Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-informations-sur-les-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Absorption of light, macro-algae and the atmosphere (ALMA-MATER)

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: Ireland
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-2011-IEF, 2011)
Start date: 2012-06-01
End date: 2014-05-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 191938.2
EU funding (EUR): 191938.2
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

The biogeochemical cycle of iodine is driven by sea-to-air exchange processes that are particularly relevant for the coastal environment, since they strongly influence the atmospheric chemistry in the marine boundary layer. Many aspects concerning the precursors and sources of iodine in coastal areas are still poorly understood. Quantitative data on the magnitude of gas fluxes and the composition of gas mixtures (iodocarbons or molecular iodine) escaping from the sea is essential for models describing aerosol formation and the influence of the corresponding gaseous species on the radiative balance of the Earth and hence on global change. However, data obtained under realistic conditions is sparse due to a lack of technologies that meet the challenges involved in taking meaningful in situ measurements. ALMA-MATER addresses this problem by applying a new optical method based on broadband cavity-enhanced Fourier Transform absorption spectroscopy. This approach is to be developed in order to identify and characterize biogenic emission sources of iodocarbons (e.g. macro-algae). It is planned to study specimen under controlled stress conditions in the laboratory. The proposed research into a long-standing atmospheric problem is inherently linked with plant physiological questions, and tackles this genuine environmental science challenge with the development of new spectroscopic technology in an ultimately multidisciplinary way. The project thus offers a variety of opportunities for the acquisition of new complementary research competencies and professional skills which strongly promote the career prospects of the fellow running the research. Hosting the project in Ireland is highly advantageous due to the nature of the topic. Thus the mobility of the exceptionally promising (Indian) fellow, travelling from Switzerland to Ireland, maximises not only her contribution to a knowledge-based European society, but it catalyses the research itself at an advanced level.

Keywords: biogeochemistry,atmospheric chemistry,instrumental techniques,environmental physics,applied optics,photochemistry,chemical physics,aerosols,reaction mechanisms and dynamics
Influence of protein prenylation and its modulation on the immune system (PREN-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: Germany
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-2011-IEF, 2011)
Start date: 2012-08-01
End date: 2014-07-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 167390.4
EU funding (EUR): 167390.4
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Prenylation is a postranslational process leading to changes in protein structure due to the incorporation of a lipidic moiety that significantly modifies their physicochemical properties and their behaviour. Prenylation is therefore a crucial step for key cell processes, such as interaction between proteins, cell and differentiation, cytoskeletal function and vesicular trafficking. The modification of prenylation is proposed as an attractive option in biological and therapeutic research, as its alteration can cause significant changes in cell biology. In fact, several prenylation inhibitors are currently included in preclinical and clinical research as anticancer agents (Sasaki M, 2003; Mach F, 2002). Many prenylation-modified processes can be considered of immune or inflammatory nature. In addition, a major substrate for prenylation reactions are small G proteins, which are involved in the activation of some relevant signaling pathways in the immune system. Thus, the immune response could be controlled by modulating prenylation. Specific cell-type inhibition of prenylation could be interesting allowing a better knowledge of its implication in cell biology considering several cell types related to the immune response. A novel technique for in vivo experiment is the genetic design of animals suffering from a cell-specific deficiency in the expression of a particular protein. This project is intended to study the influence of the lack of expression of one of the major enzymes involved in prenylation, GGTaseI, specifically in several cell types related to immune response, such as intestinal epithelial cells or lymphocytes. We will create strains by crossing Pggt1b-flox mice (Sjogren AK, 2007) with Villino-Cre mice (deletion of GGTaseI in epithelial cells) or with CD4-Cre mice (deletion of GGTaseI in CD4 + T cells) and do analysis of the evolution of these mice after several models of inflammation-associated colon cancer (AOM / DSS model) or in colitis models.

Keywords: health sciences,prenylation,inflamatory bowel disease,ulcerative colitis,crohn's disease,colon cancer,tumour,lymphocyte,intestinal epithelial cell,geranylgernayltransferase,genetic silencing
Land Use Change, Environment and Society: a integrated framework for economic assessment (LUCES)

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: United Kingdom
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-2011-IOF, 2011)
Start date: 2013-01-10
End date: 2016-01-09
Duration (months): 36.0
Total project cost (EUR): 271943.7
EU funding (EUR): 271943.7
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

This highly interdisciplinary research project examines one of the most fundamental problems in natural resource and environmental economics: the optimal use of land. Land management raises major trade-offs between public and private interests. Agriculture provides the paramount illustration of these trade-offs. Ownership belongs to the private sector, but has significant implications for the society, generating external costs, (such as changes in wildlife habitats and deforestation), as well as external benefits (like the provision of recreational opportunities and the storage of greenhouse gases, GHG). The central objective of this research is to develop an integrated framework for the economic analysis of decisions concerning agriculture, land use change and associated environmental impacts. It will be based on a novel methodology for economic analyses, including joint models of: a) agricultural production, land use and incomes; b) GHG emissions and c) open-access recreation demand and values. These econometric models will be integrated in a spatially-explicit framework which will encompass both private and social values arising from agricultural land use change. The approach will be demonstrated via policy-relevant scenarios, generated as changes in the main determinants of land use, including market, policy and environmental drivers. The project will contribute to the objectives of the FP7 People Programme by: 1) producing innovative and interdisciplinary research with high policy-relevance, which will be effectively disseminated with a series of outreach activities; 2) allowing the fellow to gain new skills and additional training in advanced econometrics and environmental economics and become one of the EU leading experts in a fast-growing field of research; and 3) establishing a long-term collaboration between two centres of excellence such as UCSD (San Diego, USA) and UEA (Norwich, UK) enhancing the European quality of research.

Keywords: land use,agricultural economics,enviromental valuation,carbon emissions,integrated assessment,agro-enviromental policy,climate change
The influence of processing method on the pro-inflammatory properties of food and pathogenesis of food-related diseases. (DIET DERIVED AGES)

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: Netherlands
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-2011-IEF, 2011)
Start date: 2012-10-16
End date: 2015-07-15
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 191675.4
EU funding (EUR): 191675.4
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Food safety and quality is one of the major priority in the European Society. The food manufacturing may change the biological properties of food compounds. One of the most common interaction between proteins and sugars occurs during food processing is Maillard reaction. The products of this reaction named advanced glycation end products (AGEs) may influence on human health by the interaction with receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE). In that way dietary derived AGEs may modulate the inflammatory pathways and play the role in the pathogenesis of variety diseases as allergy, cancer, cardiovascular diseases and diabetes. The aim of the research project is to establish the relationships between the processing technologies and pro-inflammatory properties of food. The influence of AGEs derived from soy processed flour on the pathogenesis of inflammation mediated via RAGE will be studied. The research project will connect the food technology and chemistry with molecular immunology. First part of research will focus on soy flour processing methods and technologies. Second and mean part of studies will focus on innovative, multilevel molecular studies of soy flour extracts. The experimental model will include the study of immunonmodulation on the intestinal level and immune level including: innate immune cells, allergy mediated cells and whole immune mononuclear cells presented in PBMC-model. The influence of soy extracts on expression of RAGE receptor and pro-inflammatory factors (NF-B, 100/calgranulin) and cytokine secretion will be determined. This complexity studies will provide the original information about pro-inflammatory potential of dietary compounds and may contribute to devise novel technological strategies to minimize formation of harmful compounds. Moreover, the achievements of multidisciplinary research on that field may contribute to improve the quality of life and reduction of economic costs caused by food-related diseases.

Keywords: food processing,food technology,glycation,maillard reaction,inflammation,advanced glycation end products (ages),receptors for advanced glycation end products (rage),allergy,cancer
Commercial Sex, ‘Sexual Assistance’ and People with Disabilities: A Qualitative Inquiry on Sweden, Britain, and Switzerland (SEXUAL ASSISTANCE)

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-2011-IEF, 2011)
Start date: 2012-11-01
End date: 2015-01-30
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 181418.4
EU funding (EUR): 181418.4
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

In the last decade, the sexuality of people with disabilities (PWD) has been formally included within the human rights agenda (UNCRPD 2006). However, the disability movement across Europe claims the issue has not been sufficiently addressed by research, or only addressed within a medical frame, disregarding considerations of relations, identity, desires and pleasures. Simultaneously, in many contexts, such as Britain, a change in the attitudes of health care professionals has been specifically demanded that would allow access to more accurate and practical education as well as to realistic sexual options for PWD, including the elderly. This has exposed the problematic role that nurses, family and partners might be asked to play in supporting this access. In some countries, such as Switzerland, commercialization and professionalization have been publicly identified as solutions to these tensions, with specialized providers offering ‘sexual assistance’ to PWD, sometimes in collaboration with mental health professionals. In other contexts, such as Sweden, this possibility tends instead to be seen as furthering the stigmatization of PWD, promoting heteronormativity and gender inequality, and legitimizing prostitution. In this controversial scenario, my research aims at furthering the empirical knowledge of commercial sex and ‘sexual assistance’ for PWD by comparing three diverse national cases. In particular, through interviews and participant observation with stakeholders such as nurses, activists, policy-makers, sex providers, as well as PWD and their families, the project will provide a detailed map of public debates and will explore the specific experiences of PWD who have engaged or considered engaging in these transactions, or might consider this possibility if it was legal. The research may positively contribute to evidence-based national and EU policies developed by including gender and sexuality perspectives in the analysis of health and welfare services.

Keywords: disability,sexuality,health,welfare,services,gender,queer,stigmatization,sex education,prostitution,professionalization,exploitation
GLOBALIZATION, INSTITUTIONAL REFORM, AND CHINA’S INNOVATION CHALLENGES (CHINAINNOVATION)

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: 2012-10-10
End date: 2014-10-09
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 209033.4
EU funding (EUR): 209033.4
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

University of Nottingham proposes to host Dr. Yutao Sun of Dalian University of Technology for a Marie Curie International Incoming Fellowship. As one of the most promising Chinese scholars in the study of innovation, Dr. Sun will bring with him extensive research experience, project management capability, and especially expertise in the quantitative study of innovation, and apple the knowledge to the study of China’s innovation challenges under globalization and reform of China’s S&T system. He will work with Dr. Cong Cao, the scientist in charge who has recognized skills in macro-level innovation policy analysis and synthesis, to chart China’s innovation trajectory. The combination of the expertise will enable a first-class project that will enhance Nottingham’s research capacity in the study of China’s S&T enterprise and innovation policy, which in turn will help to advance Europe’s understanding of the rise of China as a technological power. The project will be of considerate interest to academics, policy-makers, and the business community in Europe. It will produce academic papers on globalization, innovation, and China’s national capability; position and role of China in the global innovation network; and China’s innovation trajectory for publication in leading international journals, which also will lead to a book. It will generate policy papers and briefs to be circulated in the European scholarly and policy communities. It also will provide recommendations to the Commission on EU’s future S&T cooperation with China, as such activities have been on the rise, and advise the EU–China Business Summit on the innovation-related issues that seem to be taking up an increasingly significant position. While at Nottingham, Dr. Sun will be exposed to advanced research in social science and management science so as to help advance his career in China upon finishing the fellowship. Collaboration between the two scholars and their institutions also will enter a new stage.

Keywords: social sciences,china,innovation,policy
Host and viral Interleukin-10 in fish: evolution of a regulatory cytokine (FISHIL10)

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: Netherlands
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-2011-IEF, 2011)
Start date: 2012-05-01
End date: 2014-04-30
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 183805.8
EU funding (EUR): 183805.8
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Interleukin (IL)-10 is a cytokine that, at least in mammals, plays a central role in innate and adaptive immunity. IL-10 limits inflammation by acting on macrophages and promotes anti-inflammatory responses via T-helper cells. Underlining the regulatory role of IL-10 is the presence of IL-10 homologues in viral genomes (vIL-10). IL-10 has been cloned in several fish species but only recently a vIL-10 has been identified in the genome of koi-herpes-virus (KHV), a highly pathogenic virus of carp. Very little is known about the function of fish IL-10 and nothing is known about the activity of khvIL-10. However, the presence of this cytokine in both fish and their viruses, suggests a conservation of function throughout the vertebrate lineage. The first aim is to identify IL-10-producing leukocytes in carp. The second aim is to study the effect(s) of carp and KHV IL-10 on different leukocytes, in vitro. The third aim is to investigate the immunomodulatory effect(s) of carp and KHV IL-10 in vivo during a natural infection of carp. The overall aim is to investigate the biological activity of both host and viral IL-10 in fish to study the evolutionary conservation of function of this important regulatory cytokine.

Keywords: animal immunology,cell biology,molecular biology,molecular evolution,protozoan pathogens of animals
Catalytic Dehydrocoupling/Dehydrogenation of Amine-Boranes: Mechanistic Studies and the Development of Polyaminoboranes, Boron-Nitrogen Analogues of Polyolefins (EMLIM)

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: 2012-04-15
End date: 2015-10-29
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 200371.8
EU funding (EUR): 200371.8
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Polyaminoboranes [RNH-BH2]n, isoelectronic analogues of the industrially ubiquitous linear polyolefins [RCH-CH2]n , are an exciting class of main-group polymers with potentially interesting properties and applications. These polymers have recently become accessible for a very restricted number of amine-borane substrates. However, key limitations exist in terms of the scope and control of the polymerization. In order to allow the extensive development of this novel polymer system the mechanism of the metal-catalysed polymerization needs to be probed and understood and the design of new catalysts thereby enabled. This proposal aims to exploit the experience of Dr. Erin Leitao in elucidating mechanisms and catalyst design, which she gained during her Ph.D. in a leading research group in Canada, to allow the development of polyaminoboranes. The proposed research will also take advantage of the experience of the host, Prof. Ian Manners at the University of Bristol, UK, in the areas of boron-nitrogen molecules and polymers, and polymer and materials science. Thus, embedding Dr. Leiteo in Prof. Manners lab will lead to mutually beneficial interactions and will permit the project’s ambitious goals to be met. The proposal is both interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary in nature, and involves aspects of synthetic main group chemistry, mechanistic chemistry, catalytic chemistry, main group polymer chemistry, and polymer and materials science. The project will significantly enhance Europe’s position in the fields of i) energy and ii) materials and new production technologies, which are recognized as important strategic areas. After the applicant’s fellowship is over, she plans to return to North America to take up an academic position at a top university in Canada.

Keywords: inorganic chemistry,polyaminoboranes,amine-boranes,boron-nitrogen compounds,polymer science,materials science,main group polymers,mechanisms,catalysis,hydrogen storage,functional materials
Study on intermediate band materials with prevailing radiative carrier recombination for superior solar energy applications (SIRACUSA)

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: 2012-10-01
End date: 2014-09-30
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 200371.8
EU funding (EUR): 200371.8
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

This project proposes an experimental investigation on the basic material physics and the feasibility of the intermediate band solar cell (IBSC), which is a new type of photovoltaic device with the potential for very high conversion efficiencies and low spectral sensibility. The operation of the IBSC relies on the use of a light absorbing material that differs from a conventional semiconductor by having an intermediate band (IB) of allowed electron states within the band gap. According to the theoretical model, a p-IB material-n solar cell can render a higher photocurrent than a comparable p-n structure, without significant degradation of the voltage. The work to be performed in this project comprises the production (epitaxial growth) of IB material samples and devices, and their characterization. The approach proposed is to focus on a well-known material as semiconductor host (GaAs). The IB materials will be synthesized by introducing high densities of a transition metal impurity, such as Fe or Co, in that host. The characterization tools will include time-resolved photoluminescence, electrical transport measurements and optical absorption spectroscopy. The main results expected from the project are: (a) to assess the feasibility of a material with a sufficiently high impurity content so as to exhibit the predicted properties of an IB material, whilst maintaining a sufficient crystalline quality (with emphasis on the radiative/non-radiative recombination properties); (b) to characterize the IB electrical and optical properties correlating them to optimized growth conditions. To fulfil those objectives we rely on the wide experience of Prof. Foxon’s group at University of Nottingham on epitaxial growth of heavily-doped spintronic materials, as well as on the knowledge of the fellow on IB solar cells. This project addresses fundamental physics questions which are relevant to the photovoltaic industry and to the European future energy needs.

Keywords: materials engineering,photovoltaics,pv materials,third-generation solar cells,physics of semiconductors,optoelectronics,molecular beam epitaxy