47 research outputs found
Daubert’s Naïve Realist Challenge to Husserl
Despite extensive discussion of naïve realism in the wider philosophical literature, those influenced by the phenomenological movement who work in the philosophy of perception have hardly weighed in on the matter. It is thus interesting to discover that Edmund Husserl’s close philosophical interlocutor and friend, the early twentieth-century phenomenologist Johannes Daubert, held the naive realist view. This article presents Daubert’s views on the fundamental nature of perceptual experience and shows how they differ radically from those of Husserl’s. The author argues, in conclusion, that Daubert’s views are superior to those of Husserl’s specifically in the way that they deal with the phenomenon of perceptual constancy
Biomarkers of aging associated with past treatments in breast cancer survivors.
Radiation and chemotherapy are effective treatments for cancer, but are also toxic to healthy cells. Little is known about whether prior exposure to these treatments is related to markers of cellular aging years later in breast cancer survivors. We examined whether past exposure to chemotherapy and/or radiation treatment was associated with DNA damage, telomerase activity, and telomere length 3-6 years after completion of primary treatments in breast cancer survivors (stage 0-IIIA breast cancer at diagnosis). We also examined the relationship of these cellular aging markers with plasma levels of Interleukin (IL)-6, soluble TNF-receptor-II (sTNF-RII), and C-reactive protein (CRP). Ninety-four women (36.4-69.5 years; 80% white) were evaluated. Analyses adjusting for age, race, BMI, and years from last treatment found that women who had prior exposure to chemotherapy and/or radiation compared to women who had previously received surgery alone were more likely to have higher levels of DNA damage (P = .02) and lower telomerase activity (P = .02), but did not have differences in telomere length. More DNA damage and lower telomerase were each associated with higher levels of sTNF-RII (P's < .05). We found that exposure to chemotherapy and/or radiation 3-6 years prior was associated with markers of cellular aging, including higher DNA damage and lower telomerase activity, in post-treatment breast cancer survivors. Furthermore, these measures were associated with elevated inflammatory activation, as indexed by sTNF-RII. Given that these differences were observed many years after the treatment, the findings suggest a long lasting effect of chemotherapy and/or radiation exposure
The environments of z~1 Active Galactic Nuclei at 3.6um
We present an analysis of a large sample of AGN environments at z~1 using
stacked Spitzer data at 3.6um. The sample contains type-1 and type-2 AGN in the
form of quasars and radio galaxies, and spans a large range in both optical and
radio luminosity. We find, on average, that 2 to 3 massive galaxies containing
a substantial evolved stellar population lie within a 200-300 kpc radius of the
AGN, constituting a >8-sigma excess relative to the field. Secondly, we find
evidence for the environmental source density to increase with the radio
luminosity of AGN, but not with black-hole mass. This is shown first by
dividing the AGN into their classical AGN types, where we see more significant
over-densities in the fields of the radio-loud AGN. If instead we dispense with
the classical AGN definitions, we find that the source over-density as a
function of radio luminosity for all our AGN exhibits a positive correlation.
One interpretation of this result is that the Mpc-scale environment is in some
way influencing the radio emission that we observe from AGN. This could be
explained by the confinement of radio jets in dense environments leading to
enhanced radio emission or, alternatively, may be linked to more rapid
black-hole spin brought on by galaxy mergers.Comment: 13 pages, 12 figures, accepted by MNRA
Detection of intrinsic source structure at ~3 Schwarzschild radii with Millimeter-VLBI observations of SAGITTARIUS A*
We report results from very long baseline interferometric (VLBI) observations
of the supermassive black hole in the Galactic center, Sgr A*, at 1.3 mm (230
GHz). The observations were performed in 2013 March using six VLBI stations in
Hawaii, California, Arizona, and Chile. Compared to earlier observations, the
addition of the APEX telescope in Chile almost doubles the longest baseline
length in the array, provides additional {\it uv} coverage in the N-S
direction, and leads to a spatial resolution of 30 as (3
Schwarzschild radii) for Sgr A*. The source is detected even at the longest
baselines with visibility amplitudes of 4-13% of the total flux density.
We argue that such flux densities cannot result from interstellar refractive
scattering alone, but indicate the presence of compact intrinsic source
structure on scales of 3 Schwarzschild radii. The measured nonzero
closure phases rule out point-symmetric emission. We discuss our results in the
context of simple geometric models that capture the basic characteristics and
brightness distributions of disk- and jet-dominated models and show that both
can reproduce the observed data. Common to these models are the brightness
asymmetry, the orientation, and characteristic sizes, which are comparable to
the expected size of the black hole shadow. Future 1.3 mm VLBI observations
with an expanded array and better sensitivity will allow a more detailed
imaging of the horizon-scale structure and bear the potential for a deep
insight into the physical processes at the black hole boundary.Comment: 11 pages, 5 figures, accepted to Ap
Supermassive Black Holes in Galactic Nuclei: Past, Present and Future Research
This review discusses the current status of supermassive black hole research,
as seen from a purely observational standpoint. Since the early '90s, rapid
technological advances, most notably the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope,
the commissioning of the VLBA and improvements in near-infrared speckle imaging
techniques, have not only given us incontrovertible proof of the existence of
supermassive black holes, but have unveiled fundamental connections between the
mass of the central singularity and the global properties of the host galaxy.
It is thanks to these observations that we are now, for the first time, in a
position to understand the origin, evolution and cosmic relevance of these
fascinating objects.Comment: Invited Review, 114 pages. Because of space requirements, this
version contains low resolution figures. The full resolution version can be
downloaded from http://www.physics.rutgers.edu/~lff/publications.htm