Earticle

Since the late 20th century, corpus-based studies have become a general method of investigation in modern linguistics. A corpus (monolingual or multilingual corpus) permits the linguists to explore the real linguistic data used by a speech community. However most of the studies focus on the high-frequency words in a corpus, whereas the low-frequency words are excluded from the subject of the analysis. The low-frequency words also consist of a corpus; therefore they are important linguistic elements as much as the high-frequency words. The purpose of this paper is to look into translation equivalences between the low-frequency words in a parallel corpus, a French Novel Moderato Cantabile, and two Korean translations, the Moderato Corpus. For the purpose of researching the translation phenomenon of low-frequency words in the Moderato Corpus, this paper uses the quantitative methods of lexical frequency, co-occurrence and contextual exploration. The result of these analyses demonstrates that the low-frequency nouns have different translational situations as much as the high-frequency ones. Surprisingly, they have also a definitive equivalence between the French word and the Korean word. Therefore, this study contends that low-frequency words can contribute to translation studies and, especially, enhance the automatic translation machine as a translation reference.

Objective To characterize the repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) induced changes in angiogenic mechanisms across different brain regions.Methods Seventy-nine adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to a middle cerebral artery occlusion (day 0) and then treated with 1-Hz, 20-Hz, or sham stimulation of their lesioned hemispheres for 2 weeks. The stimulation intensity was set to 100% of the motor threshold. The neurological function was assessed on days 3, 10, and 17. The infarct volume and angiogenesis were measured by histology, immunohistochemistry, Western blot, and real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays. Brain tissue was harvested from the ischemic core (IC), ischemic border zone (BZ), and contralateral homologous cortex (CH).Results Optical density of angiopoietin1 and synaptophysin in the IC was significantly greater in the low-frequency group than in the sham group (p=0.03 and p=0.03, respectively). The 1-Hz rTMS significantly increased the level of Akt phosphorylation in the BZ (p<0.05 vs. 20 Hz). Endothelial nitric oxide synthase phosphorylation was increased in the IC (p<0.05 vs. 20 Hz), BZ (p<0.05 vs. 20 Hz), and CH (p<0.05 vs. 20 Hz and p<0.05 vs. sham). Real-time PCR demonstrated that low-frequency stimulation significantly increased the transcriptional activity of the TIE2 gene in the IC (p<0.05).Conclusion Low-frequency rTMS of the ipsilesional hemisphere in the early subacute phase of stroke promotes the expression of angiogenic factors and related genes in the brain, particularly in the injured area.

The study aimed to investigate the effect of low-frequency oscillations on the cow udder, milk parameters, and animal welfare during the automated milking process. The study’s objective was to investigate the impact of low-frequency oscillations on the udder and teats’ blood circulation by creating a mathematical model of mammary glands, using milkers and vibrators to analyze the theoretical dynamics of oscillations. The mechanical vibration device developed and tested in the study was mounted on a DeLaval automatic milking machine, which excited the udder with low-frequency oscillations, allowing the analysis of input parameters (temperature, oscillation amplitude) and using feedback data, changing the device parameters such as vibration frequency and duration. The experimental study was performed using an artificial cow’s udder model with and without milk and a DeLaval milking machine, exciting the model with low-frequency harmonic oscillations (frequency range 15?60 Hz, vibration amplitude 2?5 mm). The investigation in vitro applying low-frequency of the vibration system’s first-order frequencies in lateral (X) direction showed the low-frequency values of 23.5?26.5 Hz (effective frequency of the simulation analysis was 25.0 Hz). The tested values of the first-order frequency of the vibration system in the vertical (Y) direction were 37.5?41.5 Hz (effective frequency of the simulation analysis was 41.0 Hz), with higher amplitude and lower vibration damping. During in vivo experiments, while milking, the vibrator was inducing mechanical milking-similar vibrations in the udder. The vibrations were spreading to the entire udder and caused physiotherapeutic effects such as activated physiological processes and increased udder base temperature by 0.57℃ (p < 0.001), thus increasing blood flow in the udder. Used low-frequency vibrations did not significantly affect milk yield, milk composition, milk quality indicators, and animal welfare. The investigation results showed that applying low-frequency vibration on a cow udder during automatic milking is a non-invasive, efficient method to stimulate blood circulation in the udder and improve teat and udder health without changing milk quality and production. Further studies will be carried out in the following research phase on clinical and subclinical mastitis cows.

Objective To investigate the effect of low frequency cerebellar repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) on balance impairment in patients with cerebral infarction.Methods Thirty-two patients were randomly divided into two groups: rTMS group (n=16) and control (n=16). In the rTMS group, treatment was performed five times per week for 2 weeks (10 sessions), and in the control group, a sham coil was used with the sound and sensation of scalp similar to the rTMS coil. Patients in both groups underwent a conventional rehabilitation program. Berg Balance Scale (BBS) was used as the primary outcome measurement. Timed Up and Go test (TUG), 10-m walk test (10mWT), and Activity-specific Balance Confidence scale (ABC) were used as the secondary outcome measurement. All scales were measured at baseline (T0), after 10 sessions of rTMS (T1), and at 4 weeks after treatment completion (T2) by therapists with over 5 years of clinical experience.Results There were significant improvements between T0 and T1, and between T0 and T2, for all assessed items in the rTMS group. Whereas there were significant improvements between T0 and T1, and between T0 and T2, for the BBS and 10mWT in the control group. TUG (-4.87±5.05 vs. -0.50±2.97 seconds) and ABC score (8.10±8.33 vs. 0.16±0.97) were observed significant differences in comparison of the changes from T0 to T1 between the two group. BBS score (4.40±3.66 vs. 1.88±3.14), TUG (-4.87±4.56 vs. -0.62±2.96 seconds) and ABC score (8.22±7.70 vs. -0.09±0.86) differed significantly from T0 to T2 between the two groups.Conclusion Our findings suggest that low-frequency cerebellar rTMS is helpful for improving balance in patients with cerebral infarction, and maybe a beneficial treatment for these patients.

Objective To investigate the effect of low-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) and neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) on post-stroke dysphagia.Methods Subacute (<3 months), unilateral hemispheric stroke patients with dysphagia were randomly assigned to the conventional dysphagia therapy (CDT), rTMS, or NMES groups. In rTMS group, rTMS was performed at 100% resting motor threshold with 1 Hz frequency for 20 minutes per session (5 days per week for 2 weeks). In NMES group, electrical stimulation was applied to the anterior neck for 30 minutes per session (5 days per week for 2 weeks). All three groups were given conventional dysphagia therapy for 4 weeks. We evaluated the functional dysphagia scale (FDS), pharyngeal transit time (PTT), the penetration-aspiration scale (PAS), and the American Speech-Language Hearing Association National Outcomes Measurement System (ASHA NOMS) swallowing scale at baseline, after 2 weeks, and after 4 weeks.Results Forty-seven patients completed the study; 15 in the CDT group, 14 in the rTMS group, and 18 in the NMES group. Mean changes in FDS and PAS for liquid during first 2 weeks in the rTMS and NMES groups were significantly higher than those in the CDT group, but no significant differences were found between the rTMS and NMES group. No significant difference in mean changes of FDS and PAS for semi-solid, PTT, and ASHA NOMS was observed among the three groups.Conclusion These results indicated that both low-frequency rTMS and NMES could induce early recovery from dysphagia; therefore, they both could be useful therapeutic options for dysphagic stroke patients.

Objective To examine the long-term effects of the low-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (LFrTMS) combined with task-specific training on paretic hand function following subacute stroke. Methods Sixteen participants were randomly selected and grouped into two: the experimental group (real LFrTMS) and the control group (sham LF-rTMS). All the 16 participants were then taken through a 1-hour taskspecific training of the paretic hand. The corticospinal excitability (motor evoke potential [MEP] amplitude) of the non-lesioned hemisphere, and the paretic hand performance (Wolf Motor Function Test total movement time [WMFT-TMT]) were evaluated at baseline, after the LF-rTMS, immediately after task-specific training, 1 and 2 weeks after the training. Results Groups comparisons showed a significant difference in the MEP after LF-rTMS and after the training. Compared to the baseline, the MEP of the experimental group significantly decreased after LF-rTMS and after the training and that effect was maintained for 2 weeks. Group comparisons showed significant difference in WMFT-TMT after the training. Only in the experimental group, the WMFT-TMT of the can lifting item significantly reduced compared to the baseline and the effect was sustained for 2 weeks. Conclusion The results of this study established that the improvement in paretic hand after task-specific training was enhanced by LF-rTMS and it persisted for at least 2 weeks.

Objective To investigate the effect of upper limb rehabilitation combining robot with low-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) on unilateral spatial neglect in stroke patients. Methods Patients who had hemispatial neglect after right hemisphere stroke were randomly divided into rTMS only group, robot only group, and combined group. All groups received conventional neglect therapy and additional treatment for each group. rTMS group received rTMS therapy. Robot group received robot therapy, while combined group received both therapies. The effect of therapy was assessed with Motor-Free Visual Perception Test-3 (MVPT-3), line bisection test, star cancellation test, Catherine Bergego Scale (CBS), Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), and the Korean version of Modified Barthel Index (K-MBI). These measurements were evaluated before and after treatment. Results For each group, 10 patients were recruited. There were no significant differences in baseline characteristics or initial values among the three groups. Two weeks after the therapy, all groups showed significant improvement in MVPT-3, line bisection test, star cancellation test, CBS, MMSE, and K-MBI. However, changes in measurements showed no significant differences among groups. Conclusion Treatment effect of the combined therapy of robotic therapy and low-frequency rTMS therapy for hemispatial neglect was not statistically different from that of each single treatment. Results of this study did not prove the superiority of any of the three treatments. Further study with large number of patients is needed to evaluate the superiority of these treatments.

Objective To investigate the factors related to upper extremity functional improvement following inhibitory repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) in stroke patients.Methods Forty-one stroke patients received low-frequency rTMS over the contralesional hemisphere according to a standard protocol, in addition to conventional physical and occupational therapy. The rTMS-treated patients were divided into two groups according to their responsiveness to rTMS measured by the self-care score of the Korean version of Modified Barthel Index (K-MBI): responded group (n=19) and non-responded group (n=22). Forty-one age-matched stroke patients who had not received rTMS served as controls. Neurological, cognitive and functional assessments were performed before rTMS and 4 weeks after rTMS treatment.Results Among the rTMS-treated patients, the responded group was significantly younger than the non-responded group (51.6±10.5 years and 65.5±13.7 years, respectively; p=0.001). Four weeks after rTMS, the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale, the Brunnstrom recovery stage and upper extremity muscle power scores were significantly more improved in the responded group than in the control group. Besides the self-care score, the mobility score of the K-MBI was also more improved in the responded group than in the non-responded group or controls. Conclusion Age is the most obvious factor determining upper extremity functional responsiveness to low-frequency rTMS in stroke patients.

Objective To investigate the effects of hand training using low-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) within the aftereffect period on hand function in patients with subacute stroke. Methods The subacute stroke patients with hand weaknesses were divided randomly into two groups. Patients in the intervention group underwent hand training within the aftereffect period, that is, immediately after receiving low-frequency rTMS treatment. Patients in the control group underwent hand training 2 hours after the low-frequency rTMS treatment. A manual function test (MFT) for ‘grasp and pinch’ and ‘hand activities’; a manual muscle test (MMT) for ‘grasp’, ‘release’, and ‘abductor pollicis brevis (APB)’; and the Modified Ashworth Scale for finger flexion were performed and measured before and immediately after combined therapy as well as 2 weeks after combined therapy. Conclusion Hand training immediately after low-frequency rTMS showed more rapid improvement in the motor power of hands than hand training conducted 2 hours after low-frequency rTMS. Our results suggest that conducting hand training immediately after low-frequency rTMS could be an improved useful therapeutic option in subacute stroke patients.

This study aimed to assess the influence of Paralichthys olivaceus egg extract (POEE) treatment on the maturation and development of porcine oocytes subjected to oxidative stress during in vitro maturation (IVM). POEE, notably rich in vitamin B9 (folic acid [FA]), was assessed alongside FA for antioxidant activity across various concentrations. In the 650 ppm POEE (650 POEE) group, there was a significant rise in glutathione (GSH) levels and an improved developmental rate in porcine oocytes experiencing oxidative stress during IVM. Treatment with 0.3 FA exhibited substantial reduction in ROS activity. Both 650 POEE and 0.3 FA groups demonstrated inhibited abnormal spindle organization and chromosomal misalignment, with increased blastocyst formation and decreased apoptotic cells. Treatment with 650 POEE elevated mRNA expression of development-related genes (SOX2 , NANOG, and POU5F1 ). In conclusion, POEE effectively mitigates oxidative stress, enhances embryonic quality, and improves developmental potential in porcine oocytes on IVM.

This study investigated the frequency-specific effects of high- and low- frequency neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) on neuromus-cular function and muscle quality. Sixteen healthy young males were randomly assigned to either a high-frequency stimulation group (HFES, 100 Hz; n=8) or a low-frequency stimulation group (LFES, 50 Hz; n=8) for 6 weeks of NMES intervention. Neuromuscular function was as-sessed using maximum voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC), while muscle quality of the rectus femoris (RF) and vastus lateralis (VL) was evaluated via ultrasound echo intensity (EI). Assessments were taken at baseline, midintervention (week 3), and postintervention (weeks 6, 8 and 10). HFES significantly increased MVIC during the intervention, indi-cating an immediate neuromuscular improvement. In contrast, LFES showed delayed effects, with significant EI improvements in RF and VL emerging only after the intervention ended. Statistical analysis revealed a significant interaction effect between time and intervention for MVIC and EI, highlighting the frequency-dependent nature of NMES adapta-tions. These results suggest that NMES induces neuromuscular adap-tations in healthy adult males, with HFES promoting immediate gains and LFES leading to delayed benefits. Thus, frequency selection is criti-cal in designing effective NMES protocols.

Sciatic crushed nerve injury (SCI) causes pain-related gait and swelling in the affected limb. Electroacupuncture (EA) is a modified acupuncture technique, and analgesic effect of EA on different types of pain has been documented. Scientific functional index (SFI) is a mathematical formula to represent parameters of normal and experimental footprints. We investigated the effect of low-frequency EA on functional recovery following SCI in rats. For this study, immunohistochemistry for c-Fos in the ventral lateral periaqueductal gray (vlPAG) and paraventricular nu-cleus (PVN) and western blot for neurofilament (NF) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the sciatic nerve were conducted. To in-duce crush injury on the sciatic nerve, sciatic nerve was crushed for 30 sec using a surgical clip. The rats in the acupuncture groups received acupuncture bilaterally at respective site, once a day for 14 days. The rats in the EA group received 100-Hz electrical stimulation for 10 min once a day during 14 days. SCI decreased SFI value, in contrast, EA in-creased SFI value. c-Fos expression in the vlPAG and PVN was in-creased following SCI, in contrast, EA suppressed c-Fos expression. NF expression in the sciatic nerve was decreased by SCI, in contrast, EA increased NF expression. BDNF expression in the sciatic nerve was in-creased by SCI, in contrast, EA suppressed BDNF expression. In the present study, EA showed effectiveness on functional recovery from SCI.

In today's mechanized society, low frequency noises are ubiquitous. Though much research has been conducted on the effects of low frequency sound waves on human health and emotion, little research has been conducted on their impact on plants and bacteria. This research sought to determine the effects of low frequency noise on soil bacteria and E. coli. Initially, changes in growth and amounts of both bacteria under low frequency noise were measured, but no significant and definite alterations in the E. coli growth were observed. Then, the resistance of bacteria was tested by adding hydrogen peroxide, which yield harmful reactive oxygen species, to the soil bacteria and E. coli solutions, of which some were exposed to LFN (low frequency noise) while other control groups were not. The results showed that the bacterial solutions exposed to LFN were less affected by the hydrogen peroxide, indicating that LFN may have induced the secretion of chemical compounds, such as Superoxide dismutase that react with the reactive oxygen species to create new harmless compounds. It has therefore been concluded that LFN may strengthen the resistance of bacteria, and that certain measures, especially for harmful bacteria, should be taken in order to prevent increased resistance.

Superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) is a sensitive detector of magnetic flux signals. Up to now, the main application of SQUIDs has been measurements of magnetic flux signals in the frequency range from near DC to several MHz. Recently, cryogenic low-noise radio-frequency (RF) amplifiers based on DC SQUID are under development aiming to detect RF signals with sensitivity approaching quantum limit. In this paper, we review the recent progress of cryogenic low-noise RF amplifiers based on SQUID technology.

We here reported the suppression of dystonia after the low frequency rTMS in a patient with the pediatric stroke. A 21-year old woman with infarction in the left basal ganglia and corona radiata showed the dystonia on right extremities since 4 years old. The Movement score and the Disability score of Burke-Fahn-Mardsen Dystonia Rating Scale (BFMDRS) was 28.0 and 5. She received a 20 minutes treatment session with 1 Hz rTMS on the left premotor cortex three times per week for 2 weeks. After treatment, the Movement score and the Disability score of BFMDRS scale were improved to 17.5 and 4, respectively. These rTMS effects were maintained for about 2~4 hours after each session. In this case, we observed that lowfrequency rTMS improved specific motor symptom of severe dystonia. We also observed that excessive corticospinal drive could be suppressed by low-frequency rTMS on the premotor cortex.

Objective: To compare the effect of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) applied over the right or left parietal cortex with high- or low-frequency on visuospatial neglect in stroke patients. Method: Nineteen stroke subjects (10 males, 9 females) were enrolled. All subjects received 1,200 real rTMS over left parietal cortex at an intensity of 90% of motor thresholds with 1 Hz, sham rTMS over right parietal cortex with 20 Hz and real rTMS over right parietal cortex at same intensity with 20 Hz under randomized cross over design. To compare the effects of different rTMS protocols, letter cancellation test, line bisection test (near, far) and Ota’s task were administered before and after rTMS. Results: Low frequency rTMS over left parietal cortex, compared with sham stimulation, significantly improve visuospatial neglect in Ota’s task (p＜0.05). Conclusion: As low frequency rTMS over left parietal cortex showed beneficial effects on visuospatial neglect, low frequency rTMS can be used as a treatment modality for patients suffering from visuospatial neglect after stroke. (J Korean Acad Rehab Med 2010; 34: 397-402)

Objective: We evaluated a role of prefrontal and parietal cortex in verbal working memory and visuospatial attention using repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS). Method: In six healthy volunteers, bilateral prefrontal and parietal cortex was stimulated with rTMS (90% of motor threshold, 10 trains of 1 Hz rTMS) during performed cognitive tasks (two-back verbal working memory task and endogenous visuospatial attention task). rTMS was applied to 4 different sites over left prefrontal, right prefrontal, left parietal and right parietal areas at F3, F4, P3 and P4 location on the scalp, according to the 10/20 EEG system. The sham stimulation was applied with the coil placed perpendicular to the scalp. Results: Reaction time (RT) was significantly prolonged by left prefrontal TMS in verbal working memory. In addition, performance deterioration was also observed during rTMS over the right prefrontal and left parietal areas. In visuospatial attention task, RT was significantly prolonged by right parietal TMS. Conclusion: These results show that left prefrontal cortex play a major role in the network of working memory, and right parietal cortex is important area in the visuospatial attention. We suggest that an rTMS could be a useful method for evaluation of neural network in human brain.