An improved grey wolf optimizer algorithm for identification and location of gas emission

Identification of the leakage of hazardous gases plays an important role in the environment protection, human health and safety of industry production. However, lots of current optimization algorithms, such as particle swarm optimization (PSO) and Grey Wolf Optimizer (GWO), suffer from poor global optimization capability and estimation accuracy. In this work, a hybrid differential evolutionary and GWO (DE-GWO) algorithm is proposed. Tested by simulation cases and Prairie Grass emission experimental data, DE-GWO shows higher estimation accuracy than GWO. Compared with the other four optimization algorithms, DE-GWO exhibits finer robust stability under different population sizes, fewer iterations, as well as higher estimation accuracy with fewer search agents. Importantly, simulation results demonstrate that DE-GWO is more suitable to apply in the scene with a small number of sensors. Therefore, the proposed in this paper outperforms other optimization algorithms for the gas emission inverse problem. DE-GWO can provide reliable estimation towards gas emission identification and positioning, which shows huge potential as the data analysis module of real-time monitoring and early warning system.     

Age and spatial distribution of the world's oldest trees

Extremely old trees have important roles in providing insights about historical climatic events and supporting cultural values, yet there has been limited work on their global distribution and conservation. We extracted information on 197,855 tree cores from 4854 sites and combined it with other tree age (e.g., the OLDLIST) data from a further 156 sites to determine the age of the world's oldest trees and quantify the factors influencing their global distribution. We found that extremely old trees >1000 years were rare. Among 30 individual trees that exceeded 2000 years old, 27 occurred in high mountains. We modeled maximum tree age with climatic, soil topographic, and anthropogenic variables, and our regression models demonstrated that elevation, human population density, soil carbon content, and mean annual temperature were key determinants of the distribution of the world's oldest trees. Specifically, our model predicted that many of the oldest trees will occur in high-elevation, cold, and arid mountains with limited human disturbance. This pattern was markedly different from that of the tallest trees, which were more likely to occur in relatively more mesic and productive locations. Global warming and expansion of human activities may induce rapid population declines of extremely old trees. New strategies, including targeted establishment of conservation reserves in remote regions, especially those in western parts of China and the United States, are required to protect these trees.     

不对称大底板多塔楼隔震结构的地震响应分析

针对不对称大底板多塔楼隔震结构体系,通过建立地震响应的动力分析简化模型,推导出不对称大底板多塔楼隔震结构体系地震作用下的运动方程。对一实际的不对称大底板多塔楼隔震结构进行地震响应仿真分析,探讨塔楼质量偏心率和塔楼质量比对结构周期比、位移比和层剪力比的影响。结果显示,不对称大底板多塔楼隔震结构扭转角主要由隔震层产生;与不隔震结构相比,不对称大底板多塔楼隔震体系的扭转角减小,可取得较好的减震效果;塔楼与底板的位置分布和质量分布会影响体系的扭转效应和减震效果,应尽量使塔楼的质心与底板质心重合,塔楼质量分布均匀,以减小结构的扭转效应,提高减震效果。