Development of a BIM and LEAN construction process protocol for the construction industry in Kuwait: from a client perspective

In Kuwait, there are substantial development plans for the construction industry; however,this is not without obstacles, as it suffers from problems and faces many challenges that haveled to poor performance in the industry. This research focuses on the public sector as a sectorthat could bring innovation to the government and support the aim Kuwait’s vision for 2035for the construction industry. Moreover, it could help to introduce advanced methods thatenable the digitisation of the industry. This study investigates the most common problemsfacing the Kuwaiti construction industry, identifies an appropriate solution to resolve theseissues, and thus, improve the industry.Lean Construction (LC) and Building Information Modelling (BIM) have demonstrated theireffectiveness in improving the construction industry in many countries around the world. LeanConstruction is a management philosophy to minimise waste and add value for the customer,whereas BIM is a process that manages information through the project lifecycle, fromplanning and designing through to project completion. Since there is a lack of awareness ofLean Construction and Building Information Modelling in Kuwait, it is essential to considerthese two resources when exploring ways to improve the efficiency of the constructionindustry.Mixed methods research is applied in this study, starting with a survey that explores thechallenges and examines the possible solutions applied in construction projects in Kuwait.Subsequently, two case studies are selected to obtain in-depth information on the challenges,project management practices, and adoption of advanced technologies, such as BIM and LeanConstruction, in construction projects in Kuwait.Delays, a lack of communication and coordination between stakeholders, poor planning andcontrol, and change in orders by the client have been noted as the main risks in the industry.Yet, public construction organisations can also adopt project management approaches thatare ineffective and need improvement. In addition, there is a lack of awareness of LeanConstruction, while BIM has been improperly implemented in the industry. In short, theconstruction industry in Kuwait needs to be developed and modernised to keep pace withother developing countries in terms of its performance and productivity.Therefore, this research will propose the development of a framework based on LeanConstruction principles and utilising Building Information Modelling to address the challengesidentified in the Kuwaiti construction industry and improve the industry’s performance andeffectiveness in terms of time, cost, and quality. The outcome of the study will help to buildknowledge for the implementation of BIM using the new International BIM Standard (ISO19650) with principles of Lean Construction in the construction industry

SPARC 2018 Internationalisation and collaboration : Salford postgraduate annual research conference book of abstracts

Welcome to the Book of Abstracts for the 2018 SPARC conference. This year we not only celebrate the work of our PGRs but also the launch of our Doctoral School, which makes this year’s conference extra special. Once again we have received a tremendous contribution from our postgraduate research community; with over 100 presenters, the conference truly showcases a vibrant PGR community at Salford. These abstracts provide a taster of the research strengths of their works, and provide delegates with a reference point for networking and initiating critical debate. With such wide-ranging topics being showcased, we encourage you to take up this great opportunity to engage with researchers working in different subject areas from your own. To meet global challenges, high impact research inevitably requires interdisciplinary collaboration. This is recognised by all major research funders. Therefore engaging with the work of others and forging collaborations across subject areas is an essential skill for the next generation of researchers

Axillary lymph node dissection for breast cancer utilizing Harmonic Focus®

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>For patients with axillary lymph node metastases from breast cancer, performance of a complete axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) is the standard approach. Due to the rich lymphatic network in the axilla, it is necessary to carefully dissect and identify all lymphatic channels. Traditionally, these lymphatics are sealed with titanium clips or individually sutured. Recently, the Harmonic Focus^®, a hand-held ultrasonic dissector, allows lymphatics to be sealed without the utilization of clips or ties. We hypothesize that ALND performed with the Harmonic Focus^®will decrease operative time and reduce post-operative complications.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Retrospective review identified all patients who underwent ALND at a teaching hospital between January of 2005 and December of 2009. Patient demographics, presenting pathology, treatment course, operative time, days to drain removal, and surgical complications were recorded. Comparisons were made to a selected control group of patients who underwent similar surgical procedures along with an ALND performed utilizing hemostatic clips and electrocautery. A total of 41 patients were included in this study.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Operative time was not improved with the use of ultrasonic dissection, however, there was a decrease in the total number of days that closed suction drainage was required, although this was not statistically significant. Complication rates were similar between the two groups.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>In this case-matched retrospective review, there were fewer required days of closed suction drainage when ALND was performed with ultrasonic dissection versus clips and electrocautery.</p

Breast cancer management pathways during the COVID-19 pandemic: outcomes from the UK ‘Alert Level 4’ phase of the B-MaP-C study

Abstract: Background: The B-MaP-C study aimed to determine alterations to breast cancer (BC) management during the peak transmission period of the UK COVID-19 pandemic and the potential impact of these treatment decisions. Methods: This was a national cohort study of patients with early BC undergoing multidisciplinary team (MDT)-guided treatment recommendations during the pandemic, designated ‘standard’ or ‘COVID-altered’, in the preoperative, operative and post-operative setting. Findings: Of 3776 patients (from 64 UK units) in the study, 2246 (59%) had ‘COVID-altered’ management. ‘Bridging’ endocrine therapy was used (n = 951) where theatre capacity was reduced. There was increasing access to COVID-19 low-risk theatres during the study period (59%). In line with national guidance, immediate breast reconstruction was avoided (n = 299). Where adjuvant chemotherapy was omitted (n = 81), the median benefit was only 3% (IQR 2–9%) using ‘NHS Predict’. There was the rapid adoption of new evidence-based hypofractionated radiotherapy (n = 781, from 46 units). Only 14 patients (1%) tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 during their treatment journey. Conclusions: The majority of ‘COVID-altered’ management decisions were largely in line with pre-COVID evidence-based guidelines, implying that breast cancer survival outcomes are unlikely to be negatively impacted by the pandemic. However, in this study, the potential impact of delays to BC presentation or diagnosis remains unknown

A comprehensive method for evaluating and reducing risk factors for project implementation

Risk analysis has been broadly used to make assessments for many business sectors. Consequently, risk-based decision-making is a dynamic practice that should be deliberated when a list of projects and restrictions are being assessed. Risk management practices are comprehensive in recognizing and evaluating all potential risks. Risk management events as well as risk evaluation assist the project managers to achieve the related risks factors and take applicable arrangements in decreasing the degree of significant risks thus give a significant contribution to a manageable enhancement. It is needed to create a technique and system to assess evaluate as well as manage risk elements effectively in advance. A questionnaire-based survey approach was chosen in the study to investigate risk factors allocated to manufacturing companies in Malaysia. Survey questions were adopted from previous works with slight amendments, pre-tested, and weighed for validity and reliability. Four key risk factors sets: project scope and organization, project management, business/financial, and operational, with 89 specified risk sources/ causes processes were considered in the model. The likelihood of occurrence of each risk factors was assessed by respondents with the use of a 5-grade Likert scale. This approach was used to quantify risk elements, and use them to estimate the overall project risk. The collected data has been analysed through SPSS. Results showed that more consideration was observed for Operational risk factors with respect to occurrence and influence. The proposed of this risk assessment model is developed based on the use of situational factors to predict project risks. As a result, a questionnaire based software was developed to fit the process of evaluation and reducing risk factors before and during implementation of projects execution phase. In this research, by suggesting a comprehensive risk based decision making model, the effective agents of resource impact in the process of risk identification, plan and control during financial global crisis have be identified and also identification of the effective criteria and sub-criteria in each of the identified agents. The software with a high ability of modelling and analyzing risks of the projects which is most suitable for industrial application was developed. The method, was be ready to use by the industrial practitioners for the successful completion of their projects, and also indirectly improves manufacturing project management practices, and as a result minimizes losses and increases profitability

Immunomodulatory Effects of Bacterial Toll-like Receptor Ligands on the Phenotype and Function of Milk Immune Cells in Dromedary Camel

(1) Toll-like receptors (TLR) are a family of pattern recognition receptors that sense distinct molecular patterns of microbial origin. Although the immune cell composition of camel milk has been recently described, host–pathogen interaction studies in the camel mammary gland are still scarce. The present study aimed to use a whole milk stimulation assay for investigating the modulatory effect of selected Toll-like receptor (TLR) ligands on the phenotype and function of milk immune cells. (2) Methods—camel milk samples (n = 7) were stimulated in vitro with the TLR4 ligand LPS or the TLR2/1 ligand Pam3CSK4, and separated milk cells were evaluated for stimulation-induced shape change, the expression of cell surface markers, phagocytosis, apoptosis, ROS production, and NETosis. Stimulation with PMA was used as a control stimulation. (3) Results—all stimulants induced shape change in milk cells, change in the expression of several cell markers, and increased cell apoptosis and NETosis. In addition, stimulation with Pam3CSK4 and PMA was associated with enhanced ROS production, while only PMA stimulation resulted in enhanced bacterial phagocytosis by milk immune cells. (4) Conclusions—our data indicates selective modulating effects of the TLR ligands LPS and Pam3CSK4 on camel milk phagocytes. These results may have implications for the use of synthetic TLR agonists as immunomodulatory adjuvants of the immune response to intra-mammary vaccines against mastitis pathogens

Comparative Study of Ultrastructural Observations on Blood Cells of Local Omani and Cobb 500 Broiler Chickens: Ultrastructural Observations on Blood Cells of Two Strains of Chickens.

The local Omani chicken represents a long-established indigenous chicken breed in the Sultanate of Oman. Many farmers in Oman raise local chickens for meat and egg production. Therefore, to ensure an enhanced production of local breed chickens, it is important to assess their health performance. The present study was conducted to describe the comparative ultrastructural details of the blood cells of Omani and Cobb 500 chickens. Twenty apparently healthy 35-old birds (10 per strain) of either sex reared at the Poultry Research Unit at the Agricultural Experiment Station, Sultan Qaboos University. The blood was collected from wing vein into tubes containing EDTA as anticoagulant. The blood was further processed for transmission electron microscopic study. The results obtained showed that all blood cells of both Cobb 500 and Omani chicken were similar. The heterophil nucleus had a multi-lobed nucleus. The number of nuclei lobes ranges from 2 to 3. The Eosinophil had a distinctive appearance and mostly had a lobulated nucleus. Basophil was round in appearance and had four types of granules (dense granules, mottled granules, web or net granules and myelin granules) which can be seen clearly. The lymphocytes were the smallest leukocytes and it was characterized as small round cell with few cytoplasmic process. The monocytes were round in shape with kidney-shaped or indented nucleus. The nucleus had more heterochromatin patches compared to euchromatin. The thrombocytes were distinguished from other cells by their dense nucleus and the large vacuoles found in the cytoplasm. In conclusion, this study shows great similarities in the ultrastructure of all blood cells composition between local Omani and Cobb 500 broiler breeds