THE ATMOSPHERIC RAILWAY. (INCLUDES PLATE).

Plate tectonic controls on atmospheric CO2 levels since the Triassic.

Climate trends on timescales of 10s to 100s of millions of years are controlled by changes in solar luminosity, continent distribution, and atmosphere composition. Plate tectonics affect geography, but also atmosphere composition through volcanic degassing of CO2 at subduction zones and midocean ridges. So far, such degassing estimates were based on reconstructions of ocean floor production for...

Includes bibliographies.

Innate immunity includes defensins

COMMENTARY We would like to comment on the comprehensive review of Karantanos and Gazouli in Annals of Gastroenterology [1] about genetics and innate immunity in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The authors appreciate the important role of innate immune sensing and the production of antimicrobial peptides in maintaining the integrity of the mucosal barrier. Pertinent studies on the subject are...

Neillia Includes Stephanandra (Rosaceae)

Recent phylogenetic analyses of tribe Neillieae in Rosaceae, which comprises Neillia, Physocarpus, and Stephanandra, based on both nuclear and chloroplast DNA sequences revealed that Neillia and Stephanandra together form a strongly supported monophyletic group and that species of Stephanandra are nested within Neillia. The close relationship between Neillia and Stephanandra is also supported b...

The Photonic Railway

The Photonic Railway is proposed to overcome the limit of the current propulsion technology based on conventional rocketry for interstellar flight and to potentially open a new space era. The photonic railway, which is a permanent energy-efficient transportation structure based on the Beamed-Laser Propulsion (BLP) by Forward and the Photonic Laser Thruster (PLT) by the author, is proposed to en...