Advances in technology, and the constant competitive necessity to upgrade workforce skills mean that employees need to be trained continuously. For that reason, Siemens Healthineers expanded its premium subscription for workforce education management, PEPconnections, with a Virtual Library, which provides customers with the ability to add their own learning content to their group. With PEPconnections institutions can easily manage their workforce education, design learning plans, manage, assign and administer online training and professional development activities for employee groups in hospitals and laboratories. Importantly, it does not matter whether the learning activities were developed by Siemens Healthineers, the institution itself, or any other source. Customers now can easily upload their own content as PDFs, videos, documents or links to the Virtual Library. Following upload, items in the Virtual Library are available for general usage or can be assigned to group members through a new or existing learning plan. PEPconnections allows subscribers to manage staff competency and skills – supporting them in transforming care delivery for enhanced patient outcomes. Institutions can benefit from Siemens Healthineers trainings but also have the ability to individualize their learning experience and upload their own content. PEPconnections provides a connection to knowledge in digitalizing healthcare that is designed to increase staff competency, efficiency, and productivity.
The basis is PEPconnect – the industry’s first personalized education and performance experience for healthcare professionals worldwide. It provides medical professionals with customized training and professional development opportunities, with learning activities in topics on laboratory diagnostics, medical imaging and minimally-invasive therapy. The activities are designed at Siemens Healthineers by experts in key areas, such as application design, instructional technology and information security. Learners can also construct a learning experience personalized to their needs, and share their learning experience with others via a range of social media channels or groups they are members of within PEPconnect.
Almost 300,000 professionals are already using PEPconnect for their training and professional development needs in up to eight different languages.
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Cardiovascular disease caused by atherosclerosis is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in Western countries. Atherosclerosis involves the hardening and narrowing of vessels in the systemic system. If the build-up increases, plaque rupturing may occur which may lead to myocardial infarction.
The mission of the National Lipid Association (NLA) “is to enhance the practice of lipid management in clinical medicine” as the current lipid testing panel consists of LDL-C, HDL-C and triglycerides. These traditional tests only detect approximately 20% of all coronary artery disease patients.  Advanced lipid testing is recommended to optimise patient treatment.
Randox offer a range of niche and superior performance lipid assays including sdLDL-C and Lp(a) to extend your lipid profile.
 
For more information go to: https://www.randox.com/lipid-testing-panel/
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Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is found on the skin of many adults and does not usually cause disease. However, when passed to infants at birth, GBS can cause severe disease that can be deadly. This makes it a leading cause of infections in newborns. Fortunately antibiotic treatment during delivery can protect the baby. ViroStat has released a new Rabbit Monoclonal Antibody specific to GBS. This antibody reacts with the GBS Lancefield carbohydrate antigen found on the surface of the bacterium. This antigen can be released from specimens by extraction and detected via immunoassay methods. This new antibody reacts with all GBS strains tested but does not react with other Strep groups. This antibody joins ViroStat’s existing Rabbit Monoclonal Antibody to group A Streptococcus (GAS) as tools for rapid detection.
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A DNA microarray based on EUROArray technology provides parallel detection of the two main polymorphisms associated with primary lactose intolerance (13910 C/T and 22018 G/A) in one test. Genetically-caused deficiency of the digestive enzyme lactase affects around 20% of Europeans and almost all adults in large parts of Asia.  According to current knowledge, homozygous carriers of the wild type variant (13910 C/C or 22018 G/G) develop lactose intolerance, while heterozygous carriers of the polymorphisms (13910 C/T or 22018 G/A) only show corresponding symptoms in stress situations or with intestinal infections. Homozygous carriers of the mutant variant (13910 T/T or 22018 A/A) are lactose tolerant as adults. These latter gene variants prevail especially in population groups with a long tradition of pastoralism, for example in Europe.  Primary lactose intolerance needs to be distinguished from the secondary (acquired) form, which can develop as a result of other gastrointestinal diseases and is often only temporary. Molecular genetic determination is able to differentiate the two forms, in contrast to classical diagnostic procedures such as the hydrogen breath test or blood sugar test which cannot distinguish the primary and secondary forms.
The EUROArray Lactose Intolerance Direct provides simple and fast detection of the two polymorphisms 13910 C/T and 22018 G/A, allowing confirmation or exclusion of primary lactose intolerance with high probability. In the case of positive results, homozygous and heterozygous states are differentiated. The assay can be performed directly on pre-treated whole blood, eliminating the need for time- and cost-intensive DNA isolation. Numerous integrated controls ensure high reliability of results, for example, by verifying that there are no other rare mutations in direct proximity to the tested positions which could interfere with the analysis. Data evaluation, interpretation and archiving are fully automated using the EUROArrayScan software, ensuring standardized, objective results. All EUROArray processes from sample arrival to report release are IVD validated and CE registered.

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