水果與DNA
本研究的目的在探討數種水果分解?，對萃取洋蔥DNA 的影響，想了解在什麼情況下，哪一種水果分解?的反應最快。研究結果發現：實驗所選水果都含分解?，以火龍果汁分解?反應最快。沒有加火龍果汁分解?的洋蔥溶液，加入酒精後一樣會分層出像DNA 的白色棉絮團狀物，但分層時間長，超過15 分鐘以上；而加入火龍果汁後，反應時間明顯會增快，快至30 到40 秒內完成，可知火龍果汁分解?有催化作用。在火龍果汁的量方面，由0%逐步加到20%時，以10%反應時間就達到極限，再增加單位果汁量並沒有顯著差異。在不同溫度的火龍果汁方面，除了常溫(22.5℃)外，冷凍(-10℃)、冷藏(4.2℃)和加溫(42.9℃)反應時間都變慢，這是因為每一種?都有一個反應最佳的溫度，溫度太低，?的活性會降低，溫度太高?可能會變性失去催化作用。本研究用的火龍果分解?在常溫下的反應最快。更進一步的研究發現，以最不易被萃取DNA 的鳳梨當分解?，萃取火龍果種子的DNA 時，可以萃取到較純又多的火龍果DNA。In this study, what I notice most about the phenomena of a extraction DNA method by using fruit’s enzyme are stepping progressive researches, that are at first qualitative analysis, then quantitative analysis (volumetric analysis), and finally deep study the interaction (special phenomena) among the onion juice, fruit’s enzymes, salt solution and 95% ethyl alcohol. The enzymes of various kinds of fruits were explored in a kitchen as a laboratory. The compare methods of fruits’ enzymes reaction rate have been proposed. The hand-made experimental systems, six synchronic agitation machines and six synchronic ejectors were developed and have been set up to control the key parameters and find out the phenomena of the reaction process. The key parameters are the quantity of onion slurry, fruit’s enzymes, salt solution, 95% ethyl alcohol, temperature and mixing time. The results show that: (1) The onion DNA phenomena through fruit’s juice as enzyme is visible in kitchen as a laboratory. (2) The hand-made experimental system demonstrated an effective way to control mixing times, therefore compare methods have well been simplified. (3) All fruits’ juice has enzymes function. Normally, the reaction time in process is more than 15 minutes. (4) The enzyme of fruit Pitaya has the highest activity. The reaction time in process of Pitaya juice as enzyme in the reactant onion slurry is less than 40 second. (5)And the optimal quantity of Pitaya juice is 10% of the reactants, since the reaction rate might seem like to the saturated speed, if more than 10%. (6) The reaction rate depends strongly on temperature. The optimal temperature is room temperature, 22.5℃. Finally, the aggregating effect of the DNA and protein was also observed. The reacted products were examined with the optical microscope and the composition of the products was analyzed and identified by using the UV diffraction method. The interaction among DNA, proteins, salt, ethyl alcohol and water was investigated with computer simulation ( the software “Hyper Chem”).
估算土棲螞蟻聚落的新方法----以黑巨蟻(Camponotus friedae)為例
Estimated colony size is a basic work to count population of social insect up. It is not easy to measure any natural population accurately, in this respect, social insects here some advantages and some disadvantages over non-social ones. Previous studies have focused largely on the experimental colony of ants, such as Lasius niger, Myrmica sabuleti and Formica rufa, in the artificial nest. Furthermore, base on the division of labor, traditional Mark-Recapured Methods can not be used to measure complete colony of ant correcty. Here, we show that new method has be set up to calculate the colony of the ground black-giant ant, Camponotus fruedae，with a new indicator, ant hill. Predictions about the division of labor introduced to amend the formula of estimated population are discussed.本實驗探討黑巨蟻的蟻丘之形狀和生物意義，並分析利用何種方法能估算最準確的聚落大小。利用幾何圖形證明黑巨蟻會築似圓的蟻丘，並利用標識捕捉法的Petersen method(又稱為Lincoln index)、Schnabel method 和蟻丘大小重量，來推算黑巨蟻聚落之大小。發現黑巨蟻會築似圓度90%的蟻丘，而且標識捕捉法的Petersen method(又稱為Lincoln index)、Schnabel method 並不能精確的推算出黑巨蟻之聚落大小；應使用黑巨蟻之蟻丘的重量當作參數來推算，才不會忽略幼蟲的存在。
Vitamin E 對回鍋油品質的影響
家庭中為了節省油量的使用，常將所剩的油品另存於容器中，以待下次使用。近年來，已有不少文獻報告指出，這種「回鍋」的使用方式，往往使得油品品質變得相當低劣。近來市面上有不少的油品，標榜添加天然維生素E，使消費者趨之若鶩，作為一種吸引消費的手段；這激發了我們極高的興趣，因為在文獻中已知道維生素E在室溫下確實可抑制油品的氧化；但添加的油品經過回鍋後，其對油品的影響卻仍不得而知。我們利用鐵鍋油炸澱粉食物，並經由反覆的油炸與冷卻，模擬更真實的回鍋情形。並添加抗氧化劑，包括維生素E和酯化的維生素E，以及回鍋次數等不同的變因進行實驗，進行油品品質的化學變化的測量。經由實驗結果顯示，經數次的回鍋烹煮，油品品質因為一連串的化學反應變得十分低劣；另外，添加酯化的維生素E的油品在某些方面的確減少了某些不良生成物的形成(如游離脂肪酸、羰基化合物等)，但在某些方面如氧化程度的比較(共軛雙鍵的生成)卻與一般無添加的回鍋油無異。反倒是添加維生素E對於回鍋油品質的影響在實驗結果的每方面看來，不管是酸敗氧化或是裂解成羰基化合物都能夠有效地減少或產生抑制的作用；故添加維生素E對於回鍋油的品質的確有正面性的影響！Cooking oil is often reused in homes in order to economize on its use. In the past few years, many reports have pointed out that ”reusing” oil this way always changes the properties of oil and makes it spoiled. Also in the past few years, many oil products have appeared on market that highlight the fact that vitamin E has been added, in order to attract consumers. This attracted our interest, since we know that on the basis of several studies, vitamin E indeed has an antioxidizing effect at room temperature or below. However, it is not know what effect vitamin E has on re-cooked oil. Therefore, in this experiment we simulated the re-cooking process by frying steamed dumplings in an iron wok with soybean oil, and repeatedly cooling and re-using the oil. Variable factors were the added antioxidants(vitamin E and vitamin E acetate) and the number of re-cooking times. The chemical variation in the resulting oil was tested with regard to acid value, viscosity, carbonyl value, and the value of conjugated bonds. The results indicated that as the number of re-cooking times increased, the quality of the oil had undergone a series of chemical reactions and became spoiled. Also, the addition of vitamin E and vitamin E acetate indeed reduced the formation of certain unhealthful products such as free fatty acids, carbonyl groups, and so on. In certain respects, such as the quantity of oxidized components in the oil, there is no obvious difference between ordinary oil and oil with the vitamin E acetate additives. However, the addition of vitamin E to cooking oil, based on the results of this experiment, can effectively reduce or suppress processes causing rancidity and breakdown into carbonyl groups. Therefore, the addition of vitamin E or vitamin E acetate dose have a positive effect on re-cooked oil.