Radiodonts are a diverse clade of Lower Palaeozoic stem-group euarthropods that played a key role in the emergence of complex marine trophic webs. The latest addition to the group, Cambroraster falcatus, was recently described from the Wuliuan Burgess Shale, and is characterized by a unique horseshoe-shaped central carapace element. Here we report the discovery of Cambroraster sp. nov. A, a new species from the Cambrian Stage 3 Chengjiang Lagerstätte of South China. The new occurrence of Cambroraster demonstrates that some of the earliest known radiodonts had already evolved a highly derived carapace morphology adapted to an essentially eudemersal life as sediment foragers.

To determine the 237Np concentration originating from global fallout in the environment, samples were collected from Guangxi, south of China, and measured by accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) at CIRCE. Serials standard samples and environment samples were prepared and measured using 242Pu as a tracer. The result indicates that the detection limit of 237Np as low as 10–15 g can be obtained. The concentration of 237Np in the environmental samples is less than 49.09 pg/kg (i.e. 1.280 mBq/kg), and the most probable value of 237Np is approximately 20 pg/kg (i.e. 0.53 mBq/kg).

Annexin A2 (ANXA2) is reported to be associated with cancer development. To investigate the roles ANXA2 plays during the development of cancer, the RNAi method was used to inhibit the ANXA2 expression in caco2 (human colorectal cancer cell line) and SMMC7721 (human hepatocarcinoma cell line) cells. The results showed that when the expression of ANXA2 was efficiently inhibited, the growth and motility of both cell lines were significantly decreased, and the development of the motility relevant microstructures, such as pseudopodia, filopodia, and the polymerization of microfilaments and microtubules were obviously inhibited. The cancer cell apoptosis was enhanced without obvious significance. The possible regulating pathway in the process was also predicted and discussed. Our results suggested that ANXA2 plays important roles in maintaining the malignancy of colorectal and hepatic cancer by enhancing the cell proliferation, motility, and development of the motility associated microstructures of cancer cells based on a possible complicated signal pathway.

Mosses have adapted to the Antarctic environment and are an ideal medium for studying plant resistance to abiotic stress. Chalcone synthase is the first committed enzyme in the flavonoid metabolic pathway, which plays an indispensable role in plant resistance to adversity. In this study, six genes (Pn021, PnCHS088, Pn270, PnCHS444, PnCHS768 and Pn847) were identified in the Antarctic moss Pohlia nutans Lindberg transcriptome by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE). Sequence alignment and three-dimensional structure analysis revealed the conserved amino acid residues of the enzymes of the chalcone synthase family, including three catalytic residues (Cys164, His303 and Asn336) and two substrate recognition residues (Phe215 and Phe265). Phylogenetic analysis indicated that PnCHS088, PnCHS444 and PnCHS768 might be chalcone synthase but that Pn021 is more like stilbenecarboxylate synthase. These genes were located at the transition between fungi and advanced plants in the phylogenetic tree. In addition, real-time PCR analysis revealed that the expression profiles of the six P. nutans genes were influenced by diverse abiotic stresses as well as by abscisic acid and methyl jasmonate. The results presented here contribute to the study of the CHS gene family in polar mosses and further reveal the mechanisms underlying the adaptation of mosses to extreme environments.

Dietary fat intake is correlated with increased insulin resistance (IR). However, it is unknown whether gene–diet interaction modulates the association. This study estimated heritability of IR measures and the related genetic correlations with fat intake, and tested whether dietary fat intake modifies the genetic influence on type 2 diabetes (T2D)-related traits in Chinese child twins. We included 622 twins aged 7–15 years (n 311 pairs, 162 monozygotic (MZ), 149 dizygotic (DZ)) from south-eastern China. Dietary factors were measured using FFQ. Structural equation models were fit using Mx statistical package. The intra-class correlation coefficients for all traits related to T2D were higher for MZ twins than for DZ twins. Dietary fat and fasting serum insulin (additive genetic correlation (rA) 0·20; 95 % CI 0·08, 0·43), glucose (rA 0·12; 95 % CI 0·01, 0·40), homoeostasis model of assessment-insulin resistance (Homa-IR) (rA 0·22; 95 % CI 0·10, 0·50) and the quantitative insulin sensitivity check index (Quicki) (rA −0·22; 95 % CI −0·40, 0·04) showed strong genetic correlations. Heritabilities of dietary fat intake, fasting glucose and insulin were estimated to be 52, 70 and 70 %, respectively. More than 70 % of the phenotypic correlations between dietary fat and insulin, glucose, Homa-IR and the Quicki index appeared to be mediated by shared genetic influence. Dietary fat significantly modified additive genetic effects on these quantitative traits associated with T2D. Analysis of Chinese twins yielded high estimates of heritability of dietary fat intake and IR. Genetic factors appear to contribute to a high proportion of the variance for both insulin sensitivity and IR. Dietary fat intake modifies the genetic influence on blood levels of insulin and glucose, Homa-IR and the Quicki index.

Background: Despite evidence for some genetic control of dietary intake in adults, there is little evidence of how genetic factors influence children's dietary patterns. Objective: To estimate heritability of dietary intake in twin children from China and test if genetic effects on dietary intakes vary by the children's socio-economic status (SES). Methods: A sample of 622 twins (162 monozygotic and 149 dizygotic pairs; 298 boys and 324 girls aged 7–15 years) was recruited in South China. Dietary intakes were assessed using a validated 145-item semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. Pooled and sex-specific dietary patterns were identified using factor analysis. Heritability was estimated using structural equation models. Results: Heritable components differed by gender and for nutrients and food groups; and estimated heritability of dietary patterns was generally greater in girls than boys. In boys, estimated heritabilities ranged from 18.8% (zinc) to 58.4% (fat) for nutrients; and for food group, 1.1% (Western fast foods) to 65.8% (soft drinks). In girls, these estimates ranged from 5.1% (total energy) to 38.7% (percentage of energy from fat) for nutrients, and 12.6% (eggs) to 94.6% (Western fast foods) for food groups. Factor analysis identified five food patterns: vegetables and fruits, fried and fast foods, beverages, snacks and meats. Maternal education and family income were positively associated with higher heritabilities for intake of meat, fried, and fast food. Conclusions: Genetic influence on dietary intakes differed by gender, nutrients, food groups, and dietary patterns among Chinese twins. Parental SES characteristics modified the estimated genetic influence.

Associations of folic acid supplementation with risk of preterm birth (PTB) and small-for-gestational-age (SGA) birth were unclear for the Chinese populations. The aim of the present study was to investigate the associations in a large Chinese prospective cohort study: the Jiaxing Birth Cohort. In the Jiaxing Birth Cohort, 240 954 pregnant women visited local clinics or hospitals within their first trimester in Southeast China during 1999–2012. Information on anthropometric parameters, folic acid supplementation and other maternal characteristics were collected by in-person interviews during their first visit. Pregnancy outcomes were recorded during the follow-up of these participants. Multinomial logistic regression was used to examine the association of folic acid supplementation with pregnancy outcomes. The prevalence of folic acid supplementation was 24·9 % in the cohort. The prevalence of PTB and SGA birth was 3·48 and 9·2 %, respectively. Pre-conceptional folic acid supplementation was associated with 8 % lower risk of PTB (relative risk (RR) 0·92; 95 % CI 0·85, 1·00; P=0·04) and 19 % lower risk of SGA birth (RR 0·81; 95 % CI 0·70, 0·95; P=0·008), compared with non-users. Higher frequency of pre-conceptional folic acid use was associated with lower risk of PTB (Ptrend=0·032) and SGA birth (Ptrend=0·046). No significant association between post-conceptional initiation of folic acid supplementation and either outcome was observed. In conclusion, the present study suggests an association between pre-conceptional, but not post-conceptional, folic acid supplementation and lower risk of PTB and SGA birth in the Jiaxing Birth Cohort. Further research in other cohorts of large sample size is needed to replicate these findings.

An ancient pottery workshop belonging to the Han Dynasty was excavated in Caoxie village, Hepu County. Caoxie village is an important archaeological site in Hepu County, Beihai City, in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. It is believed that Hepu County was the oldest departure point on the ancient maritime trading route during the Han Dynasty (206 BC to AD 220) due to the ideal natural geographical conditions and the existence of a large number of Han tombs. Radiocarbon measurements on wood and charcoal samples from the Caoxie village site were performed at the Peking University AMS facility (PKU-AMS), Beijing, and the Centre for Isotopic Research for Cultural and Environmental Heritage (CIRCE) at Naples Second University, Italy. Calibrated ages were obtained with code CALIB 5 (Stuiver and Reimer 1993). The results of these measurements are presented and the related chronology is discussed.

This paper considers the bootstrapping approach for measuring reserve uncertainty when applying the model of Schnieper for reserves which separate Incurred But Not Reported (IBNR) and Incurred But Not Enough Reserved (IBNER) claims. The Schnieper method has been explored in Liu and Verrall (2009), and the Mean Square Errors of Prediction (MSEP) derived. This paper takes this further by deriving the full predictive distribution, using bootstrapping. Numerical examples are provided and the MSEP from the bootstrapping approach are compared with those obtained analytically.

This paper considers the model suggested by Schnieper (1991), which separates the true IBNR claims from the IBNER. Stochastic models are defined, using both recursive and non-recursive procedures, within the framework of the models described in England and Verrall (2002). Approximations to the prediction error of the reserves are derived analytically.

Some extensions to the original Schnieper model are also disussed, together with other possible applications of this type of model.

Nano-sized copper particles are loaded into the pores of monolithic mesoporous silica by soaking and drying, followed by thermal reduction of copper nitrate [Cu(NO3)2]in a hydrogen atmosphere at 973 K for 90 min. It has been shown that copper nanoparticles are isolated from each other and highly uniformly dispersed inside the pores of silica. It is found that the surface plasmon resonance peak of the copper particles shows a significant red-shift with decreasing the particle size, which is in contrast to the corresponding fully embedded system. The peak decreases with exposure time to air and exhibits a linear relation with logarithmic exposure time. This red-shift phenomenon and decrease are explained on the basis of the structural features of this new composite or coexistence of local porosity and the nanoparticle's free surface in contact with air.