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To report the type and severity of ocular injuries sustained by the survivors of a bomb-loaded explosion that occurred in Mogadishu, Somalia on December 28, 2019. The recorded data included age, gender, wounded eye, initial examination of ocular injuries and associated systemic injuries, initial visual acuity, anterior and posterior segment examinations. The type of injury (open vs closed globe), the injured zone of the globe, and the presence of a relative afferent pupil defect were evaluated in all cases where possible. After the explosion, ocular injuries were detected in 28 of 114 patients in our hospital. Thirty-two eyes of 28 patients were included in the study. The mean age was 32.4±6.7 years. The number of open-globe injuries was more than that of closed-globe injuries (26 vs 6; 81.25% vs 18.75%, respectively). Zone 1 was the most affected zone in open-globe injuries (18/26 eyes, 61.6%), followed by Zone 3 in six (23%) patients and Zone 2 in four (15.4%) patients. Sixteen open-globe injuries were laceration type (61.5%) and 10 (38.5%) were rupture type. An intraocular foreign body was detected in eight (30.8%) eyes with open-globe injuries. A total of 28 patients had 11 (39.3%) isolated eye injuries, whereas 17 (60.7%) had concomitant systemic injuries. The frequency of blast-related ocular injuries is increasing. Today, the increase in the use of vehicle-borne improvised explosives in terrorist-related explosions leads to more frequent and serious ocular injuries.

The US and its Coalition partners concluded combat operations in Iraq in August 2010. Rather surprisingly, little empirical evidence exists as to the factors that contributed to the ebb and flow in levels of violence and the emergence and disappearance of hot spots of hostilities during the campaign. Building upon a tradition of criminology scholarship, recent work demonstrates that Improvised Explosive Device (IED) attacks are clustered in space and time and that these trends decay in a manner similar to that observed in the spread of disease and crime. The current study extends this work by addressing a key potential correlate of these observed patterns across Iraq—namely, the timing and location of a variety of Coalition counterinsurgency (COIN) operations. This is achieved by assessing the co-evolving space-time distributions of insurgency and counterinsurgency in the first 6 months of 2005. To do so, we employ a novel analytic technique that helps us to assess the sequential relationship between these two event types. Our analyses suggest that the number of COIN operations that follow insurgent IED attacks (moderately) exceeds expectation (assuming that events are independent) for localities in the vicinity of an attack. This pattern is more consistent than is observed for the relationship in the opposite direction. The findings also suggest that less discriminatory COIN operations are associated with an elevated occurrence of subsequent insurgency in the vicinity of COIN operations in the medium to long term, whilst for more discriminatory and capacity-reducing COIN operations the reverse appears to be true.

In the aftermath of the London ‘7/7’ attacks in 2005, UK government agencies required the development of a quick-running tool to predict the weapon and injury effects caused by the initiation of a person borne improvised explosive device (PBIED) within crowded metropolitan environments. This prediction tool, termed the HIP (human injury predictor) code, was intended to: — assist the security services to encourage favourable crowd distributions and densities within scenarios of ‘sensitivity’; — provide guidance to security engineers concerning the most effective location for protection systems; — inform rescue services as to where, in the case of such an event, individuals with particular injuries will be located; — assist in training medical personnel concerning the scope and types of injuries that would be sustained as a consequence of a particular attack; — assist response planners in determining the types of medical specialists (burns, traumatic amputations, lungs, etc.) required and thus identify the appropriate hospitals to receive the various casualty types. This document describes the algorithms used in the development of this tool, together with the pertinent underpinning physical processes. From its rudimentary beginnings as a simple spreadsheet, the HIP code now has a graphical user interface (GUI) that allows three-dimensional visualization of results and intuitive scenario set-up. The code is underpinned by algorithms that predict the pressure and momentum outputs produced by PBIEDs within open and confined environments, as well as the trajectories of shrapnel deliberately placed within the device to increase injurious effects. Further logic has been implemented to transpose these weapon effects into forms of human injury depending on where individuals are located relative to the PBIED. Each crowd member is subdivided into representative body parts, each of which is assigned an abbreviated injury score after a particular calculation cycle. The injury levels of each affected body part are then summated and a triage state assigned for each individual crowd member based on the criteria specified within the ‘injury scoring system’. To attain a comprehensive picture of a particular event, it is important that a number of simulations, using what is substantively the same scenario, are undertaken with natural variation being applied to the crowd distributions and the PBIED output. Accurate mathematical representation of such complex phenomena is challenging, particularly as the code must be quick-running to be of use to the stakeholder community. In addition to discussing the background and motivation for the algorithm and GUI development, this document also discusses the steps taken to validate the tool and the plans for further functionality implementation.

ABSTRACT Objective: To describe orthopaedic injury profile in mass casualties due to anti-personnel improvised explosive device(AP-IED) blast at Muzaffarbad, Azad Jammu and Kashmir. Study Design: Retrospective descriptive case study of a single incident. Place and Duration of Study: The orthopaedic injury profile suffered by victims of anti-personnel improvised explosive device blast in 9th Muharram religious procession on 27th December, 2009 just in front of main gate of H.H. Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Hospital, also called CMH Muzaffarabad. Methodology: A total of 82 mass casualties were evacuated to the Accident and Emergency Department. There were 9 fatalities. Seven were found dead on triage, whereas 2 died during resuscitation. Seventy three injured victims were included in this study. Results: Seventy three injured victims(51 males: 22 females) survived this anti-personnel improvised explosive device blast. Thirty nine victims were admitted and 2 died within 72 hours due to complications of polytrauma, making overall mortality to be 13.4%. Twenty eight emergency surgical procedures were done in 24 patients(32.8%). Limb fractures were present in 53.4% victims. Lower limb fractures in 56.75%, upper limb fractures in 29.73%. Most common upper limb fracture involved humerus(18.92%). Traumatic amputations were present in 7(9.59%) victims. Conclusion: The effects of anti-personnel improvised explosive device blast are both physically and psychologically devastating. Extremity injuries are prevalent in victims, by far. By appreciating associated injury profile, the treating physicians and surgeons are primed to deal with life and limb threatening injuries of unfortunate victims.

Motivated by experiences of coalition military forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, we analyze the allocation of route clearance teams (RCTs) to search for and neutralize improvised explosive devices (IEDs) on roadways traveled by military convoys. We model the interaction of a single RCT and a single convoy operating over a given roadway. Our goal is to reduce IED risk by improving coordination between the RCT and the convoy. We treat the distribution of IEDs along the road prior to the passage of the RCT as a non-homogeneous Poisson process. The RCT finds and clears IEDs according to a Bernoulli process. Enemy forces may emplace (reseed) additional IEDs in the temporal gap between the RCT clearance sweep and the arrival of the convoy. IED risk is defined as the expected number of IEDs encountered by the convoy. We identify certain characteristics of optimal RCT schedules including: the shape of the IED intensity function and the speed of reseeding substantially dictate the RCT schedule that minimizes IED risk; the more rapid the IED reseeding, the more critical is conformance to the optimal RCT schedule; an RCT having inferior detection probability, by employing superior scheduling can sometimes reduce convoy risk more than a less well scheduled RCT with superior detection probability; a discretized highway version of the problem can be efficiently optimized. We also briefly discuss applications of this model to the more complex problem of allocating several RCTs to protect a number of convoys scheduled to travel on a network of highways.

With the ever-increasing threat of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and homemade explosives (HME) both domestically and abroad, detection of explosives and explosive related materials is an area of urgent importance for preventing terrorist activities around the globe. Canines are a common biological detector used in explosive detection due to their enhanced olfactory abilities, high mobility, efficient standoff sampling, and optimal identification of vapor sources. While other sensors based on different principles have emerged, an important concept for the rapid field detection of explosives is understanding key volatile organic compounds (VOCs) associated with these materials. Explosive detection technology needs to be on par with a large number of threats including an array of explosive materials as well as novel chemicals used in the manufacture of IEDs. Within this much needed area of research for law enforcement and homeland security applications, several studies have sought to understand the explosive odor profile from a range of materials. This review aims to provide a foundational overview of these studies to provide a summary of instrumental analysis to date on the various types of explosive odor profiles evaluated focusing on the experimental approaches and laboratory techniques utilized in the chemical characterization of explosive vapors and mixtures. By expanding upon these concepts, a greater understanding of the explosive vapor signature can be achieved, providing for enhanced chemical and biological sensing of explosive threats as well as expanding upon existing laboratory-based models for continued sensor development. [Display omitted] •Detection of explosives and their related materials is an area of urgent importance.•Understanding of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) is key to rapid field detection of explosives.•Enhanced olfactory abilities and high mobility makes canines an excellent tool in biological detection of explosives.•Explosive detection technology must stay up to date with current and expanding threats.•Experimental techniques provide understanding of explosive vapor odor signatures for enhanced sensor development.

Blast injury is a unique condition that carries a high rate of morbidity and mortality, often with mixed penetrating and blunt injuries. This review highlights the pearls and pitfalls of blast injuries, including presentation, diagnosis, and management in the emergency department (ED) based on current evidence. Explosions may impact multiple organ systems through several mechanisms. Patients with suspected blast injury and multisystem trauma require a systematic evaluation and resuscitation, as well as investigation for injuries specific to blast injuries. Blast injuries most commonly affect air-filled organs but can also result in severe cardiac and brain injury. Understanding blast injury patterns and presentations is essential to avoid misdiagnosis and balance treatment of competing interests of patients with polytrauma. Management of blast victims can also be further complicated by burns, crush injury, resource limitation, and wound infection. Given the significant morbidity and mortality associated with blast injury, identification of various injury patterns and appropriate management are essential. An understanding of blast injuries can assist emergency clinicians in diagnosing and managing this potentially deadly disease.

Terrorist use of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) remains a persistent and evolving threat within the United States. Until now, few data collection and analysis efforts have focused on the systematic capture of terrorist bombing plots and attacks. Filling this evidence gap, this research note presents and analyses an original dataset of US federal charges associated with terrorism-related IED incidents in the United States observed from 2009 through 2024. The data features 110 related cases, the analysis of which indicates a sample peak in the use of IEDs in terrorist incidents occurred in 2024. Incidents are not siloed to a specific region within the US, but involve cases from coast-to-coast, with crowded spaces remaining the most prominent target. The most common form of device employment observed across the dataset is the person-borne IED, primarily involving pipe bombs and pressure cooker IEDs. Eighty percent of the incidents recorded in the sample were thwarted by intelligence and law enforcement professionals – the remainder either failed due to technical mistakes or were successful. The research note describes notable sources of change in IED threats over time and identifies emerging trends in the methods by which US-based terrorists may continue to utilise IEDs in their efforts to cause death, harm, and destruction. It concludes with implications for theory, study, and practice.

Background Nepal is one of the post-conflict countries affected by violence from explosive devices. We undertook this study to assess the magnitude of injuries due to intentional explosions in Nepal during 2008-2011 and to describe time trends and epidemiologic patterns for these events. Methods We analyzed surveillance data on fatal and non-fatal injuries due to intentional explosions in Nepal that occurred between 1 January 2008 and 31 December 2011. The case definition included casualties injured or killed by explosive devices knowingly activated by an individual or a group of individuals with the intent to harm, hurt or terrorize. Data were collected through media-based and active community-based surveillance. Results Analysis included 437 casualties injured or killed in 131 intentional explosion incidents. A decrease in the number of incidents and casualties between January 2008 and June 2009 was followed by a pronounced increase between July 2010 and June 2011. Eighty-four (19.2%) casualties were among females and 40 (9.2%) were among children under 18 years of age. Fifty-nine (45.3%) incidents involved one casualty, 47 (35.9%) involved 2 to 4 casualties, and 6 involved more than 10 casualties. The overall case-fatality ratio was 7.8%. The highest numbers of incidents occurred in streets or at crossroads, in victims’ homes, and in shops or markets. Incidents on buses and near stadiums claimed the highest numbers of casualties per incident. Socket, sutali, and pressure cooker bombs caused the highest numbers of incidents. Conclusions Intentional explosion incidents still pose a threat to the civilian population of Nepal. Most incidents are caused by small homemade explosive devices and occur in public places, and males aged 20 to 39 account for a plurality of casualties. Stakeholders addressing the explosive device problem in Nepal should continue to use surveillance data to plan interventions.

Improvised explosive devices (IEDs) can be assembled directly from daily items and are easily purchasable and distributable internationally, owing to the absence of government export permits. Hence, their origins are not readily revealed, and they can pose significant adverse effects despite their low manufacturing costs. In this study, the feasibility of identifying fingerprints and deoxyribo nucleic acid (DNA) profiles in various IEDs and samples is investigated. Additionally, the relative positions of debris are identified to set the scope of on-site inspection at terrorist scenes. All samples are categorized into porous and non-porous materials, and LMG test, extraction, quantification, and short tandem repeat (STR) analysis are conducted to view the DNA profile. For fingerprinting, 1,2-IND and CA are utilized for development, followed by quality-control analysis. Although sample acquisition is impossible in some experiments, DNA profiling and fingerprint analysis are possible for all, thus allowing mapping to be performed. This study shows that even when terrorist bombing occurs, if evidence with minimal damage is detected at the scene, then STR profiles and fingerprints can be obtained at a level suitable for AFIS usage. Furthermore, accumulating mapping results from numerous experiments significantly aids in determining the scope of evidence acquisition. •Debris are successfully obtained after explosion for four sets of evidence.•Profiling of blood shows that explosion does not affect deoxyribonucleic acid.•Fingerprints on non-porous materials show better quality than those on porous ones.•Mapping based on explosive types helps identify debris-acquisition site.