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From September 21 to 22, 2020, the annual conference of the German Medical Library Association (AGMB) took place – online due to corona. The conference was held under the motto “AGMB 2020: Into the next 50 years with innovation” and included a somewhat streamlined but very compact and varied program compared to normal years. The presentations dealt with open science and open access transformation contracts, literature research in the health care sector, national research data infrastructure and the development of Kiel’s medical publications from 2015 to 2019.

ZB MED is the national center for the delivery of information and literature in the life sciences in Germany. Libraries undergo change – as a result of the ongoing digital transformations – leading to a change in information access and changed publication behavior as well as more ease in literature supply through the libraries. As a consequence, started to align its supply to the identified needs and to the distribution of the supply of literature recognized in the “full system” in Germany. The poster presents this paradigm shift and shows the current status.

ZB MED – Information Center for Life Sciences, Europe’s most important medical library, outlines its view of the entire scope of open access: Since 2003 ZB MED has been intensely committed to open access. Beside the practical service of non-commercial user-friendly publication platforms for fast dissemination of scientific research results, ZB MED has gradually expanded its advisory services like FAQs, training sessions and scientific lectures since 2014. The library’s strategic focus on integrating numerous open access publications into its catalogue is accompanied by the license department’s commitment to enter into transformation contracts. Overall these various opportunities offered by ZB MED represent its claim to be the driving force for open Access in the field of life sciences.

Brown or chocolate coat color in many mammalian species is frequently due to variants at the B locus or TYRP1 gene. In dogs, five different TYRP1 loss-of-function alleles have been described, which explain the vast majority of dogs with brown coat color. Recently, breeders and genetic testing laboratories identified brown French Bulldogs that did not carry any of the known mutant TYRP1 alleles. We sequenced the genome of a TYRP1+/+ brown French Bulldog and compared the data to 655 other canine genomes. A search for private variants revealed a nonsense variant in HPS3, c.2420G>A or p.(Trp807*). The brown dog was homozygous for the mutant allele at this variant. The HPS3 gene encodes a protein required for the correct biogenesis of lysosome-related organelles, including melanosomes. Variants in the human HPS3 gene cause Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome 3, which involves a mild form of oculocutaneous albinism and prolonged bleeding time. A variant in the murine Hps3 gene causes brown coat color in the cocoa mouse mutant. We genotyped a cohort of 373 French Bulldogs and found a strong association of the homozygous mutant HPS3 genotype with the brown coat color. The genotype-phenotype association and the comprehensive knowledge on HPS3 function from other species strongly suggests that HPS3:c.2420G>A is the causative variant for the observed brown coat color in French Bulldogs. In order to clearly distinguish HPS3-related from the TYRP1-related brown coat color, and in line with the murine nomenclature, we propose to designate this dog phenotype as "cocoa", and the mutant allele as HPS3co.

S100A9, a multifunctional protein mainly expressed by neutrophils and monocytes, poses an immunological paradox. In virus infections or sterile inflammation, it functions as an alarmin attracting innate immune cells, as well as mediating proinflammatory effects through TLR4 signaling. However, in cancer, S100A9 levels have been shown to associate with poor prognosis and lack of response to immunotherapy. Its expression by myeloid cells has been related to an immune suppressive phenotype, the so-called myeloid derived suppressor cells (MDSCs). Targeting S100A9 in cancer has therefore been proposed as a potential way to relieve myeloid-mediated immune suppression. Surprisingly, we found that blocking the extracellular TLR4 signaling from S100A9 using the inhibitor Paquinimod, resulted in increased tumor growth and a detrimental effect on anti-PD-L1 efficacy in the CT26 tumor model. This effect was caused by a reduction in the tumor immune infiltration to about half of untreated controls, and the reduction was made up of a 5-fold decrease in Ly6Chigh monocytic cells. The suppressive Ly6G+ myeloid cells compartment was not reduced by Paquinimod treatment, suggesting alternative mechanisms by which S100A9 contributes to myeloid-mediated suppression. Intratumoral injection of recombinant S100A9 early after mice inoculation with CT26 cells had an anti-tumor effect. These findings indicate an important yet understudied role of S100A9 as an alarmin and immune stimulatory signal in cancer settings, and highlight the potential to exploit such signals to promote beneficial antitumor responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: A dog imported from Greece to Germany presented a mass in the mammary gland. Cytology of the secretion was performed, and besides the malignant epithelial cells, amastigotes of Leishmania (L.). infantum were identified. Diagnoses of mammary carcinoma and canine leishmaniasis were confirmed by histopathology, PCR testing, and serology. The detection of L. infantum amastigotes in the mammary glands indicates a possible shedding by the milk and makes trans-mammary transmission to puppies theoretically possible as another route of L. infantum transmission apart from vectorial transmission by sand flies, blood transfusion, vertical transmission, and venereal transmission. Mammary tumors are one of the most common neoplasms in female dogs, and cytology represents a non-invasive diagnostic method. The protozoal pathogen Leishmania spp. was previously demonstrated in canine mammary glands. An eight-year-old, female-spayed Doberman was imported from Crete, Greece, three years before the first presentation. The dog was presented due to a mammary tumor two years after adoption. The clinical examination revealed fever and weight loss. Smears of the mammary secretion were investigated cytologically. Multiple atypical epithelial cells with moderate to marked criteria of malignancy were detected. Furthermore, amastigotes were visible intra- and extracellularly. The diagnosis of L. infantum infection was based on a positive PCR out of the cytological smear, and a positive serology. Mammary carcinoma and granulomatous inflammation with amastigotes were confirmed by histopathology. We aimed to provide a complete report of cytological, histopathological, hematological, and biochemistry findings in a dog with L. infantum in the mammary glands with focus on trans-mammary pathogen transmission as a potential alternative way of spreading Leishmania infections. Canine leishmaniasis should be a potential differential diagnosis in dogs with lesions and/or inflammation in the mammary glands and a history of presence in areas endemic for L. infantum, especially the Mediterranean in Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metal azides are highly energetic materials that release a large amount of gas upon detonation. They also release metal particles, generating an aerosol. The most common azide is sodium azide (NaN3), which is used nowadays in car airbags. If the decomposition is not complete, harmful azide particles might be inhaled. Heavy metal azides find application as a primary explosive (primer) in ammunition. Public health officials have raised concerns about heavy metal particles released during training in shooting ranges. We identify a lack of knowledge on airborne metal particles properties released from azide detonation and on the analytical methods applied to characterize them. As a case study, we detonated milligram amounts of silver azide, copper azide, and a mixture of them in a glove box. We then analyse the airborne particles with an ensemble analytical setup, able to measure real-time their particle size distribution and chemical composition. We detected spherical metal nanoparticles in the range of 2–500 nm. These findings and the developed analytical tools may allow identifying airborne nanoparticles the passenger compartments of vehicles after airbag activation as well as in indoor shooting ranges, contributing to the evaluation of public health risks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In ferromagnets, domain patterns can be controlled globally using magnetic fields or spin-polarized currents. In contrast, the local control of the magnetization on the nanometer length scale remains challenging. Here, we demonstrate how magnetic domain patterns in a Tm-doped yttrium iron garnet (Tm:YIG) thin film with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy can be permanently and locally imprinted by high intensity photon pulses of a hard x-ray transient grating (XTG). Micromagnetic simulations provide a qualitative understanding of the observed changes in the orientation of magnetic domains in Tm:YIG and XTG-induced changes. The presented results offer a route for the local manipulation of the magnetic state using hard XTG. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Fibroblast growth factor (FGF)-23 is a phosphaturic hormone. The information regarding reference intervals (RIs) of FGF-23 in cats is limited. We aimed to establish RIs in a large cohort of clinically healthy cats and to investigate correlations with sex and age. A total of 118 cats with unremarkable complete blood count and serum chemistry profiles were included. RIs were calculated using the reference interval advisor software 2.1 (Microsoft Excel). The RI for FGF-23 concentrations spanned 85.8 to 387.0 pg/mL (90% confidence interval: lower limit 40.5 to 103.9 pg/mL, upper limit: 354.6 to 425.0 pg/mL). No significant relationships (r2 = 0.044) were detected with age (p = 0.081) or sex (p = 0.191). Other studies of the same diagnostic assay calculated RIs of 56 to 700 pg/mL in 79 cats and <336 pg/mL in 108 cats, and concordance with the present study did not detect any correlation with sex or age. Fibroblast growth factor (FGF)-23 is a phosphaturic hormone. An association between increasing FGF-23 levels and progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD) was documented in cats, dogs, and humans. The information regarding reference intervals (RIs) of FGF-23 in cats is limited. We aimed to establish RIs in a large cohort of clinically healthy cats and to investigate correlations with sex and age. A total of 118 cats with unremarkable complete blood count and serum chemistry profile were included. Clinically sick cats, cats with concurrent diseases, suspicion of CKD, or receiving renal diets were excluded. FGF-23 concentrations were measured with the FGF-23 ELISA Kit. RIs were calculated using the reference interval advisor software 2.1 (Microsoft Excel). FGF-23 concentrations were correlated with sex and age. The RI for FGF-23 concentrations spanned 85.8 to 387.0 pg/mL (90% confidence interval: lower limit 40.5 to 103.9 pg/mL, upper limit: 354.6 to 425.0 pg/mL). No significant relationships (r2 = 0.044) were detected with age (p = 0.081) or sex (p = 0.191). Other studies of the same diagnostic assay calculated RIs of 56 to 700 pg/mL in 79 cats and <336 pg/mL in 108 cats, and in concordance with the present study, did not detect any correlation with sex or age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Equine piroplasmosis (EP) is caused by Theileria (T.) equi and/or Babesia (B.) caballi. The aim was to assess the percentage of positive test results for EP in horses in Europe and to identify risk factors for pathogen contact/infection. This study included results from PCR and competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay testing requested by European veterinarians between 2008 and 2021. Binary bivariate logistic regression was used to analyze risk factors. A total of 4060 horses were included. PCR testing was positive in 9.7% (154/1589), serology for T. equi in 15.2% (393/2591) and for B. caballi in 6.8% (175/2578). The odds of positive serology increased by 6.8% (B. caballi, p = 0.008) and 9.5% (T. equi, p < 0.001) each year. Regionality had a statistically significant impact on PCR (Eastern p = 0.047/OR = 1.605; Southern p = 0.029/OR = 1.451; Central p = 0.007/OR = 0.617) and serological testing for T. equi (Southern p < 0.001/OR = 2.521; Central p < 0.001/OR = 0.537; Northern p = 0.003/OR = 0.462), as well as breeds on seroprevalence of B. caballi (heavy horses: p = 0.016/OR = 2.239) and T. equi (ponies: p = 0.007/OR = 0.340; warmbloods: p = 0.025/OR = 1.602). In conclusion, there was a significant geographical impact on the results of PCR and serology, consistent with known vector habitats. The rising numbers of horses tested serologically positive highlights the importance of surveillance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]