CompleteBoot

Armenian Literature

2005-04-05T23:19:00.000-07:00

Body of writings in the Armenian language. There is evidence that a pagan oral literature existed in Armenia before the invention of the Armenian alphabet in the 5th century AD, but, owing to the zeal of the early Christian priests, little of this was preserved. For about a century after their conversion to Christianity (c. 300), the Armenians had to rely on Greek and Syriac versions

Velasco Ibarra, José María

2005-04-04T07:09:00.000-07:00

Velasco Ibarra was born into a wealthy family and educated in Quito and Paris. He held various public posts before being elected president as the Conservative Party's candidate in 1933, assuming office in 1934. His economic-development plans, which

Guatemala, Settlement patterns

2005-04-03T18:56:00.000-07:00

Approximately 60 percent of the population of Guatemala is concentrated within the volcanic uplands and adjacent Pacific coastal plain to the south and west of Guatemala City. A little more than 10 percent live to the east and south, while only about 2 percent reside within the Petén. The remaining populace resides in the region of the sierras. Of the urban dwellers who

Xie Jun

2005-04-02T21:33:00.000-08:00

At the age of six Xie began to play Chinese chess, and by the age of 10 she had become the girls' champion of Beijing. At the urging of government authorities, she soon began playing Western chess. Despite indifferent training opportunities, Xie

Domrémy-la-pucelle

2005-04-02T02:54:00.000-08:00

Village, Vosges département, Lorraine région, northeastern France. It lies on the banks of the Meuse River, 38 miles (61 km) southeast of Bar-le-Duc. Domrémy was where St. Joan of Arc (“la Pucelle”) was born about 1412. The village still has several medieval buildings, including St. Joan's birthplace, now a museum. Nearby is the church containing the font at which she was baptized. Pop. (1990) 190.

Res Judicata

2005-04-01T20:24:00.000-08:00

It has long been held that one judicial contest is enough for the litigants on

Mosquito

2005-04-01T05:38:00.000-08:00

As a night fighter, the Mosquito downed more than 600 Luftwaffe

Olybrius

2005-03-31T21:22:00.000-08:00

Before he became head of state, Olybrius was a wealthy senator; he married Placidia, the daughter of Valentinian III (Western emperor 425–455). Gaiseric, king of the Vandals, a Germanic people who maintained a kingdom in North Africa, hoped that Olybrius would be made Western emperor but his support made Olybrius suspect to the

Bharhut

2005-03-30T17:22:00.000-08:00

The stupa was probably begun in the time

Absaroka Range

2005-03-29T17:10:00.000-08:00

Mountain segment of the northern Rocky Mountains, in northwestern Wyoming and southern Montana, U.S. Extending in a northwest-southeast direction, the range is 170 miles (270 km) long and 50 miles wide. A large plateau, the result of volcanic action, was uplifted in the area, and stream and glacial erosion have produced spectacular features. Eight summits exceed 12,000 feet (3,700 m), including

Tierra Blanca

2005-03-28T09:16:00.000-08:00

City, southern Veracruz state, south central Mexico, in the Gulf of Mexico lowland, in the Río Papaloapan Valley, near the border of Oaxaca state, at an elevation of 200 ft (60 m) above sea level. Its climate is hot and humid. Tierra Blanca plays an important role in regional agriculture, industry, and transportation. The area is noted principally for its livestock and petroleum,

Alaska Purchase

2005-03-27T23:14:00.000-08:00

William Henry Seward, secretary of state under President Andrew Johnson, had as early as 1860 dreamed of acquiring Alaska. The territory was considered an economic liability by the Russians, and in December 1866 Baron Eduard de Stoeckl, Russian

Chemical Compound, Adrenal hormones

2005-03-27T21:56:00.000-08:00

The adrenal cortex of vertebrates synthesizes oxygenated progesterone derivatives. These compounds are hormones that are vital to survival and are classified according to their biological activity. The glucocorticoids promote deposition of glycogen in the liver and the breakdown of body proteins. Mineralocorticoids stimulate retention of sodium in

Amsterdam

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

To the scores of tourists who visit each year, Amsterdam is known for its historical attractions, for its collections of great art, and for the distinctive colour and flavour of its old

Uganda

2005-03-25T10:34:00.000-08:00

Officially Republic of Uganda, Swahili Jamhuri ya Uganda landlocked country of East Africa. Covering a total area of 93,072 square miles (241,038 square km), the country is slightly smaller in size than its former colonial ruler, Great Britain. It is bordered by The Sudan to the north, Kenya to the east, Tanzania and Rwanda to the south, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Congo [Kinshasa]; formerly Zaire) to the west. The capital city, Kampala

Middle America

2005-03-25T07:10:00.000-08:00

The isthmian tract between the southern Rocky Mountains and the northern tip of the Andes (or, generally, from the southern border of the United States to the northern border of Colombia), marking the territorial transition from North America to South America. The difference between this designation and “Central America” is that Middle America includes Mexico; sometimes

Biblical Literature, The roles of Deborah, Gideon, and Jephthah

2005-03-24T21:13:00.000-08:00

The first notably important judge of the tribal confederacy was Deborah, who was primarily a seer, poet, and interpreter of dreams but still a person endowed with the kind of charisma that identified her as a judge sent from Yahweh. The story of the victory of the Israelites under the charismatic leadership of Deborah and the military leadership of Barak, her commander,

Kufah

2005-03-24T07:43:00.000-08:00

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

Kubu

2005-03-23T07:43:00.000-08:00

Contact of the Kubu with their neighbours had traditionally been primarily through “silent trade”; i.e., goods for barter were put where traders could look them over. They, in turn,

Croagh Patrick

2005-03-23T06:48:00.000-08:00

Irish Cruach Phádraig quartzite peak, west of Westport and south of Clew Bay, County Mayo, Ireland. It rises to 2,510 feet (765 m) from a plateau 800–1,100 feet (245–335 m) high. The mountain is said to have been visited by St. Patrick (fl. 5th century), who, according to one authority, began his ministry there. In modern times, Croagh Patrick has become the site of a popular annual pilgrimage on the last Sunday in July, in which many people

Balakovo

2005-03-21T23:19:00.000-08:00

City, Saratov oblast (province), southwestern Russia, on the left bank of the Volga River. Founded in 1762, it long remained a small agricultural town. Its growth was greatly stimulated by the construction in 1967–70 of the Saratov hydroelectric station on the Volga. Balakovo is also the site of construction of a nuclear power station. A major chemical industry, developed in the 1960s

Sanibel Island

2005-03-21T22:22:00.000-08:00

Sanibel Island

Holden, William

2005-03-21T20:08:00.000-08:00

While attending Pasadena Junior College, Beedle acted in local radio plays and became involved with the Pasadena Playhouse. He was discovered by a Paramount Pictures talent scout and given the more

Jet Engine

2005-03-21T14:39:00.000-08:00

Any of a class of internal-combustion engines that propel aircraft by means of the rearward discharge of a jet of fluid, usually hot exhaust gases generated by burning fuel with air drawn in from the atmosphere.

Grappelli, Stéphane

2005-03-20T23:48:00.000-08:00

French violinist (b. Jan. 26, 1908, Paris, France--d. Dec. 1, 1997, Paris), was one of the few notable jazz improvisers on violin and one of the first popular European jazz musicians; he played with a lilting swing and quick wit that made him an international favourite for over 60 years. With the great Gypsy guitarist Django Reinhardt, he formed (1934) the first Quintette du Hot Club de France, a Paris-based

Arts, Central Asian, Siberian tribes

2005-03-20T04:41:00.000-08:00

In the virtually contemporary metalwork of Siberian nomads, single animals of the cat family, such as panthers, carry the Altaic tendency of exaggeration further by twisting their bodies into a circle. In slightly later Siberian plaques, subtle openwork is used, a feature rarely present in Altaic or Scythian objects but frequently encountered in the more rounded

Chatoyance

2005-03-19T17:13:00.000-08:00

The property of some minerals to exhibit a wavy, luminous band with a silky lustre, reminiscent of the eye of a cat, in the centre of a cabochon-cut (polished, with a rounded, unfaceted convex surface) stone. The effect, caused by parallel fibres or by oriented imperfections or inclusions within the stone, is typical of cat's-eye, tigereye, satin spar, and bronzite. The fibres,

Anthropology

2005-03-19T14:59:00.000-08:00

Modern-day anthropology

Zahiriyah

2005-03-18T08:23:00.000-08:00

(Arabic: “Literalists”), followers of an Islamic legal school that insisted on strict adherence to the literal text (zahir) of the Qur'an and Hadith (sayings and actions of the Prophet Muhammad) as the only source of Muslim law. Founded in Iraq by Dawud Khalaf in the 9th century, it spread to Iran, North Africa, and Muslim Spain, where the philosopher Ibn Hazm was its chief exponent. Although

B-film

2005-03-17T23:11:00.000-08:00

Also called B-movie, or B-picture, cheaply produced, formulaic film initially intended to serve as the second feature on a double bill. During the 1930s and '40s, a period often called the Golden Age of Hollywood, B-films were usually paired with bigger-budget, more prestigious A-pictures; but two B-films were sometimes used for midweek or Saturday matinee showings. The characteristics of B-films included low

Alcaic

2005-03-17T18:02:00.000-08:00

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Laguna District

2005-03-17T06:46:00.000-08:00

The land, once used only for grazing, belonged to

Danewirk

2005-03-16T23:42:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Danewerk, Dannewirk , or Dannewerk , Danish Dannevirke , or Danevirke (Danes' Bulwark) the ancient frontier rampart of the Danes against the Germans, extending 10.5 miles (17 kilometres) from just south of the town of Schleswig to the marshes of the river Trene near the village of Hollingstedt. The rampart was begun about AD 808 by Godfred (Gudfred), king of Vestfold. In 934 it was penetrated by the German king Henry I, after which it was extended by King Harald I Bluetooth

Great Neck

2005-03-16T20:49:00.000-08:00

Village, in the town (township) of North Hempstead, Nassau county, New York, U.S. It lies along the Great Neck cape and the north shore of Long Island in an area of summer estates. Settled about 1644, it is known as the “Old Village” and was incorporated in 1922. The writer F. Scott Fitzgerald once lived in Great Neck and used it and neighbouring towns as the setting for his novel The Great

Tu Bi-shevat

2005-03-16T17:15:00.000-08:00

(Hebrew: “Fifteenth of Shevat”), Jewish festival of the new year of trees, or arbor day. It occurs on Shevat 15 (January or early February), after most of the annual rain in Israel has fallen and when, thereafter, the fruit of a tree is considered, for tithing, to belong to a new year. Tu bi-Shevat is considered a minor holiday: certain penitential prayers are omitted from the liturgy, and

Zafrulla Khan, Sir Muhammad

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

The son of the leading attorney of his native city, Zafrulla Khan studied at Government College in Lahore and received his LL.B. from King's College, London University, in 1914. He practiced

Fernandes, álvaro

2005-03-14T10:50:00.000-08:00

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

Nervous System, Dendrites

2005-03-14T08:06:00.000-08:00

Besides the axon, neurons have other branches called dendrites that are usually shorter than axons and are unmyelinated. Dendrites are thought to form receiving surfaces for synaptic input from other neurons. In many dendrites these surfaces are provided by specialized structures called dendritic spines, which, by providing discrete regions for the reception

Variable Star

2005-03-14T00:29:00.000-08:00

In an eclipsing variable, one member of a double, or binary, star system partially

Fra Mauro

2005-03-13T03:41:00.000-08:00

Crater on the Moon that appears to be heavily eroded, named for a 15th-century Italian monk and mapmaker. The site of the third manned lunar landing, the Apollo 14 mission in February 1971, is several miles north of the crater. About 80 km (50 miles) in diameter, Fra Mauro lies in Mare Nubium (the Sea of Clouds) at about 6° south latitude, 17° west longitude.

Amargosa Range

2005-03-12T09:15:00.000-08:00

Group of mountains in eastern California and southern Nevada, U.S., separating Death Valley from the Amargosa Desert. Part of the Basin Ranges of eastern California, the Amargosa Range extends 110 miles (180 km) from Grapevine Peak (8,705 feet [2,653 m]), south-southeastward to the Amargosa River. It is composed of three distinct mountain groups: the Grapevine, Funeral, and Black. Dante's View,

Owain Cyfeiliog

2005-03-11T08:35:00.000-08:00

After ruling over the people of Powys from 1149 to 1195, Owain retired to the Cistercian monastery of Strata Marcella (Ystrad Marchell), which he had established in 1170. He died and was buried there, despite his previous excommunication (1188) for failing to support the Third Crusade.

Leningrad, Siege Of

2005-03-11T07:50:00.000-08:00

After Nazi Germany invaded the Soviet Union in June 1941, German armies by early September had approached Leningrad from the west and south while their Finnish allies approached to the north down the

Hou T'u

2005-03-11T03:00:00.000-08:00

At various times and in various

Black Flag

2005-03-10T07:49:00.000-08:00

American band whose extensive touring and prolific recording helped to popularize hardcore punk, the genre that arose in California in the early 1980s in response to the punk movement of the 1970s. The original members were Greg Ginn (b. June 8, 1954), Chuck Dukowski (b. Feb. 1, 1954), Keith Morris, and Brian Migdol. Later members included Henry Rollins (original name Henry Garfield; b. Feb. 13, 1961, Washington,

Van Dine, S.s.

2005-03-09T17:29:00.000-08:00

Wright was educated at St. Vincent and Pomona colleges in California, at Harvard University, and in Munich and Paris. Pursuing a career as a writer, Wright became literary editor of the

Peter Rabbit

2005-03-09T07:46:00.000-08:00

In 1993 children of all ages celebrated the 100th birthday of the world's best-known and most beloved lagomorph. The guest of honour was not only long in the tooth, he was also long in the ears. Peter Rabbit, who began his public life in Edwardian times and retained his best-seller status in the postmodern era, proved to be a contemporary centenarian. A nontrendy vegetarian, the

Garrett

2005-03-09T06:34:00.000-08:00

County, extreme western Maryland, U.S., lying between West Virginia to the west and south and Pennsylvania to the north. Parklands and lakes occupy one-fifth of the county area. Waterways such as the Casselman, Savage, and Youghiogheny rivers as well as Deep Creek Lake, the state's largest freshwater lake, line the valleys of the Allegheny Mountains. Backbone

Biblical Literature, The Letter of Aristeas

2005-03-08T11:45:00.000-08:00

An important document of Jewish Hellenistic literature is The Letter of Aristeas, a pseudepigraphon ascribed to Aristeas, an official of Ptolemy II Philadelphus, a Greek monarch of Egypt in the 3rd century BCE. The letter is addressed to his brother and gives an account of the translation of the Pentateuch (first five books of the Old Testament) into Greek, by order of Ptolemy.

Loch (of Drylaw), Henry Brougham Loch, 1st Baron

2005-03-08T11:16:00.000-08:00

A career soldier, Loch began his service in India (1844–53) and fought in the Crimean War (1853–56) and in the second and third China wars (1857–58 and 1860). After 1860 he held civil appointments. From

Dagan

2005-03-07T02:16:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Dagon West Semitic god of crop fertility, worshiped extensively throughout the ancient Middle East. Dagan was the Hebrew and Ugaritic common noun for “grain,” and the god Dagan was the legendary inventor of the plow. His cult is attested as early as about 2500 BC, and, according to texts found at Ras Shamra (ancient Ugarit), he was the father of the god Baal. Dagan had an important temple

Kaden-bandrowski, Juliusz

2005-03-05T22:32:00.000-08:00

After working as a foreign correspondent and studying music in Brussels, Kaden-Bandrowski joined the military in 1914 in order to serve under Józef Pilsudski, the

Trachyte

2005-03-05T07:45:00.000-08:00

Light-coloured, very fine-grained extrusive igneous rock that is composed chiefly of alkali feldspar with minor amounts of dark-coloured minerals such as biotite, amphibole, or pyroxene. Compositionally, trachyte is the volcanic equivalent of the plutonic (intrusive) rock syenite. Most trachytes show porphyritic texture in which abundant, large, well-formed crystals

Paragonite

2005-03-05T01:48:00.000-08:00

Mica mineral similar to muscovite, a basic silicate of sodium and aluminum; a member of the common mica group. It was thought to be an uncommon mineral, but experiment and investigation have shown that it is widespread in metamorphic schists and phyllites, in gneisses, in quartz veins, and in fine-grained sediments. It seems probable that much paragonite has been mistaken

Accelerometer

2005-03-05T00:55:00.000-08:00

Instrument that measures the rate at which the velocity of an object is changing (i.e., its acceleration). Acceleration cannot be measured directly. An accelerometer, therefore, measures the force exerted by restraints that are placed on a reference mass to hold its position fixed in an accelerating body. Acceleration is computed using the relationship between restraint

Sinkiang, Uygur Autonomous Region Of, The people

2005-03-04T00:59:00.000-08:00

The Han migration altered the pattern of population distribution and ethnic composition

Nevado De Toluca National Park

2005-03-03T23:19:00.000-08:00

Park in Mexico estado (“state”), central Mexico. It is situated in the municipality of Zinacantepec, on the Mexico–Toluca–Guadalajara highway west of Mexico City. Established in 1936, it has an area of 259 square miles (671 square km). The park lies in the Nevado de Toluca (or Zinantecatl) Mountains, which rise above 15,025 feet (4,580 m). Among the park's chief features are an extinct, snowcapped volcano

Epistemology, Commonsense philosophy, logical positivism, and naturalized epistemology

2005-03-03T19:56:00.000-08:00

Three of the most notable achievements of analytic philosophy are commonsense philosophy, logical positivism, and naturalized epistemology. G.E. Moore (1873–1958) made a defense of what he called the commonsense view of the world. According to Moore, virtually everybody knows certain propositions to be true, such as that the Earth exists, that it is very old, and that other persons

Kirby-smith, E.

2005-03-03T17:37:00.000-08:00

Born Edmund Kirby Smith, he later signed his name E. Kirby Smith; the hyphenated form of the name was adopted by his family after

Cyprus, The Persian Empire

2005-03-02T00:19:00.000-08:00

In 525 BC the Cypriot kings transferred their allegiance to the Achaemenid (Persian) conquerors of Egypt. The Cypriots retained their independence until the accession of Darius I in 522 but were then incorporated into the fifth satrapy of the Persian Empire. When the Ionians revolted in 499, all the kingdoms of Cyprus except Amathus joined them; the revolt was subsequently suppressed,

Zapata, Emiliano

2005-03-01T00:43:00.000-08:00

Mexican revolutionary, champion of agrarianism, who fought in guerrilla actions during and after the Mexican Revolution (1911–17).

Set Theory

2005-02-28T13:45:00.000-08:00

Branch of mathematics that deals with the properties of well-defined collections of objects, which may be of a mathematical nature, such as numbers or functions, or not. The theory is less valuable in direct application to ordinary experience than as a basis for precise and adaptable terminology for the definition of complex and sophisticated mathematical

Cohens V. Virginia

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

(1821), U.S. Supreme Court case in which the court reaffirmed its right to review all state court judgments in cases arising under the federal Constitution or a law of the United States. The Judiciary Act of 1789 provided for mandatory Supreme Court review of the final judgments of the highest court of any state in cases “where is drawn in question the validity of a treaty or statute

Laine, Dame Cleo

2005-02-28T01:03:00.000-08:00

Laine was born to a Jamaican father and an English mother. She quit school at age 14 and took a variety of jobs while auditioning for singing jobs. Her first break came in 1951, when she was hired as a vocalist for the Johnny Dankworth Seven, a

Argentina

2005-02-27T10:55:00.000-08:00

Because almost all Argentines are descendants of immigrants from Europe, their culture has a more distinctly European orientation than that of other Latin Americans; however, Argentine artists, writers, and entertainers no longer look to Europe as a sole gauge of their success. Blending Old World customs and New World inspirations, Argentina has developed a unique

Canada West

2005-02-26T02:58:00.000-08:00

Canada West was settled primarily by English-speaking immigrants. The inhabitants nevertheless sought confederation with Canada East (which was populated largely

Biblical Literature, Haggai

2005-02-25T10:05:00.000-08:00

The Book of Haggai, the 10th book of the Twelve (Minor) Prophets, is a brief work of only two chapters. Written about 520 BCE by the prophet Haggai, the book contains four oracles. The first oracle calls for Zerubbabel, the governor of Judaea, and Joshua, the high priest, to rebuild the Temple (chapter 1, verses 1–11). A drought and poor harvests, according to Haggai, had been caused because the

Rabelais, François

2005-02-25T08:56:00.000-08:00

Details of Rabelais's life are sparse and difficult to interpret. He was the son of Antoine Rabelais, a rich Touraine landowner and a prominent lawyer who deputized for the lieutenant-général of Poitou in 1527. After apparently studying law, Rabelais became a Franciscan novice at La Baumette (1510?) and later moved to the Puy-Saint-Martin convent at Fontenay-le-Comte in Poitou.

Taranto, Gulf Of

2005-02-25T00:10:00.000-08:00

Latin Sinus Tarentinus, Italian Golfo Di Taranto, arm, about 85 mi (140 km) long and wide, of the Ionian Sea in southern Italy. Lying between the Capes Santa Maria di Leuca (northeast) and Colonne (southwest), it forms the hollow in front of the heel of the Italian “boot.” Feeder streams include the Sinni, Agri, Basento, and Bradano. Main economic activities are the oyster and mussel industries and the exporting of wine, olive oil, fruits,

Greece, The arts

2005-02-24T19:20:00.000-08:00

Against the background of this extraordinary artistic heritage, Greece enjoys a thriving cultural life. It is in the field of literature that Greece has made its greatest contributions. Constantine Cavafy (1863–1933), who lived most of his life in Alexandria, Egypt, is frequently ranked among the great poets of the early 20th century. His poetry is suffused with an ironic nostalgia

Hojo Tokimune

2005-02-24T18:57:00.000-08:00

Tokimune was 17 when he assumed the office of regent in 1268, the year that the Mongol conqueror of China, Kublai Khan, sent a message demanding that

Aliyah

2005-02-24T15:45:00.000-08:00

Plural aliyahs, aliyoth , or aliyot , Hebrew 'aliya (“going up”) in Judaism, the honour accorded to a worshiper of being called up to read an assigned passage from the Torah (first five books of the Bible). Because the passage assigned for each sabbath-morning service is subdivided into a minimum of seven sections, at least seven different persons are called up for these readings. An additional reader is called up to repeat part of

Italy, The early years

2005-02-22T13:50:00.000-08:00

Interest in the French Revolution was enhanced by the waning of the reformist impulse of the 1780s in the Italian states. Educated landowners and entrepreneurs who had put their trust in the enlightened rulers of their own states and had looked forward to important administrative and political reforms were disappointed. The French example gave them new hope. During

Karavelov, Lyuben Stoychev

2005-02-21T23:27:00.000-08:00

Emigrating to Russia at 23, Karavelov studied ethnography in Moscow, where he was greatly influenced by Russian radical thought, and soon began writing political polemics and tales and studies of his homeland for various

Infection, Social habits

2005-02-21T15:52:00.000-08:00

The vampire bats of Brazil, which transmit paralytic rabies, bite cattle but not ranchers, presumably because on the plains of Brazil ranchers are few but cattle plentiful. Bat-transmitted rabies, however, does occur in human beings in Trinidad, where herdsmen sleep in shacks near their animals. The mechanism of infection is the same in Brazil and Trinidad, but the

'atbarah

2005-02-21T15:47:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Atbara town, northeastern Sudan. It lies on the right (east) bank of the Nile River at the mouth of the seasonal Atbara River. The junction of two major road and railway lines to Khartoum, it has become an important commercial and agricultural centre. The Sudan government railways' administrative headquarters and workshops are located there, and the town also has an airport.

Furniture, France

2005-02-20T18:11:00.000-08:00

In France the Italian influence of the 16th century was gradually assimilated, and a national style of furniture was evolved that soon spread its influence into neighbouring countries. The reign of Louis XIII, covering most of the first half of the 17th century, was a time of transition. The Gobelins factory was founded by Louis XIV for the production of deluxe furniture

Trabzon

2005-02-20T11:10:00.000-08:00

Also called Trebizond , historically Trapezus city, capital of Trabzon il (province), northeastern Turkey. It lies on a wide bay on the southeastern shore of the Black Sea backed by high ranges of the Pontic Mountains, which separate it from the central Anatolian Plateau. The heart of the city is on a triangle of tableland between two deep ravines, with remains of an ancient Roman-built harbour at its base. At its southern

Mathematics, Foundations Of, Abstraction in mathematics

2005-02-20T04:13:00.000-08:00

One recent tendency in the development of mathematics has been the gradual process of abstraction. The Norwegian mathematician Niels Henrik Abel (1802–29) proved that equations of the fifth degree cannot, in general, be solved by radicals. The French mathematician Évariste Galois (1811–32), motivated in part by Abel's work, introduced certain groups of permutations to determine

Ghelderode, Michel De

2005-02-18T21:53:00.000-08:00

Ghelderode was the son of Flemish parents who favoured bilingualism. His early education was cut short by

Actinometer

2005-02-17T16:20:00.000-08:00

A typical actinometer is a liquid solution

I-lan

2005-02-17T14:17:00.000-08:00

Hsien (county), northeastern Taiwan, occupying an area of 825 square miles (2,137 square km) and bordered by the hsien of T'ai-pei (north), T'ao-yüan and Hsin-chu (west), and T'ai-chung and Hua-lien (south) and by the Philippine Sea (east). The Chung-yang Mountains extend over the southern part, and the Hsüeh-shan Mountains border the northwestern part of I-lan hsien. In the northeast, the I-lan River

Ku Yen-wu

2005-02-17T02:02:00.000-08:00

Pinyin Gu Yanwu one of the most famous of the Ming dynasty loyalists, whose rationalist critiques of the useless book learning and metaphysical speculations of the neo-Confucian philosophy (that had been the underpinning of the Chinese empire for almost 1,000 years) started a new trend in scholarship during the Ch'ing

Korean Literature

2005-02-16T20:52:00.000-08:00

Although Korea has had its own language for several thousand years, it has had a writing system only since the mid-15th century, when Hangul

River, Deltas and time

2005-02-15T19:03:00.000-08:00

The most significant effect is that the site of deposition shifts dramatically with time.

Shellfish Poisoning

2005-02-15T14:23:00.000-08:00

Illness in humans resulting from the eating of certain mussels and clams. The source of the poison has been traced to the plankton upon which shellfish feed during parts of the year. Symptoms often begin within 10 minutes after eating the shellfish. Initially, there is tingling and numbness about the lips and prickly feelings in the fingertips. The throat is often dry.

Porphyry Copper Deposit

2005-02-15T08:43:00.000-08:00

Blanketlike replacement deposit of copper minerals that are disseminated throughout a large mass of fractured rock. Porphyry copper deposits commonly contain tens of millions of metric tons of ore that averages a fraction of 1 percent copper by weight; although they are low-grade, the deposits constitute important sources because they may be worked on a large

Europe

2005-02-14T15:02:00.000-08:00

Second smallest of the world's continents (after Australia), composed of the westward-projecting peninsulas of Eurasia and occupying nearly one-fifteenth of the world's total land area. It is bordered on the north by the Arctic Ocean, on the west by the Atlantic Ocean, and on the south (west to east) by the Mediterranean Sea, the Black Sea, the Kuma-Manych Depression, and the

Dacier, André

2005-02-14T11:19:00.000-08:00

Dacier studied at Saumur with the Humanist Tanneguy Lefèbvre, whose daughter Anne he married in 1683. He was made keeper of the library of the Louvre and, elected to the French Academy in 1695, became

La Follette, Robert M

2005-02-13T14:39:00.000-08:00

In 1897 La Follette began to advocate programs that local-level progressives had popularized during the legislative session a few months earlier. Following their lead, he demanded tax reform, corporation regulation, and political democracy. In particular, he promoted steeper railroad taxes and a direct primary. Elected governor on this platform in 1900, he was reelected

Haedo Range

2005-02-13T01:58:00.000-08:00

Also called Haedo Ridge, or Haedo Hills, Spanish Cuchilla de Haedo, range of hills, north-central Uruguay. With the Grande Range (Cuchilla Grande) to the east, it defines the basin of the Negro River, Uruguay's major river. The range extends southward from a rugged highland area near the Brazilian border for approximately 125 miles (200 km) and terminates at the confluence of the Negro and Uruguay rivers, the Rincón de las Gallinas. It separates

Alaska

2005-02-12T19:07:00.000-08:00

Clarence C. Hulley, Alaska: Past and Present, 3rd ed. (1970, reprinted 1981), provides a general history from the Russian days to the 1960s. William R. Hunt, Alaska: A Bicentennial History (1976), is another overview. Claus-M. Naske and Herman E. Slotnick, Alaska: A History of the 49th State, 2nd ed. (1987), includes chapters on native land claims, conservation, and the oil boom. Current research is reported in Alaska History (semiannual).

Computers And Information Systems

2005-02-12T17:49:00.000-08:00

A flurry of legal and Internet activity swirled around the computer industry in 2003, contrasting sharply with slowed sales for computers and software. While industry sales languished and layoffs continued, consumers and businesses experienced the wrath of Internet worms and viruses. Junk e-mail, called spam, clogged e-mail inboxes everywhere, and legislators mobilized

Extracellular Fluid

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

In biology, body fluid that is not contained in cells. It is found in blood, in lymph, in body cavities lined with serous (moisture-exuding) membrane, in the cavities and channels of the brain and spinal cord, and in muscular and other body tissues. It differs from intracellular fluid (fluid within the cells) in that it generally has a high concentration of sodium and low concentration

Racemate

2005-02-12T03:40:00.000-08:00

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

Cartilage

2005-02-10T23:22:00.000-08:00

Dense connective tissue forming the skeleton of mammalian embryos before bone formation begins and persisting in parts of the human skeleton into adulthood. Cartilage is the only component of the skeletons of certain primitive vertebrates, including lampreys and sharks. It is composed of a dense network of collagen fibres embedded in a firm, gelatinous ground

Orthodox Jewish Congregations Of America, Union Of

2005-02-10T22:38:00.000-08:00

The union was established in New York City in 1898 to foster Orthodox beliefs and practices. To pursue its goals, the union sponsors numerous elementary and secondary day schools oriented toward Orthodoxy

Bussy-rabutin, Roger De

2005-02-10T17:37:00.000-08:00

During the civil wars of the Fronde (uprisings against the government of Cardinal Mazarin), Bussy-Rabutin served first the rebels, then

Macdonald, John D.

2005-02-10T17:33:00.000-08:00

After MacDonald graduated from Syracuse (New York) University (B.S., 1938) and Harvard Graduate School of Business (M.B.A., 1939), he served in World

Paul, Lewis

2005-02-08T07:49:00.000-08:00

Paul was the son of a Huguenot refugee, at whose death he became a ward of the Earl of Shaftesbury. He began working with Wyatt about 1730, and they patented their machine in 1738. The idea was evidently Paul's, and the skilled Wyatt translated it into working machinery. The