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It is estimated that today some 2.7% of world GDP ($1.5 trillion) is spent on arms. In 2014 Lockheed Martin, the US defence contractor, had revenues of $45 billion - the equivalent of the GDP of Tunisia. This book explores the business behind these breathtaking figures and explains how the arms industry makes its money. The book begins by defining the industry, explaining why the sector is important, outlining its prime contractors and key supply chains. Its cost categories (from R&D to maintenance), the role of technical innovation, and the sector's dependence on the monopsony buying power of Government, are all examined. The structure-conduct and performance model is used to show the workings of the arms market and its various entry and exit conditions, and the sector's performance is analysed through various indicators including exports, development time scales, cost overruns and profitability. The complex choice problems of domestic procurement are considered alongside sales to foreign governments and the opportunities that may present for bribery and corruption. The Military-Industrial-Political-Complex (MIPC) is unpacked and the behaviour of its major agents is scrutinised, both in times of conflict (expansion) and peace (contraction). The book concludes by considering future trends, such as whether arms industries are better under state or private ownership, and how they can meet the challenge of new threats in different forms. The discussion throughout is anchored to case studies from all parts of the world, including Brazil, Korea, Japan, Russia as well as UK, US and Europe.

The present paper deals with the analysis of cross-section surface irregularities after CO[sub.2] laser cutting. The surface irregularities of beech (Fagus sylvatica L.), oak (Quercus petraea), and spruce (Picea abies L.) wood were quantified by primary profile parameters using a digital microscope. The arithmetic mean height (Pa), used as the basic parameter, was supplemented by amplitude parameters (Pv, Pp, Pz) and the Psm parameter, through which the shape of the irregularity was specified in more detail. A statistically significant change was demonstrated when changing the values of the feed speed and the power of the CO[sub.2] laser. The results of this article confirm that the surface irregularities increased with an increasing laser power and decreasing feed rate. The scanned topographic images also provide a more detailed explanation of the measured P-parameters and point out the risks associated with the evaluation of the cross-section with the primary profile.

Among the archaeological areas buried by the Vesuvian eruption of 79 A.D., the Oplontis' site offers the most significant monumental evidence of the Pompeian suburbs. Its architectures, brought back to light at different times, were included in the UNESCO World Heritage List on 6th December 1997 and present today different problems of conservation and accessibility influenced by the operations related to its discovery and by the territorial context. The Oplontis' site rises in a degraded context of the city of Torre Annunziata (NA), poorly served by infrastructures and services able to connect it to the nearby archaeological area of Pompeii and to the main tourist flows. The contribution aims to deepen the knowledge of the Oplontis' villas to evaluate possible strategies of enhancement and improvement of the enjoyment related to the acquisition and use of structures adjacent to the archaeological site such as the \"the Royal Arms Factory\" historical military complex in disuse. Keywords Restoration, Archeology, Accessibility, Oplontis, Buffer zone.