A heating pad includes a heat pad with an anterior and posterior side. The heat pad includes a first layer, a second layer, and a third layer. The second layer is located in between the first layer and the third layer. The first layer is located on the posterior side, while the third layer is located on the anterior side. The second layer has a wire selectively heated to increase the temperature of the heat pad. The third layer is a reflective material positioned to reflect heat from the second layer towards the first layer, decreasing heat emitted on the anterior side of the heat pad. The heating pad also includes a battery storage section for securing a battery. The battery is in electronical communication with the wire of the heat pad. The heating pad further includes an engagement mechanism to secure the heating pad to a user.

The present invention is directed to a method of increasing the brightness of non-wood fibers and nonwoven fabric fabrics produced by the method. In one aspect, the method includes forming a mixture of non-wood fibers and exposing the mixture to a brightening agent to produce brightened fibers. The brightening agent is oxygen gas, peracetic acid, a peroxide compound, or a combination thereof. The brightened fibers have a brightness greater than the fibers of the mixture before exposure as measured by MacBeth UV-C standard.

The present invention is directed to a method for scouring and increasing the brightness of non-wood fibers. The method comprises forming a mixture of non-wood fibers, exposing the mixture to a scouring liquor and a scouring agent comprising oxygen gas to form a scouring mixture, and scouring the scouring mixture by radially circulating the scouring liquor throughout the scouring mixture to provide scoured fibers.

Fibrous structures that exhibit a novel combination of properties and to methods for making such fibrous structures are provided.

Fibrous materials and methods of manufacturing fibrous materials are disclosed. In particular, this application discloses methods of making and processing serially deposited fibrous structures, such as serially deposited fibrous mats. Serially deposited fibrous mats may be used in implantable medical devices with various characteristics and features. Serially deposited fibrous mats of various mat thickness, fiber size, porosity, pore size, and fiber density are disclosed. Additionally, serially deposited fibrous mats having various amounts of fiber structures (such as intersections, branches, and bundles) per unit area are also disclosed.

The present invention provides a composition, a gypsum board and their preparation method and the use of ascorbic acid as an anti-sagging additive in a gypsum board. Said gypsum board comprises set gypsum prepared from the composition; while said composition comprises hemi-hydrate gypsum, water and a compound comprising ##STR00001##
group and no carboxylate groups. The set gypsum prepared from the said composition shows better anti-sagging or deformation resisting property. The gypsum board of the present invention is hardly distorted and has stronger stability even in the condition of high humidity, thus improve the quality of the gypsum board to meet the demands of the customer.

A diaper includes a liquid permeable topsheet including a patterned apertured nonwoven material. The patterned apertured nonwoven material includes a plurality of land areas in the patterned apertured nonwoven material and a plurality of apertures defined in the patterned apertured nonwoven material. At least some land areas of the plurality of land areas surround at least some apertures of the plurality of apertures. The plurality of apertures are non-homogeneous in a repeat unit such that at least two apertures of the plurality of apertures have a different size or a different shape.

A nonwoven fabric is disclosed. The nonwoven fabric can include a first surface and a second surface and at least a first visually discernible zone of three-dimensional features on one of the first or second surface. Each of the three-dimensional features can define a microzone comprising a first region and a second region. The first and second regions can have a difference in values for an intensive property, and the first visually discernible zone can exhibit a high visual resolution.

The present invention provides for concentrated aqueous silk fibroin solutions and an all-aqueous mode for preparation of concentrated aqueous fibroin solutions that avoids the use of organic solvents, direct additives, or harsh chemicals. The invention further provides for the use of these solutions in production of materials, e.g., fibers, films, foams, meshes, scaffolds and hydrogels.

A waterproof membrane is described that includes a barrier layer and a functional layer. The functional layer can include a thermoplastic polymer that changes consistency under the influence of highly alkaline media, and an adhesive. The production and use of the membrane are also described. The functional layer of the membrane can be designed in the form of a film, a coating, or a nonwoven fabric. The fibers in the fabric can include a hard core that is surrounded by a polymer layer, is inert prior to coming into contact with liquid concrete and acts as a protective layer. Thus, the membrane is protected from premature aging and allows work to be performed with the seal in place. During the concreting process, i.e. when the functional layer comes into contact with liquid concrete, the polymer dissolves and thus allows the adhesive to bond to the concrete. The functional layer thus acts as an adhesive sealing compound and the seal is leakproof.