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This article posits an expanded conceptualisation of disaster communities. It extends previous research on disaster and media ecology by reflecting broader understandings of disaster but articulates a new analytical framework that recognises both their global dimensions and local contexts. When theorising disaster communities, we present a framework that unpacks the social, institutional and\ud mediated points of connection that are characteristic of these communities and their communicative dynamics. These ties, we argue, are not defined solely by a shared geography but instead expand beyond this through the emergence of spontaneous connections that often emerge in response to disasters and their drivers. Moreover, these\ud connections may also demonstrate a greater degree of permanency, provide boundary definitions and strengthen identity for these communities. Importantly, we recognise how media and journalism can create both new interrelations and consolidate existing points of connection for disaster communities and elaborate on the dynamics\ud and composition of these mediated ties. The article closes by presenting avenues for future research to explore points of connection for disaster communities, in particular those established and consolidated by media, and the contribution of community approaches within the context of the globalised nature of disaster and their drivers.

The fraction of nitric oxide in exhaled gas (FENO) is decreased after exposure to hyperoxia in vivo, although the mechanisms for this decrease is not clear. A key co-factor for nitric oxide synthase (NOS), tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4), has been shown to be oxidized in vitro when exposed to hyperoxia. We hypothesized that the decrease of FENO is due to decreased enzymatic generation of NO due to oxidation of BH4. The present study was performed to investigate the relationship between levels of FENO and plasma BH4 following hyperoxic exposure in humans. Two groups of healthy subjects were exposed to 100% oxygen for 90 minutes. FENO was measured before and 10 minutes (n = 13) or 60 minutes (n = 14) after the exposure. Blood samples were collected at the same time points for quantification of biopterin levels (BH4, BH2 and B) using LC-MS/MS. Each subject was his or her own control, breathing air for 90 minutes on a separate day. Hyperoxia resulted in a 28.6 % decrease in FENO 10 minutes after exposure (p < 0.001), confirming previous findings. Moreover, hyperoxia also caused a 14.2% decrease in plasma BH4 (p = 0.012). No significant differences were observed in the group measured 60 minutes after exposure. No significant correlation was found between the changes in FENO and BH4 after the hyperoxic exposure (r = 0.052, p = 0.795), this might be due to the recovery of BH4 being faster than the recovery of FENO.

The #MeToo movement, which engulfed much of India’s news and entertainment industry in October 2018, was projected by many as a watershed moment for Indian journalism. Driven largely through social media activism, it created significant media discourse and public outcry, leading to the ‘outing’ and resignation of scores of journalists. This paper explores the perception of #MeTooIndia in regional and national newsrooms. Drawing on Manuel Castells’s ideas of networked social movement, we consider the origins of #MeTooIndia, including its mediation on private and social networks. We then draw on 190 semi-structured interviews with journalists working in 14 languages across the six administrative zones of India to explore the ‘cause’ of the campaign—the prevalence of sexual harassment and sexual violence in workspaces—before turning our attention to the impact, or potential for impact, that journalists saw in it. We find most journalists felt the movement was “good”, but did not think it influenced their newsroom environment or newswork in any meaningful manner. Regional journalists expressed more pessimism about the #MeTooIndia, men more so than women.

This study examines the online communicative dynamics between women and men during the Saudi women’s rights campaign to end male guardianship, which unfolded on Twitter. We analysed 2.7 million tweets with the #EndMaleGuardianship hashtag over a 7-month period quantitatively and 150,245 of these qualitatively to examine the extent to which Twitter shapes and facilitates cross-gender communication, and how this helped engender new spaces for expression of dissent. Our study shows that Twitter provided shared online communicative spaces that had several characteristics commonly associated with public sphere(s). There is also evidence that using these alternatives spaces, women transcended to an extent the gender segregation that exists in traditional public discourses and spaces of Saudi society. The anonymity of Twitter offered women a safe place to deliberate their concerns about male guardianship. We suggest that these deliberations created a counterpublic sphere of sorts, which helped Saudi women legitimise the #EndMaleGuardianship campaign.

Purpose: Nitric oxide (NO) has been shown to protect against bubble formation and the risk of decompression sickness. We hypothesize that oxidation of tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4) leads to a decreased production of NO during simulated diving. Methods: Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) were exposed to hyperoxia or simulated diving for 24 hours. The levels of biopterins (BH4, BH2 and B) were determined by LC-MS/MS, and the production of NO by monitoring the conversion of L-arginine to L-citrulline. Results: Exposure to hyperoxia decreased BH4 in a dose-dependent manner; by 48 ± 15% following exposure to 40 kPa O2 (P < 0.001 vs. control at 20 kPa O2), and 70 ± 16% following exposure to 60 kPa O2. Exposure to 40 kPa O2 decreased NO production by 25 ± 9%, but there was no further decrease when increasing oxygen exposure to 60 kPa (25 ± 10%). No additional effects of simulated diving were observed, indicating no additive or synergistic effects of hyperbaria and hyperoxia on the BH4 level or NO generation. Conclusion: NO generation in intact human endothelial cells was decreased by simulated diving, as well as by hyperoxic exposure, while BH4 levels seem to be affected only by hyperoxia. Hence, the results suggest that BH4 is not the sole determinant of NO generation in HUVEC.

Despite the sustained growth in journalism as a choice of degree path for young people, our understanding of students’ aspirations and motivations remains relatively underdeveloped. At the same time, journalism careers appear increasingly uncertain, as the industry responds to digitalization and convergence. In this mixed-methods study - employing 35 interviews and a survey of 837 UK journalism students - we ask what areas of journalism do students aspire towards, how do they feel about their future career prospects, and what is motivating them to study journalism in the first place? We find that intrinsic motivations (calling and talent, dynamic job) prevail over public service ones, with students drawn to soft news beats over hard news. Aspirations are also strikingly gendered, opening up questions of journalism education in this process. We also find that while students articulate an aspirational career in respected media outlets, they are pragmatic about their immediate career prospects. Here, journalism education appears to play a significant role in socialising students towards careers beyond journalism. Findings are discussed in the light of ongoing debates around journalistic socialisation and the future of journalism.

Environmental volunteering can benefit participants and nature through improving physical and mental well‐being while encouraging environmental stewardship. To enhance achievement of these outcomes, conservation organizations need to reach different groups of people to increase participation in environmental volunteering. This paper explores what engages communities searching online for environmental volunteering. We conducted a literature review of 1,032 papers to determine key factors fostering participation by existing volunteers in environmental projects. We found that the most important factor was to tailor projects to the motivations of participants. Also important were promoting projects to people with relevant interests, meeting the perceived benefits of volunteers and removing barriers to participation. We then assessed the composition and factors fostering participation of the NatureVolunteers's online community (n = 2,216) of potential environmental volunteers and compared findings with those from the literature review. We asked whether projects advertised by conservation organizations meet the motivations and interests of this online community. Using Facebook insights and Google Analytics we found that the online community were on average younger than extant communities observed in studies of environmental volunteering. Their motivations were also different as they were more interested in physical activity and using skills and less in social factors. They also exhibited preferences for projects which are outdoor based, and which offer close contact with wildlife. Finally, we found that the online community showed a stronger preference for habitat improvement projects over those involving species survey‐based citizen science. Our results demonstrate mismatches between what our online community are looking for and what is advertised by conservation organizations. The online community are looking for projects which are more solitary, more physically active and more accessible by the organized transport. We discuss how our results may be used by conservation organizations to better engage with more people searching for environmental volunteering opportunities online. We conclude that there is a pool of young people attracted to environmental volunteering projects whose interests are different to those of current volunteers. If conservation organizations can develop projects that meet these interests, they can engage larger and more diverse communities in nature volunteering. A free Plain Language Summary can be found within the Supporting Information of this article.

The fraction of nitric oxide in exhaled gas (FENO) is decreased after exposure to hyperoxia in vivo, although the mechanisms for this decrease is not clear. A key co-factor for nitric oxide synthase (NOS), tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4), has been shown to be oxidized in vitro when exposed to hyperoxia. We hypothesized that the decrease of FENO is due to decreased enzymatic generation of NO due to oxidation of BH4. The present study was performed to investigate the relationship between levels of FENO and plasma BH4 following hyperoxic exposure in humans. Two groups of healthy subjects were exposed to 100% oxygen for 90 minutes. FENO was measured before and 10 minutes (n = 13) or 60 minutes (n = 14) after the exposure. Blood samples were collected at the same time points for quantification of biopterin levels (BH4, BH2 and B) using LC-MS/MS. Each subject was his or her own control, breathing air for 90 minutes on a separate day. Hyperoxia resulted in a 28.6 % decrease in FENO 10 minutes after exposure (p0.001), confirming previous findings. Moreover, hyperoxia also caused a 14.2% decrease in plasma BH4 (p = 0.012). No significant differences were observed in the group measured 60 minutes after exposure. No significant correlation was found between the changes in FENO and BH4 after the hyperoxic exposure (r = 0.052, p = 0.795), this might be due to the recovery of BH4 being faster than the recovery of FENO.

Nepal has a collectivist culture, founded on the ‘afno manche’ family system, where the needs of the family and kinships take priority over external obligations. The devastating April 2015 earthquake of 7.8 magnitude threw this into sharp relief, affecting 31 of Nepal’s 75 districts; it killed 8794 people and injured 22,300. This chapter explores the experiences of Nepali journalists as members—in a personal and professional capacity—of disaster-affected communities. It draws on in-depth interviews with journalists and editors based in the city areas of Kathmandu and Patan, as well as regions worst affected by the earthquake: Sindhupalchok, Nuwakot, and Gorkha. The chapter explores the tension between journalists’ professional identity and their emotive response to experiencing the disaster first-hand, as victims and survivors. Respondents revealed tensions between traumatic experience of themselves and their family and their perceived professional duty to report.

It is widely recognised that disasters are becoming more frequent, having greater and longer-lasting impacts and increasingly affecting those most vulnerable (Watson, Caravani, Mitchel, Kellet, & Peters, 2015). Climate-related and geophysical hazards—earthquakes, flooding and wildfires in particular—affect millions of people worldwide each year (Guhpa-Sapir, 2018). Disasters are also the consequence of human action or inaction, the failure of people to mitigate and respond to risks that arise from new technology, conflict and lack of governance, amongst others.

Nitric oxide (NO) may protect against gas bubble formation and risk of decompression sickness. We have previously shown that the crucial co-factor tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4) is oxidized in a dose-dependent manner when exposed to hyperoxia similar to diving conditions but with minor effects on the NO production by nitric oxide synthase. By manipulating the intracellular redox state, we further investigated the relationship between BH4 levels and production of NO in human endothelial cells (HUVECs). HUVECs were cultured with and without ascorbic acid (AA) and the glutathione (GSH) synthesis inhibitor buthionine sulfoximine, prior to hyperoxic exposure. The levels of biopterins and GSH were determined in cell lysates while the production of NO was determined in intact cells. Omitting AA resulted in a 91% decrease in BH4 levels (0.49 ± 0.08 to 0.04 ± 0.01 pmol/10⁶ cells, p⟨0.001) at 20 kPa oxygen (O2), and 88% decrease (0.24 ± 0.03 to 0.03 ± 0.01 pmol/10⁶ cells, p=0.01) after exposure to 60 kPa O2. The NO generation was decreased by 23% (74.5 ± 2.2 to 57.3 ± 5.6 pmol/min/mg protein, p⟨0.001) at 20 kPa O2, but no significant change was observed at 60 kPa O2. GSH depletion had no effects on the NO generation. No correlation was found between NO generation and the corresponding intracellular BH4 concentration (p=0.675, r=-0.055) or the BH4 to BH2 ratio (p=0.983, r=0.003), determined across 18 in vitro experiments. Decreased BH4 in HUVECs, due to hyperoxia or lack of ascorbic acid, does not imply corresponding decreases in NO generation.

Sensory substitution devices allow cross-modal interactions with the environment, however controlled training and quantitative evaluation of cognitive skills development remains challenging. We describe the main advantages of the virtual reality systems in context of developing and assessment of sensory substitution skills. We propose VIRCO - a virtual reality training and evaluation system, which enables remote, automatic experimental setup and data collection. VIRCO utilizes Colorophone sonification method, which provides non-verbal information about color and distance. Our system enables detailed control over a complicated training process of multiple participants, allowing for stimuli to be easily designed.

Nitric oxide (NO) has been shown to protect against bubble formation and the risk of decompression sickness. We hypothesize that oxidation of tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4) leads to a decreased production of NO during simulated diving.Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) were exposed to hyperoxia or simulated diving for 24 hours. The levels of biopterins (BH4, BH2 and B) were determined by LC-MS/MS, and the production of NO by monitoring the conversion of L-arginine to L-citrulline.Exposure to hyperoxia decreased BH4 in a dose-dependent manner; by 48 ± 15% following exposure to 40 kPa O2 (P⟨0.001 vs. control at 20 kPa O2), and 70 ± 16% following exposure to 60 kPa O2. Exposure to 40 kPa O2 decreased NO production by 25 ± 9%, but there was no further decrease when increasing oxygen exposure to 60 kPa (25 ± 10%). No additional effects of simulated diving were observed, indicating no additive or synergistic effects of hyperbaria and hyperoxia on the BH4 level or NO generation.NO generation in intact human endothelial cells was decreased by simulated diving, as well as by hyperoxic exposure, while BH4 levels seem to be affected only by hyperoxia. Hence, the results suggest that BH4 is not the sole determinant of NO generation in HUVEC.

Background Knowledge of the effect of marine protein hydrolysate (MPH) supplementation to promote recovery after high intensity performance training is scarce. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of MPH supplementation to whey protein (WP) and carbohydrate (CHO): (CHO-WP-MPH), on short-term recovery following high intensity performance, compared to an isoenergetic and isonitrogenous supplement of WP and CHO: (CHO-WP), in male cyclists. Methods This was a double-blinded crossover study divided into three phases. Fourteen healthy men participated. In phase I, an incremental bicycle exercise test was performed for establishment of intensities used in phase II and III. In phase II (9–16 days after phase 1), the participants performed first one high intensity performance cycling session, followed by nutrition supplementation (CHO-WP-MPH or CHO-WP) and 4 hours of recovery, before a subsequent high intensity performance cycling session. Phase III (1 week after phase II), was similar to phase II except for the nutrition supplementation, where the participants received the opposite supplementation compared to phase II. Primary outcome was difference in time to exhaustion between the cycling sessions, after nutrition supplementations containing MPH or without MPH. Secondary outcomes were differences in heart rate (HR), respiratory exchange ratio (RER), blood lactate concentration and glucose. Results The mean age of the participants was 45.6 years (range 40–58). The maximal oxygen uptake (mean ± SD) measured at baseline was 54.7 ± 4.1 ml∙min− 1∙kg− 1. There were no significant differences between the two nutrition supplementations measured by time to exhaustion at the cycling sessions (meandiff = 0.85 min, p = 0.156, 95% confidence interval (CI), − 0.37, 2.06), HR (meandiff = 0.8 beats pr.min, p = 0.331, 95% CI, − 0.9, 2.5), RER (meandiff = − 0.05, p = 0.361, 95% CI -0.07 – 0.17), blood lactate concentration (meandiff = − 0.24, p = 0.511, 95% CI, − 1.00, 0.53) and glucose (meandiff = 0.23, p = 0.094, 95% CI, − 0.05, 0.51). Conclusions A protein supplement with MPH showed no effects on short-term recovery in middle-aged healthy male cyclists compared to a protein supplement without MPH. Trial registration The study was registered 02.05.2017 at ClinicalTrials.gov (Protein Supplements to Cyclists, NCT03136133, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03136133?cond=marine+peptides&rank=1.

Background: Lung hyperinflation contributes to dyspnea, morbidity and mortality in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The inspiratory-to-total lung capacity (IC/TLC) ratio is a measure of lung hyperinflation and is associated with exercise intolerance. However, knowledge of its effect on longitudinal change in the 6-min walk distance (6MWD) in patients with COPD is scarce. We aimed to study whether the IC/TLC ratio predicts longitudinal change in 6MWD in patients with COPD. Methods: This prospective cohort study included 389 patients aged 40–75 years with clinically stable COPD in Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease stages II-IV. The 6MWD was measured at baseline, and after one and 3 years. We performed generalized estimating equation regression analyses to examine predictors for longitudinal change in 6MWD. Predictors at baseline were: IC/TLC ratio, age, gender, pack years, fat mass index (FMI), fat-free mass index (FFMI), number of exacerbations within 12 months prior to inclusion, Charlson index for comorbidities, forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), and light and hard self-reported physical activity. Results: Reduced IC/TLC ratio (p

Whilst live blogs have become an established part of the news media ecology, corresponding research is still in its infancy, especially that which examines the crucial question of sourcing practices. In this article we address some of the gaps in previous research by conducting a large comparative sourcing analysis of three UK news organisations - BBC News, the Guardian, and the Telegraph - that all regularly publish live blogs. We analyse sourcing practices across three different genres of live blogging and corresponding online news articles, through a comparative analysis of events broadly categorised as crisis, politics, and sport. Our findings suggest that there are some aspects of sourcing practices that are distinct to live blogs, such as directly embedding social media. However, when it comes to polyvocality (the diversity of who gets to speak), genre-specific journalism norms seem to account for more than the affordances of the platform itself and only in sport live blogs are demotic voices habitually included. Based on these findings we develop a typology of live blogging and online news articles, that documents the nuances in sourcing patterns across different news formats and genres, and provide a theoretical basis for future research in this field.

In light of Edward Snowden’s global surveillance disclosures, this article examines news discourses about online communication security and surveillance circumvention practices. It analyses 1249 news reports mentioning encryption in The Guardian and The New York Times, covering a three-year period from June 2012 to June 2015 (one year before and two years after the Snowden revelations). Whilst there was a marked increase in the volume of news articles mentioning encryption post-Snowden, the context in which encryption is discussed has since shifted from an initial emphasis on “surveillance” towards “security” issues. However, the research found that greater news coverage of encryption did not necessarily mean an increase in depth of coverage, with most mentions of encryption vague and non-descript. In terms of source usage, the research finds an emphasis on private corporations in both publications analysed. This is problematic when many of the organisations allowed to speak on encryption were those accused of colluding with the US and UK Governments to aid covert mass surveillance—the likes of Google, Facebook, Apple, Microsoft and so forth—thus providing them with a platform to exonerate themselves from the accusations. This contradictory depiction of communication security serves the status quo and prevents advancement of the “encrypted by default” communication practice called for by Snowden. This, by extension, has serious implications for both journalistic freedom and civil liberties since it helps to perpetuate the ability of nation states and corporations to conduct indiscriminate mass surveillance.

Managing Democracy in the Digital Age: Internet regulation, Social Media Use, and Online Civic Engagement represents an important contribution to our understanding of how digital communication intersects with politics in democratic nation states. The chapters in this book perfectly illustrate how far this amalgamation has come since 1960, when J. C. R. Licklider outlined the idea of ‘cooperative interaction between men [sic] and electronic computers’ in his seminal paper entitled ‘Man–Computer Symbiosis’. Later articulated as a vision of an ‘Intergalactic Computer Network’, his ideas informed the development of the Advanced Research Projects Agency Network (ARPANET), precursor to today’s Internet. But far from restricting his thinking to scientific research or military communications, Licklider envisaged interconnected computers as having a central role in all parts of society. In his book treatise Libraries of the Future, Licklider professed that ‘telecomputation can be charged in large part to the handling of everyday business, industrial, government, and professional information, and perhaps also to news, entertainment, and education’ (1965, pp. 33–34).

Introduction: Pulmonary hyperinflation contributes to dyspnea, morbidity and mortality in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The inspiratory-to-total lung capacity (IC/TLC) ratio is a measure of static hyperinflation and is strongly associated with dynamic hyperinflation and exercise tolerance. However, knowledge of its effect on longitudinal change in the 6-minute walk distance (6MWD) in COPD is scarce. Aim: We aimed to study if IC/TLC ratio predicted longitudinal change in 6MWD. Methods: This prospective observational cohort study included 389 patients aged 40-75 yrs with clinically stable COPD in GOLD stages II-IV. 6MWDs were measured at baseline, and after 1 and 3 yrs. Predictor variables at baseline included IC/TLC ratio, spirometry, fat mass index (FMI) and assessment of smoking habits and exacerbations by questionnaires. Generalized estimating equations (GEE) analyses were used to analyze predictors for change in 6MWD. Results: Mean (SE) 6MWD at baseline and after 1 and 3 yrs were 423 (5.7), 431 (6.1) and 400 (7.8) m, respectively. In the multivariable adjusted GEE analysis, there was a predicted annual decline of 59,5 m and the IC/TLC ratio also predicted decline in 6MWD over 3-yrs (interaction IC/TLC*Time, B=87 m, p=0.017). With a 0.1-unit decrease in baseline IC/TLC ratio, the annual decline of 6MWD increased with 8,7 m. Other predictors for reduced 6MWD were reduced FEV 1 (p=0.001), increased age (p=0.002), increased FMI (p=0.001), and >2 exacerbations within 12 months prior to inclusion (p=0.006). Conclusion: The level of static hyperinflation at baseline independently predicted longitudinal decline in functional capacity in COPD patients.

Amidst burgeoning literature on citizen journalism, we still know relatively little about how and why genuinely marginalised groups seek to use this form of reporting to challenge their exclusion. In this article, we aim to address this gap by analysing two UK citizen journalism initiatives emanating from The Big Issue Foundation, a national homeless organisation, and Access Dorset, a regional charity for disabled and elderly people. These case studies are united by the authors’ involvement in both instances, primarily through designing and delivering bespoke citizen journalism education and mentoring. Based on over 40 hours of interviews with participants of the workshops and 36 hours of participant observation, we analyse the challenges participants faced in their journey to become citizen journalists. This included: low self-esteem, physical health and mental wellbeing, the need for accessible and adaptable technology, and overcoming fear associated with assuming a public voice. We also analyse marginalised groups’ attitudes to professional journalism and education, and its role in shaping journalistic identity and self-empowerment. Whilst demonstrably empowering and esteem building,our participants were acutely aware of societal power relations that were seemingly still beyond their ability to influence. Those who are marginalised are, nevertheless, in the best position to use citizen journalism as a conduit for social change, we argue - though challenges remain even at the grassroots level to foster and sustain participatory practices.

The Routledge Companion to Digital Journalism Studies offers an unprecedented collection of essays addressing the key issues and debates shaping the field of Digital Journalism Studies today. Across the last decade, journalism has undergone many changes, which have driven scholars to reassess its most fundamental questions, and in the face of digital change, to ask again: ‘Who is a journalist?’ and ‘What is journalism?’. This companion explores a developing scholarly agenda committed to understanding digital journalism and brings together the work of key scholars seeking to address key theoretical concerns and solve unique methodological riddles. Compiled of 58 original essays from distinguished academics across the globe, this Companion draws together the work of those making sense of this fundamental reconceptualization of journalism, and assesses its impacts on journalism’s products, its practices, resources, and its relationship with audiences. It also outlines the challenge presented by studying digital journalism and, more importantly, offers a first set of answers. This collection is the very first of its kind to attempt to distinguish this emerging field as a unique area of academic inquiry. Through identifying its core questions and presenting its fundamental debates, this Companion sets the agenda for years to come in defining this new field of study as Digital Journalism Studies, making it an essential point of reference for students and scholars of journalism.

Summary Background Nitric oxide (NO) concentration in exhaled gas is a marker of some inflammatory processes in the lung, and endogenous NO plays a role in the physiological responses to exercise and altitude. The aim of this study was to compare changes in exhaled NO concentration 5–60 mins after high-intensity exercise at 2800 m and at 180 m altitude. Methods Twenty trained healthy volunteers (12 men), aged 19–28 years, were included in this open, crossover study. Subjects performed two exercise tests at different altitudes, 2800 m and 180 m, in a randomized order. The fraction of NO in exhaled gas (FENO) was measured 5 mins before and 5–60 mins after 8 mins of running on a treadmill at a heart rate (HR) of 90% of peak HR. Peak HR was assessed during a pretest at 180 m. Ambient temperature was 20·1°C (SD = 1·2) and relative humidity 40·2% (SD = 3·2). FENO measurements were corrected for altitude gas density effects and converted to partial pressure of NO (PENOcorr). Results PENOcorr was reduced from 1·47 (1·21, 1·73) millipascal (mPa) at baseline to 1·11 (0·87, 1·34) mPa 5 mins after exercise at 2800 m and from 1·54 (1·24, 1·84) to 1·04 (0·87, 1·22) mPa 5 mins after exercise at 180 m. There was no difference in PENOcorr between exercise at 2800 m and 180 m, and PENOcorr was normalized within 20 mins. Conclusions Exercise at 2800 m induces a similar acute reduction in exhaled nitric oxide concentration as compared with 180 m in healthy subjects.

Summary Background The 6-min walk distance (6MWD) is widely used to evaluate functional capacity in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Aim To examine predictors for longitudinal change in 6MWD including self-reported physical activity, smoking habits, body composition, exacerbations, comorbidity and lung function. Methods The cohort included 389 patients aged 44–75 years, with clinically stable COPD in GOLD stages II–IV. The follow-up time was 3 years. Measurements included 6MWD, spirometry, fat and fat free mass index (FMI and FFMI), and assessment of physical activity, smoking habits, comorbidities and exacerbations by questionnaires. Generalized estimating equations (GEE) regression analyses were used to analyze predictors for the change in 6MWD. Results There was a reduction in 6MWD from baseline to 3 years for patients in GOLD stages III and IV ( B = −36 m, 95% CI = −51 to −7, p = 0.009 and B = −79 m, CI = −125 to −20, p = 0.007). The unadjusted GEE analysis demonstrated that baseline self-reported physical activity level, forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV 1 ), forced vital capacity, FFMI, GOLD stages and age predicted change in 6MWD, but in the adjusted GEE analysis only self-reported physical activity level ( p = 0.001) and FEV 1 ( p = 0.019) predicted change over time. Conclusion Patients in GOLD stage II maintained their functional capacity assessed by 6MWD over 3 years, while it was significantly reduced for patients in GOLD stages III and IV. Level of physical activity and FEV 1 were predictors for longitudinal change in functional capacity.

Scientists working in Antarctica have recognized the need to counteract problems associated with mainstream media's treatment of the climate-change crisis. For this reason, several of them have assumed the role of citizen journalists in order to report on the effects of global warming first-hand. More specifically, they have chosen to communicate directly with the general public through official or personal blogs. In so doing they are capitalizing on the way the Internet is changing science news and journalism. This article draws on an analysis of more than 50 Antarctic blogs published during the International Polar Year (2007-08), as well as data from e-interviews with a broad selection of bloggers, in order to examine how scientists 'on the ice' act as citizen journalists. The article explores the idea of citizen journalism as education and the extent to which the scientists achieve an unmediated form of communication through their blogging efforts. It concludes by suggesting this new form of citizen journalism, beyond raising people's awareness of the climate-change crisis, also signals an important way in which mainstream environmental reporting can be reinvigorated. © 2013 Intellect Ltd Article.