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Though the arrival of spring is most welcome, it can also be a time of sneezing and sniffling if you suffer the troublesome but very common symptoms of hay fever. Of course we associate the condition with pollen-spreading plants, but it turns out the composition of our gut bacteria – which influences our immune system – can also play a role in hay fever risk.
People with a less diverse range of gut bacteria appear to be more likely to get symptoms. And understanding this link could point us to potential alternative treatments for hay fever. In fact, there’s already some research showing certain probiotics and prebiotics could help with symptoms.
Speaking of irritating airborne particles, we’re all exposed to air pollution when we’re cooking, and not only from gas burners. Two experts explain the health risks and how to protect yourself.
Plus we look at the factors that determine job quality (hint: it’s not just about pay). Learn how improving job quality could be a way to fix the significant problems plaguing the British labour market.
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Phoebe Roth
Commissioning Editor, Health + Medicine
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Many people suffer with hay fever.
wavebreakmedia/Shutterstock
Samuel J. White, Nottingham Trent University; Philippe B. Wilson, Nottingham Trent University
Research suggests there could be a link between hay fever and the microbiome. Exploring this connection paves the way for potential treatments.
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Cooking can generate harmful indoor air pollutants.
Andrey Popov/Shutterstock
Asit Kumar Mishra, University of Galway; Marie Coggins, University of Galway
We’re all exposed to harmful air pollution when cooking – but retrofitting our homes to save energy may complicate matters.
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Doctors striking in Leeds, March 2023.
Bridget Catterall/Alamy Stock Photo
Chris F. Wright, King's College London
Collective bargaining has worked well in other countries.
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Politics + Society
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Paul Jackson, University of Birmingham
Armed group, mercenaries, mining, power struggles. It’s a familiar story in Africa, sadly.
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Geoff Beattie, Edge Hill University
US president Joe Biden regularly has slips of the tongue when making official speeches.
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Cary Cooper, University of Manchester
Report found deputy PM to have been abrasive and intimidating to civil servants who have waited months for action to be taken.
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Catherine Johnson, University of Huddersfield
Calling media organisations ‘government-funded’ risks turning people away from reliable sources of information.
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Alan Greene, University of Birmingham
Publisher Ernest Moret was detained under terrorism powers for taking part in protests against Emmanuel Macron’s pension reforms.
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Arts + Culture
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Nilufar Ahmed, University of Bristol
These feuding strangers hate each other because they hate themselves.
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Todd Andrew Borlik, University of Huddersfield
Worrying environmental issues dominated the time of William Shakespeare as they do now, from depleted fish stocks and food shortages, to overpopulation and animal exploitation.
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Gonzalo Velasco Berenguer, University of Bristol
Philip II is the forgotten king of England. Here’s what ‘consort’ really means.
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Business + Economy
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Muhammad Azizul Islam, University of Aberdeen
At least 1,132 workers died when the Rana building collapsed in Bangladesh, while several thousand more were injured.
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Environment
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Matthew Wright, University of Oxford
Extreme weather is a threat to the UK’s electricity system – and climate change is likely to make it even worse.
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Paris Stefanoudis, University of Oxford
The snailfish was recently found living at depths believed physically impossible.
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Health
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Ruth Duffy, Queen's University Belfast
The long-term legacy can be linked to poor mental health, high levels of suicide and alcohol and drug problems – but also innovation.
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Science + Technology
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Wendy Whitman Cobb, Air University
The launch of a new rocket is always an exciting event. SpaceX’s ‘go fast and fail’ approach means that even though the test ended with engineers blowing up the rocket, it was a valuable first flight.
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