ERC Starting Grant, recent awardees

COSMO-SBI: a Simulation-Based Inference Framework for Multi-Probe Cosmology

AGENCIA ESTATAL CONSEJO SUPERIOR DE INVESTIGACIONES CIENTIFICAS · ES · €1,495,830

Key open questions in cosmology can be addressed by studying the evolution of the Universe’s structure as a function of scale and time using various observational probes. Traditional methods rely on two-point statistics (e.g., the power spectrum) of cosmological observables and theory-based modeling. In recent years, I have pioneered alternative methods: I developed and applied to weak lensing data a simulation-based inference (SBI) framework to estimate parameter posteriors using simulations. T

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

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

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

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

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

POMC AMPKα1 deletion drives male-specific BAT thermogenesis and obesity resistance

Ismael González‐García · Universidade de Santiago de Compostela · ES

Proopiomelanocortin (POMC) neurons in the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus (ARC) play a critical role in energy homeostasis. 5'-adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is a serine/threonine kinase, which acts as the main energy sensor in the cell. The heterotrimeric AMPK results from the combination of a catalytic α subunit (α1, α2) with two regulatory subunits, β (β1, β2) and γ (γ1, γ2 and γ3). Hypothalamic AMPK plays a key role in the control of energy balance, but current e

Multilevel sex-influenced neurobiological signatures of early life adversity

Elisabeth B. Binder · Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry · DE

Stress exposure early in life is an established risk factor for adult psychiatric illness, yet these disorders-including anxiety disorders and depression-show significant sex differences in prevalence, symptomatology, and treatment response. The biology underlying these differences remains largely unexplored and may contribute to the clinical heterogeneity in anxiety and depression. Here, we characterize the lasting impact of developmental stress on adulthood neurobiology and behavior in mice by

Beyond pH and macronutrients: Soluble manganese and habitat heterogeneity shape multi-taxon soil biodiversity across a wide regional environmental gradient

Rubén Olmo-Gilabert · Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona · ES

Global change threatens biodiversity across ecosystems worldwide, yet soil biodiversity remains comparatively poorly understood due to the challenges of quantifying belowground life. As a result, its main drivers and spatial patterns remain unresolved across environmental gradients. Here, we analyzed soil biodiversity across 102 sites in the north-eastern Iberian Peninsula, spanning ecosystems from arid to boreal (alpine) biomes. Using multi-taxon DNA metabarcoding, we assessed richness and Shan

Elastoviscoplastic rheology suppresses drag growth in particle suspensions

Shahriar Habibi · Swedish e-Science Research Centre · SE

We perform direct numerical simulations of elastoviscoplastic (EVP) duct flows at particle volume fractions up to $\phi = 15\,\%$ . Unlike Newtonian suspensions, which exhibit pronounced drag increase with particle loading, EVP suspensions show only modest drag growth in dilute and semi-dilute conditions and achieve significant drag reduction relative to their Newtonian counterparts beyond a threshold $\phi$ that increases with the Bingham number. This behaviour results from two coupled mechanis

Theoretical and practical challenges for capturing reserve and resilience in aging and Alzheimer's disease: A narrative review

Valentin Ourry · Douglas Mental Health University Institute · CA

The concepts of reserve and resilience in aging and Alzheimer's disease (AD) are widely used but their operationalization remains challenging and often lacks conceptual and methodological consistency. In this narrative review, we describe the chronological history of these concepts and then summarize and discuss key theoretical and practical issues, along with proposed solutions and different perspectives, in the context of aging and AD. Theoretical challenges include risk versus protective fact

Biodiversity and biogeography of the multi-kingdom cancer microbiome

Anders B. Dohlman · Dana-Farber Cancer Institute · US

The path to no-drift MEMS inertial sensors with on-chip stress calibration

Erdinc Tatar · Bilkent University · TR

Navigation is vital for the future of autonomous mobility. Data from multiple sensing modalities (GPS, camera, radar, …) are fused in navigation. Among these sensors, inertial navigation is error-proof and can fit into every car and smartphone if a low-cost, no-drift sensor is invented. Drift is a major problem for inertial sensors, limiting their utilization in navigation applications. Inertial sensor data, i.e., acceleration and rotation, is integrated to estimate position, but drift leads to

Variations in human ecodynamics in the southern Pyrenees: chert procurement and use at Cova Gran de Santa Linya during the Upper Paleolithic

Javier Sánchez‐Martínez · Institut Català de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social · ES

The southern slope of the Pyrenees is rich in siliceous resources, particularly chert. This material, widely distributed across the region, was the primary raw material exploited by anatomically modern humans (AMH) during the Upper Paleolithic. However, it remains unclear whether the procurement strategies employed during this period—marked by multiple climatic fluctuations and chrono-cultural phases remained consistent or changed over time. To address this question, an archaeopetrological chara

Interfacial ruthenium–titania nanosheet engineering for highly selective electrocatalytic nitrate reduction to ammonia across a wide pH range

Ahmad Tayyebi · Center for Research in Molecular Medicine and Chronic Diseases · ES

Electrocatalytic nitrate reduction (NO₃RR) is a promising strategy for simultaneous wastewater remediation and decentralized ammonia production, but requires catalysts with high activity, NH₃ selectivity, and stability. Here, we report a Ru/TiNS electrocatalyst composed of well-dispersed Ru nanoparticles on oxygen-deficient monolayer titania nanosheets (TiNS), enabling simultaneous precise control over nitrate adsorption, interfacial charge transfer, and hydrogen evolution reaction. Systematic v

How cell edges shape plant morphogenesis

Charlotte Kirchhelle · Lyon 1 Université · FR

Always on the move: Mapping spatiotemporal interactome with proximity labeling in mammalian cells

Ginny G. Farías · Utrecht University · NL

Compartmentalization is central to coordinate complex biochemical processes in eukaryotic cells. Proteins governing organelle function and proteome complexity are dynamically trafficked intracellularly and intercellularly to maintain cellular homeostasis and communication. Proximity labeling (PL) enzymes such as TurboID and APEX2 coupled with mass spectrometry emerged as powerful tools to capture snapshots of subcellular proteomes. However, as protein trafficking is a dynamic process, this prese

Bifurcating oxidation reactivity of a meso-chloro-isoporphyrin-iron(III)-dichloride complex

Aidan R. McDonald · Trinity College Dublin · IE

The reactivity of [Fe(Cl) 2 (T(OMe)PP-Cl)] (T(OMe)PP = meso -tetra(4-methoxy-phenyl)porphyrinyl) towards a series of substituted phenols was investigated. The oxidation reaction proceeded via a hydrogen atom transfer (HAT) mechanism where [Fe(Cl) 2 (T(OMe)PP-Cl)] displayed entropy of activation values typical of a metal-mediated HAT. In contrast, for hydrocarbon oxidation the entropy of activation indicated an organic radical-mediated HAT reaction, we address this dichotomy. • The reactivity of

Image-enabled cell sorting permits prospective isolation of primitive hematopoietic stem cell subsets with distinct functional potential

David G. Kent · University of York · GB

Fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS) has been a core technology for the identification, characterization and isolation of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), allowing for prospective isolation of cells which express specific molecules at specific levels of intensity. A recent technological breakthrough, image-enabled cell sorting (ICS), is based on FACS but it also permits separation of cells based on the differential distribution of these molecules across the cell. Using ICS in primary HSCs,

Own and others’ confidence in social information use

Lucas Molleman · University of Amsterdam · NL

The behaviour of friends, colleagues, television hosts and social media feeds affects what we buy, how we dress, and who we vote for. People tend to be more sensitive to social influence when unsure about their beliefs and when the source is highly confident. Less is known about the relative impact of the confidence of self and others’ on social information use, and how they jointly shape social transmission. We present results of two incentivized decision-making tasks (N=203 and N=213, samples

Investigation of North Sea high-frequency sea-level extremes using long-term sea-level measurements

Gözde Güney Doğan · Delft University of Technology · NL

Extreme sea-level events occur across a range of temporal and spatial scales, including high-frequency oscillations (periods T < 2 h). However, most research uses hourly or daily data and neglects higher-frequency processes such as seiches and meteotsunamis. This study investigates the characteristics of high-frequency (HF) sea-level extremes along the North Sea coast. Long-term (1993-2025) measurements were analysed from 29 tide gauges. After quality control, the astronomical tide was removed t

Preserving Proton Resolution Under Cryogenic Dynamic Nuclear Polarization for Biomolecular Solid‐State NMR

Antoine Loquet · Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique · FR

ABSTRACT The combination of proton detection with cryogenic dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) promises to unite the intrinsic sensitivity and resolution of 1 H‐detected magic‐angle spinning (MAS) NMR with the large signal enhancements afforded by hyperpolarization, but has long been considered impractical because of cryogenic line broadening and the limited spinning frequencies available under DNP conditions. Here, we demonstrate that high‐resolution proton‐detected spectra of proteins can inde

Neural surrogates for designing gravitational wave detectors

Carlos Ruiz-Gonzalez · Johannes Kepler University of Linz · AT

Abstract Physics simulators are essential in science and engineering, enabling the analysis, control, and design of complex systems. In experimental sciences, they are increasingly used to automate experimental design, often via combinatorial search and optimization. However, as the setups grow more complex, the computational cost of traditional, CPU-based simulators becomes a major limitation. Here, we show how neural surrogate models can significantly reduce reliance on such slow simulators wh

Implications of temperature polarisation in membrane crystallisation revealed by direct measurement of nucleation

E.J. McAdam · Cranfield University · GB

Membrane crystallisation presents a promising approach to selective salt recovery for brine mining, yet its performance is frequently constrained by scaling phenomena that can be induced by temperature polarisation at the membrane interface. Although temperature polarisation has been recognised as a critical barrier to efficient crystallisation, its specific mechanistic role in governing nucleation dynamics remains poorly understood and largely unquantified. To address this gap, this study prese

Melanins Enhance Radical Scavenging Through Wavelength‐Selective Excited‐State Manifold Diversity

Matthew D. Shawkey · Ghent University · BE

ABSTRACT Melanin is a ubiquitous pigment that mitigates photoinduced damage in biological systems through light absorption, heat dissipation, and radical scavenging. While these functions have traditionally been considered independent, recent studies suggest that they may be intrinsically coupled, with radical scavenging activity enhanced with light irradiation. However, the underlying photophysical mechanism remains unclear. Here, we present the first comprehensive wavelength‐dependent comparis

Luminophores Containing Carbon in Place of Metal

USTAV ANORGANICKE CHEMIE AV CR VVI · CZ · €1,498,722

There is an apparent discrepancy between the photoluminescent performance of heavy metal-based luminophores and their all-organic counterparts. While the former have long dominated optoelectronic and light conversion applications, the latter often lack suitable excited-state dynamics, particularly in processes involving triplet states. This remains a major limitation of luminophores composed of light elements, which are otherwise potential cost-efficient and sustainable alternatives to heavy met

Age at First Marriage or Cohabitation Among First-, Second-, and 2.5-Generation Immigrant Women, Finland 1987–2020

Citlali Trigos-Raczkowski · University of Helsinki · FI

Immigrants and their descendants are increasingly forming families across Europe, yet little is known about how immigration background shapes first union entry in emerging immigration contexts. Here, we examine whether immigrant generation, age at arrival, and sending region are associated with entry into opposite-sex first unions for women in Finland from 1987 to 2020. Treating cohabitation and direct marriage as competing events, we estimate cause-specific hazards in separate accelerated failu

STING agonist profiling by nucleotide library defines structural determinants of cyclic dinucleotide recognition

Carina C. de Oliveira Mann · Acatech · DE

Stimulator of interferon genes (STING) is the principal mammalian receptor for cyclic dinucleotides (CDNs) and a central hub of innate immune signaling. CDN analogues and small-molecule STING agonists are in active development for cancer immunotherapy and as vaccine adjuvants, although clinical translation has proven challenging. Here, we systematically profile STING nucleotide preferences by treating THP-1 monocytes and pancreatic cancer cells with a structurally diverse nucleotide library. We

Food additive and naturally occurring glutamate and risk of cardiovascular diseases in the NutriNet-Santé prospective cohort

A Hasenböhler · Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers · FR

Synchrotron X-ray multi-projection imaging (XMPI) for high-resolution 4D characterization of multiphase flows

Tomas Rosén · KTH Royal Institute of Technology · SE

Multiphase flows where particles, bubbles, or droplets are suspended in a fluid govern critical processes in biology, medicine, materials processing, and geophysics. However, observing their microscale dynamics in opaque systems has remained a fundamental challenge. We present Synchrotron X-ray Multi-Projection Imaging (XMPI), a novel approach enabling four-dimensional (3D + time) tracking of microparticles in visibly opaque suspension flows without requiring sample rotation. By capturing simult

Capturing electron correlation at mean-field cost: Assessment of i-DMFT and the underlying correlation conjecture

Christian Schilling · Center for Theoretical Physics · PL

Accurately treating strong electron correlation in quantum chemistry typically requires multireference wave function methods with steep computational scaling. The recently proposed i-DMFT method promises near configuration-interaction accuracy at mean-field cost by invoking an empirical linear relation between correlation energy and entropy (Collins' conjecture), whose validity remains unclear. We systematically assess this relation across a range of di- and polyatomic molecules, including diver

LPL-Positive Endothelial Cells Control T-cell Homing in Liver Metastasis

Hellmut G. Augustin · German Cancer Research Center · DE

Combination therapies involving vascular targeting drugs have shown promise in overcoming resistance to immunotherapy. However, the prerequisite for vascular modulation to evoke an effective antitumor T-cell response remains elusive. Tracing the transcriptional response of liver metastasis-associated peritumoral and tumor endothelial cells (TEC) to T-cell intervention, we discovered an immunomodulatory TEC subpopulation that highly expressed lipoprotein lipase (LPL). LPL+ TECs facilitated intrat

The primate claustrum as a hub for precision weighting of prediction errors across the cortical hierarchy

Henry Kennedy · Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 · FR

Understanding how signals are exchanged across the cerebral cortex is a central challenge for theories of perception and cognition. Although crucial gaps exist in empirical knowledge, evidence is emerging in macaques for complementary functional roles of cortico-cortical and cortico-claustral-cortical loops in predictive coding and perceptual inference. This Essay puts forward a roadmap for investigating these cortical networks in the primate brain by integrating parallel neuroimaging investigat

Future trends of desalination and wastewater treatment accounting for risks of maladaptation

Marina Andrijevic · International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis · AT

The intensifying effects of climate change on global water scarcity require ensuring reliable, equitable, and sustainable water supply, with novel technologies becoming increasingly central to adaptation. In this study, we develop projections of wastewater treatment and desalination capacities and analyze their associated energy demand and CO 2 emissions. While technologically mature and rapidly expanding, their future development remains underexamined as a risk of maladaptation that stems from

A Cosmic Archipelago of lensed metal-poor galaxies at z ∼ 6

H. Yan

The Cosmic Archipelago is an ensemble of galaxies, strongly lensed by the Hubble Frontier Fields cluster MACS,J0416, displaying some of the most extreme physical properties known at z ∼ 6.14. In this work, we combined JWST/NIRCam with deep VLT/X-shooter and JWST/NIRSpec IFU to perform a joint spectrophotometric analysis from the far-ultraviolet to the red-optical rest frame. In particular, we focused on CA4, a UV-faint ̊m UV = -17.7), isolated, and compact (r_ ̊m e =81 ± 11 pc) galaxy at z = 6.1

Quantum state design and emergent confinement mechanism in measured tensor network states

Guglielmo Lami · Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique · FR

Abstract Randomness is a fundamental aspect of quantum mechanics, arising from the measurement process that collapses superpositions into definite outcomes according to Born’s rule. Generating large-scale random quantum states is crucial for quantum computing and many-body physics, yet it remains a key challenge. We present a practical method based on local measurements of random Tensor Networks, focusing on random Matrix Product States (MPS) generated by two distinct quantum circuit architectur

Twist-Induced Altermagnetism in a Metallic van der Waals Antiferromagnet

José J. Baldoví · Parc Científic de la Universitat de València · ES

High Resolution Image Download MS PowerPoint Slide Altermagnetism offers a promising route for next-generation spintronic devices. In two-dimensional (2D) magnets, twist engineering enables its realization by breaking the combined inversion and time-reversal symmetry ( P T ). Here, by first-principles calculations and symmetry analysis, we demonstrate that twisting the recently synthesized metallic van der Waals antiferromagnet Co-doped bilayer Fe 3 GaTe 2 (Fe 2 CoGaTe 2 ) provides a robust plat

Dietary perspectives on social asymmetry in a full Iron Age community of northern Italy: stable isotope evidence from the Patavine CUS-Piovego necropolis

Giusy Capasso · Sapienza University of Rome · IT

Understanding how social inequality influenced access to food resources in past societies is a central issue in archaeology, as dietary practices provide important insights into how resources were distributed within communities and how social hierarchies were structured and maintained over time. During the Iron Age, in line with broader European patterns, northern Italy – and particularly the Veneto region – underwent processes of urbanisation and increasing social complexity that likely reshape

Intestinal FXR deficiency uncouples steatosis protection from liver inflammation and fibrosis in MASH-diet fed mice

Margaux Nawrot · Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 · FR

Abstract The Farnesoid X Receptor (FXR), a nuclear bile acid (BA) receptor highly expressed in the liver and intestine, is a potential pharmacological target for Metabolic dysfunction-Associated SteatoHepatitis (MASH). While intestinal FXR inhibition reduces high-fat diet (HFD)-induced hepatic steatosis, its role in MASH progression remains unclear. This study investigates the impact of intestinal FXR-deficiency on MASH development in a diet-induced murine model. Intestinal FXR-deficient ( int F

Volcanic aerosol effects on warm and cold cloud microphysics: ICON-ART simulations of Holuhraun and La Soufrière eruptions

Corinna Hoose

Abstract. Volcanic eruptions are a rich source of particles, such as sulfate and ash, that can act as cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) or ice nucleating particles (INPs). They offer a unique opportunity to study the effects of aerosols on clouds because they create a natural laboratory with high concentrations of aerosols adjacent to an unperturbed environment. In this study, we used the ICON–ART (ICOsahedral Nonhydrostatic weather and climate model with Aerosols and Reactive Trace gases) modelin

Combination of 3D and 2D Small and Wide Angle X‐Ray Scattering Imaging Reveals Diminished Bone Quality in the Superior Human Femoral Neck Cortex

Marianne Liebi · Paul Scherrer Institute · CH

The human femoral neck is particularly vulnerable to fracture, with failure most often initiating in the superior region. While age-related microstructural changes such as cortical thinning and increased porosity are well established, the contribution of material properties at the lamellar and mineralised collagen fibril (MCF) levels remains poorly understood. Here, regional differences in nanostructural properties of cortical bone from 78 femoral necks obtained from 44 donors aged 54-96 are inv

Cultura caballista

Gwen Burnyeat

Abstract The world of Colombian gaited horses, or cultura caballista (horse‐riding culture), is often linked with uribismo , the right‐wing identity associated with former president Álvaro Uribe Vélez. Ethnographic fieldwork in conflict‐torn Antioquia reveals how horse‐human practices of training, breeding, and competition cultivate orientations toward hierarchical authority, disciplined hypermasculinity, and control over land and living bodies. This occurs within histories of racialized regiona

Regio- and Enantioselective Alkoxycarbonylation of Unactivated Terminal Alkenes under Palladium-Bromide-Monophosphine Catalysis

Paweł Dydio · Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique · FR

reveals that the chiral ligand forms a deep asymmetric pocket around the metal center, enabling precise enantiocontrol. The bromide ligand, in turn, is essential for achieving branched regioselectivity and suppressing deleterious chain-walking processes.

Numerical convergence of the scalar auxiliary variable method applied to nonlinear stiff string models

Riccardo Russo · University of Bologna · IT

Abstract This work is concerned with the Scalar Auxiliary Variable (SAV) method applied to geometrically nonlinear string models, focusing on the analysis of numerical convergence across various model formulations. An ODE system with a potential akin to that of the geometrically exact string is first analysed, providing both mathematical and numerical insight. Then, three nonlinear stiff string models are considered: geometrically exact (in two formulations), cubic, and Kirchhoff–Carrier models,

Topological groupoids with involution and real algebraic stacks

Olivier de Gaay Fortman · Utrecht University · NL

Abstract To a topological groupoid endowed with an involution, we associate a topological groupoid of fixed points, generalizing the fixed-point subspace of a topological space with involution. We prove that when the topological groupoid with involution arises from a Deligne-Mumford stack over $$ \mathbb {R} $$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mi>R</mml:mi> </mml:math> , this fixed locus coincides with the real locus of the stack. This provides a topological framewo

Supplementation with effective microorganisms in earthen ponds affects common carp growth and abundance of specific bacterial families

Joanna Szyda · Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences · PL

BACKGROUND: Effective microorganisms are increasingly explored in aquaculture to improve fish health and growth without leaving harmful residues. However, their efficacy in real-world pond environments remains poorly understood. Here, we conducted a 103-day field experiment to assess the effects of supplementation with two effective commercial microorganism products on the microbial communities and growth performance of common carp (Cyprinus carpio). BACKGROUND: Effective microorganisms were add

Electrolyte–Framework Matching in High‐Voltage TEMPO‐COF Cathodes for Lithium Batteries

Marilyn Esclance DMello · Center for Research in Molecular Medicine and Chronic Diseases · ES

ABSTRACT High‐voltage organic cathodes based on stable nitroxyl radicals are promising candidates for sustainable energy storage. However, porous TEMPO‐based frameworks remain underdeveloped compared to linear polymers, and the role of electrolyte anions in governing their performance is poorly understood. Herein, two imine‐linked covalent organic frameworks (COFs) are post‐synthetically functionalized with N 3 ‐TEMPO via click chemistry, affording crystalline, porous TEMPO‐TB and TEMPO‐TP COFs

Affective and cognitive theory of mind and associated brain functional alterations in frontotemporal dementia

Federica Agosta · Vita-Salute San Raffaele University · IT

Abstract Theory of mind (ToM), the ability to infer others’ beliefs (cognitive ToM) and emotions (affective ToM), is compromised in behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD). However, its diagnostic and prognostic value in other frontotemporal dementia (FTD) variants remains underexplored due to limited understanding of the underlying neural mechanisms. This study investigated whether ToM deficits are shared across the frontotemporal dementia spectrum and explored the functional connec

Selenite reduces algal reactive oxygen species accumulation and enhances algal resistance to a bacterial pathogen

Einat Segev · American Committee for the Weizmann Institute of Science · US

Abstract Oxidative stress arises when cells fail to maintain redox balance. Among marine microalgae, oxidative stress is a hallmark of interaction with pathogenic bacteria. In co-culture of Emiliania huxleyi algae with pathogenic bacteria of the species Phaeobacter inhibens, algal intracellular levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) increase prior to bacterial-induced population collapse. Here, we tested whether antioxidant amendments can alter the pathogenic outcome. Screening several environm

Saving the Olive Trees? Ontological Politics and Plant Disease Governance in Apulia, Southern Italy

Fabio Gatti · Wageningen University & Research · NL

In Apulia, everyone wants to “save the olive trees”—yet what is to be saved is far from clear. Since 2013, the spread of Xylella fastidiosa and Olive Quick Decline Syndrome (OQDS) has devastated Southern Italy’s groves and triggered a highly contested phytosanitary crisis. This paper argues that the controversy cannot be reduced to technical uncertainty, knowledge disagreement, or economic interests alone; it is also an ontological conflict—a struggle over the nature of the entities at stake. Dr

Tunable itinerant ferromagnetism in two-dimensional FePd2Te2 hosting 1D spin chains

José J. Baldoví · Parc Científic de la Universitat de València · ES

One-dimensional (1D) magnetism offers unidirectional spin interactions that allow unique tunable properties and unconventional spin phenomena. However, it often suffers from poor stability, limiting practical applications. In this regard, integrating 1D magnetism into two-dimensional (2D) materials enables a promising route to stabilize these systems while preserving their anisotropic magnetic characteristics. Here, we focus on the 2D ferromagnet FePd 2 Te 2 (T C = 183 K), which hosts 1D spin ch

Real-time identification of parametric sloshing-induced heat and mass transfer in a horizontally oriented cylindrical tank

Samuel Akatchi Ahizi · Von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics · BE

The insertion of an ATTTC repeat in an Alu element hyperactivates a neurodevelopmental enhancer in spinocerebellar ataxia type 37

José Bessa · i3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto · PT

Alu elements are evolutionarily very old primate-specific interspersed repeat elements that constitute ∼11% of the human genome. They are a source of short tandem repeats (STRs), which often expand in size and cause inherited neuromuscular and neurodegenerative disorders. How expanded STR insertion mutations within Alu STRs culminate in disease remains unknown. Here, we report an Alu STR located in an intron of DAB1 that functions as a neurodevelopmental enhancer. We demonstrate that an ATTTC re

Influence of a low atmospheric pressure on the growth and lipid composition of Chlorella vulgaris

Cyprien Verseux · University of Bremen · DE

Within crewed missions to Mars, microalgae could be used for the production of essential consumables. Their cultivation there could be less resource-intensive if the pressure inside bioreactors was reduced. However, whether this would decrease their growth is unclear; and how the composition of their lipidome would change (for instance, to compensate for the tendency of low pressure to increase membrane fluidity) is unknown. Here we demonstrate that the growth of Chlorella vulgaris is unaffected

Optical spin glasses

Claudio Conti · Sapienza University of Rome · IT

Spin-glass theory emerged in the 1980s as a merger between theoretical physics and condensed matter. Soon, physicists realized that spin glasses serve as a paradigm for complex systems, as underscored by the 2021 Nobel Prize in Physics, and for applications in machine learning and neuroscience, with a profound connection with the Hopfield model and Boltzmann machines, subjects of the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physics. However, the connection with optics and photonics is even more profound and fundamen

Air–water dynamics and wave forcing mechanisms in a pneumatic long-wave tsunami generator

David McGovern · London South Bank University · GB

The pneumatic tsunami generator enables the generation of Froude-scaled long waves in laboratory flumes through controlled air-pressure variation within a sealed tank. The internal water height responds to pressure evolution above the free surface, which in turn initiates wave formation at the connected flume interface. This configuration represents a canonical pressure-driven free-surface problem in which compressible gas dynamics are coupled to an incompressible liquid through a moving interfa

Targeted KRASG12V Degradation <i>In Vivo</i> Elicits Lung Adenocarcinoma Regression with Subsequent Relapse from Dysregulated Proteolysis

Cristina Mayor-Ruiz · Institute for Research in Biomedicine · ES

Abstract Recent drug discovery breakthroughs have led to the approval of KRASG12C inhibitors in lung adenocarcinoma. Unfortunately, clinical responses are often hampered by the rapid onset of resistance. Proteolysis-targeting chimeras (PROTAC) have emerged as promising alternatives to traditional inhibition. However, there is limited mechanistic understanding of KRAS degradation in vivo. In this study, we developed a preclinical lung adenocarcinoma mouse model and demonstrated that targeted onco

Longitudinal first-trimester reference charts for crown to rump length and related fetal structures in a Population-based setting

Vincent W. V. Jaddoe · Erasmus MC · NL

BACKGROUND: Early fetal growth is a critical period for human development and of great importance for later life health. Detailed knowledge on normal and abnormal development of first trimester fetal and related structures is limited. This study aimed to construct first-trimester population distribution centiles for weeks of gestation and reference centiles for fetal crown to rump length, and yolk, gestational and amniotic sac between 6 and 13 weeks of gestation. METHODS: We used data from 3464

X-ray eclipse tomography: Resolving the extent of X-ray-emitting region(s) in the Seyfert galaxy ESO 362-G18

G. Miniutti

X-ray spectral variability in active galactic nuclei (AGNs) can be either intrinsic or caused by external processes, such as variable absorption. Several transient occultation events from individual clouds or X-ray eclipses have been identified in a number of AGNs in the past two decades. We report results from the analysis of two . Our results highlight the potential of X-ray eclipse tomography for providing a clearer view of the innermost accretion flow geometry and of the AGN surroundings out

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

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

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

Anonymous

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

Making the Queers Visible: Partisanship and Support among Sexual and Gender Minorities in Eastern and Western Europe

JOHANNES GUTENBERG-UNIVERSITAT MAINZ · DE · €1,499,541

Although sexual and gender minorities, often collectively referred to as LGBTQ*, constitute at least 10 percent of Western societies – with increasing representation among younger age cohorts – the influence of sexual and gender identity on political behaviour remains underexplored. Only a few case studies on the US, Canada, and a few Western European states have empirically demonstrated the significance of LGBTQ* mobilisation for party competition. The absence of comprehensive cross-country dat

How do criminals communicate and organise across cultures?

THE CHANCELLOR, MASTERS AND SCHOLARS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD · UK · €1,499,458

The repression of organised criminal groups (OCGs) in a country can lead to a paradoxical outcome: their expansion abroad. In Japan, intensified actions against the yakuza, Japan's OCGs, over the past fifteen years have resulted not only in a reduction of formal membership, but also in a strategic exploration of opportunities beyond national borders. The yakuza's established trade networks in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and China are well-documented, and recent reports indicate the emergence of branch of

Elucidating molecular principles of RNA phage-host interaction

HELMHOLTZ-ZENTRUM FUR INFEKTIONSFORSCHUNG GMBH · DE · €1,500,000

Bacterial viruses called phages are highly diverse predators with multifaceted life cycles. Recent major breakthroughs in phage biology brought phages back into the spotlight, highlighting their tremendous potential in basic and applied research. For instance, bacterial immune systems were shown to be the origin of human innate immune systems and there was significant progress in developing phages into therapeutics to treat multidrug-resistant bacterial infections.However, this recent renaissanc

Studying Imaginative Otherworlds: Chinese Fantasy Fiction, Literary Politics, and Media Creativity

ALBERT-LUDWIGS-UNIVERSITAET FREIBURG · DE · €1,419,850

Fantasy fiction is one of the most understudied areas in in the field of contemporary Chinese literature, a gap that is particularly striking given the current popularity of genres such as Eastern fantasy, science fiction, and silk punk. Over the past two decades, Chinese fantasy fiction has undergone both a quantitative surge and a qualitative transformation, evolving from a niche youth subculture into a fixture of everyday cultural life. The popularity of fantasy fiction reflects not only its

Single Cell PTSD: Novel Target Identification

SIEC BADAWCZA LUKASIEWICZ - PORT POLSKI OSRODEK ROZWOJU TECHNOLOGII · PL · €1,403,931

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a devastating psychiatric disease triggered by severe psychological trauma, affecting 4% of the global population - a prevalence projected to rise due to ongoing conflicts like the war in Ukraine and the looming threat of climate change. Despite its widespread impact, we lack effective treatments of PTSD, placing a significant burden on individuals and society.Previous PTSD research was hindered by limitations such as bulk tissue analyses, a lack of epige

Unraveling tipping dynamics of marine biogeochemistry from past climate transitions

UNIVERSITAET BERN · CH · €1,498,700

CO2 emissions are the primary driver of anthropogenic climate change, and it is thus vital to enhance our understanding of the global carbon cycle, its changes, internal processes, and feedbacks with Earth’s climate system. Climate change further threatens to push the Earth system across multiple tipping points, which could have significant, but yet unconstrained impacts on the carbon cycle. BGCTip will address these challenges by investigating the potentially cascading interactions of climate a

Quantitative Quantum Matter Analysis

LUDWIG-MAXIMILIANS-UNIVERSITAET MUENCHEN · DE · €1,499,190

The assumption that the plain vanilla single-band Hubbard model captures the relevant physics of the cuprate materials has been a key motivation for a host of numerical work and quantum simulation experiments. Recent numerical advances challenge this assumption and raise the pressing question: which minimal model can be used to understand quantum materials exhibiting unconventional superconductivity? However, extracting the relevant Hamiltonian of real materials is a formidable challenge and us

Manufacturing Modernity in Africa - How Industrialisation Transformed Late- and Postcolonial Societies, Politics and Economies (Kenya, Malawi and Zimbabwe, 1940s-2000s)

CENTRE MARC BLOCH EV - DEUTSCH-FRANZOSISCHES FORSCHUNGSZENTRUM FUR SOZIALWISSENSCHAFTEN EV · DE

This interdisciplinary project investigates the long-term history of factories built by the multinational company Bata in Kenya, Malawi and Zimbabwe in the late colonial period and still operating today. This research addresses the under-studied area of industrialisation and manufacturing in Africa, particularly the lack of comprehensive understanding about the local impact of these factories, and the mechanisms behind their influence.The project’s innovative approach combines historical anthrop

Potential impact of sea level rise related salinization on lowland tropical coastal peatlands

GEORG-AUGUST-UNIVERSITAT GOTTINGEN STIFTUNG OFFENTLICHEN RECHTS · DE · €1,966,888

Sea level rise (SLR) poses risks of flooding and salinization to coastal ecosystems. At present, research on SLR impacts still heavily focuses on saline ecosystems (e.g., mangroves, saltmarshes), despite the impact of salinization being particularly dire for freshwater ecosystems. Southeast (SE) Asian coastal peatlands are freshwater wetlands playing important role in tackling the triple planetary crisis: climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution. Mainly located in low-lying coastal plains

The Cultural Vanguard of Workers’ Movements: A Social History of East Central European Avant-Garde between the Two Wars

Kassák Alapítvány · HU · €1,465,135

This project investigates the interaction between workers’ movements and the transnational scene of modern art. The avant-garde forever transformed the relationship between art and everyday life. This project argues that this shift not only dynamized the art world but also extended well beyond the confines of the cultural sphere, transforming the working-class communities in the successor states of the Austro–Hungarian Empire as well, where avant-garde art played a pivotal role in creating a wor

How The Emotions of Politicians Explain their Representative Behavior

UNIVERSITEIT ANTWERPEN · BE · €1,498,730

TEMPER sheds new light on the representative behavior of individual politicians by addressing an overlooked driver of that behavior: their emotions. What makes politicians decide to be responsive to public opinion signals at some occasions, but not at others? And how do politicians go about communicating their viewpoints, sometimes using very emotional or uncivil language, and at other times not? Whereas extant research has been preoccupied with studying the cognitive, strategic reasons that pol

Mapping and Conceptualizing a Legal Framework for Maternal Rights during Pregnancy, Birth, and Early Motherhood (MaMas)

ROSKILDE UNIVERSITET · DK · €1,499,955

Many mothers in Western Europe experience some distress during the times of pregnancy, birth and postpartum, a period called “matrescence”. Although health, social and welfare laws offer some protection and accommodation to women during matrescence, the approach is fragmented and incomplete. The law has yet to address issues such as early pregnancy loss, obstetric violence, and the “motherhood penalty” at work. These experiences have been under-explored and under-theorised in law and feminist le

Neural representation of space: From individual to social place learning in bees

JULIUS-MAXIMILIANS-UNIVERSITAT WURZBURG · DE · €1,499,988

With ease, we daily navigate through our places of residence. From any familiar place, we can compute the shortest route to our workplace or to our favorite coffee shop. Additionally, we can flexibly adjust our route, if a road is suddenly blocked. This flexibility in route planning is based on a topological representation of different places in our brain (cognitive map). While place cells, a neuronal substrate of cognitive maps, have been identified in diverse species across the vertebrate line

Neuronal dynamics of learning and memory in the mammillary body

UNIVERSITAETSMEDIZIN GOETTINGEN - GEORG-AUGUST-UNIVERSITAET GOETTINGEN - STIFTUNG OEFFENTLICHEN RECHTS · DE · €1,492,673

At the heart of our individual personalities lie our memories – be it our first time riding a bike, the school graduation ceremony, or yesterday’s football match. Yet, it is estimated that in the coming decades up to 150 million people worldwide will suffer from dementia. To tackle this surge and identify therapeutic interventions, a thorough understanding of the neuronal mechanisms underlying long-term memory storage is necessary. Research in humans and rodents has identified the hippocampus as

Medieval French Lyric Across Linguistic Borders: Music, Imitation, and Intertextuality

UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI ROMA LA SAPIENZA · IT · €1,497,467

MUSICA FRANCA will investigate the role music played as a shared medium of communication across medieval Europe, enabling texts and ideas to travel across linguistic and political borders. Indeed, medieval poets and performers thought of melodic borrowing and re-use as constitutive to the process of creation. By investigating melodic imitation, intended as a range of techniques (from borrowing stylistic features to the reuse of entire melodies) in French, Galician-Portuguese, German, and Occitan

Mathematical Insights into Dynamics of Incompressible Turbulence

UNIVERSITA COMMERCIALE LUIGI BOCCONI · IT · €1,497,540

The unifying goal of the MIND project is to enhance the mathematical understanding of turbulence in incompressible fluid mechanics. Turbulence represents one of the most profound unsolved problems in classical physics, giving rise to numerous deep mathematical challenges. The research is structured around two major interconnected objectives. The first focuses on linear advection-diffusion equations with singular velocity fields, exploring key quantitative aspects such as mixing, enhanced dissipa

The right to give rights. Welfare professionals as guardians of undocumented migrants’ human rights.

MALMO UNIVERSITET · SE · €1,499,837

Undocumented migrants’ rights are under pressure in Europe today and migration control is increasingly deputized across different societal actors. Several decades ago, Hannah Arendt pointed out that universalistic understandings of human rights have little to offer noncitizens. Inspired by her, researchers have suggested that the foundation for undocumented migrants’ human rights instead can be found in the right-claims and contestations of migrants themselves. However, little attention has been

Greek in the West: language communities, migration and the transformation of society in western Europe, 300–700 CE

THE UNIVERSITY OF LIVERPOOL · UK · €1,440,137

This project reconstructs the place of Greek in the sociolinguistic landscape of western Europe during Late Antiquity (300–700 CE). Integrating textual and epigraphic evidence, it will trace the evolving use and knowledge of Greek in literary and political culture, religion, and daily life. This period witnessed transformations that would change the shape of European history: the rise of Christianity, the fragmentation of the western Roman empire, the introduction of new political and economic i

Foundations of Delay Doppler Communications and Sensing

TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITAT BERLIN · DE · €1,499,586

Integrated sensing and communications (ISAC) is listed as one of the six primary usage scenarios in the forthcoming 6th Generation (6G) network. However, the current wireless infrastructures are far away from meeting the 6G key performance indicators (KPIs) of both sensing and communications. 6G requires a 1.5 to 3 times growth in spectral efficiency compared to 5G, and significant improvements in sensing ability. These stringent requirements cannot be met by the current physical-layer waveform.

Atomically thin semiconductors for complementary field effect transistors

THE CHANCELLOR MASTERS AND SCHOLARS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE · UK · €1,936,780

Atomically thin body (ATB) semiconductors such as transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) hold tremendous promise for scaling modern electronics because their ultra-thin channel provides excellent gate electrostatics. Major semiconductor companies and international roadmaps for devices and systems have cited ATB TMDs for sub-1-nm semiconductor technologies beyond 2030. ATOMS will focus on developing ultra-scaled complementary field effect transistors (CFETs) based on ATB semiconductors, offering

Identity-Error: How Social Self-Evidencing Exposes Vulnerability to Falsehoods and Conspiracy Beliefs

UNIVERSITY OF LIMERICK · IE · €1,499,093

Understanding how people discern the “truthfulness” of information is of fundamental importance to science. However, the complexity of dynamic information processing in social environments has made it convenient to “silo” research at different levels of analysis (neurological, psychological, social). To overcome this, we need end-to-end modeling that explains when and why people are vulnerable to falsehoods and mistruth.IDENTITY-ERROR pursues a new methodological framework that integrates a soci

Archaeological Robotics for Mapping and Investigating Shipwrecks in the Arctic

NORGES TEKNISK-NATURVITENSKAPELIGE UNIVERSITET NTNU · NO · €1,949,705

In the waters around Svalbard there are more than a thousand undiscovered shipwrecks from the early whaling period on the seabed. With the environmental changes rapidly happening in the Arctic, this presumably well-preserved underwater cultural heritage may be under threat. ARCHEOROBOTICS aims to develop methods for autonomous robots to find and investigate these wrecks and secure the invaluable human and ecological history they represent before it is too late. ARCHEOROBOTICS is divided into fiv

Socio-Economic Metabolism PATHways for sustainable metal cYcles

UNIVERSITAT BAYREUTH · DE · €1,500,000

SEMPATHY aims to develop and apply a multi-material, mass balance-consistent, composition-aware, and process simulation-based method called Material Pathway Analysis to provide the basis for modelling, simulating, and optimising sustainable global material cycles for technology metals. SEMPATHY addresses the urgent challenge of global metal cycles not being closed and the environmental impacts of metal production and processing becoming more relevant globally. At the same time, global demand for

The Ethics of Synthetic Data in the Age of Machine Learning and AI

UNIVERSITY OF YORK · UK · €1,248,460

SYNDATA develops a novel approach to understanding the ethical consequences of synthetic data for contemporary societies. Machine learning algorithms and AI models such as Gemini and GPT-4 are increasingly used to generate data (called ‘synthetic data’), which is in turn used to train other algorithmic models. This is leading to transformations in social and political life, because synthetic data embody a promise to address an array of ethical challenges associated with AI, such as the lack of e

Gut Influences on Brain and Mind

DEUTSCHES INSTITUT FUER ERNAEHRUNGSFORSCHUNG POTSDAM REHBRUECKE · DE · €1,499,980

A “gut feeling” is an intuition arising without conscious reasoning. This idiom reflects a profound biological truth: the gut is directly connected to subcortical systems that regulate arousal, mood, and behavior. However, brain-body theories often overlook these connections and their influence on arousal, a key mechanism through which the gut affects cognition. Moreover, we lack a detailed understanding of how different time scales of gut activity -from rapid contractions (seconds to minutes) t

Quantum Enhanced Sensing with Trapped ions for Atomic Parity Violation

STICHTING VU · NL · €1,968,875

The Standard Model (SM) of particle physics classifies the known particles and describes their non-gravitational interactions extremely well. However, it fails to provide answers to various big open questions, such as the origin of dark matter. The QuEST project aims to break new ground in fundamental physics by probing the electroweak (EW) sector of the SM. The weak force is the only fundamental interaction that is known to break spatial mirror symmetry known as parity. In atomic systems, parit

Universality in the Kardar–Parisi–Zhang class

THE UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH · UK · €1,402,866

This proposal aims to solve central open problems in the study of the Kardar–Parisi–Zhang (KPZ) class as well as develop new tools to study its models.The KPZ class consists of a large set of models, sharing common microscopic dynamical features and aiming at modeling the physical phenomena of random growth interfaces. The two main goals in my proposal are1) Show that the KPZ-scaling is universal in a large family of non-integrable models in the KPZ class.It is believed that models in the KPZ

Rituals in combatant-to-civilian transformation

INSTITUTT FOR FREDSFORSKNING · NO · €1,499,981

In 2023, the number of conflicts reached its highest level since 1946, making it one of the most violent years on record. Many of these conflicts were recurring, suggesting that efforts to reintegrate ex-combatants from non-state groups have largely been unsuccessful. While most research on reintegration has focused on its economic and political aspects, it has overlooked the role and impact of one of the most universal activities in human social life: rituals.The overall objective of Com2Civ is

From streetlight to starlight: How light pollution disrupts insect orientation and alters habitat connectivity

CARL VON OSSIETZKY UNIVERSITAET OLDENBURG · DE · €1,499,511

The widespread use of artificial lighting has drastically changed night skies across the globe, creating a specific threat to nocturnal species: light pollution. Recently, light pollution has been identified as one driver of insect decline. Among nocturnal insects, moths are particularly important as they serve as both key pollinators and food source, providing essential ecosystem functions. To mitigate the effects of light pollution, a comprehensive understanding of moth orientation is essentia

Unravelling early dinosaur success through fossil digestive contents and trophic dynamics

UPPSALA UNIVERSITET · SE · €1,500,000

The early radiation of dinosaurs, spanning approximately 30 million years from their emergence to dominance of terrestrial ecosystems, remains a complex and poorly understood evolutionary event. While previous studies have focused mainly on phylogenetic aspects, less attention has been given to the ecological dynamics that drove their success. This project aims to fill that gap by employing a novel, multidisciplinary approach to investigate the early evolution of dinosaurs through the lens of th

Robust Econometrics of Games in IO

QUEEN MARY UNIVERSITY OF LONDON · UK · €1,477,651

REGIO develops advanced econometric methods to identify and estimate economic fundamentals in games played by firms, addressing a broad spectrum of real-world industrial organization scenarios. These methods bridge critical gaps where existing techniques fall short and provide a disciplined framework to relax less credible assumptions about firm behavior and the game environment, enabling researchers to draw robust empirical conclusions. Their effectiveness is demonstrated through applications,

DIPOLAR fermionic SuperFluidity

UNIVERSIDAD DE SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA · ES · €1,915,505

Strongly correlated systems give rise to fascinating emergent phenomena, such as high-temperature and topological superconductivity. Due to the complexity of those materials, understanding the underlying microscopic mechanisms is very challenging. While ultracold Fermi gases have emerged as a model system to investigate strongly interacting systems, they have primarily focused on local and short-range interactions. This proposal aims to overcome these limitations and pioneer the quantum simulat

Where the wild things were: how the rise of farming changed human-wildlife relationships

UNIVERSITEIT LEIDEN · NL · €1,500,000

WILDERFARM explores the significant changes in human-wildlife relationships that occurred with the rise of farming in western Europe between 6000 and 2000 BCE. Up until now, research on this period has focused strongly on the domestication of animals and plants and the emergence of the new relationship between humans and domesticates. WILDERFARM shifts the perspective, examining how farmers renegotiated the age-old relationship with wild animals and how the rise of farming and its activities, su

Geometry-driven self-organisation in active living matter

EUROPEAN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY LABORATORY · DE · €1,473,000

Living materials process information through their physical degrees of freedom, enabling autonomous functions beyond the capabilities of electronic systems. For example, a migrating cell uses its own shape dynamics to navigate through complex environments and decide which way to go. Yet, the principles underlying such physical information processing have not been identified due to the complexity inherent to problems involving fluctuating dynamic boundaries, and the need for a multidisciplinary a

From Understanding to Generating Meaningful Language: Unravelling the Origins of Our Words

THE HEBREW UNIVERSITY OF JERUSALEM · IL · €1,500,000

WordOrigins will establish an understanding of language generation by integrating ecological neuroscience and computational models. Language is central to human experience, enabling communication and thought expression. However, the brain mechanisms that generate meaningful language, convey coherent thoughts and elicit responses still need to be understood. I will address this gap by leveraging advances in electrophysiology (iEEG) and artificial intelligence, particularly Large Language Models (

Reverse salinity energy harvesting-assisted electromembrane system for metal ion fractionation and hydrogen production from battery waste

POLITECHNIKA WROCLAWSKA · PL · €1,500,000

Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) have revolutionised daily life and automation, but recovering them poses challenges due to the toxic, multi-component mixtures produced during acidic leaching. Here, we propose a novel method for selectively fractionating metal ions from battery waste and hydrogen production powered by salinity gradient differences that occur when two solutions with different concentrations are mixed. To achieve this, we employ reverse electrodialysis (RED). The RED process selective