Treatment of avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder: a systematic review

Objective: This study aimed to conduct a systematic review on the effects of available treatments for avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID). Methods: Literature searches, study selection, method development, and quality appraisal were performed independently by one author, and data were synthesized using a narrative approach. Studies published in English and in peer-reviewed journals that evaluated the outcomes of ARFID treatments in at least three participants were taken into consideration, while non-original studies, editorials and letters to the editor were excluded. Results: The review had three main findings. First, in all of the studies by the end of the treatment there was a significant weight gain in the ARFID participants. Second, weight recovery was maintained at follow-up in a good percentage of participants with an associated improvement of eating behavior and a reduction in anxiety, depression, and fear for the adverse consequences of eating. Third, there was weak or missing evidence regarding the treatment of ARFID in adults and the difference in outcome in the three different ARFID profiles. Eighteen studies were selected and eleven were included. Conclusion: The treatments for ARFID, although promising, have focused only on young participants and addressed the normalization of eating with behavioral procedures, but not the underlying psychopathology. Moreover, the lack of randomized controlled trials with adequate statistical power does not allow to draw conclusions on the difference in the effectiveness of the interventions tested

The effects of creatine supplementation combined with resistance training on regional measures of muscle hypertrophy: a systematic review with meta-analysis.

The purpose of this paper was to carry out a systematic review with meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials that examined the combined effects of resistance training (RT) and creatine supplementation on regional changes in muscle mass with direct imaging measures of hypertrophy. Moreover, we performed regression analyses to determine the potential influence of covariates. We included trials of at least 6 weeks in duration that examined the combined effects of creatine supplementation and RT on site-specific direct measures of hypertrophy (magnetic resonance imaging [MRI], computed tomography [CT] or ultrasound) in healthy adults. A total of 44 outcomes were analyzed across 10 studies that met inclusion criteria. Univariate analysis of all standardized outcomes showed a pooled mean estimate of 0.11 (95% Credible Interval [CrI]: -0.02 to 0.25) providing evidence of a very small effect favoring creatine supplementation when combined with RT, compared to RT and placebo. Multivariate analyses found similar small benefits for the combination of creatine supplementation and RT on changes in upper and lower body muscle thickness (0.10-0.16 cm). Analyses of moderating effects indicated a small superior benefit for creatine supplementation on younger compared to older adults (0.17 [95% CrI: -0.09 to 0.45]). In conclusion, results suggest that creatine supplementation combined with RT promotes a small increase in direct measures of skeletal muscle hypertrophy in both the upper and lower body

Functional Characteristics and Coping Strategies among Rugby Athletes: A Cluster Analysis Approach

The developing domain of mental health in sports has gained much interest, acknowledging its pivotal role in athlete performance and well-being. The aim of this research is to provide a quantitative description concerning the levels of mental health, physical activity, cognitive fusion, cognitive flexibility, and coping strategies that characterize rugby athletes by using a data-driven approach. A total of 92 rugby athletes took part in this study and filled out a set of self-administered questionnaires. A correlational analysis showed that general well-being was positively associated with years spent playing rugby (r = 0.23) and coping mechanisms (r = 0.29). Athletes’ well-being was also negatively correlated with cognitive inflexibility (r = −0.41) and cognitive fusion (r = −0.39). A k-means cluster analysis identified two unique groups: group 1, characterized by higher levels of psychological well-being, lower levels of physical activity, greater cognitive flexibility, improved coping techniques, and reduced cognitive fusion, and group 2, which exhibits opposite characteristics. The discrepancies observed in psychological characteristics such as coping strategies, cognitive fusion, and cognitive inflexibility highlight their potential impact on the general health of rugby players. To comprehend the complex interplay between psychological and physical elements in rugby athletes, long-term studies with larger samples are crucial

Response to Intervention: un modello di intervento per l’inclusione che sviluppa le Soft skills degli insegnanti. Una ricerca nazionale nella scuola dell’infanzia __________________

Il Response to Intervention (RTI) rappresenta un modello di intervento particolarmente rispondente alle esigenze degli insegnanti impegnati nell’organizzazione di contesti educativi e didattici inclusivi. Esso è articolato su più livelli ed è reputato efficace sia per l’identificazione precoce dei disturbi dell’apprendimento (DSA) sia per il supporto intensivo degli allievi con difficoltà di lettura. Considerato un processo altamente flessibile che modifica la didattica in base a come gli allievi rispondono alle proposte formative, è organizzato in 3 livelli di intervento caratterizzati da sequenzialità e basati su evidenze scientifiche: il livello 1 si rivolge alla classe intera, il livello 2 corrisponde ad attività di potenziamento in piccoli gruppi, il livello 3 è personalizzato. Da parte degli insegnanti, la messa in atto di tale modello richiede anche resilienza, riflessività, empatia, senso di autoefficacia, nonché capacità di lavoro collaborativo e di comunicazione efficace anche con le famiglie. La promozione di tali soft skills attraverso una formazione mirata è uno degli obiettivi di una ricerca finanziata dal Dipartimento di Scienze della Formazione dell’Università Roma Tre, finalizzata all’impiego del gioco musicale nella scuola dell’infanzia secondo il modello RTI per l’individuazione precoce degli allievi a rischio DSA e il potenziamento dei prerequisiti di lettura e scrittura

Il Bronzo Recente nel territorio calatino

The paper presents new data on the occupation of the territory of Caltagirone (CT) during the late Bronze age, especially regarding the presence of tholos-type tombs in the area