Abstract: A method of treating a ballast water for sterilizing bacteria, microorganisms or organisms in the ballast water in a hold or ballast tank of a ship, has the steps of: sterilizing the bacteria, microorganisms or organisms by adjusting a residual chlorine concentration in the ballast water to 1 mass ppm or more and 1000 mass ppm or less with a hypochlorite, and removing the residual chlorine in the ballast water with a sulfite.

Abstract: Evaluation of tree production capacity by a non-destructive method using a tree crown structure measurement device or using an image capture device with a fisheye lens mounted, for isolated trees or for trees existing at intervals, is enabled without requiring a large amount of time. A semi-spheroid of revolution model is established as a representation of the outer shape of a tree, an optical tree structure measurement device is placed at a position apart from the main trunk by a prescribed distance, the intensity of light passing through tree leaves and the intensity of light not passing through tree leaves are measured, the optical path length of light incident on the tree is calculated using the semi-spheroid model and the total tree leaf area is determined from the measured light intensities and optical path length.

Abstract: A sensing circuit having a first substrate, a second substrate, a layer of dielectric material, a first electrode, a second electrode and an electrostatic capacitance detection unit is provided. The second substrate faces the first substrate. The dielectric material is held between the first substrate and the second substrate. The first electrode and the second electrode are arranged between the dielectric material and the first substrate. The electrostatic capacitance detection unit is configured to produce a detection signal having an amplitude according to a value of capacitance formed between the first electrode and the second electrode through the dielectric material.