Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-informations-sur-les-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Nonlinear dynamics of the solar-terrestrial environment (PLASMADYNAMICS)

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-2010-IIF, 2010)
Start date: 2011-09-01
End date: 2013-08-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 259975.0
EU funding (EUR): 259975.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

The objective of this project is to perform modeling and observation of the nonlinear dynamics of the solar-terresrial environment using the innovative complex systems approach to investigate "How short-term solar variability affects the geospace environment". This is the challenge of Task Group 3 of CAWSES-II (Climate and Weather of the Sun-Earth System), an international program from 2009 to 2013 sponsored by ICSU (International Council of Scientific Unions) established to significantly enhance our understanding of the space environment and its impacts on life and society. This project will execute two tasks. First, it will build a nonlinear dynamical model of Alfven waves and intermittent turbulence in space plasmas, in the absence and in the presence of noise, based on numerical simulations. Second, it will carry out nonlinear analysis of coherent structures and intermittent turbulence in solar and interplanetary plasmas, based on in-situ and remote observational data and images. Large-amplitude interplanetary Alfven waves are solar wind drivers of geomagnetic activities such as High-Intensity Long-Duration Continuous Auroral Activities (HILDCAAs) events. Coherent structures such as Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) and current sheets are manifestations of intermittent turbulence processes operating in the space environment. This project will make relevant and far-reaching contributions to advance our knowledge of the complex spatiotemporal dynamics of space plasmas, and their applications in solar-terrestrial relation, space weather, and other frontier problems in space physics. It will enhance the activities of Space Weather developed in LESIA and Paris Observatory, and the ESA SSA (Space Situational Awareness) program which will enable Europe to autonomously detect, predict and assess the effects of space weather on space- and ground-based infrastructure. In particular, it will strengthen the long-term EU-Brazil co-operation in space and earth science.

Keywords: space plasma physics,nonlinear dynamics,chaos theory,solar physics,interplanetary physics,space weather,nonlinear alfven waves,intermittent turbulence,stochastics,coherent structures,shocks
Structural studies of ligand-induced conformational changes in G protein-coupled receptors (GPCR CONFORMATIONS)

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: 2011-06-01
End date: 2013-05-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 178101.6
EU funding (EUR): 178101.6
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are eukaryotic seven-alpha-helix transmembrane proteins which are involved in extracellular signal transduction across the cellular membrane. Aim of the proposed research is to structurally characterise ligand-induced conformational changes in GPCRs, to identify the number of alternative conformations the GPCR can adopt, and to engineer conformationally stabilised GPCR variants for subsequent biophysical and crystallographic studies. The research will focus on cannabinoid receptor type 2 and beta-1 adrenergic receptor. Both GPCRs can be expressed and purified from recombinant Escherichia coli as well as insect and mammalian cells. Degree of ligand-induce conformational change will be determined for each amino acid residue by using a novel protein-engineering approach that combines alanine scanning mutagenesis and conformational phi-value analysis. Transition temperatures of denaturation for native and each mutated protein will be determined in presence and absence of particular ligand by high-throughput differential scanning fluorimetry or radioligand-binding assays. These results will be used in engineering of GPCR mutants that are more stable and locked in the specific (eg, activated or inactive) conformational state. Ligand-binding to the stabilised mutants and their functionality will be monitored by fluorescence anisotropy titrations, as well as by radioactive assays using the corresponding G proteins. The stable and functional variants will be used in crystallisation trials. The diffraction data from the expected microcrystals will be collected on the microfocus X-ray beamline. Crystal structures will be determined by molecular replacement. The proposed research will give insights into the activation mechanisms of GPCRs. Detailed understanding of the conformational changes accompanying receptor activation is a prerequisite for rational design of therapeutic drugs affecting GPCRs.

Keywords: g protein-coupled receptors,protein engineering,membrane proteins,structural biology,molecular biophysics
Ultrastrong optomechanical coupling for quantum optomechanics experiments and novel radiation-pressure devices (USOM)

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: 2012-01-01
End date: 2013-12-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 186028.8
EU funding (EUR): 186028.8
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

The coupling between light and mechanical motion through radiation pressure enables both fundamental experimental research into the quantum behavior of macroscopic objects as well as new technological applications such as light-actuated high-frequency resonators. Crucial to both is the realization of strong optomechanical coupling. We propose to develop novel optomechanical systems that exhibit ultrastrong interactions between light and motion to achieve cooling of a mechanical oscillator to the quantum ground state and to demonstrate new optomechanical functionality. Miniaturized silica toroidal resonators supported by 'spokes' serve as optomechanical resonators with small effective mass and ultra low loss, which are expected to enable ground state cooling. Moreover, we will use two-dimensional photonic crystal cavities in which phononic and photonic modes are highly co-localized to achieve ultrastrong coupling between a cavity mode and high-frequency mechanical oscillations. These systems can perform as all-optically tunable GHz oscillators. The strong coupling and low effective masses of these systems, as well as straightforward integration on a chip, make photonic crystal cavities promising candidates for a next generation of cryogenic quantum experiments. Finally, we will explore for the first time the possibilities of optomechanics in plasmonic systems, which concentrate electromagnetic fields in nanoscopic volumes to achieve giant light-matter interactions. The applicant, Ewold Verhagen, performed his PhD research at the FOM Institute for Atomic and Molecular Physics in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. He published a total of 15 papers in the field of nanophotonics. His main achievements include the demonstration of adiabatic nanofocusing of light and the realization of angle-independent negative index metamaterials at optical frequencies. The host is the Laboratory of Photonics and Quantum Measurement at the EPFL, led by Tobias Kippenberg.

Keywords: quantum mechanics,optics,mechanical and thermal properties,optomechanics,microcavities
Regulated release of Pt-based drugs from multi-component Au-nanocarriers (NOBLEMED)

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-2010-IOF, 2010)
Start date: 2011-07-01
End date: 2014-06-30
Duration (months): 36.0
Total project cost (EUR): 228529.6
EU funding (EUR): 228529.6
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

The aim of the proposed research is to develop a new (Au-NP) gold nanoparticle-based drug delivery systems. For this new synthetic approach, three different components are designed; namely, new tailored gold nanoparticle, cleavable linkers, and new platinum-based drugs. The first component is a new tailored Au-NP, which will be synthesized using a multidentate thioether “coating ligand”. Unlike the gold nanoparticle-based nanocarriers used till date, this novel nanomaterial enables accurate functionalization of the particle surface using a multidentate ligand, allowing also controlled particle size and shape. Moreover, tuning of the gold-surface properties is easily performed by functionalization of the coating ligand, leading to a well defined drug load per particle. The functionalization also enables the attachment of linkers (second component of the system) of a programmable variety on the outer-shell of the Au-NP, which will serve as bridges between the nanocarrier and the drug. The proposed approach is the use of cleavable linkers to reach a new level of drug-controlled release. Inspired by cancer biology, peptide linkers will be attached to the coating ligand of the gold nanoparticle. These peptides will be cleaved by overexpressed proteases in cancer tissue, achieving tumor-specific drug (endogenous) release. In addition, exogenous activation of drug release using photolabile linkers will be explored, leading to new class of external controlled platinum drug release. To test this approach, platinum-based drugs (third component), which display high cure rates against several cancers (ovarian, head neck, testicular and lung cancer), will be attached to the nanocarriers using different cleavable linkers. In addition to the synthesis and characterization of these systems, in vitro studies in cancer cells will be performed to investigate their cellular processing, and establish their mechanisms of action.

Keywords: platinum(iv) prodrugs,gold nanoparticles,controlled release,drug targeting,cleavable linkers,proteases.
Embeddings of weighted Sobolev spaces and applications to Dirichlet problems (EMBEDDIRICHLET)

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: Israel
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-2010-IEF, 2010)
Start date: 2012-02-15
End date: 2014-02-14
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 185362.4
EU funding (EUR): 185362.4
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Sobolev spaces were introduced as solution spaces of elliptic partial differential equations. The theoretical study of Sobolev spaces is mainly motivated by the applications to the resolution of partial differential equations. Weighted Sobolev spaces allow to solve degenerate partial differential equations. In this respect, compact embeddings of Sobolev spaces play a crucial role. In recent works, V. Gol'dshtein and A. Ukhlov obtained compact embedding properties for weighted Sobolev spaces, considering domains which are homeomorphic images of a smooth bounded domain via mappings from a certain class, called weighted quasiconformal mappings (or mappings with bounded mean distorsion). In this project, we plan to study several degenerate partial differential equations involving Dirichlet conditions. To do this, we will introduce a double-weighted Sobolev space, which is more appropriate with respect to the considered type of nonlinear equations. We will first study the abstract, analytic properties of this new nonstandard class of spaces. Then, we will study their embeddings in a Lebesgue space, also using the relatively new theory of weighted quasiconformal mappings. Finally, we will apply these abstract results in order to construct solutions of boundary value problems for the elliptic equations we consider.

Keywords: functional analysis,differential equations,sobolev spaces,capacity,weight function,compact embeddings,p-laplacian,elliptic partial differential equations.
Correlation Between Numerical Estimation of In Vivo Local Sphingosine-1-Phosphate Concentration and Endothelial Permeability (S1PWSSECPERMEABILITY)

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: 2011-11-01
End date: 2013-10-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 210092.8
EU funding (EUR): 210092.8
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Increased endothelial permeability allows accumulation of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) in the artery wall and may lead to atherosclerosis. The spatial heterogeneity of atherosclerosis has been thought to implicate flow mediated effects in the development of the disease. Indeed both in vitro and in vivo studies have shown a correlation between low or oscillating wall shear stress (WSS) and increases in atherogenic factors including increased endothelial permeability. However, the mouse, which has been used extensively as a model of atherosclerosis, has been shown to have high WSS in the aorta with little spatial variation. And yet, the mouse exhibits strong spatial heterogeneity in atherosclerotic lesion development. Therefore factors other than WSS must play a significant role. There are a number of molecules with known effects on endothelial permeability and recently the sphingolipid, sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P), has been shown to reduce permeability of endothelial cells in vitro. Platelets have long been known to have a protective effect on the endothelium and recently it was shown that S1P is the major barrier protector in platelets. Therefore it is hypothesized that: endothelial permeability correlates inversely with the combined local WSS and S1P concentration. This hypothesis will be tested by comparing measurements of endothelial permeability in the mouse aorta with estimates of the local S1P concentration and WSS as calculated using numerical blood flow modelling. The state-of-the-art imaging technique of ultrasound-particle image velocimetry will be used to measure the velocity in the aorta which will be the basis of the simulation. The latest methods will be used for modelling blood as a multiphase fluid, and convection-diffusion-reaction equations will be developed to describe the shear activation of platelets and subsequent S1P release, S1P combining with high density lipoprotein (HDL), and then the distribution of HDL-S1P in the near-wall region.

Keywords: biomedical engineering computational fluid dynamics blood flow endothelial permeability sphingosine-1-phosphate wall shear stress
Base Station (BS) Aided D2D (Device to Device) communication in cellular networks (BSA-D2D)

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-2010-IIF, 2010)
Start date: 2011-09-01
End date: 2012-08-31
Duration (months): 12.0
Total project cost (EUR): 126387.5
EU funding (EUR): 126387.5
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Recent studies predict that the traffic to mobile devices will increase by two orders of magnitude in the next few years. In particular, this is due to multimedia download generated by the widespread success of Internet-capable smartphones and other portable devices. Today's wireless cellular networks are strained by this dramatic increase in traffic demand. In order to meet this challenge, we argue that a novel network architecture that combine the best of both cellular and ad-hoc (device to device) networks is needed. This project addresses the theoretical foundations and the system design of a base-station assisted (BSA) device to device (D2D) network, where a large number of D2D local links coexist under a common cellular ``umbrella''. At the same time, in order to take advantage of such architecture for mutimedia distribution, we propose to leverage the massive distributed storage capacity of modern wireless devices (in the order of more than 100TB per sq. km, in moderately dense urban environment). We advocate the use of regenerative distributed storage codes (a novel form of network coding) for disseminating and retrieving the multimedia information by exploiting mainly the parallel D2D links. The theoretical foundations of our design leverage several recent development in information theory and coding, such as noisy network coding, interference alignment, regenerative storage codes, multiple description source coding and joint source-channel coding. The project is theoretical in nature, but targets a thorough system performance evaluation in realistic conditions, in order to foster recommendations for future wireless standards and technology transfer to enhance the European technology competitive edge. The complementary expertise of the fellow researcher and of the host research group, and their world-class research track record are ideally positioned for successfully carrying out this project.

Keywords: radio engineering,next generagtion network,multimedia download,distributed storage,ad-hoc networks
State, Power and Unaccountability in “Neo-Capitalist” East Russia: The Case of Nephrite Business (NEPHRITE BUSINESS)

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: 2012-05-01
End date: 2014-04-30
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 272980.0
EU funding (EUR): 272980.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

The anthropology of the state is a fast developing field which aims to explore how State power is generated and can be tracked in people’s everyday actions and choices. Cultural groups use their special perspectives on the relationship with the State as instruments in communication with other groups. How are these perspectives obtained and manifested at the micro-levels of interaction? How if at all do they coincide with other features embedded in cultures? This project focuses on the case of indigenous business enterprise, which was established by a group of Evenki of East Russia and on attempts of State representatives to control it in order to obtain taxes and bribes. Evenki have been resisting these efforts for more than 10 years by generating unaccountability of their actions and reports filled with what one can call information noise, which are inappropriate for the reconstruction of the way the business is operating. I hypothesize that the Evenki methods by which this in-transparency is attained correlate with the egalitarian features of their culture. The study of this strategy will provide new insights about the dynamics of State development not only in peripheral territories of Russia, but also in other National States that claim to colonize and integrate egalitarian hunter-gathers. The research is based on several extended fieldworks and will be developed at Cambridge University, which is one of the world’s leading research centers in the field of the anthropology of the state. During the tenure of this project I plan to consult and interact with Prof. Humphrey, Drs. Sneath, Navaro-Yashin and Ssorin-Chaikov. The latter will act as a host supervisor that will assist the researcher to develop his independent career and will coordinate his integration into the international community of anthropologists.

Keywords: state,power,resistance,business,borders,cultural encounters,russia,china,evenki people,hunter-gatherers,social anthropology
Structural and Dynamics Characterization of a New Generation of Single Site Heterogeneous Metathesis Catalysts by Solid-State NMR Spectroscopy (DNP SSNMR STUDIES)

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-2010-IIF, 2010)
Start date: 2011-05-01
End date: 2013-04-30
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 195064.0
EU funding (EUR): 195064.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

The projects outlined herein are primarily aimed at characterizing a new generation of heterogeneous catalysts with novel dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (SSNMR) experiments. DNP is an emerging technology which is designed to enhance the signal of NMR experiments. To date, most previous DNP NMR experiments have been restricted to biological systems. Before such DNP SSNMR studies can be applied to characterize single site heterogeneous catalysts it is necessary to develop methods for obtaining efficient DNP enhancement of nuclei which reside on the surface of the support material. We have suggested and previously demonstrated that a novel incipient wetting impregnation approach can be utilized to bring the radicals into close contact with the silica surface. This approach will be refined in order to obtain optimal DNP signal enhancements for the surface sites of the support materials and for molecules which are immobilized on the surface of support materials. With these methods for optimal DNP SSNMR experiments in hand, focus will be given to DNP SSNMR studies of the support materials and a new generation of flexible heterogeneous olefin metathesis catalysts. We will demonstrate that surface enhanced DNP SSNMR experiments are a straightforward and general method for probing the surface sites of a variety of support materials, such as mesoporous silicas and particulate alumina. Novel experiments designed to probe the structure and dynamics of the flexible heterogeneous catalysts will then be undertaken. This is anticipated to result in new state of the art approaches for characterizing inorganic materials and will directly aid in the development of a new generation of olefin metathesis catalysts.

Keywords: heterogeneous catalysis,spectrochemistry,instrumental techniques