Selective laser melting has been applied as a production technique of nickel titanium (NiTi) parts. In this study, the scanning parameters and atmosphere control used during production were varied to assess the effects on the final component transformation criteria. Two production runs were completed: one in a high (*1800 ppm O 2 ) and one in a low-oxygen (*220 ppm O 2 ) environment. Further solution treatment was applied to analyze precipitation effects. It was found that the transformation temperature varies greatly even at identical energy densities highlighting the need for further in-depth investigations. In this respect, it was observed that oxidation was the dominating factor, increased with higher laser power adapted to higher scanning velocity. Once the atmospheric oxygen content was lowered from 1800 to about 220 ppm, a much smaller variation of transformation temperatures was obtained. In addition to oxidation, other contributing factors, such as nickel depletion (via evaporation during processing) as well as thermal stresses and textures, are further discussed and/or postulated. These results demonstrated the importance of processing and material conditions such as O 2 content, powder composition, and laser scanning parameters. These parameters should be precisely controlled to reach desired transformation criteria for functional components made by SLM.

In this study, the copper bearing particle of a fayalitic copper slag was assessed using quantitative evaluation of minerals by scanning electron microscopy (QEMSCAN) and X-ray computed tomography (CT). The copper content of the slag was ,0?87 wt-%. Copper in this slag was present as sulphidic droplets. The content and particle size distribution of the major sulphide phases (bornite, chalcopyrite and chalcocite/digenite) were quantified using QEMSCAN. The copper bearing particles had a wide particle size distribution from a few micrometres up to millimetre level. Large copper bearing particles (.100 mm) were composed mainly of bornite and chalcocite/digenite and tended to accumulate in the lower part of the slag layer. As characterised with CT, ,70% of the copper value was present in these large copper bearing particles.

Objective: Exostosin-1 (Ext1) encodes a glycosyltransferase required for heparan sulfate (HS) chain elongation in HS-proteoglycan biosynthesis. HS chains serve as binding partners for signaling proteins, affecting their distribution and activity. The Wnt/b-catenin pathway emerged as critical regulator of chondrogenesis. Yet, how EXT1 and HS affect Wnt/b-catenin signaling during chondrogenesis remains unexplored. Method: Ext1 was stably knocked-down or overexpressed in ATDC5 chondrogenic cells cultured as micromasses. HS content was determined using ELISA. Chondrogenic markers Sox9, Col2a1, Aggrecan, and Wnt direct target gene Axin2 were measured by RT-qPCR. Proteoglycan content was evaluated by Alcian blue and DMMB assay, canonical Wnt signaling activation by b-catenin Western blot and TOP/FOP assay. ATDC5 cells and human articular chondrocytes were treated with Wnt activators CHIR99021 and recombinant WNT3A. Results: Ext1 knock-down reduced HS, and increased chondrogenic markers and proteoglycan accumulation. Ext1 knock-down reduced active Wnt/b-catenin signaling. Conversely, Ext1 overexpressing cells, with higher HS content, showed decreased chondrogenic differentiation and enhanced Wnt/b-catenin signaling. Wnt/b-catenin signaling activation led to a down-regulation of Ext1 expression in ATDC5 cells and in human articular chondrocytes. Conclusions: EXT1 affects chondrogenic differentiation of precursor cells, in part via changes in the activity of Wnt/b-catenin signaling. Wnt/b-catenin signaling controls Ext1 expression, suggesting a regulatory loop between EXT1 and Wnt/b-catenin signaling during chondrogenesis.

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Abstract.Amiloride is widely used in clinical practice as a diuretic and is known to interact with the epithelial sodium channel and acid-sensing ion channel proteins, as well as Na + /H + antiporters and Na + /Ca 2+ exchangers. The aim of the present study was to examine the effects of amiloride on receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand (RANKL)-induced osteoclastogenesis and to elucidate the underlying mechanisms in the RAW264.7 murine macrophage cell line. The number of tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP)-positive multinucleated cells were counted and the bone resorption area was estimated. In addition the expression levels of nuclear factor of activated T cells, cytoplasmic 1 (NFATc1) mRNA and osteoclast-specific genes, including TRAP, matrix metalloproteinase 9, cathepsin K and osteoclast-associated receptor, were examined using reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathways were also investigated using western blotting. The results showed that amiloride significantly reduced the number of TRAP-positive multinucleated cells as well as the bone resorption area. Amiloride also downregulated the expression of NFATc1 mRNA and inhibited the expression of osteoclast-specific genes. A possible underlying mechanism may be that amiloride suppresses the degradation of the inhibitor of NF-κB and blocks the activation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase, extracellular signal-regulated kinase and p38, thus implicating the NF-κB and MAPK pathway is this process. In conclusion, the current data suggest that amiloride is a strong inhibitor of osteoclast differentiation, indicating a novel indication for amiloride in the treatment of bone-loss-related diseases.