Fracture, and particularly brittle fracture, is a good example of an instability. For a homogeneous solid, subjected to a uniform stress field, a crack may appear anywhere in the structure once the threshold stress is reached. However, once a crack has been nucleated in some place, further damage in the solid will in most cases propagate from the initial crack, and not somewhere else in the solid. In this sense fracture is an unstable process. This property makes the process extremely sensitive to any heterogeneity present in the medium, which selects the location of the first crack...

In this groundbreaking work, distinguished contributors explore the myriad relationships between networks of social support and the development, treatment, and rehabilitation of individuals with cardiovascular disease. Chapters span the range from conceptual to methodological issues, and take into account gender, environmental, and cultural differences. The book will provide a wealth of information for clinicians and students in the fields of behavioral medicine, psychophysiology, and cardiovascular disease.

This book is the culmination of a research program conducted in Colombia during the past several years. The fundamental aim of the program was to develop neuropsychological tests for Spanish speakers, especially elderly individuals and those with limited edu cational attainment. The lack of norms for these populations repre sents a significant practical problem not only in developing countries but also in more developed countries. For example, norms are usually obtained with middle-class Anglo-Saxon English-speaking popula tions, often university students, and such norms do not usually...

In this highly readable text, the author details the findings of an exhaustive series of studies of Isreali combat veterans, documenting the effects of combat stress reaction on mental and physical health, social interaction, and military effectiveness. In addition to providing mental health professionals, trauma victims, and military personnel with an unparalleled source of information, the work's exploration of the cultural, social, and political processes affecting recovery from combat stress reaction offers a unique perspective of contemporary Isreali culture.

This is an elementary textbook on an advanced topic: broadband telecommunica tion networks. I must declare at the outset that this book is not primarily intended for an audience of telecommunication specialists who are weIl versed in the concepts, system architectures, and underlying technologies of high-speed, multi media, bandwidth-on-demand, packet-switching networks, although the techni caIly sophisticated telecommunication practitioner may wish to use it as a refer ence. Nor is this book intended to be an advanced textbook on the subject of broadband networks. Rather, this book is...

This book is an articulate, concise, contemporary introduction to the study of important variables underlying cardiovascular reactivity. Its strength is in the combination of a scholarly but nonpedantic approach to cardiovascular psychophysiology and a solid understanding of be havioral medicine approaches to the study of hypertension. The topics covered are central to the study of relationships between behavior and cardiovascular reactivity; the list of suggested readings at the end of each chapter provides excellent guidance for more detailed study of specific issues. It has now been more...

Author Gyorgy Adam maintains there is a type of sensory system active within the internal organs that appears to be, in some measure, independent of the traditional senses. Variously termed viscerosensory perception, internal perception, or internal cognition, this system operates largely outside of consciousness. Adam employs the extensive data he has gathered over many years to demonstrate how "hidden" internal signals originating in the alimentary tract, the cardiovascular system, and the kidneys may influence emotional states. Visceral Perception is the only comprehensive...

This volume provides an overview of the important health promotion and disease prevention theories, methods, and policy issues. Applications of these theories and methods are reviewed to promote health through a variety of channels, for a variety of disease outcomes, and among a variety of populations. It can be used as a text for introductory causes to the field of health promotion and disease prevention, as well as a reference for researchers and practitioner's actively working in this area.