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Welcome to Micro!
Donald R Hicks
Professor of Life Sciences - Microbiology
Los Angeles City College
855 North Vermont Avenue; Science Bldg Rm
110/112/218-S
Los Angeles, CA 90029 |
by Hicks, DR at
L.A. City College...
IF YOU ARE HAVING BROWSING PROBLEMS TRY
AVANT BROWSER:
There will be an essay for the Unit 3 Parasite Test. Each form of the test (A, B, C, D etc) will have a different
essay to do in class - without any notes (from memory).
If you want to see the Essay topics,
click on the NEXT Essay on the Nav page of this website. This material is the same material that
will be used to construct the multiple choice questions on the exam, so it is
not separate or new - you have to know the complete Unit 3 notes/class
PowerPoint notes/discussions for the test. The choices I will pick from are:
Essay P to Z
and HIV Prophylaxis/Prevention as well as Hep C - new treatment/cure?
THE LAST LECTURES ON HIV-AIDS plus Treatments and Vaccines are
online on the MICRO DROPBOX now as "End HIV-AIDS May 10A and 10B" - get ahead!
Listen again or before your last lecture.
Eurkaryotic Parasites (all 14) will be in your last lecture
this coming Monday/Tuesday - NO LAB time!
DID YOU READ THE: HEP C, HIV Prophylaxis
& HIV Vaccine assignments?
TIME CHANGE for Unknown Paper Review
and Discussion - Friday May 18 from
10-12 in SC-112 as no one has any labs to finish - lab is over
The LAST LECTURES on HIV-drugs, AIDSVAX, & Eukaryotic
Parasites are posted! You will see these again on the Final Exam!
HOME TESTING FOR HIV - OraQuic
Home Test approved for Home use on 5/15/12
FDA Panel Says Yes to Home HIV Test
By Emily P. Walker, Washington Correspondent, MedPage Today
Published: May 15, 2012
GAITHERSBURG, Md. -- An FDA advisory committee has voted 17-0 to recommend
approval for the OraQuick In-Home HIV Test. If approved, it will be the
first over-the-counter home HIV test.
About 2.8 million people would use the OraQuick In-Home HIV Test, made by
OraSure Technologies, each year, an FDA reviewer estimated. The review
projected that the home-use test would lead to 45,000 new positive test
results and could avert more than 4,000 HIV transmissions in a year.
That would be the best-case scenario, said Blaine Hollinger, MD, chairman of
the FDA's Blood Products Advisory Committee and professor of medicine,
molecular virology, and epidemiology at Baylor College of Medicine in
Houston.
But in order for the in-home test to have an effect on HIV infection rates,
people who learn they are HIV-positive from the OraQuick test would have to
change their behavior to prevent spread of the virus, Hollinger said.
The test isn't perfect, and in OraSure's clinical trials, there were eight
individuals out of 5,558 who received a false negative result. So, if
approved, OraQuick could lead to 3,800 false negative tests in people who
wouldn't otherwise be tested, the FDA reviewer said.
In addition, the test could be expected to deliver one false positive test
for every 3,750 true negative results, or approximately 1,100 false positive
test results per year, according to briefing documents released ahead of
Tuesday's meeting.
Panelists did not think the potential raised by inaccurate results were a
reason not to approve the test. They especially hoped OraQuick will be used
by high-risk people who wouldn't otherwise get tested.
OraSure said that a total 41% of those who used OraQuick in its clinical
trial had never been tested for HIV previously. Of those who learned they
were HIV-positive from the OraQuick test, 96% said they were highly likely
to follow up with a doctor or clinic for treatment options, the company
said.
For the OraQuick test, individuals swab their upper and lower gums, then
insert the swab into a vial of test fluid. If the user has HIV, two colored
lines develop on the test strip after 20 minutes. The information booklet in
the package includes directions to call an OraQuick HIV support center --
reachable 24 hours a day, 7 days a week -- for counseling on the test
results and referral to medical services.
A clinical trial of OraSure's test identified 106 previously undiagnosed
people infected with HIV out of 5,558 individuals who used the product,
according to OraSure's background documents.
The sensitivity of the test is 92.98% (95% CI 86.6% to 96.9%). The
specificity of the test is 99.98% (95% CI 99.9% to 100%). The sensitivity
was much higher when the same testing kit was administered by a trained
professional.
Some panelists expressed concern that individuals who currently get tested
professionally may instead opt for the less sensitive but more private
at-home test, but the panel ultimately voted 17-0 in a separate vote that
the test is safe and effective.
HIV testing has evolved greatly over time. In the 1980s, testing always
involved a clinical laboratory, pre-test counseling, posttest counseling,
and medical referral. In the mid-1990s, the FDA approved two
over-the-counter home-use blood collection kits for HIV testing. With those
kits, the user mails in a blood sample and receives a result over the phone
or by mail. Counseling and medical referral were also available by phone.
Starting in 2001, the FDA began approving a number of "rapid" HIV tests
which are used by trained professionals and quickly deliver results in an
outreach setting -- including the OraQuick test, offered in different
packaging.
The OraQuick In-home HIV test would be the first to deliver results at home,
in much the way a home pregnancy test does.
During Tuesday's meeting, the panel heard testimony from dozens of HIV
patients and public health advocates urging the panel to recommend approval
for OraQuick.
If marketed, the test would likely be sold in a similar manner to some cough
medicines, according to a company spokesman. At checkout, the cashier would
ask to see the purchaser's ID to confirm he or she is at least 17.
Prophylaxis for HIV?

MATTHEW PERRONE
WASHINGTON -- A pill
that has long been used to treat HIV has moved one step closer to becoming the
first drug approved to prevent healthy people from becoming infected with the
virus that causes AIDS.
The Food and Drug Administration said Tuesday that Gilead Sciences' Truvada
appears to be safe and effective for HIV prevention. It concluded that taking
the pill daily could spare patients "infection with a serious and
life-threatening illness that requires lifelong treatment."
On Thursday, a panel of FDA advisers will consider the review when it votes
on whether Truvada should be approved as a
preventative treatment for people who are at high risk of contracting HIV
through sexual intercourse. The FDA is not required to follow the advice of its
panels, but it usually does.
An estimated 1.2 million Americans have HIV, which attacks the immune system
and, unless treated with antiviral drugs, develops into AIDS, a fatal condition
in which the body cannot fight off infections. If Truvada is approved, it would
be a major breakthrough in the 30-year campaign against the AIDS epidemic. There
have been no other drugs proven to prevent HIV and a vaccine is believed to be
decades away.
Gilead Sciences Inc., based in Foster City, Calif., has marketed Truvada
since 2004 as a treatment for people who are infected with the virus. The
medication is a combination of two older HIV drugs, Emtriva and Viread. Doctors
usually prescribe the medications as part of a drug cocktail that makes it
harder for the virus to reproduce. Patients with low viral levels have reduced
symptoms and are far less likely to develop AIDS.
Researchers first reported that Truvada could prevent people from contracting
HIV in 2010. A three-year study found that daily doses cut the risk of infection
in healthy gay and bisexual men by 44 percent, when accompanied by condoms and
counseling. Another study found that Truvada reduced infection by 75 percent in
heterosexual couples in which one partner was infected with HIV and the other
was not.
Because Truvada is already on the market to manage HIV, some doctors already
prescribe it as a preventive measure. But FDA approval would allow the drugmaker
Gilead Sciences to formally market its drug for that use.
FDA reviewers on Tuesday said that patients must be diligent about taking the
pill every day if using it as a preventative measure. Adherence to the
medication was less than perfect in clinical trials, and reviewers said that
patients in the real world may forget to take their medication even more than
those in clinical studies.
Some patient advocacy groups say the drug is an important new option to
prevent HIV, alongside condoms, counseling and other measures. Last month,
advocacy group AIDS United and more than a dozen other groups sent a letter to
the FDA, urging approval of Truvada.
"If we're going to reduce the more than 50,000 new HIV infections in this
country each year, we need to increase the available options for people," said
Ronald Johnson, AIDS United's vice president.
But support for FDA approval is not unanimous.
Although the FDA is legally barred from considering cost when reviewing
drugs, health care providers have raised concerns about Truvada's price tag:
$900 a month, or just under $11,000 per year. Medicare and Medicaid, the
nation's largest health insurance plans, generally cover drugs approved by the
FDA, and analysts expect most large health insurers to follow suit.
Additionally, some researchers say the prevention pill is not the chemical
equivalent of condoms, which they say remain the best weapon against AIDS. They
also worry about Truvada's mixed success rate in preventing infection among
women: Last year, a study in women was stopped early after researchers found
that women taking the drug were more likely to become infected than those taking
placebo.
Researchers speculated that women may require a higher dose of the drug to
prevent infection. They also said the disappointing results may have resulted
from women not taking the pills consistently.
"We know that if the person doesn't take the medication every day they will
not be protected," said Dr. Rodney Wright, director of HIV programs at
Montefiore Medical Center in New York and chairman of the AIDS Health
Foundation. "So the concern is that there may not be adequate adherence to
provide protection in the general population."
UPDATED GRADESHEETS have been EMAILED to your recorded email address...
If there is an error on the gradesheet,
remember the correction process! Bring me a printed copy of your
gradesheet with the error circled, corrected, signed and your proof.
Otherwise it will NOT be corrected in my gradebook.
Lab is ending - we are having our last labs THIS week!
Wed/Thurs May 16-17 is the BIG
BiWEEKLY TEST. This is a BIG
ONE! It counts 2X Are you ready!!!
THE BONUS ON IT IS A 1/2 PAGE TYPED SUMMARY OF THE MOVIE
"AND THE BAND PLAYED ON."
due on test day in class!
The NEXT Lecture material is Chapters
12-15;
Read it in the text and print out the PowerPoints for ALL
LECTURE next Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday - this will be the
NEW QUESTIONS on the Final Exam (50)!
UPCOMING IMPORTANT NOTES/DATES
FOR YOU!
NO M-40 on SATURDAY May
19 ;
The LAST M40 is on Friday May 18th 10-12 noon in
SC-112!
The
Unknown Paper Review on
FRIDAY May 18th from 11-1; you can do the last lab work on Friday from 10-11
AM
HEP C info Treatment/Cure? - ON YOUR NEXT TEST!
April 28
It’s been an unusually good week
for people with hepatitis C — even those for whom current
treatments have failed.
Not one, but two effective new hep C treatments got a strong
endorsement from an FDA advisory panel. Both drugs — Merck’s Victrelis (boceprevir)
and Vertex’s telaprevir (no brand name at this writing) should soon get
full FDA approval.
Right now, only
about half of people who undergo hep C treatment get cured (defined as a
“sustained viral response,” or hep C virus levels too low to
detect). Cure rates are particularly low for people infected with the
strain of the virus most common. For reasons that are not entirely
clear, blacks also have lower cure rates.
Responses to treatment vary by genotype. Sustained response is about
40-50% in people with HCV genotype 1 given 48 weeks of treatment.[3]
Sustained response is seen in 70-80% of people with HCV genotypes 2 and
3 with 24 weeks of treatment.[3]
Sustained response is about 65% in those with genotype 4 given 48 weeks
of treatment. The evidence for treatment in genotype 6 disease is
currently sparse, and the evidence that exists is for 48 weeks of
treatment at the same doses as are used for genotype 1 disease
About two-thirds of people are cured when either of the new drugs is
added to current treatment. The telaprevir combination takes six months
— half the time of current treatment — while Victrelis treatment lasts
eight to 12 months.
As usual in the world of hepatitis C treatment, there are serious
downsides to both drugs. The biggest downside is that people who take
them still have to take the standard treatment of alpha interferon
and ribavirin. Taking these drugs is like
having a bad case of the flu that lasts for months.
Unfortunately, the combination of standard treatment with either of
the new drugs is even harder to take. Each drug adds to the anemia from
the interferon/ribavirin combo. Some 40% of people taking Victrelis get
so anemic they need expensive doses of the anti-anemia drug
terythropoietin. And a nasty rash is a common side effect with
telaprevir.
The two drugs work in essentially the same way. Both are protease
inhibitors, which means they attack a hepatitis C virus (HCV) enzyme
that is essential for the virus to make new copies of itself. Each of
the drugs brings virus replication to a near halt.
But when used alone, HCV quickly becomes resistant to each of the new
drugs. That’s why they have to be given in combination.
So which is better, Victrelis or telaprevir? The FDA panel was
careful not to speculate — and don’t hold your breath for a head-to-head
study. Both drug companies plan big marketing campaigns. Financial
analysts currently speculate that Vertex will grab a bigger market
share.
Meanwhile, people with hep C wonder when they’ll see the really big
breakthrough everyone is waiting for — a drug combination that works for
nearly everyone and which does not require either interferon or
ribavirin.
Such treatments are in the pipeline. Some experts say they may come
in as few as two or three years, while others say it will be a decade
before they’re finally here. What is for sure is that telaprevir and
Victrelis are just the first in what is hoped will be a long line of
treatment options for people with the deadly hepatitis C virus.
Hep C
genotype 1 Protease inhibitors
— Patients with genotype 1 are
also treated with a protease inhibitor in addition to pegylated
interferon and ribavirin. Protease inhibitors became available in May
2011, so patients treated before to this time did not receive them.
Protease inhibitors do not work if taken by themselves because the
virus quickly becomes resistant. By taking the protease inhibitors with
peginterferon and ribavirin, resistance is much less likely. Protease
inhibitors are pills and include boceprevir (brand name: VictrelisTM)
and telaprevir (brand name: IncivekTM). These medications are
used only for patients with genotype 1 and significantly increase cure
rates in patients with genotype 1. Common side effects of protease
inhibitors include low blood counts (anemia) and rashes.
other links:
http://www.hivandhepatitis.com/hep_c/hepc_news_genotype.html
http://www.hivandhepatitis.com/2010_conference/easl/docs/0514_2010_a.html
NOTE: EVERY REGISTERED CLASS MEMBER MUST have an official active
email address that you check daily. You must also READ this
announcement/Index page each day BEFORE you leave for class as emergency
announcements will be posted above this box. Please supply your
instructor AND college with your email address immediately. Those
without active official email addresses listed with the college will NOT
receive gradesheet updates or important emergency announcements. If
you are "checking-out" the course for the upcoming term, you may email me
at hicksdr@att.net for the
ID/PASSWORD for entry into the Microwebsite. Please include your
LAST NAME, ID# and your enrolled Section # within your email.
THANKS! DRH
MICROWEBSITE USAGE DIRECTIONS: You are on the Microwebsite INDEX Page.
Click
on the "Microwebsite Login" button below to enter the
instructional website, you will be taken to the Microwebsite LOGIN
PAGE. After inputting your Instructor NAME and the provided
Password you will be sent to Entry Portal Page.
Click on the
GOLD Microwebsite/Navigation Page
button on that page to go to the main website page. After clicking
on the GOLD Microwebsite/Navigation button, you will be taken to the Microwebsite NAVIGATION PAGE
(NAV page).
The Nav page has all the
major entry points for information pertaining to this course: General
Information buttons, LAB BUTTONS, & DAILY BUTTONS. Please
be aware that some
classes, labs, and help sessions are videotaped. This is for
teaching purposes in order to improve instruction, for demonstration, and
to improve safety procedures... Good
Luck!
Please read under the button labeled: GRADE PROBLEMS from the
Nav Page (or the top of this page) to see the grading standards for
your class as well as new ways to earn BONUS POINTS! Also,
note that we are asking for volunteers to be CLASS/LAB CHECKERS.
These checkers are NEEDED in for each section - please volunteer by seeing
me before or after your class during the first week of school. I
will need: 2 before class Microscope Checkers, 2 end of class Microscope
Checkers, 2 during and end of class Room Checkers, 2 after class Sink
Checkers plus 2 Administrative Class Aids or Grader/Checkers. Those
assisting in the administration of class and lab will be dismissed/exempt
from the 10-12 hours of Lab Prep Work in Micro-40 and only have to attend
4-6 hours of the Instructor Help Sessions during the term to receive their
Micro-40 grade.
NOTE: This website does NOT work for devices without "FLASH" - you
must access the Microwebsite with a FLASH-ENABLED microcomputer or
smartphone. Apple devices do not normally utilize FLASH.
Also, please update your JAVA files at JAVA.com before attempting login.
Ask me in lecture how to partially utilize this website using and Apple
Device. Go into the microwebsite and learn
how to navigate the pages:
ALL
MICROBIOLOGY lecture recordings are now in a Microbiology Dropbox file
online for everyone to use BEFORE your lecture/after your lecture/ or
for review of the lectures - to share! You will also find many
important helpful Microbiology Documents there to download as well...
You may click on the Lecture Recordings
button below and sign-in yourself to download and then listen to them.
If you have problems with the "process" to access the document or lecture
recording downloads - email me! To sign-up for our Microbiology
Dropbox there are 2 options (click on the button below).
If you need to
hear the lectures NOW,
use the first option and you will not have to email me for an
invitation...
REMEMBER, to listen to the lecture recordings you must: (1)
have an AMR player installed on your computer (go to www.cnet.com and
download the vlc player FREE, install it, reboot your computer, and then (2)
you can DOWNLOAD the lecture files to your machine and listen to the
lectures.
Instructor HELP
and assistance verbally (through "Call the Prof") on Sundays 12-3 PM and
by email is limited during Test/Exam weeks.
If you send email you must do it by 4 PM on the SUNDAY before any
Test/Exam as I must have time to write, copy and organize Exams.
"Last minute/night before" questions cannot be
answered!
When you are asking for assistance you should work in groups as I limit
any practice question discussion to 10 questions per student all
presented in 1 email per student. You must type the WHOLE question
(10) and all the answers (options) and select the answer that you
believe is correct. If you are wrong, I will return the question
with the correct answer and a explanation if required. I WILL
NOT ANSWER QUESTIONS YOU ARE TOO LAZY TO LOOK UP IN THE NOTES OR TEXT.
If the answer is directly taken from the notes are is easily found
in the text or by "googling" - DO NOT WASTE MY TIME - I will respond
with "LOOK IT UP." Memorizing old test questions is discouraged as
it will cause you to miss them on the exam as they are always altered.
If you learn the material about which each question tests - then you
will be fine. MEMORIZATION IS PENALIZED. Plan ahead - the
SUNDAY before a test/exam is my DUE DATE.
RECOMMENDATION LETTERS:
I prefer electronic recommendations. Please forward an electronic
form if possible. If you request a written letterhead recommendation
letter, they now will be left in SC-218 in a box in a folder/envelope with
your name on the outside. Go to the second floor; turn right as you
exit the elevator. Go right again and through the Dept door. Turn left
for about 10 ft and then right for about 20 ft. at the end of that
hallway on the right-hand side of the hall is a set of low black file
cabinets. The STUDENT COMMUNICATION BOX will be labeled and on top of
the file cabinets. Pickup your recommendation there.
Micro-40 ENDS this FRIDAY!
Have you done all your hours (14-16 for an "A" and the M40 Final Exam?
Saturday M40 Lab Prep continues with Naira on Mon/Wed 8-2 and Fridays 9-5
PM in SC-110 until 15 June. GET YOUR HOURS COMPLETED!
Listen to the class lectures again or in
advance of your class. Remember to use our
Dropbox Lecture Recordings, you must email me your agreement to our
"conditions of use," with your ID, Class section number, and Last name,
first name and DROPBOX REQUEST in the subject line.
The newest lectures are online now.
MICRO-40 Instructor Help
Hours ends Friday May 18 from 10-12 in SC-110; M40 Lab Prep continues M/W
8-2 and Fridays 9-5 PM until June 15. Sign in and out!
Microbiology 40 (1 sem hr #0932 "TBA" usually Fri and or Sat
morning/afternoons; some Thurs evenings also) is an additional semester
hour of Microbiology Laboratory. Micro-40 has 3 required
parts (1) additional Instructor assistance time (2) additional time
to complete in-class laboratory assignments & (3) additional experience in
a functioning microbiology preparation laboratory. You are signed in/out
of Micro-40 and you must complete at least 16 hours of attendance during the
18 week semester; grading is by satisfactory attendance/participation as
well as a "take-home" self-study unit which is a Final Exam.
See the instructor during the first two weeks of class if you have
questions. The first organizational meeting of Micro-40 is on a Friday (see the Micro Calendar page
for the exact date and time during this term.
You may take Micro-40 three times at LA City College. During
the second and third term of M40 you will be assigned a special project -
see the instructor. You must have taken or be taking Micro-1 or Micro-20 at LACC to take
Micro-40. Micro-40 cannot be used to substitute for lab credit when
you have taken your lecture at another college/university.
To
find out about when Micro 40 meets: (1)
CHECK YOUR CLASS ANNOUNCEMENT BOARD - it has the latest updates (2)Check
your email and Check the INDEX page for any EMERGENCY ANNOUNCEMENTS and
the weekend schedule - BEFORE ATTENDING! (3)
Check the MICROBIOLOGY COURSE CALENDAR FALL 2012 for scheduled meetings of
M40.
You do not
have to attend every session of M40 nor do you have to arrive and leave at
a specific time. You may choose times and dates suitable to your
needs in class but you cannot attend for less than 1 hour each visit.
M40 Instr Assistance Hours and Lab Prep Hours may be substituted for each
other with permission but you must total 16 hours by the end of the term. CHECKERS do NOT HAVE TO COMPLETE
the Lab Prep
Hours.
The next
meeting for Spring 2012 is every Friday and Saturday until the
Final Exam week.
>
>DRH
The last day to drop with a "W" and without
receiving a grade (A, B, C, D, F or "i" ) is on the college
website... check it!
GRADING: You can return one (1) paper that I have taken off points
for recording infractions once by putting it in your Final Exam packet and I
will give them back ONCE on 1 paper only! I will NOT return points for
cheating or writing on exams.
IF YOU MADE AN "i" in a previous
term, PLEASE DO
NOT RE-REGISTER. Come to my first class during the
next semester and discuss your status. YOU HAVE 1 calendar
year to repeat or 'make-up' the class; if you do not make-up your work the
grade defaults to the grade listed on your notification - usually an "F."
(Website Revision 02/2012) This is the home page for these
Microbiology Classes: Micro-1 (#3432), Micro-20 (#0930, #0931), Micro-40
(#0932), Bio 25 and Bio 112 (#7412). This MICROWEBSITE is used solely for
Prof. Hicks' students
OFFICE NUMBER: If you need to contact me in the office you may
try to reach us at (323) 953-4000 x 2791; if you leave a message, please note that the message machine is RARELY
checked... emails are ANSWERED IMMEDIATELY!
IF YOU EMAIL ME: (Outlines, Library Assignment) etc. PLEASE INCLUDE
YOUR LAST NAME, ID#, and SECTION # in the SUBJECT LINE with a short topic word.
All information you are communicating should be loacated INSIDE THE
EMAIL... Usually the college computers do not allow me to download attachment files.
EXCEPTION - PLEASE SEND UNKNOWN PAPERS AS A "WORD" ATTACHMENT ONLY as I must
grade the "formatting" on your paper... THANKS!
STUDENTS will be assigned to numbered
seats/scopes alphabetically during the second meeting of your class.
IF YOU HAVE A DISABILITY or Sight problem, please notify me during the 1st or
2nd class. LATE ADDS will be added to those seats left un-assigned - THANKS for
your co-operation!
During Exams/Tests - all seating is assigned randomly by a
"drawing" -- be prepared to leave your backpacks/personal items along the
chalkboard or on my teacher's table (LACC)
- Checkers should do the scopes before
and after class and the Room/Sink Checkers should check the room, clean
the sinks, and re-fill the stains, lens paper containers, and disinfectant
bottles each day! IF YOU ARE A
"CHECKER" have me SIGN your LRB during the LAST week of the term
- AFTER you have done your assignment!
Remember that seating is alphabetical by last name on
lecture days and by random number
on testing days - on a test day, come into the class and put your "things" at the front
of the room ON THE TABLES! Select a number from the container, read it,
return it to the "Used #'s" container and sit in that seat for the testing.
When you enter and just before exiting the
Micro Lab, DO NOT FORGET to wash your hands and disinfect your area...
Please do not leave the "lab" with your smock and gloves on - "it
frightens the natives in the halls!"
Classroom Behavior:
PLEASE
NO ACTIVE CELL
PHONES, NO TEXTING, NO READING OF
EMAIL or EMAILING DURING CLASS OR LAB! Warning 1st time -10 pts afterward! TURN your electronic devices OFF or to
Vibrate when entering the classroom!!! You may tape-record or use a laptop to
take notes, but do not "chat" or "email/text" in lecture.
Some classes, labs, and help sessions are videotaped for teaching
purposes and to improve instruction; by attending you are giving your permission
to be filmed in a teaching situation.
PLEASE
no:
sleeping, eating, drinking, smoking, applying makeup, or any
distracting behavior during the class. "Horseplay" is not acceptable behavior
in the lab or classroom. You are NOT allowed into the Microbiology area
without a staff/instructor; however you may enter the classroom if the door is
open if you wash your hands and disinfect before seating yourself to study. DO NOT COME INTO THE LAB or LECTURE ROOMS
and work on lab
without permission. Labs meet during scheduled times ONLY. Remember:
DO NOT EAT OR DRINK ANYTHING DURING LAB - microbes are "out!" PLEASE, no
visible coffee-cups, bottles, or food of any kind.
Each student is expected to show equal and proper respect to others.
You have a right to free speech and free association outside a formal classroom.
Please avoid any overt or perceived actions that might be interpreted as prejudice or discrimination based on: age, sex, sexual orientation,
religion, race, ethnicity, disability, or economic status; such is PROHIBITED in this class and is
grounds for immediate dismissal from the class! If you have a difficulty
in class or believe you have been mistreated, please contact the instructor
privately as soon as possible. We benefit from the
extreme diversity of our student population. Everyone in a free democratic
society MUST respect and defend the dignity and value of each of its members
equally... Suggestions are encouraged to improve the class and the lab -
EMAIL ME!
DO NOT BE a person caught CHEATING (in ANY WAY
such as: talking, whispering, cheat sheets, copying, or exchanging different
"FORMS" of any test during administration)... If you are seen cheating and you
check your score online and see a "0", you
do NOT have an error in your grade! When I see cheating I take witness statements as
well as the "Proctor's" statement... Then, I apply the consequences. If you wish to challenge this
please make an appointment by email! Otherwise, I will expect to see you
AGAIN IN ANOTHER TERM...
Read the latest NEWS concerning Micro and Laboratory
Technology in one of the leading FREE professional magazines for
Microbiologists.. You can also check MEDPAGE today or Scientific American or
Science for recent articles in Science.
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STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES: |
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ALL TESTS cover the material from the
first day to the last lecture before the "TEST" plus a few questions from
the ASSIGNED material to be read...
Sometimes our tests will CONTAIN QUESTIONS ON HOW TO NAVIGATE THIS WEBSITE
as many people are not taking the 'time' to look around and discover the
links!
You will be dropped if you miss more than 2
class meetings!!!!!
* During your first class your instructor will give you the
ID and Password to enter the MicroWebsite; EMAIL me if you have
forgotten...
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CONTACTS:
NOTE: You may "click"
on the "*Default Email Addresses" listed on the chart to send me an
immediate email...
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Email Address for Students
ONLY (PLEASE USE!): hicksdr@att.net
---- DO NOT USE MY LACITYCOLLEGE.EDU address PLEASE!
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The LACC MICROBIOLOGY LECTURE/
LAB Room is located in the SCI Building in Room #112.
The LACC MICROBIOLOGY PREP
ROOM is located in the SCI Building in Rm #110. This room is used for the
Lab Tech Lab Assistant and is
where you will have at least 10 hours of laboratory preparation training (TBA
- FRIDAY, SATURDAY and some Thursday evenings).
Microbiology OFFICE/STUDENT EMAIL:
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Microbiology FAX: 323-372-3654
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"Call
the Prof"
is scheduled from 12-3 pm on the SUNDAY afternoons before every EXAM and
most TESTS the
telephone call-in number and exact times will be posted & announced in class
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OFFICE HOURS:
are by appointment or 1 hr before/after classes & during Micro-40
from (week 4-16) in SCI-110/112.
My LACC MICROBIOLOGY OFFICE
is located in the Science (SCI) Building on the 2nd floor in room #218-S (take the
elevator to the 2nd floor, take a right and go through the first door on the
right & ask)
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Microbiology-40 (#0932)
is for those students who are currently taking Microbiology Lecture/Lab at
LACC & is appropriate for additional help, instructor tutoring, and to gain
greater experience in Microbiology Laboratory procedures. Students in
Micro-1/Micro-20 are encouraged to take advantage of Micro-40 help/sessions
by enrolling in Micro-40 concurrently (ask for the 1 credit hr. ADD SLIP
during the first week of classes. Micro-40 may be taken up to 3 times total
in order to gain additional skills in Microbiology Laboratory techniques.
Your second and third Micro-40 class requires at least 35 hours of student
participation. Micro-40
is held in SCI #110/112 TBA from the 4th to the 14th week
of each term according to the posted COURSE CALENDAR...
Microbiology-40
CANNOT be used to substitute for a UC/CS
Microbiology Lab when your Microbiology lecture was taken at a UC/CS/USC
campus.
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*SUGGESTIONS for Students having
problems viewing the MicroWebsite:
NOTE: This website does NOT work for devices
without "FLASH" - you must access the Microwebsite with a FLASH-ENABLED
microcomputer or smartphone. Apple devices do not normally utilize FLASH.
Please update your JAVA files at JAVA.com before attempting login. If you are
attempting to access a microwebsite page on a non-flash enabled device you must
first obtain the exact web address, then you must enter and bookmark each page
individually to be able to return to it. If you are using a flash-enabled
device and cannot enter the website, then you are probably typing the LOGIN
wrong (not using ALL CAPS and no periods.....) or:
(1) MOST PROBABLY YOU DO NOT HAVE updated JAVA! Go to
www.java.com and download the java virtual machine. It is in
the upper right corner of the page... Follow the instructions exactly.
(2) Your Browser is incompatible or out of date;
download and install either the newest
Internet Explorer, Chrome, Mozilla Firefox or
AVANT
BROWSERS (Google it!)
(3) Your CACHE is full. Go into your hard drive
and look for THE TEMPORARY INTERNET FILES. Open this and delete the
contents as each time your browser looks at an online website, the information
is stored in your Temp. Internet File folder which, after a time becomes "FULL!"
(4) Your security settings are wrong or set too
high. Go to your INTERNET Browser... Tools...
SECURITY Settings and select ADVANCED... Always, make sure that the latest "JAVA" is
installed from java.com
PLEASE NOTE:
If
you are downloading the Class PowerPoint Notes in PDF... the files are large
and take about 30 seconds to open after you click on the Chapter.
WAIT 30 seconds "AFTER" clicking on the Chapter buttons before moving
your Browser. YOU MUST HAVE THE LATEST JAVA as well as the latest ADOBE
READER TO OPEN THE PDF files
- update JAVA FIRST! The Java update will allow you to
download
OPEN OFFICE which is a free word processing multi-use program that will
save/open files in almost any format you wish. If you are not running
antivirus/anti spyware, you can use the Microsoft Security Essentials, it is a
free download
*Micro-40 students: ALL
M-40 students must complete the MICRO-40 FINAL EXAM and
print and include it in your Final Exam Packet - select your final exam date and
time from that offered online. Micro-40
students must read and turn-in the simple Micro-40 Final Exam in their Final
Exam Packet on Final Exam Day. See Micro-40 button
MICROBIOLOGY 40 has 3 parts:
YOU MUST COMPLETE ALL 3 to achieve an "A"
1) Register for
Microbiology 40 section 0932. Then attend (4) four
meetings of the Teacher Help Sessions with me:
Selected FRIDAY'S (and a few Saturday's) only from the 4th to the 14th week
of each term) -
always according to the Course Calendar and held in SC-112! You must come at least
4 hours during the term. You must sign the attendance sheet each time!
2) M-40 Lab Prep Training/Experience with DRHicks:
on FRIDAY mornings according to the course
calendar. Those
students who are room checkers get a BONUS on their LRB AND do their 10 hours
in the classroom but must have the inside of their LRB cover signed by me.
They must attend the required Help Sessions as well.
If you are seen NOT doing your checker assignment,
you credit will be voided; I have noticed the sink, room, and scope checkers
are NOT doing their assignments during the last weeks of class... I am noting
this!
3) Take notes during instruction in M-40 concerning an important component of
microbiology lab preparation. Then, before Final Exam Week - read, write
and print/ submit a summary/multiple choice review
of that training. INCLUDE YOUR MICRO-40 FINAL EXAM IN YOUR FINAL EXAM
PACKET or you will not get a GRADE!
To complete the review and simple Micro-40 Final Exam,
click here:
1) Many of you are missing a few things... and only studying the night before.
Or NOT KNOWING WHEN THINGS ARE DUE. Remember, the announcements will be
here if you forget - don't email me about what is on the test if you have
copied the board - LOOK IN YOUR LRB or here.
2) Please do not email me questions DURING TESTING... I have no time to
answer hundreds of questions on the day of exams. The tests are given in
day pairs... Monday/Tuesday or Wed/Thurs. ----- so if you want information ask
by Sunday for the next week's test... but not on a day I give the test;
Thanks!
3) I must "take down" the GRADEBOOK each time we
have a new test/exam and re-do the entire website for Grades - THUS, you will
not be able to log on to your personal grades when there is a test being
graded... ONLY WHEN IT SAYS HERE THAT YOUR GRADES ARE READY! You will NOT be
able to log into your Gradesheet when grades are being re-computed.
Zoonotic Viruses Found in Seized Wildlife
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By Kristina Fiore, Staff Writer, MedPage Today
Published: January 14,
2012
Reviewed by Robert
Jasmer, MD; Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine,
University of California, San Francisco and
Dorothy Caputo, MA, RN, BC-ADM, CDE, Nurse Planner |
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Bushmeat and other illegally imported wildlife confiscated at U.S.
ports can harbor zoonotic viruses, researchers found.
A pilot screening program conducted largely at New York's John F.
Kennedy International Airport (JFK) identified several pathogens,
including simian foamy virus and herpesviruses, among non-human
primate products attempted to be smuggled into the country, Kristine
Smith, PhD, of the Wildlife Conservation Society in New York City.
"Although the findings to date are from a small pilot study, they
remind us of the potential public health risk posed by illegal
importation of wildlife products -- a risk we hope to better
characterize through expanded surveillance at ports of entry around
the country," Smith said in a statement.
Action Points
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Bushmeat and other illegally imported wildlife confiscated at
U.S. ports can harbor zoonotic viruses.
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Point out that none of the rodents carried viruses but the
primates carried several retroviruses, including simian foamy
virus, and herpesviruses such as cytomegalovirus and
lymphocryptovirus.
The sprawling, global trade in wildlife has long contributed to the
emergence and spread of infectious disease, the researchers
explained, adding that nearly 75% of new diseases in humans are of
zoonotic origin, largely acquired through direct contact with
wildlife.
Currently, there's minimal surveillance of imported wildlife -- even
that which is legally imported -- despite the fact that the U.S.
brings in more animals than any other country. From 2000 to 2006,
for instance, 1.5 billion live wild animals were legally imported,
most destined for pet industry. In addition, an average of over 25
million kilograms of non-live wildlife enter the country each year.
Because of this lack of surveillance, potential health risks remain
largely unqualified, Smith and colleagues wrote.
So to get a better sense of what pathogens may come with illegally
imported products, they created a pilot project to assess those
seized by U.S. Customs. Most of the samples were confiscated at JFK
airport in Queens, N.Y., from Oct. 2008 to Sept. 2010. Samples from
four other airports -- Philadelphia, Washington (Dulles), Houston,
and Atlanta -- were included starting in April 2010.
Overall, eight packages shipped via mail and 20 passenger-carried
packages were of sufficient quality for use in the study. These
included parts from non-human primates and rodents, including
baboon, chimpanzee, mangabey, guenon, green monkey, cane rat, and
rat.
None of the rodents carried viruses; all samples were negative for
leptospira, anthrax, herpesviruses, filoviruses, paramyxoviruses,
coronaviruses, flaviviruses, and orthopoxviruses, the researchers
found.
But the primates carried several retroviruses, including simian
foamy virus, and herpesviruses, such as cytomegalovirus and
lymphocryptovirus.
Smith and colleagues warned that transmission of simian foamy virus
to humans is poorly understood. Most, but not all, infected patients
were bitten by diseased animals, which suggests the possibility of a
less-invasive mode of infection, they wrote.
Fortunately, they added, none of the samples contained simian
immunodeficiency virus, which is the virus responsible for human
immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and AIDS, or simian T-lymphotropic
virus. Yet they warned that these viruses have been found in high
prevalences in specimens at bushmeat markets.
The researchers noted that many of the species were of conservation
importance, with a status of either near-threatened, vulnerable, or
endangered.
"More education efforts or harsher penalties are needed regarding
the handling, consumption, and illegal transportation of products
from wildlife of conservation concern," they wrote.
Though their study included only a small number of species due to
its limited range and to the variable condition of confiscated
samples, they warned that there's still a "large component of
zoonotic disease risk assessment not included in this study."
They called for wider-scale implementation of disease surveillance
among wildlife products seized at U.S. ports "so that appropriate
measures can be taken to further mitigate potential risks."
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