What Calls for Poetry?

David Ayers 한국현대영어영문학회 2007 현대영어영문학 Vol.51 No.1s

What Calls for Poetry

David Ayers 한국현대영어영문학회 2007 현대영어영문학 Vol.51 No.1

The title of this paper alludes to that of Heidegger’s Was Heisst Denken? (1954), an attempt to articulate a question about the role of thinking as something other than a technological or productive activity. A substantial part of Heidegger’s essay is a reflection on the form of the question ‘Was heisst Denken?’, which can be translated as ‘What is thinking?’ in the sense ‘What is this thing we call thinking?’, and also as ‘What calls for thinking?’ Here, I adapt Heidegger’s question and ask ‘What calls for poetry?’ in order to move away from the notion of poetry as history, discourse, ideology, practice, creative writing, or any other simply functional, productive or reflective sense. I use this form of question not (at all) in order to introduce the whole Heideggerean agenda, but as the occasion of asking what has befallen poetry and what might be the space into which poetry in its practice and in its self-understanding might seek to move. I ask the question also, as part of a broader project to disturb the sediment of dogmatic metaphysical terms which has settled on criticism and cultural commentary in recent times, especially the terms matter, discourse and – here – history.

Smoking Trajectories among Koreans in Seoul and California: Exemplifying a Common Error in Age Parameterization

Allem, Jon-Patrick,Ayers, John W.,Unger, Jennifer B.,Irvin, Veronica L.,Hofstetter, C. Richard,Hovell, Melbourne F. Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2012 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.13 No.5

Immigration to a nation with a stronger anti-smoking environment has been hypothesized to make smoking less common. However, little is known about how environments influence risk of smoking across the lifecourse. Research suggested a linear decline in smoking over the lifecourse but these associations, in fact, might not be linear. This study assessed the possible nonlinear associations between age and smoking and examined how these associations differed by environment through comparing Koreans in Seoul, South Korea and Korean Americans in California, United States. Data were drawn from population based telephone surveys of Korean adults in Seoul (N=500) and California (N=2,830) from 2001-2002. Locally weighted scatterplot smoothing (lowess) was used to approximate the association between age and smoking with multivariable spline logistic regressions, including adjustment for confounds used to draw population inferences. Smoking differed across the lifecourse between Korean and Korean American men. The association between age and smoking peaked around 35 years among Korean and Korean American men. From 18 to 35 the probability of smoking was 57% higher (95%CI, 40 to 71) among Korean men versus 8% (95%CI, 3 to 19) higher among Korean American men. A similar difference in age after 35, from 40 to 57 years of age, was associated with a 2% (95%CI, 0 to 10) and 20% (95%CI, 16 to 25) lower probability of smoking among Korean and Korean American men. A nonlinear pattern was also observed among Korean American women. Social role transitions provide plausible explanations for the decline in smoking after 35. Investigators should be mindful of nonlinearities in age when attempting to understand tobacco use.

Motoric Cognitive Risk Syndrome: A Risk Factor for Cognitive Impairment and Dementia in Different Populations

Zeev Meiner,Emmeline Ayers,Joe Verghese 대한노인병학회 2020 Annals of geriatric medicine and research Vol.24 No.1

Changes in gait, especially decreased gait velocity, may be a harbinger of cognitive decline in aging. Motoric cognitive risk syndrome (MCR), a pre-dementia syndrome combining slow gait and cognitive complaints, is a powerful clinical tool used to identify older adults at a high risk of developing dementia. The mean prevalence of MCR worldwide, including in a Korean cohort, was around 10%. The reported risk factors for incident MCR include older age, low education, cardiovascular disease, obesity, physical inactivity, and depression. In addition to dementia, MCR is also a risk factor for other age-related adverse conditions such as falls, disability, frailty, and mortality. MCR has advantages over other pre-dementia syndromes in being much simpler to implement and requires fewer resources. Identification of mechanisms responsible for MCR may help in developing interventions to reduce the growing burden of dementia and disability worldwide.

Controlling a lamprey-based robot with an electronic nervous system

A Westphal,J Ayers,N.F. Rulkov,D Brady,M Hunt 국제구조공학회 2011 Smart Structures and Systems, An International Jou Vol.8 No.1

We are developing a biomimetic robot based on the Sea Lamprey. The robot consists of a cylindrical electronics bay propelled by an undulatory body axis. Shape memory alloy (SMA) actuators generate propagating flexion waves in five undulatory segments of a polyurethane strip. The behavior of the robot is controlled by an electronic nervous system (ENS) composed of networks of discrete-time map-based neurons and synapses that execute on a digital signal processing chip. Motor neuron action potentials gate power transistors that apply current to the SMA actuators. The ENS consists of a set of segmental central pattern generators (CPGs), modulated by layered command and coordinating neuron networks, that integrate input from exteroceptive sensors including a compass, accelerometers, inclinometers and a short baseline sonar array (SBA). The CPGs instantiate the 3-element hemi-segmental network model established from physiological studies. Anterior and posterior propagating pathways between CPGs mediate intersegmental coordination to generate flexion waves for forward and backward swimming. The command network mediates layered exteroceptive reflexes for homing, primary orientation, and impediment compensation. The SBA allows homing on a sonar beacon by indicating deviations in azimuth and inclination. Inclinometers actuate a bending segment between the hull and undulator to allow climb and dive. Accelerometers can distinguish collisions from impediment to allow compensatory reflexes. Modulatory commands mediate speed control and turning. A SBA communications interface is being developed to allow supervised reactive autonomy.

Body water percentage from childhood to old age

( Hong Lu ),( Eric Ayers ),( Pragnesh Patel ),( Tej K. Mattoo ) 대한신장학회 2023 Kidney Research and Clinical Practice Vol.42 No.3

Background: Total body water (TBW) increases with growth, but the body water percentage (TBW%) decreases with aging. The objective of our study was to delineate TBW% in males and females by bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) from early childhood to old age. Methods: We enrolled 545 participants aged 3 to 98 years (258 male, 287 female). Among the participants, 256 had a normal weight and 289 were overweight. The TBW was measured by BIA, and TBW% was derived by dividing the TBW (L) value by body weight (kg). For analysis, we divided participants into the four age groups of 3-10, 11-20, 21-60, and ≥61 years. Results: In normal-weight subjects, the TBW% was similar at 62% between males and females in the 3-10-year group. It remained unchanged in males until and through adult life, then decreased to 57% in the ≥61-year group. In normal-weight female subjects, the TBW% decreased to 55% in the 11-20-year group, remained relatively unaltered in the 21-60-year group, then decreased to 50% in the ≥61-year group. In overweight subjects, the TBW% values in males, as well as females, were significantly lower as compared to those with normal weight. Conclusion: Our study showed that the TBW% in normal-weight males changes very little from early childhood to adult life compared to that of females, who showed a decrease in TBW% during the pubertal years. In normal-weight subjects of both sexes, the TBW% decreased after the age of 60 years. Overweight subjects had significantly lower TBW% as compared to those with normal weight.

Controlling a lamprey-based robot with an electronic nervous system

Westphal, A.,Rulkov, N.F.,Ayers, J.,Brady, D.,Hunt, M. Techno-Press 2011 Smart Structures and Systems, An International Jou Vol.8 No.1

We are developing a biomimetic robot based on the Sea Lamprey. The robot consists of a cylindrical electronics bay propelled by an undulatory body axis. Shape memory alloy (SMA) actuators generate propagating flexion waves in five undulatory segments of a polyurethane strip. The behavior of the robot is controlled by an electronic nervous system (ENS) composed of networks of discrete-time map-based neurons and synapses that execute on a digital signal processing chip. Motor neuron action potentials gate power transistors that apply current to the SMA actuators. The ENS consists of a set of segmental central pattern generators (CPGs), modulated by layered command and coordinating neuron networks, that integrate input from exteroceptive sensors including a compass, accelerometers, inclinometers and a short baseline sonar array (SBA). The CPGs instantiate the 3-element hemi-segmental network model established from physiological studies. Anterior and posterior propagating pathways between CPGs mediate intersegmental coordination to generate flexion waves for forward and backward swimming. The command network mediates layered exteroceptive reflexes for homing, primary orientation, and impediment compensation. The SBA allows homing on a sonar beacon by indicating deviations in azimuth and inclination. Inclinometers actuate a bending segment between the hull and undulator to allow climb and dive. Accelerometers can distinguish collisions from impediment to allow compensatory reflexes. Modulatory commands mediate speed control and turning. A SBA communications interface is being developed to allow supervised reactive autonomy.

Implementation of Excitatory CMOS Neuron Oscillator for Robot Motion Control Unit

Lu, Jing,Yang, Jing,Kim, Yong-Bin,Ayers, Joseph,Kim, Kyung Ki The Institute of Electronics and Information Engin 2014 Journal of semiconductor technology and science Vol.14 No.4

This paper presents an excitatory CMOS neuron oscillator circuit design, which can synchronize two neuron-bursting patterns. The excitatory CMOS neuron oscillator is composed of CMOS neurons and CMOS excitatory synapses. And the neurons and synapses are connected into a close loop. The CMOS neuron is based on the Hindmarsh-Rose (HR) neuron model and excitatory synapse is based on the chemical synapse model. In order to fabricate using a 0.18 um CMOS standard process technology with 1.8V compatible transistors, both time and amplitude scaling of HR neuron model is adopted. This full-chip integration minimizes the power consumption and circuit size, which is ideal for motion control unit of the proposed bio-mimetic micro-robot. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed excitatory CMOS neuron oscillator performs the expected waveforms with scaled time and amplitude. The active silicon area of the fabricated chip is $1.1mm^2$ including I/O pads.

Safety and Efficacy of Permacol Injection in the Treatment of Fecal Incontinence

Yahya A Al-Abed,Jennifer Ayers,Abraham Ayantunde,Bandipalyam V Praveen 대한대장항문학회 2016 Annals of Coloproctolgy Vol.32 No.2

Purpose: Permacol has been gaining popularity in recent times for the treatment of fecal incontinence (FI). This study aims to evaluate the safety and efficacy of anal submucosal Permacol injection in the treatment of FI. Methods: All consecutive patients who underwent Permacol injection for FI over a 3-year period were included. Patients’ data relating to obstetric history, anorectal/pelvic operations, type of FI, preoperative anorectal physiology results and follow-up details for outcome measures were collected. Preoperative and postoperative Cleveland Clinic Florida Incontinence Scores (CCFISs) were noted. Patients were surveyed by using a telephone questionnaire to assess the quality of life and other outcome measures. Data were analysed using SPSS ver.19.0. Results: Thirty patients (28 females and 2 males) with a median age of 67 years were included in the study. Of those patients, 37%, 50%, and 13% were noted to have passive, mixed and urge FI, respectively. Six of the patients (20%) had repeat Permacol injections, 5 of whom had sustained responses to the first Permacol injection for a mean of 11 months. There was a significant improvement in the CCFIS from a baseline median of 12.5, mean 12.8 (interquartile range [IQR], 6–20), to a median of 3.5, mean 4.8 (IQR, 0–20), P < 0.001. Of the patients surveyed by telephone 89% were satisfied with their overall experience and the improvement in their symptoms following Permacol injections. Conclusion: This study has demonstrated that Permacol injection for the treatment of FI is safe and effective and has no associated major complications. However, the results are not permanent; consequently, a significant proportion of the patients with an initial response may require repeat injections.

South Korean Military Service Promotes Smoking: A Quasi-Experimental Design

Jon-Patrick Allem,John W. Ayers,Veronica L. Irvin,C. Richard Hofstetter,Melbourne F. Hovell 연세대학교의과대학 2012 Yonsei medical journal Vol.53 No.2

Purpose: The South Korean (SK) government monopolizes the tobacco industry and is accused of pushing smoking on captive military personnel. However, estimating the association between military service and smoking is difficult, since military service is required for all SK men and the few civilian waivers are usually based on smoking determinants, e.g., social status. Materials and Methods: Using a quasi-experimental design we validly estimate the association between military service and smoking. Military service was assigned by immigration patterns to the United States, instead of an experimenter, by comparing Korean Americans who happened to immigrate before or after the age(s) of mandated service. Smoking promotion in the military was also described among SK veterans, to identify the probable mechanisms for veterans’ smoking tendencies. Results: Veterans were 15% [95% confidence interval (CI), 4 to 27] more likely to ever-puff and 10% (95% CI, 0 to 23) more likely to ever-smoke cigarettes, compared to a similar group of civilians. Among veterans, 92% (95% CI, 89 to 95) recalled cigarettes were free, 30% (95% CI, 25 to 35) recalled smokers were given more work breaks and 38% (95% CI, 32 to 43) felt explicit “social pressure” to smoke. Free cigarettes was the strongest mechanism for veterans’ smoking tendencies, e.g., veterans recalling free cigarette distribution were 16% (95% CI, 1 to 37) more likely to ever-smoke than veterans not recalling. Conclusion: These patterns suggest military service is strongly associated with smoking, and differences between veterans and civilians smoking may carry over long after military service. Given military service remains entirely in government purview, actively changing military smoking policies may prove most efficacious. This highlights the importance of recent bans on military cigarette distribution, but policies eliminating other smoking encouragements described by veterans are necessary and could effectively reduce the smoking prevalence by as much as 10% in SK.