The Neolithic Settlement Landscape of the Southeastern Swabian Alb

This paper presents goals, methods, and preliminary results of a collaborative project investigating Neolithic settlement and land use of the southeastern Swabian Alb limestone plateau region in southwestern Germany. The project combines systematic surveys of plowed fields and analysis of large private collections to investigate site distributions on the plateau, which is largely poor in surface water but a source of regionally important chert raw material. GIS based comparisons of site locations in terms of soil type and their agricultural potential, distance to water, and distance to chert sources show that numerous sites from the Bandkeramik to the younger Neolithic are associated with either chert sources or high-quality settlement locations. A number of extensive private collections provide a rich foundation to investigate functional and chronological differences among site locations. Preliminary results of lithics and ceramics analyses of nine sites indicate chronological variability as well as dissimilar characteristics in blade core technology and abundance and types of retouched tools between chert-extraction sites and settlements

EC03-1884 Wheat Disease Profiles I

This two-page, 4-color extension circular covers the disease and symptoms of wheat in Nebraska. The diseases listed are: barley yellow dwarf, soil-borne wheat mosaic, wheat streak mosaic, leaf rust, stem rust, stripe rust, tan spot, septoria leaf blotch, common root rot, crown rot, Fusarium head blight (scab)

EC03-1884 Wheat Disease Profiles I

This two-page, 4-color extension circular covers the disease and symptoms of wheat in Nebraska. The diseases listed are: barley yellow dwarf, soil-borne wheat mosaic, wheat streak mosaic, leaf rust, stem rust, stripe rust, tan spot, septoria leaf blotch, common root rot, crown rot, Fusarium head blight (scab)

EC02-1883 Corn Disease Profiles

This two-page, four-color extension circular covers the many diseases of corn in Nebraska. It list and describes corn diseases such as: anthracnose, common smut, bacterial stalk rot and top rot, holcus spot, Stewart\u27s Wilt, Goss\u27s bacterial wilt and blight, common rust, southern rust, and gray leaf rust

Oncology Outpatient and Provider Responses to a Computerized Symptom Assessment System

Purpose/Objectives: To assess patient and provider responses to a computerized symptom assessment system. Design: Descriptive, longitudinal study with retrospective, longitudinal medical records review. Setting: University-based National Cancer Institute-designated outpatient cancer center. Sample: 80 oncology outpatients receiving chemotherapy, 8 providers, and 30 medical records. Methods: Patients completed the computerized assessment during three chemotherapy follow-up clinic appointments (times 1, 2, and 3). Patient usability was recorded via an observer checklist (ease of use) and the computer (completion time). Patient satisfaction and impact were assessed during telephone interviews two to three days after times 1 and 3 only. Provider usability and impact were assessed at the end of the study using a questionnaire and focus groups, whereas effect on provider documentation was assessed through chart audits. Main Research Variables: Patient usability (ease of use, completion time), satisfaction, and impact; provider usability and impact. Findings: Patients reported good usability, high satisfaction, and modest impact on discussions with their providers. Providers reported modest usability, modest impact on discussions with patients, and had varied reactions as to how the system affected practice. Documentation of symptoms was largely absent before and after implementation. Conclusions: This system demonstrated good usability and satisfaction but had only a modest impact on symptom-related discussions and no impact on documentation. Implications for Nursing: A computerized system can help address barriers to symptom assessment but may not improve documentation unless it can be integrated into existing medical records systems

Randomized Controlled Pilot Trial of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Breast and Colorectal Cancer Survivors: Effects on Cancer-Related Cognitive Impairment

Purpose Cancer-related cognitive impairment (CRCI) is a common, fatigue-related symptom that disrupts cancer survivors’ quality of life. Few interventions for CRCI exist. As part of a randomized pilot study targeting cancer-related fatigue, the effects of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) on survivors’ cognitive outcomes were investigated. Methods Breast and colorectal cancer survivors (n = 71) with moderate-to-severe fatigue were randomized to MBSR (n = 35) or a fatigue education and support (ES; n = 36) condition. The Attentional Function Index (AFI) and the Stroop test were used to assess survivors’ cognitive function at baseline (T1), after the 8-week intervention period (T2), and 6 months later (T3) using intent-to-treat analysis. Mediation analyses were performed to explore mechanisms of intervention effects on cognitive functioning. Results MBSR participants reported significantly greater improvement on the AFI total score compared to ES participants at T2 (d = 0.83, p = 0.001) and T3 (d = 0.55, p = 0.021). MBSR also significantly outperformed ES on most AFI subscales, although both groups improved over time. MBSR produced greater Stroop accuracy rates relative to ES at T2 (r = 0.340, p = 0.005) and T3 (r = 0.280, p = 0.030), with improved accuracy over time only for the MBSR group. There were no significant differences in Stroop reaction time between groups. Improvements in mindfulness mediated the effect of group (e.g., MBSR vs. ES) on AFI total score at T2 and T3. Conclusions Additional randomized trials with more comprehensive cognitive measures are warranted to definitively assess the efficacy of MBSR for CRCI. Implications for Cancer Survivors This pilot study has important implications for all cancer survivors as it is the first published trial to show that MBSR offers robust and durable improvements in CRCI

Randomized Controlled Pilot Trial of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Compared to Psychoeducational Support for Persistently Fatigued Breast and Colorectal Cancer Survivors

Purpose Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) is a disruptive symptom for many survivors. Despite promising evidence for efficacy of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) in reducing CRF, no trials comparing it to an active comparator for fatigued survivors have been published. The purpose of this trial was to compare MBSR to psychoeducation for CRF and associated symptoms. Methods Breast (n=60) and colorectal (n=11) cancer survivors (stage 0–III) with clinically significant CRF after completing chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy an average of 28 months prior to enrollment were randomized to MBSR or psychoeducation/support groups (PES). MBSR focused on mindfulness training; PES focused on CRF self-management. Outcomes included CRF interference (primary), CRF severity and global improvement, vitality, depression, anxiety, sleep disturbance, and pain. Outcomes were assessed at baseline (T1), post-intervention (T2), and 6-month follow-up (T3) using intent-to-treat analysis. Results Between-group differences in CRF interference were not significant at any time point; however, there was a trend favoring MBSR (d=−0.46, p=0.073) at T2. MBSR participants reported significantly greater improvement in vitality (d=0.53, p=0.003) and were more likely to report CRF as moderately-to-completely improved compared to the PES group (χ2 (1)=4.1765, p=0.041) at T2. MBSR participants also reported significantly greater reductions in pain at T2 (d=0.53, p=0.014). In addition, both MBSR and PES produced moderate-to-large and significant within-group improvements in all fatigue outcomes, depression, anxiety, and sleep at T2 and T3 compared to T1. Conclusion MBSR and PES appear efficacious for CRF and related symptoms. Larger trials including a usual care arm are warranted

AI is a viable alternative to high throughput screening: a 318-target study

: High throughput screening (HTS) is routinely used to identify bioactive small molecules. This requires physical compounds, which limits coverage of accessible chemical space. Computational approaches combined with vast on-demand chemical libraries can access far greater chemical space, provided that the predictive accuracy is sufficient to identify useful molecules. Through the largest and most diverse virtual HTS campaign reported to date, comprising 318 individual projects, we demonstrate that our AtomNet® convolutional neural network successfully finds novel hits across every major therapeutic area and protein class. We address historical limitations of computational screening by demonstrating success for target proteins without known binders, high-quality X-ray crystal structures, or manual cherry-picking of compounds. We show that the molecules selected by the AtomNet® model are novel drug-like scaffolds rather than minor modifications to known bioactive compounds. Our empirical results suggest that computational methods can substantially replace HTS as the first step of small-molecule drug discovery

NF05-652 Soybean Rust Fungicide Use Guidelines for Nebraska

While the impact that soybean rust will have on Nebraska\u27s soybean crop is unknown, producers should be prepared to manage the disease. When soybean rust occurs or is expected to occur shortly in Nebraska, growers can use the decision-aid flow chart on page 2 of this NebFact to determine whether to treat and, if treating, which class of fungicide (chlorothalonil, strobilurin, or triazole) to use

NF01-473 Stewart\u27s Wilt of Corn

This NebFact has information on Stewart\u27s Wilt of corn