The core shell of hepatitis B virus is a potent immune stimulator, giving a strong neutralizing immune response to foreign epitopes inserted at the immunodominant region, located at the tips of spikes on the exterior of the shell. Here, we analyze structures of core shells with a model epitope inserted at two alternative positions in the immunodominant region. Recombinantly expressed core prote...

Molecular dynamics simulations have been performed to investigate the hydration of Li(+), Na(+), K(+), F(-), and Cl(-) inside the carbon nanotubes at temperatures ranging from 298 to 683 K. The structural characteristics of the coordination shells of ions are studied, including the ion-oxygen radial distribution functions, the coordination numbers, and the orientation distributions of the water...

We summarize the general formalism describing surface flows in three–dimensional space in a form which is suitable for various astrophysical applications. We then apply the formalism to the analysis of non–radial perturbations of self–gravitating spherical fluid shells. Spherically symmetric gravitating shells (or bubbles) have been used in numerous model problems especially in general relativi...

We present a discretization of Koiter’s model of elastic thin shells based on a finite element that employs limit surfaces of Catmull–Clark’s subdivision scheme. The discretization can directly be applied to control grids of Catmull–Clark subdivision surfaces, and, therefore, integrates modeling of Catmull–Clark subdivision surfaces with analysis and optimization of elastic thin shells. To test...

Current research at the laboratory for timber construction IBOIS at EPFL focuses on shell structures. Two main families are investigated: shells made of linear elements, as timber rib shells, and shells made of surface elements, typically folded plate structures. With regard to timber rib shells, bent linear timber elements are used to create the shape of a shell. With folded plate structures, ...

Potential sensitivity of the buckling behavior of cracked composite cylindrical shells to service life cracking is explored by carrying out linear buckling analysis. Computational models of cracked composite cylindrical shells are developed by exploiting a special meshing scheme in which the element size is reduced incrementally from the element size employed in the uncracked region by approach...

Two thousand four hundred and ninety eggs were collected from retail markets in 6 provinces and from laying hen farms in 3 provinces. Eggs were pooled in groups of 3 to obtain 830 samples for testing. Isolation of salmonellae was made from both egg shell and egg contents. Eggs from retail markets were contaminated with salmonellae on egg shells (13.2%) and in egg contents (3.9%). Three (0.4%) s...

The object of considerations is a thin linear-elastic cylindrical shell having a periodic structure (i.e. a periodically varying thickness and/or periodically varying elastic and inertial properties) in both directions tangent to the shell midsurface. Such shells are called biperiodic. The aim of this paper is to propose a new averaged non-asymptotic model of biperiodic shells, which makes it p...