DependentBath

Insurance, Financing and administering employment injury insurance

2005-04-04T14:55:00.000-07:00

Almost all systems of employment injury insurance are financed by employers' contributions exclusively, and in almost all these systems the contribution is proportional to the risk represented by the class of activity in which the employer is engaged. Usually the insurance institution adapts the contribution to the accident experience of the undertaking

Irtysh River

2005-04-04T07:39:00.000-07:00

Kazak Ertis , Chinese (Wade-Giles) O-erh-ch'i-ssu Ho or (Pinyin) Ertix He

Quilon

2005-04-02T20:27:00.000-08:00

Town, administrative headquarters of Quilon district, southern Kerala state, southwestern India. Quilon has existed for many centuries and was called Elancon by early travellers, Kaulam Mall by the Arabs, and Coilum by the 13th-century Venetian traveller Marco Polo. Its location made it commercially important; the first Europeans there were the Portuguese, followed

Mosheim, Johann Lorenz Von

2005-04-02T18:21:00.000-08:00

Departing from the established method of writing

Fiske, Bradley Allen

2005-04-01T18:55:00.000-08:00

Fiske graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1874. As the navigator of the gunboat Petrel, he used one of his inventions, a stadimeter range finder, to communicate the ranges of enemy ships to American gunners

Wilkes, John

2005-03-31T14:06:00.000-08:00

A profligate by nature, Wilkes became a member of the congenial

California, Industry

2005-03-30T13:07:00.000-08:00

The aircraft plants and shipyards were supplemented after World War II by branch plants of many Eastern and Midwestern industries. Federal research-and-development funds allocated to California organizations also contributed to the postwar economy. By the 1970s and '80s, California's industries had diversified to include computer sciences, biotechnology, and health

Allosteric Control

2005-03-28T13:26:00.000-08:00

In enzymology, inhibition or activation of an enzyme by a small regulatory molecule that interacts at a site (allosteric site) other than the active site (at which catalytic activity occurs). The interaction changes the shape of the enzyme so as to affect the formation at the active site of the usual complex between the enzyme and its substrate (the compound upon which

Chester, Hugh Of Avranches, 1st Earl Of, Vicomte (viscount) D'avranches

2005-03-28T02:41:00.000-08:00

Also called Hugh The Fat, or Hugh The Wolf, French Hugues Le Gros, French- Latin Hugues Lupus son of Richard, Viscount d'Avranches, and probable companion of William the Conqueror, who made him Earl of Chester in 1071. (He inherited his father's viscountship sometime after 1082.) He had special privileges in his earldom, and he held land in 20 counties. Hugh was called Le Gros because of his great bulk and Lupus because of his ferocity. He regarded Saint Anselm as his friend,

Xenon

2005-03-26T23:42:00.000-08:00

(Xe), chemical element, heavy and extremely rare gas of Group 0 (noble gases) of the periodic table. It was the first noble gas found to form true chemical compounds. More than 4 1/2 times heavier than air, xenon is colourless, odourless, and tasteless. Solid xenon belongs to the face-centred cubic crystal system, which implies that its molecules, which consist of single atoms, behave

Lagos

2005-03-26T03:42:00.000-08:00

City and chief port, Lagos state, Nigeria. Until 1975 it was the capital of Lagos state, and until December 1991 it was the federal capital of Nigeria. Ikeja replaced Lagos as the state capital, and Abuja replaced Lagos as the federal capital. Lagos, however, remained the unofficial seat of many government agencies. The city's population is centred on Lagos Island, in Lagos Lagoon,

Brugsch, Heinrich Karl

2005-03-24T17:40:00.000-08:00

Brugsch was sent to Egypt by the Prussian government in 1853 and met there the noted French Egyptologist Auguste Mariette. He then worked in the Berlin Museum. In 1860 he was sent to Persia; in 1864 he was consul

Jordan, Justice and security

2005-03-24T06:40:00.000-08:00

The judiciary is constitutionally independent, though judges are appointed and dismissed by royal iradah (“decree”) following a decision made by the Justices Council. There are three categories of courts. The first category consists of regular courts, including those of magistrates, courts of first instance, and courts of appeals and cassation in Amman, which hear

Chiang K'ang-hu

2005-03-23T02:45:00.000-08:00

Born into a scholar-official family, Chiang studied at home and briefly in Japan before returning to China in 1901 to take charge of the compilation of elementary-school textbooks for the schools of five northern

Abakanowicz, Magdalena

2005-03-21T21:55:00.001-08:00

A descendant of Polish nobility, Abakanowicz studied at the School of Fine Arts in Sopot, Poland (1949), and graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw (1955). She began working as an independent artist in 1956 and initially earned success for large, three-dimensional

Lodge, Sir Oliver Joseph

2005-03-21T21:55:00.000-08:00

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

Aria

2005-03-21T15:50:00.000-08:00

Solo song with instrumental accompaniment, an important element of opera but also found extensively in cantatas and oratorios. The term originated in Italy in the 16th century and first gained currency after 1602, when Giulio Caccini published Le nuove musiche (The New Music), a collection of solo songs with continuo (usually cello and harpsichord) accompaniment. Caccini

Carnivore, Importance to humans

2005-03-20T11:32:00.000-08:00

The raccoon is the only procyonid of major economic significance. Raccoon hunting has been a sport of substantial importance in the United States, and in some parts of the United States many people own dogs trained to hunt raccoons. The coatimundi also is hunted with dogs and its flesh is also eaten. Meat of the raccoon is in more demand as food than that of any other

Hawkesbury River

2005-03-19T09:49:00.000-08:00

River rising in the Great Dividing Range north of Lake George, New South Wales, Australia, and flowing 293 miles (472 km) north and east to the Tasman Sea at Broken Bay. It drains an area of about 8,390 square miles (21,730 square km). Known as the Wollondilly in its rugged upper course and as the Warragamba after receiving the Nattai and, later, the Nepean rivers, it becomes the Hawkesbury after

France, History Of, The kings and the war, 13281429

2005-03-19T02:09:00.000-08:00

At the accession of the house of Valois in 1328, France was the most powerful kingdom in Europe. Its ruler could muster larger armies than his rivals elsewhere; he could tap enormous fiscal resources, including taxes authorized by sympathetic popes of French extraction; there remained only four great fiefs—the duchies of Aquitaine, Brittany, and Burgundy, and the county

Arrabal, Fernando

2005-03-17T15:20:00.000-08:00

Arrabal worked as a clerk in a paper company, then studied law at the University of Madrid. He turned to writing in the early 1950s, and in 1955 he went to study drama in Paris, where he remained.

Amsterdam-rhine Canal

2005-03-17T01:32:00.000-08:00

Dutch Amsterdam-rijnkanaal, waterway connecting the port of Amsterdam with the Lek River (via Utrecht) and the Waal River (at Tiel) in The Netherlands. Inaugurated in 1952, it has a total length of 45 miles (72 km) and four locks. It is considered to be the most heavily used canal in western Europe, and it handles vessels of up to 4,300 tons' displacement. The canal's minimum depth is 18 feet (5.5 m).

Gmelinite

2005-03-16T22:49:00.000-08:00

Hydrated sodium and calcium aluminosilicate mineral in the zeolite family. Its crystal structure and chemical composition are similar to those of chabazite (q.v.), with which it is commonly found.

Gabon, Relief and drainage

2005-03-15T20:40:00.000-08:00

The narrow coastal plain—often no more than 20 miles (32 kilometres) wide in the south—is formed of sandstone and alluvium; northward it broadens to a width of 100 miles, with outcrops of chalk, limestone, and Cretaceous sandstone. North of the most westerly point, Cape Lopez, the contour of the coast becomes more jagged. The Atlantic's northward-flowing Benguela Current, which

Spanish North Africa

2005-03-15T09:35:00.000-08:00

Five small areas, in special relationship with the Spanish government, on and off the Mediterranean coast of Morocco. They are Alhucemas, Ceuta, the Chafarinas Islands, Melilla (qq.v.), and Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera, with a combined area of about 12 square miles (31 square km). Ceuta is administered as part of Cádiz province, the rest as part of Málaga province.

Cela, Camilo José

2005-03-14T22:38:00.000-08:00

In full Camilo José Cela Trulock Spanish writer who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1989. He is perhaps best known for his novel La familia de Pascual Duarte (1942; The Family of Pascual Duarte) and is considered to have given new life to Spanish literature. His literary production—primarily novels, short narratives, and travel diaries—is characterized by experimentation

Petróleos De Venezuela, Sa

2005-03-14T05:18:00.000-08:00

By 1971 Venezuela had begun to take steps to curb the influence of the foreign concessionaires who, since their arrival after World War I, had been exploiting the nation's oil

Gabon

2005-03-13T05:09:00.000-08:00

A great deal of the cultural life of Gabon continues to be derived from or influenced by France. Gabon's contemporary writers express themselves almost exclusively in French. At the same time, there has been continued interest in the precolonial history and traditions of Gabon's peoples. Examples are the research on the Fang epic (mvet) and the art of the Mpongwe, Fang,

Avery, John

2005-03-12T08:41:00.000-08:00

Avery reputedly served in the Royal Navy and on merchantmen, as well as on buccaneer and slave ships, before beginning a life of piracy about 1691. In 1694, joining

Respighi, Ottorino

2005-03-11T09:14:00.000-08:00

Italian composer who introduced Russian orchestral colour and some of the violence of Richard Strauss's harmonic techniques into Italian music. He studied at the Liceo of Bologna and later with Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov in St. Petersburg, where he was first violist in the Opera Orchestra. From his foreign masters Respighi acquired

Rabéarivelo, Jean-joseph

2005-03-11T04:03:00.000-08:00

Rabéarivelo, a largely self-educated man who earned his living as a proofreader for the Imerina Printing Press, wrote seven volumes of poetry before his tragic death. Presque-Songes

Beja

2005-03-10T07:41:00.000-08:00

City, capital, and concelho (township), Beja distrito (“district”), southern Portugal, southeast of Lisbon. According to legend, Beja was founded by Ulysses, and it was named Pax Julia by Julius Caesar in 48 BC to commemorate the peace treaty signed in Beja by the Romans and Lusitanians. The city is partly enclosed by walls of Roman origin with two Roman gateways. Afonso I captured

Ob River

2005-03-09T05:29:00.000-08:00

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).

Athenodorus Cananites

2005-03-09T03:58:00.000-08:00

Also called Athenodorus Son Of Sandon Greek Stoic philosopher who was the teacher of the younger Octavian, who later became the emperor Augustus. He is to be distinguished from Athenodorus Cordylion, also a Stoic, who became keeper of the library in Pergamum. Athenodorus acquired a lasting influence over Octavian and probably followed him to Rome in 44 BC, later returning

Cosmos

2005-03-07T16:13:00.000-08:00

If one looks up on a clear night, one sees that the sky is full of stars. During the summer months in the Northern Hemisphere, a faint band of light stretches from horizon to horizon, a swath of pale white cutting across a background of deepest black. For the early

Amaranthaceae

2005-03-07T13:34:00.000-08:00

The amaranth family of flowering plants in the order Caryophyllales, with about 60 genera and more than 800 species of herbs, with a few shrubs, trees, and vines, native to tropical America and Africa. The leaves of members of the family usually have nonindented edges. Flowers may be male or female or contain both types of reproductive structures; several

Smith, Hamilton Othanel

2005-03-07T02:41:00.000-08:00

Smith graduated from the

Benbow, John

2005-03-05T07:38:00.000-08:00

The son of a tanner of Shrewsbury, Shropshire, Benbow served in the navy and merchant marine from 1678 and became captain of a naval vessel in 1689. As master of the fleet under Admiral Edward Russell, he helped destroy the French fleet

Fairbanks, Charles Warren

2005-03-05T01:29:00.000-08:00

Fairbanks had considered seeking the presidency in 1900 and was mentioned as a potential running mate to William McKinley. As a staunch conservative from a “doubtful” state, Fairbanks was chosen as Roosevelt's running mate in 1904 to balance the ticket. A typical vice president of his time, he did not attend cabinet meetings and was not one of Roosevelt's closest advisers. Although he was nominated by Indiana for president in 1908 and received 40 votes at the Republican National Convention, Roosevelt blocked his nomination in favour of William Howard Taft. When the party was divided in 1912, Fairbanks supported Taft, the eventual nominee, instead of Roosevelt, who ran as the candidate of his own Bull Moose Party. He also ran unsuccessfully for vice president on the 1916 ticket headed by Charles Evans Hughes.

Sarajevo

2005-03-05T00:17:00.000-08:00

Capital and cultural centre of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It lies in the narrow valley of the Miljacka River at the foot of Mount Trebevic. The city retains a strong Muslim character, having many mosques, wooden houses with ornate interiors, and the ancient Turkish marketplace (the Bašcaršija); much of the population is Muslim. The city's principal mosques are the Gazi Husreff-Bey's

West Covina

2005-03-04T09:22:00.000-08:00

City, Los Angeles county, California, U.S. It lies at the eastern end of the San Gabriel Valley and is about 20 miles (32 km) east of the city centre of Los Angeles. Settled in 1905, it began as an agricultural community surrounded by citrus and walnut groves. After World War II it experienced rapid growth with the urbanization of the Los Angeles metropolitan area. West Covina consists

Arts, Central Asian, Altaic tribes

2005-03-04T05:32:00.000-08:00

Because of a freak climatic freeze, some of the Altaic burials, notably those of the 5th century BC at Pazyryk and neighbouring sites, such as Katanda, Shibe, and Tuekt, were isolated from external climatic variations by a protective layer of ice that conserved the organic substances buried in them. At Pazyryk these included the bodies of horses and an embalmed man whose

Dieback

2005-03-04T04:56:00.000-08:00

Common symptom or name of disease, especially of woody plants, characterized by progressive death of twigs, branches, shoots, or roots, starting at the tips. Staghead is a slow dieback of the upper branches of a tree; the dead, leafless limbs superficially resemble a stag's head. Dieback and staghead are caused by many fungi and a few bacteria that produce cankers, anthracnose,

Fuchs, Sir Vivian Ernest

2005-03-02T21:51:00.000-08:00

In 1929 and 1930–31 Fuchs participated in expeditions to East Greenland and the East African lakes, respectively, serving as a geologist. Between 1933 and 1934 he led the Lake Rudolf–Rift Valley Expedition

Arias (madrid), Arnulfo

2005-03-02T03:19:00.000-08:00

The younger brother of Harmodio Arias (Panamanian president, 1932–36), Arias was educated at the University of Chicago and Harvard Medical School (to become a surgeon) and was minister of agriculture and public works in the 1930s during the presidency

Sunfish

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

Any of numerous species of North American freshwater fishes placed with the crappies and black basses in the family Centrarchidae (order Perciformes). The family contains about 30 species, all native to North America and all, with the exception of the Sacramento perch (Archoplites interruptus), native to waters east of the Rocky Mountains. Several species, such as the

Cardiovascular System, Nervous control of the heart

2005-02-28T13:35:00.000-08:00

Nervous control of the heart is maintained by the parasympathetic fibres in the vagus nerve (parasympathetic) and by the sympathetic nerves. The vagus nerve is the cardiac inhibitor, and the sympathetic nerves are the cardiac excitors. Stimulation of the vagus nerve depresses the rate of impulse formation and atrial contractility and thereby reduces cardiac

Marsalis Family

2005-02-28T03:54:00.000-08:00

Ellis Marsalis

Kyoha Shinto

2005-02-27T19:48:00.000-08:00

By 1908, 13 sects had been recognized

Alaska, The economy

2005-02-26T19:52:00.000-08:00

The Alaskan economy is conditioned strongly by the state's frontier stage of development, but its formerly inadequate tax base for state and municipal growth ended with the development of the North Slope oil fields. High costs of labour and transportation and complicated environmental and land-use constraints still tend to discourage outside investment. Nonetheless,

Vadstena Bracteate

2005-02-26T18:52:00.000-08:00

Gold coin-like ornament with runic inscriptions and rich designs, discovered in Östergötland, Swed., probably dating from the 5th century. A 24-character futhark (runic alphabet), arranged in three groups of eight symbols, is engraved on it, followed by eight characters, tuwa tuwa, of unknown, perhaps magical, significance. The bracteate is the oldest and best record of the

Rainaldi, Carlo

2005-02-26T07:55:00.000-08:00

After his father's death Rainaldi evolved a monumental

Venezuela, Gulf Of

2005-02-24T16:24:00.000-08:00

Spanish Golfo De Venezuela, inlet of the Caribbean Sea in Venezuela and Colombia, extending 75 miles (120 km) north-south and reaching a maximum east-west width of 150 miles (240 km). It is bounded by the Guajira Peninsula on the west and by the Paraguaná Peninsula on the east and is connected with Lake Maracaibo to the south through Tablazo Bay and a channel 35 feet (11 m) deep near the city of Maracaibo. The gulf is surrounded

Switzerland, Music

2005-02-24T14:54:00.000-08:00

Although Switzerland is not a leading musical nation, in the 20th century such composers as Arthur Honegger, Othmar Schoeck, and Frank Martin gained international renown. An annual international music festival, one of many, is held in Lucerne, and numerous country and western, pop, and jazz events, especially the famous festival at Montreux, take place throughout the

Koror

2005-02-24T01:25:00.000-08:00

Formerly Corrora one of the Caroline Islands, western Pacific; it lies just southwest of Babelthuap island. Koror city serves as the provisional capital of Palau while a new capital is being constructed at Melekeok in eastern Babelthuap. Partly uplifted coral-limestone and partly volcanic in origin, Koror has a land area of 3 square miles (8 square km) and rises to 459 feet (140 metres). A territorial

Alekseyev, Mikhail Vasilyevich

2005-02-23T02:46:00.000-08:00

The son of a private soldier, Alekseyev entered the Russian Army in 1876 and was graduated in 1890 from

Latitude And Longitude

2005-02-22T15:26:00.000-08:00

Latitude is a measurement on a globe or map of location north or south of the Equator. Technically there are different kinds of latitude—geographic, astronomical, and geocentric—but there are only minor differences between them. In most

Bowerman, Bill

2005-02-22T09:02:00.000-08:00

American coach, inventor, and entrepreneur who while serving (1949–72) as coach of the track team at the University of Oregon led teams to four National Collegiate Athletic Association titles (1962, 1964, 1965, and 1970) and coached 24 NCAA individual champions; in his quest to give his runners an edge, Bowerman experimented with creating a lighter outsole and fashioned the modern-day “waffle” running

Police Power

2005-02-22T05:21:00.000-08:00

In U.S. constitutional law, the permissible scope of federal or state legislation so far as it may affect the rights of an individual when those rights conflict with the promotion and maintenance of the health, safety, morals, and general welfare of the public. When the U.S. Supreme Court has considered such cases, it has tended to use a doctrine called “balance of interests,

Klos, Elmar

2005-02-21T04:37:00.000-08:00

Czech filmmaker (b. Jan. 26, 1910, Brno, Moravia, Austria-Hungary--d. July 19, 1993, Prague, Czech Republic), collaborated with the Hungarian-born director Jan Kadar on some of the finest motion pictures in the so-called Czech New Wave, most notably The Shop on Main Street, which won the Academy Award for the best foreign film of 1965. Klos studied law at Charles University in Prague and began doing

Amos, Book Of

2005-02-20T17:50:00.000-08:00

The third of 12 Old Testament books that bear the names of the Minor Prophets, collected in one book under the Jewish canon titled The Twelve. Amos, a Judaean prophet from the village of Tekoa, was active in the northern kingdom of Israel during the reign of Jeroboam II (c. 786–746 BC). According to 7:14, Amos was neither a prophet nor the son of a prophet; i.e., he was not a member of a professional

Argentina, Attempts to restore constitutionalism, 195566

2005-02-19T13:40:00.000-08:00

Lonardi recognized the strength of Peronism and sought a compromise, but he was displaced in November 1955 by General Pedro Eugenio Aramburu. The new administration was a military dictatorship that sought to restore constitutional government. Taking a fiercely anti-Peronist stance, it dissolved Perón's old party and placed the labour unions under state administration.

Oman, Gulf Of

2005-02-17T07:18:00.000-08:00

Northwest arm of the Arabian Sea, between the eastern portion (Oman) of the Arabian Peninsula to the southwest and Iran to the north. The gulf is 200 miles (320 km) wide between Cape al-Hadd in Oman and Gwadar Bay on the Pakistan–Iran border. It is 350 miles (560 km) long and connects with the Persian Gulf to the northwest through the Strait of Hormuz. The small ports along the gulf include Suhar,

Computers, ALGOL

2005-02-17T03:26:00.000-08:00

During the late 1950s a multitude of programming languages appeared. This proliferation

Meleager

2005-02-17T01:26:00.000-08:00

Greek poet from Gadara in Syria, who compiled the first large anthology of epigrams. This was the first of the collections that made up what is known as the Greek Anthology (q.v.). Meleager's collection contained poems by 50 writers and many by himself; an introductory poem compared each writer to a flower, and the whole was entitled Stephanos (“Garland”). Meleager's

Cosgrave, Liam

2005-02-17T01:02:00.000-08:00

His father, W.T. Cosgrave, was president of the Executive Council and head of the government of the Irish Free State during the first 10 years of its existence (1922–32). Liam, the elder son, was educated at Castlenock College, Dublin, and King's Inns, studied law, and was called to the Irish bar

New Hampshire

2005-02-16T14:35:00.000-08:00

Constituent state of the United States of America. One of the 13 original U.S. states, it is located in New England at the extreme northeastern corner of the nation. With an area of 9,279 square miles (24,032 square km), it is bounded on the north by the Canadian province of Quebec, on the east by Maine and a 16-mile (25-km) stretch of the Atlantic Ocean, on the south by Massachusetts, and on the west by

Ovett, Steve

2005-02-15T20:54:00.000-08:00

Ovett first attracted international notice when he won the 800-metre race at the 1973 European junior championships in Duisburg, West

Gates, Horatio

2005-02-15T06:17:00.000-08:00

Gates first served in North America in the French and Indian War (1754–63), emerged as a major, and returned to England. In 1772 he immigrated to the region that

Barante, Amable-guillaume-prosper Brugière, Baron De

2005-02-14T13:09:00.000-08:00

Educated at the École Polytechnique

Saiki

2005-02-14T03:50:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Saeki, city, Oita ken (prefecture), Kyushu, Japan, facing Saiki Bay. It developed as a castle town on the small delta of the Banjo River during the Muromachi era (1338–1573) and came into the possession of the Mori daimyo family in 1601. Because of its good harbour, Saiki was selected for a base of the Imperial Japanese Navy in 1933. After World War II most of the military facilities were converted to industrial

Monatomic Gas

2005-02-13T11:14:00.000-08:00

Gas composed of particles (molecules) that consist of single atoms, such as helium or sodium vapour, and in this way different from diatomic, triatomic, or, in general, polyatomic gases. The thermodynamic behaviour of a monatomic gas in the ordinary temperature range is extremely simple because it is free from the rotational and vibrational energy components characteristic

Vriesea

2005-02-13T02:51:00.000-08:00

The stiff, sword-shaped, fleshy green leaves grow in a rosette and often are mottled or banded with brown. The pink,

Murder

2005-02-12T06:22:00.000-08:00

In criminal law, the unjustified killing of one person by another, usually distinguished from the crime of manslaughter by the element of malice aforethought. See homicide.

Montfort, Simon De, Earl Of Leicester

2005-02-12T02:27:00.000-08:00

Simon de Montfort, wholly French by birth and education, was the son of Simon de Montfort l'Amaury, leader of the crusade against the heretical Albigenses. On coming of age, he renounced to his eldest brother, Amaury,

Vulcan

2005-02-11T20:48:00.000-08:00

In Roman religion, god of fire, particularly in its destructive aspects as volcanoes or conflagrations. Poetically, he is given all the attributes of the Greek Hephaestus (q.v.). His worship was very ancient, and at Rome he had his own priest (flamen). His chief festival, the Volcanalia, was held on August 23 and was marked by a rite of unknown significance: the heads of Roman families

Art And Architecture, Oceanic, The north

2005-02-11T15:19:00.000-08:00

From the rain-forest country of northeastern Queensland comes an unusual type of shield, a large flat oval with somewhat asymmetrically curved sides. Most have a raised central boss. Designs above and below the boss radiate away from it and are outlined in black and infilled with red, white, and yellow. As usual, they refer to mythological beings and episodes. Paddles

Nigeria

2005-02-10T22:58:00.000-08:00

The first national conventions of the five political parties that had been granted legal status were held in November 1996. The parties elected their leaders as follows:

Cullinan Diamond

2005-02-09T06:48:00.000-08:00

World's largest gem diamond, which weighed about 3,106 carats in rough form when found in 1905 at the Premier mine in Transvaal, S.Af. Named for Sir Thomas Cullinan, who had discovered the mine three years earlier, the colourless stone was purchased by the Transvaal government and was presented (1907) to the reigning British monarch, King Edward VII. It was cut into 9 large stones and about

Animal, Critical appraisal

2005-02-09T06:03:00.000-08:00

This classification includes only extant groups. Because the aschelminths have not been studied adequately by modern methods, there is no consensus on their classification, and the system used here differs in some respects from that in the article aschelminth. The classification in this article is based on morphological work carried out in the late 1980s and remains

Carissimi, Giacomo

2005-02-09T05:16:00.000-08:00

Following brief appointments at Tivoli and Assisi, Carissimi settled in Rome in the late 1620s as director of music at the Church of Sant'Apollinare and retained this post until he died. Although not an operatic composer,

Aldrich, Nelson W.

2005-02-08T21:53:00.000-08:00

Aldrich rose from the Providence Common Council through the Rhode Island legislature to the U.S. Congress (representative 1879–81; senator 1881–1911). Meanwhile,

Toponymy

2005-02-08T15:59:00.000-08:00

Taxonomic study of place-names, based on etymological, historical, and geographical information. A place-name is a word or words used to indicate, denote, or identify a geographic locality such as a town, river, or mountain. Toponymy divides place-names into two broad categories: habitation names and feature names. A habitation name denotes a locality that is peopled

Fable, Parable, And Allegory, Parable

2005-02-07T18:09:00.000-08:00

A.M. Hunter, The Parables: Then and Now (1971); Eta Linnemann, Gleichnisse Jesu, 3rd ed. (1964; Eng. trans., The Parables of Jesus, 1966); T.W. Manson (ed.), The Sayings of Jesus as Recorded in the Gospels According to St. Matthew and St. Luke (1949); D.C. Allen, The Legend of Noah: Renaissance Rationalism in Art, Science and Letters (1963); Heinz Politzer, Franz Kafka: Parable and Paradox (1962).

Shiga Kiyoshi

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Shiga graduated from the University of Tokyo in 1896. Two years earlier he had begun work with Kitasato Shibasaburo, who had discovered the tetanus bacillus. In 1899 Shiga was appointed laboratory director at the Institute for

Reform Party

2005-02-06T07:46:00.000-08:00

The Reformers urged that the provincial legislative councils—and by implication even the governors and other officials—be made elective; they also proposed that the officials

Böhmer, Johann Friedrich

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After studying at the universities of Göttingen and Heidelberg, Böhmer journeyed to Italy, where he became interested in art history. Upon his return to Frankfurt (1822), he became an assistant librarian

Bearbaiting

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In England many large groups of bears were kept expressly for the purpose. Contemporary records reveal, for example, that 13 bears were provided

Abu Sir

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Zahi Hawass, “Abusir Tomb,” National Geographic, 194(5):102–113 (November 1998).

John I, Saint

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Unfortunately the reunion ended friendly relations between the papacy and Theodoric the Great, the Ostrogothic ruler at Rome. Theodoric mistrusted the rapprochement,

Puffbird

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Puffbirds feed on flying insects. They resemble their close relatives the jacamars in habits

Fakir

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Arabic Faqir (“poor”) originally, a mendicant dervish. In mystical usage, the word fakir refers to man's spiritual need for God, who alone is self-sufficient. Although of Muslim origin, the term has come to be applied in India to Hindus as well, largely replacing gosvamin, sadhu, bhikku, and other designations. Fakirs are generally regarded as holy men who are possessed of miraculous powers, such

Chebyshev, Pafnuty Lvovich

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Chebyshev became assistant professor of mathematics at the University of St. Petersburg (now St.

Condor Legion

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German Legion Condor, a unit of the German air force, or Luftwaffe, detailed by Hermann Göring for special duty with General Francisco Franco's Nationalist forces in the Spanish Civil War (1936–39). It was sent to Franco on the condition that it stay under German command. The Legion consisted of four bomber squadrons (of 12 bombers each) and four fighter squadrons and was backed by antiaircraft and antitank

Motagua River

2005-02-02T16:51:00.000-08:00

Spanish Río Motagua, river in eastern Guatemala, rising in the central highlands near Chichicastenango, in southern Quiché department. The Motagua is Guatemala's longest river, measuring approximately 250 mi (400 km). Flowing generally eastward and northeastward through Chimaltenango, El Progreso, Zacapa, and Izabal departments, it empties into Omoa Bay off the Gulf of Honduras at the Honduran

France, History Of, Loss of control

2005-02-02T07:42:00.000-08:00

By August 1786 even Necker's successor, the frivolous if intelligent Charles-Alexandre de Calonne (1734–1802), had concluded that the French state was coming to a dead end. Although the crown had assured the moneymen that it would not default on the debt, as indeed it could not have done without alienating thousands of its natural supporters, Calonne found that he could no longer raise

Fuel Injection

2005-02-01T10:09:00.000-08:00

In an internal-combustion engine, introduction of fuel into the cylinders by means of a pump rather than by the suction created by the movement of the pistons. On diesel engines, which have no spark plugs, the heat created by compressing air in the cylinders ignites the fuel, which has been pumped as a spray into the heated air. In engines with spark ignition, fuel-injection

Atacama Plateau

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The peaks of the

Novo Mesto

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City, southern Slovenia, on the Krka River. Novo Mesto was founded in 1365 by Rudolf IV of Austria and became an important military base on the Ottoman frontier in the 15th century. Though ravaged twice by fire (1576 and 1664) and once by plague (1599), Novo Mesto developed into an important regional centre. The modern city has a hydroelectric power plant as well as textile, automobile, and chemical-pharmaceutical

Abdulla, Muhammed Said

2005-01-29T23:46:00.000-08:00

Abdulla, after completing his formal education, began his career as an inspector in the Colonial Health Department. After 10 years there, however, he decided to become a journalist. In 1948 he was made editor of the newspaper Zanzibari, and during the next decade he also