1. |
- Bouchet, P., et al.
(author)
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JWST MIRI Imager Observations of Supernova SN 1987A
- 2024
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In: Astrophysical Journal. - : American Astronomical Society. - 0004-637X .- 1538-4357. ; 965:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- There exist very few mid-infrared (IR) observations of supernovae (SNe) in general. Therefore, SN 1987A, the closest visible SN in 400 yr, gives us the opportunity to explore the mid-IR properties of SNe, the dust in their ejecta, and the surrounding medium and to witness the birth of an SN remnant (SNR). The James Webb Space Telescope, with its high spatial resolution and extreme sensitivity, gives a new view on these issues. We report on the first imaging observations obtained with the Mid-InfraRed Instrument (MIRI). We build temperature maps and discuss the morphology of the nascent SNR. Our results show that the temperatures in the equatorial ring (ER) are quite nonuniform. This could be due to dust destruction in some parts of the ring, as had been assumed in some previous works. We show that the IR emission extends beyond the ER, illustrating the fact that the shock wave has now passed through this ring to affect the circumstellar medium on a larger scale. Finally, while submillimeter Atacama Large Millimeter Array observations have hinted at the location of the compact remnant of SN 1987A, we note that our MIRI data have found no such evidence.
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2. |
- Fransson, Anette Elisabeth, et al.
(author)
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Inhalation of Molecular Hydrogen, a Rescue Treatment for Noise-Induced Hearing Loss
- 2021
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In: Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience. - : Frontiers Media S.A.. - 1662-5102. ; 15
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Noise exposure is the most important external factor causing acquired hearing loss in humans, and it is strongly associated with the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the cochlea. Several studies reported that the administration of various compounds with antioxidant effects can treat oxidative stress-induced hearing loss. However, traditional systemic drug administration to the human inner ear is problematic and has not been successful in a clinical setting. Thus, there is an urgent need to develop rescue treatment for patients with acute acoustic injuries. Hydrogen gas has antioxidant effects, rapid distribution, and distributes systemically after inhalation.The purpose of this study was to determine the protective efficacy of a single dose of molecular hydrogen (H-2) on cochlear structures. Guinea pigs were divided into six groups and sacrificed immediately after or at 1 or 2 weeks. The animals were exposed to broadband noise for 2 h directly followed by 1-h inhalation of 2% H-2 or room air. Electrophysiological hearing thresholds using frequency-specific auditory brainstem response (ABR) were measured prior to noise exposure and before sacrifice. ABR thresholds were significantly lower in H-2-treated animals at 2 weeks after exposure, with significant preservation of outer hair cells in the entire cochlea. Quantification of synaptophysin immunoreactivity revealed that H-2 inhalation protected the cochlear inner hair cell synaptic structures containing synaptophysin. The inflammatory response was greater in the stria vascularis, showing increased Iba1 due to H-2 inhalation.Repeated administration of H-2 inhalation may further improve the therapeutic effect. This animal model does not reproduce conditions in humans, highlighting the need for additional real-life studies in humans.
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3. |
- Fransson, Anette M. C., 1954-, et al.
(author)
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A prospective 10-year cephalometric follow-up study of patients with obstructive sleep apnea and snoring who used a mandibular protruding device
- 2020
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In: American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics. - : Elsevier. - 0889-5406 .- 1097-6752. ; 157:1, s. 91-97
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Introduction: This 10-year prospective cephalometric study evaluates the influence of a mandibular protruding device (MPD) in people with obstructive sleep apnea and snoring.Methods: A baseline study population of 77 people was followed biennially. After 10 years, 65 people (45 MPD users and 20 stopped-MPD users) were reexamined. At baseline and after 10 years, a lateral cephalogram was taken in the upright position.Results: MPD users showed significant changes in all cephalometric variables except for maxillary protrusion. The maxillary incisors were retroclined by a mean -4.2 degrees (standard deviation [SD] 3.95; P <0.001), mandibular incisors were proclined by a mean 3.2 degrees (SD, 5.02; P <0.001), and SNB was reduced by a mean -0.6 degrees (SD 1.41; P = 0.01). In those who had stopped MPD use, these initial cephalometric values were retained. Significant changes in decreased overjet and overbite were seen in the MPD group but not in the MPD-stopped group. The length of the mandible (Cd-Pg) increased by a mean of 5.1 mm (SD 6.78; P <0.001) and 6.1 mm (SD 5.99; P <0.001) in MPD and MPD-stopped groups, respectively. The hyoid bone-mandibular plane distance (hy-ML) increased by a mean of 3.3 mm (SD, 2.90; P <0.001) and 3.8 mm (SD 3.67; P = 0.001) in MPD and MPD-stopped groups, respectively.Conclusions: Long-term nocturnal MPD use causes retroclination of the maxillary incisors and proclination of the mandibular incisors with consequent decreased overjet and overbite. Both MPD and MPD-stopped users obtained increased mandibular length and lower position of the hyoid bone, which can be a normal physiological change with age.
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4. |
- Fransson, Anette M. C., 1954-, et al.
(author)
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Gender differences in oral appliance treatment of obstructive sleep apnea
- 2024
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In: Sleep and Breathing. - : Springer. - 1520-9512 .- 1522-1709. ; 28:4, s. 1723-1730
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- PURPOSE: Although overall success rates for treating obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) with an oral appliance (OA) are high, they are significantly higher among females. To verify published data, the study's purpose was to evaluate a participant sample after one year of OA use. The primary outcome was treatment response, with responders defined as having an apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) < 10 at follow-up and/or reduced by ≥50% of baseline. Secondary measures were from standardized questionnaires.METHODS: A sample of 314 participants, predominately with moderate-to-severe OSA, were enrolled and instructed to use an OA every night. At baseline and one-year follow-up, polygraphic recordings and questionnaires, including sleepiness (measured using the Epworth sleepiness scale) and quality-of-life (measured using the Functional Outcomes of Sleep Questionnaire), were collected.RESULTS: Among the 314 participants, 192 completed the one-year evaluation: 51 females (27%) and 141 males (73%). Overall, OA treatment resulted in 78% and 77% responders among females and males, respectively. Neither the difference in improvement nor the absolute change in AHI differed significantly based on gender, at any OSA severity level. There were no significant gender differences in sleepiness or quality of life. Treatment-related adverse reactions were more common among females.CONCLUSION: Both females and males with OSA respond well to OA therapy, with nonsignificant gender differences in outcomes. Thus, the hypothesis that females respond better to OA treatment is rejected.
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5. |
- Fransson, Anette M. C., 1954-, et al.
(author)
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The outcome of oral appliance therapy on position-dependent obstructive sleep apnea : A multicenter randomized controlled trial
- 2022
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In: American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics. - : Elsevier. - 0889-5406 .- 1097-6752. ; 162:3, s. 386-393
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- INTRODUCTION: This multicenter trial on patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) treated with an oral appliance aimed to determine the effect of sleeping positions.METHODS: A cohort of 314 patients with OSA were enrolled and evaluated at 8 weeks and 1 year, focusing on treatment effects. At baseline and the 2 follow-ups, new polygraphic registration comparing the proportion of treatment responders without position-dependent OSA (non-position-dependent OSA [non-POSA]) and with POSA was used.RESULTS: At the 8-week and 1-year follow-up, 205 and 139 patients were included, respectively. The proportion of responders (apnea-hypopnea index [AHI] <10 and/or ≥50% reduction in AHI) was 56% for the non-POSA group and 69% for the POSA group (not significant [NS]). The responders increased at the 1-year follow-up: 68% and 77% for the non-POSA and POSA groups (NS), respectively. The absolute change in AHI in all sleeping positions at 8 weeks was -12.9 (interquartile range, -25.0 to -0.5) in the non-POSA group and -10.5 (interquartile range, -19.9 to -5.3; NS) in the POSA group. However, the decrease in supine AHI was significantly greater among subjects with POSA. In contrast, the decrease in nonsupine AHI was significantly greater in the non-POSA group, an effect that remained at the 1-year follow-up.CONCLUSIONS: Our hypothesis that subjects with POSA at baseline would have a higher treatment response rate after oral appliance treatment compared with subjects without POSA was rejected. However, those with POSA had a significantly higher supine AHI decrease, and those without POSA had significantly less nonsupine AHI.
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6. |
- Fransson, Claes, 1951-, et al.
(author)
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Emission lines due to ionizing radiation from a compact object in the remnant of Supernova 1987A
- 2024
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In: Science. - : American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). - 0036-8075 .- 1095-9203. ; 383:6685, s. 898-903
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The nearby Supernova 1987A was accompanied by a burst of neutrino emission, which indicates that a compact object (a neutron star or black hole) was formed in the explosion. There has been no direct observation of this compact object. In this work, we observe the supernova remnant with JWST spectroscopy, finding narrow infrared emission lines of argon and sulfur. The line emission is spatially unresolved and blueshifted in velocity relative to the supernova rest frame. We interpret the lines as gas illuminated by a source of ionizing photons located close to the center of the expanding ejecta. Photoionization models show that the line ratios are consistent with ionization by a cooling neutron star or a pulsar wind nebula. The velocity shift could be evidence for a neutron star natal kick.
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7. |
- Fransson, Erik, 1990, et al.
(author)
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Complexions and grain growth retardation: First-principles modeling of phase boundaries in WC-Co cemented carbides at elevated temperatures
- 2021
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In: Acta Materialia. - : Elsevier BV. - 1359-6454. ; 216
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- WC-Co cemented carbides combine superb hardness with high toughness making them ideal for usage in metal machining and in wear resistant tools. Controlling the WC grain size is important during sintering as grain size plays a crucial role for the mechanical properties of the material. Experimental studies have observed different growth rates and grain morphologies in W-rich and C-rich materials, but the mechanism behind this has not been clarified. Here, we consider the possibility of an interface-stabilized state, a complexion, at the WC/Co phase boundary in cemented carbides, namely thin WC films with cubic structure. An interfacial phase diagram is derived using ab-initio calculations and first-principles modeling. Cluster expansions are employed to model carbon vacancies and Monte Carlo simulations to sample the configurational entropy. Force-constant fitting is used to extract the harmonic free energy for ground-state structures and the effects from anharmonicity and electronic excitations are effectively incorporated from a companion study on WC bulk phases. We predict the stabilization of thin cubic WC films at liquid phase sintering temperatures but only at W-rich conditions. This is consistent with experimental findings where thin films with cubic stacking have been observed predominantly in W-rich materials. We use this knowledge to suggest an explanation for the observed different growth rates and grain morphologies in W-rich and C-rich cemented carbides.
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8. |
- Fransson, Erik, 1990, et al.
(author)
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Dynasor - A Tool for Extracting Dynamical Structure Factors and Current Correlation Functions from Molecular Dynamics Simulations
- 2021
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In: Advanced Theory and Simulations. - : Wiley. - 2513-0390. ; 4:2
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Perturbative treatments of the lattice dynamics are widely successful for many crystalline materials; however, their applicability is limited for strongly anharmonic systems, metastable crystal structures and liquids. The full dynamics of these systems can, however, be accessed via molecular dynamics (MD) simulations using correlation functions, which includes dynamical structure factors providing a direct bridge to experiment. To simplify the analysis of correlation functions, here the dynasor package is presented as a flexible and efficient tool that enables the calculation of static and dynamical structure factors, current correlation functions as well as their partial counterparts from MD trajectories. The dynasor code can handle input from several major open source MD packages and thanks to its C/Python structure can be readily extended to support additional codes. The utility of dynasor is demonstrated via examples for both solid and liquid single and multi-component systems. In particular, the possibility to extract the full temperature dependence of phonon frequencies and lifetimes is emphasized.
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9. |
- Fransson, Erik, 1990, et al.
(author)
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First-principles modeling of complexions at the phase boundaries in Ti-doped WC-Co cemented carbides at finite temperatures
- 2021
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In: Physical Review Materials. - : American Physical Society (APS). - 2475-9953. ; 5:9
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- WC-Co cemented carbides have a unique combination of high hardness and good toughness, making them ideal as tool materials in applications such as metal machining or rock drilling. Dopants are commonly added to retard grain growth and thereby creating a harder material. Thin films with cubic structure have been observed experimentally at phase boundaries between hexagonal WC and fcc Co-rich binder when doping with, e.g., Ti, V, or Cr. These films are generally considered to play a crucial role in the grain growth inhibition effect. Therefore, the thermodynamics of these thin cubic films is important to understand. Here, we construct, using ab initio calculations and modeling, an interfacial phase diagram for thin cubic films in Ti-doped WC-Co. We consider C <-> vacancy and W <-> Ti substitutions by constructing alloy cluster expansions and use Monte Carlo simulations to calculate the configurational free energy. Furthermore, force-constant fitting is used to extract the harmonic free energy for the ground-state structures. Additionally, we use information from thermodynamic databases to couple our atomic-scale calculations to overall compositions of typical WC-Comaterials. We predict that Ti segregates to WC/Co phase boundaries to form thin cubic films of two metallic layer thickness, both at solid-state and liquid-phase sintering temperatures. Furthermore, we predict that these films are stable also for low doping concentrations when no Ti-containing carbide phase precipitates in the material. We show that Ti essentially only segregates to the inner layer of the thin cubic film leaving an almost pure W layer towards Co, an ordering which has been observed in recent experimental high-resolution transmission electron microscopy studies.
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10. |
- Fransson, Erik, 1990, et al.
(author)
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Understanding Correlations in BaZrO 3 : Structure and Dynamics on the Nanoscale
- 2024
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In: Chemistry of Materials. - 1520-5002 .- 0897-4756. ; 36:1, s. 514-523
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Barium zirconate (BaZrO3) is one of few perovskites that is claimed to retain an average cubic structure down to 0 K at ambient pressure while being energetically very close to a tetragonal phase obtained by condensation of a soft phonon mode at the R-point. Previous studies suggest, however, that the local structure of BaZrO3 may change at low temperature, forming nanodomains or a glass-like phase. Here, we investigate the global and local structure of BaZrO3 as a function of temperature and pressure via molecular dynamics simulations using machine-learned potential with near density functional theory (DFT) accuracy. We show that the softening of the octahedral tilt mode at the R-point gives rise to weak diffuse superlattice reflections at low temperatures and ambient pressure, which are also observed experimentally. However, we do not observe any static nanodomains but rather soft dynamic fluctuations of the ZrO6 octahedra with a correlation length of 2-3 nm over time scales of about 1 ps. This soft dynamic behavior is the precursor of a phase transition and explains the emergence of weak superlattice peaks in measurements. On the other hand, when increasing the pressure at 300 K, we find a phase transition from the cubic to the tetragonal phase at around 16 GPa, also in agreement with experimental studies.
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