Feasibility Study of Economics and Performance of Solar Photovoltaics at the Crazy Horse Landfill Site in Salinas, California. A Study Prepared in Partnership with the Environmental Protection Agency for the RE-Powering America's Land Initiative: Siting Renewable Energy on Potentially Contaminated Land and Mine Sites

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in accordance with the RE-Powering America's Land initiative, selected the Crazy Horse Landfill site in Salinas, California, for a feasibility study of renewable energy production. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) was contacted to provide technical assistance for this project. The purpose of this report is to assess the site for a possible photovoltaic (PV) system installation and estimate the cost, performance, operation and maintenance requirements, and site impacts of different PV options. In addition, the report recommends financing options that could assist in the implementation of a PV system at the site

The critical velocity effect as a cause for the H\alpha emission from the Magellanic stream

Observations show significant H\alpha-emissions in the Galactic halo near the edges of cold gas clouds of the Magellanic Stream. The source for the ionization of the cold gas is still a widely open question. In our paper we discuss the critical velocity effect as a possible explanation for the observed H\alpha-emission. The critical velocity effect can yield a fast ionization of cold gas if this neutral gas passes through a magnetized plasma under suitable conditions. We show that for parameters that are typical for the Magellanic Stream the critical velocity effect has to be considered as a possible ionization source of high relevance.Comment: 9 pages, 2 figures. accepted, to appear in The Astrophysical Journa

HI Clouds Beyond the Galactic Disk

Recent observations in the 21cm line with the Green Bank Telescope have changed our view of the neutral interstellar medium (ISM) in several ways. The new data show that in the inner parts of the Milky Way the disk-halo interface is composed of many discrete HI clouds. The clouds lie in a layer more than one kpc thick and follow Galactic rotation. Their origin and evolution is unknown. In the outer Galaxy, the new data show that the high-velocity cloud Complex H is likely a satellite on a retrograde orbit interacting with some extended component of the Milky Way's ISM. These observations place new constraints on models of the ISM and are directly related to the work of Don Cox and Ron Reynolds.Comment: 8 pages includes 2 figures. To appear in "How Does the Galaxy Work?", eds. E.J. Alfaro, E. Perez, & J. Franco, Kluwer, Proceedings of a Conference held 23-27 June 2003 in Granada, Spai

USP27X variants underlying X-linked intellectual disability disrupt protein function via distinct mechanisms

Neurodevelopmental disorders with intellectual disability (ND/ID) are a heterogeneous group of diseases driving lifelong deficits in cognition and behavior with no definitive cure. X-linked intellectual disability disorder 105 (XLID105, #300984; OMIM) is a ND/ID driven by hemizygous variants in the USP27X gene encoding a protein deubiquitylase with a role in cell proliferation and neural development. Currently, only four genetically diagnosed individuals from two unrelated families have been described with limited clinical data. Furthermore, the mechanisms underlying the disorder are unknown. Here, we report 10 new XLID105 individuals from nine families and determine the impact of gene variants on USP27X protein function. Using a combination of clinical genetics, bioinformatics, biochemical, and cell biology approaches, we determined that XLID105 variants alter USP27X protein biology via distinct mechanisms including changes in developmentally relevant protein-protein interactions and deubiquitylating activity. Our data better define the phenotypic spectrum of XLID105 and suggest that XLID105 is driven by USP27X functional disruption. Understanding the pathogenic mechanisms of XLID105 variants will provide molecular insight into USP27X biology and may create the potential for therapy development.</p

Spirals of Spirituality: A Qualitative Study Exploring Dynamic Patterns of Spirituality in Turkish Organizations

This paper explores organizational spirituality, uncovers it as spiralling dynamics of both positive and negative potentialities, and proposes how leaders can shape these dynamics to improve the human conditions at the workplace. Based on case study of five Turkish organizations and drawing on the emerging discourse on spirituality in organizations literature, this study provides a deeper understanding of how dynamic patterns of spirituality operate in organizations. Insights from participant observation, organizational data, and semi-structured interviews yield three key themes of organizational spirituality: reflexivity, connectivity, and responsibility. Each of these themes has been found to be connected to upward spirals (inspiration, engagement, and calling) and downward spirals (incivility, silence, and fatigue). The study provides a detailed and holistic account of the individual and organizational processes through which spirituality is enacted both positively and negatively, exploring its dynamic and dualistic nature, as embodied in the fabric of everyday life and culture

In silico exploration of Red Sea Bacillus genomes for natural product biosynthetic gene clusters

Background: The increasing spectrum of multidrug-resistant bacteria is a major global public health concern, necessitating discovery of novel antimicrobial agents. Here, members of the genus Bacillus are investigated as a potentially attractive source of novel antibiotics due to their broad spectrum of antimicrobial activities. We specifically focus on a computational analysis of the distinctive biosynthetic potential of Bacillus paralicheniformis strains isolated from the Red Sea, an ecosystem exposed to adverse, highly saline and hot conditions. Results: We report the complete circular and annotated genomes of two Red Sea strains, B. paralicheniformis Bac48 isolated from mangrove mud and B. paralicheniformis Bac84 isolated from microbial mat collected from Rabigh Harbor Lagoon in Saudi Arabia. Comparing the genomes of B. paralicheniformis Bac48 and B. paralicheniformis Bac84 with nine publicly available complete genomes of B. licheniformis and three genomes of B. paralicheniformis, revealed that all of the B. paralicheniformis strains in this study are more enriched in nonribosomal peptides (NRPs). We further report the first computationally identified trans-acyltransferase (trans-AT) nonribosomal peptide synthetase/polyketide synthase (PKS/ NRPS) cluster in strains of this species. Conclusions:B. paralicheniformis species have more genes associated with biosynthesis of antimicrobial bioactive compounds than other previously characterized species of B. licheniformis, which suggests that these species are better potential sources for novel antibiotics. Moreover, the genome of the Red Sea strain B. paralicheniformis Bac48 is more enriched in modular PKS genes compared to B. licheniformis strains and other B. paralicheniformis strains. This may be linked to adaptations that strains surviving in the Red Sea underwent to survive in the relatively hot and saline ecosystems