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IF IN DOUBT, just remember what Incubus said in 1999: Make Yourself. That's the ethos Nothing More laboured under in the early days of their career, constantly reinventing themselves to [...]

THERE ARE FEW people who can match the energy of Jason Aalon Butler. He's long mixed music with activism, making impassioned speeches from stages and sporadically climbing all over venues. [...]

MAMMOTH WVH THE DUST CODA 02 ISLINGTON ACADEMY, LONDON Though they made their mark on London last year supporting Def Leppard and Motley Crue at Wembley Stadium, and this year [...]

WHEN SHE'S NOT crafting uniquely vibrant music with Perchta, vocalist Frau Percht is a midwife. A mother herself, playing such a trusted part in one of life's most extraordinary miracles [...]

IF YOU PLAN on going to a Meth. show, be prepared to see vocalist Seb Alvarez bleed. Partly influenced by a childhood love for professional wrestling, the Chicago band's physically [...]

Conduct disorder is associated with the highest burden of any mental disorder in childhood, yet its neurobiology remains unclear. Inconsistent findings limit our understanding of the role of brain structure alterations in conduct disorder. This study aims to identify the most robust and replicable brain structural correlates of conduct disorder.

Former members of Fever 333, Stephen Harrison and Aric Improta, have formed a new band called House Of Protection. The duo wanted to create something unique and experimental, free from the constraints of their previous band. They enlisted the help of talented musicians, including former Bring Me The Horizon keyboardist Jordan Fish, to explore a range of musical influences. House Of Protection aims to create a space for positive catharsis and self-belief through their music, and their debut EP, Galore, showcases their diverse sound. They hope to connect with listeners who share their energy and attachment to music. [Extracted from the article]

This article from Metal Hammer discusses a recent concert in London featuring thrash metal bands Exodus, Exumer, and Hirax. The author highlights the enduring admiration and support for Exodus, who have been performing for over four decades. The opening bands, Exumer and Hirax, also receive praise for their energetic performances. The article emphasizes the enthusiasm of the crowd and the band's ability to captivate audiences with both their classic hits and newer songs. Overall, the article portrays the concert as a celebration of the bands' longevity and a testament to their continued success. [Extracted from the article]

Ad-blocking, although damaging, is giving our industry an opportunity to up its game. Users are fed up. The barrage of forced advertising, with its often intrusive and irrelevant messages that [...]

Children’s peer relationships are crucial for their social-emotional development, mental and physical health. To identify effective strategies to facilitate peer relationships among 8–14-year-olds, a systematic review of intervention programs was conducted. Electronic databases ERIC, EMBASE, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Cochrane Collection Library and grey literature sources were searched for intervention studies with general or clinical populations published between 2000 and 2020. Interventions had to assess quantity or quality of peer relationships as an outcome measure, thus focusing on helping children to establish more positive relationships or improving their self-reported relationship quality. Sixty-five papers were identified and grouped into universal prevention programs, selective interventions for typically developing children and indicated interventions for children with clinical diagnosis. Prevention programs and interventions for typically developing children facilitated peer relationships by targeting mental wellbeing and self-concepts. Clinical interventions focused on social-emotional skills, symptoms and peer behaviors. Successful programs showed a close alignment of methods and targeted program effects. Practitioners should also be aware of realistic goals for each population. Programs for a general population showed potential to decrease loneliness, whereas clinical populations achieved high increases in play dates, peer acceptance and sociometric status.

Several machinery manufacturers are introducing small plastics injection presses. The machines, with less than 100 tons of pressing power, cost on average $50,000 each. Before 1991, two German manufacturers, Arburg and Dr. Boy GmbH, dominated the market. Since then, several American and Asian manufacturers, notably Batavia, OH's Cincinnati Milacron Inc have begun to challenge the industry leaders. This is partly because Arburg is concentrating it marketing on higher tonnage presses. Some companies hope to capture part of the small press market by downsizing their larger machines.

North American automotive plastics molders are faced with global marketplace changes that could force them to adapt or force them out of business. Considerable opportunities and risks result from three major developments: General Motors' demands for radical cost cutting, the North American Free Trade Agreement and increased North American sourcing by Japanese automakers.

Injection molders can benefit from installing industrial robots in the areas of labor and quality. Most injection molders primarily are concerned with the labor savings from an automated system, but quality management is as big a consideration. A new generation of industrial robots can give injection molders enhanced production flexibility, better control, and higher quality. Besides labor savings, scrap reduction and increased production are major factors on which to base a cost/benefit analysis of industrial robots.

Is anything really safe anymore? The hamburger you ate for lunch was made with USDA-certified beef that was recalled this morning. The FDA-approved pain pill you took after you ate [...]

Mammoth WVH recently performed at the Islington Academy in London for their first UK headline tour. The band, led by Wolfgang Van Halen, delivered an energetic and intimate performance that captivated the packed venue. The setlist included emotional songs like "Distance," written about Wolfgang's late father Eddie Van Halen, and "Think It Over," which was revealed to be Eddie's favorite. The band's ability to connect with the audience and showcase their talent solidifies their growing reputation and potential for success. [Extracted from the article]

Perchta is an Austrian band that explores femininity and sexuality through folk-tinged black metal. The band's vocalist, Frau Percht, is also a midwife and draws inspiration from her experiences with womanhood. Their new album, D'Muata, aims to celebrate women's contributions and address the challenges they face. Perchta also takes pride in their community and incorporates their Tyrolean heritage into their music. Their music is described as empowering and enchanting, with traditional techniques and feminine strength at its core. [Extracted from the article]

Dysoxylactam A is a 17‐membered macrocyclic lipid which has been found to dramatically reverse multidrug resistance in cancer cells. Three previous syntheses have been reported in 15–17 steps. Using iterative lithiation‐borylation reactions as the key C−C bond forming and stereocontrolling steps, we now describe an 11‐step synthesis of dysoxylactam A. The complete sequence only required a total of five chromatographic purifications and used minimal protecting groups making it both rapid and efficient. The 17‐membered macrolipopeptide dysoxylactam Ahas been synthesized in 11 steps using iterative lithiation‐borylation methodology to construct the lipophilic portion of the molecule with complete stereocontrol. The rapid and efficient synthesis required only five chromatographic purifications and used minimal protecting groups.

The article discusses the Chicago band Meth. and their unique blend of death metal and noise music. The band's intense and physically punishing performances serve as a form of emotional release for vocalist Seb Alvarez. Their latest album, Shame, explores themes of mental health and addiction, with Alvarez using the music as a therapeutic outlet. The article describes Meth.'s sound as chaotic and cathartic, appealing to fans of Converge, Full Of Hell, and The Body. [Extracted from the article]

Automakers, in pursuit of increased fuel-efficiency, are focusing on 'lightweighting,' the drastic reduction of vehicle weights. Plastics should benefit from this trend. By 1996, automotive plastics producers are likely to find opportunities in the production of engine intake manifolds, fuel tanks, door systems, bumper beams, seats and other components.

Halogen-free fireproofing agents are being developed in anticipation of plans to ban halogenated products in Europe. Alternatives to polybrominated diphenyloxide include alumina trihydrate, ammonium polyphosphate, magnesium hydroxide and melamine amyl phosphate, but none of these chemicals work as efficiently as halogenated products. The products of several fireproofing agent manufacturers are described.

New techniques for increasing the melt strength of polypropylene (PP) have widened the range of materials suitable for sheet-fed thermoforming. The use of cross-linking and acrylic modifiers have improved the processibility and controlled the sag of PP and provided advantages over amorphous materials such as acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene. Some programs involving nylon, polybutylene terephthalate, and polyarylate, have stalled, but flame-resistant resins have emerged in aircraft interior use and carbon fiber-reinforced polyether-etherketone is under development as an epoxy system.

Consumer demand for improved kitchen appliances remains strong, and appliance manufacturers are relying on polymer developments to enhance their products' appearance and performance. Mr. Coffee Inc's Potato Perfect, Hamilton Beach/Proctor-Silex's Personal Coffee Maker and Gooding International Ltd's Potato Crisp Factory are representative of plastics-based appliance developments. Potato Perfect, a minioven, has a molded polymer housing that can withstand 550-degree-F temperatures.

Many presentations at Mar 1993's Society of Automotive Engineers show focused on environmental and regulatory concerns. The American Plastics Council's Automotive Group gave a recycling presentation focusing on several projects, including a Ford Motor Co/GE Plastics program to convert automotive bumpers into tail-light housings and other automotive parts.

Sales of electric, servo-driven presses have been growing 15% per year, and that figure is expected to rise. All-electric presses, at least 20% more costly than hydraulic presses, initially were targeted at clean-room operations, but a broad range of molders, drawn by the machines' precision and energy efficiency, are now specifying electric units. Japan's Fanuc estimates the global annual market for electric presses to be about 800 units.

The trend toward managed health care is forcing medical equipment molders to cut costs. Many are addressing the problem by entering into partnerships and preferred supplier relationships, by offering on-line packaging and other value-added services and by specializing in product design and tooling instead of finished manufactures. Stiffer cleanliness standards have imposed an added burden. Molders can expect cleanliness upgrades to add at least 5% to their overhead.

Dow Plastics' Automotive Materials Group has introduced an automotive instrument panel that it claims is lighter and less expensive than current models. The panel replaces metal supports with Dow's Pulse polycarbonate/acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene plastic. The panel will appear on a 1994 car model and was developed with the assistance of two undisclosed company, probably a car builder and a molder. Automotive instrument panels are being redesigned because of the use of airbags, new side-impact safety standards and an emphasis on aerodynamic styling.

Sophisticated gaging, along with total line control, has become a necessity for plastics sheet and film extruders attempting to survive in the international marketplace. But myriad choices confront extruders seeking to buy gage-monitoring equipment. Three types of sensors, nuclear radiation, infrared and laser, are available in numerous system types, including scanners, double scanners, fixed-point devices and triangulated systems.

Potential regulatory pressures are influencing producers of flame retardants to find an alternative for antimony oxide synergists and other toxic chemicals. The European Community has already banned the use of polybrominated diphenyloxide, the most effective flame retardant for polyesters and styrenics. Alternatives for polybrominated diphenyloxide include alumina trihydrate, ammonium polyphosphate, magnesium hydroxide, and melamine amyl phosphate. None of the alternatives are as effective as halogenated products.

Manufacturers of industrial equipment are introducing new single-stage machines for the blow molding of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles. Single-stage systems combine the injection unit and the blow molder so that the bottle preform does not have to be reheated on a stretch-blow molding system for processing. Single-stage machines are used more often than two-stage systems in the manufacture of wide-mouth containers, but they are unable to provide enough strength for carbonated-beverage bottles.

The Society for the Advancement of Material and Process Engineering held its 37th annual conference recently in Anaheim, CA. The conference highlighted new materials and new processes in advanced composite materials, but the real focus of the event was the overall shrinking of the composites market, primarily due to cuts in military aerospace spending and the weak economy. Consolidation in the market has led to a greater likelihood of companies joining forces on projects in consortia or joint ventures.

Producers of flame retardant thermoplastics are being faced with challenges both from extensive health and safety regulation and from expanding demands from users to produce more efficient materials at a lower cost. While the threat of a European Community-wide ban on polybrominated diphenyloxide seems to have passed, individual countries appear to be ready to impose their own regulatory roadblocks. Compounders are responding to these challenges by maximizing the flexibility of their product lines.

Molders seeking to cut costs, provide just-in-time service and improve job flexibility are increasingly using small injection machines (IM). Under-100-ton IMs account for approximately 25% of all IMs purchased by North American molders, up from approximately 18% in 1989. Small IMs are becoming more sophisticated, and the selection available continues to grow. A tiebarless Engel machine, for example, offers automation features previously available only on large machines.

In the past much of the money for composite research has come through military contracts, so, as spending on defense projects decreases, the advanced composites industry will have to make changes in production methods if they are to survive. Cuts in research budgets are expected to particularly impact thermoset and thermoplastic composites development. Some companies, such as France's Aerospatiale and US companies Cincinnati Milacron Inc and Hercules Aerospace Co have already developed new processing systems.