StiffBook

Lathe

2005-04-05T01:34:00.000-07:00

The lathe is one of the oldest and most important machine tools. Wood lathes were in use in France as early as 1569. During the Industrial Revolution in England the machine was adapted for metal cutting. The rotating horizontal spindle

Abu Muslim

2005-04-04T19:59:00.000-07:00

There are numerous versions of Abu Muslim's background, but it seems most likely that he was descended from a slave of Persian origin and was therefore a mawali (non-Arab

Latin America, History Of, Bureaucratic authoritarianism

2005-04-02T16:58:00.000-08:00

Allende as president combined Marxist assault on the owners of the means of production with populist lavishing of short-term benefits on his working-class followers, and on both counts he stirred violent resentment among upper- and middle-class Chileans as well as attracting the adamant hostility of the United States. In September 1973 he was ousted in favour of General

I-n-salah

2005-04-02T00:41:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Aïn Salah, oasis town, central Algeria, on the southern edge of the arid Tademaït Plateau. At the crossing of ancient trans-Saharan caravan routes, it was once an important trade link between northern and central Africa but has declined in modern times owing to high transportation costs and the exodus of workers to the developing gas fields 60 miles (100 km) southwest. Mainly visited

Chronology

2005-04-01T18:29:00.000-08:00

The Christian Era is the era now in general use throughout the world. Its epoch, or commencement, is January 1, 754 AUC (ab urbe condita—“from the foundation of the city [of Rome]”—or anno urbis conditae—“in the year of the foundation of the city”). Christ's birth was at first believed to have occurred on the December 25 immediately preceding. Years are reckoned as before or after the Nativity,

Arabia, History Of, The Qarmatians

2005-04-01T03:07:00.000-08:00

A more serious loss to 'Abbasid power in Arabia was occasioned by the appearance of Isma'ilite propaganda in Yemen about 880, in eastern Arabia about 899, and even briefly in Oman. From Yemen, Isma'ilis reached North Africa, where the Fatimid movement arose and conquered Egypt and for a time seriously threatened the 'Abbasids in Baghdad. The Qarmatians (Qaramitah), an extremist offshoot of

Accesi, Compagnia Degli

2005-03-30T09:37:00.000-08:00

Company that performed commedia dell'arte (improvised popular Italian comedy) in the early 1600s. The name means “the stimulated.” Leadership was provided by Tristano Martinelli (famous for his portrayal of Arlecchino, the mischievous servant) and Pier Maria Cecchini (known as the leading interpreter of the character Fritellino, as well as the author of valuable texts

Uighur

2005-03-28T07:15:00.000-08:00

The Uighur language is part of the

Auber, Daniel-françois-esprit

2005-03-27T23:34:00.000-08:00

Composer who was prominent in the development of opera containing spoken as well as sung passages (opéra comique). The great contemporary success of his works was due in part to the expertly tailored librettos of Eugène Scribe and in part to Auber's spirited musical settings, which were influenced by Rossini and well suited to French taste. One

Johanan Ben Zakkai

2005-03-25T18:33:00.000-08:00

As is the case with all the Talmudic teachers (the rabbis who interpreted and applied the Oral Law), little strictly biographical information

Strambotto

2005-03-25T01:55:00.000-08:00

Plural strambotti one of the oldest Italian verse forms, composed of a single stanza of either six or eight hendecasyllabic (11-syllable) lines. Strambotti were particularly popular in Renaissance Sicily and Tuscany, and the origin of the form in either region is still uncertain. Variations of the eight-line strambotto include the Sicilian octave (ottava siciliana), with the rhyme scheme

Durfort Family

2005-03-23T06:40:00.000-08:00

The family, which can be traced back to the 11th century, claims as a member Guy Aldonce I de Durfort (1605–65), Marquis de Duras, who raised three famous sons: Jacques Henri I (1625–1704), marshal of France (1675) and Duke de Duras (1689); Guy Aldonce II (1630–1702), marshal of France (1676) and Duke de Quintin (1691); and Louis (1638–1709), who went to England and became 2nd Earl of Feversham

Bute

2005-03-23T05:03:00.000-08:00

Island, Argyll and Bute council area, historic county of Buteshire, Scotland. It is the most important of a group of islands in the Atlantic Ocean inlet known as the Firth of Clyde. It is separated from the mainland by the Kyles of Bute, a narrow winding strait. To the south the Sound of Bute separates Bute from the larger island of Arran. Bute is about 15 miles (24 km) long and covers

Levalloisian Stone-flaking Technique

2005-03-22T10:30:00.000-08:00

Toolmaking technique of prehistoric Europe and Africa, characterized by the production of large flakes from a tortoise core (prepared core shaped much like an inverted tortoise shell). Such flakes, seldom further trimmed, were flat on one side, had sharp cutting edges, and are believed to have been used as skinning knives. Sometimes the butts of Levalloisian flakes

Kieta

2005-03-21T07:45:00.000-08:00

Town, southeast coast of Bougainville Island, Papua New Guinea. It is situated on Arawa Bay (Rawa Harbour) and is a port of call with a long wharf for coastal and Australian shipping. The town trades chiefly in copra, cocoa, and small amounts of gold. Two new settlements, Toniva and Nairovi, located just outside of Kieta, are considered part of that town. They grew after an increase

Sotatsu

2005-03-20T06:37:00.000-08:00

In full Tawaraya Sotatsu Japanese artist of the Tokugawa period (1603–1867) who combined the traditional themes of the indigenous school of Japanese narrative scroll painting, known as Yamato-e, with the bold, decorative designs of the great screen painters of the Azuchi-Momoyama period (1574–1600). He pioneered the use of such painting techniques as defining shapes and forms with colour rather than with ink

Da Lat

2005-03-19T23:51:00.000-08:00

Municipality, southern Vietnam, northeast of Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon). On a lake on the Lam Vien Plateau at 4,920 feet (1,500 m) above sea level, it sits among pine-covered hills with picturesque waterfalls nearby. Founded in the 19th century and named for the Da (now Cam Ly) River, which traverses the town, and the Lat population, it was developed by the French as a hill station (resort),

Bradford-on-avon

2005-03-19T19:10:00.000-08:00

Town (“parish”), West Wiltshire district, administrative and historic county of Wiltshire, England, on the River Avon (Bristol Avon). Its limestone houses rise up the steep side of a valley, and the river is spanned by a medieval bridge complete with chapel. A local monastery existed in the 7th century, and in Abbey Yard, presumably its site, stands the Saxon Church of St. Lawrence,

Jabalpur

2005-03-18T13:45:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Jubbulpore city, central Madhya Pradesh state, central India. Jabalpur lies just north of the Narmada River in a rocky basin surrounded by low hills that are dotted with lakes and temples. On one of the hills stands the Madan Mahal, an old Gond castle. Garha, just west, was the chief city of the four independent Gond kingdoms that arose in the 14th century. Jabalpur was selected as Maratha headquarters

China, Japanese gains

2005-03-18T06:14:00.000-08:00

With the outbreak of World War I, in August 1914, Japan joined the side of the Allies and seized the German leasehold around Chiao-chou Bay together with German-owned railways in Shantung. China was not permitted to interfere. Then, on Jan. 18, 1915, the Japanese government secretly presented to Yüan the Twenty-one Demands, which sought, in effect, to make China a Japanese dependency.

Elgin, Thomas Bruce, 7th Earl Of, 11th Earl Of Kincardine

2005-03-16T16:54:00.000-08:00

Third son of Charles Bruce, the 5th earl (1732–71), he succeeded his brother William Robert, the 6th earl, in 1771 at the age of five. Entering the army in 1785 and rising later to the rank of major general, Elgin began his diplomatic career in 1790. Envoy at Brussels

Guenon

2005-03-16T08:48:00.000-08:00

Any of about 20 species of widely distributed African monkeys of the genus Cercopithecus, family Cercopithecidae. Guenons are slim, graceful, quadrupedal monkeys with long arms and legs, short faces, and nonprehensile tails that are longer than the combined head and body length of about 30–65 cm (12–26 inches). Guenons are known for the beauty of their soft,

Mauna Kea

2005-03-15T04:43:00.000-08:00

Dormant volcano in north-central Hawaii Island, Hawaii, U.S., and the focus of a state park (500 acres [202 hectares]). It is the highest point in the state (13,796 feet [4,205 m] above sea level), and its name means “white mountain,” so-called because it is often snowcapped. The dome is 30 miles (48 km) across, with numerous cinder cones, and is the site of a major astronomical observatory. Lava flows from Mauna Kea

Puerto Suárez

2005-03-14T23:29:00.000-08:00

Town, extreme eastern Bolivia. It is situated on the marshy shores of Lake Cáceres, just west of Corumbá, Brazil, and is connected to the Paraguay River by the Tamengo Canal. Puerto Suárez was once an isolated port and trading centre for rubber, coffee, and other local products, but the town has grown rapidly since the late 20th century, when a natural gas pipeline was built

Ramazan Dynasty

2005-03-14T13:38:00.000-08:00

In 1352 Ramazan, founder of the dynasty, was recognized by the Mamluk sultan of Egypt as the ruler of the Üçok branch of Oguz Turkmen in Çukurova. After a period of attempts to overthrow Mamluk suzerainty, the dynasty's principality about 1418 came under direct Mamluk control and lost its

Pauli, Wolfgang

2005-03-14T05:10:00.000-08:00

When he was 20, Pauli

Aesthetics

2005-03-13T03:20:00.000-08:00

All aesthetic experience, whether of art or nature, seems to be informed by and dependent upon an exercise of taste. We choose the object of aesthetic experience, and often do so carefully and deliberately. Moreover, we are judged by our choices, not only of works of art but also of colour schemes, dresses, and garden ornaments, just as we are judged by our manners and our

Durham

2005-03-12T17:05:00.000-08:00

Town (township), Strafford county, southeastern New Hampshire, U.S., on the Oyster River just southwest of Dover. Settled in 1635, it was known as the parish of Oyster River until it was incorporated in 1732 and named for Durham, England. A series of savage Indian attacks began in 1675; in 1694 the town was burned, and more than 100 residents were killed or captured. During the American

Cole, Nat King

2005-03-11T14:39:00.000-08:00

Cole grew up in Chicago where, by age 12, he sang and played organ in the church

Gastronomy, The Italian influence on France

2005-03-11T14:21:00.000-08:00

Italy has been called the mother of the Western cuisines, and perhaps its greatest contribution was its influence on France. The crucial event was the arrival of Catherine de Médicis in France in the 16th century. The great-granddaughter of Lorenzo the Magnificent, Catherine married the young man who later was to become Henry II of France. She brought with her a retinue

Loquat

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

(Eriobotrya japonica), subtropical tree of the rose family (Rosaceae), related to the apple and other well-known fruit trees of the temperate zone. Ornamental in appearance and rarely more than 10 metres (33 feet) in height, the evergreen loquat is frequently planted in parks and gardens. The leaves, clustered toward the ends of the branches, are thick and

Sena

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

Town, central Mozambique, on the Zambezi River. A river port and railway junction, it has an economy based on sugarcane cultivation and processing. Sena Sugar Estates Ltd., a formerly British-owned company that was granted a large land subconcession from the Zambezia Company, had estates at Luabo and Marromeu in the Zambezi River delta and also operated a copra plantation

Stefansson, Vilhjalmur

2005-03-09T03:50:00.000-08:00

Of Icelandic descent, Stefansson lived for a year among the Eskimo in 1906–07, acquiring an intimate knowledge of their language and culture and forming the belief that

Biblical Literature, Content and problems

2005-03-07T21:05:00.000-08:00

Church offices are more developed in the Pastoral Letters than in Paul's time. There are presbyters and bishops, but these are sometimes used interchangeably and the monarchical episcopate is not yet depicted, although church offices appear to be heading in that direction. Requirements for office are strict and leaders are chosen and ordained by laying on of hands.

Asia, Rivers

2005-03-07T14:28:00.000-08:00

Asia is a land of great rivers. The Ob, Irtysh, Yenisey with the Angara, Lena (with the waters of the Aldan and the Vilyuy), Yana, Indigirka, and Kolyma rivers all flow into the Arctic Ocean. Among rivers draining into the Pacific Ocean are the Anadyr, Amur (combined with the Sungari and the Ussuri), Huang He, Yangtze (Chang), Xi, Red, Mekong, and Chao Phraya. The Salween, Irrawaddy, Brahmaputra

Radegunda, Saint

2005-03-07T09:32:00.000-08:00

A Thuringian princess, Radegunda was captured about 531 by Chlotar I during an expedition against the Thuringians. She was educated in letters at his court;

Amalgam

2005-03-06T22:33:00.000-08:00

A sodium amalgam is formed during the

Buzzati, Dino

2005-03-06T19:06:00.000-08:00

Buzzati began his career on the Milan daily Corriere della Sera in 1928. His two novels of the mountains, written in the style of traditional realism, Barnabò delle montagne (1933; “Barnabus of the Mountains”) and Il segreto del bosco

Genée, Dame Adeline

2005-03-04T10:08:00.000-08:00

At eight she was adopted by her aunt and uncle, the dancers who trained her for the ballet. Her early appearances were in Germany. From 1897 until 1907 she was prima ballerina at the Empire Theatre in London.

Encaustic Painting

2005-03-04T09:07:00.000-08:00

Painting technique in which pigments are mixed with hot, liquid wax. After all of the colours have been applied to the painting surface, a heating element is passed over them until the individual brush or spatula marks fuse into a uniform film. This “burning in” of the colours is an essential element of the true encaustic technique. Encaustic wax has many of the properties

Hinduism, Sacrifice and worship

2005-03-03T14:38:00.000-08:00

Although the Vedic fire rituals were largely replaced in Puranic and modern Hinduism by image worship and other forms of devotionalism, many Hindu rites can still be traced back to Vedism. Certain royal sacrifices—such as the rajasuya, or consecration ritual, and the horse sacrifice (asvamedha)—remained popular with Hindu kings until very recently. Other large-scale

Alaska Peninsula

2005-03-02T20:11:00.000-08:00

Stretch of land extending southwest from mainland Alaska, U.S., for 500 miles (800 km) between the Pacific (southeast) and Bristol Bay, an arm of the Bering Sea. The volcanic Aleutian Range runs along its entire length. It is the site of the Katmai National Park and Preserve, the Aniakchak National Monument and Preserve (qq.v.), and the Becharof, Alaska Peninsula, and Izembek National

Melioidosis

2005-03-02T00:11:00.000-08:00

A bacterial infection in humans and animals caused by Pseudomonas pseudomallei. Transmission to humans occurs through contact of a skin abrasion with contaminated water or soil rather than through direct contact with a contaminated animal. Inhalation of the pathogen also is suspected as a route of infection. The term melioidosis, from the Greek, means “a similarity

Visayas

2005-03-01T17:59:00.000-08:00

Also called Bisayas island group, central Philippines. The Visayas group consists of seven large and several hundred smaller islands clustered around the Visayan, Samar, and Camotes seas. They have a total area of 23,582 square miles (61,077 square km). The seven main islands are Bohol, Cebu, Leyte, Masbate, Negros, Panay, and Samar (qq.v.). These islands and their smaller neighbours make up the central group

Leaf-cutter Bee

2005-03-01T17:52:00.000-08:00

Also called Leaf-cutting Bee, any of the insects in the family Megachilidae (order Hymenoptera), particularly certain species in the genus Megachile. Leaf-cutter bees differ from related species in that they collect pollen on their abdomens rather than on their hind legs. The solitary female, having mated with the male, makes a nest in soil, a hollow plant stalk, or a cavity in wood, lining

Este

2005-02-27T11:19:00.000-08:00

Town and episcopal see of Padova province, in the Veneto region of northern Italy at the southern foot of the Colli (hills) Euganei southwest of Padua. Known in antiquity as Ateste (q.v.), it was for long the principal seat of the Veneti (q.v.), before being absorbed by Rome c. 200 BC. Originally on the Adige River, it was completely abandoned after the river (now 9 mi [14 km] to the south) changed

Interior Design, Natural elements

2005-02-27T09:52:00.000-08:00

No man-made object can equal the beauty found in nature, and it is not surprising that the introduction of natural elements into interiors has always been considered desirable. In spite of their beauty, one cannot arbitrarily introduce a plant, a tree, or rocks, or water into an interior. The foremost considerations must be the location of the space, its climate, and its

Italian Democratic Socialist Party

2005-02-27T04:43:00.000-08:00

In early 1947, socialists who opposed the Italian Socialist Party (PSI) for its cooperation with the Italian Communist Party (PCI) seceded to form the Socialist Party of Italian Workers (Partito

Tarantella

2005-02-26T23:09:00.000-08:00

Couple folk dance of Italy characterized by light, quick steps and teasing, flirtatious behaviour between partners; women dancers frequently carry tambourines. The music is in lively 6/8 time. Tarantellas for two couples are also danced. The tarantella's origin is connected with tarantism, a disease or form of hysteria that appeared in Italy in the 15th to the 17th

Radiguet, Raymond

2005-02-26T09:42:00.000-08:00

At 16 Radiguet took Paris by storm and joined the frenzied life of the leading post-World War

Hurdle Race

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

Horse race over a course on which a number of obstacles, called hurdles, must be jumped. Hurdle racing, a kind of preparation for steeplechasing, originated in England and Ireland in the 18th century and by the second half of the 20th century had spread to Commonwealth countries, Europe, and the eastern United States. Its hurdles are light and movable and are lower than steeplechase

Berchtold, Leopold, Count (graf) Von

2005-02-24T23:17:00.000-08:00

A wealthy landowner in Hungary and Moravia, Berchtold, through marriage, became one of the richest men in Austria-Hungary. He entered the diplomatic service in 1893, held posts in Paris and London, and in 1906 was appointed

Hackenschmidt, George

2005-02-24T03:30:00.000-08:00

In Vienna in 1898 Hackenschmidt won the world amateur championship in Greco-Roman wrestling. Turning to professional freestyle wrestling in

Stifter, Adalbert

2005-02-22T16:49:00.000-08:00

Stifter was educated at the Kremsmünster abbey school. He enrolled

Jacobs, Harriet A.

2005-02-22T16:26:00.000-08:00

Born into slavery, Jacobs still was taught to read at an early age. She was orphaned as a child and formed a bond with her maternal grandmother, Molly Horniblow, who had been freed from slavery.

North American Desert, Plant life

2005-02-21T22:47:00.000-08:00

In the North American Desert, available moisture is the most critical factor for life. Local environmental factors also are significant in determining the nature of desert plant communities and their dependent animal life (see video). Most desert plants are xerophytes (plants adapted to arid conditions) or phraetophytes (plants dependent on a permanent water

Frederick Ii

2005-02-20T09:47:00.000-08:00

King of Sicily (1197–1250), duke of Swabia (as Frederick VI, 1228–35), German king (1212–50), and Holy Roman emperor (1220–50). A Hohenstaufen and grandson of Frederick I Barbarossa, he pursued his dynasty's imperial policies against the papacy and the Italian city states; and he also joined in the Sixth Crusade

Salford

2005-02-20T09:21:00.000-08:00

Flemish weavers first settled in Salford about 1360, and the town became an important centre of domestic textile production. Beginning in the late 18th century, the town's cottage

Chronology

2005-02-19T20:16:00.000-08:00

The era at present in vogue among the Jews, counted from the creation of the world (anno mundi; abbreviated to AM), came into popular use about the 9th century AD. Traceable in dates recorded much earlier, this era has five styles conventionally indicated by Hebrew letters used as numerals and combined into mnemonics, which state the times of occurrence of the epochal mean

Aethelfrith

2005-02-18T03:49:00.000-08:00

Nicholas Iii

2005-02-18T01:05:00.000-08:00

In matters of the church, Nicholas issued the important

401(k)

2005-02-17T07:58:00.000-08:00

In the United States, a retirement savings program organized by employers but funded primarily by workers through paycheck deductions. Because employees generally do not make withdrawals from the fund until after they have retired, the 401(k) is considered a deferred compensation plan. As a result, the worker is not taxed on any earnings or gains made in the account

Reptile, The embryo

2005-02-16T06:22:00.000-08:00

The embryo of a reptile develops a thin sac, the amnion, that envelops the embryo and becomes filled with a watery fluid. The entire structure serves to protect the embryo from desiccation and mechanical injury. A parchment-like shell, which also contributes mechanical protection, is produced by the female parent and surrounds the amnion; between the shell and the

Nagano

2005-02-15T21:28:00.000-08:00

Formerly Zenkoji, city, Nagano ken (prefecture), central Honshu, Japan. It is the capital of the prefecture and is situated in the Nagano Basin. The city dates from the 12th–13th century and grew up around the Zenko Temple, which was founded in the 7th century. Nagano later developed as a market town and post station along the Hokkoku Road. It is now an important commercial centre with food-processing,

Literature

2005-02-15T19:01:00.000-08:00

Strict ideological censorship by the government continued in 1994 to be the background against which all discussions of the literary scene in Iran had to be conducted. In this regard the most sensational event of the year was the death, probably in November, of the noted essayist and satirist 'Ali Akbar Sa`idi Sirjani, who died in custody, under unexplained circumstances,

Selim, Mosque Of

2005-02-14T02:24:00.000-08:00

Turkish Selimiye Cami, in Edirne, Tur., mosque, considered to be the masterwork of the great Ottoman architect Sinan, completed in 1575. The sanctuary is a large square space, covered by a dome supported by columns placed close to the walls, an innovation at the time. Four tall, slender minarets contrast with the mass of domes and half-domes.

China, The struggle for central authority

2005-02-14T01:52:00.000-08:00

Under Hsien-tsung (reigned 805/806–820) the T'ang regained a great deal of its power. Hsien-tsung, a tough and ruthless ruler who kept a firm hand on affairs, is notable chiefly for his successful policies toward the provinces. Rebellions in Szechwan (806) and the Yangtze Delta (807) were quickly put down. After an abortive campaign (809–810) that was badly bungled by a favourite eunuch commander, the

Biblical Literature, The translation of Symmachus

2005-02-13T08:59:00.000-08:00

Still another Greek translation was made toward the end of the same century by Symmachus, an otherwise unknown scholar, who made use of his predecessors. His influence was small despite the superior elegance of his work. Jerome did utilize Symmachus for his Vulgate, but other than that, his translation is known largely through fragments of the Hexapla.

Galaxy, Clusters of galaxies as radio and X-ray sources

2005-02-12T16:18:00.000-08:00

Some clusters of galaxies contain a widespread intergalactic cloud of hot gas that can be detected as a diffuse radio source or as a large-scale source of X rays. The gaseous cloud has a low density but a very high temperature, having been heated by the passage of the galaxies of a cluster through it and by the emission of high-energy particles from active galaxies within

Interior Design, Rome

2005-02-12T03:56:00.000-08:00

Much more is known about Roman interior decoration, and Roman furniture was based on earlier Greek models. From the beginning of the Christian era the predominant Western style was that derived from ancient Greece by way of Rome. Classical styles were based on mathematically expressed laws of proportion that were applied not only to buildings as a whole but also

Madison

2005-02-11T08:18:00.000-08:00

City, seat (1811) of Jefferson county, southeastern Indiana, U.S. It lies along the Ohio River (bridged), opposite Milton, Ky. Settled about 1808 and named for President James Madison, it flourished as a river port until overshadowed by Louisville (46 miles [74 km] southwestward downstream) and Cincinnati (88 miles [142 km] upstream). Madison is now an important tobacco market and agricultural trading

Steel Drum

2005-02-11T00:09:00.000-08:00

Tuned gong made from the unstoppered end and part of the wall of a metal shipping drum. The end surface is hammered concave, and several areas are outlined by acoustically important chiseled grooves. It is heated and tempered, and bosses, or domes, are hammered into the outlined areas. The depth, curvature, and size of each boss determine its pitch. The drums are struck

Tobolsk

2005-02-10T06:03:00.000-08:00

City, Tyumen oblast (province), northwestern Russia. It lies at the confluence of the Irtysh and Tobol rivers. Founded in 1587, it was one of the chief centres of early Russian colonization in Siberia because it lay along an important river route to the east, but it declined when bypassed by the Trans-Siberian Railroad in the 1890s. Today it is a river port and station on the Tyumen-Surgut

Frederick William

2005-02-09T19:48:00.000-08:00

Elector of Hesse-Kassel from 1847 after 16 years' co-regency with his father; he was noted for his reactionary stand against liberalizing trends manifested during the revolutionary events of 1848. In 1850 he re-instated an unpopular adviser, Hans Daniel Hassenpflug, who called on the German Confederation to restore by force the authority of the elector. At the end of

Fainting

2005-02-09T16:19:00.000-08:00

In physiology, loss of consciousness owing to a temporary decrease in the blood supply to the brain. See syncope.

Graves' Disease

2005-02-08T14:42:00.000-08:00

Also called toxic diffuse goitre , or exophthalmic goitre endocrine disorder that is the most common type of hyperthyroidism, or thyrotoxicosis (oversecretion of thyroid hormone). In Graves' disease the excessive secretion of thyroid hormone is usually accompanied by diffuse primary overgrowth of the thyroid gland (which results in goitre) and by exophthalmos (protrusion of the eyeballs), with eyelid retraction and

Paradoxides

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

Genus of trilobites (an extinct group of arthropods) found as fossils in Middle Cambrian rocks of North America and western Europe (the Cambrian Period lasted from 540 to 505 million years ago). Paradoxides has a well-developed head region terminating laterally in pointed spines that vary in development from species to species; the tail region is poorly developed. The body

Fable, Parable, And Allegory, Blending of rival systems: the Middle Ages

2005-02-08T03:51:00.000-08:00

At the time of the birth of Christ, ideological conditions within the Mediterranean world accelerated the mingling of Hellenic and Hebraic traditions. Philo Judaeus laid the groundwork; Clement of Alexandria and Origen followed him. The craft of allegorical syncretism—that is, making rival systems accommodate one another through the transformation of their

Quinto Real

2005-02-06T22:01:00.000-08:00

(Spanish: “royal fifth”), in colonial Spanish America, a tax levied by the crown on mineral products; it was the principal source of profit derived by Spain from its colonies. The percentage was fixed at one-fifth in 1504, to be paid for 10 years, but the rate remained at generally that level until the 18th century. In 1723 the quinto was almost uniformly reduced to the diezmo (one-tenth); in 1777 the

Calasanz, Saint Joseph

2005-02-06T17:22:00.000-08:00

Calasanz also spelled Calasanctius, Italian San Giuseppe Calasanzio, Spanish San José de Calasanz priest, teacher, patron saint of Roman Catholic schools, and founder of the Ordo Clericorum Regularium Pauperum Matris Dei Scholarum Piarum (Order of Poor Clerks Regular of the Mother of God of the Pious Schools), popularly called Piarists. The Piarists are a teaching order that, in addition to the usual vows of

Thoracic Squeeze

2005-02-06T02:05:00.000-08:00

Because the lung tissue is elastic and interspersed with tubules

Natal Grass

2005-02-05T23:44:00.000-08:00

Any of several southern African grasses of the family Poaceae, and species Rhynchelytrum repens (formerly Tricholaena rosea), which in some areas is known as Natal red top. It is a tufted, perennial with glossy, purple or pink hairs on the seed heads. Natal grass is found on disturbed soils in tropical America and Australia and is cultivated as a forage and ornamental

Sarcee

2005-02-05T16:47:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Sarsi, North American Plains Indian people of Athabascan linguistic stock who lived in the 18th and 19th centuries near the upper Saskatchewan and Athabaska rivers. They probably moved southward to this region near the end of the 17th century when they became the northern neighbours of the Blackfoot Indians, from whom they received some protection from enemies. Their name

Amorphous Solid

2005-02-04T15:34:00.000-08:00

Solids and liquids are both forms of condensed matter; both are composed of atoms in close proximity to each other. But their properties are, of course, enormously different. While a solid material has both a well-defined

Ariel

2005-02-03T23:26:00.000-08:00

The first international cooperative Earth satellite, launched April 26, 1962, as a joint project of agencies of the United States and the United Kingdom. Design, construction, telemetry, and launching of the 14.5-kilogram (32-lb) satellite was handled in the United States by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The United Kingdom was responsible for designing the

Amphibian, Larval stage

2005-02-03T06:24:00.000-08:00

The amphibian larva represents a morphologically distinct stage between the embryo and adult. Most aquatic larvae depend on the environment for their food supply. Salamander and caecilian larvae remain more like their respective adults in structure, function, and nutritional requirements than do anuran larvae. Not long after emerging from their shells, larval

Rhiannon

2005-02-02T14:57:00.000-08:00

In Celtic religion, the Welsh manifestation of the Gaulish horse goddess Epona and the Irish goddess Macha. She is best-known from The Mabinogion, a collection of medieval Welsh tales, in which she makes her first appearance on a pale, mysterious steed and meets King Pwyll, whom she marries. Later she was unjustly accused of killing her infant son, and in punishment she

Performing Arts, Classical Music

2005-02-02T13:45:00.000-08:00

By 1999 the history of the 20th century could be seen in full perspective, and one conclusion evident to music lovers was that it had been the most operatic century since the Renaissance and the origins of opera. Newspapers and television (the nonfiction programs as well as the ones with invented plots and characters) were filled with “operatic” material—if Samuel Johnson's

M

2005-02-02T08:54:00.000-08:00

Abbreviation of Messier catalog (q.v.), an astronomical listing.

Saimaa, Lake

2005-02-01T17:24:00.000-08:00

Lake in southeastern Finland. It lies just northwest of the Russian border and is northeast of Helsinki. Covering parts of the läänit (provinces) of Mikkeli and Kymi, it has an area of 443 square miles (1,147 square km) and is the primary lake in the Great Saimaa lake system, which, at 1,690 square miles (4,377 square km), is the largest system in Finland. The lake's two branches extend northward about

Vieux Fort

2005-01-31T21:47:00.000-08:00

Town and former capital of St. Lucia island in the eastern Caribbean Sea. It lies 19 miles (30 km) south of the harbour of Castries and is situated near the island's extreme southeastern tip on fertile, flat ground overlooking Vieux Fort Bay. Named after a 17th-century fort (Old Fort), it was the site of St. Lucia's first sugar works (1765) and is still the centre of a sugar- and coconut-growing

Muktafi, Al-

2005-01-31T10:28:00.000-08:00

The son of al-Mu'tadid, al-Muktafi ascended to the throne in 902 with somewhat more popular support than his predecessors, thanks to his liberal rule and abolition of dungeons in Baghdad. He immediately faced battle with the Qarmatians, a schismatic

Pereskia

2005-01-31T05:11:00.000-08:00

P. pititache, the native Mexican

Hair

2005-01-30T17:30:00.000-08:00

In mammals, the characteristic threadlike outgrowths of the outer layer of the skin (epidermis) that form an animal's coat, or pelage. Hair is present in differing degrees on all mammals. On adult whales, elephants, sirenians, and rhinoceroses body hair is limited to scattered bristles. In most other mammals the hair is abundant enough to form a thick coat, while humans

Santorio Santorio

2005-01-29T23:50:00.000-08:00

Santorio was a graduate of the University of Padua (M.D., 1582), where he later became professor of medical

Alcuin

2005-01-29T06:16:00.000-08:00

Anglo-Latin poet, educator, and cleric who, as head of the Palatine school established by Charlemagne at Aachen, introduced the traditions of Anglo-Saxon humanism into western Europe. He was the foremost scholar of the revival of learning known as the Carolingian Renaissance. He also made important reforms in the Roman

Hsi River

2005-01-28T22:45:00.000-08:00

Wade-Giles romanization Hsi Chiang , also spelled Si Kiang , Pinyin Xi Jiang , English West River longest river of southern China. It flows generally eastward for 1,216 miles (1,957 km) from the Yunnan highlands to the South China Sea and drains—along with the Pei, Tung, and the Pearl rivers—a basin 173,000 square miles (448,000 square km) in extent. It is shorter than the other important Chinese rivers—the Yangtze and the Huang Ho (Yellow River)—but it delivers an enormous quantity of water, and its

Ma'mun, Al-

2005-01-26T17:39:00.000-08:00

At the beginning of 833 al-Ma'mun decided to require adherence to Mu'tazilah from all his subjects. As the caliph was then on an expedition against the Byzantines in the region of Tarsus, he entrusted this task to his representative in Baghdad, the prefect of police Ishaq ibn Ibrahim. The latter first called together the qadis (judges) to urge them to recognize the Mu'tazili doctrine;

Shensi, Agriculture

2005-01-26T04:06:00.000-08:00

The southern part of the province forms a portion of the southwestern highland and basin area, which is characterized by double-cropping, wet-field agriculture, and forestry production. Most of the cultivated land is below 3,000 feet. The Han-chung Basin grows rice intensively, followed by winter wheat, but in the mountain zones of the T'ai-pai and Tsinling ranges the main

Ray, Satyajit

2005-01-26T00:07:00.000-08:00

Bengali motion-picture director, writer, and illustrator who brought the Indian cinema to world recognition with Pather Panchali (1955; The Song of the Road) and its two sequels, known as the Apu Trilogy. As a director Ray was noted for his humanism, his versatility, and his detailed control over his films and their music. He was one of the greatest