ERC Starting Grant, recent awardees

Simulating Other Minds in Autism

KAROLINSKA INSTITUTET · SE · €1,500,000

The mere presence of another person automatically triggers powerful processes of belief computation in our brains. This spontaneous and well-established Theory of Mind (ToM) ability is considered vital for efficient social interactions. Yet, we still know little about the mechanisms allowing the brain to automatically, and without apparent mental effort, keep track of who is believing what. I argue that the role of modeling others’ attention is an overlooked and a key factor in this process. I p

Predicting the Future of Island Biodiversity: Integrating Traits to Decipher Species Turnover Dynamics

MARTIN-LUTHER-UNIVERSITAT HALLE-WITTENBERG · DE · €1,499,805

Global change is altering vegetation, with climate zones shifting poleward and species distributions changing. Rising sea levels, land-use change, and invasive species further modify natural vegetation, leading to the reassembly of native communities. However, the rates and patterns of community changes across different vegetation types, along with their consequences for biodiversity, remain unclear. This proposal explores the effects of global change on coastal islands and mainland habitat frag

Systems-level investigation of the immune-reproductive crosstalk in humans

LUNDS UNIVERSITET · SE · €1,499,861

Infertility affects 1 in 6 adults worldwide. Current infertility therapies overlook its underlying causes, resulting in pregnancy success rates as low as 30%. Together with the emotional, financial, and societal toll of infertility, this low efficacy underscores the urgent need for more precise interventions. fertiliMMUNE aims to uncover mechanisms of human immune-reproductive crosstalk and define novel targets for fertility treatment.Reproduction and immunity are deeply intertwined, highlightin

Moduli spaces in low dimensions

UNIVERSITY OF GLASGOW · UK · €1,356,152

The topological properties of low dimensional moduli spaces play a fundamental role across algebra, geometry, and topology. My research programme will build homotopical tools for moduli spaces of 3- and 4-manifolds, and moduli spaces of links in 3-manifolds, with my main applications being to manifold symmetries and configurations. The upgrading of discrete techniques for ‘an object’ to space-level techniques on ‘the moduli space of all such objects’ is a central theme.Moduli spaces of manifolds

Information flow in developmental cell fate patterning

UNIVERSITAT BASEL · CH · €1,498,051

Embryonic development relies on the ability of multi-cellular systems to collectively coordinate the establishment of precise spatial patterns of cell fates. An inevitable obstacle to such coordination is intrinsic noise at the single-cell level, which constrains the amount of information accessible to cells for fate decisions. While such information was often considered to be encoded in overall concentrations of extracellular signals, it is becoming increasingly clear that cells use a much broa

Live shopping as a participatory spectacle: The intersection of user practices, platform affordances and governance regimes in the repurposing of TikTok LIVE for e-commerce

Taylor Annabell · Utrecht University · NL

Although the formal integration of e-commerce through TikTok Shop has not yet been fully launched in Europe, users leverage other platform affordances, such as livestreaming, to facilitate shopping. In the Netherlands, TikTok LIVE serves as a hybrid space where entertainment, interaction and commerce come together, exemplifying the platformisation of consumer culture on social media. This article examines how streamers and viewers stage shopping as an interactive, participatory spectacle during

Investigating the Effects of Surface Chemistry and Pore Structure in Grafted PEM Fuel Cell Catalyst Layers

R M van der Horst · Eindhoven University of Technology · NL

Abstract The carbon support surface chemistry strongly influences ionomer interactions, water management, and electrochemical performance in polymer electrolyte fuel cell catalyst layers; however, studies that decouple these effects from Pt particle size remain limited. Here, diazonium grafting is applied to commercial 40 wt% Pt/Vulcan and Pt/Ketjenblack catalysts to introduce five aryl functionalities (–NO₂,–NH₂,–CF₃,–COOH,–SO₃H) spanning a wide range of polarities and wettabilities without alt

Beyond network-based approaches: uncovering the true cost of connectivity

Cécile H. Albert · Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique · FR

Abstract Context Fragmented landscapes challenge biodiversity conservation. While connectivity elements are promoted to mitigate the effects of fragmentation, their effectiveness remains debated. Objectives This study evaluates the effectiveness of corridors and stepping stones in enhancing dispersal success and population dynamics in a high-resistance matrix. We compare two experimental approaches: a landscape-based design that explicitly accounts for matrix resistance, and a traditional networ

Effects of the semantic context on the processing of careful and casual speech

Marco van de Ven · Radboud University Nijmegen · NL

Listeners need contextual information to recognize the highly reduced word pronunciation variants that frequently occur in casual speech. Especially, semantically related words preceding them may be informative. It is unclear, however, whether listeners also benefit from preceding semantically related words when these are reduced as well, which is typically the case in casual speech. The present study reports two experiments examining how semantic priming modulates the semantic and phonological

Time-lag in the interacting effects of habitat amount and fragmentation on genetic diversity in red squirrels (Sciurus vulgaris)

Aurélie Coulon · Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique · FR

Genetic diversity is important for adaptation and persistence of populations. It is influenced by many scale-dependent factors including demographic history and interactions with surrounding landscape, including the availability of habitat. We aim to determine the independent and interactive effects of habitat amount and habitat fragmentation on red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) genetic diversity. We also assess the spatial and temporal scales at which habitat amount and fragmentation have the str

Association between the gut microbiota and estimated glomerular filtration rate in two Swedish population-based cohorts

Lin Yi-Ting · Kaohsiung Medical University · TW

INTRODUCTION: Evidence for gut-kidney interactions in early kidney disease is limited, particularly in community-dwelling adults with largely preserved kidney function. Here, we quantified links between gut microbiota and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) in two population-based Swedish cohorts. METHODS: Deep shotgun metagenomics profiled fecal samples from 9788 adults in the Swedish CArdioPulmonary BioImage Study (SCAPIS) discovery cohort (mean age 58 ± 4 years; 52% women) and 2080 ad

Engineered Biopolymer Architectures for Selective Metal Ions Extraction

Amir Nobahar · University of Aveiro · PT

ABSTRACT The separation and recovery of metal ions from industrial and municipal wastewaters and leachates is essential for environmental sustainability and resource conservation. Bio‐based polysaccharides, such as cellulose and chitin; proteins, such as keratin; and other biomacromolecules, such as lignin, offer a promising, sustainable alternative to conventional adsorbents due to their abundance, renewability, and inherent presence of metal‐binding functional groups. This review explores stra

Exact downfolding and its perturbative approximation

Jonas B. Profe · Goethe University Frankfurt · DE

Solving the many-electron problem, even approximately, is one of the most challenging and simultaneously most important problems in contemporary condensed matter physics with various connections to other fields. The standard approach is to follow a strategy that combines various numerical and analytical techniques. A crucial step in this strategy is the derivation of an effective model for a subset of degrees of freedom by a procedure called , which often corresponds to integrating out energy sc

Rigid and electrode-compatible multicomponent organic crystals for piezoelectric energy harvesting

Suman Bhattacharya · University of Limerick · IE

O represents the first multicomponent piezoelectric crystal disc in our research that simultaneously demonstrates high voltage output, low surface roughness, and high mechanical strength without a corresponding increase in brittleness.

Integrated left ventricular multi-omics landscape of human cardiometabolic HFpEF

F Capone · University of Padua · IT

BACKGROUND: Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), the leading form of heart failure, is burdened by high morbidity and mortality, owing to gaps in our understanding of its molecular and pathophysiological mechanisms. The obese/cardiometabolic HFpEF phenotype is particularly prevalent and morbid, and obesity is increasingly recognized as a driver of the syndrome, though the underlying mechanisms distinguishing cardiometabolic HFpEF from obesity remain unclear. Comprehensive mult

Integrated Chronic <i>In Vivo</i> and <i>In Vitro</i> Screens Uncover <i>NFIL3</i> as a Driver of T-cell Dysfunction

Nayan Jain · Columbia University Irving Medical Center · US

CAR therapy has transformed the treatment landscape for hematological malignancies but its efficacy in solid tumors is limited, owing in part to insufficient functional persistence of the engineered T cells. To elucidate the basis for their functional decline, we conducted integrated chronic in vivo and in vitro screens of 400 transcription factors, which revealed NFIL3 as a driver of CAR T cell dysfunction. Genetic disruption of NFIL3 in CAR T cells sustains their expansion, increases cytokine

Maternal and paternal early-pregnancy dietary glycemic index, embryonic development and adverse birth outcomes

Mireille C. Schipper · Erasmus MC · NL

BACKGROUND & AIMS: We examined associations of parental early-pregnancy dietary glycemic index (GI) with embryonic growth and yolk sac development, and their subsequent associations with fetal growth and adverse birth outcomes. METHODS: Among 778 women and 602 partners participating in a population-based prospective cohort study from preconception onwards, we assessed dietary intake GI by FFQ at median 12.4 weeks gestation. Crown-rump length (CRL) and yolk sac volume were assessed by 7, 9, and 1

Social behavior and climate change: how rising temperatures shape insect societies

Jelena Bujan · Ruđer Bošković Institute · HR

Eusocial insects are master regulators of their thermal environments, using collective behaviors to thrive in diverse and extreme climates. Nevertheless, accelerating climate warming threatens to destabilize insect societies, due to the temperature-dependence of behaviors that underpin group organization and functioning. Here, we synthesize recent advances in our understanding of temperature effects on social behavior, focusing on the eusocial bees, wasps, ants, and termites, and scaling from in

Integrated Chronic <i>In Vivo</i> and <i>In Vitro</i> Screens Uncover <i>NFIL3</i> as a Driver of T-cell Dysfunction

Nayan Jain · Columbia University Irving Medical Center · US

CAR therapy has transformed the treatment landscape for hematological malignancies but its efficacy in solid tumors is limited, owing in part to insufficient functional persistence of the engineered T cells. To elucidate the basis for their functional decline, we conducted integrated chronic in vivo and in vitro screens of 400 transcription factors, which revealed NFIL3 as a driver of CAR T cell dysfunction. Genetic disruption of NFIL3 in CAR T cells sustains their expansion, increases cytokine

Breakdown of the Wiedemann-Franz Law in an Interacting Quantum Hall Metamaterial

Anonymous

Evolution of noisy learning in games

Marta C. Couto · Intelligent Systems Research (United States) · US

People make strategic decisions many times a day-during negotiations, when coordinating actions with others, or when choosing partners for cooperation. The resulting dynamics can be studied with learning theory and evolutionary game theory. These frameworks explore how people adapt their decisions over time, in light of how effective their strategies have been. The outcomes of such learning processes depend on how sensitive individuals are to the performance of their strategies. When they are mo

Challenges in upscaling process-based groundwater quality models to the global domain scale

Floris Sebastiaan Rogier S.R Teuling · Wageningen University & Research · NL

Abstract Groundwater is a critical freshwater resource that is protected from contamination on short timescales. Nevertheless, ongoing contamination increasingly threatens groundwater quality and affects its role in global biogeochemical cycles. Global-scale assessments of groundwater quality remain limited due to sparse observational data and the absence of suitable mechanistic models.&amp;#xD; &amp;#xD;This study reviews groundwater quality modelling approaches from catchment to global scales.

Viscoelasticity of biomimetic scale beams from trapped complex fluids

Pranta Rahman Sarkar · University of Central Florida · US

We investigate the nonlinear viscoelastic behavior of a biomimetic scale-covered beam in which shear-dependent complex fluids are trapped between overlapping scales under bending loads. These fluids mimic biological mucus and slime layers commonly enveloping the skins found in nature. An energy-based analytical model is developed to quantify the interplay between substrate elasticity, scale geometry, and fluid rheology at multiple length scales. Constant strain rate and oscillatory bending are e

Postcolonial Perspectives on Citizenship and Belonging in Former European Colonial Powers

CY CERGY PARIS UNIVERSITE · FR · €1,499,450

Decades after decolonisation, uncertainties surrounding the possession of the former colonial power’s nationality and struggles for citizenship rights among postcolonial migrants and their descendants remain pressing issues in Europe. Sitting at the crossroads between citizenship and migration studies, colonial and postcolonial history and legal consciousness studies, POSTCOLCIT breaks new ground as the first comprehensive, comparative and longitudinal study exploring the relationships between f

Innovative CAR immune cell communities to break solid tumor barriers

UNIVERSITAT ZURICH · CH · €1,498,153

Glioblastoma is the most common and most aggressive primary brain tumor in adults. It is paradigmatic for many incurable, poorly immunologic solid tumors that desperately need more effective therapies. Cellular immunotherapies with engineered immune cells expressing synthetic chimeric antigen receptors (CAR) to recognize cancer cells have great therapeutic potential. However, significant barriers related to cell manufacturing, immune cell migration and activation in the tumor environment and fai

Pioneering High-performance Orbital Engines with Non-steady Innovative ACCeleration

SCUOLA SUPERIORE DI STUDI UNIVERSITARI E DI PERFEZIONAMENTO S ANNA · IT · €1,660,691

Over the last decades Electric Propulsion (EP) has emerged as a transformative technology in space mobility, offering significant advantages and enabling ambitious new missions. Thanks to their high exhaust velocity and fuel efficiency, EP systems have fostered the miniaturization of space assets, catalysing the rise of the New Space era. EP devices generate thrust by converting electrical energy into kinetic energy of a propellant exhausted from the spacecraft. State-of-the-art technologies, su

Single-cell OMICS-informed in vitro models of human development

GOETEBORGS UNIVERSITET · SE · €1,500,000

From immunotherapy to restoring neural function in Parkinson’s disease, cell-based therapies are shaping medicine. Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) could be an invaluable resource, given their unlimited in vitro self-renewal and ability to differentiate into any cell-type. However, in vitro hPSC-derived cells show defective performance in transplantation assays. Using the long-sought in vitro production of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) as a model, I propose a strategy to assess and rectify

Consistent Performance in Adaptive Learning Technologies as a Measure of Self-Regulated Learning

Josh Ring · Radboud University Nijmegen · NL

Self-regulated learning (SRL) is the process by which students set goals, monitor progress, and regulate behavior during learning. SRL is an acquired skill; by distinguishing students who struggle with content knowledge from those who struggle with SRL, suitable support can be provided to each. We present a novel behavioural measure of SRL which quantifies how consistently students perform during adaptive learning technology (ALT)-supported practice. Using parameter estimates of an item response

Microanatomical features of bovids long bones: What are the effects of mass and habitat?

Morgan Proust · Mécanismes Adaptatifs et Evolution · FR

Bovids are a valuable group for studying limb long bone adaptations due to differences in size and the environment that the nearly 280 species inhabit. Their analysis can thus shed light on the constraints that occur during locomotion, which affect muscles and both the outer and inner bone structure. Nevertheless, no study has directly looked at the bone inner structure within bovids. This study is the first to analyse the inner structure of stylopod and zeugopod bones within bovids of different

The multiple dimensions of intraspecific variation in seed dispersal

C. Y. Utami · Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique · FR

Abstract Seed dispersal plays a central role in plant ecology and evolution, and understanding its variation is key to predicting species demography and range dynamics. However, dispersal is difficult to measure, and most modelling and field studies assume uniform dispersal within species, ignoring individual variation. Yet dispersal potential can differ strongly among individuals within species. More empirical data at the individual level are therefore needed to quantify the magnitude of intras