Focal Point Research Articles

Comparative analysis of coding schemes for effective wireless communication

Communication systems have recently focused on sending information efficiently and effectively from one sending point to another across a communication channel in the shortest amount of time. The main objective of this work is to compare the high-range coding scheme types, such as low density parity check (LDPC), turbo, and convolution, to see which works better and is more efficient. to establish a coding system with quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) modulation and an additive white gaussian noise (AWGN) noisy channel to find which is more reliable and resilient for encoding and decoding. Because of this, digital media has to be sent over wireless channels and through satellites, requiring a connected network all the time, which has become a major concern over time. Furthermore, the high amount of data and efficiency are the focus points. After running the simulation, it was found that 64 QAM with a rate of 0.455 and an efficiency of 2.731 has a bit error rate (BER) of 0.001 and a 7.08 dB energy per bit Eb/No, and the 256 QAM simulation revealed that it has a BER of 0.001 and 11.88 dB Eb/No with a rate of 0.736 and an efficiency of 5.891. Over the AWGN channel noise, the simulation built a standard orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) system, which used MATLAB.

Uptown Squirrel Does Not Eat That.

This essay plays out a few ethics reasons we have to reconsider what's really being marketed to us in some free offers that distract us from questions of ethical, cultural, and clinical importance, for example. Possible points of focus for bioethics as a field are related to antimicrobial resistance and stewardship.

浅析WTO 对《美国对进口晶体硅光伏产品的保障措施》的裁决

This article focuses on the safeguards measure case of “China vs. U.S. Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaic Products” and deeply explores the relevant issues related to safeguard measures in international trade remedies involved in this case. Research on this issue will help China better understand responding to related trade frictions in international trade has enabled China to change its passive position into an active position in dealing with such issues. This article explains the safeguard measure case of “China vs. United States Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaic Products” and then introduces the rules of the WTO safeguard measure system. It then analyzes the five focus points of dispute, focusing on the expert group’s analysis of the causal relationship in this case. Identify the situation, and finally discuss China’s response to such situations.

The Electoral College’s Impact on Presidential Mandates and Agendas

The Electoral College is the method used in every four years to elect the President of the United States. Given that the Electoral College gives the power to elect the president to state-casted votes, the system has in recent years become a source of growing controversy given how two presidents, George Bush in 2000 and Donald Trump in 2016, without winning the national popular vote. These elections and the public discourse around them have brought new life to the purpose and impacts of the Electoral College. This paper uses key presidential elections, including those of John Quincy Adams, Andrew Jackson, Benjamin Harrison, Woodrow Wilson, Donald Trump, and Joe Biden, give insight on how the Electoral College should now be understood. In particular, this paper examines the implications of the Electoral College on one fundamental question: Does election to the presidency via the Electoral College route fundamentally affect the ability of a president to govern effectively? Examining these elections, the context around and impact after these elections, and modern United States political history shows that when the Electoral College is not an extraordinary or exceptionally notable part of an election cycle, the Electoral College does not fundamentally affect the president’s ability to command public and political support required to effectively govern. However, when the Electoral College does become a point of focus during a presidential election and in the beginning of a president’s term, it has wide-ranging impacts. In particular, the College can shape the political and public mandate the president has to lead, shaping their overall agenda for their time in office; cause biases to arise towards certain states and conservative politics; and undermine their ability to serve as a unifying figure. With each modern election having an increased focus on the Electoral College, the system is likely to cause increased polarization and tension with each passing election if serious reforms are not undertaken.

Change of Epistemic Stance of Transnational Pre-Service Teachers in-and-through Collaborative Data-Led Reflective Dialogues

This study explored collaborative data-led reflective dialogues of transnational PSTs by using Multimodal Conversation Analysis. The study draws on the screen recordings of a Virtual Exchange (VE) project (n=72), which involves collaborative online task design, implementation of tasks by L2 students, and reflection on students’ performance and their experience of the VE project. The close examination of the data showed that through collaborative reflective dialogues, PSTs (i) raised awareness of their practice and generated knowledge; (ii) made a connection between theory and practice; (iii) became more aware of their epistemic stance; (iv) identified and described a problem and found solutions to these problems (Farrell, 2015). Therefore, micro-moments of learning and understanding were created in-an- through reflection and it was revealed explicitly through reference to lack of knowledge in the past. This study has implications for teacher education programs, which should encourage reflective dialogues of transnational PSTs to create opportunities for teacher learning.

Broadband noise signal source positioning method using flat linear antenna in Fresnel zone near ‘water-air’ boundary

Ways of broadband noise signal reception using flat linear extended antenna in Fresnel zone near surface boundary enabling to determine direction, range to the source and depth of its immersion simultaneously with detection are considered. The effect emerging when signal source and receiver are located near «water-air» interface and two beams arrive from source to receiver (direct beam and beam reflected from the surface) is investigated. The supervisor of compensation of delays of signal arriving to M receivers of the antenna focuses receiving system in the point of the expected positioning of the source. In case of dual-beam signal it may result in emergence of two range focusing points in space. It is shown that focal spots may have high range spreading or practically merge depending on the relative positioning of the source and the receiver. Method of source submergence depth analysis at known ranges to two focal spots is offered for the first case. Method of consolidated signal processing which includes additional scanning of time delays in possible delays of signal between beams with uniform delay for all antenna elements is offered for the case when focal spots are not separated. It is demonstrated that when obtaining maximum signal power entered delay will be functionally connected with depth of immersion of the source that enables carrying out joint determining of direction, ranges and depths of submergence of the source in offered method. Moreover, it is demonstrated that method of consolidated processing enables to increase power of arriving signal up to 50 % in the point of maximum response as compared to conventional signal reception algorithm using flat linear antenna in Fresnel zone.

Test Optimization in DNN Testing: A Survey

This article presents a comprehensive survey on test optimization in deep neural network (DNN) testing. Here, test optimization refers to testing with low data labeling effort. We analyzed 90 papers, including 43 from the software engineering (SE) community, 32 from the machine learning (ML) community, and 15 from other communities. Our study: (i) unifies the problems as well as terminologies associated with low-labeling cost testing, (ii) compares the distinct focal points of SE and ML communities, and (iii) reveals the pitfalls in existing literature. Furthermore, we highlight the research opportunities in this domain.

Structural bioinformatics studies of glutamate transporters and their AlphaFold2 predicted water-soluble QTY variants and uncovering the natural mutations of L->Q, I->T, F->Y and Q->L, T->I and Y->F.

Glutamate transporters play key roles in nervous physiology by modulating excitatory neurotransmitter levels, when malfunctioning, involving in a wide range of neurological and physiological disorders. However, integral transmembrane proteins including the glutamate transporters remain notoriously difficult to study, due to their localization within the cell membrane. Here we present the structural bioinformatics studies of glutamate transporters and their water-soluble variants generated through QTY-code, a protein design strategy based on systematic amino acid substitutions. These include 2 structures determined by X-ray crystallography, cryo-EM, and 6 predicted by AlphaFold2, and their predicted water-soluble QTY variants. In the native structures of glutamate transporters, transmembrane helices contain hydrophobic amino acids such as leucine (L), isoleucine (I), and phenylalanine (F). To design water-soluble variants, these hydrophobic amino acids are systematically replaced by hydrophilic amino acids, namely glutamine (Q), threonine (T) and tyrosine (Y). The QTY variants exhibited water-solubility, with four having identical isoelectric focusing points (pI) and the other four having very similar pI. We present the superposed structures of the native glutamate transporters and their water-soluble QTY variants. The superposed structures displayed remarkable similarity with RMSD 0.528Å-2.456Å, despite significant protein transmembrane sequence differences (41.1%->53.8%). Additionally, we examined the differences of hydrophobicity patches between the native glutamate transporters and their QTY variants. Upon closer inspection, we discovered multiple natural variations of L->Q, I->T, F->Y and Q->L, T->I, Y->F in these transporters. Some of these natural variations were benign and the remaining were reported in specific neurological disorders. We further investigated the characteristics of hydrophobic to hydrophilic substitutions in glutamate transporters, utilizing variant analysis and evolutionary profiling. Our structural bioinformatics studies not only provided insight into the differences between the hydrophobic helices and hydrophilic helices in the glutamate transporters, but they are also expected to stimulate further study of other water-soluble transmembrane proteins.

Effects of recent cannabis consumption on eye-tracking and pupillometry.

Cannabis consumption is known to immediately affect ocular and oculomotor function, however, cannabis consumption is also known to affect it for a prolonged period of time. The purpose of this study is to identify an eye tracking or pupillometry metric which is affected after recent cannabis consumption but is not confounded by cannabis consumption history or demographic variables. Quasi-experimental design. Participants who would consume inhalable cannabis (n = 159, mean age 31.0 years, 54% male) performed baseline neurobehavioral testing and eye-function assessments when they were sober. Eye function assessments included eye-tracking [gaze (point of visual focus), saccades (smooth movement)] and pupillometry. Participants then inhaled cannabis until they self-reported to be high and performed the same assessment again. Controls who were cannabis naïve or infrequent users (n = 30, mean age 32.6 years, 57% male) performed the same assessments without consuming cannabis in between. Cannabis significantly affected several metrics of pupil dynamics and gaze. Pupil size variability was the most discriminant variable after cannabis consumption. This variable did not change in controls on repeat assessment (i.e., no learning effect), did not correlate with age, gender, race/ethnicity, or self-reported level of euphoria, but did correlate with THC concentration of cannabis inhaled. A novel eye-tracking metric was identified that is affected by recent cannabis consumption and is not different from non-users at baseline. A future study that assesses pupil size variability at multiple intervals over several hours and quantifies cannabis metabolites in biofluids should be performed to identify when this variable normalizes after consumption and if it correlates with blood THC levels.

Ultrasound Computed Tomography Reflection Imaging with Coherence-Factor Beamforming for Breast Tumor Early Detection

Breast cancer is a global health concern, emphasizing the need for early detection. However, current mammography struggles to effectively image dense breasts. Breast ultrasound can be an adjunctive method, but it is highly dependent on operator skill. Ultrasound computed tomography (USCT) reflection imaging provides high-quality 3D images, but often uses delay-and-sum (DAS) beamforming, which limits its image quality. This article proposes the integration of coherence-factor (CF) beamforming into ultrasound computed tomography (USCT) reflection imaging to enhance image quality. CF assesses the focus quality of beamforming by analyzing the signal coherence across different channels, assigning higher weights to high-quality focus points and thereby improving overall image quality. Numerical simulations and phantom experiments using our built USCT prototype were conducted to optimize the imaging parameters and assess and compare the image quality of CF and DAS beamforming. Numerical simulations demonstrated that CF beamforming can significantly enhance image quality. Phantom experiments with our prototype revealed that CF beamforming significantly improves image resolution (from 0.35 mm to 0.14 mm) and increases contrast ratio (from 24.54 dB to 63.28 dB). The integration of CF beamforming into USCT reflection imaging represents a substantial improvement in image quality, offering promise for enhanced breast cancer detection and imaging capabilities.

Evaluation of Orexin-A Salivary Levels and its Correlation with Attention After Non-invasive Brain Stimulation in Female Volleyball Players

BackgroundThe capacity to change attention from one area to another depending on the many environmental circumstances present is a crucial aspect of selective attention and is strictly correlated to reaction time. The cholinergic system of the basal forebrain is crucial for attentive abilities. Several inputs, particularly orexin neurons, whose cell bodies are found in the postero-lateral hypothalamus, can activate the cholinergic system. The aim of this study was to investigate if high frequencies rTMS at dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) in highly trained volleyball players can change Orexin-A levels, attention and reaction time. This study was a double-blinded (participant and evaluator) matched-pair experimental design. Twenty right-handed female volleyball players were recruited for the study (age 24.6 ± 2.7 years; height 177.0 ± 5.5 cm; body mass 67.5 ± 6.5 kg; BMI 21.5 ± 1.2).ResultsThe main finding of this study was that 10 Hz rTMS to the DLPFC seems to increase Orexin-A salivary levels and the percentage of correct answers, while decreasing RT. After rTMS, the athletes show an increase in the percentage of correct answers immediately after the end of stimulation, and also after 15 and 30 min. Moreover, the athletes show decreases in reaction time after the end of stimulation and after 15 and 30 min to the end of stimulation, while no differences were found at the end of stimulation. Finally, the athletes show significant increases in Orexin-A salivary levels after stimulation with a peak after 30’ of the end.ConclusionThe results of our study seem to indicate that there is a relationship between salivary Orexin-A levels and RT. These results could provide useful tools for modulating sports training; in fact, if confirmed, they could lead coaches to offer their athletes rTMS sessions appropriately integrated with training. In fact, alternating attention is a mental flexibility that enables people to change their point of focus and switch between tasks requiring various levels of cognition.

Resolving the Centipede’s Dilemma: external focus distance and expertise in applied, continuous skills

Research has reliably demonstrated that an external focus of attention during skill production enhances performance, retention, and transfer relative to an internal focus on movement mechanics. The optimisation of external focus points, across a range of contexts and performers, is important for effective skill production. Two studies were conducted evaluating the impact of external focus distance in an applied, continuous sports skill (kayak sprinting) with participants of two different expertise levels. In Study 1, using a within-participants design, recreational kayakers (n = 20) were timed sprinting 75 m in a surf ski under proximal external focus, distal external focus, and control conditions. The distal focus (on the finish) (29.75 s) was significantly faster than both other trials (ps < 0.001). The control condition (30.95 s) was significantly faster than the proximal focus (on the boat) (32.37 s) (p = 0.003). The effect size was large (ηp2 = 0.55). In Study 2, specifically trained racers in sprint kayaks (K1s) (n = 16) were timed in a 100 m K1 sprint under the same three conditions as in Study 1. The control condition (28.96 s) was significantly faster than the proximal focus trial (29.83 s) (p = 0.02). The effect size was large (ηp2 = 0.23). There was no significant difference between the distal focus trial (29.03 s) and the other conditions. These findings suggest that focus distance can play a pivotal role in continuous skills. Whilst recreational performers may benefit immediately from a distal focus, this might not be the case for specifically trained athletes. Further, a proximal focus on fitted, passive equipment may be detrimental to performance.

Archaeology as a method and tool for resilience

ABSTRACT Climate change is having an immediate and devastating effect on archaeological sites in Florida. The Florida Public Archaeology Network's Heritage Monitoring Scouts (HMS Florida) program empowers local communities to document the impacts of climate change at sites throughout the state. Our ability to document sites shows humanity's resilience to climate fluctuations in the past while also making it clear that adaptation and mitigation of coastal areas in the face of modern anthropogenic climate change must be paramount. This article describes two case studies from coastal Florida that have served as visceral points of focus for local communities to see the impacts of climate change. At Shell Bluff Landing in the northeast part of the state a site stewardship program was developed to closely document changes in time starting in 2016 with alarming results. In the opposite corner of the state at Calusa Island, a private land trust was created to protect local natural environments from the impacts of development. The coastal island has subsequently seen massive loss due to erosion. The article concludes with actions archaeologists can take today to make the communities they work with more resilient, using a prioritization system developed with Palm Beach County as an example.

Bridging the Mind and Gut: Uncovering the Intricacies of Neurotransmitters, Neuropeptides, and their Influence on Neuropsychiatric Disorders.

The gut-brain axis (GBA) is a bidirectional signaling channel that facilitates communication between the gastrointestinal tract and the brain. Recent research on the gut-brain axis demonstrates that this connection enables the brain to influence gut function, which in turn influences the brain and its cognitive functioning. It is well established that malfunctioning of this axis adversely affects both systems' ability to operate effectively. Dysfunctions in the GBA have been associated with disorders of gut motility and permeability, intestinal inflammation, indigestion, constipation, diarrhea, IBS, and IBD, as well as neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders like depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, autism, Alzheimer's, and Parkinson's disease. Multiple research initiatives have shown that the gut microbiota, in particular, plays a crucial role in the GBA by participating in the regulation of a number of key neurochemicals that are known to have significant effects on the mental and physical well-being of an individual. Several studies have investigated the relationship between neuropsychiatric disorders and imbalances or disturbances in the metabolism of neurochemicals, often leading to concomitant gastrointestinal issues and modifications in gut flora composition. The interaction between neurological diseases and gut microbiota has been a focal point within this research. The novel therapeutic interventions in neuropsychiatric conditions involving interventions such as probiotics, prebiotics, and dietary modifications are outlined in this review. The findings of multiple studies carried out on mice show that modulating and monitoring gut microbiota can help treat symptoms of such diseases, which raises the possibility of the use of probiotics, prebiotics, and even dietary changes as part of a new treatment strategy for neuropsychiatric disorders and their symptoms. The bidirectional communication between the gut and the brain through the gut-brain axis has revealed profound implications for both gastrointestinal and neurological health. Malfunctions in this axis have been connected to a range of disorders affecting gut function as well as cognitive and neuropsychiatric well-being. The emerging understanding of the role of gut microbiota in regulating key neurochemicals opens up possibilities for novel treatment approaches for conditions like depression, anxiety, and neurodegenerative diseases.

IoT driven joint compressed sensing and shallow learning approach for ECG signal-reconstruction

Because biological signal transmission in real time might be very demanding, cloud and internet of things (IoT) infrastructure are required. To do this, the main component of the signal serves as the focal point of a reconstruction strategy that has been developed. The input is transferred to the intended destination once it has been encoded. Security is an important consideration that must not be disregarded. For long-term healthcare monitoring via lightweight wireless networks, electrocardiogram (ECG) compression is a major difficulty. Reducing energy consumption in wireless data transmission and precisely calculating error rates for data reconstruction are two essential components of compressed sensing. The application of effective encoding methods is crucial for these considerations. We present multi-task compressed sensing (MT-CS), a unique method for compressing ECG data. When used to wireless network systems with several embedded sensors, this technique is quite effective. From the ECG data, the model learns the fundamental adaptive properties needed for correlation. We use the multiparameter intelligent monitoring in intensive care (MIMIC-II) dataset to investigate the performance of the suggested MT-CS reconstruction technique in order to assess its strength and application. In comparison to current compressed sensing methods, the simulation results demonstrate that the suggested reconstruction methodology utilizing MT-CS generates high-quality reconstruction signals with fewer observations.

Modeling and control strategy optimizing of solar flux distribution in a four quadrant and adjustable focusing solar furnace

The solar furnace is key equipment for the thermochemical reaction research which uses focused solar energy to drive the reactor, and the solar flux distribution on the reactor surface plays a decisive role in the regulation of the thermochemical reaction process and formation of target products. In this paper, a reflective solar furnace with a thermal power of 30 kWth in Yanqing, Beijing, is taken as the research objective. Firstly, the Monte Carlo Ray Tracing (MCRT) method is used to establish the mathematical model for the optical calculation, and the distribution characteristics of solar flux are deeply analyzed. The accuracy of the model is verified through the comparison with the SolTrace software and experimental measurements respectively. Secondly, an improved four-quadrant and adjustable focusing solar furnace experimental equipment is developed, and a new solar flux distribution regulation strategy is proposed by using the inward crossover and outward expansion offset of the four-quadrant focusing points coupled with the heat-absorbing platform movement. The results show that the non-uniform factor and the peak value of the solar flux distribution in the set target area can be optimized by selecting an appropriate inward crossover offset and movement of the heat-absorbing platform, respectively. Moreover, when the DNI varies between 480 W/m2 and 800 W/m2, through the optimized control strategy, a non-uniformity factor with the value of less than 0.10 can be achieved in the target area of a square reactor surface with a side length of 10 cm, and the peak flux can also be controlled in the range from 3000 kW/m2 to 3300 kW/m2 with a fluctuation range of less than 10.0% as set by the thermochemical reaction. The optimized control strategy can effectively meet the uniformity and stability requirements of solar flux distribution in solar thermochemical reaction and finally achieve the goal of regulating the target products.

The Effects of Participating in International Mobility for Russian Scientists

Since the collapse of the Soviet Union and the opening of borders, numerous measures have been taken to internationalize Russian science. In particular, publications in journals that are listed in international scientific citation databases have become a point of closer focus. Universities and scientific organizations began inviting foreign professors and sending their own staff and students abroad on international internships. After the start of the Special Military Operation in Ukraine in 2022, Russian science faced numerous sanctions that entailed a reduction in international cooperation. However Russian scientists have accumulated 30 years of experience in active participation in international cooperation and academic mobility. Nevertheless, there is still a significant lack of understanding of how this experience will impact the scientific careers of Russian scientists going forward. In this article, the authors present the results of a study dedicated to exploring this issue. The theoretical framework for the analysis is based on such a concept as “the Three Careers of an Academic” (organizational, cognitive, and community careers) proposed by German experts in sociology of science Johan Gläser and Grit Laudel. The empirical data used in the study include materials from in-depth interviews with young scientists under the age of 39, collected in 2020–2021 as part of a project known as “International Mobility of Russian Young Researchers”, as well as the results of a sociological survey of 7,255 highly productive scientists conducted under the “Monitoring of education markets and organizations” in 2022. All respondents had spent more than three months abroad. The study revealed that international mobility has a comprehensive impact, noticeable in all three components of a scientific career. Acquired knowledge and skills, as well as involvement in international projects contribute to the development of a researcher’s cognitive career, while new professional connections promote advancement in the international scientific community. As for the “organizational dimension” of a career, mobility does not have a direct influence on career advancement. However, mobility often leads to personal changes, particularly influencing one’s determination to switch jobs and seek better conditions. These assessments are presented for the first time and can be useful in developing recommendations for science and technology policies regarding the revision of mobility support programs in light of the new geopolitical reality.

Should We Depend on Expert Opinion or Statistics? A Meta-Analysis of Accident-Contributing Factors in Construction

International research overflows with studies looking into the causes of construction accidents. Hundreds of studies by postgraduate students in the past 20 years focus on identifying and assessing risks contributing to accidents on Greek construction workplace sites. Many base their work on results from questionnaire surveys that collect the opinions of construction site professionals or on the analysis of data from actual accident records or statistics. Consequently, this study seeks to determine if the data source leads to differing conclusions by using two techniques to synthesize individual results and rank the accident-contributing factors investigated in the original studies. The first utilizes their relative importance index (RII) values, and the second uses their overall ranking index (ORI) to execute meta-analyses. The professional opinion concludes that factors related to operative behavior are the most significant accident-contributing factors. At the same time, actual accident statistics point to site risk factors of the construction process itself as the most important, indicating that expert opinion of Greek professionals should be considered in conjunction with data from actual accident records to provide the focus points for mitigation and assurance of safe construction sites in Greece.

Optimal Economic Research of Microgrids Based on Multi-Strategy Integrated Sparrow Search Algorithm under Carbon Emission Constraints

In the global transition towards sustainable energy, microgrids are emerging as a core component of distributed energy systems and a pivotal technology driving this transformation. By integrating renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power, microgrids not only enhance energy efficiency and reduce reliance on traditional energy sources but also bolster grid stability and mitigate the risk of widespread power outages. Consequently, microgrids demonstrate significant potential in improving the reliability of power supply and facilitating flexibility in energy consumption. However, the operational planning and optimization of microgrids are faced with complex challenges characterized by multiple objectives and constraints, making the reduction in operational costs a focal point of research. This study fully considers an operational model for a microgrid that incorporates distributed energy resources and comprehensive costs, integrating a battery storage system to ensure three-phase balance. The microgrid model includes photovoltaic power generation, wind power generation, fuel cells, micro-gas turbines, energy storage systems, and loads. The objectives of operating and maintaining this microgrid primarily involve optimizing dispatch, energy consumption, and pollution emissions, aiming to reduce carbon emissions and minimize total costs. To achieve these goals, the study introduces a carbon emission constraint strategy and proposes an improved Multi-Strategy Integrated Sparrow Search Algorithm (MISSA). By applying the MISSA to solve the operational problems of the microgrid and comparing it with other algorithms, the results demonstrate the effectiveness of the carbon emission constraint strategy in the microgrid’s operation. Furthermore, the results prove that the MISSA can achieve the lowest comprehensive operational costs for the microgrid, confirming its effectiveness in addressing the operational challenges of the microgrid.

Embedding lattice structures into ship hulls for structural optimization and additive manufacturing

Additive manufacturing (AM) has been making inroads into the shipbuilding industry. The maritime sector has recognized the potential benefits of AM in terms of cost savings, design flexibility, and rapid prototyping. Lattice structures, known for their vast applications in AM and associated benefits like lightweight design, energy efficiency, and improved material usage, serve as a focal point in this shifting landscape.This paper presents a pioneering approach to integrating lattice structures into shipbuilding via AM, specifically for supporting ship volumes. The method introduces algorithms to create both conformal and uniform lattice structures for structural optimization. According to the case studies in this work, ship models with lattice structures have superior structural properties compared to conventional support elements.