Private Accreditation as a Substitute for Direct Government Regulation in Public Health Insurance Programs: When Is It Appropriate?

The appropriateness of the use of private accreditation in regulating and defining the quality of health care providers under government health insurance programs is examined. The characteristics of health care institutions and the patients they serve are important considerations

An annotated bibliography of materials suitable for use in teaching French in the elementary school

Thesis (Ed.M.)--Boston Universit

An item analysis of Nason phonics test in grades one and two

Thesis (Ed.M.)--Boston Universit

Students' epistemological framing in quantum mechanics problem solving

Students' difficulties in quantum mechanics may be the result of unproductive framing and not a fundamental inability to solve the problems or misconceptions about physics content. We observed groups of students solving quantum mechanics problems in an upper-division physics course. Using the lens of epistemological framing, we investigated four frames in our observational data: algorithmic math, conceptual math, algorithmic physics, and conceptual physics. We discuss the characteristics of each frame as well as causes for transitions between different frames, arguing that productive problem solving may occur in any frame as long as students' transition appropriately between frames. Our work extends epistemological framing theory on how students frame discussions in upper-division physics courses.Comment: Submitted to Physical Review -- Physics Education Researc

Mobilization of Metals by Fungi in Historic Cemeteries

Interactions among fungi, soil, and metals are at the heart of nutrient cycling in terrestrial systems. Both major and trace elements are found in soils, but the degree to which they are biologically available is influenced by chemical weathering of soil minerals by fungi. In addition to contributing to weathering, mushrooms are known to bioaccumulate metals from soil, so edible mushrooms growing on soils contaminated with toxic metals can cause harm to those who eat them. This study focuses on metal content of mushrooms and soils from cemeteries that are suspected to be contaminated with arsenic as a result of late-19th Century embalming practices. Mushrooms and soil were collected from eight cemeteries and three control areas in Lewiston, Auburn, Sabattus, and Topsham, Maine and analyzed for metal content using acid digestion and ICP-OES. With particular focus on arsenic, concentrations of potassium, sodium, zinc, calcium, iron, magnesium, lead, and arsenic in mushrooms are compared to concentrations of those metals in the soil on which the mushrooms were growing

Some Aspects of the Biology of a Predaceous Anthomyiid Fly, \u3ci\u3eCoenosia Tigrina\u3c/i\u3e

The results of a two-year study in Michigan on the incidence of Coenosia tigrina adults under different onion production practices is presented. In Michigan, C. tigrina has three generations and is more abundant in organic agroecosystems than chemically-intensive onion production systems