Diastereoselective aza-Michael additions of phenylethylamine to 3-aroylbutenoic acids are reported. During these processes, efficient control over two new stereogenic centers on the Michael acceptor has been possible via crystallization-induced asymmetric transformation (CIAT). As an application, a convenient two-step synthesis of anti-beta-methylhomophenylalanines is also described.

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Abstract This article aims to describe the personality of the talented Czech linguist and distinctive philosopher Alois Richard Nykl, with a special focus on his repeated stays in Mexico as well as his reflection of the post-revolutionary developments there. The unpublished travelogue “Present-Day Mexico”, complemented with the author’s short texts and other archive materials from Nykl’s estate, served as the initial material for this study. This has resulted in a colourful and multilayered picture of the Mexican society in the 1920s as well as Nykl’s complex personality. After over 90 years, his analyses of the contemporary situation and estimates of the future development of Mexico provide an opportunity for an interesting comparison with the present state of affairs.