Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-informations-sur-les-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Logodiversity: On the nature of linguistic unity and diversity (LOGODIVERSITY)

Framework: FP7 — People
Programme: Marie-Curie Actions
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: International Re-integration Grants
Action type: Support for training and career development of researchers (Marie Curie)
Countries involved: Spain
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-2009-RG, 2009)
Start date: 2010-07-01
End date: 2014-06-30
Duration (months): 48.0
Total project cost (EUR): 100000.0
EU funding (EUR): 100000.0
Participants: 2
Project status: CLOSED

The project seeks to develop a new theoretical framework to understand the nature and limits of language variation, and test it empirically. The framework reflects recent theoretical changes, as well as empirical findings that cast doubt on the standard account of language variation known as the ‘principles and parameters’ framework. Inspired by the Evo-Devo (evolutionary-developmental) program in biology, which seeks to unveil how developmental processes become modified during evolution and how from these changes the past and present biodiversity arose, I set out to investigate the nature of linguistic variation by paying attention to the many factors that enter into the design of the human language faculty. I suggest ways to remedy the inadequacies of the Standard model by reducing lexical (morphological) variation to four ingredients (which define the limits of variation) and by stressing the role of learning biases (not necessarily specific to language) to account for cross-linguistic tendencies. The proposed program of research has the potential of not only filling in an important gap in our understanding of the nature of human languages, but also could serve as a bridge between various schools of thoughts in linguistics (formalist, functionalist, nativist, emergentist, etc.), which are all too often seen as competitors. In addition, if the evo-devo parallelism is on the right track, this proposal makes a key contribution to the emerging field of Biolinguistics, which aims at uncovering the biological foundations of the human language faculty

Keywords: theoretical linguistics,comparative linguistics,syntax,biolinguistics,minimalism,parameters
Identification and characterization of novel plant growth regulators acting downstream of the phytochrome-interacting bHLH transcription factors in the dark (DARK GROWTH)

Framework: FP7 — People
Programme: Marie-Curie Actions
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: International Re-integration Grants
Action type: Support for training and career development of researchers (Marie Curie)
Countries involved: Spain
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-2009-RG, 2009)
Start date: 2010-05-01
End date: 2014-04-30
Duration (months): 48.0
Total project cost (EUR): 100000.0
EU funding (EUR): 100000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Plants modulate their growth and development to adjust to the continuous variations in their light environment. During early development, seedlings emerging from buried seed grow vigorously upward in the subterranean darkness toward the soil surface (etiolated growth), a developmental strategy promoted by several members of the phytochrome (phy)-interacting factor (PIF) subfamily of bHLH transcription factors (PIF1,3,4 and 5) in Arabidopsis. Upon reaching the soil surface, light signals perceived by the phy photoreceptor family reverse etiolation (deetiolation) by inducing rapid degradation of the PIF proteins. Thus, an antagonistic functional interaction between active phy and PIFs determines seedling growth during deetiolation. A similar mechanism regulates rhythmic growth in seedlings growing under diurnal conditions (in dark and light cycles), where growth is restricted to the end of the night through phy-regulation of PIFs abundance. Altogether, PIFs are central regulators of plant growth in the dark both during seedling deetiolation and under diurnal conditions. Unraveling how the PIFs function in the dark during these two dark-light transitions is of great interest to understand regulation of plant growth. While recent data shows that PIFs regulate the expression of a plethora of genes, little is known on which are direct PIF targets, and which might in turn be key-regulators of growth. The research proposal aims to identify and characterize novel regulators of plant growth in the dark acting downstream of the PIFs. First, a novel genetic screen will be used to identify suppressors of the pif1pif3pif4pif5 quadruple mutant phenotype in etiolated seedlings. Second, a biochemical and genomic approach will be used to identify PIF3-regulated genes at the end of the night. The funding of this proposal will allow the applicant to initiate his own research project in the host laboratory and facilitate his transition to an independent research position in Europe.

Keywords: plant growth,light-dark transitions,seedling deetiolation,diurnal conditions,phytochrome,phy-interacting bhlh transcription factors/pifs,gene expression,chip,activation tagging screen
An intercultural and Ethical Code on Birth. A dialogue between institutional directives and women's needs. (CODEONBIRTH)

Framework: FP7 — People
Programme: Marie-Curie Actions
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: International Re-integration Grants
Action type: Support for training and career development of researchers (Marie Curie)
Countries involved: Italy
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-2009-RG, 2009)
Start date: 2010-08-01
End date: 2015-09-14
Duration (months): 48.0
Total project cost (EUR): 100000.0
EU funding (EUR): 100000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

The project proposes an anthropological analysis on childbirth. It intends to explore doctors, obstetrics and women’s experiences on giving birth at home, and analyze the official medical, obstetrical and political discourse on this topic. A concern for the increasing medicalization of birth – particularly for the growth of caesarian sections - fosters this research. Could be birth at home – increasing both at public and private level – a good option to reach a more humanized model of birth without renouncing to the benefits of biomedicine? Could there be an intercultural model too, adequate not only for European women but also for Immigrant ones? Maternity’s Homes - an out-of-hospital way of birth implemented in three Italian regions will be observed and compared with other European countries experiences (Netherlands and Spain); the Italian health care system’s offer (birth at home is granted in some regions) will be also taken into account. An accurate analysis of the social actors’ point of view (doctors, obstetrics, women, institutions) will provide elements for a better understanding of how the medical system conceives women and their reproductive process, as well as of how women think of themselves and their own body. The employment of a qualitative methodology, based on in-depth interviews, will allow for this accuracy. The objective of the project is to construct an Intercultural and Ethical Code on Birth (IECB) to favour a better correspondence between demands and expectations of women and medical system needs. This Code - produced by the negotiation between different approaches to the body, to the health, to the reproduction expressed by the actors – is intended to be a point of reference for innovative birth policies at European level and will contribute to resolve situations of conflict and misunderstanding in relation to the exercise of the reproductive rights.

Keywords: medical anthropology,anthropology,social sciences,medicalization of birth,reproductive health,reproductive rights,body,childbirth,health care system,public health,multi-ethnicity
Role of caspase-11 in inflammasome signaling and the innate immune response (INFLAMMACT)

Framework: FP7 — People
Programme: Marie-Curie Actions
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: International Re-integration Grants
Action type: Support for training and career development of researchers (Marie Curie)
Countries involved: Belgium
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-2009-RG, 2009)
Start date: 2010-05-01
End date: 2013-04-30
Duration (months): 36.0
Total project cost (EUR): 75000.0
EU funding (EUR): 75000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Innate immune cells such as macrophages and dendritic cells produce potent inflammatory cytokines to mount an appropriate immune response against microbial threats. The related cytokines interleukin (IL)-1beta and IL-18 require cleavage by the cysteine protease caspase-1 to generate biologically active IL-1beta and IL-18. Caspase-1 itself is synthesized as zymogen that interacts with certain members of the intracellular NOD-like receptor (NLR) family in infected macrophages to form large protein complexes named ‘inflammasomes’. The importance of inflammasomes is evident from the genetic variations in the NLR proteins Nalp1 and Nalp3 that are associated with autoinflammatory disorders and increased susceptibility to microbial infection. However, the molecular mechanisms of inflammasome activation and the role of caspase-11 have remained unclear. Caspase-11 has been suggested as an upstream and downstream regulator of caspase-1 functions in LPS-stimulated cells. However, its role in specific infammasomes and its contribution to substrate cleavage in innate immunity remain to be explored. We generated caspase-11 knockout mice to characterize the physiological role of caspase-11 in inflammasome signaling and the innate immune response. In Aim 1, we will characterize the role of caspase-11 in activation of the different caspase-1 inflammasomes. In Aim 2, the proteome-wide caspase-11 degradome will be determined using mass spectrometry-based COFRADIC technology. Primary macrophages from caspase-11 knockout mice will be used to validate the caspase-11 degradome under activating conditions. These approaches will generate a wealth of new information regarding the role of caspase-11 in innate immunity. Elucidating the role of caspase-11 in inflammasome signaling and the innate immune response will provide new insights into the mechanisms governing immunity and may pave the way for new therapeutic approaches for autoimmune disorders.

Keywords: immunology,signal transduction,cytokines,caspases,nod-like receptors,inflammasome,cell biology
Regulatory effects of mindfulness meditation on attention and epilepsy: behavioral, clinical, and neuronal correlates. (ATTENTION REGULATION)

Framework: FP7 — People
Programme: Marie-Curie Actions
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: International Re-integration Grants
Action type: Support for training and career development of researchers (Marie Curie)
Countries involved: France
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-2009-RG, 2009)
Start date: 2010-11-01
End date: 2014-10-31
Duration (months): 48.0
Total project cost (EUR): 100000.0
EU funding (EUR): 100000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Mindfulness meditation is a standard form of meditation that intends to enhance qualities of concentration and meta-cognitive monitoring. Mindfulness meditation has been adapted and routinely incorporated in the American and European healthcare systems for the purpose of stress reduction and emotion regulation, particularly among clinical populations with anxiety, depression, chronic pain, and many other medical conditions. Although the clinical benefits of these interventions have been well documented, the neurobiological mechanisms by which meditation may produce such benefits are still not well understood. The principal investigator of this research project has pioneered the use of imaging methods to rigorously investigate these mechanisms during his postdoctoral work in the United States. Here, we propose to continue and extend this line of research in France, at INSERM U821. This project will investigate the mechanisms of mindfulness meditation within the experimental and methodological framework of cognitive neuroscience (study 1) and epilepsy research (study 2). This research project pertains both to basic and clinical neuroscience. In study 1, we aim at investigating, with attention task performance and magnetoencephalography (MEG), how training in attention control, as cultivated by mindfulness meditation, can improve the ability of novice meditators to monitor their performance during an error-awareness task. In study 2, we aim at investigating the training-related effects of mindfulness meditation on epileptic patient’s and their capacity to regulate attention and manage stress. Futhermore, we will examine the impact of these changes on the clinical and brain risk factors of seizure, as measured by scalp electroencephalography (EEG), electrocardiogram (ECG) and salivary cortisol. This research grant will give the fellow the opportunity to further develop his clinical and experimental expertise in this field, and to facilitate his reintegration into a E

Keywords: mental health sciences,neuroscience,attention training,emotion regulation,neuroplasticity,electrophysiology (eeg),magnetoencephalography (meg),stress,epilepsy,meditation,neural synchrony
Global microRNA profiling of normal and Pbx1-null hematopoietic stem cells and progenitors for the identification of new regulators of the balance between self-renewal and differentiation. (HSC SELF-RENEWAL)

Framework: FP7 — People
Programme: Marie-Curie Actions
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: International Re-integration Grants
Action type: Support for training and career development of researchers (Marie Curie)
Countries involved: Italy
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-2009-RG, 2009)
Start date: 2010-08-01
End date: 2015-03-18
Duration (months): 48.0
Total project cost (EUR): 100000.0
EU funding (EUR): 100000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are non-coding RNA molecules that repress translation and stability of target mRNAs. They are key regulators of cell cycle and differentiation in embryonic stem cells, and are differentially expressed among many tumors, but their function in adult stem cells (SC) is not known. Somatic SC are able to self-renew, at the same time generating a differentiated progeny that replenish short-lived cells, to maintain tissue homeostasis. However, how the balance between self-renewal and differentiation is achieved, crucial to avoid SC exhaustion or hyper-proliferation and cancer, has not been fully clarified, including any role for miRNAs. The applicant previously demonstrated that in the absence of the proto-oncogene Pbx1 hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) display reduced self-renewal, high proliferation rate, a transcriptional profile typical of downstream progeny, and perturbed Tgf-b pathway. In this proposal the applicant will take advantage of the Pbx1-conditional ko mouse model to identify miRNAs involved in the maintenance of self-renewal, through combination of miRNA profiling data of purified HSCs and downstream progenitors from mutant or control mice with mRNA expression data and with miRNA:mRNA target prediction. The role of specific miRNAs regulating self-renewal will then be tested functionally in normal and mutant HSCs, in transplantation assays after over-expression or knock down experiments. Moreover, this study offers the opportunity to identify new players in the Tgf-b pathway, which has been suggested to regulate processing of specific miRNAs in other cell types. Preliminary data indicate that in the absence of Pbx1 several miRNAs are indeed differentially regulated in HSCs, underlying the feasibility of this project. The expected results will have a profound impact on European competitiveness since they address fundamental questions in adult stem cell biology, with potential implications in the fields of regenerative medicine and cancer.

Keywords: hematopoietic stem cells,pbx1,microrna,self-renewal,differentiation
Gamma ray astronomy and the origin of galactic cosmic rays (GAMMA)

Framework: FP7 — People
Programme: Marie-Curie Actions
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: European Re-integration Grants
Action type: Support for training and career development of researchers (Marie Curie)
Countries involved: France
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-2009-RG, 2009)
Start date: 2010-09-01
End date: 2013-08-31
Duration (months): 36.0
Total project cost (EUR): 45000.0
EU funding (EUR): 45000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Diffusive shock acceleration operating at expanding supernova remnant shells is by far the most popular model for the origin of galactic cosmic rays. Despite the general consensus received by this model, an unambiguous and conclusive proof of the supernova remnant hypothesis is still missing. In this context, the recent developments in gamma ray astronomy provide us with precious insights into the problem of the origin of galactic cosmic rays, since production of gamma rays is expected both during the acceleration of cosmic rays at supernova remnant shocks and during their subsequent propagation in the interstellar medium. In particular, the recent detection of a number of supernova remnants at TeV energies nicely fits with the model, but it still does not constitute a conclusive proof of it, mainly due to the difficulty of disentangling the hadronic and leptonic contributions to the observed gamma ray emission. The goal of this project is to produce an accurate theoretical prediction of the gamma-ray view of the whole Galaxy at TeV and multi-TeV energies, under the assumption that SNRs are the sources of CRs. Unlike at GeV energies, the diffuse TeV emission from the Galaxy is expected to be more clumpy, showing, on top of a “truly” diffuse emission, extended concentrations around CR sources, especially when they are located close to massive MCs. Predictions will be made for the properties of the clumpy emission, and will include, for example, the number of such clumps detectable by a given telescope, their spectral distribution, and angular extension. When compared with gamma ray-data, such predictions will provide new ways to test the SNR hypothesis for the origin of the CRs up to the energy of the knee.

Keywords: astrophysics,gamma ray astronomy,cosmic rays,supernova remnants,molecular clouds
Advanced Visual Optics (ADV VISUAL OPTICS)

Framework: FP7 — People
Programme: Marie-Curie Actions
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: European Re-integration Grants
Action type: Support for training and career development of researchers (Marie Curie)
Countries involved: Spain
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-2009-RG, 2009)
Start date: 2010-10-01
End date: 2013-09-30
Duration (months): 36.0
Total project cost (EUR): 45000.0
EU funding (EUR): 45000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

The recent observation that central refractive development might be controlled by the peripheral retinal image quality revived the interest in the peripheral optics of the eye. In general, this means that the temporal evolution of the ocular optics at the early stage of life will not be fully understood unless a full description of the optical components (cornea and crystalline) is given together with the angular positioning and the peripheral optical quality assessment. This would constitute the most complete picture of the development of the optics of the eye, being essential to understand the etiology of several ocular diseases like myopia or strabismus. The measurement in infants and children represents a technological challenge. A corneal topographer should be redesigned to work on distance, and be as less disturbing as possible. The ocular alignment (angular distance between the line of sight and the best optical axes of the eye) might be assessed with the same instrument. We propose here the development of a Hartmann-Shack wavefront sensor to measure not only on-axis aberrations but also the peripheral image quality. All the instrumentation will be used in a cross-sectional study of the ocular optics at the early stages of life, from newborns to adulthood. A second line of related research will focus on the possibility of reducing the progression rate of myopia during ocular development. Recent experiments support the idea that a peripheral hyperopic defocus might promote central myopia. To induce the opposite effect, a set of lenses to selectively impose myopic peripheral defocus on certain areas of the retina will be designed and will be tried in a group of children with incipient myopia. In conclusion, this project expects to provide for the first time a complete description of the optics of the eye at the early stage of life. New lenses to try to stop myopia (the most common refractive disease at the development stage of life) will also be designed.

Keywords: applied optics,biomedical engineering,ophthalmology
Purification and Characterization of Regulatory Proteins of the Alcohol Oxidase 1 (AOX1) Promoter of Pichia pastoris (AOX1 PROMOTER)

Framework: FP7 — People
Programme: Marie-Curie Actions
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: International Re-integration Grants
Action type: Support for training and career development of researchers (Marie Curie)
Countries involved: Türkiye
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-2009-RG, 2009)
Start date: 2010-09-01
End date: 2014-08-31
Duration (months): 48.0
Total project cost (EUR): 100000.0
EU funding (EUR): 100000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

The methylotrophic yeast Pichia pastoris is used as a host system to produce recombinant proteins for a variety of applications, from food products to pharmaceuticals. However, despite the success of the P. pastoris expression system, relatively little is known about the molecular biology of the promoter utilized in this system, namely alcohol oxidase I (AOX1) promoter. In order to better utilize the AOX1 promoter, I propose to study regulation of the promoter using three approaches, 1) purify and characterize the regulatory proteins that bind to the AOX1 promoter and 2) overexpress his-tagged Methanol Expression Regulator 1 (Mrx1) protein to determine binding sites on the AOX1 promoter 3) determine the cis-acting regulatory sequences and design synthetic promoters. In addition, I will generate new host strains in which activator protein(s) will be over-expressed and expression of the repressor protein(s) will be suppressed. These studies will identify cis- and trans-acting factors that dictate the AOX1 promoter strength, in turn effect heterologous protein production. The elucidation of the AOX1 promoter control mechanism will benefit industrial and academic scientists who utilize P. pastoris expressions system in their studies.

Keywords: natural sciences,pichia pastoris,aox1 promoter,transcriptional factor,dna binding proteins,repression,activation,emsa,foot printing,transcriptional regulation,recombinant protein expression