A new perspective on HIV: effects of HIV on brain-heart axis

The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection can cause damage to multiple systems within the body, and the interaction among these various organ systems means that pathological changes in one system can have repercussions on the functions of other systems. However, the current focus of treatment and research on HIV predominantly centers around individual systems without considering the comprehensive relationship among them. The central nervous system (CNS) and cardiovascular system play crucial roles in supporting human life, and their functions are closely intertwined. In this review, we examine the effects of HIV on the CNS, the resulting impact on the cardiovascular system, and the direct damage caused by HIV to the cardiovascular system to provide new perspectives on HIV treatment

Shock reliability enhancement for MEMS vibration energy harvesters with nonlinear air damping as a soft stopper

This paper presents a novel application of utilising nonlinear air damping as a soft mechanical stopper to increase the shock reliability for microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) vibration energy harvesters. The theoretical framework for nonlinear air damping is constructed for MEMS vibration energy harvesters operating in different air pressure levels, and characterisation experiments are conducted to establish the relationship between air pressure and nonlinear air damping coefficient for rectangular cantilever MEMS micro cantilevers with different proof masses. Design guidelines on choosing the optimal air pressure level for different MEMS vibration energy harvesters based on the trade-off between harvestable energy and the device robustness are presented, and random excitation experiments are performed to verify the robustness of MEMS vibration energy harvesters with nonlinear air damping as soft stoppers to limit the maximum deflection distance and increase the shock reliability of the device

Connection Configurations to Increase Operational Range and Output Power of Piezoelectric MEMS Vibration Energy Harvesters

Among the various methods of extracting energy harvested by a piezoelectric vibration energy harvester, full-bridge rectifiers (FBR) are widely employed due to its simplicity and stability. However, its efficiency and operational range are limited due to a threshold voltage that the open-circuit voltage generated from the piezoelectric transducer (PT) must attain prior to any energy extraction. This voltage linearly depends on the output voltage of the FBR and the forward voltage drop of diodes and the nature of the interface can significantly limit the amount of extracted energy under low excitation levels. In this paper, a passive scheme is proposed to split the electrode of a micromachined PT into multiple (n) equal regions, which are electrically connected in series. The power output from such a series connected MEMS PT allows for the generated voltage to readily overcome the threshold set by the FBR. Theoretical calculations have been performed in this paper to assess the performance for different series stages (n values) and the theory has been experimentally validated. The results show that a PT with more series stages (high n values) improves the efficiency of energy extraction relative to the case with fewer series-connected stages under weak excitation levels

Utilising Nonlinear Air Damping as a Soft Mechanical Stopper for MEMS Vibration Energy Harvesting

This paper reports on the theory and experimental verification of utilising air damping as a soft stopper mechanism for piezoelectric vibration energy harvesting to enhance shock resistance. Experiments to characterise device responsiveness under various vibration conditions were performed at different air pressure levels, and a dimensionless model was constructed with nonlinear damping terms included to model PVEH response. The relationship between the quadratic damping coefficient ζ n and air pressure is empirically established, and an optimal pressure level is calculated to trade off harvestable energy and device robustness for specific environmental conditions

Homo economicus, hear me roar

The message for foreign businesses in China is clear, according to Sijun Shao: raise wages and improve conditions for rural workers flocking to the big cities, or those workers will go to another factory that will

Tripartite consultation: an emergent form of governance shaping employment relations in China

This article examines China's approach to industrial consultation by examining six tripartite bodies at the national, provincial and county levels. It argues that the institutionalisation of tripartitism is consistent with China's overall approach to market reform being characterised by experimentalism, gradualism, dynamism and a gradual softening of party domination. Despite limitations, it is accepted that China is building a transition tripartite system that is bolstering the autonomy and representational capacity of the social partners

International student security : A view from Beijing

Security is an integral component of the relationships that shape the lives of students hosted by foreign countries. International student security became a source of contention between nations in 2008 when China's Government charged that Australia was failing to adequately provide for the safety of Chinese students. We discuss Beck's theorisation of the ‘risk society’ and Clements' notion of balancing risk with opportunity. We draw on interviews undertaken in Beijing to highlight the importance of student security and the need for hosts to accord attention to the views of parents as well as students. Our findings reveal that parents play a major role in the study location decision, tend to accord security greater weight than do students when location is being debated within the family, utilise a range of strategies to keep students secure and believe host governments and institutions have primary responsibility for student well being

The application of tripartism in China in its transition toward a market economy: NTCC case study

Responding to internal market and social pressures that centre on the inadequate protection accorded to workers' rights, China's government has begun constructing a tripartite industrial relations regime. As this process matures, it is to be expected that it will have a significant impact on those business enterprises that elect to invest in China in order to capture the profits to be made by labour exploitation and may well change the national origin of China’s investment inflow. This paper examines the emerging tripartite consultation mechanisms that are being established by the government, trade unions and employers' organisations and explores three research questions relating to the viability of tripartism in China. It is concluded that, despite many constraints and limitations, the nascent system of tripartite consultation is becoming an integral part of China's industrial relations regime, and that gradually the tripartite mechanisms will enhance the representativeness of the social partners and further respect for the rights of labour in China

Synthesis of 2D Ce-MOFs nanosheets and visiblelight-mediated decarboxylation performance

Two-dimensional Ce-MOFs nanosheets were successfully constructed by using ceric ammonium nitrate as metal salt and 1, 3, 5-tris(4-carboxyphenyl)benzene (H3BTB) as organic ligand, together with the use of acetic acid as modulator.Acetic acid modulator shows significant effects on the morphology and crystallinity of Ce-MOFs. Ce-MOFs microspheres synthesized without acetic acid as modulator (named Ce-BTB-H0) are composed of highly cross-linked small nanosheets with low crystallinity and surface areas. On the contrary, Ce-MOFs synthesized with acetic acid (named Ce-BTB-H60) consist of dispersed nanosheets, and show improved crystallinity and higher surface areas than that of Ce-BTB-H0. Using blue LED as light source and oxygen as oxidant, two-dimensional Ce-MOFs nanosheets enable decarboxylation oxygenation of a variety of substituted phenylacetic acid to their corresponding benzaldehydes and benzyl alcoholsunder irradiation of blue LED in oxygen atmosphere at room temperature.Moreover, Ce-BTB-H60nanosheets show better photocatalytic performance due to their higher crystallinity, larger specific surface area and improved dispersity than that of Ce-BTB-H0