AcidToe

Biblical Literature, The Psalms of Solomon

2005-04-04T14:42:00.000-07:00

Other Jewish apocalypses or books containing eschatological elements did not deal with the mysteries of celestial worlds but rather with the political aspect of apocalyptic thought and with the last days and the messianic age. This latter theme is one of the important motifs of the Psalms of Solomon, a book written originally in Hebrew; only the Greek translation

Zacatecoluca

2005-04-02T00:51:00.000-08:00

City, southern El Salvador. It lies in the Lempa River Valley, at the foot of San Vicente Volcano. A commercial centre for the surrounding agricultural area, it also trades in cotton goods, baskets, salt, and lumber and produces cement. An earthquake in 1932 caused severe damage to the city. Zacatecoluca was the birthplace of José Simeón Cañas, who fought successfully to end

Ectoderm

2005-03-31T16:13:00.000-08:00

The outermost of the three germ layers, or masses of cells, which appears early in the development of an animal embryo. In vertebrates, ectoderm subsequently gives rise to hair, skin, nails or hooves, and the lens of the eye; the epithelia (surface, or lining, tissues) of sense organs, the nasal cavity, the sinuses, the mouth (including tooth enamel), and the anal canal; and nervous

Earth, Types of plate boundaries

2005-03-30T09:13:00.000-08:00

As explained earlier, there are three types of plate boundaries: divergent, convergent, and transform (or strike-slip). Plates move in opposite directions along the same line at divergent plate boundaries. These boundaries are located at mid-oceanic ridges (spreading ridges) such as the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and the East Pacific Rise. Ridges of this kind are part of a worldwide

Insurance, Underwriting and rate making

2005-03-27T13:51:00.000-08:00

The two basic functions in insurance are underwriting and rating, which are closely related to each other. Underwriting deals with the selection of risks, and rating deals with the pricing system applicable to the risks accepted.

Estébanez Calderón, Serafín

2005-03-26T00:34:00.000-08:00

Estébanez also spelled Estévanes, byname El Solitario one of the best-known costumbristas, Spanish writers who depicted in short articles the typical customs of the people. He moved to Madrid in 1830, where he published newspaper articles under the pseudonym El Solitario and pursued a career that combined Arabic studies, poetry, and the collecting of manuscripts. He was also influential in the

Hooker, Richard

2005-03-23T01:21:00.000-08:00

Theologian who created a distinctive Anglican theology, and a master of English prose and legal philosophy. In his masterpiece, Of the lawes of ecclesiasticall politie, which was incomplete at the time of his death, Hooker defended the Church of England against both Roman Catholics and Puritans

Macbeth, George Mann

2005-03-22T13:39:00.000-08:00

MacBeth published his first collection of poetry, A Form of Words (1954), before he graduated from New

Shamanism, Drama and dance

2005-03-19T21:28:00.000-08:00

Shamanic symbolism is impressively presented in dramatic enactment and dance, as observed among the peoples where the shamanistic rites survived longest (such as the Samoyed, Tofalar, Buryat, and Tungus). The shaman, garbed in his ritual robes, lifts his voice in song to the spirits. This song is always improvised, with certain obligatory images and similes, dialogue,

Abu Al-hasan 'ali

2005-03-19T08:39:00.000-08:00

In 1331 Abu al-Hasan succeeded his father, Abu Sa'id, to the throne. With the goals of expelling the Christians from Spain and uniting all the Islamic lands of North Africa, Abu al-Hasan attacked and captured Algeciras and Gibraltar

Aelle

2005-03-18T08:14:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Aella, or Aelli Anglo-Saxon ruler who is credited with the foundation of the kingdom of the South Saxons, or Sussex. Aelle is said to have landed near Selsey Bill (in modern West Sussex, Eng.) in 477. He immediately made war on the Britons, and in 491 he and his son Cissa massacred a British garrison at the former Roman fort of Anderida (modern Pevensey, East Sussex). His subsequent fate is

Hackenschmidt, George

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

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

Wild Boar

2005-03-15T18:57:00.000-08:00

Also called Wild Pig, any of the wild members of the pig species Sus scrofa (family Suidae, order Artiodactyla), the ancestors of domestic pigs. See boar.

Death Rite, Forms of final determination

2005-03-15T03:10:00.000-08:00

Those religions that have taught the possibility of a happy afterlife have also devised forms of postmortem testing of merit for eternal bliss. Ancient Egypt has the distinction of conceiving of a judgment of the dead of an essentially moral kind. This conception finds graphic expression in the vignettes that illustrate the Book of the Dead. The heart of the deceased

Buzuluk

2005-03-14T13:04:00.000-08:00

City, Orenburg oblast (province), in the southern Ural Mountains of west-central Russia. The oblast is situated along the Samara River (a tributary of the Volga), near its confluence with the Buzuluk. Founded in 1736 as a Russian fortress, it was chartered in 1781. Industries include the manufacture of heavy metallurgical and agricultural machinery. The city has four technical

Encyclical

2005-03-13T00:53:00.000-08:00

Pastoral letter written by the pope for the whole Roman Catholic church on matters of doctrine, morals, or discipline. Although formal papal letters for the entire church were issued from the earliest days of the church, the first commonly called an encyclical was Ubi primum, dealing with episcopal duties, published by Benedict XIV in 1740. Only from the time of Pius IX

Amboseli National Park

2005-03-11T00:33:00.000-08:00

Formerly Masai Amboseli Game Reserve, national park, southern Kenya, East Africa. Amboseli was originally established as a game reserve in 1948 and covered 1,259 sq mi (3,261 sq km), northwest of Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. Within it were distinguished seven habitats: open plains, acacia woodland, lava-strewn thorn-bush country, swamp, marshland, the Amboseli lake bed, and the slopes of Oldoinyo Orok. The reserve was also occupied

Pacific-10 Conference

2005-03-11T00:22:00.000-08:00

Byname Pac-10 West Coast American collegiate athletic association that grew out of several earlier versions, the first of which, the Pacific Coast Conference (PCC), was founded in 1915. The original members were the University of California (Berkeley), the University of Washington, the University of Oregon, and Oregon Agricultural College (now Oregon State University). State College

Endocrine System, Human

2005-03-09T18:20:00.000-08:00

It is important to

Genesius, Joseph

2005-03-08T20:01:00.000-08:00

The details of Genesius' life are unknown. He apparently composed his history between 945 and 959 at the order of Emperor Constantine VII, using his high social position to gain eyewitness reports of events from

All Souls' Day

2005-03-06T08:00:00.000-08:00

In the Roman Catholic church, a day for commemoration of all the faithful departed, those baptized Christians who are believed to be in purgatory because they have died with the guilt of lesser sins on their souls. It is celebrated on November 2. Roman Catholic doctrine holds that the prayers of the faithful on earth will help cleanse these souls in order to fit them

Interior Design, 19th and early 20th centuries in Europe

2005-03-05T19:05:00.000-08:00

Neoclassicism predominated in France till the rise of Napoleon, when to Roman styles were added Egyptian motifs from his Egyptian campaign of 1798. This was known in France as the Empire style, after the First Empire of France (1804–14), and in England as Regency, for the period (1811–20) when George III was too deranged to rule. Furniture design, for the most part light and graceful during the

Francescatti, Zino

2005-03-05T09:27:00.000-08:00

A child prodigy, he studied violin from age three. He made his debut at five, soloed successfully in Beethoven's Violin Concerto at 10, and was an

Farc

2005-03-03T00:07:00.000-08:00

Abbreviation of Spanish Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (“Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia”) Marxist guerilla organization in Colombia. Formed in 1964 as the military wing of the Colombian Communist Party, the FARC is the largest of Colombia's rebel groups, estimated to possess some 10,000 to 15,000 armed soldiers and thousands of supporters, largely drawn from Colombia's rural areas. One of the organization's founders, Manuel Marulanda Vélez (originally Pedro Antonio

Balas, Iolanda

2005-03-02T07:48:00.000-08:00

Balas cleared the bar in a variation of the scissors method; her coach was Ion Söter, an outstanding high-jumper whom she later married. She already held the women's

Ehrenburg, Ilya Grigoryevich

2005-03-01T09:53:00.000-08:00

Born into a middle-class Jewish family that later moved to Moscow, Ehrenburg became involved as a youth in revolutionary activity and was arrested in his early teens. He emigrated to Paris, where he began publishing

Balbuena, Bernardo De

2005-03-01T00:30:00.000-08:00

Balbuena, taken to Mexico as a child, studied there and in Spain. Returning to the New World, he held minor church offices in Jamaica (1608) and became bishop of Puerto Rico (1620), remaining

Zemes Mate

2005-02-28T06:34:00.000-08:00

(Latvian), Lithuanian Zemyna the Earth Mother of Baltic religion. Zemes mate represents the female aspect of nature and the source of all life—human, animal, and plant. Interacting with Dievs (the sky), Zemes mate stimulates and protects the power of life. Libations of beer were offered to her at the opening of every festival, and such products of the earth as bread, ale, and herbs were buried in the ground

Iron Gate

2005-02-26T03:33:00.000-08:00

Romanian Portile de Fier , Serbo-Croatian Gvozdena Vrata the last gorge of the Djerdap gorge system on the Danube River, dividing the Carpathian and Balkan mountains and forming part of the boundary between Yugoslavia and Romania. It is about 2 miles (3 km) long and 530 feet (162 m) wide, with towering rock cliffs that make it one of the most dramatic natural wonders of Europe. Near the town of Sip a large rock reef (called Perigrada) obstructed

Weld, Theodore Dwight

2005-02-25T05:30:00.000-08:00

While a ministerial student at Lane Seminary, Cincinnati, Ohio, Weld participated in antislavery debates and led a group of students who withdrew from Lane to enroll at Oberlin (Ohio) College. Weld left his studies in 1834 to become an agent for

César

2005-02-25T02:47:00.000-08:00

Departamento, northern Colombia, bounded on the northeast by Venezuela and on the southwest by the Magdalena River. Created in 1967, the departamento, with an area of 8,844 square miles (22,905 square km), descends from the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta in the north and the Sierra de Perijá in the northeast to the lowlands of the Magdalena River valley. It is traversed by the César River,

Barani, Ziya'-ud-din

2005-02-23T20:08:00.000-08:00

Using mainly hearsay evidence and his personal experiences at court, Barani in 1357 wrote the Tarikh-e Firuz Shahi (“History of Firuz Shah”), a didactic work setting down the duties of the Indian sultan toward Islam. In his Fatawa-ye jahandari (“Rulings

Sun Orchid

2005-02-22T21:05:00.000-08:00

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

Indeterminate Sentence

2005-02-21T01:40:00.000-08:00

In law, term of imprisonment with no definite duration within a prescribed maximum. Eligibility for parole is determined by the parole authority. In this respect, an indeterminate sentence differs from a definite one in that statutes prescribing the latter usually provide for parole eligibility after a specified fraction of the full term—in most countries, from

Aerospace Industry, Commercial heavy aircraft

2005-02-19T13:48:00.000-08:00

The need for large-scale air transportation has been central to commercial aircraft manufacturing. As one of the world's most vital industries, airlines are key to many aspects of the world economy, from international business and tourism to routine movement of people and goods ranging from massive machinery to agricultural products and personal items. The United

Arakanese

2005-02-17T15:06:00.000-08:00

Member of a Myanmar (Burmese) ethnic group centred in the Arakan coastal region of southern Myanmar (Burma). The Arakanese are Buddhists of Myanmar stock and possess a dialect and customs of their own. Separated from the parent group in central Myanmar by the mountains of the Arakan Yoma, they trace their history to 2666 BC, have had a lineal succession of as many as 227 princes, and

Korsakov

2005-02-16T17:08:00.000-08:00

City, Sakhalin oblast (province), far eastern Russia. It lies in the southern part of Sakhalin Island on the Aniva Gulf. Founded in 1853 as a fortified post, it was the first Russian military post on the island. Its port opened in 1909. The settlement was ruled by Japan from 1905 to 1945 and was called Otomari. In 1946 it became a city and was given its present name. It is the largest port on the island, with

Tabasco Plain

2005-02-16T00:38:00.000-08:00

Tropical lowland on the Gulf of Mexico, Tabasco state, southeastern Mexico. Occupying the coastal lowlands south of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec and north of the Yucatán Peninsula, the Tabasco Plain is a hot and humid land made up of alluvial materials deposited by the Grijalva and Usumacinta rivers and is covered with dense, tropical forest. Rainfall is heavy, and

Arts, Central Asian, Samanids

2005-02-14T14:50:00.000-08:00

The Samanids centred their kingdom in Khorasan. In the 9th century, under the leadership of Esma'il, they ruled over Transoxania and eastern Persia from their capital of Bukhara. Esma'il's türbe, or mausoleum, the oldest Islamic monument surviving in Bukhara, reproduces the form of the Zoroastrian chanar taq, or fire temple. In Samanid and Seljuqid hands, the türbe generally took the

Lille

2005-02-13T02:38:00.000-08:00

Lille (often written L'Île [“the island”] until the 18th century) began as a village between arms of the Deûle River. Count Baldwin IV of Flanders fortified it in the 11th century. The medieval

Alemán, Mateo

2005-02-12T20:39:00.000-08:00

Descended from Jews who had been forcibly converted to Catholicism, Alemán expressed many aspects of the experiences and feelings of the New Christians in 16th-century Spain. His most important literary work, Guzmán de

Ear Disease, Cancer of the outer ear

2005-02-12T03:03:00.000-08:00

Cancer of the outer ear occurs chiefly in instances where the outer ear has been exposed for many years to direct sunlight. A small and at first painless ulcer, with a dry scab covering it, that slowly enlarges and deepens may be a skin cancer. It is diagnosed by removing a small bit of tissue from the edge and examining it under a microscope. The cancerous tissue must be

Harai

2005-02-11T13:48:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Harae, Barai, or Barae, in Japanese religion, any of numerous Shinto purification ceremonies. Harai rites, and similar misogi exercises using water, cleanse the individual so that he may approach a deity or sacred power (kami). Salt, water, and fire are the principal purificatory agents. Many of the rites, such as bathing in cold water, are traditionally explained as the method used by Izanagi

Celiac Disease

2005-02-08T07:59:00.000-08:00

Also called nontropical sprue or celiac sprue a digestive disorder in which people cannot tolerate gluten, a protein constituent of wheat, barley, malt, and rye flours. The disease is characterized by the passage of foul, pale-coloured stools (steatorrhea), progressive malnutrition, multiple vitamin deficiencies, stunting of growth, abdominal pain, and, late in the disease, anemia. In children, celiac disease usually

Levi-civita, Tullio

2005-02-06T03:26:00.000-08:00

Italian mathematician known for his work in differential calculus and relativity theory. At the University of Padua (1891–95), he studied under Gregorio Ricci Curbastro, with whom he later collaborated in founding the absolute differential calculus (now known as tensor analysis). Levi-Civita became an instructor there in 1898 and a professor

Ca' Da Mosto, Alvise

2005-02-04T17:52:00.000-08:00

Retained by Prince Henry the Navigator, he set sail on March 22, 1455, visited Madeira and the Canary Islands, and coasted along Africa past the mouth of the Senegal River. He ascended some distance up the Gambia River, but, finding the people hostile, he returned to

Chalcocite

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

A sulfide mineral that is one of the most important ores of copper. Valuable occurrences include deposits of sulfide minerals at Ely, Nev., and Morenci, Ariz., where other components of the original rock have been dissolved away; it is also found with bornite in the sulfide veins of Tsumeb, Namibia, and Butte, Mont. For detailed physical properties, see sulfide mineral

Lagutin, Boris Nikolayevich

2005-01-31T23:03:00.000-08:00

Fighting as a light middleweight (156 pounds [71 kg]), Lagutin was awarded a bronze medal at the 1960 Olympics in Rome after losing a split decision to the eventual champion, American Wilbert “Skeeter” McClure, in the semifinal round. At the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo, Lagutin

Middle Passage

2005-01-30T07:44:00.000-08:00

In the days of the African slave trade to the New World, the middle part of the slave's journey—i.e., the crossing of the Atlantic Ocean. From about 1518 to the mid-19th century, millions of African men, women, and children made the 21-to-90-day voyage aboard grossly overcrowded sailing ships manned by crews mostly from Great Britain, the Netherlands, Portugal, and France. Slaver captains

Oersted

2005-01-27T17:17:00.000-08:00

Unit of magnetic-field strength, in the centimetre-gram-second system of physical units. Named for the 19th-century Danish physicist Hans Christian Ørsted, it is defined as the intensity of a magnetic field in a vacuum in which a unit magnetic pole (one that repels a similar pole at a distance of one centimetre with a force of one dyne) experiences a mechanical force of

Probate

2005-01-25T08:55:00.000-08:00

In Anglo-American law, the judicial proceedings by which it is determined whether or not a paper purporting to be the last will of a deceased person is the legally valid last will. What appears to be a valid will may not be so: it may have been forged, not executed in the way required by law, signed by the testator while mentally incompetent or under duress, or subsequently

Elf Aquitaine

2005-01-23T17:20:00.000-08:00

In full Société Nationale Elf Aquitaine (French: “Elf Aquitaine National Society”), French corporate group formed on Sept. 1, 1976, in the reorganization and consolidation of petrochemical, mining, and several other industries. Until 1994, a French-government company, the Enterprise de Recherches et d'Activités Pétrolières (ERAP; “Enterprise for Petroleum Search and Activity”), held a majority interest in Elf Aquitaine.

Haley, Bill

2005-01-20T18:56:00.000-08:00

If not the father of rock and roll, Haley is certainly one of its fathers. He cut his first record in 1948 and the next year settled into a job as a disc jockey in Chester, Pennsylvania. At the time his groups

Nachikufan Industry

2005-01-18T02:03:00.000-08:00

Industry of the African Late Stone Age practiced by hunting-gathering peoples who occupied the wooded plateaus of south-central Africa some 10,000–11,000 years ago. The Nachikufan tool industry is characterized by projectiles with several kinds of microlithic heads, heavy stone scrapers that were probably used for working wood and its by-products, flattish stones with centre-bored

Farah River

2005-01-15T14:51:00.000-08:00

Dari Persian in full Darya-ye Farah Rud, river in western Afghanistan, rising on the southern slopes of the Band-e Bayan Range, flowing southwest past the town of Farah, and emptying into the Helmand (Sistan) swamps on the Iranian border after a course of 350 miles (560 km). The river fluctuates greatly with the seasons, sometimes flooding in the spring and becoming impassable. Its waters are used for irrigation along much

Farah River

2005-01-13T08:31:00.000-08:00

Also called South American dog or South American jackal any of several South American carnivores of the genus Dusicyon, family Canidae. One member of the genus, the small-toothed dog, is sometimes considered to comprise a distinct genus called Lycalopex. Although these canids are not actually foxes, they resemble true foxes. There are about 6 to 11 species, depending on the authority consulted. In general, South American foxes

Ribalta, Francisco

2005-01-12T22:48:00.000-08:00

Spanish painter who was one of the first artists to be influenced by the new realism initiated by Caravaggio in Italy. Ribalta's use of light and shadow to give solidity to his forms made him the first native Spanish tenebroso (a painter who emphasizes darkness rather than light), and he was a major influence on later Spanish

Teshio-sammyaku

2005-01-10T11:55:00.000-08:00

Also called Teshio-sanchi (Japanese: Teshio Range, or Teshio Mountain Country) range, northwestern Hokkaido, Japan, extending southward for nearly 125 mi (200 km) from Soya-misaki (Cape Soya), across the transverse gorge of the Ishikari-gawa (Ishikari River), to the Yubari-sammyaku. The mountains consist of Cretaceous formations in the east and coal-bearing Tertiary formations in the west, both of which are zonally arranged from north to south. The interior

Kufah

2005-01-07T13:34:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Kufa, medieval city of Iraq that was a centre of Arab culture and learning from the 8th to the 10th century. It was founded in 638 as a garrison town by 'Umar I, the second caliph. The city lay on the Hindiyah branch of the Euphrates River, about 7 miles (11 km) northeast of an-Najaf. It was populated largely by South Arabians and Iranians and served as the seat of the governor of Iraq, sometimes

Baader, Franz Xaver Von

2005-01-06T06:59:00.000-08:00

Abandoning a profitable career as a mining engineer in 1820, he turned his attention to a study of politics and religion. His earlier efforts to achieve ecumenical and political unity contributed to the formation in 1815 of the Holy Alliance, a

'amir, 'abd Al-hakim

2005-01-03T04:53:00.000-08:00

'Amir attended War College, where he met Gamal Abdel Nasser. The two men served during the first Arab-Israeli

Christian, Fletcher

2005-01-01T10:30:00.000-08:00

A member of a family that had moved from the Isle of Man to Cumberland, Eng., Christian had already served some years in the navy when, in 1787, he became master's mate on the Bounty, a discovery ship sailing (Dec. 23, 1787) from Spithead to the South Seas to collect breadfruit

Adamawa

2004-12-30T14:31:00.000-08:00

The Mandara Mountains lie in the northeastern part of the state along the Cameroon border,

West Indies Associated States

2004-12-28T18:11:00.000-08:00

Former political organization of islands in the Caribbean Sea that were British colonies whose status changed to free association with the United Kingdom in 1967. This status provided for internal self-government, with Britain responsible for external affairs and defense. The islands attempted several kinds of federation between 1958 and 1966 (see Leeward Islands), but the

Haldane, Elizabeth Sanderson

2004-12-27T13:12:00.000-08:00

The younger sister of the statesman Richard Burdon Haldane and the physiologist John Scott Haldane, she was educated privately. For much of her adult life she served on various advisory and regulatory boards for nursing. Influenced by the English housing reformer Octavia Hill,

Owendo

2004-12-22T18:41:00.000-08:00

Deepwater port, northwestern Gabon, on the north shore of the Gabon Estuary; it serves the national capital, Libreville (9 miles [15 km] north-northwest), and was designed to handle ore vessels. It has a seaplane base and road connections with Libreville, Cocobeach, Médouneu, and Kango. In 1978 the first 115-mile (185-kilometre) segment of the Trans-Gabon Railway was opened, linking Owendo

Interior Design, United States

2004-12-20T21:05:00.000-08:00

The story of the domestic interior and its decoration in the United States is inseparable both from its own architectural development and from the story of English architecture and decoration, from which it was largely derived even long after the American Revolution. Any discussion of United States decorative design, therefore, must refer constantly to the

Estaing, Charles-hector, Comte (count) D'

2004-12-19T23:43:00.000-08:00

D'Estaing served in India during the Seven Years' War and was governor of the Antilles (1763–66). He was appointed vice admiral in 1767 and in 1778 attempted to surprise the English squadrons in North America and enable the colonists

Switzerland, Environment

2004-12-16T04:48:00.000-08:00

A number of environmental problems must be addressed if Switzerland is to maintain the integrity of its unique landscape. Air pollution in the cities and the mountain valleys, depending on atmospheric conditions, has steadily worsened despite federal legislation. All Swiss vehicles must pass an annual emissions test; however, weak links are the millions of foreign

John George Iii

2004-12-13T14:42:00.000-08:00

He forsook the vacillating foreign policy of his father, John George II, and in June 1683 joined an alliance against France. Having raised the first standing army in the electorate, he helped to drive the Turks from Vienna in September 1680, leading his men with great gallantry; but, disgusted with the attitude

Monarch

2004-12-10T00:28:00.000-08:00

In all monarchines

Ilerda, Campaign Of

2004-12-08T21:32:00.000-08:00

(49 BC), the campaign leading to the victory of Julius Caesar over Pompey's forces in Spain. In the spring of 49 BC, Caesar sent six legions from Gaul into Spain under Gaius Fabius and joined them at Ilerda (Lérida) on the Sicoris (Segre) River. Five Pompeian legions, together with many Spanish auxiliaries, commanded by Lucius Afranius and Marcus Petreius, were concentrated against

Qalamkari Textile

2004-12-07T08:40:00.000-08:00

The textile designs reflect the Persianized tastes of the wealthy ruling class and also

Aklavik

2004-12-04T21:03:00.000-08:00

Hamlet, Inuvik region, northwestern Northwest Territories, Canada. It is situated in the Mackenzie River delta near the Yukon border. Its Eskimo name can be translated “where there are bears.” Established as a Hudson's Bay Company trading post on the south bank of the Mackenzie River's West Channel in 1912, Aklavik was moved to the north bank in 1920. It is the site of a radio and meteorological

Constantine (ii)

2004-12-03T03:25:00.000-08:00

He was a soldier and—through the support of his brother Toto, duke of the bishopric of Nepi near Rome—was elected pope on July 5, 767, to succeed St. Paul I. Constantine's opponents, led by Christopher, the powerful chief of the notaries, fled to the Lombards. Constantine, failing to win support from the Carolingian king Pippin III the Short or from

Furrer, Jonas

2004-12-01T06:59:00.000-08:00

A doctor of jurisprudence and lawyer of national renown, Furrer became, after 1839, leader of the Zürich liberals but only reluctantly aspired to political office. In the cantonal assembly, he rose to the vice presidency (1842) and later the presidency (1846), serving also in 1846 as

Actaeon

2004-11-29T18:29:00.000-08:00

In Greek mythology, son of the god Aristaeus and Autonoë (daughter of Cadmus, the founder of Thebes in Boeotia); he was a Boeotian hero and hunter. According to Ovid's Metamorphoses, Actaeon accidentally saw Artemis (goddess of wild animals, vegetation, and childbirth) while she was bathing on Mount Cithaeron; for this reason he was changed by her into a stag and was pursued

Jhalawar

2004-11-27T18:07:00.000-08:00

Town, administrative headquarters of Jhalawar district, Rajasthan state, northwestern India. The town—sometimes called Jhalrapatan, Jhalrapatan Chhaoni (cantonment), or Brijnagar—is a major road junction and agricultural market centre. The old town of Jhalrapatan (Patan) was founded in 1796. The new town, including the palace and cantonment, lies just to the north. Jhalawar, the capital

East End

2004-11-24T21:36:00.000-08:00

Traditional area of London, lying east of Shoreditch High Street, Houndsditch, Aldgate High Street, and Tower Bridge Approach. It extends eastward to the River Lea and lies mainly in the Inner London borough of Tower Hamlets, part of the historic county of Middlesex. In the Middle Ages the East End was part of the great parish of Stepney. It began to take on an identity

East End

2004-11-22T04:10:00.000-08:00

British honorary institution founded by Edward VII in 1902 to reward those who provided especially eminent service in the armed forces or particularly distinguished themselves in science, art, literature, or the promotion of culture. The order is limited to only 24 members, although the British monarch can appoint foreigners as “honorary members.” The order carries no

Hoisin Sauce

2004-11-21T06:31:00.000-08:00

Commercially prepared, thick reddish-brown sauce used in Chinese cuisine both as an ingredient in cooking and as a table condiment. Made from soybeans, flour, sugar, water, spices, garlic, and chili, it is sweet and spicy. It is used in cooking shellfish and fatty meats such as pork and duck. As a condiment, hoisin sauce is eaten with shrimp, pork, and poultry and is invariably

Mongolia

2004-11-18T06:54:00.000-08:00

Contemporary cultural life in Mongolia is a unique amalgam of traditional elements—the heritage of centuries—and a growing modern element.

Eugenikos, Markos

2004-11-17T16:00:00.000-08:00

After a classical and theological education under tutors antagonistic to Rome, Eugenikos at 26 gave his property to the poor and became a monk

Brea

2004-11-15T17:03:00.000-08:00

City, Orange county, southwestern California, U.S., at the foot of the Puente Hills. Early settlers dug the oil-soaked earth in the “Brea” canyon for fuel, and commercial production began in the 1890s after successful strikes in the Brea and Olinda fields. The influx of people inspired the Ontario Investment Company to file a subdivision map in 1908 for a town to be called Randolph;

Quasthoff, Thomas

2004-11-12T21:47:00.000-08:00

Bass-baritone Thomas Quasthoff made his opera debut in April 2003, singing the role of Don Fernando in a production of Beethoven's Fidelio with Sir Simon Rattle and the Berlin Philharmonic at the Grosses Festspielhaus in Salzburg, Austria. For any other singer, the event would have been a momentous musical watershed, but in Quasthoff's case it was also a triumph of the human

Cardiovascular Disease, Cardiac pacemakers

2004-11-11T07:23:00.000-08:00

The normal rhythm of the heart is generated by spontaneous electrical activity in cells in an area of the heart called the sinoatrial node. The electrical activity is usually at a rate of about 70 beats per minute at rest and is transmitted to the pumping chambers of the heart, the atria, and the ventricles through a specialized conducting system. The electrical activity

Arundel, Thomas Fitzalan, 5th Earl Of, 11th Earl Of Surrey

2004-11-08T14:37:00.000-08:00

King Richard II made him a ward of John Holland, duke of Exeter, from whose keeping he escaped about 1398 and joined his uncle, Archbishop Thomas Arundel, at Utrecht, returning to England in 1399 with Henry of Lancaster, afterward King Henry IV. In October 1400 he was restored to

Emotion, Experiential relation to increased creativity

2004-11-06T20:40:00.000-08:00

Several studies have demonstrated that positive emotion facilitates creative problem solving. One of these studies showed that positive emotion enabled subjects to name more uses for common objects. Another showed that positive emotion enhanced creative problem solving by enabling subjects to see relations among objects that would otherwise go unnoticed.

Valence Electron

2004-11-04T14:15:00.000-08:00

Any of the fundamental negatively charged particles in the outermost region of atoms that enters into the formation of chemical bonds. Whatever the type of chemical bond (ionic, covalent, metallic) between atoms, changes in the atomic structure are restricted to the outermost, or valence, electrons. They are more weakly attracted to the positive atomic nucleus than

China, Consolidation

2004-11-01T14:27:00.000-08:00

Under the third emperor, Chen-tsung (reigned 997/998–1022/23), the Sung achieved consolidation. A threatening Khitan offensive was directly met by the Emperor himself. A few battles assured neither side of victory. The two empires pledged peaceful coexistence in 1004 through an exchange of sworn documents that foreshadowed modern international treaties. The Khitan gave up its claim

New Georgia Group

2004-10-29T13:59:00.000-07:00

Volcanic island group in the Solomon Islands, southwestern Pacific Ocean, 90 mi (145 km) northwest of Guadalcanal. The main islands (northwest to southeast) are Vella Lavella, Ranongga, Gizo, Kolombangara (cone-shaped, with a solfataric volcano, 5,800 ft [1,768 m]), Vona Vona, New Georgia (the largest, 50 mi long and 20 mi across at its widest point), Rendova, Tetepare, Vangunu, and Nggatokae. The islands

San Francisco, University Of

2004-10-28T09:57:00.000-07:00

Private, coeducational institution of higher learning, located near Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, Calif., U.S. It is affiliated with the Jesuit order of the Roman Catholic church. It offers undergraduate, graduate, and professional degree programs through six academic divisions: the College of Arts and Sciences, McLaren School of Business, the College of Professional

Gatineau

2004-10-25T06:33:00.000-07:00

City, Outaouais region, southwestern Quebec province, Canada. It is situated on the north bank of the Ottawa River, opposite Ottawa and adjacent to Hull, near the mouth of the Gatineau River. The city derives its name from the river, which itself was named for Nicolas Gatineau, a fur trader who reportedly drowned in its waters about 1683. Gatineau was originally a part of Templeton

Guadix

2004-10-23T17:30:00.000-07:00

Town, Granada provincia, in the comunidad autónoma (“autonomous community”) of Andalusia, southern Spain, northeast of Granada city. The town originated as the Acci of the Romans; its present name was corrupted from the Arabic Wadi-Ash (“River of Life”). Outstanding landmarks include the Moorish Alcazaba (fortress); the 18th-century Renaissance and Baroque cathedral built on

Valencia

2004-10-22T20:02:00.000-07:00

Provincia, in the comunidad autónoma (“autonomous community”) of Valencia, eastern Spain. It is situated along the Mediterranean Sea and has an area of 4,156 square miles (10,763 square km). The province centres on the coastal plain of the Gulf of Valencia; it is limited to the south by the mountains of northern Alicante and less clearly to the north by the watershed of the Río Turia. Interior

Wainwright, Jonathan M.

2004-10-19T07:52:00.000-07:00

After he graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y. (1906), Wainwright joined the cavalry and saw action in Europe during World War I. In September 1940 he was promoted

Nashville 1960s Overview

2004-10-18T02:12:00.000-07:00

From 1958 through 1962 some of the biggest international hits were made by country singers recording in Nashville, Tennessee, including the Everly Brothers, Jim Reeves, Marty Robbins, Johnny Cash, Leroy Van Dyke, Jimmy Dean, Patsy Cline, and Johnny Horton. Nevertheless, the market for “pure” country was shrinking fast, and by 1961 only about 80 radio stations programmed country music.

Annealing

2004-10-16T21:47:00.000-07:00

Treatment of a metal or alloy by heating to a predetermined temperature, holding for a certain time, and then cooling to room temperature to improve ductility and reduce brittleness. Process annealing is carried out intermittently during the working of a piece of metal to restore ductility lost through repeated hammering or other working. Full annealing is done

Nabul

2004-10-13T18:48:00.000-07:00

Also spelled Nabeul, Latin Neapolis, town, northeastern Tunisia, on the Hammamet Gulf. Formerly a Phoenician settlement, it was destroyed by the Romans in 146 BC and later rebuilt as a Roman colony called Neapolis. It is a noted pottery and ceramics handicraft centre and the eastern terminus of a railroad from Tunis, 40 miles (65 km) northwest. Other industries include stone cutting, quarrying (chalk), citrus fruit and

Kiesler, Frederick John

2004-10-11T07:00:00.000-07:00

After study at the Technical Academy and the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna, Kiesler worked on a slum clearance and rebuilding project in Vienna with Adolf Loos. In the early 1920s Kiesler began to design