The present invention provides a spontaneous orientation aid for a liquid crystal composition, containing one kind or two or more kinds of a compound having a partial structure represented by the general formula (i), wherein Z.sup.i1 represents a single bond, etc.; A.sup.i1 represents a divalent 6-membered aromatic group, etc.; m.sup.i1 represents an integer of 1 to 5; and K.sup.i1 represents a structure represented by any of the following formulae (K-1) to (K-8), wherein W.sup.K1 represents a methine group, etc.; X.sup.K1 and Y.sup.K1 each represent CH.sub.2, etc.; Z.sup.K1 represents an oxygen atom, etc.; and U.sup.K1, V.sup.K1, and S.sup.K1 each represent a methine group, etc.:

##STR00001##

The present invention relates to compounds which modulate (e.g., inhibit) the activity of beta-hydrolase (e.g., ASPH), including novel 2-aryl-5-amino-3(2H)-furanone and 2-heteroaryl-5-amino-3(2H)-furanone compounds, pharmaceutical compositions thereof, methods for their synthesis, and methods of using these compounds to modulate the activity of ASPH in an a cell-free sample, a cell-based assay, and in a subject. Other aspects of the invention relate to use of the compounds disclosed herein to ameliorate or treat cell proliferation disorders.

Methods of synthesizing intermediates useful for the synthesis of halichondrin B analogs are described.

Methods of synthesizing intermediates useful for the synthesis of halichondrin B analogs are described.

Methods of synthesizing intermediates useful for the synthesis of halichondrin B analogs are described.

Methods of synthesizing intermediates useful for the synthesis of halichondrin B analogs are described.