Quadruped Gait and Regulation of Apoptotic Factors in Tibiofemoral Joints following Intra-Articular rhPRG4 Injection in \u3cem\u3ePrg4\u3c/em\u3e Null Mice

Camptodactyly-arthropathy-coxa vara-pericarditis (CACP) syndrome leads to diarthrodial joint arthropathy and is caused by the absence of lubricin (proteoglycan 4—PRG4), a surface-active mucinous glycoprotein responsible for lubricating articular cartilage. In this study, mice lacking the orthologous gene Prg4 served as a model that recapitulates the destructive arthrosis that involves biofouling of cartilage by serum proteins in lieu of Prg4. This study hypothesized that Prg4-deficient mice would demonstrate a quadruped gait change and decreased markers of mitochondrial dyscrasia, following intra-articular injection of both hindlimbs with recombinant human PRG4 (rhPRG4). Prg4−/− (N = 44) mice of both sexes were injected with rhPRG4 and gait alterations were studied at post-injection day 3 and 6, before joints were harvested for immunohistochemistry for caspase-3 activation. Increased stance and propulsion was shown at 3 days post-injection in male mice. There were significantly fewer caspase-3-positive chondrocytes in tibiofemoral cartilage from rhPRG4-injected mice. The mitochondrial gene Mt-tn, and myosin heavy (Myh7) and light chains (Myl2 and Myl3), known to play a cytoskeletal stabilizing role, were significantly upregulated in both sexes (RNA-Seq) following IA rhPRG4. Chondrocyte mitochondrial dyscrasias attributable to the arthrosis in CACP may be mitigated by IA rhPRG4. In a supporting in vitro crystal microbalance experiment, molecular fouling by albumin did not block the surface activity of rhPRG4

Lean atmospheres for sintering chromium alloyed PM steels

Hydrogen and carbon monoxide are effective reducing agents at different temperature ranges and there is only scarce experimental and theoretical data about their interaction and combined reducing effect at dry conditions and low amount. The work presents experimental and theoretical evaluation of the reducing and carburizing activity of lean nitrogen-based atmospheres containing hydrogen, carbon monoxide and small additions of hydrocarbons with their total content in the range of 0.3 to 5 vol%. Effect of carbon content (0 and 0.4 wt%) and temperature profile in the case of sintering of chromium prealloyed PM steels was evaluated. Results indicate that the carbon pickup increases with increasing CO content in the atmosphere, however it brings significant risk of oxidation. Atmospheres with low content of CO and H2

The role of oxygen transfer in sintering of low alloy steel powder compacts: a review of the "internal getter" effect

The chemical aspects of sintering have to be considered, in particular the role of oxygen. For sintered alloy steels used for highly stressed components, traditional alloy elements have been Cu, Ni and Mo, which in their oxygen affinity are very similar to the base constituent iron. Advanced alloying systems however contain Cr, Mn and/or Si. In the present study it is shown that one of the principal aspects of sintering to be considered is oxygen transfer from the base iron oxides to the alloy elements, which then form oxides that are more difficult to reduce. This process, defined as “internal gettering”, occurs both in mixed powder compacts and in prealloyed materials, although through different mechanisms. The effect can at least be alleviated by presintering in H2 in the 400°C range, part of the oxygen being removed as H2O before internal gettering becomes kinetically effective. However, in industrial practice, this collides with delubricaton. Furthermore for both alloy variants high temperature sintering is advantageous because it enhances reduction of the more stable oxides, thus eliminating the effects of internal gettering.European Union Marie Sklodowska-Curie scholarshi

Oxide Transformation in Cr-Mn-Prealloyed Sintered Steels: Thermodynamic and Kinetic Aspects

The main obstacle for utilization of Cr and Mn as alloying elements in powder metallurgy is their high oxygen affinity leading to oxidation risk during powder manufacturing, handling, and especially during further consolidation. Despite the high purity of the commercially available Cr- and Mn-prealloyed iron powder grades, the risk of stable oxide formation during the sintering process remains. Thermodynamic and kinetic simulation of the oxide formation/transformation on the former powder surface during heating and sintering stages using thermodynamic modeling tools (Thermo-Calc and HSC Chemistry) was performed. Simulation is based on the results from the analysis of amount, morphology, and composition of the oxide phases inside the inter-particle necks in the specimens from interrupted sintering trials utilizing advanced analysis tools (HRSEM + EDX and XPS). The effect of the processing parameters, such as sintering atmosphere composition, temperature profile as well as graphite addition on the possible scenarios of oxide reduction/formation/transformation for Fe-Cr-Mn-C powder systems, was evaluated. Results indicate that oxide transformation occurs in accordance with the thermodynamic stability of oxides as follows: Fe2O3 -> FeO -> Fe2MnO4 -> Cr2FeO4 -> Cr2O3 -> MnCr2O4 -> MnO/MnSiO (x) -> SiO2. Spinel MnCr2O4 was identified as the most stable oxide phase at applied sintering conditions up to 1393 K (1120 A degrees C). Controlled conditions during the heating stage minimize the formation of stable oxide products and produce oxide-free sintered parts