Staff publications - Cranfield Health
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Item Open Access Actions to reduce the impact of construction products on indoor air: outcomes of the European project Healthy Air(Sage, 2010-06-07T00:00:00Z) Bluyssen, Philomena M.; de Richemont, Sabine; Crump, Derrick; Maupetit, Francois; Witterseh, Thomas; Gajdos, PetrThe European project - HealthyAir is a network project involving six institutions in Europe on actions and activities that address the effects of construction products on indoor air. Different ways to improve indoor air quality were reviewed, ranging from source control to education of occupants on how to manage the built environment to achieve healthy and acceptable indoor air. Through literature study, organised workshops with scientific experts and building professionals as well as via interviews with three stakeholder groups: producers of construction products, architects and housing corporations; requirements for information, guidance and actions to improve indoor air quality were identified. These requirements formed the basis of a possible approach to improve indoor air quality: education and awareness, regulations and policies and further research and development.Item Open Access Aircraft Cabin Air Sampling Study: Part 1 of the Final Report(2011-03) Crump, Derrick; Harrison, Paul; Walton, ChristopherThis report describes the methodology and results of a study of aircraft cabin air quality undertaken by Cranfield University and two contracted analytical laboratories on behalf of the Department for Transport (DfT). The project began in 2007 and was carried out under the leadership of the late Helen Muir OBE (Professor of Aerospace Psychology, Cranfield University) until her illness and untimely death in the first quarter of 2010. The authors and project team are indebted to Helen for her inspiring contribution that made this project and our report possible. She is sadly missed.Item Open Access Aircraft Cabin Air Sampling Study; Part 2 of the Final Report(2011-04) Crump, Derrick; Harrison, Paul; Walton, ChristopherThis is the second part of the report on aircraft cabin air quality prepared by Cranfield University for the Department for Transport. The study was set up in light of concerns about possible adverse impacts on the health and well-being of air crew resulting from exposure to substances in cabin air. Part 1 of the report describes in detail the methodology used in the study, summarises the results obtained and assesses cabin air quality against available exposure limits and the quality of air encountered in domestic settings. This second part comprises principally a record of the data obtained on individual flight sectors.Item Open Access Application of multiple response optimization design to quantum dot-encoded microsphere bioconjugates hybridization assay(Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam, 2011-07-01T00:00:00Z) Thiollet, Sarah; Bessant, Conrad M.; Morgan, Sarah L.The optimization of DNA hybridization for genotyping assays is a complex experimental problem that depends on multiple factors such as assay formats, fluorescent probes, target sequence, experimental conditions, and data analysis. Quantum dot-doped particle bioconjugates have been previously described as fluorescent probes to identify single nucleotide polymorphisms even though this advanced fluorescent material has shown structural instability in aqueous environments. To achieve the optimization of DNA hybridization to quantum dot-doped particle bioconjugates in suspension while maximizing the stability of the probe materials, a nonsequential optimization approach was evaluated. The design of experiment with response surface methodology and multiple optimization response was used to maximize the recovery of fluorescent probe at the end of the assay simultaneously with the optimization of target-probe binding. Hybridization efficiency was evaluated by the attachment of fluorescent oligonucleotides to the fluorescent probe through continuous flow cytometry detection. Optimal conditions were predicted with the model and tested for the identification of single nucleotide polymorphisms. The design of experiment has been shown to significantly improve biochemistry and biotechnology optimization processes. Here we demonstrate the potential of this statistical approach to facilitate the optimization of experimental protocol that involves material science and molecular biology.Item Open Access Ascorbate enhances iron uptake into intestinal cells through formation of a FeCl3-ascorbate complex(Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam., 2010-11-15T00:00:00Z) Thumser, Alfred E.; Rashed, Aswir Abd; Sharp, Paul A.; Lodge, John K.It has been well documented that ascorbate enhances iron uptake, with a proposed mechanism based on reduction to the more absorbable ferrous form. We have performed a study on the effects of ascorbate on ferric iron uptake in the human epithelial Caco-2 cell-line. Ascorbate increased uptake in a concentration- dependent manner with a significant difference between iron uptake and reduction. Uptake kinetics are characteristic of a non-essential activator and the formation of an Fe3+-ascorbate complex. This investigation provides evidence that ascorbate enhances the apical uptake of ferric iron into Caco-2 cells through the formation of a Fe3+-ascorbate complex. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.Item Open Access Assessment of risk from inhalation exposure to benzene: a case study(2007-05-01T00:00:00Z) Crump, Derrick; Brown, Veronica M.; Carson, Anthony; Harrison, PaulWhen assessing the possible risks to human health associated with contaminated land, one of the potential pathways of exposure to be considered is the release of chemical vapours that might be inhaled by people via ambient and indoor air. Concentrations in indoor air can be relatively high because of the occurrence of preferential pathways for soil gas movement into buildings and because of a build up of concentrations in the enclosed space (Crump, 2004).Item Open Access Behavior of Escherichia coli O157:H7, Listeria monocytogenes, and Salmonella Typhimurium in teewurst, a raw spreadable sausage(Elsevier, 2009-04-15) Dourou, Dimitra; Porto-Fett, Anna C. S.; Shoyer, Brad; Call, Jeffrey E.; Nychas, George-John E.; Illg, Ernst K.; Luchansky, John B.The fate of Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella Typhimurium, or Escherichia coli O157:H7 were separately monitored both in and on teewurst, a traditional raw and spreadable sausage of Germanic origin. Multi-strain cocktails of each pathogen (ca. 5.0 log CFU/g) were used to separately inoculate teewurst that was subsequently stored at 1.5, 4, 10, and 21 °C. When inoculated into commercially-prepared batter just prior to stuffing, in general, the higher the storage temperature, the greater the lethality. Depending on the storage temperature, pathogen levels in the batter decreased by 2.3 to 3.4, ca. 3.8, and 2.2 to 3.6 log CFU/g for E. coli O157:H7, S. Typhimurium, and L. monocytogenes, respectively, during storage for 30 days. When inoculated onto both the top and bottom faces of sliced commercially-prepared finished product, the results for all four temperatures showed a decrease of 0.9 to 1.4, 1.4 to 1.8, and 2.2 to 3.0 log CFU/g for E. coli O157:H7, S. Typhimurium, and L. monocytogenes, respectively, over the course of 21 days. With the possible exceptions for salt and carbohydrate levels, chemical analyses of teewurst purchased from five commercial manufacturers revealed only subtle differences in proximate composition for this product type. Our data establish that teewurst does not provide a favourable environment for the survival of E. coli O157:H7, S. Typhimurium, or L. monocytogenes inoculated either into or onto the product.Item Open Access Biochemical and textural ripeness assessment of avocado fruit from different origins(Ishs; 1999, 2010-10-06T00:00:00Z) Landahl, Sandra; Meyer, Marjolaine D.; Terry, Leon A.; Herppich, W. B.Stage of ripeness and quality of avocado is notoriously difficult to assess by conventional methods. Texture is a very important determinant of avocado fruit quality and can change radically during storage. The difficulties in determining avocado quality are related, in part, to the spatial heterogeneity of fruit characteristics during ripening. The aim of this study was to assess the discriminatory capabilities of physiochemical properties to determine ripeness of imported 'Hass' avocado fruit. Fruit were stored at 12°C and sampled at regular intervals. Using a previously unreported method, the texture of different slices from individual fruit was measured during ripening. Maximum load, elasticity and viscosity of fruit tissue were measured using a universal testing machine fitted with a 500N or 5N load cell. The same tissue slice was then further processed prior to subsequent quantification of non-structural carbohydrates (NSCs) and fatty acid methyl esters using standard high performance liquid chromatography coupled to evaporative light scattering detection and gas chromatography coupled to flame ionisation detection, respectively. Spatio-temporal differences in maximum load, elasticity, viscosity, NSCs and fatty acid composition were found in avocados from different origins. Results of measured texture and target analytes were used to differentiate avocado fruit into definable groups using partial least squares discriminant analysis.Item Open Access Biosensors and nanomaterials and their application for mycotoxin determination(Wageningen Academic Publishers, 2011-11-01T00:00:00Z) Tothill, Ibtisam E.Mycotoxin analysis and detection in food and drinks is vital for ensuring food quality and safety, eliminating and controlling the risk of consuming contaminated foods, and complying with the legislative limits set by food authorities worldwide. Most analysis of these toxins is still conducted using conventional methods; however, biosensor methods are currently being developed as screening tools for use in field analysis. Biosensors have demonstrated their ability to provide rapid, sensitive, robust and cost-effective quantitative methods for on-site testing. The development of biosensor devices for different mycotoxins has attracted much research interest in recent years with a range of devices being designed and reported in the scientific literature. However, with the advent of nanotechnology and its impact on the evolution of ultrasensitive devices, mycotoxin analysis is also benefiting from the advances taking place in applying nanomaterials in sensors development. This paper reviews the developments in the area of biosensors and their applications for mycotoxin analysis, as well as the development of micro/nanoarray transducers and nanoparticles and their use in the development of new rapid devicesItem Open Access The burden of cancer at work: estimation as the first step to prevention(BMJ Publishing Group, 2008-12-31T00:00:00Z) Rushton, L.; Hutchings, S.; Brown, T. P.Objectives: Work-related cancers are largely preventa¬ble. The overall aim of this project is to estimate the current burden of cancer in Great Britain attributable to occupational factors, and identify carcinogenic agents, industries and occupations for targeting risk prevention. Methods: Attributable fractions and numbers were estimated for mortality and incidence for bladder, lung, non-melanoma skin, and sinonasal cancers, leukaemia and mesothelioma for agents and occupations classified as International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) Group 1 and 2A carcinogens with “strong” or “sugges¬tive” evidence for carcinogenicity at the specific cancer site in humans. Risk estimates were obtained from published literature and national data sources used for estimating proportionItem Open Access CASS•E: Cranfield astrobiological stratospheric sampling experiment(2010-12-31T00:00:00Z) Naicker, L.; Grama, V. V.; Juanes-Vallejo, Clara M.; Katramados, Ioannis; Rato, Carla Cristina Pereira Salgueiro Catarino; Rix, Catherine S.; Sanchez, E.; Cullen, David C.CASS•E is a life detectionexperimentthat aims to be capable of collecting microorganisms in Earth's Stratosphere. Theexperiment will be launched on astratosphericballoon in collaboration with Eurolaunch through the BEXUS (Balloon-borneExperimentsfor Universitv Students) program from Esrange Sweden in October 2010. It essentially consists of a pump which draws air from the Stratosphere through a collection filter mechanism. Due to the low number density of microbes in the Stratosphere compared to the known levels of contamination at ground level, theexperimentincorporated Planetary Protection and Contamination Control (PP&CC) protocols in its design and construction in order to confirm that any microbes detected are trulyStratosphericin origin. Space qualified cleaning and sterilisation techniques were employed throughout Assembly Integration and Testing (AIT) as well as biobarriers which were designed to open only in the stratosphere and so prevent recontamination of the instrument alter sterilisation. The material presented here covers the design and AIT of CASS•E. Copyright ©2010 by the International Astronautical Federation. All rights reseItem Open Access Catalytic molecularly imprinted polymer membranes: Development of the biomimetic sensor for phenols detection(Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam., 2010-02-05T00:00:00Z) Sergeyeva, T. A.; Slinchenko, O. A.; Gorbach, L. A.; Matyushov, V. F.; Brovko, O. O.; Piletsky, Sergey A.; Sergeeva, L. M.; Elska, G. V.Portable biomimetic sensor devices for the express control of phenols content in water were developed. The synthetic binding sites mimicking active site of the enzyme tyrosinase were formed in the structure of free-standing molecularly imprinted polymer membranes. Molecularly imprinted polymer membranes with the catalytic activity were obtained by co-polymerization of the complex Cu (II)–catechol–urocanic acid ethyl ester with (tri)ethyleneglycoldimethacrylate, and oligourethaneacrylate. Addition of the elastic component oligourethaneacrylate provided formation of the highly cross-linked polymer with the catalytic activity in a form of thin, flexible, and mechanically stable membrane. High accessibility of the artificial catalytic sites for the interaction with the analyzed phenol molecules was achieved due to addition of linear polymer (polyethyleneglycol Mw 20,000) to the initial monomer mixture before the polymerization. As a result, typical semi-interpenetrating polymer networks (semi-IPNs) were formed. The cross-linked component of the semi-IPN was represented by the highly cross-linked catalytic molecularly imprinted polymer, while the linear one was represented by polyethyleneglycol Mw 20,000. Extraction of the linear polymer from the fully formed semi-IPN resulted in formation of large pores in the membranes’ structure. Concentration of phenols in the analyzed samples was detected using universal portable device oxymeter with the oxygen electrode in a close contact with the catalytic molecularly imprinted polymer membrane as a transducer. The detection limit of phenols detection using the developed sensor system based on polymers–biomimics with the optimized composition comprised 0.063 mM, while the linear range of the sensor comprised 0.063–1 mM. The working characteristics of the portable sensor devices were investigated. Storage stability of sensor systems at room temperature comprised 12 months (87%). As compared to traditional methods of phenols detection the developed sensor system is characterized by simplicity of operation, compactness, andItem Open Access Characterization of industrial onion wastes (Allium cepa L.): dietary fibre and bioactive compounds.(2011-03-31T00:00:00Z) Benítez, Vanesa; Mollá, Esperanza; Martín-Cabrejas, María A.; Aguilera, Yolanda; López-Andréu, Francisco J.; Cools, Katherine; Terry, Leon A.; Esteban, Rosa M.The food industry produces a large amount of onion wastes, making it necessary to search for possible ways for their utilization. One way could be to use these onion wastes as a natural source of high-value functional ingredients, since onion are rich in several groups of compounds, which have perceived benefits to human health. The objective of this work is to gain knowledge of any differences between the different onion wastes obtained from industry and non-commercial bulbs to use them as food ingredients rich in specific compounds. The results showed that brown skin and top-bottom could be potentially used as functional ingredient rich in dietary fibre, mainly in insoluble fraction, and in total phenolics and flavonoids, with high antioxidant activity. Moreover, brown skin showed a high concentration of quercetin aglycone and calcium, and top-bottom showed high concentration of minerals. Outer scales could be used as source of flavonols, with good antioxidant activity and content of dietary fibre. However, inner scales could be an interesting source of fructans and alk(en)yl cystein sulphoxides. In addition, discarded onions (cvs Recas and Figueres) could be used as a good source of dietary fibre, and cv Recas also as a source of phenolics compounds.Item Open Access Characterization of Langmuir-Blodgett films of a calix[8]arene and sensing properties towards volatile organic vapors(Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam., 2010-07-15T00:00:00Z) Capan, R.; Ozbek, Z.; Goktas, H.; Sen, S.; Ince, F. G.; Ozel, M. E.; Stanciu, G. A.; Davis, FrankWithin this article, we report the characterization and organic vapor sensing properties of Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) thin films of calix[8]arenes. Surface pressure-area isotherms show that very stable monolayers are formed at the air- water interface. The LB film could be deposited onto different substrates which allowed the films to be characterized by UV, quartz crystal microbalance (QCM), surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The results indicate that good quality, uniform LB films can be prepared with transfer ratios of over 0.95. QCM results showed that the deposited mass of calix[8]arene monolayer onto a quartz crystal decreased from 693 to 204 ng as the number of layers is increased. AFM studies showed a smooth, and void free surface morphology with a rms value of 1.202 nm. The sensing abilities of this LB film towards the development of room temperature organic vapor sensing devices are also studied. Responses of the LB films to various vapors are fast, large, and reversible. It was found that the obtained LB film is significantly more sensitive to chloroform than other vapors. It can be concluded that this molecule could have a potential application in the research area of room temperature vapor sensing devices. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.Item Open Access Climate change – health impacts due to changes in the indoor environment; research need(2012-02-16) Crump, DerrickPeople in industrialised countries spend approximately 80% of their time indoors and the young and the elderly and people in poor health are likely to spend considerably more time indoors, particularly at home. Therefore all aspects of health that are related to environmental conditions can be impacted by the quality of the indoor environment. The indoor environment should provide shelter from the extremes of the outdoors and maintain a comfortable indoor climate, particularly thermal comfort, and provide appropriate protection against other environmental factors including pollutants, infectious agents and noise. Expected future changes in climate resulting from the impact of man on the atmosphere leading to global warming will impact the effectiveness of buildings to provide appropriate shelter and associated environmental conditions.Item Open Access Comparing the antimicrobial effectiveness of NaCl and KCl with a view to salt/sodium replacement.(Elsevier, 2008-05-10) Bidlas, Eva; Lambert, Ronald J. W.A study using a small range of pathogenic bacterial species (Aeromonas hydrophila, Enterobacter sakazakii, Shigella flexneri, Yersinia enterocolitica and 3 strains of Staphylococcus aureus) has shown that potassium chloride has an equivalent antimicrobial effect on these organisms when calculated on a molar basis. Combined NaCl and KCl experiments were carried out and data was analysed using a modification to the Lambert and Lambert [Lambert, R.J.W., and Lambert, R., 2003. A model for the efficacy of combined inhibitors. Journal of Applied Microbiology 95, 734–743.] model for combined inhibitors and showed that in combination KCl is a direct 1:1 molar replacement for the antimicrobial effect of common salt. If this is a general finding then, where salt is used to help preserve a product, partial or complete replacement by KCl is possible.Item Open Access A comparison of artificial neural networks and partial least squares modelling for the rapid detection of the microbial spoilage of beef fillets based on Fourier transform infrared spectral fingerprints(Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam, 2011-06-30T00:00:00Z) Panagou, Efstathios Z.; Mohareb, Fady R.; Argyri, Anthoula A.; Bessant, Conrad M.; Nychas, George-John E.A series of partial least squares (PLS) models were employed to correlate spectral data from FTIR analysis with beef fillet spoilage during aerobic storage at different temperatures (0, 5, 10, 15, and 20°C) using the dataset presented by Argyri etal. (2010). The performance of the PLS models was compared with a three-layer feed-forward artificial neural network (ANN) developed using the same dataset. FTIR spectra were collected from the surface of meat samples in parallel with microbiological analyses to enumerate total viable counts. Sensory evaluation was based on a three-point hedonic scale classifying meat samples as fresh, semi-fresh, and spoiled. The purpose of the modelling approach employed in this work was to classify beef samples in the respective quality class as well as to predict their total viable counts directly from FTIR spectra. The results obtained demonstrated that both approaches showed good performance in discriminating meat samples in one of the three predefined sensory classes. The PLS classification models showed performances ranging from 72.0 to 98.2% using the training dataset, and from 63.1 to 94.7% using independent testing dataset. The ANN classification model performed equally well in discriminating meat samples, with correct classification rates from 98.2 to 100% and 63.1 to 73.7% in the train and test sessions, respectively. PLS and ANN approaches were also applied to create models for the prediction of microbial counts. The performance of these was based on graphical plots and statistical indices (bias factor, accuracy factor, root mean square error). Furthermore, results demonstrated reasonably good correlation of total viable counts on meat surface with FTIR spectral data with PLS models presenting better performance indices compared to ANN.Item Open Access Comparison of different bead-beating RNA extraction strategies: An optimized method for filamentous fungi(Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam., 2012-03-01T00:00:00Z) Leite, Goncalo M.; Magan, Naresh; Medina-Vayá, ÁngelMolecular studies, especially in relation to the activity of secondary metabolite gene clusters, require the ability to extract good quality RNA from fungal biomass. This is often hindered by the cell wall structure and endogenous RNase activity in filamentous fungi. There is thus a need for rapid methods for the extraction of good quality RNA for use in microarrays and for quantitative PCR assays. The objective of this study was to examine the use of different systems for the high throughput method to extract intact RNA from filamentous fungi. Two bead beating systems with different motion patterns and speed capacities were tested in the development of the extraction protocol. They were evaluated based on the total RNA yield and overall RNA quality. The high speed bead beating with glass beads associated with an automated purification method gave more than three times higher total RNA yields with less than a quarter of the amount of mycelium required. Furthermore the integrity and overall quality was conserved, with RNA Quality Indicator (RQI) numbers consistently >7.5. This method also reduced cross contamination risks and kept RNA handling to a minimum while still being capable of multiple sample processing, reducing the time required to obtain RNA from filamentous fungi.Item Open Access Comparison of water activity and temperature impacts on growth of Fusarium langsethiae strains from northern Europe on oat-based media(Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam., 2010-09-01T00:00:00Z) Medina-Vayá, Ángel; Magan, NareshThis study has examined the effect of water activity (aw, 0.995-0.90) and temperature (10-37°C) on the lag phases prior to growth, growth rates and used models to develop two dimensional profiles for optimum and marginal conditions for two strains of Fusarium langsethiae from four northern European countries (UK, Norway, Sweden, and Finland) on an oat-based medium. Results showed that the optimum aw for growth was at 0.98-0.995 and 25°C. The limit for growth of the strains was at 0.92-0.93 aw with minima of 10°C. No growth occurred at 37°C. The lag phases prior to growth were lowest under optimum conditions and extended to >10days at marginal conditions. Statistical analyses of intra and inter- strain differences in terms of both lag phases prior to growth and growth rates were not statistically significant. However, aw and temperature were statistically significant factors. Two dimensional profiles for strains from each country of origin were built to identify optimum and marginal conditions for F. langsethiae for the first time. These environmental profiles will be beneficial for improving the ecological knowledge of this species which is able to produce trichothecene mycotoxins in a range of temperate cereals.Item Open Access Complex regulation of the aflatoxin biosynthesis gene cluster of Aspergillus flavus in relation to various combinations of water activity and temperature(Elsevier, 2009-11-15) Schmidt-Heydt, Markus; Abdel-Hadi, Ahmed; Magan, Naresh; Geisen, RolfA microarray analysis was performed to study the effect of varying combinations of water activity and temperature on the activation of aflatoxin biosynthesis genes in Aspergillus flavus grown on YES medium. Generally A. flavus showed expression of the aflatoxin biosynthetic genes at all parameter combinations tested. Certain combinations of aw and temperature, especially combinations which imposed stress on the fungus resulted in a significant reduction of the growth rate. At these conditions induction of the whole aflatoxin biosynthesis gene cluster occurred, however the produced aflatoxin B1 was low. At all other combinations (25 °C/0.95 and 0.99; 30 °C/0.95 and 0.99; 35 °C/0.95 and 0.99) a reduced basal level of cluster gene expression occurred. At these combinations a high growth rate was obtained as well as high aflatoxin production. When single genes were compared, two groups with different expression profiles in relation to water activity/temperature combinations occurred. These two groups were co-ordinately localized within the aflatoxin gene cluster. The ratio of aflR/aflJ expression was correlated with increased aflatoxin biosynthesis.