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ZnO film ultrasonic transducers for temperature and stress measurements with dual-mode wave excitation (longitudinal and shear) were deposited using the reactive RF magnetron sputtering technique on Si and stainless steel substrates and construction steel bolts. It was found that the position in the substrate plane had a significant effect on the structure and ultrasonic performance of the transducers. The transducers deposited at the center of the deposition zone demonstrated a straight columnar structure with a c-axis parallel to the substrate normal and the generation of longitudinal waves. The transducers deposited at the edge of the deposition zone demonstrated inclined columnar structures and the generation of dominant shear or longitudinal shear waves. Transducers deposited on the bolts with dual-wave excitation were used to study the effects of high temperatures in the range from 25 to 525 °C and tensile stress in the range from 0 to 268 MPa on ultrasonic response. Dependencies between changes in the relative time of flight and temperature or axial stress were obtained. The dependencies can be described by second-order functions of temperature and stress. An analysis of the contributions of thermal expansion, strain, and the speed of sound to changes in the time of flight was performed. At high temperatures, a decrease in the signal amplitude was observed due to the decreasing resistivity of the transducer. The ZnO ultrasonic transducers can be used up to temperatures of ~500 °C.

BackgroundTo assess the relationship of genetically predicted sexual behavior (age at first sex (AFS) and the number of sexual partners (NSP)) on cardiovascular diseases (CVDs).Methods and resultsWe performed two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) with publicly available datasets from the UK Biobank and FinnGen Study, and analyzed genome-wide association results for sexual behaviors and twelve types of CVDs. The univariable MR method provided a total effect of AFS and NSP on CVDs, and showed evidence that early AFS rather than NSP was associated with CVDs, including angina pectoris (AP), atrial fibrillation and flutter (AFF), coronary atherosclerosis (CAS), deep vein thrombosis of the lower extremity (DVT-LE), heart failure (HF), hypertension (HTN), ischaemic stroke (IS), and myocardial infarction (MI). Given sex as a social determinant of CVD risk, we used gender-stratified SNPs to investigate gender differences in the development of CVDs. These results showed a stronger causal relationship of AFS on CVDs in females than in males. Further multivariable MR analyses indicated a direct effect after accounting for insomnia, number of days of vigorous physical activity 10 + minutes (VPA 10 + min), and time spent watching television (TV). Two-step MR demonstrated these three risk factors act as a mediator in AFS associated AP/HTN/HF.ConclusionsWe provide evidence that early AFS increased the risk of CVDs. These associations may be partly caused by VPA 10 + min, insomnia, and the time spent on TV. The causality of AFS on CVDs in females was stronger than in males. Conversely, genetically predicted NSP was not associated with CVDs.

BackgroundAlthough numerous studies demonstrated a link between plasma homocysteine (Hcy) levels and psoriasis, there still exists a certain level of controversy. Therefore, we conducted a Mendelian randomization study to investigate whether homocysteine plays a causative role in the development or exacerbation of psoriasis.MethodsA two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis was conducted. Summary-level data for psoriasis were acquired from the latest R9 release results from the FinnGen consortium (9,267 cases and 364,071 controls). Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) robustly linked with plasma Hcy levels at the genome-wide significance threshold (p < 5 × 10−8) (18 SNPs) were recognized from the genome-wide meta-analysis on total Hcy concentrations (n = 44,147 participants) in individuals of European ancestry. MR analyses were performed utilizing the random-effect inverse variance-weighted (IVW), weighted median, and MR-Egger regression methods to estimate the associations between the ultimately filtrated SNPs and psoriasis. Sensitivity analyses were conducted to evaluate heterogeneity and pleiotropy.ResultsMR analyses revealed no causal effects of plasma Hcy levels on psoriasis [IVW: odds ratio (OR) = 0.995 (0.863–1.146), p = 0.941; weighed median method: OR = 0.985 (0.834–1.164), p = 0.862; MR-Egger regression method: OR = 0.959 (0.704–1.305), p = 0.795]. The sensitivity analyses displayed no evidence of heterogeneity and directional pleiotropy, and the causal estimates of Hcy levels were not influenced by any individual SNP.ConclusionOur study findings did not demonstrate a causal effect of genetically determined circulating Hcy levels on psoriasis.

Single-cell RNA sequencing technology offers a unique opportunity to dissect cell heterogeneity of animals. Here, the authors construct a Xenopus cell landscape including larval and adult organs to dissect cell heterogeneity of the amphibian.

The accurate acquisition of the residual stress field is the key to clarifying the cold expansion strengthening mechanism of compression bushings, optimizing the extrusion process parameters, and improving the structural fatigue life. In the actual cold expansion strengthening process, the resultant distribution of residual stresses is influenced by the relative extrusion amount, mandrel structure, material properties, and extrusion speed. In this article, the distribution patterns of residual stress after cold extrusion are investigated through a combination of finite element simulation and experimental measurements using a micro-region stress tester. To examine the redistribution law of the stress field of cold expansion reinforcement under external load, the compression bushing-lug-plate-reinforced structure is loaded and unloaded. The results show that large circumferential residual compressive stresses are distributed in the hole wall of the compression bushing after cold expansion. Radial residual stresses are also compressive stresses, although the values are small. In addition, the reinforced structure after cold extrusion presents a large difference in the stress redistribution rules compared with cold extrusion after the load is applied and removed.