A coated nickel hydroxide powder that has a cobalt compound coating having improved uniformity and adhesion properties on the surface of particles thereof and is therefore suitable for a positive electrode active material of an alkaline secondary battery is obtained by coating the surface of nickel hydroxide particles with a cobalt compound, and has a transmittance ratio of 30% or higher as determined by (A−B.sub.max)/(B.sub.0−B.sub.max). The transmittance A (coated nickel hydroxide powder), the transmittance B.sub.0 (nickel hydroxide powder), or the transmittance B.sub.max (nickel hydroxide powder and cobalt compound containing cobalt in an amount corresponding to the amount of cobalt contained in the coating) can be determined by measuring the transmittance of a tubular transparent cell after shaking the tightly-closed transparent cell containing each powder for a certain time and then taking the contents out of the transparent cell.

A system (100) for viewing and ascertaining optical characteristics of gemstones, said system including a first and second integrating sphere (150,150a), wherein each integrating sphere (150,150a) is in optical communication with each other and having a spacer portion (116) disposed therebetween, a first light source (118) engaged with the first sphere (150) and for providing light to the interior of the first sphere (150) and a second light source (118a) engaged with the second sphere (150a) and for providing light to the interior of the second sphere (150a); at least one optical image acquisition device (110) in communication with the interior of one of the spheres for acquisition of an optical image of a gemstone disposed in a region between the spheres; a transparent platform (117) for supporting the gemstone between the two integrating spheres (150,150a); and a control module (120) in communication with the optical image acquisition device (110), for controlling the acquisition of optical images of gemstones thereof; wherein said optical image of the gemstone is processed by a processor to ascertain one or more optical characteristics of the gemstone.

A microarray chip imaging detector comprises a housing configured to receive a microarray chip. The detector includes a laser assembly supported by the housing and oriented at an angle relative to the microarray chip, the laser assembly configured to transmit an excitation beam along a first axis to samples on the microarray chip. The detector also includes a camera supported by the housing and positioned along a second axis, the camera configured to receive fluorescent light emitted from fluorophores in the samples on the microarray chip, the second axis oriented at an angle less than 30 degrees relative to the first axis. The housing includes a plurality of baffles positioned between the microarray chip and the camera, and a plurality of laser beamstops to receive the excitation beam reflected off the microarray chip.

A plasma source chamber (10) for use in a spectrometer comprises an inner housing (11) for accommodating a plasma source (31) and an outer housing (12) accommodating the inner housing. The outer housing (12) comprises at least one outer air inlet opening (21) in a first wall and at least one outer air outlet opening (22) in a second wall. Walls of the inner housing and walls of the outer housing define a spacing (25) so as to allow a first air flow (1) from the at least one outer air inlet opening (21) to the at least one outer air outlet opening (22) through the spacing (25) between the inner housing and the outer housing. The inner housing (11) comprises at least one inner air inlet opening (23) in a first wall and at least one inner air outlet opening (24) in a second wall to allow a second air flow (2) from the at least one inner air inlet opening to the at least one inner air outlet opening through the inner housing. Thus, an improved cooling of the outer surfaces of the plasma source chamber is achieved.

An industrial X-ray imaging apparatus including: an X-ray source; an X-ray detector configured to detect X-rays emitted from the X-ray source; a stage which is disposed between the X-ray source and the X-ray detector and is configured to support a subject; and a shielding chamber configured to accommodate the X-ray source, the X-ray detector, and the stage, in which the shielding chamber includes a door for carrying in and out the subject, and a lock mechanism for prohibiting the door from changing to an open state, and in which the X-ray imaging apparatus further includes an unlocking control unit configured to control unlocking of the lock mechanism based on a leakage dose leaking from the shielding chamber to an outside.

Methods and systems for determining characteristics of fluids are described. A method involves illuminating a portion of a fluid by emitting light having an emission spectrum spanning at least from an infrared band to an ultraviolet band, and producing an output signal by receiving the light upon being scattered by the fluid using an optical detector. A controller may select a target sub-band of the emission spectrum based on information associated with the fluid, and may further determine a characteristic of the fluid using at least a portion of the output signal associated with the target sub-band of the emission spectrum. Alternatively, or additionally, a controller may apply an operator to the output signal, and may further determine the characteristic of the first fluid by applying a machine learning model to a result of the operator as applied to the first output signal.

Apparatus for determining an agricultural condition in an agricultural environment, the apparatus including one or more processing devices configured to acquire spectral data by measuring sample radiation at least one of reflected from and transmitted through an agricultural sample obtained from the agricultural environment, use the spectral data and at least one computational model to determine an agricultural condition, the computational model embodying relationships between the spectral data and different agricultural conditions and use the agricultural condition to determine an indicator indicative of at least one of: the agricultural condition and an intervention to improve the agricultural condition.

The disclosure provides a spectrometer, which includes a housing and a spectrum measurement module. The housing has an arrangement surface and an opening. The spectrum measurement module is disposed in the housing and has a measurement surface. The measurement surface is exposed from the opening of the housing, and there is a height difference between the measurement surface and the arrangement surface.

The sample imaging apparatus includes: a housing that forms a closed space; a transparent tray on which a sample is placed in the housing; a plane light source that is formed by using a flat light guide plate, which propagates light emitted by a light emitting element in a plane direction, so as to illuminates the sample with illumination light through the tray in the housing; a lens that is disposed in the housing so as to face the plane light source with the tray interposed between the lens and the plane light source and is used for imaging the sample; and an imaging control unit that adjusts a focal length of the lens and performs imaging in a case of imaging the single sample.

Provided is a gas sensor that can suppress characteristic variation caused by deformation of a semiconductor substrate. The gas sensor (1) includes a substrate (redistribution layer 30), a light-emitting element (11) provided at a front surface (30a) or embedded in the substrate, a light-receiving element (12) that is provided at the front surface or embedded in the substrate and that receives light emitted from the light-emitting element, and a plurality of external connection terminals (40) at a rear surface (30b) that is an opposite surface to the front surface of the substrate. At least a portion of the plurality of external connection terminals is electrically connected to the light-emitting element and the light-receiving element. The plurality of external connection terminals is arranged such that, in plan view, the light-emitting element and the light-receiving element are not present on a line linking any two external connection terminals.