Friday, October 21, 2016

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SINCE 1891

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD FRIDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2016

VOLUME CLI, ISSUE 90

WWW.BROWNDAILYHERALD.COM

Athletes navigate academic constraints, New imaging technique distinct standards of social conduct differentiates cell types University researchers develop tool with potential applications in cancer screenings

Academic support, teamspecific social rules, teammate mentoring shape athlete experience By BEN SHUMATE

By ELENA RENKEN

SENIOR STAFF WRITER

SENIOR STAFF WRITER

Though athletes and non-athletes at Brown live side by side, varsity athletes are widely held to different standards of social conduct and face distinct obstacles to completing coursework. To overcome academic challenges, athletes receive some degree of institutional support and provide each other with peer-to-peer assistance. On the social side, athletes’ team commitments may entail adhering to additional rules of conduct set and enforced by individual teams, and when faced with matters of discipline from the University or law enforcement, athletes’ identities may inform the results — for better or for worse.

University researchers have developed a novel imaging technique that distinguishes cells that have gone through a change that occurs during cancerous growth — among other processes — from cells that have not. A study published Oct. 3 describes the development and impressive accuracy of this tool, “the first of its kind to do a really extensive morphological study,” according to Susan Leggett GS, the lead author of the paper. The approach is preliminary, and “there is a lot of work to be done,” Leggett said, adding that at this stage of development the technique is most powerful as a method for screening new drugs. In the future the tool may be applicable to cancer screenings. The change that occurs in processes such as wound healing, development and cancerous growth is called the epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Epithelial cells have a cubelike form, while mesenchymal cells

Academic affairs The NCAA is often the target of pointed criticism in popular media over its supposed exploitation of studentathletes for profit. But discussed less often is the close relationship the NCAA maintains with member institutions like Brown to support student-athletes.

COURTESY OF BROWN ATHLETICS

The Office of the Dean of the College holds office hours in the Nelson Athletic Center in order to accommodate the schedules of student-athletes. Each year, $24.6 million — about 5 percent of the NCAA’s $503 million in revenue — is redistributed back to Division I schools through the Academic Enhancement Fund, and Brown receives about $70,000 of it annually. According to the NCAA website, the fund is commonly used for “tutorial services, equipment, supplies and additional personnel.” The value of services

Safer sex supplies now free on campus

In effort to remove previous price barriers, BWell, SHAG provide free supplies, delivery service By FIDELITY BALLMER STAFF WRITER

BWell Health Promotion has changed its signs and done away with collection tins: All safe sex supplies are now completely free on campus. In the past, signs asked for donations for safer sex supplies at cost — for example, one external condom cost $0.15 and a dental dam cost$0.50. Only a few hundred dollars came in per year from donations for the safer sex supplies, which was far lower than the cost, according to Naomi Ninneman, BWell Health educator. The lack of income was one reason to make the supplies free, she added. “The price obviously was not so high that it would have provided a significant barrier for the majority of students,” said Sexual Health Awareness Group

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co-coordinator Deborah Pomeranz ’18. But “it’s a good statement to say these things are supplies that all Brown students have a right to and should be able to access free of cost, even if that cost won’t be a barrier.” “For a lot of people, part of being a student and being a person is exploring their sexuality, and we want people to be able to do that in the most healthy way possible,” Pomeranz added. The change was made possible in part through free safer sex supplies ordered by BWell through the Rhode Island Department of Health, which offers them to at-risk groups. Since youth are included in that designation, students qualified for free safer sex supplies. BWell has ordered these free supplies before, but the shipments have become more consistent this year. Another reason for the change was the launch of the Ship n SHAG service in spring 2016 through which students can order free supplies — including internal and external condoms, dental dams, gloves, lube and informational » See SEX, page 2

provided for athletes through the fund cannot factor into the financial aid packages for athletes determined by schools. Brown’s athletic department provides laptops for student-athletes on road trips, and the Office of the Dean of the College holds weekly office hours in the Nelson Fitness Center, according to Brown’s Student-Athlete Handbook. But what » See ATHLETES, page 2

are more spindle-shaped, but the cells are different in more than just their shape. The researchers also stained their samples for specific biomarkers — images included in the study show different colors for E-cadherin and vimentin. E-cadherin has higher concentrations in epithelial cells while more vimentin is present in mesenchymal cells. The researchers used MATLAB to “analyze data on a more macroscopic scale and figure out what the trends were and then train the computer to recognize the transition,” said Zachary Neronha ’19, a co-author of the study. Many different visual characteristics of the cells were observed and recorded, but only the four most predictive factors were included in the final algorithm, Leggett said. One reason for the elongated form of mesenchymal cells is motility, Leggett said. Epithelial cells can stick together and create tumors, but they will not split apart. If a cell becomes mesenchymal, it is able to break away and form other tumors throughout the body. The numbers of epithelial and mesenchymal cells in a tissue sample can indicate the aggressiveness of a tumor, so this technique could potentially be applied to » See CELLS, page 2

Professor awarded $1.2 million NIH grant Xi Luo, assistant professor of biostatistics, plans to develop statistical models for brain scans By ANNA KRAMER STAFF WRITER

Assistant Professor of Biostastitics Xi Luo and other researchers have received a grant of more than $1.2 million over three years from the National Institutes of Health to use big data modeling to study brain connectivity. The grant will allow Luo, as well his collaborators at Johns Hopkins University and Yale, to develop statistical models to analyze large data sets from brain scans. This statistical analysis will allow researchers to study how regions of the brain interact. The development of statistical models and methodology will primarily take place under Luo at Brown, who will collaborate with Brian Caffo, professor of biostatistics at Johns Hopkins, in order to validate methods and refine the statistical models. ChiangShan Li, associate professor of psychiatry and neuroscience at Yale, holds the primary expertise in neuroscience and

COURTESY OF BROWN UNIVERSITY

Xi Luo, assistant professor of biostatistics, and his collaborators received the grant to address limitations in the study of brain scans and interactions. will define how the models can address of smaller models to study “one region important issues. at a time, one gray area at a time” and The study was proposed to develop then “trying to extrapolate to the whole new methods that would address the limi- brain,” Luo added. Large-scale statistical tations that currently exist in the study of models will address this limitation by brain scans and brain interaction, Luo allowing for the study of multiple brain said. These limitations include the use » See GRANT, page 2

WEATHER

FRIDAY, OC TOBER 21, 2016

SPORTS Athlete of the Week: Tommy Bush ’18 discusses stellar performance, future expectations

SPORTS Faulty defense, lackluster offense by field hockey contribute to four-game losing streak

COMMENTARY Kumar ’17: Creation of grad student-specific space in Rock discourages collaboration

COMMENTARY Krishnamurthy ’19: Trump accurately embodies attitudes of Republican Party

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