Correlation between Galaxy Mergers and Luminous AGN

It is not yet clear what triggers the activity of active galactic nuclei (AGNs), but galaxy merging has been suspected to be one of the main mechanisms fuelling the activity. Using deep optical images taken at various ground-based telescopes, we investigate the fraction of galaxy mergers in 39 luminous AGNs (M$_{R}\, \lesssim$ -22.6 mag) at $z \leq$ 0.3 (a median redshift of 0.155), of which the host galaxies are generally considered as early-type galaxies. Through visual inspection of the images, we find that 17 of 39 AGN host galaxies (43.6%) show the evidence for current or past mergers like tidal tails, shells, and disturbed morphology. In order to see if this fraction is abnormally high, we also examined the merging fraction of normal early-type galaxies in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) Strip 82 data (a median redshift of 0.04), of which the surface-brightness limit is comparable to our imaging data. To correct for the effects related to the redshift difference of the two samples, we performed an image simulation by putting a bright point source as an artificial AGN in the images of SDSS early-type galaxies and placing them onto the redshifts of AGNs. The merging fraction in this realistic sample of simulated AGNs is only $\sim 5 - 15\%$ ($1/4$ to $1/8$ of that of real AGNs). Our result strongly suggests that luminous AGN activity is associated with galaxy merging.Comment: 57 pages, 19 figures, published in Astrophysical Journa

Gender Differences In Outcomes Of Coordinated Specialty Care For Early Psychosis

BACKGROUNDThere has been growing interest in early intervention in psychotic disorders. However, gender differences in the outcomes of treatment have not been \studied in a clinical trial. METHODSPatients diagnosed with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder with less than 6 months exposure to antipsychotics entered a cluster randomized trial of coordinated specialty care in the Recovery After an Initial Schizophrenia Episode Early Treatment Program (RAISE-ETP). Secondary analyses examined gender differences in baseline characteristics as well as two-year gender outcomes, and the response to treatment controlling for baseline differences. Blinded evaluators assessed the Quality of Life Scale and the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) every 6 months. RESULTSAltogether 404 individuals aged 15-40 entered the study, of whom 111 (27.4%) were female and 293 (72.5%) were male. At baseline, women were significantly more likely to have been married (p=0.007) and to be living independently (p=0.012) than men. Women were also more likely to be diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder, bipolar type (p=0.006) and scored higher on the depression subscale of the PANSS (p=0.0004). Women were less likely to use or abuse cannabis (p=0.0004), though no less likely to use or abuse alcohol. Controlling for these differences, there were no significant gender differences in outcomes or response to treatment. CONCLUSIONBaseline gender differences in comorbid substance use and prevalence of mood symptoms in women with FEP are consistent with previous studies. The absence of significant gender differences in outcomes or response to treatment has not been previously established in a multi-site trial

Scaling Analysis on Dynamic Flammability Limits of Unsteady Premixed Methane/Air Flames

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/76992/1/AIAA-2007-382-839.pd

Extinction Limits of Premixed Combustion Assisted by Catalytic Reaction in a Stagnation-Point Flow

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/76039/1/AIAA-2006-164-151.pd

Autoignition of a Hydrogen-Air Mixture with Temperature and Composition Inhomogeneities

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/76675/1/AIAA-2009-1559-223.pd

A Mobile Robot Localization using External Surveillance Cameras at Indoor

AbstractLocalization is a technique that is needed for the service robot to drive at indoors, and it has been studied in various ways. Most localization techniques let the robot measure environmental information to gain location information, but those require high costs as it use many equipment, and also complicate the robot development. But if an external device could calculate the location of the robot and transmit it to the robot, it will reduce the extra cost for the internal equipment needed to recognize the location, and it will also simplify the robot development. Therefore this study suggests an effective way to control the robot by using the location information of the robot included in a map made by visual information from the surveillance cameras installed at indoors. The object in a single image is difficult to tell its size because of the shadow components and occlusion. Therefore, combination of shadow removal technique using HSV image from indoors and images from different perspective using homography to create two- dimensional map with accurate object information is suggested. In the experiment, the effectiveness of the suggested method is shown by analyzing the movement result of the robot which applied the location information from the two-dimensional map that is based on the multi cameras, which its accuracy is measured in advance