Current Events in January 2013

For years now, we've been hearing that Apple, Google, Microsoft and even upstart Ubuntu were just about to unveil a magical device that would enable us to watch TV from over-the-air, cable, DVD and Internet sources without the usual tangle of cables and remotes.

While none of these miracles has yet come to pass, Samsung has come up with a pretty good bridge technology in its collection of Smart TVs. Their built-in wi-fi capability and a growing collection of apps lets you watch Internet sources including Netflix, Amazon, Hulu without having to fool around with a Roku box or other external device.

Of course, the flat-screen LEDs also connect to cable, DVDs and plain old TV antennas, putting just about everything in a single package. The dream of running everything with a single remote isn't quite here yet for most of us but putting the Internet into the TV's circuitry is a stap in that direction.

We grabbed a 32-inch Samsung TV for a bit less than $500 a week or two ago to see just how this all hangs together. Its permanent home is in our home office and dungeon, where there's no cable or over-the-air access, but for testing purposes we let it spend a few days in the family room hooked up to FiOS.

The picture quality on HD sources is excellent -- black blacks, lots of contrast, quick response, all those good things.

Auto Volume

We were particularly interested in trying out something called Auto Volume, a feature that is supposed to level out differences in volume from one program source to another (like, uh, between shows and commercials). We wrote about this a few weeks ago and had no trouble hearing the response: this is something consumers want.

Our tests found that, sure enough, the audio level was pretty consistent when Auto Volume was enabled. Commercials didn't come blasting through like a freight train and words of love so warm and tender were clear and distinct.

And speaking of sound, we found the sound quality to be better than we've come to expect. Flat-screen TVs, after all, don't leave much room for speakers so it's always best to use an external sound system. But for watching talking heads and shows that are mostly dialog, the sound from the Samsung is quite adequate. For lack of a better term, it's crisper than many of its competitors.

We also found that switching into Internet mode is relatively quick and extremely simple, once you get the hang of it. We like to have Tony Soprano and the Breaking Bad bunch keep us company in the dungeon, courtesy of Netflix and Amazon, something the Samsung had no trouble with.

There was a report last month that hackers could find a way to take control of the camera and microphone in Samsung Smart TVs and use them to spy on viewers. Perhaps this is possible but it's not something we're worried about. Tony and the boys will make short work of anybody who hacks his way into the dungeon.

The beginning of a new year seems an appropriate time to focus on Alzheimer's disease (AD), since with each passing year more people are at risk of this fatal, memory-robbing affliction.

This year Alzheimer's researchers are starting on a hopeful note. A new research report published in the January 2013 print issue of the FASEB Journal by scientists from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) outlines a promising new treatment.

The report shows how a molecule called TFP5, when injected into mice with a disease that is the equivalent of human Alzheimer's, symptoms are reversed and memory is restored -- without obvious toxic side effects. For Alzheimer's researchers, something like this, if proved to be effective on humans, is the Holy Grail.

Effective treatment?

"We hope that clinical trial studies in AD patients should yield an extended and a better quality of life as observed in mice upon TFP5 treatment," said Harish C. Pant, Ph.D., a senior researcher involved in the work from the Laboratory of Neurochemistry at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, MD. "Therefore, we suggest that TFP5 should be an effective therapeutic compound."

Tempering hopes are two facts: The experiment was conducted on mice, not humans, and the disease was not Alzheimer's, but something close to it in the rodent world.

Pant and colleagues used mice with a disease considered the equivalent of Alzheimer's and injected one set with the small molecule TFP5, and the other with saline placebo. The mice that received TFP5 displayed a substantial reduction in the various disease symptoms along with restoration of lost memory.

In addition, the mice receiving TFP5 injections experienced no weight loss, neurological stress or signs of toxicity. The disease in the placebo mice, however, progressed normally as expected.

Brain enzyme

What exactly is TFP5? The scientists say it is derived from the regulator of a key brain enzyme. When that enzyme is over-activated the brain tends to form plaques and tangles, the major hallmark of Alzheimer's disease.

"The next step is to find out if this molecule can have the same effects in people, and if not, to find out which molecule will," said Gerald Weissmann, M.D., Editor-in-Chief of the FASEB Journal. "Now that we know that we can target the basic molecular defects in Alzheimer's disease, we can hope for treatments far better -- and more specific -- than anything we have today."

Alzheimer's is the most common form of dementia, a general term for memory loss and other intellectual abilities serious enough to interfere with daily life. Alzheimer's disease accounts for 50 to 80 percent of dementia cases, according to the Alzheimer's Association.

Since getting older is a major risk factor, Alzheimer's is a threat to the large baby boom generation.

Alzheimer's has no current cure, but treatments for symptoms are available and research continues,” the association says on its website. “Although current Alzheimer's treatments cannot stop Alzheimer's from progressing, they can temporarily slow the worsening of dementia symptoms and improve quality of life for those with Alzheimer's and their caregivers. Today, there is a worldwide effort under way to find better ways to treat the disease, delay its onset, and prevent it from developing.”

Average mortgage rates fell in one survey but rose in another as the mortgage market began the new year on a mixed note.

Freddie Mac reports the benchmark 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) averaged 3.34 percent in the first three days of this week. That's down from 3.35 percent a year earlier.

The 15-year FRM was 2.64 percent in the Freddie Mac Market Survey, down from 2.65 percent in the previous week. Borrowers would have paid 0.7 percent in upfront lender fees and discount points to get those rates.

“New home sales rose in November to a two-year high and were up 15.3 percent from the previous November,” said Freddie Mac chief economist Frank Nothaft. “Similarly, pending sales on existing homes increased for the third month in November to the strongest pace since April 2010.”

Bankrate.com survey

While the Freddie Mac survey showed a continuation of end-of-the-year drops in mortgage rates, the first survey of 2013 from Bankrate.com shows an uptick in the 15 year rate. The 30-year FRM mortgage, however, continued its downward trend.

The survey shows the 30-year FRM fell slightly to 3.58 percent, dropping from 3.59 percent in the previous survey. The average 30-year fixed mortgage has an average of 0.35 discount and origination points.

The average 15-year FRM nosed higher to 2.88 percent and the larger jumbo 30-year mortgage was also a touch higher to 4.08 percent. Adjustable rate mortgages were lower, with the popular 3-year ARM declining to 2.93 percent and the 7-year ARM pulling back to 2.92 percent.

“Relief that the fiscal cliff has been averted will likely send mortgage rates higher in the next week or so, but don't take this as the beginning of a long-standing trend,” Bankrate said in a statement. “We still have a slow growth economy with high unemployment, and the debt ceiling negotiations will get started soon and are sure to be contentious.”

The contentiousness, the financial website predicts, will probably bring mortgage rates back down.

Despite a national unemployment rate in the neighborhood of 8 percent, the 12-month job-cut total for 2012 is at the lowest level since 1997.

The latest report from outplacement consultancy Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc., shows employers cut 523,362 last year -- the lowest year-end total since 1997, when employers announced 434,350 job cuts. The 2012 total was also 14 percent lower than the 606,082 job cuts announced in 2011.

December cuts

Meanwhile, after three consecutive months of increased job-cutting activity, the number of planned reductions announced in December plunged to 32,556 -- the second lowest monthly total of the year.

The December total was 43 percent fewer than the 57,081 November cuts and 22 percent lower than a year ago, when employers announced 41,785 cuts. The only month in 2012 to see fewer job cuts than December was August, when job cuts totaled 32,239.

Despite the December decline, planned terminations in the fourth quarter were up 33 percent from the previous quarter. Employers announced 137,361 job cuts in the final three months of year, compared to 102,910 in the third quarter. The third-quarter total was the lowest quarterly total since 81,568 job cuts were announced in the second quarter of 2000.

“We saw a few spikes in monthly job cuts in 2012 and there were some significant mass layoffs that definitely reminded us that not every industry is enjoying the fruits of recovery,” said John A. Challenger, chief executive officer of Challenger, Gray & Christmas. “However, the overall pace of downsizing was at its slowest since the end of the recession. In fact, we have not seen this level of job cutting since before the dot.com collapse and subsequent 2001 recession.”

Mass firings

One of these significant mass firings occurred in December, when banking giant Citigroup announced 11,000 job cuts early in the month. The Citigroup announcement accounted for the majority of the 11,355 job cuts announced last month in the financial sector, which was the top job-cutting sector in December. The transportation sector was a distant second with 4,844 job cuts.

The leading job-cut sector for the year was the computer industry, with a total of 46,164 announced terminations since January. That marks a 215 percent increase from 2011, when these firms announced 14,677 job cuts. It is worth noting that nearly 60 percent of the computer cuts in 2012 were the result of the May job-cut announcement from Hewlett-Packard impacting 27,000 workers.

The transportation sector, which was the second leading job-cut sector in December, was also the second largest job cutter for the year. The 42,107 job cuts announced by these firms in 2012 were up 189 percent from 14,584 planned cuts in 2011.

Declines in cuts

While a handful of industries experienced increased downsizing in 2012, several sectors, including construction, retail, financial services, and aerospace and defense saw decreased job-cut activity. Perhaps the most dramatic decline occurred in the government sector, where job cuts plunged 90 percent from an industry-leading 183,064 in 2011 to just 19,128 in 2012.

“The fact that the top job-cutting industry in 2011 shed nearly 190,000 workers while the top job cutter this year did not even crack 50,000 reveals a lot about where we are in this recovery. Despite the uncertainty related to the fiscal cliff, which has now been averted thanks to a last-minute deal, employers held steady in the final months of the year and avoided a surge in mass layoffs,” said Challenger.

Government numbers

According to the latest available data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, private-sector payrolls achieved net gains averaging 154,000 new workers each month through November 2012. Overall, private-sector employment increased by 1,697,000 new workers from January through November. That remains well off the pre-recession peak, which in 2005, saw private-sector payrolls increase by an average of 193,000 new workers per month for an annual total of 2,312,000 new jobs.

“Friday’s report on December employment could show a hiring boost from construction and other new jobs related to post-hurricane clean-up efforts on the East Coast,” said Challenger. “Late holiday season hiring may also show up in retail employment numbers. However, with one report indicating that holiday retail sales were weaker than expected, we could see a purging of retail workers in future employment reports.”

In 20 full years of tracking since 1993, January has been the top job-cut month of the year nine times. The next closest month is December, which has been the top job-cut month just three times. Since 1993, job cuts have averaged 101,084 in January. The second largest monthly average over the same period is 80,321 job cuts in October.    

Here's a question for new parents: when your baby is crying in her crib, do you pick her up or let her cry herself back to sleep?

Many new parents will tell you it is very hard to listen as their infant “cries it out,” but researchers at Temple University say it might not be a bad idea, after checking to make sure there is no obvious reason for the child's discomfort.

A study, published in Developmental Psychology, supports the idea that a majority of infants are best left to self-soothe and fall back to sleep on their own when they awaken and cry in the middle of the night.

Sleeping through the night

"By six months of age, most babies sleep through the night, awakening their mothers only about once per week,” said Temple psychology professor Marsha Weinraub, who specializes in child development and parent-child relationships. “However, not all children follow this pattern of development."

In the study, Weinraub and her colleagues identified two groups of infants -- sleepers and what they call “transitional sleepers.” While some may cry when they wake up, almost all wake up during the night on a regular basis.

"If you measure them while they are sleeping, all babies -- like all adults -- move through a sleep cycle every 1 1/2 to 2 hours where they wake up and then return to sleep," said Weinraub. "Some of them do cry and call out when they awaken, and that is called 'not sleeping through the night.'"

Boys tend to be criers

The study of 1,200 infants age six months to 36 months found boys tended to wake up and cry more often than girls. These “transitional sleepers” also tended to have “difficult temperament" when they were awake.

These babies were also more likely to be breastfed. Mothers of these babies were more likely to be depressed and have greater maternal sensitivity.

The findings suggest a couple of things, said Weinraub. One is that genetic or constitutional factors such as those that might be reflected in difficult temperaments appear implicated in early sleep problems.

When to talk to your doctor

"Families who are seeing sleep problems persist past 18 months should seek advice," she said.

Another takeaway is that it is important for babies to learn how to fall asleep on their own.

"When mothers tune in to these night-time awakenings and/or if a baby is in the habit of falling asleep during breastfeeding, then he or she may not be learning to how to self-soothe, something that is critical for regular sleep," she said.

Dr. Spock

There are many theories about how parents should react to their crying babies. In 1946 Dr. Benjamin Spock wrote that mothers should use their best judgment about what their babies need and comforting them when they cry -- no matter what the time of day -- is fine.

Experts at the Mayo Clinic point out that, when an infant cries, he is usually trying to tell you something. Parents, they say, should try to figure out why their child is crying. Sometimes, they say, letting an infant cry is the right course of action.

“If you've tried everything and your baby is still upset, consider letting your baby cry it out,” write members of the Mayo Clinic staff. “Crying won't hurt your baby -- and sometimes the only way to stop a crying spell is to let it run its course.”

Copa Airlines of Panama and Virgin America have been slapped with thousands of dollars in fines for violating federal rules that limit how long an aircraft with passengers aboard may be delayed on the tarmac. As it fined Copa $150,000 and Virgin America $55,000. the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) ordered the carriers to cease and desist from further violations.

The Copa and Virgin America orders were the final enforcement actions taken last year by the Department’s Aviation Enforcement Office. During 2012, the DOT issued 49 consent orders for consumer rule violations and assessed $3,610,000 in fines -- exceeding the previous record of 47 orders and $3,264,000 in fines issued in 2011.

“This administration believes that consumers have the right to be treated fairly when they fly,” said Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “Our tarmac rules are meant to prevent passengers from being trapped in aircraft on the ground for hours on end, and we will continue to work with airlines and airports to make sure that air travelers are treated with the respect they deserve before, during and after their flights.”

Unseemly delays

Airlines may not allow tarmac delays longer than three hours on domestic flights and four hours on international flights at U.S. airports without giving passengers an opportunity to leave the plane. Exceptions to the time limits are allowed only for safety, security, or air traffic control-related reasons.

In addition, if a flight is delayed at the gate and passengers are able to leave the plane, the carrier must announce the opportunity to deplane 30 minutes after the scheduled departure time and every 30 minutes afterward.

Copa violation

DOT found that Copa left passengers stranded aboard an aircraft at New York’s JFK Airport for five hours and 34 minutes on June 22, 2012, on a flight bound for Panama. Passengers were not offered food until more than four hours into the delay, although DOT rules call for airlines to provide food and drinking water no later than two hours after leaving the gate. Copa also failed to report the tarmac delay as required. DOT found out about the delay only after two consumers filed complaints.

In addition, Copa’s contingency plan for tarmac delays, posted on its Website, failed to include a number of assurances required by DOT rules, including that it would notify passengers during a delay at the gate if they may leave the aircraft, maintain sufficient resources to implement its contingency plan, and coordinate its plan with airport authorities and other U.S. government agencies at airports the carrier serves.

Virgin America violation

Virgin America was fined for failing to notify passengers in an aircraft delayed at the gate for two hours and 16 minutes at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport on July 18, 2012, that they could leave the aircraft prior to its departure for San Francisco.

Passengers may file complaints or comments about airline service not related to safety or security issues here.  

You know it's true: You've spent a good chunk of the last month on the couch watching bowl games or stuffing yourself attending various holiday parties. So now that the new year has arrived, you've resolved to shed the pounds, get in shape, blah-blah-blah, yadda yadda yadda.

However, if you are really serious, Gold's Gym has put out what it calls its "Fitness Bucket List" for 2013, whereby you measure success in fitness achievements, rather than pounds lost.

"Losing weight and getting back into the swing of a gym routine often tops the list of New Year's resolutions each year. However, making such broad resolutions can be a recipe for failure, with many losing focus and falling off the resolution bandwagon throughout the first few months," said Dave Reiseman, a spokesman for Gold's. "Through our collaboration with some of the world's top fitness minds, we have created a list of challenges that give consumers clear goals that will pave the way for them to stay on track, while also getting in shape and improving their health in the process."

If you're up for it, here's what the fitness gurus at Gold's are recommending:

Slip back into those Skinny Jeans

• Everyone has a favorite pair of jeans that serve as the judge and jury determining your current level of fitness. This denim barometer has been your tried and true friend throughout the years -- giving you the honest feedback to keep you on track. So in 2013, be proactive and keep those two legged friends fitting like a glove.

Beat your best picture

• Whether it's you on your wedding day or lying on the beach with your friends during spring break, most of people have a photograph that shows them looking their best physically. In 2013, the challenge is to dust off those shots and not only make them a reality, but to take it up a level -- and look even better.

Run a 5K

• This New Year, lace up your sneakers and hit the ground running by signing up for a 5K. Five kilometers (3.1 miles) is an ideal distance for new runners because it's the shortest of the most popular running events and allows you to achieve the ultimate in both overall fat burning and cardiovascular capacity. Crossing the finish line will also give you a good sense of self competition and push you to continue your progress with the next event.

Master an aquatic sport

• If your workout routine is feeling stale, try getting off the mainland and diving into a new fitness challenge -- aqua style. Mastering a sport such as surfing, paddle board, swimming or kayaking will transform your body as you enjoy yourself -- making your workout anything but routine.

Complete a Tough Mudder

• Designed by the British Special Forces to test strength, stamina and mental grit, Tough Mudder races are considered an ultimate fitness challenge that force you to endure freezing cold water, running through fire and a host of other obstacles. For this challenge, grab a friend -- unlocking a sense of camaraderie that will not only create an exercise that takes your fitness to the next level, but your friendship as well.

Try a group exercise class

• From Kangoo and TRX to boot camps and barre classes, the world of health and fitness offers a smorgasbord of ways to slim down and tone up. This year, step out of your comfort zone once a month, experiencing all fitness has to offer. You might just find that it's just what you need to shake up your routine and keep you going strong to 2014.

Run the “Rocky Stairs”

• When Rocky completed the 72 steps in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art,a fitness milestone was born -- inspiring generations of people to "step up" to the challenge. For those of you outside of Philly looking for a similar experience, find the tallest flight of stairs, crank up your iPod to "Gonna Fly Now" and throw your hands up in the air once you reach the top!

Eliminate your weakness

• Everyone has a weakness. For Superman it was Kryptonite; for you, maybe it's poor balance or a weak core. It's easy to push these weaknesses aside and focus on your strengths, but as the adage goes, “a chain is only as strong as its weakest link.” This year, hone in on these flaws and challenge yourself to become a new you -- kissing weakness goodbye.

Do 100 sit-ups

• By conquering a century set (100 reps) of old fashioned sit-ups or push-ups, the spirit of Jack LaLanne will live on through your celebration of functional exercise. It marks a milestone of strength and endurance combined beautifully in one task that proves without a doubt that you're part of an elite group of fit individuals.

Climb a mountain... on every continent

• Whether it is Asia's Mount Khuiten, Africa's Mount Kilimanjaro or the Matterhorn in Europe, the world is filled with mountainous adventures. Nothing spells out a fitness challenge like hiking a mountain and facing the unknown. Not only is it a full body workout, but it will also teach you a thing or two about survival techniques. So the next time someone tells you to take a hike, take him up on it.

Of course, the old advice applies: Consult with your doctor before taking on any physical challenge.

The annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) kicks off January 8 in Las Vegas with manufacturers offering the first glimpses of their coolest new gadgets.

Since this is a fairly competitive area, most are willing to provide a sneak peek at their offerings to help create a pre-show buzz. From the looks of it, we can expect some eye-popping additions to the consumer technology universe.

For starters, this should be a big year for TVs. They've already come a long way from the square box that once delivered three channels of programming to most households.

Getting connected

Look for a lot of new offerings that provide Internet connectivity, making it easier to seamlessly watch Web content as well as cable and over-the-air programming. Some high-priced flat-screens already have that capability -- so-called smart TVs. It looks like more manufacturers are going to be offering connectivity of their smaller, lower-priced units as well.

If Apple plans to introduce a long-rumored Apple TV set at CES, it's still a closely guarded secret. Forbes suggests 2013 is the year when Apple finally transforms its TV product from a hobby to a serious business line. The late Steve Jobs was known to be working on such a set at the time of his death.

Touch monitors

Samsung has already lifted the lid on a new line of touch screen monitors it plans to have on display at CES. According to the company, the new Series 7 SC770 Touch Monitor comes optimized for Windows 8, while the Series 7 SC750 features a slim, ergonomic design and premium picture quality.

“We are committed to serving an expanding market of aspiring young professionals with the professional-grade monitors that match their needs,” said Jung-Hwan Kim, Senior vice president of the Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics.

Samsung says the Series 7 SC770 is its first multi-touch display optimized for Windows 8. Supporting up to 10 points of simultaneous multi-touch, users can drag, rotate or select objects on the monitor using their fingers.

It says the Series 7 SC750 monitor sports a slim, ergonomic design that is capable of a 90-degree pivot for enhanced convenience to users. It is optimized for surfing the Web and viewing documents in both landscape and portrait modes.

Automotive technology

Not all the new gadgets will be in your office or living room. Some will be in your car. Hyundai will be showing off a new Google Maps application that will be integrated into the carmaker's Blue Link telematics platform. It's designed to help drivers more easily find their destination.

"Google is a leader and innovator in search, content and technology, offering incredible tools," said Barry Ratzlaff , director of Customer Connect at Hyundai Motor America. "Blue Link makes it easy for our owners to find and navigate to their destinations. The integration of Google Maps APIs makes Blue Link even more effective. We look forward to continuing work with Google to bring innovative solutions to Hyundai owners."

Ubuntu smartphones

Smartphones will also likely make news at the 2013 CES. Ubuntu, the open-source Linux software developer, plans to introduce a line of Ubuntu smartphones during the show. The company says users can flow from app to app with ease and the phone becomes a full PC when docked.

“With all-native core apps and no Java overhead, Ubuntu runs well on entry-level smartphones -- yet it uses the same drivers as Android. So now it’s easy to bring a better experience to customers all over the world,” the company said in a statement.

Of course, it's possible that a new product that is currently on no one's radar will steal the spotlight at the 2013 CES. More than 100 new products were introduced at last year's show. This year, more than 1,200 companies will be represented at the “Super Bowl” of electronics trade shows that runs five days in Las Vegas.

Becoming the first state to do so, Maryland has banned arsenic in poultry, since the additive has been known to cause an array of health issues, including heart disease, diabetes and neurological problems in children, if too much of it is consumed.

It seems that arsenic was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) before the government agency learned of the actual levels being used, and so Maryland Senator Paul G. Pinsky and Delegate Tom Hucker worked on a bill to remove arsenic from chickens. The measure became law and took effect on Jan 1 2013.

Arsenic has also been known to be harmful to the environment, as 1.2 billion pounds of chicken litter is used as fertilizer in the state of Maryland and 9 to 12 tons of that fertilizer contains arsenic levels that are considered to be toxic, reports show.

Pinsky also pointed out that 90 percent of that fertilizer is used to maintain Maryland’s fields and eventually ends up in the state’s waterways, which can also be harmful.

Known carcinogen

“Why should a known carcinogen be added to poultry feed if it’s not essential,” asked Pinsky on his website before the bill was passed.

It’s been a bit of a back-and-forth between the Senate and some in the poultry industry, but Hucker says everyone involved in passing the bill should be applauded for the mere fact they fought against being strong-armed by persistant lobbyists.

“I’m glad common sense prevailed and the General Assembly stood up to the lobbyists and passed the ban this year,” he said.

Some have questioned just how chickens were fed the potentially dangerous additive for such a long period of time, without the process being stopped or at least amended. Many experts believe the potential harm of using arsenic in poultry has been under-examined for far too long.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), arsenic consumed in small amounts is still safe, but since more of the additive is used in poultry than originally thought, more research needs to be conducted to determine if current levels are safe.

A little bit of poison

To help people determine how much arsenic they’re consuming on average, USDA researchers broke down just how much of the additive one is getting with each portion of chicken they eat.

“If you ate 12 ounces of chicken every day, you would ingest between 21 micrograms and 31 micrograms of inorganic arsenic per day and 33 micrograms to 47 micrograms of total arsenic per day,” said the researchers.

“Your weight is important in computing how much of that you can tolerate. If you weigh 154 pounds, this amount translates to 0.30 to 0.44 micrograms per kilogram per day of inorganic arsenic, which is well below the tolerable daily intake of 2 micrograms per kilogram per day, but still a sizable portion of the total.”

In July of last year, Pfizer Inc. stopped sales of chicken feed containing arsenic, once the USDA found there were higher levels being used than originally believed. The poultry giant Perdue also stopped using arsenic in its chicken feed a few years ago, to the delight of many consumers.

Luis Luna, who is a spokesperson for Perdue, said the company has focused on raising healthy and sizeable chickens without the potentially dangerous additive, which he said is the best way to appease consumers who have been hearing more about the dangers of arsenic and the negative impact it can have on their health and the environment.

Perdue “has worked hard to have an approach to bird health that works without the use of arsenic,” said Luna.

“That’s good animal husbandry and best management practices that produced that result. The science doesn’t support a ban right now. It isn’t clear. If people believe it’s a safety issue, then they can take it up with the FDA,” he said.

“Right now, it’s about emotion and sloganeering, which creates confusion, and not about a review of the science, which is what we trust the FDA to do.”

How safe is the car you're driving -- or considering buying? The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) is singling out 13 cars with its its new Top Safety Pick+ accolade for superior crash protection.

Winners include the Acura TL; Dodge Avenger and its twin, the Chrysler 200 4-door; Ford Fusion; Honda Accord 2-door; Honda Accord 4-door; Kia Optima; Nissan Altima 4-door; Subaru Legacy and its twin, the Subaru Outback; Suzuki Kizashi; Volkswagen Passat and Volvo S60. The Acura TL and Volvo S60 are midsize luxury cars. The other models are midsize moderately priced cars.

"Of the 29 models evaluated so far in our small overlap frontal crash test, these 13 cars offer the highest level of all-around crash protection," said IIHS President Adrian Lund. "We're pleased to recognize them with our new Top Safety Pick+ award for 2013."

The ratings

IIHS rates vehicles good, acceptable, marginal or poor based on performance in a moderate overlap frontal crash, small overlap frontal crash, side impact and rollover, plus evaluations of seat/head restraints for protection against neck injuries in rear impacts. Top Safety Pick+ winners must earn good ratings for occupant protection in at least 4 of 5 evaluations, with no less than acceptable in the fifth test.

For 2013, 117 additional vehicles earn Top Safety Pick. To qualify for Top Safety Pick vehicles must have good ratings for occupant protection in the moderate overlap frontal test, side impact, rollover and rear tests, regardless of their small overlap rating.

"Models that earn Top Safety Pick also offer outstanding protection in many crashes," Lund said. "These vehicles are much safer choices than most vehicles on the market just five years ago."

The full list of the safest cars for 2013 can be found here.

Small overlap test

IIHS introduced the small overlap test in 2012 to further improve occupant protection in frontal crashes. Luxury/near luxury midsize cars were the first group of vehicles evaluated, followed by midsize moderately priced cars. IIHS will announce additional Top Safety Pick+ winners as it continues to test models. Results for small SUVs are expected in the spring.

The small overlap test replicates what happens when the front corner of a car collides with another vehicle or an object like a tree or utility pole. In the test, 25 percent of a car's front end on the driver side strikes a 5-foot-tall rigid barrier at 40 mph. A Hybrid III dummy representing a 50th percentile male is belted in the driver seat.

Most automakers design their vehicles for good performance in the IIHS moderate overlap frontal test and the federal government's full-width frontal test, but many haven't addressed the problem of small overlap crashes. In a 2009 IIHS study of vehicles with good ratings for frontal crash protection, small overlap crashes accounted for nearly a quarter of the frontal crashes involving serious or fatal injury to front seat occupants.

Working with automakers

IIHS gives manufacturers advance notice of planned changes. Automakers in the past have been quick to factor new IIHS evaluations into their designs, and many are on track to do the same with the introduction of the small overlap test and Top Safety Pick+.

"We've seen automakers make structural and restraint changes in response to our small overlap test," said Lund. "Five manufacturers redesigned their midsize cars to enhance small overlap crash protection."

Honda engineered both versions of the Accord to do well in the test. Ford and Nissan made running structural changes to 2013 models already in production. Subaru and Volkswagen changed airbag control modules on the production line so side curtain airbags would deploy for improved head protection.

IIHS first gave the Top Safety Pick award to 2006 models and has tightened criteria twice since then. Good rear test results and availability of electronic stability control became a requirement starting with 2007 models, and a good roof strength rating became a deciding factor for the 2010 model year. Stability control is no longer a distinguishing criterion since the feature is standard under federal rules for 2012 and later models.

Some iPhone users may be a little harder to reach today. When the calendar turned over to 2013 Tuesday, the Do Not Disturb function in the iOS6 operating system -- the mobile platform for the iPhone and iPad -- developed a bug, according to users.

The Do Not Disturb function, which is new to iOS 6, allows users to set a time when their phone will not ring -- calls will go directly to voicemail. Users schedule the time for the feature to start and to end.

The problem, apparently, is that since the new year began, the Do Not Disturb function does not always turn off as scheduled. As a result, calls continue to go to voicemail.

Bad timing

In a bit of bad timing for Apple, the company chose this week to launch a new commercial, featuring Venus and Serena Williams, promoting the Do Not Disturb function.

On the MacRumors Website, a place where Apple product users post comments, there was some discussion of the problem today.

Didn't notice right away

“I didn't notice anything wrong with it yesterday on the 1st because I was sleeping in, but it's officially on two minutes after it should have turned itself off on the 2nd,” a user going by aardwolf posted.

Another user using the handle Bezetos wondered why Apple bothered to make an ad promoting a feature that has been available on other platforms.

“Will I be going too far by saying that Apple are starting to have little to say for themselves these days?” Bezetos asked.

Other posters reported that going into “settings” and turning off the Do Not Disturb function, then turning it on again, seems to reset the system so that it operates properly.

In the latest study linking the  sweetener fructose to obesity, researchers used brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and found that sugar, but not fructose, produced feelings of fullness in test subjects, according to preliminary results published in the January 2 issue of JAMA.

The researchers said that sugar -- glucose -- reduced cerebral blood flow and activity in brain regions that regulate appetite while fructose did not and that ingestion of glucose but not fructose produced increased ratings of satiety and fullness.

In November 2012, Researchers at the University of Southern California (USC) and at Oxford produced a study that found countries using high fructose corn syrup in their food supply have a 20 percent higher prevalence of type 2 diabetes, a condition often associated with obesity. A 2009 study linked fructose with high blood pressure, the researchers noted.

Obesity, diabetes

“Increases in fructose consumption have paralleled the increasing prevalence of obesity, and high-fructose diets are thought to promote weight gain and insulin resistance. Fructose ingestion produces smaller increases in circulating satiety hormones compared with glucose ingestion, and central administration of fructose provokes feeding in rodents, whereas centrally administered glucose promotes satiety,” they said. “Thus, fructose possibly increases food-seeking behavior and increases food intake.”

Kathleen A. Page, M.D., of Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Conn., and colleagues conducted the latest study, which included 20 healthy adult volunteers who underwent two magnetic resonance imaging sessions after drinking fructose or glucose drinks.

“Glucose but not fructose ingestion reduced the activation of the hypothalamus, insula, and striatum—brain regions that regulate appetite, motivation, and reward processing," they reported.

Supersizing waistlines

In an editorial accompanying the study, Jonathan Q. Purnell, M.D., and Damien A. Fair, PA-C, Ph.D., of Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, said the findings supported the notion that fructose promotes increased food intake.

“[T]he implications ... are that the advances in food processing and economic forces leading to increased intake of added sugar and accompanying fructose in U.S. society are indeed extending the supersizing concept to the population's collective waistlines.”

Gasoline prices steadily declined in the fourth quarter of the year so consumers might think that 2012 was a pretty good year as far as the price at the pump was concerned. But they would be wrong.

The national average price over the last 12 months was $3.60 a gallon, according to AAA. That ranks as the most expensive year on record, eclipsing last year's average of $3.51.

The year ended with gasoline prices at or near their low point of the year, giving motorists a break heading into the holidays. The national average price, as measured by AAA's Fuel Gauge Survey, dipped to $3.22 a gallon last week before ending the year at $2.29.

But those with longer memories might recall paying a lot more for gas during 2012. In late January the average price was $3.37 a gallon, less than a dime more than it is now. By the first week in March, the average price had shot up to $3.75 a gallon.

Same old story

What had changed? Nothing really. Prices followed pretty much the same track they did in 2011. Once again, political tensions in the Middle East flared up, prompting oil traders to bid up the price of oil because of fears of a possible supply interruption. No supply interruption occurred but the price at the pump did not come down right away.

By late April the average price edged past $3.80 cents a gallon before dropping back to around $3.35 on the Fourth of July. Then, as the summer driving season ended, fuel prices took off again.

By late September the average gasoline price was back up to $3.83 a gallon, a record high for that time of year.

Ever-present Middle-East turmoil

Oil industry analysts pointed to a variety of reasons for the fluctuating price of oil and gasoline during the year. There was the ever-present fear of turmoil in the Middle East – this time it was worry that a showdown over Iran's nuclear program would be the source of trouble. There were also problems with refineries and pipelines that caused price spikes in California and the Midwest during the summer.

But through most of the year, oil production in the U.S. climbed while consumption steadily declined. In fact, a report last week by MasterCard showed that motor fuel consumption was down 3.6 percent from the same period last year.

What does 2013 hold? AAA predicts that prices will actually go down thanks to old fashioned supply and demand. Domestic production is set to rise and demand should fall even more, especially if the economy slips back into a recession.

Zipcar was one of those ideas that seemed too good to be true -- a car you could rent by the hour whenever you needed it, without going through all the hassle normally associated with renting a car.

Turns it is was too good to be true, at least for its founders. The company signed up more than 750,000 members since its founding in 2000 but never posted a profit -- which is not a good thing for a publicly-traded company.

And so this little story ends as do so many tales that set out to be David-and-Goliath sagas. Goliath wins.

In this case, Goliath is Avis Budget Group, Inc. Not exactly a zippy little company, it's second only to Hertz, which also owns Dollar and Thrifty.

Part of Zipcar's problem, analysts say, is that its appeal was primarily to younger consumers, many of them students who tended to need cars only for weekend jaunts. That meant Zipcar had a lot of cars sitting around gathering dust during the week.

Avis, on the other hand, primarily serves business customers who tend to travel during the week. Put those two clients bases together and you have a better chance of keeping the fleet out on the road earning money, instead of sitting forlornly at the curb.

Avis Budget will be paying about $500 million for Zipcar, which is pretty good for a company that was little more than an idea 13 years ago. But on a per-share basis, it's a 32% discount from Zipcar's IPO price.

"We see car sharing as highly complementary to traditional car rental, with rapid growth potential and representing a scalable opportunity for us as a combined company," said Ronald L. Nelson, Avis Budget Group chairman and chief executive officer.  "We expect to apply Avis Budget's experience and efficiencies of fleet management with Zipcar's proven, customer-friendly technology to accelerate the growth of the Zipcar brand and to provide more options for Zipsters in more places. We also expect to leverage Zipcar's technology to expand mobility solutions under the Avis and Budget brands."

Technically, the U.S. went over the fiscal cliff January 1 -- but most of the tax hikes were eliminated by subsequent legislation and automatic spending cuts have been delayed for two months. Meaning the fiscal can has been kicked a bit further down the road.

Despite a major split among House Republicans, enough went along with Democrats to approve an emergency Senate measure crafted by Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Vice-President Joe Biden. Here's what it means:

For most taxpayers, rates remain the same. The legislation reset tax rates for those earning less than $400,000 a year, or couples earning less than $450,000 a year, to where they were after the Bush-era tax cuts -- enacted after the 9/11 terrorist attacks

Who pays?

For individuals earning $400,000 or more a year, and families earning $450,000 or more, the tax rate rises from 35 percent to 39.6 percent. In addition, the tax rate on investment income for those in that tax bracket also rises by five percent.

All employees, however, will see a slightly smaller paycheck from now on. That's because the temporary reduction in the payroll tax expired at the end of the year and the new legislation did not extend it.

The tax is 12.4 percent on wages up to $113,700, but employees only pay half of that; their employers pay the other half. Two years ago, in an effort to stimulate the economy, Congress temporarily reduced the employee portion of the tax from 6.2 to 4.2 percent. For the average family that amounted to about $1,000 a year, or $19 a week.

Few supporters of extending the payroll tax cut

Neither Republicans nor Democrats backed extending the tax cut further, since Social Security and Medicare benefits are supposedly based on what an employee has contributed to the system and both programs face severe shortfalls as it is.

The emergency legislation that passed the Congress was designed to prevent all tax rates from reverting to their pre-Bush tax cut levels. Economists warned that, with the fragile state of the economy, that would have brought on a recession.

The measure also extended provisions of the Farm Bill, preventing a huge spike in the price of milk. The measure extended present dairy policy, giving lawmakers more time to approve a new Farm Bill.

The bill did nothing to cut spending and, in fact, increases it by $4 trillion over the next 10 years, according to an analysis by the Congressional Budget Office. Lawmakers have said they will address spending in a separate measure and Thomas Donohue, president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, says time is of the essence.

Focus now on spending

"The new Congress and the administration must begin work immediately to slow runaway spending through structural entitlement reforms,” Donohue said in a statement. “They must also spur faster economic growth through comprehensive tax reform and a rapid expansion of American energy, which would create jobs and generate government revenues. This is the only formula that can reduce budget deficits and control our unsustainable national debt.”

But that sets up new conflicts in Congress, all but guaranteeing another contentious encounter when lawmakers consider a measure next month to raise the debt ceiling.

How long have we been hearing that being overweight was the ticket to an early grave? Well, it turns out it's not necessarily so, as long as we're talking about overweight as opposed to obesity, a large analysis suggests.

In the latest word on the subject, an analysis of nearly 100 studies that included approximately 3 million adults found that being overweight carried a lower risk of death than normal weight or being obese, according to a study in the January 2 issue of JAMA.

The researchers said their findings are consistent with observations of lower mortality among overweight and moderately obese patients.

“Possible explanations have included earlier presentation of heavier patients, greater likelihood of receiving optimal medical treatment, cardioprotective metabolic effects of increased body fat, and benefits of higher metabolic reserves.”

It's important to note two things:

• The study looked at all causes of mortality, not just heart disease, stroke and cancer, which are sometimes associated with obesity and overweight.
• The study makes a sharp distinction between overweight and obese, based on a standardized measure called body mass index (BMI), a measure of body fat based on height and weight that applies to adult men and women. You can calculate your BMI here.

The researchers found a 6 percent lower risk of death for overweight; a 18 percent higher risk of death for obesity (all grades); a 5 percent lower risk of death for grade 1 obesity; and a 29 percent increased risk of death for grades 2 and 3 obesity.

The study was conducted by  Katherine M. Flegal, Ph.D., of the National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Hyattsville, Md., and colleagues. They identified 97 studies that met inclusion criteria, which provided a combined sample size of more than 2.88 million individuals and more than 270,000 deaths.

“Not all patients classified as being overweight or having grade 1 obesity, particularly those with chronic diseases, can be assumed to require weight loss treatment. Establishing BMI is only the first step toward a more comprehensive risk evaluation,” an accompanying editorial noted.

“The presence of a wasting disease, heart disease, diabetes, renal dialysis, or older age are all associated with an inverse relationship between BMI and mortality rate, an observation termed the obesity paradox or reverse epidemiology," said Steven B. Heymsfield, M.D., and William T. Cefalu, M.D., of the Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Baton Rouge, La.

"The optimal BMI linked with lowest mortality in patients with chronic disease may be within the overweight and obesity range. Even in the absence of chronic disease, small excess amounts of adipose tissue may provide needed energy reserves during acute catabolic illnesses, have beneficial mechanical effects with some types of traumatic injuries, and convey other salutary effects that need to be investigated in light of the studies."

The hot-selling blood-thinner Plavix is blamed for more than ten deaths in two Chicago lawsuits that charge the expensive drug is no better than aspirin, costs 100 times more and increases the risk of heart attack, stroke, internal bldding and other complications.

Bristol-Myers Squibb and Sanofi-Aventis promote the drug heavily for patients at risk of blood clots that could break loose and travel to the brain, heart or lungs -- a condition similar to that currently afflicting Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Besides two lawsuits filed recently in Cook County Court in Chicago, at least 561 other lawsuits have been filed around the country, according to the Courthouse News Service database.

In one of the Cook County cases, lead plaintiff Geraldine Jackson charges the companies "knew or should have known that when taking Plavix, the risk of suffering a heart attack, stroke, internal bleeding, blood disorder, or death far outweigh any potential benefit."

Consumers deceived?

Jackson and other plaintiffs accuse Bristol-Myers and Sanofi-Aventis of deceiving consumers by misrepresenting the risks of Plavix, which they knew about from their own studies.

"Plavix was heavily marketed directly to consumers through television, magazine and Internet advertising," the complaint states. "It was touted as a 'super-aspirin,' that would give a person even greater cardiovascular benefits than a much less expensive, daily aspirin while being safer and easier on a person's stomach than aspirin. Those assertions have proven to be false.

"The truth is, that BMS and Sanofi always knew, or if they had paid attention to the findings of their own studies, should have known, that Plavix was not more efficacious than aspirin to prevent heart attacks and strokes. More importantly though, defendants knew or should have known that when taking Plavix, the risk of suffering a heart attack, stroke, internal bleeding, blood disorder, or death far outweigh any potential benefit."

Plavix is the sixth best-selling drug in the United States, with annual sales of $3.8 billion, although it works no better than aspirin in many cases, according to the complaint. A dose of Plavix costs $4, 100 times more than aspirin, at 4 cents a dose.

Three people died because they took Plavix, according to Jackson's lawsuit. Another lawsuit, filed the same day, claims that seven people died from the drug.

Probably one of the weirdest sentences that I’ve heard anybody say is, “I really don’t like listening to music.” 

Now mind you, I’m aware there were much stranger sentences uttered throughout history, but I found this one about not listening to music to be particularly odd.

To me, it was like somebody saying they don’t like food, can’t stand love or choose not to use water.

When it comes to music, it doesn’t really fit in the I-like-it-or- I-don’t-like-it-category. Obviously, there are different types of music that we’ll completely shut ourselves off to--which is also kind of weird to me--but to have an underdeveloped appreciation for any kind of music at all ranks up there with a person who says they don’t like sunshine.

Personally, I would ask that person, what is it about the sunshine that they don’t like?

Is it the warmth that it provides, the good feeling it induces, is it the way it brightens up a dismal day? In fact, I wish I would have asked the same question to the guy who said he didn’t like music. Is it the warmth they don’t like, the good feeling it induces or the way it brightens up a dismal day?

Can be a healing agent

Listening to music isn’t only one of the best ways to pass the time when you need a good dose of lyrics and sound, it can also serve as an actual healing agent, say researchers.

Integrative medicine expert Dr. Isaac Eliaz said that receiving a nice feeling from one of your favorite songs isn’t just enjoyable, it actually benefits the mind and body. Eliaz also said the research findings only strengthened what he already believed.

“These results only confirm what I have observed for many years in my practice, music produces quantifiable healing,” said Eliaz in a published interview.

“For example, my daughter Amity, a professional musician, regularly plays her songs for chronically ill patients who express how uplifting her music is. These performances do more than encourage good feelings, they help the body heal on a molecular level.”

“As an integrative physician and traditional Chinese medicine practitioner, the healing power of music has always been an important part of my practice and family life, Eliaz said.

“Harmony and tempo help synchronize the rhythms of the natural world with the music of the heart, each person’s individual energetic pattern expressed in their pulse,” said Eliaz after conducting a peer review on music and health.

Music therapy

There have been several studies on music being a treatment aid for certain types of illnesses, and music therapy—the official term for using songs to manage illness symptoms and other health problems—offers various ways to incorporate music into one’s treatment regimen.

A 2001 study in the United Kingdom showed that out of 29 cancer patients, each one of them felt healthier while undergoing music therapy sessions. The study also showed that each cancer patient had better immune responses due to their stress levels being lowered by music therapy sessions.

In a separate study, researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) found that music therapy may be used effectively to strengthen weak respiratory muscles, which is a common characteristic among people with advanced levels of multiple sclerosis.  

Although the findings weren’t exactly overwhelming--since 79 percent of the participants in the study didn’t respond to the music therapy as predicted--the effects were substantial enough to warrant further research.

Another study recently published in the medical journal Brain and Behavior showed that music can help those suffering from insomnia.

Scientists examined a type of technology called HIRREM, which stands for high-resolution relational resonance-based electroencephalic mirroring, and it can send brain frequencies back and forth to each hemisphere by using  musical tones.

Parallel processors

“The human brain is made up of the left and right hemispheres that work together as parallel processors,” said Dr. Charles H. Tegeler, a professor, neurologist, and researcher at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center.

“When a person undergoes trauma or a major stressor, their autonomic survival responses kick in and the brain can become unbalanced.”

“If those imbalances persist, symptoms such as insomnia can result. Our study looked at a new technology that is intended to facilitate greater balance and harmony in brain frequencies, which may result in improved symptoms,” he said.

Although there are numerous studies on how music therapy can help relieve the symptoms of other ailments like depression, anxiety disorders, and heart conditions, Eliaz says the medical community hasn’t even begun to climb the mountain of research that coud reveal the other ways music can be used to help treat illnesses.

“Modern science has just begun to scratch the surface of music and sound in terms of healing potential,” says Eliaz.

“However, traditional medical systems from around the world have long revered the beneficial vibrations of music, harmony and rhythm for health and vitality. The effects are instant and tangible, but they are also powerful and long lasting.”

One of the major factors helping the housing market recover last year was the relatively low number of homes for sale. It was simple supply and demand. Demand may not have been very strong but supply was very weak.

That created competition among buyers and gave sellers added leverage in their negotiations. In an increasing number of sales, multiple buyers bid up the sale price of the property.

Even if they wanted to sell their homes, homeowners who are underwater are unable to, since they owe more than they could get for their homes. So those homes remain off the market.

Fewer foreclosures

In something of a surprise, there were fewer than expected foreclosures hitting the market last year as banks were slow to deal with delinquent loans and take possession of homes. A new report from data analytics firm CoreLogic suggests that isn't about to change anytime soon.

As of October 2012, CoreLogic found the “shadow inventory” of homes had fallen to 2.3 million units, a 12.3 percent drop from the previous October. “Shadow” inventory is made up of homes that are not currently for sale but could be soon. They are mostly homes in which the owners are in danger of default or foreclosure.

CoreLogic said it arrives at that number by calculating the number of properties that are seriously delinquent, in foreclosure and held as real estate owned (REO) by mortgage servicers but not currently listed on multiple listing services (MLSs).

Transition rates of “delinquency to foreclosure” and “foreclosure to REO” are used to identify the currently distressed unlisted properties most likely to become REO properties. Properties that are not yet delinquent but may become delinquent in the future are not included in the estimate of the current shadow inventory. Shadow inventory is typically not included in the official reporting measurements of unsold inventory.

Improving health

The numbers seem to suggest a healthier housing market.

“The size of the shadow inventory continues to shrink from peak levels in terms of numbers of units and the dollars they represent,” said Anand Nallathambi, president and CEO of CoreLogic. ”We expect a gradual and progressive contraction in the shadow inventory in 2013 as investors continue to snap up foreclosed and REO properties and the broader recovery in housing market fundamentals takes hold.”

Almost half of the properties in the shadow are delinquent and not yet foreclosed. That's significant because, given the long foreclosure timelines in many states, the current shadow inventory stock represents little immediate threat to a significant swing in housing market supply.

That means a long-feared wave of foreclosures coming onto the market, depressing prices, isn't likely to happen in 2013. CoreLogic believes investor demand will help to absorb the already foreclosed and REO properties in the shadow inventory in 2013.

What does it mean for sellers? If you plan to sell your home this year, you probably won't face much new competition. Some markets might even become more of a “seller's market.”

What about buyers? If you have considered a home purchase and can qualify for a mortgage, 2013 might not be a bad time to make a purchase. While the inventory will likely remain in its present range much of the year, interest rates remain low, for now. It might not be a bad time to take advantage of them.