Restoration of the 1824 Wissekerke Iron Suspension Footbridge: Construction Details Revealed

The wrought iron suspension footbridge, built in 1824 at the Wissekerke Castle in Kruibeke (Belgium) is the oldest surviving chain footbridge in continental Europe. As the footbridge shifted from private to public use, the condition of the footbridge was surveyed and assessed. During restoration works, which started in the winter of 2011, new construction details were revealed. The original foundation was excavated giving insight into the applied-anchorage system of the suspension cable. The iron bridge was blast-cleaned, revealing not only its connections, but uncovering assembly and production stamps. These new findings not only broaden the insight in the construction of the 1824 Wissekerke footbridge, they also contribute to the overall knowledge of early construction in wrought iron.     

Developing cross-industry innovation capability: regional drivers and indicators within firms

ABSTRACT

The role of firms in the process of regional renewal and path development is a somewhat neglected area in the existing literature. With few exceptions, the literature is mainly concerned with aggregated development paths. To cover this gap, the current study turns its attention to cross-industry innovation capability (CIIC) building in firms and discusses how conditions for innovation and learning in a region drive this process. We introduce a new concept of CIIC – that is, the firm’s ability to transform knowledge and ideas from different industries into new products, processes and systems and/or its ability to adapt existing products, processes and systems to new industries – and identify its drivers and indicators. The discussion is supported by empirical studies of firms in three Norwegian case regions that undergo the restructuring process due to the recent severe decrease in oil prices. Our empirical data demonstrate that organizationally thick and diversified regions are more favourable for firms’ abilities to develop CIIC and cross-industry innovation activity. As a result, we emphasize that future regional policies should have a stronger focus on the linkages between internal firm characteristics and regional innovation systems to contribute to the firms’ absorptive capacity for developing cross-industry innovation.     

Welsh Sojourners in India: The East India Company,Networks and Patronage,c. 1760–1840

During the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, within the framework of imperial expansion and exploitation there were opportunities for individuals to acquire wealth and power. Several men grew wealthy in India through the opportunities afforded to them by the East India Company, with lucrative careers and the possibility of generating money through commerce and trade. Britain witnessed the return of several East Indians, or ‘nabobs’ as individuals who returned home with considerable wealth were called. Indeed, some of these nabobs succeeded in amassing sizeable fortunes during their time in the East. This article aims to address a neglected area in the historiography, by examining the experiences of Welshmen as sojourners in India. In comparison with Scotland in particular, but also England and Ireland, the Welsh dimension of the East India Company is under-researched. This article highlights the existence of networks of patronage in existence in Wales which facilitated the voyage out to India and the return home of men in the employ of the East India Company during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. Networks were predominantly regional or familial, with family members supporting and sustaining loved ones during their time in India, and aiding them in their return home at the end of their sojourn in the East. The importance of letters in maintaining links with home is explored, not only as a method of relaying news, but also as a means for the sojourner to maintain an emotional link with home, and ultimately to lay the groundwork for a smooth transition home. How these Welshmen viewed themselves while out in India will be analysed, and the multi-layered nature of concepts of identity explored. Identity could be regional in focus, while some showed an awareness of a Welsh identity. Integration within the broader framework of the British East India Company is evident, as is the broader European community in the East.     

Bone density determination of moose skeletal remains from Isle Royale National Park using digital image enhancement and quantitative computed tomography (QCT)

As part of an investigation of prey vulnerability in Isle Royale National Park, MI, digital image processing techniques were used to enhance original quantitative computed tomography (QCT) film products to detail the processes of bone resorption and reformation in skeletal remains of moose (Alces alces). Integration of these two allied imaging technologies allowed analyses of pixels representing fractions of millimetres of bone. Using regression analysis, linear conversions from the pixel digital numbers (DN) to QCT Hounsfield units (HU) to actual bone mineral density (BMD) values were calculated (r²=0.99), and a scale of pixels per millimetre of bone was determined. The colour-enhanced image revealed quantifiable patterns of density, porosity and asymmetry. In addition, the procedure provided a quick but consistent methodology for evaluating numerous scans. Combining the limited use of a high-demand and expensive medical QCT scanner with a lower cost, readily available digital image processing and analysis system provides a technique for researchers to investigate the bone integrity of individual animals and populations. This method of evaluating bone density has implications for use in determining differential skeletal part-preservation in archaeofaunal studies. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.