Philip Nicholls

Recent research (Jonas-Dwyer & Sudweeks, 2007) indicated that when virtual microscopes were introduced to third year health science students as part of their histology and pathology laboratory work, no detrimental effects were found. To investigate the use of virtual microscopes further, an extended study was undertaken with both second and third year health sciences students. In this paper, we report the results of students’ learning approaches and compare the outcomes to identify and evaluate changes in students’ learning approaches when using virtual microscopes rather than optical microscopes.

With pressure on universities to teach larger class sizes with fewer resources university teachers are increasingly looking to technology to enhance student learning. A trial comparing virtual and optical microscopes in the face-to-face teaching of histology and pathology labs was undertaken. The laboratory classes were delivered to third year Chiropractic undergraduates, studying full-time on-campus. The students were randomly allocated to either virtual or optical microscopy in their labs. Students were asked to reflect on their learning experiences with the microscopes. Data presented shows the students perceptions of their learning experiences with the microscopes, and suggests that virtual microscopes were easy to use and were used for self-directed study by students. It also suggests that while optical microscopes may promote more group discussion of histology and pathology in laboratory settings they were harder to use than the virtual microscopes.

Fresh faecal samples were collected from Western barred bandicoots (Perameles bougainville) for parasite determination. Samples from 20 western barred bandicoots were also examined for evidence of parasitism. The following parasites were isolated from the animals: ticks (Haemaphysalis humerosa, H. ratti and H. lagostrophi), fleas (Pygiopsylla tunneyi, Echidnophaga gallinacea, Xenopsylla vexabilis vexabilis and Leptopsylla segnis), chiggers (Schoutedenichia emphyla), mites (Austrochirus dorreensis), coccidia (Eimeria kanyana, Klossiella quimrensis and Cryptosporidium sp.) and nematodes (Labiobulura inglisi, Linstowinema inglisi, Linstowinema peramelis, Peramelistrongylus skedastos, Asymmetracantha tasmaniensis, Capillaria sp. and Parastrongyloides sp.) The incidence, predilection site, significance and potential control measures for each of these parasites are discussed in turn.

A putative novel papillomavirus was implicated in a debilitating papillomatosis-carcinomatosis syndrome affecting endangered western barred bandicoots (Perameles bougainville). Non-radioactively labelled DNA probes were used to demonstrate the presence of viral DNA sequences in lesional tissue by in situ hybridization. There was positive nuclear staining of keratinocytes and sebocytes in lesional biopsies from wart-affected western barred bandicoots sampled between 2000 and 2006 for all four DNA probes tested. Overfixation, freezing and autolysis reduced the sensitivity and specificity of this technique; however with optimally fixed, well-preserved tissue samples, positive staining was obvious and reliable. These results confirm that genetic sequences from a putative novel papillomavirus are situated within the histological lesions of the western barred bandicoot papillomatosis-carcinomatosis syndrome, providing further evidence to support the hypothesis that this syndrome has a viral aetiology.