Problems with filling can lead to rebar corrosion and impair the durability and all other functional aspects of reinforced concrete structures. However, the prevention of concrete filling defects is left to the skill, judgment, and experience of on-site operators. In this research, we develop a methodology for quantitatively estimating the rate of occurrence of concrete filling defects. By this, we hope to promote the efficient and effective prevention of such defects at construction sites. Therefore, as a model for defective filling, we propose a mortar loss model in which the mortar component of concrete free falling into the frame adheres to the reinforcing bars in the frame, and based on that, we conducted an experiment. Using actual measurement data, we quantitatively estimated the risk of defective filling.

The tarsal plate is an eyelid tissue that maintains lid structure from inside the upper/lower eyelids, and it surrounds the meibomian glands and supports their unique secretion mechanism. Sebaceous carcinoma, a malignant eyelid tumor, can sometimes develop from the meibomian glands, and is usually excised together with the tarsal plate during surgery, so the tarsal plate serves as a control research tissue. However, since the plate is thick, hard, and heterogeneous with few cells, obtaining enough genomic DNA and/or total RNA is often difficult. Therefore, we attempted to establish an efficient protocol to obtain DNA and RNA simultaneously by comparing the combinations of homogenization (mortar/pestle, pellet pestle, or SK mill) and purification (organic solvent or spin column) methods using rabbit tarsal plates. Based on the yield, quality, and hands-on time, the SK mill and spin column was found to be the most efficient combination. We then applied the established protocol to extract DNA/RNA from 6 human tarsal-plate samples and succeeded in generating high-quality exome and transcriptome datasets via a next-generation sequencer with sufficient coverage and meibomian gland-specific expression of representative genes, respectively. Our new findings will provide ideal reference data for future genetic and gene-expression studies of sebaceous carcinoma.

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