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Examining Grade 10 Students’ Ict Utilization In Bhutan, Gembo Tshering, Thinley Phuntsho

Journal of Global Education and Research

In today’s educational landscape, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) presents immense potential for reshaping pedagogical practices and equipping students with essential skills for the digital era. This study delves into assessing Grade 10 students’ ICT proficiency in Bhutan, a nation renowned for its dedication to Gross National Happiness (GNH) and sustainable development. The study also explores affective factors, including attitudes and confidence. Despite strides in promoting digital literacy and widening access to ICT resources, challenges persist in ensuring equitable access and meaningful utilization of technology, particularly at the secondary education level. Through a thorough analysis of survey data collected from …

Internationalization Of Indian Higher Education: Mapping The Origins And Academic Choices Of International Students, Sanjeev Kumar Jha

Journal of Global Education and Research

This study explores the geographical origins, academic preferences, and key factors influencing the enrollment of international students in Indian higher education institutions. Drawing on primary data from interviews with 25 international students and secondary data from All India Survey on Higher Education reports, it provides an in-depth analysis of student mobility trends and factors shaping their choices. The results indicate that the international student enrollment is significantly below the Indian government’s target of 500,000 by 2024. Students come from Nepal, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Bhutan, and Nigeria, with Karnataka and Punjab emerging as the most preferred states within India. Engineering, particularly …

Shepherding In France: The Ambiguities Of Caring For Nonhuman Animals In The Roya Valley, France, Daina Pupkevičiūtė

Journal of Ecological Anthropology

F

For over half a century, wolves in France were extinct. In the absence of predators, the shepherds became accustomed to leaving the sheep roaming freely in the mountains in relative safety. However, at the end of the 1980s, wolves returned, resulting in many victims, conflicts, and a stark division between those either for or against the wolf or otherwise sometimes framed as those against or for the survival of the mountain pastoralism tradition. This text looks at the caring relationships humans, such as shepherds, villagers, and others, have towards sheep, wolves, and the landscape in the Roya Valley in …

Self-Determination And Its Role In The Foster Care Environment: A Three-Part Investigation, John Martin

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Youth have multiple pathways to adulthood and for some of those youth that journey takes them through the foster care system either temporarily or until emancipation. A vital part of the foster care system is to protect and care for children in a variety of circumstances including unsafe and traumatic experiences. However, a history of foster care has been tied to certain risks like substance use. The focus of this dissertation is to investigate the strength of the relationship between self-determination and substance use through the lens of Self-Determination Theory (SDT) in foster care in three phases. In Study I …

First Report Of A Bat Guano Fire From A Cave In Southeast Asia, Sopark Jantarit, Martin Ellis, Pruet Kalasuwan, Neeranuch Phusunti, Pimonsri Mittraparp-Arthorn, Jiranan Pattano, Arnon Chukamnerd, Turdtun Tong-In, Natthawut Khrueaaunruean

International Journal of Speleology

Fires occurring in cave guano are a rare and unusual phenomenon and the occurrence of such events in Southeast Asia is particularly novel. In this study, we document the first recorded instance of a bat guano fire in a tropical cave at Tham Chao Ram in Sukhothai province, northern Thailand. A bacteriological analysis was made of the guano at the fire site and from a control site within the cave. We give a comprehensive review of global reports on bat guano fires in caves, conduct an initial investigation of the physical factors at the fire site and discuss the potential …

The Relationship Between Lineaments And Cave Passages In Unfaulted Gently-Folded Strata, Snail Shell Cave, Central Tennessee, Usa, Mark Abolins, Joseph Firkaly-Paciera, Blake King, Cris Ocasio-Valentin, Jackson Slighter, Teagan Sullivan, Justin Whited

International Journal of Speleology

Near Snail Shell Cave in central Tennessee, USA, seven image interpreters independently mapped lineaments using a 3DEP LiDAR DTM, revealing geomorphic and structural differences in and near different parts of the cave. MANOVA comparison of lineament and cave passage trend for Western, Central, and Eastern Snail Shell caves reveals statistically significant differences (p <0.05). The Western cave (mean depth 44 m) is in the gently-dipping limb of the Snail Shell anticline, and the Central cave (mean depth 31 m) is in the anticline hinge. In contrast, many Eastern cave passages (mean depth 40 m) cut across the anticline hinge and part of the limb of the Overall syncline. For both the Western and Central caves, a post-hoc Tukey’s HSD test fails to show that lineament trend within 235 m of the cave differs significantly from passage trend, and the test fails to show that the two differ significantly within 235 and 433 m of the Eastern cave. Additional statistical testing fails to show a difference between Western passage trend and bed strike, indicating the likelihood that lineaments and passages developed within strike-joints. However, testing shows a statistically significant difference between passage trend and bed strike for the Central and Eastern caves. The strike of joints inside the Eastern cave shows that it is within a joint zone which penetrates to depths of at least 80 m and is expressed at the surface as an ~4.2 km-long belt of elevated lineament line density. The lack of a statistically significant difference between Eastern passage trend and the trend of a nearby topographic escarpment suggests that many joints are stress release fractures formed during relatively recent erosion. For the Eastern cave, intersections between lineaments and structures would be attractive targets for groundwater exploration at depths typical of wells in carbonates.

A Bioarchaeological Study Of The Individuals From The Városfalva Burial Mound In Transylvania, Romania (15th-19th Century), Vanessa C. Reeves

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study explores the lives and deaths of the Szekler people recovered from a burial mound in the Transylvanian village of Városfalva. The Transylvanian plateau is located in present day Romania, and is protected on the east and the south by the Carpathian Mountains. The Szekler people arrived in this area around 1000 CE, and were a nomadic group originating in the Asian Steppes region who later intermarried with various migratory groups as they moved across the Eurasian plains. The Szeklers eventually banded together with the proto-Hungarian Magyar peoples and settled in the Carpathian Basin, the easternmost frontier of the …

Crow's Nest, November 16, 2025, Crow's Nest Staff

Crow's Nest

The November 16, 2025 issue of Crow's Nest.

“For Haitian Culture, Being Older [Is] A Blessing”: Perceptions Of Aging, Elderhood, And Dementia In A Haitian Born Sample, Melissa K. Eustache

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis investigates how first-generation Haitian immigrants in the United States understand and interpret dementia within the intersecting contexts of culture, migration, and biomedicine. While dementia is constructed as a pathological “loss of self” and a public health epidemic, in American biomedical and popular discourse, this study examines how Haitian-born individuals—socialized within a non-Western cultural and spiritual framework—make sense of cognitive decline and impairment in ways that diverge from Western biomedical narratives. Guided by theoretical orientations from medical anthropology, including Mark Nichter’s idioms of distress, Margaret Lock’s local biologies, and neuroanthropology, this research explores how cultural models of illness, aging, …

Reducing Data Requirements In Polymer Science: Deep Neural Networks For Predicting Surface Tension Of Copolymer Compatibilizers, Md Mushfiqul Islam

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In polymer chemistry, compatibilization involves adding a substance often a block or graft copolymerto stabilize polymer blends that would otherwise not mix well, leading to rough structures and weak me- chanical properties. Compatibilizers improve miscibility and reduce interfacial tension, which is critical for applications such as mixed-waste polymer recycling. Sequence-controlled polymers offer unique potential by combining the tunable chemistry of synthetic polymers with the precise, function-driven design of biological macromolecules, but unlike proteins, they lack large, evolution-shaped datasets to guide discovery. This research develops a deep learning framework to predict the surface tension of sequence-controlled copolymer compatibilizers across varying concentrations. …

Distinguished Ornithologist 2024: Mark Peck, Jean Iron, Gerard Binsfeld, John Carley

Ontario Birds

No abstract provided.

Ronald J. Pittaway 1947–2023 Extraordinary Birder And Naturalist, Ron Tozer, Daniel Brunton, Rory Mackay

Ontario Birds

No abstract provided.

The Waterthrush Saga: An Observation Of A Vocally And Visually Ambiguous Waterthrush In Southwestern Ontario, Michael J. Kirchin, Alessandra A. Kite, Kiah R. Jasper, Samreen Munim

Ontario Birds

No abstract provided.

Predator Exclusion Grids Protect Common Terns From Avian Nest Predators At Presqu’Ile Provincial Park, Lake Ontario, Jennifer M. Arnold, Stephen A. Oswald, Donald J. Tyerman, Michael J. Barker

Ontario Birds

Common Tern (Sterna hirundo) breeding populations in inland areas of North America have experienced significant declines, particularly in the Canadian waters of the lower Great Lakes. Once home to two-thirds of the Great Lakes population, Presqu’ile Provincial Park maintained only a small breeding colony of Common Terns from the 1970s to the early 2010s. In 2008, a research program was started to understand the population status of this colony. This involved close collaboration between faculty at Penn State University and Ontario Parks staff, and identified poor reproductive success at this site. Although many factors contributed to this poor reproductive success …

Full Issue, Ontario Field Ornithologists

Ontario Birds

No abstract provided.

Spring Migration Phenology, Abundance And Behaviour Of Little And Bonaparte’S Gulls At Oshawa Second Marsh, Lake Ontario, Ontario, 1992–2022, Tyler Hoar, D.V. Chip Weseloh, David J. Moore

Ontario Birds

The Little Gull (Hydrocoloeus minutus) is a rare gull in most of North America; however, in spring it is relatively numerous at several sites in Ontario, as it migrates with its much more numerous relative, the Bonaparte’s Gull (Chroicocephalus philadelphia). The primary objective of this study was to document the spring migration phenology, abundance and behaviour of the Little Gull and the Bonaparte’s Gull at Oshawa Second Marsh (OSM), Ontario. Pursuit flights, roosting flights and migration departures by Little Gulls are also reported. The study took place from late March to late May, 1992–2022, at OSM. This site consistently hosted …

A Possible Canvasback X Ruddy Duck Hybrid, Brandon P.M. Edwards, Mike Bouman

Ontario Birds

No abstract provided.

Full Issue, Ontario Field Ornithologists

Ontario Birds

No abstract provided.

Evaluation Of Functional Communication Training With Sign Mands For Non-Vocal Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Hayley Margaret Mcmanus

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) often experience difficulties in both vocal and non-vocal communication, which can lead to problem behavior as a means of expressing needs and wants. Functional communication training (FCT) has been shown to be effective in teaching functional communicative responses (FCRs) and decreasing problem behavior. However, studies on the use of sign language as a communicative response or modality in FCT have been limited, despite its benefits, including feasibility and low response effort, compared to other modalities, such as picture cards and augmentative and alternative communication devices. This study evaluated FCT using sign language mands for …

New Evidence Of Mid-Pleistocene Glaciations In The French Jura Mountains Using Debris Flow Deposits And U/Th Dating Of Speleothems (Verneau Karst Network), Margot Vivier, Stéphane Jaillet, Eglantine Husson, Edwige Pons Branchu, Jean-Baptiste Charlier

International Journal of Speleology

We redefine the extent of former glaciers in the northern Jura Mountains through the study of endokarst deposits. Sedimentary deposits (pebbly debris flows, laminated clays, and allochthonous limestone blocks) and chemical deposits (speleothems) were identified and studied using three complementary approaches: (i) detailed geomorphological mapping, (ii) petrographic analysis, and (iii) U/Th-dating. In addition, a surface geomorphological analysis made it possible to calculate the minimum erosion time required for the formation of the sinkhole linked to the underground study site. The study site is the Dolois Chamber, an underground site upstream of the Verneau karst network (Doubs Department, France). The combined …

Evidence Of Red-Billed Tropicbird Phaethon Aethereus Breeding In The Gulf Of Guinea, Gustavo Marino, Gabriel Oquiongo, Isadora L. Hahn, Pedro Pereira, Joana Pereira, Ricardo F. De Lima

Marine Ornithology

Red-billed Tropicbird Phaethon aethereus has been considered vagrant in the Gulf of Guinea, although with suggestions of sporadic breeding at Tinhosas Islets, south of Príncipe Island. Here, we report repeated visits of birds to potential nesting sites, aggressive territorial behavior, and pair interactions on the coastal cliffs in the southern portion of São Tomé Island and nearby islets of Rolas and Sete Pedras. These observations strongly suggest that the species breeds at these locations, which would expand the known breeding range in the eastern Atlantic. Future work is needed to clarify the status of the species in the region.

Seasonal And Spatial Patterns Of Avian Assemblages In The Eastern Taiwan Strait: Implications For Offshore Wind Farm Development, Mei-Ling Bai, Chia-Hsiang Huang, Yu-Yi Lien

Marine Ornithology

The eastern Taiwan Strait, a region situated along the East Asian-Australasian Flyway and currently undergoing rapid offshore wind energy development, remains poorly studied with respect to its seabird assemblages. Through intensive vessel-based transect surveys conducted between 2014 and 2021, this study documented 22,187 birds from 105 species across 10 orders and 29 families. Migratory non-seabirds accounted for 55.2% of individuals and dominated the species richness, highlighting the region's importance for migratory pathways. Seabird density was relatively low, however, consistent with trends in other tropical regions, and this pattern may also reflect both environmental degradation and methodological differences in density estimation. …

Status Of The Least Storm Petrel Hydrobates Microsoma In Peru, Mauricio Ugarte

Marine Ornithology

The occurrence of the Least Storm Petrel Hydrobates microsoma in Peru has been considered somewhat hypothetical by some authors, as its presence was previously supported only by sight records dating back to 1982. In this note, I confirm the presence of the species in Peru based on the re-examination of three specimens deposited in the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles. I also provide a summary of the historical records of its occurrences in Peru. Least Storm Petrel should be considered an uncommon boreal migrant in Peruvian marine waters.

From Kerguelen To Brazil: Insights Into The Movement And Health Of A Threatened Seabird, The White-Chinned Petrel Procellaria Aequinoctialis, Daphne Wrobel Goldberg, Karine Delord, Gabriela Bezerra, Janaina Rocha Lorenço, Beatriz Souto De Freitas Vieira, Livia Ribeiro Saraiva, Célia Lesage, Christophe Barbraud, Caio Azevedo Marques, Tatiana Neves

Marine Ornithology

This study presents the case of a White-chinned Petrel Procellaria aequinoctialis that was tagged as a fledgling in April 2023 in the Kerguelen Islands, southern Indian Ocean, and subsequently rescued on the southeast coast of Brazil in July 2024. Upon recovery, the petrel displayed symptoms of exhaustion, malnutrition, and anemia, highlighting the substantial energy demands associated with its extensive journey of over 10,000 km. Rehabilitation efforts were successful, resulting in the bird's release after a month of intensive care, which involved nutritional support and monitoring of its health parameters. This case highlights the importance of long-term coastal and marine monitoring …

From Tropical Shores To High-Altitude Lakes: Preliminary Assessment Of Trans-Himalayan Migration Of Brown-Headed Gulls Chroicocephalus Brunnicephalus Between Sri Lanka And The Tibetan Plateau, Gayomini Panagoda, Iromi K. Wijethunge, Beixi Zhang, Fanjuan Meng, Yiwen Chen, Sarath Kotagama, Taej Mundkur, Sivananinthaperumal Balachandran, Lei Cao, Sampath S. Seneviratne

Marine Ornithology

The Brown-headed Gull (BHGU) Chroicocephalus brunnicephalus is a common non-breeding migrant to Sri Lanka's coasts. However, its migration across the Central Asian Flyway—traversing numerous geographic barriers such as the Himalayas and the Tibetan Plateau to reach the southern Indian peninsula and Sri Lanka—has not been studied. We GPS-tracked two BHGUs between Sri Lanka and their breeding grounds on the Tibetan Plateau from 2021 to 2023, documenting four migrations in total—three northward and one southward. During northward migration (25 April-20 May), the gulls covered 2,786.7 ± 168.0 km in 6.8 ± 1.05 d without any stopovers, although they made several rest …

California Brown Pelican Pelecanus Occidentalis Community Science Project: Potential For Population Monitoring, Deborah L. Jaques, Tamara M. Russell, Joseph R. Liebezeit, Anna Weinstein, Richard R. Veit, Daniel Orr, Michael W. Parker, Jim A. Howard, David M. Mazurkiewicz, Daniel W. Anderson, Yuliana Bedolla-Guzmán

Marine Ornithology

From 2016 to 2019, we monitored the distribution, abundance, and age structure of California Brown Pelican Pelecanus occidentalis californicus at nearshore communal roosts along the U.S. West Coast. This effort used “snapshot” surveys during spring and fall, simultaneously engaging up to 111 “community science” participants, i.e., volunteers, on single dates. Volunteers surveyed up to 89 sites and found as many as 22,000 Brown Pelicans. We derived abundance and population structure indices from these data and sought relationships to annual breeding season metrics and large-scale oceanographic indices in the California Current System (CCS). The proportion of immature birds increased during the …

Seabird Abundance Patterns Along A Sydney–Los Angeles Transect, Christopher D. Mcquaid

Marine Ornithology

Our understanding of seabird occurrence patterns is influenced by the fact that some parts of the ocean are less travelled than others, particularly in the centres of oceanic gyres. During the Transglobe Expedition, the M/V Benjamin Bowring undertook a 34-day crossing of the Pacific Ocean from Sydney to Los Angeles. During the crossing, three one-hour watches were conducted daily (morning, noon, and evening), during which all birds visible from the ship were counted and identified (when possible). Bird counts were extremely low in the central regions of the South and North Pacific gyres, in stark contrast to the elevated counts—by …

What To Eat When Far From Home? A Vagrant Seabird Selects Novel But Analogous Prey, William L. Kennerley, Gemma V. Clucas, Donald E. Lyons, Keenan C. Yakola

Marine Ornithology

Vagrancy in birds is an important mechanism contributing to range expansion and the establishment of new breeding populations. However, research on the ecology of vagrant individuals has been limited. From 2005 to 2021, a Red-billed Tropicbird Phaethon aethereus, far outside its usual range, was a summer resident at Seal Island, Maine, USA. In 2020 and 2021, we collected fecal samples from this individual and identified prey types consumed via DNA metabarcoding techniques, using 12S and 18S genes. We identified six fish species in the Red-billed Tropicbird fecal DNA samples, with Atlantic Saury Scomberesox saurus and Atlantic Mackerel Scomber scombrus contributing …

Masthead, Marine Ornithology

Marine Ornithology

No abstract provided.

Role Conflict And Burnout: How Can Employed Graduate Students Thrive, Not Just Survive?, Eric M. Douthirt

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation investigates several of the multifaceted challenges faced by employed graduate students, a growing demographic within U.S. higher education. Against a backdrop of intensifying technological change, evolving labor market dynamics, and increased educational attainment, these individuals encounter pronounced school-work-family conflict (SWFC), resulting in a heightened risk for personal burnout (PB).

Building upon the job demands-resources theory, this research explores whether school-work facilitation (SWF) and student emotional engagement (EE) might attenuate the deleterious relationship between school-work-family conflict (SWFC) and personal burnout (PB), with gender and number of children included as controls.

Data from 489 participants, collected via a single cross-sectional …