A System Dynamics Approach for Strategic Analysis of Project Portfolio Interdependencies

Understanding project portfolio interdependencies is essential in order to manage projects in complex and dynamic environments. Project environments across the globe are becoming increasingly complex, creating heightened challenges for project management (PM) and project portfolio management (PPM). Current research indicates that organisations globally fall short of understanding how project interdependencies affect portfolio outcomes. The literature on System Dynamics (SD) suggests that SD may be a suitable tool to encapsulate the âbigger pictureâ of PPM interdependencies. This research applies a client interactive approach using SD modelling techniques to represent interdependencies within a project portfolio. A case study was conducted with the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) to investigate SD as a potential tool for the management of project portfolio interdependencies The outcomes of the case study suggest that SD has the ability to challenge an organisationâs perceptions of their project portfolio interdependencies and to enhance strategic decisionmaking capabilities

Visualising project interdependencies for enhanced project portfolio decision-making

Project management (PM) and project portfolio management (PPM) communities face challenges in the management of complex and highly interdependent project portfolios, as these interdependencies must be understood and managed for best project and portfolio outcomes. The research reported in this paper provides benefits to the global PM and PPM community by introducing a new tool and by providing insights into the factors affecting an organisationâs ability to understand project interdependencies (PI). Visual project mapping (VPM), the creation of graphical displays of projects and their interdependencies as a network of nodes and arrows, is shown to provide benefits by supporting communication and strategic portfolio decision making. The research also highlights the importance of the environment and culture as well as processes and tools and indicates that they work together to improve an organisationâs understanding of project portfolio interdependencie

Managing project interdependencies: exploring new approaches

The interdependencies between projects create complexities for the management of project portfolios within organisations. In times of uncertainty this challenge is even greater due to the difficulties in predicting the flow-on effects from changes to projects in the portfolio. Hence, in times of disruptive change a good understanding of project interdependencies is particularly important. This paper outlines two related studies that aim to improve the understanding and management of interdependencies within project portfolios. The paper first defines project portfolio management (PPM) and highlights its growing importance for optimising organisational outcomes, especially in dynamic environments. Project portfolio complexity and interdependencies between projects in a portfolio are then overviewed, highlighting the challenges that these interdependencies create for effective PPM, and introducing some of the methods used for understanding and managing these interdependencies including the dependency matrix and the related design structure matrix. Network analysis and mapping tools are then introduced and suggested as a novel method for improving understanding and managing project interdependencies. Finally, an example of the use of this type of method is presented and the current research projects are overviewed

Synbiotic approach restores intestinal homeostasis and prolongs survival in leukaemia mice with cachexia

Cancer cachexia is a multifactorial syndrome that includes muscle wasting and inflammation. As gut microbes influence host immunity and metabolism, we investigated the role of the gut microbiota in the therapeutic management of cancer and associated cachexia. A community-wide analysis of the caecal microbiome in two mouse models of cancer cachexia (acute leukaemia or subcutaneous transplantation of colon cancer cells) identified common microbial signatures, including decreased Lactobacillus spp. and increased Enterobacteriaceae and Parabacteroides goldsteinii/ASF 519. Building on this information, we administered a synbiotic containing inulin-type fructans and live Lactobacillus reuteri 100-23 to leukaemic mice. This treatment restored the Lactobacillus population and reduced the Enterobacteriaceae levels. It also reduced hepatic cancer cell proliferation, muscle wasting and morbidity, and prolonged survival. Administration of the synbiotic was associated with restoration of the expression of antimicrobial proteins controlling intestinal barrier function and gut immunity markers, but did not impact the portal metabolomics imprinting of energy demand. In summary, this study provided evidence that the development of cancer outside the gut can impact intestinal homeostasis and the gut microbial ecosystem and that a synbiotic intervention, by targeting some alterations of the gut microbiota, confers benefits to the host, prolonging survival and reducing cancer proliferation and cachexia

Assessment of bacterial and fungal populations in urine from clinically healthy dogs using next‐generation sequencing

Abstract Background Urine from clinically healthy dogs is not sterile. Characterizing microbial diversity and abundance within this population of dogs is important to define normal reference ranges for healthy urine. Objectives To establish composition and relative representation of bacterial and fungal microbiomes in urine of clinically healthy dogs. Animals Fifty clinically healthy dogs. Methods Analytic study. Urine sampling via cystocentesis. Comprehensive evaluation of urine including standard urinalysis, culture and sensitivity, next‐generation sequencing (NGS), and bioinformatics to define bacterial and fungal microbiome. Results Culture did not yield positive results in any samples. Next‐generation sequencing of urine established low presence of bacteria, fungi, or both in all samples. Diversity and abundance of bacterial and fungal communities varied between urine samples from different dogs. Struvite crystals were associated with bacterial community structure (P = .07) and there was a positive correlation between struvite crystals and pH. Conclusions and Clinical Importance The microbiome in urine of clinically healthy dogs has diverse bacterial and fungal species These findings highlight limitations of conventional culture testing and the need for culture‐independent molecular diagnostics to detect microorganisms in urine

Tagebauseen in Deutschland. Gegenwaertiger Kenntnisstand ueber wasserwirtschaftliche Belange von Braunkohlentagebaurestloechern - ein Ueberblick

More than 500 mining lakes of different age and maturity have formed in the lignite mining areas in Germany during the last hundred years. Compared to natural lakes mining lakes have a complex and diverse morphometry. They will be among the largest and deepest lakes in Germany (Hambacher See, Goitsche, Garzweiler II, Geiseltal) and have good chance of avoiding eutrophication. About 100 mining lakes will be greater than 50 ha. 230 lakes are documented in this report concerning morphometry, flooding and mixis regime, hydrochemistry, limnology, colonization, use and development of water quality. They are among the largest (Hambacher See, Goitsche, Garzweiler II, Geiseltal) and most acidic lakes in Germany. The extremely high acidity is from both iron and hydrogen ions due to pyrit oxidation. It influences trophic situation and food webs in mining lakes and reduces a diverse use of these lakes. (orig.)Die Seelandschaft Deutschlands wird durch den Braunkohlenbergbau um ueber 500 Seen reicher. Technologiebedingt herrscht dabei eine grosse morphologische Vielfalt innerhalb der Tagebauseen vor, welche die groessten und tiefsten Seen Deutschlands hervorbringen wird (Hambacher See, Goitsche, Garzweiler II, Geiseltal), aber auch zahlreiche kleine, meist flachere Gewaesser miteinschliesst. Etwa 100 Taugebauseen sind groesser als 50 ha. Kleinere Tagebauseen wie z.B. die der Ville in Nordrhein-Westfalen wurden ebenfalls ausfuehrlich dokumentiert. In dieser Dokumentation wurden ueber 490 Seen erfasst, 230 davon wurden in der Dokumentation nach folgenden Kriterien beschrieben: Entstehung, Flutungsregime, Morphometrie und Mixis, Chemismus und Gewaesserentwicklung, Besiedlung und Nutzung. Dem Problem der Versauerung durch die Verwitterung sulfidischer Mineralien (Pyrit, Markasit) wurde besondere Aufmerksamkeit gewidmet, weil sich biologische Komponenten und Gewaesserzustaende (Trophie, Nahrungsketten) abweichend zu den normalen Hartwasserseen Deutschlands verhalten und zahlreiche Nutzungen einschraenken. (orig.)Available from TIB Hannover: RN 8422(2001,35) / FIZ - Fachinformationszzentrum Karlsruhe / TIB - Technische InformationsbibliothekSIGLEBundesministerium fuer Umwelt, Naturschutz und Reaktorsicherheit, Bonn (Germany)DEGerman

Prebiotics: why definitions matter.

The prebiotic concept was introduced twenty years ago, and despite several revisions to the original definition, the scientific community has continued to debate what it means to be a prebiotic. How prebiotics are defined is important not only for the scientific community, but also for regulatory agencies, the food industry, consumers and healthcare professionals. Recent developments in community-wide sequencing and glycomics have revealed that more complex interactions occur between putative prebiotic substrates and the gut microbiota than previously considered. A consensus among scientists on the most appropriate definition of a prebiotic is necessary to enable continued use of the term