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ObjectiveTo identify characteristics of tackling, of being tackled and interactions between tackle characteristics that are associated with concussion.MethodsA case-control study in male professional rugby union players in England over five seasons (2016/2017 to 2020/2021) analysed characteristics of tackles that led to a clinically diagnosed concussion (cases), and a control group of tackles that did not result in a concussion. ORs were plotted against the overall frequency of each tackle characteristic.Results231 tackles resulting in concussions (tackler 178, 77%; ball-carrier 53, 23%), alongside 9963 control tackles, were analysed. For tacklers, ‘head to torso’ (Lower CI OR Upper CI; 4.0 6.5 10.7) had relatively low odds of concussion compared with ‘no head contact’. ‘Head to knee’ had the highest odds of concussion (75.3 155.8 322.4), but ‘head to hip’ occurred more frequently and had the highest number of concussions per 1000 tackles (3.1/1000 tackles). For ball-carriers, ‘head to head’ contact had the highest odds of concussion (56.7 104.3 192.0). When ‘tackler body position’ was ‘upright’, the odds of concussion to the tackler were significantly higher when contacting the ball-carrier’s ‘head and neck’ versus their ‘torso’ (3.0 23.7 206.7).ConclusionsLower tackles reduce the chances of concussion to ball-carriers. The influence of tackle height on concussion to tacklers is more nuanced, but the chances are relatively low when contact is made with the ball-carrier’s torso. These findings support ongoing implementation of strategies to reduce concussion risk by lowering tackle height to target the torso.

ObjectivesMost concussions in rugby union occur during tackles. We investigated whether legislation to lower maximum tackle height would change tackle behaviour, and reduce concussion incidence rate.MethodsIn an observational evaluation using a prospective cohort design, 12 elite men’s teams played in two competitions during the 2018/2019 season. The Championship (90 games) retained standard Laws of Rugby for the tackle; the Championship Cup (36 games) used revised laws—the maximum tackle height was lowered from the line of the shoulders on the ball carrier to the line of the armpits. Videos of tackles were analysed for ball carrier and tackler behaviour. Injury data were collected using standardised methods.ResultsIn the lowered tackle height setting, there was a significantly lower proportion of tackles; (1) in which ball carriers (rate ratio (RR) 0.83, 95% CI 0.79 to 0.86) and tacklers (RR 0.80, 95% CI 0.76 to 0.84) were upright, (2) in which the tackler’s initial contact was to the ball carrier’s head or neck (RR 0.70, 95% CI 0.58 to 0.84) and (3) in which initial contact was above the line of the ball carrier’s armpit (RR 0.84, 95% CI 0.80 to 0.88). Concussion incidence rate did not differ between conditions (RR 1.31, 95% CI 0.85 to 2.01). Unexpectedly, compared with the standard tackle height setting, tacklers in the lowered tackle height setting were themselves concussed at a higher rate as measured by; (1) incidence (RR 1.90, 95% CI 1.05 to 3.45) and (2) concussions per 1000 tackles (2.09, 95% CI 1.15 to 3.80).ConclusionsLegislating to lower the height of the tackle meant that tacklers made contact with the ball carrier’s head and neck 30% less often. This did not influence concussion incidence rates. Tacklers in the lowered tackle height setting suffered more concussions than did tacklers in the standard tackle height setting.

The primary aim of this study was to examine whether accuracy of rugby union match prediction outcomes differed dependent on the method of data analysis (i.e., isolated vs. descriptively converted or relative data). A secondary aim was to then use the most appropriate method to investigate the performance indicators (PI’s) most relevant to match outcome. Data was 16 PI’s from 127 matches across the 2016–17 English Premiership rugby season. Given the binary outcome (win/lose), a random forest classification model was built using these data sets. Predictive ability of the models was further assessed by predicting outcomes from data sets of 72 matches across the 2017–18 season. The relative data model attained a balanced prediction rate of 80% (95% CI – 75–85%) for 2016–17 data, whereas the isolated data model only achieved 64% (95% CI – 58–70%). In addition, the relative data model correctly predicted 76% (95% CI – 68–84%) of the 2017–18 data, compared with 70% (95% CI – 63–77%) for the isolated data model. From the relative data model, 10 PI’s had significant relationships with game outcome; kicks from hand, clean breaks, average carry distance, penalties conceded when the opposition have the ball, turnovers conceded, total metres carried, defenders beaten, ratio of tackles missed to tackles made, total missed tackles, and turnovers won. Outcomes of Premiership rugby matches are better predicted when relative data sets are utilised. Basic open-field abilities based around an effective kicking game, ball carrying abilities, and not conceding penalties when the opposition are in possession are the most relevant predictors of success.

He consequently found that Mr [Ian Ashworth] was in breach of his duty to the estate in respect of the negotiations for the 2002 and 2003 leases. He held that had Mr Ashworth fulfilled his duty, the estate and BIA would most likely have agreed a rent of 10% of the turnover on top of a base rent of £9,000 in respect of field A. This is in marked contrast to the estate's claim of 80% of turnover.

The US corporates coming to the UK are often amazed at UK leasing structures. To them, the idea of a 25-year lease subject to an upward-only rent review every five years is an alien concept. The demands of the US corporate for shorter flexible leases has influenced UK leasing structures, and landlords wishing to encourage strong corporates as tenants have had to engage with US companies.

Worldwide, public health physical activity guidelines include special emphasis on populations of children (typically 6-11 years) and adolescents (typically 12-19 years). Existing guidelines are commonly expressed in terms of frequency, time, and intensity of behaviour. However, the simple step output from both accelerometers and pedometers is gaining increased credibility in research and practice as a reasonable approximation of daily ambulatory physical activity volume. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to review existing child and adolescent objectively monitored step-defined physical activity literature to provide researchers, practitioners, and lay people who use accelerometers and pedometers with evidence-based translations of these public health guidelines in terms of steps/day. In terms of normative data (i.e., expected values), the updated international literature indicates that we can expect 1) among children, boys to average 12,000 to 16,000 steps/day and girls to average 10,000 to 13,000 steps/day; and, 2) adolescents to steadily decrease steps/day until approximately 8,000-9,000 steps/day are observed in 18-year olds. Controlled studies of cadence show that continuous MVPA walking produces 3,300-3,500 steps in 30 minutes or 6,600-7,000 steps in 60 minutes in 10-15 year olds. Limited evidence suggests that a total daily physical activity volume of 10,000-14,000 steps/day is associated with 60-100 minutes of MVPA in preschool children (approximately 4-6 years of age). Across studies, 60 minutes of MVPA in primary/elementary school children appears to be achieved, on average, within a total volume of 13,000 to 15,000 steps/day in boys and 11,000 to 12,000 steps/day in girls. For adolescents (both boys and girls), 10,000 to 11,700 may be associated with 60 minutes of MVPA. Translations of time- and intensity-based guidelines may be higher than existing normative data (e.g., in adolescents) and therefore will be more difficult to achieve (but not impossible nor contraindicated). Recommendations are preliminary and further research is needed to confirm and extend values for measured cadences, associated speeds, and MET values in young people; continue to accumulate normative data (expected values) for both steps/day and MVPA across ages and populations; and, conduct longitudinal and intervention studies in children and adolescents required to inform the shape of step-defined physical activity dose-response curves associated with various health parameters.

Sustainable intensification is an emerging model for agriculture designed to reconcile accelerating global demand for agricultural products with long-term environmental stewardship. Defined here as increasing agricultural production while maintaining or improving environmental quality, sustainable intensification hinges upon decision-making by agricultural producers, consumers, and policy-makers. The Long-Term Agroecosystem Research (LTAR) network was established to inform these decisions. Here we introduce the LTAR Common Experiment, through which scientists and partnering producers in US croplands, rangelands, and pasturelands are conducting 21 independent but coordinated experiments. Each local effort compares the outcomes of a predominant, conventional production system in the region ('business as usual') with a system hypothesized to advance sustainable intensification ('aspirational'). Following the logic of a conceptual model of interactions between agriculture, economics, society, and the environment, we identified commonalities among the 21 experiments in terms of (a) concerns about business-as-usual production, (b) 'aspirational outcomes' motivating research into alternatives, (c) strategies for achieving the outcomes, (d) practices that support the strategies, and (e) relationships between practice outreach and adoption. Network-wide, concerns about business as usual include the costs of inputs, opportunities lost to uniform management approaches, and vulnerability to accelerating environmental changes. Motivated by environmental, economic, and societal outcomes, scientists and partnering producers are investigating 15 practices in aspirational treatments to sustainably intensify agriculture, from crop diversification to ecological restoration. Collectively, the aspirational treatments reveal four general strategies for sustainable intensification: (1) reducing reliance on inputs through ecological intensification, (2) diversifying management to match land and economic potential, (3) building adaptive capacity to accelerating environmental changes, and (4) managing agricultural landscapes for multiple ecosystem services. Key to understanding the potential of these practices and strategies are informational, economic, and social factors-and trade-offs among them-that limit their adoption. LTAR is evaluating several actions for overcoming these barriers, including finding financial mechanisms to make aspirational production systems more profitable, resolving uncertainties about trade-offs, and building collaborative capacity among agricultural producers, stakeholders, and scientists from a broad range of disciplines.

Background: Leucine-enriched essential amino acids (LEAAs) acutely enhance post-exercise myofibrillar protein synthesis (MyoPS), which has been suggested to be important for muscle repair and recovery. However, the ability of LEAAs to concurrently enhance MyoPS and muscle damage recovery in free-living humans has not been studied. Methods: In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group design, twenty recreationally active males consuming a controlled diet (1.2 g/kg/d of protein) were supplemented thrice daily with 4 g of LEAAs (containing 1.6 g leucine) or isocaloric placebo for four days following an acute bout of lower-body resistance exercise (RE). MyoPS at rest and integrated over 96 h of recovery was measured by D2O. Isometric and isokinetic torque, muscle soreness, Z-band streaming, muscle heat shock protein (HSP) 25 and 72, plasma creatine kinase (CK), and plasma interleukin-6 (IL-6) were measured over 96 h post-RE to assess various direct and indirect markers of muscle damage. Results: Integrated MyoPS increased ~72% over 96 h after RE (p < 0.05), with no differences between groups (p = 0.98). Isometric, isokinetic, and total peak torque decreased ~21% by 48 h after RE (p < 0.05), whereas total peak torque was ~10% greater overall during recovery in LEAAs compared to placebo (p < 0.05). There were moderate to large effects for peak torque in favour of LEAAs. Muscle soreness increased during recovery with no statistical differences between groups but small to moderate effects in favour of LEAAs that correlated with changes in peak torque. Plasma CK, plasma IL-6, and muscle HSP25 increased after RE (p < 0.05) but were not significantly different between groups (p ≥ 0.13). Consistent with a trend toward attenuated Z-band streaming in LEAAs (p = 0.07), muscle HSP72 expression was lower (p < 0.05) during recovery in LEAAs compared with placebo. There were no correlations between MyoPS and any measures of muscle damage (p ≥ 0.37). Conclusion: Collectively, our data suggest that LEAAs moderately attenuated muscle damage without concomitant increases in integrated MyoPS in the days following an acute bout of resistance exercise in free-living recreationally active men.

Confidence can be defined as a strong belief, firm trust, or sure expectation in relation to achieving an outcome. The study aimed to examine change in confidence to collaborate in teams in undergraduate health and social care students undertaking a mandatory 6-week IPE module using the Team Observed Professional Encounter (TOSPE). A pre-test post-test study was undertaken. Confidence was measured using the validated Interprofessional Education Academic Behavioural Confidence Scale. Independent t-tests and Analysis of Variance were used to establish differences between groups at the commencement of the study. To compare pre and post confidence scores paired t-tests were used for normally distributed data, and Wilcoxon signed rank test were undertaken for non-normally distributed data. Cohen's d and Pearson r were produced as measures of effect size. A mixed design Analysis of Variance was conducted to examine the influence of categorical variables on changes in confidence scores. Data were included from 80 matched pairs. Pre-test self-perceived scores for Total Confidence and the subscales for Interprofessional Team Working, Interprofessional Communication and Behaviours Underpinning Collaboration increased significantly (p = < .001) post module completion. Changes in scores demonstrated large effect sizes for total confidence (d = .888), Interprofessional Team Working (d = .872), Interprofessional Communication (d = .945) and a medium effect size for Behaviours Underpinning Collaboration (r = .534). Time was found to be the only categorical variable that had a significant effect on confidence (p < 0.05). Post-intervention student confidence increased significantly for total confidence and all subscales of the IPE ABC scale. When considering between subject effects only time was found to demonstrate significant results indicating an association between the IPE intervention and increased self-perceived confidence. However, it should be noted that other factors such as small subgroup sample size, social desirability response bias and potential overconfidence bias may impact the results observed, so caution in interpretation of the results considering these limitations are advised. This study adds to the body of literature that suggests IPE interventions impact positively on behaviours that underpin collaborative practice.