全國中小學科展

四等獎

上皮細胞黏附因子(EpCAM)對腫瘤增生影響之機制探討

上皮細胞黏附因子 (EpCAM) 參與了細胞的黏附、信息傳遞、增殖及分化等功能,並在惡性腫瘤組織中大量表達。另外抗EpCAM中和性抗體可以阻斷EpCAM訊息傳遞,進而引起癌細胞PD-L1的表現量降低並促進T細胞的毒殺活性。為了觀察EpCAM是否會對癌細胞的增生、轉移以及侵入能力造成影響,我們將細胞分為野生型 (wild type) 和EpCAM基因剔除細胞株 (EpCAM knockout) 進行實驗。首先,我們以Western-blotting和qRT-PCR確認EpCAM基因剔除組的EpCAM基因有確實被剔除,再進一步利用細胞存活率及細胞群落實驗證實EpCAM會促進癌細胞的增生能力,並分別藉由EGFR的抑制劑Afatinib與HGFR的抑制劑Crizotinib對於癌細胞存活率的實驗證實EpCAM 對於EGFR與HGFR的訊息傳遞扮演重要角色。接著分析EpCAM對癌細胞轉移及侵入能力的影響,γ-secretase和ADAM17皆為裁剪EpCAM進行訊息傳遞的重要酵素,實驗中的癌細胞分別以γ-secretase和ADAM17的抑制劑DAPT和TAPI-1處理,證實EpCAM的訊息傳遞與癌細胞轉移與侵入能力有關。接著我們以EpCAM中和性抗體處理癌細胞後,證實EpCAM中和性抗體確實會促使癌細胞凋亡。最後我們利用Western blotting分析EpCAM對於不同激酶磷酸化的蛋白質表現量之影響,找出EpCAM下游訊息傳遞的完整路徑,期望能找到治療癌症的關鍵。

兩種酵母菌對毛氈苔消化行為之影響

從實驗中得知毛氈苔可以消化分解酵母菌。同時酵母菌依據能忍受不同糖濃度的環境,又可細分為高糖酵母與低糖酵母。而高糖酵母與低糖酵母於細胞壁有結構上的差異〔1〕,因此毛氈苔在消化高糖與低糖酵母菌時出現不同的捕蟲行為。

有感而發-結合感測器與自動控制之自駕車煞車系統評估

自駕車的相關研發日益受到重視,尤其在複雜的交通運輸中提供更安全、更有效的防護是自駕車的發展重點之一。本次研究主要探究不同距離感測器與不同PID自動控制組合,針對靜物與移動障礙物進行煞車成效分析。研究結果顯示不同的距離感測器的精準度與穩定性不同,在固定障礙物狀態下雷射距離感測器因為精準度和穩定度較高,而超音波較容易受到外界干擾,所以比較不精準。由於超音波距離感測器的偵測範圍廣,所以可以事先偵測到移動障礙物,反而提供自動控制較多的反應時間,在加速度的表現上較為穩定.自動控制表現上P控制的情況下機器人常常卡在最後一點點的距離,不過超音波感測器因為會有點誤差,所以反而會比雷射感測器快停下來;PI控制因為可以消除穩態誤差,所以時間消耗都是最短的;PD控制原本的功用應該是快速修正,由於D控制的增益常數(gain)過大,影響D控制作用,因此PD控制的效果沒有特別突出的部分。

廣義佩爾方程式的一些探討

這是一份將近持續四年的研究,而這一年佩爾質數的出現,讓我們的討論「突飛猛進」。 佩爾方程式是形如𝑥2−𝑚𝑦2=1的方程式,其中𝑘不為完全平方數之正整數。我們定義廣義佩爾方程式是形如𝑥2−𝑚𝑦2=𝑛 的方程式。在過去的研究中,我們主要從𝑥2−𝑘𝑦2=𝑝 (𝑘,𝑝 皆為互質的奇質數) 的正整數解開始研究,接著延伸到 𝑥2−𝑘𝑦2=2𝑚𝑝1𝑛1𝑝2𝑛2⋯𝑝𝑗𝑛𝑗,進而得到了解的唯一分解性質。而本次的研究,延續之前的工作,對佩爾質數展開了討論。利用蜈蚣彘,我們成功地發現了一些佩爾質數,猜測出一些可能的結果並證明;同時我們對佩爾質數的生成結構做了相當程度的了解。作為結束,設法利用分析的方法解決的之前的問題,以及對方程式的不可約解,是否存在較低次方根解,給出了必要條件。

Evaluation of the Effect of Different Nutrients' Concentration and Composition on Hydroponically Grown Plant

As the world population grows, the demand of food products grows as well and there will be an expected food crisis in the coming years. To prevent those crises, alternative food farming methods must be used. This paper studied two farming systems in different conditions, to compare and find the best, natural and cost-effective system that will cover the current and future demand. The system which can also be used in those areas where soil is less cultivated with insufficient aeration. The first system is the soil-based system (traditional), and the other is hydroponic system. Hydroponic is a technique of growing plants in nutrient solutions with or without the use of an inert medium. Two types of seeds; peas and spinach were observed in both systems over a period of 25 days. In hydroponic plants coco peat was used in place of soil along with the Aegis nutrient. 8 plants were seeded for both types of plants in different systems, conditions, concentrations and pH to conclude the best condition. Growth parameters of all plants including root, shoot and leaf length were observed and recorded daily. On the uprooting, their weight (g), no. of root hairs and used nutrient’s volume(ml) were also recorded. Fungus and insects were seen in the soil plants. The results executed that the growth was maximum in spinach having normal manufacturer nutrient’s spray concentration(1.25ml/625ml) with pH 6 and in peas having normal supplier concentration (5ml/625ml) with pH 4. So, it can be concluded that hydroponic spinach, which is a green leafy plant, can ideally grow at the pH of 6 and peas in slightly acidic condition. Hydroponic planting system has a better growth effect than traditional soil system and this system don’t need any fertilizer, insecticide, pesticide, fungicide and herbicide. While soil plants’ growth was adversely affected by fungus and insects in the absence of these chemicals which can contaminate our food and make it less hygienic for our health. This result achieves the aim of this paper which is finding a planting system and its conditions that can increase the productivity to cover the food demand.

AI-Based Customer Sentiments Dashboard

In this fast-paced digital economy, customers' judgment is based on their experience with a company’s products and services. Customer reviews become a vital source of information for companies because this information can be used to enhance their products, understand customer wants and needs, improve brand reputation, and provide a competitor’s advantage. A company can understand customer needs and wants by going through reviews. Customers are encouraged to leave not only their opinion but also their ideas for the development of the product or service. By understanding these reviews, a company can actively respond and engage with a reviewer or problem. Failure of companies who don't answer customer queries may negatively impact customer loyalty. Customers will feel neglected by these companies and will choose competing companies to handle their needs. Additionally, customers may speak negatively about a company that does not respond to reviews. The AI-based customer sentiment dashboard can help gain a company's competitive advantage by identifying weaknesses in themselves and others. Companies will be enabled to understand where they succeed and where improvement is needed compared to their competitors, leveraging businesses to address strengths and weaknesses before competitors do. Through AI-based customer sentiment dashboards, a company can analyze its competitor’s reviews and use that information as leverage to make improvements to its products and services. Customers are increasingly leaving reviews on popular apps like Google Play, Stamped.io, Yapto, and Judge.me, Loox, Qualaroo, and Yelp. The reviews are rich in customer sentiments offering valuable insights into user satisfaction and pointing out the areas for improvement that are crucial to every company no matter how big or small. Despite their value, manually processing these reviews is a challenging task due to the large volume of unstructured data. Manual processing is also vulnerable to bias and human error, leading to inaccurate information. Traditional methods such as surveys have been proven to be ineffective if the main focus is targeted feedback and have low responses compared to reviews. The advances in artificial intelligence like Natural Language Processing (NLP) help us interpret and analyze human language and generate outputs like predicting what type of sentiments are in reviews. This project proposes developing an AI-based sentiment analysis model to evaluate customer feedback on two widely used taxi applications. Natural Language Processing libraries, such as the Valence Aware Dictionary and Sentiment Reasoner (. The model aims to categorize customer reviews into positive, negative, and neutral sentiments.

Fabrication of Tandem Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells to Enhance Photovoltaic Performance

Energy has had an enormous impact on the development of technology and is a main factor in humans’ advancement towards an evolved society. Nevertheless, nonrenewable energy resources – which are the most effective in everyday application - have led to changes in the climate, environment, human health, and the world in general [1], which has encouraged researchers to switch to the use of renewable energy sources. Solar Cells are one of the most effective resources that rely on renewable energy. They come in a variety of types, operation methods, and efficiency as shown in Figure 1, including Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells (DSSC), which, inspired by photosynthesis in plants, uses photo-sensitive dye to capture sunlight and generate electricity. DSSCs were proved to have generated a great deal of interest and are one of the most promising solar cells among third-generation PV technologies, due to their low cost, simple preparation, good performance, and environmental friendliness compared to conventional photovoltaic devices [3]. However, their efficiency is quite insufficient for everyday use. Previous studies proved that Tandem DSSCs – which are two dye-sensitized cells stacked on top of each other – are able to enhance cell performance. The light absorption range of a tandem cell is increased because the bottom cell behind the top one absorbs and uses the incident light that was not absorbed by it [4]. It operates as shown in Figure 2, where the light photons excite the electrons of the dye molecules. The electrons are then transported to the FTO (conductive glass) by the semiconductor, which is used in the figure as TiO2 nanoparticles. The electrons pass through the circuit to perform the work, then move to the counter electrode (shown as Platinum). They are then transported by the electrolyte (I-/I3-) back to the dye molecules, and the process is repeated.

Modal frequencies in a nonlinear beam-magnet coupled oscillator system

In this paper, I investigated the motion of a nonlinear coupled oscillator system consisting of two leaf springs secured to a non-magnetic base with magnets attached to the upper ends such they repel and are free to move. My results showed that the system exhibits the beats phenomenon, and interestingly that the frequencies show a dependence on initial conditions. I hence hypothesized this sensitivity is due to two sources of nonlinearities: geometric nonlinearity during large deflections of the leaf springs and the nonlinearity in the magnetic force. To test this hypothesis, a nonlinear mathematical model was developed, accounting for nonlinear beam effects up to third order and fully solving the nonlinear magnetic force using a current cylinder model, accounting for the tilting of the magnets. An approximate linear model was also developed for comparison. The theoretical models were validated experimentally by investigating the dynamic motion of the springs through time, as well as how the modal frequencies in the system depend on the initial displacement, the length of the spring, and the distance between the springs. The more accurate nonlinear model I derived shows good agreement with experimental results while the linear theory does not, highlighting the importance of nonlinearities in this system. An improved understanding of these nonlinear systems could lead to advancements in design and efficiency, and safety in various applications such as energy harvesting.

Autonomous Ecosystem Surveillance Robot

Our project, the Autonomous Ecosystem Surveillance Robot, aims at closing the aquatic gap in biosecurity measures by including several functions, such as water quality monitoring, aquatic species monitoring, and seabed topology surveillance. Several instances have shown the need for such a system, as demonstrated below. The United States Corps of Engineers completed an electrich fish barrier in the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal in 2002, in order to prevent the invasive Asian carp from moving into the Great Lakes. The introduction of the Asian carp into the Great Lakes would be an ecological disaster, as the Great Lakes provide an ideal habitat for the carp to proliferate, choking out native fish species that exist there. This would result in a major loss for the fishing industry in the area. One of the Great Lakes, Lake Erie, suffers annual algae blooms threats, which affect up to 12 million people in the Great Lakes region of the United States and Canada. These algae blooms are caused by runoff pollution, which occurs when rainfall washes fertilizer and manure from farmland into Lake Erie, fueling algae that can make water toxic to humans and animals alike. In addition, there are many existing customs regulations around the world that are set in place to ensure biosecurity of national ecosystems, such as in Taiwan, where it is illegal to bring pork from abroad. Despite this, there still exists a very large gap in biosecurity measures; that of the aquatic nature. Through these three functions, we have the ability to protect local aquatic biodiversity via the ability to detect invasive species, therefore allowing authorities to properly deal with them. This allows less harmful measures to be taken against them, thereby limiting collateral damage to endangered native species. Coupled with the ability to map bodies of water, the Autonomous Ecosystem Surveillance Robot is an extremely potent tool to preserve aquatic biodiversity and to ensure biosecurity of local waters.

Automatic Solar Panel Sprinkler Irrigation System

As the global demand for sustainable agriculture practices and renewable energy sources continues to rise, the integration of solar power technology with irrigation systems has gained significant attention. This abstract presents an overview of an innovative solution known as the "Automatic Solar Panel Sprinkler Irrigation System," which combines solar panels and smart irrigation technology to efficiently manage water resources in agricultural settings. The proposed system leverages solar panels to generate electricity and simultaneously operate an automated sprinkler irrigation system. Solar panels are strategically positioned in proximity to crop fields, utilizing photovoltaic cells to convert solar energy into electrical power. This energy is then harnessed to power the irrigation system, providing a sustainable and eco-friendly method for crop hydration. In Solar Power Generation the system consists of photovoltaic panels designed to capture solar energy during daylight. This renewable energy source is converted into electrical power, which is stored in batteries for subsequent use. Automated Sprinkler Irrigation is an advanced control system manages the irrigation process, ensuring efficient water distribution based on crop requirements. Soil moisture sensors and weather data are integrated to optimize irrigation scheduling. In Remote Monitoring and Control, farmers can remotely monitor and control the irrigation system through a user friendly interface, accessible via smartphones or computers. This feature enables real-time adjustments and ensures that water resources are utilized optimally. In Water Conservation the system is designed to minimize water wastage by delivering precise and targeted irrigation, reducing over-watering and the associated environmental impact. In Cost Savings the harnessing solar power, this system reduces electricity expenses, making it an economically viable solution for farmers, particularly in regions with ample sunlight. Using a tracker with an automatic solar panel sprinkler irrigation system can be a smart and efficient way to optimize the system's performance. And the most important thing is that in my prototype it is under the panel and will track the location of the Sun and with that it will lead to the Automatic movement of the panel from east to west and when the evening starts it will go back to its position.