A hot topic at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is the production of anti-nuclei. In ultra high-energy collisions at the LHC, nuclei with very low binding energies are not expected to survive the dense and hot final state environment. This project aims to investigate the nuclei and anti-nuclei production in relativistic hadronic collisions at the LHC to test the microscopic mechanism of their production, which is still under debate. In particular, this project would focus on the first experimental measurement of how quantum numbers (in particular baryon number) of produced deuterons are balanced by other hadrons in proton-proton (pp) collisions. One can in this way experimentally test the coalescence hypothesis of nuclei production, directly by measuring if the proton in the deuteron is balanced by an antiproton exactly the same way as for a free proton. If this is the case, then it indicates that the proton in the deuteron is formed in the same way as a free proton. The idea to perform these measurements is presented in this proposal for the first time and has never been performed before. The same measurements can also be compared with the predictions from the famous PYTHIA8 model whose development and maintenance are centered around the Lund University Theory group. The balance is expected to depend on transverse momentum and could depend on multiplicity as this controls the number of final state interactions. To make the highest precision differential measurements, the analysis will use 13.6 TeV pp collision datasets to be taken in Run 3 (2022-2025) with the recently upgraded ALICE detector that can handle rates that are 10-100 times larger than before the upgrade. The ability to perform the measurements takes advantage of the expertise of the fellow and the supervisor who both have a long association with ALICE collaboration at the LHC and has the necessary expertise and network to carry out the measurements.

Cellular reprogramming has revolutionized stem cell biology by allowing the generation of stem cells, progenitors, or somatic cell identities with small combinations of transcription factors (TFs). Currently, the limited understanding of how these different degrees of plasticity are established and maintained keeps on hold the application of reprogrammed cells in the clinic. With the RePLASTIC project, I propose to uncover novel regulators that define degrees of plasticity and control cell identity, with an interdisciplinary approach merging the fields of gene editing, stem cells and immunology. I will develop an innovative platform to evaluate the impact of gene knockout across the process of cell reprogramming in human cells, comparing multiple cell conversion scenarios: pluripotency, multipotency (hematopoietic stem cells) and unipotency (dendritic cells). For this, I will carry out a CRISPR/Cas9 knockout screening coupled with next-generation sequencing using custom-designed sgRNA libraries targeting TFs, chromatin regulators, and RNA modifiers. After sequencing, I will determine the molecular targets that are relevant by comparing the three reprogramming systems. Genes involved in cell conversion will be defined as regulators of plasticity, and top hits will be validated to study their molecular mechanism and role. Certainly, RePLASTIC will open new research avenues on the basic principles of cellular plasticity and provide ground-breaking technologies that may contribute to immunotherapy, regeneration and cancer. I will pursue this project as an incoming researcher supervised by Dr. Filipe Pereira (Lund University, Sweden). During my stay, I will acquire hands-on expertise in cutting-edge techniques: direct reprogramming, hematopoietic/immune cells, gene editing, deep sequencing. I will also gain experience in mentorship and writing skills and expand my network by attending national and international meetings to present my work and foster new collaborations.

Livelihoods of most of the African population strongly depend on local ecosystem services, such as grazing, agriculture, firewood, and construction timber. Although an overall greening trend is shown by both dynamic global vegetation models (DGVMs) and Earth Observation (EO), large uncertainties for each data source are reported and significant divergence between outputs have been documented, impeding accurate assessment of vegetation dynamics in Africa. The overall purpose of this project is to develop methods to for an improved assessment of African vegetation resources based on new capabilities originating from satellite passive microwave observations. Specifically, the vegetation optical depth (VOD) derived from passive microwave data is sensitive to the water content in both the green and woody (i.e., branches and stems) vegetation components which is different from the traditional optical-infrared greenness driven vegetation index (VI) being primarily sensitive to chlorophyll abundance. By combining multi-frequency VOD retrievals with long-term VI datasets, in situ measurements, and DGVMs, this project will accurately quantify woody biomass, green biomass, net primary production (NPP), vegetation phenology and ecosystem functional types (EFT) in Africa, as well as their long-term changes and the climate and socio-economic drivers. The results are expected to pave the road for improved vegetation resource management in Africa and understanding of global carbon cycling. To achieve this, I will be trained in cutting edge skills (EO time series, flux measurements and ecosystem modeling). My major mobility activity will be sparking the integration of passive microwave VOD, carbon and water flux measurements and DGVMs for an improved understanding of changes in vegetation resources and drivers hereof in Africa.

The proposal focuses on Theory of Characteristic Modes(TCM), a reasonably general methodology to systematically design and analyse arbitrary antennas in wireless communication systems by providing accurate physical insights of the working mechanism. With the rise of the diverse and complex requirements of modern antenna systems, the existing TCM is not sufficiently effective to handle critical design problems such as multi-scale vehicular antenna systems and large-scale massive MIMO base station arrays, which leads to an urgent need for further improvement of TCM. Firstly, for the theoretical aspect, with the help of volume integral equations and appropriate basis functions, characteristic modes(CMs) of inhomogeneous anisotropic dielectric bodies based on the method of moments will be extracted for the first time. The novel theory will be used to design practical antennas coated by the inhomogeneous anisotropic materials. Secondly, concerning CM computation, CMs are planned to be established on special non-uniform meshes through an effective Discontinuous Galerkin method. The novel strategy is fully dependent on the detailed features of the physical structure and scales of the target, which will lead to a wider range of targeted applications. Finally, for the application aspect, quasi-entire domain basis functions will be constructed based on specific CMs of an arbitrary antenna element in the array to enhance the efficiency of electromagnetic computation for extremely large-scale periodic arrays without loss of accuracy. Through the strict execution of the jointly conceived career development plan, the fellow's competencies will be enhanced in all aspects during the project, including leadership and cooperation skills, teaching and supervisory skills, professional network development as well as professional skills in scientific research. Additionally, mutually beneficial long-term collaborations will be developed and established between the host and the fellow.

The economy influences which parties citizens vote for. But how do parties respond to macroeconomic conditions? Despite the theoretical and normative implications on democratic representation, existing studies have yet to provide an answer. ECONPARTY addresses this lacuna by investigating how the economy influences party behavior. It begins with this idea: parties electorally disadvantaged by the economy alter their issue profiles during elections and in legislative activities, in order to reduce voters' attention on the economy. Economic growth motivates parties to differentiate their issue profiles, while decline motivates them to do the opposite (converge). ECONPARTY will first investigate how parties differentiate or converge on three types of issues – redistribution, public services, and non-economic issues such as immigration. It will then examine the impacts of sustained growth and decline on party polarization. ECONPARTY will provide a new research agenda on the political effects of the macroeconomy, and boost methodological innovation in the fields of political economy and party competition. ECONPARTY will construct two game-theoretic models of the macroeconomy's impacts on parties' electoral and legislative strategies (models 1 and 2). The models will yield testable hypotheses. It will then utilize automated content analysis to code election manifestos and legislative bills from 1960 to 2020 in 10 democracies. Large-N statistical analyses will follow. The fellowship is crucial for my becoming a professor at a European university. Under the guidance of Prof. Johannes Lindvall, I will gain 1) new research skills in political economy and public policy, 2) scientific skills in time-series models, and 3) transferrable skills in academic publishing, grant management, and public outreach. These skills will help establish my expertise in political economy and democratic representation, and help me inform the public on the economy's potential in shaping politics.