2010年

本研究利用佛手瓜的卷鬚探討向觸性的原理。本研究大致分為兩部份，一方面我們在卷鬚中發現了含量極為豐富的構造，此一螺旋狀構造分布於維管束中，且用雙縮?詴劑檢測後發現其含有蛋白質，且不具有運輸水分的功能；並發現此一構造的分布疏密，會影響到螺旋內側外側以及切割後片段泡溫水的彎曲方向。此外，在進行卷鬚蛋白質電泳的過程中，我們發現使用含尿素的緩衝液萃取蛋白質的效果最佳，1克的卷鬚乾重約可萃取到5毫克的蛋白質，且蛋白質總量會隨著卷鬚的成熟而遞減。利用軟體比對及質譜分析八個蛋白質點，得知此八點的蛋白質為：malate dehydrogenase, oxygen-evolving enhancer protein 1, oxyen-evolving enhancer protein 2, calreticulin, peroxidase, stromal 70 kDa heat shock-related protein, and AP2/ERF and B3 domain-containing transcription repressor。由此可知，向觸性為植物經過一連串訊號傳遞後，對外界刺激的順應。

本研究在探討台灣的黯化現象與形成因素，黯化現象為太陽輻射量到達地表的減少現象。我們藉由比較西元1961~ 2008年間，台北、台中、台南、大武、蘭嶼、花蓮六個測站的各項氣象因子進行分析處理並探討其變化情形與成因。 \r 研究結果顯示，台灣地區的都市測站(台北、台中、台南)日照時數、日照率、全天空輻射量均呈現先下降後上升的趨勢，顯示1961至2000年間確實存在黯化現象，而在鄉村測站(大武、蘭嶼)則有微幅改變但較不顯著。並藉由可能影響黯化現象各氣象因子的比對，發現最高溫的增加幅度遠小於最低溫，可能表示黯化現象部分削弱了暖化現象。另外，溫度均較差也逐年縮小，亦可以當成黯化現象的一個顯著的指摽。在造成黯化現象成因中，污染物和雲量最為明顯。在有雲量的影響下，台灣地區汙染物濃度對黯化現象的影響程度，依序為硝酸鹽類＞PM10＞二氧化硫，此外少量污染物也會使雲量大幅增加，故兩者對黯化現象會產生交互影響。由雲量改變量對應日照時數改變量/雲量改變量的分析圖中，可看出都市地區年平均雲量改變量大於15%時，其雲量每減少10%，日照時數約減少3~22％；若年平均雲量改變量小於15%時，則對黯化現象不具統計意義。取每年十月中雲量在1以下的天數來分析各污染物對全天空輻射量影響，可發現雲量極低時，單位污染物濃度對黯化現象影響，SO2最大，NOx次之，PM10最小。

由於一氧化碳之毒性氣體無色無味且不易發現，對我們的生活造成嚴重的威脅，本作品建構出一套可發布警報、能在極短的時間轉化一氧化碳的毒氣淨化器，也進而說明其獨特性與前瞻性。 \r 本研究的核心，在於室溫下能啟動金觸媒的轉化機制，亦針對平常少被討論、以含浸法製作的金觸媒加以分析和提升，發現利用NH4OH 鹼溶液處理方式並以573K 的O2?燒處理活化觸媒，能有效提升1%Au/Al2O3觸媒對CO+O2的反應活性。使用相同製備方式在Au/TiO2觸媒上於250K 即可達到100％的CO 轉化率。創造一個簡易的流程來製備高活性的觸媒，其作用活性的範圍溫度也相當廣。 \r 本淨化器在實驗中的運作狀況下，能完全轉換一氧化碳含量至低於中毒安全標準內，本系統還設計一道封閉閘門，有利於金觸媒的活性封存。 \r 本作品具有較低成本的觸媒量產流程與材料，觸媒本身也可回收後再活化，此能更符合觸媒市場需要；機體器材替換容易、安全性高等能有效避免中毒意外的發生。

如果將各種形狀不一的中空框架放入肥皂水中，框架上會結構出不同形式的\r 肥皂膜。本研究中包含了許多不同的實驗以探討各種常見錐體、柱體的肥皂膜形\r 狀，其邊數對肥皂膜面數的影響，及肥皂膜面積和模型邊長的比例關係。\r 第一部分的實驗中，我們探討不同的溶液、不同濃度對形成肥皂膜面數、模\r 式的影響；第二部分的實驗討論了n 角錐所形成的肥皂膜模式，並且得到其形成\r 的肥皂膜面數與角錐邊數n 存在著「肥皂膜面數= 3n - 3 」的關係；第三部分的實\r 驗討論了n 角柱所形成肥皂膜的模式，得到肥皂膜面數與柱體邊數n 存在著「肥\r 皂膜面數= 3n +1」的關係，其中三角柱為例外，一共只形成九面肥皂膜；第四部\r 分則討論了正八面體等其他形狀的模式；第五、第六部分的實驗則分析了肥皂膜\r 的大小與框架比例間的關係。

用塑膠軟管作為氫爆安全反應器，從封閉端點燃氫氧預混氣，管中火焰\r 傳遞快速，肉眼難以觀察，因此研製「氣爆顯影記錄器」來觀測，如下圖，\r 光纖導引偵測點的火光至暗箱，記錄於高速旋轉的軟片，從光電轉速計讀取\r 轉速，軟片沖洗後量測各顯影間距，可得火焰位置與時間的關係圖，量測時\r 間最小刻度可達2. 2 微秒。\r 解讀軟片的顯影，得知氫爆初期，火焰加速傳遞，大部分在25cm 位置\r 左右，火焰的速率出現急速飆升(爆燃轉變為爆震)，而且火光亮度也急速升\r 高，有時火焰速率出現飆升過高，再回降趨於穩定?的現象，在50 cm 位置\r 左右，火焰進入等速傳遞階段，此階段有穩定的火焰模型，火焰頂端的亮度\r 最高，往後亮度遞減。

Paralysis is a debilitating disorder that does not currently have safe and effective treatments. Implantable brain electrodes can be used to read brain waves and convert them into a corresponding motor function to restore movement in paralyzed patients. Tissue deformation induced around the implant site is believed to reduce their viability through the foreign body response. Developing electrodes that minimize deformation is challenging because the mechanical aspects of deformation are not fully understood and non-animal tissue models for testing electrodes are unavailable. Development of pre-clinical models for in vitro testing of the mechanical properties of electrodes can lead to a better understanding of this prevalent problem. The objective of this study was to construct a novel contrast-enhanced, brain mimicking hydrogel using photopolymerizable polyethylene glycol (PEG) polymer that contains alginate microspheres with enclosed gadolinium (Gd) contrast agent. 1.5% alginate microspheres were constructed with enclosed Gd-DTPA-BSA contrast agent and successively added into 10% PEG. Then, this mixture was photopolymerized using a 5 mW/cm2UV lamp to result in a successful brain mimicking hydrogel. Rheological testing showed that its elastic modulus was approximately 1.5 kPa, which is similar to that of a normal human brain. The model is valuable because the presence of the contrast agent in the hydrogel resulted in distinct bright spots on the MRI. This can facilitate the visualization of tissue deformation caused by electrode insertion via comparison of pre-insertion and post-insertion images. This brain-mimicking model has the potential to improve understanding of neural deformation from electrode implants in order to assist patients suffering from paralysis.

Nikhil’s technology studies main client told him how she had no idea about how to\r stop her children looking at all sorts of website and asked him for a solution to a\r problem he initially thought was impossible to crack. Nikhil has definitely ‘cracked’\r this one: with a dedicated website his clients can log into and monitor what is going on in any computer the little box of electronic tricks is plugged into from anywhere in the\r world. This unit controls the electronics and stores the history of the web pages that the user has visited. Not only that, the client can cut the internet (and re-connect it) to the remote computer at will. At the heart of Nikhil’s box of tricks is a web-server module (The Wiznet) and a powerful microcontroller, the AtMega32. Nikhil has designed the\r board, connected the electronics and written the code to allow it to communicate with\r the computer and remote client.

My project ‘Avert’ (To avert and vertebrae combined) involves research into posture related back problems and a solution to help prevent back pain by maintaining correct posture. My solution is a chain-like structure fitted with 24 sensors that is sewn into a Skins compression top. When worn the chain is aligned with the user’s spine from the lower back to the base of the neck and moulds to the spine as it moves. As everybody’s back is slightly different it is important that the device can recognise the difference between what may be bad posture for one person, yet relatively normal for another. To solve this the device takes an initial reading of the user’s spine in correct posture and saves it as a reference measurement. Bad posture is defined by the device as angles that exceed the natural movement of individual vertebrae and their platelets. While in use the 24 sensors are continually measuring the shape of the user’s spine and comparing it with the original reference measurement taken earlier. If any measurement links to unhealthy posture a light will flash and an alarm will sound either aloud or through headphones until the posture is corrected. This device can be worn during light activity and non contact sports to encourage the user to maintain correct and healthy posture. The device can also record and save poor posture measurements that can be uploaded later to a software program I designed to draw the shape of the spine as a vector diagram. The device can also be plugged directly into a computer so that the user can see the shape of their spine as it moves in real time. I, along with others, tested my solution with many activities and found Avert to be a beneficial and reliable product as it successfully detects slouching and many potentially problematic spine shapes. Throughout my research I gained a thorough understanding about the potential damage bad posture can cause and the endless number of activities it occurs in. With further development I feel there is a huge potential for Avert to become a marketable product used not only for posture correction in everyday activity, but for many other purposes such as physiotherapy, biomechanics and athletic performance. Many people have approached me with praise and requests for the Avert system which is extremely exciting and also rewarding to know that my research has the potential to help people.

In this work, techniques to explore the capabilities of multi-walled carbon nanotubes\r (MWNTs) in sorting nanoparticles (NPs) were presented. A droplet of a solution comprising of quantum dots (QDs) with various sizes was deposited on an aligned array of intertwined MWNTs. Photoluminescence (PL) and fluorescence microscopy (FM) revealed that MWNTs were effective nano-sieves that could effectively sort out QDs with a size difference of ~ 2.1 nm.\r Cadmium Selenide/Zinc Sulfide (CdSe/ZnS)core-shell QDs and Cadmium Sulfide (CdS) QDs were used to explore whether chemical properties of NPs affect the sieving capability of MWNTs. Further investigation on the effects of micro-patterning on the sieving ability of MWNTs was also carried out.PL and FM results suggested that micro-patterning could aid in separation of QDs and thus improve sieving capability of MWNTs. With the above findings, QDs emitting different colors as a result of size difference could efficiently be assembled onto the MWNTs en route to three-dimensional architectures with controlled assembly of NPs.\r Together with controlled laser power to remove desired amounts of QDs decorated MWNTs, a multi-colored display could be achieved. Further experiments were also carried out to determine the feasibility of introducing MWNTs as filters for NPs. Dilute solutions containing NPs such as gold colloid was run through these MWNTs filters by gravity. Field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) images of the samples showed that MWNTs were successful in trapping the nanoparticles. Explorations into the length dependent effect of using MWNTs as filters, suggested that 300μm MWNTs are better nano-sieves compared to 50μm MWNTs.

Most neurological diseases are characterized by the presence of protein aggregates,\r suggesting that aberrations in protein homeostasis are associated with neuronal demise. In eukaryotic cells, protein homeostasis is maintained by the chaperone, ubiquitin proteasome (UPS) and autophagy systems. As age is a risk factor for several types of neurodegenerative diseases, the function of these various protein homeostatic systems could become compromised with age. To understand the events that occur during normal aging, we examined the expression of key markers associated with the aforementioned systems in mice aged 1, 3, and >18 months. We found that proteasome activity and the amount of proteasome-related structures remained unaffected with age. Interestingly though, an agerelated increase of a novel Hsp70 chaperone protein species (herein designated Hsp70*) was observed. The expression of Hsp70* is also increased markedly in cells treated with pharmacological agents that promote proteasome inhibition, suggesting a functional interaction between the chaperone system and the UPS. Taken together, our results suggest that there is some form of crosstalk between the chaperone system and the UPS involving the observed HSP70 species.