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Nebraska is a major agricultural state. Nebraska ranks first in the nation in number of cattle on feed and fed cattle marketed, second in cash receipts from all livestock marketing, first in production of Great Northern beans, popcorn and alfalfa meal, and third in corn production. Agriculture is important to the state\u27s economy. Some economists project that one-half of Nebraska workers depend on agriculture and the many related industries for their employment. The annual value of agricultural production in Nebraska is more than 8 billion dollars. Agriculture and wildlife damage problems often go hand-in-hand. We have problems in agricultural situations with native coyotes, prairie dogs, pocket gophers, and ground squirrels, and with the imported starlings, house sparrows, and commensal rodents (Norway rats and house mice). Other animals including several game species cause agricultural damage at times. A variety of animals ranging from snakes and woodpeckers to bats and skunks are nuisances occasionally for homeowners. University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension plays an important educational role in helping Nebraskans handle these problems in an effective, safe and appropriate manner

OPENING ADDRESS:

Nebraska is a major agricultural state. Nebraska ranks first in the nation in number of cattle on feed and fed cattle marketed, second in cash receipts from all livestock marketing, first in production of Great Northern beans, popcorn and alfalfa meal, and third in corn production. Agriculture is important to the state\u27s economy. Some economists project that one-half of Nebraska workers depend on agriculture and the many related industries for their employment. The annual value of agricultural production in Nebraska is more than 8 billion dollars. Agriculture and wildlife damage problems often go hand-in-hand. We have problems in agricultural situations with native coyotes, prairie dogs, pocket gophers, and ground squirrels, and with the imported starlings, house sparrows, and commensal rodents (Norway rats and house mice). Other animals including several game species cause agricultural damage at times. A variety of animals ranging from snakes and woodpeckers to bats and skunks are nuisances occasionally for homeowners. University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension plays an important educational role in helping Nebraskans handle these problems in an effective, safe and appropriate manner

Managing Key Business-to-Business Relationships

Key account management (KAM) is a rapidly growing area of interest in business- to-business marketing. However, unnoticed by marketing, a quiet revolution has taken place in supply chain management (SCM), where the traditional emphasis on least-cost transactions has given way to a focus on long-term relationships with a few key suppliers. It is thus apparent that the two disciplines are converging. This article uses a cross-disciplinary approach to explore whether these developments from the field of SCM provide insights into key business-to- business relationships. A detailed case study of a long-term relationship between a business-to-business services provider and a key customer in the construction industry suggests there is a definable overlap. The supply chain model illuminates five important elements of KAM and offers a promising method for the evaluation of such relationships. As a result of the research, both supplier and customer companies implemented actions to improve and strengthen this important relationship

Mutation of NRAS but not KRAS significantly reduces myeloma sensitivity to single-agent bortezomib therapy

Various translocations and mutations have been identified in myeloma, and certain aberrations, such as t(4;14) and del17, are linked with disease prognosis. To investigate mutational prevalence in myeloma and associations between mutations and patient outcomes, we tested a panel of 41 known oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes in tumor samples from 133 relapsed myeloma patients participating in phase 2 or 3 clinical trials of bortezomib. DNA mutations were identified in 14 genes. BRAF as well as RAS genes were mutated in a large proportion of cases (45.9%) and these mutations were mutually exclusive. New recurrent mutations were also identified, including in the PDGFRA and JAK3 genes. NRAS mutations were associated with a significantly lower response rate to single-agent bortezomib (7% vs 53% in patients with mutant vs wildtype NRAS, P 5 .00116, Bonferroni-corrected P 5 .016), as well as shorter time to progression in bortezomib-treated patients (P 5 .0058, Bonferroni-corrected P 5 .012). However, NRAS mutation did not impact outcome in patients treated with high-dose dexamethasone. KRAS mutation did not reduce sensitivity to bortezomib or dexamethasone. These findings identify a significant clinical impact of NRAS mutation in myeloma and demonstrate a clear example of functional differences between the KRAS and NRAS oncogenes. (Blood. 2014; 123(5):632-639)