We introduce a simplified model for the minimization of the elastic energy in thin shells. This model is not obtained by an asymptotic analysis. The thickness of the shell remains a parameter as in Reisner-Mindlin’s model for plates and Koiter’s model for shells in the linear case. The simplified model admits always minimizers by contrast with the original one. We show the relevance of our appr...

The Mantel-Haenszel estimate for the odds ratio (and its logarithm) in stratified case control studies lacked a generally acceptable variance estimate for many years. The Robins-Breslow-Greenland estimate has met this need, but standard textbooks still do not provide an explanation of how it is derived. This article provides an accessible derivation which demonstrates the link between the Robin...

To determine Avogadro constant with a relative uncertainty of better than 2 x 10(-8), the mean thickness of the oxide layer grown non-uniformly on the silicon sphere should be determined with about 0.1 nm uncertainty. An effective and flexible mapping strategy is proposed, which is insensitive to the angle resolution of the sphere-rotating mechanism. In this method, a sphere-rotating mechanism ...

The measurement of contact stresses between elastic bodies is of great importance in a wide range of fields. Many methods are based on a sensor sheet which is placed between the bodies in contact. Depending on the application, the accuracy of measuring results can be considerably affected by the finite thickness and structure of the inserted sensor. This study deals with the imprecision of the ...

The influence of age, sex, body mass index (BM!) and skin fold thickness at triceps and subscapular regions on blood pressure was investigated among Manzai Mali, an agricultural tribe from Andhra Pradesh. Relatively higher levels of blood pressure are observed in this . transitional tribe compared to the neighbouring traditional tribes which may be attributed to the acculturization process. Man...

OBJECTIVE To describe the feasibility, reliability and additional information gained from collecting additional body fatness measures (beyond height and weight) from UK reception year children. DESIGN Prospective cohort study. SETTING Bradford, UK. PARTICIPANTS 2458 reception year children participating in the Born in Bradford (BiB) cohort study. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The feasibility an...

Under certain conditions, a transparent photonic band can be designed into a one-dimensional metallodielectric nanofilm structure. Unlike conventional pass bands in photonic crystals, where the finite thickness of the structure affects the transmission of electromagnetic fields having frequency within the pass band, the properties of the transparent band are almost unaffected by the finite thic...

The objective is to select the best anthropometric measurements to characterize a healthy elderly population. For that, 1030 healthy elderly persons (508 men and 522 women) living independently or in an institution (in both public and private homes) were enrolled for this population-based, cross-sectional study conducted from February 2004 to May 2005. Anthropometric measurements were made by t...