Anthropometry and Biomechanics

Anthropometry and Biomechanics

Author: Ronald Easterby

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2012-12-06

Total Pages: 310

ISBN-13: 1468410989

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Assessment of the physical dimensions of the human body and application of this knowledge to the design of tools, equip ment, and work are certainly among the oldest arts and sciences. It would be an easy task if all anthropometric dimensions, of all people, would follow a general rule. Thus, philosophers and artists embedded their ideas about the most aesthetic proportions into ideal schemes of perfect proportions. "Golden sections" were developed in ancient India, China, Egypt, and Greece, and more recently by Leonardo DaVinci, or Albrecht Durer. However, such canons are fictive since actual human dimensions and proportions vary greatly among individuals. The different physical appearances often have been associated with mental, physiological and behavioral characteristics of the individuals. Hypocrates (about 460-377 BC) taught that there are four temperaments (actually, body fluids) represented by four body types. The psychiatrist Ernst Kretchmer (1888-1964) proposed that three typical somatotypes (pyknic, athletic, aesthenic) could reflect human character traits. Since the 1940's, W. H. Sheldon and his coworkers devised a system of three body physiques (endo-, meso-, ectomorphic). The classification was originally qualitative, and only recently has been developed to include actual measurements.


Pre-Incident Indicators of Terrorist Incidents

Pre-Incident Indicators of Terrorist Incidents

Author: Brent L. Smith

Publisher: DIANE Publishing

Published: 2011

Total Pages: 540

ISBN-13: 1437930611

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This is a print on demand edition of a hard to find publication. Explores whether sufficient data exists to examine the temporal and spatial relationships that existed in terrorist group planning, and if so, could patterns of preparatory conduct be identified? About one-half of the terrorists resided, planned, and prepared for terrorism relatively close to their eventual target. The terrorist groups existed for 1,205 days from the first planning meeting to the date of the actual/planned terrorist incident. The planning process for specific acts began 2-3 months prior to the terrorist incident. This study examined selected terrorist groups/incidents in the U.S. from 1980-2002. It provides for the potential to identify patterns of conduct that might lead to intervention prior to the commission of the actual terrorist incidents. Illustrations.


Unequal Treatment

Unequal Treatment

Author: Institute of Medicine

Publisher: National Academies Press

Published: 2009-02-06

Total Pages: 781

ISBN-13: 030908265X

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Racial and ethnic disparities in health care are known to reflect access to care and other issues that arise from differing socioeconomic conditions. There is, however, increasing evidence that even after such differences are accounted for, race and ethnicity remain significant predictors of the quality of health care received. In Unequal Treatment, a panel of experts documents this evidence and explores how persons of color experience the health care environment. The book examines how disparities in treatment may arise in health care systems and looks at aspects of the clinical encounter that may contribute to such disparities. Patients' and providers' attitudes, expectations, and behavior are analyzed. How to intervene? Unequal Treatment offers recommendations for improvements in medical care financing, allocation of care, availability of language translation, community-based care, and other arenas. The committee highlights the potential of cross-cultural education to improve provider-patient communication and offers a detailed look at how to integrate cross-cultural learning within the health professions. The book concludes with recommendations for data collection and research initiatives. Unequal Treatment will be vitally important to health care policymakers, administrators, providers, educators, and students as well as advocates for people of color.