Infants' Social Evaluation of Helpers and Hinderers: A Large-Scale, Multi-Lab, Coordinated Replication Study.

Evaluating whether someone's behavior is praiseworthy or blameworthy is a fundamental human trait. A seminal study by Hamlin and colleagues in 2007 suggested that the ability to form social evaluations based on third-party interactions emerges within the first year of life: infants preferred a character who helped, over hindered, another who tried but failed to climb a hill. This sparked a new line of inquiry into the origins of social evaluations; however, replication attempts have yielded mixed results.

Validation of an open source, remote web-based eye-tracking method (WebGazer) for research in early childhood.

Measuring eye movements remotely via the participant's webcam promises to be an attractive methodological addition to in-person eye-tracking in the lab. However, there is a lack of systematic research comparing remote web-based eye-tracking with in-lab eye-tracking in young children. We report a multi-lab study that compared these two measures in an anticipatory looking task with toddlers using WebGazer.

Your turn, my turn. Neural synchrony in mother-infant proto-conversation.

Even before infants utter their first words, they engage in highly coordinated vocal exchanges with their caregivers. During these so-called proto-conversations, caregiver-infant dyads use a presumably universal communication structure-turn-taking, which has been linked to favourable developmental outcomes. However, little is known about potential mechanisms involved in early turn-taking.

Fluorinated organocatalysts for the enantioselective epoxidation of enals: molecular preorganisation by the fluorine-iminium ion gauche effect.

The fluorine-iminium ion gauche effect is triggered upon union of a secondary β-fluoroamine and an α,β-unsaturated aldehyde, providing a useful strategy for controlling the molecular topology of intermediates that are central to organocatalytic processes. The β-fluoroamine (S)-2-(fluorodiphenylmethyl)pyrrolidine (1) is an effective catalyst for the enantioselective epoxidation of α,β-unsaturated aldehydes. A process of structural editing has revealed that the efficiency of this catalyst is due to the (fluorodiphenyl)methyl group when it is embedded in a β-fluoroiminium motif.

Fluorine conformational effects in organocatalysis: an emerging strategy for molecular design.

Molecular design strategies that profit from the intrinsic stereoelectronic and electrostatic effects of fluorinated organic molecules have mainly been restricted to bio-organic chemistry. Indeed, many fluorine conformational effects remain academic curiosities with no immediate application. However, the renaissance of organocatalysis offers the possibility to exploit many of these well-described phenomena for molecular preorganization.

Preparation of a storable zinc carbenoid species and its application in cyclopropanation, chain extension, and [2,3]-sigmatropic rearrangement reactions.

The formation of a new phosphate carbenoid (n-BuO)(2)P(O)OZnCH(2)I and its application in organozinc-mediated reactions is described. This carbenoid undergoes very slow degradation in solution and can be stored for several weeks at -20 degrees C. Its reactivity was tested with many representative alkenes and was determined to be a powerful cyclopropanating reagent, giving the corresponding cyclopropanes in 72-99% yield.

Enantioselective synthesis of 1,2,3-trisubstituted cyclopropanes using gem-dizinc reagents.

The first asymmetric cyclopropanation of allylic alcohols using gem-dizinc carbenoids, which allows the synthesis of 1,2,3-substituted cyclopropane derivatives in high yields and excellent enantio- and diastereoselectivities, is reported. The initially formed cyclopropylzinc undergoes an in situ B/Zn exchange with the stoichiometric chiral ligand to generate a cyclopropyl borinate that can be directly engaged in a Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reaction.

Electrostatic self-assembly of PEG copolymers onto porous silica nanoparticles.

A critical requirement toward the clinical use of nanocarriers in drug delivery applications is the development of optimal biointerfacial engineering procedures designed to resist biologically nonspecific adsorption events. Minimization of opsonization increases blood residence time and improves the ability to target solid tumors. We report the electrostatic self-assembly of polyethyleneimine-polyethylene glycol (PEI-PEG) copolymers onto porous silica nanoparticles.

Cycloadditions of aromatic azomethine imines with 1,1-cyclopropane diesters.

The cycloaddition of aromatic azomethine imines to 1,1-cyclopropane diesters was achieved using Ni(ClO4)2 as catalyst. The methodology gives access to unique tricyclic dihydroquinoline derivatives with dr up to 6.6:1.