Thursday, November 28, 2019

Fighting Lymphoma in Three Dimensions

Fighting Lymphoma in Three Dimensions Fighting Lymphoma in Three Dimensions Fighting Lymphoma in Three DimensionsAnkur Singh, assistant professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at Cornell University, is a part of a team taking a three dimensional approach to lymphomaliterally.First, his team wanted to understand how lymphomas form, in order to improve treatment. One of the big challenges affecting the translation of new drugs is that there is nothing to make patient samples survive, says Singh, who welches named to the 2014 Young Innovators list put out by the Journal of Cellular and Molecular Bioengineering. What we did was create an artificial system that is a modular plug-and-play system. You have to understand that lymphoma is one of the most heterogeneous cancers. It has many subsets and each has its own for survival so we created a new polymer system where you can project a signal of interest. An advantage over two-dimensional systems, he adds, is that the body is thre e dimensional so, when you culture, intuitively, its a flat surface for 2D and 2D doesnt give the right kind of microenvironment signals. With the organoids created, it allows the cells to secrete the enzymes and theres also a remodeling of the whole mesh.B cell lymphomas grow in organoids as clusters, similar to those in patients. The green fluorescent areas represent lymphoma cells, while the red represents support stromal cells. Image Ankur Singh / Cornell UniversityThis is unlike a two-dimensional system with nothing to break and make, he says. Cells are used to moving around in traffic and in a three-dimensional environment they squeeze through spaces. In 2D, its a flat surface so theres no need to move around. And remember that the stiffness is another aspect. Tissue is not as stiff as a tissue culture plate. Tissues are relatively much softer so youre not giving the right environment in two dimensional and thats a big problem.Also, an issue with a new class of drugs can be on e of classification. It can be expensive in vivo but you can use organoids to test those drugs, he says. Another side is exploring a big question of why 30 percent to 40 percent of lymphomas are resistant and does it have to do with what lymphoma is and the origin of lymphoma? he says. In five years there could be a revolution in the field of lymphoma and this kind of technique we have is unique.Forging AheadThere are still challenges ahead, one of which is that patient samples are hard to culture. We have had some success but, taking the patient sample, it is possible that not one signal will be the sufficient signal, he explains. This has been a great opportunity to be a part of a team that will generate data that will inform future clinical trials and can make improvements when it comes to drugs. Its clear that theres a long way to go but we have to keep going. The good news is the results so far are encouraging. Going back to working as a postdoc, I think about the work I was do ing with cells and artificial tissues and a main interest was cancer. I want to be a part of helping those who are suffering.Learn about the latest trends in bioengineering at ASMEs Global Congress onNanoEngineering for Medicine and Biology. For Further Discussion In five years there could be a revolution in the field of lymphoma and this kind of technique we have is unique.Prof. Ankur Singh, Cornell University

Sunday, November 24, 2019

7 Things You Should Never Wear in the Workplace

7 Things You Should Never Wear in the Workplace7 Things You Should Never Wear in the WorkplaceAppearance matters. Its not everything, and it certainly isnt as important as our performance at work, but people do judge us based on how we look. Dont become known as the guy who looks like he rolled out of the hamper or the woman whose skirts are too short. Get noticed at work for your performance rather than your appearance. 01Dont Wear Dirty or Wrinkled Clothes to WorkJGI/Jamie Grill / Getty ImagesGo light on the perfume or aftershave. You dont want people to be able to smell you before they can see you.Additionally, many people are very sensitive to fragrance. If you work with someone who has a severe reaction to it, you may want to refrain from wearing aftershave or perfume altogether.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Overcoming Your Fear of Selling

Overcoming Your Fear of SellingOvercoming Your Fear of SellingFear of selling can vary from person to person, but the first step to overcoming this fear is identifying it. Usually, theres at least one specific aspect of the job that triggers unpleasant feelings. Think about each step of the sales process prospecting or lead generation, setting appointments (both cold calling and following up on warm leads), qualifying prospects, making presentations, umgang objections, closing the sale, and asking for referrals. Rank these stages in the order in which they bother you, from worst to best. Next, review the list below to find out how you can feel less anxious during the stages that affect you the most. Prospecting or Lead Generation Fear in this stage usually stems from one of two causes You have trouble finding leads, and thus prospecting makes you anxious because you worry about not being able to find potential customers.You end up with thousands of leads, in which case youre over whelmed by the thought of dealing with them all. In either case, you can address the problem by fixing or getting help with your lead generation process. If you cant find enough leads, try enlisting a marketing agency that does it for you or provides some assistance. In the second case, youre probably pulling leads that arent really good matches for your product. Your problem isnt necessarily in the generation its in qualification. Again, you can hire an agency to help make sure youre going after- and getting- qualified leads. If you decide to hire an agency to help you find qualified leads, then make sure its not a scam. Read up on how to look for a reputable lead-generation agency. Qualifying Prospects If qualifying makes you nervous, youre probably viewing it as an intrusion- asking strangers fairly personal questions so that you can determine if theyre potential customers. In that case, shifting your mindset about the situation can help. Youre not intruding by getting in tou ch and asking questions. Instead, youre giving prospects an opportunity to find out about a fantastic product. After all, if you didnt believe your product was terrific, you wouldnt have started a business making it When you qualify prospects, think of yourself as an expert- like a doctor or lawyer- who is assessing the prospects needs and finding a solution for her problem. rahmen Appointments Even experienced salespeople occasionally get sweaty palms before a round of cold calling. Picking up the phone or showing up and talking to complete strangers isnt easy because it triggers a fundamental anxiety- fear of rejection.If you look at every no as an opportunity to get a yes, then suddenly the process doesnt seem so intimidating. In addition, fixing your lead generation and qualification processes will also have a positive effect on the next step of setting up sales appointments. If youre getting qualified leads that have shown interest in your service or product, also known as warm leads, then the appointment-setting process happens naturally. Making Presentations Its not easy to stand up in front of an audience, even an audience of one. When your presentation happens in front of a whole crowd of businesspeople, all of whom have their game faces on, it can feel like a pretty frightening idea. The easiest way to get a handle on this fear is to do your homework. If youre fully prepared and have a great presentation ready, and youve rehearsed it until it sounds perfect, youll feel much safer.? Another option is to join a local Toastmasters Club. This organization hosts meetings aimed at helping you build your confidence for public speaking and generally improving your leadership and communication skills. Making an effective sales presentation starts with creating one. Read 7 Tips for Creating a Sales Presentation That Makes the Sale. handhabung Objections Often its not actually answering objections that unnerve sellers. Instead, its the fear of the what ifs you feel before an appointment What if the prospect comes up with something youve never thought of? What if theyre right? What your my mind goes blank and they think youre an idiot? There will probably be some appointments where these kinds of scenarios will play out. However, the good news is that the more appointments you keep, the less likely you are to run into trouble. Over time, youll hear many different objections, and youll work out good responses to each one. If you do hear an objection that you cant answer, you can always stall for time. Make up a delaying response like, Mr. Jones, thats an excellent point. I want to address that concern fully, but I dont have all the information I need with me. May I email it to you later today? Having a set process for handling sales objections is key to building confidence in this area. Heres how to handle objections in six easy steps. Closing the Sale The close is the moment of truth, where you find out whether or not your hard work is about to pay off. This, of course, can come with some pressure and anxiety. One way to ease this pressure is to have a few simple closing phrases in mind so that you can be prepared at the right moment. There are at least as many ways to close a sale as there are salespeople, but it doesnt need to be complicated. All you need to do is ask for the sale in a way thats comfortable for you and appropriate for the situation. Ways to Ask for the Sale Are you ready to move forward?It seems like this is a good fit for you. What do you think?Will you commit to doing business with us today?Have I done enough to earn your business?Is there anything preventing you from agreeing to committing today? Asking for Referrals Many new salespeople skip this step entirely because theyre uncomfortable doing it. Thats unfortunate since salespeople are four times more likely to close a sale with a referred lead compared to a cold lead, according to research from Nielsen. Usually, if a pro spect is happy enough to buy from you, theyre happy to tell you about other people who can benefit from having your product or service. Until you get comfortable asking for referrals, you can use a set script or email template. New to referrals? Read this guide on asking for referrals and youll be on your way to getting warm leads in no time.