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Summary: The optimal treatment and organization of care for people with obesity is one of the greatest challenges facing today's health services. While surgery and pharmacotherapy offer effective treatment options for some people with obesity, behavioral interventions are important to support long‐term behavioral change. However, little is known about the most effective components of behavioral interventions, and this is especially the case for people with complex or severe obesity (i.e. body mass index [BMI] > 35 kg/m2). Accordingly, the current rapid review aimed to identify which behavior change techniques (BCTs) are effective for weight loss in adults with (severe) obesity. A secondary aim was to review the effects of BCTs on dietary behaviors and physical activity, and psychological outcomes, recognizing that behavioral interventions commonly target these. A search of Scopus, Ovid Medline, and Web of Science resulted in 1227 results, with 22 reviews eligible for inclusion. The most commonly reported BCTs were self‐monitoring and goal setting, but these had variable effects on weight in adults with obesity. Combining these BCTs with other self‐regulatory techniques led to increased weight loss. Further, for adults with severe obesity, so‐called 'nudge' techniques and self‐regulatory techniques were associated with greater weight loss. Three reviews also found that while self‐monitoring increased physical activity, behavioral commitments increased changes to dietary behaviors. BCTs were not associated with psychological well‐being. The review confirms that behavioral interventions have an impact in weight management, including for individuals with more complex or severe obesity, but highlights the need for further investigation of their use within clinical settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This systematic review investigates barriers and enablers to dental care utilization by disabled children. Given the high global prevalence of disabilities in children, coupled with poor oral hygiene and a 45% rate of dental caries in this group, developing inclusive oral health strategies is critical. The review aims to synthesize literature on factors affecting oral healthcare improvement for disabled children, identifying barriers, facilitators and knowledge gaps. Methods: The review was conducted following the Joanna Briggs Institute's methods and reported according to PRISMA guidelines. A comprehensive search spanned multiple databases, considering perspectives from carers, parents, dentists and health professionals. The focus was on studies involving children up to age 17 with disabilities, as defined by WHO, using dental care services. Exclusions included non‐qualitative studies, populations over 18 and nondisabled children. There were no restrictions on publication date or language. Thematic synthesis of the studies extracted themes related to barriers and enablers in oral healthcare for disabled children. Results: Thematic synthesis identified five overarching themes: stigma, communication issues, professional development, oral health education and medical‐dental collaboration. Facilitators included enhancing accessibility and availability of dental care through a holistic approach, improving dental care facility environments and ensuring skilled dental care providers. Discussion: The review underscores the importance of interprofessional collaboration, improved parent/caregiver education and specialized dental facilities to support children with disabilities. It identifies key barriers and facilitators in dental care, including challenging stereotypes, improving communication between providers and parents, enhancing holistic training and addressing gaps in oral health education and integrated healthcare systems. Conclusion: Addressing the complex dynamics of dental care for disabled children is essential for developing inclusive and effective preventive and therapeutic strategies. This review highlights the need for tailored approaches and enhanced support systems to improve oral health outcomes in this vulnerable population. Patient and Public Contribution: The members of the family support department, Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Organization for Rare Disease and Disability who provided the disability voice and contributed to providing input to the review protocol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The term 'care‐experienced' refers to anyone who is currently in care or has been in care at any stage in their life. A complex interplay of factors leads to care‐experienced children and young people (CECYP) experiencing poorer oral health and access to dental care than their peers. A rapid review of the co‐production of health and social care research with vulnerable children and young people (CYP) was carried out to inform the development of a co‐produced research project exploring the oral health behaviours and access to dental services of CECYP. Here, 'co‐production' refers to the involvement of CYP in the planning or conduct of research with explicit roles in which they generate ideas, evidence and research outputs. Aim: To learn how to meaningfully involve vulnerable CYP in the co‐production of health and social science research. Objectives: To identify: Different approaches to facilitating the engagement of vulnerable CYP in co‐production of health and social science research; different activities carried out in such approaches, challenges to engaging vulnerable CYP in co‐production of health and social science research and ways to overcome them and areas of best practice in relation to research co‐production with vulnerable CYP. Search Strategy: A rapid review of peer‐reviewed articles was conducted in six databases (MEDLINE, Embase, SocINDEX, CINAHL, PsycINFO and Web of Science) and grey literature to identify studies that engaged vulnerable CYP in co‐approaches to health and social research. Main Results: Of 1394 documents identified in the search, 40 were included and analysed. A number of different approaches to co‐production were used in the studies. The CYP was involved in a range of activities, chiefly the development of data collection tools, data collection and dissemination. Individual challenges for CYP and researchers, practical and institutional factors and ethical considerations impacted the success of co‐production. Discussion and Conclusion: Co‐production of health and social science with vulnerable CYP presents challenges to researchers and CYP calling for all to demonstrate reflexivity and awareness of biases, strengths and limitations. Used appropriately and well, co‐production offers benefits to researchers and CYP and can contribute to research that reflects the needs of vulnerable CYP. Adherence to the key principles of inclusion, safeguarding, respect and well‐being facilitates this approach. Patient and Public Contribution: Members of our patient and public involvement and stakeholder groups contributed to the interpretation of the review findings. This manuscript was written together with a young care leaver, Skye Boswell, who is one of the authors. She contributed to the preparation of the manuscript, reviewing the findings and their interpretation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores “literature sickness”, a term coined by the contemporary Iranian-American writer Azareen Van der Vliet Oloomi and developed, I suggest, in her novel Call Me Zebra (2018). In doing so, it aims to offer not only an account of this novel, but to consider the radical potential of the condition Van der Vliet Oloomi outlines. This potential lies in the challenge to the dualism of reality and representation posed by literature sickness, an idea I develop comparatively via Call Me Zebra and the reflections on exile and, specifically, world literature in the work of Edward Said and Erich Auerbach. To develop these ideas further, I explore key concepts relating to the politics of world literature – exile, marginalization, and dissent. I focus on the work of Pascale Casanova to show how the concept of literature sickness that I develop in my readings of the novel relates to current debates in world literature theory. I position Call Me Zebra within a wider critical debate in order to argue that this novel offers a distinctive response to the Kantian dualism evoked in much contemporary world literature theory, one that I unpack using Gilles Deleuze and Bruno Latour. Deleuze’s philosophy of literature is central to my reading of Call Me Zebra, as it has distinct parallels with Zebra’s own theoretical musings. I use Deleuze to illustrate how, in the novel, Zebra’s exile gives her an especial perspective on oppression and marginalization, revealing literature’s capacity for imagining new futures and ways of belonging, and making Call Me Zebra a paradigmatic text of literature sickness and its radical potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To systematically review current evidence comparing the use of mineral trioxide aggregate and calcium hydroxide for direct pulp capping in permanent teeth with mature root development. Materials and methods: A search of multiple databases was undertaken for randomised controlled trials comparing use of mineral trioxide aggregate and calcium hydroxide for direct pulp capping. Other sources, including trial registries and reference lists, were also searched. Three reviewers independently conducted the screening, data extraction and critical appraisal. Following screening, four studies were identified and analysed. Results: Three of the four studies were identified as being at high risk of bias. Two studies reported statistically significant superiority of mineral trioxide aggregate over calcium hydroxide, although one of these studies had the highest risk of bias. Two studies demonstrated the superiority of mineral trioxide aggregate over calcium hydroxide for direct pulp capping, which was not statistically significant. Conclusions: There is evidence from the randomised controlled trials that mineral trioxide aggregate performs better than calcium hydroxide for direct pulp capping of permanent teeth with complete root development following pulp exposure during caries removal, but not in cases of iatrogenic or traumatic exposures. This supports the European Society of Endodontology 2019 position statement on the management of deep caries and the exposed pulp. There are indications that the superiority of mineral trioxide aggregate over calcium hydroxide for direct pulp capping becomes more pronounced over time; the need for longer-term studies is questionable given the weight of evidence already available from short- to medium-term randomised controlled trials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Careers in academic dentistry are failing to attract a new generation of academics to steer dental education and research. Dental academia is further limited by inadequacies in levels of ethnic diversity. There is a stark contrast between the diversity of graduates entering the dental profession and those in academic positions, especially in senior ranks. Dentistry is not the only field in academia, which lacks representation and lessons may be drawn from other faculties. This paper focuses on what is known about dental academia in the United Kingdom, where there are formal research training pathways. There is an emerging recognition of the requirement for action, and it is hoped this will stimulate debate and impetus for research across Europe. The terminology used throughout this piece follows the United Kingdom Cabinet Office recommendations for writing about ethnicity (Writing about ethnicity, 2021; https://www.ethnicity‐facts‐figures.service.gov.uk/style‐guide/writing‐about‐ethnicity). Where cited sources have employed less acceptable terms (Please don't call me BAME or BME!: Civil service, 2019; https://civilservice.blog.gov.uk/2019/07/08/please‐dont‐call‐me‐bame‐or‐bme/), these have been changed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Harmonising education to support workforce mobility has been a policy objective for the European Union. However, alignment across varied national contexts presents challenges in dental education. Methods: A systematic literature review with narrative synthesis. Searches of the electronic databases Embase [Ovid]; MEDLINE [Ovid]; Scopus; CINAHL; AMED and PsycINFO were conducted for relevant material published between 2000 and 2019 on undergraduate curricula, quality standards and learning outcomes in dentistry. Results: Seventy‐six papers met the inclusion criteria. Fifty‐three papers were commentaries or editorials, twenty‐one were research studies, and two were literature reviews on specific dental subfields. Eighteen of the research studies reported surveys. The literature contains extensive proposals for undergraduate curricula or learning outcomes, either broadly or for subfields of dentistry. Included papers demonstrated the importance of EU policy and educator‐led initiatives as drivers for harmonisation. There is limited evidence on the extent to which proposed pan‐European curricula or learning outcomes have been implemented. The nature and extent of dental students' clinical experience with patients is an area of variance across European Union member states. Arrangements for the quality assurance of dental education differ between countries. Discussion: Harmonisation of European dental education has engaged educators, as seen in the publication of proposed curricula and learning outcomes. However, differences remain in key areas such as clinical experience with patients, which has serious implications if graduate dentists migrate to countries where different expectations exist. Mutual recognition of professional qualifications between countries relies on education which meets certain standards, but institutional autonomy makes drawing national comparisons problematic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]