Conflicts and delays in mega construction projects – Kuwait International Airport Cargo City

Mega construction projects, in general, require a lot of planning in terms of land acquisition, estimating material cost, human resources, financials, safety, and many more. It is a common scenario with delays occurring in such mega-projects attributing to increased project costs, delays in work completion. It leads to creating a negative impact on the prospects of the effective utilization of the project output in terms of space, facility, and resources to commence work at that location. This study intended to identify the factors that could potentially contribute to project delays and possible methods of resolving the conflicts that have aroused. A case study on Kuwait International Airport Cargo City was conducted quantitatively as well as qualitatively. It is learned that management conflicts have a significant impact on creating project delays, due to poor management, lack of effective communication, and ineffective utilization of resources

Line and subdivision graphs determined by T4-gain graphs

Let T4 = (±1, ±i) be the subgroup of fourth roots of unity inside T, the multiplicative group of complex units. For a T4-gain graph Φ = (Γ,T4, ϕ), we introduce gain functions on its line graph L(Γ) and on its subdivision graph S(Γ). The corresponding gain graphs L(Φ) and S(Φ) are defined up to switching equivalence and generalize the analogous constructions for signed graphs. We discuss some spectral properties of these graphs and in particular we establish the relationship between the Laplacian characteristic polynomial of a gain graph Φ, and the adjacency characteristic polynomials of L(Φ) and S(Φ). A suitably defined incidence matrix for T4-gain graphs plays an important role in this contex

Wind Power Generation Forecast Using Artificial Intelligence Techniques

It is crucial to be able to forecast wind power generation with the greatest degree of precision because wind has a significant degree of instability and the energy generated cannot be conserved on a big scale due to expensive costs. This research compares the efficiency of wind energy predictions one hour in advance employing artificial intelligence based techniques. RNN and LSTM are the two DL approaches while Decision Tree Regression, Support Vector Regression, and Random Forest Tree are three ML algorithms which have been developed then compared among themselves based on MSE scores to determine the best performing model. Additionally, Time Series Analysis on MATLAB is also performed to get more detailed understanding of the data in sequence on regular intervals of time

Renewable energy sources integration via machine learning modelling: A systematic literature review

The use of renewable energy sources (RESs) at the distribution level has become increasingly appealing in terms of costs and technology, expecting a massive diffusion in the near future and placing several challenges to the power grid. Since RESs depend on stochastic energy sources —solar radiation, temperature and wind speed, among others— they introduce a high level of uncertainty to the grid, leading to power imbalance and deteriorating the network stability. In this scenario, managing and forecasting RES uncertainty is vital to successfully integrate them into the power grids. Traditionally, physical- and statistical-based models have been used to predict RES power outputs. Nevertheless, the former are computationally expensive since they rely on solving complex mathematical models of the atmospheric dynamics, whereas the latter usually consider linear models, preventing them from addressing challenging forecasting scenarios. In recent years, the advances in machine learning techniques, which can learn from historical data, allowing the analysis of large-scale datasets either under non-uniform characteristics or noisy data, have provided researchers with powerful data-driven tools that can outperform traditional methods. In this paper, a systematic literature review is conducted to identify the most widely used machine learning-based approaches to forecast RES power outputs. The results show that deep artificial neural networks, especially long-short term memory networks, which can accurately model the autoregressive nature of RES power output, and ensemble strategies, which allow successfully handling large amounts of highly fluctuating data, are the best suited ones. In addition, the most promising results of integrating the forecasted output into decision-making problems, such as unit commitment, to address economic, operational and managerial grid challenges are discussed, and solid directions for future research are provided

Conflict management of construction projects – a case study Kuwait International Airport Cargo City

Exchanges within the construction teams have been often found to be argumentative, conflict and crisis ridden, and as a result individual worker in the industry are exposed to extreme hostility. These conflicts result from disagreements about ways of solving spot site-related problems, insufficient planning, ill-prepared contract documents,and the lack of coordination between the contracting parties. Members in a construction project tend to form a community with an intricate set of intertwined relationships. Continuing conflicts among members therefore manifest in further disagreements that can ruin a project, and result in thorny litigation, amplified cost, collapse in communication, and strained task conveyance. This study therefore seeks to discover the causes of such conflicts within the construction sector, and the ways by which these conflicts are resolved. Quantitative design has been used in combination with a cross-sectional questionnaire directed at conflict management of construction projects at the Kuwait international airport. A total of 188 questionnaires have been distributed, out of which 14 were lost, and 11 of them have not been answered. Responses of 163 participants were recorded and analyzed through the use of the Statistical Package for Social Scientists (SPSS). To fix the correspondence issue, the study involved follow-ups of the project status using the digital platform of BIM software in form of progress reports, site reporting, and meeting site project team. Results show that the conflict management strategy of construction project related strongly with employee’s situation, efficiency, law, development, and growth restrictions on investment income at Kuwait project construction sites. The conflict management strategy of construction project was found to have a positive effect on the performance of the workers in construction projects with Beta Coefficient = 0.904;indicating that for one-unit increase in conflict management strategy, the performance of construction projects in Kuwait International Airport Cargo City would increase by 0.904 unit. Finally, when participants were asked if there is a delay in project or not, 63.2% of the total sample answered [Yes] as the highest percent, while 16.6% of the total sample answered by [No] and 20.2% didn't know

TSO/DSO Coordination for RES Integration: A Systematic Literature Review

Data Availability Statement: Not applicable.Copyright: © 2022 by the authors. The increasing penetration of large-scale Renewable Energy Sources (RESs) has raised several challenges for power grid operation. Power management solutions supporting the integration of RESs, such as those based on energy storage technologies, are generally costly. Alternatively, promoting a more proactive role of the Distribution System Operator (DSO) to successfully manage RESs’ uncertainty, and take advantage of their flexible resources for the provision of ancillary services, can avoid installing expensive devices in the network and reduce costs. In this line, improved coordination between Transmission System Operators (TSOs) and DSOs is highly desirable. In this paper, the feasibility of solving different aspects of the integration of RESs through an improved TSO/DSO coordination is evaluated. In particular, a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) is conducted to study the most relevant TSO/DSO coordination approaches, exclusively focused on integrating distributed RESs, currently available in the literature. Their main operational, managerial, economic, and computational challenges, advantages, and disadvantages are discussed in detail to identify the most promising research trends and the most concerning research gaps to pave the way for future research toward developing a solid TSO/DSO coordination mechanism for integrating RESs efficiently. The main results of the SLR show a clear trend in implementing decentralized TSO/DSO coordination models since they provide efficient facilitation of RESs’ services, while reducing computational burden and communication complexity and, consequently, reducing operative costs. In addition, while different aspects of the TSO/DSO coordination implementation, such as reactive power and voltage regulation, operational cost minimization, operational planning, and congestion management, have been thoroughly addressed in the literature, further research is needed regarding data exchange mechanisms and RESs’ uncertainty modeling and prediction. In this line, the development of standardized communication solutions, based on the Common Grid Model Exchange Standard (CGMES) of the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), has shown promising interoperability results, whereas the use of learning-based approaches to predict RESs’ uncertain behavior and distribution networks’ responses, using only historical data, which relieves the need for access to commercially sensitive and proprietary network data, has also shown itself to be a promising research directionThis research received no external funding

Childhood Remembered: Reflections on the Role of Play for Holistic Education in Armenia, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the USA, and Wales

Play remains a topic for discussion, debate, and research within the education community. Zigler and Bishop-Josef (2004) provide an historical overview of early childhood; one of their main findings is play is under siege in many educational circles. The authors indicate, through time, there is a move away from play-oriented learning activities to a narrow focus on academics. Outside of the United States, and in many other countries, shifts occurred toward education focusing on academic skills that “deepen the damage and [make] more permanent the ‘achievement’ gap” between many children (Meier, 2009, p. 12). In opposition to this trend, advocates continue to call for more play-oriented and holistic approaches to learning, arguing the play vs. academics debate with academic support for and against the role of play in early childhood (Miller, 2008). Although this work provides important contributions to the field, prior research often gives little voice to teachers’ perceptions about play, especially from varied and diverse cultural backgrounds. In this article, we argue for a broader view of education in line with Plato’s observation (gender not withstanding) that “The direction in which education starts a man will determine his future life” (Jowett, 1874, p. 249). The current approach draws on the recommendation that we move beyond the typical developmental research view to use an interpretivist analysis that considers history, culture, and context (Swadener & Kessler, 1991). We begin with a short overview of the potential and traditional developmental and academic benefits of play. Our argument then focuses on a less common consideration of the holistic benefit of play: We explore teachers’ cultural reflections about the nature and worth of play through the authors’ personal accounts of playful childhood in Armenia, Great Britain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and the United States of America. Finally, we provide recommendations for the value of play as part of a whole child education

Human resources for health interventions in high- and middle-income countries: Findings of an evidence review

Sophie Witter - ORCID: 0000-0002-7656-6188 https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7656-6188Many high- and middle-income countries face challenges in developing and maintaining a health workforce which can address changing population health needs. They have experimented with interventions which overlap with but have differences to those documented in low- and middle-income countries, where many of the recent literature reviews were undertaken. The aim of this paper is to fill that gap. It examines published and grey evidence on interventions to train, recruit, retain, distribute, and manage an effective health workforce, focusing on physicians, nurses, and allied health professionals in high- and middle-income countries. A search of databases, websites, and relevant references was carried out in March 2019. One hundred thirty-one reports or papers were selected for extraction, using a template which followed a health labor market structure. Many studies were cross-cutting; however, the largest number of country studies was focused on Canada, Australia, and the United States of America. The studies were relatively balanced across occupational groups. The largest number focused on availability, followed by performance and then distribution. Study numbers peaked in 2013–2016. A range of study types was included, with a high number of descriptive studies. Some topics were more deeply documented than others—there is, for example, a large number of studies on human resources for health (HRH) planning, educational interventions, and policies to reduce in-migration, but much less on topics such as HRH financing and task shifting. It is also evident that some policy actions may address more than one area of challenge, but equally that some policy actions may have conflicting results for different challenges. Although some of the interventions have been more used and documented in relation to specific cadres, many of the lessons appear to apply across them, with tailoring required to reflect individuals’ characteristics, such as age, location, and preferences. Useful lessons can be learned from these higher-income settings for low- and middle-income settings. Much of the literature is descriptive, rather than evaluative, reflecting the organic way in which many HRH reforms are introduced. A more rigorous approach to testing HRH interventions is recommended to improve the evidence in this area of health systems strengthening.This work was supported by the Saudi Health Council and World Bank.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12960-020-00484-w18pubpu