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As part of the Anson Street African Burial Ground Project, we characterized the oral microbiomes of twelve 18th century African-descended individuals (Ancestors) from Charleston, South Carolina, USA, to study their oral health and diet. We found that their oral microbiome composition resembled that of other historic (18th-19th century) dental calculus samples but differed from that of modern samples, and was not influenced by indicators of oral health and wear observed in the dentition. Phylogenetic analysis of the oral bacteria, Tannerella forsythia and Pseudoramibacter alactolyticus, revealed varied patterns of lineage diversity and replacement in the Americas, with the Ancestors carrying strains similar to historic period Europeans and Africans. Functional profiling of metabolic pathways suggested that the Ancestors consumed a diet low in animal protein. Overall, our study reveals important insights into the oral microbial histories of African-descended individuals, particularly oral health and diet in colonial North American enslavement contexts. Oral microbiomes from dental calculus of 18th century African-descended individuals in Charleston, South Carolina (USA), yield insights into their health and diet through metagenomic sequencing, phylogenetic analysis and functional profiling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we present the results of community-engaged ancient DNA research initiated after the remains of 36 African-descended individuals dating to the late 18th century were unearthed in the port city of Charleston, South Carolina. The Gullah Society of Charleston, along with other Charleston community members, initiated a collaborative genomic study of these ancestors of presumed enslaved status, in an effort to visibilize their histories. We generated 18 low-coverage genomes and 31 uniparental haplotypes to assess their genetic origins and interrelatedness. Our results indicate that they have predominantly West and West-Central African genomic ancestry, with one individual exhibiting some genomic affiliation with populations in the Americas. Most were assessed as genetic males, and no autosomal kin were identified among them. Overall, this study expands our understanding of the colonial histories of African descendant populations in the US South. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: In 2013, the burials of 36 individuals of putative African ancestry were discovered during renovation of the Gaillard Center in downtown Charleston, South Carolina. The Charleston community facilitated a bioarchaeological and mitogenomic study to gain insights into the lives of these unknown persons, referred to as the Anson Street Ancestors, including their ancestry, health, and lived experiences in the 18th century. Methods: Metric and morphological assessments of skeletal and dental characteristics were recorded, and enamel and cortical bone strontium stable isotope values generated. Whole mitochondrial genomes were sequenced and analyzed. Results: Osteological analysis identified adults, both females and males, and subadults at the site, and estimated African ancestry for most individuals. Skeletal trauma and pathology were infrequent, but many individuals exhibited dental decay and abscesses. Strontium isotope data suggested these individuals mostly originated in Charleston or sub‐Saharan Africa, with many being long‐term residents of Charleston. Nearly all had mitochondrial lineages belonging to African haplogroups (L0‐L3, H1cb1a), with two individuals sharing the same L3e2a haplotype, while one had a Native American A2 mtDNA. Discussion: This study generated detailed osteobiographies of the Anson Street Ancestors, who were likely of enslaved status. Our results indicate that the Ancestors have diverse maternal African ancestries and are largely unrelated, with most being born locally. These details reveal the demographic impact of the trans‐Atlantic slave trade. Our analysis further illuminates the lived experiences of individuals buried at Anson Street, and expands our understanding of 18th century African history in Charleston. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Official public order policing policy in England and Wales has apparently undergone significant changes in the period since the G20 meeting in London in 2009 in order to move towards a new 'human rights compliant' framework, based on dialogue, communication and a commitment to 'facilitating' peaceful protest, which was proposed as a necessary response to help the police service 'adapt to the modern day demands of public order policing' (HMIC 2009, 27). It was our aim in conducting this research to test this official position against the empirical reality of the policing of 'anti-fracking' protests across the UK. Drawing upon longitudinal case studies of the policing of UK-wide protests against 'fracking', this paper seeks to make a contribution to the growing body of academic research that seeks to evaluate the impact of the apparent policing policy changes on the 'real-world' day-to-day operational policing of such protests. In developing our analysis, we draw attention to the definitions of 'acceptable' and 'unacceptable' protest defined by the police and consider the extent to which these definitions are reflected in the police response to anti-fracking protest. The article suggests that, in the case of antifracking protests, an official policing commitment to a human rights approach to protest facilitation is at odds with the empirical reality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In October 2016, the Home Secretary ruled out a public inquiry into the 'Battle of Orgreave', arguing that 'very few lessons' could be learned from a review of practices of three decades ago. It was suggested that policing has undergone a progressive transformation since the 1984–5 miners' strike, at political, legal, and operational levels. This article, in contrast, charts a significant expansion of state control over public protest since the strike, including a proliferation of public order offences and an extension of pre‐emptive policing powers. Whilst concerns have been raised about the impact of these developments on protest rights, there is an absence of socio‐legal research into the operation of public order powers in practice. In this article, I begin to fill this lacuna. Drawing on three empirical case‐studies of protesters' experiences of arrest and the criminal justice process, I highlight the relevance of Orgreave for contemporary policing practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article seeks to consider the policing of anti-fracking protests at Barton Moss, Salford, from November 2013 to April 2014. We argue that women at Barton Moss were considered by the police to be transgressing the socio-geographical boundaries that establish the dominant cultural and social order, and were thus responded to as disruptive and disorderly subjects. The article draws upon recent work on pacification, which views police power as having both destructive and productive dimensions, to consider the impact of police violence on women involved in protest. We seek to explore the ways in which this violence impacts not only on those involved in protest but also those on the peripheries. The article suggests that the threat and use of sexual violence by police towards women aims to enforce compliance within the protest movement and to send a message, specifically to those on the fringes of the movement, that protest is illegitimate and inherently dangerous. As such, sexual violence forms part of the social production and construction of gender and is instrumental in the making and remaking of subjectivities. The case study suggests that police brutality towards women at Barton Moss, therefore, operated as a disciplinary function to regulate acceptable forms of protest and acceptable forms of femininity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article seeks to consider the policing of anti-fracking protests at Barton Moss, Salford, from November 2013 to April 2014. We argue that women at Barton Moss were considered by the police to be transgressing the socio-geographical boundaries that establish the dominant cultural and social order, and were thus responded to as disruptive and disorderly subjects. The article draws upon recent work on pacification, which views police power as having both destructive and productive dimensions, to consider the impact of police violence on women involved in protest. We seek to explore the ways in which this violence impacts not only on those involved in protest but also those on the peripheries. The article suggests that the threat and use of sexual violence by police towards women aims to enforce compliance within the protest movement and to send a message, specifically to those on the fringes of the movement, that protest is illegitimate and inherently dangerous. As such, sexual violence forms part of the social production and construction of gender and is instrumental in the making and remaking of subjectivities. The case study suggests that police brutality towards women at Barton Moss, therefore, operated as a disciplinary function to regulate acceptable forms of protest and acceptable forms of femininity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As current graduate instructors of labs and class discussions, teaching assistants (TAs) play a critical role in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) undergraduate education, especially as some graduate students may choose a faculty career in the future. Because of the importance of TAs and their development as scholars and instructors, we sought to determine the most effective methods of preparing engineering TAs at two research universities. We compare the impact of a teaching orientation with one of four teaching development programmes (Pedagogy Course, Advanced Practice Teaching, Workshop Attendance with Written Reflection, or Mid-Semester Student Feedback with Written Reflection) on engineering TAs' teaching efficacy and definitions of active learning. Results indicated that the Pedagogy Course consistently increased TAs' teaching efficacy and attitudes toward teaching compared with the other programmes. We also found that stand-alone Mid-Semester Student Feedback with Written Reflection enhanced TAs' efficacy for reflection and beliefs about teaching. We discuss implications for providing teaching development for graduate students and directions for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years public order policing policy in England and Wales has undergone significant changes. A 'human rights compliant' model of protest policing has been developed since 2009 and this article makes a contribution to the body of academic work considering the impact of these changes on operational policing. Drawing upon a longitudinal case study of the policing of protests against 'fracking' in Salford, Greater Manchester, in 2013–14, the article contrasts post-2009 policy and academic discourses on protest policing with the experiences of anti-fracking protesters. To develop this assessment, the article also draws attention to previously unexplored definitions of acceptable and unacceptable protest set out by police in more recent policy, and considers the extent to which these definitions are reflected in the police response to anti-fracking protest. The article suggests that a police commitment to a human rights approach to protest facilitation is, at least in the case of anti-fracking protest, contingent on the focus and form of political activism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the wake of the death of Ian Tomlinson at the London G20 protests in 2009, Her Majesty's Inspectorate of the Constabulary proposed a number of reforms aimed at making public order policing strategies more 'human-rights compliant'. One of the most significant developments has been the introduction of Protest Liaison Officers whose role is to build links between police and protesters through the establishment of dialogue and relationships based on trust. These developments have led to a burgeoning scholarship in public order policing in recent years. Whilst some studies have documented the development of 'dialogue policing' strategies, none have yet captured the complex interplay between these practices and the more overt forms of coercion and control experienced by protesters. In this paper, we begin to fill this lacuna. Drawing on unique data on the experiences of anti-fracking protesters - a hard to reach group whose narrative has not been presented in the academic literature to date - we contrast official accounts with the material conditions faced by protesters. Focusing on protesters' experiences of both dialogue policing and mass arrest, we find little evidence of the progressive 'shift' reflected in official public order policing discourses. Rather, we argue that dialogue policing can have a legitimising function, enabling the police to define protest groups as irrational and 'uncooperative' and therefore ripe for violent policing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose Using the threshold concepts framework, this paper aims to explore how differences in the ability to meaningfully apply relevant literature to one’s research are reflected in descriptions of graduate training undertaken in an academic year.Design/methodology/approach This paper used a sequential-explanatory mixed method design. Phase I analysis used quantitative performance data to differentiate research skill threshold crossers from non-crossers. Phase II analysis used qualitative interview data to identify common and differentiating themes across and between the two groups.Findings Participants identified coursework, research activities and teaching assignments as primary research skill development sites. However, only the patterns of mentorship and engagement with literature within the context of supervised research activities consistently differentiated threshold crossers from non-crossers. All non-crossers reported having full autonomy in their research endeavors, whereas all crossers articulated reliance on supervising mentor guidance. Similarly, most non-crossers did not frame research as incremental contributions to existing literature, while most crossers did.Research limitations/implications The study sample size is small (n = 14), and the study is exploratory in nature.Practical implications The importance of exploring the factors that actually indicate and lead to research skill development is highlighted.Originality/value Few studies address graduate student research skill development, although this skill development is a core goal of many graduate programs. This study does so, using performance rather than self-report data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Doctoral attrition consistently hovers around 50% with relevant literature identifying several mediating factors, including departmental culture, student demographics, and funding. To advance this literature, we interviewed 38 graduate faculty advisors in science, engineering, or mathematics disciplines at a research-extensive university to capture their perceptions of factors supporting graduate student success. Using a constant-comparison method, we found that faculty perceptions aligned within three major categories, termed: motivated student behaviors, formative student learning experiences, and essential student knowledge and skills. Student motivation was most prominently represented in findings. This aligns with prior studies showing that faculty tend to identify the cause of graduate student failure as lying within the students themselves and rarely discuss their role or the department's contribution to attrition. Thus findings offer an opportunity to reflect and improve upon practice. The study also highlights actions graduate students can take to increase success, such as developing collegial relationships and early involvement in research and scholarly writing. We encourage graduate faculty advisors and others to identify ways to help graduate students overcome common obstacles to enduring and succeeding within graduate programs. Faculty perceptions are also examined by discipline and faculty rank, and directions for future research are offered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research indicates that modifying teachers' beliefs about learning and teaching (i.e. teaching orientation) may be a prerequisite to changing their teaching practices. This mixed methods study quantitized data from interviews with 65 graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) from science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields to assess the relationship of participants' teaching experiences and available teaching support systems with changes in their teaching orientation over time. These individuals represent an important but understudied link in the STEM pipeline, because they serve as primary instructors in large, introductory science laboratory classes for undergraduates at large research universities. Mentor involvement in teaching and departmental/university training and support for teaching were significantly related to change in teaching orientation toward more student-centered beliefs. Consideration of why other factors failed to evidence a relationship with teaching orientations and recommendations for how study findings can influence policy and practice are offered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For doctoral students aspiring to a faculty career, perceiving connections between the core faculty activities of teaching and conducting research is essential for professional success. Using the conceptual lens of professional socialization, we explored how doctoral students' experiences concurrently serving as teachers and researchers influenced perceptions of the teaching-research relationship. We used semilongitudinal interview data from two early career doctoral students who began and ended an academic year with markedly changed perceptions of the teaching-research relationship. Findings pinpoint the importance of the faculty supervisor's stance toward the teaching-research relationship and departmental practices related to teaching and research assignments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study evaluated the benefits of item enhancements applied to science-inquiry items for incorporation into an alternate assessment based on modified achievement standards for high school students. Six items were included in the cognitive lab sessions involving both students with and without disabilities. The enhancements (e.g., use of visuals, reading support) were intended to improve access to the items for students who had grade-level science content knowledge, but whose disability may impact their ability to answer the items in the original form. Students were asked to think aloud while answering items and answer follow-up questions about specific item-enhancement features. Achievement did not show much improvement but reported cognitive effort suggests reduction in perceived difficulty of enhanced items. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The development of research skills and scientific reasoning underpins the mission of graduate education in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields, yet our understanding of this process is mainly drawn from self-report and faculty survey data. In this study, we empirically investigate the pattern of research skill development using STEM graduate students' written research proposals. Analyses of proposal performance data suggest a potential developmental trajectory of research skills, in which the ability to effectively situate work in context using primary literature, and to generate testable hypotheses, emerge early in students' careers, while other skills, such as data analysis and forming conclusions from data, appear to develop later. We discuss these findings in relation to threshold concepts theory, a framework which posits that intellectual growth occurs in transformative leaps rather than a gradual progression, especially as it applies to graduate student research skill development. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This study was inspired by the final regulations for the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) indicating that each state has the option to develop a new assessment for students whose disabilities have kept them from obtaining proficiency. Sets of high school science achievement items were enhanced for the new test. A 3-by-2, within subjects, experimental design was used with 400 participants from 3 states. Although items remained connected to grade-level content standards, in the enhanced condition they were easier for all groups. Changes in measurement precision were mixed for students in the group eligible for the new examination. Participants tended to report that individual enhancements made items easier, but that packages of enhancements did not affect the difficulty of items. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study regarding the necessity of undergraduate research to improve retention of students in science field. A survey was conducted to new biology graduates with regards to mandatory research project. A chi-square test was utilized to determine their voluntary engagement in research project. It mentions that mandatory research is an effective tool for the future career students to become scientists.

The article discusses recent events in Great Britain indicating a shift towards an increasingly authoritarian style of protest policing. It cites the way the police has handled the G20 protests in London, England in 2010. It was observed that the police responded to these protests on a scale that has not been seen in Great Britain for over a decade. In July 2010, the Crown Prosecution Service even dismissed charges against the police officer who allegedly caused the death of newspaper vendor Ian Tomlimson during one of these protest.

IN this article, the authors discuss the police corruption and community resistance in the conference titled "How Corrupt Is Britain?" in May 2013. They talked about the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) and the Police Reform Act 2002. They informed that radical alternative is the establishment of independent police monitoring groups for investigation of instances of police deviance and also informs about the Northern Police Monitoring Project launched in October 2012.