Restorative Space Research Articles

(Dis)connected by design? Using participatory citizen science to uncover environmental determinants of social connectedness for youth in under-resourced neighbourhoods

BackgroundSocial isolation and loneliness are a growing public health concern. Inadequacies in neighbourhood social infrastructure can undermine social connectedness, particularly for youth, who are dependent on their local environments yet often marginalized from public spaces and city planning. Integrating citizen science with participatory action research, the Youth.hood study set out to explore how neighbourhood built environments help or hinder social connectedness from the understudied perspective of youth in under-resourced and racialized communities.MethodsYouth (n = 42) from three neighbourhoods in Vancouver, Canada were recruited to: (1) Assess environmental assets and barriers to connectedness in their neighbourhoods using a digital photovoice app; (2) Analyze and prioritize their collective data into themes; and (3) Design and advocate for environmental improvements through a participatory workshop and forum with residents, city planners, and elected officials. Data on participant characteristics and neighbourhood perceptions were collected via an online survey and analyzed descriptively. Participatory analysis was conducted with youth using methods from thematic analysis, photovoice, and design thinking.ResultsYouth captured 227 environmental features impacting their connectedness. The most frequently reported assets were parks and nature (n = 39, 17%), including formal and informal green spaces, and food outlets (n = 25, 11%). Top barriers included poor neighbourhood aesthetics (n = 14, 6%) and inadequate streets and sidewalks (n = 14, 6%). Thematic analysis with youth underscored four themes: (1) Connecting through mobility: The fun and functionality of getting around without a car; (2) The power of aesthetics: Mediating connections to people and place; (3) Retreating to connect: Seeking out social and restorative spaces for all; and (4) Under-resourced, not under-valued: Uncovering assets for sociocultural connection. Youth described their local environments as affording (or denying) opportunities for physical, emotional, and cultural connection at both an individual and community level.ConclusionOur findings extend evidence on key environmental determinants of social connectedness for youth, while highlighting the potential of community design to support multiple dimensions of healthy social development. Additionally, this work demonstrates the resilience and agency of youth in under-resourced settings, and underscores the importance of honouring assets, co-production, and intergenerational planning when working to advance healthy, connected, and youthful cities.

Investigating effect chains from cognitive and noise-induced short-term stress build-up to restoration in an urban or nature setting using 360° VR

Population growth and increasing urbanization leads to growing exposure to traffic noise and a decline in accessible green spaces that could promote restoration from noise-induced stress. The objective of this virtual reality laboratory study was to investigate the effect chains of noise and cognitive demand on the build-up of short-term stress, and subsequent restoration in either a natural green or urban built quiet space. Participants were first exposed to road traffic noise of different sound pressure levels (LAeq of 35, 55, or 75 dB), being randomly assigned to passive listening (low cognitive demand) or concurrently performing cognitively demanding tasks (high demand). The stress phase revealed higher levels of perceived stress as well as tonic skin conductance for the high demand over the low demand group, independent of noise exposure. Increasing noise exposure was associated with elevated noise annoyance ratings and lower self-assessed wellbeing. In the subsequent restoration phase, all measures of perceived restoration indicated a clear advantage for green over non-green spaces. Further, participants from the high-demand group who were immersed in the green restorative space displayed significantly lower skin conductance levels than those in the urban built spaces. The findings suggest that exposure to natural green spaces is beneficial for psychological as well as physiological restoration from short-term stress induced by noise and cognitive demand. Our study underlines the important beneficial role of urban green spaces, particularly in densely populated, noisy urban environments.

An investigation into the audio-visual characteristics of restorative spaces using VR

The beneficial effect of nature on stress recovery is a topic of general importance, given that population growth, urbanization and thus noise-induced health impacts are likely to increase in the future. But what makes a recreational space 'restorative'? In this contribution, we present findings from a laboratory experiment using VR environments, on the contributions of different audio-visual characteristics of restorative spaces. Self-reported restorative potential and acoustic quality were assessed in a repeated measures design, varying visual setting (forest, lake, urban built space), soundscape (natural, anthropogenic), and sound pressure level (low, medium, high). First results indicate an additive effect of "naturalness": Restorative potential of spaces with both, natural visuals and natural sounds, was highest, but decreased significantly, when (a) moderate road traffic noise (LAeq ≤ 52 dB) was present, or (b) the visual environment was a non-green urban space. Urban spaces with anthropogenic soundscapes were rated with the lowest restorative potential. While increasing sound pressure levels within an anthropogenic soundscape decreased restorative potential, no such association was found for natural soundscapes. These results simultaneously highlight the beneficial effects of nature and the detrimental impact of road traffic noise on restoration.

The audio-visual incongruency asymmetry. Natural sounds in an urban visual setting are more relaxing than urban sounds in visual nature

Audio-visual interactions play a crucial role in environmental perception. Incongruent audio-visual environments, although prominent in the urban fabric, have been underlit in research. Contrasting exposures to visually natural environments combined with urban sounds, as well as the reverse scenario of visually urban environments with natural sounds, are explored for their restorative potential, both at the cognitive level by means of self-reported evaluations and instinctively through measurements of electrodermal activity. The test panel (n=67) results point at a strong audio-visual urban-nature incongruency asymmetry. Eventful natural sounds in an urban setting were perceived as more pleasant and relaxing than eventful urban sounds in a green environment. So augmenting an urban environment with natural sounds, even in absence of any visual natural features, could be an interesting soundscape intervention. In contrast, a visually natural environment paired with urban sounds is strongly negatively perceived. The findings further contribute to a growing body of literature emphasizing the importance of the sonic environment in designing restorative spaces.

Full mouth rehabilitation of a patient with Restorative Space Issues and loss of VDO by replacing maxillary arch with fixed prosthesis opposing a flexible removable partial denture in mandibular arch: A case report

Primary objective of full mouth rehabilitation is the restoring the teeth to optimal physiological and functional balance . Planning a comprehensive course of treatment for a number of missing teeth can be difficult, particularly when the vertical dimension (VD) of the occlusion is reduced. In this case report the sequential methodical interdisciplinary approach employed to treat multiple missing teeth with a loss of VD is described. The patient receives a temporary prosthesis by increasing the vertical dimension.A definitive reconstruction using a fixed prosthesis in the maxillary arch and mandibular ant region and a flexible partial denture in the mandibular arch was carried out following validation of the newly established restorative vertical dimension. A dentist can improve a patient's quality of life by providing functional harmony and aesthetic comfort through appropriate diagnosis and treatment planning

A digital workflow for full-mouth rehabilitation using CAD-CAM tooth reduction template.

A digital workflow is presented for multiple transfers of targeted jaw relation and restorative spaces from interim to definitive restorations in patients with severe tooth wear. Following analysis of the targeted restorative space, segmented arch stereolithographic templates were digitally created and fabricated for precise control of reduction depth. Then, the jaw relation was transferred from the initially determined stabilization splint to the temporary fixed restoration and definitive restoration by using a digital articulator. This digital approach yielded a stabilized jaw relationship and restorative spaces transferring effect throughout successive stages of occlusal reconstruction resulting in satisfactory prosthetic outcomes.

Social and environmental outcomes of urban street tree bed stewardship

Abstract As projections of exponential urbanization persist, promoting the health of urban populations is one of the most urgent and challenging issues of the 21st century. By taking a planetary health approach and considering the reciprocal relationship between human health and the health of ecosystems, the integration of nature-based solutions into cities can address multiple urban challenges at once. Citizen stewardship of street trees and street tree beds is one such nature-based solution that challenges rapid urbanization while offering a healthier and greener future. Not only does citizen stewardship of street trees play a significant role in tree longevity, but our research suggests that the process of stewardship itself also positively impacts the health and wellbeing of stewards themselves. In this study, we sought to assess the motivations of street tree citizen stewards and the perceived social, environmental, and health effects of stewarding street tree beds in Freiburg, Germany. Based on a questionnaire-based survey and semi-structured interviews with tree stewards, we found that the most common motivations of citizen stewards were modeling positive environmental behavior as well as a desire to help the environment and one’s community. The perceived outcomes included a strong sense of place, a meaningful connection to nature, and the belief that stewarding a street tree bed is good for one’s mental health as well as the environment. Participants also considered street tree beds to be their personal gardens, suggesting that street tree beds may serve as restorative spaces that strengthen public health and social capital while sustaining urban greening. This case study supports and expands the scientific discourse of urban gardening while suggesting that citizen stewardship of street trees and tree beds offers myriad co-benefits for urban ecosystems and public health.

Classification system for maxillary fixed dental prostheses.

To present an addendum to existing fixed dental prostheses (FDPs) classification system for maxillary prostheses. The new classification identifies the relationships between FP-1 (fixed prostheses) designs and newly developed clinical interdental gingival contours. Clinical and laboratory descriptions of the various types of full-arch fixed prostheses are described with photographic illustrations. Benefits and limitations of the various prosthetic designs are explained. Surgical differences in the amount of alveolectomy are illustrated. One clinical case is demonstrated. A new classification system for maxillary implant fixed complete dentures is presented. The new system will serve as an improved communication aid for clinicians, patients, and laboratory technicians. Treatment of patients with edentulous maxillae and/or terminal dentitions and implant fixed complete dentures include several options relative to design and materials. Restorative space can have a major impact on prosthesis design and longevity. Early on in dental implant therapy, prostheses were generally made with cast metal frameworks, denture bases and denture teeth. Prosthetic complications were widely reported. With increased clinical experience and improved materials, computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD-CAM) protocols were developed that allowed stronger prostheses to be constructed in reduced or small restorative volumes. FP-1 ceramic implant-supported fixed prostheses (CISFPs) are designed to replace only the dental hard tissues and to promote preservation and rehabilitation of gingival soft tissues. The physical properties and minimum thickness requirements in full arch prostheses are influenced by several factors including distances between implants and rigid connector sizes. FP-1 CISFPs may be the closest prostheses the profession can offer edentulous patients that mimic the look, feel, and function of missing dentitions. Aesthetic outcomes of FP-1 CISFPs are variable and depend on a multitude of factors. This article presented a classification system that builds on existing classification by identifying the level of papilla heights achieved with FP-1 CISFPs.

Implementing An Innovative Design Charrette: Creating Healing Environments for Clinicians and Patients’ Well-being

Clinicians, staff, patients, and visitors use the healthcare environment, and a deeper understanding of spatial elements that promote their well-being is necessary. However, clinical and academic nursing does not naturally fit within the field of architectural design and planning. A design charrette, an interactive and innovative approach for faculty, staff, and clinicians, offers participants a chance to be creative in merging evidence-based practice with evidence-based design principles to aid in well-being. This educational brief outlines the process and outcomes of spaces that promote well-being and restoration. The design example presented is a restorative space in a clinical unit. We describe the methods of this teaching experience and highlight the application of a design charrette for a clinical unit.

‘It’s such a wonderful space and I just love being part of it so much.’ LGBTQIA+ student experiences of attending a psychology department led online Pride group during the Covid-19 pandemic

It is crucial that academic institutions offer support to their increasingly diverse student bodies. LGBTQIA+ students often report negative experiences in relation to campus climate and treatment. The aim of this qualitative research was to explore the experiences of LGBTQIA+ students who attend(ed) a collaborative (staff and student), departmentally located (psychology) virtual (synchronous and asynchronous online) Pride group. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with four LGBTQIA+ students who had attended one or more virtual group meetings. Interviews were transcribed and analysed using Braun and Clarke’s (2006; 2019; 2022) reflexive thematic analysis. Four themes were constructed: being and becoming authentic; safe and restorative spaces; community, and connections. Together these four themes relate to an overarching theme of belonging. Although the cohort was small, the emphatic and consistent findings point to the importance of visible representation of LGBTQIA+ academic staff and the need to provide joint Pride group spaces in academic settings.

Evidence-based clinical management of localised tooth wear and a repeatedly dislodged posterior crown utilising the Dahl Concept.

This clinical case report demonstrates the use of the Dahl Concept in the management of the repeated dislodgement of a posterior full coverage crown associated with a reduced restorative space. The described technique harnesses the addition of resin composite and a temporarily cemented provisional full coverage crown to create sufficient restorative space for the cementation of a definitive posterior full coverage crown restoration at the six-month review.

MENTAL HEALTH OF STUDENTS UNDER MARTIAL LAW AS A SOCIAL PARADIGM

Purpose: to dissect the psychological implications of living and studying in an environment characterized by conflict and uncertainty, emphasizing the need to identify strategies and support mechanisms to safeguard the mental well-being of students amidst these challenging circumstances.
 Against the backdrop of the ongoing conflict, particularly in Ukraine, the article underscores the pressing need for higher education students to manage stress effectively and fortify their resilience, ensuring uninterrupted pursuit of their academic endeavors amidst emergencies.
 Materials and Methods. The study used general scientific and special research methods: theoretical generalisation, comparative analysis, classification and grouping, statistical comparison and generalisation
 Results. In the context of a complex, globalizing society and the intensified challenges imposed by martial law in Ukraine due to Russian aggression, preserving and stabilizing mental health has gained paramount significance. A decline in mental well-being significantly impacts an individualʼs quality of life, often manifesting in chronic fatigue, neuroticism, emotional instability, depression, and other adverse psychological manifestations.
 Mental health, an increasingly significant concept in modern psychology, encompasses a state of mental well-being devoid of painful mental expressions and enables conscious regulation of behavior and activity. Its structural analysis delves into the hierarchical structure of personality components that determine mental health. This involves a biological level associated with balanced internal organ functions, a psychological level aligned with a cohesive personality, and a social level wherein healthy individuals actively engage within the social system.
 Conclusions. In conclusion, preserving studentsʼ mental health during wartime assumes paramount importance, necessitating strategies to sustain psychological safety, foster social support, promote resilience, provide restorative spaces, offer professional psychological aid, and disseminate accurate information. Future research aims to explore students' psycho-emotional health for effective well-being support and learning strategies.
 
 

On Restorative Validity: Reorienting Inquiry Toward Peace, Justice, and Healing

This work begins with a simple premise: (re)imagining a healing and restorative space for inquiry. Drawing on the work of John H. Stanfield II (2006), who first suggested the restorative functions of qualitative inquiry, this manuscript forms the basis for an axiologically-actuated conceptual model, restorative validity, which asks what it would take to (re)humanize researcher and researched alike. Beginning with the knowledge of co-researchers in our collective, the formulation of this framework was organized to understand the importance of orienting our research and ourselves toward relationships, justice, and liberation. After this review, I discuss a series of reflexive questions, rooted in the trans-disciplinarity of restorative justice, which researchers and practitioners can use to consider the potential and real harms in/from inquiry. By unsettling expertise and examining the implicit intersection of validity and ethics, I question: What would it take to be part of a research project that leaves those involved feeling greater than how we have all been defined? What happens when we do not question what our research does for/to us and our participants, especially when it spurs intellectual debate with little benefit in the way of peace, justice, or healing of past traumas and loss?

"It will always be Temporary": A qualitative study of Syrian young adults expressing histories of collective violence and forced displacement in participatory theatre.

Given the increased prevalence of mental health problems in Syrian refugee communities, there have been efforts to develop adequate mental health care for their well-being. Herein, clinical literature is increasingly emphasizing the importance of locating refugees' healing at the nexus of personal and social realities, understanding the process of trauma narration within social restorative spaces of witnessing and communal support. Alongside this debate, there is growing interest in the relevance of participatory theatre for refugees. This innovative approach understands how voicing narratives of life histories within a broader social sphere may support personal and socio-political transformation. In this article, we aim to further the understanding of participatory theatre's relevance to these issues, focusing on the reparative dimensions of trauma narration. Based on a case study of a theatre project with Syrian young adults resettled in Belgium, we explore the different ways participants expressed experiences of collective violence and displacement in dialogue with each other, their diasporic and home communities, and their host society, and consider how these processes relate to their construction and meaning and coping with trauma. In a final section, we discuss the implications of our findings, raising questions about the value of participatory theatre as a reparative space and outlining suggestions to introduce and mobilize reparative modes of trauma narration in therapeutic practices in refugee trauma care.

Learning Compact Hyperbolic Representations of Latent Space for Old Photo Restoration.

Recent restoration methods for handling real old photos have achieved significant improvements using generative networks. However, the restoration quality under the usual generative architectures is greatly affected by the encoded properties of latent space, which reflect pivotal semantic information in the recovery process. Therefore, how to find the suitable latent space and identify its semantic factors is an important issue in this challenging task. To this end, we propose a novel generative network with hyperbolic embeddings to restore old photos that suffer from multiple degradations. Specifically, we transform high-dimensional Euclidean features into a compact latent space via the hyperbolic operations. In order to enhance the hierarchical representative capability, we perform the channel mixing and group convolutions for the intermediate hyperbolic features. By using attention-based aggregation mechanism in a hyperbolic space, we can further obtain the resulting latent vectors, which are more effective in encoding the important semantic factors and improving the restoration quality. Besides, we design a diversity loss to guide each latent vector to disentangle different semantics. Extensive experiments have shown that our method is able to generate visually pleasing photos and outperforms state-of-the-art restoration methods.

Breaking the cycle of violence: The church as a space for dialogue towards restorative reconciliation, justice, and forgiveness in Naga society

Political conflicts thrive on a cycle of violence, the short-circuiting of which is essential for lasting peace. The essay argues that it requires more than a political solution to usher in lasting peace. Breaking the cycle of violence once and for all requires a restorative experience of reconciliation. While many stakeholders are at play towards bringing a solution to the political impasse in Naga society, the essay argues that Naga churches have a vital role to play, by providing an alternative to the geopolitical solutions and offering a space for dialogue, reconciliation, and restoration.

Integrated spatial regulation strategy of blue-green body space for urban ecological restoration

With the acceleration of urbanisation, urban ecological environment problems are becoming more and more prominent. To address this problem, the study proposes a spatial integration and regulation strategy for the blue-green main body, including the quality improvement of the ecological environment in the blue-green space and the construction of ecological barriers in the blue-green space. The hierarchical analysis method is also used to assess its effectiveness. The results show that among the spatial integration and control strategies of blue-green space proposed by the study, the scores of the technical indicators of the quality improvement strategy of blue-green space ecological environment are all higher than 70, the scores of the economic indicators are all higher than 85, and the scores of the environmental indicators are all higher than 75. At the same time, the scores of the technical indicators of the strategy of constructing ecological barriers in blue-green space are all higher than 75, the economic indicators are all higher than 70, and the environmental indicators are all higher than 70. This indicates that the proposed regulation strategies of the study show high scores and advantages in technology, economy and environment. These strategies provide strong support and guarantee for the improvement of ecological environment quality in blue-green space and the construction of ecological barriers.

Full mouth rehabilitation of a patient with tooth wear and insufficient restorative space due to loss of posterior teeth support: a case report

Full mouth rehabilitation of a patient with tooth wear and insufficient restorative space due to loss of posterior teeth support: a case report

Participatory Modeling for Analyzing Interactions Between High‐Priority Sustainable Development Goals to Promote Local Sustainability

AbstractAchieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is challenging given the complex interactions between different SDGs and their spillover effects. We developed a system dynamics model—the Local Environmental and Socio‐Economic Model (LESEM)—to analyze and quantify context‐based SDG interactions at the local scale using a participatory model co‐design process with local stakeholders. The LESEM was developed for the Goulburn‐Murray Irrigation District in Victoria, Australia, to assist policymakers in analyzing local issues with a more integrated and holistic approach to sustainable development at the local scale. The process of participatory systems dynamics modeling facilitates integrated and strategic decision‐making and can help local policymakers identify and quantify potential trade‐offs and synergies that benefit multiple SDGs, which eventually leads local communities toward sustainability. We present an illustrative application of the model that quantifies SDG interactions across four high‐priority SDGs, namely clean water and sanitation (SDG 6), zero hunger (SDG 2), economic growth (SDG 8), and life on land (SDG 15). We illustrate the use of the model in assessing key SDG indicator trajectories under a business‐as‐usual (BAU) scenario from 2010 to 2050. Under the BAU, agri‐food production increased despite a decline in water resource availability, with gains driven by intensification and increased agricultural productivity. This boosted local prosperity and reduced the amount of agricultural land required to meet future agri‐food demand, thereby reducing pressures on terrestrial ecosystems and creating the space for ecological restoration and carbon storage in soils and biomass. However, agricultural intensification impacted water quality through increases in algal blooms and river salinity.

Imagining a Higher Education Career in African American Studies

This article was written during the 2020 summer seminar “Imagining a Higher Education Career in African American Studies” at Princeton University, coordinated by Dr. Dannelle Gutarra Cordero. This summer seminar aimed to be a safe and restorative space for ten undergraduate students of Princeton University from underrepresented backgrounds that intend to pursue or explore a career in higher education in African American Studies. This article is the culmination of the scholarly collaboration throughout this summer seminar, where, as research associates, all participants researched the possibilities and challenges of a higher education career in African American Studies in the United States. This article explores institutional anti-Blackness in higher education in the United States, identifies research challenges for scholars of African American Studies, and advocates for educational reform in the institutional valuation of mentorship, of decolonizing academia, of tenure justice, and of anti-racist and reparative support for Black faculty and students.