研究指出葉酸營養狀態與乳癌的風險有相互關聯且癌幹細胞是扮演癌症轉移的主要角色。葉酸缺乏和葉酸補充皆能促進癌細胞的轉移。本研究探討葉酸營養不良和葉酸補充是否會促進乳腺癌細胞轉變成癌幹細胞，將乳癌細胞株養於正常葉酸、低葉酸和高葉酸中，藉以模仿癌症病人的葉酸營養狀態。細胞在每個葉酸濃度中培養2、 4 、 8 天後再培養於腫瘤球體培養液中並測量四種幹細胞標記-mTOR，SHH，Sox2和Nanog。結果顯示:低葉酸會導致癌細胞的生長停滯，藉由標記的表達增加顯示長期低葉酸會促進細胞轉變成癌幹細胞。於腫瘤球體培養液時，低葉酸組亦較對照組於體外產生較大及較多的腫瘤球。高葉酸組會加速癌細胞的增殖和向癌幹細胞的轉變且細胞增生較快並表達較多的標記，其腫瘤球體亦是最大和豐富的。總之，低葉酸和高葉酸都增強了乳腺癌細胞的腫瘤生成和轉變成癌幹細胞。

Tradescantia (Tradescantia fluminensis) is the worst weed in New Zealand. By smothering and shading out seedlings, Tradescantia prevents forest regeneration. Current control methods are ineffective and simultaneously cause harm to native forest. In 2011 Neolema ogloblini, a Brazilian beetle was introduced into New Zealand as a biological control for Tradescantia. To be successful in New Zealand, a country with different environmental factors, the beetles’ ranges of preference (temperature and light intensity) had to be investigated. A gender specific trait also identified, to enable desired sex ratios within founding populations to be selected. [18] This would ensure that the beetles are not released in areas of physiological stress, and can be optimised to have the greatest impact on Tradscantia. To establish how the intensity of light affects the distribution and amount of Tradescantia eaten by N.ogloblini a choice chamber investigation was conducted. Different layers of shade cloth provided a range of light intensities 150-3450Lux (likely to be found under forest canopy where Tradescantia is problematic). Thirty beetles of a range of sizes and approximately same maturity were randomly distributed through the chambers. Each chamber contained a shoot of Tradescantia with 5 leaves. After a 24hour period the number of beetles in each chamber were counted and the amount of surface area of the leaves eaten measured. The effect of temperature on the amount of leaf surface area eaten was investigated by selecting 90 beetles of a range of sizes and withholding food for 24hours. Five beetles were placed in each of three containers containing two leaves. Each trial container was precooled/warmed to the test temperature before the beetles were added. Leaves of a similar size, shape, mass and maturity were used. All leaves were genetically identical and collected from the same location. Sets of three containers were held in the dark at the following temperatures for 24hours: 9°C, 15°C, 20°C, 25°C, 30°C and 35°C. The surface area of leaf eaten at each temperature (mm2) was calculated. Lastly, microscopic dissections were conducted, using 32 beetles ranging in size, to establish if length (measured from the top of the head to the base of the abdomen) could be used as a phenotypic marker to identify beetle gender. While only a very weak positive relationship between increasing light intensity and the number of beetles was found a significantly higher area of leaf was eaten at a light intensity of 3450Lux compared to 150Lux. The amount of leaf area eaten is significantly reduced at temperatures of 15˚C and below, and significantly increased at 35˚C. There is no significant difference in the amount of leaf area eaten when comparing temperatures between 20-30˚C. Females have on average a larger body length (median=4.92mm) than the males (median=4.215mm). Therefore, sites with warmer temperatures in dappled light conditions (3450Lux) should be prioritised for the release of N.ogloblini, as this is the location in New Zealand at which their use as a biological control will be optimised. Beetle length can be confidently used to select desired gender ratios.

本科展在於改良鋰電池正極材料LiNi0.8Co0.2O2的物理性質及電化學性質。一般商業化的粉體材料，通常經由傳統的固態混合法，將Ni0.8Co0.2(OH)2與Li2CO3混合燒結而產生的材料粉體，此粉體呈現不規則的粒子形態及表面結晶顆粒不均。一般來説，不規則粒子內部有嚴重的結塊與橋構，這現象導致粉體有很多空隙及流動性不佳。此外，球狀粉體比不規則狀粉體容易覆膜均勻。因此球狀結構將變成一個改善材料粉體LiNi0.8Co0.2O2的期望方法，本科展利用共沉澱法製備球狀先驅物Ni0.8Co0.2(OH)2，然後再比較傳統的固態混合法，與本科展設計的溶液分散法及共沉析出法，三種不同方法所製備出來的粉體材料的優劣性，經過實驗證實，共沉析出法所製備出來的材料粉體，有最好的電容量與大電流放電能力及循環壽命，是個良好的改善材料的方法；反觀溶液分散法，不但材料沒有改善，反而造成更多的缺陷。

本研究提出一可用於機器人空間探勘與辨識的仿生機器學習系統。本系統模仿生物大腦的層級性結構，各層級間透過雙向連結進行搜尋辨識與提示，並記憶空間中的感官、場景和位置資訊，分別由以下部分構成： 1. 感官細胞：辨識特定感官輸入類別。 2. 場景基模細胞：組合具方向性的感官細胞數據。 3. 網格細胞：接收移動數據的內在座標系統。 4. 位置細胞：整合感官數據與空間數據、建立拓樸空間認知地圖。 經模擬實驗證明，本系統能在第一次探勘時建立空間認知地圖，並於再次造訪時成功匹配位置細胞進行定位。本系統有異地探勘、在複雜空間中進行路徑與任務規劃等廣泛應用。

The researchers aim to construct an emergency mobile phone charging station that runs on renewable energy and will serve as a cost-efficient alternative to more traditional power banks. Circuit components include a 20V / 6W solar panel supplemented by a hand-crank gear mechanism integrated with a 6V / 1A lead-acid battery, a usb output and an adjustable switch-mode power supply (SMPS) to convert excess voltage into current. Initial voltage and current outputs were measured under varying resistances. It was determined that the set-up satisfied the minimum voltage and current requirement for charging a mobile phone (5V / 1A). A subsequent phone charging test was executed using a Samsung Galaxy J2 (3.85V Li-ion battery 7.70W, Charge Voltage: 4.4V / 2000mAh) wherein it charged on an average of 0.277% per minute for the solar panel and an average of 0.263% per minute for the hand crank gear mechanism. A Mann-Whitney U statistical test was conducted to determine if the charging rate of the charging station had a significant difference from a commercially available power bank’s. The calculated UA: (4) from the test was below the lower limit and the UB: (217) was above the upper limit which indicated that there was a significant difference between the charging rates. While the efficiency was lower than the commercial power bank’s, it can still be used as an alternative charging method especially during emergencies and disasters.

The study aims to evaluate the technique of extracting water from humid air using solar energy through greenhouses in local areas. This technique is believed to provide limited amount of water in areas where potable water is not accessible or abundant. To solve this problem a pyramid-shaped device was designed, it is made of glass panels ad equipped with glass doors, fans operated by solar energy, and multiple shelves covered with fabric to act as Absorbent Calcium Chloride (CaCl2) with a 30% concentration. The doors are open during the night for absorption and closed during the day for energy-generating. Humidity, temperature, and atmospheric pressure are measured every two hours. The amount of water extracted in this area in one full day was around 3.0 liters a day for every square meter. Perhaps the limited amount of water is due to low level of humidity in the area: an average of 50% and temperature of F10 Celsius at night. However, the device itself is independent, does not need power sources, water sources, or infrastructure, can be installed in various places depending on humidity level as well as having the possibility of increasing number or size of device. This makes the device a promising, alternative and environmental friendly solution to produce water. Cost-effective and lighter material can be used to make the device, which will produce an easy-to-use and affordable devices. It is an area in need for further research to improve and further develop it.

This study investigated the production of novel molecular templates, and analyze their adsorption effect on four heavy metal ions (Cu+2, Pb+2, Zn+2, Mn+2), which commonly exist in Taiwan's rivers. Different operating conditions (such as competitive adsorption, pH value and other factors) were explored to compare their adsorption effect of heavy metal ions by using the synthesized template molecules. The molecular templates were found to be specific towards their target metal ions with a high adsorption effect. Then combined with the idea of magnetic particles to produce magnetic molecule templates, a maximum amount of adsorption of heavy metal ions up to 95% through the molecular template was achieved while the effect of heavy metals desorption of up to 83% could be also successfully obtained. Experimental results showed that the magnetic molecule templates did not affect the adsorption of heavy metal ions. Not only can they speed up the recovery time of adsorption but the template molecules can also be collected more efficiently. We also proposed three different applications for the developed molecular templates. The development of magnetic molecular template may provide an affordable, highly-efficient way for dealing with heavy metal pollutions.

EmerApp+ is software designed for intelligent devices as a personal security database manager. In case of emergencies, it is an application which integrates location, tracking, and communication tools. It is triangulated between a database to a communication server as well as a second which is NASA server that offers climate and seismic information for Mexico. This application has two sources of communication, SMS messages and a newly created social network. In case of natural disasters, an extension for drones has been developed for this application, enabling rescue teams to delimit the land boundary where the disaster struck. In order to speed up the search and rescue operations a triangulation of network-drone- smartphone is completed.

雌激素為一種固醇類的環境賀爾蒙，若水生動物長時間暴露於低濃度的雌激素中，即會導致其生理及行為異常。我們企圖從迪化汙水處理廠中分離純化出能有效降解雌激素之菌株，希冀了解這些菌株的生理特性與降解雌激素的能力。首先在活性污泥中加入高濃度雌二醇(1mM)，以增進雌激素降解菌在菌群中的比例，接著利用十倍序列稀釋進行菌株純化。培養期間以薄層層析檢測雌激素降解活性。隨後以固態培養基培養法取得單一菌落，並進行聚合酶連鎖反應及核酸定序。之後我們亦將純化出之菌株進行其他固醇降解測定。目前純化出一株Novosphingobium屬的變形菌，其為一新的菌種，確實能降解雌二醇及其他固醇，包含雌酮、雄烯二酮、膽酸、孕酮和睪酮。然而，其並不能降解乙炔雌二醇。該菌株具有修復受汙染環境及製備雌激素相關藥品之應用潛力。

銦之化合物常被應用於半導體產業當中，隨著使用量的增加也提高銦污染流佈於環境的風險，若此污染物流布至土壤並累積於植物體內，則可能通過食物鏈而影響人體的健康。現今國內外鮮少有銦對植物影響的相關研究，因此本研究以培養基試驗，探討銦對模式植物阿拉伯芥生長之影響。結果顯示，當銦處理濃度為500 µM時，其生質量以及根長會受到抑制。MDA含量的增加，顯示銦會對阿拉伯芥造成氧化逆境，而穀胱甘肽與金屬螯合素並非阿拉伯芥在銦逆境下主要的抗氧化機制。本研究亦發現銦處理下會影響對錳、鉀、鈉、磷、鐵、錳、銅以及鋅的吸收。此外，X光吸收光譜分析顯示根部以及地上部中銦物種有明顯組成上的差異。於根部有42.9%的銦是以吸附於細胞壁的形式存在，這可視為植物對重金屬所採取「隔離」策略的防禦方式之一。