The structure of the inverse system of Gorenstein k-algebras

Macaulay's Inverse System gives an effective method to construct Artinian Gorenstein k-algebras. To date a general structure for Gorenstein k-algebras of any dimension (and codimension) is not understood. In this paper we extend Macaulay's correspondence characterizing the submodules of the divided power ring in one-to-one correspondence with Gorenstein d-dimensional k-algebras. We discuss effective methods for constructing Gorenstein graded rings. Several examples illustrating our results are given.Comment: 19 pages, to appear in Advances in Mathematic

Academic Socialization and Its Effects on Academic Success

Academic Socialization and Its Effects on Academic Success David Lim, Dept. of Psychology and Maria J. Cisneros-Elias, Dept. of Psychology Graduate Student, with Dr. Chelsea D. Williams, Dept. of Psychology Academic socialization in education is how parents use their own educational beliefs and expectations to provide messages to their children to help navigate or influence their academic success and development (Hill & Tyson, 2009). There is currently very little research done on academic socialization, and recent studies have just started addressing the lack of research on this subject. This narrative review focuses on parental academic socialization, to understand the influence it has on their child’s academic endeavors. Eight peer-reviewed articles on academic socialization were found from Psychinfo for this narrative review. This scoping review explores the literature related specifically to academic socialization to better understand how much of an impact it has on outcomes among different age groups of children, ranging from elementary, middle, and high school. Results of the studies reviewed show that there are positive influences of parental academic socialization such as, increased socio-emotional competencies among kindergarten students (Puccioni et al, 2019) and academic achievement especially among high school students (Hill & Tyson, 2009). Implications to further research academic socialization will be discussed.https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/uresposters/1322/thumbnail.jp

Technological choice under environmentalists’ participation in Emissions Trading Systems

We model competition in an emissions trading system (ETS) as a game between two firms and environmental group. In a previous stage, firms endogenously choose their manufacturing technologies. Our results show that there is an inverted U-shape relationship between how polluting the chosen technology is and the degree of the environmentalists' impure altruism. Firms choose a less polluting technology in the presence of the environmentalists than in their absence only if they are characterised by intermediate degrees of impure altruism.ETS; Technology Choice; Induced Technological Change; Impure Altruism

Working with parents to support their disabled children’s social and school inclusion. An exploratory counseling study

This article synthesizes the long-lasting counseling process of a family with a child suffering from a chronic illness. The provided intervention model draws on a series of principles from various theoretical approaches, namely systemic, psychodynamic, and resiliency. Family functioning and support is considered a catalytic parameter in assisting children with disabilities to fully develop their potential. This project is based on a family and child-centered integrative counseling model adopting the nonmedical conception of disability. Through the presentation of a case study of a couple who faced a critical situation in the life of their child, this article briefly describes the way the family dynamics were readdressed through this intervention counseling model. In addition, this work attempts to give a picture of the complex and confusing emotional states parents may go through when dealing with physical and psychological health-threatening situations and present guidelines for integrated counseling models. © 2015 Taylor & Francis Group, LL

Empowering Latina/o Families to Navigate College Access

Background With the education crisis of Latinas/os, it is important to understand ways to increase access to college for the most vulnerable youth (Gándara & Contreras, 2009). To investigate strengths that promote college accessibility in underserved Latina/o families, the current qualitative study assessed the following: (1) Prior to beginning the intervention program and after the intervention program what forms of capital did families possess? (2) How did participating in the program change adolescents’ perception of their parents’ capital? (3) How did adolescents use agency to apply what they learned in college information intervention over time? Methods Latina/o parent-adolescent dyads (N = 11) participated in a college knowledge program in California. Sample included girls (67%) and 11-16 years of age (M = 14.0, SD = 1.78). Five of 11 families were interviewed 6-months post-effects of the intervention program. Research study used grounded theory inductive analysis approach (Corbin & Strauss, 2015). Results Question 1, Latina/o adolescents expressed aspirational, familial, navigational, and social capital before and after the intervention. Question 2, After participating in the intervention, adolescents expressed familial support through a combination of tangible (drop me off at school) and intangible (want me to be a good man) acts. Question 3, focused on the 6-month post-effects of the intervention program. Adolescents expressed agency by actively meeting requirements to apply to college, and understanding the path they need to reach their educational goals. Conclusion Discussion will focus on the importance of college information intervention programs in increasing Latino/a youth’s education experiences.https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/gradposters/1107/thumbnail.jp

Doctor of Philosophy

dissertationAdhesion and migration are required for proper development and for the maintenance of adult tissues. Cellular adhesion is regulated by signaling, adaptor, and actin associated proteins that assemble at the cell cortex in response to integrin activation. PINCH, ILK, and RSU-1 are three such adaptor proteins that form a physical complex downstream of integrins and have evolutionarily conserved overlapping, yet not identical, roles in integrin-mediated adhesion. The 5 LIM domain scaffolding protein PINCH is the central molecule in this complex, making contacts with ILK via LIM1 and RSU-1 via LIM5. In Drosophila, PINCH and ILK are required for maintaining actin-membrane linkages in the embryonic muscle, and null mutant clones in the wing display a loss of adhesion resulting in blisters. RSU-1 is not required for viability, but like PINCH and ILK, is required for maintaining adhesion of the wing epithelia. To further understand the contributions of these proteins to integrin function in vivo, a molecular analysis of PINCH was conducted using mutations that disrupt the interaction with ILK (PINCHQ38A and PINCHΔLIM1) or RSU-1 (PINCHD303V and PINCHΔLIM5). We find that PINCHQ38A transgenes rescue the stck (PINCH) null mutant, and rescued flies display no defects in integrin function. However, a dramatic reduction in viability is observed in PINCHQ38A rescued flies upon loss of RSU-1. Disruption of the PINCH-ILK interaction does not affect the levels of either protein, in contrast to results observed with complete loss of either PINCH or ILK, suggesting that PINCH and ILK mediate other interactions iv that contribute to their function and stability. PINCHΔLIM1 transgenes rescue the late embryonic/early larval lethality of the stck null mutant, but rescued animals only survive to larval and pupal stages, indicating that LIM1 function is required later in development. PINCHD303V transgenes rescue the stck null mutant, although rescued adult flies are not healthy. PINCHD303V rescued flies exhibit reduced levels of RSU-1, which is mislocalized, indicating that the PINCH-RSU-1 interaction is required to maintain levels of RSU-1 and to localize RSU-1 to adhesion sites. PINCHΔLIM5 transgenic flies were also generated, but the transgenes fail to rescue the stck null mutant due to instability of the transgenic protein. Taken together the data presented in this dissertation demonstrate functional consequences of disrupting the PINCH-ILK-RSU-1 complex, and suggest that multiple contacts made by each complex member contribute to protein localization, stability, and function downstream of integrin