National Chung Hsing University

About: National Chung Hsing University is a education organization based out in Taichung, Taiwan. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Catalysis & Thin film. The organization has 19443 authors who have published 24060 publications receiving 540154 citations. The organization is also known as: NCHU.

Two-Sex Life Table and Predation Rate of Propylaea japonica Thunberg (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) Fed on Myzus persicae (Sulzer) (Homoptera: Aphididae)

Abstract: The life history data of the predator Propylaea japonica Thunberg at 25°C fed on Myzus persicae (Sulzer) were collected in the laboratory. To take both sexes and the variable developmental rate among individuals into consideration, the raw data were analyzed based on the age-stage, two-sex life table. The intrinsic rate of increase for P. japonica is 0.1133 d−1. The net reproductive rate is 67.6 offspring and the mean generation time is 37.7 days. To incorporate the age-stage variability of the predation rate with the two-sex life table, the daily predation rate of individual P. japonica of both sexes was collected for each predatory stage. The net predation rate for P. japonica is 1199.5 aphids.

Cast Thin Film Biosensor Design Based on a Nafion Backbone, a Multiwalled Carbon Nanotube Conduit, and a Glucose Oxidase Function

Abstract: Novel electroanalytical sensing nanobiocomposite materials are reported. These materials are prepared by mixing multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs), a Nafion cation exchanger, and glucose oxidase (GOD) in appropriate amounts. The MWNTs are cylindrical with a diameter in the range 40−60 nm and with a length of up to several micrometers, and they provide electrical conductivity. Nafion acts as a polymer backbone to give stable and homogeneous cast thin films. Both MWNTs and Nafion provide negative functionalities to bind to positively charged redox enzymes such as glucose oxidase. The resulting biosensing composite material is inexpensive, reliable, and easy to use. The homogeneity of the MWNT−Nafion−GOD nanobiocomposite films was characterized by atomic force microscopy (AFM). Amperometric transducers fabricated with these materials were characterized electrochemically using cyclic voltammetry and amperometry in the presence of hydrogen peroxide and in the presence of glucose. Their linear response to hyd...

Life tables of Bactrocera cucurbitae (Diptera: Tephritidae): with an invalidation of the jackknife technique

Abstract: Life table gives the most comprehensive description on the survival, stage differentiation and reproduction of a population and is thus the most important basis of population ecology and pest management. In this study, we constructed life tables for Bactrocera cucurbitae on cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) in the laboratory and under simulated field conditions. To assess the variability of the life tables, we carried out two experiments under each treatment. Means, variances and standard errors of life table parameters were estimated for each of the two experiments by using the jackknife technique. At 25°C, the intrinsic rates of increase (r) found for the two experiments were 0.1354 and 0.1002 per day, and the net reproductive rates (R0) were 206.3 and 66.0 offspring, respectively. For cucumbers kept in the field and covered with leaves, the r and R0 for the two experiments were 0.0935 and 0.0909 per day, and 17.5 and 11.4 offspring, respectively. However, if cucumbers were kept in the field but were not covered, the r and R0 for the two experiments were 0.1043 and 0.0904 per day, and 27.7 and 10.1 offspring, respectively. Our results revealed significant variability between the experiments under both laboratory and field conditions; this variability should be taken into consideration in the data collection and application of life tables. However, our mathematical analysis shows that the application of the jackknife technique will result in biologically unrealistic R0,i-pseudo and consequently overestimation of the variance of R0. According to our analysis, we suggest that the jackknife technique should not be used for the estimation of variability of the net reproductive rate.