The Draft Budget For the First Financial Period of the Court

The preparatory work before the entry into force of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (“Rome Statute” or “Statute”) is nearing completion. Basic normative structures governing the establishment and work of the future International Criminal Court (“Court”) have been negotiated. With the discussions on the first draft Budget (“Budget”) and other issues related to the administrative and financial operation of the Court, preparations have taken a significant “practical turn.” The fundamental aim of the Budget is to translate the objectives of the Court in monetary terms and to provide the resources needed by the Court\u27s organs and the Assembly of States Parties in order for them to accomplish their mandate

Evaluation of Detached Leaflet Assay as a High-Throughput Way to Select for Late Blight Resistant Potato

The potato (Solanum tuberosum) is the world’s third most important food crop. It is grown all over the world. Late blight is an important disease in potato, caused by the pathogen Phytophthora infestans. The disease causes large crop losses and infects both the foliage and tubers, if not controlled by fungicide application. Developing new potato cultivars with improved resistance against late blight, is important in breeding programs, as these would allow less frequent spraying and a more sustainable potato production. Resistance against foliage late blight is usually evaluated in large scale field trials. Such trials are often expensive, difficult to manage and control. Alternative ways of assessing resistance that is cost-effective, high-throughput and precise are therefore of great interest. The purpose of this thesis is to investigate whether a detached leaflet assay (DLA) can be used to detect resistance against foliage late blight in different potato genotypes. This was investigated through assessment of 255 cultivars and breeding material (genotypes) representing the Norwegian germplasm. One plant per genotype was grown in pots in a greenhouse. After 8 weeks, leaves were detached and 9 leaflets per genotype were placed in Petri dishes and inoculated with P. infestans. The infection was assessed visually and by image analysis 6 and 8 days after inoculation. The results were compared with historical field data, and a genome-wide association study was performed. The results showed that the leaf test was able to distinguish potato genotypes based on their susceptibility to late blight. There was a low frequency of infection on the leaflets. A reason for this may be that the inoculum had reduced infectivity due to age. The correlation between the DLA and the historical field data was limited, but significant. The leaf test was able to identify the potato genotypes most susceptible to late blight. The association study found several significant markers. A marker found on chromosome 3, was located near a known QTL for late blight resistance. It can be concluded that the DLA can be used to identify the genotypes that are most susceptible to foliage late blight before an eventual field trial.Potet (Solanum tuberosum) er verdens tredje viktigste matplante. Den dyrkes over hele verden. Tørråte er en viktig potetsykdom, og forårsakes av skadegjøreren Phytophthora infestans. Tørråte kan føre til store avlingstap og kan angripe både riset og knollene om det ikke sprøytes jevnlig. Utvikling av nye potetsorter med forbedret motstandsdyktighet mot tørråte er viktig i potetforedling, ettersom slike potetsorter kan føre til sjeldnere sprøytninger og en mer bærekraftig produksjon. Resistens mot tørråte på ris vurderes vanligvis i feltforsøk. Feltforsøkene er ofte kostbare, vanskelige å administrere og kontrollere. Alternative måter for å teste tørråteresistens som både er presise, tidseffektive og kostnadseffektive er derfor av stor interesse. Hensikten med denne oppgaven er å undersøke om en bladtest kan benyttes til å avdekke resistens mot tørråte på ris blant potetgenotyper. Dette ble undersøkt ved hjelp av 255 ulike potetsorter og foredlingskloner (genotyper) som representerer arvemassen til norsk potet. En plante per genotype ble dyrket i potter i et drivhus. Etter 8 uker ble blader høstet inn og 9 småblad per genotype ble plassert i Petriskåler og inokulert med P. infestans. Infeksjonen ble vurdert visuelt og ved bildeanalyse 6 og 8 dager etter inokulasjon. Resultatene ble sammenlignet med historiske feltdata, og det ble utført en genomvid assosiasjonsstudie (GWAS). Resultatene viste at bladtesten klarte å skille mellom potetgenotypene basert på deres mottakelighet for tørråte. Det var i utgangspunktet få blad som ble infisert. En årsak til dette kan ha vært at smitteløsningen var lite smittsom på grunn av alder. Korrelasjonen mellom bladtesten og de historiske feltdataene var begrenset, men signifikant. Bladtesten klarte å identifisere potetgenotypene som var mest mottakelige for tørråte. Assosiasjonsstudien fant flere signifikante markører. En markør funnet på kromosom 3, var lokalisert nær en tidligere omtalt kvantitative arveegenskap (QTL) for tørråteresistens. Det kan konkluderes med at bladtester kan benyttes for å identifisere genotypene som er aller mest mottakelige for tørråte på ris før et eventuelt feltforsøk.M-P

Dietary supplementation of exopolysaccharides from Lactobacillus rhamnosus GCC-3 improved the resistance of zebrafish against spring viremia of carp virus infection

Spring viremia of carp virus (SVCV) can cause high mortality of fish. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GCC-3 exopolysaccharides (GCC-3 EPS) on zebrafish (Danio rerio) infected with SVCV and elucidate the underlying mechanisms. Zebrafish were fed with a control diet or diet supplemented with 0.5% and 1% of GCC-3 EPS for 2 weeks. The results showed that supplementation of GCC-3 EPS significantly improved the survival rate of zebrafish compared with the control group. In addition, dietary 0.5% and 1% GCC-3 EPS significantly up-regulated the expression of genes related to type I interferon (IFN) antiviral immunity. Consistent with in vivo results, GCC-3 EPS significantly inhibited SVCV replication in zebrafish embryonic fibroblast (ZF4) cells while significantly increased the expression of type I IFN signaling pathway related genes. Furthermore, knocking down TANK-binding kinase 1 significantly blocked the antiviral effect of GCC-3 EPS. Dietary GCC-3 EPS improved gut microbiota, and the culture supernatant of GCC-3 EPS-associated microbiota significantly inhibited SVCV replication in ZF4 cells compared with the control-microbiota counterpart. In conclusion, our results indicate that dietary GCC-3 EPS can improve the resistance of zebrafish against SVCV infection, and the mechanism may involve enhanced type I interferon signaling. KEYW

Can mesopelagic mixed layers be used as feed sources for salmon aquaculture?

Salmon aquaculture is in great need of good quality balanced protein and lipid sources, particularly marine omega-3 (n-3) long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFA), to sustain a further development of the industry. One possibility is to harvest mesopelagic marine layers. Therefore, the current project analysed mesopelagic hauls from three cruises (November 2015 to October 2016) collected from the inner fjord systems around Bergen and in open-waters off Tromsø and Ålesund, Norway. Jellyfish, krill, shrimps and small amounts of the mesopelagic fish, Maurolicus muelleri and Benthosema glaciale, dominated the mixed mesopelagic hauls. Lipid content ranged between 35-40% of dry matter with two samples from autumn being 21 and 13%, with the latter haul being almost exclusively krill. In contrast, M. muelleri and B. glaciale had lipid contents of around 54 and 47% respectively. Overall, lipid was a relatively good source of marine n-3 LC-PUFA, EPA and DHA, being in the range of 15–20% of fatty acids which increased in lean samples. However, many of the trawl hauls contained wax esters (7 out of 9 hauls), equivalent to 40% or more of the lipid, with B. glaciale containing almost 90% wax esters of lipid. This presents a challenge if used in salmon diets, as their utilisation is limited. Protein contents ranged between 45-50%, increasing in lean samples. The essential amino acid content was well above the requirements for Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) with B. glaciale generally containing higher levels compared to M. muelleri. Leucine, lysine and valine levels were particularly high. Hauls from open-waters contained mixtures of amphipods resulting in cadmium levels exceeding the maximum allowable level in feedstuffs. Arsenic levels were high or borderline. Reducing crustacean mix in hauls appear to be the only option to reduce these levels, whereas mesopelagic fish contained low levels of all heavy metals. In summary, the mesopelagic layer contains protein and lipid sources that could supply raw materials to the salmon aquaculture industry. However, high levels of wax esters, cadmium and arsenic needs to be addressed

PENERAPAN ALAT PERAGA MODEL SEL DALAM MENINGKATKAN HASIL BELAJAR SISWA PADA POKOK BAHASAN SEL DI SMAN 1 SURANENGGALA KABUPATEN CIREBON

DIAN MARYANI: Penerapan Alat Peraga Model Sel Dalam Meningkatkan Hasil Belajar Siswa Pada Pokok Bahasan Sel Kelas XI Di SMAN 1 Suranenggala Kab. Cirebon Penelitian ini dilatar belakangi oleh hasil belajar siswa yang belum tercapai, karena belum adanya sarana dan prasarana yang memadai sehingga pembelajaran masih menggunakan metode ceramah. Oleh karena itu perlu adanya kreativitas seorang guru untuk menciptakan dan membuat serta menerapkan suatu alat peraga dalam proses pembelajaran untuk meningkatkan daya ingat siswa sehingga hasil belajar siswa meningkat. Proses belajar mengajar merupakan proses komunikasi antar siswa dan guru. Untuk mempermudah suatu proses komunikasi dibutuhkan suatu media untuk menyampaikan konsep agar pembelajaran lebih mudah dipahami oleh siswa. Oleh karena itu dibutuhkan peran dan kreativitas guru dalam menyesuaikan media alat peraga dengan materi. Penggunaan media alat peraga membantu siswa untuk meningkatkan daya ingat karena dalam media alat peraga mampu merangsang panca indera yang meliputi indera pendengaran dan indera penglihatan yang mampu merangsang siswa dalam memahami dan mengingat materi pembelajaran sehingga mampu meningkatkan hasil belajar siswa. Tekhnik pengumpulan data dilakukan dengan menggunakan tes tertulis (pre tes dan post test) dan angket. Populasi dalam penelitian ini adalah seluruh siswa kelas XI SMAN 1 Suranenggala yang 234 siswa. Pengambilan sampel dalam penelitian ini dilakukan secara acak, sampel dalam penelitian ini diambil 1 kelas eksperimen yaitu kelas XI ipa 2 yang terdiri dari 40 siswa dan kelas kontrol pada kelas XI IPA 4 yang terdiri dari 40 siswa.data hasil penelitian kemudian dianalisis dengan menggunakan SPSS 16 for windows melalui uji normalitas, homogenitas, dan uji T. Berdasarkan hasil penelitian dapat disimpulkan bahwa: 1). penerapan alat peraga model sel pada pokok bahasan sel perlu dilaksanakan karena dapat meningkatkan daya ingat siswa sehingga mempengaruhi hasil belajar 2). adanya perbedaan peningkatan hasil belajar yang signifikan antara siswa yang menggunakan alat peraga dan yang tanpa alat peraga, Hal ini diketahui dari analisis data soal-soal pre test dan pos test yang diberikan kepada siswa kelas XI 2 (kelas eksperimen) di SMAN 1 Surannenggala, diperoleh data peningkatan rata-rata total skor pre test ke skor post test sebesar 39,78 atau lebih besar dari pada kelas kontrol yang mengalami kenaikan sebesar 3,75, Berdasarkan hasil uji mann whitney diperoleh nilai signifikan 0,000 dengan probabilitas < 0,05. Ho ditolak dan ha diterima. 3). Penerapan alat peraga model sel pada pembelajaran biologi sangat baik untuk diterapkan, hal ini bisa dilihat dari hasil respon siswa terhadap penggunaan media alat peraga ternyata hampir seluruh 77,5% siswa berpendapat bahwa pembelajaran dengan menggunakan alat peraga dapat meningkatkan hasil belajar siswa

Excess DHA Induces Liver Injury via Lipid Peroxidation and Gut Microbiota-Derived Lipopolysaccharide in Zebrafish

Being highly unsaturated, n-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFAs) are prone to lipid peroxidation. In this study, zebrafish were fed with low-fat diet (LFD), high-fat diet (HFD), or 2% DHA-supplemented HFD (HFDHA2.0). To study the possible negative effects of the high level of dietary DHA, growth rates, blood chemistry, liver histology, hepatic oxidative stress, apoptosis, and inflammatory processes were assessed. The cell studies were used to quantify the effects of DHA and antioxidant on cellular lipid peroxidation and viability. The possible interaction between gut microbiota and zebrafish host was evaluated in vitro. HFDHA2.0 had no effect on hepatic lipid level but induced liver injury, oxidative stress, and hepatocellular apoptosis, including intrinsic and death receptor-induced apoptosis. Besides, the inclusion of 2% DHA in HFD increased the abundance of Proteobacteria in gut microbiota and serum endotoxin level. In the zebrafish liver cell model, DHA activated intrinsic apoptosis while the antioxidant 4-hydroxy-Tempo (tempo) inhibited the pro-apoptotic negative effects of DHA. The apoptosis induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was unaffected by the addition of tempo. In conclusion, the excess DHA supplementation generates hepatocellular apoptosis-related injury to the liver. The processes might propagate along at least two routes, involving lipid peroxidation and gut microbiota-generated LPS

Effects of nuclease-treated fermentation product of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GCC-3 on growth, hepatic health and gut microbiota of zebrafish (Danio rerio) fed a high-fat diet

Probiotics are reported to improve the nutrition, immunity, and health of fish. Nuclease can hydrolyze nucleic acids of probiotics to produce nucleotides. The present study investigated the effect of stabilized fermentation product of nuclease-treated Lactobacillus rhamnosus GCC-3 (GCC-3 NT) on growth, non-specific immunity, liver health, and gut microbiota of zebrafish (Danio rerio). Compared to the high-fat diet (HFD) group, GCC-3 NT did not affect the growth performance of zebrafish. However, GCC-3 NT treatment can significantly increase the lysozyme activity and the total antioxidant capacity of body surface mucus. In addition, dietary GCC-3 NT significantly reduced the content of hepatic triglycerides (TAG) in zebrafish while significantly increased the expression of acyl-coenzyme A oxidases 3 (ACOX3) and proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator 1α (PGC1α) compared with the HFD group. The 16S rRNA gene sequencing showed that GCC-3 NT reduced the relative abundance of Actinobacteria while increased Firmicutes at the phylum level. The relative abundance of Rhodococcus was significantly decreased and Lactobacillus and Staphylococcus abundance were significantly increased in the GCC-3 NT group compared to the HFD group. Furthermore, PCoA analysis showed GCC-3 NT diet had a significant effect on the autochthonous microbiota compared to the HFD diet. Together, our results showed that nuclease-treated L. rhamnosus fermentation product can improve the immunity, liver health and gut microbiota of zebrafish, suggesting that it can be potentially used as a functional feed additive for aquaculture

Peak oxygen uptake and breathing pattern in COPD patients – a four-year longitudinal study

Background: Activities of daily living in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are limited by exertional dyspnea and reduced exercise capacity. The aims of the study were to examine longitudinal changes in peak oxygen uptake (V̇O2peak), peak minute ventilation (V̇Epeak) and breathing pattern over four years in a group of COPD patients, and to examine potential explanatory variables of change. Methods: This longitudinal study included 63 COPD patients, aged 44-75 years, with a mean forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) at baseline of 51 % of predicted (SD = 14). The patients performed two cardiopulmonary exercise tests (CPETs) on treadmill 4.5 years apart. The relationship between changes in V̇ O2peak and V̇Epeak and possible explanatory variables, including dynamic lung volumes and inspiratory capacity (IC), were analysed by multivariate linear regression analysis. The breathing pattern in terms of the relationship between minute ventilation (V̇E) and tidal volume (VT) was described by a quadratic equation, VT = a + b∙V̇ E + c∙V̇E2, for each test. The VTmax was calculated from the individual quadratic relationships, and was the point where the first derivative of the quadratic equation was zero. The mean changes in the curve parameters (CPET2 minus CPET1) and VTmax were analysed by bivariate and multivariate linear regression analyses with age, sex, height, changes in weight, lung function, IC and inspiratory reserve volume as possible explanatory variables. Results: Significant reductions in V̇ O2peak (p < 0.001) and V̇ Epeak (p < 0.001) were related to a decrease in resting IC and in FEV1. Persistent smoking contributed to the reduction in V̇O2peak. The breathing pattern changed towards a lower VT at a given V̇ E and was related to the reduction in FEV1. Conclusion: Increasing static hyperinflation and increasing airway obstruction were related to a reduction in exercise capacity. The breathing pattern changed towards more shallow breathing, and was related to increasing airway obstruction.publishedVersio