BACKGROUND: Magnesium-based biomaterials might provide an innovative therapeutic potential to substantially enhance regeneration of dental tissues. Magnesium (Mg2+) has been considered for its potential ability to accelerate proliferation and differentiation of human osteoblasts. However, to date, the dentinogenic effect of magnesium chloride (MgCl2) and magnesium oxide (MgO) on human dental pulp cells (HDPCs) has not been investigated. PURPOSE: This study was designed to compare the stimulatory effect of different concentrations of MgCl2 and MgO on dentinogenesis of HDPCs and to explore associated cellular signaling pathways. METHODS: HDPCs were cultured with 0.5mM,1mM, 2mM, 4mM, 8mM concentrations of supplemental MgCl2 and MgO, 0 mM as negative control group, lignin sulfonic acid sodium salt and xanthan gum as vehicle control groups. Crystal violet staining was used to determine cell attachment and proliferation rate. Cell viability was investigated by MTT assay. Odontogenic differentiation was assessed by evaluating alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, expression of dentin sialoprotein (DSP), dentin matrix protein1(DMP-1), dentin sialophosphoprotein (DSPP), type I collagen (COL-I), and mineralization. Expression of bone morphogenic protein (BMP-2), phosphorylated SMADs 1/5/9, p-p38, p38, p-JNK, JNK, p-ERK1/2, ERK1/2 mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) were also investigated. Statistical analysis was applied using multi-way ANOVA with Wilks’ lambda test. RESULTS: 0.5mM-2mM MgCl2 elicited the highest stimulatory effect on attachment, proliferation rate, ALP activity, expression of dentinogenic proteins (DSP, DMP-1, DSPP, COL-I), expression of cellular signaling proteins (BMP-2, phosphorylated SMADs1/5/9, p-p38, p-JNK) mineralization, and down regulation of p-ERK 1/2 compared to negative control (P< 0.0001). 0.5mM supplemental MgO showed higher attachment, proliferation, cell viability, ALP activity, expression of dentinogenic proteins (DSP, DMP-1, DSPP, COL-I), cellular signaling proteins (BMP-2, phosphorylated SMADs1/5/9) and mineralization, compared to negative control (P<0.001). CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated the significant benefit imparted by optimum concentrations of MgCl2 and MgO on HDPCs evidenced by upregulated cell attachment, proliferation, cell viability, ALP activity, mineralization, expression of odontogenic proteins and cellular signaling proteins. Compared with MgO, MgCl2 yielded a wider range of effective concentrations (0.5mM-2mM MgCl2 vs. 0.5mM MgO) for upregulating the dentinogenic effect of HDPCs. MgCl2 at optimal concentrations could be a potential novel material for dentin repair in regenerative endodontics.

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Schools are seeking to understand how to build positive school environments that help students learn and become good citizens in the school community. One practice used in charter schools is merit and demerit systems. The literature indicates that positive and negative reinforcements acts as punitive discipline that only works when adults are around students to enforce policies, rules, and expectations. One particular charter high school that used a merit and demerit system to discipline students was studied to understand the implications of such systems for students of color living in a low-income community. Using the principles of critical pedagogy, the study connected and drew inferences between teacher perceptions of discipline and how the merit and demerit system impacted student referral and punishment. A total of 12 teachers (ninth and 10th grade) participated in this qualitative study. Through classroom observations and focus groups, trends were triangulated and presented in this study. A major finding of this study involves the teacher understanding that the concept of a merit and demerit system is beneficial, but ultimately leads to a loss of student agency. The discussion focuses on explaining an authoritarian perspective and the perceptions and reality of the implementing a merit and demerit system at the high school level. Implications for educators to understand and improve school discipline policies that support students and rethink punitive and authoritarian practices are discussed. Recommendations for future research in the study are presented and summarized.

The theory of restorative justice has always lagged behind practice. As such, gaps in theory have existed over time and continue to exist today, particularly in terms of explaining “the magic” that occurs within the encounter process. By exploring the theories of Jürgen Habermas, it is suggested that new frameworks can be developed that can help theorists think about, and explain the experiences and outcomes central to restorative processes. This paper focuses on Habermas’ theory of universal pragmatics and communicative action as a means to better understand the mechanisms within the encounter process, and the conditions necessary, to give rise to common understanding, agreement, learning and strengthened relationships. It then examines Habermas’ concept of the lifeworld and the interplay with communicative action to shed light on restorative justice’s potential for community building through norm clarification, victim and offender reintegration and increased individual capacity.

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Based on the reflections of frontline workers, this paper explores restorative justice programming in Winnipeg, Manitoba and critically raises questions around settler colonialism, the justice process, and the “participant” “worker” relationship. Within settler colonial theory, the criminal justice system is seen as a colonial project that continues to disproportionately control and confine Indigenous Peoples. Exploring how workers understand settler colonialism and the restorative justice difference in their work and in their relationship with participants, this thesis argues that, to its detriment, restorative justice theory has not adequately considered settler colonialism. Grounded in a critical constructivist research paradigm, data was collected through one-on-one interviews and focus groups with ten frontline workers who are program coordinators, victim offender mediators, and community workers. Framed by the writer’s own experience as a frontline worker, the collected narratives offer critical, yet hopeful insight into restorative justice theory and practice, particularly within settler colonial contexts. / February 2017

University of Macau / Faculty of Social Sciences. / Department of Sociology

A proposta desta pesquisa baseia-se num diálogo entre Psicanálise e Direito, através da função do testemunho na Justiça Restaurativa. Para tanto, primeiramente aponta algumas das principais problemáticas na articulação dessas duas áreas, através de autores da psicanálise, principalmente. Em seguida, realiza uma breve contextualização da crítica sobre o desenvolvimento do sistema jurídico (com M. Foucault) e da questão da penalidade e a partir daí contextualiza a proposta Justiça Restaurativa. Dessa proposta, depreende a questão do perdão e da culpa, aqui abordados pelo viés da psicanálise e da filosofia (com J. Derrida e H. Arent) e aponta, ainda, para questões advindas da filosofia do Direito (através de F. Ost), como sobre o lugar de Juiz, entre outras. Por fim, sublinha a questão da performatividade dos atos de fala, critica a função do testemunho e suas relações com a memória, com a história e, ainda, com a Utopia. Como metodologia, se vale da pesquisa em psicanálise. / This research's proposition is based on a dialogue between Psychoanalysis and Law, through the testimony's functions on Restorative Justice. Therefore, primarily it points some of the main articulational issues of both areas, through psychoanalysis authors, principally. After, it does a brief critical contexting about the development of the law system (with M. Foucault) and of the matter of penalty and based on this it contexts the proposition of Restorative Justice. From this proposition, it infers the matters of forgiveness and guilt, boarded from the perspective of psychoanalysis and philosophy (with J. Derrida and H. Arent) and points, although, to matters come from Law's philosophy (through F. Ost), as the place of the Judge, among others. Finally, it underlines the matter of the performactivity of the speeching act, criticizes the testimony's function and its relations to memory, to history, and even to Utopia. As methodology, it exploits of the psychoanalysis' research.