Clouds come from cows?
Atmospheric ammonia, mostly produced by livestock and nitrogen-based fertilizer, has proven to be a catalyst in the formation of ice clouds, or cirrus clouds, which are typically formed over continents than oceans. A team of atmospheric chemists, including two U of T researchers, found that ammonium sulphate aerosol in its solid form can act as ice droplets that form the basis of a cirrus cloud. These clouds are important to continental climate systems as they control the amount of water vapour, a greenhouse gas, in the atmosphere. The study links human agricultural practices to cloud formation and inevitably, affects how researchers understand our climate system and the human impact on it.
Source: U of T news service
-Sandy Huen
Feeling blue? Just smoke it off
In a study by Duke University, researchers have discovered that nicotine may alleviate symptoms of depression in non-smokers. They recruited eleven random study participants to receive either a nicotine patch or a placebo patch. Those who received the nicotine scored lower on an assessment scale used to determine extent of depression, meaning that the nicotine led to an improvement in depression symptioms. Despite the evidence, researchers do not recommend that non-smoking clinically depressed patients should receive nicotine-replacement therapy to treat their symptoms. Instead, they suggest that the nicotine molecule can be modified to remove its addictive effects while maintaining its positive therapeutic benefits for patients with depression.
Source: Duke University news service
-Mayce Al-Sukhni
Be-wear your helmet
A traffic psychologist from the University of Bath conducted field research on bicycle helmets, suggesting that cyclists who wear helmets are more likely to be hit by passing vehicles than those who do not. To collect his results, Dr. Ian Walker rode a bicycle fitted with a computer that sensed distance between the bike and passing motorists. He found that drivers passed an average of 8.5 cm closer to him when he was with the helmet than when he was without.
“We know helmets are useful in low-speed falls, and so definitely good for children,” Walker said, “but whether they offer any real protection to somebody struck by a car is very controversial.”
Still, riding bareheaded into speeding SUVs is something no doctor would recommend.
“The best answer is for different types of road users to understand each other better,” said Walker.
Source: Accident Analysis & Prevention
-M.A.
