Redefining the Meaning of Luxury Goods: A Conceptual Paper

This paper discusses the concept of luxury brands and the possible drivers for the increasing level of high consumption of such goods. Factors such as availability of counterfeits, psychological need and emergence of new media are closely scrutinised. A critical analysis of the concept particularly regarding how it has evolved over the years help branding strategists and marketers understand how the perceptions of luxury brand has been shaped in the mind of consumers. Finally, this paper analyses future implications that this change may have on marketing and branding strategies.Key words: Luxury, Luxury branding, Affordable Luxury, Country of Origin, Conspicuous Consumptio

Modelling the inhalation of drug particles in a human nasal cavity

A human nasal cavity was reconstructed from CT scans to make a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) model. With this model, fluid flow and inhalation of aerosol analysis can be investigated. The surface of the interior nasal cavity is lined with highly vascularised mucosa which provides a means for direct drug delivery into the blood stream. Typical sprayed particles from a nasal spray device produce a particle size distribution with a mean diameter of 50μm, which leads to early deposition due to inertial impaction. In this study low-density drug particles and submicron particles (including nanoparticles) are used to evaluate their deposition patterns. It was found that the low-density particles lightens the particle inertial properties however the particle inertia is more sensitive to the particle size rather than the density. Moreover the deposition pattern for nano-particles is spread out through the airway. Thus an opportunity may exist to develop low-density and nanoparticles to improve the efficiency of drug delivery to target deposition on the highly vascularised mucosal walls. SciRes Copyright © 2010

Russian Rule-Ette: Using Khodorkovsky’s Criminal Trial to Asses the State of Russia’s Judiciary

The criminal trial of Russian oligarch and oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky in connection with Yukos Oil has been one of the most publicized and controversial trials in the history of the Russian Federation. Khodorkovsky’s conviction in the Russian courts has raised grounds for appeal to the European Court of Human Rights on both procedural and substantive grounds. This Note discusses the failures of judicial reform in Russia since the founding of the Russian Federation that have been brought to light by Khodorkovsky’s trial, and assesses the causes of these failures and the prospects for judicial reform

Economic and Political Consequences of the 1996 Telecommunications Act

See Crandall and Hazlett for a more recent analysis. This paper investigates the economic and political consequences of the 1996 Telecommunications Act by examining relevant marketplace data. In key segments of the telephone and cable television industries, the reform appears to be encouraging competition. Interestingly, stock price data indicate that the wave of "mega-mergers" in telecommunications, an unannounced and possibly unanticipated result of the Telecommunications Act, appears to be associated with consumer benefits. These improvements in competitiveness are modest by some standards, but impressive when judged against the results of other legislation with the announced goal of increasing market rivalry (e.g., the 1984 and 1992 Cable Acts). Federal policy makers also appear to be reaping benefits from the Telecommunications Act. The "deregulation"-which very cautiously opened markets, mandating extensive FCC rulemaking in the transition to competition-is associated with a sharp increase in political contributions to federal policymakers from telecommunications firms and executives. This is seen as an intended consequence of the act's major reform: Removing policy jurisdiction from Judge Harold Green's divestiture oversight and placing it in the hands of the Federal Communications Commission, a regulatory agency answerable to Congress.

A Threat-Vulnerability Based Risk Analysis Model for Cyber Physical System Security

The ability to network machinery and devices that are otherwise isolated is highly attractive to industry. This has led to growth in the use of cyber-physical systems (CPSs) with existing infrastructure. However, coupling physical and cyber processes leaves CPSs vulnerable to security attacks. A threat-vulnerability based risk model is developed through a detailed analysis of CPS security attack structures and threats. The Stuxnet malware attack is used to test the viability of the proposed model. An analysis of the Natanz system shows that, with an actual case security-risk score at Mitigation level 5, the infested facilities barely avoided a situation worse than the one which occurred. The paper concludes with a discussion on the need for risk analysis as part of CPS security and highlights the future work of modelling and comparing existing security solutions using the proposed model so to identify the sectors where CPS security is still lacking