Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-informations-sur-les-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Intestinal dendritic cells and gut T-cell homing in inflammatory bowel diseases (GUT DCS IN IBD)

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-IEF-2008, 2008)
Start date: 2009-05-01
End date: 2011-04-30
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 180783.75
EU funding (EUR): 180783.75
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Inflamatory bowel diseases (IBD) are systemic diseases characterized by intestinal inflamation and extra-intestinal manifestations. The compartimentalisation of inflammatory processes is driven by immunological mechanisms, in particular pertaining to homing and trafficking of immune cells. Intestinal Dendritic Cells (DC) are professional antigen presenting cells that recognize antigens and direct subsequent immune response. DC also dictate the type of T-cell immune response (e.g. pro-inflamatory or regulatory). In health, intestinal DC contribute to induction of immunological tolerance and control of immune activity in the gut. The Host Laboratory has provided evidence for the importance of immune compartmentalisation in IBD patients, since they have demonstrated an increased number of DC in inflamed mucosa of patients with IBD, increased activation of DC, and increased expression of both immune receptors and increased production of pathologically-related cytokines. Also, gut-homing DCs mark T-cells they stimulate with gut-homing markers. HYPOTHESIS In IBD, aberrant DC populations drive homing and functions of pathogenic T cells. AIMS 1. To examine changes in IBD (with and without extraintestinal manifestations) in the homing marker expression of DC 2. To identify the homing and functional properties of T-cells stimulated by subpopulations of DC in IBD. ANTICIPATED OUTCOMES In inflamed tissue, intestinal DC will have different homing markers and/or changed capacity to induce “gut homing” T cells. These changed profiles could be linked with different phenotypes of disease in patients with IBD. A greater understanding of this “post-code” system in DC and T-cells may lead to refinement of current therapies and development of more rational therapies for diseases at different anatomical sites and for different diseases, since it would be possible targeting the more easily accessible blood DC and T-cells destined to produce inflammation.

Keywords: dendritic cells,gut-homing markers,t cells,health sciences
A novel mode of TGF-beta signalling through Smad1/Smad5 phosphorylation: mechanism and functional role in cancer (SMAD1/5 AND CANCER)

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-IEF-2008, 2008)
Start date: 2009-05-27
End date: 2011-05-26
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 171867.63
EU funding (EUR): 171867.63
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Ligands of the Transfroming Growth Factor-beta (TGF-beta) superfamily control numerous cellular processes such as proliferation, apoptosis, differentiation, adhesion and mobility. As a result, it is well established that they play an essential role in cancer. TGF-beta signalling has been implicated in both tumour suppression and progression. TGF-beta signals predominantly through receptor-regulated Smads (R-Smads), Smad2 and Smad3, but several lines of evidence from the Hill’s lab suggest that TGF-beta can also strongly induce phosphorylation and consequently signalling by Smad1 and Smad5 in epithelial cells. Moreover, our recent results have shown that Smad1/5 activation by TGF-beta is not required for its growth inhibitory effects, but rather is specifically required for TGF-beta-induced anchorage-independent growth, suggesting a relevant role of this novel mode of signalling in tumor progression. The first aim of this project is the accurate molecular description of TGF-beta-induced activation of Smad1/5. We will focus both on the receptor complexes responsible and the types of Smad complexes that result. Then, we will study which genes are induced by this novel mode of TGF-beta signalling. Finally, its functional relevance in normal epithelial cells and in tumorigenesis will be assessed. If we can show that this novel branch of TGF-beta signalling plays a role in tumour growth, then it could provide a good therapeutic target in cancer.

Keywords: cancer,molecular biology,tgf-beta,smad1/5,systems biology,tumor progression
Protein signalling pathways elucidated via novel correlation analysis of molecular dynamics simulations (PROTSIGN)

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: 2009-06-01
End date: 2011-05-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 172192.87
EU funding (EUR): 172192.87
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Signal transduction enables biological cells to respond to external stimuli such as light, odours, hormones, or growth factors. Signalling is involved in numerous biological processes and dysfunction of signalling has been associated to severe conditions such as cancer or Alzheimer’s disease. Whereas the knowledge of signal transduction on the cellular level has seen impressive progress within the last years, the molecular mechanisms involved in signalling remain mostly unknown. Intra-protein signalling is accomplished by subtle configurational changes and/or rapid dynamic processes which are difficult to assess experimentally. Therefore, we aim to employ molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to elucidate intra-protein signalling pathways and molecular mechanisms involved in signalling. Two important classes of signalling proteins will be studied: G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) and PDZ protein binding domains. The key to elucidate the signalling pathways will be to identify the correlations in protein dynamics and ensembles which transmit the biological signal. We plan to employ procedures from information theory and multivariate analysis to directly assess the propagation of the signal in the protein motions. The approach promises to clearly separate intra-protein processes involved in signalling from motions and interactions which may be important (e.g. for protein stability), but which do not contribute to the signal. Moreover, the simulations will allow us to distinguish between the “induced-fit” and the “conformational selection” model for signal transduction. By applying these methods to GPCRs and different PDZ domains we aim to determine common routes of information transfer within these important classes of proteins. Understanding how information is transferred within living organisms is a prerequisite for interfering with signalling, and hence our approach may contribute to novel therapies in the future.

Keywords: molecular biophysics,signaling pathways,correlation analysis,molecular dynamics simulations
Cm-wave continuum emission from molecular clouds (CMWAVECLOUDS)

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: France
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-IIF-2008, 2008)
Start date: 2009-09-01
End date: 2010-08-31
Duration (months): 12.0
Total project cost (EUR): 115126.23
EU funding (EUR): 115126.23
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

The anomalous foreground was detected 10 years ago as an unexpected Galactic screen at cm-wavelengths in experiments designed to map the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB), seen in the direction of cirrus interstellar dust clouds and ubiquitous at high Galactic latitudes. A joint Universidad de Chile (U. Ch.) and Caltech effort led to the discovery of surprisingly bright radio emission from canonical dark (i.e. dusty) clouds: rho Oph and M78, as well as translucent LDN1780 and zeta Oph. What is the nature of the cm-wave emitters? Do the dark clouds and the cirrus clouds radiate by the same emission mechanisms? The identification of the cm-wave sources is required to inform the subtraction of diffuse Galactic foregrounds from CMB polarization experiments. It may also provide a new diagnostic of the interstellar medium (ISM). The data on well studied local clouds can bring information on the environments giving rise to cm-wave radiation. The U. Ch. participant seeks to collaborate with the ISM team at the LUTh laboratory of the Observatoire de Paris, who has an established expertise on the theoretical modelling of ISM physical conditions. We aim at distinguishing between two broad interpretations of the cm-wave emission, based either on unexpected physical conditions, or a new astrophysical process: 1- Cold plasma radiation due to residual charges in molecular gas, such as CI continuum from the external layers (the photo-dissociation-regions) of clouds exposed to interstellar soft-UV radiation. If confirmed the CI continuum would trace unexpectedly dense and clumpy molecular gas in regions of intermediate-mass star formation. 2-The exciting possibility of spinning dust emission, which may provide the first direct probe of interstellar very small grains (such as polycyclic aromatic ydrocarbons). These poorly understood dust grains play a crucial role in the thermal and chemical balance of the atomic/molecular ISM.

Keywords: astrophysics. radiation mechanisms: general,radio continuum: general,interstellar medium (ism),sub-millimetre,ism: clouds.
Quantum aspects of extended supersymmetric gauge theories (QUANTUMSUPERSYMMETRY)

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: Italy
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-IIF-2008, 2008)
Start date: 2010-07-02
End date: 2012-07-01
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 163392.87
EU funding (EUR): 163392.87
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

The project is aimed at the study of quantum aspects of extended supersymmetric field theories with various number of supersymmetries in three and four space-time dimensions. In particular we will develop extended superfield approaches to superconformal gauge theories with N=4 supersymmetry in four dimensional space-time and to supersymmetric Chern-Simons-matter theories with N=3,4,6,8 supersymmetries in three-dimensional space-time. Various classical and quantum aspects of these theories such as the construction of quantum effective action and computation of correlation functions of composite operators will be considered by using the developed extended superspace methods. These problems are motivated by the development of superstring / M-theory which is considered to be a candidate for the unified theory of all fundamental interactions of elementary particles. In particular, the four-dimensional N=4 supergauge theories effectively describe systems of D3 and M5 branes in supergravity and M-theory while three-dimensional N=6 and N=8 supergauge theories correspond to M-theory 2-branes. This gives rise to different manifestations of so-called AdS/CFT correspondence (or field theory / gravity correspondence). Within this project we will explore the properties of classical and quantum dynamics of above mentioned extended supersymmetric field theories that will shed new light on various aspects of the field theory / gravity correspondence.

Keywords: quantum field theory,supersymmetry,superspace,effective action,correlation functions,string theory,duality
Designing Inclusive Products with Image Schemas (INCLUDIS)

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-IEF-2008, 2008)
Start date: 2009-07-01
End date: 2010-06-30
Duration (months): 12.0
Total project cost (EUR): 86784.33
EU funding (EUR): 86784.33
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

By 2020, one in every two European adults will be over 50 years in age. As old age brings along reductions in sensory, cognitive, and motor abilities, product development methodologies have to adjust. While sensory and motor abilities are relatively straightforward to measure, cognitive abilities are more elusive. The proposed project is concerned with developing and testing a framework model of cognitive abilities that helps practitioners in designing more inclusive products. The goal is to minimise the number of people excluded from or who experience difficulty with using mainstream products. More specifically, the objectives are (1) to develop an integrated framework of cognitive functioning for inclusive design, (2) to test the predictions of this framework for different products and verify their fitness for practical purpose, and (3) to derive and evaluate practical guidance that results from this framework and from the empirical findings. The integrated framework combines a traditional model of human cognition with image schema theory – an account of subconscious knowledge representation that predicts to be useful for inclusive design. The project allows extending the fellow’s previous research on image schemas in the domain of inclusive design for which the host institution has a renowned expertise. The new competencies acquired by the fellow during his stay in the host institution will contribute to the development of his scientific career and future research.

Keywords: design engineering,human computer interaction,cognitive science,inclusive design,image schemas,cognitive abilities,engineering design,usability,product design
Neuronal circuitry and plasticity of the spinal cord using in-vivo electrophysiology in transgenic mice (MICE SPINAL CORD CM)

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-IEF-2008, 2008)
Start date: 2009-12-01
End date: 2011-11-30
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 203817.53
EU funding (EUR): 203817.53
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

The development of transgenic mice affecting development of spinal cord circuitry or mimicking hereditary neurological motor disorders has necessitated the development of in-vivo adult mouse preparations for electrophysiology to bridge molecular biology with the pathophysiology of phenotypes. The first goal is the development and refinement of a “mouse in-vivo spinal cord preparation” for intracellular recordings and analysis of spinal circuitry in “acute experiments” and a preparation for chronic recording of EMG and kinematics. These will be used to identify specific patterns of inputs to motoneurones in the mouse including the Ia monosynaptic EPSP, presynaptic inhibition, reciprocal inhibition, recurrent inhibition, propioceptive and exteroceptive polysynaptic inputs as well as the intrinsic properties of motoneurones. The data will not only characterise synaptic connectively in the mouse which can be compared to other species but will serve as control data for the rest of the project. The second goal is the use of the preparations to study transgenic mice with specific manipulations affecting the development of spinal neuronal circuitry. 2 mice mutants developed by Thomas Jessell (New York) and Silvia Arber (Basel) will be used. In the Er81 mutant mouse lack of a transcription factor causes Ia propioceptive afferents to terminate prematurely in the intermediate spinal cord. The second mutant model lacks the presynaptic GABAergic terminals on Ia afferent inputs to motoneurones. The researcher will investigate the plasticity occurring as a consequence. The third goal is to use the preparations to study transgenic mice with genetic mutations similar to those underlying neurological disorders in humans. For this the researcher will investigate plasticity in mice with a mutation affecting the glycine receptor, mimicking hyperekplexia in humans. SOD-1 mutants, models of ALS will also be used to investigate excitability changes at central part of motoneurone

Keywords: health sciences,neurosciences,neurophysiology
Ancient DNA and the Atlantic Slave Trade: A Search for Origins (ROOTS)

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-IEF-2008, 2008)
Start date: 2009-03-23
End date: 2011-03-22
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 204384.54
EU funding (EUR): 204384.54
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

This project aims to use ancient DNA (aDNA) analyses to trace the geographical origins of African slaves who were brought to the Caribbean as a result of the trans-Atlantic slave trade. Between the 15th and 19th centuries, the trans-Atlantic slave trade resulted in the forced migration of over eleven million Africans to the Americas. In recent years, there has been growing interest among scholars, as well as the general public, in restoring knowledge of their origins. Historical documents provide obvious sources of information but their usefulness is restricted by the fact that they generally refer to the coastal areas from where slaves were shipped, rather than where they actually originated. Recently, geneticists have tried to tackle the question of origins from a different angle, using modern genetic data. The phylogeographic perspective has revealed that it is possible to use the inheritance characteristics of the non-recombining mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) molecule to trace the maternal ancestry of individuals to specific geographical regions within Africa and, in some cases, even to particular ethnic groups. However, there is a problem with this approach. Although only about 200 years have passed since the abolition of the slave trade, there has been considerable population movement to and within the Americas, so that modern genetic distributions may not accurately reflect the effects of the trans-Atlantic slave trade. This is where this project comes in. Ancient DNA analyses on archaeological skeletal remains provide a window back in time, so to speak, that enables us to test hypotheses based on modern data. We propose to use aDNA analyses of human remains from several archaeological sites in the Caribbean to reconstruct the ancestral relationships of African slaves and their descendants directly. In doing so, we hope to restore some of the links that were so cruelly severed by the trans-Atlantic slave trade.

Keywords: ancient dna,archaeology,mitochondrial dna,phylogeography,population genetics,slave trade
Combined indoor/oudoor Wireless Network Planning (CWNETPLAN)

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-IEF-2008, 2008)
Start date: 2009-06-01
End date: 2011-05-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 170733.61
EU funding (EUR): 170733.61
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Wireless communications technologies have experienced some of the fastest technological innovations in the last few decades. In the near future, a large portion of the access network will go wireless. It is estimated that 2/3 of voice and over 90% of data services using wireless communications take place indoors. Hence, indoor solutions like picocells (indoor base stations) deployed by the operators, or femtocells (indoor home base stations) deployed directly by the users, have been recently proposed. While these new indoor solutions can bring a lot of benefits for both operators and users, they have undesirable impacts on outdoor networks as well due to the interferences between indoor and outdoor. With the increasing number of indoor solutions (For example there could be about 70 million femtocells installed in homes around the world serving more than 150 million users by 2012 according to ABI), the study of the interactions between indoor and outdoor network simulation, planning and optimisation has become an extremely timely and important issue. The aim of this proposal is to solve the problem of combined indoor/outdoor wireless network planning and optimization, to be able to plan a network, taking into account both the indoor and the outdoor networks. This project can be divided into three main tasks. First, a combined indoor/outdoor propagation model must be proposed in order to compute the received signal and then evaluate the interferences. Then, a combined indoor/outdoor optimization method is necessary, to find what are the parameters of the network (position of the emitters or output power for example) that maximize the performances of the network (data rate or quality of service for example). Finally, an automatic model calibration method must be developed, to make the model fit with real indoor and outdoor wireless network measurements.

Keywords: technological sciences,telecommunications engineering,telecommunications technology,radio engineering,simulation engineering