Effect of mattress bedding layer structure on pressure relief performance and subjective lying comfort.

Mattresses' pressure relief performance and comfort largely affect sleep quality. Mattress filling materials have been proven to affect the interface pressure distribution and comfort, but the effect of mattress structure is unclear. In this paper, the interface pressure distribution and subjective comfort of 10 subjects were assessed in the different bedding layer structures of mattresses, after mattress support performance was tested.

In-Depth Analysis of the Structure and Properties of Two Varieties of Natural Luffa Sponge Fibers.

The advancement in science and technology has led to luffa sponge (LS) being widely used as a natural material in industrial application because of its polyporous structure and light texture. To enhance the utility of LS fibers as the reinforcement of lightweight composite materials, the current study investigates their water absorption, mechanical properties, anatomical characteristics and thermal performance. Hence, moisture regain and tensile properties of LS fiber bundles were measured in accordance with American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standards while their structural characteristics were investigated via microscopic observation.

[Frequencies of 9 bp deletion of mitochondrial DNA in ethnic Miao, Buyi and Dong from Guizhou].

Objective: To study the frequency of a 9 bp deletion polymorphism of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) in ethnic Miao, Buyi and Dong populations from Guizhou province.

Methods: Polymerase chain reaction-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PCR-PAGE) was used to detect the 9 bp deletion. The result was verified with DNA sequencing.