Search Results (8)

As an innovative metaheuristic algorithm, Genghis Khan Shark Optimization (GKSO) faces challenges, including a tendency towards local optima and poor convergence speed and accuracy. To mitigate these limitations, an improved Genghis Khan shark optimizer (IGKSO) is proposed in this paper. A population partitioning method based on cosine similarity and fitness is introduced, where individuals are strategically assigned to different evolutionary phases: Disadvantaged populations are responsible for the foraging stage. By contrast, advantaged populations dominate the moving stage. In the moving stage, the base vector is randomly selected from multiple candidates, which ensures the evolutionary direction of the population while maintaining its diversity. An adaptive step-size mechanism is introduced to avoid boundary overflow problems. A subspace method is employed to prevent diversity loss during foraging. Additionally, in the hunting stage, a novel opposition-based learning strategy is proposed to moderate the tendency of converging to suboptimal solutions. Furthermore, during the self-protection phase, a criterion for assessing the diversity of the whole population is employed to monitor and supplement diversity in real time. The results of the CEC2017 and CEC2019 benchmark test sets reveal that IGKSO exhibits substantial advantages over the GKSO algorithm and eight other high-performance algorithms in terms of convergence speed and accuracy. Full article

The concrete protective layer in hydraulic tunnels is prone to abrasion by high-velocity sand-laden water, reducing structural durability. Accurate prediction of abrasion depth is key to rational hydraulic structure design. Existing studies have limitations: classical empirical models consider only a single factor, while early machine learning models fail to cover two core abrasion mechanisms (friction and impact) and lack meta-heuristic algorithm-based parameter optimization, leading to insufficient generalization and stability. This study aims to (1) establish a multi-source database with 690 cases (463 friction-dominated, 227 impact-dominated) covering multiple test standards (ASTM C944, ASTM C779, BIS: 1237-1980, ASTM C1138); (2) optimize hyperparameters of LightGBM, XGBoost, and CatBoost using Genghis Khan Shark Optimizer (GKSO) to build a hybrid ensemble model; (3) verify model performance and identify key factors via SHAP analysis. After preprocessing, input features were simplified to five: water–cement ratio, FA/CA (fine aggregate/coarse aggregate), age, T/V (test duration/velocity), and WRA content. Results show that GKSO-CatBoost performed best (test set R² = 0.982, RMSE = 0.1231 mm). SHAP analysis identified T/V and the water–cement ratio as key influencing features, providing clear directions for optimizing concrete mix proportions under different standard scenarios. This study provides a new method for hydraulic concrete abrasion prediction and a scientific basis for durability design oriented to specific test standards. Full article

This study examines the impact of reproductive inequality on the long-term survival of Homo sapiens by comparing two reproductive models: the Pareto (power-law) distribution of unequal reproduction and the Gaussian (normal) distribution of equal reproduction. We conducted simulations to explore how genetic diversity, measured by heterozygosity, evolves over time. The results predict population crashes due to genetic bottlenecks under both models, but with large differences in timing. We refer to Pareto reproductive inequality as the Genghis Khan effect. This effect accelerates the loss of genetic diversity, increasing the species’ vulnerability to environmental stressors, resource depletion, and genetic drift, and thereby raising the risk of an earlier population collapse. Our findings showcase the importance of reproductive balance for the prolonged presence of Homo sapiens on this planet. Full article

The potential benefits of green travel in achieving dual-carbon goals and promoting sustainable urban development have been widely recognized. However, the various factors influencing green travel behavior in small- and medium-sized central urban areas have not been adequately explored. This study developed a theoretical model to analyze residents’ green travel decision-making, integrating the theory of planned behavior and the stimulus–organism–response model. The model was validated through qualitative and quantitative analyses, revealing key findings. (1) Residents’ green travel awareness and intentions are influenced by personal characteristics, internal psychological factors, and external environmental factors, each with varying degrees of impact. (2) Psychological demand for travel and extreme weather conditions significantly impact green travel awareness. (3) Green travel awareness positively affects actual green travel behavior, with other factors indirectly influencing behavioral intention through awareness. (4) Subjective norms and policy support directly influence green travel choices. Based on these findings, the study suggests policy recommendations to enhance residents’ green travel awareness, promoting sustainable urban development. Full article

To promote the green and resilient development of urban transportation and the sustainable development of cities, we developed a technique that can be used to evaluate the level of urban green transportation development. First, the toughness evaluation indexes were integrated according to the connotation requirements of green transportation development, and the evaluation index system was constructed using the hierarchical analysis method. Second, subjective and objective weighting methods, such as the G1, entropy weighting, and “addition” integration methods, which provide a simple and easy-to-use evaluation method that can improve evaluation accuracy, were adopted. Finally, Harbin, a typical city in the north, was chosen as a representative city to verify the method effectiveness. The study findings can be used to evaluate the current level of green development of a city as well as for future planning, providing a basis for formulating sustainable urban transportation development strategies. We will continue to conduct comparative studies on different evaluation methods and cities to improve the generalizability of the method. Full article

Commodification is an important research issue regarding cultural sustainability. This paper draws on the theory of cultural layers to understand tourism commodification and the development of local cultures. Through 76 days of field investigation and about 60 face-to-face interviews, this paper explores the characteristics of tourism commodification in festivals and rites related to sacrifices to Genghis Khan and the relationship between its five layers of commodification. Research findings reveal that commodification mainly occurs in the layers of artifacts and patterns of behavior. In addition, the process of tourism commodification does not necessarily follow the sequence of cultural division from the outside to the inside; instead, the deeper layer of commodification will inevitably drive the commodification of its outer circle, and different layers of commodification display different social problems as well. It is also found that this theory is suitable for other tourism commodification cases examined in existing studies. Taken together, analyzing tourism commodification through layered thinking can unveil the degree of commodification, offer an avenue to address the extant debate over the pros and cons of tourism commodification, and provide a basis for guiding the regulation of tourism commodification more effectively. Full article

This article compares three literary-historical texts—two from the Jewish world and one from Mongolia—that record prophecies given to military commanders asserting that they will become the rulers of great empires and civilizations. In his The Jewish War, Josephus tells us that he prophesied that Vespasian would become emperor, an act that appears to have saved his life. A rabbinic tradition, related in several versions, similarly recounts that R. Johanan b. Zakkai prophesied that Vespasian would rise to power—he, too, thus being granted his freedom and the opportunity to rebuild his life and community in Yavneh. I compare Josephus and R. Johanan’s prophecies in the light of The Secret History of the Mongols. A chronicle describing the life of Temüjin, the founder of the Mongol Empire who gained fame as Genghis Khan (1162–1227), this tells how Temüjin, the young commander, was predicted to unite all the Mongol tribes and rule over a vast empire. The article analyzes the three prophecies, which occur in diverse genres, in the light of their historical background, hereby demonstrating the way in which written sources can serve anthropological phenomenological research and shed new light on ancient Jewish texts. Full article

The Silk Route reached its historic and economic apogee under the Mongol Empire (1207–1368), as a direct result of the policies of Chinggis Khan (Genghis Khan) and his successors. Because the land network proved inefficient for the amount of goods needing transport from one part of the empire to another, the Mongols expanded the Silk Route to ocean shipping and thus created the first Maritime Silk Route. The sea traffic initially expanded the land routes but soon strangled them. With the expansion of the Maritime Silk Route through the fourteenth century, the land connections reverted to local networks and lost their global importance. Full article