Thunderbird International Business ReviewVolume 54, Issue 2 p. 263-269 Research Article Firmly rooting international business research in the soil of relevance: Integration and recommendations J. Michael Geringer, Corresponding Author jmichaelgeringer@yahoo.com O'Bleness Chair of International Strategy and director of the Center for International Business Education and Development, Ohio University's College of BusinessCenter for International Business Educaton and Development, College of Business, Ohio University, Athens, OH 45701Search for more papers by this authorWilliam Pendergast, Professor of international business management, California Polytechnic State University (San Luis Obispo)Search for more papers by this author J. Michael Geringer, Corresponding Author jmichaelgeringer@yahoo.com O'Bleness Chair of International Strategy and director of the Center for International Business Education and Development, Ohio University's College of BusinessCenter for International Business Educaton and Development, College of Business, Ohio University, Athens, OH 45701Search for more papers by this authorWilliam Pendergast, Professor of international business management, California Polytechnic State University (San Luis Obispo)Search for more papers by this author First published: 21 February 2012 https://doi.org/10.1002/tie.21459Citations: 2AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onEmailFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat Citing Literature Volume54, Issue2March/April 2012Pages 263-269 RelatedInformation

In 2004, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) concluded a 4-year, 10 million dollar contract with the University of Delaware to create the Sarajevo Graduate School of Business, the first Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business IAACSBI-accredited business school in Southeast Europe. This case study examines inconsistencies in the school's mission and goals, the structure and operation of the joint venture between Delaware and the University of Sarajevo, the fit between Delaware's MBA program and the local environment, pricing in an emerging market, the impact of the school's business model on its sustainability, challenges of market estimation and new product introduction, and the realism of USAID's goal of cultural change. Me article concludes with an up-to-date epilogue and summary of conclusions that pertain generally to organizational strategies in emerging markets.

Goran Radman (GR) joined Microsoft in 1996 and served until Fall 2008 as Microsoft Chairman, Southeast Europe (SEE) and Chairman, East and Central Europe (ECEE). Based in Croatia, where he enjoys sailing the Adriatic coast and islands, he spoke with the authors during 2008 and 2009 about his experience launching Microsoft's commercial presence in the region. His conversation ranged widely and incisively among such topics as Microsoft's business model, its market entry strategy, the role of partnerships, the structure and process of Microsoft's business operations, national business environments in the region, the role of country managers, and Microsoft's practice of knowledge management. This article captures highlights of these conversations. Goran Radman is currently founder and director of NAUTAR consultancy in Zagreb.

A novel delta-receptor selective compound, ARD-353 [4-((2R,5S)-4-(R)-(4-diethylcarbamoylphenyl)(3-hydroxyphenyl)methyl)-2, 5-dimethylpiperazin-1-ylmethyl)benzoic acid], was evaluated for activity on infarct size in a rat model of acute myocardial infarction. ARD-353 was characterized as having delta receptor selectivity using radioligand binding and had no apparent selectivity between delta receptor subtypes as determined by [(3)H] cyclic [D-Pen(2),D-Pen(5)]enkephalin (delta(1)) and [(3)H]Deltorphin II (delta(2)) competition binding. ARD-353 also showed selective delta receptor agonist activity in mouse-isolated vas deferens. There was no evidence of any seizure-like convulsions when ARD-353 was administered to mice either i.v. or p.o., implying minimal penetration of the blood-brain barrier. ARD-353 decreased infarct size in a left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) occlusion model of myocardial infarction. In animals pretreated with ARD-353 (i.v.) and then subjected to 30 min of LAD occlusion followed by 90 min of reperfusion, infarct size was reduced in a dose-dependent manner compared with vehicle-treated controls. The effects of ARD-353 on infarct size were blocked by the delta(1)-opioid selective antagonist 7-benzylidenenaltrexone, indicating a significant role for the delta(1)-opioid receptor in the cardioprotective mechanism of ARD-353. ARD-353 (0.3 mg/kg i.v.) produced significant protection when administered 5 min and 12 and 48 h before ischemic insult or when given immediately after the ischemic insult (at the start of reperfusion). Given the lack of central nervous system effects and beneficial efficacy in the rat model of myocardial ischemia, it is felt that ARD-353 is the first nonpeptide delta-receptor agonist with true potential for clinical use before surgically induced ischemia or in an emergency setting.

Dinucleoside polyphosphates act as agonists on purinergic P2Y receptors to mediate a variety of cellular processes. Symmetrical, naturally occurring purine dinucleotides are found in most living cells and their actions are generally known. Unsymmetrical purine dinucleotides and all pyrimidine containing dinucleotides, however, are not as common and therefore their actions are not well understood. To carry out a thorough examination of the activities and specificities of these dinucleotides, a robust method of synthesis was developed to allow manipulation of either nucleoside of the dinucleotide as well as the phosphate chain lengths. Adenosine containing dinucleotides exhibit some level of activity on P2Y1 while uridine containing dinucleotides have some level of agonist response on P2Y2 and P2Y6. The length of the linking phosphate chain determines a different specificity; diphosphates are most accurately mimicked by dinucleoside triphosphates and triphosphates most resemble dinucleoside tetraphosphates. The pharmacological activities and relative metabolic stabilities of these dinucleotides are reported with their potential therapeutic applications being discussed.

There is a wealth of information from animal models and clinical opioid-analgesic use that indicates a significant role for opioid receptors in the modulation of bladder activity. The novel benz- hydrylpiperazine compound DPI-221 [4-(( (cid:1) - S )- (cid:1) -((2 S ,5 R )-2,5-dimethyl-4-(3-fluorobenzyl)-1-piperazinyl)benzyl)- N , N -diethyl- benzamide] was characterized as having (cid:2) receptor selectivity using radioligand binding ( K i (cid:1) 2.0 (cid:2) 0.7 nM, (cid:2) receptor; 1800 (cid:2) 360 nM, (cid:3) receptor; and 2300 (cid:2) 680 nM, (cid:4) receptor), and agonist activity was demonstrated in the mouse isolated vas deferens where DPI-221 inhibited electrically induced contractions with an IC 50 value of 88 (cid:2) 7.5 nM. In the guinea pig isolated ileum, DPI-221 had no effect on electrically induced contractions at concentrations as high as 1 (cid:3) M. Sterile saline was infused (7 ml/h) into the bladder of Sprague-Dawley rats, via a transmural catheter; DPI-221 (1.0 to 20 mg/kg force transduc-ers under a resting tension of 1 g, and contractions elicited by a field stimulation of 0.1-Hz pulses of 0.5-ms duration at supramaximal voltage using platinum electrodes and a Grass S88 stimulator. DPI-221 effects on electrically induced contractions of the ileum examined through the addition of cumulative concentrations (1 (cid:5) 10 to 10 (cid:4) n (cid:1) of DPI-221 to the bathing solution. The limited solubility these assay

There is a wealth of information from animal models and clinical opioid-analgesic use that indicates a significant role for opioid receptors in the modulation of bladder activity. The novel benzhydrylpiperazine compound DPI-221 [4-((alpha-S)-alpha-((2S,5R)-2,5-dimethyl-4-(3-fluorobenzyl)-1-piperazinyl)benzyl)-N,N-diethylbenzamide] was characterized as having delta receptor selectivity using radioligand binding (K(i) = 2.0 +/- 0.7 nM, delta receptor; 1800 +/- 360 nM, mu receptor; and 2300 +/- 680 nM, kappa receptor), and agonist activity was demonstrated in the mouse isolated vas deferens where DPI-221 inhibited electrically induced contractions with an IC(50) value of 88 +/- 7.5 nM. In the guinea pig isolated ileum, DPI-221 had no effect on electrically induced contractions at concentrations as high as 1 microM. Sterile saline was infused (7 ml/h) into the bladder of Sprague-Dawley rats, via a transmural catheter; DPI-221 (1.0 to 20 mg/kg p.o.) significantly increased the interval between micturition events, whereas peak void pressure was not significantly decreased by any dose of DPI-221. The micturition effects of 10 mg/kg p.o. DPI-221 were blocked by naltrindole, indicating a delta receptor mechanism of action. In isolated rat bladder strips, DPI-221 was ineffective at relaxing detrusor muscle precontracted with carbachol. The most crucial safety aspect of delta agonist administration is the incidence of seizure-like convulsions in rodents. DPI-221 produced no convulsions at doses up to 100 mg/kg p.o. in mice, although rapid bolus i.v. injection of 5 mg/kg produced convulsions in 3% of mice tested. These findings indicate a good safety profile for DPI-221 administered orally, with potent efficacy in modifying bladder activity.