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Biomedical subjects

F S Preston

Publications and source records attributed to F S Preston.

8 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1990

Food poisoning--a major threat to airline operations.

In the spring of 1984, British Airways was involved in a major food poisoning outbreak which affected nearly 1000 passengers, aircrew and ground personnel. The operational impact was worldwide and could have resulted in the cessation of the airline's day-to-day operations. The investigation paralleled a major aircraft disaster in the number of national and international agencies involved and in the variety of disciplines engaged. Although the causative organism was rapidly identified (salmonella), and its introduction into the food chain proved to be a key factor, the scale of the outbreak was the result of an interaction of other factors. As with a major aircraft accident, none of the factors alone would have caused the near disaster that occurred.

Aircraft↗
PubMed1988

Food irradiation and airline catering.

Food poisoning from contaminated airline food can produce serious consequences for airline crew and passengers and can hazard flight. While irradiation of certain foodstuffs has been practised in a number of countries for some years, application of the process has not been made to complete meals. This paper considers the advantages, technical considerations, costs and possible application to airline meals. In addition, the need to educate the public in the advantages of the process in the wake of incidents such as Chernobyl is discussed.

Aircraft↗
PubMed1978

Temporal discord.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Aircraft↗
PubMed1978

Helicopter support of North Sea oil exploration.

Exploration for oil beneath the North Sea started in the early 1960's with the discovery of natural gas and oil in the southern part between the coasts of East Anglia and the Netherlands. Since then oil exploration has built up considerably, the main effort moving northwards between the Shetland Islands and the Norwegian coasts. The helicopter offered the most direct and rapid contact with off-shore oil rigs and since these early days and immense helicopter operation has been built up round the borders of the North Sea by all the nations involved. Flying conditions in this area, particularly in winter, are at times difficult if not to say hazardous. Nevertheless, a sophisticated helicopter support service has been built up using modern aircraft and equipment which is unique in aviation history. This paper attempts to trace the history of the service, the operational problems involved and the special needs such as survival equipment and clothing. In addition, a co-ordinated air/sea rescue service largely based on helicopters has been built up and provides not only rescue facilities for possible rig disasters but also for shipping emergencies in the area.

Aircraft↗
PubMed1976

Effects of time zone changes on performance and physiology of airline personnel.

This study is the second of a series of experiments describing the effects of time zone changes on the performance and menstrual cycle changes in a group of 16 female airline personnel. Four groups of four subjects each spent 4 d in the isolation unit of the University of Manchester. One group acted as control; the other three groups were subjected to two 8-h retardations in time, representing Westerly flight. All groups were required to complete an identical battery of workload tasks. In addition, the effects of a therapeutic preparation (mepiprazole hydochloride) were studied in a double-blind experiment. The results of the study confirmed previous experiments in that there was impaired performance in individuals subjected to time zone changes when work was carried out in local time, but the results were difficult to compare with those obtained in Easterly shifts. The therapeutic agent appeared to have little influence on the effect of time zone changes upon subjects, although they reported favourably on its use.

Adult↗
PubMed1975

Medical aspects of supersonic travel.

During the 1950s, military aircraft in France and the United Kingdom developed along almost identical lines in that supersonic fighters were developed together with delta-plan research aircraft capable of speeds twice the speed of sound (Mach 2). At the end of the decade, discussions between the British Aircraft Corp. (BAC) and Sub-Aviation of France (SUD) resulted in suggested designs for a supersonic transport (SST) aircraft. With official backing from both governments, the Anglo-French Concorde Agreement was signed in 1962. At first, the development costs were estimated to be between 150 and 170 million, the costs to be equally divided between both nations. The total costs for research and development are now expected to exceed 1065 million!

Aerospace Medicine↗