This article provides an introduction to this special issue on managing and developing key supplier relationships. Key suppliers are increasingly seen as strategic assets of buying companies which ...need careful nurturing to fully utilize their potential for value creation. The six articles of this special issue, each providing a distinct contribution to the extant knowledge base on key supplier management, are briefly introduced. Finally, this introduction concludes by providing our vision on the key supply management concept and some suggestions for future research directions.
We contribute to the emerging literature on the role of socialization in developing buyer–supplier relationships. We conduct a dyadic, multiple‐informant based, longitudinal study of the development ...of two buyer–supplier relationships. We carry out a detailed examination of the effect of socialization on communication quality by interviewing personnel from both the buying and supplying companies and at different levels over three consecutive years beginning with the inception of a key supplier program initiated by our focal buying company. Our results show that, contrary to what has been suggested by other studies, socialization in buyer–supplier relationships does not invariably have a positive impact on communication quality. We offer two possible explanations for our findings. First, we argue that the atmosphere created by past conflicts can diminish the positive effect of socialization on communication quality. Second, when a relationship is in a declining life‐cycle phase, especially when one of the parties has strong doubts about the value of continued collaboration, socialization efforts may not contribute to improved communication performance. Hence, for socialization to have a positive effect on communication quality, socialization tactics must be tailored taking into account the history and current phase of the relationship.
The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) programme is important for innovation in the Dutch economy and also contributes to other programmes in the aerospace industry (spin-off) and other industries ...(spillover). On top of the expected value of US$9.2 billion in development and production, based on interviews with 10 companies and research institutes, an expected spin-off of US$1.1 billion and an expected spillover of US$120 million will result. In addition, over 23,000 man-years are associated with the activities in the development and production of the JSF. This study excludes the large and labour-intensive Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) activities. Further validation of data and an update of current results is planned for 2006.
In Defence and Peace Economics, Volume 17 (2006), we reported the interim results of our study on the economic effects for the Dutch aerospace industry of participation in the development and ...production phases of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) programme (recently been renamed as the F-35 Lightning II). This article is based on recent data from interviews with Dutch industry, conducted in 2006. The main contributions, compared with our interim results, are: (1) a more reliable estimation of expected turnover and employment effects; (2) numerous examples of knowledge development by participation in the F-35 programme; and (3) the perspectives of the main contractors - Lockheed Martin, Pratt & Whitney and Rolls-Royce - on knowledge development by Dutch companies. Our results indicate that Dutch participation in the F-35 programme contributes to a substantial increase in turnover, knowledge-intensive employment, powerful technological development and an improved long-term positioning in the global aerospace industry.
Background. In the present study we report on the results of a retrospective study on the effect on survival of the pelvic lymphadenectomy in a group of 294 patients with stage Ia2‐IIa cervical ...carcinoma treated by radical hysterectomy from 1984 through 1996 at the Leiden University Medical Center.
Methods. Lymphadenectomy was called ‘complete’ when lymph node bearing tissue had been removed from 5 or 6 lymph node stations and ‘not‐complete’ when this was the case in 1–4 stations.
Results. A radical hysterectomy was carried out in 294 patients. In 63 patients positive lymph nodes were found. Patients with positive nodes showed poorer 5 year survival: 64.5% compared to 90% in patients with negative nodes. In the univariate analysis the following factors were found to affect the presence of node metastases in a statistically significant way: age, tumor size, depth of infiltration, vaso‐invasion, surgical margins, parametrial infiltration, stage and place of referral. In 63 patients with positive nodes, a complete lymphadenectomy was carried out in 23 patients, and in 40 patients the procedure was incomplete. All 63 patients were treated by adjuvant radiation therapy; those with complete lymphadenectomy had significantly less recurrences (25%) compared to those with incomplete lymphadenectomy (56%): the relative risk (RR) was 2.9 (95% ci: 1.3–6.7), p=0.012. After adjustment for other prognostic factors including tumor size, depth of infiltration and parametrial involvement, the complete lymphadenectomy showed an independent effect on disease free survival: RR=3.2 (95% ci:1.3–7.7), p=0.011. Prognostic factors were not significantly different for patients with complete or incomplete lymphadenectomy.
Conclusions. From the results of this study, although retrospective and non randomized, it can be concluded that to complete removal of lymph nodes in combination with radical hysterectomy seems to have a beneficial effect on prognosis in case of positive nodes. The policy of aborting the procedure when lymph node metastases are found in frozen section should be questioned.
— The aim of this study was to compare red (652 nm) and green (514 nm) light for photodynamic therapy (PDT) of the peritoneal cavity with emphasis on light distribution and toxicity. Red‐light PDT ...was limited by intestinal toxicity and it was hypothesized that less penetrating green light would allow higher light doses to be used in the peritoneal cavity. Female non‐tumor‐bearing rats were photosensitized with mTHPC (meta‐tetrahydroxyphenylchlorin, Foscan®) intravenously or intraperitoneally and the peritoneum was illuminated using a minimally invasive technique. For both red and green light, the time of illumination was varied to give the required dose. Light fluence rate was measured in situ at multiple sites within the abdominal cavity. The toxicity experiments were carried out with a total of 160 J incident red or 640 J incident green light and a drug dose of 0.15 mg/kg Foscan® For red light a mean fluence rate of 55.2 38.5 mW cm 2 was measured, with a peak fluence rate of 128 mW cm 2 on the intestines. For green light the mean and peak fluence rates were 8.2 9.0 (i.e. including zero fluence rate measurements) and 28 mW cm 2, respectively. Intestines were most vulnerable to red light illumination. The intravenous injection route resulted in increased toxicity for red light, but for green light there were no major differences between intravenous and intraperitoneal routes. The 4 h interval between drug and illumination resulted in very little toxicity for both wavelengths. We conclude that for intraperitoneal PDT green light allows higher light doses than red light, but the light distribution over the peritoneum is much less favorable and may not be suitable for whole peritoneal illumination using a minimal‐access technique.
Unusual origins of pseudomyxoma peritonei Bree, Eelco De; Witkamp, Arjen; Van De Vijver, Mark ...
Journal of surgical oncology,
December 2000, Volume:
75, Issue:
4
Journal Article
We investigate the results of a surveillance program for stage I nonseminomatous germ cell tumors to validate a surveillance policy, and furthermore improve it by analyzing diagnostic instruments and ...identifying prognostic factors for relapse.
From 1982 to 1994, 90 patients with stage I nonseminomatous germ cell tumors entered a surveillance protocol after orchiectomy. Patients with relapse were treated with cisplatin based chemotherapy. A statistical analysis of possible prognostic factors for relapse was performed.
Relapse occurred in 23 (26%) patients. Disease specific survival was 98.9%, and 1 patient died of tumor. Most relapses were located in retroperitoneal lymph nodes only (78%). Tumor markers were the most important indicators of relapse. However, in 22% of patients with relapse abdominal x-ray of lymphangiographic contrast showed the first sign of relapse. Computerized tomography located all but 1 relapse. Vascular invasion (p = 0.0001), tumor size (p = 0.0341) and presence of immature teratoma (p = 0.0154) were significantly predictive of relapse with the multivariate analysis, percentage embryonal carcinoma only by univariate analysis (p = 0.032). The relapse rate was highest (52%) when vascular invasion was present.
With surveillance for stage I nonseminomatous germ cell tumors, excellent treatment results can be achieved that are comparable to primary retroperitoneal lymph node dissection. Tumor markers and computerized tomography are highly reliable for detecting relapse. Lymphangiography is still of staging value. Pathological factors may influence the choice of adjuvant treatment. However, relapse risks of 50% to 60% are maximally achieved with presently available prognostic factors, and so sparing morbidity of adjuvant treatment by a surveillance protocol remains a feasible option even in these patients.
Background. In the present study we report on the results of a retrospective study on the effect on survival of the pelvic lymphadenectomy in a group of 294 patients with stage Ia2-IIa cervical ...carcinoma treated by radical hysterectomy from 1984 through 1996 at the Leiden University Medical Center. Methods. Lymphadenectomy was called 'complete' when lymph node bearing tissue had been removed from 5 or 6 lymph node stations and 'not-complete' when this was the case in 1-4 stations. Results. A radical hysterectomy was carried out in 294 patients. In 63 patients positive lymph nodes were found. Patients with positive nodes showed poorer 5 year survival: 64.5% compared to 90% in patients with negative nodes. In the univariate analysis the following factors were found to affect the presence of node metastases in a statistically significant way: age, tumor size, depth of infiltration, vaso-invasion, surgical margins, parametrial infiltration, stage and place of referral. In 63 patients with positive nodes, a complete lymphadenectomy was carried out in 23 patients, and in 40 patients the procedure was incomplete. All 63 patients were treated by adjuvant radiation therapy; those with complete lymphadenectomy had significantly less recurrences (25%) compared to those with incomplete lymphadenectomy (56%): the relative risk (RR) was 2.9 (95% ci: 1.3-6.7), p =0.012. After adjustment for other prognostic factors including tumor size, depth of infiltration and parametrial involvement, the complete lymphadenectomy showed an independent effect on disease free survival: RR=3.2 (95% ci:1.3-7.7), p =0.011. Prognostic factors were not significantly different for patients with complete or incomplete lymphadenectomy. Conclusions. From the results of this study, although retrospective and non randomized, it can be concluded that to complete removal of lymph nodes in combination with radical hysterectomy seems to have a beneficial effect on prognosis in case of positive nodes. The policy of aborting the procedure when lymph node metastases are found in frozen section should be questioned.
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