全國中小學科展

2023年

Reduction of traffic congestion in España Boulevard using graph theory

There have been numerous studies exploring the applications of graph theory in traffic management, often finding ways to reduce traffic congestion and make traveling more efficient. Such studies will be beneficial when applied to heavily congested areas such as España Boulevard, one of the busiest thoroughfares in Manila. This paper aimed tooptimize the road map of España Boulevard using graph theory. The current road map of España Boulevard was represented as a directed graphand subjected to the mutation method of edge removal, wherein an edge isremoved in each mutation based on a computed fitness function, F(G),which depicts better efficiency at lower values. Edges were removed until the graph got disconnected, which was tested using the Floyd-Warshall algorithm. The 28th mutation resulted in a minimum F(G) value of 144.4; this is a 50.18% decrease from the F(G) of the original graph, which is 290. After the 28th mutation, the removals resulted in an increase in the F(G). As a result, the final mutation resulted in an F(G) of 311.89, which characterized a less efficient graph. This study was able to apply graph theory concepts to optimize the España Boulevard road map using the mutation method, minimizing its F(G) by at most 50.18%. For future studies, the practicality of the alternate road map may be tested in simulations to examine its efficiency when other factors, such as traffic volume, are introduced.

Designing a LiDAR topographic navigation system: A novel approach to aid the visually impaired

The WHO reports 2.2 billion people internationally have a form of visual impairment, with Perkins School of Blind adding that 4 to 8 percent (8.8 - 17.6 million people) solely rely on a white cane for navigation. In an interview by Stephen Yin for NPR, visually impaired interviewees claimed that a white cane was ineffective as it failed to detect moving obstacles (ex. bikes), aerial obstacles (ex. falling objects), and it became physically demanding after a prolonged period. This problem can be solved with a headset that integrates LiDAR technology and haptic feedback to provide a real-time assessment of their environment. Theoretically, the device will determine how far an object is from the user and place it into one of three conditionals based on distance (0- 290mm, 310-500mm, 510-1200mm). As the user gets closer to the object, the haptic will vibrate more frequently. The device has 11 LIDAR sensors, beetle processors, and ERM motors so that when the LiDAR detects an object, the device will send a haptic signal in that area. It not only identifies the existence of an object but it tells the user its relative position with a latency period of approximately 2 milliseconds. When testing the device, a simulated walking environment was made. Ten obstacles were included: five below the waist (72”, 28”, 35” and 8.5” tall sticks) and five above the waist (paper suspended 6”, 10”, 48” and 28” from the ceiling). The white cane detected 4.1 obstacles, whereas the device detected 7.3 on average. The LiDAR navigation system is 178% more effective at detecting objects comparatively. Visually impaired individuals no longer must rely on the white cane; rather, using this device, they can detect small, moving, and aerial objects at a much faster, and more accurate speed.

Synthesize Sodium Sesquicarbonate and Increase Yield

In order to recycle disposable diapers, we investigated the conditions where sodium sesquicarbonate (Chemical formula Na2CO3・ NaHCO3・ 2H2O hereinafter called sesqui) precipitates selectively from sodium carbonate and the conditions for high yield. For the selective precipitation of sesqui, we defined the time required for the reaction solution to pass through the sesqui precipitation area in the Na2CO3-NaHCO3-H2O phase diagram (45°C) as Δ t. As a result, we revealed that Δt is involved in the selective precipitation of sesqui, and that we can synthesize sesqui without the expensive addition of L-Arginine as used in a previous research. Also, we proposed the “Stay method”, in which the supply of CO2 is stopped for 30 minutes to the lengthen the Δ t, and found that we could synthesize sesqui selectively even under conditions in which sodium bicarbonate is likely to be precipitated as well. Regarding the high yield of sesqui, the yield was greatly improved by the common ion effect of Na by adding NaOH to the reaction solution, sesqui synthesis by repeated reactions with CO2, and sesqui recovery by adding the anti-solvent ethanol, reaching a sesqui conversion rate of 95%. This means 109 g of sesqui can be synthesized from 100 g of Na2CO3. Moreover, we confirmed that these synthesized samples have almost the same detergency as commercial sesqui. We did a test calculation to reveal the usefulness of this research. First, if diaper recycling technology is put into practical use and all used diaper waste in Saijo City can be recycled, a reduction of 534 t/year of used diaper waste can be expected. This corresponds to a 2.3% reduction in Saijo City's waste output. From the ash that would ultimately remain after being recycled, we expect up to 35.3 t/year of synthesized sesqui using our experimental method. In addition, a CO2 reduction of 8.2 t/year is possible in the process, which is about equivalent to the volume of one gymnasium.

PBC~ A home-use detection device for brain tumors that compress the brain stem and optic nerve

腦部腫瘤是沉默殺手, 藏匿在腦中數十年。 一旦發作,通常都會造成巨大的影響。雖有數種高階儀器,可以檢測。但檢測過程繁複、 等待時間以及價格, 對於民眾都是不小的負擔。 腦部腫瘤的診斷方式為: 神經內、 外醫生會用筆燈對患者做初步的瞳孔光反應檢查。 藉由患者瞳孔縮小的速率,判斷是否要安排進階的檢查。但此行為仰賴醫生的經驗,沒有統一的方法及數據可供判斷。 本研究設計一款成本約$1,300 元, 重量僅 159 g,圓柱直徑與柱高皆約為 7cm 的隨身裝置。 藉由 MCU 控制攝影機, 頂部 1.44 吋 TFT 螢幕可即時顯示患者眼部狀態,檢查結果計算後, 也會立即顯示在螢幕上。除提供醫護人員即時數據化的解讀患者狀態。更協助醫護人員在做瞳孔光刺激檢查時,有科學化的標準。

Construction of Brahmagupta n-gons by Chebyshev Polynomials

Brahmagupta n-gons是邊長為整數的圓內接多邊形,其對角線長與面積亦為整數,半徑為有理數。而作者發現參考文獻[2,3]建構的完美多邊形其實就是Brahmagupta n-gons經過適當伸縮後,使得外接圓半徑為整數時的圓內接多邊形。 參考文獻「建構邊長為整數的圓內接多邊形」[2] 與「建構三種以上相異整數邊長的圓內接多邊形」[3]是我2020年的作品,我建構了多類兩種以上相異整數邊長的圓內接多邊形的一般式。因為我的建構方法會使得外接圓半徑很大,故本研究先討論在單位圓上邊長為有理數的圓內接多邊形,再將其適當地伸縮後,即可得邊長為整數的圓內接多邊形。 在n倍角公式的研究方法也由隸美弗定理改成使用柴比雪夫多項式做更深層的刻畫,完整的找出多種相異整數邊長且外接圓半徑與所有對角線長均為整數的圓內接多邊形的一般式。

Discussion for Titanium Peroxides and Their Application for Dealing with Zombie Shrimp Issue

Food safety was an important issue recently. Today sodium percarbonate was used to fake the vitality of shrimps to earn a good sell. However, it may cause harm to health because of the peroxides left over. To handle this problem, we set up two goals to achieve: detecting them and then removing them. In the past, the titration skill was an easy method for determining the concentration of H2O2. It not only spent too much time but also resulted in errors commonly. In this research, titanium sulfate and citric acid were used to prepare the colorimetric reagent. To measure the peroxides in water, several factors were controlled and the SOP for detecting and the calibration line for peroxides finally established. In practical, we turned the colorimetric reagent into the fast test paper which was easily for use. The other part of this research was to clear up the peroxides in water. We use titanium sulfate, hydrogen peroxide and citric acid as starting material via hot-bath method to prepare the nano-photocatalyst of titanium dioxide. Since the powder was inconvenient to deal with large amount of water. The powder-like TiO2 was further made into ball-shaped TiO2 in favor of water treatment and reuse. It was found that the photocatalytic performance of ball-shaped TiO2 was effective to be on duty for removal of the peroxides. In summary, this research provided two techniques to deal with the zombie shrimp. The novel method for synthesis of TiO2 catalyst and the preparation of colorimetric reagent for fast test paper were all in low cost. They had great potential to develop in marketing demand.

Analysis of lncRNA, miRNA , mRNA-associated ceRNA networks include in promoting glioma cancer

The ceRNAs as a class of RNAs act by competitively binding to miRNAs and limiting their regulatory effect on the target genes. Increasing evidences point to the role of ceRNAs in glioma cancer. So far, limited studies have been reported on the role of ceRNA in the development in glioma cancer. In this study, we have analyzed online RNA sequencing data in order to predict the ceRNAs which are putative regulators of in glioma cancer.

以奈米碳與二氧化矽複合物優化發光薄膜之研究

本研究延伸自文獻影片「奈米碳來排隊」實驗,自製奈米碳量子點(carbon quantum dots, cQD),並結合鈣鈦礦量子點(perovskite quantum dots, pQD)製程,以探討優化發光薄膜材料的合成技術與製程。目前完成的變因探討如下:(一)比較碘化鉛與溴化鉛兩種前驅物對pQD粒子成長的效應,(二)萃取不同型態cQD的溶劑效應,(三)調控cQD之添加方式,包括劑量、順序與添加時刻。製程條件的添加順序分成兩種流程:(A)方法PC(perovskite - carbon):先有鈣鈦礦後有碳,也就是先合成pQD,期間再加入cQD,(B)方法CP(carbon - perovskite):先有碳後有鈣鈦礦,也就是先加入cQD,再合成pQD。 為了找出pQD發光特性的優化條件,研究結果進行討論四項指標:光致發光量子產率(photoluminescence quantum yield, PLQY)、譜線半峰全寬(full width at half maximum, FWHM)、波長位移及pQD穩定度。觀察PLQY與FWHM的結果顯示:多數以方法PC添加之cQD能達優化效果,而其中又以甲苯萃取的PhMe-cQD(178.0%)與異丙醇萃取的IPA-cQD(182.6%)對PLQY提升幅度最為顯著。目前也進行市售碳化矽(SiC)與自製碳矽複合物(簡稱CSiX)的添加效應,期能找出更加優化pQD條件,發展出簡易製程但更具綠能經濟之發光薄膜原料,也提供碳循環應用之契機。

合成CaMKII抑制劑作為抗癌潛力藥物

鈣及攜鈣蛋白調節酶(CaMKII)存在於大部分細胞中,研究顯示其在多種癌細胞中過度表現。苯基磺醯胺衍生物為CaMKII抑制劑的常見結構,而吲哚與靛紅是常見藥物結構,因此本研究參考文獻[1],並擴展臨床尚未解決問題,優化此兩類衍生物以製成抗癌藥物。第一系列以苯基磺醯胺為主架構,改良文獻[1]中抑制效果最佳的化合物1,第二系列則修改吲哚與靛紅的取代基,設計出多種候選分子。初步利用分子模擬分析軟體(Discovery Studio)模擬蛋白質與藥物分子結合,考量結合能、結合方位、藥物取得及合成難易度,選定有潛力的WACY與CYWA系列結構進行合成。本實驗使用創新的步驟合成,簡易、高效率且符合綠色化學,再經核磁共振與高解析度質譜儀驗證得出高純度產物。最後根據生物檢測發現WACY-2對乳癌細胞毒性高和對於一般乳腺細胞和乳癌細胞的選擇性都較市售抑制劑KN-93佳,而WACY-6對CaMKII抑制效果為WACY系列最佳;CYWA-2, 3, 6, 7對乳癌細胞的毒性和對CaMKII抑制效果又優於KN-93與WACY系列許多。本研究成功製備出符合理論計算預期且抑制蛋白質的效果較KN-93佳的化合物,未來極具潛力作為抗乳癌的標靶藥物。

Studies of spatial self-phase modulation of the laser beam passing through the olive oil

橄欖油含有葉綠素a,葉綠素b,和胡蘿蔔素等高熱吸收率的物質;高斯光束照射橄欖油時,橄欖油吸收的熱量,使橄欖油產生溫度梯度和折射率梯度,並產生熱透鏡(Thermal lens)和自調相(Self-phase modulation)現象。 以雷射光照射盛橄欖油水平置放的方型盒時,中央軸的照度最大,橄欖油的溫度最高,折射率和密度最小。由於對流作用的影響,使得光束照射到的橄欖油的上半部折射率梯度小於下半部;光束通過橄欖油後,在屏幕上出現的繞射圖樣呈現上半部的亮帶半徑小於下半部。 將橄欖油改置圓柱筒中,雷射光由上向下照射,可以消除熱對流現象。用不同功率的雷射,照射不同液柱高度,和不同熱吸收率的橄欖油;探討功率、液柱高度、和熱吸收率對:繞射亮帶最大半徑、繞射亮帶半徑隨時間的變化、和亮帶數目的影響。