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.
台灣西部沿海地區海水倒灌的問題探究
海水倒灌一直是台灣西南沿海地區居民揮之不去的夢靨,所以本研究的目的即根據資料了解西南沿海地區的地質、地勢、現況以及參考專家分析造成海水倒灌的可能因素後,因此設計了【模擬沿海地區海水倒灌的模型箱】,再進行【超抽地下水會導致地層下陷及海水入侵的實驗】、【了解地下水鹽化灌溉農作物的生長情形】,最後企圖找出農作物鹽化的即時處理及土壤鹽化恢復的方法,還有利用太陽能以低壓簡易蒸餾的方式模擬海水淡化的可行性,希望能解決海水倒灌的後遺症問題。Inwelling is a problem which has affected the inhabitants of the coastal regions of Southwest Taiwan for many years. This study examines the geological and topographical structure of the coastal regions of Southwest Taiwan, and considers experts’ views on the possible causes of inwelling. This information is used as the basis for designing a box for modeling inwelling in the coastal regions, experimentation to study land subsidence and inwelling caused by excessive extraction of groundwater, and examination of the impact on crop growth of irrigation using groundwater which has been affected by salinification. Finally, the study seeks to find methods for dealing promptly with the salinification of agricultural crops and for the remediation of salinified soil. In addition, solar energy is used (with a simple, low-pressure distillation method) to model the feasibility of desalinifying seawater in the region in question, in the hope that this will help to remedy some of the aftereffects of inwelling.
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”).
約瑟夫數列(Josephus Series)
所謂約瑟夫數列,就是有n 個數排成一環狀,從頭開始,殺1(個數)留1(個數),求倒數第k 個留下的數會是多少?約瑟夫數列在台灣的全國中小學科學展覽出現多次(如下表)。全國科學展覽與本題類似的作品
資訊界演算法大師Donlad E. Knuth 在其著作The Art of Programing,CONCRETE MATHEMATICS,也針對該數列作詳細的說明。唯,不論是歷屆科學展覽或是大師的著作,對於該數列,都只是談及殺1 留β或是殺α留1。
筆者則在2005 年暑假,曾經提交於全國國小組比賽作品「老師無法解決的難題」討論到n 個人排成一圈經過殺α留β,最後留下來的情形。
本研究是將α、β、k 和n 作為變數,求:當有n 個數排成一環狀,從頭開始,殺α(個數) 留β(個數),則倒數第k 個留下的數會是多少?
需符合α、β、k、n 皆∈N,且n≧k
1.直觀觀察:發現在每一個循環中,當n 等差α時,Aα,β,n,k 則等差α+β、n- Aα,β,n,k 則等差β。
2.分類:將其分類為cα,n,使當中有規律可求。
3.循環觀察:發現每個循環的尾數n- Aα,β,n,k 都小於β。
4.循環尾數:設計公式求出每個循環節的尾數n、留下數Aα,β,n,k 及n-Aα,β,n,k 。
5.倒推:由與循環節中有等差的性質,則可以由循環節的尾數,推論出循環節中的任意一數。
Joseph Sequence is the problem that discussed the situation of eliminating1 and retaining1 in the circle formed by n people. Joseph Sequence has appeared a number of times in National Elementary School and Middle School Science Fair in Taiwan (as shown in the table below). Past national science fairs and researches on Joseph Sequence
The publications,The Art of Programing,CONCRETE MATHEMATICS ,by the expert of mathematical calculation in the IT industry,Donlad E. Knuth,has provided detailed explanation on it. However, all of those only discussed eliminating 1 and retaining β or eliminating α and retaining 1.
The researcher proposed “Problems unsolved by teachers” in the national competition, and discussed the situation of eliminating α and retaining β in the circle formed by n people. This study continued the summer project of 2005, and conducted research on the question of when is the last kth person eliminated in a circle formed by n people. In the paper, α, β, n and k were independent variables and the research process was as follows:
1. Direct observation: the series shows equal difference in each cycle.
2. Classification: to search the pattern of the series based on cα,n classification.
3. Use the end number of each cycle to obtain the pattern.
4. Reverse induction: use the equal difference of each cycle to induce when the kth person would be eliminated.