SOUTHERN SHAOLIN DRAGON FIST: EVOLVING FIGHTING SKILLS AND METHODOLOGY FROM THE MYTHICAL TO ACTUAL REALITY

Chinese Kung Fu has a long history, dating back to ancient times of China. Shaolin tradition is very connected to Chan Buddhism, its philosophy and way of living. Early ancestors of Shaolin Temple did many observations on nature and developed some Wushu forms imitating animals (leopard, praying mantis, tiger, eagle, snake, Etc.) Although their most animal forms are based on real, physically available animals they did not hesitate to create forms on mythical creatures as well, such as dragon. The dragon form studied in this article is considered as a part of Southern Shaolin Kung Fu. However, there are many dragon forms in the North and South and it is better to realize this plurality while conducting research. This form is a sample of these various forms, even styles are named after the mythical animal of dragon. The form is comprehensively explained with enough visuals and this is an easy to follow instructional narration for each level of martial arts practitioners.  Article visualizations

Ignition of a Large Volume Plasma with a Plasma Jet

Here we report on a method to generate a long plasma plume and to ignite a large volume plasma by means of the jet. The plasma plume is generated by our tube reactor and then introduced into a chamber where the pressure is controlled. We discovered there are three operating phases:Aphasewhere the plume length remains approximately constant, followed by a second phase where the jet increases in length as the pressure decreases. Then at pressures below 70 Torr a mode transition occurs where the plume length decreases and the plasma expands until the entire chamber is filled

Interacting electrons in a 2D quantum dot

The exact numerical diagonalization of the Hamiltonian of a 2D circular quantum dot is performed for 2, 3, and 4 electrons.The results are compared with those of the perturbation theory.Our numerical results agree reasonably well for small values of the dimensionles coupling constant \lambda=a\over a_B where a is the dot radius and a_B is the effective Bohr radius.Exact diagonalization results are compared with the classical predictions, and they are found to be almost coincident for large \lambda values. PACS Numbers: 73.20.Dx, 73.61.-rComment: 12 pages, 5 postscript figure

Effect of seminal plasma on functional integrity of rabbit sperm membranes during storage at 4ºC or freezing

[EN] The effect of semen plasma removal either by simple centrifugation or by separation through a Percoll gradient on the integrity of plasma membranes of rabbit spermatozoa during storage at 4°C and freezing was evaluated in two successive experiments. A modifi ed hypo-osmotic swelling test procedure combined with supravital staining was employed to evaluate simultaneously membrane integrity of head and tail membranes of sperm cells. In the first experiment, the impact of semen plasma on membrane integrity of sperm cells was examined in Tris-citric acid-glucose extender at 4°C for 96 h. The percentage of sperm cells with disintegrated tail and head membranes increased in all groups in correlation with the length of storage. After storage for 96 h, removal of semen plasma, irrespective of the method of removal, resulted in signifi cant increase (P<0.01) in the percentage of sperm cells with disintegrated plasma membranes. The adverse effect of storage and removal of semen plasma was more prominent on the tail membranes, and especially during the fi rst 24 h of the storage period. In the second experiment, the impact of semen plasma on membrane integrity of sperm cells undergoing freezing was examined. A total of three groups were arranged as described in the fi rst experiment, and semen samples were frozen in straws using an extender including acetamide and methyl cellulose. Freezing of semen drastically reduced the percentage of sperm cells with intact plasma membranes in postthaw samples. However, removal of semen plasma, irrespective of the method of removal, did not affect the proportion of sperm cells with intact plasma membranes. In conclusion, the effect of semen plasma on plasma membranes varied signifi cantly relative to the preservation temperature of sperm cells. Although it exerted a protective infl uence during storage at 4°C, no protective impact was monitored during freezing.Aksoy, M.; Cankat Lehimcioglu, N.; Akman, O. (2010). Effect of seminal plasma on functional integrity of rabbit sperm membranes during storage at 4ºC or freezing. World Rabbit Science. 16(1). doi:10.4995/wrs.2008.64216

Identification of the Submergence Tolerance QTL <i>Come Quick Drowning1 (CQD1)</i> in <i>Arabidopsis thaliana</i>

Global climate change is predicted to increase water precipitation fluctuations and lead to localized prolonged floods in agricultural fields and natural plant communities. Thus, understanding the genetic basis of submergence tolerance is crucial in order to improve plant survival under these conditions. In this study, we performed a quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis in Arabidopsis to identify novel candidate genes for increased submergence tolerance by using Kas-1 and Col (gl1) parental accessions and their derived recombinant inbred lines (RILs). We measured survival after submergence in dark for a 13-day period and used median lethal time, LT50 values for the QTL analysis. A major QTL, the Come Quick, Drowning (CQD1) locus, was detected in 2 independent experiments on the lower arm of chromosome 5 involved in higher submergence tolerance in the parental accession Kas-1. For fine-mapping, we then constructed near isogenic lines (NILs) by backcrossing the CQD1 QTL region. We also analyzed QTL regions related to size, leaf number, flowering, or survival in darkness and none of the QTL related to these traits overlapped with CQD1. The submergence tolerance QTL, CQD1, region detected in this study includes genes that have potential to be novel candidates effecting submergence tolerance such as trehalose-6-phosphate phosphatase and respiratory burst oxidase protein D. Gene expression and functional analysis for these genes under submergence would reveal the significance of these novel candidates and provide new perspectives for understanding genetic basis of submergence tolerance

SWOT ANALYSIS AND SECURITY MANAGEMENT

SWOT analysis is an analytical method used in management to understand strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of an organization. It has been used widely since 1960s. Conventional management literature has references to SWOT frequently. However, in security management this method is not used sufficiently. In this article we will have an opportunity to discuss details of SWOT and its applicability to security management field as well. Security managers can benefit from SWOT besides other analytical methods and tools. Internal and external aspects of companies and organizations are evolving very fast. SWOT may provide us a chance to see the potential tendencies in internal and external levels.  Article visualizations