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Arianne Brown: A child in motion is a beautiful thing even if with a broken femur
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Arianne Brown's 2-year-old son, Audi, sits on the couch after breaking his femur. - photo by Arianne Brown
Just two weeks ago, I was asking my 2-year-old son, Audi, to please stop climbing, jumping off of things and running around because I didn't want him to get hurt. Now I am looking at him completely immobilized in a cast that covers his entire right leg and goes all the way up to his chest in what the medical professionals call a spica cast.

Yes, even after my constant pleas for my son to not act like a 2-year-old, he did just that. In failed attempt to climb the coat rack to retrieve his jacket, he fell along with the rack, breaking his femur.

The excitement didn't end there, and he was awarded an ambulance ride to Primary Children's Hospital and an overnight stay in a room with a view. And when I say awarded, I am not at all thinking about the bill that will soon make its way to our mailbox (wink, wink).

In the days since the accident, I have given a lot of thought to how we could prevent another one like it. After all, our family has endured a broken finger, foot, collarbone, separated shoulder and now a broken femur. We've been glued, stapled and stitched back together several times over, including my recent knee-splitting incident.

It makes me wonder. Are we accident prone or reckless? Are we neglectful parents? All of the above?

Probably.

However, I'd like to think that there's a better and more accurate explanation to why these things keep happening: Its because we are always in motion.

As much as I beg my kids to stop climbing, jumping, running around and wrestling, they do so because it is in their nature. And if I'm honest, it is in my nature to do all of those things, too even at the age of 35!

Truth be told, when I ask my kids to slow down, I am really enjoying watching them move around and play, knowing full well that the odds are someone will eventually get hurt.

Simply put, children in motion is a beautiful thing. The way they fearlessly climb from chair to countertop to cupboard in order to get a cookie shows not only strategic agility but also determination, independence and even a little defiance.

When my 4-year-old climbs on top of the mantle only to launch himself onto the cushioned ottoman below, it shows physical accuracy, bravery and intelligence because a soft landing is always best.

And even though my 2-year-old is currently experiencing the consequences of an unconquered climb, I don't think it will slow him down for long nor will I force him to do so.

Because I'd much rather watch my children run, jump and climb with the chance of getting hurt than sit still and never know what it's like to fall or better yet, be lucky enough to spend a month in a spica cast.
Its toxic: New study says blue light from tech devices can speed up blindness
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A new study from the University of Toledo found that blue light from digital devices can transform molecules in your eyes retina into cell killers. - photo by Herb Scribner
It turns out checking Twitter or Facebook before bed is bad for your health.

A new study from the University of Toledo found that blue light from digital devices can transform molecules in your eyes retina into cell killers.

That process can lead to age-related macular degeneration, which is a leading cause of blindness in the United States, according to the researchs extract.

Blue light is a common issue for many modern Americans. Blue light is emitted from screens, most notably at night, causing sleep loss, eye strain and a number of other issues.

Dr. Ajith Karunarathne, assistant professor in the UT Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, said our constant exposure to blue light cant be blocked by the lens or cornea.

"It's no secret that blue light harms our vision by damaging the eye's retina. Our experiments explain how this happens, and we hope this leads to therapies that slow macular degeneration, such as a new kind of eye drop, he said.

Macular degeneration is an incurable eye disease that often affects those in their 50s or 60s. It occurs after the death of photoreceptor cells in the retina. Those cells need retinal to sense light and help signal the brain.

The research team found blue light exposure created poisonous chemical molecules that killed photoreceptor cells

"It's toxic. If you shine blue light on retinal, the retinal kills photoreceptor cells as the signaling molecule on the membrane dissolves," said Kasun Ratnayake, a Ph.D. student researcher working in Karunarathne's cellular photo chemistry group. "Photoreceptor cells do not regenerate in the eye. When they're dead, they're dead for good."

However, the researchers found a molecule called alpha-tocopherol, which comes from Vitamin E, can help prevent cell death, according to Futurism.

The researchers plan to review how light from TVs, cellphones and tablet screens affect the eyes as well.

"If you look at the amount of light coming out of your cellphone, it's not great but it seems tolerable," said Dr. John Payton, visiting assistant professor in the UT Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. "Some cellphone companies are adding blue-light filters to the screens, and I think that is a good idea."

Indeed, Apple released a Night Shift mode two years ago to help quell blue lights strain on the eyes, according to The Verge. The screen will dim into a warmer, orange light that will cause less stress on the eyes.