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At least 757 records · Page 42

A Bispectral Composite Threshold Approach for Automatic Cloud Detection in VIIRS Imagery

The detection of clouds in satellite imagery has a number of important applications in weather and climate studies. The presence of clouds can alter the energy budget of the Earth‐atmosphere system through scattering and absorption of shortwave radiation and the absorption and re‐emission of infrared radiation at longer wavelengths. The scattering and absorption characteristics of clouds vary with the microphysical properties of clouds, hence the cloud type. Thus, detecting the presence of clouds over a region in satellite imagery is important in order to derive atmospheric or surface parameters that give insight into weather and climate processes. For many applications however, clouds are a contaminant whose presence interferes with retrieving atmosphere or surface information. In these cases, is important to isolate cloud‐free pixels, used to retrieve atmospheric thermodynamic information or surface geophysical parameters, from cloudy ones. This abstract describes an application of a two‐channel bispectral composite threshold (BCT) approach applied to VIIRS imagery. The simplified BCT approach uses only the 10.76 and 3.75 micrometer spectral channels from VIIRS in two spectral tests; a straight‐forward infrared threshold test with the longwave channel and a shortwave - longwave channel difference test. The key to the success of this approach as demonstrated in past applications to GOES and MODIS data is the generation of temporally and spatially dependent thresholds used in the tests from a previous number of days at similar observations to the current data. The paper and subsequent presentation will present an overview of the approach and intercomparison results with other satellites, methods, and against verification data.

LaFontaine Frank J.↗

Quantifying Transient Uncertainty in the BEAVRS Benchmark Using Time Series Analysis Methods

Advances in computation have brought about significant improvements in creating fast-running high-fidelity simulations of nuclear cores. The BEAVRS benchmark is a highly-detailed PWR specification with two cycles of measured operational data used to validate high-fidelity core analysis methods. This PWR depletion benchmark captures the fine details of the LWR fuel assemblies, burnable absorbers, in-core fission detectors, core loading and shuffling patterns. Specifically, 58 of the 193 assemblies contain in-core detectors with measurements taken over 61 axial positions every month. These detectors are U-235 fission chambers with slightly varying mass of U-235. The collected signals are normalized on a given assembly permitting full core comparisons. The fuel layout for cycle 1 and instrument tube locations for the reactor are given in figures 1 and 2 respectively. Through a series of data processing and comparisons, it was shown that axially integrated radial maps of reaction rates were in close agreement between provided detector data and calculated data. More recently, the focus of the BEAVRS project has been on quantifying uncertainty to further assess the validity of aforementioned results. A close investigation of sources of error shows that uncertainties from operational nuclear data arise primarily from data measurements and processing. While the errors in axial realignment and interpolation seem significant, these sources affect only a small subset of data points near grid spacers and do not persist throughout the entire core. Instead, measurement uncertainty from detector count rates and radial integration dominate the uncertainty in measured data are determined as the most significant sources of error. This uncertainty analysis treated each given burnup step as independent of comparable data at neighboring burnup steps. More recent work has been targeted at understanding how reaction rates vary over time, in order to determine whether calculated reaction rates follow any observable trends. This abstract hones in on transient uncertainty quantification, in order to compare observed data against models for transient behavior. The first section of the paper uses linear regression tools to fit operational data, while the latter portion of the paper explores more complex simulation tools to fit operational data. Ultimately, the BEAVRS benchmark aims to serve as a true non-proprietary international benchmark for the validation of high-fidelity tools. (authors)

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗

DPP-4 inhibitor des-F-sitagliptin treatment increased insulin exocytosis from db/db mice {beta} cells

Highlights: {yields} Anti-diabetic new drug, DPP-4 inhibitor, can affect the insulin exocytosis. {yields} DPP-4 inhibitor treatment altered syntaxin 1 expression. {yields} Treatment of db/db mice with DPP-4 inhibitor increased insulin release. -- Abstract: Incretin promotes insulin secretion acutely. Recently, orally-administered DPP-4 inhibitors represent a new class of anti-hyperglycemic agents. Indeed, inhibitors of dipeptidyl peptidase-IV (DPP-4), sitagliptin, has just begun to be widely used as therapeutics for type 2 diabetes. However, the effects of sitagliptin-treatment on insulin exocytosis from single {beta}-cells are yet unknown. We therefore investigated how sitagliptin-treatment in db/db mice affects insulin exocytosis by treating db/db mice with des-F-sitagliptin for 2 weeks. Perfusion studies showed that 2 weeks-sitagliptin treatment potentiated insulin secretion. We then analyzed insulin granule motion and SNARE protein, syntaxin 1, by TIRF imaging system. TIRF imaging of insulin exocytosis showed the increased number of docked insulin granules and increased fusion events from them during first-phase release. In accord with insulin exocytosis data, des-F-sitagliptin-treatment increased the number of syntaxin 1 clusters on the plasma membrane. Thus, our data demonstrated that 2-weeks des-F-sitagliptin-treatment increased the fusion events of insulin granules, probably via increased number of docked insulin granules and that of syntaxin 1 clusters.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

The Impact of Freeze‐Thaw History on Soil Carbon Response to Experimental Freeze‐Thaw Cycles

Abstract Freeze‐thaw is a disturbance process in cold regions where permafrost soils are becoming vulnerable to temperature fluctuations above 0°C. Freeze‐thaw alters soil physical and biogeochemical properties with implications for carbon persistence and emissions in Arctic landscapes. We examined whether different freeze‐thaw histories in two soil systems led to contrasting biogeochemical responses under a laboratory‐controlled freeze‐thaw incubation. We investigated controls on carbon composition through Fourier‐transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT‐ICR‐MS) to identify nominal carbon oxidation states and relative abundances of aliphatic‐type carbon molecules in both surface and subsurface soils. Soil cores (∼60 cm‐depth) were sampled from two sites in Alaskan permafrost landscapes with different in situ freeze‐thaw characteristics: Healy (>40 freeze‐thaw cycles annually) and Toolik (<15 freeze‐thaw cycles annually). FT‐ICR‐MS was coupled with in situ temperature data and soil properties (i.e., soil texture, mineralogy) to assess (a) differences in soil organic matter composition associated with previous freeze‐thaw history and (b) sensitivity to experimental freeze‐thaw in the extracted cores. Control (freeze‐only) samples showed greater carbon oxidation in Healy soils compared with Toolik, even in lower mineral horizons where freeze‐thaw history was comparable across both sites. Healy showed the most loss of carbon compounds following experimental freeze‐thaw in the lower mineral depths, including a decrease in aliphatics. Toolik soils responded more slowly to freeze‐thaw as shown by intermediary carbon oxidation distributed across multiple carbon compound classes. Variations in the response of permafrost carbon chemistry to freeze‐thaw is an important factor for predicting changes in soil function as permafrost thaws in high northern latitudes.

Rooney, Erin C.↗

Applications of physics informed neural operators

Abstract We present a critical analysis of physics-informed neural operators (PINOs) to solve partial differential equations (PDEs) that are ubiquitous in the study and modeling of physics phenomena using carefully curated datasets. Further, we provide a benchmarking suite which can be used to evaluate PINOs in solving such problems. We first demonstrate that our methods reproduce the accuracy and performance of other neural operators published elsewhere in the literature to learn the 1D wave equation and the 1D Burgers equation. Thereafter, we apply our PINOs to learn new types of equations, including the 2D Burgers equation in the scalar, inviscid and vector types. Finally, we show that our approach is also applicable to learn the physics of the 2D linear and nonlinear shallow water equations, which involve three coupled PDEs. We release our artificial intelligence surrogates and scientific software to produce initial data and boundary conditions to study a broad range of physically motivated scenarios. We provide the source code , an interactive website to visualize the predictions of our PINOs, and a tutorial for their use at the Data and Learning Hub for Science .

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Time for a drought experiment: Do you know your plants’ water status?

Abstract Drought stress is an increasing concern because of climate change and increasing demands on water for agriculture. There are still many unknowns about how plants sense and respond to water limitation, including which genes and cellular mechanisms are impactful for ecology and crop improvement in drought-prone environments. A better understanding of plant drought resistance will require integration of several research disciplines. A common set of parameters to describe plant water status and quantify drought severity can enhance data interpretation and research integration across the research disciplines involved in understanding drought resistance and would be especially useful in integrating the flood of genomic data being generated in drought studies. Water potential (ψw) is a physical measure of the free energy status of water that, along with related physiological measurements, allows unambiguous description of plant water status that can apply across various soil types and environmental conditions. ψw and related physiological parameters can be measured with relatively modest investment in equipment and effort. Thus, we propose that increased use of ψw as a fundamental descriptor of plant water status can enhance the insight gained from many drought-related experiments and facilitate data integration and sharing across laboratories and research disciplines.

Juenger, Thomas E. (ORCID:0000000195509288)↗

The Decomposition of Hydrazine in the Gas Phase and over an Iridium Catalyst

Hydrazine is an important rocket fuel, used as both a monopropellant and a bipropellant. This paper presents theoretical results to complement the extensive experimental studies of the gas phase and Ir catalyzed decompositions involved in the monopropellant applications of hydrazine. Gas phase electronic structure theory calculations that include electron correlation predict that numerous molecular and free radical reactions occur within the same energy range as the basic free radical pathways: NN bond breaking around 65 kcal/mol and NH bond breaking around 81 kcal/mol. The data suggest that a revision to existing kinetics modeling is desirable, based on the energetics and the new elementary steps reported herein. A supported Ir-6 octahedron model for the Shell 405 Iridium catalyst used in thrusters was developed. Self-Consistent Field and electron correlation calculations (with core potentials and associated basis sets) find a rich chemistry for hydrazine on this catalyst model. The model catalyst provides dramatically lower NN and NH bond cleavage energies and an even smaller barrier to breaking the NH bond by NH2 abstractions. Thus, the low temperature decomposition over the catalyst is interpreted in terms of consecutive NH2 abstractions to produce ammonia and nitrogen. The higher temperature channel, which has hydrogen and nitrogen products, may be due to a mixture of two mechanisms. These two mechanisms are successive NH cleavages with surface H + H recombinations, and the same type of assisted H-2 eliminations found to occur in the gas phase part of this study.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Increasing the Pressure‐Free Stripping Capacity of the Lithium Metal Anode in Solid‐State‐Batteries by Carbon Nanotubes

Abstract Lithium metal is the key anode material for solid‐state‐batteries as its successful implementation will drastically increase their energy and power densities. However, anode contact loss during stripping leads to dendrites upon plating and subsequent cell failure. Design strategies to mitigate these issues are crucial to enable the use of lithium metal anodes. This paper reports the dissolution kinetics of composite anodes made of lithium metal and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) with a garnet‐type solid electrolyte (SE). In addition to an enhancement of the effective diffusion within the anode, its dissolution is fundamentally changed from being 2D to 3D. By maintaining contact with the SE, the CNTs facilitate lithium transport to the interface, which yields more than 20 mAh cm −2 discharge capacity at 100 µ A cm −2 without the application of external stack pressure ( > 1 MPa). Conclusions drawn from electrochemical data on the anode microstructure are validated using cryo‐focused‐ion‐beam scanning electron microscopy and correlated with the mechanical properties. Micro‐indentation, acoustic analysis, and stress–strain testing show that mechanical properties of the anode, like yield strength and hardness, are adjustable. Overall, it is shown that the mechanical and electrochemical properties of Li–CNT composite electrodes can be tailored to suit the requirements of a practical cell.

Fuchs, Till↗

Implications of caspase-dependent proteolytic cleavage of cyclin A1 in DNA damage-induced cell death

Highlights: • Caspase-1 mediates doxorubicin-induced downregulation of cyclin A1. • Active caspase-1 effectively cleaved cyclin A1 at D165. • Cyclin A1 expression is involved in DNA damage-induced cell death. - Abstract: Cyclin A1 is an A-type cyclin that directly binds to CDK2 to regulate cell-cycle progression. In the present study, we found that doxorubicin decreased the expression of cyclin A1 at the protein level in A549 lung cancer cells, while markedly downregulating its mRNA levels. Interestingly, doxorubicin upregulated caspase-1 in a concentration-dependent manner, and z-YAVD-fmk, a specific inhibitor of caspase-1, reversed the doxorubicin-induced decrease in cyclin A1 in A549 lung cancer and MCF7 breast cancer cells. Active caspase-1 effectively cleaved cyclin A1 at D165 into two fragments, which in vitro cleavage assays showed were further cleaved by caspase-3. Finally, we found that overexpression of cyclin A1 significantly reduced the cytotoxicity of doxorubicin, and knockdown of cyclin A1 by RNA interference enhanced the sensitivity of cells to ionizing radiation. Our data suggest a new mechanism for the downregulation of cyclin A1 by DNA-damaging stimuli that could be intimately involved in the cell death induced by DNA damage-inducing stimuli, including doxorubicin and ionizing radiation.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

Crystallographic and magnetic properties of (Cu{sub 1-x}V{sub x})V{sub 2}S{sub 4} (x{approx}0.3) single crystals with the layered defect NiAs structure synthesized under high pressure

We report on the reproducible growth of (Cu{sub 1-x}V{sub x})V{sub 2}S{sub 4} single crystals of sizable dimensions ({approx}0.3 mm) and homogeneous composition (x{approx}0.3) by means of high-pressure synthesis. The refinement of single crystal X-ray diffraction data indicates that the crystal structure is of the monoclinic defect NiAs-type, which consists of a stacking of VS{sub 2} layers with CdI{sub 2}-type structure and chains of edge-sharing (Cu{sub 1-x}V{sub x})S{sub 6} octahedra. Layers and chains form a network of face-sharing octahedra with no Cu-V intra-chain ordering. A combined X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and bond valence sum analysis indicates that the valence of the V and Cu ions are 3+ and 1+, respectively. Magnetic susceptibility measurements unveil the coexistence of a large Pauli-like and of a small Curie-like paramagnetic contributions, with no evidence of any long range order down to 2 K. This result suggests a picture of predominantly itinerant 3d V electrons with significant electron-electron correlations. - Graphical Abstract: Crystallographic structure of (Cu{sub 0.69}V{sub 0.31})V{sub 2}S{sub 4}. For clarity, the octahedral environment of (Cu{sub 0.69}V{sub 0.31}) site is not shown. Highlights: > Synthesis of new single-crystals in the Cu-V-S system using high pressure and high temperature. > Structural analysis revealed the single-crystals to be of the defect NiAs-type structure. > Bond valence sum analysis combined to X-ray photoemission spectroscopy revealed Cu{sup 1+} and a majority of V{sup 3+}. > Magnetic susceptibility has been measured. > Charge carriers are of two types, localized and itinerant.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

A galaxy-driven model of type Ia supernova luminosity variations

ABSTRACT Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) are used as standardizable candles to measure cosmological distances, but differences remain in their corrected luminosities which display a magnitude step as a function of host galaxy properties such as stellar mass and rest-frame U−R colour. Identifying the cause of these steps is key to cosmological analyses and provides insight into SN physics. Here we investigate the effects of SN progenitor ages on their light-curve properties using a galaxy-based forward model that we compare to the Dark Energy Survey 5-yr SN Ia sample. We trace SN Ia progenitors through time and draw their light-curve width parameters from a bimodal distribution according to their age. We find that an intrinsic luminosity difference between SNe of different ages cannot explain the observed trend between step size and SN colour. The data split by stellar mass are better reproduced by following recent work implementing a step in total-to-selective dust extinction ratio (RV) between low- and high-mass hosts, although an additional intrinsic luminosity step is still required to explain the data split by host galaxy U−R. Modelling the RV step as a function of galaxy age provides a better match overall. Additional age versus luminosity steps marginally improve the match to the data, although most of the step is absorbed by the width versus luminosity coefficient α. Furthermore, we find no evidence that α varies with SN age.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

An underground, wireless, open-source, low-cost system for monitoring oxygen, temperature, and soil moisture

Abstract. The use of wireless sensor networks to measure soil parameters eliminates the need to remove sensors for field operations, such as tillage, thus allowing long-term measurements without multiple disturbances to soil structure. Wireless sensors also reduce above-ground cables and the risk of undesired equipment damage and potential data loss. However, implementing wireless sensor networks in field studies usually requires advanced and costly engineering knowledge. This study presents a new underground, wireless, open-source, low-cost system for monitoring soil oxygen, temperature, and soil moisture. The process of system design, assembly, programming, deployment, and power management is presented. The system can be left underground for several years without the need to change the battery. Emphasis was given on modularity so that it can be easily duplicated or changed if needed and deployed without previous engineering knowledge. Data from this type of system have a wide range of applications, including precision agriculture and high-resolution modelling.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Crystal structure of Na{sub 2}MMgP{sub 2}O{sub 8} (M: Ba, Sr, Ca) orthophosphates and their luminescence properties activated by Eu{sup 2+}; analogous structural behaviors of glaserite-type phosphates and silicates

Rietveld refinements of X-ray powder diffraction data and vibrational spectroscopy have confirmed the crystal structure of Na{sub 2}MMgP{sub 2}O{sub 8} (M: Ba, Sr, Ca) prepared by a standard solid state reaction. They have glaserite-type layered structure. Na{sub 2}MMgP{sub 2}O{sub 8} has a trigonal P3-bar form for M=Ba, and monoclinic P2{sub 1}/c forms for M=Sr and Ca. The observed structural transition is analogous to the corresponding layered orthosilicate M{sub 3}MgSi{sub 2}O{sub 8}. Eu{sup 2+}-doped Na{sub 2}MMgP{sub 2}O{sub 8} exhibits an intense blue to violet emission under ultraviolet excitation, based on 5d-4f electron transition of Eu{sup 2+} ions. The emission character is very sensitive to the structural transition induced by M{sup 2+} and the subsequent site symmetry changes. - Graphical abstract: Emission properties of Na{sub 2}MMgP{sub 2}O{sub 8} (M: Ba, Sr, Ca) are discussed from the viewpoint of the crystal structure solved by X-ray powder diffraction technique. Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Glaserite-type Na{sub 2}MMgP{sub 2}O{sub 8} (M: Ba, Sr, Ca) has been prepared by a solid state reaction. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Crystal system of Na{sub 2}MMgP{sub 2}O{sub 8} changes, depending on M{sup 2+} size. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Eu{sup 2+}-doped Na{sub 2}MMgP{sub 2}O{sub 8} exhibits blue to violet emission under ultraviolet irradiation.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Hybrid functional band gap calculation of SnO{sub 6} containing perovskites and their derived structures

We have studied the properties of SnO{sub 6} octahedra-containing perovskites and their derived structures using ab initio calculations with different density functionals. In order to predict the correct band gap of the materials, we have used B3LYP hybrid density functional, and the results of B3LYP were compared with those obtained using the local density approximation and generalized gradient approximation data. The calculations have been conducted for the orthorhombic ground state of the SnO{sub 6} containing perovskites. We also have expended the hybrid density functional calculation to the ASnO{sub 3}/A'SnO{sub 3} system with different cation orderings. We propose an empirical relationship between the tolerance factor and the band gap of SnO{sub 6} containing oxide materials based on first principles calculation. - Graphical abstract: (a) Structure of ASnO{sub 3} for orthorhombic ground state. The green ball is A (Ba, Sr, Ca) cation and the small (red) ball on edge is oxygen. SnO{sub 6} octahedrons are plotted as polyhedron. (b) Band gap of ASnO{sub 3} as a function of the tolerance factor for different density functionals. The experimental values of the band gap are marked as green pentagons. (c) ASnO{sub 3}/A'SnO{sub 3} superlattices with two types cation arrangement: [001] layered structure and [111] rocksalt structure, respectively. (d) B3LYP hybrid functional band gaps of ASnO{sub 3}, [001] ordered superlattices, and [111] ordered superlattices of ASnO{sub 3}/A'SnO{sub 3} as a function of the effective tolerance factor. Note the empirical linear relationship between the band gap and effective tolerance factor. - Highlights: • We report the hybrid functional band gap calculation of ASnO{sub 3} and ASnO{sub 3}/A'SnO{sub 3}. • The band gap of ASnO{sub 3} using B3LYP functional reproduces the experimental value. • We propose the linear relationship between the tolerance factor and the band gap.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Mechanism for Clastogenic Activity of Naphthalene: Quarterly Technical Progress Report, March 2015

The project has two main goals: 1) Identify the types of adducts naphthalene (NA) forms with DNA and 2) determine whether adduct formation correlates with site selective tumor formation in defined subcompartments of the respiratory tract (respiratory and olfactory nasal epithelium and airways of mice, rats and rhesus monkeys). Five tasks are associated with the completion of the goals. Task 1: Contracting and Animal Use Approvals. IACUC and ACURO approvals are complete, The subcontract with UC Davis (UCD) was executed in December 2014. Task 2: Perform In Vitro Study for Goal 1. Rat samples exposed in December 2014. Task 3: Perform In Vitro Study for Goal 2. Mouse ex vivo samples completed. Rat and monkey samples need to be completed in the next quarter. Task 4: Sample Preparation and Analysis. Mouse Goal 2 samples completed. Other samples to remain to be done. Task 5: Data Interpretation and Reporting. Waiting for more data. Insufficient data to submit abstract to SOT by mid January 2015 deadline.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

MEGASIM: Distribution and Detection of Earth Trojan Asteroids

Abstract Using N -body simulation results from the MEGASIM data set, we present spatial distributions of Earth Trojan Asteroids and assess the detectability of the population in current and next-generation ground-based astronomical surveys. Our high-fidelity Earth Trojan Asteroid (ETA) distribution maps show never-before-seen high-resolution spatial features that evolve over timescales up to 1 Gyr. The simulation was synchronized to start times and timelines of two observational astronomy surveys: (1) the Vera C. Rubin Observatory’s Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) and (2) the Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF). We calculate upper limits for the number of ETAs potentially observable with both the ZTF and LSST surveys. Due to the Yarkovsky Effect, we find no stable ETAs on billion-year timescales likely to be detected by any ETA survey, as no C-type or S-type ETAs (with H < 22 and H < 24, respectively) are likely to be stable on billion-year timescales, and ETAs large enough to remain stable on billion-year timescales are very rare relative to the rest of the ETA population. We find that a twilight ETA survey will not drastically increase the likelihood of individual ETA detection, but it would provide orders of magnitude more observations of select ETA populations. The null detection to date from ZTF restricts the potential ETA population to hundreds of objects larger than 100 m (at H ≈ 22), while a null detection by LSST will further restrict the ETA population to tens of objects larger than 100 m.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Organo‐Functionalized Lacunary Double Cubane‐Type Oxometallates: Synthesis, Structure, and Properties of [(M II Cl) 2 (V IV O) 2 {((HOCH 2 CH 2 )(H)N(CH 2 CH 2 O))(HN(CH 2 CH 2 O) 2 )} 2 ] (M=Co, Zn)

Abstract Organofunctionalized tetranuclear clusters [(M II Cl) 2 (V IV O) 2 {((HOCH 2 CH 2 )(H)N(CH 2 CH 2 O))(HN(CH 2 CH 2 O) 2 )} 2 ] (1, M=Co,2: M=Zn) containing an unprecedented oxometallacyclic {M 2 V 2 Cl 2 N 4 O 8 } (M=Co, Zn) framework have been prepared by solvothermal reactions. The new oxo‐alkoxide compounds were fully characterized by spectroscopic methods, magnetic susceptibility measurement, DFT and ab initio computational methods, and complete single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction structure analysis. The isostructural clusters are formed of edge‐sharing octahedral {VO 5 N} and trigonal bipyramidal {MO 3 NCl} units. Diethanolamine ligates the bimetallic lacunary double cubane core of1and2in an unusual two‐mode fashion, unobserved previously. In the crystalline state, the clusters of1and2are joined by hydrogen bonds to form a three‐dimensional network structure. Magnetic susceptibility data indicate weakly antiferromagnetic interactions between the vanadium centers [J iso (V IV −V IV )=−5.4(1); −3.9(2) cm −1 ], and inequivalent antiferromagnetic interactions between the cobalt and vanadium centers [J iso (V IV −Co II )=−12.6 and −7.5 cm −1 ] contained in1.

Chemistry↗

Biosynthetic Pathway for the Epipolythiodioxopiperazine Acetylaranotin in Aspergillus terreus Revealed by Genome-based Deletion Analysis

Abstract Epipolythiodioxopiperazines (ETPs) are a class of fungal secondary metabolites derived from cyclic peptides. Acetylaranotin belongs to one structural subgroup of ETPs characterized by the presence of a seven-membered dihydrooxepine ring. Defining the genes involved in acetylaranotin biosynthesis should provide a means to increase production of these compounds and facilitate the engineering of second-generation molecules. The filamentous fungus Aspergillus terreus produces acetylaranotin and related natural products. Using targeted gene deletions, we have identified a cluster of 9 genes including one nonribosomal peptide synthase gene, ataP, that is required for acetylaranotin biosynthesis. Chemical analysis of the wild type and mutant strains enabled us to isolate seventeen natural products that are either intermediates in the normal biosynthetic pathway or shunt products that are produced when the pathway is interrupted through mutation. Nine of the compounds identified in this study are novel natural products. Our data allow us to propose a complete biosynthetic pathway for acetylaranotin and related natural products.

Aspergillus terreus, Epipolythiodioxopiperazine, A↗