What the Tides May Bring: Political Tigueraje Disposession and Popular Dissent in Samaná, Dominican Republic

My dissertation is a historical and ethnographic project that delves into the conflictive relationship between the development of the Dominican state and the formation of the community of the port city of Samaná. The African diasporic community of Samaná has actively constructed the local space throughout shifting political projects, while sustaining their collective voices against the waves of dispossession crashing on their shores. Using a combination of archival research, participant observation, oral history and ethnography, I document multiple instances of state intervention to understand how the Samaná community has been coerced over time to consent to these processes. I juxtapose the autonomous development of the Samaná littoral space to the formation of the Dominican state, which required the incorporation of this African Diasporic community into the national imaginary through forceful sociocultural, political, economic and infrastructural manipulations. This interdisciplinary project seeks to explore the contradictory ways the Dominican state represents itself, and excavate the economic and sociocultural practices of modern nation making that it engaged in so as to examine the concrete realities of the concept of ‘accumulation by dispossession’ in Samaná. My ethnographic work engages with the unequal relationship between state actors and the population of the DR, which has led to the entrenchment of an authoritative mode of governance that disenfranchises and displaces many communities for the sake of continued accumulation of capital. I argue that this new round of capital circulation, spearheaded by the Dominican tourism economy, though presented as positive by the state and media, is increasingly displacing the members of the community of Samaná through the manipulation of land titles, the privatization of coastal lands and the dismantling and cooptation of civil society institutions. The residents of Samaná have learned to maneuver the multiple modalities of power present in the space and are deciphering new ways to intervene, create spaces of organizing and reclaim agency through a reengagement with local and regional history

The Evolving Long-Term Outcome of Heart Transplantation in Amyloid Patients

Background: Both amyloid light chain (AL) amyloidosis and transthyretin-related (TTR) amyloid are expanding indications for heart transplantation (HTx). In the past, AL amyloid, in particular, had been a contraindication to HTx given its systemic nature and the increased risk for mortality. Modern treatments including proteasome inhibitors have allowed amyloid patients to receive heart transplants at an increasing rate. We sought to assess long-term post-transplant outcome in amyloid patients in the current era. Methods: Between 2010 and 2015, we assessed 27 patients (5 AL, 10 TTR-wildtype (wt), 12 TTR-mutant (m)) underwent heart transplant for cardiac amyloidosis at our single center. A non-amyloid restrictive cardiomyopathy control population was included (n=18). Endpoints included 3-year outcomes including survival, freedom from CAV (as #212121 \u3edefined by stenosis ≥ 30% by angiography), freedom from non-fatal major adverse cardiac events (NF-MACE: myocardial infarction, new congestive heart failure, percutaneous coronary intervention, implantable cardioverter defibrillator/pacemaker implant, stroke), and freedom from any-treated rejection, acute cellular rejection, and antibody-mediated rejection. Results: There was no significant difference between the AL amyloid, TTR-wt, TTR-m, and restrictive non-amyloid patients with respect to 3-year survival and 3-year freedom from CAV, NF-MACE, and rejection (see table). Endomyocardial biopsies post-transplant did not show amyloid. (see Table) Conclusion: In the current era, both AL and TTR amyloid patients have acceptable mid-term outcome after heart transplantation. Larger numbers and longer follow up are needed to confirm these findings

Evaluation of the Energy Value and Nutrient Digestibility of Distillers Grains That Have Undergone a Fiber Separation Process in Finishing Diets

A digestion study was conducted to determine the effects of feeding a new, high protein distillers grains and corn bran plus solubles on nutrient digestibility. Treatments included a corn-based control, high protein distillers at both 20% and 40%, corn bran plus solubles, traditional wet distillers grains and traditional dry distillers grains all at 40% of diet DM. Feeding high protein distillers grains or corn bran plus solubles resulted in decreased digestibility compared to corn or traditional wet and dry distillers grains, but increased energy intake. Traditional wet and dry distillers grains also resulted in decreased digestibilities while energy intake was increased. Volatile fatty acid profiles and pH parameters were not different across treatments. Overall, nutrient digestibility for high protein distillers grains and corn bran plus solubles is similar to traditional wet or dry distillers grains

Starting a 300-cow intensive rotational grazing dairy (2011)

This guide examines the financial feasibility of starting a 300-cow intensive rotational grazing dairy in Missouri. The model dairy described is designed to be a pasture-based dairy to use labor and capital as efficiently as possible. This dairy is designed to be located in an area where winter weather conditions and soil types allow cattle to be housed outside all year

Starting a 75-cow intensive rotational grazing dairy (2011)

This guide examines the financial feasibility of starting a 75-cow intensive rotational grazing dairy in Missouri. The model dairy described is designed to be a pasture-based dairy to use labor and capital as efficiently as possible. This dairy is designed to be located in an area where winter weather conditions and soil types allow cattle to be housed outside all year

Converting an existing dairy to the Missouri 75-cow grazing dairy model (2011)

This guide examines the financial feasibility of creating a new Missouri grass-based dairy by converting an existing conventional dairy to a 75-cow intensive rotational grazing dairy. The model for this conversion assumes the farm buyer is able to purchase a dairy without paying anything extra for the fact that it contains an obsolete double-4 herringbone parlor. Using a low-cost retrofit of the parlor, the new dairy producer is able to increase labor efficiency without committing a large amount of additional capital. This model allows the new dairy producer to overcome the capital threshold that is a barrier to entry for most new smaller dairies. This dairy is designed to be located in an area where winter weather conditions and soil types allow cattle to be housed outside all year

Starting a 150-cow intensive rotational grazing dairy (2011)

This guide examines the financial feasibility of starting a 150-cow intensive rotational grazing dairy in Missouri. The model dairy described is designed to be a pasture-based dairy to use labor and capital as efficiently as possible. This dairy is designed to be located in an area where winter weather conditions and soil types allow cattle to be housed outside all year

Introduction to the economics of pasture-based dairying (2011)

The following series of minimalist, pasture-based dairy model farms (75-cow, 150-cow, 300-cow and 600-cow) was developed to help dairy producers understand the economics of these dairy systems. Each model is customized to reflect an operational system typical of a dairy farm and herd of four different sizes. These models were developed using assumptions, costs and benchmarking information from existing Missouri pasture-based dairies and from experts in the dairy industry. Data presented here reflect costs and conditions as of October 2010. While these farms were customized specific to Missouri, they could be adapted to conditions elsewhere

Economics of pasture-based dairies (2012)

"Agriculture.""Dairy grazing.""Dairy grazing publication series: This publication is one in a series about operating and managing a pasture-based dairy. Although these publications often refer to conditions in Missouri, many of the principles and concepts described may apply to operations throughout the United States. A list of the publications in this series is available online at http://extension.missouri.edu/m168.""Revised from M168, Dairy Grazing Manual, by Joe Horner, Dairy Economist, Commercial Agriculture Program, Ryan Milhollin, Project Manager, Commercial Agriculture Program, Wayne Prewitt, West Central Region Agriculture Business Specialist.""This publication replaces Chapter 14, Economics of a Pasture-Based Dairy, in MU Extension publication M168, Dairy Grazing Manual. Original authors: Stacey A. Hamilton, Greg J. Bishop-Hurley and Ron Young, University of Missouri."New 2/12/Web