Conventions of Culture-Historical archaeology have persisted in Florida's Indian River Region since the early twentieth century. Traditional ceramic typologies focusing on the superficial stylistic characteristics of pottery have dominated anthropological assessments of Indian River culture during the prehistoric Malabar Period (ca. 1000 BC-AD 1565). Using a practice-oriented approach to analyze technological attributes of St. Johns pottery from Malabar-period assemblages offers an opportunity to examine the communities of practice surrounding craft production as an avenue for elucidating prehistoric cultural identities. This study explores ceramic technology within the Malabar period assemblages of the Fox Lake Sanctuary, and intra-regional and inter-regional site comparisons are quantitatively tested to evaluate variation in technological attributes between assemblages. Statistical results suggest a differentiation between certain technological attributes of St. Johns pottery in Malabar and St. Johns assemblages, notably in the rim thickness and lip morphology of simple form St. Johns Plain vessels.

While political scientists know much about roll call voting, we still have much to learn about the way perceptions of constituents, personal priorities, and other factors shape the way legislators prioritize their voting preferences. This research is qualitative and interpretive in nature, making use of elite interviews and supplemented with archival materials when possible. These data include six semi-structured interviews with members of the Illinois congressional delegation representing Southern Illinois. Service to constituents has continually been an indicator of how effective an elected official is within their home district, their decisions concerning who to listen to, and what they will allow to influence them also shape what is, arguably, the most important action they take on behalf of their constituents, i.e., vote on legislation. Despite different approaches to leading, the legislative needs of Southern Illinois are matters of great importance to the individuals interviewed in this research. The interviews also indicate that the passions outlined by the members of Congress are things that have a direct link to Southern Illinois.

Smartphones are the most personalized and in the meantime the most anthropomorphized computing and communication technology in our society. Existing studies, especially Computers as Social Actors studies, on anthropomorphism and social interactions focus on how to implement and elicit positive anthropomorphic effects but fail to address the motivations and dispositional factors. Through an online survey that incorporates well-tested social psychological scales, this study provides empirical evidences that smartphone users’ social dispositions including chronic loneliness, attachment style, and cultural orientations are associated with their acceptance and awareness of anthropomorphism. Findings in this study suggest that existing studies are limited to method of choice and overlooked how people adapt to communication technologies differently in real life settings. Anthropomorphic design in communication technology and anthropomorphized message in advertising strategies need further examination when targeting a diversified or specified demographic.

Introdução: O vitiligo é uma doença da pele frequente que afeta cerca de 1% da população em todo o mundo. Ocorre em pessoas de qualquer idade ou etnia, e mais da metade dos pacientes desenvolvem a doença antes dos 20 anos de idade. O vitiligo pode afetar negativamente a qualidade de vida (QoL) do paciente. Um questionário de qualidade de vida específico para vitiligo foi desenvolvido e validado na língua inglesa: the vitiligo-specific quality-of-life instrument (VitiQoL). Objetivo: O objetivo deste estudo é avaliar a QoL em pacientes adultos com o VitiQoL e o DLQI e pediátricos com o CDLQI em uma amostra de pacientes com vitiligo no sul do Brasil. Métodos: Na primeira etapa, o instrumento foi traduzido, adaptado culturalmente e validado para o português falado no Brasil (VitiQoL-PB). Após, foram incluídos pacientes selecionados no Ambulatório de Dermatologia do Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre e numa clínica privada de Porto Alegre. Foi realizada amostragem de conveniência de casos consecutivos. A qualidade de vida de pacientes pediátricos foi avaliada com o questionário CDLQI. Em pacientes adultos foram aplicados o VitiQoL – PB e o DLQI. Resultados: Observou-se uma forte correlação entre os escores do total de VitiQoL e o DLQI (r = 0,81; p <0,001). O fator que mais contribuiu para a pontuação final do VitiQoL foi estigma. Em nossa amostra, as mulheres apresentaram escores mais elevados do que os homens (p <0,05). Problemas psiquiátricos foram associados com uma pior qualidade de vida. Na população pediátrica, a mediana do escore do CDLQI foi 3 (intervalo interquartil 1,3-7,3). Houve uma correlação estatisticamente significativa entre a idade da criança e o escore no CDLQI (rs = 0,41, p = 0,044). Não houve diferença entre meninos e meninas (p = 0,219). Conclusão: Este estudo confirma não só que o VitiQoL é fácil de administrar, como também, acrescenta informações importantes sobre o impacto do vitiligo na América do Sul. Instrumentos genéricos são úteis e permitem comparações com outras dermatoses, mas não são suficientemente específicos para detectar nuances na maneira como os pacientes lidam com o vitiligo. A autoestima dos pacientes é muito afetada e a estigmatização está bastante presente. Há grupos de pacientes que são mais vulneráveis ao impacto da doença, como as mulheres, os adolescentes e os pacientes com doenças psiquiátricas. / Background: Vitiligo is a common skin disease that has been reported to affect approximately 1 % of the population worldwide. It affects people of any age or ethnicity, more than half of who develop it before the age of 20 years. Vitiligo can negatively affect patient’s quality of life (QoL). A specific questionnaire for vitiligo has been developed and validated in the English language: the vitiligo-specific quality-of-life instrument (VitiQoL). Objective: The aim of this study was to access the QoL in adult patients through VitiQoL and DLQI and pediatric patients through CDLQI in a sample of patients with vitiligo in Southern Brazil. Methods: In the first phase of the study the instrument was translated, cultural adapted and validated into Brazilian Portuguese (VitiQoL-PB). Then patients were selected from a Dermatological Outpatient Clinic from Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre and from a Private Practice in Porto Alegre. In this study, we used convenience sampling of consecutive cases. The QoL of pediatric patients was performed using the CDLQI questionnaire. In adult patients we applied the VitiQoL – PB and the DLQI. Results: A strong correlation between the scores of the total VitiQoL and DLQI was observed (r = 0.81; p <0.001). The factor that most contributed to the final score of VitiQoL was stigma. In our sample, women had higher scores than men (p<0,05). Psychiatric problems were associated with lower QoL. In the pediatric population, the median score of CDLQI was 3 (interquartile range 1.3 to 7.3). There was a statistically significant correlation between the child's age and the score on CDLQI (rs = 0.41, p = 0.044). There was no difference between boys and girls (p = 0.219). Conclusion: This study confirms that VitiQoL is easy to administer and adds important information about the impact of vitiligo on a South American population. Generic instruments are useful and allow comparisons with other dermatoses, but are not specific enough to detect nuances in how patients deal with the overall vitiligo burden. Self-esteem of patients is greatly affected and stigmatization is very present in the disease. There are groups of patients that are more vulnerable to the impact of the disease, like women, patients with psychiatric diseases and adolescents.

This thesis presents a method of analyzing jazz improvisation and jazz style by using a voice-leading model called “Top Lines.” It compares three separate performances of Thelonious Monk’s “’Round Midnight” by Monk, Gerry Mulligan, and Wes Montgomery. The term Top Lines refers to a voice-leading procedure created by moving as little as possible between chords tones (roots, thirds, fifths, sevenths, and upper functions) of a chordal progression. Top Lines are potential voice-leading lines in the uppermost register and follow the “Law of the Shortest Way.” The thesis defines Top Lines, shows how they interconnect, and ultimately how the improvisor navigates through and manipulates them. Jazz harmony and improvisation have been explored by scholars such as Mark Levine (1989, 1995), Steve Larson (2005), Henry Martin (1988, 1996), and Steven Strunk (1996). Although many scholars deal with coherence and structure in the improvisation, their discussions focus on voice leading coherence and structure in improvisations, where this thesis differs is it provides a voice-leading model on a small scale within the improvisation itself. The model presented in this thesis raises the notion of describing jazz improvisation not simply as a motion from one chord tone to another, but instead as motion between voice leading Top Lines. These motions between Top Lines create coherence and motives—called “Particles”— in one’s improvisation. Particles ultimately demonstrate stylistic features in one’s improvisation, motivic connections, and coherence. The thesis concludes by describing how the Top Line model can be applied to jazz performance and jazz pedagogy. The thesis will be of interest to scholars of jazz theory, musicology, pedagogy, and jazz performance.

Entre le style de Gilles Deleuze et le plaisir du texte de Roland Barthes: le texte. Une écoute de mots et de choses. L'écriture surtout et tout ce qu'elle dérange: la pensée, le corps, une couleur sans lieu. Déplacer les mots, découper les énoncés: un procédé. Le double, le monstre, le Corps sans Organe, la mort, la dissipation, le sens, l'événement. Une obsession, subtil peut-être: le jaune, le jaune-événement. Répétition: le jauneinsistance, persistance. Parole, son, chose, effet. De poésie? Le texte: il parle du jaune. Mais il parle plutôt de ce que disparaît et devient transparent. Du corps immobile, de sa pénible chute et de sa disparition. Qu'est-ce qu'il y a après l'oubli? Peutêtre le jaune. Un corps bouleversé? D'un corps défait ce que reste c'est l'intensité. Le jaune intense. De l'écriture ce que reste c'est la marque. / Entre o estilo de Gilles Deleuze e o prazer do texto de Roland Barthes: o texto. Uma escuta das palavras e das coisas, a escritura em primeiro plano e tudo o que ela desestabiliza: o pensamento, o corpo, uma cor sem-lugar. Tirar as palavras de seu lugar, trabalhar com recortes de frases: um procedimento. O duplo, o monstro, o Corpo sem Órgãos, a morte, o esvaecimento, o sentido, o acontecimento. Uma obsessão, sutil talvez: o amarelo, o amarelo-acontecimento. Repetição: o amarelo insistência, persistência. Palavra, som, coisa, efeito. De poesia? O texto: fala do amarelo. Mas, antes, do que desaparece e se torna transparente. Do corpo imóvel, de sua dura queda e de seu esvair-se. O que há depois do esquecimento? Talvez o amarelo. Um corpo desarrumado? De um corpo desfeito, o que resta é o intenso. Amarelo intenso. Amar-elo. Do amar, o elo. Da escrita, a marca. Redonda-me(nte)-amarela.

abstract: Attachment relationships serve a variety of important functions for infants and adults. Despite the importance of attachment relationships in adults, the mechanisms that underlie the formation or maintenance of these kinds of relationships outside of romantic relationships remains chronically understudied. The current research investigated whether the mechanism of synchrony, which is associated with attachment formation in the parent-infant literature, may still be tied to attachment in adults. To measure this association, these studies showed participants videos to prime synchrony, and then measured activation of attachment concepts in a word completion task. The results of Experiment 1 showed that attachment style moderated the effects of the video prime such that those who were securely attached showed activation of attachment concepts while watching the Synchrony video. Those with a preoccupied attachment style showed activation of attachment concepts when they viewed the Asynchrony video. Those with a dismissive attachment style showed an unhypothesized activation of social distance concepts when viewing the Synchrony video. Experiment 2 suggested an overall effect of the Synchrony video on activation of attachment concepts. However, there was no effect of attachment style on these results. Limits of these studies and future directions are discussed. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Psychology 2015

abstract: With the fast development of Chinese capital market, an increasing number of institutions and retail investors invest through professional managers. The key to evaluating investment manager’s skill and performance persistence largely lies in portfolio style research and attribution analysis. The current dissertation takes advantage of a unique dataset, uncover hidden investment style and trading behavior, understanding their source of excess returns, and establishing a more comprehensive methodology for evaluating portfolio performance and manager skills. The dissertation focuses on quantitative analysis. Highlights three most important aspects. Investment style determines the systematic returns and risks of any portfolio, and can be assessed ex-ante; Transaction can be observed and modified during the investment process; and return attribution can be implemented to evaluate portfolio (managers), ex-post. Hence, these three elements make up a comprehensive and logical investment process. Investment style is probably the most important factor in determining portfolio returns. However, Chinese investment managers are under constant pressure to follow the market trend and shift style accordingly. Therefore, accurately identifying and predicting each manager’s investment style proves critically valuable. In addition, transaction data probably provides the most reliable source of information in observing and evaluating an investment manager’s style and strategy, in the middle of the investment process. Despite the efficacy of traditional return attribution methodology, there are clear limitations. The current study proposes a novel return attribution methodology, by synthesizing major portfolio strategy components, such as risk exposure adjustment, sector rotation, stock selection, altogether. Our novel methodology reveals that investment managers do not obtain much abnormal returns through risk exposure adjustment or sector rotation. Instead, Chinese investment managers seem to enjoy most of their excess returns through stock selection. In addition, we find several interesting patterns in Chinese A-share market: 1). There is a negative relationship between asset under management (AUM) and investment performance, beyond certain AUM threshold; 2). There are limited benefits from style switching in the long run; 3). Many investment managers use CSI 300 component stocks as portfolio ballast and speculate with CSI500 and Medium-and-Small board component stocks for excess returns; 4). There is no systematic negative relationship between portfolio turnover and investment performance; despite negative relationship within certain sub-samples and sectors; 5). It is plausible to construct out-performing portfolios with style index funds and ETFs. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Business Administration 2016

abstract: Lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) individuals are exposed to specific stressors due to their sexual minority status. One such stressor may result from the negative family reactions to one’s romantic partner. Encountering this stress may be especially harmful for LGB individuals’ emotional well-being, as it could be considered a “double rejection”: that of their partner and possibly their own sexual orientation. The stress surrounding family members’ negative attitudes about their partner may affect how one feels about their partner. Furthermore, there may be individual differences that affect how an individual may perceive and respond to this stress. Specifically, one’s attachment style could either exacerbate (anxious) or weaken (avoidant) the experiences of stress, which may influence the emotions they feel about their partner. Using 14-day daily diary data from 81 same-sex couples, the purpose of this study was to examine whether there was an association between daily perceptions of stress via negative family reactions to partner and negative partner-related emotions, and whether attachment insecurity (anxiety and avoidance) moderated this association. Individuals’ perceptions of stress via negative family reactions was found to be positively associated with their reports of negative emotions about one’s partner. Anxious and avoidant attachment did not moderate the association between perceptions of stress and negative emotions due to one’s partner. The finding suggests this specific stressor on negative emotions due to partner may be an intrapersonal process, in which case couple therapists can increase clients’ awareness of this stress and how it impacts their feelings towards their romantic partner. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Counseling Psychology 2017

abstract: By matching a CEO's place of residence in his or her formative years with U.S. Census survey data, I obtain an estimate of the CEO's family wealth and study the link between the CEO's endowed social status and firm performance. I find that, on average, CEOs born into poor families outperform those born into wealthy families, as measured by a variety of proxies for firm performance. There is no evidence of higher risk-taking by the CEOs from low social status backgrounds. Further, CEOs from less privileged families perform better in firms with high R&D spending but they underperform CEOs from wealthy families when firms operate in a more uncertain environment. Taken together, my results show that endowed family wealth of a CEO is useful in identifying his or her managerial ability. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Business Administration 2018