http://www.academici.com/news/2460914/obesity_and_alcohol_act_together_to_increase_the_risk_of_liver_disease.htmlTwo studies published in the British Medical Journal today show that obesity and alcohol act together to increase the risk of liver disease in both men and women.Fri, 12 Mar 2010 05:10:34 GMThttp://www.academici.com/news/2460759/new_charging_method_could_greatly_reduce_battery_recharge_time.html(PhysOrg.com) -- Part of the headache of having to constantly recharge batteries is not just how often they need to be charged, but also the time it takes to charge them. In a new study, researchers have proposed a charging method that could greatly reduce the charging time of lithium-ion batteries, which are used in everything from electronic devices to electric vehicles. The new method uses an additional oscillating electric field (besides the charging field) that should be capable of chargingFri, 12 Mar 2010 05:10:34 GMThttp://www.academici.com/news/2460758/new_study_debunks_myths_about_amazon_rain_forests.htmlA new NASA-funded study has concluded that Amazon rain forests were remarkably unaffected in the face of once-in-a-century drought in 2005, neither dying nor thriving, contrary to a previously published report and claims by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.Fri, 12 Mar 2010 05:10:34 GMThttp://www.academici.com/news/2460757/tropical_storm_tomas_calls_for_alerts_in_south_pacific.htmlSystem 97P was looking pretty impressive on NASA satellite imagery early today, March 11, and by 10 a.m. ET, it strengthened into Tropical Storm Tomas.Fri, 12 Mar 2010 05:10:34 GMThttp://www.academici.com/news/2460756/researchers_characterize_stem_cell_function.htmlThe promise of stem cells lies in their unique ability to differentiate into a multitude of different types of cells. But in order to determine how to use stem cells for new therapeutics, scientists and engineers need to answer a fundamental question: if a stem cell changes to look like a certain type of cell, how do we know if it will behave like a certain type of cell?Fri, 12 Mar 2010 05:10:34 GMThttp://www.academici.com/news/2460755/children_with_chronic_respiratory_illness_are_vulnerable_to_critical_h1n1.htmlAs critical care professionals develop a better understanding of the progression of H1N1, they are becoming better prepared to treat children with severe cases, according to a new study that will be published in the March issue of Pediatric Critical Care Medicine (PCCM).Fri, 12 Mar 2010 05:10:34 GMThttp://www.academici.com/news/2460754/rethinking_guidelines_for_treating_high_blood_pressure_variability_is_a_risk_factor_too.htmlHypertension is the most prevalent treatable risk factor for stroke. One in two adults are affected by it, and the risk of being hypertensive during a lifetime is about 90%. Despite this, the underlying mechanisms by which raised blood pressure can cause cardiovascular disease are poorly understood. Clinical guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of hypertension focus heavily on mean systolic blood pressure.Fri, 12 Mar 2010 05:10:34 GMThttp://www.academici.com/news/2460753/minnesota_researchers_discover_how_electricity_moves_through_cells.html(PhysOrg.com) -- Researchers at the University of Minnesota have created a molecular image of a system that moves electrons between proteins in cells. The achievement is a breakthrough for biology and could provide insights to minimize energy loss in other systems, from nanoscale devices to moving electricity around the country.Fri, 12 Mar 2010 05:10:34 GMThttp://www.academici.com/news/2460752/verisign_to_spend_more_than_300m_on_tech_upgrades.htmlVeriSign Inc. -- whose technology is key to allowing Internet users to access Web sites -- says it plans to pour more than $300 million over the next decade into upgrading its infrastructure.Fri, 12 Mar 2010 05:10:34 GMThttp://www.academici.com/news/2460751/barrier_in_mosquito_midgut_protects_invading_pathogens.htmlScientists studying the Anopheles gambiae mosquito - the main vector of malaria - have found that when the mosquito takes a blood meal, that act triggers two enzymes to form a network of crisscrossing proteins around the ingested blood. The formation of this protein barrier, the researchers found, is part of the normal digestive process that allows so-called "healthy" or commensal gut bacteria to grow without activating mosquito immune responses. But there is a downside: The barrier also prevenFri, 12 Mar 2010 05:10:34 GMT