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A Tale of Two Species: Uncovering the Interactions Between Bacillus and Pseudomonas on PET Plastics
No full texthttps://rdc.reed.edu/v1/resources/61a130ca-9daf-4baa-9fe1-194341530d7a/thumb/128.jpgPlastic pollution is a worldwide problem that has poor mitigation techniques. Landfilling and incineration result in pollutants being released into the groundwater and atmosphere. Recycling closes the circularization of plastic but is so inefficient only 9% of plastics are recycled annually. Microbial degradation of plastic has been proposed as a possible solution, and a consortium of PET-degrading bacteria has been studied at Reed for its success in degrading polyethylene terephthalate (PET) into a more easily recyclable monomer: terephthalic acid (TPA). The consortium contains two species of bacteria: Bacillus thuringiensis B10 (9.1) and Pseudomonas sp. C15 (9.2). Bacillus and Pseudomonas are genera of soil bacteria that have been observed to interact synergistically with each other and their environment. This thesis aims to get a better understanding of the interactions occurring between the two species when grown on plastic. The microbial consortium was monitored over a one-month period as it grew on PET pellets. After showing signs of growth, their secreted proteins were characterized by mass spectrometry to identify the molecules being expressed to degrade plastic. This experiment revealed that, contrary to what was previously thought, Bacillus does not die off at any point in the reaction, and in fact may be playing a key role in the degradation of PET. Half of the identified proteins were expressed by Bacillus, ranging from detoxifying enzymes to biofilm-promoting molecules. Pseudomonas grew significantly after 13 days of growth and similarly expressed a variety of metabolic enzymes and nutrient scavenging proteins. Together, consortium 9 seems to grow synergistically on PET and presents no signs of antagonistic interactions. Investigating how bacteria degrade PET is crucial for improving plastic biodegradation and for understanding how this process occurs outside of the lab
The Life and Legacy of Andreas Vesalius’s Fabrica and Being an Author in the Renaissance
No full texthttps://rdc.reed.edu/v1/resources/3a0924ec-e225-47dd-932f-0395e2c6c2a5/thumb/128.jpgTo better understand the relationship between the advent of the Gutenberg press and the so-called scientific revolution of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, this thesis tracks Andreas Vesalius’s De humani corporis fabrica libri septem’s life, from the author’s inspiration for writing the text through its publication, examining its impact on the field of anatomy and medicine both immediately after its publication and in subsequent centuries to understand the impact a single author and text can have on a field. As he was one of the first generations to grow up with the printing press, Vesalius was able to take advantage of printing and publishing in his early life to establish a name for himself. While studying anatomy, he realized several errors in the works of Galen, prompting the realization that physicians rarely question what they believe to be established anatomical facts. This prompted Vesalius to undertake human cadaveric dissection to empirically observe human anatomy. In the Fabrica, Vesalius shared his findings and corrections and advocated for physicians to question medical authorities by dissecting human cadavers themselves and verify these texts in pursuit of anatomical truth. The Fabrica included several detailed woodcut images showcasing human anatomy that were read in tandem with the text, setting a precedent for all future anatomy texts. The success of the Fabrica immediately changed Vesalius’s life and career as he became an imperial physician to Emperor Charles V. The work was prolifically pirated and plagiarized, contributing to its popularity and impact. After Vesalius’s death, the Fabrica continued to change the field of medicine, prompting an “anatomical renaissance”, inspiring several subsequent texts, and heralding pedagogical changes to how medicine was learned and practiced. Today, historians credit Andreas Vesalius with reviving interest in the field of anatomy, and he is remembered as the founder of modern anatomy, with his Fabrica having successfully changed the world
Layers of Allegory: Interpretation and Meaning Within The Faerie Queene
No full texthttps://rdc.reed.edu/v1/resources/c74f6f80-f1a6-4af4-920a-3f5f1104a306/thumb/128.jpgIn summary, Book I of The Faerie Queene functions as an allegory for the interpretation of allegory itself. The text foregrounds imagery which represents states of ignorance and understanding, and the protagonist's journey is navigating from one to the other through learning from those around him. Meanwhile, the greatest danger to the knight is his failure to interpret the images presented to him by artist figures and being misguided by his lack of discernment. In this way, the framing of the entire book mirrors the acquisition of knowledge through reading allegory, while highlighting the risks of misinterpreting the text and moving further from the truth. Much like Plato's allegory of the cave, the Book of Holiness functions as an illustration of how the audience might learn from an instructive text, and what interpretive pitfalls lie on the journey to higher knowledge
Landlord & Context Switches
No full texthttps://rdc.reed.edu/v1/resources/776f599b-b162-47e5-818a-76aef94b101b/thumb/128.jpgIn this thesis we analyze caching under context switches through the suffix analysis problem and extend existing results to additional models of caching. We do so by building on the prior frameworks while providing new analytical tools including: phases, individual suffix competitive ratio, and the collection. We provide suffix analytic bounds in the fault model of caching. We also lay the groundwork for similar results in the cost model. We do this by introducing the idea of individual suffix competitive ratio which allows us to identify the items of interest. Furthermore, we introduce the idea of collections allows for a robust framework encapsulating individual suffix competitive ratio. Finally, we present csim, a Landlord cache simulator built in Rust which aims to aid in analyzing the Landlord replacement policy under context switches. These tools and frameworks allow future work to ascertain Landlord's behavior under context switches in the cost model and eventually the general model
Lichens Across the Urban to Peri-urban Gradient: The Effects of Urbanization on Lichen Communities and their Water Relations
No full texthttps://rdc.reed.edu/v1/resources/e969b622-af71-493d-a958-05325976a994/thumb/128.jpgTree canopy ecosystems play a vital role in forest microclimatic environments and change drastically in response to downstream effects of urbanization. These effects were studied on lichen communities in an urban and peri-urban tree canopies in the PNW. The alteration of lichen communities in response to the effects of urbanization result in reduced ecosystems services from canopy-dwelling lichens. In order to investigate how lichen community alteration changes ecosystem services, I studied the water relations of lichens dwelling within tree canopies at Reed College and the Sandy River Gorge. Using canopy access techniques, I surveyed lichen communities and assessed components of macrolichen water relations. I found the lichen communities were significantly varied in morphology, water holding capacity (WHC), water content (WC), specific thallus mass (STM), water loss rate (WLR), and nitrogen sensitivity between locations, likely due to the degradation of urban canopy lichen communities. These results provide evidence for increased attention towards pollution mitigation in the interest of lichen biodiversity and ecosystem services provided by canopy ecosystems
Many Birds, No Stones; Abandonment, Value, and Care in a Maltese Horse Sanctuary
No full texthttps://rdc.reed.edu/v1/resources/14ec7254-9571-4254-b5a1-3c109ac7ac28/thumb/128.jpgThe island of Malta, in the Mediterranean Sea, has seen many socioeconomic changes as settling groups rotate through. Recently, as the islands have modernized with the European Union, their pastoral roots have given way to a tourist economy. The animals that were once workers and valued community members have become obsolete and have shifted into new roles. Drawing on my three-week volunteer experience at a local animal sanctuary, I learned what role animals, their caretakers, and the sanctuary itself play in modern Malta. Through interviews and personal experiences with the people and space making the sanctuary, Second Wind Sanctuary, function, this ethnographic thesis examines what it means to be abandoned by a society changing direction, the values associated with the people who rescue animals at the margins, and how the practice of care can be therapeutic and educational. The sanctuary contributes to the conversations of the consequences of limitless growth and anthropological ethnographic methodology, proving that marginalized animals embody the ethical complications of a capital-first modern society
Unnamed House Story
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Algebraic Applications to Shuffling Problems
No full texthttps://rdc.reed.edu/v1/resources/9c996f77-8a04-4547-9140-486296c954ff/thumb/128.jpgWith a motivation of studying card shuffling, this expository thesis explores random walks on the symmetric group algebra C[S_n], as well as its deformations in the Hecke algebra H_n(q) using representation theoretic techniques. Analyses of card shuffling, and the mixing times of systems in general, is frequently studied from a probabilistic perspective. Probability theory provides bounds on when a system will become mixed, but does not provide the rate that a system becomes mixed. Using representation theory allows for a determination of the system's eigenvalues, allowing for the study of mixing rate of a system. Herin, we discuss the riffle shuffle, Markov chains, and representation theory of the symmetric group, culminating in methods for determining eigenvalues for walks on C[S_n] and H_n(q)
Foreign Capital or Supply Restrictions? Implications on Housing Affordability
No full texthttps://rdc.reed.edu/v1/resources/9be4252b-bfe8-4457-bfd2-9ec2a8baacca/thumb/128.jpgThis thesis examines how policies in Vancouver, B.C. have largely responded to the demand-side of the housing market due to the influx of foreign capital through the Investor Immigration Program. Using a review of economic literature, this thesis evaluates the Canadian government’s response to the increased demand such as the Foreign Buyers Tax and the Speculation and Vacancy Tax. This thesis then further explores the supply-side limitations of housing development in general, suggesting the main driving factor of housing prices is government regulation on building restrictions. By acknowledging the limitations of the housing supply imposed by zoning on single-family and multi-family homes, the wedge between construction costs and market sale price of homes is explained. This thesis explores several types of zoning reform and the varying effects they have on low-income and high-income households
Have you tried asking : a protocol design investigating factors of Instructor grading choices
No full texthttps://rdc.reed.edu/v1/resources/001bb1c5-b106-4e89-b245-c8c5f2fbd752/thumb/128.jp