ERC FUNDED PROJECTS

Damage to parietal cortex after stroke causes patients to become unaware of large parts of their surroundings and body parts. This so-called spatial neglect is hypothesised to be brought about by a stroke-induced imbalance between the left and right hemisphere. Some patients experience a partial recovery of lost abilities, but the factors that drive this rebalancing are unknown. The research proposed here will overcome this bottleneck in our understanding of the brain recovery phenomenon, and develop therapeutic approaches that for the first time will control, steer and speed up brain rebalancing after stroke. To that goal, we introduce a revolutionary approach in which TMS, fMRI, and EEG are applied simultaneously in healthy human volunteers to artificially unbalance the brain, and then study and control processes of rebalancing. Because we are one of the few groups worldwide that has accomplished this methodology, and that has the expertise to fully analyse the data it will yield, we are in a unique position to deliver both fundamental insights into brain plasticity, and derived new therapies. In brief, we will use TMS to (i) mimic spatial neglect in healthy volunteers while simultaneously monitoring the underlying neural network effects using fMRI/EEG, and to (ii) determine which exact brain reorganisation leads to an optimal behavioral recovery after injury. Importantly, we will use cutting-edge fMRI pattern recognition and machine learning algorithms to predict which concrete TMS treatment will specifically support this optimal functional reorganisation in the unbalanced brain. Finally, we will directly translate these fundamental findings into clinical practise and apply novel TMS protocols to rebalance the brain in patients suffering from parietal stroke.

1 344 853 €

Start date: 2011-04-01, End date: 2016-03-31

Our primary motivation stems from queueing theory, the branch of applied probability that deals with congestion phenomena. Congestion levels are typically nonnegative, which is why reflected stochastic processes arise naturally in queueing theory. Other applications of reflected stochastic processes are in the fields of branching processes and random graphs. We are particularly interested in critically-loaded queueing systems (close to 100% utilization), also referred to as queues in heavy traffic. Heavy-traffic analysis typically reduces complicated queueing processes to much simpler (reflected) limit processes or scaling limits. This makes the analysis of complex systems tractable, and from a mathematical point of view, these results are appealing since they can be made rigorous. Within the large body of literature on heavy-traffic theory and critical stochastic processes, we launch two new research lines: (i) Time-dependent analysis through scaling limits. (ii) Dimensioning stochastic systems via refined scaling limits and optimization. Both research lines involve mathematical techniques that combine stochastic theory with asymptotic theory, complex analysis, functional analysis, and modern probabilistic methods. It will provide a platform enabling collaborations between researchers in pure and applied probability and researchers in performance analysis of queueing systems. This will particularly be the case at TU/e, the host institution, and at the affiliated institution EURANDOM.

970 800 €

Start date: 2010-08-01, End date: 2016-07-31

"Looking up on a starry night, it’s easy to imagine that the Universe is unchanging. In reality, however, the Universe is teeming with activity: there are massive explosions from accreting black holes, bright radio flashes from ultra-magnetic pulsars, and likely other spectacles that have so far escaped our prying eyes. These fleeting events can happen faster than the blink of an eye and, importantly, they trace the most extreme astrophysical phenomena. Catching these rare performances poses a major challenge for observational astronomers, but the scientific payoff is well worth the effort. With this proposal, I will mould the Low-Frequency Array (LOFAR) telescope into DRAGNET, the world's premier high-speed, wide-angle camera for radio astronomy. Radio waves are a unique and powerful way of investigating the most extreme astrophysical processes. With DRAGNET I will characterize the rate of fast radio transients, i.e. astrophysical bursts lasting less than a second, and search for new astrophysical phenomena in this largely unexplored domain. This has the potential to give us transformative insight into the extremes of gravity and dense matter. Alongside this, I will simultaneously monitor hundreds of radio-emitting neutron stars (pulsars) on a regular basis. This will allow me to understand why some neutron stars pulse regularly, while others show rapid switches in their emission properties. This will address the physics behind the strongest magnetic fields in the Universe. I have led the construction of LOFAR's high-time-resolution observing capabilities; in this project I will capitalize on that investment and do cutting-edge science that is beyond the reach of any other existing telescope. Simply put, this project will establish a world-leading research group in the emerging field of fast radio transients and will crystallize the wide-field radio telescope as an essential tool for unveiling the bustling activity that makes our Universe so interesting to study."

1 964 587 €

Start date: 2014-01-01, End date: 2018-12-31

This proposal aims to advance a new general theory that links plasticity in prey responses to predation and biogeochemical processes to explain context-dependent variations in ecosystem functioning. The physiological reaction of prey to predation involves allocating resources from production to support emergency functions. An example of such a reaction is an increase in maintenance respiration concomitant with higher carbohydrate and lower N demand. Such changes in prey energy and elemental budget should alter the role prey play in regulating the quality of detrital inputs to soils. Nutrient content of detritus is an important determinant of the way soil communities regulate ecosystem processes. Thus, the physiological reaction of prey to predation can potentially explicate changes in ecosystem functioning. My first empirical examination of a few selected mechanisms of this theory has yielded very promising insights. The main objectives of this proposal are: (1) To systematically test whether prey reactions to predation are consistent with the proposed theory’s predictions across species and ecosystems; (2) to examine the interface between stress physiology and anti-predatory behaviors in explaining predator induced diet shift, and (3) to evaluate how predator induced responses at the individual level regulate ecosystem processes. To address these objectives, I propose combining manipulative field experiments, highly controlled laboratory and garden experiments, and stable-isotopes pulse chase approaches. I will examine individual prey responses and the emerging patterns across five food-chains that represent phylogenetically distant taxa and disparate ecosystems. The proposed study is expected to revolutionize our understanding of the mechanisms by which aboveground predators regulate ecosystem processes. Promoting such a mechanistic understanding is crucial to predict how human-induced changes in biodiversity will affect life-supporting ecosystem services.

1 379 600 €

Start date: 2014-02-01, End date: 2019-01-31

A major challenge in neuroscience is to understand how information is stored and coded within single nerve cells (neurons) and across neuron populations in the brain. Nerve cell fibres (axons) are thought to provide the wiring to connect neurons and conduct the electrical nerve impulse (action potential; AP). Recent discoveries, however, show that the initial part of axons actively participates in modulating APs and providing a means to enhance the computational repertoire of neurons in the central nervous system. To decrease the temporal delay in information transmission over long distances most axons are myelinated. Here, we will test the hypothesis that the degree of myelination of single axons directly and indirectly influences the mechanisms of AP generation and neural coding. We will use a novel approach of patch-clamp recording combined with immunohistochemical and ultrastructural identification to develop a detailed model of single myelinated neocortical axons. We also will investigate the neuron-glia interactions responsible for the myelination process and measure whether their development follows an activity-dependent process. Finally, we will elucidate the physiological and molecular similarities and discrepancies between myelinated and experimentally demyelinated single neocortical axons. These studies will provide a novel methodological framework to study central nervous system axons and yield basic insights into myelin physiology and pathophysiology.

1 994 640 €

Start date: 2011-04-01, End date: 2016-03-31

Soon after new antibiotics are introduced, bacterial strains resistant to their action emerge. Recently, non-specific factors that promote the later appearance of specific mechanisms of resistance have been found. Some of these so-called global factors (as opposed to specific resistance mechanisms) emerge as major players in shaping the rate of evolution of resistance. For example, a mutation in the mismatch repair system is a global genetic factor that increases the mutation rate and therefore leads to an increased probability to evolve resistance. In addition to global genetic factors, it is becoming clear that global phenotypic factors play a crucial role in resistance evolution. For example, activation of stress responses can also result in an elevated mutation rate and accelerated evolution of drug resistance. A natural question which arises in this context is how sub-populations of phenotypic variants differ in their evolutionary potential, and how that, in turn, affects the rate at which an entire population adapts to antibiotic stress. I propose a multidisciplinary approach to the systematic and quantitative study of the non-specific factors that affect the mode and tempo of evolution towards antibiotic resistance. Our preliminary results indicate that the presence of dormant bacteria that survive antibiotic treatment affects the rate of resistance evolution in bacterial populations. I will exploit the established expertise of my lab using microfluidic devices for single cell analyses to track the emergence of resistance at the single-cell level, in real-time, and to study the correlation between the phenotype of single bacteria and the probability to evolve resistance. My second approach will take advantage of the recent developments in experimental evolution and high throughput sequencing and combine those with single cells observations for the systematic search of E.coli genes that affect the rate of resistance evolution. We will study replicate populations of E.coli, founded by either laboratory strains or clinical isolates, as they evolve in parallel, under antibiotic stress. Evolved populations will be compared with ancestral populations in order to identify genes and phenotypes that have changed during the evolution of antibiotic resistance. Finally, in silico evolution that simulates the experimental conditions will be developed to analyze the contribution of global factors on resistance evolution. The evolution of antibiotic resistance is not only a fascinating demonstration of the power of evolution but also represents one of the major health threats today. I anticipate that this multidisciplinary study of the global factors that influence the evolution of resistance, from the single cell to the population level, will shed light on the mechanisms used by bacteria to accelerate evolution in general, as well as provide clues as to how to prevent the emergence of antibiotic resistance.

1 458 200 €

Start date: 2010-11-01, End date: 2015-10-31

The Great Hunger (1845-49) radically transformed Ireland: it led to the wide-scale eviction of farmers, killed one million of the rural population, and caused massive emigration to other parts of the British Empire and the United States. Moreover, the Great Famine encouraged anti-English, nationalist sentiments and its trauma is pivotal to the development of an Irish postcolonial consciousness between 1847-1921. There is a vast unexplored transatlantic corpus of prose fiction, written between the aftermath of the Famine and the Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1921, which remembers the years of starvation and diaspora. My project is the first to inventorise and bring together this under-researched body of literature, written in Ireland and by Irish immigrants in England, Canada and the United States. This fiction requires intensive examination for significant reasons, offering alternative perspectives on how the Famine was culturally experienced than previous studies have displayed, and representing subaltern voices and recollections. Moreover, the texts are written in the homeland as well as in diaspora, by migrated Irish or their descendants. An examination of the corpus will therefore move beyond the largely nation-oriented frontiers of cultural memory studies towards innovative, transnational approaches. The project specifically investigates how remembrance is mediated through time, from one generation to another, and space, in diaspora. It aims to evolve a novel theoretical model about the interaction between temporal and spatial relocation in literary remembrance. This pioneering model will generate groundbreaking insights into the interaction between memory and ethnic identity in comparative contexts of cultural dislocation, a colonised homeland and migrant communities; and in processes of cultural relocation: de-colonisation and ethnic integration. At the same time, the project will analyse genre aspects which play a dynamic role in processes of cultural remembrance, contributing a new perspective to the interdisciplinary debate on media of recollection in cultural memory studies.

741 000 €

Start date: 2010-10-01, End date: 2015-09-30

We will study phase transitions and chemical and biological reactions in liquid mixtures in electric field gradients. These new phase transitions are essential in statistical physics and thermodynamics. We will examine theoretically the complex and yet unexplored phase ordering dynamics in which droplets nucleate and move under the external nonuniform force. We will look in detail at the interfacial instabilities which develop when the field is increased. We will investigate how time-varying potentials produce electromagnetic waves and how their spatial decay in the bistable liquid leads to phase changes. These transitions open a new and general way to control the spatio-temporal behaviour of chemical reactions by directly manipulating the solvents' concentrations. When two or more reagents are preferentially soluble in one of the mixture's components, field-induced phase separation leads to acceleration of the reaction. When the reagents are soluble in different solvents, field-induced demixing will lead to the reaction taking place at a slow rate and at a two-dimensional surface. Additionally, the electric field allows us to turn the reaction on or off. The numerical study and simulations will be complemented by experiments. We will study theoretically and experimentally biochemical reactions. We will find how actin-related structures are affected by field gradients. Using an electric field as a tool we will control the rate of actin polymerisation. We will investigate if an external field can damage cancer cells by disrupting their actin-related activity. The above phenomena will be studied in a microfluidics environment. We will elucidate the separation hydrodynamics occurring when thermodynamically miscible liquids flow in a channel and how electric fields can reversibly create and destroy optical interfaces, as is relevant in optofluidics. Chemical and biological reactions will be examined in the context of lab-on-a-chip.

1 482 200 €

Start date: 2010-08-01, End date: 2015-07-31

The aim of this project is to write a history of the Muslim paradise and hell. Researchers (PI, RF and two doctoral researchers) will assess the extent to which Islamic traditions favour or reject a view of human existence as directed toward the otherworld. They will do so by examining a variety of intellectual traditions from the inception of Islam in the 7th century CE until today. The focus of investigation will not just be on the ‘high tradition’ of Islamic theology and jurisprudence, but also on mystical, philosophical, artistic and ‘popular’ traditions, thereby avoiding a monolithic, essentialising account of Islam’s attitude toward the hereafter. As has been argued, the relationship between this world (dunya) and the otherworld (akhira) is as important to Islam as the mind/body dualism is to the intellectual history of the West. However, no sustained effort of analysis has been made in modern Islamic Studies to reflect on the dunya/akhira relationship, and on the boundary that separates the two. This project will be the first comprehensive and systematic attempt in this direction. Five axes of research will underlie this endeavor: (1) the eschatological imaginaire, (2) material culture and the arts, (3) theology and law, (4) mysticism and philosophy, and (5) modern and contemporary visions of the hereafter. The project (proposed duration: 48 months), which is to begin on 1 March 2011, will be based at the Utrecht University and led by Dr Christian Lange (PhD Harvard, 2006, 70%), currently Lecturer in Islamic Studies at New College/School of Divinity. The research team will include one research assistant (100%, 45 months) and two doctoral researchers (100%, 36 months). Financial support is solicited to facilitate the survey of manuscripts and manuscript research in various collections in North America, Europe and Asia, and to help organise two scholarly symposia in Islamic eschatology and one comparative conference.

978 368 €

Start date: 2011-03-01, End date: 2015-04-30

The importance of information asymmetry in financial markets has long been recognized in financial economics. Most existing models focus on the role of privately informed investors who influence prices through their trades. But in many cases the agents who have the biggest information advantage are insiders or the firms themselves; they are precluded from trading but can affect the information flow to the market. This endogenous information flow and its effect on financial market is the focus of the proposed project. By the term information flow we refer to a wide range of channels through which firms can communicate. The information can be part of a mandatory disclosure or a voluntary one. It can be verifiable or non-verifiable information. In addition there can be an implicit information transmission. A firm may choose certain actions to convey its private information (i.e. signaling) without any explicit announcements. The way firms convey this information may provide key insights into the behavior of financial markets and in particular the development of financial crises. The project combines theoretical and empirical work. In the theory part I plan to examine the channels mentioned above and develop testable implications. In the empirical part I plan to test these implications.

1 500 000 €

Start date: 2010-10-01, End date: 2016-09-30

"Communication between immune cells is crucial for regulating the magnitude and quality of immune responses. A newly uncovered means of intercellular communication involves transfer of small cell-derived vesicles. I recently discovered that vesicles released by immune cells are enriched for small noncoding RNAs, which may act as regulatory RNAs that can influence gene expression in vesicle-targeted cells. Furthermore, remarkable parallels emerged between RNAs abundantly present in cell-derived vesicles and a group of host RNAs specifically incorporated into retroviruses. These shared RNAs may underlie the formation or function of both cell-derived vesicles and retroviruses. Until now, mechanisms behind selective incorporation of small RNAs into cell-derived vesicles and their function in vesicle-targeted cells are poorly understood. Aim of INTERCOM: To resolve how the exchange of small RNAs via cell-derived vesicles contributes to intercellular communication between immune cells. Key objectives: 1. To determine the diversity and plasticity of the RNA content of vesicle subpopulations released by immune cells. 2. To explain functional differences between immune cell vesicle populations based on their RNA contents. 3. To determine the function of structural RNAs shared by immune cell-derived vesicles and retroviruses. Tools in virology research will be used in combination with several high-end technologies, which were uniquely adapted in my lab for vesicle-related research. These include a high-resolution flow cytometric method suited to analyze individual nano-sized vesicles, RNA deep sequencing with previously developed data analysis methods, and super-resolution microscopic imaging. The proposed work advances our understanding of communication processes in the immune system. This knowledge can be applied in defining vesicle RNA-based biomarkers for immune-related diseases and in designing genetically engineered cell-derived vesicles for therapeutic application."

1 499 806 €

Start date: 2013-11-01, End date: 2018-10-31

The aim of this project is to substantially improve computer algorithms for image analysis in medical imaging. Currently available techniques often require significant application-specific tuning and have a limited application scope. This is mostly due to the use of non-generic feature spaces that involve many physical dimensions and lack mathematical foundation. Instead, we derive inspiration from the superior generic pattern recognition capabilities of the human brain and propose a novel operator design aiming at better results and wider applicability. This novel operator design combines (partial and ordinary) differential equations on non-compact Lie groups (induced by stochastic processes and sub-Riemannian geometric control) with wavelet transforms. Many mathematical challenges arise in the analysis and (numerical) solutions of these operators. The research departs from previously developed insights of the PI on 'invertible orientation scores', which can be regarded as a specific instance in a general Lie group theoretical framework. Within this general framework one obtains a comprehensive invertible score defined on a higher dimensional Lie group beyond position space. The key challenge is to appropriately exploit these scores, their survey of multiple features per position, their underlying group structure, and their invertibility. We will tackle this via left-invariant evolutions and left-invariant sub-Riemannian optimal control within the score. The orientation score approach will be systematically extended towards multi-scale-and-orientation, multi-velocity and multi-frequency encoding and processing, widening the application scope. Moreover, improvements in contextual enhancement via invertible scores and improvements in optimal curve extractions in the Lie group domain of the score will be pursued. We will develop and apply the resulting algorithms to a wide range of medical imaging challenges in neurological, retinal and cardiac applications.

1 267 550 €

Start date: 2014-01-01, End date: 2018-12-31

Circadian (24hs) rhythms in locomotor activity are one of the best-characterized behaviors at the molecular, cellular and neural levels. Despite that, our understanding of how these rhythms are generated is still limited. A major shortcoming of the current approaches in the field is that they depict the circadian clock as a mere addition of steps (and/or combination of parts). By doing so, the circadian oscillator is portrayed as a static rather than a dynamic system. We have recently shown for the first time that miRNA-mediated regulation plays a role in circadian timekeeping in Drosophila. In the present project we will exploit complementary and cutting-edge approaches that will provide an integrative and comprehensive view of the circadian timekeeping system. As we believe that miRNAs are key mediators of this integration, we will dissect their role in the circadian clock at the molecular, cellular and neural levels in Drosophila. At the molecular level, we will determine the mechanisms, and proteins that mediate the circadian regulation of miRNAs function. Moreover, by the use of high-throughput methodology we will assess and characterize the impact of translational regulation on both the circadian transcriptome and proteome. At the cellular level, we plan to determine how this type of regulation integrates with other circadian pathways and which specific pathways and proteins mediate this process. As a final goal of the proposed project we plan to generate a complete genetic interaction map of the known circadian regulators, which will integrate the different molecular and cellular events involved in timekeeping. This will be a key step towards the understanding of the circadian clock as a dynamic adjustable process. Last, but not least, we will study the role of miRNAs in the circadian neural network. For doing so we will set up an ex vivo approach (fly brain's culture) that will assess circadian parameters through fluorescent continuous live imaging.

1 478 606 €

Start date: 2011-02-01, End date: 2016-01-31

The neocortex is organized into neural circuits that perform distinct computations, from sensory processing and motor control to memory, learning and language. Neuromodulatory systems projecting to the neocortex exert a powerful influence on cortical computations through neurotransmitters such as acetylcholine, monoamines and neuropeptides. The prefrontal cortex (PFC), a cortical region required for working memory, attention and goal-directed behavior, receives dense projections from multiple neuromodulatory systems that dramatically impact its function. Pioneering work has shown that pharmacological manipulation of these systems can potently modulate attention and cognitive function and that impaired neuromodulation can lead to psychiatric disease. Yet, much of the view of high level cortical function is focused on models that either ignore neuromodulation altogether or treat it as a reward or arousal signal. We propose to elucidate the dynamics and mechanisms of prefrontal neuromodulatory tuning, from the level of synapses and cells to circuits and animal behavior. To achieve this goal, we will map the circuit-level impact of synaptic neuromodulatory inputs on the prefrontal cortex circuit dynamics, develop and apply two novel optogenetic approaches for light-based synaptic silencing and optical recording of cortical neuromodulatory activity in vivo, and establish the causal roles of PFC neuromodulation in attention and working memory. These experiments will enable us for the first time to delineate the specific contribution of distinct neuromodulatory systems to prefrontal function, integrating comprehensive cell- and circuit-level analysis with unique opto-physiological readouts in behaving animals. The project will yield an integrative view of prefrontal neuromodulation, revealing its impact on cortical function and dissecting its roles in cognitive function.

1 429 460 €

Start date: 2014-02-01, End date: 2019-01-31

We always take in a certain perspective when we speak. Languages have a wide variety of linguistic means to express perspective. While perspectival elements are most of the time used from the perspective of the speaker, they can also be used from the perspective of someone else, a possibility that is fully exploited in narratives. The central aim of this project is to deepen our understanding of perspective shifts. It will not only elucidate the semantic and pragmatic mechanisms underlying interpretation shifts of specific expressions, but also unite them in a general formal model of perspective shift. Moreover, these insights will be used to unravel the linguistic grounding of narrative perspective. The project will focus on Ancient Greek, a language with a particularly rich perspective system. Not only do many classes of expressions involve perspective in some way (e.g. attitudinal particles, optative mood, tense and aspect, evaluatives, participles), but authors like Thucydides are also known for their subtle manipulation of narrative perspective. It is far from clear, however, how these shifts in narrative perspective are effected by the linguistic expressions used. This project will study (i) the relation between attitudinal particles and perspective shifts, (ii) the role of evaluative expressions, and (iii) the relation between temporal perspective and narrative perspective. State-of-the-art computational methods will be used to extract data from existing corpora, revealing patterns that have eluded traditional methods; this methodology will be a major innovation in the field of classical philology. The present project goes beyond previous semantic studies (i) by investigating more subtle and pervasive ways of perspective creation than the free indirect discourse technique and (ii) through the development of a general formal model of perspective shift, integrating the contribution of several perspective involving expressions.

1 044 798 €

Start date: 2013-12-01, End date: 2018-11-30

Quantum design, the ability to control the microscopic properties of a quantum system, has proven to be an invaluable tool in experimental physics. Carbon nanotubes are an ideal system to implement quantum design in the solid-state; their strongly interacting electrons, unusual spin properties, and unique mechanical qualities make them an excellent platform for studying quantum phenomena in low dimensions. However, for many years this potential has been hindered by the dominance of strong electronic disorder in this system. Fortunately, a series of recent breakthroughs in making nanotubes free of disorder has dramatically changed this situation, opening up a wide range of opportunities for high-precision experiments in these systems. In this work I propose to develop a new technology that will enable quantum design experiments in carbon nanotubes. This technology, which builds on my recent development of ultra-clean electronic devices in nanotubes, will allow us to create nanotube device-architectures that go far beyond those currently available. Specifically, we will be able to control the properties of individual electrons with microscopic precision (~100nm), manipulate their quantum states, and image their individual wavefunctions. This new toolset will be used to study previously unexplored realms in condensed matter physics, ranging from the correlated states-of-matter formed by electrons in one-dimension, to quantum information experiments with multiple electronic spins, and finally to mechanical studies of nanotube resonators in the quantum limit. These studies will address some of the most fundamental aspects pertaining to the physics of electrons, spins and phonons in low dimensions.

1 499 940 €

Start date: 2011-01-01, End date: 2015-12-31

An electoral system is an essential component of representative democracy. It translates preferences of citizens to a legislative body and inevitably distorts preferences, voicing some more loudly than others. Theorizing and empirically analyzing how the electoral system tilts the playing ground is the aim of this study. The number of seats allotted to an electoral district—the district magnitude (DM)—is perhaps the most important component defining an electoral system. It is long established that DM affects key features of the political landscape in a country, such as representation, the number of parties, the type of government (single- or multi-party coalition), parties’ strategy, voters’ consideration, and even redistribution policy. Most democracies, however, have districts of many different magnitudes, and the range often reaches thirty seats gap between the smallest and largest districts in a country. Districts in Portugal, for instance, vary between two and forty-eight seats, and in Switzerland between one and thirty-five. The voluminous literature on electoral districts uniformly sidesteps this heterogeneity, focusing instead on a single middle district per country. The proposed study is the first large-scale study that theorizes about and empirically analyzes the effects of within-country district structure. I address questions such as: how does district heterogeneity shape representation at the national level? How does it affect the party system? And how does it affect party coordination? In the first part of the study I will theorize about various aspects of district heterogeneity in a country (e.g., skewness, effective number of magnitudes). I will gain deep understanding for district distributions and develop politically-relevant measures of heterogeneity. Drawing on insights from the theoretical part, the second part will empirically examine how district heterogeneity affects the political landscape, and in particular representation, party system, and party coordination. This part relies on extensive district- and national-level data collection and data analysis in OECD countries as well as in-depth case analysis. Analyzing the effect of district heterogeneity on representation, party systems, and party coordination will open new avenues of research about design of electoral systems.

1 038 686 €

Start date: 2010-11-01, End date: 2016-10-31

The worst of evils - pain is one of the main reasons for seeking medical help. Chronic pain affects almost one fifth of the population of Europe and leads to exorbitant medical expenses as well as extreme suffering. Despite extensive efforts, effective pain treatment has remained elusive. Inadequate understanding of the mechanisms of pain prevents the development of effective therapies. In order to better understand pain mechanisms, a novel integrative approach is needed. This approach should: to investigate the fundamental site of signal detection; the nociceptive terminals and to establish an understanding of the progression from peripheral nociception to central pain perception. Our project aims to integrate analysis at different levels of pain perception in normal and pathological conditions in order to elucidate mechanisms underlying chronic pain. Our approach propose to study pain related mechanisms along somatotopically define neuroaxis of vibrissae-barrel system. Using this unique system where peripheral receptor directly corresponds to its central analyzer, we will first characterize noxious signal detection by single channels in individual nociceptive terminal. We will follow propagation of nociceptive signal and monitor activity-dependent changes in corresponding circuits at trigeminal nuclei, thalamus and cortex. We will study modulation in of synaptic connectivity in the spino-thalamo-cortical pathway in models of chronic pain. This multi-disciplinary project will incorporate ground-breaking imaging techniques and state-of-the-art electrophysiological, histological and behavioural experiments to study pain-related mechanisms at the molecular and cellular levels as well as at the level of neuronal networks and behaviour.

1 500 000 €

Start date: 2011-03-01, End date: 2016-02-29

Active control of the optical properties of materials represents one of the most fundamental aspects of photonics. It is crucial to deepen our understanding on light-matter interactions, and for the development of novel technologies. Of special importance is the interaction of light with metal surfaces, leading to surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs). SPPs can give rise to giant local field enhancements in subwavelength volumes. Thanks to recent developments in plasmonics, electromagnetic fields can nowadays be controlled in subwavelength volumes and on ultra-fast time scales. However, research has been limited to optical and near-IR frequencies. The lack of studies at lower frequencies originates from the weak confinement of SPPs at these frequencies. Our objective is to overcome these limitations, demonstrating for the first time ultra-fast control in subwavelength dimensions of plasmonic resonances at THz frequencies. In particular, we plan to control localized surface plasmon polaritons (LSPPs), arising from the coherent oscillation of charges in particles. For this purpose, we will fabricate semiconductor particles supporting LSPPs, which will be controlled optically at very low fluences. We will show that the spatial distribution of giant field enhancements can be tuned with unprecedented accuracy by demonstrating its optical switching by several orders of magnitude. Moreover, we will study for the first time the active coupling of plasmonic resonances in periodic arrays of semiconductor particles. These arrays will constitute the plasmonic analogue to phased array antennas. The project will open new horizons in fundamental research, as well as in applications such as THz modulators and sensors.

1 492 800 €

Start date: 2011-06-01, End date: 2016-05-31