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This study aims to assess the competency gap among construction industry professionals concerning the competencies required for identifying construction activities that produce recyclable materials. Accordingly, the study objectives are threefold: to identify key competencies, analyze the disparity between the level of importance and level of competence for each competency, and quantify the criticality of the competency gaps.

A systematic literature review was conducted to identify and categorize 20 competencies into knowledge, skills, and abilities. The competencies formed the basis for a questionnaire survey distributed to construction industry professionals. 120 valid responses were collected and analyzed using mean and normalized values, Wilcoxon signed-ranks test, and competency gap analysis.

The findings highlight eight key competencies: ability to prepare sustainable designs, skills in trading construction waste materials, skills in lean construction techniques, skills in designing out waste in construction activities, knowledge of diagnosing construction waste generation, knowledge of construction-related waste design, knowledge of the practice of sustainable facilities management, and knowledge on the sustainable characteristics of construction activities. Despite their importance, critical competency gaps exist among these key competencies and must be addressed.

This study equips decision-makers with insights to manage natural resources efficiently, offers practitioners a list of key competencies for sustainable project management, and provides researchers with a solid foundation for further investigations to advance sustainability in construction.

Construction activities generate overwhelming waste that is typically disposed of in landfills, which has significant environmental consequences and hinders national progress. However, with the appropriate competencies, there is an opportunity to identify construction activities that produce recyclable materials, offering a path to a sustainable future. This study aims to assess the competencies for identifying construction activities that produce recyclable materials. To attain that aim, the study seeks to identify the key competencies and assess the index level of the competencies.

A systematic literature review was conducted, and 20 competencies were identified and categorized into knowledge, skills, and abilities. A questionnaire survey was developed based on the competencies and completed by 101 individuals. The collected data were analyzed using normalized mean analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, and fuzzy synthetic evaluation (FSE).

The results revealed that the key competencies are problem-solving skills, communication skills, skills in providing vocational training, and knowledge of the environmental impacts of construction activities. The FSE ranks the constructs in order of skills, knowledge, and abilities. Also, the FSE illustrated that the overall index level is inclined to be important.

This study leads to saving natural resources, using raw materials efficiently, protecting from environmental pollution, and mitigating resource depletion by providing the index level of the competencies.

The findings can guide professionals in effective waste management, policymakers in creating new policies and regulations, and researchers in compiling a list of competencies for identifying construction activities that produce recyclable materials.

Higher education institutions now place a greater emphasis on servant leadership, organizational trust, and justice. This study evaluates the function of organizational and leader trust and justice in mediating the relationship between employee job satisfaction and servant leadership in Kuwait's private universities.

Employees from two private higher education sectors in Kuwait provided 205 valid responses to the study's closed-ended survey, which was given to 240 workers. The job satisfaction and servant leadership, leader's trust and justice and servant leadership, leader's trust and justice and job satisfaction, and the mediating effect of trust and justice on the relationship between servant leadership and job satisfaction among employees in Kuwait's private universities—all four variables—were examined using the simple random procedure method. Partial least squares structural equation modeling was used for data analysis.

The findings provide evidence supporting the positive effects of servant leadership on employee job satisfaction. Moreover, it provided evidence supporting the positive relationship between servant leadership and organizational trust and justice. The findings also showed a positive correlation between organizational trust and justice and job satisfaction among staff members working in Kuwait's private higher education sector. Additionally, the results provided a partial mediation effect of organizational trust and justice on the relationship between servant leadership and employee job satisfaction.

Employee job satisfaction, performance, engagement, and outcomes within Kuwait's private higher education sector are significantly improved by the adoption of a servant leadership style, together with organizational and leader’s trust and justice. The findings demonstrate the significance of the servant leadership style in this industry's leadership habits for raising worker job satisfaction.

This study investigates trends in environmental leadership research in the MENA region from 2003 to 2023, highlighting the region’s unique environmental challenges and the increasing importance of sustainability governance.

A systematic review of 140 articles was conducted using VOSviewer and Biblioshiny to identify key theoretical landscapes, research streams and contextual factors. The findings are analysed within the PEST framework to explore the influence of political, economic, social and technological dimensions on environmental leadership.

Research activity in environmental leadership within the MENA region has significantly increased post-2012, driven by global sustainability initiatives and regional policies such as Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030. Key themes include sustainability governance, corporate social responsibility and the application of ISO 14001 standards, reflecting the region’s strategic priorities amidst socio-political and economic complexities.

By addressing gaps in the literature, this study integrates the PEST framework to offer a nuanced understanding of environmental leadership, contributing to theoretical advancements and practical applications in sustainability governance.

Accurate diagnosis of brain tumors is crucial for effective treatment and improved patient outcomes. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a common method for detecting brain malignancies, but interpreting MRI data can be challenging and time-consuming for healthcare professionals.

An innovative method is presented that combines deep learning (DL) models with natural language processing (NLP) from ChatGPT to enhance the accuracy of brain tumor detection in MRI scans. The method generates textual descriptions of brain tumor regions, providing clinicians with valuable insights into tumor characteristics for informed decision-making and personalized treatment planning.

The evaluation of this approach demonstrates promising outcomes, achieving a notable Dice coefficient score of 0.93 for tumor segmentation, outperforming current state-of-the-art methods. Human validation of the generated descriptions confirms their precision and conciseness.

While the method showcased advancements in accuracy and understandability, ongoing research is essential for refining the model and addressing limitations in segmenting smaller or atypical tumors.

These results emphasized the potential of this innovative method in advancing neuroimaging practices and contributing to the effective detection and management of brain tumors.

This study aims to explore the tower crane safety factors (TCSFs) that influence tower crane safe operations (TCSOs) in modular integrated construction (MiC). It evaluates how the adoption of these factors contributes to achieving TCSOs and promoting sustainable practices (SPs) within MiC.

To achieve this aim, the study employed a systematic search to ensure a comprehensive collection of variables. Additionally, it conducted a questionnaire survey involving professionals and utilized a brainstorming technique to categorize the different variables. Finally, partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was employed to test the relationship between TCSOs and SPs.

The results of measurement models indicated strong convergent and discriminant validity, with each observed variable correlating well with its latent variable. Moreover, a significant positive correlation between TCSOs and SPs was evidenced by a path coefficient (β = 0.755) and a p-value of <0.05. Lastly, the structural model revealed that the independent variables strongly influence the dependent variable (i.e. SPs) by 57%, underscoring safety's pivotal role in advancing sustainability within MiC projects. These findings provide empirical evidence that improving tower crane safety can directly enhance sustainable practices, offering a dual benefit of increased safety and sustainability for the construction sector.

This study makes a unique and previously undiscovered contribution to the field by identifying the TCSFs in MiC and employing a novel approach by utilizing PLS-SEM to create a unique mathematical model. It offers valuable insights into the relationship between TCSFs, TCSOs and SPs, thus contributing to methodological advancements within Safety Science and providing a foundation for future research and practical implementation in the construction industry.