IBD and Genomic Medicine: Implementation of Pharmacogenomics and Flow Cytometry in IBD Management

The gut microbiome is a complex community of microbes that exist in our bodies and their activities directly affect our health. The goal of this thesis is to provide a thorough review of the literature regarding chronic gastrointestinal diseases and their relation to the human gut microbiome. Additionally, treatment options for gastrointestinal tract diseases are reviewed, with specific focus on genomic medicine and efficacy of current treatments. A major focus of this thesis is Irritable Bowel Disease (IBD), which is among the most common, but least understood, of the gastrointestinal diseases. Thus, an in-depth review of treatments, incompatible drug reactions, as well as drug components with special populations in mind is provided. These special populations are less likely to benefit from ‘cookie-cutter’ medicine that is prescrib

Crisis and Catharsis: Altered States of Consciousness in Andrei Bely\u27s Novels

Senior Project submitted to The Division of Languages and Literature of Bard College

Beef: A Study of Hindu and Muslim Conflict in Nineteenth Century Azamgarh

Senior Project submitted to The Division of Social Studies of Bard College

The Economics of the NFL: A Strategic Analysis of the NFL Economics and Contracts to Create Future Prosperity

Senior Project submitted to The Division of Social Studies of Bard College

Relative Importance of Olfaction and Local Enhancement in Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus) Foraging Behavior

Over the past several decades, black vultures (Coragyps atratus) have expanded their range from the Southeastern United States to the Northeast. Human-vulture conflict has taken place in their expanded range. There have been reports of predation on livestock, aircraft collisions, and general damage to infrastructure, all of which have monetary consequences and sometimes can endanger human (and vulture) lives. To mitigate and prevent this conflict a better understanding of vulture (and human) behavior is necessary. Through research, I first found that vultures will eat cheese and tofu in addition to meat. I then found evidence supported by previous research for vultures\u27 use of olfaction and local enhancement in foraging. Vultures visited boxes with the scent of meat instead of boxes with no scent 93% of the time, and had increased odds of visiting boxes with rotten meat as the number of vultures surrounding the box they arrived at increased. Finally, bringing together this new research, research from the literature, and my experience through movie making of getting to know people who deal with vulture damages, I speculate as to ways in which coexistence with vultures can be facilitated through potential feeding practices

being

It feels like home. It feels like being a child laying down in the backyard looking up at the sky. It feels like staying up late talking to your friends at a sleepover. It feels like summertime. It allows you to lose track of time. It reminds you of when the windows are open and the wind billows in the curtains. You wonder if the tree is the same one that you pass every day on your way to work. Your arm touches a stranger as you lay next to them. This installation is about being alive. It’s about those moments of wonder that make you feel so awed and inspired so profoundly that there’s also a kind of sadness that creeps in. I wanted to make something beautiful that could be understood and experienced by anyone, regardless of their background or formal knowledge of art. I wanted to create a feeling more than anything. A feeling of connectedness and joy mixed with a deeper, softer sense of contemplation. The content of my work draws from things that I find beautiful and that evoke awe, inspiration and curiosity. The audio consists of field recordings of nature, washing dishes, children playing in the park, and conversations with friends over dinner. All of this is overlaid with recordings of myself playing synth and banjo. I recorded and mixed the audio and video myself using primarily clips that I took this past year, along with some material from videos that I had taken as far back as 2016. The video is made up of nature shots, clips of my friends outside, and videos I took of myself on a solo camping trip and in my room in preparation for the trip. The videos and audio layer together to create an ambient visual backdrop and a sonic sensory experience. Making time based work, I discovered the challenge of getting people to experience the work for its full duration, especially when it is slow building work that requires a deep level of attention. A major part of my work is the experience of slowing down and taking the time to relax and just be, which is where using beds and bedding as surfaces for projection came in. When visitors lay down, their bodies disrupt the projection and they become a part of the work. Laying in a bed with others can be such an intimate and vulnerable experience. Putting it on display and inviting strangers to do it together creates a communal experience, and forces people to confront whether or not they want to make themselves vulnerable in order to have a deeper experience. For a long time, I didn’t know why I made art or what my work meant. I knew that I wanted to make something beautiful, but I didn’t interrogate why until the making of this project. I realized that in my long and tumultuous search for meaning in life, I always came back to those experiences that make me feel awed and feel like oh, this is what it means to be alive. This is the feeling that makes everything else feel worth it. In my experience, those feelings come most frequently from music, nature, and friendship. I want to make art that encompasses these things but that also holds some of the loneliness that has been inherent for me in the process of growing up, and understanding who I am and what is important to me. Early in the process I free associated a list of words that connected to my inspiration and desire to make art: being, feeling, knowing, growing up, wonder, the ocean, ritual, beauty, laughter, transparency, joy, glass, arms, sound, distraction, home, joining, friendship, language, questions, understanding, music, movement, time, being alive, being five, rhyming, blankets, softness, loneliness, journals, reflection, intuition, caring, lists, connection, friendship, being in love, repetition, having parents, belonging, meaning, terms, healing, childhood, searching, closeness, touch, feeling, sensation, teeth, decisions, rules, asking, patterns, questions, momentum, slowness, quiet, warmth, seasons, knowing, doubting, holding, peace, belonging, reflection, permission, invitation, opportunity, impermanence, realizing, forgetting, coming back around, trying new things, learning, being ok, failing, privacy, unknown, dreaming, reaching, poetry, examples, handouts, envelopes, wisdom, windows, music, doors, alliteration, speaking, trying, misunderstanding, laying down, cloud watching, breathing, sweetness, possibility, boredom, waiting, leaning, reading, folding, questions, reaching, holding, meaning, trying, being Through my work I am creating an environment that holds contradictions. It is a space to feel calm and comfortable. Its a space for laughter, and a space that might make you cry. *The first paragraph of this statement are things that people told me after experiencing my work

CAPTIVITOWN

Senior Project submitted to The Division of Arts of Bard College. Step right up, and prepare to enter the world of CAPTIVITOWN! I, Peter Fields, stand before you not just as an artist but as a storyteller and an experimenter, weaving together threads of creativity, technology, and passion. CAPTIVITOWN is more than just a project; it\u27s the culmination of years spent honing my craft, mastering tools that allow me to express myself in ways previously unimaginable. From my early days dabbling in digital illustration to my adventures in the realm of virtual reality, each skill I\u27ve acquired has played a vital role in shaping the vibrant tapestry that is CAPTIVITOWN. But it\u27s not just about the tools; it\u27s about the journey. Every experience, every triumph, and every setback has led me to this moment, where I stand before you with a project that not only engages the mind but also heightens the senses. From the sights and sounds of our digital wonders to the tangible presence of our physical sculptures, CAPTIVITOWN is an immersive experience designed to, well, CAPTIVate and inspire. Yet, amidst the excitement, wonder, dirt, and slime, there lies a deeper purpose. CAPTIVITOWN is a testament to the power of art to provoke thought, stir emotions, and spark change. Through humor and heart, it invites us to reconsider our relationship with the world around us, urging us to take action to protect and preserve the beauty that surrounds us. Prepare to lose yourself in a world where creativity knows no bounds and the possibilities are endless. Welcome to CAPTIVITOWN

When I Stop, That\u27s the End

One of the hardest parts of being a creative person is not the actual making of the art. I find that the part that is most difficult is working through all the layers of judgment, self policing, and restriction we all have been taught to engage in throughout our lives. This self judgment we inflict upon ourselves is most often used as protection. It is used as a means of control over how we are perceived and received by the world, or as a means of acting in accordance with what is socially acceptable, or as a means of preventing the discomfort and pain of feeling embarrassed or being an outsider. But In order to make art you must let go of a certain amount of judgment as the work is being made. You must unlearn these restrictions. As a kid, at least for a moment, you don’t know that you aren’t supposed to be or do certain things yet. You don’t fully understand what it means to be a boy or a girl or a child or an adult or any of the markers of identity that are key in how one is meant to conduct themselves. Children give themselves permission to try all the time. They don’t stop themselves before the first step of attempt. I wanted to find joy in trying rather than the fear of trying I have felt for so much of my life. When I stop, that’s the end is an opportunity to reconnect with that childhood creative freedom. An opportunity to tell myself yes. An opportunity to let myself try. It started with direct recreations of childhood photos. In these recreations I am given the opportunity to rediscover what excited me about what I was doing, reenter my headspace, and undo the harmful ideas about the self that I have absorbed since the original image was taken. It has brought me great joy, stepping into a creativity that lacks judgment and encourages attempt. The act of performing these moments again and rephotographing them has allowed me to process multiple different facets of pain. The pain of living in a body that can only exist in a small margin of expression before it is sexualized. The pain of not connecting with the gender that I am perceived as. The pain of internalized fatphobia, internalized body shame, and all other internalized weapons of oppression that tell us “do not move that way, do not love yourself, do not enjoy your body”. It has also allowed me to fight back against these oppressive forces. Photography is often a statement of values. It often reinforces the dominant values of society. What is beautiful. Acceptable. Right. In this work I answer what my values are clearly, loudly, and unafraid. I have no desire to control myself for the comfort of an oppressive world

Please Believe: Muriel Rukeyser, Mary McCarthy, and Their Literary Lives

Senior Project submitted to The Division of Languages and Literature and The Division of Social Studies of Bard College

Making A Computer Sing: Modeling The Bird Syrinx

Birdsong, a captivating biological phenomenon, intrigues me due to its intricate interplay of neurological, physical, and biological processes. My fascination stems from a purely physical standpoint. The components involved- air sacs, muscles, cartilage, membranes, trachea, various chambers, and mouth opening - collaborate to propel air through vibrating issues, generating pressure waves that are perceived as bird calls. In this project, I delve into comprehending the intricate dynamics of air and vibrations within those complex biological systems by modeling its characteristic deferential equations. While existing studies rely on numerical methods, this project aims to explore both the numeric and analytical aspects of song production