A grazer's niche edge is associated with increasing diet diversity and poor population performance.

The core-periphery hypothesis predicts niche cores should be associated with greater survivorship, reproductive output and population performance rates than marginal habitats at niche edges. However, there is very little empirical evidence of whether niche centrality influences population trends in animals. Using the Cape mountain zebra (Equus zebra zebra) as a model system, we evaluated whether niche centrality is associated with population trends, resource availability and diet across a core-periphery gradient. Population growth rates and density progressively declined towards niche peripheries. Niche peripheries were resource-poor and Cape mountain zebra consumed more phylogenetically diverse diets dominated by non-grass families. In core habitats they consumed grass-rich diets and female reproductive success was higher. This combination of spatial niche modelling and functional ecology provides a novel evaluation of how bottom-up resource limitation can shape species distributions, population resilience and range change and can guide conservation management.

Evaluation of an interactive multimedia application to learn interpersonal skills.

A multidisciplinary team from Ryerson Polytechnic University in Toronto collaborated to produce an interactive multimedia application to teach interpersonal communication skills. The purpose of this educational prototype was to provide a module to accompany an introductory course in communication skills. Though it is based on a scenario specific to a group of health care professionals, it is hoped that the application would be useful to a variety of learners.

A community-based psychogeriatric service.

The elderly are most susceptible to mental illness, and they receive inadequate mental health services. The authors developed a community-based program to meet the needs of the psychiatrically impaired elderly by providing a multiplicity of indirect services to community caregivers. A psychiatrist and two clinical specialists in psychiatric nursing provide consultation, education, collaboration, and coordination to individuals and agencies dealing directly with elderly clients in the community. Evaluation of data show a high degree of consultee satisfaction, few recommendations for institutional care, satisfactory client outcomes, and a significant impact achieved by a formal educational program for community practitioners.