The rate and production of conventional petroleum based plastics is unsustainable and not eco-friendly. Plastics often end up in marine environments and can take hundreds of years to decompose in landfills. According to Statistica, in 2015 alone, global plastic production was approximately 322 million metric tonnes and is projected to increase in the future. PHB bioplastic or Polyhydroxybutyrate is both biologically produced and biodegradable and can serve as a viable alternative to conventional plastics. But can it be broken down by soil microbes within a reasonable time frame? I have set out to answer this question. My aim was to isolate and analyse microorganisms from the Rotorua area that are capable of degrading Polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) bioplastic . I isolated PHB degrading microorganisms from Rotorua soils by culturing on an agar based mineral salt media supplemented with PHB powder (MSM PHB agar). Samples were taken from Mount Ngongotaha and Te Puia geothermal soils as well as Okareka, termite frass and termite guts. One isolate from the Te Puia sample (labelled G2) was found to successfully degrade PHB powder. After isolation and purification of the G2 isolate, it was cultured on a range of media types to examine properties exhibited under differing nutrient conditions. Multiple organisms were found to be involved in the degradation of PHB bioplastic and work together symbiotically, this included bacteria and fungi which was identified as penicillium. The sample isolated from Te Puia soils (site 2 – G2Clear) in the Rotorua environment was found capable of competently degrading PHB, clearing 8% of PHB after 26 days. The G2Clear isolate is a mixture of bacteria and fungi working in an endosymbiotic relationship to degrade PHB and are unable to successfully degrade PHB individually. It is through the secretion of an extracellular PHB depolymerase enzyme that PHB is degraded, conforming with my hypothesis. This proves that PHB bioplastic is a viable alternative to conventional petroleum based plastics as PHB can be relatively quickly broken down by soil microorganisms.

The purpose of this research is to make an ecological insecticide that mixes the extracts of Piper tuberculatum, Annona muricata and Melia azedarach, that together in application cause mortality and repellence of the mosquito Aedes aegypti with the intention to help in the control of the diseases this mosquito is guilty of: dengue, zika and chikungunya, and decrease the risk of infection by a safe and organic way.

本研究主要解決的問題為：在任意多邊形上填入特定範圍的正整數，使得相鄰兩邊上的數差1，求符合以上條件的填數字方法數。 為了解決問題，本研究做了兩項突破。第一項是題目的轉變，將問題轉變成路徑問題。第二項則是將路徑數計算的方式（加法原理）之逆運算，求出從原點前往含直線y=－x及其右半平面上的任意格子點之捷徑數，並搭配巴斯卡三角形中的組合數列，成功地推導、證明此問題方法數的公式。 接著本研究將原題延伸，推廣至討論任相鄰兩邊上的數之差為固定某一正整數的情形，也成功地推導、證明其方法數公式。最後，本研究討論原題目的生成函數並成功導出。

基因型的改變會導致表現型的改變，然而，有一種稱為遺傳緩衝的效應，能隱蔽基因型變異，維持表現型穩定。由於某些遺傳變異不適合生物的原始環境，卻能被保護，使在各種環境中持續演化。從前人的果蠅研究發現，若剔除熱休克蛋白90能夠使其不同遺傳品系間的基因型變異被顯露出來；而在酵母菌的研究中，剔除熱休克蛋白90會增加在環境擾動時的生長差異，因此熱休克蛋白90被認為有參與遺傳緩衝效應。更重要的是，熱休克蛋白家族普遍存在於所有真核生物中。為一窺遺傳緩衝效應機制的原貌，本研究誘發釀酒酵母菌菌種196的突變、增加其基因型的多樣化，並以doxycycline環境及高溫環境營造環境壓力，以降低酵母菌196及其突變株的基因Hsc82之表現量，找出含有因為突變而被熱休克蛋白90所保護的基因的突變株。希望透過找到這些突變株以了解，有哪些基因突變會被熱休克蛋白90所保護，並進而推論人類基因的突變是否也能依循此機制被隱蔽。

An increase in blood cholesterol contributes to cardiovascular diseases, the number one cause of death worldwide. Statins are currently the most effective in reducing cholesterol levels and treating patients with high cholesterol. However, these pharmaceutical agents have been shown to cause several side effects, prompting the need for a more natural solution to increasing cholesterol levels. Hence, a study was conducted to investigate the ability of lactic acid bacteria in the removal of cholesterol, explore the mechanism for the removal of cholesterol by lactic acid bacteria, and examine the effectiveness of kidney beans and sunflower seeds in inhibiting HMG-CoA reductase in the cholesterol biosynthesis pathway. Results showed that Lactobacillus plantarum was the most effective in reducing cholesterol levels and that the mechanism for cholesterol removal included both the binding to cell wall and active uptake into cells. Sunflower seeds and kidney beans were also shown to be effective in inhibiting HMG-CoA reductase, with sunflower seeds having 100% inhibition of the enzyme, similar to pravastatin, a commercial cholesterol reducing drug, and kidney beans having comparable percentage inhibition of the enzyme compared to pravastatin.

This study demonstrates that microbial film power generation is a potentially viable source of alternative energy. This research occurred over a period of two years. In the first year (2016) I tested a new method of generating renewable energy, referred to as microbial film power generation. I showed that electricity could be captured from microbial decomposition using solid graphite plates (29cm x 20cm) placed in lightly decomposed muskeg (collected in northern British Columbia). In the second year (2017) the purpose was to increase the power output of the fuel cell, while also compacting the setup. Certain changes were made to the experimental set up, namely the use of spongy graphite felt in place of solid graphite plates, thus providing a larger surface area for microbial activity to occur. The new fuel cells made produced about twice as much power. Not only was the power output greater, but it was produced from a much smaller area: 7.82 mWh/cm2 on graphite felt, compared to 0.21 mWh/cm2 on graphite plates. In other words, graphite felt produced 37 times more power per unit area than graphite plates. Furthermore, it would appear that by removing the load from the fuel cell for approximately 24 hours, the fuel cell could essentially recharge. This may be due to microbial activity releasing more electrons onto the anode permitting a new cycle to take place. This would suggest that the system could naturally recharge itself.

虎紋三角渦蟲(Girardia tigrina)是台灣本土常見的渦蟲，常用於再生之研究。然而其黏液功能與成分以及捕食蚊幼蟲機制皆尚未清楚。本研究中，從解剖顯微鏡觀察得知渦蟲爬行時分泌的黏液能將蚊幼蟲纏住，且發現渦蟲偏好從蚊幼蟲腹部末端及肛進行攻擊，並於體外行物理機制初步消化後，將蚊幼蟲組織以咽運動產生的負壓吸入體內，再行化學分解。以Congo Red、CBR250及PAS染色，發現渦蟲黏液中具有多醣、蛋白質及醣蛋白，以SDS-PAGE分離渦蟲黏液蛋白後，用銀染法分析發現渦蟲黏液包含多種蛋白質，主要為蛋白質單體15kDa，以蛋白質N端定序及LC MS/MS交叉比對分析得知渦蟲黏液中可能含有titin、calcium-binding protein等蛋白質，相關實驗還在進行中。我們也發現渦蟲在有無蚊幼蟲環境不影響其黏液蛋白分泌量，然而黏液蛋白成分組成是否有差異，需再繼續研究。本研究結果可能對應用生物防治法抑制病媒蚊有所助益。

本作品主要在探討圖的IC-coloring ，一個由郵票問題變化出來的圖著色問題。給定一個連通圖G，想要在所有的頂點上標一個自然數，使其所有頂點所標的和為K，而且對於所有介於1和K之間的自然數k，恆存在一個G的連通子圖，其連通子圖上所有點的標號總和為k。能達到這種性質的標號，稱為圖G的一個IC-coloring，以M(G)表示所有IC-coloring中K的最大值。 有關於圖的IC-coloring過去已經有不少研究，大部分的研究是找尋M(G)值的下界。在本次研究中，我們以改進圖G為四連方陣圖(P2╳Pn)對於一般的自然數n的M(G)下界值。

會議室圓桌上有n個座位，順時針依序放有編號①、②、③、 、n，共n張名牌。將參與這場會議的人也編碼，依序為1、2、3、 、 ，假設編號1的人一定會先抵達並坐到了名牌②的位置，剩下的人則依亂序到來，先找到自己名牌的座位，如果位置是空的就坐下，如果位置被佔了就往順時針方向找到下一個空位坐下（例如3到達時，若③、④均被坐了，而⑤位置是空的，則3就坐到名牌⑤的位置)。等到一個人坐定後，另一個人再進入會議室，依此規則，最後此n人到底會有幾種不同的坐法？ 我們以遞迴手法以外的方法解決了這個的問題，並深入探討： 1.能否從入座的順序立刻得知最後坐定的位置？ 2. 能否從最後坐定的位置，找出進入會議室的順序？同時得知有幾種不同進入會議室的順序會符合同一種坐法？ 3. 每個人坐錯位置的機率為何？恰k人坐錯位置的機率為何？坐錯位置人數的期望值為何？

本研究目標在於改良對弈機械人及分析長期對弈資訊，運用於早期老人失智症之預防。 據文獻及詢問專家後得知對弈遊戲具有預防失智症狀的功效，而研究中的對弈機器人以大腦功能狀態評估（JOMAC）為研究方向，研究資料分析如「玩家思考時間、對弈棄局次數、下錯頻率」等資訊並設計檢測橋段等機制以符合評估項目達到預防提醒之目的。對弈人工智慧，針對玩家棋力會自動調整機器人的棋力。採用 UCT 演算法，透過搜尋模擬能計算出各點落子勝率，藉由選擇較高或較低勝率的落子點，使人工智慧棋力與使用者旗鼓相當，保持使用者遊戲體驗及強化思考使失智症狀得以延緩。此外運用類神經網路改良影像自動校正，利用學習的方式解決不穩定環境光下誤判過多的問題，且提高校正速度，使對弈過程更加穩定。