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Increasing crop species diversity can enhance agricultural sustainability, but the scale dependency of the processes that shape diversity and of the effects of diversity on agroecosystems is insufficiently understood. We used 30 m spatial resolution crop classification data for the conterminous United States to analyze spatial and temporal crop species diversity and their relationship. We found that the US average temporal (crop rotation) diversity is 2.1 effective number of species and that a crop’s average temporal diversity is lowest for common crops. Spatial diversity monotonically increases with the size of the unit of observation, and it is most strongly associated with temporal diversity when measured for areas of 100 to 400 ha, which is the typical US farm size. The association between diversity in space and time weakens as data are aggregated over larger areas because of the increasing diversity among farms, but at intermediate aggregation levels (counties) it is possible to estimate temporal diversity and farm-scale spatial diversity from aggregated spatial crop diversity data if the effect of beta diversity is considered. For larger areas, the diversity among farms is usually much greater than the diversity within them, and this needs to be considered when analyzing large-area crop diversity data. US agriculture is dominated by a few major annual crops (maize, soybean, wheat) that are mostly grown on fields with a very low temporal diversity. To increase crop species diversity, currently minor crops would have to increase in area at the expense of these major crops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Financial toxicity is a multidimensional side effect of cancer treatment. Yet, most relevant research has focused on individual-level determinants of financial toxicity and characterized only patient perspectives. This study examined the multilevel determinants of financial toxicity from the perspectives of Latina breast cancer survivors and healthcare professionals.Methods: We analyzed qualitative data from focus groups with 19 Latina breast cancer survivors and interviews with 10 healthcare professionals recruited through community partners and venues in Chicago.Results: At the individual-level, the lack of knowledge and prioritization regarding financial aspects of care (e.g., costs of treatment, insurance coverage) was identified as important determinants of financial toxicity. However, healthcare professionals emphasized the need for early financial planning, while survivors prioritized survival over financial concerns immediately after diagnosis. At the interpersonal-level, social networks were identified as important platforms for disseminating information on financial resources. At the community-level, community norms and dynamics were identified as important barriers to seeking financial assistance. Access to culturally astute community-based organizations was considered one potential solution to eliminate these barriers. At the organizational/healthcare policy-level, financial assistance programs' restrictive eligibility criteria, lack of coverage post-treatment, limited availability, and instability were identified as major determinants of financial toxicity.Conclusion: Our findings suggest that multilevel interventions at the individual-, interpersonal-, community-, and organizational/healthcare policy-levels are needed to adequately address financial toxicity among Latina and other survivors from disadvantaged communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Passage of Proposition 227 has almost effectively eliminated bilingual education in California public schools, tying the hands of teachers who still have to educate students not fluent in the English language. The intent of bilingual education has been to educate the child first in the native language before immersion into the English language. One principal idea behind this philosophy is that a person who can read and write in his or her native tongue will transition less stressfully to a second language. Proposition 227 has virtually eliminated any chance for this to take place. As teachers, we ask if our English language learners (ELLs) may learn to read and write, but will they comprehend and become fluent in English without the basic knowledge in their primary language? We, as numerous other bilingual education supporters, don't believe so. Our study looked at how 10 practicing educators were impacted by the passage of Proposition 227. Our research team was interested in how Proposition 227 changed their teaching styles, their beliefs regarding the proposition, and whether they believed it to be working or not. We concluded that our teacher interviewees were impacted by the passage of Proposition 227 for several reasons. The first reason is that teaching strategies had to be changed to accommodate the new curriculum. Second, sufficient training was not provided to assist the teachers on the immediate implementation of the English-only initiative. Furthermore, teaching resources such as textbooks, curriculum guides, and new state standards were not received until the following school year, thus creating an unproductive teaching environment for both students and educators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evaluates the risk of cancer among women with AIDS in New York City. Comparison on the cancer experiences of AIDS-infected women with that of the general population of women; Calculation of standardized incidence ratios; Effects of anti-viral treatments and its association with cancer development among HIV-infected women.