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Genetic Regulators in Plastic Degrading Bacteria
No full texthttps://rdc.reed.edu/v1/resources/c21aff28-7ca3-48f0-9780-8f94993a449a/thumb/128.jpgPlastic pollution has been, and will continue to be, an issue for many generations. Despite efforts to keep the earth clean and reduce the amount of waste that enters landfills and ecosystems every year, long-term plastics persist in being a problem for people and animals alike. A bacterium that degrades plastic, Pseudomonas sp., has been a key player in understanding bacterial degradation of strong polymers such as PET. In the efforts to understand PET degradation, it was discovered that two genetic regulators, sutA and csrA, were upregulated in a PET environment. The goal of this thesis is to understand exactly how these regulators function in this bacterium and how to alter them to degrade plastic more efficiently. It also covers methods of obtaining deletion mutants in an attempt at seeing a quantitative or qualitative difference between it and the wild-type strain. Through the process of engineering a deletion mutation, a new plasmid originating from E. coli, pKMTccsrAUpDn, corresponding to the Pseudomonas Isolate 9.2 csrA gene, was made. This plasmid can be implemented into efforts to make a fully mutated csrA genome in Pseudomonas Isolate 9.2. In terms of the sutA regulator, quantitative results indicate no clear difference between it and the wild-type strain of Pseudomonas Isolate 10 in terms of degrading BHET. These findings can be used going forward to provide insight into the mechanisms that are important to these regulators and how they work to create a sustainable solution for plastic pollution
Keeping It Cool: Effects of Spatial Variation on Thermal Tolerance Evolution in Phytoplankton
No full texthttps://rdc.reed.edu/v1/resources/5eb4c583-4869-4d1b-b459-99a634d3bf51/thumb/128.jpgUnderstanding the ecological effects of environmental variability is critical to predicting and managing population responses to climate change. Spatial variation in temperature may buffer the effects of warming and support species persistence during heat waves, but the costs and benefits of spatial variation for population dynamics are poorly understood. Additionally, while adaptive evolution of thermal tolerance may allow populations to persist under heat stress, it is unclear how environmental heterogeneity may affect any evolutionary response. This thesis, therefore, sought to understand how spatial variation in temperature shapes the evolution of thermal tolerance in phytoplankton. Populations of the green algae Ankistrodesmus braunii were exposed to three levels of thermal spatial variability, all with the same thermally stressful mean temperature, for 28 days (~25 generations), before and after which their thermal tolerance traits were measured on a thermal gradient block. Results from these experiments demonstrated that cultures grew the fastest with high spatial variation in thermally stressful environments, but that spatial variation also modifies the evolution of thermal tolerance traits. This phenotypic evolution is visible in multiple changes in the shape of the thermal performance curve across experimental environments. Spatial variation in temperature, therefore, does protect species under heat stress, but also affects their ability to adapt and respond to warming
Faith and the Self
No full texthttps://rdc.reed.edu/v1/resources/374e69fb-ef6e-485f-b9b2-e46f8831b289/thumb/128.jpgThis study examines the relationship between faith and self-perception, focusing specifically on self-efficacy and contingencies of self-worth. Faith is conceptualized as an overarching term that includes both spirituality and religion, though these constructs are distinct and should not be used interchangeably. Religion refers to organized, communal practices, while spirituality is a more individualized experience, allowing for personal interpretation. This research differentiates between religious motivations and spirituality to assess their respective impacts on self-efficacy and contingencies of self-worth. Overall, about 300 students total from Reed College and The University of Florida completed an online survey with measures of intrinsic and extrinsic religion, spirituality, self-efficacy, and contingencies of self-worth. Findings from these samples suggest that both spirituality and religion positively predict individuals’ self-perceptions. Intrinsic religious motivations emerge as the most powerful predictor of high self-efficacy and contingency of self-worth. Although fewer individuals in both samples identify as religious than spiritual, those who do report a strengthened relationship with themselves. This underscores the need for further exploration of how religion influences self-perception and its broader impact on personal relationships and experiences, such as in academic settings, therapeutic practices, and other aspects of life
Two Cases of the Symmetric Oracle Discrimination Problem: Representation Theory in Quantum Computing
No full texthttps://rdc.reed.edu/v1/resources/88875da5-cad4-4ce8-a675-c6452939ead8/thumb/128.jpgQuantum mechanics and quantum computing are introduced, along with representation theory both in general and for the symmetric group. The problem of symmetric oracle discrimination, where an algorithm queries G-set elements ω to receive g · ω to solve for g, is defined formally for Sn acting naturally on k-element subsets of [n] and regular partitions of [n] into b parts of size a. Recent work from Copeland and Pommershiem allowed for the reduction of the coset identification problem, a generalized symmetric oracle discrimination, to one of representation theory. Using the GAP programming language and representation theory, the quantum query complexity is explicitly computed for small G-sets. Various conjectures are formed from this data, the broadest being that any permutation group G admitting a base-controlling homomorphism has equivalent quantum and classical query complexity for symmetric oracle discrimination. When S_2k is acting on the set of k element subsets of [2k] in symmetric oracle discrimination, we prove that the quantum and classical query complexities are equal
Mind Over Grammar: When and How Does Generic Language Shape Essentialist Beliefs About Social Categories?
No full texthttps://rdc.reed.edu/v1/resources/7345a3cd-d90e-4600-be01-9ce7145d6cd7/thumb/128.jpgGeneric language attributes a property to a category in general (e.g., “Immigrants hold poorly paid jobs”), rather than particular category members. Generics pervade everyday discourse and play a significant role in shaping beliefs about the structure of reality. This thesis investigates the psychological impact of generics about social categories, focusing on their role in promoting essentialism—the belief that category members share an underlying “essence” that causally explains their characteristics. Across two experiments, the present research examined which dimensions of essentialism, if any, are uniquely impacted by generics, and whether generics shape evaluations of the mentioned category. In Experiment 1, participants read generics about novel categories (e.g., “Borunians hold poorly paid jobs”) or analogous non-generic statements (e.g., “This Borunian...”), judged the plausibility of different candidate meanings, and then rated the categories on ten dimensions of essentialism. Compared to non-generic language, generics led participants to essentialize the referenced categories broadly, influencing beliefs about naturalness, entitativity, and immutability to similar degrees. Moreover, this effect was mediated by increased plausibility of essentialist interpretations of the statements. In Experiment 2, participants additionally made evaluative judgments about the categories. Although generics did not affect personal attitudes toward the categories, they amplified perceived differences in social standing. Together, these findings suggest that generics induce broad essentialist beliefs and can influence perceptions of the social world
Tick, Tick, BOOM! The Doomsday Clock, Environmental Catastrophe, and the Cold War, 1939-1991
No full texthttps://rdc.reed.edu/v1/resources/1da3bed0-e99f-4b36-afd9-3a655d136e33/thumb/128.jpgThis thesis examines the evolving relationships between scientists, politicians, and the public as nuclear fear and catastrophic thinking permeated American society, culture, and politics. Atomic technology, developed during the Manhattan Project and expanded throughout the Cold War, provided the world with weapons of mass destruction. Atomic scientists created the Doomsday Clock in 1947 to metaphorically represent the end of humanity and global catastrophe when the clock hits midnight, representing a watershed in scientific communication and activism. The public adopted the Doomsday Clock’s apocalyptic rhetoric, offering the symbol in newspapers, religious communities, and entertainment as both a grave warning of human extinction and reason for anti-nuclear activism. The involvement of scientist-activists during the latter half of the 20th century enabled the anti-nuclear and environmental movements to move symbiotically. Fears of catastrophe, whether it be nuclear or environmental, fundamentally altered how Americans envisioned the future and their relationships with one another during the Cold War
Modeling Protocols for Cryptographically-Secure, Voter-Verifiable Ranked-Choice Voting
No full texthttps://rdc.reed.edu/v1/resources/d1d811ce-6a1c-4d08-9135-b3386f8bba07/thumb/128.jpgWe discuss the current state of the art in cryptographic voting, with particular emphasis on the modeling and security assumptions used by end-to-end voter verifiable cryptographic voting schemes, and discuss the implications of these assumptions within social choice theory. We further discuss the lack of support for ranked-choice ballots and mechanisms such as instant-runoff voting and single transferrable vote in these schemes. We propose a new model for the operation and security requirements of a cryptographic voting scheme, with provisions for the accommodation of ranked or similar ballots. As part of this, we discuss and justify the assumptions used in this model with reference to both practical realities of elections and the models used by existing schemes
The Mutated Permeability of a Disease and an Assessment of the Cure: Methadone and Addiction Treatment
No full texthttps://rdc.reed.edu/v1/resources/420ac79f-5c96-4f03-a5a3-683c5d5cd01c/thumb/128.jpgAddiction treatment is a complex field where medicine intersects with difficult questions about human agency and what is allowed to be done to ensure compliance. Methadone Maintenance Treatment, the leading treatment for opiate addiction in the United States, is a complicated medical intervention meant to encourage the transformation of the addict into a productive, prosocial citizen. While methadone’s success legitimizes the biological disease model of addiction, the complexity of treatment adherence generates a new set of moral assumptions which encompass and sometimes derail treatment. The other dominant treatment modality, comprised of talk therapy and the 12-step model, similarly works to transform the internal state of the addict into one an honest, productive self. Current addiction models, treatment regulations, and the often strained relationship between addicts and providers generate new avenues for instability and sometimes inhibit the addict’s recovery
The Politics of Fatness and its Influence on Voting Preferences Among White Men in Rural Wisconsin
No full texthttps://rdc.reed.edu/v1/resources/9ce8df53-8d37-462d-b8ae-2681d6588930/thumb/128.jpgThis thesis examines the relationship between voters’ perceptions of fatness and their political preferences. Particularly, I investigate the following question: are voters’ perceptions of candidates with different weights influenced by attitudes about the causes of fatness and happiness with one’s own body image? While I primarily focus on white men in rural Wisconsin, I also investigate the general Wisconsin population as a point of comparison. Through an experimental design using AI -generated candidates, I find that both general Wisconsin residents and white men in rural areas of the state view fat candidates less positively than their thin counterparts, with white men in rural areas in particular having a distinctly more negative perception of a fat candidate. I also find that body satisfaction and attribution theories of obesity do not have a statistically significant effect on these attitudes. Rather, the statistical significance of respondents’ belief that the Body Mass Index (BMI) is a reliable indicator of health when evaluating fat candidates suggests that more research is needed to understand how the presence of fatness triggers specific understandings about the body
Listening to Trauma and Memory in Science Fiction/Horror Cinema: The Soundscapes of Paul W. S. Anderson’s Event Horizon and Alex Garland’s Annihilation
No full texthttps://rdc.reed.edu/v1/resources/9232e16e-aeff-4a87-bf29-5e6aa90a3254/thumb/128.jpgThis thesis will explore the films Annihilation and Event Horizon and their usage of sound and music when conveying the central themes of trauma and traumatic memory. Genre and the conventions which inform the plot and aesthetics of horror and sci-fi heavily influence my discussion of both films. These genres often explore deeper social and cultural commentary; by featuring monsters and evil figures or new and terrifying technology, sci-fi and horror can use fear responses to examine humanity. Trauma, for instance, is an aspect of human nature that has a sinister effect on a person’s life, coming out in the darkest of moments. Therefore, it stands to reason that films like Annihilation and Event Horizon are able to use elements of the genres of sci-fi and horror to showcase the effects of trauma, specifically by using sound. Each film uses techniques like stinger chords, dissonance, and uncomfortable or eerie silences as supplements for the main themes; Event Horizon primarily uses properties of the horror soundtrack to link elements of fear to instances of traumatic memory, whereas Annihilation focuses on auditory representations of its motifs—such as duplication, DNA corruption, and human nature—to supplement the trauma they represent and provide additional meaning to certain scenes