The causative agent of the most deadly form of malaria, P. falciparum, was identified over 130 years ago, yet this disease still causes 430,000 deaths each year. Although naturally-acquired immunity exists, it requires a heavy and sustained exposure to the parasite, with most succumbing as young children, before this immunity has fully developed. Effective treatments exist but with small-molecule drug resistance on the rise and little in the way of affordable alternatives, the need for an efficacious malaria vaccine is as great as ever. A successful malaria vaccine is likely to necessitate targeting each stage of the parasite's lifecycle. Immunity directed to the blood-stage, the stage which causes all the symptoms of malaria, is unique in that it would allow for a concomitant development of naturally-acquired immunity along with a reduction in morbidity and mortality. To date, antibody-mediated immunity to the blood stage requires intractably high levels of antibody and this problem is compounded by a paucity of viable candidates with which to effectively target different strains. Other fields of vaccinology, over the past decade, have been employing various structure-based strategies to increase the specific activity of the immune response thus lowering the antibody levels required for protection. However, very few detailed investigations of this kind have been conducted on a P. falciparum vaccine candidate, and certainly none as promising as PfRH5. In a world's first, fully-human antibodies raised in response to PfRH5 vaccination were isolated and extensively characterised, both functionally and structurally with the intention of elucidating the important features necessary to inform the design of an improved PfRH5-based vaccine. Synergistic and antagonistic effects of antibody combinations were noted and highlight new complexities of the immune response to PfRH5, opening the door to unanticipated potential for rational vaccine design.

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The misuse of prescription opiates is on the rise with combination therapies (e.g. acetaminophen or NSAIDs) resulting in severe liver and kidney damage. In recent years, cannabinoid receptors have been identified as potential modulators of pain and rewarding behaviors associated with cocaine, nicotine and ethanol in preclinical models. Furthermore, activation of cannabinoid 2 (CB2) receptors on immune cells through the inhibition of monoacylglycerol lipase (MAGL), results in increased 2-arachidonylglycerol (2AG) production and analgesia in animal models. Yet, few studies have identified whether mu opioid and CB2 receptor agonists act synergistically to inhibit chronic pain while reducing unwanted side effects including reward liability, or if it could ameliorate the excruciating pain that is poorly managed with by opiates in bone cancer patients. We determined if analgesic synergy exists between the mu-opioid agonist morphine and the selective CB2 agonist, JWH015, or the inhibitor of MAGL, MJN110, in rodent models of acute and chronic inflammatory, post-operative, neuropathic, and cancer-induced bone pain (CIBP) using isobolographic analysis. We also investigated if the MOR-CB2 agonist combination decreased morphine-induced conditioned place preference (CPP) and slowing of gastrointestinal transit. Next, we examined whether JWH015 or the inhibition of MAGL decreased the release of pro-inflammatory mediators by activating nuclear factor kappa enhancer of activated B cells (NFkB), as dysregulation of NFkB is observed in various cancers. Here we show that MOR + CB2 agonism results in a significant synergistic inhibition of preclinical pain while significantly reducing opioid-induced unwanted side effects. The opioid sparing effect of CB2 receptor agonism strongly supports the advancement of a MOR-CB2 agonist combinatorial pain therapy for clinical trials.

Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) is a multisystem genetic disease that is caused by a germ line mutation in the genes TSC1 and TSC2. Patients with the disease tend to suffer from benign tumors of the brain, heart, kidneys, skin, and other organs that contain giant cells. Although mTORC1 inhibitors (rapamycin and rapalogs) are often used to treat TSC because of their efficacy in promoting tumor shrinkage, clinical studies in the past have shown that when treatment is taken away, the tumor size returns to its original state. The objective of this study was to identify compounds that selectively inhibit proliferation of TSC2-deficient cells. A high-throughput screen of about 4000 compounds was performed using a lysosomal inhibitor (chloroquine [CQ], 5 μM) and a “repurposing” library of compounds. Through some yet to be determined mechanism, the combination of ritanserin (a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor [SSRI]) and chloroquine was found to synergize to selectively inhibit the cell viability of DJK MEFs and TSC2-/-KO cells (TFFs) starting at 48 hours after treatment. The effects of this combination treatment were confirmed in a second cell line (TFFs) exhibiting similar reduction in proliferation. Interestingly, treatment with CQ (5 μM) and ritanserin (20 μM) showed synergistic action (combination index [CI] = 0.6) against TSC2-deficient cells. This combination treatment induced apoptosis (41%) in TSC2-deficient cells but not in TSC2-expressing cells. These results suggest a novel treatment approach in tuberous sclerosis complex and provide an incentive for further investigation of the mechanisms contributing to the vulnerability of TSC2-deficient cells. Moreover, the use of an already Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved compound can lead to a more rapid pharmacologic approach for TSC patients.

In most of the fields, manufacturers are continuously pushed by the market to provide turnkey solutions to the clients. This phenomenon is especially appearing in recycled water projects since the water treatment technology is very specific and complicated to operate. To understand this trend, a real case study is conducted in Veolia Water Solutions & Technologies (VWS) in Australia. This thesis analyses the main reasons for VWS to propose Product/Service System (PSS) and the tools and methods used to provide such a solution. The internal structure of the company and its supply network are studied to understand the balance and VWS trade-off between technical risk decreasing, time to market reduction, innovation development and know-how protection. The role of synergies by VWS group companies is raised as a key to achieve the proper balance. These synergies are the result of the company strategy to focus on innovation rather than on know-how protection while the PSS structure and network provide great opportunities for time to market reduction and risk decreasing with optimized communication between stakeholders.

Introduction: The part of introduction is presented to help readers give insight into the setting of our thesis. Firstly, we present the background of Volvo CE and Lingong. With the rapid economy growth and large amount of infrastructure construction projects, the large demand for CE push Volvo to accelerate its pace into Chinese market, the situation of the Chinese market and the importance are introduced continuously. We are aimed to analyze the dual - brand strategy implemented by Volvo and Lingong, and what synergies produced. We will also face two major limitations such as limited materials and hard access to interviewees. Lastly, we also have brief introduction for the outlet of the thesis.   Theory Framework: This part includes three related theoretical fields. First one is global strategic marketing, as a MNE, Volvo CE entered China, which is one member of BRICs, and took acquisition of Lingong. The following is cross - boundaries culture and customer behavior, if one company wants to gain success in an overseas market, a good adaption to the local culture is essential. The last one is brand management field, brand is a intangible asset, however, in order to avoid cross - boundaries problems, Volvo CE decide to implement a dual - brand strategy, so we can use brand alliance theories to analyze.   Methodology: Because of the special characteristics, we decide to adopt the quantitative method, case study, because it is impossible for us to gather a large sample of survey on the CE. We analyze two cases, one is " Danone & Wahaha" and the other is "Shanghai Automotive", the current situation of two cases are totally different, Danone and Wahaha got divorce in 2007, because of the brand conflict, while Shanghai have been making it to become the largest motor manufacturer in China, the experiences behind are very precious for us to analyze the brand alliance of Volvo and Lingong.   Complementary cases study and analysis We will have a detailed introduction on how Danone and Wahaha deal with the brand conflicts and the process of a series of arbitrations and lawsuits. Then presenting how successful Shanghai Automotive integrates with VW and GM. Then we use the corresponding theories to analyze the two cases, why brand conflicts happened between Danone and Wahaha, why Shanghai Automotive can successfully integrate with VW and GM   Findings In this part, we use the cases analysis and corresponding theories to form the finding. Finding is focused on the dual - brand strategy implemented by Volvo and Lingong, and we analyze its feasibility and the synergies.   Conclusions In this part, we come out with three conclusions. Firstly, global strategy management helps us to have a macro view over the dual-brand topic in China. Secondly, the dual-brand strategy can make Volvo gain goodwill from the consumers. Thirdly, Lingong and Volvo can benefit each other and get win-win by using dual-brand strategy.

Nowadays, most of the TV stations in Taiwan have the same acts, which are involving in online business, but different in scopes. Some of them are running all kinds of different tasks online, such as e-commerce, ad-sells, pay per view and information offering. However, others are just providing the information offering service. According to this, we can notice that there has no identical processing procedure in the industry. Every firm has its own strategy about running business online. And it seems like the different entry strategies have play a important role in it. Thus, the study focuses on knowing how TV stations decided to run online business and formulated their entry strategies while conducting the diversification management. Within that, it also contains issues of strategic goals, business scopes and performance evaluations which will also be discussed in the study. This article uses case study approach and analyses two TV stations¡¦, Formosa Television and TVBS, diversification strategies. Combining the results and theories with secondary sources, we suggest that: (1) TV stations¡¦ Internet strategies are based on digital strategies. (2) The Internet plays a support function to the TV stations. (3) Diversification defines the scopes of the Internet business. (4) Owners¡¦ attitude. (5) Popularity decides the marketing platforms. (6) Functional resource-based view. (7) Program division decides the results of the promotion. (8) A mixing departmental performance assessment. (9) Unique performance assessment between different strategic activities.

Recent years, global steel industry has become oversupply caused by economic recession of the world, and lots of steel makers suffered serious deficit. In order to improve the business performance or create the conglomerate synergy, many decisions of mergers and acquisitions rose all around the world. It happened seldom for Taiwan¡¦s small and medium-sized enterprises to adopt the strategy of mergers and acquisitions. However, due to globalization, deregulation, and operating capital accumulation in Taiwan¡¦s business, it becomes a strategy of fast-growth for enterprises to adopt mergers and acquisitions. Unfortunately, very few cases of mergers and acquisitions are adopted in Taiwan¡¦s steel industry except China Steel Co., Ltd (CSC). On the other hand, it may be an opportunity for Taiwan steel industry to improve its structure, to reinforce its management constitution, to create production synergy, to pursuit quick growth, and to build its competitive advantages by the strategy of mergers and acquisitions since there is a great demand of steel for Mainland China market. The research uses the method of case study and deduces to a generalized model of enterprise¡¦s mergers and acquisitions theoretically, and induces with individual facts to analyze the secondary data of steel industry and the interview data of case with exploratory qualitative research. The case study of CSC merging Yieh Loong enterprise tries to find the strategic goal, motives, and have a further exploration about the execution process of mergers and acquisitions, the discussions which manage the performance, such as raw materials, marketing, financial affairs and human resources after merging, in order to analyze the reasons of its success or failure, and build to construct out the management style that the suitable steel industry merges. This research tries to build the steel industry's optimum model of mergers and acquisitions, and propose that the global steel industry is under the trend of the regional economic and trade integration, causing the globalization overall arrangement management tactics. The best market-Mainland China that has become Taiwan and global steel industry carried on the alliance or merged in addition. The case that China Steel Co. merged Yieh Loong Enterprise can be a good example for Taiwan steel manufacturers to carry on the growth strategy that maintain its internal competencies and resist foreign aggression.

Along with the popularity of the financial industry¡¦s becoming more and more free, large and international, the merging of banking industries becomes the inevitable trend. This research applied the resource-based theory to conduct a case study of merging of public banks by means of the qualitative research so as to understand the financial revolution policy of the financial governmental department and the comprehensive development of the banks studied. This research also focused on the study if the surviving bank made great use of ¡§resources¡¨ to connect with performances & generate the merging synergy. In this research, the main motivation of merging of banks lies in the managing efficacy of economies of scale and economies of scope and the external growth of incorporation can be reached by that. The key factors of successful merging for Bank of Taiwan and Central Trust of China lied in the low homogeneity, fair complementary financial business as well as the excellent base of management. ¡§Resources¡¨ are the key point of incorporation competitive advantage. By the mutual cooperation of capacity renewal and extension, incorporation can make growth and profit as well as reduce the managing risk. Accordingly, the construction and accumulation of resources is the primary consideration of the strategic decision-makers. This research not only justified the effectiveness of the rise in the corporation competitive advantages by ¡§resources¡¨ but also richened the versatility of the resource-based theory. The conclusion of this research was as follows. 1. The merging of Bank of Taiwan and Central Trust of China could enhance the competitive advantages of Bank of Taiwan, develop the managing synergy and achieve the external growth. 2. The merging of Bank of Taiwan and Central Trust of China had the positive assistance in enhancing the economies of scale and extending the economies of scope for Bank of Taiwan. 3. The merging of Bank of Taiwan and Central Trust of China made the application of Bank of Taiwan¡¦s incorporation resources and the connection with performances more efficiently as well as reduced the management cost.

Non-governmental organisations (NGO) have been recognised as important actors when it comes to achieving a sustainable development. Cooperation between the state and NGOs is desirable and this thesis is a contribution to the knowledge about the cooperation between NGOs and the state. The objective is to provide a deeper understanding of the cooperation between environmental NGOs and the Moldovan state. The environmental NGOs that are chosen are based in Chisinau and have worked with waste management and recycling. Further the thesis also aims to suggest factors that can affect the nature of the relationship     between the chosen actors. To achieve this I carried out a case study of four environmental NGOs that are based in Chisinau. A representative from each NGO was interviewed about the organisation and its relationship to the state. Theories about clientelism and synergy were then used to analyse the results. I have come to the conclusion that there is a positive attitude towards cooperation with the state but at the same time the NGOs strive to maintain their independence from the state. In addition to this there are certain factors such as trust, availability of resources, and the characteristics of the NGOs can influence the nature of the relationship. This study is a contribution to the knowledge regarding NGO-state relationships and can be used as a base for further studies on this subject. This subject is important to study as NGOs have been identified as important actors in achieving a sustainable development and governments are encouraged to cooperate with them.