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U.S. economy appears not too hot, not too cold
Weak Economy
Kir Brown
Deseret News National
Updated: Jun 29, 2014, 9:00 PM
Published: Jun 25, 2014, 9:04 PM

Over the past several days, a number of economic indicators have been released. Some of these figures suggested a weaker U.S. economy during the first quarter of 2014, while others provided a bit more optimistic view of the U.S. economy.

In its monthly survey of consumer confidence, the Conference Board indicated a moderate improvement in the results for May as compared to April. One of the contributing factors to the general improvement in consumer sentiment was an improved expectation for the U.S. labor market. According to the May survey, 18.3 percent of consumers expected their incomes to increase as compared to 16.8 percent with this expectation in the April survey.

First quarter 2014 reports on the U.S. gross domestic product, or GDP, revealed a contracting economy. This analysis, provided by the Bureau of Economic Analysis, reported the U.S. GDP decreased at a rate equivalent to an annualized negative growth rate of 1 percent. While this indicator of the health of the U.S. economy did not provide much positive news, it was not altogether unexpected. Severe winter weather conditions in much of the country during the first quarter of 2014 had been previously noted by many companies as a significant contributing factor to below-expectation financial results during that period.

As these and other economic indicators have been released in the recent past, the benchmark 10-year maturity U.S. Treasury note has traded at somewhat lower yields. With annual yield levels being pushed below 2.5 percent, participants in the U.S. bond market, which include the U.S. Federal Reserve and its monthly bond purchases, continue to allocate investable funds at these relatively low yield levels.

While the current health of the U.S. economy and the outlook for its future growth are important drivers of the domestic capital markets, economic influences from outside the U.S. borders cannot be ignored. An expanding global middle class, with its desire to acquire goods, continues to emerge in many developing countries. Additionally, central bank policies in foreign countries affect the business climates far beyond their sovereign borders.

Kirby Brown is the CEO of Beneficial Financial Group.
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
Herb Scribner
Deseret News
Published: Aug 13, 2018, 1:39 PM
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.