Highlights Less invasive technique through small mucosal incisions. Overcomes the disadvantages of the traditional procedures. Minimal lingual histopathological changes. No serious complications were reported. Self-sucking was abolished and animal behavior changed.

Background:Improvement of dairy farms economics requires intensification, automatic milking, and artificial rearing methods. The ability to express normal behavior is one of the five freedoms to achieve animal welfare, whereas the display of abnormal behaviors is considered as an indicator of poor welfare. Cross-sucking is defined as sucking any body parts of pen-mate calves, whereas inter-sucking in cows is defined as sucking the udder or udder area. Previous studies showed that self- and cross-sucking during the calf-hood period could be a causal factor of milk sucking in adulthood.Aim:To investigate the effects of cross-sucking among calves and inter-sucking in cows on animal health status and performance.Materials and Methods:Gathering information from customized questionnaires, the study of the breeding records, recording of self- and cross-sucking behaviors, and health status of calves till weaning, and dairy cows before milking were performed in two governmental farms under the same managemental conditions in Sohag and Qena governorates.Results:Cross-sucking appeared in calves at the 2nd week of age followed by abscesses at ears and navels that were observed within cross-sucker calves. Milk sucking was higher in primiparous than multiparous cows during the second lactation period, as primiparous cows start to suck mostly around the 4th month of milking. Mastitis and elongation of the front teats were observed in sucker cows. Suffered animals had body condition scoring 3.5 or less. Interestingly, most of the cows displaying self-sucking were sucking another cow and were experienced self- or cross-sucking in their calf-hood. The use of pronged nose-rings was ineffective in preventing milk sucking and all cows were ultimately culled at the end of the season.Conclusion:The results of this study demonstrate the health problems of abnormal oral behaviors in terms of developed ears and navels abscesses in cross-sucker calves, and mastitis and teat deformities in milk-sucker cows. Furthermore, indexes that lead to oral satisfaction should be taken in priorities of farm managers to effectively reduce or prevent cross-sucking in calves. Culling of cows and heifers suffering from sucking would be the ultimate uneconomic alternative in case of persistent suckers.

Background: The anatomical information about the structure of the choana is lacking in literature, and its role in the olfactory and feeding mechanism is still unknown Results: The present study discusses the adaptation of choana to cranial kinesis during feeding process in different bird species: kestrel, common moorhen, and hoopoe. Kestrel possesses a kinetic skull while the hoopoe and common moorhen have kinetic one; however, the common moorhen skull seems highly kinetic more than that of the hoopoe that properly effect on the choanal epithelium. The choana of kestrel and hoopoe are lined by pseudostratified ciliated columnar epithelium, while choana of common moorhen have transitional epithelium beside pseudostratified ciliated columnar epithelium. The choana epithelium of each bird species provides with simple alveolar glands and numerous goblet cells. In kestrel and hoopoe, the secretion products of choanal glands contain neutral and sulfated mucin, while in the common moorhen, these glands secret neutral and carboxylate mucopolysaccharides. Conclusion: The choana of the three studied bird species apparents adaptation to the olfaction process but also affects the movement of skeletal elements of the skull during the feeding process

The current observations focused on the ultrastructure comparison between the tongue of two reptile species endemic the Egyptian fauna; Bosc's fringe‐toed lizard Acanthodactylus boskianus and Sinai fan‐fingered gecko Ptyodactylus guttatus to exhibit the relationship between the lingual epithelium and its function according to their specific feeding strategy. A. boskianus possessed triangular elongated tongue with bifurcated tapering apex and wide base while; the P. guttatus had a triangular flattened tongue with conical shallow bifurcated apex and broad base. The ventral surface of the lingual apex of A. boskianus had transverse while in P. guttatus had two oval pads and median ventral groove. Both surfaces of the tongue of both examined species are covered by stratified squamous epithelium with great variability of degree of keratinization. The dorsal epithelium formed flattened and conical filiform papillae in A. boskianus, while in P. guttatus formed cylindrical papillae, conical, and tall filiform ones. Few taste buds are observed on the fore‐tongue but increase on the mid‐tongue of A. boskianus, while in P. guttatus, numerous taste buds are distributed on the fore‐tongue and mid‐tongue. Both surfaces of the laryngeal mound of both examined species provided with numerous of cilia and orifices of laryngeal gland. The present results confirmed that the tongue of A. boskianus acts as a chemoreceptor organ to follow pheromone trails of prey and mates. While in P. guttatus the tongue may play an important role in the feeding mechanism and act as a chemoreceptor organ.

This study evaluated the toxicity of citric acid and the benefits of soya milk (SM) for preventing damage in mice. Thirty‐five mice were divided into groups: control, mice administered citric acid (CA group) for 30 days, mice administered SM before the administration of citric acid for 30 days (SM + CA group), mice administered citric acid for 15 days and left for recovery (R group), and mice in recovery receiving SM for 15 days (R + SM). Mice in CA and R groups displayed downregulated p53, increased cleavage of caspase 3, and upregulation of Nrf2, CYP1A1, ALT, and AST activity in the liver. In contrast, SM + CA and R + SM treated mice were protected against CA toxicity and showed reversal of p53 downregulation, reduced cleavage of caspase 3, downregulation of Nrf2, and an increase in liver function enzymes. SM administration also restored blood cell and hemoglobin content and general histology of hepatocytes. Practical applications CA causes liver damage, increases inflammation, decreases blood cell numbers, and induces apoptosis. Some natural products, such as SM, have been used to scavenge free radicals that can cause liver damage and hemolysis. This study focuses on the effectiveness of SM in ameliorating CA toxicity and may be helpful in the food industry for managing oxidative stress that may be induced by common dietary constituents. SM may help suppress liver damage and inflammation.

The digestive tract of the little owl, Athene noctua (Strigiformes: Strigidae), is described in two different seasons. The digestive tract of this bird follows the basic model for that of a predatory bird. The cervical esophagus is not expanded to form a crop. The internal surface of the esophagus forms numerous longitudinal folds provided with numerous mucous glands. These longitudinal folds increase in number and vary in depth posteriorly. The folds of the proventriculus are composed of simple branched tubular glands. The ventriculus is lined by a thin layer of koilin. The number of goblet cells gradually increases from the duodenum to the rectum, and the lymphatic tissue diffuses within the lamina propria. The esophageal glands secrete acid mucopolysaccharides, while the gastric glands of the stomach, the goblet cells, and crypts of Lieberkühn secrete acid mucopolysaccharides. Proteins were observed in the different histological structures of the digestive tract. Morphometric and histometric studies showed differences between summer and winter in the esophagus and glandular stomach (especially in winter), but no seasonal differences were seen in the muscular stomach, or small and large intestines.

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