A Comparative Study of Non-Compete Agreements for Trade Secret Protection in the United States and China

Non-compete agreements are commonly used in both the United States and China, and are regarded as an important means for employers to prevent employees or rival companies from using valuable trade secrets for competitive purposes. Despite their popularity, however, the enforceability of non-competes in both countries can be difficult to determine. In the U.S., the level to which non-competes are fully enforced varies by jurisdiction. While some state courts apply a “rule of reason,” others, such as California, prohibit non-competes altogether. In contrast, Chinese courts tend to support non-competes. This Article provides a comparative perspective of non-competes in the U.S. and China, highlighting different factors that the two countries consider when deciding enforceability. Specifically, courts in the U.S. focus on the existence of legitimate business interests, while courts in China focus on economic compensation. In order to curb the over-enforcement of non-compete agreements in China and keep the balance between trade secret protection and employee mobility, this Article recommends that China define the protectable business interest by statute and narrowly construe the validity of non-compete agreement

Squeal reduction of a disc brake system with fuzzy uncertainties

Automotive brake squeal has become one of the major concerns in the automotive industry. The researches on suppressing brake squeal are of great practical significances. However, most of the existing researches have not taken into account the parameters uncertainties, although it is well known that uncertain factors widely exist in the brake systems. To reduce disc brake squeal more effectively, a practical approach for the stability analysis and improvement of an automotive disc brake system with fuzzy uncertainties is proposed. In the proposed approach, the uncertainties associated with friction coefficient, material properties and loading properties are taken into consideration, and the uncertain parameters of the brake system are represented by fuzzy numbers. The brake system stability is investigated by performing complex eigenvalue analysis (CEA), and response surface methodology (RSM) is employed to approximate the implicit relationship between the dominant unstable mode and system parameters. Then, the stability analysis model of the brake is constructed based on RSM, CEA and fuzzy analysis. As a numerical example, the stability analysis of a commercial disc brake system with fuzzy uncertainties is carried out, and the influences of different uncertain parameters on system stability are investigated. The analysis results show that the stability of the fuzzy brake can be improved effectively by increasing the specific modulus of back plate. The proposed approach can be considered as a potential method for squeal reduction of automotive disc brake systems under fuzzy case

Treatment with PPAR Agonist Clofibrate Inhibits the Transcription and Activation of SREBPs and Reduces Triglyceride and Cholesterol Levels in Liver of Broiler Chickens

PPAR agonist clofibrate reduces cholesterol and fatty acid concentrations in rodent liver by an inhibition of SREBP-dependent gene expression. In present study we investigated the regulation mechanisms of the triglyceride-and cholesterol-lowering effect of the PPAR agonist clofibrate in broiler chickens. We observed that PPAR agonist clofibrate decreases the mRNA and protein levels of LXR and the mRNA and both precursor and nuclear protein levels of SREBP1 and SREBP2 as well as the mRNA levels of the SREBP1 (FASN and GPAM) and SREBP2 (HMGCR and LDLR) target genes in the liver of treated broiler chickens compared to control group, whereas the mRNA level of INSIG2, which inhibits SREBP activation, was increased in the liver of treated broiler chickens compared to control group. Taken together, the effects of PPAR agonist clofibrate on lipid metabolism in liver of broiler chickens involve inhibiting transcription and activation of SREBPs and SREBP-dependent lipogenic and cholesterologenic gene expression, thereby resulting in a reduction of the triglyceride and cholesterol levels in liver of broiler chickens

A SELEX-Screened Aptamer of Human Hepatitis B Virus RNA Encapsidation Signal Suppresses Viral Replication

Background: The specific interaction between hepatitis B virus (HBV) polymerase (P protein) and the e RNA stem-loop on pregenomic (pg) RNA is crucial for viral replication. It triggers both pgRNA packaging and reverse transcription and thus represents an attractive antiviral target. RNA decoys mimicking e in P protein binding but not supporting replication might represent novel HBV inhibitors. However, because generation of recombinant enzymatically active HBV polymerase is notoriously difficult, such decoys have as yet not been identified. Methodology/Principal Findings: Here we used a SELEX approach, based on a new in vitro reconstitution system exploiting a recombinant truncated HBV P protein (miniP), to identify potential e decoys in two large e RNA pools with randomized upper stem. Selection of strongly P protein binding RNAs correlated with an unexpected strong enrichment of A residues. Two aptamers, S6 and S9, displayed particularly high affinity and specificity for miniP in vitro, yet did not support viral replication when part of a complete HBV genome. Introducing S9 RNA into transiently HBV producing HepG2 cells strongly suppressed pgRNA packaging and DNA synthesis, indicating the S9 RNA can indeed act as an e decoy that competitively inhibits P protein binding to the authentic e signal on pgRNA. Conclusions/Significance: This study demonstrates the first successful identification of human HBV e aptamers by an in vitro SELEX approach. Effective suppression of HBV replication by the S9 aptamer provides proof-of-principle for the abilit

Bioreducible Liposomes for Gene Delivery: From the Formulation to the Mechanism of Action

BACKGROUND: A promising strategy to create stimuli-responsive gene delivery systems is to exploit the redox gradient between the oxidizing extracellular milieu and the reducing cytoplasm in order to disassemble DNA/cationic lipid complexes (lipoplexes). On these premises, we previously described the synthesis of SS14 redox-sensitive gemini surfactant for gene delivery. Although others have attributed the beneficial effects of intracellular reducing environment to reduced glutathione (GSH), these observations cannot rule out the possible implication of the redox milieu in its whole on transfection efficiency of bioreducible transfectants leaving the determinants of DNA release largely undefined. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: With the aim of addressing this issue, SS14 was here formulated into binary and ternary 100 nm-extruded liposomes and the effects of the helper lipid composition and of the SS14/helper lipids molar ratio on chemical-physical and structural parameters defining transfection effectiveness were investigated. Among all formulations tested, DOPC/DOPE/SS14 at 25:50:25 molar ratio was the most effective in transfection studies owing to the presence of dioleoyl chains and phosphatidylethanolamine head groups in co-lipids. The increase in SS14 content up to 50% along DOPC/DOPE/SS14 liposome series yielded enhanced transfection, up to 2.7-fold higher than that of the benchmark Lipofectamine 2000, without altering cytotoxicity of the corresponding lipoplexes at charge ratio 5. Secondly, we specifically investigated the redox-dependent mechanisms of gene delivery into cells through tailored protocols of transfection in GSH-depleted and repleted vs. increased oxidative stress conditions. Importantly, GSH specifically induced DNA release in batch and in vitro. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The presence of helper lipids carrying unsaturated dioleoyl chains and phosphatidylethanolamine head groups significantly improved transfection efficiencies of DOPC/DOPE/SS14 lipoplexes. Most importantly, this study shows that intracellular GSH levels linearly correlated with transfection efficiency while oxidative stress levels did not, highlighting for the first time the pivotal role of GSH rather than oxidative stress in its whole in transfection of bioreducible vectors

Production of doubly-charged Δ\Delta baryon in e+e−e^{+}e^{-} annihilation at energies from 2.3094 to 2.6464 GeV

The processes $e^{+}e^{-} \to \Delta^{++}\bar{\Delta}^{--}$ and $e^{+}e^{-}\to \Delta^{++} \bar{p} \pi^{-} + c.c.$ are studied for the first time with $179~{\rm pb}^{-1}$ of $e^{+}e^{-}$ annihilation data collected with the BESIII detector at center-of-mass energies from $2.3094$ GeV to $2.6464$ GeV. No significant signal for the $e^{+}e^{-}\to \Delta^{++}\bar{\Delta}^{--}$ process is observed and the upper limit of the Born cross section is estimated at each energy point. For the process $e^{+}e^{-} \to \Delta^{++} \bar{p} \pi^{-} + c.c.$, a significant signal is observed at center-of-mass energies near 2.6454 GeV and the corresponding Born cross section is reported.Comment: 10 pages, 4 figure

Search for a scalar partner of the X(3872)X(3872) via ψ(3770)\psi(3770) decays into γηη′\gamma\eta\eta' and γπ+π−J/ψ\gamma\pi^{+}\pi^{-}J/\psi

Using a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 2.93 fb$^{-1}$ collected at a center-of-mass energy of 3.773~GeV with the BESIII detector at the BEPCII collider, we search for a scalar partner of the $X(3872)$, denoted as $X(3700)$, via $\psi(3770)\to \gamma\eta\eta'$ and $\gamma\pi^{+}\pi^{-}J/\psi$ processes. No significant signals are observed and the upper limits of the product branching fractions ${\cal B}(\psi(3770)\to\gamma X(3700))\cdot {\cal B}(X(3700)\to \eta\eta')$ and ${\cal B}(\psi(3770)\to\gamma X(3700))\cdot {\cal B}(X(3700)\to\pi^{+}\pi^{-}J/\psi)$ are determined at the 90\% confidence level, for the narrow $X(3700)$ with a mass ranging from 3710 to 3740 MeV/$c^2$, which are from 0.8 to 1.8 $(\times 10^{-5})$ and 0.9 to 3.4 $(\times 10^{-5})$, respectively

Measurement of branching fractions of Λc+\Lambda_{c}^{+} decays to Σ+K+K−\Sigma^{+} K^{+} K^{-}, Σ+ϕ\Sigma^{+}\phi and Σ+K+π−(π0)\Sigma^{+} K^{+} \pi^{-}(\pi^{0})

Based on 4.5 fb$^{-1}$ data taken at seven center-of-mass energies ranging from 4.600 to 4.699 GeV with the BESIII detector at the BEPCII collider, we measure the branching fractions of $\Lambda_{c}^{+}\rightarrow\Sigma^{+}+hadrons$ relative to $\Lambda_{c}^{+}\rightarrow \Sigma^+ \pi^+ \pi^-$. Combining with the world average branching fraction of $\Lambda_{c}^{+}\rightarrow \Sigma^+ \pi^+ \pi^-$, their branching fractions are measured to be $(0.377\pm0.042\pm0.018\pm0.021)\%$ for $\Lambda_{c}^{+}\rightarrow\Sigma^{+} K^{+} K^{-}$, $(0.200\pm0.023\pm0.010\pm0.011)\%$ for $\Lambda_{c}^{+}\rightarrow\Sigma^{+} K^{+} \pi^{-}$, $(0.414\pm0.080\pm0.029\pm0.023)\%$ for $\Lambda_{c}^{+}\rightarrow\Sigma^{+}\phi$ and $(0.197\pm0.036\pm0.008\pm0.011)\%$ for $\Lambda_{c}^{+}\rightarrow\Sigma^{+}K^{+} K^{-}$(non-$\phi$). In all the above results, the first uncertainties are statistical, the second are systematic and the third are from external input of the branching fraction of $\Lambda_{c}^{+}\rightarrow \Sigma^+ \pi^+ \pi^-$. Since no signal for $\Lambda_{c}^{+}\rightarrow\Sigma^{+} K^{+} \pi^{-}\pi^{0}$ is observed, the upper limit of its branching fraction is determined to be 0.11\% at the 90$\%$ confidence level

Observation of the Singly Cabibbo-Suppressed Decay Λc+→Σ−K+π+\Lambda_{c}^{+}\to \Sigma^{-}K^{+}\pi^{+}

The singly Cabibbo-suppressed decay $\Lambda_{c}^{+}\to \Sigma^{-}K^{+}\pi^{+}$ is observed for the first time with a statistical significance of $6.4\sigma$ by using 4.5 fb$^{-1}$ of $e^+e^-$ collision data collected at center-of-mass energies between 4.600 and 4.699 GeV with the BESIII detector at BEPCII. The absolute branching fraction of $\Lambda_{c}^{+}\to \Sigma^{-}K^{+}\pi^{+}$ is measured to be $(3.8\pm1.3_{\rm stat}\pm0.2_{\rm syst})\times 10^{-4}$ in a model-independent approach. This is the first observation of a Cabibbo-suppressed $\Lambda_{c}^{+}$ decay involving $\Sigma^-$ in the final state. The ratio of branching fractions between $\Lambda_{c}^{+}\to \Sigma^{-}K^{+}\pi^{+}$ and the Cabibbo-favored decay $\Lambda_{c}^{+}\to \Sigma^- \pi^+\pi^+$ is calculated to be $(0.4 \pm 0.1)s_{c}^{2}$, where $s_{c} \equiv \sin\theta_c = 0.2248$ with $\theta_c$ the Cabibbo mixing angle. This ratio significantly deviates from $1.0s_{c}^{2}$ and provides important information for the understanding of nonfactorization contributions in $\Lambda_{c}^{+}$ decays.Comment: 8 pages, 2 figure