Embodiments of the present invention relate to freshness indication. In some embodiments, a freshness indicating device is provided. The freshness indicating device comprises a collector and an indicator. The collector is adapted to collect water from an object. The object includes at least one of fruits and vegetables. The indicator is adapted to indicate the freshness of the object based on the amount of the collected water. A corresponding method and a container comprising the freshness indicating device are disclosed as well.

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.

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).

Processes for rapidly and accurately measuring the coefficient of moisture expansion for materials, such as adhesives, are disclosed. A replication technique may be used to manufacture highly flat and smooth adhesive samples. Moisture is introduced in a controlled humidity atmosphere, distortion is monitored with an accurate laser interferometer (e.g., ˜1 nanometer (nm) accuracy), and measurements are correlated with moisture content change. Such processes decrease sample size by three orders of magnitude as compared with conventional techniques and have a smaller adhesive mass requirement, which enables measurement of expensive microelectronic adhesives that were previously cost-prohibitive to measure. Also, thinner films allow CME measurements of ultraviolet (UV) cured adhesives that would otherwise have depth of penetration issues. Furthermore, saturation occurs quickly, allowing pre-stabilization at room temperature, which enabled parametric studies as a function of processing or cure state. Additionally, testing occurs within hours versus months, enabling short lead times for root-cause investigations.

Provided are a water-absorbing resin having more excellent balance of fluid retention capacity, liquid permeability, and low dustiness and a novel measurement method which enables evaluation of excellent physical properties of the water-absorbing resin. A method for measuring an absorption speed of a particulate water-absorbing agent is a method including the step of applying pressure to a portion of a bottom surface of a measurement container (51) by use of a flat plate (52) in a state in which part or whole of the particulate water-absorbing agent (56) is fixed on the bottom surface of the measurement container (51), the bottom surface being surrounded by a frame, introducing an aqueous solution through a liquid injection inlet (54) with which the flat plate (52) is equipped, and then measuring the amount of time elapsed until an end of absorption of the introduced aqueous solution by the particulate water-absorbing agent (56).

An apparatus and a method for testing water absorption of concrete in a direction parallel with load applying direction are provided. The apparatus includes a loading device, a water filling device, and a monitoring device. The loading device includes an upper support plate and a lower support plate connected with the upper support plate via multiple threaded rods, and a space for placing a concrete specimen formed between the upper support plate and the lower support plate. The water filling device includes a water filling cylinder having a side connected with a water supply tank via an inlet pipe, and another side connected with a water storage tank via an outlet pipe. The monitoring device includes a mass sensor arranged under the water storage tank and a strain gauge for detecting change of stress of the concrete specimen.

A method including receiving a specimen comprising a carrier, a first target species, and a first component and storing at least a portion of the carrier and the first target species in a storage media by self-driven filtering of the specimen in the storage media, wherein the storage media comprises porous superabsorbent polymer (PSAP) beads. The PSAP beads provide for fast and self-driven microfiltration of biofluid samples. The treatment effectively separates small analytical targets (e.g., glucose, catalase, and bacteriophage) and large undesired components (e.g., bacteria and blood cells) in the biofluids by capturing the former inside and excluding the latter outside the PSAP beads. The treatment can reduce sample volume, self-aliquot the liquid sample, avoid microbial contamination, separate plasma from blood cells, stabilize target species inside the beads, and enable long-term storage at room temperature.

A method for determining a radionuclide concentration of a material is provided. The method comprises placing a detector in a protective structure, wherein the detector is coupled to a single-channel analyzer. The method further comprises inserting the protective structure in a material, wherein the material comprises a radionuclide. The method additionally comprises measuring the moisture content of the material to be analyzed. The method also comprises counting the emitted radiation having a known energy over an interval of time to produce a count per time, wherein the emitted radiation is emitted from the radionuclide and then dividing the count per time by the weight of the material to produce a count per time per weight.

Herein, a polymer-based device capable of lifting many times its own mass was fabricated by drying a solution of the polycation poly (diallyldimethyl ammonium chloride) (pDADMAC) on a surface coated with charged poly (N-isopropylacrylamide)-based microgels. Due to strong polymer-polymer and polymer-surface interactions, when the pDADMAC solution dries on the microgel-modified surface, it bends. If the surface is flexible, it curls up into a scroll like structure, that can be opened up at high (ca. 80%) humidity. This process is fully reversible, i.e., if the humidity is decreased, the surface curls back up. This expansion/contraction behavior is capable of lifting relatively large masses, many times its own mass, and can potentially be used as an artificial muscle.

A thermo-gravimetric analysis system includes a chamber having an interior; and a sample crucible connected to and inside of the chamber, the sample crucible configured to hold a sample material. The system further includes a reference crucible connected to and inside of the chamber; and a metal organic framework (MOF) crucible connected to and inside of the chamber, separate from the sample crucible, the MOF crucible including an MOF material.