HappyArmy

Ibn Shem Tov, Joseph Ben Shem Tov

2005-03-19T09:07:00.000-08:00

Jewish philosopher and Castilian court physician who attempted to mediate the disdain shown for philosophy by contemporary Jewish scholars by undertaking a reconciliation of Aristotelian ethical philosophy with Jewish religious thought, best exemplified by his influential Kevod Elohim (written 1442; “The Glory of God”). Here he expounded his belief that answers

Nevada, Climate

2005-03-16T15:33:00.000-08:00

The high Sierras along the state's western boundary often cause clouds of Pacific origin to drop their moisture before reaching Nevada, thus producing a semiarid climate. The driest regions are in the southeast and near Carson Sink, where annual rainfall seldom exceeds four inches (100 millimetres). The northeast has as little as eight inches of precipitation, whereas

Mckay, David O(man)

2005-03-15T02:45:00.000-08:00

He served as a missionary in Scotland (1897–99) and then returned to Utah to become instructor and principal (1899–1908) of the Weber State Academy, now Weber State College. In 1906 he was elected a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and in 1950 he

Ribble Valley

2005-03-12T14:42:00.000-08:00

Borough (district), administrative county of Lancashire, northwestern England, along the county's eastern border, extending into the western Pennine uplands. The southern part of the borough, including the lower Ribble valley and the two largest towns, Clitheroe and Longridge, lies in the historic county of Lancashire. The remainder of the mostly rural borough, including

Uccello, Paolo

2005-03-10T00:51:00.000-08:00

In 1436 in the Florence cathedral, Uccello completed a monochrome fresco of an equestrian monument to Sir John Hawkwood, an English mercenary who had commanded Florentine troops at the end of the 14th century. In the Hawkwood fresco, a single-point perspective scheme, a fully sculptural treatment of the horse and rider, and a sense of controlled potential energy within

Buzuluk

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

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

Earth, Seismic-wave velocity profiles

2005-03-07T09:13:00.000-08:00

The techniques of deep seismic sounding, carried out mainly in the United States and western Europe, have yielded high-resolution velocity profiles for the crust and uppermost mantle since the late 1960s. These studies, complemented by detailed waveform analyses and seismic tomography, prove conclusively that the crust and upper mantle can vary significantly in

Stefansson, Vilhjalmur

2005-03-04T13:51:00.000-08:00

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

Subpoena

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

Formal instrument issued by a court, grand jury, legislative body or committee, or duly authorized administrative agency commanding an individual to appear before it at a specific time to give testimony, oral or written, in the matter identified in the document. The subpoena is used only in common-law countries, but it is similar to the citation or vocatio in jus of

Pend Oreille, Lake

2005-02-28T01:21:00.000-08:00

Lake in Kaniksu National Forest, northwestern Idaho, U.S. The largest lake in Idaho, it is about 40 miles (65 km) long and 4 miles (6.5 km) wide and covers an area of some 125 square miles (325 square km). It is about 2,500 feet (760 metres) deep and is noted for the highly prized Kamloops rainbow trout. The lake (the name of which is derived from the French name [Pend d'Oreille] for the Kalispel Indians, who wore ear

Vaisnava-sahajiya

2005-02-27T13:39:00.000-08:00

Member of an esoteric Hindu cult centred in Bengal that sought religious experience through the world of the senses, specifically human sexual love. Sahaja (Sanskrit: “easy” or “natural”) as a system of worship was prevalent in the Tantric traditions common to both Hinduism and Buddhism in Bengal as early as the 8th–9th centuries. The divine romance of Krishna and Radha was

Gia Dinh

2005-02-24T21:28:00.000-08:00

Town just north of Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon), southern Vietnam, in an area of intensive rice cultivation. It has several hospitals and an institution of higher learning. The Gia Dinh industrial park includes rubber tire and textile plants. It was largely ruined during the 1968 Viet Cong Tet offensive but subsequently rebuilt. Pop. (1971 est.) 400,109.

Amorphous Solid, Transparent glasses

2005-02-23T08:14:00.000-08:00

The terms glass and window glass are often used interchangeably in everyday language, so familiar is this ancient architectural application of amorphous solids. Not only are oxide glasses, such as those characterized in the Table, excellent for letting light in, they are also good for keeping cold out, because (as mentioned above) they are efficient thermal

Yezhov, Nikolay Ivanovich

2005-02-20T18:57:00.000-08:00

Nothing is known of his early life (he was nicknamed the “Dwarf” because he was but five feet tall and lame). Joining the Communist Party in March

Reformed Churches In The Netherlands

2005-02-19T13:04:00.000-08:00

The Christian Reformed Church was organized by seceders who left The Netherlands Reformed Church (q.v.) in 1834 because of disagreements over church organization

Atchison, Topeka And Santa Fe Railway Company, The

2005-02-16T00:33:00.000-08:00

Byname Santa Fe Railway, former railway that was one of the largest in the United States. Chartered in Kansas as the Atchison and Topeka Railroad Company in 1859, it later exercised great influence on the settlement of the southwestern United States. It was renamed the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad in 1863 and acquired its modern name in 1895. Its founder was Cyrus K. Holliday, a Topeka lawyer and

Colour Index

2005-02-13T20:01:00.000-08:00

In astronomy, the difference between two measurements of the magnitude (brightness on a logarithmic scale) of a star made at different wavelengths, the value found at the longer wavelength being subtracted from that found at the shorter. Usually the two wavelengths are the blue, measured from ordinary photographic plates that are most sensitive to blue light, and

Vaisya

2005-02-10T09:27:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Vaishya, Sanskrit Vaisya, third highest in ritual status of the four varnas, or social classes, of Hindu India, traditionally described as commoners. Legend states that the varnas (or colours) sprang from Prajapati, a creator god—in order of status, the Brahman (white) from his head, the Kshatriya (red) from his arms, the Vaisya (yellow) from his thighs, and the Sudra (black) from his feet. The yellow colour

Tyrannulet

2005-02-08T00:07:00.000-08:00

Any of about 50 species of birds in the tyrant flycatcher family, Tyrannidae (order Passeriformes). They are distinguished from other tyrant flycatchers by their small size and diminutive bill. The name tyrannulet is given to members of about 20 genera within the family. Fairly typical of the group and among the most widely distributed are the 9-centimetre (3.5-inch) beardless

Chemical Warfare

2005-02-06T00:30:00.000-08:00

Biological warfare agents are infectious microbes, including viruses, bacteria, and fungi, intended for use in warfare because of their pathogenic effects on people, animals, or plants. The development, production, and stockpiling of weapons based on them were outlawed by the 1972 Biological Weapons Convention, to which more than 100 states were party, including all five

Kathiawar Peninsula

2005-02-05T06:34:00.000-08:00

Peninsula in southwestern Gujarat state, west-central India. It is bounded by the Little Rann (marsh) of Kachchh (Kutch; north), the Gulf of Cambay (east), the Arabian Sea (southwest), and the Gulf of Kachchh (northwest). From the northeast an ancient sandstone formation extends into the peninsula, which has an area of 23,000 square miles (60,000 square km). Most of the sandstone, however, is masked

Belcher, Jonathan

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

After graduating from Harvard College in 1699, Belcher traveled in Europe before returning to Boston, where he became a prosperous merchant. He formally entered Massachusetts politics in 1718, when he was elected

Shansi, Industry

2005-01-31T20:08:00.000-08:00

Most of the province's industries are concentrated in the T'ai-yüan–Yü-tz'u region. The iron and steel industry produces ingot steel, pig iron, and finished steel products. Heavy machinery, industrial chemicals, and chemical fertilizers are produced, as are cement, paper, textiles, milled flour, and wine. Other iron and steel centres include Yang-ch'üan, Ch'ang-chih, Ta-t'ung

Strangler Fig

2005-01-30T21:05:00.000-08:00

Of the 150 or so species of New World figs, most are stranglers, including F. obtusifolia and F. nymphaeifolia. Beginning life as a sticky

Avon, River

2005-01-25T15:06:00.000-08:00

Also called East Avon or Hampshire Avon river that rises 3 miles (5 km) east of Devizes, Wiltshire, England, on the north side of the Vale of Pewsey and flows generally southward for 48 miles (77 km) to the English Channel. The river shares the name Avon (derived from a Celtic word meaning “river”) with several other rivers in Great Britain, including the Avon of Bristol (or Lower Avon) and the Avon of Warwickshire (or Upper

Carthage, Exarchate Of

2005-01-24T00:38:00.000-08:00

The exarch (governor), appointed by the emperor, was endowed with unlimited military and civil

Canadian National Railway Company

2005-01-21T02:38:00.000-08:00

In its early years Canadian National

Central League

2005-01-20T03:03:00.000-08:00

Japanese Sentoraru Rigu, one of the two associations of professional baseball teams in Japan. Both the Central League and the Pacific League were founded in 1950. The Central League comprises six teams, each of which is owned and sponsored by a major corporation. The league consists of the Chunichi Dragons, Hanshin Tigers, Hiroshima Toyo Carp, Yakult Swallows, Yokohama Bay Stars, and Yomiuri

Sachsenhausen

2005-01-16T13:36:00.000-08:00

Sachsenhausen's first great influx of prisoners began after Kristallnacht in November

Breadfruit

2005-01-14T03:09:00.000-08:00

Fruit of either of two closely related trees belonging to the family Moraceae. One of these, Artocarpus communis, also called A. incisa or A. altilis, provides a staple food of the South Pacific. The tree grows 12 to 18 metres (40 to 60 feet) high and has large, oval, glossy green leaves, three- to nine-lobed toward the apex. Male and female flowers are borne in separate

Graziani, Rodolfo, Marquess Di Neghelli

2005-01-11T13:00:00.000-08:00

After service in Eritrea and Libya before World War I and in Macedonia and Tripolitania subsequently, Graziani became commander in chief of Italian forces in Libya (1930–34), governor of Italian Somaliland (1935–36), viceroy of Ethiopia (1936–37), and honorary governor of Italian East Africa

Lagerlöf, Selma

2005-01-09T05:39:00.000-08:00

An illness left her lame for a time, but otherwise her childhood was happy. She was taught at home, then trained in Stockholm as a teacher, and in 1885 went to Landskrona as schoolmistress. There she wrote her first novel, Gösta Berlings

Liquid Crystal

2005-01-07T22:02:00.000-08:00

Substance that blends the structures and properties of the normally disparate liquid and crystalline solid states. Liquids can flow, for example, while solids cannot, and crystalline solids possess special symmetry properties that liquids lack. Ordinary solids melt into ordinary liquids as the temperature increases—e.g., ice melts into liquid water. Some solids

Multinational And Regional Organizations

2005-01-04T08:25:00.000-08:00

Severely challenged by the social and political unrest produced by the Asian economic crisis, foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN, whose members included Brunei, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar [Burma], the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam) held their annual meeting in Manila on July 24, 1998. ASEAN's reluctance to "interfere"

Najd

2005-01-01T07:52:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Nejd, region, central Saudi Arabia, comprising a mainly rocky plateau sloping eastward from the mountains of the Hejaz. On the northern, eastern, and southern sides, it is bounded by the sand deserts of an-Nafud, ad-Dahna', and the Rub' al-Khali. It is sparsely settled, except for the fertile oases strung along the escarpment of Jabal (mountains) Tuwayq and the al-'Aramah plateau. The arid

Kircher, Athanasius

2004-12-31T15:56:00.000-08:00

Kircher learned Greek and Hebrew at the Jesuit school in Fulda, pursued scientific and humanistic studies at Paderborn, Cologne, and Koblenz, and in 1628 was ordained at Mainz. He fled the

East African Rift System

2004-12-28T18:06:00.000-08:00

The system consists of two branches. The main branch, the Eastern Rift Valley (often called the Great Rift Valley, or Rift Valley), extends along the entire length

The Una

2004-12-26T00:19:00.000-08:00

American publication, founded by Paulina W. Davis in 1853, that was widely recognized as the first periodical of the women's rights movement. Though several similar journals appeared the previous year, The Una was the first to be owned, edited, and published by a woman. The inaugural issue was released in February 1853 with a masthead reading “A Paper Devoted to the Elevation of

Nachikufan Industry

2004-12-24T04:03:00.000-08:00

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

Quang Ngai

2004-12-22T16:18:00.000-08:00

Town, central Vietnam, on the South China Sea coast. It is a minor port on the south bank of the Tra Khuc River estuary, 125 miles (200 km) southeast of Hue. The town has lighter (barge) facilities, a hospital, and a commercial airport. Across the river at Sin Tinh a highway penetrates the interior to a short distance beyond Phuoc Lam; the highway to Cong Tum in the central highlands begins

Taconite

2004-12-21T08:31:00.000-08:00

A low-grade siliceous iron formation in Minnesota, U.S., from which high-grade iron ore is derived. The iron formation consists of fine-grained silica with variable ratios of hematite and magnetite totaling less than 30 percent iron. Recovery of the iron requires fine grinding and concentration of iron-bearing phases, which in turn are formed into pellets suitable for

Python

2004-12-18T23:40:00.000-08:00

(subfamily Pythoninae) any of 20 to 25 species of snakes of the family Boidae, found in tropical and temperate regions from western Africa to China, Australia, and the Pacific islands. The dwarf python (Loxocemus bicolor) of Central America is sometimes placed in this subfamily. Pythons are not venomous; they kill by constriction. Most species are found near water; some are arboreal.

Xia Gui

2004-12-17T22:13:00.000-08:00

Xia's birth and death dates are unknown. According to most Chinese sources, however, he served in the Imperial Academy (Yuhuayuan) under the emperor Ning Zong (reigned 1194/95–1224/25), eventually attaining the rank of daizhao, or “painter in attendance,” and being awarded the highest honour a court painter could receive, the Golden Belt. The earliest source of information on him, however,

Acting

2004-12-14T02:09:00.000-08:00

Acting is generally agreed to be a matter less of mimicry, exhibitionism, or imitation than of the ability to react to imaginary stimuli. Its essential elements remain the twin requisites enunciated by the French

Asahara, Shoko

2004-12-13T18:55:00.000-08:00

Chizuo Matsumoto, who changed his name to Shoko Asahara, was born in Kumamoto prefecture, Japan,

Hába, Alois

2004-12-11T19:29:00.000-08:00

A striking innovator and important teacher and writer,

Wrigley, William, Jr.

2004-12-10T06:22:00.000-08:00

Wrigley went to work as a traveling soap salesman for his father's company at age 13. In 1891 he went to Chicago as a soap distributor and there started offering baking powder as a premium with each box of soap.

China, The end of the radical period

2004-12-09T13:21:00.000-08:00

Thus in 1968 the society began to return to business, though not as usual. China's regular schools began to reopen, although the number of students in higher institutions represented only a small percentage of those three years before. In July yet another of Mao's “latest instructions” approved science and engineering education and called for the “return to

Lynchburg

2004-12-08T01:33:00.000-08:00

City, administratively independent of, but located in, Campbell and Bedford counties, south-central Virginia, U.S. It is situated on the James River, in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The city grew from a ferry landing settled in 1757 by Quakers; it was named for John Lynch, the ferry operator who owned the original town site. During the American Revolution, John's

Arrhenius Equation

2004-12-06T20:27:00.000-08:00

Mathematical expression that describes the effect of temperature on the velocity of a chemical reaction, the basis of all predictive expressions used for calculating reaction-rate constants. In the Arrhenius equation, k is the reaction-rate constant, A and E are numerical constants characteristic of the reacting substances, R is the thermodynamic gas constant, and

Quantity Theory Of Money

2004-12-06T16:38:00.000-08:00

Economic theory relating changes in the price levels to changes in the quantity of money. In its developed form, it constitutes an analysis of the factors underlying inflation and deflation. As developed by the English philosopher John Locke in the 17th century, the Scottish philosopher David Hume in the 18th century, and others, it was a weapon against the mercantilists

Social Protection, Repression in Myanmar.

2004-12-03T23:35:00.000-08:00

Morton Sklar

Boito, Arrigo

2004-12-02T07:53:00.000-08:00

The son of an Italian painter of miniatures and a Polish countess, Boito attended the Milan Conservatory and travelled to Paris on a scholarship. There he met Verdi, for whom, in 1862, he wrote

Arabia, History Of, Arabian and Islamic expansion

2004-12-01T23:27:00.000-08:00

In the 6th century Quraysh—the noble and holy house of the confederation of the Hejaz controlling the sacred enclave (haram) of Mecca—contrived a chain of agreements with the northern and southern tribes that opened the highways of Arabia to commerce. Under Quraysh aegis, caravans moved freely from the southern Yemen coast to Mecca and thence northward to Byzantium

Gadwall

2004-11-30T00:29:00.000-08:00

(Anas strepera), small, drably coloured duck of the family Anatidae, a popular game bird. Almost circumpolar in distribution in the Northern Hemisphere, the gadwall breeds above latitude 40° and winters between 20–40°. In North America the densest breeding populations occur in the Dakotas and the prairie provinces of Canada; the coast of Louisiana is a primary wintering area.

Textile, Basic weaves

2004-11-28T22:14:00.000-08:00

The basic weaves include plain (or tabby), twills, and satins (see Figure 7).

Floral Decoration, 18th century

2004-11-28T21:53:00.000-08:00

The floral arrangements of the early 18th century were dominated by French and English taste. In France, cultural and social life centred in the intimate rooms of Parisian town houses rather than in the vast rooms and halls of Louis XIV's Versailles palace. Bouquets, therefore, were comparatively small, to be in scale with their setting. The more delicate colouring and

Arabian Religion

2004-11-26T03:36:00.000-08:00

A short survey of the history of ancient Arabia is given by A.K. Irvine, “The Arabs and Ethiopians,” in D.J. Wiseman (ed.), Peoples of Old Testament Times (1973), pp. 287–311. South Arabia is covered by Walter W. Müller, “Outline of the History of Ancient Southern Arabia,” in Werner Daum (ed.), Yemen: 3000 Years of Art and Civilisation in Arabia Felix (1987), pp. 49–54. J. Wellhausen (comp.), Reste altarabischen Heidentums, 2nd ed. (1897), contains most of the Muslim data on the pagan folklore and religion. The epigraphic material is extensively used in the following studies, which are still valuable: G. Ryckmans, “Les Religions arabes préislamiques,” in Histoire générale des religions, vol. 2, pt. 1, pp. 201–228 (1960); and Maria Höfner, “Die vorislamischen Religionen Arabiens,” in Hartmut Gese, Maria Höfner, and Kurt Rudolph, Die Religionen Altsyriens, Altarabiens und der Mandäer, pp. 233–402 (1970). A short but excellent survey of the ancient Arabian religion is given by A. Caquot, “Les Religions des Sémites occidentaux,” in Henri-Charles Puech (ed.), Histoire des Religions, vol. 1 (1970), pp. 307–358, with North and South Arabia especially the focus of pp. 340–355. Several important works are by J. Starcky: “Pétra et la Nabatène,” in Louis Pirot et al., Dictionnaire de la Bible, Supplément, vol. 7 (1966), cols. 886–1017, with cols. 985–1017 focusing especially on religion, and a very short but more recent contribution, “La religion des Nabatéens,” in Inoubliable Petra: Le Royaume nabatéen aux confins du désert (1980), pp. 66–70, an exhibition catalog. Two concise but up-to-date studies on ancient South Arabian religions may be found in Joseph Chelhod et al., L'Arabie du Sud: Histoire et civilisation, vol. 1, Le peuple yéménite et ses racines (1984), both by A.F.L. Beeston: “The Religions of Pre-Islamic Yemen,” pp. 259–269, and “Judaism and Christianity in Pre-Islamic Yemen,” pp. 271–278. Another such study is J. Ryckmans, “The Old South Arabian Religion,” in the work on Yemen ed. by Daum cited above, pp. 107–110.

Itasca, Lake

2004-11-25T11:33:00.000-08:00

The fur trader William Morrison was reputedly

Ahimsa

2004-11-25T08:01:00.000-08:00

In Jainism, ahimsa is the standard

Cereal Processing, Pasta products

2004-11-24T04:22:00.000-08:00

Alimentary pastes include such products as macaroni, spaghetti, vermicelli, and noodles. Such products are often called pastas. Italy is regarded as the place of origin of macaroni products, and annual consumption in that country is as high as 30–35 kilograms (65–75 pounds) per person. Annual consumption is about 6.3 kilograms in France, 3.7 in the United States, and only 0.4 kilogram in the

Rupa-loka

2004-11-23T06:31:00.000-08:00

Also called Rupa-dhatu, in Buddhist thought, the world, or realm, of form. See arupa-loka.

Moray, James Stewart, 1st Earl Of, Earl Of Mar, Lord Abernethy

2004-11-22T07:55:00.000-08:00

The illegitimate son of King James V and Lady Margaret Douglas, Stewart led the Protestant lords in their conflict with Mary Stuart's mother, Mary of Lorraine, the queen regent. When Mary Stuart assumed control of the government

Anatoli, Jacob

2004-11-20T23:06:00.000-08:00

Anatoli was especially interested in the works of the 12th-century Arab physician Averroës' and translated some of them from the Arabic. Anatoli probably shared Averroës belief that religion and philosophy move in similar directions, even though they are outwardly different in many respects,

Peter Nolasco, Saint

2004-11-20T08:28:00.000-08:00

Peter dedicated himself to helping the poor.

Qadiriyah

2004-11-19T02:54:00.000-08:00

Probably the oldest of the Muslim mystic (Sufi) orders, founded by the Hanbali theologian 'Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani (1078–1166) in Baghdad. Al-Jilani may have intended the few rituals he prescribed to extend only to his small circle of followers, but his sons broadened this community into an order and encouraged its spread into North Africa, Central Asia, and India. The order, which stresses philanthropy,

Gullah

2004-11-18T01:55:00.000-08:00

Creole language based on English, spoken by former black slaves and their descendants (also called Gullahs and Geechees, West African tribal names) on the Sea Islands of South Carolina and Georgia and on the mainland nearby. Gullah consists of an English pidgin base characteristic of 17th- and 18th-century British colonists' speech, with additional vocabulary and some

Ob River

2004-11-17T08:46:00.000-08:00

The Ob River is described in broad geographic surveys of North Asia that provide information on physical features and on economic, social, and cultural conditions: Paul E. Lydolph, Geography of the U.S.S.R., 5th ed. (1990); Michael T. Florinsky (ed.), McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Russia and the Soviet Union (1961), with short articles on the individual rivers; M.F. Grin, et al., Soviet Union: A Geographical Survey, ed. by S.V. Kalesnik and V.F. Pavlenko (1976; originally published in Russian, 1972); and Great Rivers of the World (1984), published by the National Geographic Society. M.I. L'vovich, Reki SSSR (1971), is a well-known work treating the hydrologic characteristics of the main rivers of the former U.S.S.R. Lev Konstantinovich Davydov, Gidrografiia SSSR, vol. 2, Gidrografiia raionov (1955), provides detailed studies of regional hydrology and hydrography. G.V. Voropaev and A.B. Avakian (eds.), Vodokhranilishcha i ikh vozdeistvie na okruzhaiushchuiu sredu (1986), examines the influence of water reservoirs on the environment. Robert Paul Jourdan, “Siberia's Empire Road: The River Ob,” National Geographic, 149(2):145–181 (February 1986), describes the life of the peoples of the area, the environment, and the economic situation. Useful discussions of landscape evolution, the extent of glaciation, and long-term climate change in this region include Mikhail G. Grosswald, “Late-Weichselian Ice Sheets in Arctic and Pacific Siberia,” Quaternary International, 45-46(1):3–18 (1998), and Valery Astakhov “The Last Ice Sheet of the Kara Sea: Terrestrial Constraints on its Age,” Quaternary International, 45-46(1):19–28 (1998).

öz Beg

2004-11-15T22:50:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Uzbek, in full Ghiyath Al-din Muhammad Öz Beg Mongol leader and khan of the Golden Horde, or Kipchak empire, of southern Russia, under whom it attained its greatest power; he reigned from 1312 to 1341. Öz Beg was a convert to Islam, but he also welcomed Christian missionaries from western Europe into his realm. Öz Beg encouraged the predominance of the princes of Moscow among his Christian vassals; his name survives

Masoud, Ahmad Shah

2004-11-15T09:33:00.000-08:00

Afghan resistance leader and politician (b. 1953, Bazarak, Afg.—death reported on Sept. 15, 2001, Takhar, Afg.), was a military leader in the Afghan mujahideen, first against the Soviets and the Soviet-backed Afghan government (1978–89) and then against the Taliban (from 1992). Masoud, an ethnic Tajik, studied engineering before the Soviet intervention in Afghanistan and then moved to Pakistan for military

Armin, Robert

2004-11-13T10:48:00.000-08:00

Armin was an apprentice to a goldsmith in the 1580s. It was during this time that he befriended Richard

Bohemian Glass

2004-11-13T03:11:00.000-08:00

Decorative glass made in Bohemia and Silesia from the 13th century. Especially notable is the cut and engraved glass in high Baroque style made from 1685 to 1750. Early in the 17th century, Caspar Lehmann, gem cutter to Emperor Rudolf II in Prague, adapted to glass the technique of gem engraving with copper and bronze wheels. Although intaglio (Tiefschnitt, “deep cut”) and high relief

Stephen

2004-11-12T20:18:00.000-08:00

Stephen was the third son of Stephen, Count of Blois and Chartres, and Adela, daughter of King William I the Conqueror. He was reared by his uncle, King Henry I, and received vast lands in England, Normandy, and the county of Boulogne.

Nutrition, Human, Vitamin D

2004-11-11T21:10:00.000-08:00

Vitamin D is fat-soluble, and cholecalciferol is the major active substance. Its main function is to stimulate the absorption of calcium. The natural source of vitamin D is from the action of short-wave ultraviolet light from the Sun on a derivative of cholesterol in the skin. Vitamin D also occurs in some foods. It is only when people live in high latitudes, consistently

Fernandes, álvaro

2004-11-10T02:17:00.000-08:00

In 1445 Fernandes' uncle, João Gonçalves Zarco, also an explorer, furnished him with a caravel on condition that he devote himself to exploration. Fernandes joined the prince's fleet bound for Arguin Island (now in Mauritania) but sailed farther to the mouth of the Sénégal River.

Minamoto Shitago

2004-11-09T00:28:00.000-08:00

Although he was a descendant of the emperor Saga and was a member of the powerful Minamoto clan, Shitago was barred from high political position because he did not belong to the Fujiwara family, which controlled the government. Instead he devoted himself to scholarly and literary pursuits and became recognized

Niceforo, Alfredo

2004-11-08T00:15:00.000-08:00

Italian sociologist, criminologist, and statistician who posited the theory that every person has a “deep ego” of antisocial, subconscious impulses that represent a throwback to precivilized existence. Accompanying this ego, and attempting to keep its latent delinquency in check, according to his concept, is

Quinn, Anthony Rudolph Oaxaca

2004-11-06T08:33:00.000-08:00

Mexican-born American actor (b. April 21, 1915, Chihuahua, Mex.—d. June 3, 2001, Boston, Mass.), appeared in more than 150 films but was universally identified with one role especially—the earthy full-of-life title character in Zorba the Greek (1964), whom he inhabited so completely and comfortably that many of his later parts seemed also to be infused with that character's spirit. He embraced his offscreen

Latin

2004-11-05T21:09:00.000-08:00

The ancient people of Latium (q.v.).

Selborne, Roundell Palmer, 1st Earl Of, Viscount Wolmer Of Blackmoor, Baron Selborne Of Selborne

2004-11-05T06:22:00.000-08:00

British lord high chancellor (1872–74, 1880–85) who almost singlehandedly drafted a comprehensive judicial-reform measure, the Supreme Court of Judicature Act of 1873. Under this statute, the complex duality of English court systems—common law and chancery (equity)—was largely abolished in favour of a single hierarchy of

Cronin, James Watson

2004-11-03T15:27:00.000-08:00

Cronin graduated from Southern Methodist University at Dallas, Texas, in 1951 and received his

Florence

2004-11-02T13:25:00.000-08:00

Town, seat (1875) of Pinal county, central Arizona, U.S., 50 miles (80 km) southeast of Phoenix. It lies on the Gila River in a farming area (mainly cotton) that is irrigated by means of the Ashurst-Hayden Diversion Dam. One of the oldest white settlements in the state, Florence was founded in 1866 and named for the sister of Governor Richard McCormick. The community developed as a copper-mining

Ramiro Ii

2004-11-01T00:08:00.000-08:00

Byname Ramiro The Monk, Spanish Ramiro El Monje king of Aragon from 1134 to 1137. He was the third son of Sancho V Ramirez. His elder brother, Alfonso I the Battler, left no issue and bequeathed his kingdom to the military orders. Ramiro, who had entered a monastery and was bishop-elect of Barbastro, renounced his vows, married, and received the crown. His daughter Petronila was betrothed to the son of Count Ramón Berenguer IV of

Sangamon River

2004-10-31T22:39:00.000-08:00

River formed by headstreams in northwestern Champaign County, Illinois, U.S. It flows southwesterly, bending around Decatur, where a dam impounds Lake Decatur, and turns west past Springfield, the state capital, and then north and west to join the Illinois River just north of Beardstown, after a course of 250 mi (400 km). The first Illinois home (1830) of Abraham Lincoln was on a bluff

Chile, Geography

2004-10-31T01:38:00.000-08:00

Works on the social conditions include Arturo Valenzuela and J. Samuel Valenzuela (eds.), Chile: Politics and Society (1976); Barbara Stallings, Class Conflict and Economic Development in Chile: 1958–1973 (1978); Brian H. Smith, The Church and Politics in Chile: Challenges to Modern Catholicism (1982); and Cesar Caviedes, The Politics of Chile: A Sociogeographical Assessment (1979). The military's role in Chilean politics is treated in J. Samuel Valenzuela and Arturo Valenzuela (eds.), Military Rule in Chile: Dictatorship and Oppositions (1986); Cesar Caviedes, The Southern Cone: Realities of the Authoritarian State in South America (1984); and Frederick M. Nunn, The Military in Chilean History: Essays on Civil-Military Relations, 1810–1973 (1976), and Chilean Politics, 1920–1931: The Honorable Mission of the Armed Forces (1970). Contemporary culture is discussed in Hernán Godoy Urzúa, Apuntes sobre la cultura en Chile (1982).

Radcliffe-brown, A(lfred) R(eginald)

2004-10-30T04:31:00.000-07:00

Radcliffe-Brown went to the Andaman Islands (1906–08), where his fieldwork won him a fellowship at Trinity College, Cambridge. On an expedition to

Maturidi, Abu Mansur Muhammad Al-

2004-10-29T17:58:00.000-07:00

Except for the place and time of Maturidi's death, almost nothing is known about the details of Maturidi's life. He lived during a time when the Mu'tazilites, a Muslim sect, were using the techniques of Greek logical argument to attack what had

Garden And Landscape Design, Rhythm and balance

2004-10-28T17:01:00.000-07:00

Rhythm and balance result from the three-dimensional arrangement of elements and materials on the site. Rhythm is a sequence or repetition of similar elements—as a double row of trees. It tends to emphasize direction and movement, as along an allée toward a viewpoint or terminus. Balance is the sense one gets, looking in any direction, that the elements to one's left

Enclosed Rhyme

2004-10-27T05:35:00.000-07:00

Also called enclosing rhyme in poetry, the rhyming pattern abba found in certain quatrains, such as the first verse of Matthew Arnold's “Shakespeare”:Others abide our question. Thou art free.We ask and ask—thou smilest and art still,Out-topping knowledge. For the loftiest hill,Who to the stars uncrowns his majesty,

China, The decisive year, 1948

2004-10-25T06:26:00.000-07:00

The year 1948 was the turning point. In central China, Communist armies of 500,000 men proved their ability to fight major battles on the plains and to capture, though not always hold, such important towns on the Lung-hai as Lo-yang and K'ai-feng. In North China they encircled T'ai-yüan, the capital of Shansi; took most of Chahar and Jehol, provinces on Manchuria's western flank; and recaptured

Xerophyte

2004-10-24T22:17:00.000-07:00

Any plant adapted to life in a dry or physiologically dry habitat (salt marsh, saline soil, or acid bog) by means of mechanisms to prevent water loss or to store available water. Succulents (plants that store water) such as cacti and agaves have thick, fleshy stems or leaves. Other xerophytic adaptations include waxy leaf coatings, the ability to

China, The decisive year, 1948

2004-10-23T05:00:00.000-07:00

Negotiations between the United States and the Soviet Union that were aimed at curtailing the manufacture of strategic missiles capable of carrying nuclear weapons. The first agreements, known as SALT I and SALT II, were signed by the United States and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics in 1972 and 1979, respectively, and were intended to restrain the arms race in strategic

Wake

2004-10-21T20:28:00.000-07:00

Watch or vigil held over the body of a dead person before burial and sometimes accompanied by festivity; also, in England, a vigil kept in commemoration of the dedication of the parish church. The latter type of wake consisted of an all-night service of prayer and meditation in the church. These services, officially termed Vigiliae by the church, appear to have existed

North America, Mangrove thickets

2004-10-20T21:16:00.000-07:00

Ringing southern Florida and the Mexican lowlands facing the Caribbean, mangrove thickets are backed by quick-oak and palms. Ibis fleck the woods with their gleaming white feathers. Water moccasin and other venomous snakes are common in swamps, as are alligators.

Valdemar Birgersson

2004-10-19T00:09:00.000-07:00

King of Sweden (1250–75) who governed jointly with his father Birger Jarl (q.v.) until the latter's death in 1266 and then reigned alone. Because of an extramarital affair with his wife's sister, a postulant nun, by whom he had a child, Valdemar in 1274 made a pilgrimage to Rome to gain forgiveness. Pope Gregory X exacted concessions, whereby Valdemar acknowledged papal overlordship and

North America, Mangrove thickets

2004-10-18T15:41:00.000-07:00

Nitric oxide is formed from

Mountbatten (of Burma), Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl, Viscount Mountbatten Of Burma, Baron Romsey Of Romsey

2004-10-18T08:48:00.000-07:00

He was the

Pie

2004-10-17T08:13:00.000-07:00

Dish made by lining a shallow container with pastry and filling the container with a sweet or savoury mixture. A top crust may be added; the pie is baked until the crust is crisp and the filling is cooked through. Pies have been popular in the United States since colonial times, so much so that apple pie has become symbolic of traditional American home cooking. The typical

Tibet

2004-10-16T04:23:00.000-07:00

Tibetan Bod, in full Tibet Autonomous Region, Chinese (Wade-Giles) Hsi-tsang Tzu-chih-ch'ü, (Pinyin) Xizang Zizhiqu historic region and autonomous region of China that is often called “the roof of the world.” It occupies about 471,700 square miles (1,221,600 square kilometres) of the plateaus and mountains of Central Asia, including Mount Everest (Chu-mu-lang-ma Feng). It is bordered by the Chinese provinces of Tsinghai to the northeast, Szechwan to the east, and Yunnan to the southeast; Myanmar (Burma), India,

Tracheophyte

2004-10-14T08:22:00.000-07:00

Any of the vascular plants, members of the division, or phylum, Tracheophyta, numbering some 260,000 species and including all of the conspicuous flora of the Earth today. Tracheophyte, meaning “tracheid plant,” refers to the water-conducting cells (called tracheids, or tracheary elements) that show spiral bands like those in the walls of the tracheae, or air tubes, of