Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-informations-sur-les-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Modulation of Triggering receptor expressed in myeloid cells 2 by gene transfer as novel neuroprotective estrategy for neonatal hypoxic ischemic brain injury using behavioural outcome as readout (NEONATAL HI INJURY)

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: Spain
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-2009-IIF, 2009)
Start date: 2011-06-16
End date: 2013-06-15
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 162293.0
EU funding (EUR): 162293.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Insults during the perinatal stage of brain development lead to major causes of neurological disability throughout life, ranging from motor deficits, cognitive limitations, learning difficulties and even severe disabilities, such as cerebral palsy. In term newborn infants, hypoxic-ischemic (HI) brain injury is the most common cause of encephalopathy and seizures. Despite major improvements in neonatal care, there are no established therapeutic procedures successful for the prevention or treatment of perinatal brain lesions. In contrast to the adult, the immature brain displays distinct physiological and morphological features as a consequence of its ongoing postnatal development. Furthermore, experimental evidences also suggest that the inflammatory response associated to a CNS injury is exacerbated during immaturity. As brain development substantially influences the progression and hallmarks of brain injury, it is not possible to apply the results of medical research obtained in adults reliably to babies. The neonatal brain damage is poorly characterized, in this sense, studies performed in several laboratories have shown that the production of inflammatory molecules and inducers of oxidative stress by inflammatory cell types contribute to extension of neuronal damage and tissue injury induced by neurodegeneration. The field of endogenous regulatory receptors modulating inflammatory cell activation is largely unknown in the brain and no studies have yet focused on the damaged neonatal brain. In consequence, reaching a detailed knowledge of the endogenous inflammatory regulation the CNS during the early postnatal stage is essential for the proper development of neuroprotective therapies specific for this period. The modulation of TREM2 by gene transfer accompanied by the determination of the behavioural analysis will help to understand the mechanism regulating inflammatory response in neonatal injured brain and to reach a potential target for treatment.

Keywords: neuroinflammation,hypoxia,ischemia,gene transfer,behaviour,neonatal brain
Constraining the controls on the incongruent release of hafnium: implications for long-term chemical weathering rates and long-term CO2 (HAFNIUMWEATHERING)

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-2009-IEF, 2009)
Start date: 2011-02-01
End date: 2013-01-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 172240.8
EU funding (EUR): 172240.8
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

An understanding of the controls on incongruent release of hafnium (Hf) during chemical weathering provides the key for the interpretation of past Hf seawater isotopic compositions, which are recorded in authigenic marine sediments. These records, in turn, integrate the weathering signal from the continents, containing valuable information about rates of chemical weathering in the past, with links to atmospheric CO2 drawdown and long-term climate change. To date, three different hypotheses have been proposed to explain the incongruent weathering of Hf. Traditionally, it has been related to the resistance of zircons to weathering. Their retention of unradiogenic Hf, however, has been suggested to be reduced during times of intense physical weathering, indicating that Hf isotopes allow the reconstruction of the intensity of physical weathering in the past. Recently, it was suggested that the preferential release of radiogenic Hf by high lutetium/Hf silicate accessory phases controls the incongruency of Hf weathering. This implies fast temporal evolution of the released Hf isotopic compositions with soil age as these phases are easily weathered and become depleted. Lastly, there is evidence that carbonate weathering is also significant for the oceanic Hf budget. The Hf isotopic evolution of seawater in the past could thus reflect the changes in the relative weathering contributions of unradiogenic silicates and radiogenic carbonates. The research seeks to obtain a detailed understanding of the processes that control the release of Hf isotopes from the continents by studying soil chronosequences and stream waters that drain variable lithologies under variable climatic conditions. The new observations will allow a more robust interpretation of seawater Hf isotope records, so that the information they contain on the character and rate of past weathering and its inferred effect on atmospheric CO2 can be better exploited.

Keywords: low temperature isotope geochemistry,hafnium isotopes,soil chronosequences,streams,weathering,carbon cycle
Flavour, unifications and experimental tests (FLUENT)

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-2009-IEF, 2009)
Start date: 2010-10-15
End date: 2012-10-14
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 205854.0
EU funding (EUR): 205854.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

The flavour structure of matter remains one of the deepest challenges to our current understanding of the elementary particles and their interactions. Indeed, even after more than half century of intense research the flavour patterns underlying most of the high-energy physics processes defies our comprehension. The Standard Model of particle physics, the best description of the sub-nuclear world ever conceived, does not provide any clues to why we observe just three families of quarks and leptons, what is the origin of the peculiar pattern of their quantum-mechanical mixing or why their masses range over more than twelve orders of magnitude. With the advent of the next generation of particle physics experiments, in particular the Large Hadron Collider, the high-precision neutrino facilities, large-volume rare decay searches and other kinds of instruments and techniques focusing on uncovering physics beyond the Standard Model, there is a growing and well-founded expectation that the next decade could witness the first glimpse on these mysteries. The current proposal addresses these fundamental problems from the perspective of Grand Unification, one of the best motivated hypotheses about the nature of the fundamental dynamics governing the very birth of the Universe. A thorough understanding of the elusive low-energy imprints of physics at very high energies provides a unique strategy for testing the unification paradigm, complementing the traditional techniques of its experimental scrutiny. Apart from unwinding further the conundrum of the perennial problem of flavour, the proposed programme stresses the interdisciplinarity, covering topics from astroparticle physics and cosmology up to the experimental signatures and collider phenomenology. In this respect, it has a very strong potential to extend significantly the fellow&apos;s research profile, bringing him to the level of a full professional maturity.

Keywords: unified description of elementary particles and their interactions,theoretical high-energy physics,quantum field theory,physics of flavour,neutrino physics,experimental high-energy physics.
Nanowires for single photon detection and spin memory devices (NANOSPID2)

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-2009-IEF, 2009)
Start date: 2010-03-01
End date: 2012-02-29
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 160748.8
EU funding (EUR): 160748.8
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

The ultimate limit in the miniaturization of electronics and photonics is at the nanometer scale. Here the signal level can be controlled at the fundamental level of a single electron and a single photon. These limits are actively being pursued for scientific interest with possible applications in the area of quantum information processing and communication. We propose novel devices aimed at single photon detection and single spin memory using nanowires. The basic building block is a III-V quantum dot defined in a Si nanowire. We will develop the following technology: (1) growth of complex semiconductor nanowire, (2) quantum state storage and transfer onto a photon state for the memory device, and (3) single photon detection and electron multiplication for single photon detection. The nanowires will be grown by the vapor-liquid-solid mechanism. The structures and devices obtained after growth and each nanofabrication steps will be thoroughly characterized and the final test devices performances will be evaluated.

Keywords: material science,quantum physics,quantum optics,nanofabrication,nanowires,quantum dots,spin memory,photon counting,quantum computing,silicon,iii-v materials,semiconducting heterostructures
Temporal instability of tree-ring/climate relationships: tree responses to climatic change and implications for paleoclimate research. (TREE-RINGS & CLIMATE)

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: Spain
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-2009-IOF, 2009)
Start date: 2011-06-01
End date: 2014-10-26
Duration (months): 36.0
Total project cost (EUR): 241761.1
EU funding (EUR): 241761.1
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Although temporal instability of tree-ring/climate relationships is a critical issue with potentially significant implications for the global carbon cycle, forest growth patterns, and climate reconstruction, a greater level of understanding is still needed. Two temporal instabilities identified in Boreal and Iberian forests, termed the “divergence problem” and “climate stress strength”, respectively, will be evaluated. Novel regional (aim 1) and local (aim 2) approaches will be used to understand and attribute their causes, and a multi-proxy approach will deal with their implications for climate research (aim 3). Aim 1 will assess climate change impacts on forests and will predict their response to future climatic conditions using a network of tree-ring chronologies. This regional approach will use tree-growth models for a better knowledge of growth limiting factors and to simulate forest growth under different climate scenarios. Aim 2 will explore stable isotopes as a key for the “divergence problem”, performing analytical work at an Alaskan site. This local approach will provide physiological insights and new data to improve accuracy in the calibration period. Aim 3 will develop more reliable paleoclimate reconstructions. This multi-proxy approach will combine tree-ring parameters (width, density and stable isotopes) and non tree-ring archives to reduce uncertainties in climate reconstructions. This multidisciplinary project will employ biogeochemical techniques using mass spectrometry, dendrochronological techniques and mechanistic models. The study of Boreal forests during the outgoing phase (USA) will develop new techniques and procedures that will be adjusted and implemented to study instabilities at Iberian forests and to reconstruct past climate in the western Mediterranean area, mainly during the return phase (Spain). The project covers disciplines such ecology, plant physiology, climatology and atmospheric sciences within the context of climate change.

Keywords: climatic change (boreal and mediterranean forests ecosystems,ecosystem impact and modeling,paleoclimate,climate modeling and variability,biogeochemistry,carbon cycle,plant physiology)
Novel Vaccines for Allergen-specific immunotherapy of Ragweed pollen Allergy (NOVARA)

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: Austria
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-2009-IEF, 2009)
Start date: 2010-11-01
End date: 2012-10-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 218015.2
EU funding (EUR): 218015.2
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Ragweed pollen allergy is a new and steadily growing health problem in Europe. The aim of the proposed Marie Curie Fellowship, NOVARA, is to engineer hypoallergenic Amb a 1, the major allergen of ragweed pollen, for use as new vaccine candidates for allergen-specific immunotherapy (SIT). Since conventional SIT may induce undesired IgE-mediated side-effects, there is a need for well defined proteins with reduced or abolished IgE binding capacity and retained T cell-activating capacity, as substitutes for the highly variable natural allergen extracts. Hypoallergenic variants of Amb a 1 have not yet been fully explored. In particular, it is unclear which structural modifications of hypoallergens could improve their effectiveness for use as active components in allergy therapy with minimised risk of anaphylactic side effects and shorter treatment regimens. Thus, a number of hypoallergenic variants, with different sizes and folding status, will be produced within NOVARA and the most promising candidates will be fully characterized, including the analysis of primary structure, folding, surface exposed hydrophobic portions, aggregation status and stability. Human IgE reactivity, allergenicity and T cell responses will be investigated as indicative of their immunogenicity in humans. The in vivo capacity of the candidate vaccines to induce humoral and cellular responses will be evaluated in a murine model. The opportunity to acquire additional scientific skills in molecular biology and immunology, as well as dealing with intellectual property, ethical and management issues, will allow the Applicant to reach a position of professional maturity. NOVARA has industrial and clinical interests and further strengthens the EU research portfolio in the allergy field.

Keywords: health sciences,allergology,animal model,antibody,genetic engineering,hypoallergen,ige epitope,immunotherapy,pollen,recombinant allergen,t cell epitope,vaccines
Protein stabilization by chemistry: total synthesis of an MHC class I scaffold (PROCHEM)

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-2009-IEF, 2009)
Start date: 2011-01-01
End date: 2013-04-22
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 161748.8
EU funding (EUR): 161748.8
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Technologies for T cell visualisation and T cell depletion/enrichment are steadily making their way into the clinic and developments seem dictated by availability and reliability of the peptide-Major Histocompatibility Complex (pMHC) reagents used. A bottleneck has always been the laborious process of expression, refolding and purification of individual pMHCs. Recently, conditional MHC technology, pioneered in the host laboratory, solved this problem in part by enabling high-throughput loading of one MHC allele with a wide panel of peptide ligands. However, the rapid, parallel generation of a variety of MHC alleles is still a major hurdle. Therefore, proposed research aims at the total chemical synthesis of conditional MHC platforms, to make high-throughput generation of different MHC alleles reality. Recent advances in solid phase peptide synthesis (SPPS) have now enabled the generation of long polypeptides and even small proteins. This proposal aims to use SPPS rather than biological expression systems for total protein synthesis. The major advantage of using chemical techniques for protein synthesis is (1) that it allows the facile introduction of (non-natural) amino acids with functionalities that stabilise the protein by enhanced H-bonding, intrastrand crosslinking or intramolecular cross-linking (cyclisation) and that enable immobilisation or conjugation, (2) that protein yields are higher, and (3) that it simplifies the controlled generation of GMP grade proteins for biomedical use. The outcomes of this project will benefit the development of adoptive T cell therapy and will enable epitope scans through entire genomes of emerging pathogens (e.g. pandemic H1N1 Influenza), thus contributing to vaccine development.

Keywords: protein chemistry,solid phase peptide chemistry,immune technology,antigen presentation
Finding the Neural Correlates of Implicit Object Perception (IMPLICIT PERCEPTION)

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-2009-IOF, 2009)
Start date: 2010-09-21
End date: 2013-12-19
Duration (months): 36.0
Total project cost (EUR): 250539.1
EU funding (EUR): 250539.1
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Perceiving a familiar object normally involves feature-integration, recognition and awareness. However, findings show that objects can be integrated and recognized without awareness. This implicit object perception phenomenon has raised much interest but the precise mechanisms by which the brain can process objects outside awareness remain unclear. In particular, the distinction between brain activities responsible for object perception and their independence from (or association with) awareness remain a matter of controversy. I propose two interlinked projects using MEG and fMRI that are designed to address such questions by dissociating object perception (i.e. integration and recognition) and object-awareness processes while measuring brain activity. Object recognition will be manipulated by contrasting familiar and unfamiliar letters. Feature integration will be manipulated using crowding which occurs when closely-spaced flankers hinder the recognition of a peripherally viewed target object, without disrupting its local features. Visual awareness will be manipulated using continuous flash suppression, which suppresses visual awareness of a stimulus presented to one eye by the presentation of noise to the other eye. fMRI responses and MEG gamma-band activity will be measured to study the processes related to implicit object perception, using state-of-the-art analysis procedures including retinotopic mapping, inter-area correlations and multivariate pattern recognition. The study is designed to identify brain activities that are affected only by the integration or recognition of objects and are independent of awareness. In addition, the study will contribute an understanding of the neural correlates of consciousness by identifying activities that are related to awareness but independent from object perception. An interaction between the examined mechanisms may demonstrate that object perception processes are working differently under aware and unaware contexts.

Keywords: neuroscience,natural sciences,human biology,experimental psychology,fmri,meg,cognitive science,object recognition,brain imaging,biological sciences
Human Computer Interaction Models for Interactive Exploration of Behavior Datasets (INTERACTIVEX)

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: Spain
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-2009-IOF, 2009)
Start date: 2010-08-02
End date: 2012-08-01
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 117698.6
EU funding (EUR): 117698.6
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

The objective of the proposed research is to develop models of human computer interaction for exploratory data analysis. The research will be focused on the information presentation part of the interaction, especially: (1) interactive exploration of behavior data sets about dynamic systems that include spatial and temporal references; (2) automatic generation of natural language presentations from these data sets (e.g. summaries, comparisons) that are coordinated with mixed media (e.g. charts, timelines, maps, animations, etc.); and (3) adaptation of the generation process to the user and the interaction history. For this purpose, problem solving methods from the field of artificial intelligence will be used to support reasoning for abstraction, planning and configuration during the dialog process. Reusable knowledge sources will also be used in the form of available domain ontologies and knowledge extraction techniques from text and speech corpora in the development of specific components for dialog management and language generation, specifically freely available resources related to behavior data of dynamic systems (e.g., temporal knowledge, spatial knowledge, qualitative physical models, etc.). The research will follow a methodology based on two loops of design-implementation-evaluation of experimental prototypes: the first loop will be carried out during the ongoing phase and the second during the return phase. The goals of the research project include the generation of the products during the two-year project. These products include: (a) two corpora for experimentation purposes for two different domains based on real world problems; (b) two software experimental implementations supported by algorithms corresponding to the inference procedures and reusable domain knowledge with its corresponding declarative representation; (c) the results of the evaluation on both domains.

Keywords: information technology,knowledge technology,artificial intelligence,human computer interaction