NarrowBerry

Estate Agent Covent Garden

2006-10-26T02:50:00.000-07:00

Robert Irving Burns specialise in London Commercial and Residential property services. They are an estate agent covent garden amongst other London areas such as Soho and Oxford Circus.

Abraham, Plains Of

2005-03-19T04:02:00.000-08:00

Also called Heights Of Abraham, French Plaines D'abraham, plains in Québec region, southern Quebec province, Canada. The plains lie at the western edge of the old walled city, overlooking the St. Lawrence River. The plateau was the scene of a battle (Sept. 13, 1759) between the French under the Marquis de Montcalm and the British under James Wolfe in which both leaders were killed but which secured Quebec for the British. Named for Abraham

Sabre

2005-03-17T20:09:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Saber, heavy military sword with a long cutting edge and, often, a curved blade, derived from a Hungarian cavalry sword introduced from the Orient in the 18th century; also a light fencing weapon developed in Italy in the 19th century for duelling. The military sabre had been relegated to a ceremonial role by the 20th century, while the fencing sabre had become one of the sport's standard

Morea, Despotate Of

2005-03-15T23:24:00.000-08:00

Autonomous Byzantine principality located on the Greek Peloponnese (Morea). It was established in the mid-14th century by the Byzantine emperor John VI Cantacuzenus (reigned 1347–54) as an appanage for his son Manuel. Manuel Cantacuzenus consolidated his territory against the claims of Latins (western Europeans) and the inroads of Turks, but after his death (1380) the Palaeologians

Japan, Flag Of

2005-03-12T04:31:00.000-08:00

According to tradition, the sun goddess Amaterasu founded Japan in the 7th century BC and was an ancestor of the first of its emperors, Jimmu. Even today the emperor is known as the “Son of the Sun,” and a popular name for the country is “Land of the Rising Sun.” The first concrete evidence that testifies to use of a sun flag for Japan dates from 1184, but there are oral traditions going

Equatorial Guinea

2005-03-11T15:42:00.000-08:00

The island of Bioko (formerly Fernando Po) was sighted by Fernão do Pó, probably in 1472. At first it was called Formosa (Beautiful). Annobón was probably sighted by Ruy de Sequeira on a New Year's Day (hence the name, which means “good year”) between 1472 and 1475, most likely that of 1474. By the Treaty of Tordesillas (June 7, 1494), the Portuguese had exclusive rights in Africa, and it was not until 1778 that they

Arabia, The Hejaz and Asir

2005-03-09T20:41:00.000-08:00

A virtually unbroken escarpment runs the length of the peninsula above the Red Sea. The stretch from the Gulf of Aqaba to a point about 200 miles south of Mecca is called the Hejaz (Al-Hijaz, meaning “The Barrier”), and the higher stretch from there to the Najran region near the Yemeni border has acquired the name of Asir ('Asir; from the name, meaning “Difficult,” of a prominent highland

Earth, Temperature distribution

2005-03-06T22:41:00.000-08:00

The temperature distribution through the Earth is mainly constrained by the seismological observations of which regions are solid and which are liquid—i.e., which regions transmit shear waves and which do not (Figures 15 and 17 ). Thus, the average temperature in the solid crust and mantle must be lower than the melting point of rocks that make up these regions. Similarly,

Abacha, Sani

2005-03-04T00:25:00.000-08:00

Many found it downright curious how in 1997 Gen. Sani Abacha, who had ruthlessly seized power in Nigeria in a coup four years earlier, was sending troops to Sierra Leone in an effort to defend democracy there. Earlier he had assisted peacekeeping forces in Liberia, and it was thought that Abacha was also providing economic aid to support democracy in that country. At home,

Flores

2005-03-03T15:05:00.000-08:00

One of the Lesser Sunda Islands in Nusa Tenggara Timur propinsi (East Nusa Tenggara province), Indonesia. The last major island in the chain, which extends eastward from Java, it is long and narrow, 5,500 sq mi (14,250 sq km) in area, and has numerous inlets and bays. The island was named after the Portuguese name for the island's eastern cape, Capo de Flores (Cape of Flowers), after the flamboyants

Seti Ii

2005-02-28T23:26:00.000-08:00

Upon his death, Seti was succeeded by Siptah

Japan, The emergence of new forces.

2005-02-27T00:41:00.000-08:00

After the Onin War, the power of independent local leaders increased markedly, and in many instances deputies of great shugo houses usurped the domains of their superiors, retainers overthrew their overlords, and branch families seized power from main families. Because of this tendency for “inferiors to overcome superiors” (gekokujo), the previous shugo almost completely

Florian

2005-02-24T22:32:00.000-08:00

Latin in full Marcus Annius Florianus Roman emperor from June to September 276. The brother, by a different father, of the emperor Tacitus, he at once seized power on the death of his brother. Although his action was tolerated by the Senate and the armies of the West, the legions in Syria promoted their own general, Probus. A civil war broke out but ended in the sudden death of Florian, either at the hands of

Restell, Madame

2005-02-23T06:12:00.000-08:00

Ann Trow was born into a poor family. In 1831 she moved to New York City with her husband, who died a few years later, and in 1836 she married Charles R. Lohman. Her husband had established himself as a purveyor of various concoctions that purportedly prevented

Widener, George D.

2005-02-20T04:25:00.000-08:00

Scion of a wealthy Philadelphia family, Widener was educated privately and at the deLancey School in Philadelphia. He managed the family's affairs and became a director of the Electric Storage Battery Company and of the Provident National Bank,

Mon Kingdom

2005-02-18T16:24:00.000-08:00

Also called Hanthawaddy Kingdom, kingdom of the Mon people, who were powerful in Myanmar (Burma) from the 9th to the 11th and from the 13th to the 16th century and for a brief period in the mid-18th century. The Mon migrated southward from western China and settled in the Chao Phraya River basin (of southern Thailand) about the 6th century AD. Their early kingdoms, Dvaravati and Haripunjaya (qq.v.), had ties with the ancient

Aesthetics, The aesthetic object

2005-02-16T10:52:00.000-08:00

The third approach to aesthetics begins with a class of aesthetic objects and attempts thereafter to show the significance of that class to those who selectively respond to it. The term aesthetic object, however, is ambiguous, and, depending on its interpretation, may suggest two separate programs of philosophical aesthetics. The expression may denote either

Gaudier-brzeska, Henri

2005-02-14T00:02:00.000-08:00

Gaudier-Brzeska initially studied business before taking up sculpture in 1910. His early work was informed

Christus, Petrus

2005-02-13T11:37:00.000-08:00

In 1444 Christus became a citizen of Bruges, where he worked until his death. He is believed to have been trained in Jan van Eyck's studio. His naturalistic mature style, characterized by jewellike execution, is a simplified adaptation of his supposed

Alushta

2005-02-11T11:50:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Alušta, tourist resort, Crimea, Ukraine, on the south coast of the Crimean Peninsula. It is the site of a settlement dating from the 6th century AD; in the 14th century it was a Genoan stronghold. Tourism, based on the fine beach and relatively cool summers, developed in the late 19th century. Pop. (1991 est.) 37,600.

Cambrai

2005-02-07T07:34:00.000-08:00

Town, Nord département, Nord-Pas-de-Calais région, northern France. It lies along the Escaut River, south of Roubaix. The town was called Camaracum under the Romans, and its bishops were made counts by the German king Henry I in the 10th century. Cambrai was long a bone of contention among its neighbours—the counties of Flanders and Hainaut, the kingdom of France, and the Holy

Romanus Iv Diogenes

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

In 1068 Romanus married Eudocia Macrembolitissa, widow of the emperor Constantine X Ducas. He led military expeditions against the Seljuq Turks but was defeated and captured by them at the Battle of Manzikert (1071). On his release Romanus found that

Earth, The ring current

2005-02-03T19:00:00.000-08:00

Farther out, at 4 Re and beyond, is the next major source of magnetic field, the ring current. At this distance almost all atmospheric particles are fully ionized and, hence, subject to the effects of electric and magnetic fields. Furthermore, the density of the particles is so low that the time between collisions may be many days or months. Here, energetic charged particles

Ha Long Bay

2005-01-31T17:11:00.000-08:00

Vietnamese Vinh Ha Long (“Where the Dragon Descends to the Sea”),

Hetaera

2005-01-29T17:50:00.000-08:00

Greek Hetaira (Female Companion), one of a class of professional independent courtesans of ancient Greece who, besides developing physical beauty, cultivated their minds and talents to a degree far beyond that allowed to the average Attic woman. Usually living fashionably alone, or sometimes two or three together, the hetaerae enjoyed an enviable and respected position of wealth

East Cambridgeshire

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

Prior to the draining of the Fens

John I Tzimisces

2005-01-25T18:52:00.000-08:00

Descended from an aristocratic Armenian family, John was related through his mother to the general, and later emperor, Nicephorus II

Lima, Pre-Columbian and colonial periods

2005-01-23T00:11:00.000-08:00

The area around Lima has been inhabited for thousands of years. Urban communities of significant size date from the pre-Inca Early Intermediate Period (c. 200 BC–AD 600), the most important being Pachacamac, which was an important religious site in both pre-Inca and Inca times. Much of the ransom demanded by the conquistador Francisco Pizarro for the Inca chief Atahuallpa (Atahualpa)

Chi-lung

2005-01-21T17:49:00.000-08:00

Conventional Keelung shih (municipality), northern Taiwan, and the principal port of Taipei, 16 mi (26 km) southwest. The municipality has an area of 51 sq mi (133 sq km). Chi-lung first became known by that name, said to have been a corruption of Ketangalan, the name of a tribe of aboriginal peoples who lived in the district, in the 17th century. The location was occupied in 1626 by the Spanish, who built a fort on the island

Foyt, A. J.

2005-01-20T22:31:00.000-08:00

A racer from the age of 17 and—unlike many drivers—an expert auto mechanic, Foyt participated in his first Indy Car race in 1957. The following year he made his debut at the Indianapolis 500, avoiding a near crash to finish 16th. In 1960 he won

Switzerland, Roman Switzerland

2005-01-17T07:28:00.000-08:00

From AD 101 to 150 Celtic, Rhaetian, and Roman peoples lived together in almost unbroken peace. The Romans enlarged the old Celtic settlements and built new towns such as Augusta Raurica (now Augst), on the Rhine east of Basel; Dunum (Thun), at the head of Lake Thun (Thuner See); Novodunum (Nyon), on the shores of Lake Geneva; Aventicum (Avenches), near Lake Morat; Eburodunum (Yverdon), on the southwest

Hillery, Patrick J(ohn)

2005-01-15T09:24:00.000-08:00

Hillery attended Rockwell College and University College, Dublin, studying sciences and medicine. His practice of medicine yielded to politics in 1951, when as a member of the Fianna Fáil party he won election to Parliament.

Tébessa

2005-01-14T07:32:00.000-08:00

Latin Theveste town, northeastern Algeria. It is located 146 miles (235 km) by road south of Annaba and 12 miles (19 km) west of the Tunisian frontier. Tébessa was an outpost of Carthage in the 7th century BC and a Roman garrison town in 146 BC. It declined in the 5th and 6th centuries AD and disappeared from history after the Arab invasion of the 7th century. The Turks stationed a small military garrison there, and, after

Jewfish

2005-01-11T15:35:00.000-08:00

Any of several large fishes of the sea bass (q.v.) family (Serranidae), especially Epinephelus itajara, found on the Atlantic coast of tropical America. This species sometimes attains a length of 2.5 metres (8 feet) and a weight of about 320 kilograms (700 pounds). The adult is dull olive-brown with faint spots and bands. Adult jewfish are usually solitary and typically remain in the same

Alcidamas

2005-01-10T10:46:00.000-08:00

Prominent Sophist and rhetorician who taught in Athens. He was a pupil of Gorgias and a rival of Isocrates. His only extant work, Peri sophiston (“Concerning Sophists”), stresses the superiority of extempore (though prepared) speeches over written ones. The oration attributed to him entitled Odysseus is spurious. Only fragments of his other works survive. Aristotle

Makar

2005-01-08T09:49:00.000-08:00

Because Geoffrey Chaucer was their acknowledged master and they often employed his verse forms and themes, the

Ashikaga Yoshiaki

2005-01-06T11:57:00.000-08:00

Shogun (hereditary military dictator) of Japan who was the 15th and last of his family to hold the title. Yoshiaki had been a priest, but in 1568, with the aid of his protector, the general Oda Nobunaga, he deposed his cousin Yoshihide and took over the shogunate. Subsequently, rivalry developed between Yoshiaki and Oda, and the latter deposed Yoshiaki and banished

Racemate

2005-01-03T09:52:00.000-08:00

A mixture of equal quantities of two enantiomorphs, or substances that have dissymmetric molecular structures that are mirror images of one another. Each enantiomorph rotates the plane of polarization of plane-polarized light through a characteristic angle, but, because the rotatory effect of each component exactly cancels that of the other, the racemic mixture

Kunlun Mountains, Plant and animal life

2005-01-02T04:48:00.000-08:00

The desert or, at best, steppe conditions prevailing throughout the Kunluns inhibit development of vegetation. Much of the terrain consists of rock deserts. Occasional stagnant water pools provide browsing and water for several wild ungulates, such as the Tibetan gazelle and Tibetan goat antelope (chiru), along with large herds of wild asses (kiang) and clusters

China, The Tangut

2004-12-31T10:28:00.000-08:00

In the northwest the Tangut, a Tibetan people, inhabited the region between the far end of the Great Wall in modern Kansu and the Huang Ho bend in Inner Mongolia. Their semioasis economy combined irrigated agriculture with pastoralism. Their control over the terminus of the famous Silk Road made them middlemen in trade between Central Asia and China. They adopted

Nephrosclerosis

2004-12-28T06:05:00.000-08:00

Hardening of the walls of the small arteries and arterioles (small arteries that convey blood from arteries to the even smaller capillaries) of the kidney. This condition is caused by hypertension (high blood pressure). Hypertension can be present in a person for 20 to 30 years without evidence of kidney involvement; such persons usually die of other effects of hypertension

Irminger Current

2004-12-26T06:23:00.000-08:00

Branch of the warm North Atlantic Current, flowing generally westward along the south coast of Iceland. It divides into two currents west of Iceland. One proceeds northward and then eastward around Iceland, and the other flows westward and then southwestward, merging with the East Greenland and, eventually, the West Greenland currents. The Irminger Current is a

Dracaena

2004-12-24T00:33:00.000-08:00

Genus of ornamental foliage plants in the family Agavaceae, consisting of about 50 to 80 species native primarily to the Old World tropics. Most species have short stalks and narrow, sword-shaped leaves, but some have taller stalks and resemble trees with crowns of leaves. The small flowers are red, yellow, or green. The berrylike fruit contains one to three

Chan-chiang

2004-12-22T14:20:00.000-08:00

Originally Chan-chiang was a minor fishing port in the area dominated by the city of Hai-k'ang (Lei-chou), some 22 miles (35 km) to the southwest, and at one time harboured a notorious

Catacomb

2004-12-20T15:57:00.000-08:00

Latin catacumba , Italian catacomba subterranean cemetery composed of galleries or passages with side recesses for tombs. The term, of unknown origin, seems to have been applied first to the subterranean cemetery under the Basilica of San Sebastiano (located on the Appian Way near Rome), which was reputed to have been the temporary resting place of the bodies of Saints Peter and Paul in the last half

Indian Philosophy, Metaphysics and epistemology

2004-12-18T05:06:00.000-08:00

Both the Bhatta (the name for Kumarila's school) and the Prabhakara schools, in their metaphysics, were realists; both undertook to refute Buddhist idealism and nihilism. The Bhatta ontology recognized five types of entities: substance (dravya), quality (guna), action (karma), universals (samanya), and negation (abhava). Of these, substance was held to be of ten kinds: the nine substances recognized

Boufflers, Louis-françois, Duc De (duke Of)

2004-12-16T10:01:00.000-08:00

Born into an ancient Picard family, he entered the French army in 1662 and distinguished himself as a commander of the royal dragoons during the Dutch War (1672–78). Boufflers became a marshal of France in 1693 during the War of the Grand Alliance (1689–97) between France and other major European

France, History Of, The restoration of the empire

2004-12-14T20:25:00.000-08:00

When by the end of the 8th century Charles was master of a great part of the West, he reestablished the empire in his own name. He was crowned emperor in Rome (Christmas Day, 800), by Pope Leo III. Charlemagne's powers in Rome and in relation to the Papal States, which were incorporated, with some degree of autonomy, into the Frankish empire, were clarified. Although his new title did

Aransas National Wildlife Refuge

2004-12-13T14:31:00.000-08:00

Coastal habitat conservation area in southern Texas, U.S., located about 50 miles (80 km) northeast of Corpus Christi. The refuge, parts of which are jointly administered by state and federal agencies, covers a total of 181 square miles (469 square km) on the Gulf of Mexico, including large tracts of land on Matagorda Island and on a broad peninsula between San Antonio Bay and St. Charles

Moscow

2004-12-10T06:03:00.000-08:00

Russian Moskva oblast (province), western Russia. The oblast surrounds and includes the city of Moscow, the capital of Russia. Moscow oblast was formed in 1929. The main feature of its relief is the Klin-Dmitrov Ridge, which stretches roughly east-west across the oblast, north of Moscow city. The ridge, a line of terminal moraines, reaches a height of 1,000 feet (300 metres) with a steep northern slope to

Gnadenhütten Massacre

2004-12-09T22:12:00.000-08:00

(March 8, 1782), murder of 96 Ohio Indians, mostly Delawares, by an American Revolutionary War officer, Captain David Williamson, and his militia at Gnadenhütten Village south of what is now New Philadelphia, Ohio. The Indians, who had been converted by Moravian Brethren and were peaceful Christians, were under suspicion because of their neutrality in the war. Williamson and

Iphigeneia

2004-12-07T05:44:00.000-08:00

Iphigeneia served as a key figure

Tallinn

2004-12-04T04:49:00.000-08:00

Russian Tallin , German Reval , formerly (until 1918) Revel city, capital of Estonia, on Tallinn Bay of the Gulf of Finland. A fortified settlement existed there from the late 1st millennium BC until the 10th–11th century AD, and there was a town on the site in the 12th century. In 1219 it was captured by the Danes, who built a new fortress on Toompea hill. Trade flourished, especially after Tallinn joined the Hanseatic League in 1285. In 1346 it was sold to the

Hess, Germain Henri

2004-12-03T10:13:00.000-08:00

After practicing medicine for several years in Irkutsk, Russia, Hess became professor of chemistry in 1830 at the Technological Institute, University of St. Petersburg. His early investigations concerned minerals and the natural

Religion

2004-12-01T01:07:00.000-08:00

The year 2002 saw an explosion of scandals involving accusations of sexual abuse and cover-ups in the Roman Catholic Church in countries including Australia, Ireland, Poland, and the U.S. (See Sidebar.) The developments spurred resignations and expulsions of some prominent church leaders and led the pope to say in April that there was “no place in the priesthood and religious

Joyeuse Entrée

2004-11-28T15:15:00.000-08:00

Most famous is the charter of liberties, confirmed on Jan. 3, 1356, and called the Joyeuse Entrée, which was presented to the duchy of Brabant (in the Low Countries) by Johanna

Berezina River

2004-11-27T07:50:00.000-08:00

River in Belarus, a tributary of the Dnieper, which it joins near Rechitsa. Its 381-mile (613-kilometre) length drains 9,450 square miles (24,500 square km). Rising north of the Minsk Elevation, it flows to the south-southeast in a meandering course through a swampy, forested basin. It is navigable only by small craft. During Napoleon's retreat from Moscow in 1812, a bitter engagement was fought on

Ear Disease, Viral nerve deafness

2004-11-25T15:36:00.000-08:00

Viral infections can cause severe degrees of sensorineural hearing loss in one ear, and sometimes in both, at any age. The mumps virus is one of the commonest causes of severe sensorineural hearing loss in one ear. The measles and influenza viruses are less-common causes. There is no effective medical or surgical treatment to restore hearing impaired by a virus.

Mauchly, John W.

2004-11-23T17:44:00.000-08:00

After completing his education, Mauchly entered the teaching profession, eventually becoming an associate professor of electrical engineering at

Cyrene

2004-11-20T04:59:00.000-08:00

In Greek mythology, a nymph, daughter of Hypseus (king of the Lapiths) and Chlidanope (a Naiad). One day Cyrene wrestled a lion that had attacked her father's flocks. Apollo, who was watching, fell in love with her and carried her off from Mt. Pelion, in Thessaly, to Libya. There he founded the city of Cyrene and made her its queen. Cyrene was the mother by Apollo of Aristaeus (q.v.) and

Cyrene

2004-11-19T01:34:00.000-08:00

Any of the group of mammals that includes elephants and their extinct relatives such as mammoths and mastodons. Although only three species of elephant are extant today, more than 160 extinct proboscidean species have been identified from remains found on all continents except Australia and Antarctica. Most of these were called gomphotheres, which belonged to

Hincmar Of Reims

2004-11-17T23:12:00.000-08:00

Educated at the abbey of Saint-Denis, Paris, Hincmar was named a royal consultant to King Louis I the Pious in 834. When King Charles the Bald of France continued him in that office (840), Hincmar incurred

Epinephrine And Norepinephrine

2004-11-15T01:05:00.000-08:00

Also called adrenaline and noradrenaline, two separate but related hormones secreted by the medulla of the adrenal glands. They are also produced at the ends of sympathetic nerve fibres, where they serve as chemical mediators for conveying the nerve impulses to effector organs. Chemically, the two compounds differ only slightly; and they exert similar pharmacological actions, which resemble the effects

Tso Tsung-t'ang

2004-11-13T19:57:00.000-08:00

Pinyin Zuo Zongtang Chinese administrator and military leader, one of the scholar-officials who worked to suppress the great rebellions that threatened the imperial government during the second half of the 19th century. Tso's efforts helped revive the declining Ch'ing (Manchu) dynasty (1644–1911/12) and reestablished the Chinese position in

Syringomyelia

2004-11-11T09:01:00.000-08:00

Chronic, progressive disease characterized principally by the development of a cyst, called a syrinx, near the spinal cord or brain stem. Symptoms include gradual dissociated sensory loss, muscle wasting, and spasticity. The cause of the disease is unknown but is thought to be a developmental defect. Symptoms ordinarily appear between 10 and 30 years of age; males are

Acceleration Stress

2004-11-09T10:01:00.000-08:00

Physiological changes that occur in the human body in motion as a result of rapid increase of speed. Rapid acceleration and surges in acceleration are felt more critically than are gradual shifts. Pilots are especially subject to the effects of acceleration because of the high speeds at which they travel. Acceleration forces are measured in units of gravitational

Excretion, The contractile vacuoles of protozoans

2004-11-07T22:09:00.000-08:00

Some protozoan animals possess an organelle having the form of an internal sac, or vacuole, which enlarges by the accumulation of a clear fluid and then discharges its contents to the exterior. The cycle of filling and emptying may be repeated as frequently as every half minute. The chief role of the contractile vacuole appears to be in osmotic regulation, not in nitrogen

Alka

2004-11-04T13:08:00.000-08:00

Also called Alkas, in Baltic religion, an open-air religious site, a natural sanctuary—forest, hill, river—that was sacred and inviolate. Trees could not be cut in such forests, sacred fields could not be plowed, and fishing was not allowed in the holy waters. The rituals of various religious cults, involving animal sacrifice and human cremation, took place at the alkas. The sense of the ancient

Belgium, History Of

2004-11-03T08:12:00.000-08:00

After the Burgundian regime in the Low Countries (1363–1477), the southern as well as the northern provinces had dynastic links with the Austrian Habsburgs, then with Spain and the Austrian Habsburgs together. Later, as a consequence of revolt in

Anchura

2004-10-31T22:03:00.000-08:00

Genus of extinct marine gastropods (snails) found as fossils only in marine deposits of Cretaceous age (between 144 and 66.4 million years old). It is thus a useful guide or index fossil because it is easily recognizable. The shell whorls are globular and ornamented with raised crenulations; the spire is sharply pointed; the body whorl, the final and largest whorl, has

Stiller, Mauritz

2004-10-30T09:55:00.000-07:00

Motion-picture director who during the early 1920s was a leader in the internationally preeminent Swedish cinema. He was influenced by D.W. Griffith's epic style and Thomas Harper Ince's integral use of landscape but most of all by the typically Swedish mysticism and passionate love of nature reflected in the novels of Selma Lagerlöf, many of which

Sarian, Martiros (sergeevich)

2004-10-28T08:32:00.000-07:00

Sarian received training in painting at the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture, and Architecture (1897–1904), where among his teachers were the noted realist artists Konstantin Korovin and Valentin Serov. Soon Sarian was exhibiting his

Altizer, Thomas J.j.

2004-10-26T21:05:00.000-07:00

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

Igneous Rock, Classification of plutonic rocks

2004-10-23T13:19:00.000-07:00

A plutonic rock may be classified mineralogically based on the actual proportion of the various minerals of which it is composed (called the mode). In any classification scheme, boundaries between classes are set arbitrarily; however, if the boundaries can be placed closest to natural divisions or gaps between classes, they will seem less random and subjective,

Ambiguity

2004-10-22T11:25:00.000-07:00

Use of words that allow alternative interpretations. In factual, explanatory prose, ambiguity is considered an error in reasoning or diction; in literary prose or poetry, it often functions to increase the richness and subtlety of language and to imbue it with a complexity that expands the literal meaning of the original statement. William Empson's Seven Types

Protein, Results of X-ray diffraction studies

2004-10-19T06:09:00.000-07:00

Most knowledge concerning secondary and tertiary structure of globular proteins has been obtained by the examination of their crystals using X-ray diffraction. In this technique X rays are allowed to strike the crystal; the X rays are diffracted by the crystal and impinge on a photographic plate, forming a pattern of spots. The measured intensity of the diffraction

Aesthetics, The role of imagination

2004-10-17T23:42:00.000-07:00

Such paradoxes suggest the need for a more extensive theory of the mind than has been so far assumed. We have referred somewhat loosely to the sensory and intellectual components of human experience but have said little about the possible relations and dependencies that exist between them. Perhaps, therefore, the paradoxes result only from our impoverished description

Korchnoi, Viktor

2004-10-16T06:47:00.000-07:00

As a youngster, Korchnoi lived through the World War II siege of Leningrad (1941–43). He became a Soviet master in 1951, an international master in 1954, and an international grandmaster

Cracticidae

2004-10-13T03:38:00.000-07:00

Songbird family, of the order Passeriformes, that includes species of the bell-magpie, butcherbird, and currawong (qq.v.) groups of Australia. They are sometimes collectively called songshrikes, from their vocal powers and their shrikelike behaviour.

Tobruk

2004-10-12T06:59:00.000-07:00

Also spelled Tubruq port, northeastern Libya. It was the site of Antipyrgos, an ancient Greek agricultural colony, and thereafter of a Roman fortress guarding the Cyrenaican frontier. The town later became a way station on the coastal caravan route. Because it is Libya's only natural harbour, Tobruk was occupied by the Italians as early as 1911 and was subsequently used as a naval and air base

Field Hockey

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

Hockey is believed to date from the earliest civilizations. The Arabs, Greeks, Persians, and Romans each had their own versions, and traces

Amblygonite

2004-10-08T01:29:00.000-07:00

Phosphate mineral composed of lithium, sodium, and aluminum phosphate [(Li,Na)AlPO4(F,OH)], that is an ore of lithium. It occurs in lithium- and phosphate-rich granitic pegmatites, often in very large, white, translucent masses. It has been mined at Keystone, S.D., and in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and several other countries. Clear material from Hebron, Maine, has been faceted as a gemstone.

Arabia, History Of, Arabian and Islamic expansion

2004-10-06T10:35:00.000-07:00

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

Iron Guard

2004-10-03T09:02:00.000-07:00

Romanian Garda De Fier Romanian fascist organization that constituted a major social and political force between 1930 and 1941. In 1927 Corneliu Zelea Codreanu founded the Legion of the Archangel Michael, which later became known as the Legion or Legionary Movement; it was committed to the “Christian and racial” renovation of Romania and fed on anti-Semitism and mystical nationalism. Codreanu established

Kamenshek, Dorothy

2004-09-29T23:24:00.000-07:00

Kamenshek showed promise as an outfielder with a local softball league by the time she was 17. A scout for the newly created All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL) persuaded her to try out in Chicago.

Ejaculation

2004-09-27T06:14:00.000-07:00

The release of sperm cells and seminal plasma from the male reproductive system. Ejaculation takes place in two phases: in the first, or emission, stage, sperm are moved from the testes and the epididymis (where the sperm are stored) to the beginning of the urethra, a hollow tube running through the penis that transports either sperm or urine; in the second stage, ejaculation

Exercise, Overall conditioning

2004-09-26T13:18:00.000-07:00

Much emphasis has been given in the foregoing discussion to aerobic fitness, because this form of conditioning is extremely important. It should be noted, however, that other types of conditioning also have benefits. A total exercise program should include strengthening exercises, to maintain body mass and appropriate levels of strength for daily functioning,

Olm

2004-09-23T22:50:00.000-07:00

(Proteus anguinus), blind salamander belonging to the family Proteidae (order Caudata) and found in caves of the Carpathian Mountains in southeastern Europe. It grows to about 30 cm (12 inches) long and has a normally white (unpigmented) body, tiny limbs, red gill plumes, narrow head, and a blunt snout. The olm's vestigial but light-sensitive eyes are covered with skin. It usually

Parade

2004-09-22T22:32:00.000-07:00

A type of pageant (q.v.) whose main feature is a public procession.

Gabon, Health and welfare

2004-09-19T17:37:00.000-07:00

Health facilities remain inadequate, particularly outside the Libreville area, despite improvements during the 1970s and '80s. The government provides nearly all health care services. The internationally known hospital operated by Albert Schweitzer at Lambaréné from 1924 to 1965 receives government assistance. Malaria, sleeping sickness, tuberculosis, syphilis, and other

Mahavihara

2004-09-18T20:48:00.000-07:00

Buddhist monastery founded in the late 3rd century BCE in Anuradhapura, the ancient capital of Ceylon (modern Sri Lanka). The monastery was built by the Sinhalese king Devanampiya Tissa not long after his conversion to Buddhism by the Indian monk Mahendra. Until about the 10th century, it was a great cultural and religious centre and the chief stronghold of Theravada

West Lafayette

2004-09-16T10:19:00.000-07:00

City, Tippecanoe county, west-central Indiana, U.S. It lies along the Wabash River (bridged) opposite Lafayette. Founded in 1845 as Kingston, it was later called Chauncey (1866) before being renamed West Lafayette in 1888. Primarily residential, it is the seat of Purdue University (1869). Nearby are the Tippecanoe Battlefield State Memorial and the site of Fort Ouiatanon (1719), the first white settlement

Gatton

2004-09-12T18:42:00.000-07:00

Town and shire, southern Queensland, Australia. It lies along Lockyer Creek, about 58 miles (93 km) west of Brisbane. Probably named after Gattonside near Roxburgh in the Borders region, Scotland, it was gazetted as the site for a village in 1855 and by 1858 was a place of call for travelers between Brisbane and the Darling Downs. Gatton is now the service centre for a mixed-farming district

Bradley, Edward R.

2004-09-09T05:31:00.000-07:00

As a student at Cheyney State College (now Cheyney University of Pennsylvania), Bradley worked his way into broadcasting by volunteering at Philadelphia radio station WDAS-FM. After graduating with a degree in education (B.S., 1964), Bradley became an elementary schoolteacher but continued to work

Allegany

2004-09-08T00:31:00.000-07:00

County, western Maryland, U.S. It consists of an irregular neck of land between Pennsylvania to the north and West Virginia to the south (the North Branch Potomac River constituting the border with West Virginia). The county rests on part of the Allegheny Plateau and includes Rocky Gap State Park, Green Ridge State Forest, and the scenic gorge of Cumberland Narrows (1,000 feet

Sa-skya-pa

2004-09-05T05:27:00.000-07:00

Also spelled Sakyapa Tibetan Buddhist sect that takes its name from the great Sa-skya (Sakya) monastery founded in 1073, 50 miles (80 km) north of Mount Everest. The sect follows the teachings of the noted traveler and scholar 'Brog-mi (992–1072). He translated into Tibetan the important Tantric work Hevajra Tantra, which remains one of the basic texts of the order. He also transmitted into Tibet from India the teachings

Degree

2004-09-04T09:31:00.000-07:00

The hierarchy of degrees dates back to the universities of 13th-century Europe, which had faculties organized into guilds. Members of the faculties were licensed to teach, and degrees were in effect the professional

Manaus

2004-09-02T17:26:00.000-07:00

City and river port, capital of Amazonas estado (“state”), northwestern Brazil. It lies along the north bank of the Negro River, 11 miles (18 km) above that river's influx into the Amazon River. Manaus is situated in the heart of the Amazon rainforest, 900 miles (1,450 km) inland from the Atlantic coast. The city, on a terrace overlooking the river, is traversed by several side channels called

Latin-american Literature, Recent trends

2004-08-30T04:26:00.000-07:00

The literature of the last half of the 20th century has been characterized by an increased preoccupation with man as the victim of alienating forces—solitude, identity crises, anguish, and evil—and by a marked determination to create new forms and techniques. Above all, it has put forth a new language more responsive to the demands imposed by increasingly complex spiritual,

Nardini, Pietro

2004-08-29T11:14:00.000-07:00

The most famous pupil of the composer and virtuoso violinist Giuseppe Tartini, Nardini was solo violinist at the court at Stuttgart from 1753 to 1767. He then returned to Livorno and lived with Tartini during Tartini's last illness until his death