (TI) response. Transfer to the ExC cage provoked short-lived hyperthermia (10-20 min) followed by a long-lasting and substantial decrease in Tc, which returned to baseline levels 150 min after the start of the test. After a 2-hour stay in the ExC, the other potentially stressful stimuli evoked only weak, marginally significant hyperthermic (ExpR, IT) or hypothermic (SI) responses. Stimuli delivered 26 h after transfer to the ExC induced definite and intense increases in Tc (ExpR, H) or hypothermic responses (SI). These Tc changes appear to be unrelated to modifications in general activity (as measured via telemetrically recorded actimetric data). Repeated testing failed to affect the hypothermic responses to the transference to the ExC, even after nine trials and at 1- or 8-day intervals, suggesting that the social (visual) isolation from conspecifics may be a strong and poorly controllable stimulus in this species. The present data indicated that stress-induced changes in Tc may be a consistent and reliable physiological parameter of stress but that they may also show stressor type-, direction- and species-specific attributes

    Commoning of territorial heritage and tools of participated sustainability for the production and enhancement of agro-environmental public goods

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    The purpose of this paper is to analyze how the commoning heritage processes find application for the production of agro-environmental public goods in contexts of high socio-economic marginality and environmental vulnerability, characterized by abandonment and from the consumption of agricultural land for food use. The purpose is to understand how these processes are able to influence, at local level, the governance processes for the implementation of environmental protection strategies. The survey made it possible to verify how the commoning processes aimed at the production of agro-environmental goods generate territorial resilience, understood as a community competence able to structure specific forms of social learning based on priorities identified and defined by the communities. The followed theoretical framework and the methodological approach have allowed on the one hand to draw up a taxonomy of the different territorial dynamics and on the other to identify a mixed indicator system, applicable and replicable also in other contexts, able to describe its dimensions analytically. The assessment of the cognitive elements related to the territorial fabric carried out through the proposed approach has allowed to demonstrate how the knowledge of the territorial capital contributes to the activation of forms of collective intelligence necessary for decision-making processes

    Distribuição de neurônios imunorreativos à triptofano hidroxilase no tronco encefálico e diencéfalo de pombos (Columba livia) e sua co-localização com serotonina

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    Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Centro de Ciências Biológicas. Programa de Pós-Graduação em NeurociênciasA distribuição de pericários e processos neuronais contendo triptofano hidroxilase (TPH) no tronco encefálico e diencéfalo do pombo (Columba livia) foram investigados usando métodos imuno-histoquímicos de marcação cromogênica simples e de dupla marcação fluorescente para TPH e 5-HT. Pericários imunorreativos à TPH foram vistos estendendo-se do bulbo caudal até níveis hipotalâmicos mediais, localizados em regiões previamente descritas como contendo pericários imunorreativos à 5-HT. Os agrupamentos celulares imunorreativos à TPH do tronco encefálico (linha média da rafe e grupos celulares dorsolaterais e ventrolaterais) e neurônios circunventriculares contactando o fluido cérebro-espinhal na taenia choroidea (no tronco encefálico caudal), núcleo infundibular e órgão paraventricular (no hipotálamo) foram mostrados co-expressar imunorreatividade para 5-HT. Entretanto, agrupamentos celulares expressando imunorreatividade à TPH, fortemente marcados, foram observados no núcleo pré-mamilar, no estrato celular interno, no núcleo paraventricular magnocelular e na borda medial do núcleo dorsomedial anterior talâmico. Experimentos de dupla-marcação indicam que estes agrupamentos celulares hipotalâmicos não são imunorreativos à 5-HT. Em especial, as células do núcleo pré-mamilar, as quais correspondem a neurônios contendo dopamina e melatonina previamente encontradas no hipotálamo aviário, parecem ser comparáveis aos corpos celulares catecolaminérgicos e imunorreativos à TPH hipotalâmicos A11-A13 de mamíferos, sugerindo que eles possam ser atributos conservados no hipotálamo dos amniotas. The distribution of tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH)-containing perikarya and processes in the brainstem and diencephalon of the pigeon (Columba livia) was investigated using single-labeling chromogenic and double-labeling fluorescence immunohistochemical methods for TPH and 5-HT. TPH-immunoreactive perikarya were seen extending from the caudal medulla to mid-hypothalamic levels, located in brainstem regions previously described as containing 5-HT-immunoreactive somata. Brainstem TPH-immunoreactive cell clusters (the midline raphe, and the dorsolateral and ventrolateral cell groups) and the circumventricular cerebrospinal fluid-contacting neurons in the taenia choroidea (in the caudal brainstem), recessus infundibuli and paraventricular organ (in the hypothalamus) were shown to coexpress 5-HT immunoreactivity. However, heavily labeled TPH-immunoreactive cell clusters were observed in the nucleus premamillaris, in the stratum cellulare internum, in the nucleus paraventricularis magnocellularis and in the medial border of the nucleus dorsomedialis anterior thalami. Double-labeling experiments indicated that all of these hypothalamic TPH-immunoreactive cells were not immunoreactive to 5-HT. These cells correspond to dopamine- and melatonin-containing neurons previously found in the avian hypothalamus, and appear to be comparable to the mammalian TPH-immunoreactive hypothalamic A11-A13 catecholaminergic somata, suggesting that they may be a conserved attribute in the amniote hypothalamu
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