Stocking Up: The Role of Temporal and Spatial R&D Stocks

Endogenous growth models are built around the concept of a knowledge stock. This knowledge stock can also be interpreted as a localized stock that operates at the regional level, as is common in the regional innovation systems literature. We use data from the second, third and fourth Community Innovation Surveys (covering 1994–1996, 1998–2000 and 2002–2004) to measure the build-up of knowledge at a very low regional aggregation level (“across streets and hallways”) in the Netherlands. In doing so, we account for regional agglomeration effects. We find that such local knowledge stocks have a small influence on innovation and are far outweighed by firm-specific characteristics.     

Explaining Governance in Five Mega-City Regions: Rethinking the Role of Hierarchy and Government

With the fundamental rescaling of socio-economic relationships, the mega-city region (MCR) has emerged as an important geographical space for governance. At the same time it is highly fragmented institutionally, making it difficult to overcome collective action problems such as providing regional public transport and protecting open spaces. In practice, different arrangements are employed to address these problems, including hierarchical approaches, competitive self-coordination and joint decision-making. Drawing on experiences in five MCRs in Europe and the US, the relative use and success of these approaches was investigated. The analysis suggests that the composition of the actor constellation (e.g. the number and kind of parties involved) and local political support proved to be important factors in explaining the performance of a particular governance approach. In addition, the findings provide a new appreciation for the role of the state, particularly the national government, in governing MCRs.     

Effects of a New Hydrological Barrier on the Temperatures in the Organic Archaeological Remains at Bryggen in Bergen,Norway

The World Heritage Site of Bryggen in Bergen, Norway, has experienced significant degradation of archaeological deposits as a consequence of changes in the soil water and groundwater balance after urban redevelopment adjacent to the heritage site. Additionally, groundwater temperatures below the heritage site were found to be significantly higher closer to the redeveloped area. One of the main mitigation measures taken to reduce the degradation of the archaeology has been the construction of a hydrological barrier along the sheet piling that divides the redeveloped area and the historic site. A shallow subsurface infiltration system was designed to achieve groundwater levels and flow conditions that are optimal for the preservation of archaeological remains directly along the sheet pile, while reducing drainage and subsidence also further upstream. Monitoring of groundwater level and temperatures after implementation of the hydrological barrier shows that groundwater levels and flow conditions have improved with respect to optimal preservation conditions, and groundwater temperatures have generally been reduced by up to 2 °C.     

Implementation of Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems to Preserve Cultural Heritage — Pilot Motte Montferland

The shallow subsurface in historic cities often contains extensive archaeological remains, also known as cultural deposits. Preservation conditions for naturally degradable archaeological remains are strongly dependent on the presence or absence of groundwater. One of the main goals at such heritage sites is to establish a stable hydrological environment. Green infrastructural solutions such as Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SUDS) can support preservation of cultural deposits. Several cases show that implementation of SUDS can be cost effective at preservation of cultural deposits. These include Motte of Montferland, City mound of Vlaardingen, Weiwerd in Delfzijl, and the Leidse Rijn area. In all cases, the amount of underground infrastructure is minimised to prevent damaging cultural layers. SUDS have been implemented to preserve cultural heritage. The first monitoring results and evaluation of the processes give valuable lessons learned, transnational knowledge exchange is an important element to bring the experiences across boundaries.     

Working towards the Duce: five recent books on Mussolini

ABSTRACT

Giovanni Freppa (1795–1870), a well-known antiquarian, was instrumental in propelling the Ginori maiolica firm to reinvent the technique of Renaissance lustreware. The so-called ‘Freppa Scandal’ resulted after he sold as authentic Renaissance pieces a number of plates made by Ginori. Freppa was also famous, or rather infamous, for his exploitation of the young sculptor Giovanni Bastianini, whose remarkable neo-Renaissance portrait busts were sometimes sold as authentic Renaissance works. The Louvre purchased for an enormous price a bust believed to be a Renaissance masterpiece; but it was actually executed by Bastianini in 1864 on commission from Freppa, resulting in ‘the Benivieni Affair’. But this article is not primarily intended to expand on Freppa’s transactions in the art world; rather, it highlights his activities in many other spheres, including a failed publishing project with Giacomo Leopardi, among other activities. Freppa was a more complex individual than indicated merely by the two above-mentioned scandals.     

A General Misspecification Test for Spatial Regression Models: Dependence, Heterogeneity, and Nonlinearity

There is an increasing awareness of the potentials of nonlinear modeling in regional science. This can be explained partly by the recognition of the limitations of conventional equilibrium models in complex situations, and also by the easy availability and accessibility of sophisticated computational techniques. Among the class of nonlinear models, dynamic variants based on, for example, chaos theory stand out as an interesting approach. However, the operational significance of such approaches is still rather limited and a rigorous statistical-econometric treatment of nonlinear dynamic modeling experiments is lacking. Against this background this paper is concerned with a methodological and empirical analysis of a general misspecification test for spatial regression models that is expected to have power against nonlinearity, spatial dependence, and heteroskedasticity. The paper seeks to break new research ground by linking the classical diagnostic tools developed in spatial econometrics to a misspecification test derived directly from chaos theory—the BDS test, developed by Brock, Dechert, and Scheinkman (1987). A spatial variant of the BDS test is introduced and applied in the context of two examples of spatial process models, one of which is concerned with the spatial distribution of regional investments in The Netherlands, the other with spatial crime patterns in Columbus, Ohio.     

我国西部不发达区域自然资源要素转换的若干思考

西部不发达区域是我国自然资源密集地区,极具开发潜力,其经济成长采取自然资源转换模式具有客观必然性。但是传统的自然资源要素转换模式已严重制约着西部地区经济的持续发展。本通过对西部地区自然资源优势、资源开发中的技术结构和利益分配机制以及资源转换模式等问题的系统思考,提出了提升区域自然资源转换模式的构想。     

The Middle Pleistocene argali (Ovis ammon antiqua) assemblages at the Caune de l'Arago (Tautavel,Pyrénées‐Orientales,France): were prehistoric hunters or carnivores responsible for their accumulation?

The argali (Ovis ammon antiqua) assemblages from the Middle Pleistocene site of the Caune de l'Arago (Tautavel, southern France) were studied in terms of zooarchaeology and taphonomy. It is possible to discern palaeobiological information lost during fossilisation, as well as the palaeoethology of the bone collector, by the observation of taphonomic details preserved on the bone assemblages. The observations leave no doubt that both humans and carnivores were involved in the accumulation of argali carcasses in the cave. In some assemblages, the type of bones found in articulation and the gnawing marks observed are characteristic of carnivores. In other levels, the intense fracturing of the major limb bones in relation to their marrow content and mineral density, and butchering marks found on specimens in the earlier levels, are in favour of human accumulation, the modalities of which are discussed. The results suggest that the degree of carnivore activity seems to have been higher in levels M, N and O than in level F. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Distinguishing different types of early 17th-century Dutch Jacht and Ship through multivariate morphometric analysis of contemporary maritime art

In research to reconstruct the design of a small Dutch vessel of c . 1600, morphometric analysis of ship iconography proved very useful. Both uni-variate and multi-variate modes of statistical analysis, as used in this research, are described and discussed. Four classifications of three-masted, square-rigged Dutch sailing vessels—ships, jachts, large jachts and small jachts—were shown to be clearly distinguished types in the multi-variate data space.     

西汉早期出土金缕和丝缕玉衣部分玉料材质及其加工工艺特征管窥

广州西汉南越王墓和徐州狮子山汉墓是我国汉代最重要和出土玉器数量最多的两个王侯级墓地,两墓出土的丝缕和金缕玉衣是当时南方和中原汉王朝最重要的墓葬玉器之一。通过上手观察、显微镜拍照并利用环境扫描电镜和漫反射红外光谱、拉曼光谱技术对广州南越王墓及徐州狮子山汉墓出土玉衣部分玉片的质材和加工工艺进行了观察测试和对比分析。结果显示,两地玉衣的玉料均主要为透闪石质,从现存玉衣颜色及玉质结构上看,徐州狮子山汉墓出土玉衣玉料来源单一且玉质明显好于南越王墓,南越王墓玉料具有多来源的特征,玉衣中的“假玉”可能来自粤西。从南越王墓玉衣片部分切割痕迹判断,南越王墓所使用的切割工具可能接近当时的最高水平,也可能存在中原交换来源的玉材,无法排除南越王墓玉衣全部或部分在当地制作的可能;南越王墓和徐州狮子山汉墓出土玉衣加工工艺特征明显不同,显示两地玉衣系由不同 “玉作”体系加工完成,汉代可能存在多个不同的玉作体系,工艺水平参差不齐。