Banning Noncompetes in Virginia

The past decade has seen a nationwide wave of reform in noncompete law, specifically the limitation of noncompete agreements. Since 2016, ten states—including Virginia in 2020— banned the use of noncompete agreements against certain “lowwage” employees. In order to stay ahead of this curve and ensure Virginia remains and grows as one of the top states to do business, this Article suggests that Virginia—like its neighbor, the District of Columbia, initially did in 2021—pass a complete ban of all noncompete agreements in the employment context. Such a ban would make Virginia a lucrative destination for entrepreneurs and startups by maximizing the job and employee market and keeping the best business opportunities for employers and employees alike in-state. The Article forecasts this effect by examining the rise of California’s Silicon Valley, where employee noncompete agreements are banned, and the converse decline of innovation in Michigan since 1985, when the state accidentally repealed its noncompete ban. Virginia would specifically benefit from a ban of employee noncompetes because its current noncompete law is inadequate. This Article argues that Virginia courts’ longstanding three-prong test weighing legitimate business interest, undue hardship, and public policy is dangerously unpredictable—so much so that the Supreme Court of Virginia once upheld and struck down the exact same noncompete agreement in two different cases—resulting in legal guesswork and unfair bargaining power between employer and employee. This Article also suggests that Virginia’s 2020 “low wage” ban insufficiently addresses the issues at hand and even further adds to the burden of deciphering the law. While some may claim employee noncompete agreements are necessary to protect legitimate business interests and advance the freedom of contract, this Article responds that such business interests are already adequately protected by other, less problematic provisions—namely, confidentiality and nonsolicitation agreements—and that the freedom of contract is not any less valuable than the freedom of trade, which employee noncompete agreements severely restrain. Finally, this Article proposes model legislation to aid the Virginia General Assembly, and other jurisdictions who may follow suit, in passing such a ban

Pirate Tales from the Deep [Web]: An Exploration of Online Copyright Infringement in the Digital Age

Technology has seen a boom over the last few decades, making innovative leaps that border on science fiction. With the most recent technological leap came a new frontier of intellectual property and birthed a new class of criminal: the cyber-pirate. This Article discusses cyber-piracy and its interactions and implications for modern United States copyright law. The Article explains how copyright law, unprepared for the boom, struggled to adapt as courts reconciled the widely physical perceptions of copyright with the digital information being transferred between billions of users instantaneously. The Article also explores how cyber-piracy has made, and continues to make, its mark on copyright enforcement through political movements that vie for reduced copyright protections and support elusive distribution platforms that are nearly impossible to shut down permanently. As technology continues to surge forward, and 3D printers become increasingly available to consumers, copyright law will have to account for a new field of works that may need to be protected in the face of rising political turmoil

Does lowering a fever >101F in children improve clinical outcomes?

Treating fever significantly increases comfort, activity, feeding, and fluid intake and decreases the patient's temperature compared with placebo (strength of recommendation (SOR): A, multiple randomized controlled trials [RCTs]). It doesn't shorten or prolong the overall duration of illness or reduce the recurrence of febrile seizures (SOR: A, multiple RCTs). In patients with varicella, reducing fever prolongs the time it takes for lesions to crust, but doesn't appear to cause group A streptococcal necrotizing fasciitis (SOR: B, multiple prospective cohorts)

The Comparison Between Skilled Vestibular Therapy and Neuromuscular Reeducation Following a Mild Traumatic Brain Injury: A Critically Appraised Topic

Vestibular therapy is a specialized form of physical therapy used to treat vestibular disorders or symptoms, characterized by dizziness, vertigo, and trouble with balance, posture, and vision. CDC reports from 2001-2009, the estimated number of ER visits for sports and recreational related concussions increased 62% in those 19 years old or younger, Abnormal vestibular information affects the position and movement of the head in space. Inaccurate vestibular input requires the brain to rely on the visual system which can result in fatigue and difficulty performing activities of daily living? Traditional concussion management consists of rest until complete resolution of symptoms, resulting in slower recovery and prolonged symptoms. The purpose of our research is to determine the effectiveness of skilled vestibular therapy or neuromuscular rehabilitation to reduce symptoms following a mild traumatic brain injury

Cycling Stability of Calcium-Impregnated Vermiculite in Open Reactor Used as a Thermochemical Storage Material

Recent research into thermochemical storage (TCS) materials has highlighted their promising potential for seasonal building heating, through energy capture and release during dehydration and hydration cycling. A common TCS material used throughout this investigation was calcium chloride (CaCl2)-impregnated vermiculite-based salt in matrix (SIM). This material was assessed for its robustness during charging and discharging cycles to assess its behavior and in terms of energy stability and chemical stability; the results of which showed consistent volumetric energy density and maximum temperature changes over seven cycles. The calcium SIM did, however, show a decline in leachable Ca content, which was presumed to be a result of stabilization within the vermiculite, and chloride concentration showed little change over the course of the study. Real-time visualization using a high-resolution microscope of calcium SIM particles showed a salt phase change and migration of liquid salt into the valleys of the lamella. A novel cobalt chloride (CoCl2) SIM was used to visualize the hydration path across the particle, through distinct color changes depending on hydration state. The results indicated that the topography of the vermiculite played a significant role in the passive hydration modeling

Parental perceptions of technology and technology-focused parenting: Associations with youth screen time

In the present study we propose a model linking parental perceptions of technology to technology-related parenting strategies to youth screen time, and, finally, to internalizing and externalizing problem behaviors. Participants were 615 parents drawn from three community samples of families with children across three developmental stages: young childhood, middle childhood, and adolescence. The model was tested at each stage with the strongest support emerging in the young childhood sample. One component of parental perceptions of technology, perceived efficacy, was related to technology-related parenting strategies across developmental stages. However, the association of these strategies to child screen time and, in turn, problem behaviors, diminished as children increased in age. Implications for intervention are considered

Panama: Political and Economic Conditions and U.S. Relations

This report discusses the current political and economic conditions in the country of Panama, which has made notable political and economic progress since the 1989 U.S. military intervention that ousted the regime of General Manuel Noriega from power. The United States has close relations with Panama, stemming in large part from the extensive linkages developed when the canal was under U.S. control. This report describes the U.S.-Panama relationship at length, including trade relations

Optimisation of CaCl2 impregnated expanded graphite and alginate matrices – Targeted salt loading

The incorporation of salt hydrates in thermochemical energy storage is often limited by poor kinetics and mechanical instability during charge and discharge cycles. This study explores the influence of salt loading on the energy storage capacity and charge/discharge performance of salt-impregnated expanded graphite and alginate composites. By controlling the salt bath concentration during composite synthesis, the quantity of salt within the bead can be regulated. Four composites have been synthesised with salt wt% values ranging from 63.7 to 77.2 %, resulting in salt volumetric densities form 0.22–0.52 g/cm3 and energy densities between 1052 and 1281 kJ/kg. The study found that increasing salt bath concentration above 60 % significantly decreases the porosity within the composite. This reduces moisture transfer kinetics and also fails to accommodate for salt expansion and deliquescence. Consequently, composites at near-maximum salt capacity displayed diminished discharge performance and charge efficiency. Conversely, samples below the saturation threshold exhibited greater heat output and charge efficiency, contained overhydration, and maintained structural integrity. These findings highlight the importance of carefully balancing energy storage capacity with improved reaction kinetics and stability to achieve an optimal storage solution in solar thermal systems or waste heat recovery