Why and how do project management offices change? A structural analysis approach

The growing popularity of Project Management Offices (PMOs) as organizational structures is grounded in the assumption they support more efficient and effective project management for better strategy implementation. However, research emphasizes they fail to deliver expected value: their unstable nature precludes the delivery of long-term benefits. This is compounded by the absence of a theory of PMO change and adaptation. Recent research, taking a co-evolution lens rooted in evolutionary theory, suggests that PMOs should be studied in relation to the broader organizational context, in order to better capture the dynamic interplay and fit between them. In this study, taking a routine perspective as micro-foundation and unit of analysis, we focus on the co-evolution between PMO and Project Portfolio Management (PfM) as organizational capability for six case studies. A structural analysis of the relational routines' system between PMO, PfM and the Organizational context allow us to unveil dynamics at stake, i.e. why and how changes occur, as well as eigen behaviors and the changing states of various routines elements (influential, mediating, dependent or not-influential). This study makes five contributions. We show that: 1) PMO and PfM can be conceptualized as collections of routines, 2) PMO and PfM co-evolve over time to adapt to organizational context influence, 3) the co-evolution of a routines' system, abstracted as a non-trivial machine, exhibits an eigen behavior, 4) applying a structural analysis approach allows to simulate the dynamics of a routines' system and to unveil the role of key routine elements and 5) eigen values of routines' systems allow to characterize their eigen behavior.     

Defining Dry Eye from a Clinical Perspective

Over the past decades, the number of patients with dry eye disease (DED) has increased dramatically. The incidence of DED is higher in Asia than in Europe and North America, suggesting the involvement of cultural or racial factors in DED etiology. Although many definitions of DED have been used, discrepancies exist between the various definitions of dry eye disease (DED) used across the globe. This article presents a clinical consensus on the definition of DED, as formulated in four meetings with global DED experts. The proposed new definition is as follows: “Dry eye is a multifactorial disease characterized by a persistently unstable and/or deficient tear film (TF) causing discomfort and/or visual impairment, accompanied by variable degrees of ocular surface epitheliopathy, inflammation and neurosensory abnormalities.” The key criteria for the diagnosis of DED are unstable TF, inflammation, ocular discomfort and visual impairment. This definition also recommends the assessment of ocular surface epitheliopathy and neurosensory abnormalities in each patient with suspected DED. It is easily applicable in clinical practice and should help practitioners diagnose DED consistently. This consensus definition of DED should also help to guide research and clinical trials that, to date, have been hampered by the lack of an established surrogate endpoint.     

The P2Y2 Receptor C-Terminal Tail Modulates but Is Dispensable for β-Arrestin Recruitment

The P2Y₂ receptor (P2Y₂R) is a G protein-coupled receptor that is activated by extracellular ATP and UTP, to a similar extent. This allows it to play roles in the cell’s response to the (increased) release of these nucleotides, e.g., in response to stress situations, including mechanical stress and oxygen deprivation. However, despite its involvement in important (patho)physiological processes, the intracellular signaling induced by the P2Y₂R remains incompletely described. Therefore, this study implemented a NanoBiT^® functional complementation assay to shed more light on the recruitment of β-arrestins (βarr1 and βarr2) upon receptor activation. More specifically, upon determination of the optimal configuration in this assay system, the effect of different (receptor) residues/regions on βarr recruitment to the receptor in response to ATP or UTP was estimated. To this end, the linker was shortened, the C-terminal tail was truncated, and phosphorylatable residues in the third intracellular loop of the receptor were mutated, in either singly or multiply adapted constructs. The results showed that none of the introduced adaptations entirely abolished the recruitment of either βarr, although EC₅₀ values differed and time-luminescence profiles appeared to be qualitatively altered. The results hint at the C-terminal tail modulating the interaction with βarr, while not being indispensable.     

Induction of Oxidative Stress by Sunflower Phytotoxins in Germinating Mustard Seeds

The aim of this study was to investigate the phytotoxic effect of sunflower on physiological and biochemical processes during germination of mustard seeds (Sinapis alba L. cv. Nakielska). To exclude the involvement of osmotic stress in seed reaction to phytotoxic compounds, we compared the effect of 10% (w/v) water extract from sunflower (Helianthus annuus L. cv. Ogrodowy) leaves and 28.4% (w/v) polyethylene glycol (PEG) 8000 solution characterized by an equal Ψ = −1 MPa. We evaluated (1) the amount of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂); (2) activities of antioxidant enzymes: superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione reductase; (3) membrane permeability; and (4) level of malondialdehyde (MDA). Both, sunflower compounds and PEG solutions inhibited mustard seed germination, but only phytotoxins caused an increase in the cell membrane permeability, MDA level, H₂O₂ concentration, and alterations in activities of antioxidant enzymes. Our results demonstrate that despite the activation of the antioxidant system by sunflower phytotoxins, reactive oxygen species accumulation caused cellular damage, which resulted in the decrease of germinability and gradual loss of seed vigor. It seems that the negative effect of sunflower on germination of mustard seeds is mostly because of its toxicity and not to its contribution to osmotic potential.     

Effects of extraction temperature on the phenolic and parthenolide contents,and colour of aqueous feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium) extracts

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of extraction temperature on the colour as well as on the phenolic and parthenolide content of feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium) aqueous extracts, with a view to incorporating the extracts into a beverage. Results showed that extraction temperatures of 20–70 °C yielded dark-coloured extracts with low total phenol and a relatively high total tannin concentration. However, increasing the temperature to 75 °C produced lighter-coloured extracts with a significantly higher concentration of total phenols, lower total tannin fraction and maximum extraction of parthenolide. Higher extraction temperatures (80–100 °C) yielded suitably pale extracts rich in total phenols, but with progressively higher total tannin to non-tannin ratio and lower parthenolide content. The compromise temperature of 80 °C was found to provide extracts rich in parthenolide content, phenolic content and with a desirable colour, suitable for incorporation into a functional beverage.     

Hydrodynamic characteristics of gas–solid fluidization at high temperature

Effect of temperature on the hydrodynamics of bubbling gas–solid fluidized beds was investigated in this work. Experiments were carried out at different temperatures ranged of 25–600°C and different superficial gas velocities in the range of 0.17–0.78 m/s with sand particles. The time‐position trajectory of particles was obtained by the radioactive particle tracking technique at elevated temperature. These data were used for determination of some hydrodynamic parameters (mean velocity of upward and downward‐moving particles, jump frequency, cycle frequency, and axial/radial diffusivities) which are representative to solids mixing through the bed. It was shown that solids mixing and diffusivity of particles increases by increasing temperature up to around 300°C. However, these parameters decrease by further increasing the temperature to higher than 300°C. This could be attributed to the properties of bubble and emulsion phases. Results of this study indicated that the bubbles grow up to a maximum diameter by increasing the temperature up to 300°C, after which the bubbles become smaller. The results showed that due to the wall effect, there is no significant change in the mean velocity of downward‐moving clusters. In order to explain these trends, surface tension of emulsion between the rising bubble and the emulsion phase was introduced and evaluated in the bubbling fluidized bed. The results showed that surface tension between bubble and emulsion is increased by increasing temperature up to 300°C, however, after that it acts in oppositely.     

Transparent ZnS Ceramics by Sintering of High Purity Monodisperse Nanopowders

We report an efficient way of preparing transparent ZnS ceramics using the hot‐pressing technique. It has been found that the transparency is highly dependent on the purity and the grain size distribution of the starting ZnS powders. Highly pure and monodisperse ZnS powders have been obtained by posttreatment of the precipitated powders in a H₂S/N₂ flow for 2 h at 600°C. The obtained ZnS ceramics show fully dense and homogeneous microstructure with average grain size of ~1 μm and smooth grain boundaries, leading to an excellent transmission of around 70% in the mid‐ and far‐ IR regions. The preparation technique described in this study is highly reproducible.     

Binding Mode and Structure–Activity Relationships around Direct Inhibitors of the Nrf2–Keap1 Complex

An X‐ray crystal structure of Kelch‐like ECH‐associated protein (Keap1) co‐crystallised with (1S,2R)‐2‐[(1S)‐1‐[(1,3‐dioxo‐2,3‐dihydro‐1H‐isoindol‐2‐yl)methyl]‐1,2,3,4‐tetrahydroisoquinolin‐2‐carbonyl]cyclohexane‐1‐carboxylic acid (compound (S,R,S)‐ 1 a ) was obtained. This X‐ray crystal structure provides breakthrough experimental evidence for the true binding mode of the hit compound (S,R,S)‐ 1 a , as the ligand orientation was found to differ from that of the initial docking model, which was available at the start of the project. Crystallographic elucidation of this binding mode helped to focus and drive the drug design process more effectively and efficiently.