The 1,3-difunctionalization of alkenes represents a pivotal transformation in organic synthesis. Herein, we report an innovative electrochemical strategy for the 1,3-difunctionalization of alkenes with aldehydes to access 1,4-diketones via convergent paired electrolysis. This methodology demonstrates remarkable versatility and successfully applies to a wide variety of aryl aldehydes, as well as structurally diverse allylbenzenes, while exhibiting exceptional efficiency, selectivity, and functional group compatibility, thereby underscoring its extensive applicability.

Enantioenriched 1,2-amino alcohols are key motifs in biologically active compounds and invaluable chiral synthons. Despite significant advances in relevant preparations, there is still a scarcity of modular and enantioconvergent methods for the synthesis of chiral vicinal amino alcohols from readily available precursors. Herein, we describe a Ni-catalyzed enantioconvergent decarboxylative arylation, leveraging racemic serine- and isoserine-derived redox-active esters (RAEs) as coupling partners. These RAEs serve as inexpensive, bench-stable, and readily available alkyl radical precursors. This protocol offers a robust, divergent, and versatile catalytic platform, enabling the construction of enantioenriched α- and β-arylated vicinal amino alcohols. It features high modularity, exceptional functional group tolerance, a broad substrate scope, and precise stereocontrol under mild conditions. Its utility is demonstrated through the successful late-stage functionalization of complex bioactive molecules, offering a streamlined route to a diverse array of novel analogues from a valuable scaffold.

The difluoromethylene group is a key fluorinated moiety in drug design, capable of providing desirable physicochemical properties and bioactivity. Despite this importance, very few methods have been reported for the one-step synthesis of β-difluoroaryl propionate derivatives, which are valuable potential drug intermediates. Therefore, this study developed a nickel-catalyzed cross-coupling reaction that employs ethyl 3-bromo-2,2-difluoropropanoate as a novel fluoroalkylating agent with arylboronic acids. The developed method enabled the efficient construction of β-difluoroaryl propionates under mild conditions, and showcased broad substrate scope coupled with exceptional functional group tolerance. Thus, this work offers a simple and efficient synthetic route to access these valuable fluorine-containing frameworks.

Exceptional groups and the s-arc-transitivity of vertex-primitive digraphs, I

The deoxyfluorination reaction has established itself as the most efficient methodology for direct fluorination, offering straightforward access to fluorinated compounds. In recent years, a number of deoxyfluorination reactions employing diverse fluorinating reagents and activating groups have been reported. Herein, we have developed a strategy for the rapid and mild sulfonium salt-mediated deoxyfluorination of alcohols without requiring preactivation. This innovative strategy demonstrates remarkable substrate versatility across tertiary, secondary, and primary alcohol substrates while maintaining exceptional functional group tolerance. Notably, we have successfully extended this strategy to complex natural molecules containing hydroxyl groups and established its viability for deoxyfluorination modifications. Combined control experiments and DFT calculations provide insights into the reaction pathway and the crucial role of the sulfonium salt in the reaction process.

Abstract Trinh and Xue have proposed a startling conjecture on intersections of blocks of cyclotomic Hecke algebras occurring in modular representation theory of finite reductive groups. We prove this conjecture for all exceptional type groups apart from a few situations in type $$E_8$$ E 8 . We also give a conceptual proof in all cases where relative Weyl groups are cyclic. Furthermore, we propose several generalisations, to Suzuki and Ree groups, to non-rational Coxeter groups and even more generally to spetsial complex reflection groups, and confirm these in various cases.

Block-transitive t-(k2,k,λ) designs and finite simple exceptional groups of Lie type

Photocatalytic 1,2-difluoromethylation/aminosulfonylation of unactivated alkenes: Access to β-difluoromethylated sulfonamides

Amine functionalization is crucial in pharmaceutical and agrochemical synthesis yet direct enantioselective α-C(sp3)-H functionalization of N-alkyl anilines remains challenging. Here we show a metallaphotoredox-catalysed radical approach for α-C(sp3)-H arylation of N-alkyl anilines, introducing a simple, sterically hindered aryl ketone photocatalyst. This key innovation slows undesired back-electron transfer, enabling efficient α-anilinoalkyl radical generation. Our strategy uses a sequential single-electron transfer and proton transfer process, thereby overcoming multiple limitations of existing methods. In conjunction with a chiral nickel catalyst, we have achieved site-selective, enantioselective arylation of diverse N-alkyl anilines with various (hetero)aryl halides. The method exhibits exceptional functional group tolerance, enabling modular functionalization of complex molecular structures. This approach provides an effective route to valuable α-aryl amines, offering significant possibilities for drug discovery and streamlining challenging synthetic sequences.

The Atherton-Todd (A-T) reaction has long been regarded as a cornerstone method for synthesizing a wide array of phosphorus(V) compounds. However, despite its vast synthetic potential, achieving precise stereocontrol in this transformation remains a challenge. Here we present the highly efficient and direct asymmetric A-T reaction, using biomimetic peptide-phosphonium salt catalysts to enable the stepwise and precise synthesis of a diverse array of phosphorus(V)-based scaffolds. We demonstrate the efficient generation of three distinct stereogenic phosphorus(V) species-phosphoryl chlorides, phosphinates and phosphonates-while maintaining exceptional functional group compatibility and delivering outstanding enantioselectivity. Our mechanistic studies, complemented by density functional theory calculations, uncover the ability of the peptide-phosphonium salt catalysts to modulate the chiral environment, selectively recognizing and pre-assembling phosphorus substrates and/or nucleophilic species. This finely tuned chiral cavity facilitates a stepwise-controllable, enantioselective A-T reaction, providing an elegant strategy for the synthesis of stereochemically defined phosphorus ligands, bioactive molecules and oligonucleotides.

Synthesis and bioactivity evaluation of isoxazoline scaffolds using heterogeneous photocatalytic (3+2) cycloaddition.

I am thrilled to join Family Court Review (FCR) as the new Social Science Editor. I am honored and profoundly privileged to take on this prestigious role within the family law community. I approach this opportunity with an earnest appreciation for those who have contributed to the journal's history over the past sixty-plus years. I have tremendous respect for FCR's longstanding tradition of connecting scholarship, law, and mental health practice to support and serve children and families engaged in family law matters. The articles published in FCR have been instrumental to my own learning journey over the past two decades. My access to FCR through my AFCC membership has been one of the most significant benefits. I follow in the footsteps of giants in the field and an exceptional group of Social Science Editors whose collective wisdom has helped shape FCR into a leading voice in family law. From the early days of collaboration between scholars and jurists to the most recent tenure of Dr. Marsha Kline Pruett, each editor has brought unique insights and energy. Dr. Kline Pruett's leadership, intellectual curiosity, and inclusive approach have enhanced the journal's influence and reputation. Under her guidance as Social Science Editor, FCR has strengthened its interdisciplinary perspective, expanded its global reach, and remained unwavering in addressing the most challenging and divisive issues facing family law practitioners. It is an honor to carry on this legacy and continue the conversations she so skillfully fostered. FCR has always been distinguished by its dedication to embracing complexity rather than sidestepping it. The journal has never aimed to provide simple answers. Instead, it serves as a platform for rigorous investigation, critical reflection, and sincere collaborative discussions about the changing intersections of family, law, and society. In my work, situated at the intersection of social science research, social work, and family law, I have observed that real progress depends on collaboration across boundaries. It involves curiosity about what exists beyond one's own discipline. My editorial philosophy is guided by four key principles: rigor, relevance, inclusion, and integrity. While only a small portion of FCR articles are empirical studies, I believe that all manuscripts, whether conceptual, policy-oriented, or practice-focused, must demonstrate clarity, coherence, and grounding in the best available evidence, practice wisdom, and child-centred approaches. I am dedicated to increasing the diversity of voices and perspectives in FCR by mentoring emerging scholars, promoting interdisciplinary and international contributions, and ensuring that both conceptual and practice-oriented work meet the same standards of rigor and integrity as empirical research. My approach also emphasizes a purposeful approach that prioritizes social science evidence, identifies and prevents advocacy bias, and ensures that scholarship remains connected to the realities of the children and families we serve. As we look ahead, the challenges facing our field continue to expand in scope and complexity, including confronting and reducing polarization, supporting the authentic inclusion of children's voices, prioritizing safety-first approaches for children and families, screening and addressing family violence, enhancing responses in cases of parent–child contact problems, and increasing artificial intelligence literacy and the ethical use of technology. These are not isolated issues. They are interconnected, global, and urgent. In my role, I will also help the Editor-in-Chief identify and develop special problems, such as trauma-informed courts, international perspectives on co-parenting, and evaluations of court-involved programs. I am eager to work with our esteemed Editor-in-Chief, Barbara Babb, the AFCC leadership, Hofstra's Center for Children, Families, and the Law, and the exceptional student editorial team to maintain efficient workflows and ensure timely, high-quality publication. FCR is part of the larger AFCC community. I am most thankful for the incredible leadership of our Executive Director, Bryan Altman, and the Board of Directors. I am most appreciative of your accepting my application and providing me with this remarkable opportunity. To the community of readers, contributors, reviewers, AFCC members and practitioners in the field who support FCR, thank you for your dedication to advancing meaningful dialogue and your commitment to evidence-informed family law practice. Together, we uphold a tradition of rigorous, respectful, and innovative scholarship. I look forward to continuing this journey with you. Data sharing not applicable to this article as no datasets were generated or analyzed. Michael A. Saini is a Full Professor at the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work and also holds a cross-appointment as an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Law, University of Toronto. He is the endowed Factor-Inwentash Chair in Law and Social Work and serves as Co-Director of the J.D./M.S.W. program. He is the past president of the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC). In 2019, he received the Stanley Cohen Distinguished Research Award from AFCC, sponsored by the Oregon Family Institute. He is also a two-time recipient of the Meyer Elkin Essay Award from the Family Court Review in 2018 and 2024.

Dearomatization offers a powerful route towards three-dimensional spirocyclic architectures, which are pivotal in bioactive molecules and pharmaceuticals, particularly for enantioselective construction of congested quaternary spirocenters. However, biocatalytic dearomatization towards these attractive spirocyclic frameworks under mild and green conditions remain underexplored. Here, we report a photoenzymatic platform synergizing visible-light activation with engineered nicotinamide-dependent ketoreductase (KRED) catalysis to achieve highly enantioselective dearomative spirocyclization of N-hydroxyphthalimide esters. Semi-rational engineering of KRED P2-D12 enables the synthesis of diverse chiral spirocyclohexadienones, also including the challenging ortho-cyclohexadienones, with exceptional functional group tolerance and stereocontrol (up to >99% ee). The utility of this methodology is underscored significantly by the enantioselective total synthesis of the cytotoxic natural product (+)-denobilone A (93% ee). Overall, this work establishes a chemobiocatalytic platform for the synthesis of complex and chiral spiroarchitectures with high enantioselectivity, expanding the biocatalytic toolbox in sustainable synthetic chemistry.

In this research, we study the geometry of the moduli space of Spin(8,C)-Higgs bundles over a compact Riemann surface through the analysis of singular spectral curves and the triality automorphism of Spin(8,C). We establish a characterization of triality invariance, proving that a Spin(8,C)-Higgs bundle admits a reduction to the exceptional group G2 if and only if its spectral curve is invariant under the induced triality action. This transforms the problem of detecting G2-structures into a question about spectral data. We decompose the discriminant locus of the Hitchin fibration into two disjoint strata: a fixed stratum arising from G2-Higgs bundles with singular spectral curves and a free stratum consisting of orbits of size three under triality. We prove the existence of non-abelian spectral data compatible with triality symmetry, showing that non-abelian phenomena persist in free triality orbits. To quantify symmetry breaking, we introduce a triality defect invariant, which measures the dimension of the quotient of the Prym variety by its triality-invariant sublocus, and we prove that Higgs bundles with positive defects form a Zariski open dense subset.

In the realm of molecular construction, the skeletal editing techniques of heterocyclic compounds demonstrate unique efficiency, particularly in synthesizing molecular structures that are challenging to obtain through traditional synthetic methods. Compared to the ring-contraction reaction of saturated nitrogen heterocycles and aryl rings, the site selectivity and stereoselective skeletal editing of pyrimidine fused heterocycles remain relatively underdeveloped. Here we report a chiral hypervalent iodine(III)-catalyzed skeletal editing of pyrimidine moieties within polynitrogen heterocycles, which efficiently produces optically pure multi-substituted imidazoline rings. The reaction demonstrates exceptional functional group tolerance, as shown by the ring contraction of diverse polynitrogen heterocycles and the late-stage functionalization of M1G-dR and its analogues, including nucleosides, nucleotides, and oligonucleotides. Density functional theory calculations explore the details of the mechanism and the factors that determine the reaction’s stereoselectivity.

Abstract Although life expectancy has dramatically increased over the last century, reaching the age of 100 years is still somewhat rare. Past investigations have investigated correlates of longevity, but less research has addressed different pathways to longevity. The purpose of this symposium is to highlight components distinguishing different survivorship groups. A second purpose is to assess whether longevity groups show different levels of functioning and mortality risk. All four presentations conducted latent profile analyses to determine the most optimal number of longevity groups and included additional analyses to predict functioning and mortality risks among the groups. The first presentation included longevity components based on the Georgia Centenarian Study model (e.g., family longevity, environmental support, and individual characteristics) that defined latent classes predicting levels of functioning. The second presentation used a similar set of longevity predictors in the Iowa Centenarian Study as the basis for exploring within-domain and between-domain longevity groups. The Kuakini Hawaii Centenarian Study presentation addresses the relevance of two genetic factors (i.e., APOE and FOXO3) in combination with environmental factors to distinguish between longevity groups. Finally, findings from the Health and Retirement Study display distinct profiles of longevity among adults 80 years and older based on family longevity, physical health, personality, and life satisfaction. The presentations also address profile group differences in functioning and mortality risk. The four presentations provide novel information about different profile groups of long-lived individuals, underlining policy and practical implications for these exceptional survivorship groups as they show different levels of functioning.

Thiophosphates represent important scaffolds that find extensive applications in pharmaceutical development and organic synthesis. However, the development of general and sustainable synthetic approaches to those compounds remains scarce. Herein, an atom-economic H2O2-mediated oxidative S-H/P(O)-H cross-coupling with H2O as the byproduct, and Et3N/air-mediated dehydrogenative cross-coupling of thiols and trialkyl phosphites(III) have been developed for the construction of thiophosphates. These environmentally benign and mild strategies exhibited exceptional functional group compatibility and providing access to a wide array of S-P architectures (46 examples, yields up to 95%). Crucially, both methods feature operational simplicity, facile scalability, and direct applicability to bioactive molecule synthesis. Detailed mechanistic studies indicated that a radical pathway was involved in the synthesis of thiophosphates.

We present an environmentally benign and efficient strategy for the direct amination of benzylic C(sp3)─H bonds. This method operates under metal-free, photocatalyst-free, and oxidant-free conditions. Notably, the protocol demonstrates exceptional functional group tolerance and scalability, enabling gram-scale synthesis and late-stage functionalization of complex drug-like molecules.

The novel copper-catalyzed radical-triggered annulation-halocyanomethylation reaction, involving preprepared alkynyl-substituted bicyclo[1.1.0]butanes (BCBs) and haloacetonitrile, was reported for the first time, enabling the synthesis of various halocyanomethylated spirocyclobutyl quinolinones with moderate to high yields and perfect regioselectivity. This method exhibits broad substrate adaptability and exceptional functional group tolerance and is distinguished by its capacity to directly form up to three new chemical bonds while constructing a spirocyclic framework in a single step.

Abstract We show that, under mild assumptions, the Fano surfaces of lines on smooth cubic threefolds are the only smooth subvarieties of abelian varieties whose Tannaka group for the convolution of perverse sheaves is an exceptional simple group. This in particular leads to a considerable strengthening of our previous work on the Shafarevich conjecture. A key idea is to control the Hodge decomposition on cohomology by a cocharacter of the Tannaka group of Hodge modules, and to play this off against an improvement of the Hodge number estimates for irregular varieties by Lazarsfeld–Popa and Lombardi.