Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-informations-sur-les-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
REDOX AND CONDUCTING ROUTING IN MOLECULAR ELECTRONICS. NANOSCALE ARCHITECTURES AND NOVEL PHENOMENA (NANOMULTIMOLSWITCH)

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-IEF-2008, 2008)
Start date: 2009-03-01
End date: 2011-02-28
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 168279.59
EU funding (EUR): 168279.59
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Recent developments in molecular electronics and nanotechnology, in general, offer the promise of devices, of great relevance to information technologies, with unprecedented capabilities including memory devices with extraordinary storage capacity as well as circuit elements of vanishing size and superlative speed. Some of the molecular entities that have shown particular promise, to date, include donor/acceptor (D/A) assemblies, transition metal complexes and others. Of particular importance has been our ability to encode information and/or achieve electronic functionality by the storage or movement of charges. This proposal addresses two separate projects which are part of general investigations of nanoscale materials chemistry. The first project will focus on the development of molecular architectures at the nano-scale level toward molecular electronics applications. Molecular switching systems will be investigated and their capability to act as molecular wire allowing the electrons flow through the conjugated system will be tested. Upon establishment of their photoelectrochromic properties, binuclear metallic complexes will be synthesized to study of intramolecular electron transfer through mixed-valence species. By precisely modulating the spacing in between the redox units, we will investigate, with unprecedented control, self-exchange rates in redox reactions, the distance dependence of electron transfer, and photoinduced electron transfer. Subsequently, we will proceed to immobilize the binuclear compounds connected through the corresponding switch on gold or platinum surfaces by taking the advantage of the ability of thiol or nitrile functional groups to bind properly on such surfaces. We thus propose a seed project where we will explore the two areas described above and assess their potential utility as a means of reversibly and reproducibly making contact to nanostructures, for information encoding and as conduction modulators.

Keywords: chemistry,inorganic chemistry,electrochemistry,photochemistry,surface chemistry,electron-based nano-devices,molecular electronics
Modelling Joint Development: Integrating Biological and Mechanical Influences (MODELLING_JOINT_DEV)

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: Spain
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-IEF-2008, 2008)
Start date: 2009-11-01
End date: 2011-08-31
Duration (months): 22.0
Total project cost (EUR): 153535.05
EU funding (EUR): 153535.05
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Embryonic joint development is a complex process with several distinct stages. The first step occurs in the cartilage anlage, where chondrocytes at the presumptive joint site stop proliferating and become compacted to form what is called the interzone. From the interzone, the synovial cavity develops. Once the cavity has been initiated, the surfaces of the opposing cartilage rudiments undergo gradual shape morphogenesis so that the ends of the two bones form a functioning, friction-minimising contact surface, i.e., a synovial joint. It has been shown that mechanical forces are essential for normal cavitation of the joint, while it is not yet clear whether mechanical forces are an essential influence for moulding of the articular surfaces. If embryos are immobilised prior to cavitation, the process does not occur, while if immobilisation is induced after the cavity has formed, the cavity regresses and the elements can become fused. In this application, I propose a computational simulation of joint development, modelling cavitation of the joint and morphogenesis of the articular surfaces based on the interactions between mechanical and biological factors. The aims of the project are to 1) characterise the developing joint in 3-D in the embryonic chick; 2) calculate the forces and biophysical stimuli active in the joint over several stages; 3) create 2-D model of simple joint, 4) alter mechanical state to corroborate model predictions; 5) investigate mechanosensitive molecules and genes, and 6) upgrade model to 3-D. Such a simulation will lead to a better understanding of joint development which would have significant consequences for medical applications such as osteoarthritis and tissue engineering. This project will enable me to become an expert at the interface between developmental biology and bioengineering, and equip me to become a successful researcher and principal investigator as a specialist in the mechanobiology of the developing limb.

Keywords: biomedical engineering,biomechanics,systems biology,developmental biology,computational biology,joint development,orthopaedics
Optimal Control of Quantum Optical Systems (OPTIQUOS)

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-IEF-2008, 2008)
Start date: 2010-01-04
End date: 2012-01-03
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 161119.38
EU funding (EUR): 161119.38
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

This project is concerned with the theoretical study of confined quantum optical systems, with the aim of developing a fundamental understanding of few and many-particle systems, as well as engineering techniques for applications in quantum information processing (QIP) with the tools of quantum optimal control theory (QOCT). The main objective of the present project is to bring QOCT and QIP together in order to render the realisation of scalable quantum hardware feasible. The project has been divided in three subprojects: the first one aims to use QOCT to efficiently and quickly move ions between different spatial locations of a ion-chip quantum processor; the second one deals with the transport of Bose-Einstein condensates and the production of non-classical states of these in neighbouring micro-traps by means of QOCT; the last subproject concerns the application of QOCT to engineer quantum phase transitions of many-body systems for QIP purposes, such as the generation of quantum superpositions of macroscopically distinct phases as a result of non-adiabatic dynamics. The last subproject is the most innovative part of the whole project because to our knowledge QOCT has been applied only to single or few particles so far, without exploring the physics that arises from multi-particle entanglement. An important issue that the project aims to address is the development of techniques to deal with presence of noise, dissipation and imperfections, since this is a yet unsolved issue. This is of crucial importance for QIP because to perform quantum operations one needs to reach the demanding thresholds of fault-tolerant quantum computing, that are basically unattainable without optimal control. All of these objectives address some of the most relevant and challenging topics in quantum computing, quantum control and condensed-matter physics today, and will therefore have an important impact on the scientific community and on technological applications of quantum physics.

Keywords: physical sciences,physics,quantum mechanics,atomic physics,quantum optimal control,quantum measurement,bose-einstein condensation,quantum phase transitions
Spatial representation in the entorhinal neural circuit (ENTORHINAL CIRCUITS)

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: Norway
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-IIF-2008, 2008)
Start date: 2009-03-01
End date: 2011-02-28
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 202542.89
EU funding (EUR): 202542.89
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Behavioral unit recordings of rats exploring an open field have shown that medial entorhinal cortex (mEC) neurons have spatially specific firing fields that repeat at regular intervals. Called ‘grid cells’, the field size and spacing of firing activity changes along the dorsal-ventral axis of mEC. In vitro recordings of the same cell population has shown dorsal-ventral changes in the intrinsic properties of the cells; subthreshold oscillation frequency and the time constant of the hyperpolarization activated cation current I(h), which correlate with the dorsal-ventral change in grid cell firing activity. Recent research demonstrating that the subunit composition (HCN1, HCN2) can effect the temporal kinetics of I(h) provides a molecular target for investigating how single cell kinetics contribute to spatial memory. In vivo over-expression or knockdown used to modulate the ratio of subunits with faster (HCN1) or slower (HCN2) I(h) kinetics should result in a change in the spatial periodicity of grid cells in mEC. A higher proportion of subunits with fast kinetics should result in grid cells with smaller field size and spacing, while a higher proportion of subunits with slow kinetics should result in the opposite. Examination of the kinetics in HCN1 knockout mice will complement findings using viral technology. While research has shown a clear correlation between intrinsic cellular property changes and grid cell field size changes, no experimental evidence yet indicates a causal relationship between the two sets of data. Manipulation of the kinetics of I(h) will test the hypothesis that single cell kinetics contribute to spatial memory at the network level.

Keywords: neuroscience,neural circuits,spatial memory,navigation
Mapping Genotypes to Phenotypes: Development of a Linkage Map and Mapping of Colour Polymorphisms in Ischnura elegans (Odonata) (COLOURFUL GENES)

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: Sweden
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-IEF-2008, 2008)
Start date: 2010-04-01
End date: 2013-03-16
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 179223.79
EU funding (EUR): 179223.79
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Understanding the genetic basis of phenotypic variation remains one of the major challenges in biology. Linkage mapping provides means to identify genes that underlie ecologically important traits, such as colour polymorphisms, and this can be used to study the fitness consequences of variation at these loci. Genetic linkage maps are expected to become increasingly applied to ecological model organisms given their important role in linking phenotype to genotype, and the possibilities for using the results to address unanswered evolutionary and ecological questions. In the proposed project, my objectives are to 1) construct the first linkage map for an Odonate insect, I. elegans, 2) map the female-limited colour polymorphism in the species and develop a specific marker that can be used to genotype males and larvae in which the colour polymorphisms is not expressed, and lastly 3) use the novel microsatellites and the linkage map to evaluate the importance of gene flow and dispersal in the maintenance of this polymorphism in natural populations of I. elegans. In line with the objectives of the Marie Curie actions, I will get advanced scientific training in molecular genomics which will greatly increase my research value and career perspectives. With the combination of novel molecular technology and ecological research, my project will contribute to enhance EU’s scientific excellence in evolutionary biology and molecular genetics. Following the objectives of the work programme, my project links genotypes to phenotypes and will therefore provide the potential to identify and study the genetic basis of those traits affecting fitness that are key to natural selection in I. elegans. The research collaborations with people in Sweden, the Netherlands and Spain will provide opportunities to exchange ideas with several researchers active within my research field and initiate long-term international collaborations.

Keywords: evolutionary biology,ecological genetics,molecular genetics,population genetics,linkage maps,polymorphism,trait variation,geneotype to phenotype
The neural basis of mate choice: Which brain structures are involved in mate assessment in mice? (BRAIN & MATE CHOICE)

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: Portugal
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-IEF-2008, 2008)
Start date: 2009-07-01
End date: 2011-06-30
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 93114.43
EU funding (EUR): 93114.43
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Mate choice is a critical driving force in evolution yet the mechanisms underlying it remain poorly understood. Ultimately, mate selection requires the perception of specific cues that indicate the characteristics of prospective mates and a decision based on those cues. While a variety of studies have investigated the nature of sensory signals emitted by animals, very little is known about the downstream processes that underlie mate assessment. I hypothesize that mate relevant sensory cues are translated by the brain into a common set of variables that reflects the value of the mate emitting them and upon which a decision to mate or not is based. To pursue this hypothesis, my goal is to identify brain structures specifically involved in mate assessment. As potential candidates, I believe that Luteinizing Hormone Releasing Hormone neurons in the hypothalamus can play a critical role in this behaviour, since these neurons control sexual behaviour and also receive information about both the internal state of the animal and the external environment. To pursue this project, my first aim is to establish a behavioural paradigm in which mate choice is stable and reproducible, using mice as model system. To do this, the value of two prospective mates will be controlled by manipulating differentially their genotype at Major Histocompatibility Complex or Major Urinary Proteins loci, which are known to influence mate preference in mice. The second aim is to identify brain regions involved in mate preference and selection. To do so, I will analyze the activation of Immediate Early Genes (IEG) that are reliable markers of neuronal activity, in the female brain during the mate choice assay. Fos immunoreactivity will first allow me to do an unbiased screen of the entire mouse brain. Second, by using cat-FISH (Fluorescent In Situ Hybridization) and exploring the temporal dynamics of two different IEG, Homer 1a and Arc, I will study the representation of mates with different values.

Keywords: neuroscience,neurobiology,animal behaviour,mate choice,neuronal activity,immediate early genes,mice behaviour
Environmental factors increasing consumers' food intake: developing effective intervention strategies to faciliate consumers' self-control (FOOD INTAKE CONTROL)

Framework: FP7 — People
Programme: Marie-Curie Actions
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: International Outgoing Fellowships
Action type: Support for training and career development of researchers (Marie Curie)
Countries involved: Netherlands
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-IOF-2008, 2008)
Start date: 2009-09-01
End date: 2011-08-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 216824.17
EU funding (EUR): 216824.17
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Unhealthy food choices and eating too much are important risk factors for diet-related illnesses (such as diabetes, cancer), and for early deaths as a result of these illnesses. Consequently, the challenges of overweight are very high on the agenda of the European Commission. It is increasingly recognised that the (obesogenic) environment is a key factor in over-consumption. Subtle factors in the food environment stimulate consumers to consume more than is good for them, often without consumers recognising it. An important policy challenge is to stimulate environments that help consumers to better self-regulate their behaviour, for which we need to understand the environmental cues that cause consumers to unknowingly overeat. The proposed research will focus on environmental cues that affect food intake. The present research aims to: (1) understand how and when the food environment impacts food intake, (2) critically assess novel intervention strategies that support consumers’ self-regulatory ability to overcome over-consumption, (3) develop key policy recommendations on real-life interventions that could facilitate consumers’ self-control. Methodologically, the project combines laboratory experimental studies on food intake in the outgoing phase at Cornell University in the US with intervention testing studies in the return phase (Wageningen University, The Netherlands), thereby taking best advantage of the unique combination of research infrastructures of the outgoing host (Cornell’s Food and Brand Lab) and return host (Wageningen’s Restaurant of the Future). For me personally, this project would enable me to be trained and acquire new knowledge in the leading edge research setting at Cornell University and in this way support my ambition to be a leading scientist in this field in Europe. Building a global professional network in this important research area would strengthen the European research base and contribute to the well-being of European citizens.

Keywords: food intake,consumer science,obesogenic environment,overweight,obesity,self-regulation,environmental cues
Black holes, BPS states and topological string theory (BLACK HOLES - BPS)

Framework: FP7 — People
Programme: Marie-Curie Actions
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: International Outgoing Fellowships
Action type: Support for training and career development of researchers (Marie Curie)
Countries involved: Netherlands
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-IOF-2008, 2008)
Start date: 2009-10-01
End date: 2013-01-14
Duration (months): 36.0
Total project cost (EUR): 240329.82
EU funding (EUR): 240329.82
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

This project is concerned with theoretical aspects of physics of black holes which can be addressed within string theory. It is based on the conjecture of H. Ooguri, A. Strominger and C. Vafa, which relates microscopic description of black holes to the topological string theory. The main objectives of the project concern the generalization of this conjecture to the case of non-supersymmetric black holes, as well as deriving the wall-crossing formulas and understanding BPS microstate counting in the case of local Calabi-Yau geometries and Seiberg-Witten theories. Being motivated by profound questions concerning quantum gravity and physics of black holes, the project is inherently related to the most important recent developments on the interface of string theory and mathematics. To achieve its objectives a variety of techniques from both these fields must be combined, such as topological string theory, topological vertex, combinatorics and statistical models, Kontsevich-Soibelman formalism, issues in algebraic geometry and theory of modular forms. The outgoing and returning scientific hosts are theoretical physicists of worldwide reputation: Prof. Hirosi Ooguri from Caltech, who is the author of the above mentioned conjecture underlying the project, and Prof. Robbert Dijkgraaf from University of Amsterdam, one of the founders of the topological string theory. The completion of the project should be an important step in the search of the theory of quantum gravity and it should lead to new insights important for mathematics.

Keywords: black holes,mathematical physics,string theory,topological string theory,quantum field theory,algebraic geometry,relativity,bps counting
A cognitive neuroscientific model of impulsivity and anxiety (CNMIA)

Framework: FP7 — People
Programme: Marie-Curie Actions
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: International Outgoing Fellowships
Action type: Support for training and career development of researchers (Marie Curie)
Countries involved: Israel
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-IOF-2008, 2008)
Start date: 2009-10-01
End date: 2012-11-15
Duration (months): 36.0
Total project cost (EUR): 246892.17
EU funding (EUR): 246892.17
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

The proposed study offers a new direction in the investigation of impulsivity and anxiety in relation to a sophisticated neuropsychological model of hemisphere independence and interaction. Previous studies on anxiety and impulsivity have not explored all of the following important aspects of the model at the same time: 1) studying both impulsivity and anxiety simultaneously, 2) combining behavioral, physiological, and anatomical methods, 3) collecting data from both normal and clinical populations, and 4) considering individual (especially sex) differences. This neuropsychological model is theoretically important because it can serve as a paradigm case for distinguishing cognitive deficits that follow neurological death (apoptosis) in cell assemblies from loss of connectivity between such cell assemblies. The specific hypotheses are: 1. Impulsive behavior is correlated with increased physiological activation in the LH, 2) Anxious behavior is correlated with increased physiological activation in the RH, 3. Self error correction is positively correlated with measures of interhemispheric transfer. 4. Trait-anxiety and -impulsivity are positively correlated with measures of callosal transfer, whereas state-anxiety and -impulsivity is negatively correlated with measures of callosal transfer. The first stage involves establishing abnormal hemispheric relation in anxiety and impulsivity using behavioral laterality experiments. The second stage, involves recording the electrophysiological correlates of the behavioral experiments using EEG and ERP. The third stage involves measuring the anatomical correlates of the behavioral test using MRI, and DTI. The work plan serves to train me to become a knowledgeable, independent and skillful cognitive neuroscientist. The skills that I will acquire are bound to contribute to my academic career, and will help to initiate a long standing collaboration between UCLA and Bar-Ilan University, and eventually between UCLA and EU.

Keywords: interhemispheric interactions,hemispheric specialization,corpus callosum,cerebral asymmetry,eeg,dti,individual differences,impulsivity,anxiety