Tzukuan is an HBV-, HCV-, HDV- endemic township in southern Taiwan. Based on a mass screening on 2909 residents age of 45 years or more in 1997, the prevalence rates of HBsAg and anti-HCV were 12.8% and 41.6% respectively. Of HBsAg carriers, 15.3% were positive for anti-HDV. Tzukaun was divided into coastal area and inland area. The prevalence of anti-HCV of coastal area was two times higher than that of inland area (61.4% v.s. 29.1%) and genotype 1b and 2a are the main two subtypes. We wish to find the causes of discrepancy in these nearby areas by phylogenetic analysis. Stratified by the living areas, coastal or inland, 27 samples were picked up (ingroup). HCV sequence of NS5B region could be detected by RT-PCR then a nested PCR in eight males and ninteen females with mean age of 54.8 years old (range: 45-70). None of these 27 residents came from the same family. Another 10 HCV infected persons whose living townships also in southern Taiwan but other than Tzukuan were enrolled as local controls. From GenBank, 30 different HCV isolates were included. Phylogenic analysis unequivocally confirmed the simultaneous spread of two different HCV strains in this township clusters according to their subtypes were noted. A trend of the spreading from coastal to land area or an ultra-aggregation phynomenon which according to their living area, as we suspected, were not noted between Tzukuan¡¦s residents. In ingroup, the short genetic distance between the isolates of C hepatitis virus which came from different villages might be caused from the wide-spreading of HCV in this endemic area (the maximal and minimal genetic distance in 1b or 2a isolates are 0.0869 vs. 0.0098 and 0.0996 vs. 0.0334). Besides, according to the contacting history to foreigner by our aborigine tribes, from genebank, all isolates from different countries were included and three possible origins of HCV genotype 1b were noted in Tzukuan. All these findings might be caused from frequently HCV inflow in this endemic area and wide-spreading of HCV between different countries.

Leaf primordia initiation takes place at the flanks of SAM and then passes through common developmental stages. Very different final leaf shapes and sizes result from varying the timing and further patterning events within these developmental stages. Similar final leaf shapes may also result from very distinct early events. Begonia section Gireoudia is a recently radiated group of species with highly divergent leaf forms. I have used a classical genetic approach and candidate gene approach to explain the evolution of leaf form in this genus. These results suggest that convergent evolution of peltate leaves may be through changes at different loci. Key developmental regulators KNOX and ARP genes are reported to be involved in the evolution of leaf form in different species. I have shown that in at least one species ARP is linked to the evolution of peltate leaf form. In a second species there is no link between STM-like KNOX genes and leaf dissection. Estimates of the rate of evolution of ARP CDS showed that different domains of the genes are under different selection pressures. Myb domain2 of ARP genes is under positive selection and variable between two copies of ARP genes in Begonia. Results of complementation tests with Begonia ARP genes in Arabidopsis show that ARPs from Begonia are functionally equivalent to Arabidopsis AS1 genes and one of the two ARP genes in Begonia may be a dominant negative. Expression analysis based on insitu hybridization in compound, peltate and simple leaved Begonias is described. There is no variation in expression patterns between peltate, non peltate or compound leaved Begonia species for BARP1 and KNB1 genes.