The beginnings of a monastic reformer : the younger years of Poppo of Stavelot (Lotharingia, 978-1020)

This paper investigates the underlying mechanisms and different contexts which played a decisive role in the advancement of the pre-abbatial monastic careers of adult converts living in the eleventh century. Whereas most studies on these individuals have focused primarily on their abbatial careers, this article will consider the years preceding their attaining an influential monastic leadership position. Based upon the case of Poppo of Stavelot, traditionally regarded as one of the principal proponents of monastic reform in early-eleventh-century Lotharingia, this paper argues that the key factor leading up to a person’s nomination as abbot was not so much his religious reputation, extraordinary character, or even the result of his accumulated experience. Rather, the evolution of an individual’s pre-abbatial career depended to a large extent on how his social identity was perceived by others, as well as on the confrontation between his social capital and the concrete and short-term political context of the time

Reformist hagiography : the life of St Roding of Beaulieu and the struggle for power in early eleventh-Century Lotharingia

This paper explores an example of ‘reformist’ hagiographic production in early eleventh-century Lotharingia by focusing on the Life of St Roding of Beaulieu, a small monastery in the diocese of Verdun. Until recently, this text was interpreted exclusively in terms of the scant information it provides on this institution’s early medieval history and in terms of its ideological message regarding monastic discipline and leadership. By integrating the redaction of this text into the then-current regional geography and political context, this paper proposes a new approach to its interpretation and to the understanding of Beaulieu’s ‘monastic reform’ in general. Close analysis of the narrative reveals that its redaction was inspired by specific issues relating to local and regional politics in the mid-1010s, and that parts of the institution’s recent history were allegorically veiled behind the portrayal of Roding. However, rapid changes in power relationships rendered those aspects of the text outdated within a few years. This raises significant questions regarding the long-term relevance of such hidden stories and the degree to which their various ideological, political and other messages remained accessible to medieval audiences

Klasifikacijska stabla

Metoda klasifikacijskih stabla temelji se na binarnom stablu. Ako je uvjet pri određenom čvoru zadovoljen, podaci pripadaju lijevoj grani, ako nije pripadaju desnoj grani. Kriteriji prema kojima se postavljaju uvjeti pri čvorovima su mjere nečistoće čvora: klasifikacijska greška, Gini indeks i unakrsna entropija. Od svih mogućih cijepanja, odabire se ono koje postiže najveću redukciju nečistoće čvora, odnosno ono koje ima najbolju kvalitetu cijepanja. Podrezivanje stabla provodi se nakon kreiranja inicijalnog stabla kako bi se izbjegla pretjerana prilagođenost podacima. Od svih mogućih podstabala, odaberemo niz podstabala koristeći cijenu složenosti, a krosvalidacijom procijenimo grešku pojedinog podstabla te odaberemo ono s najnižom ukupnom greškom.The method of classification trees is based on binary tree. If the condition at a particular node is met, the data belong to the left branch, if condition isn’t met, data belong to the right branch. The criteria for the conditions at the nodes are node impurity measures: classification error, Gini index and cross entropy. Of all the possible splittings, we choose the one that achieves the greatest reduction in node impurity, or one that has the best quality of splitting. Pruning the tree is carried out after the initial growing of the tree in order to avoid overfitting of the data. Of all the possible subtrees, we choose a run of subtrees using the cost-complexity criterion and cross-validation error estimation of each subtree and choose the one with the lowest total error

Evolution of fungi

Intenzivnim bavljenjem filogenijom gljiva, znanstvenici su došli do brojnih otkrića. Tako su Paquin i suradnici, korištenjem mitohondrijskih gena koji kodiraju podjedinice 1 – 3 i citokrom b, na temelju rezultata istraživanja pružili snažnu potporu teoriji gljiva i životinja kao sestrinskih grupa, te su predložili postavljanje Spizellomycetales kao bazu gljiva rađe nego Blastocladiales. Još jedna snažna potpora gljivama i životinjama kao sestrinskim grupama dolazi iz istraživanja Baldaufa i Palmera koji su koristili konzervirane gene jezgre za aktin, α i β – tubulin, histone i translacijski, elongacijski faktor Ef - 1α. Dollittle i suradnici su proveli istraživanje bazirano na 53 različita gena koji kodiraju enzime, te su rezultati pokazali kako su gljive divergirale od životinja prije oko 965 milijuna godina. Bowen i suradnici su sekvencionirali gene hitin sintaze, pripadaju trima genskim obiteljima, te su izveli stablo sekvenci u kojem gljive dijele na 3 razreda. Seifert i suradnici, te Kuhls i suradnici, koristeći sekvence 18S i 28S ribosomskih gena, utvrđuju filogenetske odnose između spolnih i nespolnih gljiva koje su prije bile smatrane različitim vrstama. Provedeno je i istraživanje temeljeno na genima β podjedinice F1 – ATP – aze koje je pokazalo prisustvo vertikalnog prijenosa gena (sa pretka na potomke) kod mrkve i krušne plijesni. Za mnoga filogenetska pitanja sekvence ribosomskih gena ne nude jasne odgovore, te su sekvence drugih gena i razne karakteristike poželjne i dobrodošle. Red, rad, disciplina, nove spoznaje, nove ideje, novi tehnološki napreci, povećanje svote novca namijenjene znanosti, što bolja povezanost i suradnja znanstvenika cijelog svijeta, mogu nam pomoći i olakšati put približavanja istinitoj evoluciji koja je bitna cjelokupnom čovječanstvu i koja će, bar djelomično, ponuditi odgovor na čovjekova vječna pitanja njegovog postanka, razvoja, srodstvenih odnosa i konačno svrhovitosti života.Working intensively on the phylogeny of fungi, scientists have come up with a number of discoveries. Thus, Paquin et al, using the mitochondrial genes encoding subunits 1-3 and cytochrome b, provided strong support for the theory of fungi and animals as sister groups, and proposed setting Spizellomycetales as fungi base rather than Blastocladiales. Another strong support for fungi and animals as sister groups comes from Baldauf`s and Palmer`s studies who used conserved nucleus genes for actin, α and β - tubulin, histones, and the translation, elongation factor Ef - 1α. Dollittle et al. conducted a study based on 53 different genes that encode enzymes, and the results showed that the fungi have divergated from animals less than about 965 million years ago. Bowen et al. sequenced chitin synthase genes, belong to three gene families, and they performed tree in which the fungi are divided into 3 classes. Seifert et al., and Kuhls et al, using a sequence of 18S and 28S ribosomal genes, determined phylogenetic relationships between sexual and asexual fungi that have previously been regarded as different species. The study with carrots and bread mold, based on genes of β subunits of F1 - ATP – ase, showed the presence of vertical gene transfer. For many phylogenetic questions ribosomal gene sequences do not offer clear answers. The sequences of other genes and different characteristics are wanted and welcome. Order, work, discipline, new knowledge, new ideas, new technological advances, increasing amounts of money intended for science, better linkages and cooperation of scientists around the world, can help us and also alleviate our way of approaching the true evolution that is essential to all of humanity and will, at least in part, offer an answer to man's eternal questions of his origin, development, relationships and ultimately purposefulness of life

Growth and cropping of ‘Golden Delicious’ apple related to fertigation with nitrogen

Istraživanja su obavljena sa sortom jabuke Golden Delicious (Malus x domestica Borkh), koja je cijepljena na slabo bujnu podlogu M 9, i uzgajana u gustom sklopu (3000 stabala/ha). U pokusu je istraživan utjecaj fertirigacije dušikom u dozama od 45, 60 i 120 kg/ha, natapanja bez gnojidbe, te kontrole (bez natapanja i uporabe gnojiva) na rast i rodnost jabuke Golden Delicious. Tretmani su primjenjivani u dva vremenska intervala tijekom vegetacije: od 1. svibnja do 20. lipnja, te od 1. svibnja do 1. kolovoza. Pokus je trajao osam godina počevši od druge godine poslije sadnje (1992-1999.). Istraživanjima nije utvrđen konzistentan utjecaj primijenjenih tretmana na dinamiku rodnosti, kumulativni prirod i učinkovitost rodnosti. Najveći kumulativni prirod, uz relativno nizak indeks alternativne rodnosti, postignut je uz fertirigaciju sa 60 kg N/ha, kada je ona primjenjivana u razdoblju od 1. svibnja do 20. lipnja. U svim varijantama pokusa dinamika rodnosti slijedila je sličan trend uz jače izraženu tendenciju alternativne rodnosti u varijantama bez fertirigacije s dušikom, a puna rodnost postignuta je u petoj godini nakon sadnje.The study was conducted in a ‘Golden Delicious’/M9 orchard (3000 trees/ha) to investigate the effects of fertigation with N at 45, 60 and 120 kg/ha, and irrigation without fertilizers on the growth and productivity of the crop. Treatment durations were from 1 May to 20 June, and from 1 May to 1 August. Treatments began during the 2nd year after planting, and lasted eight years (1992-1999). Fertigation with N at different rates showed no consistent effect on the dynamic of cropping, cumulative yield and yield efficiency. The tendency to biennial bearing in the treatment with N-fertigation was generally low and markedly higher in the treatment without fertigation. The highest cumulative yield, with low index of alternate bearing was obtained in the treatment receiving 60 kg N/ha from 1 May to 20 June. The yield was obtained increasing dynamic followed the similar trend in all treatments, and full productivity was achieved in the fifth year after planting

Molecular phylogeny of the hominoids

Početci istraživanja ljudskog filogenetskog stabla su se zasnivali na subjektivnoj metodi koja je koristila morfološka obilježja za njegovu rekonstrukciju. U 20. st. genetika i molekularna biologija uvode ljudski genom kao osnovu istraživanja evolucijskih odnosa. Osnovne metode postaju DNA hibridizacija i sekvencioniranje genoma. Zahvaljujući tim metodama za našu najbližu sestrinsku grupu stavljamo čimpanze. Pažnja se posvećuje i manjim DNA sekvencama poput mitohondrijske DNA ili Y kromosoma. To nam je omogućilo ne samo bolji uvid u našu evolucijsku granu rodoslovnog stabla, već i praćenje ekspanzije ljudskih populacija kroz povijest. Korijen naše civilizacije se nalazi u Africi te se preko Europe i Azije širi u ostatak svijeta. To je potkrijepljeno i teorijom „out of Africa“ koja sugerira razvoj i ekspanziju modernih ljudi iz Afrike u ostatak svijeta. Danas se najveće polemike vode oko “karike koja nedostaje” i njenih dosad pronađenih kandidata.The beginning of scientific research of human phylogenetic tree was based upon the subjective method which applied morphologic characteristics for its reconstruction. In 20. century genetic and molecular biology introduced human genome as the base for evolution relationship research. DNA hybridization and genome sequencing became basic methods. Owing to those methods we put chimpanzee as our nearest sister group. We also put our focus on smaller DNA sequences such as mitochondrial DNA or Y chromosome. That provided not only a better insight to our evolution branch of human family tree, but also to track expansions of human populations during history. The root of our civilization lies in Africa and spreads over Europe and Asia to the rest of the world. That point of view is also supported by „out of Africa“ theory which suggested that modern humans developed in Africa and then spread to the rest of the world. Today, the biggest controversy is the “missing link” and the candidates that represent it

Dynamic of cropping of `Idared` apple related to fertigation with nitrogen

Istraživanja su obavljena sa sortom jabuke Idared (Malus x domestica Borkh), koja je cijepljena na slabo bujnu podlogu M 9, i uzgajana u gustom sklopu (3000 stabala/ha). U pokusu je bilo pet tretmana (fertirigacija s 45 kg N/ha, 60 kg N/ha, 120 kg N/ha, natapanje bez gnojidbe i kontrola – bez natapanja i uporabe gnojiva), u dvije varijante (tretmani za vrijeme vegetacije: od 1. svibnja do 20. lipnja – varijanta A, i od 1. svibnja do 1. kolovoza – varijanta B). Pokus je trajao sedam godina počevši od druge godine poslije sadnje (1992-1998.). Istraživanjima nije utvrđen konzistentan utjecaj primijenjenih tretmana na dinamiku rodnosti, kumulativan prirod i učinkovitost rodnosti. U svim varijantama pokusa dinamika rodnosti slijedila je sličan trend uz slabo izraženu tendenciju alternativnoj rodnosti, a puna rodnost postignuta je u petoj godini nakon sadnje. Dobiveni rezultati istraživanja potvrđuju da je sorta Idared vrlo prikladna za intenzivan uzgoj u sustavu gustog sklopa.The trial was conducted in an ‘Idared’/M9 orchard (3000 trees/ha), designed as split-block comprising five treatments (fertigation with 45 kg N/ha, 60 kg N/ha, 120 kg N/ha, irrigation without fertilisers, and control - without irrigation and without fertilisers), and two timing variants (treatments during vegetation period from 1 May to 20 June - variant A, and treatments from 1 May to 1 August – variant B). The treatments began in the second year after planting and lasted seven years (1992-1998). Fertigation with different amounts of nitrogen had no consistent effect on the dynamic of cropping, cumulative yield and regularity of bearing. Tendency to biennial bearing was low, dynamic of yield increasing followed the same trend in all treatments, and full productivity was achieved in the fifth year after planting. This means that ‘Idared’ is a very suitable apple cultivar for growing in the system of high density planting