Animal Research Institute

About: Animal Research Institute is a based out in . It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Babesia bovis. The organization has 1512 authors who have published 2109 publications receiving 55683 citations.

Discrepancy between antennal and behavioral responses for enantiomers of alpha-pinene: electrophysiology and behavior of Helicoverpa armigera (Lepidoptera).

Abstract: The ability of adult cotton bollworm, Helicoverpa armigera (Hubner), to distinguish and respond to enantiomers of α-pinene was investigated with electrophysiological and behavioral methods. Electroantennogram recordings using mixtures of the enantiomers at saturating dose levels, and single unit electrophysiology, indicated that the two forms were detected by the same receptor neurons. The relative size of the electroantennogram response was higher for the (−) compared to the (+) form, indicating greater affinity for the (−) form at the level of the dendrites. Behavioral assays investigated the ability of moths to discriminate between, and respond to the (+) and (−) forms of α-pinene. Moths with no odor conditioning showed an innate preference for (+)-α-pinene. This preference displayed by naive moths was not significantly different from the preferences of moths conditioned on (+)-α-pinene. However, we found a significant difference in preference between moths conditioned on the (−) enantiomer compared to naive moths and moths conditioned on (+)-α-pinene, showing that learning plays an important role in the behavioral response. Moths are less able to distinguish between enantiomers of α-pinene than different odors (e.g., phenylacetaldehyde versus (−)-α-pinene) in learning experiments. The relevance of receptor discrimination of enantiomers and learning ability of the moths in host plant choice is discussed.

Post-partum reproductive performance of Sanga cattle in smallholder peri-urban dairy herds in the Accra plains of Ghana.

Abstract: The reproductive performance of 76 Sanga cows was studied from February 1995 to July 1996 in smallholder peri-urban dairy systems in the coastal savanna zone of the Accra plains of Ghana. The interval from calving to resumption of cyclic ovarian activity was 101±7 days; that from calving to conception was 152±4 days; gestation length was 292±16 days; and the calving interval was 444±16 days. The effects of location, season of calving, parity, body condition score and sex of calf were studied. Calving to cycling interval was significantly shorter in the dry season than in the wet season, and decreased significantly with increasing body condition score. Calving to conception interval was affected only by location. Gestation length was not affected by any of the variables studied. Calving interval was affected by location, season of calving, parity and body condition score. It is concluded that long post-partum anoestrus leads to prolonged calving intervals and poor reproductive performance. Feed supplementation to improve the nutritional status and body condition score of cows and early weaning of calves could be introduced to enhance reproductive performance.