Personality traits and mental disorders

Peer reviewe

An antisense RNA in a lytic cyanophage links psbA to a gene encoding a homing endonuclease

Cyanophage genomes frequently possess the psbA gene, encoding the D1 polypeptide of photosystem II. This protein is believed to maintain host photosynthetic capacity during infection and enhance phage fitness under high-light conditions. Although the first documented cyanophage-encoded psbA gene contained a group I intron, this feature has not been widely reported since, despite a plethora of new sequences becoming available. In this study, we show that in cyanophage S-PM2, this intron is spliced during the entire infection cycle. Furthermore, we report the widespread occurrence of psbA introns in marine metagenomic libraries, and with psbA often adjacent to a homing endonuclease (HE). Bioinformatic analysis of the intergenic region between psbA and the adjacent HE gene F-CphI in S-PM2 showed the presence of an antisense RNA (asRNA) connecting these two separate genetic elements. The asRNA is co-regulated with psbA and F-CphI, suggesting its involvement with their expression. Analysis of scaffolds from global ocean survey datasets shows this asRNA to be commonly associated with the 3′ end of cyanophage psbA genes, implying that this potential mechanism of regulating marine ‘viral’ photosynthesis is evolutionarily conserved. Although antisense transcription is commonly found in eukaryotic and increasingly also in prokaryotic organisms, there has been no indication for asRNAs in lytic phages so far. We propose that this asRNA also provides a means of preventing the formation of mobile group I introns within cyanophage psbA genes

Machine safety issues with respect to the extension of ECRH systems at ASDEX Upgrade

The beam intensity of electron cyclotron resonance heating at ASDEX Upgrade has the potential to seriously damage in-vessel components, whenever not fully absorbed by the plasma. Operation is, therefore, interlocked with both plasma current and density above a given threshold. Microwave protection detectors installed in several ports on the low field side switch the heating system off, in case the stray radiation exceeds a given threshold. During regular inspections, however, damages were reported in the vicinity of the launchers and in particular around the tiles of the heat shield. On one hand, it was found that insulating material, which may not face the plasma, degraded due to millimetre wave absorption. The waves entered the free space behind the heat shield through gaps. On the other hand, local damage even of metallic components was observed on surfaces, which were directly exposed to the microwave beam. Polarisation errors, which led to a local shine through of significant beam power, were responsible. We note that this happened mainly on the high field side in a certain distance to the microwave protection detectors, which were not triggered by the events. In order to increase the level of protection, we identify three necessary measures: Firstly, polarisation control is to be automated such, that mode content and shine through can be monitored. Secondly, by installing additional detectors, the spatial coverage of stray radiation monitoring is enlarged. Thirdly, the heat shield tiles will be redesigned in order to increase the shielding against millimetre waves

Models of personality structure

In the present chapter, models of personality structure are discussed. With the term “personality structure” we refer to the organization of the various features of personality as based in theory or in empirical findings. By adding the term “models,” the structure quality seems a bit tautological because a model is usually recognized by its typical form or its organization. Most of the ambiguity in the expression “models of personality structure,” is, however, in the term “model” (from the Latin modulus, diminutive of measure or standard), as the term has accrued a variety of functions which can appear at different levels of abstraction