Search

Human papillomavirus (HPV) infections account for nearly all cervical cancer cases, which is the fourth most common cancer in women worldwide. High-risk variants, including HPV16, drive tumorigenesis in part by promoting the degradation of the tumor suppressor p53. This degradation is mediated by the HPV early protein 6 (E6), which recruits the E3 ubiquitin ligase E6AP and redirects its activity towards ubiquitinating p53. Targeting the protein interaction interface between HPV E6 and E6AP is a promising modality to mitigate HPV-mediated degradation of p53. In this study, we designed a covalent peptide inhibitor, termed reactide, that mimics the E6AP LXXLL binding motif by selectively targeting cysteine 58 in HPV16 E6 with quantitative conversion. This reactide provides a starting point in the development of covalent peptidomimetic inhibitors for intervention against HPV-driven cancers.

p-(Difluoroiodo)toluene (p-TolIF2) is a versatile fluorinating agent that acts as both a surrogate for elemental fluorine, and as a source of ‘electrophilic’ fluorine. Described here is a detailed three-step synthesis of p-TolIF2, carried out on a 50 mmol scale, that consistently provides high-quality product that is suitable for long-term storage. The reactions employ inexpensive, readily available starting materials and reagents, and uses the commodity chemical 48% aqueous HF as the source of fluorine atoms.

A rapid, mild and metal-free intermolecular cyclopropanation between iodonium ylides and alkene-containing substrates mediated by PhI(OAc)2·Bu4NI is reported. Iodonium ylides of cyclic and acyclic 1,3-dicarbonyls were reacted with a variety of mono-, di-, tri- and tetra-substituted alkenes of various structural types to give 29 cyclopropanes in up to 97% yield.

A combined experimental and computational investigation was conducted to identify a mild and effective Lewis-acidic activator for TolIF2 in the gem-difluorination of diazo compounds. Computationally, borosilicate, a common constituent of laboratory glassware, was found to spontaneously activate TolIF2, and an extensive experimental survey confirmed borosilicate as the most effective activator to date. The key to realizing this borosilicate-activated reaction was the use of high purity TolIF2, which is prepared by a reproducible, multigram-scale synthesis.

The airlines are constantly challenged with the crew, fuel, and new regulation issues that impact their financial and operational performances. Some of these challenges are beyond the control of airlines. However, it is extremely important to be efficient in the areas that the airlines have control over. Flight line maintenance, also called as through flight maintenance, involves regular walk-around checks of aircraft between their arrival and successive departure at the airport. The lack of adequate line maintenance personnel has a major impact on on-time flight departures. Accordingly, having the right number of maintenance crew sizes is crucial for on-time performance and profitability in particular at their hubs and busy airports. This study offers a generic discrete-event simulation modelling for airlines to help them with staffing their line maintenance crew teams. The application of the model is presented to a US airline operating at their busiest hub. Different crew teams and their impact on key performance indicators are tested and reported for this airline.

Pre-formed phenyliodonium ylides of cyclic and acyclic β-diketones, β-keto esters and β-diesters were reacted with (dichloroiodo)benzene, resulting in transfer of both chloride ligands onto the ylidic carbon. These two hypervalent iodine(III) compounds exhibit high reactivity towards each other under mild reaction conditions and typically afford the gem-dichloride products in good yield. Upon comparison of these chlorination reactions with those of the analogous diazocarbonyl compounds, reactions of iodonium ylides were unilaterally faster, and often gave the products in higher yield.

An iodide-mediated reaction between cyclic iodonium ylides of 1,3-dicarbonyls and 3-alkylidene-2-oxindoles results in 3H-spiro[furan-2,3′-indolin]-2′-ones. The reaction was tolerant to substitutions on both the alkylidene and ylide substrates and provided access to 19 new, densely functionalized polycyclic spirocycles in typically high yield.

New high-resolution visible Fourier transform emission spectra of the A (2)Π → X (2)Σ(+) and B' (2)Σ(+) → X (2)Σ(+) systems of (24)MgD and of the B' (2)Σ(+) → X (2)Σ(+) systems of (25,26)MgD and (25,26)MgH have been combined with earlier results for (24)MgH in a multi-isotopologue direct-potential-fit analysis to yield improved analytic potential energy and Born-Oppenheimer breakdown functions for the ground X (2)Σ(+) state of MgH. Vibrational levels of the ground state of (24)MgD were observed up to v" = 15, which is bound by only 30.6 ± 0.10 cm(-1). Including deuteride and minor magnesium isotopologue data allowed us also to determine the adiabatic Born-Oppenheimer breakdown effects in this molecule. The fitting procedure used the recently developed Morse/Long-Range (MLR) potential energy function, whose asymptotic behavior incorporates the correct inverse-power form. A spin-splitting radial correction function to take account of the (2)Σ spin-rotation interaction was also determined. Our refined value for the ground-state dissociation energy of the dominant isotopologue ((24)MgH) is D(e) = 11,104.25 ± 0.8 cm (-1), in which the uncertainty also accounts for the model dependence of the fitted D(e) values for a range of physically acceptable fits. We were also able to determine the marked difference in the well depths of (24)MgH and (24)MgD (with the deuteride potential curve being 7.58 ± 0.30 cm(-1) deeper than that of the hydride) as well as smaller well-depth differences for the minor (25,26)Mg isotopologues. This analytic potential function also predicts that the highest bound level of (24)MgD is v" = 16 and that it is bound by only 2.73 ± 0.10 cm(-1).

A proof of concept study was undertaken to determine the suitability of monocarbonyl iodonium ylides (MCIYs) as metallocarbene precursors. Exposing Wittig reagents to iodosylbenzene results in a pseudo-Wittig reaction that generates MCIYs in situ. These ylides are intercepted by transition-metal catalysts to generate metallocarbenes, which then undergo either dimerization or cyclopropanation reactions with a variety of alkenes. Additionally, the reaction between diazoester-derived metallocarbenes and Wittig reagents afforded cross-coupling products, illustrating a new type of olefination reaction for phosphonium ylides.

Pre-formed phenyliodonium ylides of cyclic and acyclic β-diketones, β-keto esters and β-diesters were reacted with (dichloroiodo)benzene, resulting in transfer of both chloride ligands onto the ylidic carbon. These two hypervalent iodine(III) compounds exhibit high reactivity towards each other under mild reaction conditions and typically afford the gem-dichloride products in good yield. Upon comparison of these chlorination reactions with those of the analogous diazocarbonyl compounds, reactions of iodonium ylides were unilaterally faster, and often gave the products in higher yield.

The recently introduced [Mol. Phys. 105, 663 (2007)] ‘Morse/long-range’ (or MLR) potential energy function is a very flexible form which explicitly incorporates the theoretically predicted inverse-power-sum long-range tail, is smooth and differentiable everywhere, and includes the well depth , equilibrium distance r e, and long-range interaction coefficients Cm as explicit parameters. This form is being used increasingly commonly in direct-potential-fit analyses of experimental data. The present work shows that the MLR form can readily accommodate the inclusion of ‘damping functions’ in the description of the long-range potential tail, and that inclusion of such terms leads to much more realistic short-range extrapolation behaviour. Illustrative applications to the ground electronic states of MgH, Li2 and ArXe are presented.

Diazoacetate derivatives react with Ph-ICl2 or Tol-IF2 to afford gem-dichlorinated or gem-difluorinated products in the presence of a Lewis base or Lewis acid, respectively.

A proof of concept study was undertaken to determine the suitability of monocarbonyl iodonium ylides (MCIYs) as metallocarbene precursors. Exposing Wittig reagents to iodosylbenzene results in a pseudo-Wittig reaction that generates MCIYs in situ. These ylides are intercepted by transition-metal catalysts to generate metallocarbenes, which then undergo either dimerization or cyclopropanation reactions with a variety of alkenes. Additionally, the reaction between diazoester-derived metallocarbenes and Wittig reagents afforded cross-coupling products, illustrating a new type of olefination reaction for phosphonium ylides.

A hypervalent iodine reagent-based α-carbonyl dihalogenation reaction is reported. Treating diazoacetate derivatives with either iodobenzene dichloride or iodotoluene difluoride results in gem-dichlorination or gem-difluorination products, respectively. The reaction is catalyzed by either Lewis acid or Lewis base activation of the aryl-λ(3)-iodane (ArIX2) species and proceeds rapidly and chemoselectively to the desired gem-difunctionalized products in good to excellent yield.