Gender Equality Training for Students in Higher Education: Protocol for a Scoping Review.

BACKGROUND: The principles of gender equality are integral to the goals, targets, and indicators of all sustainable development goals. Higher education institutes can be powerful agents for promoting gender equality, diversity, and inclusion not only in the higher education context but also in society as a whole. To address and overcome gender inequality in the higher education environment, experts posit that change needs to occur from day 1 of the student's academic experience. To this end, training is required. A preliminary review of the literature indicates that multiple gender equality-based training programs or initiatives for students have been designed and evaluated in second and third-level education settings. Examples of educational activities undertaken include delivery of didactic teaching, participation in a face-to-face collaboration project, site visits, case studies, and coaching. Yet, our initial search indicated that, to date, a comprehensive review collating the available evidence on gender equality training for third-level students has not yet been carried out. OBJECTIVE: Our review seeks to identify and explore the existing literature on gender equality training interventions for third-level students, with a particular emphasis on training content, methodology, and outcome evaluation. METHODS: This scoping review will be structured using the Arskey and O'Malley's 5-stage framework and will consider empirical research and other relevant published works that address gender equality training. Systematic searches will be carried out in 6 research databases and the gray literature using key search terms. Inclusion and exclusion criteria have been defined, and a data charting tool created to methodically extract information from selected literature. The free web software Rayyan will be used for primary screening where each reference will be screened in duplicate first by title, then abstract, and finally by full text. RESULTS: This review forms part of the LIBRA (Balance) study and has received peer-reviewed grant funding from the Irish Higher Education Authority. LIBRA aims to use simulation-based education to develop a gender equality leadership training program for student leaders in higher education. The findings will be summarized in tabular form, and a narrative synthesis produced to inform curriculum development. CONCLUSIONS: This review seeks to inform curriculum design by reporting on the gender equality-enabling skills and leadership skills necessary to foster gender equality. This paper should inform recommendations for training and catalyze future research in this rapidly evolving area. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/44584.

Degree of conversion of resin-based materials cured with dual-peak or single-peak LED light-curing units.

BACKGROUND: There is a lack of data on polymerization of resin-based materials (RBMs) used in paediatric dentistry, using dual-peak light-emitting diode (LED) light-curing units (LCUs). OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the degree of conversion (DC) of RBMs cured with dual-peak or single-peak LED LCUs. METHODS: Samples of Vit-l-escence (Ultradent) and Herculite XRV Ultra (Kerr) and fissure sealants Delton Clear and Delton Opaque (Dentsply) were prepared (n = 3 per group) and cured with either one of two dual-peak LCUs (bluephase(®) G2; Ivoclar Vivadent or Valo; Ultradent) or a single-peak (bluephase(®) ; Ivoclar Vivadent). High-performance liquid chromatography and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy were used to confirm the presence or absence of initiators other than camphorquinone. The DC was determined using micro-Raman spectroscopy. Data were analysed using general linear model anova; α = 0.05. RESULTS: With Herculite XRV Ultra, the single-peak LCU gave higher DC values than either of the two dual-peak LCUs (P < 0.05). Both fissure sealants showed higher DC compared with the two RBMs (P < 0.05); the DC at the bottom of the clear sealant was greater than the opaque sealant, (P < 0.05). 2,4,6-trimethylbenzoyldiphenylphosphine oxide (Lucirin(®) TPO) was found only in Vit-l-escence. CONCLUSIONS: Dual-peak LED LCUs may not be best suited for curing non-Lucirin(®) TPO-containing materials. A clear sealant showed a better cure throughout the material and may be more appropriate than opaque versions in deep fissures.

Oral health promotion initiated during pregnancy successful in reducing early childhood caries.

DESIGN: This was a randomised controlled trial using Zelen's design. INTERVENTION: Women in the test group received three rounds of printed information supplied in the form of anticipatory guidance. The first round of information was provided at enrolment. The second and the third rounds of information were mailed to the mother's home address when their child reached 6 and 12 months of age. The topics covered in each round offered mothers information and support relevant to their own and the child's oral development across the subsequent 6 months period. In addition, the first round of literature included information for expectant mothers related to oral health changes during pregnancy, with emphasis on oral hygiene during pregnancy and proper nutrition. Other topics covered in this round were the importance of primary teeth, the use of pacifiers and the sleeping patterns of the child. The second and third rounds of information were concerned with the eruption of teeth, oral hygiene and nutrition. The oral health promotion material was supplemented with the existing nutritional recommendations. Half of the mothers in the test group were randomly selected to test the impact of a structured telephone consultation as an additional mode of contact. The structured telephone consultation was conducted as a scripted interview. Four questionnaires were also conducted (a maternal oral health survey, refusal to participate, child's oral health survey, and evaluation of oral health intervention). OUTCOME MEASURES: The main outcome was severe early childhood caries (S-ECC). A case of S-ECC was defined when one or more upper incisor teeth labial surfaces were carious, either noncavitated or cavitated. Diagnosis was based on visual criteria only. RESULTS: Out of 649 women enrolled in the programme (test group, 327l control group, 322), 441 had their child examined at followup. The incidence of S-ECC in the test group was 1.7% and in the control group was 9.6% (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: An oral health promotion programme based on repeated rounds of anticipatory guidance initiated during the mother's pregnancy was successful in reducing the incidence of S-ECC in these very young children.