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Hemogram Reference intervals are established since a healthy population is critical to accurately interpret laboratory tests, which include Hemoglobin estimation, Red blood cells count and indices, White blood cells count and differential in addition to Platelets count. This study aims to establish the reference interval of the complete hemogram amongst healthy Sudanese children in Elobied city, Sudan. A descriptive cross-sectional study included 354 healthy children, aged between 3 to 17 years, who were categorized into three groups according to age. A questionnaire was fulfilled, EDTA anti-coagulated venous blood sample was collected from each child then the complete hemogram was performed automated hematological analyzer (Sysmex Xp 300), Finally, Data was analyzed by a software program (SPSS version 21). The hematological reference intervals for healthy children [Hb g/dl, HCT%, RBCs count x106μL, MCV/fL ,MCH /pg., MCHC g/dl ,WBCs count x10³/μL, Neutrophil count%, Eosinophil count %, Basophile count %, lymphocyte count ,Monocytes count%, RDW CV and PLTs count×10³/μL] are [(12.4±1.2),(37±4),(5.0 ±0.4), (82±5.0), (26±3.0), (32±3.0) ,(7.0±2.0) (47±10), (1±0.1) ,(0±0),(45± 10),(7 ± 4), (13±1.8) &(227±91)] respectively. The hematological RI for healthy children in Elobied was established in this study to be representative of this population, there was a significant gender-based difference in all the evaluated hematological parameters, they were found to be higher in males than in females except for basophil (%). Finally, the results of this study would shed a light on the importance of establishing RI for the children population in Elobied.

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is an inherited blood disorder that affects red blood cells. The study was conducted in Elobied town during the period May 2011 to September 2011. The aim of this study is to detect the abnormalities of leucocytes among sickle cell anemic patients. 40 sickle cell anemic patients; age range between 8 months to 23 years. Blood sample was taken for all patients and the laboratory investigation were performed using automated estimation for: hemoglobin (Hb), Packed cell volume (PCV), red cell count (RBCs), mean cell volume (MCV), mean cell hemoglobin (MCH), mean cell concentration (MCHC), and total white blood cells, comment on blood film using manual methods. The conclusion of this study there is increase in total white blood cells with shift to left in neutrophil precursor in sickle cell patients with complications ,the most immature cells are band form, myelocytes and metamyelocytes, and there also lymphocytosis and neutrophilia which has been increases in response to infections.

Background and objectives:Warfarin sodium therapy is usually initiated with a loading dose to reduce the time needed to reach the target international normalized ratio (INR). The right initial dose of warfarin is controversial. This study aimed to determine the best initial dose of warfarin in terms of safety and efficacy. Patients and methods:This is a prospective hospital-based study. Fifty-nine patients who were admitted to the coronary care unit with clinical indication for warfarin were assigned to use the initial dose of warfarin 5 mg or 10 mg with the target INR of 2-3. An ethical clearance was obtained from the state ministry of health. A written consent was taken from each patient. An INR was measured at baseline and then after 72 hours. The data were then collected using a data sheet including age, gender, baseline INR, initial dose of warfarin, INR after 72 hours and whether the patient developed bleeding or not. Patients on Aspirin and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs were excluded. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 18. Results:A total number of 59 patients were enrolled in the study. In this series, 59% of patients were females. The mean age of patients was 56 years. Five mg loading dose was used in 35 of patients (59%) while 10 mg was used in 24 patients (41%). The mean INR after 72 hours was 2.8 for those with the initial dose of 5 mg. For those with the initial loading dose of 10 mg the mean INR after 72 hours was 3.2. Minor bleeding occurred in three patients, two of them used the initial loading dose of 5mg and only one patient from the group of 10mg. Conclusion:From this study, it seems that 5 mg loading dose of warfarin is reasonable and cost effective; nevertheless, 10mg initial loading dose is not associated with increased risk of bleeding.

Despite the evident benefits of building information modeling (BIM) to the construction industry, it faces significant implementation challenges in the State of Kuwait. This study investigates the awareness of construction stakeholders of BIM implementation challenges, and identifies various solutions to overcome these challenges. Specifically, the main objectives of this study are to: (1) characterize the barriers that deter utilization of BIM, (2) examine the awareness of engineers, architects, and construction stakeholders of these barriers, and (3) identify practical solutions to facilitate BIM utilization. A questionnaire survey was designed to collect data on the aforementioned objectives from local companies and senior BIM experts. It was found that engineers are highly aware of BIM implementation barriers. In addition, it was concluded from the questionnaire that the biggest barrier is the lack of BIM training. Based on expert feedback, the study concluded with a number of recommendations on how to overcome the barriers of BIM utilization. This should prove useful to the construction industry stakeholders and can lead to significant changes to design and construction practices., {"references":["Wang, L., and Leite, F. (2014). Process-Oriented Approach of Teaching Building Information Modeling in Construction Management. J. Prof. Issues Eng. Educ. Pract. Journal of Professional Issues in Engineering Education and Practice,140(4), 04014004.","Eastman, C. M., Teicholz, P., Sacks, R., and Liston, K. (2008). BIM handbook: A Guide to Building Information Modeling for Owners, Managers, Designers, Engineers, and Contractors, Wiley, Hoboken, NJ, USA.","Krygiel E., and Nies B. (2008). Green BIM: Successful Sustainable Design with Building Information Modeling. New York: Wiley Publishing. P25-51.","Ahn, Y., Kwak, Y., and Suk, S. (2015). \"Contractors' Transformation Strategies for Adopting Building Information Modeling.\" J. Manage. Eng., 10.1061/(ASCE)ME.1943-5479.0000390, 05015005.","Jigsawcad Corporation. (2009). Building Information Modeling (BIM) and its Return on Investment. Available: http://www.jigsawcad.com/articles/october- 2008/building-information-modelling-(bim)-and-its-return-on-investment.aspx. (Accessed October 1, 2015).","Hamm J. (2008). Transforming Construction Industry Performance through the application of revolutionary virtual design and construction technologies, and the essential role for education in this happen. Jenko Cad Education Consultancy: UK.Available: http://ctiweb.cf.ac.uk/news/events/beecon2006/pdf/P17_Jenny_Hamm.pdf.","Leondes, C. T.. (2005). \"Intelligent Knowledge-Based Systems: Business and Technology in the New Millennium.\" USA: Kluwer Academic Publishers.","Kymmell W. (2008). Building Information Modeling: Planning and construction managing construction projects with 4D CAD and Simulation. USA: McGraw- Hill Companies. P1-87.","Howell I., Batcheler B. (2008). Building Information Modeling Two Years Later – Huge Potential, Some Success and Several Limitations. USA. Available: http://www.laiserin.com/features/bim/newforma_bim.pdf.\n[10]\tYan, H., Damian, P. (2008). \"Benefits and Barriers of Building Information Modeling.\" Department of Civil and Building Engineering, Loughborough University, UK.\n[11]\tQuirk, V. (2012). A Brief History of BIM. Retrieved February 16, 2016, from http://www.archdaily.com/302490/a-brief-history-of-bim.\n[12]\tKia, S. (2013). Review of Building Information Modeling (BIM) Software Packages Based on Assets Management. In Introduction to Building Information Modeling (BIM) (pp. 101-139). Amirkabir University of Technology.\n[13]\tWinch, G. (2002). \"Managing Construction Projects: An Information Processing Approach.\" Oxford: Blackwell Science.\n[14]\tKessinger, K. (2008). Recognizing the benefits of Building Information Modeling. Available:http://www.constructionsoftwarereview.com/blog/2008/09/05/recognizing-thebenefits-of-building-information-modeling. (Accessed September 6, 2015).\n[15]\tMcNell et al., 2009. Building Information Modeling. Retrieved from http://www.infocomm.org/cps/rde/xbcr/infocomm/Brochure_BIM.pdf.\n[16]\tProductivity Benefits of BIM. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.mbie.govt.nz/about/whats-happening/news/document-image-library/nz-bim-productivity-benefits.pdf.\n[17]\tAranda-Mena, G., Crawford, J., Chevez, A., & Froese, T. (2009). Building information modeling demystified: does it make business sense to adopt BIM? International Journal on Managing Projects in business, 2(3), 419-434.\n[18]\tTalebi, S. (n.d.). \"Exploring Advantages and Challenges of Adaptation and Implementation of Bim in Project Life Cycle.\" Retrieved from http://usir.salford.ac.uk/32275/3/S_Talebi_-_Exploring_Advantages_and_Challenges_of_Adaptation_and_Implementation_of_BIM_in_Project_Life_Cycle_(1).pdf.\n[19]\tKarppinen, A., Törrönen, A., Lennox, M., Peltomäki, M., Lehto, M., Maalahti, J., et al. (2012). Common BIM Requirements 2012: Series 13: Use of models in construction. Retrieved from Building Smart Finland: http://www.en.buildingsmart.kotisivukone.com/3 (Accessed November 25, 2015).\n[20]\tKoushki, P. A., Al-rashid, K. & Kartam, N. (2005) \"Delays and cost increases in the construction of private residential projects in Kuwait.\" Department of Civil Engineering, Kuwait University. Retrieved from http://www.tamu.edu/faculty/choudhury/articles/22.pdf.\n[21]\tMann, P. S., \"Statistics for Business and Economics\", John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1995."]}

Selection of competent contractors for construction projects is usually accomplished through competitive bidding or negotiated contracting in which the contract bid price is the basic criterion for selection. The evaluation of contractor's safety performance is still not a typical criterion in the selection process, despite the existence of various safety prequalification procedures. There is a critical need for practical and automated systems that enable owners and decision makers to evaluate contractor safety performance, among other important contractor selection criteria. These systems should ultimately favor safety-conscious contractors to be selected by the virtue of their past good safety records and current safety programs. This paper presents an exploratory sequential mixed-methods approach to develop a framework for an automated decision support system that evaluates contractor safety performance based on a multitude of indicators and metrics that have been identified through a comprehensive review of construction safety research, and a survey distributed to domain experts. The framework is developed in three phases: (1) determining the indicators that depict contractor current and past safety performance; (2) soliciting input from construction safety experts regarding the identified indicators, their metrics, and relative significance; and (3) designing a decision support system using relational database models to integrate the identified indicators and metrics into a system that assesses and rates the safety performance of contractors. The proposed automated system is expected to hold several advantages including: (1) reducing the likelihood of selecting contractors with poor safety records; (2) enhancing the odds of completing the project safely; and (3) encouraging contractors to exert more efforts to improve their safety performance and practices in order to increase their bid winning opportunities which can lead to significant safety improvements in the construction industry. This should prove useful to decision makers and researchers, alike, and should help improve the safety record of the construction industry., {"references":["Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). (2015). \"Number and rate of fatal occupational injuries, by industry sector, 2013.\" (April 2015).","Jackson, B. (2006), Construction management jumpstart, John Wiley & Sons.","Hislop, R. (1999), Construction site safety: A guide for managing contractors, Chelsea, Michigan, U.S.A: Lewis Pub.","Kartam, N., Flood, I., and Koushki, P. (2000). \"Construction safety in Kuwait: issues, procedures, problems, and recommendations.\" Safety Science, 36(2000), 163-184.","Lamm, F., Massey, C., and Perry, M. (2006). \"Is there a link between workplace health & safety & firm performance & productivity?\" New Zealand Journal of Employment Relations, 32(1), 75-90.","Thomas, S., Skitmore, M., and Cheng, K. (2005). \"A framework for evaluating the safety performance of construction contractors.\" Building and Environment, 40(10), 1347-1355.","Priyadarshani, K., Karunasena, G., and Jayasuriya, S. (2013). \"Construction safety assessment framework for developing countries: A case study in Sri Lanka.\" Journal of Construction in Developing Countries, 18(1), 33-51.","Mahmoudi, S., Ghasemi, F., Mohammadfam I., and Soleimmani, E. (2014). \"Framework for continuous assessment and improvement of occupational health and safety issues in construction companies.\" Safety and Health at Work, 5(2014), 125-130.","Al-Tabtabai, H. (2002). \"Analyzing construction site accidents in Kuwait.\" Kuwait J. Sci. Eng, 29(2), 213-238.\n[10]\tAssaf, S.A., Al Khalil, M., and Al Hazmi, M. (1995). \"Causes of delay in large building construction projects.\" Journal of Management in Engineering, 11(2), 45-50."]}