The LTAR Grazing Land Common Experiment at the Great Basin.

The Long-Term Agroecosystem Research (LTAR) network, through its Common Experiment (CE) framework, contrasts prevailing and alternative agricultural practices for efficacy and sustainability within the indicator domains of environment, productivity, economics, and society. Invasive species, wildfire, and climate change are principal threats to Great Basin agroecosystems. Prescribed grazing may be an effective tool for restoring lands degraded by these disturbances.

Neurologic Quality of Life Outcomes in Patients with Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus After Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt Placement: A Prospective Assessment of Cognition, Mobility, and Social Participation.

Background: Idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH) typically presents with gait disturbances, cognitive decline, and urinary incontinence. Symptomatic improvement generally occurs following shunt placement, but limited evidence exists on the quality of life (QOL) metrics in iNPH. Therefore, we conducted a prospective study of the effect of shunt placement on QOL in iNPH patients, using Quality of Life in Neurologic Disorders (Neuro-QOL) metrics.

Managing Contact Dermatitis Without Patch Testing.

Allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) is a common skin condition caused by contact with an exogenous agent that elicits an inflammatory response. Patch testing (PT) is considered the gold standard for diagnosing ACD. Unfortunately, PT may not be available to some patients due to insurance and financial limitations, contributing to health care disparity and leaving patients with undiagnosed, incompletely managed dermatitis that can have further detrimental health and occupational effects.

The MARS PETCARE BIOBANK protocol: establishing a longitudinal study of health and disease in dogs and cats.

Background: The veterinary care of cats and dogs is increasingly embracing innovations first applied to human health, including an increased emphasis on preventative care and precision medicine. Large scale human population biobanks have advanced research in these areas; however, few have been established in veterinary medicine. The MARS PETCARE BIOBANK™ (MPB) is a prospective study that aims to build a longitudinal bank of biological samples, with paired medical and lifestyle data, from 20,000 initially healthy cats and dogs (10,000 / species), recruited through veterinary hospitals over a ten-year period.