Owens Corning (United States)

Additive manufacturing is emerging as a technology utilised within the field of electrochemistry, where researchers need to understand the electrochemical capabilities of the electrodes produced. One aspect yet to be fully explored is the effect of using different carbon morphologies and how these differences affect the electrochemical performance. It is understood that edge plane defects are the site of electrochemical activity, therefore, quantifying these defect sites will allow for determination of which morphology is most advantageous. Various filaments containing different morphologies were produced in combination with carbon black (CB) using multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), carbon nanotube clusters, and graphite. All electrodes were subject to physicochemical characterisation using scanning electron microscopy, Raman, and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy. MWCNTs in combination with CB produced a high performing electrically conductive filament, which showed improved electrochemical performance compared to other bespoke filaments with a heterogenous electron transfer of k0obs of 3.22 (±0.16) x 10−3 cm s−1. The filament containing MWCNTs was also found to show the largest density of edge plane sites of 0.81% and was closest to that of a glassy carbon electrode. All electrodes were successfully tested for the detection of carbendazim producing linear ranges between 5 and 40 μM. The MWCNT filament also exhibited the best electroanalytical performance, showing a limit of detection of 0.26 μM and limit of quantification of 0.88 μM, as well as achieving a recovery of 114% in a river water sample. This work proves that the edge plane defect sites are the site of electrochemical activity within additive manufactured electrodes and should be considered when designing new materials.

U.S.-focused studies have reported decreasing dementia prevalence in recent decades, but have not yet focused on the implications of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic for trends. We use the 2011-2021 National Health and Aging Trends Study (N = 48 065) to examine dementia prevalence, incidence, and mortality trends among adults ages 72 and older, and the contribution to prevalence trends of changes in the distribution of characteristics of the older population ("compositional shifts") during the full and prepandemic periods. To minimize classification error, individuals must meet dementia criteria for 2 consecutive rounds. The prevalence of probable dementia declined from 11.9% in 2011 to 9.2% in 2019 and 8.2% in 2021 (3.1% average annual decline). Pre-pandemic declines continued for women and non-Hispanic White individuals and emerged over the 2011-2021 period for men and those ages 80-89. Declines in dementia incidence were stronger for the 2011-2021 period than for the prepandemic period, while mortality among those with dementia rose sharply with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Shifts in the composition of the older population accounted for a smaller fraction of the decline over the full period (27%) than over the prepandemic period (45%). Declines in dementia prevalence continued into years marked by onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, along with declines in incidence and sharp increases in mortality among those with dementia. However, declines are no longer largely attributable to compositional changes in the older population. Continued tracking of dementia prevalence, incidence, and mortality among those with and without dementia is needed to understand long-run consequences of the pandemic.

When developing a noise control solution, it is beneficial to provide modeling of the system to optimize the resulting solution limiting testing to relevant solutions meeting the various constraint requirements of cost, performance, manufacturing, and shipping. A recent study on predicting sound transmission through vehicle panels to eliminate the multiplicity of testing needed to identify the best solution. This paper will present a study to identify a solution to improvement of the sound transmission of a vehicle panel leveraging modeling and comparing the model results to the actual test results. by comparing model predictions to test results from ASTM E90 - Standard Test Method for Laboratory Measurement of Airborne Sound Transmission Loss of Building Partitions and Elements1. Vehicle panels featuring distinct absorbing configurations identified through modeling were installed within a composite plug wall and subjected to standardized acoustic excitation. The agreement between model predictions and experimental data will demonstrate effectiveness of models in predicting panel performance.

Abstract The chemical and isotopic characteristics of a solidified pluton represent the integration of magmatic and sub-solidus processes operating across a range of spatial and temporal scales during pluton construction, crystallization, and cooling. Disentangling these processes and understanding where chemical and isotopic signatures were acquired requires the combination of multiple tools tracing processes at different time and length scales. We combine whole-rock oxygen and Sr-Nd isotopes, zircon oxygen isotopes and trace elements, and mineral compositions with published high-precision U-Pb zircon geochronology to evaluate differentiation within the bimodal Guadalupe Igneous Complex, Sierra Nevada, California (USA). The complex was constructed in ~300 k.y. between 149 and 150 Ma. Felsic magmas crystallized as centimeter- to meter-sized segregations in gabbros in the lower part of the complex and as granites and granophyres structurally above the gabbros. A central mingling zone separates the mafic and felsic units. Pluton-wide δ18O(whole-rock), δ18O(zircon), and Sr-Nd isotopic ranges are too large to be explained by in situ, closed-system differentiation, instead requiring open-system behavior at all scales. Low δ18O(whole-rock) and δ18O(zircon) values indicate assimilation of hydrothermally altered marine host rocks during ascent and/or emplacement. In situ differentiation processes operated on a smaller scale (meters to tens of meters) for at least ~200 k.y. via (1) percolation and segregation of chemically and isotopically diverse silicic interstitial melt from a heterogeneous gabbro mush; (2) crystal accumulation; and (3) sub-solidus, high-temperature, hydrothermal alteration at the shallow roof of the complex to modify the chemical and isotopic characteristics. Whole-rock and mineral chemistry in combination with geochronology allows deciphering open-system differentiation processes at the outcrop to pluton scale from magmatic to sub-solidus temperatures over time scales of hundreds of thousands to millions of years.

Although a growing literature describes the effects of negative childhood experiences on biological outcomes, it is difficult to compare results across studies because of differences in measures of childhood experiences, biological markers, sample characteristics, and included covariates. To ensure comparability across its analyses, this study used a single national survey of adults in the United States—the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) study—to examine comprehensively the association between adverse childhood experiences, operationalized as childhood maltreatment (CM), and biological markers of risk for poor health and to assess whether these associations differ by type of maltreatment, sex, or race. The sample included 1254, mostly White (78%), adults aged 34–86 years (mean age 57 years), 57% of whom were female. We present incidence rate ratios (IRR) from negative binomial and Poisson regressions to examine the relationships between exposure to CM (emotional, physical, and sexual abuse; emotional and physical neglect; and a CM-index reflecting frequency across all five types of maltreatment) and four biological risk summary scores (overall physiological dysregulation, cardiometabolic risk, inflammation, and hypothalamic pituitary axis/sympathetic nervous system (HPA/SNS) function). We also tested whether the effect of each type of CM varied by sex and by race. The CM-index was associated with higher overall physiological dysregulation and inflammation, but the associations were weaker and not statistically significant for cardiometabolic risk and HPA/SNS function. With the exception of a possible sex difference in the association between sexual abuse and overall physiological dysregulation, there was little evidence that the associations varied systematically by type of CM or by sex or race. We conclude that exposure to CM predicts adult biological risk, particularly inflammation. Inconsistency with previous research suggests that additional research is needed to confirm findings regarding sex and race differences.

Abstract This case study presents the use of carbon-fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) prestressed concrete (PC) soldier-piles coupled with glass-FRP reinforced concrete (RC) precast panels, for a combined bridge bearing abutment and retaining wall system. The application of FRP prestressing and reinforcing on the US 41 Highway Bridge over North Creek in Sarasota County was promoted by the Florida Department of Transportation under their Transportation Innovation Challenge initiative. Soldier-pile retaining walls are a commonly used system in southeastern US coastal states, but the incorporation of innovative materials such as CFRP-prestressing for piles and GFRP-reinforcing for concrete panels is not yet widespread. In addition to describing the preferred FRP-PC/RC solution adopted for this project, a comparison is provided to a recently completed adjacent bridge that utilized a traditional carbon-steel PC soldier-pile and RC precast panel wall system. A further comparison is presented for the design and cost of the wall system based on the project design criteria (ACI 440.1R, ACI 440.4R, and 2009 AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design Guide Specifications for GFRP-Reinforced Concrete, 1st Edition) with the refinements and savings possible under the newer editions. Finally, the life-cycle cost, durability and environmental benefits from the use of the innovative CFRP and GFRP reinforcing systems in this type of traditional wall system will be identified for typical urban coastal areas with extremely aggressive conditions, congested access, and challenging environmental constraints.

Reducing noise levels in industrial environments are critical as exposure to high noise levels has been related to health issues like fatigue and stress that can compromise safety of workers. Many types of acoustic products can be applied to various noise emitting equipments in an effort to reduce the noise levels in industrial spaces. Jacketed pipe insulation is one such product applied across many industries for controlling pipe emitted noise emission. As with most products, standards for evaluating performance have been created to validate performance claims by manufacturer’s. For jacketed pipe insulation ISO 15665, an international standard defining a testing process for measurement of the acoustical performance of installed and jacketed pipe insulation systems, is the accepted testing method. The measurement process provides for the determination of the insertion loss of jacketed insulation applied to a pipe. A recently conducted study to identify the performance of over 30 variations of jacketed pipe insulation, including combinations of two types of insulation material, is presented herein.

Since the introduction of lightweight drywall there has been concern related to the effect on the sound transmission loss of wall systems built using these products due to the reduced weight. Maintaining drywall strength while reducing weight 20 to 30 percent should improve installation productivity and worker safety on the build site. The process of reducing the weight is likely accomplished by entraining more air pockets into the slurry during manufacturing thus displacing a portion of the gypsum in the board. However, those familiar with the performance of wall systems know that the mass of the wall contributes to the overall sound transmission performance. A reduction in mass, of which the drywall is a significant portion, should reduce the transmission loss of the wall. This paper will highlight test data and modeling from the Owens Corning Acoustic Research Center demonstrating how these losses could be overcome.