Subdegree Sunyaev-Zel'dovich Signal from Multifrequency BOOMERanG observations

The Sunyaev-Zel'dovich (SZ) effect is the inverse Compton-scattering of cosmic microwave background (CMB) photons by hot electrons in the intervening gas throughout the universe. The effect has a distinct spectral signature that allows its separation from other signals in multifrequency CMB datasets. Using CMB anisotropies measured at three frequencies by the BOOMERanG 2003 flight we constrain SZ fluctuations in the 10 arcmin to 1 deg angular range. Propagating errors and potential systematic effects through simulations, we obtain an overall upper limit of 15.3 uK (2 sigma) for rms SZ fluctuations in a broad bin between multipoles of of 250 and 1200 at the Rayleigh-Jeans (RJ) end of the spectrum. When combined with other CMB anisotropy and SZ measurements, we find that the local universe normalization of the density perturbations is sigma-8(SZ) < 0.96 at the 95% confidence level, consistent with sigma-8 determined from primordial perturbations.Comment: accepted for publication in ApJ. Letter

The choice-structuring properties of security consumption: An exploratory study of security consumption culture within small shops

Using Manunta’s and Manunta’s (2006) theory of the security process and the concept of choice structuring properties as heuristic devices, this paper develops a conceptual framework designed to aid our understanding of the factors that drive security consumption within the context of small shops. The conceptual framework is developed through a number of exploratory interviews with the owners of convenience stores. These suggest a security consumption culture exists that is generated by a desire to protect businesses from crime threats and a sense of isolation from local criminal justice agencies. A self-protection mentality and functional form of worry is observed that creates demand for security, but decisions to purchase specific security objects are dictated by choice structuring properties focused around subjective anxieties about crime events, the extent security devices are seen to offer reassurance and financial constraints. Of course, these findings are (at best) tentative but help to set an agenda for further research in this area

The Impact of Rurality on Likelihood of Drunk Driving and Riding With a Driver Under the Influence Among High School Students

Abstract Purpose The purpose of this study was to examine the importance of rural location in the likelihood of adolescent drunk driving and riding in a vehicle with a driver under the influence while controlling for a variety of student‐, school‐, and county‐level factors. Methods Data from the 2013 Georgia Student Health Survey (GSHS) II (a statewide assessment of student health in public school students in Georgia) were analyzed using multilevel binary regressions to examine rural‐urban differences in prevalence of driving under the influence (11th and 12th graders only; n = 114,907) and riding with a driver under the influence (9th‐12th graders; n = 258,610), controlling for school‐level race, gender, and income, in addition to county‐level education level, unemployment, alcohol use, and smoking. Findings Across geographies, students were twice as likely to report riding with a driver under the influence (10.32%) as driving under the influence (4.16%). While both outcomes were more likely among rural adolescents in unadjusted analyses, in adjusted analyses, rural adolescents were not significantly more likely to drive under the influence (ORadj = 1.19; P = .055), but they were significantly more likely to ride with a driver under the influence (ORadj = 1.18; P = .002). Conclusions Our findings suggest that riding with a driver under the influence rather than driving under the influence may be a more pressing public health issue for adolescents in rural areas. Future research focused on the formative work necessary to build novel, culturally tailored interventions should be conducted to minimize the associated substantial burden of motor vehicle deaths within rural adolescents

Counseling Techniques: A Comprehensive Resource for Christian Counselors

Counseling Techniques provides a useful resource for any type of counseling practitioner. Presenting a wide variety of the most effective and commonly used techniques associated with various diagnoses, theoretical bases, and client populations, it offers experienced therapists and students alike a single, trustworthy resource for clinical reference and guidance