Proposing new variables for the identification of strategic groups in franchising

The identification of strategic groups in the Spanish franchising area is the main aim of this study. The authors have added some new strategic variables (not used before) to the study and have classified franchisors between sectors and distribution strategy. The results reveal the existence of four perfectly differentiated strategic groups (types of franchisors). One of the major implications of this study is that the variables that build a strategic group vary depending on the respective sector the network operates in and its distribution strategy. This fact indicates that including sector and distribution strategy is absolutely necessary to achieve good classifications of franchisor type

Blockade of Gap Junction Hemichannel Suppresses Disease Progression in Mouse Models of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Alzheimer's Disease

Glutamate released by activated microglia induces excitotoxic neuronal death, which likely contributes to non-cell autonomous neuronal death in neurodegenerative diseases, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and Alzheimer's disease. Although both blockade of glutamate receptors and inhibition of microglial activation are the therapeutic candidates for these neurodegenerative diseases, glutamate receptor blockers also perturbed physiological and essential glutamate signals, and inhibitors of microglial activation suppressed both neurotoxic/neuroprotective roles of microglia and hardly affected disease progression. We previously demonstrated that activated microglia release a large amount of glutamate specifically through gap junction hemichannel. Hence, blockade of gap junction hemichannel may be potentially beneficial in treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.In this study, we generated a novel blood-brain barrier permeable gap junction hemichannel blocker based on glycyrrhetinic acid. We found that pharmacologic blockade of gap junction hemichannel inhibited excessive glutamate release from activated microglia in vitro and in vivo without producing notable toxicity. Blocking gap junction hemichannel significantly suppressed neuronal loss of the spinal cord and extended survival in transgenic mice carrying human superoxide dismutase 1 with G93A or G37R mutation as an amyotrophic lateral sclerosis mouse model. Moreover, blockade of gap junction hemichannel also significantly improved memory impairments without altering amyloid β deposition in double transgenic mice expressing human amyloid precursor protein with K595N and M596L mutations and presenilin 1 with A264E mutation as an Alzheimer's disease mouse model.Our results suggest that gap junction hemichannel blockers may represent a new therapeutic strategy to target neurotoxic microglia specifically and prevent microglia-mediated neuronal death in various neurodegenerative diseases

Comparative Evaluation of Public-Private Partnerships in Roadway Preservation

In a bid to reduce overall costs, manage risks, and attract private capital, highway agencies worldwide strive to increase private-sector participation in road infrastructure development, particularly at the developmental phases of construction and preservation. A common mechanism for private-sector participation is the concept of a public-private partnership (PPP). As agencies grapple with the decision about whether to adopt a specific PPP or the traditional contracting approach for a specific project, they lack a rational decision-support structure. In addressing this major gap in PPP-related literature, this paper presents a framework by which an agency may assess the performance (relative benefits) of different PPP contracting approaches for highway preservation. For the purposes of this paper, performance is expressed in relation to the likelihood and intensity of cost savings calculated with data from domestic (U.S.) and international projects. In addition, the influence of project and contract attributes (such as the expected project duration, work type, and project size) on PPP project performance is investigated. The framework can be used or duplicated by highway-related agencies and international organizations for identifying the superior contracting option for a given road preservation project on the basis of project characteristics and for quantifying the consequences of such choices for cost savings or other performance criteria