Camerata, Harmony North and Codetta prove a terrific trio at US performance
Camerata, Harmony North and Codetta prove a terrific trio at US performance
Randox accompanied a group of musicians from across Northern Ireland and Ireland to Washington DC this weekend, for a world-class musical performance.
World-renowned chamber orchestra Camerata Ireland, the Harmony North choir, a cross-community choir made up of 9 post-primary school choirs from across North Belfast and the Codetta choir from Derry / Londonderry travelled to the US to perform on Saturday 21 May. The event took place in the Eisenhower Theater in America’s National Cultural Centre, The John F. Kennedy Centre for the Performing Arts, Washington DC.
The Codetta and Harmony North Choirs, and the Camerata Ireland orchestra, supported by global sponsor Randox, included in their performance a specially commissioned piece of music called ‘Dusty Bluebells’ – written by the poet Michael Longley, and Camerata founder and director Barry Douglas – on Saturday evening as part of the Centre’s International Festival, focusing on Irish arts and culture. The event also marked the world premiere of Olagon, a piece of music written by Belfast composter Neil Martin, and played by Dublin piper Mark Redmond, on the uilleann pipes.
Speaking ahead of the event, Barry Douglas, Founder and Artistic Director of Camerata Ireland, whose joint patrons are Her Majesty The Queen and the President of Ireland, said
“It is a real honour for Camerata Ireland to be asked to take part in this Festival with musical talent from both North and South. And I am doubly thrilled that we were able to accommodate my suggestion of being joined by the young people of the Harmony North choir.
Performances like this are only possible with the generous support of private sponsors, particularly our global sponsor Randox, and we are delighted to continue our partnership with them. I also have to thank the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, the Northern Ireland Bureau and Tourism Ireland for their generous financial assistance and help enabling us to attend this event.”
Barry and Eimear McGeown, a flautist from Craigavon, also performed at events in the Boston Public Library and the American Irish Historical Society in New York, attended by Randox guests on this recent trip to the US.
Randox Managing Director Dr. Peter FitzGerald, commented:
“We are very pleased to have been able to accompany Barry Douglas and Camerata Ireland at events in Washington, New York and Boston this week. To see our young musicians, including the young members of the exceptionally gifted Harmony North choir, showcase our musical heritage and talent to American audiences, makes us extremely proud. Our partnership with Camerata allows Randox the opportunity to promote client relationships and exports to the USA whilst simultaneously supporting the very best of our young musicians in their careers.”
Harmony North has been supported in their first year by the Integrated Education fund, Mr Tony Carson, the Belfast Trust for Integrated Education and the support of the schools, staff and parents of all the participating schools.
Is your Aspirin treatment effectively preventing thrombotic stroke?
The Stroke Association works to improve stroke prevention, treatment and care with a vision for a world where there are fewer strokes. They host Stroke Awareness Month every year and “Make May Purple” to raise awareness of the ways to lower the risks of taking a stroke and to help those affected by it.
What is a stroke?
For the brain to function properly, it needs the oxygen and nutrients provided by the blood. Stroke occurs when a blood vessel in the brain bursts or, more commonly, when a blockage develops which leaves the supply of the blood to the brain limited or completely obstructed and without treatment; cells in the brain quickly begin to die.
If an individual is at risk or has suffered from a stroke before, medication is often recommended by doctors to lower the risk. Anti-platelet drugs, including Aspirin, keep platelets in the blood from sticking together and forming clots possibly preventing another stroke.
However, there are risks to taking Aspirin every day…
There can be risks of taking Aspirin and some experts do not recommend it if the individual hasn’t already had a stroke. The benefits of taking daily Aspirin therapy don’t outweigh the risk of bleeding in people with a low risk of strokes; although the higher the risk of stroke, the more likely it is that the benefits of daily Aspirin outweigh the risk of bleeding.
Taking daily Aspirin may help to reduce clot-related stroke but it also may increase the risk of a bleeding stroke known as haemorrhagic stroke. Daily Aspirin may also increase the risk of gastrointestinal bleeding, if an individual has a bleeding ulcer or if they are bleeding anywhere else in the gastrointestinal tract, taking Aspirin will cause it to bleed more. Also some individuals can be allergic to Aspirin and if they take any it can trigger a serious allergic reaction.
Not everyone responds in the same way to Aspirin!
For a number of reasons including genetic factors; other medications; dosage problems; diabetes; and elevated cholesterol, not all patients respond in the same way to Aspirin therapy. Aspirin resistance is a serious clinical problem and is estimated to affect up to 30% of patients on a low dosage. It is vital that Aspirin resistance is recognised as these patients may need their treatment altered to prevent dangerous clotting.
The TxBCardio™ test helps to identify patients who have a sub-optimum response to their Aspirin therapy. Patients who have a sub-optimum response to their Aspirin therapy are three times more likely to die from a stroke than those who respond positively to such therapy.
This Stroke Awareness Month, we are encouraging the testing of at-risk individuals to ensure that they are responding in the correct way to Aspirin therapy, by taking the TxBCardio™ test! This will not only help the tailoring of treatment to reduce the risk of stroke, but it will also ensure that patients are not exposed to any unnecessary risk of side-effects associated with daily Aspirin consumption.
For health professionals
The primary action of Aspirin is to inhibit the production of thromboxane in the blood, a chemical which helps to cause blood clotting. However, methods of directly measuring the level of thromboxane in blood are unreliable, and so not widely used. Randox TxBCardio™ measures a direct urinary metabolite of thromboxane, 11dhTxB, therefore providing a reliable and stable measure of a patient’s response to their daily Aspirin therapy. This test is available on most automated biochemistry analysers.
Contact us now to request a brochure or kit insert.
Support World Kidney Day with Randox Renal Function Tests
World Kidney Day is a global campaign aimed at raising awareness of the importance of our kidneys to our overall health. It aims to reduce the frequency and impact of kidney disease and its associated health problems worldwide.
The main objectives of World Kidney Day are to educate all medical professionals about their key role in detecting and reducing the risk of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD), particularly in high risk populations, and to stress the important role of local and national health authorities in controlling the CKD epidemic. On World Kidney Day all governments are encouraged to take action and invest in further kidney screening.
World Kidney Day highlights the need for more accurate kidney function testing for better diagnosis and monitoring of kidney function to assist in the development of appropriate treatment plans. As such, Randox have invested in the development of more sensitive and specific renal function tests such as cystatin C, which may be requested if kidney function is found to be borderline using the more routinely run creatinine test. Doctors may request cystatin C to check for early kidney disease and/or to monitor known impairment over time.
Cystatin C is a particularly useful marker of renal function in patients where creatinine measurements are not suitable e.g. individuals who are obese, malnourished, have liver cirrhosis or reduced muscle mass. Importantly, unlike creatinine, cystatin C does not have a ‘blind area’ – up to 50% of renal function can be lost before significant creatinine elevation occurs. Cystatin C is extremely sensitive to very small changes in GFR and is therefore capable of detecting early stage kidney dysfunction.
Both World Kidney Day and Randox are working towards improving healthcare worldwide. With a comprehensive panel of high performance reagents, Randox are helping with the detection and characterisation of renal function problems. With early diagnosis it will be possible to keep kidney problems from getting worse, therefore lowering the number of those diagnosed with CKD worldwide.
If you are a clinician or lab interested in running renal function assays, Randox offers a large range of high quality routine and niche assays including: Cystatin C, Creatinine Enzymatic and Jaffe, Microalbumin, Urinary Protein, Urea, Sodium, Potassium, Albumin, Ammonia, β2- Microglobulin, Calcium, Chloride, Glucose, HbA1c, IgG, LDH, Magnesium, Phosphorus (Inorganic), and Uric Acid. These can be run on most automated biochemistry analysers.
For more information, download our Reagents Brochure or email reagents@randox.com.
Global healthcare provider Randox Health to become Official Partner of the Grand National Festival
Global innovative healthcare company, Randox Health, will become the new Official Partner of the world’s greatest race, the Grand National, and the three-day Grand National Festival staged at Aintree Racecourse.
Randox Health is a world leader in healthcare diagnostics; today more than 5% of the world’s population – in excess of 370 million people across 145 countries – receives medical diagnosis using Randox products each year.
Offering the world’s most advanced preventive health screening in their clinics, currently in London and Belfast, Randox Health plans to roll out clinics nationally and internationally over the next 12 months, including in Liverpool, Manchester, Edinburgh and Dublin. The Randox Health checks aim to prevent illness and enhance wellbeing by running hundreds of tests from one simple patient sample. These unique tests give an extraordinary insight into every aspect of a person’s health.
Founded in 1982 in County Antrim by leading medical scientist and keen horseman, Dr. Peter FitzGerald CBE, Randox Health is dedicated to improving health and enhancing lives, worldwide. To achieve their goals the company is committed to an extensive research programme, investing more than £220m since 1992. The company currently employs more than 1,400 people of 44 different nationalities.
This research has also led to the establishment of a number of successful subsidiary companies supporting forensic toxicology, food safety and veterinary care, as well as leading developments within the pharmaceutical industry.
With around 9 million people tuning in each year in the UK, the £1 million Grand National currently attracts one of the largest live TV audiences in sport and Channel 4’s largest audience of the year. From 2017, the first year with new partner Randox Health, the race will be broadcast on ITV. Worldwide the event attracts an estimated television audience of around 600 million, with more than 150,000 people enjoying the action live from Aintree Racecourse in Merseyside over the course of the three-day racing festival.
Randox Health also becomes the Official Healthcare Partner of The Jockey Club. Founded in 1750 and today British Racing’s largest commercial group, The Jockey Club runs many of the sport’s most iconic assets which as well as the Grand National Festival include the Cheltenham Festival, The Investec Derby Festival and The National Stud, with all profits going back into the sport thanks to being a company incorporated by Royal Charter.
Crabbie’s, Title Partner for the 2016 Grand National Festival being held 7th to 9th April and the previous two runnings, will retain its association with the Jump Racing spectacular, moving from 2017 to become sponsors of the Grade 1 Top Novices’ Hurdle on the Friday’s Ladies Day.
Dr. Peter FitzGerald CBE, Founder and Managing Director of Randox, said:
“The Randox Health team is extremely pleased to partner the world’s greatest race. The Grand National offers us a major public platform to raise awareness of preventative healthcare and to encourage people to take control of their health and wellbeing. We see this partnership as a natural fit, as both organisations invest heavily in the future and we aim to use our partnership to promote a positive lifestyle and to bring enjoyment to millions of people. We care about people’s health and this is the people’s race.
“Crabbie’s sponsorship of the Grand National will be a hard act to follow, but we look forward to rising to the challenge and sharing our vision for Randox Health further once the 2016 Crabbie’s Grand National has drawn to a close and our rights for the world’s greatest race come into effect.”
John Baker, North West Regional Director for Jockey Club Racecourses, who runs Aintree, said:
“I am delighted to welcome Randox Health as our new partner from after the 2016 Crabbie’s Grand National Festival. This is an incredibly exciting time to join forces with Randox because they are highly ambitious as a company and share our aspiration to promote the Grand National to the maximum number of people in the years ahead.
“We are already working closely with Randox Health and are excited both about their plans for the future and how they see the role of our partnership within that. Their vision, people and operation are very impressive, they love their racing and I am confident they will prove fantastic partners for our crown jewel.
“I should also like to thank Crabbie’s brand owner, Halewood International, and in particular Judy Halewood and Peter Eaton, for their very generous and beneficial support of the Crabbie’s Grand National these past three years. I am very pleased they will remain involved and associated with Aintree through sponsorship of the high value Grade 1 Top Novices’ Hurdle and of course before that the important 169th running of the world’s greatest steeplechase in April under their banner.”
For more information contact Randox PR on 028 9445 1016 or email nicola.mchugh@randox.com, or amy.mcilwaine@randox.com
For further information on Randox Health, please visit www.randoxhealth.com
Immunoturbidimetry vs nephelometry for protein detection
Immunoturbidimetry methods have become the main technique for performing protein tests. The transition from nephelometry has been cautious but is increasing as laboratories enjoy the comparability and flexibility of immunoturbidimetry.
Immunoturbidimetry and nephelometry both measure the turbidity of a sample to determine the level of an analyte. Upon addition of the assay reagent, antibodies and antigen cluster to form an immune complex that precipitates, increasing the turbidity of the sample. When light is passed through the reaction solution, some light is scattered by the sample, some light is absorbed by the sample and the rest passes through the sample.
Immunoturbidimetry measures the absorbance of the light by the sample, nephelometry measures the light scattered at a fixed angle. The level of analyte is determined by comparison with a calibrator of known concentration.
Immunoturbidimetry is ideal for the detection of proteins, where the analyte concentration is inversely proportional to the transmitted light signal. Historically nephelometry has been more sensitive than conventional immunoturbidimetry. In latex-enhanced immunoturbidimetry, inert microscopic particles enlarge the immune complexes, amplifying the reaction and significantly increasing the sensitivity of the reaction.
Nephelometers are dedicated analysers only capable of performing this type of assay. In addition, they are:
- slow
- have high consumable costs
- require highly trained personnel
Immunoturbidimetric tests are carried out on routine biochemistry analysers that are:
- versatile
- fast
- cost-effective
- offer longer reagent stability
- sensitive
The main advantage of nephelometry was its sensitivity; however latex-enhanced immunoturbidimetry has closed this gap. Immunoturbidimetric tests are an increasingly accepted alternative to nephelometry for specific protein assays, and studies have shown a close correlation between Randox immunoturbidimetric tests and nephelometry.
If you are interested in running your protein assays on a routine biochemistry analyser, Randox offers a large range of high quality routine and niche protein assays that can be run on most automated analysers, including: Alpha-I acid glycoprotein; alpha-I antitrypsin; anti-streptolysin O; apolipoprotein A-I; apolipoprotein A-II; apolipoprotein B; apolipoprotein C-II; apolipoprotein C-III; apolipoprotein E; ceruloplasmin; complement C3; complement C4; CRP; cystatin C; ferritin; haptoglobin; HbA1c; IgA; IgE; IgG; IgM; lipoprotein (a); microalbumin; myoglobin; rheumatoid factor; transferrin and transthyretin (prealbumin). For more information, download our Reagents Brochure or email: reagents@randox.com.
Randox Manufacturing Teams celebrate success at Annual Manufacturing Awards Dinner
On Friday 26th February, over 100 staff from 18 manufacturing departments of Randox gathered together at The Templeton Hotel in Templepatrick, to connect with colleagues, celebrate the success of Randox Manufacturing, and enjoy a delicious meal, at the annual Randox Manufacturing Awards Dinner.
David Martin, Senior Manager Manufacturing began the evening with his opening address, and thanked all attendees for their hard work;
“Each year our manufacturing department grows in strength and this is thanks to the people working in it. I am proud to be standing here to recognise our collective capabilities as a team and to celebrate our hard work – with good food and great company.”
Manufacturing Lean Co-Ordinator, Mark Campbell, then shared an overview of the year’s manufacturing successes, and looked forward to the activities for the year ahead.
On the night, Department of the year 2015 was awarded to the Auto Dispense team, and Zuzana Crossan from the Packing Department won Employee of the Year 2015.
David closed the night by congratulating Zuzana, and the Auto Dispense team;
“I’d like to take this opportunity to congratulate our award winners this evening – the Auto Dispense team and Zuzana Crossan – and to thank you all for the important part you play in making Randox a global leader in the diagnostics industry – manufacturing our products that we distribute all over the globe. Let’s look forward to an exciting and prosperous 2016 together, and I hope you enjoy the evening!”
Local Crumlin community enjoy annual Farmers’ Breakfast at Randox
This weekend marked one of the highlights of the Randox Events Calendar – the annual Farmer’s Breakfast, which took place on Saturday 20th February.
Local farmers, friends and neighbours arrived to share a delicious breakfast together in the Randox headquarters in Crumlin.
Dr. Peter FitzGerald, Managing Director of Randox Laboratories, commented;
“Our Farmers’ Breakfast is enjoyed every year by members of the local farming community, and this year was no exception. Old friendships were rekindled, and new ones made, as we all enjoyed a hearty breakfast from our headquarters in the beautiful Crumlin countryside. I would like to thank everyone who attended on Saturday, and hope that you enjoyed the morning as much as we did. Same time, same place next year!”
Randox Teoranta sponsors the Wild Atlantic Adventure Race 2016
Randox are proud to announce that Randox Teoranta have once again agreed to be the major sponsor for WAAR 2016, which was launched, on Saturday 20th February.
The Wild Atlantic Adventure Race is a 7.5K Run, 42.5K Cycle, 2K Hike & 1K Kayak which starts and finishes in The Banks, Mullaghdearg, Donegal,Ireland on the 14th of May – as a fundraiser for the Naomh Muire GAA club.
Details of the 2016 Wild Atlantic Adventure Race were revealed in the new Health and Wellbeing room at the CLG Naomh Muire GAA Club, in Mullaghdearg, County Donegal, and the event was launched by Nikki Bradley, a public speaker who draws on her life experience to help people untap their potential.
Nikki was diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer at sixteen and the receiver of a second hip replacement at the age of twenty six, she has been on a truly unique journey. So unique in fact, her consultant once told her that she is currently one of less than ten people worldwide to have lived through what she has.
Not only did Nikki come and launch the event but she will compete in the Hike part of WAAR with a team. Nikki’s most recent challenge was to climb Errigal on crutches and she has featured on UTV, TV3, and IrelandAM, and also in national newspapers.
Ciaran Richardson, Head of R&D at Randox Teoranta in Dungloe, commented;
“We are delighted to partner with WAAR in our ongoing work to promote positive physical and mental health in the great Donegal community. The launch for the race was a great success, and we all particularly enjoyed hearing from Nikki on the day – sharing her story of courage, hope and strength in the face of fear. We are all eagerly looking forward to the race in May and encourage you all to get involved. If Nikki can do it, so can we!”
Celebrating a new era of healthcare at The Randox Health Healthcare Awards
The hard work and expertise of Northern Ireland’s leading Healthcare professionals was formally acknowledged at the Clandeboye Lodge Hotel on the evening of Thursday 4th February, where the glamorous black tie Randox Health Healthcare Awards took place.
Following on from the huge success of the inaugural Healthcare Awards last year, the event returned to the atmospheric hotel, for another evening of celebration and entertainment.
With a high calibre of Northern Ireland’s top businesses and organisations, including Ulster University, The South Eastern Trust, The Belfast Trust, Lloyds Pharmacy, Healthcare Ireland, Boots, Hutchinson Care Homes, Vision Express, and Danske Bank, turning out in their finest to enjoy a drinks reception and dinner, the evening saw those within the industry rewarded for their skills in the wider healthcare sector.
Categories announced and presented by the BBC’s Noel Thompson over the course of the evening included: Optometry Practice of the Year, Dental Practice of the Year, Pharmacist of the Year, The Innovation Award, Training in Healthcare Award, Clinical Excellence Award, Care Home of the Year, Community Nurse of the Year and GP Practice of the Year.
Popular comedian Josh Daniels performed on the evening after a fast-paced Live Charity Auction managed by City Auction Group. All proceeds from the event were donated to Marie Curie Cancer Care.
Katie Coyle, Manager of Randox Health who sponsored the event, said: “We are proud to be sponsoring The Healthcare Awards, and to therefore be able to simultaneously recognise the hard work of healthcare professionals across Northern Ireland, and raise funds for the very worthy cause of Marie Curie Cancer Care. At Randox Health we believe our personalised health check is at the forefront of a new era of healthcare, and we subsequently recognise this dedication and commitment to improving healthcare in our peers who attended last night’s event. Congratulations to everyone who won an award – we are delighted that we were able to share in your success. ”
The awards ceremony paid tribute to healthcare professionals, in both the private sector and across the NHS, who showcase excellence in day-to-day patient care, patient service, innovation, surgery facilities and after-care, and who strive towards improving the quality of healthcare and the health of the region.
The Nurse of the Year Award, recognising the hard work of nurses across Northern Ireland who provide an invaluable 24 hours a day service to patients, was won by Michelle Doggett, acknowledging her high standard of patient care and management to her patients.
Donna Hosking, Event Organiser of The Healthcare Awards, was extremely pleased with how the evening went and emphasised that the competition for each category was fierce: “We are thrilled to have teamed up with Randox Health for this year’s awards to recognise and reward best practice in the healthcare sector, within medicine, pharmacy, nursing, community care, dentistry and research. The awards are now in their second year and have attracted a wide range of applicants from healthcare practices, businesses and consultancies from across Northern Ireland – all of whom are extremely successful healthcare professionals, worthy of winning an award for their hard work and dedication to improving health in Northern Ireland. On behalf of everyone who was involved in The Randox Health Healthcare Awards I would like to congratulate all of our award winners, and thank all of our attendees for supporting the event. To all of our awards applicants I would like to say thank you for your hard work in your respective fields, and I hope you enjoyed the evening!”
Randox Laboratories: Future in the Making
On Friday 15th January 2016, Randox staff from across the UK and Ireland gathered together for a special day to learn the story of our heritage, connect with colleagues across the company, and share our vision for the future.
Almost 1000 Randox employees were invited to the beautiful Spires Assembly Building Conference Centre in Belfast to celebrate our achievements, our diverse workforce, our new product developments, and how far we have come as an organisation – from a small team of scientists to a fast-paced and multifaceted organisation with over 1300 staff globally.
When Randox was founded, almost thirty-four years ago, our objective was to research, develop, manufacture and market highly innovative diagnostic products to improve diagnosis, save lives and increase healthcare efficiency. In doing so we would create employment and provide valuable career opportunities.
Since then we have gone from strength to strength – today we employ some 1300 staff globally and our products are used in over 145 countries, by Hospital Laboratories, A&E Departments, Doctor’s Laboratories, Pharmaceutical Companies, Forensic Laboratories, Food Testing facilities, Veterinary Clinics and for Workplace Drug Testing.
Our people are key to this success, and on Friday we were proud to recognise the collective capabilities of all our staff from across the globe.
We are Randox: from R&D and Manufacturing to Sales and Marketing, Finance and Human Resources to Dispatch, Logistics and Travel, QA and the Environmental Team to Engineering, IT and Customer Support to Facilities Management and Receptionists, everyone plays an important role and contributes to our global mission of saving and improving lives.
To everyone who attended our Future in the Making event; we hope you enjoyed the afternoon and that you were inspired by the Randox story, by our capabilities and by our exciting plans for the future.
We hope that you look back on the day with fond memories, and take time to reflect on the team effort that is Randox, and of which you are an important part.
Thank you for all your hard work over the years. Let’s look forward to an exciting and prosperous 2016 together.
What was your favourite moment of our Future in the Making event? Did you enjoy seeing colleagues from your team on the big screen? Were you inspired by how far we have come? Please let us know your thoughts by using the hashtag #WeAreRandox.
