The Evolution of In-Field Medical Affairs: Introducing the Strategic Scientific Advisor.

The evolving landscape of healthcare demands a transformation in Medical Affairs (MA) to address new challenges and opportunities. This article presents the Strategic Scientific Advisor (SSA) role as a critical innovation within our MA department, aimed at enhancing early engagement with stakeholders and strategically positioning assets within the healthcare ecosystem. The SSA role was developed following a comprehensive external assessment and an internal review of the MA department's structure to integrate the CARABELA methodology, which serves as the foundation for SSA activities.

Understanding the National Healthcare Ecosystem to Position Medical Affairs as a Strategic Element: Lessons Learned from AstraZeneca Spain.

Introduction: The rapidly evolving healthcare landscape has prompted Medical Affairs (MA) departments within pharmaceutical companies to transition from their traditional role as information providers to becoming strategic partners in the healthcare ecosystem. Responding to the increasing complexity of patient needs and stakeholder dynamics within Spain's national health system, this shift emphasizes the importance of aligning MA functions with broader healthcare goals. Effective transformation requires in-depth assessments of stakeholder trends and expectations.

Chemical shift prediction in C NMR spectroscopy using ensembles of message passing neural networks (MPNNs).

This study reports a deep learning approach that utilises message passing neural networks (MPNNs) for predicting chemical shifts in C NMR spectra of small molecules. MPNNs were trained on two distinct datasets: one with approximately 4000 labelled structures and another with over 40,000. To reduce stochastic variation, an ensemble framework was implemented, which is simple to deploy on multiple nodes of a High-Performance Computing facility.

Proposal of a workplace classification model for heart attack accidents from the field of occupational safety and health engineering.

Research on occupational accidents is a key factor in improving working conditions and sustainability. Fatal accidents incur significant human and economic costs. Therefore, it is essential to examine fatal accidents to identify the factors that contribute to their occurrence.

Deep-sea mining rock-fragment dispersal scenarios associated with submesoscale forcings: A case study in the Atlantic.

In the last few years, the exploitation of deep-sea regions for minerals extraction raised international attention as an economically viable source for the mining industry. However, most of these minerals are found close to sensitive ecosystems that can be harmed by mining activities. Given the potential impact, there is a need for the establishment of best practices towards the adoption of preventive strategies for the sustainable management and exploitation of deep-sea environments.

Campylobacter assessment along the Spanish food chain: Identification of key points.

Aims: Campylobacteriosis, caused by Campylobacter spp., is one of the most important foodborne zoonotic diseases in the world and a common cause of gastroenteritis. In the European Union, campylobacteriosis is considered the most common zoonotic disease, with over 10,000 cases in 2020 alone.

Spatial and temporal analysis of African swine fever front-wave velocity in wild boar: implications for surveillance and control strategies.

The front-wave velocity of African swine fever (ASF) virus spread is depicted through a retrospective spatial and temporal analyses of wild boar outbreaks from Jan. 2014 to Jan. 2022 in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Eastern Poland-regions responsible for more than 50% of all wild boar cases in the EU.

The role of veterinarians in zoonosis prevention: Advising families of immunocompromised children with pets.

Background: Pet ownership is widespread, offering numerous benefits to individuals and families. However, the risk of zoonotic diseases must be carefully considered, especially for immunosuppressed patients. Knowledge gaps in preventive measures for zoonoses have been identified, underscoring the vital role of veterinarians in addressing this issue.

Salmonella assessment along the Spanish food chain: Likelihood of Salmonella occurrence in poultry and pig products is maintained across the food chain stages.

Salmonellosis is one of the most important foodborne diseases worldwide, including the European Union. Despite the One Health approach measures for risk assessment and risk management implemented by the European Union, the occurrence of disease and disease outbreaks remains high (e.g.

Socio-economic factors affecting the distribution of marine litter: The Portuguese case study.

Marine litter is a growing global problem with serious environmental, economic, social, and health threats. Understanding the socio-economic factors that influence the types and amounts of litter is of utmost importance. In this study, an integrative analysis of the socio-economic factors that characterize the beach litter distribution in continental Portugal and the Azores archipelago was conducted via a cluster analysis, implementing a novel technique to support the difficult task of marine litter characterization.

Immunomodulatory, Anti-Inflammatory, and Anti-Cancer Properties of Ginseng: A Pharmacological Update.

Ginseng, a medicinal plant of the genus , boasts a rich historical record of usage that dates back to the Paleolithic period. This botanical is extensively acknowledged and consumed in Eastern countries for its therapeutic properties, and, in Western countries, it is becoming increasingly popular as a remedy for fatigue and asthenia. This review provides an update on current research pertaining to ginseng and its isolated compounds, namely, ginsenosides and polysaccharides.

Performance of an Expert Sensory Panel and Instrumental Measures for Assessing Eating Fruit Quality Attributes in a Pear Breeding Programme.

Breeding programmes count on stable trained panels that support breeding evaluation selections. This work aimed to evaluate the performance of a small expert panel in the join IRTA-PFR breeding programme to validate its use in the sensory assessments of fruit pear genotypes during the selection process. A breeding F1 population of 80 pear seedlings from this programme was used.

Neuropharmacological Effects in Animal Models and HPLC-Phytochemical Profiling of (L.) Kunth Bark Extracts.

is a species that grows in various areas of Latin America. It was known to be useful for the treatment of different human ailments. The present work evaluated the neuropharmacological and analgesic effects of hydroalcoholic and dichloromethane extracts of .

Balancing the Risks and Benefits of Pet Ownership in Pediatric Transplant Recipients.

In recent decades, the number of pediatric transplantations and their survival rates have increased. Psychological problems and poorer quality of life are notable among children undergoing transplantation and can have long-lasting consequences and affect immunosuppressive therapy adherence. Pet ownership and animal contact have been associated with physical, mental, and social health benefits.

Pets for pediatric transplant recipients: To have or not to have.

Pets have many health, emotional and social benefits for children, but the risk of zoonotic infections cannot be underestimated, especially for immunosuppressed patients. We report the recommendations given by health professionals working with pediatric transplant recipients to their families regarding pet ownership. An online survey addressing zoonosis knowledge and recommendations provided by health care practitioners regarding pets was distributed to clinicians treating pediatric transplant recipients.

Analysis of perceived risk and satisfaction with telematic follow-up in patients and families of congenital diaphragmatic hernia patients during SARS-CoV-2 pandemia.

Background: The impact of COVID-19 in families and patients with congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) is unknown, this situation has generated uncertainty not only in family members but also in the optimal outpatient follow-up. Telehealth has become a fundamental tool for the follow-up during the pandemic. The objective of this survey is to evaluated the impact of SARS-CoV-2 in families and patients with CDH and the satisfaction with telematic follow-up.

Intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography following mitral valve repair: a systematic review.

Objective: We aimed to examine the recent evidence and search for novel assessments on intraoperative TEE following mitral valve repair that can impact short and long-term outcomes.

Methods: The Ovid MEDLINE, PubMed, and EMBASE databases were searched from January 1, 2008, until January 27, 2021, for studies on patients with severe Mitral Valve Regurgitation (MR) undergoing Mitral Valve (MV) repair surgery with intraoperative Transesophageal Echocardiography (TEE) performed after the repair. Additional searches were conducted using Google search engine, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library.

Use of a Rotating Square Spatial-Frequency Filter to Map the Optical Path Length Variation in Microscopic Biological Samples.

Gradient images can be obtained using a rotating square mask to filter the angular spectra of the wavefront generated by a complex transmittance object. This method can be applied to measure the three-dimensional structure of microscopic biological samples through the relationship of the phase with the optical path length. This work describes the implementation of a system using an inverted optical microscope and shows the experimental results of phase maps generated by boar sperm cells.

African Swine Fever Survey in a European Context.

African swine fever (ASF) is currently the most threatening disease for domestic and wild pigs worldwide. Wild boar has been the main affected species in all EU countries except for Romania, where most notifications occur in domestic pigs. The spread of ASF in wild boar is challenging to control; risk factors are harder to identify and establish than in domestic pigs, which, together with an underestimation of the disease and the lack of treatment or an effective vaccine, are hindering control and eradication efforts.