ConsciousWire

Akutagawa Ryunosuke

2005-04-04T16:22:00.000-07:00

As a boy Akutagawa was sickly and hypersensitive, but he excelled at school and was a voracious reader. He began his literary career while attending Tokyo Imperial University (now the University of Tokyo), where he studied English literature from

Van Diemen Gulf

2005-04-03T08:12:00.000-07:00

Inlet of the Timor Sea of the Indian Ocean, indenting Northern Territory, Australia. Measuring 90 mi (145 km) by 50 mi and partially enclosed by Melville Island (northwest) and the Cobourg Peninsula (northeast), it is fronted by the mainland as far west as Cape Hotham (south). Receiving the South and East Alligator and Mary rivers, the gulf has access to the open sea through Clarence

Grace

2005-03-31T04:33:00.000-08:00

Greek Charis, plural Charites, Latin Gratia, in Greek religion, one of a group of goddesses of fertility. The name refers to the “pleasing” or “charming” appearance of a fertile field or garden. The number of Graces varied in different legends, but usually there were three: Aglaia (Brightness), Euphrosyne (Joyfulness), and Thalia (Bloom). They are said to be daughters of Zeus and Hera (or Eurynome, daughter of Oceanus) or of

Grindelwald

2005-03-29T08:17:00.000-08:00

Alpine village and valley, Bern canton, south central Switzerland. The village is scattered on the slopes of the Lütschine Valley (Lütschental), part of the Grindelwald Valley in the Bernese Oberland (highland), southeast of Interlaken. The Grindelwald Valley is shut in on the south by the Wetterhorn, Mettenberg, and Eiger (peaks rising above 10,000 ft [3,050 m]), between which are two

Claude, Georges

2005-03-27T16:43:00.000-08:00

In 1897 Claude discovered that acetylene gas could be transported safely by dissolving it in acetone. His method was generally adopted and brought a wide expansion to the acetylene industry. Independently

Tasmania, Self-government and Federation

2005-03-25T07:42:00.000-08:00

Once the importation and exploitation of convicts had ended, the way opened for the grant of colonial self-government in 1855–56. Tasmania became the colony's official name, a portent of a happier age. Yet penalism had given the island an economic undergirding and historical import that have never been matched. Post-1860 Tasmania continued to be shadowed by its Vandiemonian

National Army Museum

2005-03-23T19:54:00.000-08:00

The collections of the National Army Museum relate to all aspects of the British army from the Battle of Agincourt (1415) to the present day. They include material from the militia, yeomanry, volunteers,

Oakley, Kenneth (page)

2005-03-22T23:12:00.000-08:00

Oakley received a B.S. in geology with first-class honours from University College, London, in 1933, and a Ph.D. from the same institution in 1938. He was long associated with the British

Kuei-lin

2005-03-22T17:10:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Kweilin , formerly Lin-kuei , Pinyin Guilin , or Lingui large city in northeastern Kwangsi Chuang autonomous ch'ü (region), China. It stands on the west bank of the Kuei River, which is a tributary of the Hsi. The natural route centre of the Kuei River basin, Kuei-lin lies along the easiest of all the routes leading from central China to Kwangtung province—that between the headwaters of the Hsiang River in Hunan province and

East Ayrshire

2005-03-20T21:54:00.000-08:00

Council area, southwestern Scotland. It covers an undulating lowland in the north and west that rises to forested and moor-covered uplands in the east and south, where Blackcraig Hill reaches an elevation of 2,298 feet (700 metres). East Ayrshire forms part of the historic county of Ayrshire. Dairy farming is important in the lowlands, while cattle and sheep raising predominate

Biblical Literature, Pseudepigrapha connected with the Dead Sea Scrolls

2005-03-19T08:25:00.000-08:00

There are three Pseudepigrapha that are closely connected with the writings of the Dead Sea sect: the Book of Jubilees, the Ethiopic Book of Enoch, and the Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs. It is not accidental that fragments of the two first books and of two sources of the third were found among the Dead Sea Scrolls.

Schmucker, S.s.

2005-03-18T20:51:00.000-08:00

Schmucker joined in the establishment of the General Synod (1820) that coordinated the various Lutheran churches in the United States and

Vieille, Paul

2005-03-16T17:13:00.000-08:00

After studying with the chemist Marcellin Berthelot, Vieille collaborated with him in researches that led to important discoveries of the physics of shock waves (1881). He then undertook to solve the problem of harnessing the powerful but unstable substance nitrocellulose as a propellant

Peru, Achievement of independence

2005-03-16T02:26:00.000-08:00

The Napoleonic invasion of Spain in 1808 sparked the Creoles (those of European descent born in America) in other Spanish colonies to struggle for independence between 1810 and 1821. But Peru remained loyal because of the conservative attitude of the Peruvian aristocracy, the presence of many Spaniards in Peru, the concentration of Spanish military power in Lima, and the effective

Spa

2005-03-14T06:27:00.000-08:00

The practice of “taking the waters” for therapeutic purposes reached its heyday in the 19th century, but springs have been considered places of healing at many

Latin

2005-03-13T02:44:00.000-08:00

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

Fiction

2005-03-12T07:56:00.000-08:00

Literature created from the imagination, not presented as fact, though it may be based on a true story or situation. Types of literature in the fiction genre include the novel, short story, and novella. The word is from the Latin fictio, “the act of making, fashioning, or molding.”

Anne And Joachim, Saints

2005-03-11T14:05:00.000-08:00

The parents of the Virgin Mary, according to tradition derived from certain apocryphal writings. Information concerning their lives and names is found in the 2nd-century-AD Protevangelium of James (“First Gospel of James”) and the 3rd-century-AD Evangelium de nativitate Mariae (“Gospel of the Nativity of

Welf Dynasty

2005-03-10T10:43:00.000-08:00

The origin of the “Elder House” of Welf is a matter of controversy, since Welf in the Carolingian period seems

Ashurnasirpal I

2005-03-10T06:32:00.000-08:00

King of Assyria 1050–32 BC, when it was at a low ebb in power and prosperity caused by widespread famine and the pressure of western desert nomads, against whom Ashurnasirpal warred constantly. His father, Shamshi-Adad IV, a son of Tiglath-pileser I, was placed on the throne of Assyria by the Babylonian king Adad-apal-iddina. The few inscriptions of Ashurnasirpal I that

Radiation Injury

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

Tissue damage or changes caused by exposure to ionizing radiation—namely, gamma rays, X rays, and such high-energy particles as neutrons, electrons, and positrons. Sources of ionizing radiation may be natural (e.g., radioactive substances such as the element radium or the radioisotopes potassium-40 and carbon-14) or man-made (X-ray machines, nuclear reactors, particle accelerators,

Arabia, Yemen

2005-03-07T17:46:00.000-08:00

Arabia's highest mountains occur in Yemen: An-Nabi Shu'ayb, northwest of San'a', reaches 12,008 feet. The Tihamah in Yemen, broader and more habitable than the Tihamah farther north in Saudi Arabia, supports some towns. Monsoon rains make the mountains and high plateaus of Yemen the most fruitful region in Arabia. The easy slope from the highlands to the southwestern corner of the

Kirchhoff, Gustav Robert

2005-03-06T07:03:00.000-08:00

In 1845 Kirchhoff first announced Kirchhoff's

Pufendorf, Samuel, Freiherr Von (baron Of)

2005-03-06T02:01:00.000-08:00

German jurist and historian, best known for his defense of the idea of natural law. He was created a baron in the last year of his life.

Utrillo, Maurice

2005-03-04T23:48:00.000-08:00

Utrillo was the illegitimate son of the model and artist Suzanne Valadon (1865–1938). His father was not known, and he was given a name by a Spanish art critic, Miguel Utrillo. The young Utrillo had no instruction as an artist

World War I, The German invasion

2005-03-03T21:59:00.000-08:00

For the smooth working of their plan for the invasion of France, the Germans had preliminarily to reduce the ring fortress of Liège, which commanded the route prescribed for their 1st and 2nd armies and which was the foremost stronghold of the Belgian defenses. German troops crossed the frontier into Belgium on the morning of August 4. Thanks to the resolution of a middle-aged

Ussachevsky, Vladimir (alexis)

2005-03-02T14:14:00.000-08:00

The son of Russian parents, Ussachevsky entered the United States in 1931 and thereupon studied at Pomona College, Claremont, Calif., and at the Eastman School of Music of the University of

Newton

2005-03-02T07:55:00.000-08:00

City, seat (1872) of Harvey county, central Kansas, U.S. Founded in 1871 and named for Newton, Massachusetts, it was a railhead for the Chisholm Trail cattle drives from 1871 to 1873, when it was designated a division point of the Santa Fe Railroad. In the 1870s Russian Mennonite settlers began raising Turkey Red hard winter wheat brought from their homeland, and this variety became Kansas's principal

Henequen

2005-02-27T21:41:00.000-08:00

(Agave fourcroydes), plant of the family agave (Agavaceae) and its fibre, third in importance among the leaf fibre (q.v.) group. Varieties of A. fourcroydes include ixtli, longifolia, minima, and rigida. The henequen plant is native to Mexico, where it has been a source of textile fibre since pre-Columbian times. It was introduced to Cuba in the 19th century, becoming the country's

Back Swimmer

2005-02-27T20:31:00.000-08:00

Any insect of the family Notonectidae (order Heteroptera), containing approximately 200 species. These relatively small insects occur worldwide. Most are less than 15 mm (0.6 inch) in length. Their long, oarlike legs are used when they swim on their backs, which are shaped like the keel and sides of a boat. The back swimmer has an oval head and an elongated body. It is a good example

Yiddish Language

2005-02-25T16:01:00.000-08:00

The earliest

Asma'i, Al-

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

A gifted student of Abu 'Amr ibn al-'Ala', the founder of the Basra school, al-Asma'i joined the court of the 'Abbasid caliph Harun ar-Rashid in Baghdad. Renowned for his piety and plain living, he was a tutor to the caliph's son and a favourite of the Barmakid

Auscultation

2005-02-23T20:32:00.000-08:00

The technique

Aleksandrov, Pavel Sergeevich

2005-02-23T07:06:00.000-08:00

In 1897 Aleksandrov moved with his family to Smolensk, where his father had accepted a position as a surgeon with the Smolensk State Hospital. His early education was supplied by his mother, who gave him French, German, and music lessons. At grammar

Mcneill, William H(ardy)

2005-02-22T22:02:00.000-08:00

McNeill attended the University of Chicago (B.A., 1938; M.A., 1939) and Cornell University (Ph.D., 1947). During World War II he served in the U.S. Army (1941–46); part of that time he was the assistant military attaché to Greece (1944–46). McNeill taught history

Asilah

2005-02-22T10:06:00.000-08:00

Also called Arzila, Spanish Arcila, city on the Atlantic coast of western Morocco. Built on the site of an ancient Phoenician-Carthaginian settlement (Zili), it later fell to the Romans. It passed to the Idrisids, who in the early 11th century repulsed several attacks by Normans. From AD 972 on, it was dominated by the Marinids, until in 1471 the Portuguese occupied Asilah, which they fortified as a military base (the walls

Turtle

2005-02-20T01:30:00.000-08:00

One-man submarine, the first to be put to military use, built and designed by the American inventor David Bushnell (q.v.) in 1775 for use against British warships. The pear-shaped vessel, made of oak reinforced with iron bands, measured about 2.3 m (7.5 feet) long by 1.8 m (6 feet) wide. It was equipped with a mine that was to be attached to the hull of an enemy ship. In 1776, in New York harbour, the Turtle tried

Indeterminate Sentence

2005-02-18T20:44:00.000-08:00

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

Hyatt, Alpheus

2005-02-15T19:26:00.000-08:00

He studied at Harvard (1858–62) under the Swiss–U.S. naturalist

århus

2005-02-13T03:51:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Aarhus, city, seat of Århus amtskommune (county commune), eastern Jutland, Denmark. It lies along Århus Bay and has an extensive harbour. Its origin is unknown, although traces of a Viking settlement have been found near the outflow of the now-covered Århus stream. The oldest existing charter for the town (1441) refers to a still-earlier charter. Århus became a bishopric in 948 and prospered

Hyperthyroidism

2005-02-12T08:41:00.000-08:00

The thyroid gland's oversecretion of hormones is usually accompanied by enlargement of the gland itself, thus forming the swelling, known as a goitre, in the neck region. The increased levels of thyroid hormones cause an increased

Heinrich Von Morungen

2005-02-09T14:10:00.000-08:00

A native of Thuringia, he spent much of his later life in the service of Duke Dietrich of Meissen. His poems, of which some 33 are to be found in the Heidelberg manuscript, are all devoted to the fashionable cult of love. His poems show more originality and spontaneity than those

Pacific Grove

2005-02-07T10:00:00.000-08:00

Resort and residential city, Monterey county, western California, U.S. It lies along Monterey Bay and adjoins the city of Monterey. Founded in 1874 by Methodists as a religious retreat, the city remains a centre for conferences of religious and other groups. Pacific Grove is the northern terminus of the scenic Seventeen Mile Drive from Carmel. The famous Butterfly Trees

Auckland Islands

2005-02-06T22:24:00.000-08:00

Outlying island group of New Zealand, in the South Pacific Ocean, 290 miles (467 km) south of South Island. Volcanic in origin, they comprise six islands and several islets, with a total land area of 234 square miles (606 square km), and have a cool, humid, and windy climate. The islands' soils are generally poor, and shrub forests cover lower elevations. Animal life includes birds, wild cattle,

La Libertad

2005-02-04T18:06:00.000-08:00

Once the home of the Mochica and Chimú cultures—renowned for their ceramics, irrigation works, and vast urban

Altizer, Thomas J.j.

2005-02-01T23:19:00.000-08:00

A graduate of the University of Chicago (A.B. 1948, A.M. 1951, Ph.D. 1955), Altizer taught religion first at Wabash College (Crawfordsville, Ind.), from 1954 to 1956, and then at Emory University (Atlanta, Ga.) from 1956 to 1968 before becoming a professor of English at the State University of New York at Stony

Baetic Cordillera

2005-01-31T02:46:00.000-08:00

Spanish Sistema Penibético, mountain system comprising the Andalusian mountains of southern Spain, of which the northern range runs about 360 miles (580 km) from Cape Trafalgar to Cape Nao. The central and southern ranges, the Baetic proper, extend a shorter distance from Estepona to Cape Gata. Separating the two systems is a complex series of structures, traceable in longitudinal corridors and high

Swartz, Olof

2005-01-28T08:40:00.000-08:00

Swartz received his doctorate from the University of Uppsala in 1781. In 1783 he traveled to North America and the West Indies to collect specimens. He is best known for his taxonomic studies and for his work on pteridophytes (spore-bearing plants).

Sorghum

2005-01-26T06:44:00.000-08:00

Cereal grain plant of the family Gramineae (Poaceae), probably originating in Africa, and its edible starchy seeds. All types raised chiefly for grain belong to the species Sorghum vulgare, which includes varieties of grain sorghums and grass sorghums, grown for hay and fodder, and broomcorn, used in making brooms and brushes. Grain sorghums include durra, milo, shallu,

Margaret

2005-01-25T21:12:00.000-08:00

Margaret's father was Eric II, king of Norway; her mother, Margaret, a daughter of King Alexander III of Scotland (ruled 1249–86), died in 1283. Because none of Alexander III's other children were alive at the time of his death (March 1286), the Scottish

Earth Exploration, Geothermal methods

2005-01-23T21:46:00.000-08:00

Temperature-gradient measurements are sometimes made to detect heat-flow anomalies; however, most exploration for geothermal resources (e.g., superheated water and steam) is done with indirect methods. Resistivity or seismic methods, for example, may be used to map the magma chamber, which is the source of the heat, or to detect faults or other features that control

Izu Peninsula

2005-01-20T08:39:00.000-08:00

Japanese Izu-hanto, peninsula in Shizuoka ken (prefecture), Honshu, Japan. The peninsula extends 37 miles (60 km) into the Pacific Ocean between Suruga Bay on the west and Sagami Gulf on the east. The entire peninsula is included within the Fuji Volcanic Zone. Its southern part consists primarily of volcanic breccia, and its northern section is an assembly of numerous volcanoes, among which are

Great Bahama Bank

2005-01-18T20:35:00.000-08:00

Large shoal off The Bahamas, separated from Little Bahama Bank (north) by Northwest Providence Channel. Its shallow waters extend southeast from Miami, across the Straits of Florida, in a broad curve about 330 miles (530 km) long, between Cuba and Andros Island. The edge of the bank drops off precipitously into great depths. The marine life is abundant and varied, making it a prized

Motion Picture, Motion-picture design

2005-01-17T10:47:00.000-08:00

Under the heading of design, all the elements of a picture's setting may be included—art direction, scenic composition, set design, costume, and makeup. At its simplest and most naturalistic, the camera can choose and frame ordinary people in a real location. At its most elaborate, motion-picture production may involve the expenditure of vast sums to put up gigantic sets

Voyager

2005-01-15T19:58:00.000-08:00

In aeronautics, American experimental aircraft that in 1986 became the first airplane to fly around the world without stops or refueling. Piloted by Dick Rutan and Jeana Yeager, the craft took off on December 14 from Edwards Air Force Base, 60 miles (100 km) northeast of Los Angeles, and landed at that same base 9 days later after completing a course of 25,012 miles (40,251 km) around the world. The Voyager

Leonowens, Anna Harriette

2005-01-13T22:21:00.000-08:00

At age 15 Anna went to Asia, where she married Maj. Thomas Lewis Leonowens of the Indian Army. After the major died in 1858, she lived in Singapore

Catastrophe

2005-01-10T00:39:00.000-08:00

In literature, the final action that completes the unraveling of the plot in a play, especially in a tragedy. Catastrophe is a synonym of denouement. The term is sometimes applied to a similar action in a novel or story.

Hook, Sidney

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

American educator and social philosopher who studied historical theory in relation to American philosophy. He was among the first U.S. scholars to analyze Marxism and was firmly opposed to all forms of totalitarianism, holding liberal democracy as the most viable political structure for social and scientific

Louis, Victor

2005-01-07T18:24:00.000-08:00

After at least seven unsuccessful attempts, Louis won the Prix de Rome in 1755. While in Rome (1756–59), he offended the director of the Academy there, Charles Joseph Natoire, and this social misstep resulted in his subsequent exclusion from

Mesolóngion

2005-01-05T03:47:00.000-08:00

Also called Missolonghi town and capital of the nomós (department) of Aetolia and Acarnania, Greece. It lies along the Patraïkós Gulf on the shore of a large, shallow lagoon, which is partly given over to fish hatcheries. Seat of a metropolitan bishop of the Greek Orthodox church, the town is notable for two heroic actions in the War of Greek Independence (1821–29) and for its association with the English

Stefan Nemanja

2005-01-02T06:57:00.000-08:00

Nemanja became grand zupan (clan leader) of Raška under Byzantine suzerainty in 1169. He subsequently sided with the Venetians and was eventually defeated by the avenging Byzantines, but he was pardoned. Nemanja later conquered Skopje, Prizren, and Tetovo. Though again defeated, he retained Kosovo, Pec, Prizren, Bar, Skadar (Shkodër), and Kotor. He abdicated

Bureaucracy

2004-12-31T07:08:00.000-08:00

A professional corps of officials organized in a pyramidal hierarchy and functioning under impersonal, uniform rules and procedures. In the social sciences, the term usually does not carry the pejorative associations of popular usage.

Babenberg, House Of

2004-12-29T20:03:00.000-08:00

Austrian ruling house in the 10th–13th century. Leopold I of Babenberg became margrave of Austria in 976. The Babenbergs' power was modest, however, until the 12th century, when they came to dominate the Austrian nobility. With the death of Duke Frederick II in 1246, the male line of the Babenbergs ended, and the family's power declined rapidly.

Swallowtail Butterfly

2004-12-27T21:55:00.000-08:00

Any member of the insect subfamily Papilioninae of the cosmopolitan family Papilionidae (order Lepidoptera). The swallowtail butterflies (Papilio), found worldwide except in the Arctic, are named for the characteristic taillike extensions of the hindwings, although many species are tailless. Colour patterns vary; many species have yellow,

Indian Territory

2004-12-25T03:27:00.000-08:00

Originally “all of that part of the United States west of the Mississippi, and not within the States of Missouri and Louisiana, or the Territory of Arkansas.” Never an organized territory, it was soon restricted to the present state of Oklahoma, excepting the panhandle and Greer county. The Choctaw, Creek, Seminole, Cherokee, and Chickasaw tribes were forcibly moved to

Epistolary Novel

2004-12-24T15:53:00.000-08:00

A novel told through the medium of letters written by one or more of the characters. Originating with Samuel Richardson's Pamela; or, Virtue Rewarded (1740), the story of a servant girl's victorious struggle against her master's attempts to seduce her, it was one of the earliest forms of novel to be developed and remained one of the most popular up to the 19th century. The epistolary

Gruffydd, William John

2004-12-21T23:55:00.000-08:00

Educated at the University of Oxford, Gruffydd was appointed professor of Celtic at University College in Cardiff, Wales, a position

Stedelijk Museum

2004-12-19T06:46:00.000-08:00

The museum maintains fine collections of drawings, prints, applied arts, photographs, and

Tabriz School

2004-12-17T02:11:00.000-08:00

The early works of the Tabriz school were

Aleijadinho

2004-12-16T13:21:00.000-08:00

Aleijadinho was born deformed (his sobriquet means “Little Cripple”). He eventually lost the use of his hands and finally became blind,

Adamic, Louis

2004-12-14T06:00:00.000-08:00

Adamic immigrated to the United States from Yugoslavia at age 14 and was naturalized in 1918. He wrote about what he called the failure of the American melting pot in Laughing

Sabará

2004-12-11T06:21:00.000-08:00

City, east-central Minas Gerais state, Brazil, on the Velhas River, east of Belo Horizonte, the state capital, at 2,313 feet (705 m) above sea level. Made a seat of a municipality in 1711, it was elevated to city status in 1838. Cobblestone streets, colonial buildings, and a gold-mining museum attest to Sabará's former eminence as a mining centre. A spinning and weaving factory and other industrial

Gracchus, Gaius Sempronius

2004-12-09T03:07:00.000-08:00

Gaius Sempronius was the son of a Roman aristocrat whose family had regularly held the highest offices of state for the past century and was connected to the most

Man-of-war Fish

2004-12-07T01:32:00.000-08:00

(species Nomeus gronovii), small marine fish of the family Nomeidae (order Perciformes; sometimes placed in family Stromateidae), noted for living unharmed among the stinging tentacles of the Portuguese man-of-war jellyfish (Physalia). The man-of-war fish is usually found in the open sea, near its protector. It is striped or mottled, with large, black pelvic fins and is about

Arts, Islamic, The Umayyad and 'Abbasid dynasties: classical Islamic music

2004-12-05T14:18:00.000-08:00

Under the Umayyad caliphate (661–750) the classical style of Islamic music developed further. The capital was moved to Damascus (in modern Syria) and the courts were thronged with male and female musicians, who formed a class apart. Many prominent musicians were Arab by birth or acculturation, but the alien element continued to play a predominant role in Islamic music. The first

Buontalenti, Bernardo

2004-12-03T19:39:00.000-08:00

Buontalenti entered the service of the Medici as a youth and remained with them the rest of his life. In the Uffizi Palace, Florence, he built a great court stage, where, during the winter of 1585–86, splendid fetes were produced under his direction. For the Medici extravaganzas, he designed costumes

Salat

2004-12-01T07:17:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Salah, Arabic Salat, the daily ritual prayer enjoined upon all Muslims as one of the five Pillars of Islam (arkan al-Islam). There is disagreement among Islamic scholars as to whether some passages about prayer in the Muslim sacred scripture, the Qur'an, are actually references to the salat. Within Muhammad's lifetime five ritual prayers, each preceded by ablution, were observed: salat al-fajr (dawn),

Mexico, History Of

2004-11-30T04:26:00.000-08:00

Diego Velázquez, governor of Cuba, laid the foundation for the conquest of Mexico. In 1517 and 1518 Velázquez sent out expeditions headed by Francisco Hernández de Córdoba and Juan de Grijalva that explored the coasts of Yucatán and the Mexican Gulf. Velázquez commissioned Hernán Cortés to outfit an expedition to investigate their tales of great wealth in the area. Spending

Turban Shell

2004-11-27T01:50:00.000-08:00

Any marine snail of the family Turbinidae (subclass Prosobranchia of the class Gastropoda) that has a wide aperture in the first whorl of the stout shell, which is topped by a bulbous, turbanlike coil. The shell may be beaded, knobbed, or ridged. The largest species of turban shell is the 20-centimetre (8-inch) green turban (Turbo marmoratus), native to the East Indies and Australia;

Neotropical Region

2004-11-26T23:40:00.000-08:00

Also called Neogaean Realm, or South American Region, one of the six major biogeographic areas of the world defined on the basis of its characteristic animal life. It extends south from the Mexican desert into South America as far as the subantarctic zone. It includes such animals as the llama, tapir, deer, pig, jaguar, puma, a variety of opossums, many rodents and fishes, and extremely rich insect and bird populations. The

Burn

2004-11-23T13:40:00.000-08:00

The use of topical antibacterial agents has reduced the incidence of post-burn infection, but infection remains one of the most serious complications of burns. Burn surgeons often obtain cultures of the burn wound and of sputum and other body secretions; these are examined for signs of infection. Early detection and prompt treatment of infection with antibiotics

Bydgoszcz Canal

2004-11-21T21:04:00.000-08:00

Polish Kanal Bydgoski , German Bromberger-Kanal canal in Bydgoszcz województwo (province), north-central Poland. It extends for 17 miles (27 km) between Naklo (west) and the inland port-city of Bydgoszcz (east) between the Notec and Brda rivers and links the Vistula River basin with that of the Oder. Construction of the 64-foot- (20-metre-) wide canal was completed in 1774 under Frederick II, who had annexed the region to Prussia in 1772.

Celandine

2004-11-20T13:34:00.000-08:00

Any of several distinct flowering plants of similar appearance. The celandine proper, or greater celandine (Chelidonium majus), once a valued plant of the Old World herbalist, is now grown somewhat in wild gardens. A member of the poppy family (Papaveraceae), it has poisonous orange sap, coarsely toothed, divided leaves, and four-petaled yellow blooms

Epidemiology

2004-11-17T17:24:00.000-08:00

Branch of medical science that studies the distribution of disease in human populations and the factors determining that distribution, chiefly by the use of statistics. Unlike other medical disciplines, epidemiology concerns itself with groups of people rather than individual patients and is frequently retrospective, or historical, in nature. It developed

Wessel Islands

2004-11-16T21:16:00.000-08:00

Chain of small islands extending 75 miles (120 km) northeast from the Napier Peninsula in northeastern Northern Territory, Australia, into the Arafura Sea. Named for a Dutch ship that explored the area in 1636, the islands form the western gate to the Gulf of Carpentaria at Cape Wessel, their northern extremity. Marchinbar, the largest island (30 miles by 7 miles [48 km by 11 km]), has undeveloped

Ear Disease

2004-11-13T04:25:00.000-08:00

Impaired hearing is, with rare exception, the result of disease or abnormality of the outer, middle, or inner ear. Serious impairment of hearing at birth almost always results from a dysfunction of the auditory nerve and cannot be improved by medical or surgical treatment. In early and late childhood

Hancock, Thomas

2004-11-11T05:32:00.000-08:00

English inventor and manufacturer who founded the British rubber industry. His chief invention, the “masticator,” worked rubber scraps into a shredded mass of rubber that could be formed into blocks or rolled into sheets. This process, perfected in 1821, led to a partnership with the Scottish chemist and inventor of waterproof

Saxhorn

2004-11-10T01:51:00.000-08:00

Any of a family of brass wind instruments patented by the Belgian instrument-maker Antoine-Joseph Sax, known as Adolphe Sax, in Paris in 1845. Saxhorns, one of many 19th-century developments from the valved bugle, provided military bands with a homogeneous series of valved brass in place of the miscellany of valved instruments that had come into use since 1825 (such as flügelhorns,

Selaginella

2004-11-08T07:05:00.000-08:00

Genus of plants that are commonly known as spike moss (q.v.).

Subhah

2004-11-05T01:28:00.000-08:00

String of Muslim prayer beads whose units (100, 25, or 33) represent the names of God. As the beads (made of wood, bone, or precious stones) are touched one by one, Muslims may recite any of numerous formulas, the most common being “Glory to Allah.” But because prayer may also be recited in the secret of one's heart, a person can multiply his praises of God by merely moving the beads through his

Tarakanova, Yelizaveta Alekseyevna

2004-11-04T22:42:00.000-08:00

She claimed to have been reared in St. Petersburg, but she was probably not Russian, and her origins and real name are unknown. She appeared in various cities of western Europe

Cobham, Sir Alan J.

2004-11-02T23:01:00.000-08:00

Cobham entered the Royal Flying Corps in 1917 and in 1921 joined Geoffrey de Havilland's new aircraft company, for which he undertook a succession of long-distance flights: 5,000 miles (8,000 km) around Europe; 8,000 miles (12,800 km) across Europe and North Africa;

Farman, Maurice

2004-10-31T19:08:00.000-08:00

A champion bicyclist, he also distinguished himself as an automobile racing driver. With his brother Henri, Maurice made the first circular flight of more than one kilometre in 1908, completing a 1.6-kilometre (one-mile) flight near Paris. The following year he built

Baracaldo

2004-10-28T13:15:00.000-07:00

Also spelled Barakaldo, industrial municipality, northern Biscay (Vizcaya) provincia, in the autonomous Basque Country, northeastern Spain. It lies on the south bank of the Nervión River. Baracaldo consists of the Bilbao suburbs of El Regato, San Vicente de Baracaldo, Iráuregui, and Alonsótegui. It is the terminus of a mining railway; the locality's primary economic activities include iron

Cronstedt, Axel Fredrik

2004-10-26T18:06:00.000-07:00

Cronstedt was the first

C.h.

2004-10-25T00:55:00.000-07:00

Companion of honour, member of a British honorary society. See Companions of Honour, Order of the.

Mollisol

2004-10-22T10:23:00.000-07:00

One of the 12 soil orders in the U.S. Soil Taxonomy. Mollisols are characterized by a significant accumulation of humus in the surface horizon, or uppermost layer, which is almost always formed under native grass vegetation. They are highly arable soils used principally for growing grain and cereal crops, often inspiring the name “breadbasket” for the regions where they

Buhturi, Al-

2004-10-20T15:45:00.000-07:00

Al-Buhturi devoted his early poetry, written between the ages of 16 and 19, to his tribe, the Tayyi'. Sometime after 840 he came to the attention of the prominent poet Abu Tammam, who encouraged his panegyrics and brought him to the caliphal capital of Baghdad. Al-Buhturi met with little success there and returned

Ogre-faced Spider

2004-10-19T15:43:00.000-07:00

Any member of the family Dinopidae (or Deinopidae; order Araneida). One pair of eyes is unusually large, producing an ogrelike appearance. The spiders occur throughout the tropics. One genus, Dinopis, the net-casting spider, carries a web that is thrown over prey.

Dacke War

2004-10-16T15:31:00.000-07:00

Led by Nils Dacke, an outlaw, the peasants of the province of Småland took up arms against the King in the spring of 1542 in protest against the royal