A key question for climate change adaptation is whether existing cropping systems can become less sensitive to climate variations. We use a field-level data set on maize and soybean yields in the central United States for 1995 through 2012 to examine changes in drought sensitivity. Although yields have increased in absolute value under all levels of stress for both crops, the sensitivity of maize yields to drought stress associated with high vapor pressure deficits has increased. The greater sensitivity has occurred despite cultivar improvements and increased carbon dioxide and reflects the agronomic trend toward higher sowing densities. The results suggest that agronomic changes tend to translate improved drought tolerance of plants to higher average yields but not to decreasing drought sensitivity of yields at the field scale.

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In patients with T2DM who have CRC, poor glycemic control is associated with a clinically aggressive course for the cancer.

There are major secular increases in height, sitting height and estimated leg length of children and adolescents of both sexes since 1978. Secular gains in height are of similar magnitude in boys and girls 6-13 years, but are greater in adolescent and young adult males than females. The secular increase in height of young adults of both sexes is smaller than that among adolescents. Estimated leg length accounts for about 60% of the secular increase in height in children of both sexes. Estimated leg length and sitting height contribute equally to the secular increase in height in adolescent boys, whereas estimated leg length accounts for about 70% of the secular increase in height in young adult males. Sitting height contributes about two-thirds of the secular increase in height in adolescent and young adult females.

In the broad sense, modern humans have lived in an environment in which physical activity and associated movement skills were central, especially in the context of physical competition with other animals. The physically active lifestyle of earlier human populations has been emphasized, especially the cardiovascular endurance component and energy expenditure, but less attention has been devoted to the gross and fine motor skills that are essential components of this lifestyle. Motor skills developed through practice are important determinants of success and survival in preindustrial societies. In industrial and postindustrial societies, on the other hand, the role of physical activity is different, with prowess in certain areas of physical expertise (e.g., accuracy with projectiles, muscular strength, among others) and prolonged exertion (i.e., cardiovascular endurance) less important for survival. The combined effects of the transition to a sedentary lifestyle and attendant dietary changes have resulted first an epidemic of coronary heart disease and more recently an epidemic of overweight/obesity in postindustrial societies. Although mortality associated with coronary heart disease has declined, due largely to biomedical advances, overweight and obesity have increased concomitantly with population reduction in physical activity (energy expenditure) and increased calorie (energy) consumption. The current scenario begs several questions which have implications for contemporary human biology related to sustaining the pace of cultural change on a biological base that is increasingly being compromised by physical inactivity, overweight, and obesity.

Available data regarding the pharmacokinetics of therapeutic regimens during pregnancy do not provide clinically relevant guidelines for the formulation of therapy for individual patients. Pharmacokinetic investigations during pregnancy that produce evidence-based guidelines for treating individual patients were identified as a major area of need. Minimum requirements are recommended for reporting pharmacokinetic studies in obstetrics.