Publications by authors named "Jeff Cullen"

Article Synopsis
  • Falling on stairs poses significant health risks for older adults, yet existing research primarily focuses on controlled environments rather than real-life staircases with varying dimensions.
  • This study aims to determine if stair gait parameters (like foot clearance and cadence) observed in a laboratory setting hold true when older adults navigate actual stairs in their homes.
  • Results indicate significant differences in biomechanical risk factors between laboratory and real staircases, with high-risk fallers exhibiting riskier movement strategies.
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Trips and slips are significant causal perturbations leading to falls on stairs, especially in older people. The risk of a trip caused by a toe or heel catch on the step edge increases when clearance is small and variable between steps. The risk of a slip increases if the proportion of the foot area in contact with the step is reduced and variable between steps.

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Thousands of pollutants are threatening our water supply, putting at risk human and environmental health. Between them, trace metals are of significant concern, due to their high toxicity at low concentrations. Abandoned mining areas are globally one of the major sources of toxic metals.

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The food industry is keen to have new techniques that improve the safety and/or shelf life of food products without the use of preservatives. There is considerable interest in developing UV light and ozone (O3) treatments to enhance shelf life. A microwave radiation device that is a novel source of germicidal UV and O3 suitable for the food industry has been developed, which offers speed, cost and energy benefits over existing sources.

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