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Browsing by Issue Date, starting with "2024-02-02"

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  • Analyzing the key decision factors for selecting the appropriate project management approach
    Publication . Reis, Ana Beatriz Gonçalves; Amaral, António Manuel Pereira da Silva
    Projectization has emerged as a transformative approach to streamline work, bolstering companies’ competitive advantage and enabling the swift and high-quality execution of projects. However, this transition presents significant challenges in project management, especially when managers are deeply entrenched in a specific approach. To significantly enhance the chances of success, companies must choose the appropriate project management. This research conducted an in-depth review of the existing literature on project management, resulting in the selection of 45 highly relevant articles from a vast pool of 113 sources. Next, an interview protocol was developed and used in semi-structured interviews with ten experienced project managers. These project managers have experience using different methodologies and across various industries. A comparative analysis between literature and selected practitioners allowed for a comprehensive understanding of project management. The study's findings underscore the paramount significance of several key factors, namely, project scope, client culture, team culture, project duration and business sector. The first three factors have been discussed in prior literature. The fourth factor has been mentioned in prior work, but it has not been specifically discussed in detail how this factor can be used to guide the selection of the project management approach. The fifth factor is a new criterion proposed based on the results of the data analysis. This research contributes to science by highlighting which factors are important for project management and identifying a new factor to the literature. This study also contributes to practice by underscoring the vital role of selecting appropriate project management in an ever-evolving business landscape and by proposing the specific factors that must be considered to achieve project success.
    2024-02-02Master thesis Embargoed access Show more
  • Polymorphisms and haplotypes of TOLLIP and MUC5B are associated with susceptibility and survival in patients with fibrotic hypersensitivity pneumonitis
    Publication . Mota, P.C.; Soares, M.L.; Ferreira, A.C.; F. Santos, Rita; Cavaleiro Rufo, J; Vasconcelos, D.; Carvalho, A.; Guimarães, S.; Vasques-Novo, F.; Cardoso, C.; Melo, N.; Alexandre, A.T.; Coelho, D.; Novais-Bastos, H.; Morais, A.
    Hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP) is an interstitial lung disease with diverse clinical features that can present a fibrotic phenotype similar to idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) in genetically predisposed individuals. While several single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) have been associated with IPF, the genetic factors contributing to fibrotic HP (fHP) remain poorly understood. This study investigated the association of MUC5B and TOLLIP variants with susceptibility, clinical presentation and survival in Portuguese patients with fH. A case-control study was undertaken with 97 fHP patients and 112 controls. Six SNPs residing in the MUC5B and TOLLIP genes and their haplotypes were analyzed. Associations with risk, survival, and clinical, radiographic, and pathological features of fHP were probed through comparisons among patients and controls. MUC5B rs35705950 and three neighboring TOLLIP variants (rs3750920, rs111521887, and rs5743894) were associated with increased susceptibility to fHP. Minor allele frequencies were greater among fHP patients than in controls (40.7% vs 12.1%, P<0.0001; 52.6% vs 40.2%, P = 0.011; 22.7% vs 13.4%, P = 0.013; and 23.2% vs 12.9%, P = 0.006, respectively). Haplotypes formed by these variants were also linked to fHP susceptibility. Moreover, carriers of a specific haplotype (G-T-G-C) had a significant decrease in survival (adjusted hazard ratio 6.92, 95% CI 1.73–27.64, P = 0.006). Additional associations were found between TOLLIP rs111521887 and rs5743894 variants and decreased lung function at baseline, and the MUC5B SNP and radiographic features, further highlighting the influence of genetic factors in fHP. These findings suggest that TOLLIP and MUC5B variants and haplotypes may serve as valuable tools for risk assessment and prognosis in fibrotic hypersensitivity pneumonitis, potentially contributing to its patient stratification, and offer insights into the genetic factors influencing the clinical course of the condition.
    2024-02-02Journal article Open access Show more