Latest news with #Fabiano
Hindustan Times
07-08-2025
- Automotive
- Hindustan Times
We aim to finish No. 2 in 2025 MotoGP constructors' standings: Technical Director, Aprilia Racing
Having completed stints with Ducati and KTM in MotoGP, Fabiano Sterlacchini joined Aprilia Racing as its new Technical Director at the start of this season. The veteran has been instrumental in shaping the successes of his previous teams, and joins Aprilia as the factory-backed team looks at a more competitive year. With the championship well over the halfway mark, we caught up with Fabiano Sterlacchini to know about how the team is progressing since his arrival, and where we see the team finishing in this season's MotoGP constructors' standings. HT Auto: How's the experience been for you at Aprilia Racing so far, and what's different compared to Ducati and KTM? Fabiano: Compared to Ducati, Aprilia is quite similar. Maybe it's a matter of location and culture, and the people, and the scholastic background of the people. I would say that Aprilia is really similar to Ducati as a company. KTM was different in terms of the geographic point of view. This might seem like a silly statement, but their approach, being a company that was coming from the off-road, is quite different compared to road racing. Because clearly with road racing, you have is quite something in some ways simple for us, but probably not so obvious for all the other people. With road racing, you have the same track that is basically the same for 20 laps or 100 laps during the day, or 20 laps during the race. With the off-road, for example, every lap is a different track. Because you are modifying and destroying the track. So their approach, in terms of a statistical approach, is completely different. So I would say that basically it is an obsession to find some trend from a statistical point of view that we have in Aprilia, they had in Ducati. But in KTM it was different, it was more approach of trying and making some experiments, and seeing if the riders like it or not. I believe that in this moment, for the level of competition, we need to be more engineeriistic. Also check these Bikes Find more Bikes Aprilia RS 457 457 cc 457 cc 30 kmpl 30 kmpl ₹ 4.23 Lakhs Compare View Offers Aprilia Tuono 457 457 cc 457 cc 25.5 kmpl 25.5 kmpl ₹ 3.95 Lakhs Compare View Offers Yamaha R3 321 cc 321 cc 25 kmpl 25 kmpl ₹ 3.60 Lakhs Compare View Offers UPCOMING Honda CB500F 471.0 cc 471.0 cc 28.6 kmpl 28.6 kmpl ₹ 4.79 Lakhs Alert Me When Launched Kawasaki Ninja 300 296 cc 296 cc 30 kmpl 30 kmpl ₹ 3.43 Lakhs Compare View Offers CFMoto 650NK 649.3 cc 649.3 cc 20 kmpl 20 kmpl ₹ 4.29 Lakhs Compare View Offers Also Read : Aprilia files trademark for RSV1000 nameplate. Will it come to India? HT Auto: What changes have the bikes undergone since your arrival? What was the fundamental change from last year's bike to this year's bike? Fabiano: So it's not the main thing that we change. We try to work strongly on one of the most critical points of the bike. Because we have nobody to guide the level of performance. One is the technical performance of the bike, and the other is how much the rider, without understanding, is actually on the bike. Because the bike is sometimes unpredictable. How much margin are they keeping from the real technical performance of the bike? First of all, we try to make the bike much easier to ride for the riders, especially because these margins sometimes are quite high. So the stability at the exit and the stability in the entry are the aspects where we work the most, and we work on the side characteristics of the engine, in terms of the dynamics, for what we can change in the bike. Because the engine is sealed in terms of electronics, and what we work on the vehicle. We also changed the ergonomics. So we try to work on a lot of aspects. Nothing is completely out of what the project was at the beginning, before I arrived, but we clearly modified a lot of small things. HT Auto: Now that you're working with Jorge Martin and Marco Bezzecchi, how's that experience been? What's your take on each of these riders and how they've progressed so far in the season? Fabiano: Let me say that when I was at Ducati, for example, I never had the pleasure of working with them, because I was out of Ducati when they arrived. So I came across them the time that I started to work in Aprilia. Unfortunately, as we know the story, with Jorge, we didn't have any time to work together, because we had just had a first contact point in Barcelona. Then at Sepang (Malaysia), and then the race weekend, which was his return. So it was just to relax and try to find your limit. It's quite difficult to make any kind of judgment. On the other hand, Marco has been an outstanding surprise. Looking from the outside, he seems to be easy, in terms of social attitude, super funny, super smart. But when he starts to work, he's unbelievable. He is super committed, super focused. He's a maniac of any kind of detailing, what we can do in the bike and what we can improve in the bike. And even if we have some good performance, he'll finish the race by commenting on something that could have been done better. And this is the right approach. Marco Bezzecchi is currently placed third in the 2025 MotoGP rider standings behind Alex Marquez and Francesco Bagnaia HT Auto: And what about Lorenzo? Where do you fit him into the larger scheme of things? Fabiano: Lorenzo is a super good guy in terms of talent and speed. When we started together, when he was replacing Martin in the fifth race. He was somehow unripe, not ready to be at that stage. We worked quite a lot with him, in terms of creating the right conditions that we see, to test a lot of things during the race weekend. Because the consistency of the rider is super important to be able to analyse data, to try to understand that we can gauge the difference in terms of physical parameters. So we work with him to try to be consistent, to improve the riding style and the repeatability of his riding. But in the meantime, we tried to work on his speed. To be honest, we have been monitoring since the beginning of the season, the gap in terms of fastest lap time between who won the race and Lorenzo. We went in the beginning of the season from 2.2 seconds of gap to less than a second in the last three races. That for sure has been quite a good learning process for Lorenza. On one side, to improve his speed, and on the other side, to try to dive into the problem. One important point of the test rider is not just to let me see step out from the bike, step off from the bike, say, I have a problem. But at a test on Friday, you have to describe the solution that you tested, which is a good point. If there is some interesting potential thing that we have to explore, or how we can compensate and help the rider to take the benefit of the solution. So, that is an important job, and for sure we did an improvement during the month. But obviously, we have to keep working. He's already at a good level of the job. HT Auto: Where do you see Marco stepping out at the end of the season? He's currently playing sixth in the standings, but where do you see him finish by the end of the 2025 season? Fabiano: I think that one of the targets should be immediately behind the three fastest Ducati riders. That's something that could have been possible without the crash. But clearly, because with the 20 more points, we were in front of the other two. We were fourth. I believe that to be realistic with the clear challenge, a clear target, fourth in the championship in terms of rider championship, and second in the manufacture championship should be the target. I'm not excluding because you know, several times in the past, the motorcycle war taught you not to keep yourself within some limit. Why not also aim to do something better? I believe that trying to finish third is not impossible. It's much more realistic to finish between fourth and fifth, rather than third, but third is not impossible. HT Auto: How do you see the concessions affecting the team going forward? Fabiano: With the points over the last race, we were probably closing the chapter now. Now it's still open, but we are speaking, if I'm not wrong, about 10 receiver points. So I think that probably here we could close the story without taking into consideration moving to Rank D. But in any case, if we have this opportunity, obviously, something that we will exploit for the next one. We jump from in Rank C to D, is basically due to the last six months. So in case we have the next three points at the end of the season, I believe that if we move to rank D, we can maintain it till the middle of 2026. Aprilia is looking to conclude the 2025 MotoGP season in the top three in the riders' standings and in second place in the constructors' championship HT Auto: How's the preparation going for the new regulations coming in from 2027? Fabiano: We've started to walk in parallel because it's a completely different project in terms of engine and everything around. We have a new engine because regulations are quite different. We have a new tyre, we have a new fuel. So basically, we have everything new. We start the job fixing some milestones of the project, some characteristics and specifications. It starts with changing, not because it's the most important thing, but because it's part of the project with a longer time in terms of period, basically weeks. So now the engineering is everything done in terms of designing the component. And basically, we suppose that arriving at the end of the season, we have some engine test, and then at the beginning of 2026, we keep working on the new project in parallel with the 2026 season. At a certain time, we will have to stop work on the 2026 season and focus on 2027 completely. Check out Upcoming Bikes In India. First Published Date:
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Lucky Energy Appoints AriZona Iced Tea's Star Executive As New President
NEW YORK, June 6, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Lucky Energy drink announced today Lou Fabiano's appointment as President, effective immediately. Fabiano will report to Richard Laver, Founder and CEO. This appointment supports Lucky Energy's goal of becoming a leader in the energy beverage market. Fabiano will oversee essential functions that drive velocity at Lucky Energy, leveraging his extensive experience in the beverage industry to promote transformational growth. He served as Chief Sales Officer at AriZona Iced Tea for the past five years, having been promoted from Vice President of Convenience. During his tenure, he expanded the company's C-store business from $320 million in 2016 to an expected $680 million to $700 million in IRI retail sales by the end of 2025. Additionally, he increased retail sales of AriZona Hard Iced Tea to $100 million in less than two years, capturing nearly four percent of the market share in hard teas almost overnight. "We are thrilled to welcome Lou to Lucky Energy during this crucial time for our company as we aim to connect with more consumers in additional locations more frequently," said Laver. "His talent for building relationships and his proven track record of delivering results and driving significant, strategic change make him an excellent fit for our organization as we evolve across all business areas. He truly is a force of nature, and his enthusiasm for the beverage industry is unmatched." Fabiano added, "We are witnessing a significant shift in the industry as consumers increasingly seek beverages that taste good and contain cleaner ingredient lists. Lucky Energy is at the forefront of this movement, offering delicious products with minimal ingredients. Couple that with an authentic story and masterful storytelling, and you have a brand anyone would jump to join. I am grateful for this opportunity and look forward to collaborating with Richard and the Lucky Energy team to accelerate brand growth. Additionally, I am excited to continue to work with my vast network of partners, many of whom are already distributors for Lucky Energy and are pleased about my new leadership role at the company." To learn more about Lucky Energy, visit and follow @luckyenergyofficial on social media. If you have any questions, please contact Valeria Carrasco at valeria@ About Lucky EnergyLucky Energy is committed to providing cleaner, better-for-you products. Founded by serial beverage entrepreneur Richard Laver, the brand's mission is to motivate people to keep going. The product line features six flavors, a unique blend of five super ingredients, including maca and beta-alanine, and has 0 sugar and 0 calories. Products are available on Amazon, and over 12,000 locations nationwide. For more information, visit and follow the brand on Instagram and TikTok. View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Lucky Beverage Company Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Judge halts Rockford's efforts to limit video gaming terminals
ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — A circuit court judge has barred the City of Rockford from enforcing rules meant to slow the growth of gambling in the city. 17th Judicial Circuit Court Judge Fabiano issued the ruling in response to a lawsuit brought by Kelly Quinby, the proprietor of Spinning Slots, at 1625 Sandy Hollow Road, after the city refused to license a 6th video gaming terminal (VGT) at the location, despite allowances by the Illinois Gaming Board to do so. The state's 2009 Video Gaming Act allows any business licensed to serve liquor to install up to six slot machines. However, to slow the growth of gambling machines within the city, Aldermen passed an ordinance that would require venues to derive at least 50% of total revenue from food and alcohol sales. The ordinance was to help existing bars and restaurants that wanted to add gambling terminals as a source of extra income, and discourage independent operators from opening establishments where gambling was the primary source of revenue. According to the lawsuit, the city refused to license Spinning Slots' 6th gaming terminal, despite its authorization by the Illinois Gaming Board, and denied renewal of its liquor license because the establishment did not meet the 50% income threshold. On Thursday, the court ruled that the City lacked the authority to regulate video gaming establishments, as this power resides with the state. The ruling prevents the City from enforcing any local ordinances that limit the number of video game terminals in the city. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
The ‘plastic spoon' of microplastics in your brain could stem from these foods that are wrecking your health, researchers say
Earlier this year, scientists discovered that there is about as much microplastics in the brain as a whole plastic spoon. The paper, published in Nature Medicine in February, revealed that the amount of microplastics—tiny plastic particles smaller than 5 millimeters—in the human brain appears to be increasing: Concentrations rose by about 50% between 2016 and 2024. Not only were there more microplastics in the brain than in liver or kidney tissue, but microplastic concentrations were higher in the brains of dementia patients than in those without it. Now, scientists are examining the effect on brain health of microplastics and one of the largest sources of microplastics: ultra-processed foods (UPFs). In a series of four papers published in the journal Brain Medicine, researchers synthesize mounting evidence that microplastics accumulating in the brain—especially those from UPFs—could be contributing to rising global rates of dementia, depression, and other mental health disorders. 'We're seeing converging evidence that should concern us all,' said co-author of one of the papers, Dr. Nicholas Fabiano from the University of Ottawa, in the press release. 'Ultra-processed foods now comprise more than 50% of energy intake in countries like the United States, and these foods contain significantly higher concentrations of microplastics than whole foods,' Fabiano said. 'Recent findings show these particles can cross the blood-brain barrier and accumulate in alarming quantities.' The researchers consolidate the science linking UPF consumption with adverse mental health, and how that overlaps with microplastic accumulation in the brain. For instance, they cite a 2024 umbrella review published in the British Medical Journal which found that people who consumed ultra-processed foods had a 22% higher risk of depression, 48% higher risk of anxiety, and 41% higher risk of poor sleep. In the papers, the researchers hypothesize that microplastics could be the missing link in UPFs' impact on brain health, by connecting it to data such as UPFs like chicken nuggets contain 30 times more microplastics per gram than chicken breasts—highlighting how processing could increase microplastic content. 'Ultra-processed foods have been linked to adverse mental health through inflammation, oxidative stress, epigenetics, mitochondrial dysfunction, and disruptions to neurotransmitter systems. Microplastics appear to operate through remarkably similar pathways,' said Wolfgang Marx from Deakin University's Food & Mood Center in Australia. Microplastics can increase inflammation in the brain as they cross the blood-brain barrier, as a 2023 study on mice found, which can put people at risk of neurological disease and degeneration, including Alzheimer's. 'What emerges from this work is not a warning. It is a reckoning,' wrote Dr. Ma-Li Wong, professor of neuroscience at Upstate Medical University in New York. 'The boundary between internal and external has failed. If microplastics cross the blood-brain barrier, what else do we think remains sacred?' Researchers are now looking to understand to what extent ultra-processed foods are responsible for adverse brain health outcomes, and what to do about it. The authors propose the development of a Dietary Microplastic Index, which would quantify people's exposure through food consumption. 'While we need to reduce our exposure to microplastics through better food choices and packaging alternatives, we also need research into how to remove these particles from the human body,' noted Dr. Stefan Bornstein in his paper. One of those potential methods, Bornstein proposes, is apheresis, a process of removing blood from the body and filtering out the microplastics—but he points out that more research is still needed. 'As the levels of ultra-processed foods, microplastics, and adverse mental health outcomes simultaneously rise, it is imperative that we further investigate this potential association,' said Fabiano. 'After all, you are what you eat.' For more on microplastics: Microplastics are everywhere. Here are 5 ways to reduce your exposure Chewing gum is shedding harmful microplastics into your saliva, study finds Tea bags and these 11 foods are likely exposing you to billions of microplastics This story was originally featured on
Yahoo
05-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Human brains contain spoonful of microplastics, dementia risk skyrockets: Study
A disturbing new finding shows microplastics have infiltrated human brain tissue, raising serious questions about our health. It's been discovered that human brains accumulate a surprisingly large amount of microplastics and nanoplastics – equal to a spoonful. Even more concerning, these levels are 3 to 5 times higher in individuals with dementia. Building on findings from Nature Medicine, a detailed commentary was recently released in Brain Medicine on this invisible health threat. "The dramatic increase in brain microplastic concentrations over just eight years, from 2016 to 2024, is particularly alarming," notes Dr. Nicholas Fabiano from the University of Ottawa's Department of Psychiatry, lead author of the Commentary. "This rise mirrors the exponential increase we're seeing in environmental microplastic levels," added Fabiano. These tiny plastic fragments, resulting from the breakdown of larger plastics, have infiltrated virtually every corner of the globe. They are found in the deepest ocean trenches, within the tissues of marine organisms ranging from plankton to whales, and have even been detected in the air and snow of remote mountain peaks. This widespread distribution highlights the alarming ability of microplastics to travel through air, water, and food chains. The study revealed that brain tissue contains much higher concentrations of microplastics and nanoplastics (MNPs) – 7 to 30 times more – compared to other vital organs, such as the liver and kidneys. The main concern lies with nanoplastics – particles smaller than 200 nanometers. The small size raises the possibility that they can cross the blood-brain barrier, which could have implications for neurological health. Researchers analyzed brain tissue from autopsies, comparing samples from 2016 to 2024. They specifically analyzed the frontal cortex, an area of the brain directly behind the forehead. The study identified 12 different types of plastic polymers, with polyethylene being the most prevalent in the brain tissue samples. Polyethylene is widely used in packaging and containers like bottles and cups. The commentary suggests a simple yet effective way to reduce microplastic intake: switching bottled water to filtered tap water. This change alone could decrease annual microplastic consumption from 90,000 particles to just 4,000. "Bottled water alone can expose people to nearly as many microplastic particles annually as all ingested and inhaled sources combined. Switching to tap water could reduce this exposure by almost 90%, making it one of the simplest ways to cut down on microplastic intake," said Dr. Brandon Luu, an Internal Medicine Resident at the University of Toronto. Other key sources of microplastic intake include plastic tea bags and improper food storage/heating. Plastic tea bags release millions of tiny particles during brewing, and heating food in plastic containers. "Heating food in plastic containers—especially in the microwave—can release substantial amounts of microplastics and nanoplastics," the author explained. "While these changes make sense, we still need research to confirm whether lowering intake leads to reduced accumulation in human tissues," Luu added. Researchers have also been investigating how the body might eliminate microplastic compounds, with initial findings suggesting sweating could play a role. If left unchecked, this issue could represent a major, unforeseen environmental health crisis. "The commentary calls for urgent research priorities, including establishing clear exposure limits and assessing long-term health consequences of microplastic accumulation,' the press release noted. The peer-reviewed Commentary has been published in Brain Medicine.
