Tuning Generalized Predictive PI controllers for process control applications.

Predictive PI (PPI) controllers have demonstrated to exceed traditional PID controllers when they are applied to systems with long delays. This work proposes a new controller structure and tuning that we call Generalized Predictive PI (GPPI) controller which provides greater design flexibility than PI and PPI strategies. To realize a fair comparison, the design and tuning rules for discrete PI and PPI controllers were developed using optimal arguments based on the root-locus, for critically damped response before a step change in the reference.

The ecophysiology of a neotropical mistletoe depends on the leaf phenology of its tree hosts.

Premise: Mistletoes parasitize many hardwood and softwood tree species; however, they play key roles in forest ecosystems. Adult individuals of Psittacanthus schiedeanus take up water and xylem nutrients from both deciduous and evergreen host trees, suggesting the ability to modify its physiology according to the availability of host resources. Yet, there is little information regarding the effects of mistletoes on their host trees from the eophyll stage to reproductive phases of the parasite.

High resilience to extreme climatic changes in the CAM epiphyte Tillandsia utriculata L. (Bromeliaceae).

Climate change is expected to increase the frequency of extreme climatic events, yet few studies have addressed the capacity of plant species to deal with such events. Species that are widespread are predicted to be highly plastic and able to acclimate to highly changing conditions. To study the plasticity in physiological responses of the widely distributed epiphyte Tillandsia utriculata, we transplanted individuals from a coastal scrub and broadleaf evergreen forest to a similar coastal scrub site and forest.

Sensitivity of three tree ferns during their first phase of life to the variation of solar radiation and water availability in a Mexican cloud forest.

Premise Of The Study: Regeneration niche differentiation promotes species coexistence and diversity; however, the ecological implications for the initial life phases of the majority of pteridophytes are unknown. We analyzed the sensitivity of gametophytes and juvenile sporophytes of the tree ferns Alsophila firma, Cyathea divergens, and Lophosoria quadripinnata to variation in light and water availability.

Methods: We evaluated gametophyte desiccation tolerance using saturated salt solutions and gametophyte solar radiation tolerance by direct exposure.

Competition intensity as a function of resource availability in a semiarid ecosystem.

Two field experiments were conducted using three dominant perennial species of the Chihuahuan Desert: Hilaria mutica (a tussock grass), Larrea tridentata (a microphyllous shrub) and Opuntia rastrera (a flat-stemmed succulent cactus). Two hypotheses concerning competition in arid plant communities were tested. (1) Marked resource partitioning with no interspecific competition could be expected since the three species belong to different life-forms, and that plant growth in deserts is basically limited by harsh environmental conditions.