FutureVigil (r) » neural enhancement

A Job for Predictive Analytics; increased cost for Prescription Drugs

Jeffrey Newman — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 01:36:43 +0000

The steady and significant increases in the price of medicines, which has no indication of slowing, cries out for an extrapolation of costs going forward. Statheads come forth. Between October 2008 and September 2009, the brand-named medications most commonly used by Medicare beneficiaries rose an average of 9.3 percent. Interestingly, this was a period when there was no inflation and when consumer prices actually dropped. Those drugs that spiked their prices the most included Seroquel (to treat psychosis) 16.1%; Aricept(for dimentia), 17.2% increase; Ambien (for insomnia) 18.8% increase and Flomax (prostate) a 19.7% increase. If you analyze the drug industry answers to why such stark (and obscene) increases in prices of these and other medications, they say that it costs more to make drugs now. 18% per year more? BS! Of course the startling increases affect those on fixed incomes and those who are disabled and those who won’t get cost of living increases. Here’s where the statheads come in. The use of predictive analysis tools that have been developed including machine learning would allow us to predict with a high degree of probability the cost of most drugs separately as they will increase for the next five, ten and twenty years based on historical figures. This information, it seems to me, would be quite valuable in the hands of economists who can also predict the percentage of the population who will and will not be able to afford their medications. There are public databases of information with all information needed to determine the trend. Anyone game?

PEANUT BUTTER EATEN REGULARLY PROTECTS AGAINST ALZHEIMER’S

Jeffrey Newman — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 16:11:02 +0000

According to the Journal of Neurology and Psychiatry, the niacin in peanuts, when eaten regularly, provides protection against Alzheimer’s disease. The study, conducted on 3000 men 65 or older found that those getting 22mgs of niacin a day were 70% less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease than those consuming 13 mgs. In addition, peanut butter contains much higher amounts of antioxidants than apples or carrots.

NEW EVIDENCE THAT NAPS BOOST BRAIN CAPACITIES

Jeffrey Newman — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 15:58:41 +0000

Mounting evidence from rigorous scientific studies reveals that power napping boosts mental performance, information processing, learning, reduces burnout and increases test scores significantly. Studies funded by The National Institute of Mental Health, overseen by Alan Hobson M.D. at Harvard show that a midday nap reverses information overload and increases learning, memory and motor skill by over 20%. Scientists now believe thatneural networks in the visual cortex of the brain gradually become saturated with information and that burnout is the brain’s mechanism for preserving information which has been processed by not ordered into memory by sleep. A nap, for more than one hour contains more rapid eye movement and result in higher test scores. In addition findings reveal a boost in creativity as well.