Neandertal man the hunter: A history of Neandertal subsistence

The history of Neandertals has been examined by a number of researchers who highlight how historical biases have impacted popular and scientific perceptions of Neandertals. Consequently, the history of Neandertals is relevant to current debates about their relationship to modern humans. However, histories of Neandertal research to date have focused on changes in beliefs regarding the Neandertals’ relationship to modern humans and correlated shifts in perceptions of their intelligence and anatomy. The development of ideas about Neandertal subsistence has generally not been discussed. This paper intends to correct this oversight. Through an historical overview of Neandertal subsistence research, this paper suggests that ideas about Neandertal subsistence have been affected by historical trends not only within archaeology, but also in anthropological and evolutionary theory

Surface profilometer for examining grain-boundary grooves

Surface profilometer, consisting primarily of commercially available components, measures surface topographical features accurately and precisely. It shows improvement over the interferometric technique in measurement of grain-boundary grooves formed during annealing on nickel-oxide bicrystals

X-ray polarimetry with an active-matrix pixel proportional counter

We report the first results from an X-ray polarimeter with a micropattern gas proportional counter using an amorphous silicon active matrix readout. With 100% polarized X-rays at 4.5 keV, we obtain a modulation factor of 0.33 +/- 0.03, confirming previous reports of the high polarization sensitivity of a finely segmented pixel proportional counter. The detector described here has a geometry suitable for the focal plane of an astronomical X-ray telescope. Amorphous silicon readout technology will enable additional extensions and improvements.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, 1 tabl

Quality of Life measures for dementia

Over the past 10 years, several instruments developed specifically for the assessment of Quality of Life (QOL) in dementia have been introduced. The goal of the current review is to present, compare, and critique existing QOL measures for dementia populations to assist investigators and clinicians in selecting the optimal inventory for their specific needs. Nine measures are reviewed with a focus on conceptualizations of QOL, psychometric data, targeted patient population, and administration and scoring procedures. Critical discussion and comparison of the instruments is presented after the scales are described individually. Differences in definitions of QOL, assessment procedures, and methods that were used to establish the validity of instruments are highlighted. An important direction for future research on QOL scales for dementia is to establish their responsiveness to change over time. It will also be important to identify factors that affect reports of QOL, determine the how perceived QOL affects decisions regarding the care of dementia patients, and evaluate interventions to increase patient QOL

Using futures prices to filter short-term volatility and recover a latent, long-term price series for oil

Oil prices are very volatile. But much of this volatility seems to reflect short-term,transitory factors that may have little or no influence on the price in the long run. Many major investment decisions should be guided by a model of the long-term price of oil and its dynamics. Data on futures prices can be used to filter out the short-term volatility and recover a time series of the latent, long-term price of oil. We test a leading model known as the 2-factor or short-term, long-term model. While the generated latent price variable is clearly an improvement over the raw spot oil price series, we also find that (1) the generated long-term price series still contains some of the short-term volatility, and (2) a naïve use of a long-maturity futures price as a proxy for the long-term price successfully filters out a large majority of the short-term volatility and so may be convenient alternative to the more cumbersome model

Better Memory for a Negative Event Associated with Better Emotion Regulation

Cognitive resources in older adults may promote psychological well-being. Our data add a novel dimension to this work by demonstrating that superior memory for negative mood induction stimuli is associated with better emotion recovery over time. Older (n = 11) and younger (n = 14) participants were shown film clips depicting themes of loss to induce negative emotions and reduce positive emotions. Self-report emotions were assessed prior to the videos, immediately after the videos, and after 10-minutes of emotion recovery. Results indicated that Positive Affect, Joviality, and Attentiveness significantly (ps \u3c .05) decreased and Negative Affect, Sadness, and Hostility significantly (ps \u3c .05) increased from pre- to post-video. Changes in Guilt were significantly (p \u3c .05) different by age group; scores for younger adults decreased whereas scores for older adults increased. Free recall and recognition memory for the film stimuli were tested. There was a trend for younger adults to have better recognition memory for the negative film stimuli than older adults (p \u3c 0.10). Poorer recognition memory was associated with less efficient emotion recovery for several negative emotions. Specifically, poorer recognition memory was associated with less efficient recovery as a trend for Fear (r = -.35, p \u3c .10) and Sadness (r = -.36, p \u3c .10) and significantly for Guilt (r = -.66, p \u3c .05). Better memory for an event that causes negative emotions may facilitate emotion regulation and emotion recovery. Implications for emotion dysregulation in memory disorders are discussed

Quality of Life in Prodromal HD: Qualitative Analyses of Discourse from Participants and Companions

Persons who are at risk for Huntington's Disease (HD) can be tested for the HD gene expansion before symptom onset. People with the gene expansion, but no clinical diagnosis, are in the prodromal phase of HD. This study explored quality of life (QOL) in prodromal HD. Interviews about QOL, conducted with 9 prodromal HD participants and 6 companions, were transcribed. Discourse was coded for emotional valence, content (e.g., coping, spirituality, interpersonal relationships, HD in others, and employment), and time frame (e.g., current, past, and future). Respondents were more positive than negative about the present, which was their major focus. The most common statements were about positive attitudes. Positive statements were made about spirituality, and negative statements were made about HD in other people. Relationships, employment, and coping with HD reflected both positivity and negativity. Participants and companions spoke of the future with different concerns. Applicability of findings to the clinical management of HD are discussed