Perception and production of English vowels by Mandarin speakers: age-related differences vary with amount of L2 exposure

In this study we assessed age-related differences in the perception and production of American English (AE) vowels by native Mandarin speakers as a function of the amount of exposure to the target language. Participants included three groups of native Mandarin speakers: 87 children, adolescents and young adults living in China, 77 recent arrivals who had lived in the U.S. for two years or less, and 54 past arrivals who had lived in the U.S. between three and five years. The latter two groups arrived in the U.S. between the ages of 7 and 44 years. Discrimination of six AE vowel pairs /i-i/, /i-e(I)/, /e-ae/, /ae-a/, /a-(symbol see text)/, and /u-a/ was assessed with a categorial AXB task. Production of the eight vowels /i, i, e(I), e, ae, (symbol see text), a, u/ was assessed with an immediate imitation task. Age-related differences in performance accuracy changed from an older-learner advantage among participants in China, to no age differences among recent arrivals, and to a younger-learner advantage among past arrivals. Performance on individual vowels and vowel contrasts indicated the influence of the Mandarin phonetic/phonological system. These findings support a combined environmental and L1 interference/transfer theory as an explanation of the long-term younger-learner advantage in mastering L2 phonology.     

A Mechanistically and Operationally Simple Route to Metal–N-Heterocyclic Carbene (NHC) Complexes

We have been puzzled by the involvement of weak organic and inorganic bases in the synthesis of metal–N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) complexes. Such bases are insufficiently strong to permit the presumed required deprotonation of the azolium salt (the carbene precursor) prior to metal binding. Experimental and computational studies provide support for a base-assisted concerted process that does not require free NHC formation. The synthetic protocol was found applicable to a number of transition-metal- and main-group-centered NHC compounds and could become the synthetic route of choice to form M–NHC bonds.     

Fungal terpene metabolites: biosynthetic relationships and the control of the phytopathogenic fungus Botrytis cinerea

The structures and biosynthesis of the sesquiterpenoid metabolites of Botrytis cinerea and their relationship to the presilphiperfolanes are reviewed. The development of a novel strategy for the control of this phytopathogenic fungus based on analogues of these metabolites is described. There are 75 references.     

Biosynthetic studies on the botcinolide skeleton: new hydroxylated lactones from Botrytis cinerea

[reaction: see text] The biosynthetic origin of the botcinolide skeleton was investigated by means of feeding 13C- and 2H-labeled precursors to Botrytis cinerea. Three new compounds, two homobotcinolide derivatives, 3-O-acetylhomobotcinolide (5) and 8-methylhomobotcinolide (6), and a new 11-membered lactone (7), were isolated. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic data, including one-bond and long-range 1H-13C correlations. The relative stereochemistries were determined by combined analyses of NOE data and 1H-1H coupling constants. According to the results of feeding experiments with 13C- and 2H-labeled acetate and l-S-methylmethionine, 5 is an acetate-derived polyketide whose methyl groups originate from l-S-methylmethionine. This is a rare example of the incorporation of a methyl from methionine into a supposed C3 starter unit of the polyketide synthesis.     

Biotransformation of clovane derivatives. Whole cell fungi mediated domino synthesis of rumphellclovane A

Here we describe the biotransformation of clovane derivatives by filamentary fungi Pestalotiopsis palustris and Penicillium minioluteum, and the application of the latter to the synthesis and determination of the absolute configuration of rumphellclovane A (2). Methoxyclovanol (1), a growth inhibitor of the phytopathogen Botrytis cinerea, is metabolised by P. palustris to yield rumphellclovane A (2), a natural compound recently isolated from the gorgonian coral Rumphella antipathies, two new compounds, (1R,2S,5S,8R,9S,10R)-2-methoxyclovane-9,10-diol (5) and (1S,2S,5S,7R,8R,9R)-2-methoxyclovane-7,9-diol (6), hydroxylated in positions not easily accessed by classic synthetic chemistry, and clovanodiols 3 and 4. P. minioluteum is able to selectively transform methoxyclovanol (1) into clovanodiols 3 and 4 and, in turn, lactone 8, the putative intermediate in the above mentioned synthesis of rumphellclovane A (2), into compound 2 via a domino process. The ability of P. minioluteum to carry out the cleavage of ethers on clovane derivatives is also evaluated.     

Synthesis of Spirovetivane Sesquiterpenes from Santonin. Synthesis of (+)-Anhydro-beta-rotunol and all diastereomers of 6,11-spirovetivadiene

The synthesis of the spirovetivane sesquiterpenes (+)-anhydro-beta-rotunol and all the diastereomers of 6,11-spirovetivadiene in enantiomerically pure form has been achieved starting from santonin. The key step is the silicon-guided acid-promoted rearrangement of a 1-trimethylsilyl-4,5-epoxyeudesmane prepared from santonin in several steps involving lactone reductive opening, conjugate addition of TMSLi-CuCN, deoxygenation of a carbonyl group, and epoxidation. Rearrangement of the epoxide gave a spiro[4,5]decanediol which was used as a synthetic intermediate. From this compound, (+)-anhydro-beta-rotunol was prepared after elimination of the primary hydroxyl group in the side chain, followed by allylic oxidation at C8 and elimination of the tertiary hydroxyl group in the cyclohexane ring. On the other hand, elimination of the hydroxyl group in the side chain and reduction of the hydroxyl in the cyclohexane ring gave (-)-premnaspirodiene and (-)-hinesene. The synthesis of the rest of the diastereomers for these compounds required formal inversion of the C5 spiro carbon. The synthesis of these compounds showed that the structure of (-)-agarospirene isolated from Scapania sp. was erroneously assigned, and it has been corrected to be identical to that of (-)-hinesene.     

Simultaneous spectrophotometric-multivariate calibration determination of several components of ophthalmic solutions: phenylephrine, chloramphenicol, antipyrine, methylparaben and thimerosal

The use of multivariate spectrophotometric calibration for the simultaneous determination of several active components and excipients in ophthalmic solutions is presented. The resolution of five-component mixtures of phenylephrine, chloramphenicol, antipyrine, methylparaben and thimerosal has been accomplished by using partial least-squares (PLS-1) and a variant of the so-called hybrid linear analysis (HLA). Notwithstanding the presence of a large number of components and their high degree of spectral overlap, they have been determined simultaneously with high accuracy and precision, with no interference, rapidly and without resorting to extraction procedures using non aqueous solvents. A simple and fast method for wavelength selection in the calibration step is presented, based on the minimisation of the predicted error sum of squares (PRESS) calculated as a function of a moving spectral window.     

Cyanine-Like Boronic Acid-Derived Salicylidenehydrazone Complexes (Cy-BASHY) for Bioimaging Applications

Boronic acid-derived salicylidenehydrazone complex (BASHY) dyes with a polymethine backbone were designed to yield efficient red-emitting and two-photon absorbing fluorophores that can be used as markers for astrocytes. The dyes are chemically stable in aqueous solution and do not undergo photodecomposition. Their photophysical properties can be electronically fine-tuned and thereby adapted to potentially different imaging situations and requirements.