AwakeTooth

Olympus Mons

2005-04-05T17:33:00.000-07:00

Volcano on the planet Mars, the highest point on the planet and the largest known volcano in the solar system. Centred at 19° N, 133° W, Olympus Mons consists of a central edifice 21 km (13 miles) high and 540 km (335 miles) across. Around its perimeter an outward-facing cliff ascends as high as 10 km (6 miles) above the surrounding area. At the summit is an 85-km- (53-mile-) diameter crater, or caldera, comprising

Interior Design

2005-04-03T03:21:00.000-07:00

The art of interior design encompasses all of the fixed and movable ornamental objects that form an integral part of the inside of any human habitation. It is essential to remember that much of what today is classified as art and exhibited in galleries and museums was originally used to furnish interiors. Paintings were usually ordered by size and frequently by

Pacific Islands

2005-03-31T03:23:00.000-08:00

Ron Crocombe, The South Pacific (1983); and Frederica M. Bunge and Melinda W. Cooke (eds.), Oceania, a Regional Study, 2nd ed. (1985), provide comprehensive information. Large-scale maps are found in Atlas of the South Pacific, 2nd ed. (1986), published by the New Zealand government. Herold J. Wiens, Atoll Environment and Ecology (1962), explores the physical characteristics of Pacific Islands environments. The classic demographic study is Norma McArthur, Island Populations of the Pacific (1967, reprinted 1983); see also Vern Carroll (ed.), Pacific Atoll Populations (1975). On physical anthropology, see William Howells, The Pacific Islanders (1973). F.R. Fosberg (ed.), Man's Place in the Island Ecosystem (1963); and Douglas L. Oliver, Oceania: The Native Cultures of Australia and the Pacific Islands, 2 vol. (1989), survey aspects of Pacific Islands societies. University of the South Pacific, Institute of Pacific Studies, Pacific Tourism, as Islanders See It (1980), analyzes the impact of tourism. Current writings about the area are found in Pacific Islands Business (monthly, Fiji); Pacific Magazine (bimonthly, Hawaii); and Pacific Islands Monthly (Australia). John Carter (ed.), Pacific Islands Yearbook, 15th ed. (1984), is a detailed reference work on contemporary conditions and events. For further research, see C.R.H. Taylor, A Pacific Bibliography: Printed Matter Relating to the Native Peoples of Polynesia, Melanesia, and Micronesia, 2nd ed. (1965); and Bibliographie de l'Océanie, published irregularly by the Société des Océanistes in Paris.

Cell, The electron-transport chain

2005-03-27T15:35:00.000-08:00

The proteins of this chain are embedded in the cristae membrane, actually traversing the lipid bilayer and protruding from the inner and outer surfaces. The coenzymes are dissolved in the lipid and diffuse through the membrane or across its surface. The proteins are arranged in three large complexes, each composed of a number of polypeptide chains. Each complex

Tzu Ssu

2005-03-25T08:11:00.000-08:00

Pinyin Zi Si, also called (Wade–Gile romanization) K'ung Chi Chinese philosopher, grandson of Confucius, native of the ancient state of Lu (present Shantung province), and according to tradition, the author of the Doctrine of the Mean. This classic, now part of the Li Chi (“Record of Rites”) and classified as one of the Four Books, reaffirms Confucius' interpretation of the mean as the state of equilibrium (chung yung) of the exemplary

World War I, Czechs, Yugoslavs, and Poles

2005-03-23T23:55:00.000-08:00

Something must now be said about the growth of the national movements, which, under the eventual protection of the Allies, were to result in the foundation of new states or the resurrection of long-defunct ones at the end of the war. There were three such movements: that of the Czechs, with the more backward Slovaks in tow; that of the South Slavs, or Yugoslavs (Serbs, Croats,

Armstrong, Henry

2005-03-21T21:14:00.000-08:00

Armstrong fought as an amateur from 1929 to 1932. Early in his career he boxed under the name Melody Jackson. He first won the featherweight (126-pound) title by knocking out Petey Sarron in

International Payment And Exchange, Special Drawing Rights

2005-03-20T21:06:00.000-08:00

To deal with the inability of the existing system to create an adequate quantity of reserves without requiring the United States to run large deficits, a new kind of reserve called Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) was devised by the International Monetary Fund. Members of the Fund were to be allocated SDRs, year by year, in prearranged quantities to be used for the discharge

Karatsu Ware

2005-03-19T02:25:00.000-08:00

The generic term Karatsu is applied to many different types of ceramics. The clays were sandy and high in iron content. Ordinarily, all vessels were covered with ash, feldspar, or temmoku

China, Buddhism

2005-03-18T09:00:00.000-08:00

The spokesmen of Chinese Buddhism under the early Mongol rulers came from the Ch'an sect (meditation Buddhism). Their high intellectuality and refined aestheticism, however, did not appeal to the Mongols, who felt more attracted by the mixture of magic practices, rather nebulous metaphysics, and impressive symbolism in the visual arts of Tibetan Buddhism. Kublai

Carlinville

2005-03-17T06:51:00.000-08:00

City, seat (1829) of Macoupin county, southwestern Illinois, U.S. The first white settlement on the site, in an area known as Black Hawk hunting ground (frequented by Sauk, Fox, and Kickapoo Indians), was made in about 1815. The community was named for Gov. Thomas Carlin. A notable feature is the “million-dollar” county courthouse (1870), an imposing domed limestone structure, the construction

Habsburg, House Of

2005-03-16T03:54:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Hapsburg , also called House of Austria royal German family, one of the principal sovereign dynasties of Europe from the 15th to the 20th century.

Yodel

2005-03-15T02:36:00.000-08:00

Type of singing in which high falsetto and low chest notes are rapidly alternated; its production is helped by the enunciation of open and closed vowels on the low and high notes of wide intervals. Yodeling is also used as a means of communicating over moderate distances by the inhabitants of mountainous regions. It is associated with the Alpine peoples of Switzerland

Portuguese Literature, The Italianate school of poetry and drama

2005-03-13T14:17:00.000-08:00

The return in 1526 of the poet Francisco de Sá de Miranda after a six years' stay in Italy initiated a literary reform of far-reaching effect. Like his contemporary Garcilaso de la Vega in Spain, he introduced the new poetic forms of sonnet, canzone, ode, and epistle, and he gave fresh vigour to the national verse forms, mainly through his Satires. His chief disciple, António

Mcmaster, John Bach

2005-03-13T00:16:00.000-08:00

The son of a former Mississippi plantation owner, McMaster grew up in New York City and worked his way through the City College of New York. Although he obtained a degree in civil engineering in 1873, he was deeply

'amr Ibn Al-'as

2005-03-11T00:05:00.000-08:00

A wealthy member of the Banu Sahm clan of the important tribe of Quraysh, 'Amr accepted Islam in 629–630. Sent to Oman, in southeastern Arabia, by the Prophet Muhammad, he successfully completed his first mission by converting its rulers to Islam. As the leader of one of the three military forces sent to Palestine by the caliph Abu Bakr, he took

Tala

2005-03-10T06:47:00.000-08:00

In the music of India and Pakistan, a metric cycle with a specific number of beats—from 3 to 128—that recur in the same pattern throughout a musical performance. Tala might generally be equated with rhythm or metre, although the tala procedure has no precise counterpart in Western music. Within the pattern the beats are not necessarily grouped in identical subunits, as in

Narcissus

2005-03-10T01:56:00.000-08:00

In Greek mythology, the son of the river god Cephissus and the nymph Leiriope; he was distinguished for his beauty. His mother was told that he would have a long life, provided he never looked upon his own features. His rejection, however, of the love of the nymph Echo or of his lover Ameinias drew upon him the vengeance of the gods. He fell in love with his own reflection in

Phocion

2005-03-08T15:12:00.000-08:00

Phocion was a pupil of Plato and in later life a close friend of the Platonic philosopher Xenocrates. After serving Persia as a mercenary, he was drawn into Athens' efforts to remain

Labour Economics, Theory of bargaining

2005-03-07T16:22:00.000-08:00

Limitations on the scope of bargaining are also suggested by theory. Collective bargaining can be seen as the reduction of two risks to which the worker is exposed through individual bargaining. There is first the risk that the worker will be merely one of a number of applicants for a single vacancy and that competition between them will force the pay down. Even as

Jezebel

2005-03-06T18:10:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Jezabel in the Old Testament (Kings I and II), the wife of King Ahab, who ruled the kingdom of Israel; by interfering with the exclusive worship of the Hebrew god Yahweh, disregarding the rights of the common man, and defying the great prophets Elijah and Elisha, she provoked the internecine strife that enfeebled Israel for decades. She has come to be known as an archetype of the

Chelif River

2005-03-05T09:25:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Chéliff, or Sheliff, the longest and most important river of Algeria. Its farthest tributary, the Sebgag River, rises in the Amour ranges of the Saharan Atlas Mountains near Aflou. Crossing the Hauts Plateaux for most of the year as a chain of marshes and muddy pools, the river loses most of its water but is replenished by a stream near Chabounia, the Nahr Ouassel River. The Chelif then turns

Diamond Cutting

2005-03-05T03:18:00.000-08:00

From the girdler the diamond goes to the lapper, or blocker, who specializes in placing the first 18 main facets on a brilliant-cut diamond. It then goes to the brillianteer, the worker who places and polishes the remaining 40 facets, if the stone is being cut in the standard 58-facet brilliant cut. Placing and polishing are done by setting the stone either in a lead dop or a mechanical

Art History

2005-03-03T10:32:00.000-08:00

Art historical research has two primary concerns.

Karakum Canal

2005-03-02T23:33:00.000-08:00

Waterway in Turkmenistan. The main section, begun in 1954 and completed in 1967, runs some 520 miles (840 km) from the Amu Darya (river) to Gökdepe, west of Ashgabat, skirting the Karakum Desert. In the 1970s and '80s the canal was extended to the Caspian Sea coast, making the total length 870 miles (1,400 km). Water from the canal, which is navigable for 280 miles (450 km), is used principally for irrigation, and fishing has

Latini, Brunetto

2005-03-02T23:02:00.000-08:00

After the defeat of the Guelphs at Montaperti (1260), Latini went into exile in France but returned to Tuscany in 1266, holding public office for

Uinta Mountains

2005-02-28T13:18:00.000-08:00

Segment of the south-central Rocky Mountains, extending eastward for more than 100 miles (160 km) from the Wasatch Range across northeastern Utah and slightly into southwestern Wyoming, U.S. Many of the range's summits exceed 13,000 feet (4,000 m), including Kings Peak (13,528 feet [4,123 m]), the highest point in Utah. The mountains are a headstream region for the Provo, Bear, and Duchesne rivers and include

Hardenberg, Karl August, Fürst Von (prince Of)

2005-02-28T00:39:00.000-08:00

Also called (until 1814) Freiherr (baron) von Hardenberg Prussian statesman and administrator, who preserved the integrity of the Prussian state during the Napoleonic Wars. Domestically he was able to continue the reforms introduced by Karl, Freiherr vom Stein; in foreign affairs he exchanged Prussia's alliance with France for an alliance with Russia in 1813, and in 1814–15 he represented

Condé, Louis-joseph, 8e Prince De (8th Prince Of), Duc (duke) De Bourbon

2005-02-26T10:19:00.000-08:00

He was the only son of the Duc de Bourbon and Charlotte of Hesse and assumed the Condé title on his father's death (1740). In 1753 he married Godefride de Rohan-Soubise (d. 1760). Brought up for the army, he did good service in the Seven Years' War. On the fall of the Bastille (1789), he was one of the first princes to emigrate.

Awash River

2005-02-26T00:17:00.000-08:00

Formerly Hawash River river in eastern Ethiopia. It rises on a steep northern escarpment of the Eastern (Great) Rift Valley and is fed by Lakes Shala, Abiyata, Langano, and Ziway. Cotton is grown in the fertile Awash River valley, and dams (notably the Koka Dam, 1960) supply hydroelectric power. Herds of antelope and gazelle live in the Awash National Park. The river ends in a chain of salt lakes in the

Sickert, Walter Richard

2005-02-25T17:39:00.000-08:00

Sickert was the son of Oswald Adalbert Sickert, a Danish-born German draftsman who settled in England in 1868. After several years working as an actor, in 1881 the younger Sickert attended

Anthony, Michael

2005-02-23T21:44:00.000-08:00

In the mid-1950s Anthony left Trinidad to live in England, where he worked at Reuters News Agency

Paperbark Tree

2005-02-23T17:27:00.000-08:00

Melaleuca quinquenervia, also called punk tree and tea tree, grows to a height of 8 metres (25 feet); it has spongy white bark that peels off in thin layers. M. leucadendron, also called river

Water Lily

2005-02-21T00:16:00.000-08:00

Any of the freshwater plants of the family Nymphaeaceae, comprising eight genera native to the temperate and tropical parts of the world. All members of the family are perennial except for the genus Euryale, an annual or short-lived perennial found only in Asia. Most species of water lilies have rounded, floating, waxy-coated leaves on long stalks that contain

Sabkhah

2005-02-20T19:11:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Sebkha (Arabic), saline flat or salt-crusted depression, commonly found along the coasts of North Africa and Saudi Arabia. Sabkhahs are generally bordered by sand dunes and have soft, poorly cemented but impermeable floors, due to periodic flooding and evaporation. Concentration of seawater and capillary discharge of groundwater result in deposits of gypsum, calcite,

P-47

2005-02-20T18:42:00.000-08:00

Also called Thunderbolt, fighter and fighter-bomber aircraft used by the Allied air forces during World War II. A single-seat, single-engine, low-wing monoplane, it was developed in the United States by Republic Aviation to meet the need for a high-speed long-range fighter. It first flew in 1941 and went into production the following March; it was in action from British bases a year later. Variously

Cavalcanti, Guido

2005-02-19T01:04:00.000-08:00

Born into an influential Florentine family of the Guelf (papal) party, Cavalcanti studied under the philosopher and scholar

Plymouth Brethren

2005-02-18T18:14:00.000-08:00

Community of Christians whose first congregation was established in Plymouth, Devon, Eng., in 1831. The movement originated in Ireland and England a few years earlier with groups of Christians who met for prayer and fellowship. Biblical prophecy and the Second Coming of Christ were emphasized. John Nelson Darby, a former clergyman in the Church of Ireland (Anglican), soon

Semiconductor

2005-02-17T13:59:00.000-08:00

If an abrupt change in impurity type from acceptors (p-type) to donors (n-type) occurs within a single crystal structure, a p-n junction is formed (see parts B and C of the figure). On the p side, the holes constitute the dominant carriers and so are called majority carriers. A few thermally generated electrons will also exist in the p side; these are termed minority carriers. On the n side,

Arunachal Pradesh, Climate

2005-02-15T08:50:00.000-08:00

The climate of Arunachal Pradesh varies with topography and altitude. The foothill zone is subtropical and has a hot and humid climate; in the lower valleys, maximum summer temperatures reach 95° F (35° C), while winter minimums drop below 57° F (14° C). Annual rainfall in the state averages about 80 inches (2,000 millimetres), falling mostly between April and September; in East and West Siang districts

Americus

2005-02-14T22:57:00.000-08:00

City, seat (1831) of Sumter county, southwest-central Georgia, U.S., on Muckalee Creek, 35 miles (55 km) north of Albany. Founded in 1830, it was named for the Italian explorer and navigator Amerigo Vespucci or, legend says, for the “merry cusses” who were its first settlers. To the northeast is Andersonville, site of a notorious Confederate camp during the American Civil War, where thousands

Hadi, Sayyid Shaykh Bin Ahmad, Al-

2005-02-14T17:02:00.000-08:00

Taken when young to Pulau Penyengat, Riau (now in Indonesia), Sayyid Shaykh was adopted there by a half brother of the sultan and brought up in the intellectual

Belarus, Flag Of

2005-02-12T15:49:00.000-08:00

The Slavic peoples of what is now Belarus were in the past ruled by Prussia, Poland, Lithuania, and Russia. Consequently no distinctive national symbols were developed until the 20th century, when for the first time Belarus became independent. With the breakup of the Russian Empire near the end of World War I, a Belarusian state existed briefly. Its first flag was plain

Argus Panoptes

2005-02-12T07:35:00.000-08:00

(Greek: “All Seeing”), figure in Greek legend described variously as the son of Inachus, Agenor, or Arestor or as an aboriginal hero (autochthon). His surname derives from the hundred eyes in his head or all over his body. Argus was appointed by the goddess Hera to watch the cow into which Io (Hera's priestess) had been transformed, but he was slain by Hermes. His eyes were transferred

Fitch, Clyde

2005-02-10T20:10:00.000-08:00

Fitch graduated from Amherst College in 1886. In New York City he began writing short stories for magazines. A prolific writer, he produced 33 original plays and 22 adaptations, including Beau Brummel (1890), written for the actor Richard Mansfield, The

Race, Milieu, And Moment

2005-02-10T15:24:00.000-08:00

By “race” he meant the inherited disposition or temperament that persists stubbornly over

Achilles Painter

2005-02-08T19:25:00.000-08:00

The “Achilles and Briseis” amphora is a red-figure vase (that is, the figures are painted in red

Babassu Palm

2005-02-08T08:41:00.000-08:00

(Orbignya martiana, O. oleifera, or O. speciosa), tall palm tree with feathery leaves that grows wild in tropical northeastern Brazil. The kernels of its hard-shelled nuts are the source of babassu oil, similar in properties and uses to coconut oil and used increasingly as a substitute for it. Babassu oil is used as a food in cooking and as a fuel and a lubricant;

Social Behaviour In Animals, Dominance hierarchies and division of labour

2005-02-06T13:55:00.000-08:00

Social interaction in time and space is sometimes shown to the ethologist by patterns of following and leadership, although neither of these is necessarily social; following occurs in a dog tracking a rabbit, and leading is seen in an anglerfish luring a smaller fish for dinner by dangling a fleshy protuberance on the snout. In the Eurasian red deer (Cervus

Anno Mundi

2005-02-06T04:37:00.000-08:00

Abbreviation Am the year dating from the year of creation in Jewish chronology, based on rabbinic calculations. Since the 9th century AD, various dates between 3762 and 3758 BC have been advanced by Jewish scholars as the time of creation, but the exact date of Oct. 7, 3761 BC, is now generally accepted in Judaism. However, critical dates that underlie the calculations are uncertain. Rabbis used the genealogy

Earth Sciences, Experimental study of rocks

2005-02-04T21:32:00.000-08:00

Experimental petrology began with the work of Jacobus Henricus van't Hoff, one of the founders of physical chemistry. Between 1896 and 1908 he elucidated the complex sequence of chemical reactions attending the precipitation of salts (evaporites) from the evaporation of seawater. Van't Hoff's aim was to explain the succession of mineral salts present in Permian rocks of

'abd Allah Ibn Al-'abbas

2005-02-03T05:55:00.000-08:00

In the early struggles for the caliphate, Ibn 'Abbas supported 'Ali and was rewarded with the governorship of Basra. Subsequently he defected and withdrew to Mecca. During the reign of Mu'awiyah he lived in the Hejaz, but frequently travelled to Damascus,

Enciclopedia Universal Ilustrada Europeoamericana

2005-02-02T05:20:00.000-08:00

Spanish and Spanish-American biography and gazetteer information are especially strong. Major articles—e.g., on countries—are quite long and include lengthy bibliographies of international scope. Although coverage is considered

France, History Of, Religious tensions

2005-02-01T18:04:00.000-08:00

But it was religious policy that most divided French society and generated opposition to the Revolution. Most priests had initially hoped that sweeping reform might return Roman Catholicism to its basic ideals, shorn of aristocratic trappings and superfluous privileges, but they assumed that the church itself would collaborate in the process. In the Assembly's

Colchis

2005-02-01T13:56:00.000-08:00

Ancient region at the eastern end of the Black Sea south of the Caucasus, in the western part of modern Georgia. It consisted of the valley of the Phasis (modern Riuni) River. In Greek mythology Colchis was the home of Medea and the destination of the Argonauts, a land of fabulous wealth and the domain of sorcery. Historically, Colchis was colonized by Milesian Greeks to

Abolitionism

2005-01-31T16:01:00.000-08:00

Also called abolition movement (c. 1783–1888), in western Europe and the Americas, the movement chiefly responsible for creating the emotional climate necessary for ending the transatlantic slave trade and chattel slavery. With the decline of Roman slavery in the 5th century, the institution waned in western Europe and by the 11th century had virtually disappeared. Portuguese exploration of the west coast

Henry Viii

2005-01-30T08:24:00.000-08:00

King of England (1509–47), who presided over the beginnings of the English Renaissance and the English Reformation. His six wives were, successively, Catherine of Aragon (the mother of the future queen Mary I), Anne Boleyn (the mother of the future queen Elizabeth I), Jane Seymour (the mother of Henry's successor, Edward VI), Anne of Cleves, Catherine

Sun Orchid

2005-01-28T14:21:00.000-08:00

A sun orchid derives its name from its habit of remaining closed except in strong sunlight. Some self-pollinating species never open their flowers. The lemon orchid

Scheidt, Samuel

2005-01-28T07:15:00.000-08:00

Scheidt studied with Sweelinck in Amsterdam and in 1609 became organist at the Church of St. Maurice (Moritzkirche) in Halle. About 1619 he became organist, and later chapelmaster, to the Margrave of Brandenburg. He was esteemed

Barasat

2005-01-27T11:44:00.000-08:00

Town, southeastern West Bengal state, northeastern India. Connected by road and rail with Calcutta and Howrah, it is an important trade centre for rice, legumes, sugarcane, potatoes, and coconuts; cotton weaving is the major industry. An annual fair held in honour of a Muslim saint is attended by both Muslims and Hindus. Barasat was constituted a municipality in 1869. Pop. (1981) 69,586.

Lancet, The

2005-01-25T18:52:00.000-08:00

British medical journal established in 1823. The journal's founder and first editor was Thomas Wakley, considered at the time to be a radical reformer. Wakley stated the intent of the new journal was to report on the metropolitan hospital lectures and to describe the important cases of the day. The Lancet has since played an important role in medical and hospital reform

Argentina, The crisis of 1890

2005-01-25T00:55:00.000-08:00

The economic expansion led ultimately to inflation, the issuance of too much paper currency, and the onset of a financial crisis. A political crisis also followed. The government of Roca's successor, Miguel Juárez Celman (1886–90), had avoided launching an unpopular anti-inflationary program, but this inaction sparked criticism both within and outside the official party

Wake Island

2005-01-24T18:33:00.000-08:00

Formerly Halcyon Island, or Helsion Island, an atoll in the central Pacific Ocean, 2,300 miles (3,700 km) west of Honolulu. An unincorporated territory of the United States, it comprises three low-lying coral islets (Wilkes, Peale, and Wake) that rise to 21 feet (6 m) and occupy a total land area of 2.5 square miles (6.5 square km). Linked by causeways, they lie in a crescent configuration on a reef (4.5 miles [7.2 km] long and 2 miles [3.2 km] wide) surrounding a lagoon.

Erik I

2005-01-23T08:48:00.000-08:00

Byname Erik Bloodax, Norwegian Eirik BlodØks king of Norway (c. 930–935) and later king of Northumberland (948, 952–954). On the death of his father, Harald I Fairhair, first king of united Norway, Erik attempted to make himself sole king of Norway, defeating and slaying two of his brothers to whom vassal kingdoms had been assigned by their father; but his tyranny fostered the reaction that had set in against the strong rule

Ribeiro, Aquilino (gomes)

2005-01-21T05:51:00.000-08:00

Ribeiro's revolutionary activism forced him to flee Portugal several times between 1908 and 1932. Much of his time in exile was spent in Paris. Although he is one of his country's most prolific writers, he is less widely read than many

Marsalis Family

2005-01-21T03:29:00.000-08:00

Ellis Marsalis

Sabatier, Paul

2005-01-19T19:16:00.000-08:00

A Calvinist from birth, Sabatier began his studies at the Protestant faculty of theology in Paris in 1880 and became pastor of St. Nicholas, Strasbourg, in 1885. He was expelled from Alsace in 1889 because he refused to

Lokoja

2005-01-19T01:00:00.000-08:00

Town and river port, capital of Kogi state, south-central Nigeria, on the west bank of the Niger River opposite the mouth of the Benue River. British merchants established a trading post at the Benue-Niger confluence in the late 1850s; and in 1860 William Balfour Baikie, the Scottish explorer, founded Lokoja. Besides being an important commercial settlement, the site (originally

Japanese Literature, Western influences on poetry

2005-01-18T06:59:00.000-08:00

Translations of Western poetry led to the creation of new Japanese literary forms. The pioneer collection, Shintaishi-sho (1882; “Selection of Poems in the New Style”), contained not only translations from English but also five original poems by the translators in the poetic genres of the foreign examples. The translators declared that although European poetry had greater

China, Urban areas

2005-01-17T03:45:00.000-08:00

The dramatic change in the urban landscape is the result of the rapid development of modern manufacturing industries and of communications. Many new towns and cities

Resin

2005-01-15T11:15:00.000-08:00

Any natural or synthetic organic compound consisting of a noncrystalline or viscous liquid substance. Natural resins are typically fusible and flammable organic substances that are transparent or translucent and are yellowish to brown in colour. They are formed in plant secretions and are soluble in various organic liquids but not in water. Synthetic

Alligator Apple

2005-01-15T08:04:00.000-08:00

Fruit tree of tropical America valued for its wood. See custard apple.

Turbat

2005-01-14T21:09:00.000-08:00

Town, Balochistan province, Pakistan. The town is located on the left bank of the Kech River, which is a tributary to the Dasht River. The area in which Turbat is situated is drained to the south by the Dasht River; the Makran Range to the north and east descends to coastal plains in the south. The town is a marketplace for dates grown in the surrounding region and has a date-processing

Pontiac

2005-01-11T23:45:00.000-08:00

City, seat (1820) of Oakland county, southeastern Michigan, U.S., on the Clinton River, 25 miles (40 km) northwest of Detroit. Named for the Ottawa Indian chief, it was located on the Saginaw Trail and became an important wagon and carriage production centre in the 1880s. It later turned to the manufacture of automobiles, auto parts, buses, and trucks. The Oakland Pioneer and Historical Society

Iberian Peninsula

2005-01-11T11:16:00.000-08:00

Peninsula in southwestern Europe, occupied by Spain and Portugal. Its name derives from its ancient inhabitants whom the Greeks called Iberians, probably after the Ebro (Iberus), the peninsula's second longest river (after the Tagus). The Pyrenees form an effective land barrier in the northeast from the rest of Europe, and in the south at Gibraltar the peninsula is separated

Biblical Literature, Types of biblical hermeneutics

2005-01-10T17:42:00.000-08:00

As has been said, the importance of biblical hermeneutics has lain in the Bible's status as a sacred book in Judaism and Christianity, recording a divine revelation or reproducing divine oracles. The “oracles” are primarily prophetic utterances, but often their narrative setting has also come to acquire oracular status. Quite different hermeneutical principles,

Bréguet, Abraham-louis

2005-01-09T14:33:00.000-08:00

Bréguet was apprenticed in 1762 to a watchmaker at Versailles. He took refuge in London during the French Revolution and, upon his return to France, became a principal watchmaker of the Empire. Among Bréguet's many inventions

Byrnes, James F.

2005-01-07T14:03:00.000-08:00

A self-taught lawyer, Byrnes entered public life in

Aquavit

2005-01-06T16:48:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Aquavite, or Akvavit, also called Snaps, flavoured, distilled liquor, clear to pale yellow in colour, dry in flavour, and ranging in alcohol content from about 42 to 45 percent by volume. It is distilled from a fermented potato or grain mash, redistilled in the presence of flavouring agents, filtered with charcoal, and usually bottled without aging. Various aromatic flavourings are employed, usually including

Colosseum

2005-01-06T14:25:00.000-08:00

Originally called Flavian Amphitheatre giant amphitheatre built in Rome under the Flavian emperors. Construction of the Colosseum was begun sometime between AD 70 and 72 during the reign of Vespasian; the structure was officially dedicated in AD 80 by Titus in a ceremony that included 100 days of games. Later, in AD 82, Domitian completed the work by adding the uppermost story. Unlike earlier amphitheatres, which were nearly

Koechlin, Charles

2005-01-05T15:57:00.000-08:00

Influenced by Jules Massenet, Gabriel Fauré, and André Gédalge, under whom he studied, Koechlin experimented with the techniques of polytonality (the use of two or

Anstey, Christopher

2005-01-04T14:22:00.000-08:00

Poet whose epistolary novel in verse, The New Bath Guide, went through more than 30 editions between 1766 and 1830. After an education at Eton and at King's College, Cambridge, Anstey in 1754 inherited an independent income; and in 1770 he settled permanently at Bath, fashionable spa of the 18th century. The New Bath Guide; or, Memoirs of the B—R

Cable Television

2005-01-02T06:58:00.000-08:00

Generally, any system that distributes television signals by means of coaxial or fibre-optic cables. The term also includes systems that distribute signals solely via satellite. Cable-television systems originated in the United States in the early 1950s and were designed to improve reception of commercial network broadcasts in remote and hilly areas. During the

Henry I

2005-01-01T04:01:00.000-08:00

The son of Robert II the Pious and grandson of Hugh Capet, founder of the Capetian dynasty, Henry was anointed king at Reims (1026) in his father's lifetime, following the death of his elder brother Hugh. His mother, Constance, however, favoured his younger brother

Cummingtonite

2004-12-31T21:19:00.000-08:00

An amphibole mineral, an iron and magnesium silicate that occurs in metamorphic rocks. For chemical formula and detailed physical properties, see amphibole (table).

Gamaliel Ii

2004-12-31T05:57:00.000-08:00

In the ancient biblical city of Jabneh, many Jews had taken refuge from the Roman siege of Jerusalem in AD 70. Gamaliel

Boteti River

2004-12-30T09:00:00.000-08:00

Formerly Botletle River, river of Botswana. It emerges near Maun and the Thamakalane River, developing from the outflow of the Okavango Delta, Botswana. It flows in a southeasterly direction to Lake Xau (Dow), then north to enter the Makgadikgadi Pans after a course of 190 miles (305 km).

Tsvet, Mikhail Semyonovich

2004-12-29T06:16:00.000-08:00

Tsvet studied in Geneva, Switz., receiving his doctorate in 1896, and in 1901 he received a degree from the

Ithaca

2004-12-27T05:34:00.000-08:00

City, seat (1817) of Tompkins county, south-central New York, U.S. It lies at the southern end of Cayuga Lake (one of the Finger Lakes), 55 miles (89 km) southwest of Syracuse. Within the city are picturesque gorges cut by several creeks. Founded in 1789 by Simeon DeWitt, surveyor general of New York, it had formerly been a part of the military tract granted in 1782 to veterans of the American Revolution.

Spain, The independent emirate

2004-12-27T02:27:00.000-08:00

'Abd ar-Rahm

Digestive System Disease, Ascites

2004-12-25T21:39:00.000-08:00

The accumulation of fluid in the abdominal cavity, or ascites, is related to portal hypertension, significant reduction in serum albumin, and renal retention of sodium. When albumin levels in the blood are lower than normal, there is a marked reduction in the force that holds plasma water within the blood vessels and normally resists the effects of the intravascular

Ithaca

2004-12-25T14:55:00.000-08:00

Organization formed in New York City in 1911 during a convention of state antisuffrage groups. Led by Josephine Dodge, the founder and first president, the NAOWS believed that woman suffrage would decrease women's work in communities and their ability to effect societal reforms. Active on a state and federal level, the group also established a newsletter, Woman's

Lodge, Sir Oliver Joseph

2004-12-23T07:57:00.000-08:00

Lodge became assistant professor of applied mathematics at University College, London, in 1879 and was appointed to the chair of physics at University College, Liverpool, in 1881. During

Hackensack

2004-12-22T10:40:00.000-08:00

City, seat (1713) of Bergen county, northeastern New Jersey, U.S., on the Hackensack River, just west of the Hudson River and Manhattan Island, New York City. Originally settled by the Dutch in the 1640s, who called it New Barbadoes, it was taken by the English in 1688 but retained its Dutch imprint. In 1921 it was renamed Hackensack, supposedly derived from the Ackinchesacky, or Ackenack, one of

Herzen, Aleksandr Ivanovich

2004-12-21T21:43:00.000-08:00

Herzen also spelled Hertzen, or Gertsen political thinker, activist, and writer who originated the theory of a unique Russian path to socialism known as peasant populism. Herzen chronicled his career in My Past and Thoughts (1861–67), which is considered to be one of the greatest works of Russian prose.

Myanmar, The military regime

2004-12-20T10:55:00.000-08:00

U Ne Win retired as president and chairman of the Council of State in November 1981 but remained in power until July 1988, when he resigned as chairman of the BSPP amid violent protests. Student and worker unrest had erupted periodically throughout the 1980s, but the intensity of the protests in the summer of 1988 made it seem as if the country was on the verge of revolution. In September

Mananjary

2004-12-18T07:51:00.000-08:00

Town, eastern Madagascar. It lies at the mouth of the Mananjary River. A port on the Indian Ocean and the Pangalanes Canal, it handles coastal shipments of coffee, vanilla, cacao, olives, and rice. It is at the end of a highway from Fianarantsoa (85 miles [137 km] northwest). Pop. (1978 est.) 15,200.

France, History Of, Philip VI

2004-12-17T23:25:00.000-08:00

Philip VI of Valois (ruled 1328–50), grandson of Philip III, was of mature age when he became regent of France in 1328. Upon the birth of a daughter to the widow of his cousin Charles IV, the familiar issue of the succession was posed anew. It was the regent's experience, together with the circumstance that Edward III of England, grandson of Philip the Fair, was under the influence of his

Wain, John (barrington)

2004-12-17T20:48:00.000-08:00

Wain was educated at St. John's College, Oxford, of which he subsequently became a fellow. He was a lecturer in English literature at the University

Christian Socialism

2004-12-14T21:02:00.000-08:00

Movement of the mid-19th century that attempted to apply the social principles of Christianity to modern industrial life. The term was generally associated with the demands of Christian activists for a social program of political and economic action on behalf of all individuals, impoverished or wealthy, and the term was used in contradistinction to laissez-faire