Project acronym LONGEVITYBYCAUSE
Project Cause of Death Contribution to Longevity: Modeling Time Trends
Researcher (PI) Vladimir Canudas Romo
Host Institution (HI) SYDDANSK UNIVERSITET
Country Denmark
Call Details Starting Grant (StG), SH3, ERC-2009-StG
Summary Since the mid-nineteen century life expectancy in developed countries has doubled, increasing from levels around 40 years to above 80 years. This research project is motivated by the need to further explore how societies have achieved the current levels of longevity, in terms of life expectancy and modal age at death. To achieve this, age-patterns and time-trends in cause of death contribution to longevity are assessed. This historical analysis is carried out in fifty developed and developing countries/areas. It is expected that the cause of death contribution to the advancement of longevity is country/region specific. However, the hypothesis to be tested is that there are common cause-specific time-trends across countries which can be described by a model of cause of death contribution to longevity. Several purposes for such a model can be listed: it will allow us to study expected future mortality directions in developed nations that are currently still facing high levels of some particular causes of death, e.g. the Netherlands and United States. It could also help investigating the retrocession in mortality observed in some transitional countries/areas, particularly in Eastern Europe. Finally, the accelerated epidemiological transition in developing countries is compared to the slower trend in the developed world at earlier times, model results versus observed cause-contribution. The interest in the latter comparison is to foresee the increase in the prevalence of chronic disease in low-income countries predicted by the WHO and the World Bank. Furthermore, one in every three countries in the world has adequate cause-specific mortality data. The proposed model could facilitate estimating the current cause of death status in developing countries. This project addresses a significant question concerning the mechanisms (age and cause of death) that direct reductions in mortality.
Summary
Since the mid-nineteen century life expectancy in developed countries has doubled, increasing from levels around 40 years to above 80 years. This research project is motivated by the need to further explore how societies have achieved the current levels of longevity, in terms of life expectancy and modal age at death. To achieve this, age-patterns and time-trends in cause of death contribution to longevity are assessed. This historical analysis is carried out in fifty developed and developing countries/areas. It is expected that the cause of death contribution to the advancement of longevity is country/region specific. However, the hypothesis to be tested is that there are common cause-specific time-trends across countries which can be described by a model of cause of death contribution to longevity. Several purposes for such a model can be listed: it will allow us to study expected future mortality directions in developed nations that are currently still facing high levels of some particular causes of death, e.g. the Netherlands and United States. It could also help investigating the retrocession in mortality observed in some transitional countries/areas, particularly in Eastern Europe. Finally, the accelerated epidemiological transition in developing countries is compared to the slower trend in the developed world at earlier times, model results versus observed cause-contribution. The interest in the latter comparison is to foresee the increase in the prevalence of chronic disease in low-income countries predicted by the WHO and the World Bank. Furthermore, one in every three countries in the world has adequate cause-specific mortality data. The proposed model could facilitate estimating the current cause of death status in developing countries. This project addresses a significant question concerning the mechanisms (age and cause of death) that direct reductions in mortality.
Max ERC Funding
300 380 €
Duration
Start date: 2010-05-01, End date: 2015-04-30
Project acronym MINDREHAB
Project Consciousness In basic Science And Neurorehabilitation
Researcher (PI) Morten Overgaard
Host Institution (HI) AARHUS UNIVERSITET
Country Denmark
Call Details Starting Grant (StG), SH4, ERC-2009-StG
Summary This project studies the topic of human consciousness from a multidisciplinary perspective. Human consciousness can be defined as the inner subjective experience of mental states such as perceptions, judgments, thoughts, intentions to act, feelings or desires. These experiences are to be described from a subjective, phenomenal first-person account. On the other hand, cognitive neurosciences explore the neural correlates with respect to brain topology and brain dynamics from an objective third-person account.
Despite a great interest in consciousness among cognitive neuroscientists, there are yet no general agreement on definitions or models, and no attempts to draw conclusions from the existing body of work to make progress in the treatment of patients. While it is generally the case that research in cognitive neuroscience has a minimal influence on clinical work in neurorehabilitation, this is very much the case in consciousness studies. Here, so far, there is no direct connection to clinical practice
MindRehab will make use of an integrated approach to find new ways to understand cognitive dysfunctions and to actually rehabilitate patients with cognitive problems after brain injury. This integrated approach, using consciousness studies to create progress in a clinical area, is novel and does not exist as an explicit goal for any other research group in the world. The objective of MindRehab is to integrate three aspects: Philosophy and basic research on consciousness, and clinical work in neurorehabilitation. Furthermore, the objective is to realize a number of research projects leading to novel contributions at the frontier of all three domains. However, contrary to all other current research projects in this field, the emphasis is put on the latter the clinical work.
Summary
This project studies the topic of human consciousness from a multidisciplinary perspective. Human consciousness can be defined as the inner subjective experience of mental states such as perceptions, judgments, thoughts, intentions to act, feelings or desires. These experiences are to be described from a subjective, phenomenal first-person account. On the other hand, cognitive neurosciences explore the neural correlates with respect to brain topology and brain dynamics from an objective third-person account.
Despite a great interest in consciousness among cognitive neuroscientists, there are yet no general agreement on definitions or models, and no attempts to draw conclusions from the existing body of work to make progress in the treatment of patients. While it is generally the case that research in cognitive neuroscience has a minimal influence on clinical work in neurorehabilitation, this is very much the case in consciousness studies. Here, so far, there is no direct connection to clinical practice
MindRehab will make use of an integrated approach to find new ways to understand cognitive dysfunctions and to actually rehabilitate patients with cognitive problems after brain injury. This integrated approach, using consciousness studies to create progress in a clinical area, is novel and does not exist as an explicit goal for any other research group in the world. The objective of MindRehab is to integrate three aspects: Philosophy and basic research on consciousness, and clinical work in neurorehabilitation. Furthermore, the objective is to realize a number of research projects leading to novel contributions at the frontier of all three domains. However, contrary to all other current research projects in this field, the emphasis is put on the latter the clinical work.
Max ERC Funding
1 641 232 €
Duration
Start date: 2010-06-01, End date: 2015-05-31
Project acronym OXIDESYNERGY
Project Understanding the Atomic Scale Synergies of Catalytically Active Nanoclusters on Metal Oxide Surfaces
Researcher (PI) Jeppe Vang Lauritsen
Host Institution (HI) AARHUS UNIVERSITET
Country Denmark
Call Details Starting Grant (StG), PE4, ERC-2009-StG
Summary The research theme concerns the application of new experimental methods for atomic-scale characterization of model catalysts based on insulating metal oxides with the goal of exploring the potential for designing new and efficient heterogeneous catalysts by enhanced control of the catalyst structure at the atomic level. This objective will be achieved by a carefully integrated sequence of synthesis, characterization, and reactivity measurements of model catalysts based on insulating metal oxides. The project aims in detail at resolving some pertinent support synergies and size-effects, which have been revealed in catalytic systems. A core challenge and advance, which sets the project apart from previous research, is the application of high-resolution non contact Atomic Force Microscopy (nc-AFM), which is the only available tool that can resolve the atomic structure of insulator surfaces and the morphology of supported nanoclusters. I will combine my proven experience with atom-resolved imaging using nc-AFM with novel methods for synthesizing and analyzing model catalysts, to provide groundbreaking new atomistic insight. A crucial aspect will be the ability to relate nc-AFM observations to actual catalytic properties, and this will be achieved by using complementary surface spectroscopies and reaction measurements performed at real high pressure conditions. I firmly believe that this research strategy can provide the key insight to a significantly better understanding of the numerous catalytic systems based on insulating metal oxides, and this project will enable me to set up a unique world-class experimental facility for such studies.
Summary
The research theme concerns the application of new experimental methods for atomic-scale characterization of model catalysts based on insulating metal oxides with the goal of exploring the potential for designing new and efficient heterogeneous catalysts by enhanced control of the catalyst structure at the atomic level. This objective will be achieved by a carefully integrated sequence of synthesis, characterization, and reactivity measurements of model catalysts based on insulating metal oxides. The project aims in detail at resolving some pertinent support synergies and size-effects, which have been revealed in catalytic systems. A core challenge and advance, which sets the project apart from previous research, is the application of high-resolution non contact Atomic Force Microscopy (nc-AFM), which is the only available tool that can resolve the atomic structure of insulator surfaces and the morphology of supported nanoclusters. I will combine my proven experience with atom-resolved imaging using nc-AFM with novel methods for synthesizing and analyzing model catalysts, to provide groundbreaking new atomistic insight. A crucial aspect will be the ability to relate nc-AFM observations to actual catalytic properties, and this will be achieved by using complementary surface spectroscopies and reaction measurements performed at real high pressure conditions. I firmly believe that this research strategy can provide the key insight to a significantly better understanding of the numerous catalytic systems based on insulating metal oxides, and this project will enable me to set up a unique world-class experimental facility for such studies.
Max ERC Funding
1 050 000 €
Duration
Start date: 2009-10-01, End date: 2014-09-30
Project acronym PPP
Project Plurals, Predicates, and Paradox: Towards a Type-Free Account
Researcher (PI) oeystein Linnebo
Host Institution (HI) UNIVERSITETET I OSLO
Country Norway
Call Details Starting Grant (StG), SH4, ERC-2009-StG
Summary This project aims to transform our understanding of the logical paradoxes, their solution and significance for mathematics, philosophy and semantics. It seeks to show that some of the key inferences in the paradoxes should not uncritically be blocked, as is customary, but rather be tamed and put to valuable mathematical, philosophical and semantic use. By adopting a richer logical framework than usual, the paradoxes can be transformed from threats to valuable sources of insight. When discovered at the turn of the previous century, the paradoxes caused a foundational crisis in mathematics. Many logicians and philosophers now believe the crisis has been resolved. This project denies that an acceptable resolution has been found and aims to do better. A strong push remains towards paradox. This push arises from the widespread use of (and need for) higher-order logics (HOL), which allow quantification into the positions of predicates or plural noun phrases. Phase I seeks to reveal greater similarities between HOL and set theory than generally appreciated. Phase II explores four arguments that HOL collapses to first-order logic, i.e. that every higher-order entity defines a corresponding first-order entity. These arguments are generally ignored as they threaten to reintroduce the paradoxes. But we show that a properly circumscribed form of collapse is a valuable source of mathematical and semantic insight. Phase III examines controlled forms of collapse using notions of modality and groundedness. This enables us to motivate ZF set theory and valuable semantic theories, explain the nature of cognition about sets and properties, and show that mathematics cannot be fully extensionalized. Phase IV applies these insights to solve the paradoxes and criticize influential uses of HOL.
Summary
This project aims to transform our understanding of the logical paradoxes, their solution and significance for mathematics, philosophy and semantics. It seeks to show that some of the key inferences in the paradoxes should not uncritically be blocked, as is customary, but rather be tamed and put to valuable mathematical, philosophical and semantic use. By adopting a richer logical framework than usual, the paradoxes can be transformed from threats to valuable sources of insight. When discovered at the turn of the previous century, the paradoxes caused a foundational crisis in mathematics. Many logicians and philosophers now believe the crisis has been resolved. This project denies that an acceptable resolution has been found and aims to do better. A strong push remains towards paradox. This push arises from the widespread use of (and need for) higher-order logics (HOL), which allow quantification into the positions of predicates or plural noun phrases. Phase I seeks to reveal greater similarities between HOL and set theory than generally appreciated. Phase II explores four arguments that HOL collapses to first-order logic, i.e. that every higher-order entity defines a corresponding first-order entity. These arguments are generally ignored as they threaten to reintroduce the paradoxes. But we show that a properly circumscribed form of collapse is a valuable source of mathematical and semantic insight. Phase III examines controlled forms of collapse using notions of modality and groundedness. This enables us to motivate ZF set theory and valuable semantic theories, explain the nature of cognition about sets and properties, and show that mathematics cannot be fully extensionalized. Phase IV applies these insights to solve the paradoxes and criticize influential uses of HOL.
Max ERC Funding
940 655 €
Duration
Start date: 2010-01-01, End date: 2013-12-31
