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We studied the sett characteristics and habitat variables of the Asian badger Meles leucurus in a temperate forest in South Korea. Logistic regression models were utilized to explain the effects of habitat variables on the location of badger setts. The presence of rocks and trees nearby and of dense ground vegetation and sub-overstory vegetation were correlated positively with sett location. Abundance of setts was higher in deciduous forest compared with coniferous forest, mixed forest and non-forest. The animals showed a preference for a steeper slope of sett location, which likely allows for easier removal of soil during sett settling, as well as improved drainage in that area. In low and high altitudinal areas disturbed by humans, a lower abundance of setts was found. Thus, selection of sett location was strongly influenced by structures around the setts, vegetation cover, forest type, slope and altitude. These variables should be considered and handled carefully though forest management for the conservation of the mammals and their habitats.

Background: Behavioral traits of pigs have been shown to be partly under genetic control, which raises the possibility that behavior might be altered by genetic selection, resulting in pigs with better growth performance. Objective: To evaluate the behavior and growth of finishing pigs and investigate pigs selected for high or low social breeding value (SBV) in relation to social behavior and group growth. Methods: Thirty-five females and 35 boars from five positive and five negative SBV groups of finishing pigs were grown from 30 to 90 kg and housed in 10 test pens (3.0 × 3.3 m, 7 pigs/pen). Pigs were recorded with video technology for nine consecutive hours on days 1, 15, and 30 after mixing. Pigs were weighed at approximately 90 kg body weight and the number of days to reach 90 kg was then calculated. Results: The frequency and duration of behaviors were present in the positive and negative SBV groups after mixing. On day 1 after mixing, agonistic behavior was significantly higher (p=0.027) for the –SBV group compared with the +SBV group. Feeding and feeding-together behaviors were significantly higher (p

Forestry practices can lead to changes in wildlife habitat that could have lasting effects on the distribution of species. Hence, the aim of this study was to determine the effects of forestry practices on habitat variables and habitat use by mammals in three different stands (control, clear-cut and clear-cut with reserves) in a Japanese larch Larix kaempferi plantation from April to October in 2016 and 2017. We recorded the presence of field signs for the following six mammal species: Korean hare Lepus coreanus, raccoon dog Nyctereutes procyonoides, Eurasian badger Meles meles, water deer Hydropotes inermis, roe deer Capreolus pygargus and wild boar Sus scrofa. Habitat variables significantly differed among three stands. Field sign (feces, foot prints and feeding signs) abundances of mammals showed significant differences between the control and clear-cut stands. Moreover, field sign abundances of all species were highest in the clear-cut with reserves stand. We calculated the impact of clear-cutting on habitat use by mammals using GLMMs. Both clear-cutting in the models were significant and had positive coefficients on habitat use by Korean hare, raccoon dog, deer and wild boar. In Eurasian badger models, only clear-cutting with reserves show positive impacts on habitat use. Habitat selection by forest edge species such as Korean hare and deer showed dependence on understory structure. Abundant understory in the clear-cut with reserves stand may not only provide vegetative food and cover for herbivores but also small prey species for omnivores and carnivores. The results of our study show that forest understory is one of the most instrumental factors mitigating the effects of clear-cutting on habitat use by mammal and it should, therefore, be given due importance in forestry practices.

Objective This study was conducted to characterize the behaviors and the body weight of suckling piglets in different social environments. Methods Two groups of sows and suckling piglets housed either in individual farrowing crates in separate pens (1.8×2.4 m, the control group) or in groups of three sows with their piglets in farrowing crates in a large common enclosure (5.4×2.2 m, the treatment group) were observed with the aid of video technology for 9 consecutive hours on days 1, 2, and 3, after mixing. Results Suckling, agonistic, and elimination behaviors of suckling piglets were significantly higher in the control group than in the treatment group. Inactive behavior was higher in the treatment group than in the control group. Most of the effects of the social environment on the suckling piglets seem to be the result of large reductions in behaviors and body weight for piglets switching from high activity to low activity. Moreover, suckling behavior and birth body weight were highly correlated with body weight at the end of the test. Conclusion The social environment that resulted from mixing, thus, had significant effects on the behavior and body weight of suckling piglets, and behavioral characteristics, therefore, should be considered when making improvements to the husbandry and care methods used in swine production.

The present study was conducted to elucidate the movement and home range of 7 subadult cinereous vultures Aegypius monachus during the wintering and summering periods using a telemetry system from January 2015 to March 2017 in East Asia. In total, 7053 locations (180?1607 points per bird) were used to analyze the home range size and movement distance of the birds during the wintering, migration, and summering periods. The tracked birds overwintered in South Korea. They migrated between South Korea and Mongolia during spring and autumn, respectively. Their movement and home range size varied considerably throughout the annual cycle between the wintering and summering grounds. The migration route and home range exhibited considerable overlap among the vultures tracked. Further studies on breeding ecology and habitat use pattern are necessary for the conservation of cinereous vultures and their habitats in the wintering and summering grounds.

This study was conducted to investigate the influence of atmospheric factors on the body and egg of great tits (Parus major), which were bred in artificial nest boxes from March to July of 2012 and 2013. The mean temperature and relative humidity were significantly higher in the spring season of 2012 than in 2013. Body masses of incubating parent birds differed between both years. Eggs which were laid in 2012 were larger and heavier than those of 2013. Hue and saturation values for background and spot colors were significantly different between 2012 and 2013. In 2012, there were warmer and wetter atmospheric conditions, which may influence vegetation and food availability for the birds. The large, heavy, and less vividly-colored eggs were laid in 2012 by parents with good body condition. Results showed that spring atmospheric factors influenced both body and egg of great tits. Further studies on the relationships between atmosphere, vegetation, and food availability of the birds are needed.

With regard to animal welfare concerns, behavioral information of weaned and mixed piglets is great interest in swine production. The aim of this study was to demonstrate the change in behavior of weaned piglets over time in two different groups (littermates and piglets from different litters) after mixing. Two weaned groups of piglets (72 individuals in all) housed either with littermates or with foreign piglets (6 individuals in 1.8 mx1.4 m pens, 28 degrees C +/- 1 degrees C temperature) were observed with the aid of video technology for 9 consecutive hours on days 1, 2, and 3 after mixing. The behaviors of the weaned piglets in the control and treatment groups were significantly different among the days after mixing. Piglets were, however, more active and aggressive in the groups with foreign piglets. This study reveals a lower level of agonistic behavior in groups of piglets that came from the same litter.

We examined the influence of tree thinning on the abundance of mammals in a Japanese larch Larix kaempferi plantation in Mt Gariwang, Pyeongchang, South Korea. In 2014 and 2015, from April to October, we recorded the presence of tracks as a proxy for abundance, for the following seven mammalian species: Korean hare Lepus coreanus, raccoon dog Nyctereutes procyonoides, Siberian weasel Mustela sibirica, Eurasian badger Meles meles, water deer Hydropotes inermis, roe deer Capreolus pygargus, and wild boar Sus scrofa. We also assessed how the intensity of tree thinning affected vegetation cover; there were significant differences in number of standing trees, basal area, coverage of vegetation layers, and number and volume of downed trees among the control, moderately thinned, and intensively thinned stands. We found significant differences in the abundance of tracks among the stands for three mammal species. In four mammal species, the abundance of track was significantly correlated with volume of downed trees, coverage of ground vegetation, number of downed trees, and number of standing trees, according to stepwise analysis. The presence and abundance of mammals is linked to habitat variables and forest managers should consider how habitat modifications will affect wildlife.

Hemangiopericytoma is rare in occurrence worldwide, including Korea. It was initially described by Stout and Murrary [1] in 1942. It is derived from a type of smooth muscle cell attached to pericytoma, capillaries also known as Zimmerman pericytes, and it is characterized by a "staghorn" shape on microscopic findings, in other words, a tumor with a diffuse pattern of branching, and dilated, thin-walled blood vessels surrounded by short spindle cells. Hemangiopericytoma has the very unusual characteristic of growing slowly, mainly in the lower extremities and pelvic retroperitoneum, but it can also be found in any part of the body such as the head and neck [1,2]. We introduce here a case of hemangiopericytoma found in the nasolabial fold because it rarely occurs in that area. Hemangiopericytomas in the head and neck are uncommon, but have been found in the neck, orbit, nasal cavity, parapharyngeal area, or tongue. A 57-year-old male with no specific underlying disease was admitted to our hospital due to an increasing mass in the nasolabial fold as the chief complaint. The mass had been growing in size for 1 year. The mass was painless, non-fixed, movable, and round in shape. The mass grew in size until the nasolabial fold was more pronounced than the opposite side. The skin and buccal mucosa area around the mass were intact, and there was no drainage (Fig. 1). The computed tomography and magnetic resonance imagining findings showed a well-defined, solid mass with isoattenuation and heterogeneous enhancement in the premaxillary area (2.4×3.4×3.5 cm3) (Fig. 2). Fig. 1 Preoperative photograph shows a mass near the right nasolabial fold. Fig. 2 T1-weighted magnetic resonance imagining findings show a solid mass enhanced in the premaxillary area (2.4×3.4×3.5 cm3). The operation was carried out under general anesthesia. The mass was large and considered to be a hemangioma or any other benign mass. However, the possibility of malignancy was not completely ruled out, and the incision was made through the nasolabial fold for minimal scarring. An approximately 5 cm incision was made along the right nasolabial fold, undermining the muscle layer. Complete excision of the mass was performed, and the mass was slightly irregular in shape and encapsulated, and was not attached to the surrounding tissues (Fig. 3). Fig. 3 Photograph of an extracted specimen after complete excision. Microscopically, the tumor was composed of variably sized ectatic vessels showing a staghorn configuration and surrounding closely packed spindle or ovoid cells (Fig. 4). The tumor cells showed a small amount of pale cytoplasm and mild nuclear atypia, but had a low mitotic rate (less than 1 mitosis in 10 high power fields [HPF]). The tumor cells were diffusely positive in CD34 and CD99 immunostains (Fig. 5). There was no evidence of a tumor in the surgical margin. Postoperative chemotherapy and radiotherapy were not performed. Fig. 4 Tumor composed of ectatic, staghorn-shaped vessels and closely packed tumor cells, showing short spindle to round cells with a small amount of pale cytoplasm (H&E, ×200). Fig. 5 The tumor cells are positive for CD34 based on the immunostain (×100). The patient did not mention any particular complaints for 3 months after surgery. There were no obvious facial changes or an awkward appearance when talking or showing emotions. The affected nasolabial fold had no significant difference from the opposite side. It seems that the dermal elasticity and subcutaneous adipose layer, which define the shape of the nasolabial fold, were not affected by the operation or the mass. Hemangiopericytoma is characterized as a slow growing painless mass. When it occurs in the head and neck, patients are admitted to the hospital with symptoms caused by the mass physically affecting the surrounding tissues. The tumor is composed of spindle or round CD34 positive cells surrounding staghornshaped vessels. However, these features are overlapped with a solitary fibrous tumor; nevertheless, a solitary fibrous tumor has more prominent collagen, less prominent vessels, and less cellular pattern than a hemangiopericytoma. The clinical features of both tumors are also similar. Recently both types of tumors are considered to be the same entity with the two ends of one process. Hemangiopericytoma has a varied spectrum of biological behavior: benign to malignant. The prediction of the clinical behavior of hemangiopericytomas is not clear. Generally, a large size (>5 cm), increased mitotic rate (>4 mitosis/10 HPF) with the presence of atypical mitosis, high cellularity, pleomorphic tumor cells, and foci of hemorrhage and necrosis predict a highly malignant course [3,4]. The main treatment of hemangiopericytoma is complete surgical excision. Preoperative embolization can be helpful for decreasing the size of the mass. Radiotherapy, chemotherapy, or a combination of both can effectively improve the survival rates when the mass is inoperable or cannot be completely removed, or metastasis occurs. Hemangiopericytoma has a varied spectrum of biological behavior: benign to malignant. Multiple articles have shown non-eventful life-long results after complete excision of hemangiopericytomas; however, it is better to consider a hemangiopericytoma to be malignant throughout a patient's lifespan because the tumor has the possibility of metastasis or recurrence. Therefore, long-term follow-up seems to be essential [4].

We report a case of a 23-year-old man with cerebral infarction and permanent visual loss after injection of a hyaluronic acid gel filler for augmentation rhinoplasty. The patient was admitted to the hospital with complaints of loss of vision in the right eye, facial paralysis on the right side, and paralysis of the left limbs with severe pain during augmentation rhinoplasty with filler injection. Brain magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography showed ophthalmic artery obstruction and right middle cerebral artery infarction. Acute thrombolysis was performed to treat the infarction; however, the patient's condition did not improve. Intracerebral hemorrhage in the right temporal/frontal/occipital/parietal lobe, subarachnoid hemorrhage, and midline shifting were observed on brain computed tomography after 24 hours after thrombolysis. Emergency decompressive craniectomy was performed. After the surgery, the patient continued to experience drowsiness, with no improvement in visual loss and motor weakness. Three months later, he could walk with cane. This case indicates that surgeons who administer filler injections should be familiar with the possibility of accidental intravascular injection and should explain the adverse effects of fillers to patients before surgery.

The occurrence of congenital midline cervical cleft (CMCC) is very rare all over the world and has never been reported in Korea. The typical characteristic of CMCC is a longitudinal skin defect on the midline of the anterior neck that has a nipple-like skin tag at the cranial end, a fistula or sinus tract at the caudal end, and atrophic skin in between. It appears anywhere between the mandibular symphysis and the manubrium [1,2]. Surgical removal in early infancy is the choice of treatment in order to prevent neck extension disabilities caused by cicatricial neck contracture that may occur while aging. Complete excision of abnormal tissue and closure with single or multiple Z-plasty is usually required for functional and aesthetic purposes [1,2,3]. This report is about a 13-month-old female with the typical characteristics of CMCC, for whom we performed complete excision, platysmaplasty with Z-plasty, and skin closure with single Z-plasty. The patient was a 13-month-old girl born by a full-term vaginal delivery and whose initial crying and other activities were normal. No other abnormal finding except a vertical skin defect in the anterior neck region was reported at birth or during growth. At our hospital, we clinically examined the skin lesion on the midline of the anterior neck, noting that it had a nipple-like skin tag at the cranial end, a fistula-like skin lesion at the caudal end, and atrophic skin in between them. Further, it showed a cervical tethering cord formed by the skin lesion (Fig. 1). Fig. 1 Preoperative photograph shows typical characteristics of congenital midline cervical cleft. Neck magnetic resonance imaging and neck sonography showed a hypoechoic lesion in the subcutaneous layer of the midline of the anterior neck at the suprahyoid level with no definite evidence of a thyroglossal duct cyst or a fistula tract. The patient clinically diagnosed with CMCC was placed on the operating table in a supine position under general anesthesia. A fistula opening at the caudal end was checked under the 0.5-cm-long blind end by testing with probe insertion. The cleft and the underlying band-like subcutaneous tissue were completely excised. The cranial end was loosely adhered to the mentalis muscle, and the caudal end was extended with band-like tissue near the manubrium (Fig. 2). After complete excision, platysma flap with Z-plasty and skin closure with single Z-plasty were performed (Figs. 3, ​,44). Fig. 2 Subcutaneous band-like tissue at the caudal end; it reached nearby the manubrium. Fig. 3 Platysma flap with Z-plasty was performed for a functionally and aesthetically better prognosis. Fig. 4 Postoperative photograph. Skin closure with single Z-plasty was performed. The excised tissue was a 4.0 cm×1.1-cm tube-like tissue with a relatively smooth inner surface. Microscopically, the inner surface was covered with squamous epithelium with irregular thickness and parakeratosis. The subepithelial portion revealed a paucity of skin adnexal tissue and had haphazardly arranged skeletal muscle bundles mixed with fat tissue and seromucinous glandular tissue. Minimal scarring was expected two months after the surgery (Fig. 5). No limitation of neck extension was expected upon long-term follow-up. Fig. 5 Postoperative 2-month photograph. Minimal scarring was predicted. CMCC is very rare, and less than 100 cases of this condition have been reported worldwide. It is reported to occur sporadically, and girls have as high as twice the incidence rate as compared to boys [2,3]. The mechanism of CMCC has not yet been ascertained; however, embryologically defective fusion of the first and the second branchial arches is the most accepted hypothesis [1,2]. It is regarded as a variant of the Tessier median mandibular facial cleft and the type-30 craniofacial cleft [3]. Genetic studies are currently in progress; these studies focus on the mutation in the SIX5 gene and the deletion of the pregnancy-associated plasma protein A (PAPPA) as potential candidates, but an accurate mechanism is still unknown [4]. CMCC has three typical characteristics: 1) a nipple-like skin tag in the cranial portion, 2) a sinus tract or fistula in the caudal portion, and 3) a midline cleft resembling a skin defect in between. Subcutaneous band-like fibrosis usually appears above the platysma plane [1,2,3]. Other head and neck anomalies such as lower lip cleft, cleft tongue, cleft mandible, or hypoplasia of midline neck structures are known to be associated [1,2]. In this case, there are three typical characteristics of CMCC without any other anomalies. The characteristic pathologic findings are reported as parakeratosis in the skin, the absence of skin appendages, the presence of striated muscle tissues under the skin, and the presence of respiratory epithelium or seromucinous glands [2,3,4]. In this case, the abovementioned histologic findings were conspicuous, but skin adnexal tissues were absent or very focally dispersed. In the previously reported articles, complete excision of the cleft including the subcutaneous band and skin closure with Z-plasty (single or multiple) have been performed to prevent cicatricial neck contracture and the resulting limitation of neck motion [1,2,3]. In this report, in addition to the above treatment, we performed platysma flap with Z-plasty to prevent midline platysma banding and continuation of scar adhesion. This is expected to produce a functionally and aesthetically better prognosis [5].