The Menkes copper-transporting ATPase (Atp7a) gene is induced in rat duodenum during iron deficiency, consistent with copper accumulation in the intestinal mucosa and liver. To test the hypothesis that ATP7A influences intestinal iron metabolism, the Atp7a gene was silenced in rat intestinal epithelial (IEC-6) cells using short hairpin RNA (shRNA) technology. Perturbations in intracellular copper homeostasis were noted in knockdown cells, consistent with the dual roles of ATP7A in pumping...

Excessive iron consumption during pregnancy can lead to increased oxidative stress in the maternal body, which may result in adverse pregnancy outcomes. Glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) originate from a superfamily of detoxifying enzymes that play a role in reducing xenobiotic compounds and oxidative stress. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship among GST gene expression, maternal iron intake during pregnancy, and neonatal birth weight. The study participants were 1087...

Ichnology for the 21st Century: Understanding the differences between continental and marine trace fossils, with implications to the diversity, distribution, and evolution of soil biota ; Department of Geological Sciences, San Diego State University, Seminar Series ; The study of ichnology has come a long way since its inception and it continues to evolve. In particular, progress is being made in understanding the implications of trace fossils in the continental realm and how they can be...

TIME DILATION: an experiment with mu-mesons This classic film documents an experiment done in 1963 the results of which can only be explained when one accepts the consequence that moving clocks run slow. This phenomenon is known as time dilation. The timekeeping device is the mu-meson, a subatomic particle with origins away from the Earth moving at relativistic speed. What follows here is an explanation of the experiment described in that film. Many mu-mesons rain down every hour on the...