Bird feeding at urban wetlands: A comparison of demographics, attitudes and norms between feeders and non-feeders.

The feeding of wild birds is a popular but often controversial activity. This study explored differences in demographics, attitudes, and normative beliefs between waterbird feeders and non-feeders at an urban wetland residential estate in Melbourne, Australia. An online survey of nearby residents and visitors (n = 206) identified those who have fed waterbirds at least once in the past two years (feeders; 32.4 %) and those who have not (non-feeders). No differences were observed in demographic profile or connection to nature between feeders and non-feeders, but feeders were significantly more likely to believe that waterbird feeding is an acceptable activity. When compared with non-feeders, feeders exhibited different injunctive and descriptive norms relating to waterbird feeding; feeders believed that most people would be relatively happy with them feeding waterbirds in their community, while non-feeders thought that most people would be moderately unhappy. Feeders believed that more than half of the people in their community fed waterbirds (55.5 %), while non-feeders believed that less than half fed birds (36.7 %). These findings suggest that education or behaviour change programs with bird feeding objectives could be enhanced with information about the actual and perceived social norms for this common activity.

Case management: integrating roles in the subacute setting.

Nurses have great potential to advance the professional practice of nurse case management in the subacute care industry. This health care setting has created a new arena in which nursing may adapt and redefine the role of the case manager to meet the needs of an integrated system of outcomes based health care. Through cooperation and collaboration with a multidisciplinary team, the nurse case manager increases the cost effectiveness of care and enhances patient outcomes.

Thymus-dependent and thymus-independent developmental pathways for peripheral T cell receptor-gamma delta-bearing lymphocytes.

To elucidate the developmental pathways of T cells that bear TCR gamma delta, we have analyzed the kinetics of expression and biochemical characteristics of gamma delta receptors in the thymus and spleen of normal and athymic (nude) mice, as well as nude mice engrafted with neonatal thymuses. TCR gamma delta-bearing thymocytes and splenocytes have a CD4-8- phenotype, and both populations express products of the C gamma 1 locus. TCR gamma delta-bearing cells develop in the thymus before their appearance in the spleen. Young nude mice have no detectable TCR gamma delta-bearing cells in their spleens. When young nude mice are given thymus grafts, TCR gamma delta-bearing cells of host origin first develop in the engrafted thymus, followed by their appearance in the spleen. In the absence of a thymus graft, the spleens of old nude mice eventually develop small numbers of TCR gamma delta + cells, as well as TCR alpha beta + cells. These results demonstrate that there is a major thymic-dependent pathway for TCR gamma delta expression, as well as a minor thymic-independent pathway seen in older nude mice. The development of TCR gamma delta + cells in the thymus before their appearance in the spleen, both in normal ontogeny as well as in the thymus-engrafted nude mouse model, suggests that thymic TCR gamma delta + cells are precursors of the thymus-dependent population of peripheral TCR gamma delta + cells.

A novel population of T-cell receptor alpha beta-bearing thymocytes which predominantly expresses a single V beta gene family.

Recent studies have demonstrated that CD3 is expressed on a subset of thymocytes with a CD4-CD8- (double negative) phenotype. At least some of these cells bear the CD3-associated gamma delta T-cell receptor (TCR gamma delta). Here we describe a second subset of double negative thymocytes which expresses CD3-associated alpha beta receptors (TCR alpha beta). Surprisingly, these cells express predominantly the products of a single V beta gene family (V beta 8). These CD4-CD8-, TCR alpha beta+ cells appear relatively late in ontogeny (between birth and day 5 of life) and thus are unlikely to be the precursors to the TCR alpha beta-bearing cells (CD4+CD8- and CD4-CD8+) already present at birth. They can be selectively expanded in vitro by stimulation with a monoclonal antibody to V beta 8 (F23.1) in the presence of interleukin I (IL-1). We propose that this cell type is a unique T-cell population distinguishable from typical TCR alpha beta+ T cells by its CD4-CD8- phenotype and a restricted TCR V beta repertoire. Analysis of the unique phenotype of these cells suggests that they may represent the normal counterpart of the defective CD4-CD8- T cells found in the lpr autoimmune mouse.