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This article examines the overall acceptance of the best practice provisions contained in the Dutch corporate governance code and identifies those that receive comparably less agreement among 150 Dutch listed companies in 2004. The findings indicate a high level of compliance with the Code. Moreover, the extent of compliance is positively associated with company size. Provisions related to the remuneration of board members, independence of supervisory board members, and requirements with respect to internal control systems stand out when it comes to non-compliance. In addition, the nature and content of the explanations provided for non-compliance are remarkably similar across companies, which may indicate symbolic compliance with the Code's best practice provisions. Copyright (c) 2007 The Authors; Journal compilation (c) 2007 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

This paper is concerned with how firms in a project-based industry cooperate in technological innovation projects in the construction industry. The main focus of the paper is on the sharing of capabilities in cooperative innovation projects and how these cooperations are governed. A knowledge-based perspective is applied, and four cooperative innovation projects in the construction industry are compared. Based on the case studies, a set of propositions is defined. First, a cooperation aimed at a mutual strategic benefit in mutually gaining access to the knowledge bases of the involved firms, while maintaining their own differentiated knowledge base, can result in more stable and long term relationships with mutual trust between the cooperating firms. Second, in a cooperation aimed at a mutual strategic benefit in mutually gaining access to the knowledge bases of the involved firms, partners not only gain access to each other's technological capabilities but also develop and share knowledge about organizational aspects and market situations and gain knowledge about the way of working of the partner firm. Third, in a cooperation aimed at mutual strategic benefit in mutually gaining access to the knowledge bases of the involved firms, noncodifiability of the capabilities is conditional to create a win-win situation. And fourth, cooperation aimed at a mutual strategic benefit in mutually gaining access to the knowledge bases of the involved firms is based on mutual competence and intentional trust as its main governance mechanism, whereas contracting between market parties aimed at knowledge-output transactions is represented by limited trust and arms' length (contractual) relationships as its main governance mechanism.

Objectives-To compare clinical eVectiveness and health related quality of life in patients with severe spasticity who received intrathecal baclofen or a placebo. Methods-In a double blind, randomised, multicentre trial 22 patients were followed up during 13 weeks and subsequently included in a 52 week observational longitudinal study. Patients were those with chronic, disabling spasticity who did not respond to maximum doses of oral baclofen, dantrolene, and tizanidine. After implantation of a programmable pump patients were randomly assigned to placebo or baclofen infusion for 13 weeks. After 13 weeks all patients received baclofen. Clinical eYcacy was assessed by the Ashworth scale, spasm score, and self reported pain, and health related quality of life by the sickness impact profile (SIP) and the Hopkins symptom checklist (HSCL). Results-At three months the scores of the placebo and baclofen group diVered slightly for the spasm score (eVect size=0.20) and substantially for the Ashworth scale (eVect size=1.40) and pain score (eVect size=0.94); health related quality of life showed no significant diVerences. Three months after implantation the baclofen group showed a significant, substantial improvement on the SIP "physical health", "mental health", "mobility", and "sleep and rest" subscales and on the HSCL mental health scale; patients receiving placebo showed no change. After one year of baclofen treatment significant (P<0.05) improvement was found on the SIP dimensions "mobility" and "body care and movement" with moderate eVect sizes. Improvement on the SIP subscale "physical health" (P<0.05; eVect size 0.86), the SIP overall score (without "ambulation"), and the "physical health" and overall scale of the HSCL was also significant, with eVect sizes >0.80. Changes in health related behaviour were noted for "sleep and rest" and "recreation and pastimes" (P<0.01, P<0.05; eVect size 0.95 and 0.63, respectively). Psychosocial behaviour showed no improvement. Conclusions-Intrathecal baclofen delivered by an implanted, programmable pump resulted in improved self reported quality of life as assessed by the SIP, and HSCL physical health dimensions also suggest improvement. (J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 1997;63:204-209) Keywords: baclofen; health related quality of life; clinical outcomes Continuous intrathecal baclofen infusion via a subcutaneously implanted programmable pump has been used in the treatment of severe spasticity since 1984. Studies have evaluated neurological (Ashworth scale and spasm score), neurophysiological (EMG), urological (bladder function), and other clinically relevant outcomes, such as functional status activities of daily living.1-12 Little attention has been paid, however, to health related quality of life, health status measures, and costs. This study addresses health related dimensions of quality of life as well as conventional outcome measures, including muscle tone (Ashworth scale) and frequency of spasms. Treatment outcomes were evaluated during one year after pump implanta...

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