SYDNEY, Sept. 2 (UPI) — Researchers in Australia say they have found a link between shorter sleep times and higher risk of mental distress in young adults.
University of Sydney researchers found a linear association between sleep durations of less than 8 hours and psychological distress in teens and young adults ages 17-24. Read more »

WASHINGTON, Sept. 2 (UPI) — A survey of near-Earth asteroids shows they come in a far wider variety of shapes, sizes and surfaces than previously thought, U.S. researchers say.
The findings are based on infrared scanning of about 100 asteroids by NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope, SPACE.com reported Thursday.
The effort is part of a larger Spitzer telescope project to look at 700 near-Earth objects to identify their individual characteristics. Read more »

NEW YORK, Sept. 2 (UPI) — An increasing number of New York skyscrapers are turning their lights off at night — not to save energy but to save birds’ lives, officials say.
The “lights out” project to help reduce the number of birds hitting the high rise building was organized by the New York City Audubon Society and will run until Nov. 1, when migratory birds are expected to have completed their autumn migrations, the BBC reported. Read more »

HOUSTON, Sept. 2 (UPI) — An ancient herbal remedy whose active ingredient is the main constituent of a modern diabetes drug may help combat cancer, two U.S. studies show.
The studies, published in the journal Cancer Prevention Research, support previous research that found diabetes patients receiving the drug metformin are less prone to developing cancer.
Metformin helps stabilize blood sugar by decreasing the liver’s glucose output and increasing the sugar’s use by muscle tissue. Read more »

ATLANTA, Sept. 2 (UPI) — The making of antibiotics, officially dated to 1928 and the discovery of penicillin, was common practice more than 1,400 years ago, U.S. researchers say.
An Emory University anthropologist and a medicinal chemist say chemical analysis of the bones of ancient Nubians shows they regularly consumed tetracycline, most likely in beer, a university release said Wednesday.
Anthropologist George Armelagos and chemist Mark Nelson published their study in the American Journal of Physical Anthropology. Read more »

September 2 - California state lawmakers rejected a bill that would have banned plastic bags in supermarkets, liquor stores, and other small food stores across the Golden State. The bill which was previously believed to have the votes necessary to pass, faced strong opposition from bag manufacturers and oil companies.

The American Chemistry Council, which represents ExxonMobil Corp., Dow Chemical Co., and plastic bag manufacturers, was behind much of the lobbying to oppose the plastic bag ban.

MONTREAL, Sept. 2 (UPI) — A new technique that can “hear” the sound of colors may help art restorers identify the pigments in centuries-old paintings, researchers say.
Canadian scientists at McGill University in Montreal say a technique called photoacoustic infrared spectroscopy can cause the pigments used in artists’ colors to emit sounds when light is shone on them, a university release said Wednesday. Read more »

TALLAHASSEE, Fla., Sept. 2 (UPI) — Academic performance in adolescents will suffer if their DNA contains one or more of specific dopamine gene variations, a U.S. study says.
Florida State University researchers says performance in at least one of four key subjects — English, math, science or history — can fall during middle and high school based on the interplay of specific genes, a university release says. Read more »

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind., Sept. 2 (UPI) — As million of eggs in the U.S. are recalled for possible salmonella contamination, a method to create ice within shells is in the spotlight, researchers say.
Purdue University food-science Professor Kevin Keener has spent a decade working on a system that uses carbon dioxide to create a thin layer of ice inside eggs shortly after they are laid, the Toronto Star reported Thursday. Read more »