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One of the hallmarks of anti-capitalist social movements in Latin America is the incorporation of self-organizing processes of political education and involvement in the educational process of their children and youth. This article discusses popular education and critical pedagogy upheld by historical and contemporary Brazilian social movements, particularly the Landless Workers Movement (MST) and its historical struggles in defence of public education. First, it identifies the context of the origins of popular education in the late 1950s and early 1960s, notably Paulo Freire's epistemological and theoretical contributions. After characterizing the political context of the period, the article focuses on the key experiences of popular education. It then discusses Florestan Fernandes' criticism of the Bourgeois-Democratic Revolution strategy that played a leading role in the struggles of the period 1955-1964. Next the period of pedagogical practices that were forged in resistance to the dictatorship are examined, emphasizing the changes in Freire's thinking and the revolutionary political struggle of the MST. Finally, it points out the educational and political training issues of today, discussing strategic dilemmas and proposal of critical pedagogy and popular education.

Direct laser metal forming (DLMF) is a procedure in which a high-power laser beam is directed on a metal powder bed and programmed to fuse particles according to a computer-aided design file, thus generating a thin metal layer. With DLMF, it is now possible to fabricate dental implants with a superficial porous surface. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the peri-implant soft tissues around human-retrieved DLMF dental implants. Collagen fibers, in the form of bundles, were oriented perpendicularly to a distance of 100 μm from the surface, where they became parallel, running in several directions. In some portions, only a few collagen fiber bundles appeared to be oriented perpendicularly or obliquely to the plane of the section. Collagen fibers appeared to form a dense chaotic three-dimensional network running in different, more or less parallel directions to the surface. Under scanning electron microscopy, an intimate contact of the fibrous matrix with the implant surface was evident, and some collagen bundles could be seen to bind directly to the metal surface. By changing the surface microtexture, it was possible to change the response of the peri-implant soft tissues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the inequality-growth nexus using state-level data for Brazil from 2005 to 2013 and considers that the housing deficit better reflects inequality in the Brazilian economy, a highly unequal country. We estimate a growth regression where the housing deficit is the main explanatory variable taken alongside other control variables. The findings point to the existence of a negative linear association between the housing deficit and the growth rate of real GPD per capita across the 27 Brazilian states, with a higher explanatory power relative to the regressions that use the Gini index. The association is also stronger for the sample of richer states. Other statistically significant regressors include initial income and human capital/education. Our findings endorse investing in housing as a potential important means for fighting inequality and promoting faster economic growth in Brazil. Attention should also be given to broadening access to higher quality utilities such as electricity and sanitation. The promotion of universal access to education as a means to increase the human capital stock is also a path to achieve faster growth in Brazil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Brazilian popular education, the term "consciousness raising" is very commonly used. Widely mentioned in everyday conversations and in writing, it is not always treated as a problem or historicized. Often, especially in formal education, circulation of this term has caused it to lose its deeper meaning and its political implications for transforming society. This article discusses the term "consciousness raising" by reflecting on another word belonging to political philosophy: "praxis." Praxis and its connection with practical-reflective action provoke a political meaning of consciousness raising and link it with the transforming experience of education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In periodontal tissues, angiogenesis seems be important for the maintenance of healthy tissues and periodontal diseases. Angiogenesis is regulated through complex interplay of molecular signals mediated by growth factors involving extracellular matrix remodeling, endothelial cell migration and proliferation, capillary differentiation anastomosis. However, the influence of angiogenesis in the development, progression, and healing of periodontal lesions is currently under investigation. This immunohistochemical study evaluates the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), microvessel density (MVD), nitric oxide synthase (NOS) 1 and 3, and Ki-67 in gingival tissues of patients with aggressive and chronic periodontitis. Methods: Twenty-seven human gingiva] biopsies were taken from patients with chronic periodontitis (n = 14 patients), generalized aggressive periodontitis (n = 6 patients), and healthy periodontia (n = 7 patients). The specimens were immunohistochemically stained for VEGF, MVD, NOS 1 and 3, and Ki-67. Results: The levels of VEGF, MVD, NOS 1 and 3, and Ki-67 were found to be significantly different among groups (P >0.001 ). Patients with aggressive periodontitis had higher levels of these markers compared to those in patients with chronic periodontitis and healthy patients. Conclusions: The analysis demonstrates a higher expression of all immunologic markers particularly in subjects with aggressive periodontitis. In summary, the data from this pilot investigation suggests that VEGF is an important factor the pathogenesis of the aggressive and chronic forms of periodontitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]