愛的教育，鐵的紀律-果蠅的學習與記憶
The main purpose of this study is to explore whether fruit flies (Drosophila melanogasters which background is 2U) can distinguish and memorize different colors and smells by learning. Futhermore, to find out the relation between age and learning ability, and analyze the influence of repeated training on how long the memory would last. According to our experiment, in smell training, the fruit flies are able to distinguish and memorize different smells, and young fruit flies have better memory than old flies. In color training, the fruit flies can distinguish and memorize different colors, but the effect was less than that of smell training. In intensive learning, proper times of learning increased the memory ability, but excessive learning exhibited an opposite effect. In the labyrinth experiment, we select and nurture the fruit flies having the best color memory in order to further understand the gene correlated with the memory learning. In addition, in one-time training, fruit flies are able to remember the smells and colors in four minutes, and young ones have the better ability. In six-time training, fruit flies have the ability to remember the smells and colors in twelve minutes. In the end, we hope you can know more about the learning and memory ability of fruit flies through our report. 本實驗主要探討果蠅是否可經由學習分辨、記憶顏色與氣味，並探討年齡與學習能力的相關性、分析多次訓練對記憶時間的影響。由實驗結果得知，氣味方面，果蠅有辨識記憶氣味的能力，以年輕果蠅的效果較佳；顏色訓練方面，果蠅亦可分辨記憶顏色；密集學習方面，適當學習次數內，有助於增加果蠅的記憶能力，但過度的學習刺激會降低學習效果。並且，我們選顏色訓練中記憶較佳的一組進行迷宮實驗，經三次的岔路選擇，選出對顏色記憶最佳的果蠅，希望能探討訓練過的果蠅子代能否有較優良的記憶。至於記憶時間方面，一次氣味學習，果蠅在四分鐘內皆有記憶，且年輕果蠅記憶效果較強，達六分鐘；另外，多次氣味學習，果蠅於第四次訓練效果最佳，且記憶能力可達十二分鐘。希望藉本實驗報告，以期更瞭解果蠅學習與記憶的資料。
跛腳皇后
高斯曾經提出八皇后問題：八個皇后在8 × 8 的棋盤上有幾種放法可以使任意兩皇后不會互相攻擊？我們在原來的問題上加上一些條件，改變皇后攻擊規則，使得皇后失去一條對角線的攻擊方向，稱之為「跛腳皇后」。我們稱一個在棋盤上放置最多跛腳皇后使其不互相攻擊的放法為好放法；研究跛腳皇后放置在各類棋盤上其好放法的個數和性質。我們分別在六種棋盤上做討論：（1） 在平面n x n 棋盤上，我們證明了其好放法與完美極致史考倫型數列之間的對應關係，並歸納出相關的性質和定理。（2） 在平面m x n 棋盤上，我們固定一邊長度n，做出n 較小時好放法數的通式；我們也將其好放法對應至廣義史考倫。（3） 在環面n x n 棋盤上，我們說明了其好放法與完全剩餘系排列之間的對應關係，並歸納出相關的性質和定理。（4） 在環面m x n 棋盤上，我們固定gcd（m,n），做出gcd（m,n）較小時好放法數的通式。（5） 在柱面n x n 棋盤上，我們證明其與環面n x n 棋盤等價，說明其好放法具有和環面n x n 棋盤好放法相同的性質和定理。（6） 在柱面m x n 棋盤上，分成左右柱面以及上下柱面來做討論。我們歸納出相關性質和定理；並固定一邊長度n，做出n 較小時好放法數的通式。Gauss had researched about putting eight queens on the chessboard on the way that doesn’t make any queen attacks another one. Thus, we added some rules on the question: the queen loses one diagonal attacking-way and become the “lame queen”. We call a way that doesn’t make any lame queen attacks another one “a good way”. We have been investigating the amount and properties of good ways based on six kinds of chessboard: （1）We found the correspondences between the “good way” on n × n plane chessboard and the Perfect extremal Skolem-type sequence, and concluded some associated properties and theorems. （2） On m× n plane chessboard, we fixed the length n of one side of the chessboard, and accomplished the amount of good ways when n is small. We also correspond the good way to the Generalized Skolem.（3）We found the correspondences between the “good way” on n × n torus chessboard and the arrayal of complete residue system, and concluded some associated properties and theorems.（4）On m× n torus chessboard, we fixed the gcd(m,n) （greatest common divisor of m and n）, and accomplished the amount of good ways when gcd(m,n) is small.（5）On n × n cylinder chessboard, we proved that this kind of chessboard is equal to torus chessboard. So the good ways, characters, and theorems on cylinder chessboard are the same as on the torus one.（6）On m× n cylinder chessboard, we separate it into two cases: left-right cylinder chessboard and up-down cylinder chessboard. We concluded some associated properties and theorems, and we also fixed the length n of one side of the chessboard and accomplished the amount of\r the good ways when n is small.
橡膠鍵鏈結構與自由能的關係
受應力拉伸時，橡膠溫度明顯上升；縮放回原長，橡膠溫度驟降。由文獻得知橡膠內部具有特殊的鍵鍊結構，在一般的情況下，交鏈分子糾結成一團，狀態複雜；受外力拉伸時，交鏈分子依橡膠長度之增加而伸展，排列較為整齊，狀態之複雜度減小。根據熱力學第一定律，當內能變化為零，則外力作功會造成能量變化。在定溫之下，橡膠內能變化為零，當其受應力拉伸，使其內部交鏈分子排列複雜度降低，造成橡膠熵值減小，而有能量（dQ=TdS）的釋出。測量此一能量dQ 變化，即可計算出熵與狀態數之變化The temperature of rubber rises as it is stretched, its temperature comes back again while it restores to its original length. It is known that the rubber is consisted of long-chain molecules, the long-chain molecules strangle each other at normal state, however, they become more order when the rubber is stretched. Based on the 1st law of thermodynamics dU=dQ+dW, The deformation caused by applied force supplies energy to the rubber and reduce its entropy, the heat dQ (=TΔS) released by the reduction of entropy causes the temperature rise of rubber as dU=0. We report the study on the correlation of thermal properties and the molecular network in rubber, from the measurements of temperature change, the changes of entropy and the changes of states’ number were estimated.
Effects of Macromolecular Crowding on Model in vitro Antigen-Antibody Reactions
Many biological processes in the human body take place in intracellular environments under crowded conditions. This means that such cellular activities occur in the presence of inert macromolecules. These macromolecules are thought to have large effects on reaction rates and equilibria. However, under conventional conditions, these same processes are studied in vitro under uncrowded conditions in dilute buffers and therefore not reflective of physiological conditions. Hence, this project aims to study the effect of macromolecular crowding on antigen-antibody reactions in an attempt to mimic intracellular environments. It also aims to highlight the importance of introducing crowders as a factor of study in conventional in vitro experiments involving cellular reactions. The model reaction investigated involves human collagen type 1 on skin samples and specific antibodies against these antigens. Inert macromolecules of defined hydrodynamic radius and charge were added into the reaction media while quantitative tests are conducted to determine the effect of crowding on the rate and extent of reaction. The macromolecular crowders used were Dextran Sulphate, Ficol170, Ficol1400 and Polyvinylpyrrolidone360. Results were than analysed with the Metamorph 7 imaging system to determine signal strength under crowded and non-crowded conditions. At high primary antibody dilutions, skin samples incubated with a primary antibody solution crowded with a combination of inert macromolecules showed improve signal strength. This could be because crowding tends to shift reaction equilibria such as to minimise the amount of excluded volume, leading to association of the antigen and its specific antibody. This is known as the excluded volume effect. In addition, crowding the primary antibody solution helped increase the rate of reaction. The results also suggest that the addition of crowders may reduce the amount of antibodies needed per sample and decrease the necessary incubation time. Therefore, antigen-antibody reactions can be done more cost-effectively, However, the presence of charged macromolecules such as Dextran Sulphate has an inhibitory effect. Further work is also needed to establish whether macromolecular crowding enhances specificity and thereby reduce autoflourescence of the skin sample.
以Geobacillus thermoleovorans T4 菌株轉化農業廢棄纖維素為葡萄糖以發展生質酒精
我們得知從高雄糖廠及堆肥中篩出的嗜高溫好氧菌Geobacillus thermoleovorans T4，是本種細菌首先被報導具有纖維素分解能力的菌株，但目前僅止於學術研究階段，尚未實際應用於廢棄纖維素的分解上。本研究以廢棄農作物纖維素取代學術研究所用的羧甲基纖維素(Carboxymethyl Cellulose，CMC) ，將T4菌株置於稻稈與米糠培養基內，進行分解效能比較，再利用酵母菌的發酵作用進一步將葡萄糖轉化為酒精。本研究發現，在60℃的環境中，活化的T4 菌株可在CMC、稻稈及米糠培養基中生長繁殖且發揮其分解纖維素為葡萄糖的能力，尤其在米糠培養基中的分解效果最快也最好。此外，將生產的葡萄糖加入酵母菌之後，初步發現也能成功地進行發酵作用產生酒精，生質酒精的產出指日可待！;The Research on Using Geobacillus thermoleovorans T4 to Turn the Deserted Cellulose in Agriculture into glucose in Order to Produce Bio-Renewable Energy It has been found that Geobacillus thermoleovorans T4, a thermophilic aerobic bacterial strain isolated from a sugar refinery wastewater （55-60℃）in Kaohsing, Taiwan, can secrete thermostable endocellulase and hydrolyze carboxymethylcellulose （CMC）in some academic research, but it is stillunknown whether T4 hydrolyzes deserted cellulose in Agriculture. The aim of this study is to investigate the best conditions of T4 cellulase activity after mixing with deserted cellulose (such as rice bran and rice straw) by measuring the glucose concentration and bacteria number, and to produce the ethanol by activated yeast. T4 was added rice bran and rice straw medium, and cultured in 60℃ for 10 hours. The number of T4 and the concentration of glucose were measured every two hours. The best conditions were examined by comparing the hydrolyzation efficiency of T4 in different cellulose medium. We observed that T4 grew efficiently in different cellulose medium and hydrolyzed cellulose into glucose, especially in rice bran medium. The yeast also converted glucose into ethanol. Our research may shed light to the development of bio-renewable energy!
Prototype for the production of Biofertilizer
The Latin American and Caribbean regions have one of the biggest cultivable areas in the world, calculated at around 576 million hectares. Nevertheless, 16% of this land its affected by a kind of soil degradation. Previous studies have shown that the vesicular- arbuscular mycorrhizae (VAM) can fix phosphorus and other elements to plants, is an important micronutrients transporter, increases the water potential of plants, can bioremediate the lands affected and prevents lixivation. These effects are very convenient and can replace the chemical fertilizers which produce collateral damage to the environment. For the reasons mentioned above, this prototype for the production of vesiculararbuscular mycorrhizae, denominated as a biofertilizer, is presented. The prototype consists of an aeroponic system which disperses, in aerial form, nutrients to the host/trap plant roots where the fungus produces its mycelium web. The fungus propagation consists of an artificial union of isolated and identified spores of the mycobiont ,which we want to propagate, with the trap plant roots. The specimen identification consisted in a staining and clarification method (Phillips- Hayman), and a taxonomical identification. In order to prove the (VAM) benefits, two experiments using Sorghum spp. were carried out. One consisted of a comparison between the plants with VAM and a control without VAM. The second one consisted of a chemical comparison between control/fertilizer/ VAM plants. These two experiments were subjected to a water stress test for 10 days. The prototype achieved a production of roots mycorrhizae between 50-65% of colonization. The taxonomic identification corroborated that the mycobionts propagated and the controls were the same species. Experiment One demonstrated that the mycorrhizae treatment has more height, stem diameter, fresh/dry weight than the control which doesn't have VAM. We also conducted the Student’s t Test to check the previously mentioned hypothesis. In Experiment Two, the control and fertilizer treatments had a similar percentage of Nitrogen and Potassium, and the mycorrhizae treatment significantly increased these two elements; nevertheless, the fertilizer and mycorrhizae treatment obtained a similar percentage of Phosphorous. The water stress test was for 10 days - one month after planting. The results were: the fertilizer and mycorrhizae treatment had the same resistance to the stress, the mycorrhizae recovered faster from the stress and the control specimens presented a lower shrivel percentage than the other plants. One of the principal gains which this prototype has is that the trap plant doesn't die after collection, and the plant only needs to be inoculated once in the plant’s life because we only prune the roots. In nature 90% of plant species present some type of mycorrhizae association, hence the feasibility of this prototype for introduction, use and application of the fungus as a biofertilizer. 1 Centro de Bachillerato Tecnologico Industrial y de servicios N°24 2 Instituto Tecnologico de Ciudad Victoria