Provided is a water-absorbing agent which maintains a certain degree of liquid permeability and water absorption speed while also reducing re-wet in a disposable diaper, without the use of costly raw materials or costly apparatuses. The water-absorbing agent of the present invention contains a polyacrylic acid salt-based water-absorbing resin as a main component and has physical properties falling within a specific range, the physical properties being saline flow conductivity (SFC), gap fluid retention property under pressure, and a proportion of particles having a particle diameter of not less than 150 μm and less than 710 μm.

According to improvement of the receptor layer of various sensors of the type for detecting physical parameters (for example, a surface stress sensor, QCM, and SPR), all of high sensitivity, selectivity, and durability are achieved simultaneously. A porous material or a particulate material, e.g., nanoparticles, is used in place of a uniform membrane which has been conventionally used as a receptor layer. Accordingly, the sensitivity can be controlled by changing the membrane thickness of the receptor layer, the selectivity can be controlled by changing a surface modifying group to be fixed on the porous material or particulate material, and the durability can be controlled by changing the composition and surface properties of the porous material or particulate material.

According to improvement of the receptor layer of various sensors of the type for detecting physical parameters (for example, a surface stress sensor, QCM, and SPR), all of high sensitivity, selectivity, and durability are achieved simultaneously. A porous material or a particulate material, e.g., nanoparticles, is used in place of a uniform membrane which has been conventionally used as a receptor layer. Accordingly, the sensitivity can be controlled by changing the membrane thickness of the receptor layer, the selectivity can be controlled by changing a surface modifying group to be fixed on the porous material or particulate material, and the durability can be controlled by changing the composition and surface properties of the porous material or particulate material.

An odor detection device (1) includes an odor sensor (10), environmental information measurement means (11, 12), odor information collection means (20), difference information acquisition means (21), and correction means (22). The odor sensor (10) detects information on an odor emitted from an odor source (2). The environmental information measurement means (11, 12) measures information on an environment, correlated with the amount of water vapor contained in surrounding gas. The difference information acquisition means (21) acquires the difference amount of water vapor, indicating a difference between information on an environment surrounding the odor sensor (10) and information on an environment surrounding the odor source (2). The correction means (22) corrects information on an odor, collected by the odor information collection means (20), on the basis of difference information acquired by the difference information acquisition means (21).

An odor detection device (1) includes an odor sensor (10), environmental information measurement means (11, 12), odor information collection means (20), difference information acquisition means (21), and correction means (22). The odor sensor (10) detects information on an odor emitted from an odor source (2). The environmental information measurement means (11, 12) measures information on an environment, correlated with the amount of water vapor contained in surrounding gas. The difference information acquisition means (21) acquires the difference amount of water vapor, indicating a difference between information on an environment surrounding the odor sensor (10) and information on an environment surrounding the odor source (2). The correction means (22) corrects information on an odor, collected by the odor information collection means (20), on the basis of difference information acquired by the difference information acquisition means (21).

A microorganism test method includes: covering, with a hydrophobic capping solvent, a sample containing a specimen and a liquid culture medium, within a region in a vicinity of a sensor configured to detect a microorganism contained in the specimen; and calculating, based on an output from the sensor, information indicating a degree of growth of the microorganism contained in the specimen. For example, an analysis unit drives an array sensor in which many resonators are arranged in a matrix pattern, stores a resonance frequency of a resonator which is acquired at the time of starting the measurement as an initial frequency, and calculates a difference (frequency shift) between the initial frequency and a resonance frequency of the resonator which is measured at predetermined time intervals as information indicating a degree of growth of the microorganism contained in the specimen.

A gas detection device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a casing and a plurality of sensor elements. The casing includes a gas introducing port, a first chamber that communicates with the introducing port, a second chamber that communicates with the first chamber, a flow limiter that limits a flow of gas from the first chamber to the second chamber, and a gas exhausting portion that communicates with the second chamber. The plurality of sensor elements are disposed within the second chamber and have different detection sensitivities depending on a gas type.

An experimental device and method for supercritical CO.sub.2/H.sub.2O mixed fluid huff and puff for shale oil development includes a CO.sub.2 storage tank, a water vapor generator, a mixing vessel, and a core holder; the CO.sub.2 storage tank and the water vapor generator are in communication with the mixing vessel; a first pressure gauge and a hygronom are connected to an upper end of the mixing vessel, and a displacement pump is connected to a lower end of the mixing vessel; the mixing vessel is connected to an inlet end of the core holder; the core holder is connected to an inlet end of a drying pipe, and the measuring cylinder is disposed upside down in a liquid containing dish, where the liquid containing dish and the measuring cylinder are filled with a saturated sodium carbonate solution.

An experimental device and method for supercritical CO.sub.2/H.sub.2O mixed fluid huff and puff for shale oil development includes a CO.sub.2 storage tank, a water vapor generator, a mixing vessel, and a core holder; the CO.sub.2 storage tank and the water vapor generator are in communication with the mixing vessel; a first pressure gauge and a hygronom are connected to an upper end of the mixing vessel, and a displacement pump is connected to a lower end of the mixing vessel; the mixing vessel is connected to an inlet end of the core holder; the core holder is connected to an inlet end of a drying pipe, and the measuring cylinder is disposed upside down in a liquid containing dish, where the liquid containing dish and the measuring cylinder are filled with a saturated sodium carbonate solution.

Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to apparatus, systems, and methods for characterizing fluid-solid systems. In an embodiment, a method includes placing a porous rock sample in a core holder, contacting the porous rock sample with a fluid to create a fluid-solid system inside the core holder, automatically adjusting a temperature and/or pressure of the fluid-solid system to a preselected value via a processor and at least one automated valve, monitoring the fluid-solid system for equilibrium, recording a value for temperature, pressure, and/or mass of the fluid-solid system, performing an action based on the recorded data, and repeating the adjusting, monitoring, recording, and performing operations to produce a thermodynamic data characteristic of the fluid-solid system. In one example, the performing operation includes analyzing a pressure signal for stationarity by performing an Augmented Dickey-Fuller (ADF) test and/or a Kwiatkowski-Phillips-Schmidt-Shin (KPSS) test.