Effects of three coniferous plantation species on plant-soil feedbacks and soil physical and chemical properties in semiarid mountain ecosystems

Background:Large-scale afforestation can significantly change the ground cover and soil physicochemical properties,especially the soil fertility maintenance and water conservation functions of artificial forests,which are very important in semi-arid mountain ecosystems.However,how different tree species affect soil nutrients and soil physicochemical properties after afforestation,and which is the best plantation species for improving soil fertility and water conservation functions remain largely unknown.Methods:This study investigated the soil nutrient contents of three different plantations(Larix principis-rupprechtii,Picea crassifolia,Pinus tabuliformis),soils and plant-soil feedbacks,as well as the interactions between soil physicochemical properties.Results:The results revealed that the leaves and litter layers strongly influenced soil nutrient availability through biogeochemical processes:P.tabuliformis had higher organic carbon,ratio of organic carbon to total nitrogen(C:N)and organic carbon to total phosphorus(C:P)in the leaves and litter layers than L.principis-rupprechtii or P.crassifolia,suggesting that higher C:N and C:P hindered litter decomposition.As a result,the L.principis-rupprechtii and P.crassifolia plantation forests significantly improved soil nutrients and clay components,compared with the P.tabuliformis plantation forest.Furthermore,the L.principis-rupprechtii and P.crassifolia plantation forests significantly improved the soil capacity,soil total porosity,and capillary porosity,decreased soil bulk density,and enhanced water storage capacity,compared with the P.tabuliformis plantation forest.The results of this study showed that,the strong link between plants and soil was tightly coupled to C:N and C:P,and there was a close correlation between soil particle size distribution and soil physicochemical properties.Conclusions:Therefore,our results recommend planting the L.principis-rupprechtii and P.crassifolia as the preferred tree species to enhance the soil fertility and water conservation functions,especially in semi-arid regions mountain forest ecosystems.

Soil legacy effects and plant-soil feedback contribution to secondary succession processes

Secondary succession is the process by which a community develops into a climax community over time.However,knowledge on the mechanisms,relating to soil legacy effects(soil chemistry and enzyme activity)and plant-soil feedback(PSF),driving community succession remains limited.In this work,we examined the PSF associated with three succession stage species through a 2-year greenhouse experiment.Setaria viridis,Stipa bungeana,and Bothriochloa ischemum were selected to represent dominant and representative early-,mid-,and late-successional stage species,respectively,of semiarid grasslands on the Loess Plateau.In response to the different soil origin,the shoot biomass of early-,mid-,and late-species were all higher when grown in their own soil than in other species’soils,which indicated that the PSF of three species were positive.Over two growth periods,the early-species experienced a negative PSF,but the mid-and late-species experienced negative,neutral and positive PSF in the soil of early-,mid-and late-species,respectively.Our study demonstrates that soil legacy effects and PSF have a significant impact on community succession processes.

Feedback linearization and equivalent-disturbance compensation control strategy for piezoelectric stage

Piezoelectric stages use piezoelectric actuators and flexure hinges as driving and amplifying mechanisms,respectively.These systems have high positioning accuracy and high-frequency responses,and they are widely used in various precision/ultra-precision positioning fields.However,the main challenge with these devices is the inherent hysteresis nonlinearity of piezoelectric actuators,which seriously affects the tracking accuracy of a piezoelectric stage.Inspired by this challenge,in this work,we developed a Hammerstein model to describe the hysteresis nonlinearity of a piezoelectric stage.In particular,in our proposed scheme,a feedback-linearization algorithm is used to eliminate the static hysteresis nonlinearity.In addition,a composite controller based on equivalent-disturbance compensation was designed to counteract model uncertainties and external disturbances.An analysis of the stability of a closed-loop system based on this feedback-linearization algorithm and composite controller was performed,and this was followed by extensive comparative experiments using a piezoelectric stage developed in the laboratory.The experimental results confirmed that the feedback-linearization algorithm and the composite controller offer improved linearization and trajectory-tracking performance.

Process metallurgy and data-driven prediction and feedback of blast furnace heat indicators

The prediction and control of furnace heat indicators are of great importance for improving the heat levels and conditions of the complex and difficult-to-operate hour-class delay blast furnace(BF)system.In this work,a prediction and feedback model of furnace heat indicators based on the fusion of data-driven and BF ironmaking processes was proposed.The data on raw and fuel materials,process op-eration,smelting state,and slag and iron discharge during the whole BF process comprised 171 variables with 9223 groups of data and were comprehensively analyzed.A novel method for the delay analysis of furnace heat indicators was established.The extracted delay variables were found to play an important role in modeling.The method that combined the genetic algorithm and stacking efficiently im-proved performance compared with the traditional machine learning algorithm in improving the hit ratio of the furnace heat prediction model.The hit ratio for predicting the temperature of hot metal in the error range of±10℃ was 92.4%,and that for the chemical heat of hot metal in the error range of±0.1wt%was 93.3%.On the basis of the furnace heat prediction model and expert experience,a feedback model of furnace heat operation was established to obtain quantitative operation suggestions for stabilizing BF heat levels.These sugges-tions were highly accepted by BF operators.Finally,the comprehensive and dynamic model proposed in this work was successfully ap-plied in a practical BF system.It improved the BF temperature level remarkably,increasing the furnace temperature stability rate from 54.9%to 84.9%.This improvement achieved considerable economic benefits.

A feedback control method for phase signal demodulation in fber-optic hydrophones

In the realm of acoustic signal detection,the identification of weak signals,particularly in the presence of negative signal-to-noise ratios,poses a significant challenge.This challenge is further heightened when signals are acquired through fiber-optic hydrophones,as these signals often lack physical significance and resist clear systematic modeling.Conventional processing methods,e.g.,low-pass filter(LPF),require a thorough understanding of the effective signal bandwidth for noise reduction,and may introduce undesirable time lags.This paper introduces an innovative feedback control method with dual Kalman filters for the demodulation of phase signals with noises in fiber-optic hydrophones.A mathematical model of the closed-loop system is established to guide the design of the feedback control,aiming to achieve a balance with the input phase signal.The dual Kalman filters are instrumental in mitigating the effects of signal noise,observation noise,and control execution noise,thereby enabling precise estimation for the input phase signals.The effectiveness of this feedback control method is demonstrated through examples,showcasing the restoration of low-noise signals,negative signal-to-noise ratio signals,and multi-frequency signals.This research contributes to the technical advancement of high-performance devices,including fiber-optic hydrophones and phase-locked amplifiers.

Fault Estimation for a Class of Markov Jump Piecewise-Affine Systems: Current Feedback Based Iterative Learning Approach

In this paper, the issues of stochastic stability analysis and fault estimation are investigated for a class of continuoustime Markov jump piecewise-affine(PWA) systems against actuator and sensor faults. Firstly, a novel mode-dependent PWA iterative learning observer with current feedback is designed to estimate the system states and faults, simultaneously, which contains both the previous iteration information and the current feedback mechanism. The auxiliary feedback channel optimizes the response speed of the observer, therefore the estimation error would converge to zero rapidly. Then, sufficient conditions for stochastic stability with guaranteed performance are demonstrated for the estimation error system, and the equivalence relations between the system information and the estimated information can be established via iterative accumulating representation.Finally, two illustrative examples containing a class of tunnel diode circuit systems are presented to fully demonstrate the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed iterative learning observer with current feedback.

A Tutorial on Quantized Feedback Control

In this tutorial paper, we explore the field of quantized feedback control, which has gained significant attention due to the growing prevalence of networked control systems. These systems require the transmission of feedback information, such as measurements and control signals, over digital networks, presenting novel challenges in estimation and control design. Our examination encompasses various topics, including the minimal information needed for effective feedback control, the design of quantizers, strategies for quantized control design and estimation,achieving consensus control with quantized data, and the pursuit of high-precision tracking using quantized measurements.

Towards engineering a portable platform for laparoscopic pre-training in virtual reality with haptic feedback

Background Laparoscopic surgery is a surgical technique in which special instruments are inserted through small incision holes inside the body.For some time,efforts have been made to improve surgical pre training through practical exercises on abstracted and reduced models.Methods The authors strive for a portable,easy to use and cost-effective Virtual Reality-based(VR)laparoscopic pre-training platform and therefore address the question of how such a system has to be designed to achieve the quality of today's gold standard using real tissue specimens.Current VR controllers are limited regarding haptic feedback.Since haptic feedback is necessary or at least beneficial for laparoscopic surgery training,the platform to be developed consists of a newly designed prototype laparoscopic VR controller with haptic feedback,a commercially available head-mounted display,a VR environment for simulating a laparoscopic surgery,and a training concept.Results To take full advantage of benefits such as repeatability and cost-effectiveness of VR-based training,the system shall not require a tissue sample for haptic feedback.It is currently calculated and visually displayed to the user in the VR environment.On the prototype controller,a first axis was provided with perceptible feedback for test purposes.Two of the prototype VR controllers can be combined to simulate a typical both-handed use case,e.g.,laparoscopic suturing.A Unity based VR prototype allows the execution of simple standard pre-trainings.Conclusions The first prototype enables full operation of a virtual laparoscopic instrument in VR.In addition,the simulation can compute simple interaction forces.Major challenges lie in a realistic real-time tissue simulation and calculation of forces for the haptic feedback.Mechanical weaknesses were identified in the first hardware prototype,which will be improved in subsequent versions.All degrees of freedom of the controller are to be provided with haptic feedback.To make forces tangible in the simulation,characteristic values need to be determined using real tissue samples.The system has yet to be validated by cross-comparing real and VR haptics with surgeons.

A NOTE ON THE GENERAL STABILIZATION OF DISCRETE FEEDBACK CONTROL FOR NON-AUTONOMOUS HYBRID NEUTRAL STOCHASTIC SYSTEMS WITH A DELAY

Discrete feedback control was designed to stabilize an unstable hybrid neutral stochastic differential delay system(HNSDDS) under a highly nonlinear constraint in the H_∞ and exponential forms.Nevertheless,the existing work just adapted to autonomous cases,and the obtained results were mainly on exponential stabilization.In comparison with autonomous cases,non-autonomous systems are of great interest and represent an important challenge.Accordingly,discrete feedback control has here been adjusted with a time factor to stabilize an unstable non-autonomous HNSDDS,in which new Lyapunov-Krasovskii functionals and some novel technologies are adopted.It should be noted,in particular,that the stabilization can be achieved not only in the routine H_∞ and exponential forms,but also the polynomial form and even a general form.

Faster split-based feedback network for image super-resolution

Although most of the existing image super-resolution(SR)methods have achieved superior performance,contrastive learning for high-level tasks has not been fully utilized in the existing image SR methods based on deep learning.This work focuses on two well-known strategies developed for lightweight and robust SR,i.e.,contrastive learning and feedback mechanism,and proposes an integrated solution called a split-based feedback network(SPFBN).The proposed SPFBN is based on a feedback mechanism to learn abstract representations and uses contrastive learning to explore high information in the representation space.Specifically,this work first uses hidden states and constraints in recurrent neural network(RNN)to implement a feedback mechanism.Then,use contrastive learning to perform representation learning to obtain high-level information by pushing the final image to the intermediate images and pulling the final SR image to the high-resolution image.Besides,a split-based feedback block(SPFB)is proposed to reduce model redundancy,which tolerates features with similar patterns but requires fewer parameters.Extensive experimental results demonstrate the superiority of the proposed method in comparison with the state-of-the-art methods.Moreover,this work extends the experiment to prove the effectiveness of this method and shows better overall reconstruction quality.

Asynchronous Learning-Based Output Feedback Sliding Mode Control for Semi-Markov Jump Systems: A Descriptor Approach

This paper presents an asynchronous output-feed-back control strategy of semi-Markovian systems via sliding mode-based learning technique.Compared with most literature results that require exact prior knowledge of system state and mode information,an asynchronous output-feedback sliding sur-face is adopted in the case of incompletely available state and non-synchronization phenomenon.The holonomic dynamics of the sliding mode are characterized by a descriptor system in which the switching surface is regarded as the fast subsystem and the system dynamics are viewed as the slow subsystem.Based upon the co-occurrence of two subsystems,the sufficient stochastic admissibility criterion of the holonomic dynamics is derived by utilizing the characteristics of cumulative distribution functions.Furthermore,a recursive learning controller is formulated to guarantee the reachability of the sliding manifold and realize the chattering reduction of the asynchronous switching and sliding motion.Finally,the proposed theoretical method is substantia-ted through two numerical simulations with the practical contin-uous stirred tank reactor and F-404 aircraft engine model,respectively.

Language Assessment Feedback Towards Pedagogical Conversational Agent

Continuous development of technology provides an opportunity to incorporate feedback in online assessments.The mode of online instruction during the pandemic was the most significant survival change.Technology enabled every teacher and student to enter a virtual classroom to make sense of education.Feedback is part of language instruction and is a powerful key to improving students’learning performance.Feedback plays an influential and crucial role in teaching and learning.Feedback is an invaluable,ultimate learning tool for learners that aids them in not committing the same error again and creates impetus.Thus,knowing about formative exam feedback is students’right because quality feedback allures them.Given students’eagerness,providing feedback is considered a good practice to be followed by all the teaching faculty.Apropos of online feedback,the present study attempts to study how pedagogical agents provide online feedback in language assessments.The study also considers the characteristics of pedagogical conversational agents that are suitable for providing feedback in online language assessment.Simply put,the study encapsulates that screen agents play an essential role in students’motivation and acceptability of learning through feedback.

Adaptive Optimal Discrete-Time Output-Feedback Using an Internal Model Principle and Adaptive Dynamic Programming

In order to address the output feedback issue for linear discrete-time systems, this work suggests a brand-new adaptive dynamic programming(ADP) technique based on the internal model principle(IMP). The proposed method, termed as IMP-ADP, does not require complete state feedback-merely the measurement of input and output data. More specifically, based on the IMP, the output control problem can first be converted into a stabilization problem. We then design an observer to reproduce the full state of the system by measuring the inputs and outputs. Moreover, this technique includes both a policy iteration algorithm and a value iteration algorithm to determine the optimal feedback gain without using a dynamic system model. It is important that with this concept one does not need to solve the regulator equation. Finally, this control method was tested on an inverter system of grid-connected LCLs to demonstrate that the proposed method provides the desired performance in terms of both tracking and disturbance rejection.

The Effectiveness of Peer Feedback on Second Language Writing

Peer feedback is a widely utilized practice in writing classrooms for second languages(L2)that has drawn a lot of attention.While some support the practice because of the clear advantages that peer feedback offers students,others doubt its efficacy.Comparing various forms of feedback is therefore necessary,as is determining the effects that peer feedback has on students and the variables that might affect how successful peer feedback is.This paper focuses on the usefulness of peer feedback for L2 writing,based on a review of studies on the subject.The findings imply that the functions of peer and teacher feedback are distinct,and that peer feedback is advantageous to both parties,particularly to the supplier.The attitudes and cultural backgrounds of the students are among the other factors that affect how effective peer feedback is.Lastly,some implications for future research and education are presented.

Invasive grasses consistently create similar plant-soil feedback types in soils collected from geographically distant locations

Aims Plants of similar life forms and closely related species have been observed to create similar types of plant–soil feedbacks(PSFs).However,investigations of the consistency of PSFs within species have not yielded clear results.For example,it has been reported that species create different types of PSFs in their native and introduced ranges.The aim of this project is to examine if four species create similar PSF types from soils collected from widely distributed areas within their introduced range.The soil for this project was collected from three areas in western North America.With this design,we aim to determine species-and site-specific ability to create PSFs and if the type of PSF created is consistent in all soil from all three collection areas.The species examined are Agropyron cristatum,Centaurea solstitialis,Poa pratensis and Taeniatherum caput-medusae.Methods We used three-field collected soils(from northern Nevada,western Montana and eastern Montana)in a two-phase greenhouse experiment to quantify the type of PSFs created by four invasive species.The first phase was a conditioning phase wherein each invasive species created species-specific changes to the soil.The second phase of the experiment was the response phase wherein both the conditioning species and a native phytometer were grown in the conditioned soil and in unconditioned(control)soil.The final aboveground biomass was used to evaluate the effect of conditioning and to determine the type of PSF created by each invasive species.Important Findings Our results suggest that three of our four study species did show consistency in relation to PSF.Two species A.cristatum and T.caputmedusae consistently created PSF types that benefit conspecifics more than heterospecifics(and thus are‘invasive’PSF types)and P.pratensis consistently exhibited no,or‘neutral’,feedbacks.The fourth species(C.solstitialis)was inconsistent:in one soil,no feedback was created;in other soil,an invasive PSF was created and in the last soil,a feedback that relatively benefited the native phytometer was created.Thus,PSFs appear to uniformly contribute to the success of two species(A.cristatum and T.caput-medusae)but not C.solstitialis nor P.pratensis.

The Representation of Soil Moisture−Atmosphere Feedbacks across the Tibetan Plateau in CMIP6

Thermal processes on the Tibetan Plateau(TP)influence atmospheric conditions on regional and global scales.Given this,previous work has shown that soil moisture−driven surface flux variations feed back onto the atmosphere.Whilst soil moisture is a source of atmospheric predictability,no study has evaluated soil moisture−atmosphere coupling on the TP in general circulation models(GCMs).In this study,we use several analysis techniques to assess soil moisture−atmosphere coupling in CMIP6 simulations including:instantaneous coupling indices;analysis of flux and atmospheric behaviour during dry spells;and a quantification of the preference for convection over drier soils.Through these metrics we partition feedbacks into their atmospheric and terrestrial components.Consistent with previous global studies,we conclude substantial inter-model differences in the representation of soil moisture−atmosphere coupling,and that most models underestimate such feedbacks.Focusing on dry spell analysis,most models underestimate increased sensible heat during periods of rainfall deficiency.For example,the model-mean bias in anomalous sensible heat flux is 10 W m−2(≈25%)smaller compared to observations.Deficient dry-spell sensible heat fluxes lead to a weaker atmospheric response.We also find that most GCMs fail to capture the negative feedback between soil moisture and deep convection.The poor simulation of feedbacks in CMIP6 experiments suggests that forecast models also struggle to exploit soil moisture−driven predictability.To improve the representation of land−atmosphere feedbacks requires developments in not only atmospheric modelling,but also surface processes,as we find weak relationships between rainfall biases and coupling indexes.

Research on Narrowband Line Spectrum Noise Control Method Based on Nearest Neighbor Filter and BP Neural Network Feedback Mechanism

Thefilter-x least mean square(FxLMS)algorithm is widely used in active noise control(ANC)systems.However,because the algorithm is a feedback control algorithm based on the minimization of the error signal variance to update thefilter coefficients,it has a certain delay,usually has a slow convergence speed,and the system response time is long and easily affected by the learning rate leading to the lack of system stability,which often fails to achieve the desired control effect in practice.In this paper,we propose an active control algorithm with near-est-neighbor trap structure and neural network feedback mechanism to reduce the coefficient update time of the FxLMS algorithm and use the neural network feedback mechanism to realize the parameter update,which is called NNR-BPFxLMS algorithm.In the paper,the schematic diagram of the feedback control is given,and the performance of the algorithm is analyzed.Under various noise conditions,it is shown by simulation and experiment that the NNR-BPFxLMS algorithm has the following three advantages:in terms of performance,it has higher noise reduction under the same number of sampling points,i.e.,it has faster convergence speed,and by computer simulation and sound pipe experiment,for simple ideal line spectrum noise,compared with the convergence speed of NNR-BPFxLMS is improved by more than 95%compared with FxLMS algorithm,and the convergence speed of real noise is also improved by more than 70%.In terms of stability,NNR-BPFxLMS is insensitive to step size changes.In terms of tracking performance,its algorithm responds quickly to sudden changes in the noise spectrum and can cope with the complex control requirements of sudden changes in the noise spectrum.

Effects of Different Feedback Conditions on Sensorimotor Adaptation Revealed in a Mirror Reversal Paradigm

Humans are able to overcome sensory perturbations imposed on their movements through motor learning. One of the key mechanisms to accomplish this is sensorimotor adaptation, an implicit, error-driven learning mechanism. Past work on sensorimotor adaptation focused mainly on adaptation to rotated visual feedback—A paradigm known as visuomotor rotation. Recent studies have shown that sensorimotor adaptation can also occur under mirror-reversed visual feedback. In visuomotor rotation, sensorimotor adaptation can be driven by both endpoint and online feedback [1] [2]. However, it’s not been clear whether both kinds of feedback can similarly drive adaptation under a mirror reversed perturbation. We performed a study to establish what kinds of feedback can drive adaptation under mirror reversal. In the first two conditions, the participants were asked to ignore visual feedback. In the first condition, we provided mirror reversed online feedback and endpoint feedback. We reproduced previous findings showing that online feedback elicited adaptation under mirror reversal. In a second condition, we provided mirror reversed endpoint feedback. However, in the second condition, we found that endpoint feedback alone failed to elicit adaptation. In a third condition, we provided both types of feedback at the same time, but in a conflicting way: endpoint feedback was non-reversed while online feedback was mirror reversed. The participants were asked to ignore online visual feedback and try to hit the target with help from veridical endpoint feedback. In the third condition, in which veridical endpoint feedback and mirror reversed online feedback were provided, adaptation still occurred. Our results showed that endpoint feedback did not elicit adaptation under mirror reversal but online feedback did. This dissociation between effects of endpoint feedback and online feedback on adaptation under mirror reversal suggests that adaptation under these different kinds of feedback might in fact operate via distinct mechanisms.

Potential Impacts of Exogenous Nitrogen Enrichment on Distribution and Transfer of Nitrogen in Plant-Soil System of Suaeda salsa Marsh in the Yellow River Estuary, China

To determine the potential impacts of exogenous nitrogen(N)enrichment on distribution and transfer of N in Suaeda salsa marsh in the Yellow River Estuary,the variations of N in plant-soil system during the growing season were investigated by field N addition experiment.The experiment included four treatments:NN(no N input treatment,0gNm^(−2) yr^(−1)),LN(low N input treatment,3.0 gNm^(−2) yr^(−1)),MN(medium N input treatment,6 gNm^(−2) yr^(−1))and HN(high N input treatment,12 gNm^(−2) yr^(−1)).Results showed that N additions generally increased the contents of total nitrogen(TN),ammonia nitrogen(NH_(4)^(+)-N)and nitrate nitrogen(NO_(3)^(−)-N)in different soil layers and the increasing trend was particularly evident in topsoil.Compared with the NN treatment,the average contents of TN in topsoil in the LN,MN and HN treatments during the growing season increased by 10.85%,30.14%and 43.98%,the mean contents of NH_(4)^(+)-N increased by 8.56%,6.96%and 14.34%,and the average contents of NO_(3)^(−)-N increased by 35.73%,45.99%and 46.66%,respectively.Although exogenous N import did not alter the temporal variation patterns of TN contents in organs,the N transfer and accumulation differed among tissues in different treatments.With increasing N import,both the N stocks in soil and plant showed increasing trend and the values in N addition treatments increased by 9.43%–38.22%and 13.40%–62.20%,respectively.It was worth noting that,compared with other treatments,the S.salsa in the MN treatments was very likely to have special response to N enrichment since not only the period of peak growth was prolonged by about 20 days but also the maximum of TN content in leaves was advanced by approximately one month.This paper found that,as N loading reached MN level in future,the growth rhythm of S.salsa and the accumulation and transference of N in its tissues would be altered significantly,which might generate great impact on the stability and health of S.salsa marsh ecosystem.

A multi-module with a two-way feedback method for Ulva drift-diffusion

The outbreak of Ulva in the Yellow Sea has seriously affected marine ecology and economic activities.Therefore,effective prediction of the distribution of Ulva is of great significance for disaster prevention and reduction.However,the prediction method of Ulva is mainly based on numerical simulation.There are two problems with these methods.First is that the initial distribution of Ulva is simulated using independent pixel-level particles.Besides,the influence of Ulva growth and diffusion on the drift is not considered.Therefore,this paper proposes a multi-module with a two-way feedback method(MTF)to solve the above problems.The main contributions of our approach are summarized as follows.First,the initialization module,the generation and elimination module,and the drive module are composed in our way.Second,we proposed an initialization method using rectangle objects to simulate the Ulva distribution extracted from remote sensing images.Thirdly,the drift and diffusion mechanism of the Ulva is considered to realize the two-way feedback between the generation and elimination module and the drive module.The results of our experiments show that the MTF performs better than the traditional method in predicting the drift and diffusion of Ulva.The code is already publicly available at https://github.com/UPCGIT/A-multi-module-with-a-two-way-feedback-method-for-Ulva-drift-diffusion.