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The construction sector of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), valued at USD 152 billion and employing 2.54 million people by 2023, is crucial to its economy. However, it faces challenges such as delays, disputes, and cost overruns. This study aims to address these issues by implementing Building Information Modeling (BIM) in the KSA, based on an extensive literature review highlighting the role and significance of BIM in mitigating construction claims. BIM improves collaboration, communication, and data integration among stakeholders. Hence, this study proposes a comprehensive BIM Package framework comprising Revit Architecture, Microsoft Project, and Cost-X to reduce claims effectively. Validated through a KSA claims case study with a USD 1,870,000 claims value and 360-day delay, the BIM Package significantly reduced the claims value to USD 188,000 and saved 275 days. Interview sessions were conducted to validate the effectiveness of the BIM Package; 95% favored the use of BIM, 86% supported NEC4 contract adoption alongside BIM, 100% acknowledged BIM's potential in reducing design errors, 95% were confident in the case study's accuracy, and 82% were satisfied with data accuracy. This study confirms that BIM is an effective approach for minimizing construction claims in the KSA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The emergence of new technologies, artificial Intelligence, BANI environment and multidimensional complexity in projects requires project managers to have an innovative instinct to formulate efficient project management practices to achieve project success. Most articles in the extant literature have discussed leadership factors impacting project success; however, leadership behavioural practices encompassing characteristics/dimensions have not been considered and discussed in a unified manner. Therefore, a need arises with an objective for such a study to bridge the gap of a systematic literature review on leadership behavioural practice characteristics and provide a unified summarised effort to understand relationships with project success from relevant studies between 2000 and 2021. A sample of 72 out of 2805 articles was finally selected for rigorous analysis in a seven-step literature review process. This SLR has identified high to moderate levels of tangible managerial interpersonal and emotional behavioural practice characteristics compared to low-level task-oriented and intellectual practices on construction projects. Compelling evidence shows that relationship-building and people-oriented project leaders using effective communication and collaborative working are highly valued compared to taskoriented project leaders on successful construction projects. Effective leadership practices and findings from this SLR will provide a benchmark for future researchers to investigate further construction projects to generalize SLR outcomes on a broader scale. In addition, project organizations can use our identified cluster listings of behavioural practice characteristics during their recruitment process of project professionals. Low-valued soft skills in our analysis need more investigations in future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Real‐world evidence is an essential component of evidence‐based medicine. The aim of the BICSTaR (BICtegravir Single Tablet Regimen) study is to assess effectiveness and safety of bictegravir/emtricitabine/tenofovir alafenamide (B/F/TAF) in antiretroviral treatment‐naïve (TN) and treatment‐experienced (TE) people with HIV. Methods: BICSTaR is a prospective, observational cohort study. Participants (≥18 years) are being followed for 24 months. A pooled analysis is presented at 12 months, with the primary endpoint of effectiveness (HIV‐1 RNA <50 copies/mL) and secondary endpoints of safety and tolerability (as per protocol). An exploration of patient‐reported outcome measures using standardized questionnaires is included. Results: Between June 2018 and May 2021, 1552 people with HIV were enrolled across 12 countries. The analysed population comprised 1509 individuals (279 TN, 1230 TE); most were white (76%), male (84%) and had one or more comorbid conditions (68%). Median age was 47 years. After 12 months of B/F/TAF treatment, HIV‐1 RNA was <50 copies/mL in 94% (221/236) of TN participants and 97% (977/1008) of TE participants. Median CD4 cell count increased by 214 cells/μL (p < 0.001) in TN participants and 13 cells/μL (p = 0.014) in TE participants; median CD4/CD8 ratios increased by 0.30 and 0.03, respectively (both p < 0.001). Persistence was high at 12 months (TN, 97%; TE, 95%). No resistance to B/F/TAF emerged. Study drug‐related adverse events occurred in 13% of participants through 12 months, leading to B/F/TAF discontinuation in 6%. Conclusions: The findings of this study provide robust real‐world evidence to support the broad use of B/F/TAF in both TN and TE people with HIV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The construction industry in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) is a significant sector in the Middle East, with annual expenditures exceeding USD 120 billion. It employs 15% of the workforce and consumes more than 14% of the country's energy resources. Despite the significant growth in the Saudi construction sector, it faces various challenges due to the rapid launch of mega projects, such as the Line project engaged with the NEOM project, as well as other new projects as part of the Saudi Vision 2030. The challenges might be limited to a shortage of skilled labourers, rising costs, construction disputes, and material shortages. This study aims to investigate claims management procedures under traditional practice and compare them with a proposed BIM package as an alternative solution to mitigate construction disputes. The objective of the study focuses on reducing the time consumed when analysing claims against the level of accuracy of claims values. The proposed BIM model improves and streamlines the claims process through automation. This study presents prospective and retrospective methods in delay analysis under an accepted programme. A questionnaire survey was conducted, and out of a total of 123 practitioners, 79 replied. The findings in tables in this article reveal that there are demands and a growing awareness of BIM in the KSA construction industry. The results reveal that BIM can help to reduce potential disputes and can reduce overall project cost overruns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The construction industry in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) is a significant sector in the Middle East, with annual expenditures surpassing USD 120 billion. It employs approximately 15% of the workforce and consumes more than 14% of the country's energy resources. However, the Saudi construction sector encounters numerous challenges, including a deficiency in skilled labor, escalating costs, disputes, and material shortages. This study aims to investigate the origins of construction disputes in KSA and emphasize the significance of employing Building Information Modeling (BIM) applications to diminish the factors causing claims in both commercial and residential construction projects. The methodology employed comprises a comprehensive literature review and a field survey consisting of interview sessions. This study analyzes a total of 50 contributing factors to the causes of claims, along with conducting a field survey interview session involving 35 participants. The findings reveal seven substantial sources that give rise to construction claims in the KSA, impacting 75 projects, as discussed in this study. Furthermore, the research critically evaluates the advantages of utilizing BIM technology to mitigate construction disputes in the KSA. The data analysis results indicate that the reliance on traditional project management approaches is one of the catalysts for the emergence of disputes in the construction industry, particularly in the KSA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Countries use battle management systems (BMS) that enable commands to share digital situational awareness information. In the network of electronic warfighting platforms where military assets are classified as agents and where multiple subsystems interact, potential permutations and combinations of interactions can cause unpredictable negative or positive feedback loops, resulting in unpredictable or unwanted outcomes, which is referred to as emergence behaviour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studied 205 children who were subjects of child protection investigations in 1995 in England. Found that for the vast majority, welfare needs were ignored in the process of investigation. Identified the need to refocus investigations and suggested criteria to be used to provide a clearer focus on whether to investigate a referral. (Author/LPP)

Many countries including Ukraine use battle management systems (BMS) like Delta that enable command to share situation awareness information; this study focuses on the distribution of information across a warfighting network. Similar to natural systems, where autonomous agents, such as ants and bees, follow a set of simple rules, a BMS is a network of bases and electronic warfighting platforms that have military assets as agents within the network, guided by the defense doctrine. The rationale for the workability of such a system is based on each subsystem being reliable when multiple subsystems interact. However, the potential permutations and combinations of interactions can cause unpredictable negative or positive feedback loops, resulting in unpredictable and unwanted outcomes. The results of emergent behavior are unexpected and sometimes unwanted in areas such as intelligence, and wireless networks. Understanding emergent behavior is imperative in understanding complex engineering systems, and to present new insights, and take practical steps toward improving complex systems design and analysis. This paper presents the BMS and networks with examples of user-defined system integration of the network soldier concept. We believe that Ukrainian and other armies can directly benefit from utilising meta cybernetics, meta metasystem model analysis to control emergence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]