A method of facilitating hardness measurement of a rock sample involves receiving force information representing forces applied to the rock sample during roll crushing, determining size information representing a size of the rock sample, and determining, based on at least the force information and the size information, at least one hardness parameter representing hardness of the rock sample. A method of facilitating hardness measurement of a rock sample from a drill core involves receiving force information representing forces applied to the rock sample during roll crushing of the rock sample, determining, based on at least the force information, at least one hardness parameter representing hardness of the rock sample, and associating the at least one hardness parameter with at least one location from which the rock sample was extracted. Other apparatuses, methods, systems, and computer-readable media are provided.

A method for evaluating biofilm formation on a medical device material in vivo using an invertebrate includes: a step of inserting the medical device material between a hypodermal portion and an intestinal tract of an invertebrate, a step of extracting the medical device material from the invertebrate, and a step of evaluating biofilm formation on the surface of the medical device material; the invertebrate is for use in this evaluation of the biofilm formation.