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University of Missouri in financial tailspin as freshman enrollment dips and revenue slides
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The campus protests of last fall are apparently to blame, as the university freezes hiring and merit pay raises. - photo by Eric Schulzke
The University of Missouri, which was wracked with highly publicized campus protests last fall that led to the resignation of the system's chancellor, is now struggling financially, faced with a shortfall in freshman admissions.

I am writing to you today to confirm that we project a very significant budget shortfall due to an unexpected sharp decline in first-year enrollment and student retention this coming fall, interim MU Chancellor Hank Foley announced Wednesday, the Columbia Daily Tribune reports.

The financial shortfall, sparked by 1,500 fewer students enrolling, of whom most would be incoming freshmen, resulted in a $32 million budget gap. To address the gap, Foley announced 5 percent across the board program cuts, a hiring freeze and the temporary elimination of merit salary increases.

Sparked by the Black Lives Matter movement, the protests temporarily shut down the campus, capturing the nation's attention. In early November, the New York Times reported, the school's football team threatened to boycott an upcoming home game unless the university's chancellor resigned, which he did in time to avert the boycott and end one student's hunger strike.

This financial impact was predicted in January, when director of admissions Chuck May announced that freshman applications were down.

While we dont have any clear data," May wrote in an email, as reported by the Kansas City Star, "we know that the events this past fall have had an impact, and we are answering any questions that parents and students have about those events. We are working closely with many on campus to make every effort possible in the coming months to minimize that decrease."

In late February, the University of Missouri Board of Curators voted to fire Melissa Click, who became the poster child of the fall protests when she confronted a student reporter to prevent him from filming a protest on the campus quad and called for "some muscle" to have him forcibly removed from the scene.

Video of that confrontation went viral, and Click, a communications professor, immediately came under attack.

In announcing her firing, board chairwoman Pam Henrickson noted that the board respects Dr. Clicks right to express her views and does not base this decision on her support for students engaged in protest or their views, according to the Columbia Daily Tribune. However," Henrickson concluded, "Dr. Click was not entitled to interfere with the rights of others, to confront members of law enforcement or to encourage potential physical intimidation against a student.
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.