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Schaeffler acquires precision gearbox maker Melior Motion 

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Schaeffler, a billion-dollar German company which supplies bearings and other components to the automotive and aerospace industries, has signed an agreement to acquire all of the shares of Melior Motion.

The acquisition of this supplier of precision gearboxes for robotics and other applications in automation expands the robotics portfolio of the Schaeffler Group’s industrial division.

As automation of simple, repetitive tasks as well as complex mounting and manufacturing processes is progressing rapidly, Schaeffler’s industrial division is expanding its position as a supplier for robotics components and systems. [Read more…] about Schaeffler acquires precision gearbox maker Melior Motion 

Ceremorphic unveils plans to build supercomputer infrastructure on 5 nanometer chips

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Supercomputing startup Ceremorphic has unveiled plans to deliver a complete silicon system built on 5 nanometer infrastructure.

The company says its system will provide the performance needed for next-generation applications such as artificial intelligence model training, high-performance computing, automotive processing, drug discovery, and metaverse processing.

Designed in advanced silicon geometry (TSMC 5nm node), this new architecture was built from the ground up to solve today’s high-performance computing problems in reliability, security and energy consumption to serve all performance-demanding market segments. [Read more…] about Ceremorphic unveils plans to build supercomputer infrastructure on 5 nanometer chips

Media agency unveils high-tech virtual shopping mall for Estée Lauder

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A Welsh technology brand has emerged from the global pandemic, not only offering one of the most popular ways for retailers to connect with wholesalers virtually – but now, with a completely innovative way for them to sell direct to consumers inside the Metaverse.

BrandLab360, based in Newport and with offices in New York, Los Angeles and France, has fast become known in the fashion industry for its immersive virtual showrooms – using CGI and 3D rendering streamed from virtual machines to allow buyers to meet wholesalers online and view and buy products – attracting the attention of large global brands including Barbour, Timberland, Skechers, Mundi Westport Corporation and Mercedes Benz Fashion Week.

In fact, the firm saw enquiries increase by 2,000 percent during Covid-19. [Read more…] about Media agency unveils high-tech virtual shopping mall for Estée Lauder

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Premio and Intel to strengthen US semiconductor manufacturing resources amid global chip shortage

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Premio, a provider of rugged edge and embedded computing technology, has unveiled its strategic plans to bring “American-made” manufacturing to the forefront. 

With focus on US facilities, capabilities, and talent, Premio is committed, alongside Intel, to easing supply chain issues and strengthening the country’s semiconductor manufacturing resources for long term benefit.

In the latest episode of “Made in America”, a video series covering companies manufacturing and assembling their products in the US, Premio and Intel examine how manufacturers can and should localize production to reduce extended time-to-market and avoid being at the mercy of all types of international disruptions. [Read more…] about Premio and Intel to strengthen US semiconductor manufacturing resources amid global chip shortage

There’s a good reason online retailers are investing in physical stores

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Researchers from Colorado State University, Amazon, and Dartmouth College published a new paper in the Journal of Marketing that examines the role of physical stores for selling “deep” products.

The study, forthcoming in the Journal of Marketing, is titled “How Physical Stores Enhance Customer Value: The Importance of Product Inspection Depth” and is authored by Jonathan Zhang, Chunwei Chang, and Scott Neslin.

While some traditional offline retailers are struggling and are closing stores (e.g., Macy’s, Walgreens), online retailers are opening them (e.g., Amazon, Warby Parker). This conflicting trend raises the question, what is the physical store’s role in today’s multichannel environment? [Read more…] about There’s a good reason online retailers are investing in physical stores

Unlabeled PFAS chemicals detected in makeup

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Makeup wearers may be absorbing and ingesting potentially toxic per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), according to a new study published today in Environmental Science & Technology Letters.

The researchers found high fluorine levels – indicating the probable presence of PFAS – in most waterproof mascara, liquid lipsticks, and foundations tested.

Some of the products with the highest fluorine levels underwent further analysis and were all confirmed to contain at least four PFAS of concern. The majority of products with high fluorine, including those confirmed to have PFAS, had no PFAS listed on the label. [Read more…] about Unlabeled PFAS chemicals detected in makeup

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  • Sugar tax in Spain has led to only tiny reduction in calories in shopping basket
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  • How to prevent and treat high blood pressure with exercise
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    How to prevent and treat high blood pressure with exerciseThe first personalised advice on the most effective exercise to lower blood pressure is published today in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, a journal of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC). The ESC consensus document recommends specific activities according to an individual's current blood pressure level. One in four heart…
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UMass Amherst food scientists aim to make plant-based protein tastier and healthier

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As meat-eating continues to increase around the world, food scientists are focusing on ways to create healthier, better-tasting and more sustainable plant-based protein products that mimic meat, fish, milk, cheese and eggs.

It’s no simple task, says renowned food scientist David Julian McClements, University of Massachusetts Amherst Distinguished Professor and lead author of a paper in the new Nature journal, Science of Food, that explores the topic.

“With Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods and other products coming on the market, there’s a huge interest in plant-based foods for improved sustainability, health and ethical reasons,” says McClements, a leading expert in food design and nanotechnology, and author of Future Foods: How Modern Science Is Transforming the Way We Eat. [Read more…] about UMass Amherst food scientists aim to make plant-based protein tastier and healthier

3,500 year-old honeypot: Oldest direct evidence for honey collecting in Africa

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Honey is humankind’s oldest sweetener – and for thousands of years it was also the only one. Indirect clues about the significance of bees and bee products are provided by prehistoric petroglyphs on various continents, created between 8,000 and 40,000 years ago. Ancient Egyptian reliefs indicate the practice of beekeeping as early as 2600 year BCE. But for sub-Saharan Africa, direct archaeological evidence has been lacking until now.

The analysis of the chemical residues of food in potsherds has fundamentally altered the picture. Archaeologists at Goethe University in cooperation with chemists at the University of Bristol were able to identify beeswax residues in 3500 year-old potsherds of the Nok culture.

The Nok culture in central Nigeria dates between 1500 BCE and the beginning of the Common Era and is known particularly for its elaborate terracotta sculptures. These sculptures represent the oldest figurative art in Africa. Until a few years ago, the social context in which these sculptures had been created was completely unknown. [Read more…] about 3,500 year-old honeypot: Oldest direct evidence for honey collecting in Africa

Mapping policy for how the EU can reduce its impact on tropical deforestation

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EU imports of certain products contribute significantly to deforestation in other parts of the world.

In a new study, researchers from Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, and University of Louvain, Belgium, evaluated thousands of policy proposals for how the EU could reduce this impact, to assess which would have the largest potential to reduce deforestation – while also being politically feasible.

“Unsurprisingly, there is weaker support for tougher regulations, such as import restrictions on certain goods. But our study shows that there is broad support in general, including for certain policies that have real potential to reduce imported deforestation,” says Martin Persson, Associate Professor of Physical Resource Theory at Chalmers University of Technology. [Read more…] about Mapping policy for how the EU can reduce its impact on tropical deforestation

ABB provides Ty-Rap cable ties for NASA Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover Mission

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As NASA’s Mars Perseverance rover begins exploring its new planetary home after landing on February 18, 2021, it’s operating with the world’s most advanced technology while being equipped with Ty-Rap cable ties from ABB, the same ties that are widely used on earth.

Found in buildings, subways, the deepest oceans and outer space, ABB’s Ty-Rap cable ties are designed to withstand the demands of space flight and resist corrosion and radiation in the most extreme environments.

NASA has integrated the same Ty-Rap cable ties, which are used in commercial applications worldwide, to fasten the rover’s interior and exterior conduit and components and to secure research and lab equipment. [Read more…] about ABB provides Ty-Rap cable ties for NASA Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover Mission

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