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Accident and Trauma

Lowered Tackle Height Reduces Head Contacts in Women’s Rugby, Study Finds

Lowering the legal tackle height in women’s rugby is proving effective in reducing head contacts between players, a new study suggests. Changes to the tackle height law in women’s community rugby in Scotland is linked to reductions in head-to-head and head-to shoulder contacts, the study found. The researchers used video analysis to study the impact of the lowered tackle height law which World Rugby, the sport’s governing body, introduced for community rugby in an attempt to improve safety for players.

Published

1 month ago

May 13, 2025

Veronic D.

The lowered legal tackle height in women’s community rugby has shown to be effective in reducing head contacts between players, according to a world-first study published in BMJ Open Sport and Exercise Medicine. The research, conducted by researchers at the University of Edinburgh in collaboration with Scottish Rugby and World Rugby, analyzed video footage from 34 Scottish community women’s rugby matches played before and after the introduction of the lowered tackle height law.

The study found that the reduced tackle height led to a significant decrease in head-to-head and head-to-shoulder contacts between players. Specifically, the research revealed:

* A 21% reduction in upright tackles
* A 34% increase in tacklers entering the tackle bent at the waist, which is considered the recommended technique to reduce contact with high-risk areas of the head and shoulders
* A 64% reduction in tacklers making initial contact with the ball carrier’s head and neck
* A 17% reduction in the rate of head-to-head contacts for the tackler
* A 35% reduction in head-to-shoulder contacts for the tackler

The study also found a 19% reduction in contacts above the sternum, known as the “red zone,” between the tackler and the ball carrier. This is considered an area of high risk for concussion.

While the study did not find a significant change in the rate of concussions and injuries when comparing the pre-trial and trial seasons, researchers note that the number of reported injuries overall was very low and may have impacted these findings.

The lead author of the study, Hannah Walton from the University of Edinburgh’s Moray House School of Education and Sport, emphasized the importance of continued collection of robust tackle and injury data to further understand the effect of the law change on player behavior and safety.

This research provides valuable insights into the impact of lowering the tackle height in women’s community rugby and can inform future injury prevention initiatives. The study is part of an international project led by World Rugby to assess the effects of lowering the tackle height in 11 countries, including Australia, England, France, Ireland, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Scotland, South Africa, and Wales.

Source:University of Edinburgh

Original Link:https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250512153344.htm

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Accident and Trauma

“Unveiling the Invisible Killer: PM 1 Pollution Uncovered Across America”

A groundbreaking 25-year analysis using satellite technology has now mapped PM 1 levels across the U.S., uncovering how wildfires, vehicle emissions, and industrial byproducts have shaped the air we breathe. Although regulations have improved air quality over time, rising wildfire activity poses a growing challenge. This new dataset gives scientists and regulators a vital tool for targeting the most harmful pollutants and protecting public health.

Published

6 days ago

June 17, 2025

Veronic D.

The article provides valuable information about the scope of “PM 2.5” pollution in the United States but reveals that less is known about its even smaller cousin, “submicron” or “PM 1” particulate matter. The study published in The Lancet Planetary Health by researchers at Washington University in St. Louis aimed to quantify PM 1 over the past 25 years across America.

Randall Martin, a professor of energy, environmental and chemical engineering, emphasized that this measurement serves as a starting point for understanding which pollutants regulators could target to make the most effective health impact. The study found that the very small particles quantified generally come from direct air emissions or secondary processes when sulfur dioxide or nitrogen oxides are released through fuel combustion and burning coal.

The researchers calculated their submicron estimates based on known ratios of what makes up PM 2.5 particles, which include seven main components such as sulfate, nitrate, and mineral dust. This research sets the stage for further analysis of where, how, and why certain types of particles congregate, and how they can affect the environment and human body.

The study also revealed that pollution regulation does help. Average PM 1 levels in the air people breathe dropped sharply from 1998 to 2022, thanks to decades of environmental regulations like the Clean Air Act. However, this progress has slowed since 2010, mainly because of rising wildfire activity.

Other countries like China have a head start tracking nationwide PM 1, but now the U.S. can quickly catch up with this new dataset offering unprecedented information for the United States about an important pollutant for which few other measurements exist.

The article concludes that future pollution controls will need to address emerging, non-fossil fuel sources, and that working with epidemiologists to assess the association of PM 1 with health outcomes is a next step in this research.

Accident and Trauma

Uncovering Hidden Patterns: Lake Deposits Reveal Directional Shaking During Devastating 1976 Guatemala Earthquake

Sediment cores drawn from four lakes in Guatemala record the distinct direction that ground shaking traveled during a 1976 magnitude 7.5 earthquake that devastated the country, according to researchers.

Published

2 months ago

April 21, 2025

Veronic D.

The recent analysis of lake deposits in Guatemala has provided researchers with a unique insight into the 1976 magnitude 7.5 earthquake that ravaged the country, killing over 23,000 people and leaving about 1.5 million homeless. The study, presented at the Seismological Society of America’s Annual Meeting, reveals the distinct direction that ground shaking traveled during the devastating event.

The researchers, from Missouri University of Science and Technology, drew sediment cores from four lakes in Guatemala, which recorded the severe ground shaking caused by the earthquake. Contrary to expectations, the thickest sediment deposits were found at the end of the fault rupture, rather than in lakes furthest away from the epicenter.

According to Jonathan Obrist-Farner, a geologist and lead researcher on the project, this unusual pattern is believed to have recorded the directivity of the 1976 shaking. Directivity refers to the way seismic waves propagate in different directions depending on the orientation of the fault rupture.

The researchers’ findings are significant because they provide new information about the paleoseismic history of the plate boundary between the North American and Caribbean tectonic plates. This region has been poorly monitored due to a 36-year civil war, which ended with sparse instrumentation being left behind.

Jeremy Maurer, a geophysicist on the team, highlighted that scientists have previously found evidence of past earthquakes in lake sediment cores from various locations around the world, such as New Zealand and Turkey. However, what hasn’t been done as much is looking at where these lakes are located in relationship to the fault, specifically whether they are off-axis or on-axis.

The researchers began recovering and analyzing cores from the lakes in 2022, aiming not just to study the 1976 earthquake but also to learn more about the paleoseismic history of the plate boundary. They retrieved their largest cores yet last year, with lengths of sediment that may represent up to four thousand years of lake history.

Their initial analysis shows evidence of the 1816 earthquake of at least magnitude 7.5, which is known mostly from historical documents. This discovery is crucial for building a more complete picture of Guatemala’s seismic risk, as it highlights the importance of paleoseismic data in understanding the country’s tectonic history.