Self-Defense in Kentucky: A Need for Clarification or Revision

Recent prosecutions have pushed Kentucky’s concept of self-defense beyond the limits of tolerance for complexity and confusion. There is little doubt that there exists a critical need to clarify or to revise the Kentucky law of self-defense. A demonstration of this need and a description of its nature are the principal objectives of this article. To accomplish these objectives, it is necessary to provide some information about the recent history of homicide and self-defense in Kentucky and to describe some important recent interpretations of this law by the Supreme Court of Kentucky

Using productivity and susceptibility indices to assess the vulnerability of United States fish stocks to overfishing

Assessing the vulnerability of stocks to fishing practices in U.S. federal waters was recently highlighted by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, as an important factor to consider when 1) identifying stocks that should be managed and protected under a fishery management plan; 2) grouping data-poor stocks into relevant management complexes; and 3) developing precautionary harvest control rules. To assist the regional fishery management councils in determining vulnerability, NMFS elected to use a modified version of a productivity and susceptibility analysis (PSA) because it can be based on qualitative data, has a history of use in other fisheries, and is recommended by several organizations as a reasonable approach for evaluating risk. A number of productivity and susceptibility attributes for a stock are used in a PSA and from these attributes, index scores and measures of uncertainty are computed and graphically displayed. To demonstrate the utility of the resulting vulnerability evaluation, we evaluated six U.S. fisheries targeting 162 stocks that exhibited varying degrees of productivity and susceptibility, and for which data quality varied. Overall, the PSA was capable of differentiating the vulnerability of stocks along the gradient of susceptibility and productivity indices, although fixed thresholds separating low-, moderate-, and highly vulnerable species were not observed. The PSA can be used as a flexible tool that can incorporate regional-specific information on fishery and management activity

Genetic and childhood trauma interaction effect on age of onset in bipolar disorder: An exploratory analysis

Introduction This study investigated whether early life trauma mediates genetic effects on the age at onset (AAO) of bipolar disorder. Method Data from the BiGS Consortium case samples (N = 1119) were used. Childhood traumatic events were documented using the Childhood Life Events Scale (CLES). Interaction between occurrence of childhood trauma and common genetic variants throughout the genome was tested to identify single nucleotide polymorphic gene variants (SNPs) whose effects on bipolar AAO differ between individuals clearly exposed (CLES ≥ 2) and not exposed (CLES = 0) to childhood trauma. Results The modal response to the CLES was 0 (N = 480), but an additional 276 subjects had CLES = 1, and 363 subjects reported 2 or more traumatic lifetime events. The distribution of age at onset showed a broad peak between ages 12 and 18, with the majority of subjects having onset during that period, and a significant decrease in age of onset with the number of traumatic events. No single SNP showed a statistically significant interaction with the presence of traumatic events to impact bipolar age at onset. However, SNPs in or near genes coding for calcium channel activity-related proteins (Gene Ontology: 0005262) were found to be more likely than other SNPs to show evidence of interaction using the INRICH method (p < 0.001). Limitations Retrospective ascertainment of trauma and AAO. Conclusion Interaction effects of early life trauma with genotype may have a significant effect on the development and manifestation of bipolar disorder. These effects may be mediated in part by genes involved in calcium signaling

Linearized semiclassical initial value time correlation functions with maximum entropy analytic continuation

The maximum entropy analytic continuation (MEAC) method is used to extend the range of accuracy of the linearized semiclassical initial value representation (LSC-IVR)/classical Wigner approximation for real time correlation functions. The LSC-IVR provides a very effective 'prior' for the MEAC procedure since it is very good for short times, exact for all time and temperature for harmonic potentials (even for correlation functions of nonlinear operators), and becomes exact in the classical high temperature limit. This combined MEAC+LSC/IVR approach is applied here to two highly nonlinear dynamical systems, a pure quartic potential in one dimensional and liquid para-hydrogen at two thermal state points (25K and 14K under nearly zero external pressure). The former example shows the MEAC procedure to be a very significant enhancement of the LSC-IVR, for correlation functions of both linear and nonlinear operators, and especially at low temperature where semiclassical approximations are least accurate. For liquid para-hydrogen, the LSC-IVR is seen already to be excellent at T = 25K, but the MEAC procedure produces a significant correction at the lower temperature (T = 14K). Comparisons are also made to how the MEAC procedure is able to provide corrections for other trajectory-based dynamical approximations when used as priors

Law professors want hearing, vote on Garland

Dear Senator Fischer and Senator Sasse, We write this as citizens, but we all teach at the University of Nebraska College of Law. We hold different political viewpoints and disagree frequentIy with each other on political and legal issues. As law professors, however, we share a deep commitment to the rule of law and an impartial judiciary. We therefore urge you to hold confirmation hearings and a vote on President Obama\u27s Supreme Court nominee, Chief Judge Merrick B. Garland

Use of Genetic Stock Identification Data for Comparison of the Ocean Spatial Distribution, Size at Age, and Fishery Exposure of an Untagged Stock and Its Indicator: California Coastal versus Klamath River Chinook Salmon

Managing weak stocks in mixed-stock fisheries often relies on proxies derived from data-rich indicator stocks. For example, full cohort reconstruction of tagged Klamath River fall run Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) of northern California, USA, enables the use of detailed models to inform management. Information gained from this stock is also used in the management of the untagged, threatened California Coastal Chinook (CCC) salmon stock, by capping Klamath harvest rates. To evaluate use of this proxy, we used genetic stock identification (GSI) data to compare the two stocks\u27 size-at-age and ocean distribution, two key factors influencing fishery exposure. We developed methods to account for both sampling and genetic assignment uncertainty in catch estimates. We found that, in 2010, the stocks were similar in size-at-age early in the year (age-3 and age-4), but CCC fish were larger later in the year. The stocks appeared similarly distributed early in the year (2010), but more concentrated near their respective source rivers later in the year (2010 and 2011). If these results are representative, relative fishery impacts on the two stocks might scale similarly early in the year but management changes later in the year might have differing impacts on the two stocks

Darwin -— an experimental astronomy mission to search for extrasolar planets

As a response to ESA call for mission concepts for its Cosmic Vision 2015–2025 plan, we propose a mission called Darwin. Its primary goal is the study of terrestrial extrasolar planets and the search for life on them. In this paper, we describe different characteristics of the instrument

Ovine pedomics : the first study of the ovine foot 16S rRNA-based microbiome

We report the first study of the bacterial microbiome of ovine interdigital skin based on 16S rRNA by pyrosequencing and conventional cloning with Sanger-sequencing. Three flocks were selected, one a flock with no signs of footrot or interdigital dermatitis, a second flock with interdigital dermatitis alone and a third flock with both interdigital dermatitis and footrot. The sheep were classified as having either healthy interdigital skin (H), interdigital dermatitis (ID) or virulent footrot (VFR). The ovine interdigital skin bacterial community varied significantly by flock and clinical condition. The diversity and richness of operational taxonomic units was greater in tissue from sheep with ID than H or VFR affected sheep. Actinobacteria, Bacteriodetes, Firmicutes and Proteobacteria were the most abundant phyla comprising 25 genera. Peptostreptococcus, Corynebacterium and Staphylococcus were associated with H, ID and VFR respectively. Sequences of Dichelobacter nodosus, the causal agent of ovine footrot, were not amplified due to mismatches in the 16S rRNA universal forward primer (27F). A specific real time PCR assay was used to demonstrate the presence of D. nodosus which was detected in all samples including the flock with no signs of ID or VFR. Sheep with ID had significantly higher numbers of D. nodosus (104-109 cells/g tissue) than those with H or VFR feet