Just a thought.

Saturday, May 27, 2023

Currencies..

Foreign governments wanting to liberate themselves from reliance on the U.S. dollar are anything but new. Murmurs in foreign capitals about a desire to dethrone the dollar have been making headlines since the 1960s. But the talk has yet to turn into results. By one measure, the dollar is now used in 84.3 percent of cross-border trade—compared to just 4.5 percent for the Chinese yuan.

But a BRICS-issued currency would be different. It’d be like a new union of up-and-coming discontents who, on the scale of GDP, now collectively outweigh not only the reigning hegemon, the United States, but the entire G-7 weight class put together.

Gaba-Pentin..

Researchers discovered a promising new avenue for treating glioblastoma, a deadly brain cancer.

The study found that these tumors restructure connections in surrounding brain tissue, leading to cognitive decline.

The team discovered that the drug gabapentin, commonly used to prevent seizures, could inhibit this activity in mice with glioblastoma.

This new study offers a new perspective on brain cancer treatment and could lead to improved patient outcomes.

Blew up..

China blew up the world’s largest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, with hypersonic missiles in a menacing simulation , which Chinese researchers say proves the US Navy warship could be “destroyed with certainty.”

Using a war game simulation system, China’s military forces sank the carrier fleet using a volley of 24 hypersonic anti-ship missiles over the course of 20 intense battles.

The results of the simulations were made public in a May paper published by the Chinese-language Journal of Test and Management Technology, according to the South China Morning Post.

Is that a routine exercise done by many nations? Just a thought.

MVI..

Multivitamin supplements may help slow the normal forgetfulness that comes with aging, researchers reported Wednesday.

The analysis of data from more than 3,500 older participants showed that those who took a daily Centrum Silver pill over a period of three years had better memories than those who received a placebo treatment, according to the report published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

The effects seen in the study are “very, very encouraging,” said study co-author Adam Brickman, a professor of neuropsychology at the Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons at Columbia University.

“Cognitive change and memory loss are a top health concern for older adults,” he said. “And we don’t have many strategies to mitigate the changes that come with aging. So it’s encouraging that a supplement can help address one of the main health concerns older adults have.”

Vegie..

Only 1 in 10 Americans eat enough fruits and vegetables, which are a key pathway to good health. And according to a new study, there’s a distinct benefit for anyone diagnosed with high cholesterol.

Researchers looked at levels of LDL, or low-density lipoproteins, often called “bad” cholesterol because a buildup can increase the risk of stroke and heart disease. In study particpants, LDL levels dropped 10% and total cholesterol declined 7% for people following a plant-based diet when compared with those who eat both meat and plants, the study found.

“This corresponds to a third of the effect of taking cholesterol-lowering medications such as statins, and would result in a 7% reduction in the risk of cardiovascular disease in someone who maintained a plant-based diet for five years,” said lead author Dr. Ruth Frikke-Schmidt, professor of clinical biochemistry and chief physician at the Rigshospitalet in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Orcas..

Recently, a small group of killer whales battered the 66-foot sailing yacht Mustique off the coast of southern Spain, doing enough damage, including puncturing the hull and breaking the rudder, that the crew had to call in a maritime rescue and the vessel had to be towed to port for repairs.

It was the second time in less than a week that such an encounter was reported in the area, and the latest in a baffling series of seeming attacks on boats by the animals in or near the Strait of Gibraltar.

On May 5, the 50-foot sailing yacht Alboran Champagne sank after being struck by orcas the previous night, the third vessel in the last three years to go under after a run-in with some unruly Orcinus orca locals.