Cold weather forecasts changed the short-term trend in natural gas to up, profit-takers had their way in crude oil and gold fell victim to a stronger U.S. Dollar. Although no concrete agreement was reached after three-days of mid-level discussions between U.S. and Chinese officials, the positive outcome resulted in the two economic powerhouses agreeing to higher-level talks later in the month. The Fed's noting of "muted" inflation was reaffirmed on Friday when a governmen t report showed U.S. consumer prices fell for the first time in nine months in December.