Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-informations-sur-les-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
The development of the urban settlement pattern in peninsular Italy resulting from the Roman conquest (338 to 150 BC). (ROMURBITAL)

Framework: FP7 — People
Programme: Marie-Curie Actions
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: Intra-European Fellowships
Action type: Support for training and career development of researchers (Marie Curie)
Countries involved: United Kingdom
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-2011-IEF, 2011)
Start date: 2012-09-01
End date: 2014-08-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 200371.8
EU funding (EUR): 200371.8
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

The project aims to elucidate the character of Roman expansionism and Roman urbanism in the Middle Republic through an analysis of how the Roman conquest affected the physical development of pre-existing urban centres on the Italian peninsula. This will be achieved through the creation of a Geographic Information System (GIS) database of peninsular urban centres that existed between 338 and 150 BC. Structured chronologically, each settlement in the database will be given attributes representing information on their physical development during this period. A series of research questions will be used in an interrogation of the completed database, looking for patterns that might represent the effects of the Roman conquest. Methods applied in small-scale landscape studies (GIS) will be adapted on a much larger scale. Peninsular Italy will be the landscape, populated with known walled centres. The Fellow’s extensive research experience in Roman urbanism of the period in question will be augmented through the acquisition of new computer-based analytical skills. The results of the study will be relevant for the numerous research projects concerned with regional landscapes and individual urban sites in Italy, as well as for scholars interested in broader historical processes connected with Roman expansionism during the period. Once the results are published, the GIS data will be placed in the public domain so that they may be utilised by other scholars in the ERA and beyond who are working on related themes.

Keywords: archaeology,ancient history,ancient urbanism,gis,historical geography
NOVEL PRECIOUS AND NON-PRECIOUS ELECTROCATALYSTS FOR PEMFC (NECPEM)

Framework: FP7 — People
Programme: Marie-Curie Actions
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: International Incoming Fellowships
Action type: Support for training and career development of researchers (Marie Curie)
Countries involved: United Kingdom
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-2011-IIF, 2011)
Start date: 2013-07-01
End date: 2015-06-30
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 209033.4
EU funding (EUR): 209033.4
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Practical realization of PEMFCs is mainly hindered by the use of expensive Pt electrocatalysts (EC) coupled with their poor durability due to dissolution and agglomeration. While Europe paid significant efforts in improving the engineering aspects of PEMFCs, including hydrogen refuelling stations, development of alternative catalysts for Pt require further investments. Global attempts are focused on developing catalyst systems with less Pt or no Pt at all. In this regard, macromolecules with N4-chelate structure are considered as alternatives for Pt ECs especially for the ORR. Recently, non-precious carbon alloy catalysts (CAC) received considerable attention as the addition of nitrogen and metal atoms into the CNT matrix tend to improve their catalytic activity towards ORR. The induced activity of CNTs after such doping is mainly attributed to changes in electronic structure with an impurity band near the Fermi level. However, CAC performances are still inferior to that of Pt. One major drawback with reported CACs is that they do not control the size of metal dopants as the sintering tends to agglomerate them and leaves them in the CNT matrix as mere surface bound particles. Hence it is imperative to control the metal doping in the atomic scale as they can donate more electrons to the CNT matrix than nitrogen and could induce more catalytic activity. Thus in this proposal, we plan to prepare CACs with metal dopants controlled in the atomic scale to alter the electronic structure with improved durability as these metal atoms are now part of the CNT matrix. We plan to incorporate various metals into nitrogen based macromolecules such as aza-crown ethers and porphyrins which will be heat treated under reducing atmosphere to obtain CNT and Bucky ball like nanostructures with metal atoms at their centre. Such a study is of profound importance to EU considering the global efforts in finding alternative catalysts and could be the breakthrough it is currently looking for.

Keywords: fuel cell electrochemistry,fuel cell technology,low temperature fuel cells
Latin in Old Norse-Icelandic Manuscripts (ISLANDIA LATINA)

Framework: FP7 — People
Programme: Marie-Curie Actions
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: Intra-European Fellowships
Action type: Support for training and career development of researchers (Marie Curie)
Countries involved: Denmark
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-2011-IEF, 2011)
Start date: 2013-01-01
End date: 2014-12-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 308528.2
EU funding (EUR): 308528.2
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Dr. Jensson, a professor of comparative literature and classics at the University of Iceland, proposes to develop a comprehensive description of Latin letters in medieval Old Norse-Icelandic manuscripts at the Department of Scandinavian Research, University of Copenhagen. This entails a two-year Work Programme in Copenhagen to compile an analytical state-of-the-art XML database offering full informational coverage of Latin works, composed, copied, translated or otherwise utilized by Old Norse-Icelandic scribes. Few original texts in Latin are preserved in Old Norse-Icelandic manuscripts compared with the great number of Icelandic vernacular works. This seems to underlie a common but inaccurate assumption that medieval literacy in the area was radically exceptional in western and central Europe with respect to the use of Latin. But if one documents the number of known and lost original Latin works, references to the use of Latin in Iceland and Norway, Latin texts found in Old Norse-Icelandic manuscripts, vernacular translations of Latin works, lists of Latin books that were in the libraries of churches, monasteries and cathedral schools, and Latin sources identified in the vocabulary collection of the Dictionary of Old Norse Prose, a very different picture emerges of medieval Icelandic-Norwegian literacy and one that is much less exceptional with respect to the use of Latin. By compiling a database of XML-encoded documents related to Latinity which is compatible with and supplementary to the Dictionary of Old Norse Prose online (dataonp.hum.ku.dk) and the Online Electronic Catalog of Icelandic Manuscripts (handrit.org), two projects presently under construction at the Department in Copenhagen, the foundation of a new knowledge portal based on new insights will be laid. The project will establish Dr. Jensson as a leading European scientist in the area of Scandinavian Latin, and contribute further to a world-leading European centre of manuscript studies in Copenhagen.

Keywords: humanities,information systems,icelandic literature,latin literature,history of the christian church,latin language,medieval history,classical philology,germanic philology,comparative literature
Structural characterization of TFIIIB and its involvement in RNA Pol III transcription (TF3B_P3)

Framework: FP7 — People
Programme: Marie-Curie Actions
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: Intra-European Fellowships
Action type: Support for training and career development of researchers (Marie Curie)
Countries involved: Germany
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-2011-IEF, 2011)
Start date: 2013-01-01
End date: 2014-12-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 167390.4
EU funding (EUR): 167390.4
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Gene transcription is a highly regulated process that allows cells to adapt during different stages of development and to changes in their environmental conditions. Specifically, RNA polymerase (Pol) III is responsible for the transcription of small, untranslated genes involved in fundamental cellular process such as mRNA processing (U6 snRNA) and translation (tRNAs). Recruitment of Pol III to its transcription start site requires the general transcription factor IIIB (TFIIIB), in mammals a known target of regulation by oncogenes and tumour suppressors. TFIIIB comprises three subunits, (TBP, Brf1 and Bdp1, Mr = 162 kDa) and, despite its crucial role in Pol III transcription initiation and its involvement in cancer cell proliferation, only limited structural information is available for this factor. The project aims to reconstitute and to structurally describe the TFIIIB complex using biochemical and structural biology approaches and to characterize interactions between TFIIIB and Pol III using a combination of X-ray crystallography and single-particle electron microscopy. Description of the architecture of individual TFIIIB subunits, the entire TFIIIB complex, or a TFIIIB/Pol III complex, will contribute to improve our understanding of Pol III recruitment and Pol III transcription initiation. Furthermore, it will provide a structural framework to further elucidate the role of TFIIIB in Pol III misregulation and cancerogenesis.

Keywords: structural biology,anticancer therapy,crystallography,electron microscopy,tfiiib,transcription,polymerase iii
Deciphering post-translational control of Argonautes and their effects on small RNA homeostasis (PASRNA) (PASRNA)

Framework: FP7 — People
Programme: Marie-Curie Actions
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: Intra-European Fellowships
Action type: Support for training and career development of researchers (Marie Curie)
Countries involved: Switzerland
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-2011-IEF, 2011)
Start date: 2012-03-01
End date: 2014-03-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 184709.4
EU funding (EUR): 184709.4
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Argonaute (AGO) proteins are integral components of most small RNA silencing pathways in plants and metazoans. Previous studies in both model systems have demonstrated an inherent link between AGO levels and the steady state expression of global populations of miRNAs, strongly suggesting a layer of homeostatic control. In an effort to understand this phenomenon, we have set out on, a series of experimental approaches to uncover and characterise the mechanisms underlying AGO post-transcriptional control. Under normal physiological conditions, and in response to viral infection, we will monitor how the turnover and activity of AGO impacts the global small RNA equilibrium in both plants and metazoans. We have identified a potentially conserved mechanism, whereby Cullin RING-E3 ubiquitin Ligases (CRL) negatively regulate AGOs functioning in miRNA-mediated gene repression. Employing both plant and mammalian models systems in a multidisciplinary approach, we aim to dissect the role of CRLs’ activity on small RNA pathways and AGO1 biology, using a range of biochemical, genetic and molecular biology techniques. In addition, we will employ a proteomic-based screen to identify the full degree of AGOs post-translational modifications. Collectively these approaches should unravel novel modes of AGO regulation through the control of subcellular localisation, protein-protein interactions or RISC assembly/recycling. Overall, the proposed systematic investigation of the currently elusive mechanism(s) underlying AGO regulation and small RNA homeostasis will provide greater insights into fundamental aspects of small RNA biology. This is pivotal to further our knowledge regarding the therapeutic, veterinary and agronomical exploitation of these molecules.

Keywords: argonaute,small rnas,gene regulation,post-translational modifications,homeostasis,aribidopsis,metazoans,plant genetics,proteomics
Targeted Greatwall Kinase Blockade Offers A Novel Strategy for Chemoprevention (GREATWALL KINASE)

Framework: FP7 — People
Programme: Marie-Curie Actions
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: International Incoming Fellowships
Action type: Support for training and career development of researchers (Marie Curie)
Countries involved: United Kingdom
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-2011-IIF, 2011)
Start date: 2012-09-01
End date: 2014-08-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 209033.4
EU funding (EUR): 209033.4
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

The progression of cells through mitosis is tightly regulated to ensure the integrity of chromosomal transmission and cell division. The proper orchestration of mitotic progression is controlled by the balanced activity of mitotic kinases and counteracting phosphatases. Misregulation of these controls can be detrimental causing loss of entire chromosomes and aneuploidy. Considering that mitotic kinases are only expressed in actively dividing cells, targeting these kinases for cancer management is highly desirable. To this end, we are validating the mitotic kinase Greatwall Kinase (Greatwall) as a target for cancer therapy. Initial studies show that siRNA knockdown of Greatwall leads to rapid cell death in a number of transformed cell lines. Surprisingly, we found that untransformed RPE cells with low Greatwall protein and mRNA levels remained unaffected after Greatwall knock down. Moreover, Greatwall levels fluctuate dramatically among different cancer cell lines and are generally low in non-transformed tissues. Seminal studies using Xenopus egg extracts and drosophila larvae show that Greatwall has an important role in the cell cycle control of rapidly dividing embryonic cells and it is possible that some tumor cells have reverted back to this state of dependency on Greatwall. This makes Greatwall even more promising as an anti-cancer agent as its activity is dispensable in somatic cells but critical to the survival and proliferation of cancer cells. In light of these findings, I aim to pursue target validation studies with Greatwall, elucidate synergistic effects using known mitotic kinase inhibitors, and work closely with a team of medicinal chemists to characterize novel small-molecule Greatwall modulators. Nonspecific interactions between known mitotic kinase inhibitors and normally dividing cells often lead to unwanted side-effects. Targeting Greatwall provides an opportunity to circumvent this undesirable outcome and advance translational research.

Keywords: health sciences,mitotic kinases,greatwall,cell-cycle control,cancer,chemotherapeutic,medicinal chemistry,pharmacology,chemical biology
Optimization of Hydrogen Storage via Spillover through a Combined Experimental and Modeling Approach (HSPILL-CEMA)

Framework: FP7 — People
Programme: Marie-Curie Actions
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: International Incoming Fellowships
Action type: Support for training and career development of researchers (Marie Curie)
Countries involved: Greece
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-2011-IIF, 2011)
Start date: 2012-06-11
End date: 2013-06-10
Duration (months): 12.0
Total project cost (EUR): 111241.8
EU funding (EUR): 111241.8
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

The objective of the proposed work is to synthesize catalyzed nanoporous materials that have superior hydrogen uptake between 300K and 400K and moderate pressures (20-100 bar) via the hydrogen spillover mechanism. Hydrogen spillover involves addition of a catalyst to a high-surface area microporous support, such that the catalyst acts as a source for atomic hydrogen, the atomic hydrogen diffuses from the catalyst to the support, and ideally, the support provides a high number of tailored surface binding sites to maximize the number of atomic hydrogens interacting with the surface. The proposed work will provide a means to explore an extended collaboration to combine in situ spectroscopic techniques and theoretical multi-scale modeling calculations. Carbon-based and microporous metal-organic framework (MMOF) materials will be drawn from past and on-going projects, so that the project will focus on identifying specific binding sites for atomic hydrogen and resolving the hydrogen spillover mechanism. Materials will be selected to explore the effect of catalyst size, material composition and structure, interface, and the potential role of co-catalysts on optimizing uptake via the hydrogen spillover mechanism. Materials will be characterized with in situ spectroscopy, and multi-scale modeling will be used to identify hydrogenation sites. Validated theory will be used to direct future material development. Identification of the key sites responsible for high uptake in select materials is expected to lead significant increase in capacity and reproducibility in hydrogen spillover materials that are optimized for near-ambient temperature adsorption.

Keywords: surface chemistry,heterogeneous catalysis,instrumental analysis,reaction mechanisms ands dynamics
Development of a novel tandem ring closing metathesis process as a general route to the first syntheses of various lycorine type alkaloids (METALK)

Framework: FP7 — People
Programme: Marie-Curie Actions
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: Intra-European Fellowships
Action type: Support for training and career development of researchers (Marie Curie)
Countries involved: France
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-2011-IEF, 2011)
Start date: 2012-09-01
End date: 2014-08-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 193594.8
EU funding (EUR): 193594.8
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Cancer is the leading cause of death worldwide and therefore a continued need exists for new drugs with new modes of action. To date, over 60% of drugs employed to target cancer are natural product derived or inspired and this places significant importance on research into the total synthesis of natural products. It also supports the need for the “next generation” of researchers to receive training in this area in order to enable the EU to remain globally competitive. The lycorine family of natural products have shown promise for the development of novel drugs; however a full study requires general access to these alkaloids. We propose a research project to develop methodology for the first syntheses of these complex natural products and novel derivatives, in order to enable future biological testing. For an efficient synthesis of these compounds, we envisage the development of a novel tandem RCM sequence, which can afford, in a single event, a decorated tetrahydroindole skeleton bearing an enol ether, which is crucial to the post-functionalisation of the bicycle. This methodology would allow a straightforward and selective synthesis of numerous lycorine alkaloids not synthesised to date. We also propose to explore the benefits of using Flow Chemistry, in particular to extend the methodology to more sensitive substrates. This is a rapidly expanding and exciting area of research, and dissemination of this knowledge within Europe in the near future is important. This proposal also offers the opportunity to establish future collaborations in this area, strengthening EU competitiveness. The applicant is an outstanding British female scientist and this fellowship would facilitate her pursuit of an independent academic career within the EU and her ability to become a future role model for women in science.

Keywords: chemistry,organic chemistry,natural products,organometallic chemistry,total synthesis,metathesis,flow chemistry
Turn-Taking in Human-Robot Interactions: a Developmental Robotics Approach (TURNTAKE)

Framework: FP7 — People
Programme: Marie-Curie Actions
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: International Incoming Fellowships
Action type: Support for training and career development of researchers (Marie Curie)
Countries involved: Portugal
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-2011-IIF, 2011)
Start date: 2012-10-01
End date: 2014-09-30
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 208672.4
EU funding (EUR): 208672.4
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

This project’s main goal is to advance the field of human-robot interaction, specifically with robots that can adjust to natural interaction rhythms, while engaged on a joint task. Robots capable of open-ended and engaging interactions are useful: as learners, with humans as instructors (e.g. by demonstration, by imitation), as teachers, and as assistants of the elderly, or disabled. Mounting evidence shows that seamless timing of turn-taking–and the capability for dynamic control of a turn-taking rhythm–is associated with perceived quality and learning outcomes, in adult-adult, and in human-robot social exchanges. Moreover, in infancy, turn-taking dynamics predict emotional, social, and cognitive developmental outcomes. The workplan proposes a novel 2-step developmental approach: (1) study developmental changes in turn-taking dynamics when children are engaged in open-ended joint play with a parent–measured with motion-capture of participants’ body movements; and (2) and apply these results to extend and test a robotic platform (ARoS) developed at the host institution. In addition, the proposed empirical studies will have far-reaching consequences, beyond human-robot interaction design, in the social, emotional, and cognitive development fields, including clinical applications. The workplan will be supported by a novel interdisciplinary collaboration of a robotics and an experimental psychology laboratory at the host.

Keywords: human-robot interaction,developmental robotics,developmental psychology,turn-taking,dynamical field theory,social coordination
Impact of Natural Killer Cells on Fetal and Placental Development (NK IN PREGNANCY)

Framework: FP7 — People
Programme: Marie-Curie Actions
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: Intra-European Fellowships
Action type: Support for training and career development of researchers (Marie Curie)
Countries involved: United Kingdom
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-2011-IEF, 2011)
Start date: 2013-05-01
End date: 2015-04-30
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 209033.4
EU funding (EUR): 209033.4
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

In this proposal I wish to test the hypothesis that immune cells of the Natural Killer (NK) lineage use similar mechanisms to regulate both invasive placental cells and invasive cancer cells. Trophoblast cells and NK cells appear to come into close contact at the fetal-maternal interface during early pregnancy both in human and mice. Trophoblast cells indeed invade deep into the uterus while maternal NK cells accumulate adjacent to the invading trophoblast. These immune cells are a unique population and are known as uterine NK (uNK) cells. The interactions between trophoblast and uNK cells most likely influence the tissue remodelling that results in increased blood flow necessary for fetal growth. Thus, these interactions are key to successful reproduction but the molecular mechanisms are unknown and are the focus of this proposal. Like human uNK cells, also mouse uNK cells express activating receptors, such as the Natural Cytotoxicity Receptor NKp46, which is coded by the Ncr1 gene and is conserved in human, mice and many other species. NKp46 is a key receptor to recognise cancer cells. The host laboratory (lead by F Colucci) has shown that NKp46-deficient mice are more prone to metastatic melanoma (JCI, 2009) and that mouse trophoblast cells may express NKp46 ligands (unpublished). Considering the invasive properties of trophoblast, the question we wish to address is whether NKp46 controls the extent of trophoblast invasion, thereby affecting spiral arteries remodelling and fetal-placental growth. To address this question, we will compare trophoblast invasion, spiral artery modification and fetal-placental growth in NKp46-sufficient and NKp46-deficient transgenic mice. The understanding of the molecular interactions between uNK cells and trophoblast will help define the role of uNK cells in reproduction and may have implications in cancer and transplantation.

Keywords: immunology,natural killer (nk) cells,trophoblast,invasion,placenta,uterus,spiral artery,pregnancy,cancer,transplantation,ncr-1/nkp46.