The Chronicle T h e i n d e p e n d e n t d a i ly at D u k e U n i v e r s i t y
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2009
Study finds breakthrough in diagnostics
ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTH YEAR, Issue 13
www.dukechronicle.com
Swine flu infects at least 50
Afternoon tunes
Findings will be applied to swine flu prevention
Admins suspect count may be as high as 120
by Sabrina Rubakovic
by Rachna Reddy
The chronicle
Researchers at Duke and other universities have discovered a way to diagnose viral infections before symptoms even appear. And their findings could have practical applications for preventing the spread of swine flu at Duke. The research concluded that as the body responds to infection, the expression of specific genes is slightly altered. These baseline changes in human health can then be detected, allowing the diagnosis of infections days before the onset of symptoms. This study, which focused on upper respiratory viral infections, was funded by the Predicting Health and Disease program of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, a branch of the U.S. Department of Defense. “We are using genomic technology to predict who will get sick and who won’t,” said Dr. Geoffrey Ginsburg, professor of medicine and pathology and director of the Center for Genomic Medicine in the Institute for Genome Sciences and Policy, who worked on the study.
The chronicle
michael naclerio/The Chronicle
Students gather on the West Campus Plaza for a performance by the Triangle Residential Options for Substance Abuse band Monday afternoon. Purple brought the group to campus as a part of their human rights day.
It has been three weeks since students returned to campus and the official count of students infected with the H1N1 virus is 50, said Dr. Bill Purdy, executive director of Student Health. But this number is not necessarily indicative of the total number of students who have contracted the illness. Purdy said many students who call and report symptoms to student health are told to stay in their rooms and only students who visit the clinic ware tested. Of those, about half test positive for H1N1, commonly known as swine flu. Based on the number of students who have contacted or visited Student Health or completed online Short-Term Illness Notification Forms, the University estimates that approximately 120 students have contracted swine flu this Fall, said Michael Schoenfeld, vice president of public affairs and government relations. But he added that the number may not be accurate, as many students may simply take care of themselves and not
See diagnosis on page 5
See Swine flu on page 5
Purple looks to raise social awareness with activism week by Sony rao
The chronicle
After a week of tabling and selling T-shirts on the West Campus Plaza, Purple began its “Social Activism Week” Monday. Purple, a new non-profit student organization that seeks to raise awareness about various social issues, will celebrate the week with events that make students aware of one social problem per day. Each day is devoted to a cause and members from non-profit organizations will be present on campus to encourage volunteers to join their respective groups. Causes include environmental sustainability, race relations, education inequality, cancer research and human rights. The events will culminate in a Sept. 11 concert featuring singer Mike Posner, a senior, and will also serve as a memorial for 9/11 and for the families and students affected by social issues. The purpose of the concert is to accommodate music into the effort and make activism accessible, said Purple Concert Co-director Joyce Kim, a junior. “Purple is a way for students to get opportunities to engage in various social causes and to connect with each other,” Kim said. “We use music and fashion to represent our passions as students.” President and Co-founder Sam Bowler, a senior, named the organization Purple after a shawl his mother wore,
Mad Hatter’s added to points, Page 3
which he and his sisters used to comfort themselves when they were sick. “I consider purple to be a healing color that establishes an emotional connection between people,” Bowler said. Last Spring, the organization polled students to determine the top five social causes that they think affect the world. Since then, Purple members have partnered with organizations around the Durham area such as the Durham Economic Resource Center, which strives to eliminate poverty in Durham. The T-shirts come in colors that represent each of the five causes, and the profits from sales will support the respective organizations. The official Purple Web site is geared to allow students to meet each other based on similar interests and connect with different non-profit organizations in Durham, Kim said. In partnership with DukeList—the University’s database that helps students find employment and research opportunities—Purple will use its Web site to track the number of hours students give back to Durham. Bowler said one hour of volunteer work will be considered the equivalent of $14 donated to the service organization. Purple’s goal is to have 10 percent of the students at Duke volunteer for two hours a week for one month, which would be the See purple on page 4
Blue Devils split two at NGCA Match Play, Page 7
Lauren dietrich/The Chronicle
Members of Purple, a new non-profit student activism group, sell a T-shirt that promotes human rights on the West Campus Plaza Monday. Purple hopes to raise awareness about social issues during its Social Activism Week.
Football: Making the grade The Chronicle grades Duke on its performance against Richmond Saturday, PAGE 8
New kid on the block New deputy city manager to take post in mid September, PAGE 3