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The paper focuses on the geomorphological processes and potential geo-hazards affecting the cultural heritage rock-cut sites of AlUla region. Its best-known site is Hegra, with more than 110 monumental tombs with elaborated façades carved directly into the sandstone rock. In addition, AlUla hosts a number of fascinating historical and archaeological sites such as its Old Town, surrounded by an ancient oasis, and Dadan, the capital of the Dadan and Lihyan kingdoms. The study is mainly aimed at investigating the local rock material, evaluating characteristics of rock masses, understanding rock degradation processes and characterizing the potential impact of slope instabilities on the conservation of cultural heritage.

There is growing concern about the possibility of a suicide bomber being immolated when the army forces or the law enforcement agencies discover the place where they prepare their material or simply find themselves inside a building. To study the possible effects that these improvised explosive devices (IEDs) would have on the structures, eight tests were carried out with various configurations of IEDs with vest bombs inside a reinforced concrete (including walls and roof) building constructed ad hoc for these tests. These vests were made with different explosives (black powder, ANFO, AN/AL, PG2). For the characterization of these tests, a high-speed camera and pressure and acceleration sensors were used. The structure behaved surprisingly well, as it withstood all the first seven detonations without apparent structural damage. In the last detonation, located on the ground and with a significant explosive charge, the structural integrity of the roof and some of the walls was compromised. The simulation of the building was carried out with the LS-DYNA software with a Lagrangian formulation for the walls, using the LBE (based on CONWEP) module for the application of the charge. Despite the difficulty of this simulation, the results obtained, in terms of applied pressures and measured accelerations, are acceptable with differences of about 20%.

[Background] Nowadays, nanoparticles (NPs) have evolved as multifunctional systems combining different custom anchorages which opens a wide range of applications in biomedical research. Thus, their pharmacological involvements require more comprehensive analysis and novel nanodrugs should be characterized by both chemically and biological point of view. Within the wide variety of biocompatible nanosystems, iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) present mostly of the required features which make them suitable for multifunctional NPs with many biopharmaceutical applications., [Results] Cisplatin-IONPs and different functionalization stages have been broadly evaluated. The potential application of these nanodrugs in onco-therapies has been assessed by studying in vitro biocompatibility (interactions with environment) by proteomics characterization the determination of protein corona in different proximal fluids (human plasma, rabbit plasma and fetal bovine serum),. Moreover, protein labeling and LC–MS/MS analysis provided more than 4000 proteins de novo synthetized as consequence of the nanodrugs presence defending cell signaling in different tumor cell types (data available via ProteomeXchanges with identified PXD026615). Further in vivo studies have provided a more integrative view of the biopharmaceutical perspectives of IONPs., [Conclusions] Pharmacological proteomic profile different behavior between species and different affinity of protein coating layers (soft and hard corona). Also, intracellular signaling exposed differences between tumor cell lines studied. First approaches in animal model reveal the potential of theses NPs as drug delivery vehicles and confirm cisplatin compounds as strengthened antitumoral agents.

Slope stability is a key topic, not only for engineers but also for politicians, due to the considerable monetary and human losses that landslides can cause every year. In fact, it is estimated that landslides have caused thousands of deaths and economic losses amounting to tens of billions of euros per year around the world. The geological stability of slopes is affected by several factors, such as climate, earthquakes, lithology and rock structures, among others. Climate is one of the main factors, especially when large amounts of rainwater are absorbed in short periods of time. Taking this issue into account, we developed an innovative analytical model using the limit equilibrium method supported by a geographic information system (GIS). This model is especially useful for predicting the risk of landslides in scenarios of heavy unpredictable rainfall. The model, hereafter named terrain stability (or TS) is a 2-D model, is programed in MATLAB and includes a steady-state hydrological term. Many variables measured in the field – topography, precipitation and type of soil – can be added, changed or updated using simple input parameters. To validate the model, we applied it to a real example – that of a landslide which resulted in human and material losses (collapse of a building) at Hundidero, La Viñuela (Málaga), Spain, in February 2010.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the applicability of the LS-DYNA software using a Lagrangian formulation in the jet formation, flight and penetration of improvised explosively formed projectiles (EFPs). Numerical results dealing with different properties of the EFPs have been validated with a significant number of field tests. Design/methodology/approach 2D and 3D Lagrangian models, using different material definition, are developed to reproduce the field-measured characteristics of copper- and steel-made EFPs: projectile size and velocity. After validation, the model has been extended to analyse the penetration features. Two different plasticity models have been used to describe the steel target, Plastic-Kinematic and Johnson–Cook. Findings Despite the difficulty in characterizing a non-industrial artefact, the results show that both Lagrangian models (2D and 3D) are able to simulate the projectile size, velocity and penetration capability with errors less than 10 per cent when using the Johnson–Cook material model for both liner and target. Practical implications These data can be used to test the penetration ability of improvised EFP’s against different targets, i.e. light armoured vehicles. Originality/value There are no references that address the application of the Lagrangian simulation of non-industrial EFPs and its validation with field tests, including penetration assessment.

Dentro de los artefactos explosivos improvisados se encuentran aquellos que generan proyectiles formados por explosión, penetradores de blindajes y sistemas acorazados, como los utilizados por grupos insurgentes contra las fuerzas aliadas en zona de operaciones. El objeto de este estudio es reproducir y entender el comportamiento de dichos artefactos explosivos improvisados capaces de generar proyectiles de alta velocidad y gran capacidad de penetración. La comprensión de su comportamiento permitirá mejorar el conocimiento sobre ellos, y por ende, combatirlos de forma más eficaz. Para ello se han realizado los ensayos correspondientes, obteniéndose las primeras caracterizaciones de proyectiles formados por explosión construidos de manera artesanal, tal y como haría un terrorista. Además, se han creado los modelos numéricos correspondientes a cada ensayo, que simulan todo el evento desde su inicio hasta el impacto en el objetivo, recorriendo todos los pasos intermedios. Se han ensayado 3 configuraciones y posteriormente se han simulado, usando el software de análisis por elementos finitos, LS-DYNA, con una configuración 2D axisimétrica, con mallados lagrangianos. Los resultados obtenidos por el modelo han alcanzado un alto grado de precisión con relación a los datos experimentales. A partir de aquí se puede concluir que los artefactos explosivos improvisados-proyectiles formados por explosión son una seria amenaza, y que los modelos generados permitirán conocer y ahorrar costes en la lucha contra esta amenaza, y por ende contra el terrorismo, al disponer de un enfoque holístico de la amenaza, y finalmente reducir los costes de la experimentación.

Factor I (FI) is a serine protease that inhibits all complement pathways by degrading activated complement components C3b and C4b. FI functions only in the presence of several cofactors such as factor H, C4b-binding protein, complement receptor 1 and membrane cofactor protein. FI is composed of two chains linked by a disulphide bridge; the light chain comprises only the serine protease (SP) domain, while the heavy chain contains FI membrane attack complex domain (FIMAC), CD5 domain, low-density lipoprotein receptor 1 (LDLr1) and LDLr2 domains. To better understand how FI inhibits complement, we used homology-based 3D models of FI domains in an attempt to identify potential protein-protein interaction sites. Specific amino acids were then mutated to yield 20 recombinant mutants of FI carrying additional surface exposed N-glycosylation sites that were expected to sterically hinder interactions. The Michaelis constant (Km) of all FI mutants toward a small substrate was not increased. We found that many mutations in the FIMAC and SP domains nearly abolished ability of FI to degrade C4b and C3b in the fluid phase and on the surface, irrespectively of the cofactor used. In the other hand only few alterations in the CD5 and LDLr1/2 domains impaired this activity. In conclusion, all analyzed cofactors form similar trimolecular complexes with FI and C3b/C4b, and the accessibility of FIMAC and SP domains is crucial for the function of FI.