Gambling activity is widespread among U.S. adolescents and young adults ages 14 through 21, according to a study conducted by researchers at the University at Buffalo’s Research Institute on Addictions (RIA).

Results of the first national survey of its kind show problem gambling -- described as gambling with three or more negative consequences (for example, gambling more than you intended or stealing money to gamble) in the past year -- occurring at a rate of 2.1 percent among youth 14 to 21. That ppercentage projects to approximately 750,000 young problem gamblers nationwide.

In addition, 11 percent of the youth surveyed gambled twice per week or more, a rate that describes frequent gambling. Sixty-eight percent of the youth interviewed reported that they had gambled at least once in the past year.

LONDON, May 6 /PRNewswire/ --

Thomson Reuters, the world's leading source of intelligent information for businesses and professionals, today published two issues of World IP Today, analyzing global patent activity and technology innovations for the year 2007. Both reports draw on data mined from Thomson Innovation(SM), the new standard in IP research and analysis, and give a highly detailed view of recent IP developments across the globe.

With over half of U.S. children ages 3-6 in child care centers, growing concern over childhood obesity has led physicians to focus on whether children are getting enough physical activity and a new study of outdoor physical activity at child care centers, conducted by researchers at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, has identified some surprising reasons why the kids may be staying inside.

“It’s things we never expected, from flip flops, mulch near the playground, children who come to child care without a coat on chilly days, to teachers talking or texting on cell phones while they were supposed to be supervising the children,” according to Kristen Copeland, M.D., lead author of the study.

Beads known to geologists as carbon cenospheres were formed from liquefied carbon deep in the earth when an asteroid struck some 65 million years ago, according to a new theory.

The carbon cenospheres were deposited next to a thin layer of the element iridium -- an element more likely to be found in Solar System asteroids than in the Earth's crust. The iridium-laden dust is believed to be the shattered remains of the 200-km-wide asteroid's impact. Like the iridium layer, the carbon cenospheres are apparently common. They've been found in Canada, Spain, Denmark and New Zealand.

But the cenospheres' origin presented a double mystery. Cenospheres had been known to geologists only as a sign of modern times -- they form during the intense combustion of coal and crude oil. Equally baffling, there were no power plants burning coal or crude oil 65 million years ago, and natural burial processes affecting organic matter from even older ages -- such as coals from the 300-million-year-old Carboniferous Period -- had simply not been cooked long or hot enough.

Over the past decades competition for fossil fuels and the concern that they are generating large quantities of contaminating gases have given rise to a growing scientific interest in the development of alternative energies.

Most current research is focused on hydrogen cells, the biggest advantages being that they do not generate contaminant gases and have water vapor as the only waste product. However, hydrogen is very expensive, both in production and distribution. It has to be kept and stored under conditions of very high pressure (more than 800 bars).

This is why hydrogen is dangerous and even more so when stored in vehicles travelling at high speed – a small crack in the storage container could have fatal consequences.

PHILADELPHIA, May 6 /PRNewswire/ --

- Manuscript Central v4.2 to Offer its Customers Access to Services Verifying the Originality of All Scholarly Content Submitted on the System

The Scientific business of Thomson Reuters today announced that Manuscript Central's online workflow system will incorporate the iThenticate checking tool into its submission and peer review process, and will develop suitable policies and guidelines. CrossRef recently announced an agreement with iParadigms, LLC to launch the CrossCheck service to aid in verifying the originality of scholarly content. Following on the success of CrossRef's recent pilot of CrossCheck, the service is scheduled to go live in June and will be offered via Manuscript Central.

LONDON, May 6 /PRNewswire/ --

The Work Foundation today publishes a new essay that asks what is 'meaningful work', why more people seem to be seeking it, and what employers can do to make work more meaningful?

The paper argues that while thinkers and writers have long wondered at the value of work to human beings beyond providing a living, the notion of 'meaningful work' is a relatively new phenomenon that would have made little sense to our forbears of a couple of centuries ago.

PHILADELPHIA and LONDON, May 5 /PRNewswire/ --

- Participants Were Part of Conference Focusing On Increasing Importance of Research Evaluation in the New University Ranking Systems

The Scientific business of Thomson Reuters and King's College London today announced the results of a survey of representatives from 75 U.K. universities and research institutes examining key concerns about research evaluation in the new Research Excellence Framework (REF). The respondents' top concern about research evaluation in the REF -- identified by 28 percent of respondents -- is "getting accurate and verifiable data."

DUBLIN, Ireland, May 5 /PRNewswire/ --

Allergy Standards Ltd ("ASL"), the internationally recognized independent evaluator of consumer products, today announced that is has certified SmartSilk(TM) duvets, pillow covers and mattress protectors as asthma & allergy friendly(TM). SmartSilk(TM) is the first silk textile company deemed asthma & allergy friendly(TM) by ASL in partnership with the Asthma & Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA).

HAINAN, China, May 5 /PRNewswire/ --

Addintools announced the release of its popular Classic Menu for Office 2007 v3.92, an interface add-on for Microsoft Office 2007 bringing back classic style of Microsoft Office 2003 interface with all the new features of Microsoft Office 2007.