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The Matchgirls and Phossy Jaw: a striking tale of industrial action

Poor working conditions, long hours, low pay – and the prospect of a dangerous and disfiguring osteonecrosis of the jaw. These were the triggers for the 1400 ‘matchgirls’ of the Bryant and May factory to strike in July 1888, a...

The pong of poverty: George Orwell on the problem of olfactory classism

Throughout his fiction and non-fiction, George Orwell incorporated references to olfaction to invoke strong reactions in his readers. For example, in Nineteen Eighty-Four the protagonist Winston describes “the pleasant smell of [Julia’s] hair”. Orwell emphasises the invasiveness and emotional force...

Untangling the emotional and physiological aspects of hyperacusis

In hyperacusis, the physiological and the emotional aspects can become deeply entwined. Dr Sarah Theodoroff draws us into her perspectives on this important aspect of the condition. Background Sounds and Emotions The basic act of hearing sounds triggers an emotional...

The effects of hormonal changes across menstrual cycle on high frequency auditory thresholds

Physiological changes during the menstrual cycle are well documented; do these changes extend to the auditory system? Lalsa Shilpa Perepa and Rewa Indurkar delve into the literature to find the evidence. Menstrual cycle refers to a series of changes that...

Hidden hearing loss in humans: cochlear synaptopathy is superseded by cognitive effects when listening to speech in noise

Elizabeth Beach presents an overview of the recent research being undertaken at the National Acoustic Laboratories on speech in noise and its relationship to cochlear synaptopathy. Our team at the National Acoustic Laboratories (NAL) has been investigating hidden hearing loss...

BACO 2015: Meet the Key Brits

The triennial BACO is always a feast of academic and social activity – and BACO 2015 promises to be as busy as ever. We hear from three of the key British speakers who are making big contributions to this year’s...

Barotrauma

Barotrauma is an injury which is due to the effects of pressure upon an air-containing space. Healthy middle ear cavities and paranasal sinuses are normally in equilibrium with the atmospheric pressure, but if an individual moves away from the surface,...