Lived Experiences on Varied Dimensions of Police Recruits’ Training and Practice Basis for Quality Police Performance

Police malpractice, abuse of power, and police misfits are issues and problems associated with police recruits. There were reports about inappropriate acts committed by newly hired police officers during their actual field practice. This qualitative phenomenological studydetermined the dimensions of training that hamper the development of knowledge and skills of the police trainees and police officers.Seventeen (17) purposely selected participants comprised the sample for this study. They were chosen through the following inclusion criteria: police supervisors, trainers, police recruits, staff from the National Police Training Institute (NPTI) and have two or more years ofexperience. Thirteen recurring themes emerged from the verbatim interviews. The Philippine National Police (PNP), National Police Training Institute (NPTI), and the National Police Commission (NAPOLCOM) are the three public safety institutions in the Philippinesthat are expected to promote the quality performance of police recruits in both training and practice. On the whole, the results of this study can serve as the basis for creating innovative policies about police recruits’ selection, curriculum development, stress management,creation of core competency framework, performance evaluation system, and training and practice needs assessment.

Factors Influencing Temperature Measurements from Miniaturized Thermal Infrared (TIR) Cameras: A Laboratory-Based Approach

The workflow for estimating the temperature in agricultural fields from multiple sensors needs to be optimized upon testing each type of sensor’s actual user performance. In this sense, readily available miniaturized UAV-based thermal infrared (TIR) cameras can be combined with proximal sensors in measuring the surface temperature. Before the two types of cameras can be operationally used in the field, laboratory experiments are needed to fully understand their capabilities and all the influencing factors. We present the measurement results of laboratory experiments of UAV-borne WIRIS 2nd GEN and handheld FLIR E8-XT cameras. For these uncooled sensors, it took 30 to 60 min for the measured signal to stabilize and the sensor temperature drifted continuously. The drifting sensor temperature was strongly correlated to the measured signal. Specifically for WIRIS, the automated non-uniformity correction (NUC) contributed to extra uncertainty in measurements. Another problem was the temperature measurement dependency on various ambient environmental parameters. An increase in the measuring distance resulted in the underestimation of surface temperature, though the degree of change may also come from reflected radiation from neighboring objects, water vapor absorption, and the object size in the field of view (FOV). Wind and radiation tests suggested that these factors can contribute to the uncertainty of several Celsius degrees in measured results. Based on these indoor experiment results, we provide a list of suggestions on the potential practices for deriving accurate temperature data from radiometric miniaturized TIR cameras in actual field practices for (agro-)environmental research.

Application of a Drilling Simulator for Real-Time Drilling Hydraulics Training and Research

Challenging wells require an accurate hydraulic model to achieve maximum performance for drilling applications. This work was conducted with a simulator capable of recreating the actual drilling process, including on-the-fly adjustments of the drilling parameters. The paper focuses on the predictions of the drilling simulator's pressure losses inside the drill string and across the open-hole and casing annuli applying the most common rheological models. Comparison is then made with pressure losses from field data. Drilling data of vertical and deviated wells were acquired to recreate the actual drilling environment and wellbore design. Several sections with a variety of wellbore sizes were simulated in order to observe the response of the various rheological models. The simulator allows the input of wellbore and bottom-hole assembly (BHA) sizes, formation properties, drilling parameters, and drilling fluid properties. To assess the hydraulic model's performance during drilling, the user is required to input the drilling parameters based on field data and match the penetration rate. The resulting simulator hydraulic outputs are the equivalent circulation density (ECD) and standpipe pressure (SPP). The simulator's performance was assessed using separate simulations with different rheological models and compared with actual field data. Similarities, differences, and potential improvements were then reported. During the simulation, the most critical drilling parameters are displayed, emulating real-time measured values, combined with the pore pressure, wellbore pressure, and fracture pressure graphs. The simulation results show promise for application of real-time hydraulic operations. The simulated output parameters, ECD and SPP, have similar trends and values with the values from actual field data. The simulator's performance shows excellent matching for a simple BHA, with decreasing system's accuracy as the BHA design becomes more complex, an area of future improvement. The overall approach is valid for non-Newtonian drilling fluid pressure losses. The user can observe the output parameters, and by adding a benchmark safety value, the simulator gives a warning of a potential fracture of the formation or maximum pressure at the mud pumps. Thus, by simulating the drilling process, the user can be trained for the upcoming drilling campaign and reach the target depth safely and cost-effectively during actual drilling. The simulator allows emulation of real-time hydraulic operations when drilling vertical and directional wells, albeit with a simple BHA for the latter. The user can instantly observe the output results, which allows proper action to be taken if necessary. This is a step towards real-time hydraulic operations. The results also indicate that the simulator can be used as an excellent training tool for professionals and students by creating wellbore exercises that can cover different operating scenarios.

Evaluation of CHIKPGRO model in semi arid and sub-humid climatic conditions of Madhya Pradesh

Based on field experiments conducted under different thermal and moisture regimes during rabi 2009-10 and 2010-11 at Jabalpur and Tikamgarh district of Madhya Pradesh, CHIKPGRO model was calibrated and validated for two popular and widely grown chickpea cultivars (JG 315 and JG11). Validations were done on the crop grown under the six dates of sowing in 2010-11 at Jabalpur (irrigated) and under two dates of sowing (2009-10 and 2010-11) at Tikamgarh (rainfed). The model overestimated the major phenological events under irrigated and underestimated in rainfed conditions, except the physiological maturity. The model also overestimated maximum LAI, biomass, seed yield and unit seed weight under irrigated conditions and underestimated in rainfed, conditions. The validation error was higher in rainfed conditions than irrigated conditions. The model simulated cultivars yield and biomass in irrigated and rainfed conditions differently with same genetic coefficients. The model simulated higher thermal and moisture stress than the actual field conditions under late sown conditions. The cultivar JG 11 had shown slightly more difference in simulation of yield and biomass as compared to JG 315. The model performance was tested with help CRM, RMSE and percentage difference between observed and simulated values.

A Review on Constructed Treatment Wetlands for Removal of Pollutants in the Agricultural Runoff

Constructed wetland (CW) is a popular sustainable best management practice for treating different wastewaters. While there are many articles on the removal of pollutants from different wastewaters, a comprehensive and critical review on the removal of pollutants other than nutrients that occur in agricultural field runoff and wastewater from animal facilities, including pesticides, insecticides, veterinary medicine, and antimicrobial-resistant genes are currently unavailable. Consequently, this paper summarized recent findings on the occurrence of such pollutants in the agricultural runoff water, their removal by different wetlands (surface flow, subsurface horizontal flow, subsurface vertical flow, and hybrid), and removal mechanisms, and analyzed the factors that affect the removal. The information is then used to highlight the current research gaps and needs for resilient and sustainable treatment systems. Factors, including contaminant property, aeration, type, and design of CWs, hydraulic parameters, substrate medium, and vegetation, impact the removal performance of the CWs. Hydraulic loading of 10–30 cm/d and hydraulic retention of 6–8 days were found to be optimal for the removal of agricultural pollutants from wetlands. The pollutants in agricultural wastewater, excluding nutrients and sediment, and their treatment utilizing different nature-based solutions, such as wetlands, are understudied, implying the need for more of such studies. This study reinforced the notion that wetlands are effective for treating agricultural wastewater (removal >90%) but several research questions remain unanswered. More long-term research in the actual field utilizing environmentally relevant concentrations to seek actual impacts of weather, plants, substrates, hydrology, and other design parameters, such as aeration and layout of wetland cells on the removal of pollutants, are needed.

A Novel Data-Driven Model for Dynamic Prediction and Optimization of Profile Control in Multilayer Reservoirs

Establishing reservoir numerical simulation and profile control optimization methods considering the mechanism of profile control has always been a difficult research problem at home and abroad. In this paper, firstly, a physics-based data-driven model was established on daily production data of injection and production wells following the principle of material balance. Key parameters including transmissibility, control pore volume, water injection allocation factors, and injection efficiency are derived directly from history matched model, and the dominated flow channels could be quantitatively identified. Then, combined with the evaluation results of the plugging ability of the plugging agent, imaginary well nodes are added to the existing interwell relationship to characterize the heterogeneity of interwell-specific parameters. This process performs flow processing along the interwell control units, forming a new and rapid method for simulation and prediction. Lastly, based on the calculated interwell transmissibility, water injection efficiency, and allocation factors, injection wells with low water injection efficiency can be preferentially selected as profile control wells. In addition, taking the production rates, injection rates, and the amount of plugging agent as optimization variables, we established an optimal control mathematical model and realized the parameter optimization method of the profile control. We demonstrated the results of one conceptual model and two indoor experiments to verify the feasibility of the proposed method and completed two actual field applications. Model validation and actual field application show that the proposed method successfully eliminates the complicated geological modeling procedure and the tedious calculation process associated with the profile control treatment in traditional numerical simulation methods. The calculation speed improves tens or hundreds of times, and water channeling paths are accurately identified. Most importantly, this method realizes the overall decision-making of profile control well selection, dynamic production prediction, and parameter optimization of profile control measures quickly and accurately by mainly using the daily production data of wells. The findings of this study can help for better understanding of the optimization design and application of on-site profile control schemes in large-scale oilfields.

Multistage noise reduction processing for vibration signal of hydropower units

In actual field testing environments of hydropower units, unit vibration signals are often contaminated with noise. In order to obtain the real vibration signal, a multi-stage vibration signal denoise method SG-SVD-VMD is proposed for the guide bearing nonlinear and non-stationary vibration signals. And the root mean square error (RMSE) and signal to noise ratio (SNR) are used to evaluate the noise reduction ability of eight methods. The results show that the noise-canceling ability of this proposed method has improved to some extent. It can effectively suppress the noise of the hydropower units vibration signals. This method can effectively identify the shaft track and the running state of hydropower units.

ANTi-History of the functionalist paradigm in organization theory: using the lens of March and Simon’s Organizations

Purpose This paper aims to examine the role of James March and his actor-network in the development of a functionalist paradigm of organization theory (OT). Recognizing the important contribution of March to the development of the field of OT, the authors set out to understand the role that he played in establishing the oft-quoted development of founding a behavioral facet of the functionalist paradigm of management theory. Design/methodology/approach The authors draw on ANTi-History to study some of the key factors that contributed to the challenges associated with the creation of a functionalist paradigm of OT. ANTi-History is an amodernist method drawing attention to how history is produced, differing from a modernist method for identifying the single-most truth of a series of past events and from a postmodernist method for revealing the relativity of accounts of the past. To that end, the method of ANTi-History is to explore the intersections of a series of human (e.g. scholars), non-human (e.g. a textbook) and non-corporeal (e.g. paradigms) actors to assess their role in producing a version of the past (e.g. a unified field of OT). Findings The authors reveal how the history, producing the paradigmatic idea of OT as a supposed field of inquiry, is not an account of an actual field of inquiry as much as it is the outcome of the shared and conflicted worldviews of multiple actors. Originality/value The unique and original contribution is in the tracking over time of the relationship between a known and important actor James March and the formation of a specific paradigm of OT. In particular, the authors focus on the factors and activities that formed or failed to form OT at points in time and James March’s role in this. In the process, the authors set out to learn not simply what James March achieved but how he achieved it.

Quantifying the prevalence of (non)-response to fertilizers in sub-Saharan Africa using on-farm trial data

Poor and variable crop responses to fertilizer applications constitute a production risk and may pose a barrier to fertilizer adoption in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Attempts to measure response variability and quantify the prevalence of non-response empirically are complicated by the fact that data from on-farm fertilizer trials generally include diverse nutrients and do not include on-site replications. The first aspect limits the extent to which different studies can be combined and compared, while the second does not allow to distinguish actual field-level response variability from experimental error and other residual variations. In this study, we assembled datasets from 41 on-farm fertilizer response trials on cereals and legumes across 11 countries, representing different nutrient applications, to assess response variability and quantify the frequency of occurrence of non-response to fertilizers. Using two approaches to account for residual variation, we estimated non-response, defined here as a zero agronomic response to fertilizer in a given year, to be relatively rare, affecting 0–1 and 7–16% of fields on average for cereals and legumes respectively. The magnitude of response could not be explained by climatic and selected topsoil variables, suggesting that much of the observed variation may relate to unpredictable seasonal and/or local conditions. This implies that, despite demonstrable spatial bias in our sample of trials, the estimated proportion of non-response may be representative for other agro-ecologies across SSA. Under the latter assumption, we estimated that roughly 260,000 ha of cereals and 3,240,000 ha of legumes could be expected to be non-responsive in any particular year.

Circular Carbon Economy (CCE): A Way to Invest CO2 and Protect the Environment, a Review

Increased levels of carbon dioxide have revolutionised the Earth; higher temperatures, melting icecaps, and flooding are now more prevalent. Fortunately, renewable energy mitigates this problem by making up 20% of human energy needs. However, from a “green environment” perspective, can carbon dioxide emissions in the atmosphere be reduced and eliminated? The carbon economic circle is an ideal solution to this problem, as it enables us to store, use, and remove carbon dioxide. This research introduces the circular carbon economy (CCE) and addresses its economic importance. Additionally, the paper discusses carbon capture and storage (CCS), and the utilisation of CO2. Furthermore, it explains current technologies and their future applications on environmental impact, CO2 capture, utilisation, and storage (CCUS). Various opinions on the best way to achieve zero carbon emissions and on CO2 applications and their economic impact are also discussed. The circular carbon economy can be achieved through a highly transparent global administration that is supportive of advanced technologies that contribute to the efficient utilisation of energy sources. This global administration must also provide facilities to modernise and develop factories and power stations, based on emission-reducing technologies. Monitoring emissions in countries through a global monitoring network system, based on actual field measurements, linked to a worldwide database allows all stakeholders to track the change in greenhouse gas emissions. The process of sequestering carbon dioxide in the ocean is affected by the support for technologies and industries that adopt the principle of carbon recycling in order to maintain the balance. This includes supporting initiatives that contribute to increasing vegetation cover and preserving oceans from pollutants, especially chemicals and radioactive pollutants, which will undoubtedly affect the process of sequestering carbon dioxide in the oceans, and this will contribute significantly to maintaining carbon dioxide at acceptable levels.