A traceless photocleavable linker for the automated glycan assembly of carbohydrates with free reducing ends.

We report a traceless photocleavable linker for the automated glycan assembly of carbohydrates with free reducing ends. The reductive-labile functionality in the linker tolerates all commonly used reagents and protocols for automated glycan assembly, as demonstrated with the successful preparation of nine plant cell wall-related oligosaccharides, and is cleaved by hydrogenolysis.

[Examination of the lower respiratory tract of Psittacinae and Amazoninae species by means of reconstructive transmission computed tomography. 2: Examination of parrots with respiratory symptoms]. / Untersuchungen am unteren Respirationstrakt von Psittacinae- und Amazoninae-Arten mit Hilfe der rekonstruktiven Röntgentransmissionstomographie. Teil 2: Untersuchungen an Papageien mit Atemwegssymptomatik.

To date, the lack of clinical signs, the misjudgement of possible signs and the limits of available, diagnostic tools in non-domesticated birds have made the diagnosis of respiratory disease in tropic psittacines very difficult. In accordance to this, the examinations performed prove that many diseased psittacines are diagnostically misjudged. The disease was either not noticed at all, or was only noticed in advanced stages when therapy was without success. With the use of a non-invasive diagnostic tool--computed tomography--pathological alterations in diseased gray parrots and amazons were able to be assessed based on anatomical data gained in the previous investigations on healthy birds (see part 1). In a next step results gained by CT examinations were compared to those obtained by conventional radiography. In contrast to the conventional radiography, the CT was able to demonstrate less evident alterations in earlier stages of development, thus solving problems of diagnosis which are specific for avian medicine. Especially in endangered animals, the use of such a diagnostic technique in combination with other conventional methods should be highly considered. A quick and early recognition of disease, paving the way for a successful therapy, is the fundamental prerequisite for the preservation and breeding of endangered species, making it an important, veterinary contribution to animal conservation.

[Examination of the lower respiratory tract of Psittacines and Amazoniae varieties by means of reconstructed computer x ray tomography. 1: Examination of healthy parrots]. / Untersuchungen am unteren Respirationstrakt von Psittacinae- und Amazonae-Arten mit Hilfe der rekonstruktiven Röntgentransmissionstomographie. Teil 1: Untersuchungen an gesunden Papageien.

The number of psittacines kept as pets is rapidly increasing in Germany. The main cause of disease and death in these and other tropical birds are respiratory tract affections. Yet, a lack of consolidated, systematic research on the anatomy and pathology of these affections in gray parrots and amazons still widely persists. In a first step examinations on the anatomy of the respiratory tract of gray parrots and amazons were performed. By the means of computed tomography, morphological structures as well as volume and density measurements were conducted on this subject for the first time. By this, important, fundamental knowledge on the anatomy of the different parts of the psittacine respiratory tract as well as aspects of volume and density were gained. The computed tomography (CT) proved to be a valuable, informative and due to its non-invasive application, a careful method for examining patients. These aspects recommend it in the examination and research projects of other endangered exotic species as well. Due to its ability to image a longitudinal cross section as a standard cross section--which is not possible in humans or large animals--better information on the expansion of organs/structures in the longitudinal body axis could be obtained. A remarkable reduction of costs and performance time as well as the possibility of a direct comparison with conventional radiographs is also given. In a second step, with the use of the CT, pathological alterations in diseased gray parrots and amazons were then assessed based on anatomical data gained in the previous investigations on healthy birds. These results will be described later in a second part.

Environmental occurrence of the Whipple's disease bacterium (Tropheryma whippelii).

Whipple's disease is a systemic disorder in which a gram-positive rod-shaped bacterium is constantly present in infected tissues. After numerous unsuccessful attempts to culture this bacterium, it was eventually characterized by 16S rRNA gene analysis to be a member of the actinomycetes. The name Tropheryma whippelii was proposed. Until now, the bacterium has only been found in infected human tissues, but there is no evidence for human-to-human transmission. Here we report the detection of DNA specific for the Whipple's disease bacterium in 25 of 38 wastewater samples from five different sewage treatment plants in the area of Heidelberg, Germany. These findings provide the first evidence that T. whippelii occurs in the environment, within a polymicrobial community. This is in accordance with the phylogenetic relationship of this bacterium as well as with known epidemiological aspects of Whipple's disease. Our data argue for an environmental source for infection with the Whipple's disease bacterium.

Whipple's disease: staging and monitoring by cytology and polymerase chain reaction analysis of cerebrospinal fluid.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Diagnostic procedures in Whipple's disease usually focus on the intestine, but symptomatic central nervous system involvement is a major threat for patients. The aim of this study was to determine the diagnostic value of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis. METHODS: A total of 39 CSF samples and 2 brain biopsy specimens that were obtained from 24 patients with Whipple's disease at various intervals after diagnosis were examined. Five patients presented with neurological symptoms, 3 of them as relapses after therapy. Thirty-two CSF samples were examined by polymerase chain reaction for Tropheryma whippelli and 20 CSF samples by cytology. Brain biopsy specimens were examined histologically. RESULTS: Positive results were obtained in 4 of 5 patients (80%) with neurological symptoms, in 7 of 10 patients (70%) without neurological symptoms examined before therapy, and in 3 of 11 patients (27%) without neurological symptoms studied during or after therapy. Conversion from positive to negative was observed in 4 patients after antibiotic treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Testing of CSF in Whipple's disease yields a high rate of positive results, even in patients without neurological symptoms. Examination of CSF is therefore potentially useful for initial staging and for monitoring of the efficiency of therapy.