Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-informations-sur-les-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Galaxy Evolution: Solving the hierarchy problem with powerful AGN (THE HIERARCHY PROBE)

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-2010-IEF, 2010)
Start date: 2011-11-01
End date: 2013-10-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 178548.0
EU funding (EUR): 178548.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Understanding the physical processes that shaped galaxies in the Universe is a key goal of astrophysics. However, we face a fundamental problem between the disciplines of theory and observations in explaining the characteristics of massive galaxies (“The Hierarchy Problem”). Theoretical models suggest that galaxies evolve though hierarchical mergers in a gradual assembly of galaxies which is thought to induce contemporary starburst activity from the interacting gas and dust. However, we also know early-type galaxies are characterized by their deficiency in the large quantities of cool dust and gas associated with mergers and needed for star formation. We are then left with the following fundamental problem: In the context of galaxy evolution through hierarchical mergers, what inhibits star formation and galaxy growth in massive, early-type galaxies? A popular, but still unproven, way of solving this question is by ‘AGN feedback’. In galaxy mergers, large amounts of dust and gas maybe funneled down towards the galactic cores triggering an AGN. In turn the AGN can then produce intense nuclear emission and collimated jets that will influence the AGN galaxies local environments, star formation histories through excitation and ionization of the Inter Stellar Medium (ISM). The fact that AGN may play such a critical role in galaxy evolution is not reflected in our understanding of these objects. To address this problem, in close collaboration with researchers at IAS, I have developed a science program which will allow us together to address the key question of the triggering mechanism for AGN and the star formation evolution of the host galaxy, using data from the latest state of the art observatories available to us (Herschel, IRAM, ATCA). Due to the uniqueness of the data available to us and expertise in the team that I will work the result are anticipated to be key for are understanding of galaxy evolution over cosmic time.

Keywords: physical sciences,astrophysics,infrared,sub-mm
Cell fusion-mediated reprogramming as neuronal rescue mechanism in Parkinson’s disease (REPROGRAMMING FOR PD)

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-2010-IEF, 2010)
Start date: 2011-05-01
End date: 2013-04-30
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 167065.6
EU funding (EUR): 167065.6
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Dopamine (DA) cell replacement therapy in Parkinson’s disease (PD) can be achieved using human fetal mesencephalic tissue, however, limited tissue availability has hindered further developments. Alternatively, replacement of damaged DA neurons with their fusion with adult stem cells after bone marrow stem cells (BMSCs) transplantation is an attractive possible route to the restoration of neurological functions in PD. Fusion of BMSCs with somatic cells may account for some of the findings of BMSCs-neuronal differentiation. In addition, the periodic activation of the Wnt/β-catenin signalling in embryonic stem cells remarkably enhances cell fusion-mediated reprogramming of different somatic cells in vitro. Thus, in this research proposal, the main goal is to determine whether cell fusion-mediated reprogramming it occurs in vivo. Our hypothesis is that activation of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway is crucial to enhance reprogramming of fused cells and may rescue injured DA neuron cells in PD. Thereby, we will transplant perturbed (Wnt-activated) hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) into mice suffering from experimental PD. Then, we will determine whether Wnt/β-catenin signalling controls and enhances in vivo reprogramming of hybrids formed in response to the neurodegenerative process. Furthermore, we will verify if Wnt-mediated reprogramming after HSCs fusion can repair the injured tissue. Accordingly, genetic approaches will be used to evaluate cell fusion and reprogramming events in the tissues analyzed. Short- and long-term regeneration will be also studied. In conclusion, cell fusion-mediated reprogramming mechanism could lead to the development of radical new therapy for Parkinson’s disease that currently lack effective treatment.

Keywords: parkinson disease,fusion,reprogramming,neurogenesis,regeneration,wnt,catenin,dopamine,plasticity,bone marrow stem cells,hematopoietic stem cells transplantation,differentiation,behaviour
Innovations in algorithmic game theory (IAGT)

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-2010-IOF, 2010)
Start date: 2011-09-01
End date: 2014-09-30
Duration (months): 31.0
Total project cost (EUR): 271445.64
EU funding (EUR): 271445.64
Participants: 2
Project status: CLOSED

The last decade has seen the emergence and prospering of a new interdisciplinary field of research often termed “Algorithmic Game Theory.” This field lies at the crossroads between computer science, game theory, and economics, a combination which is needed to address many of the challenges that the Internet poses. Not only is this field full of intellectual excitement internally, not only is it already intellectually influencing the three parent disciplines, but it also has significant applications on the Internet as can be seen from the large number of researchers in the field hired by Google, Yahoo, and Microsoft. The first decade of algorithmic game theory (AGT) has concentrated on several main theoretical themes along with their implications on various applications such as peer-to-peer networks, information markets, prediction markets, network security, and many others. The three theoretical themes that lie at the heart of AGT are: (i) algorithms for computing equilibria; (ii) algorithmic mechanism design; and (iii) inefficiency of equilibria. While there is no question that these three themes will continue to play an important role, and that the Internet will continue to be an important motivator, it is also clear that the field is rapidly evolving with new challenges, applications, and techniques constantly appearing on the scene. As part of the proposed project, I plan to concentrate on the following three main topics, all strongly rooted in the fields of game theory, mechanism design, algorithms, artificial intelligence, multi-agent systems, and communication networks: (i) truth and justice: the interplay between incentive compatibility and envy-freeness in mechanism design; (ii) complete versus incomplete information: quantifying the loss in social welfare arising due to partial information; and (iii) a prescriptive approach for playing games.

Keywords: algorithmic game theory,algorithmic mechanism design,incentive compatibility,fairness,information
Writing & Statues. Palaeographic Analysis and Historical Perspectives on Greek and Latin Honorary Inscriptions from Ancient Sicily (I BC - VII AD) (W&S)

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-2010-IEF, 2010)
Start date: 2012-09-24
End date: 2014-09-23
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 202392.8
EU funding (EUR): 202392.8
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

The main purpose of this research is the realization of a corpus of Greek and Latin epigraphic documents carved on stone in Sicily under the Roman Empire (post 27 BC – 650 AD), making use of a new interdisciplinary approach. The target of this study is twofold; it will allow me to interpret and evaluate the meaning(s) of Sicilian inscriptions. A) The first need is to collect and study inscriptions on stone, paying attention to their style and content. I shall outline the palaeographic evolution during the imperial age, and then I shall pinpoint the chronology also for those that have not yet been dated. B) The second need arises from the first: the largest part of Sicilian documents on stone were carved on the bases of statues erected in public area to honour emperors, dignitaries and benefactors. In order to understand the correct meaning of these inscribed monuments it is necessary to extend my research to the bases of statues themselves and to the contexts in which they once stood. At the same time, I will have to interact the ways in wich word and image interact in the language of honorary statues during the Roman Imperial period. All this will be the topic of a specific thematic study. This project is original in several ways: 1) It permits to go beyond existing palaeographic studies and to sketch an evolution of letter-forms during the Imperial age, taking as a case study Sicily and a particular class of epigraphs (those carved on stone), in order to suggest a chronology for the inscriptions that have not yet been dated. 2) It investigate the inscriptions carved on the statue-bases and their original context, making use of literary sources and archaeological data. 3) It permits to answer questions about the relationship between word and image in the statuary of the Roman Imperial age. A full understanding of honorary inscriptions would be impossible without an interdisciplinary approach.

Keywords: greek and latin inscriptions,palaeographic evolution,word and image,honorary statues,statue-bases
Clonal analysis in pancreatic development, differentiation and carcinogenesis (PANCLON)

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-2010-IEF, 2010)
Start date: 2011-10-01
End date: 2013-09-30
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 230980.0
EU funding (EUR): 230980.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

The knowledge about pancreas development and the establishment of pancreatic cell lineages has exploded in recent years. These studies are important in developing strategies for regenerative medicine. On the other hand, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is the tumor with the worst prognosis in humans: its incidence rate is equivalent to its mortality rate, with a median survival of less than 6 months. In this project, we will use retrospective clonal analysis to analyze the clonal structure of the mouse pancreas. Unlike other lineage tracing studies, the technique proposed allows the analysis of individual, low-frequency, clones. By doing this we pretend to dealwith questions such as clonality, clonal size and clonal variation in the embryonic pancreas. Moreover, we aim at developing strategies to analyze quantitatively the adult pancreas, not only in normal conditions but also in situations where the pancreas structure is disrupted by disease. We will thus use models of experimental pancreatitis. In the final step of this project, we pretend to set up the basis to use our clonal approach with murine PDAC murine models, using both genetic mouse models and carcinogen treatment. The work will impy two host groups with distinct and complementary expertise: developmentl biology and pancreas cancer biology. This kind of approach will become important in cancer research in the future in order to understand clonal evolution. The proposed project builds on the experience of the candidate and will allow him to acquire new expertise in cancer biology in order to establish his scientific career in the future.

Keywords: clonal analysis,pancreas development,ductal,acinar,endocrine,pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma,cell commitment and differentiation.
Multifunctional PV/Thermal/Daylighting Roof Panels for Atrium Buildings and Large Green Houses (PV/T/D)

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-2010-IIF, 2010)
Start date: 2012-03-21
End date: 2013-09-20
Duration (months): 18.0
Total project cost (EUR): 211510.0
EU funding (EUR): 211510.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

This International Fellowship will bring an excellent Chinese researcher to work in the Europe. The project has been carefully chosen to match the researcher's expertise in solar concentration and desalination with the expertise in PV/Thermal and daylighting at the University of Nottingham so as to maximise the benefit to the Europe. The proposed project aims to investigate a novel multifunctional PV/Thermal/Daylighting (PV/T/D) roof panel for atrium buildings and large green houses. The panel has a structure containing micro dielectric Compound Parabolic Concentrators (CPCs) to provide concentration of the solar radiation coming from a certain range of sky angle and meanwhile allow the rest of solar radiation to transmit for daylighting. As a result, the panel will also provide a solar shading function and an option to incorporate concentrating PV for PV/Thermal applications. The principle of perforated plate heat recovery will be employed to remove heat rejection from PV and reduce heat gain to the atrium (or green house) space to mitigate the summer overheating problem. In the EU, about half of the total energy consumption is associated with buildings and of this, about 40% is utilised in the sector of commercial buildings. Artificial lighting accounts for 20-40% of the total electricity consumption in commercial and office buildings. The proposed multifunctional PV/T/D roof panels may play an important role in promoting solar energy applications in buildings, and hence make a significant contribution to the EU target in cutting CO2 emissions. Development of the proposed technology requires comprehensive scientific knowledge including solar concentration, daylighting, PV/Thermal and heat transfer. Training of the researcher will be achieved through regular supervision and mentoring and a carefully managed research programme including computer modelling, testing and monitoring of the proposed technology as well as economic and environmental analyses.

Keywords: pv building applications,pv concentrators,energy-efficient building designs,lighting
Iran and British Muslims: A Study of State-Sponsored Religious and Political Transnationalism (IRAN&BRITISH MUSLIMS)

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-2010-IEF, 2010)
Start date: 2011-05-13
End date: 2013-05-12
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 170901.6
EU funding (EUR): 170901.6
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

This research examines the religious and political ties between 'official' Iran and UK-based Muslim communities. Based on a case study of Iran's institutional presence in the UK that will discuss its multifaceted religious, educational, and political programmes for coreligionists, it seeks to analyse how the Islamic Republic transfers, negotiates, and reformulates its norms and values transnationally. The British scene offers an interesting case study primarily because it is host to many Sunni and Shi‘i Muslims from different ethnic and national backgrounds, communities to which the Islamic Republic of Iran has paid particular attention from the 1980s onwards. Looking specifically at the effect of transnationalism on the state, this research will analyse the Islamic Republic’s use of cross-border activism as a soft power resource. In general terms, Iran’s transnational interactions with Muslim communities have mainly been studied with regard to Islamic political movements in Arab and Central Asian countries, while its reach to coreligionists living away from their country of origin has largely been overlooked in the literature. Yet, Iran’s involvement in the lives of Muslim migrants, refugees, and exiles is characteristic of its quest for religious and political leadership outside the country’s borders and, I argue, has much to say about the use of religion to advance state interests. As such, the benefits of state-sponsored transnationalism cannot only consider the direct ties Iran creates and maintains with Muslim believers, but also its relations with both their country of origin and the state hosting them (namely the UK), as well as with other transnational actors involved in transnational activities on the British scene.

Keywords: social sciences,social anthropology,political science,transnational relations,islam in europe,state-sponsored transnationalism,muslim politics,islamic republic of iran's foreign policy
Dust and the Efficiency of the Photoelectric Effect in the Interstellar Medium of Nearby Galaxies with KINGFISH (DEEPKINGFISH)

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: Germany
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-2010-IIF, 2010)
Start date: 2011-10-03
End date: 2013-10-02
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 156042.4
EU funding (EUR): 156042.4
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Understanding the thermal balance of the interstellar medium (ISM) is of fundamental importance for studying star-formation and the evolution of galaxies over the history of the Universe. The photoelectric effect is the dominant source of heat in the ISM and its efficiency is determined by the properties of interstellar dust grains (their abundance, size distribution and charge state, primarily). Our knowledge of this crucial process is currently mostly theoretical, due to the lack of necessary observational constraints. However, new observations obtained as part of the KINGFISH key program on the Herschel Space Observatory will now let us observationally test our theory of photoelectric heating in a diverse sample of extragalactic environments. In this proposed project, we will use a combination of state of the art observations from Herschel and its predecessor, Spitzer, to study the efficiency of photoelectric heating as a function of dust grain properties in a sample of nearby galaxies. The leader of this project, Dr. Karin Sandstrom, will carry out the research as part of the Galaxies and Cosmology group at the MPI for Astronomy. Dr. Sandstrom's expertise in infrared spectroscopy and dust physics make her the ideal leader for this project. The support and mobility provided by a Marie Curie Incoming International fellowship will ensure that this innovative research into the ISM of nearby galaxies is performed at an EU research facility and will facilitate the transfer of knowledge on infrared spectroscopy and dust physics to the MPIA nearby galaxies group.

Keywords: physical sciences,astronomy,astrophysics
EFFECT OF IL-23 ON IMMUNE CELL INFILTRATION AND TUMOR GROWTH IN A GLIOMA MODEL (GLIO_IL-23)

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-2010-IEF, 2010)
Start date: 2011-03-01
End date: 2013-02-28
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 179101.6
EU funding (EUR): 179101.6
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Malignant gliomas are the most common primary central nervous system (CNS) tumors in humans and belong to the most aggressive types of cancer. Glioblastoma cells display an invasive phenotype and release immunosuppressive molecules to avoid the host’s immune response. Therefore, there is an urgent need for novel tumor-selective treatments that specifically target migratory glioma cells and/or promote inflammatory anti-tumor responses. The possibility of using immuno-therapy to control tumor growth is currently being investigated. Considering the CNS, this approach acquires unique characteristics due mainly to the existence of the blood brain barrier. In this regard, the IL-12/IL-23 superfamily of cytokines represents a promising immuno-therapy tool. Despite their structural similarities, they play different roles in the immune response promoting Th1 or Th17 polarization, respectively. Moreover, IL-23 but not IL-12 has been described as essential for the infiltration of CD4+ cells into the CNS in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). Considering tumor growth, the anti-tumoral effects of IL-12 have been described in several models including glioma. However, in the case of IL-23 both tumor-promoting and tumor-suppressive effects have been reported, depending if endogenous or exogenous IL-23 is examined. Regarding glioma models, no data is available on how endogenous IL-23 may modulate tumor growth. The goal of this project is to evaluate the differences of endogenous and exogenous IL-23 effect on a glioma model. Moreover, the possible modulation exerted by IL-23 on immune cell infiltration into the CNS in a glioma context will be studied. To achieve these objectives, novel multimodal non-invasive molecular imaging techniques will be used, providing not only spatio-temporal information but also quantitative data regarding tumor growth, matrix-metalloproteinase activity and immune cell infiltration into the CNS.

Keywords: il-23,glioma,neuro-immunology,tumor-immunology,fmt,mri,immunotheraphy