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This paper presents the feasibility of combining geometrical survey and in-situ non-destructive testing for the structural assessment of historical earthen constructions, which has typically difficult and non-documented geometries, unknown and highly variable materials, not visible damage states, and non-well de-fined boundaries and diaphragm conditions. Particularly, this paper presents the results of geometrical and structural surveys that are being carried out in the church ‘San Juan Bautista de Huaro’ in Cusco, Perú, as part of an ongoing research aiming at assessing its seismic vulnerability. The church dates back to the 17th Century and represents a typical Andean adobe church. Regarding to geometry, novel techniques such as laser scan-ning and photogrammetry from drones were successfully integrated to generate an accurate 3D reconstruc-tion, and a numerical model of the building for seismic analysis. This numerical model was preliminary cali-brated considering experimental results from operational modal analysis tests. The calibration process showed the importance of considering the connection elements in the numerical model, as well as allowed a prelimi-nary assessment of material properties., The authors would like to acknowledge the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú PUCP and its funding office DGI-PUCP (project 171-2015) for providing funds to the project within which this work was developed and the Peruvian Science and Technology Program (Innóvate Peru) for their financial support on the acquisition of the equipment used (Project 128-FINCYT-ECL-2014). The second and third authors gratefully acknowledge CONCYTEC for the scholarship in support of graduate studies.

Mannose-binding lectins, such as dendritic cell-specific ICAM-3-grabbing non-integrin (DC-SIGN), are expressed at the surface of human dendritic cells (DCs) that capture and transmit human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1) to CD4(+) cells. With the goal of reducing viral trans-infection by targeting DC-SIGN, we have designed a new class of mannoside glycolipid conjugates. We report the synthesis of amphiphiles composed of a mannose head, a hydrophilic linker essential for solubility in aqueous media, and a lipid chain of variable length. These conjugates presented unusual properties based on a cooperation between the mannoside head and the lipid chain, which enhanced the affinity and decreased the need for multivalency. With an optimal lipid length, they exhibited strong binding affinity for DC-SIGN (K(d) in the micromolar range) as assessed by surface plasmon resonance. The most active molecules were branched trimannoside conjugates, able to inhibit the interaction of the HIV-1 envelope with DCs, and to drastically reduce trans-infection of HIV-1 mediated by DCs (IC(50s) in the low micromolar range). This new class of compounds may be of potential use for prevention of HIV-1 dissemination, and also of infection by other DC-SIGN-binding human pathogens.