Steps Toward Safety: Improving Systemic and Community Responses for Families Experiencing Domestic Violence

This report is designed to mine the lessons learned from the research and reforms in child welfare and domestic violence, as well as explore possibilities for the next generation of innovation.https://digitalcommons.law.umaryland.edu/books/1076/thumbnail.jp

Protoplasmic Astrocytes Enhance the Ability of Neural Stem Cells to Differentiate into Neurons In Vitro

Protoplasmic astrocytes have been reported to exhibit neuroprotective effects on neurons, but there has been no direct evidence for a functional relationship between protoplasmic astrocytes and neural stem cells (NSCs). In this study, we examined neuronal differentiation of NSCs induced by protoplasmic astrocytes in a co-culture model. Protoplasmic astrocytes were isolated from new-born and NSCs from the E13-15 cortex of rats respectively. The differentiated cells labeled with neuron-specific marker β-tubulin III, were dramatically increased at 7 days in the co-culture condition. Blocking the effects of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) with an anti-BDNF antibody reduced the number of neurons differentiated from NSCs when co-cultured with protoplasmic astrocytes. In fact, the content of BDNF in the supernatant obtained from protoplasmic astrocytes and NSCs co-culture media was significantly greater than that from control media conditions. These results indicate that protoplasmic astrocytes promote neuronal differentiation of NSCs, which is driven, at least in part, by BDNF

The behaviour of giant clams (Bivalvia: Cardiidae: Tridacninae)

Giant clams, the largest living bivalves, live in close association with coral reefs throughout the Indo-Pacific. These iconic invertebrates perform numerous important ecological roles as well as serve as flagship species—drawing attention to the ongoing destruction of coral reefs and their associated biodiversity. To date, no review of giant clams has focussed on their behaviour, yet this component of their autecology is critical to their life history and hence conservation. Almost 100 articles published between 1865 and 2014 include behavioural observations, and these have been collated and synthesised into five sections: spawning, locomotion, feeding, anti-predation, and stress responses. Even though the exact cues for spawning in the wild have yet to be elucidated, giant clams appear to display diel and lunar periodicities in reproduction, and for some species, peak breeding seasons have been established. Perhaps surprisingly, giant clams have considerable mobility, ranging from swimming and gliding as larvae to crawling in juveniles and adults. Chemotaxis and geotaxis have been established, but giant clams are not phototactic. At least one species exhibits clumping behaviour, which may enhance physical stabilisation, facilitate reproduction, or provide protection from predators. Giant clams undergo several shifts in their mode of acquiring nutrition; starting with a lecithotrophic and planktotrophic diet as larvae, switching to pedal feeding after metamorphosis followed by the transition to a dual mode of filter feeding and phototrophy once symbiosis with zooxanthellae (Symbiodinium spp.) is established. Because of their shell weight and/or byssal attachment, adult giant clams are unable to escape rapidly from threats using locomotion. Instead, they exhibit a suite of visually mediated anti-predation behaviours that include sudden contraction of the mantle, valve adduction, and squirting of water. Knowledge on the behaviour of giant clams will benefit conservation and restocking efforts and help fine-tune mariculture techniques. Understanding the repertoire of giant clam behaviours will also facilitate the prediction of threshold levels for sustainable exploitation as well as recovery rates of depleted clam populations

Bringing the \u3cem\u3eGreenbook\u3c/em\u3e to Life: A Resource Guide for Communities

This book is designed for communities seeking to develop interventions that will improve their responses to families suffering both domestic violence and child maltreatment.https://digitalcommons.law.umaryland.edu/books/1075/thumbnail.jp

Geochemical and Microstructural Signals in Giant Clam Tridacna maxima

To validate the usability of the giant clam shell as a recorder of short-term environmental changes such as typhoons, we collected a live Tridacna maxima from Okinotori Island, Japan, on 15 June 2006. Growth increment thickness, stable isotope ratio (O-18(shell), C-13(shell)), and the barium/calcium ratio (Ba/Ca) in the T.maxima shell sample were measured and compared to Okinotori Island instrumental environmental data. In the outer layer of the shell sample, there were 3656 growth increments per year, as estimated by the O-18(shell) profile compared with sea surface temperature. The growth increments in the specimen were formed daily, and thus, we can determine the date of the sampling points of O-18(shell), C-13(shell) and the Ba/Ca ratio by counting growth increments. After typhoon approach, there is a decrease in increment thickness and some disturbed growth increments. The positive peaks in the shell Ba/Ca ratio and O-18(shell) corresponded to lower sea surface temperature caused by typhoons. These results indicated that the microstructural and geochemical record in Tridacna maxima shells could be useful for detecting past typhoon events