Perfectionism explains variance in self-defeating behaviors beyond self-criticism: Evidence from a cross-national sample

Does perfectionism predict maladjustment beyond self-criticism? Attention to this key question is needed as some studies suggest perfectionism may not explain variance in maladjustment beyond self-criticism. Using a large cross-national sample of 524 undergraduates (229 Canadian, 295 British), this study examined whether evaluative concerns perfectionism (socially prescribed perfectionism, concern over mistakes, doubts about actions) explained variance in self-defeating behaviors (binge eating, procrastination, interpersonal conflict) after controlling for selfcriticism. Results showed that—after controlling for self-criticism—concern over mistakes predicted binge eating, doubts about actions predicted procrastination, and socially prescribed perfectionism and concern over mistakes predicted interpersonal conflict. Self-criticism also uniquely predicted self-defeating behaviors beyond evaluative concerns perfectionism. The relationships that evaluative concerns perfectionism shows with self-defeating behaviors appear neither redundant with nor fully captured by self-criticism. Results dovetail with theoretical accounts suggesting evaluative concerns perfectionism is a uniquely important part of the personality of people prone to self-defeating behaviors

A new approach to equipment testing

Considerable controversy has arisen during the recent discussions over a new version of the RTCA DO160C/ED 14C Section 22 document at the European Committee for Aviation Electronics. Section 22 is concerned with lightning waveform tests to equipment. Investigations of some of these controversies with circuit analysis and measurements indicate the impedance characteristics required of the transient generators and the possibility of testing to a voltage limit even for current waveforms

Impact of Systematics on SZ-Optical Scaling Relations

One of the central goals of multi-wavelength galaxy cluster cosmology is to unite all cluster observables to form a consistent understanding of cluster mass. Here, we study the impact of systematic effects from optical cluster catalogs on stacked SZ signals. We show that the optically predicted Y-decrement can vary by as much as 50% based on the current 2 sigma systematic uncertainties in the observed mass-richness relationship. Mis-centering and impurities will suppress the SZ signal compared to expectations for a clean and perfectly centered optical sample, but to a lesser degree. We show that the level of these variations and suppression is dependent on the amount of systematics in the optical cluster catalogs. We also study X-ray luminosity-dependent sub-sampling of the optical catalog and find that it creates Malmquist bias increasing the observed Y-decrement of the stacked signal. We show that the current Planck measurements of the Y-decrement around SDSS optical clusters and their X-ray counterparts are consistent with expectations after accounting for the 1 sigma optical systematic uncertainties using the Johnston mass richness relation.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures. Revised to match version accepted in the Astrophysical Journa

Five-Year Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) Observations: Angular Power Spectra

We present the temperature and polarization angular power spectra of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) derived from the first 5 years of WMAP data. The 5-year temperature (TT) spectrum is cosmic variance limited up to multipole l=530, and individual l-modes have S/N>1 for l<920. The best fitting six-parameter LambdaCDM model has a reduced chi^2 for l=33-1000 of chi^2/nu=1.06, with a probability to exceed of 9.3%. There is now significantly improved data near the third peak which leads to improved cosmological constraints. The temperature-polarization correlation (TE) is seen with high significance. After accounting for foreground emission, the low-l reionization feature in the EE power spectrum is preferred by \Delta\chi^2=19.6 for optical depth tau=0.089 by the EE data alone, and is now largely cosmic variance limited for l=2-6. There is no evidence for cosmic signal in the BB, TB, or EB spectra after accounting for foreground emission. We find that, when averaged over l=2-6, l(l+1)C^{BB}_l/2\pi < 0.15 uK^2 (95% CL).Comment: 29 pages, 13 figures, accepted by ApJ

Supergravity Higgs Inflation and Shift Symmetry in Electroweak Theory

We present a model of inflation in a supergravity framework in the Einstein frame where the Higgs field of the next to minimal supersymmetric standard model (NMSSM) plays the role of the inflaton. Previous attempts which assumed non-minimal coupling to gravity failed due to a tachyonic instability of the singlet field during inflation. A canonical K\"{a}hler potential with \textit{minimal coupling} to gravity can resolve the tachyonic instability but runs into the $\eta$-problem. We suggest a model which is free of the $\eta$-problem due to an additional coupling in the K\"{a}hler potential which is allowed by the Standard Model gauge group. This induces directions in the potential which we call K-flat. For a certain value of the new coupling in the (N)MSSM, the K\"{a}hler potential is special, because it can be associated with a certain shift symmetry for the Higgs doublets, a generalization of the shift symmetry for singlets in earlier models. We find that K-flat direction has $H_u^0=-H_d^{0*}.$ This shift symmetry is broken by interactions coming from the superpotential and gauge fields. This direction fails to produce successful inflation in the MSSM but produces a viable model in the NMSSM. The model is specifically interesting in the Peccei-Quinn (PQ) limit of the NMSSM. In this limit the model can be confirmed or ruled-out not just by cosmic microwave background observations but also by axion searches.Comment: matches the published version at JCA

Revisit relic gravitational waves based on the latest CMB observations

According to the CMB observations, Mielczarek (\cite{Mielczarek}) evaluated the reheating temperature, which could help to determine the history of the Universe. In this paper, we recalculate the reheating temperature using the new data from WMAP 7 observations. Based on that, we list the approximate solutions of relic gravitational waves (RGWs) for various frequency bands. With the combination of the quantum normalization of RGWs when they are produced and the CMB observations, we obtain the relation between the tensor-to-scalar ratio $r$ and the inflation index $\beta$ for a given scalar spectral index $n_s$. As a comparison, the diagram $r-\beta$ in the slow-roll inflation model is also given. Thus, the observational limits of $r$ from CMB lead to the constraints on the value of $\beta$. Then, we illustrate the energy density spectrum of RGWs with the quantum normalization for different values of $r$ and the corresponding $\beta$. For comparison, the energy density spectra of RGWs with parameters based on slow-roll inflation are also discussed. We find that the values of $n_s$ affect the spectra of RGWs sensitively in the very high frequencies. Based on the current and planed gravitational wave detectors, we discuss the detectabilities of RGWs.Comment: 16 pages, 6 figures, accepted for publication in Class. Quantum Gra

Delensing Gravitational Wave Standard Sirens with Shear and Flexion Maps

Supermassive black hole binary systems (SMBHB) are standard sirens -- the gravitational wave analogue of standard candles -- and if discovered by gravitational wave detectors, they could be used as precise distance indicators. Unfortunately, gravitational lensing will randomly magnify SMBHB signals, seriously degrading any distance measurements. Using a weak lensing map of the SMBHB line of sight, we can estimate its magnification and thereby remove some uncertainty in its distance, a procedure we call "delensing." We find that delensing is significantly improved when galaxy shears are combined with flexion measurements, which reduce small-scale noise in reconstructed magnification maps. Under a Gaussian approximation, we estimate that delensing with a 2D mosaic image from an Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) could reduce distance errors by about 30-40% for a SMBHB at z=2. Including an additional wide shear map from a space survey telescope could reduce distance errors by 50%. Such improvement would make SMBHBs considerably more valuable as cosmological distance probes or as a fully independent check on existing probes.Comment: 9 pages, 4 figures, submitted to MNRA

Five-Year Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) Observations: Data Processing, Sky Maps, and Basic Results

We present new full-sky temperature and polarization maps in five frequency bands from 23 to 94 GHz, based on data from the first five years of the WMAP sky survey. The five-year maps incorporate several improvements in data processing made possible by the additional years of data and by a more complete analysis of the instrument calibration and in-flight beam response. We present several new tests for systematic errors in the polarization data and conclude that Ka band data (33 GHz) is suitable for use in cosmological analysis, after foreground cleaning. This significantly reduces the overall polarization uncertainty. With the 5 year WMAP data, we detect no convincing deviations from the minimal 6-parameter LCDM model: a flat universe dominated by a cosmological constant, with adiabatic and nearly scale-invariant Gaussian fluctuations. Using WMAP data combined with measurements of Type Ia supernovae and Baryon Acoustic Oscillations, we find (68% CL uncertainties): Omega_bh^2 = 0.02267 \pm 0.00059, Omega_ch^2 = 0.1131 \pm 0.0034, Omega_Lambda = 0.726 \pm 0.015, n_s = 0.960 \pm 0.013, tau = 0.084 \pm 0.016, and Delta_R^2 = (2.445 \pm 0.096) x 10^-9. From these we derive: sigma_8 = 0.812 \pm 0.026, H_0 = 70.5 \pm 1.3 km/s/Mpc, z_{reion} = 10.9 \pm 1.4, and t_0 = 13.72 \pm 0.12 Gyr. The new limit on the tensor-to-scalar ratio is r < 0.22 (95% CL). We obtain tight, simultaneous limits on the (constant) dark energy equation of state and spatial curvature: -0.14 < 1+w < 0.12 and -0.0179 < Omega_k < 0.0081 (both 95% CL). The number of relativistic degrees of freedom (e.g. neutrinos) is found to be N_{eff} = 4.4 \pm 1.5, consistent with the standard value of 3.04. Models with N_{eff} = 0 are disfavored at >99.5% confidence.Comment: 46 pages, 13 figures, and 7 tables. Version accepted for publication, ApJS, Feb-2009. Includes 5-year dipole results and additional references. Also available at http://lambda.gsfc.nasa.gov/product/map/dr3/map_bibliography.cf

Seven-Year Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) Observations: Power Spectra and WMAP-Derived Parameters

(Abridged) We present the angular power spectra derived from the 7-year maps and discuss the cosmological conclusions that can be inferred from WMAP data alone. The third acoustic peak in the TT spectrum is now well measured by WMAP. In the context of a flat LambdaCDM model, this improvement allows us to place tighter constraints on the matter density from WMAP data alone, and on the epoch of matter-radiation equality, The temperature-polarization (TE) spectrum is detected in the 7-year data with a significance of 20 sigma, compared to 13 sigma with the 5-year data. The low-l EE spectrum, a measure of the optical depth due to reionization, is detected at 5.5 sigma significance when averaged over l = 2-7. The BB spectrum, an important probe of gravitational waves from inflation, remains consistent with zero. The upper limit on tensor modes from polarization data alone is a factor of 2 lower with the 7-year data than it was using the 5-year data (Komatsu et al. 2010). We test the parameter recovery process for bias and find that the scalar spectral index, ns, is biased high, but only by 0.09 sigma, while the remaining parameters are biased by < 0.15 sigma. The improvement in the third peak measurement leads to tighter lower limits from WMAP on the number of relativistic degrees of freedom (e.g., neutrinos) in the early universe: Neff > 2.7 (95% CL). Also, using WMAP data alone, the primordial helium mass fraction is found to be YHe = 0.28+0.14-0.15, and with data from higher-resolution CMB experiments included, we now establish the existence of pre-stellar helium at > 3 sigma (Komatsu et al. 2010).Comment: 22 pages, 14 figures, version accepted to Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series, added high-l EE detection, consolidated parameter recovery simulation

Nine-Year Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) Observations: Cosmological Parameter Results

We present cosmological parameter constraints based on the final nine-year WMAP data, in conjunction with additional cosmological data sets. The WMAP data alone, and in combination, continue to be remarkably well fit by a six-parameter LCDM model. When WMAP data are combined with measurements of the high-l CMB anisotropy, the BAO scale, and the Hubble constant, the densities, Omegabh2, Omegach2, and Omega_L, are each determined to a precision of ~1.5%. The amplitude of the primordial spectrum is measured to within 3%, and there is now evidence for a tilt in the primordial spectrum at the 5sigma level, confirming the first detection of tilt based on the five-year WMAP data. At the end of the WMAP mission, the nine-year data decrease the allowable volume of the six-dimensional LCDM parameter space by a factor of 68,000 relative to pre-WMAP measurements. We investigate a number of data combinations and show that their LCDM parameter fits are consistent. New limits on deviations from the six-parameter model are presented, for example: the fractional contribution of tensor modes is limited to r<0.13 (95% CL); the spatial curvature parameter is limited to -0.0027 (+0.0039/-0.0038); the summed mass of neutrinos is <0.44 eV (95% CL); and the number of relativistic species is found to be 3.84+/-0.40 when the full data are analyzed. The joint constraint on Neff and the primordial helium abundance agrees with the prediction of standard Big Bang nucleosynthesis. We compare recent PLANCK measurements of the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect with our seven-year measurements, and show their mutual agreement. Our analysis of the polarization pattern around temperature extrema is updated. This confirms a fundamental prediction of the standard cosmological model and provides a striking illustration of acoustic oscillations and adiabatic initial conditions in the early universe.Comment: 32 pages, 12 figures, v3: Version accepted to Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series. Includes improvements in response to referee and community; corrected 3 entries in Table 10, (w0 & wa model). See the Legacy Archive for Microwave Background Data Analysis (LAMBDA): http://lambda.gsfc.nasa.gov/product/map/current/ for further detai