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Is Cord Blood and Tissue Banking Worth The Hype?

The placenta takes care of the nourishment and development of a baby growing inside the uterus. Some parts of this organ originate from the mother’s side, while some are from the baby’s side. The placenta is valuable for the baby and the mother even after birth. Despite medical science lacking evidence, placenta ingestion and encapsulation are known for their benefits. Parents can store placenta tissue for future use in some private cord blood banks. But is it worth it? Let us try to find it out.

Benefits of cord blood and tissue banking

After delivery, parents get the option of banking their baby’s placental stem cells. They can store the cord blood in some cord blood banks for an additional cost. Many valuable stem cells are common in the placenta and cord tissue. However, cord tissue is the preferable source of extracting stem cells of fetal origin. The primary medical schools of the world are using MSCs from cord tissue instead of the placenta for their clinical trials. Cord blood and tissue banking are used for various conditions treatment as autism, cartilage injury, cerebral palsy, and Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) induced by COVID-19.

Some old studies about animal models offer promising results in several respiratory conditions treatment other than ARDS. In more recent cases, MSC therapy is effective in treating COVID-19. The same was published in a peer-reviewed journal. Seven patients were observed for fourteen days, and it was found the pulmonary function and COVID-19 pneumonia symptoms of three patients improved within two days of the MSCs transplant.

Additionally, the Marcus Center of Cellular Cures at Duke University initiated a study to test if the helpfulness of umbilical cord MSCs on acute respiratory syndrome (ARDS) is associated with COVID-19 infection. The co-principal investigators of this cord blood and tissue banking trials are Dr. Joanne Kurtzberg of Duke University and Cryo-Cell’s Medical Director.

Umbilical cord tissue: a pure source of fetal stem cells

The placenta has portions of both maternal and fetal origin. The amnion, umbilical cord, and chorion are parts of the fetal side, whereas the maternal side has the decidua. The fetal side functions to receive the baby’s blood from the umbilical cord, and the maternal side provides oxygen to the baby and eliminates waste from the baby’s blood. Many stem cells found in cord tissue are also present in the placenta. But the stem cells taken from umbilical cord tissue are a pure source of fetal stem cells.

Stem cells from the placenta are contaminated with trace quantities of maternal cells. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are the most popular type of stem cell used in clinical applications. Although MSCs are found in the placenta, studies show that MSCs derived from umbilical cord tissue are preferred. The fetal MSCs have a higher expansion capacity, immunosuppressive capability, and lower immunogenicity despite sharing a similar phenotype with the maternal MSCs counterpart.

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Tips For New Business Owners

Starting a new venture is not as easy as it might seem to many. It is much more about just coming up with a business idea, seeking funds and starting up with the business. In fact, that is just the iota at the tip of the iceberg. Only a new business owner knows what it takes to be an entrepreneur and to sustain your business against the odds. The real deal starts once the business starts. Every year thousands of new businesses pop up but not all of them sustain for long. In the present competitive scenario running a business is a lot more difficult than it might seem. However that should be the reason for not starting up a venture. I don’t intend to discourage anyone. In fact my prime motive is to help out young professionals in sailing through the present tumultuous economic scenario. Below are some of the key tips for new business owners-

1. Manage your finances cautiously: It is very important to manage your finances cautiously. Many entrepreneurs fail to estimate their outflow and earnings, accurately and land into trouble later. Managing finances is hence very crucial for new ventures. No matter how strong your backup plans are, no matter how smart your finance professionals are, empower your finance team with an accounting software. I would advise a small to mid-sized new venture to adopt Sage 50 accounts as it is considered as ideal for them. Not just that, also upgrade the skills of your finance department professionals, if required, by providing them Sage line 50 training, so that they can use the software effectively and help the company flourish in a risk-free manner.

2. Think out of the box: In the present competitive scenario if you play your game on cost, you won’t run for long. Think out of the box and you shall certainly be rewarded well. Customers appreciate creativity and innovative ideas. Whether it is your marketing strategy, your product or services, customer service, or whatever, come up with fresh ideas.

3. Build your team: Don’t hire people just to meet your short term goals. Doing so won’t hamper you much in the beginning but later you would realize that the company you run has lost a lot due to in/out of employees. A new employee needs to be trained and after few months if he/she leaves then the new employee would again need to be trained. This costs company a lot and above that the company won’t possess loyal and experienced employees. So, think holistically and don’t just hire people but build your team. Use an HR software to manage the employees effectively. A software like Sage 50 HR might help you as you wouldn’t want to spend much still would expect to buy an efficient software. Also make sure that your HR professionals are skilled enough to use the software efficiently. If they are not, then train them with a Sage training course.

4. Have an online presence: It is important to understand that to have an online presence is very important for a business. Internet has emerged as a powerful medium in past few years. Make the most out of the social networking sites. They are not just a free platform to advertise your business but are also very effective tool of branding. Recognize their immense power and take your business to the greatest heights of success.

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Spring Season = Mortgage Season! Buy your Dream Home Now

Are you one of the many Australians who have heard the expression – “spring is the mortgage season”? Have you often asked yourself why?

Traditionally, the period between September and November is the busiest time of the year for real estate agents and finance/mortgage brokers. As this is the time of the year when many Australians are:

1. Looking at selling and buying real estate; and

2. Looking to take out home loans.

Also, spring, is the time of the year when homes look their best and people are happier to attend open inspections and auctions.

Start Planning

Before you start looking around for your dream home, you should start planning by undertaking the following steps:

Step 1- Presentation

Because first impressions always count to the buyer, it is important to make sure your property looks its best from the moment it goes onto the market for sale. This means ensuring that both the interior and exterior are as presentable and attractive as you can make them.

Step 2 – Perform a Financial Health Check

Just as you have a regular medical check done on your health, you should also consider having a health check done on your finances. Because, performing a financial health check will tell you if your finances:

>>Need attention;

>> Are under control; or

>> Could be better.

The financial health check will help you take control of your finances. So, why not start straight away by using a Budget Planner Calculator to work out what you are spending your money on.

Step 3 – Work out How Much You Can Borrow

Do your sums by using a Borrowing Power Calculator to work out:

>> How much can you borrow? and

>> What repayment amount can you afford?

Step 4 – Get your Home Loan Pre-Approved

By getting your home loan pre-approved, you will have the peace of mind knowing that your loan has already been assessed by a qualified finance/mortgage broker. Also, you will have the upper hand when negotiating the purchase of the property with the seller (vendor) and/or real estate agent.

Step 5 – Choosing a Suitable Home Loan

Once you have sorted out your budget, it is time to start choosing a home loan. When choosing a home loan, it is important to work out:

>> The features you need from your loan; and

>> The cost of the loan in terms of fees.

To help you in choosing your home loan, you should ask different lenders/credit providers for a copy of their “Key Facts” sheet. It will give you the information you need and it will also give you a comparison rate of the total costs of a home loan against other home loans.

Note: Lenders/credit providers must give you a Key Facts sheet for a home loan, if you ask for one (but not for interest only loans or line of credit loans).

Step 6 – Choosing a Suitable Licensed Real Estate Agent

You should consider appointing a suitable licensed real estate agent who:

>>Will assist you when you are selling your home;

>> Will assist you with your property search when you are buying real estate;

>> Has a good knowledge of the demographics of your local area;

>> Has a good knowledge of comparable sales in your local area or the area you are looking at;

>> Will alert you to new listings before they reach the media; and

>> Will be able to offer additional advice.

Step 7 – Documentation

At a minimum, you will be required to produce documents such as pay slips, which can provide evidence of your income.

Selling your current home and buying a new one can be an overwhelming task for many. But, you can ensure stress-free and happy home buying process by employing the services of a qualified finance/mortgage broker. He/she will provide expert assistance every step of the way and ensure that you obtain the best home loan deal.

For happy home buying, you need to obtain pre-approved home loans. Singh Finance’s team of expert finance broker will go the extra mile in finding you the right finance. It can even help you with other loans such as low rate truck finance.

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