HardMonkey

Hinduism, Jainism

2005-04-05T15:52:00.000-07:00

With Jainism, which always remained an Indian religion, Hinduism has so much in common, especially in social institutions and ritual life, that nowadays Hindus tend to consider it a Hindu sect. Many Jains also are inclined to fraternization. The points of difference—e.g., a stricter ahimsa practice and the absence of sacrifices for the deceased in Jainism—do not give

Schuyler, James

2005-04-05T04:22:00.000-07:00

Schuyler was educated at Bethany (West Virginia)

Mondino De' Luzzi

2005-04-04T16:59:00.000-07:00

Mondino received his

Duchesne, Saint Rose Philippine

2005-04-03T08:52:00.000-07:00

Duchesne was born into a wealthy family with high political and financial connections. In 1780 she went to study at a convent and, despite her father's opposition, entered the Visitation Order in Grenoble in 1788. When the community

La Farina, Giuseppe

2005-04-03T00:24:00.000-08:00

The son of a Sicilian magistrate and scholar, La Farina received a law degree in 1835 and soon became involved with a secret committee for Italian unity; he was forced into exile after it attempted an insurrection in 1837. Receiving

Piedmont

2005-04-02T13:16:00.000-08:00

In geology, landform created at the foot of a mountain (Italian: ai piede della montagne) or mountains by debris deposited by shifting streams. Such an alluvial region in a humid climate is known as a piedmont for the Piedmont district of Italy; in arid climates such a feature is called a bajada (q.v.).

Churchill Falls

2005-04-01T09:44:00.000-08:00

Formerly Grand Falls, part of a series of cataracts and rapids on the Churchill River, southwest of Michikamau Lake in west Labrador, Newfoundland, Canada. Lying 250 miles (400 km) from the river's mouth, the falls drop 245 feet (75 m), forming part of the river's 1,100-foot (335-metre) descent within a 16-mile (26-kilometre) stretch. The falls plunge into the McLean Canyon, which is bounded by sheer cliffs several hundred feet high.

Affirmation

2005-04-01T02:20:00.000-08:00

In law, a promise by a witness concerning testimony allowed in place of an oath to those who cannot, because of conscience, swear an oath. For example, members of the Society of Friends (Quakers), Jehovah's Witnesses, and other persons who have objections against taking an oath are allowed to make affirmation in any manner they may declare to be binding upon their consciences

D'urban, Sir Benjamin

2005-03-31T09:46:00.000-08:00

As a soldier D'Urban began his service in 1793 and fought in the Napoleonic Wars, where he won distinction in the Peninsular War as a quartermaster general. In 1820 D'Urban was

Elijah

2005-03-30T14:39:00.000-08:00

The Israelite king Omri had allied himself with the Phoenician cities of the coast, and his son Ahab was married to Jezebel, daughter of Ethbaal, king of Tyre and Sidon. Jezebel, with her Tyrian courtiers and a large contingent of pagan priests and prophets, propagated her native religion in a sanctuary built for Baal in the royal city of Samaria. This meant that the Israelites

Cariban Languages

2005-03-30T13:47:00.000-08:00

A group of South American Indian languages that were spoken before the Spanish conquest from what is now the Greater Antilles to the central Mato Grosso in Brazil; most of the languages, however, were spoken north of the Amazon River in what is now northern Brazil, the inland areas of the Guianas and Venezuela, and lowland Colombia. West Indian Cariban is extinct, and

Carnivore, Natural history

2005-03-29T22:40:00.000-08:00

The family Procyonidae includes raccoons (see photograph), coatis or coatimundis, olingos, and the ringtailed cat, kinkajou, and lesser panda. Procyonids, like bears, are omnivorous, eating numerous types of insects, crayfish, crabs, fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds, small mammals, and a variety of fruits, nuts, roots, and young plants. A characteristic of

Ares

2005-03-28T21:21:00.000-08:00

In Greek religion, god of war or, more properly, the spirit of battle. Unlike his Roman counterpart, Mars (q.v.), he was never very popular, and his worship was not extensive in Greece. He represented the distasteful aspects of brutal warfare and slaughter. From at least the time of Homer, who established him as the son of the chief god, Zeus, and Hera, his consort, Ares was one of the

Cost

2005-03-28T15:56:00.000-08:00

In common usage, the monetary value of goods and services that producers and consumers purchase. In a basic economic sense cost is the measure of the alternative opportunities foregone in the choice of one good or activity over others. This fundamental cost is usually referred to as opportunity cost. For a consumer with a fixed income, the opportunity cost of purchasing

Orange, Councils Of

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

Two church synods held in Orange, France, in 441 and 529. The first, under the presidency of St. Hilary of Arles, dealt mainly with disciplinary matters. The second, and by far the more important, was concerned with refuting the Semi-Pelagianism of Faustus of Riez. It was attended by 15 bishops and was under the presidency of Caesarius of Arles. Caesarius had sought the aid of Rome against

Herzen, Aleksandr Ivanovich

2005-03-25T11:39:00.000-08:00

Herzen also spelled Hertzen, or Gertsen political thinker, activist, and writer who originated the theory of a unique Russian path to socialism known as peasant populism. Herzen chronicled his career in My Past and Thoughts (1861–67), which is considered to be one of the greatest works of Russian prose.

Pembroke, Mary Herbert, Countess Of

2005-03-25T02:40:00.000-08:00

In 1575 Queen Elizabeth I invited Mary to court, promising “a speciall care” of her. Two

Herzen, Aleksandr Ivanovich

2005-03-24T10:55:00.000-08:00

NBC was formed in 1926 jointly by the Radio Corporation of America (RCA), GE, and Westinghouse Electric Corporation. Created by David Sarnoff, RCA's president (or, from 1947, chairman), NBC was the first American company organized solely and specifically to operate a radio broadcasting

Tyumen

2005-03-24T05:20:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Tiumen, or T'umen ', city and administrative centre of Tyumen oblast (province), central Russia. The city lies in the southwestern part of the West Siberian Plain. It is situated on both banks of the Tura River at its crossing by the Trans-Siberian Railroad. Founded in 1586, it is the oldest Russian city in Siberia, located on the site of a Tatar town, Chingi-Tura, founded in the 14th century. A river port,

Qoboza, Percy (peter)

2005-03-23T02:32:00.000-08:00

After studying theology in Basutoland (now Lesotho) and at Pax Training College in Pietersburg (1959), Qoboza turned to journalism and joined the staff of the World (1963); he became editor in 1974. Under his leadership,

Protestantism, The rise of Pietism

2005-03-22T23:59:00.000-08:00

Dutch Pietism—influenced by Englishman William Ames (1576–1633), whose Medulla Sacrae Theologiae (1623; The Marrow of

Gabon

2005-03-22T14:48:00.000-08:00

Protesting the disparity between living conditions in the capital and those in the regional towns,

Yíthion

2005-03-21T16:38:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Githion , historically Gythium small port of Laconia, southern Peloponnese, Greece. It lies at the northwestern extremity of the Lakonikós Gulf at the mouth of the Gythius River. The town is connected by a causeway to Marathonísi Island, on which, according to the 2nd-century-AD Greek geographer Pausanias, the legendary Paris celebrated his nuptials with Helen. Yíthion is built on the site of Migonium,

X-trisomy

2005-03-20T20:43:00.000-08:00

Sex chromosome disorder of human females, in which three X chromosomes are present, rather than the normal pair. More common than Turner's syndrome, where only one X chromosome is present, X-trisomy usually remains undetected because affected individuals appear normal, experience puberty, and are usually fertile. Statistical studies suggest a slightly increased

Polgar, Judit

2005-03-20T19:11:00.000-08:00

Apart from her gold-medal-winning appearances for the Hungarian women's Olympiad teams of 1988 and 1990, Polgar

Signoret, Simone

2005-03-19T03:46:00.000-08:00

Born in Germany to French nationals, Signoret was reared from the age

Margay

2005-03-18T03:23:00.000-08:00

Also called Tiger Cat, or Tigrillo (Felis wiedii), species of small cat that ranges from South through Central America and, rarely, into the extreme southern United States. Like all cats, it is of the family Felidae. Little is known about the natural habits of the margay. It lives in forests and presumably is nocturnal, feeding on small prey such as birds, frogs, and insects. It is largely arboreal

Burckhardt, Johann Ludwig

2005-03-18T02:32:00.000-08:00

Burckhardt went to England in 1806 and studied in London and at Cambridge University. In 1809, under the auspices of the Association for Promoting the Discovery of the Interior Parts of Africa, he visited Syria

Creativity

2005-03-17T03:56:00.000-08:00

A creative person is usually very intelligent in the ordinary sense of the term and can meet the problems of life as rationally as anyone can, but often he refuses to let intellect rule; he relies strongly on intuition, and he respects the irrational in himself and others. Above a certain level, intelligence seems to have little correlation with creativity—i.e., a highly

Augustine, Saint

2005-03-17T02:18:00.000-08:00

Although autobiographical narrative makes up much of the first 9 of the 13 books of Augustine's Confessiones (397; Confessions), autobiography is incidental to the main purpose of the work. For Augustine confessions is a catchall term for acts of religiously authorized speech: praise of God, blame of self, confession of faith. The book is a richly textured meditation by a middle-aged

Calixtus I, Saint

2005-03-17T01:34:00.000-08:00

Calixtus was originally a slave. He was denounced as a Christian by the Jews, who had him sentenced to the Sardinian mines. On his return he

David, Sir T(annatt) W(illiam) Edgeworth

2005-03-16T19:05:00.000-08:00

David served as assistant geologist for the government survey of New South Wales from 1882 until 1891, when he became professor of geology at the University of Sydney. A leader in the investigation of evidence on major glaciations of Australia

China, Farming and forestry

2005-03-15T22:20:00.000-08:00

As a result of topographic and climatic features, the area suitable for cultivation is relatively small: only about 10 percent of China's total land area. Of this, slightly more than half is unirrigated, and the remainder is divided roughly equally between paddy fields and irrigated areas. Nevertheless, about 80 percent of the population lives in the countryside, and until

Valdés, Juan De

2005-03-15T17:55:00.000-08:00

Juan studied under Spain's leading Humanists and developed religious views that closely followed the ideas of Erasmus of Rotterdam, with

Mansur, Abu Yusuf Ya'qub Al-

2005-03-15T06:47:00.000-08:00

When his father, Abu Ya'qub Yusuf, died on July 29, 1184, Abu Yusuf Ya'qub succeeded to the throne with minor difficulties. In November factious tribes in Algeria captured Algiers and other towns, but by 1188 he had pacified his African territories

Ekistics

2005-03-14T17:38:00.000-08:00

Science of human settlements. Ekistics involves the descriptive study of all kinds of human settlements and the formulation of general conclusions aimed at achieving harmony between the inhabitants of a settlement and their physical and sociocultural environments. Descriptive study involves the examination of the content, such as man alone or in societies,

Mammal, Muscles

2005-03-14T01:26:00.000-08:00

The panniculus carnosus is a sheath

Koss, Johann Olav

2005-03-13T13:47:00.000-08:00

As a youngster Koss showed little promise as a skater, but he was determined to excel in the sport and was passionate

Alka

2005-03-13T09:09:00.000-08:00

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

Kecskemét

2005-03-11T22:52:00.000-08:00

Town and seat, Bács-Kiskun megye (county), central Hungary. Long established as a centre for handicrafts and cattle raising, it has also grown in importance for its viticulture, vegetables, and fruit. It is surrounded by flat sandy farmland, often referred to as “the orchard of Hungary.” The locality provides as much as 25 percent of the country's fruit, notably apricots, and

Augusta

2005-03-11T22:14:00.000-08:00

The younger daughter of Charles Frederick, grand duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, she was married to the future king and emperor on June 11, 1829. She was jealously devoted to her children, Frederick William (later king and emperor as Frederick

Xochimilco

2005-03-11T06:23:00.000-08:00

Biblical Literature, Ecclesiastes

2005-03-11T05:20:00.000-08:00

The book of Ecclesiastes is a work of the Hebrew wisdom movement, associated by its title and by tradition with King Solomon. It is evident, however, that the book is of much later composition; the author may have identified himself with the famous king and wise man of the past to give greater authority to his work. The language of the book, including the relatively large

Alicante

2005-03-10T00:27:00.000-08:00

Port city, capital of Alicante provincia, in Valencia comunidad autónoma (“autonomous community”), southeastern Spain. It is located on Alicante Bay of the Mediterranean Sea. Founded as Akra Leuke (“White Summit”) by Phocaean Greeks (from the west coast of Asia Minor) in 325 BC, the city was captured in 201 BC by the Romans, who called it Lucentum. Under Moorish domination, which lasted from

Grundtvig, N.f.s.

2005-03-09T21:06:00.000-08:00

After taking a degree in theology (1803) from the University of Copenhagen, Grundtvig studied the Edda

Davies, William Henry

2005-03-09T07:47:00.000-08:00

After serving as apprentice to a picture framer, Davies tramped through the United States, crossed the Atlantic many times on cattle boats, lost a foot while trying

Dispersion

2005-03-09T01:12:00.000-08:00

The two disciplines most intimately intertwined with the study of dispersion are systematics and evolution. Systematics is concerned with the relationships between organisms and includes the classification of life into ordered groups, providing the

Medicine, Army medical organization

2005-03-08T05:46:00.000-08:00

The medical doctor of first contact to the soldier in the armies of developed countries is usually an officer in the medical corps. In peacetime the doctor sees the sick and has functions similar to those of the general practitioner, prescribing drugs and dressings, and there may be a sick bay where slightly sick soldiers can remain for a few days. The doctor is usually

Tuamotu Archipelago

2005-03-07T06:58:00.000-08:00

French Îles Tuamotu, also called Paumotu, island group of French Polynesia, central South Pacific Ocean. The archipelago comprises 75 atolls, one raised coral atoll (Makatea), and innumerable coral reefs, roughly dispersed northwest-southeast as a double chain for over 900 miles (1,450 km). The islands, save for Makatea, are entirely flat with little freshwater. The largest atoll of the group is Rangiroa, which consists

Wiesel, Elie

2005-03-07T00:05:00.000-08:00

Wiesel's early life, spent in a small Hasidic community in the town of Sighet, was a rather hermetic existence of prayer and contemplation. In 1940 Sighet was annexed

Aetolia

2005-03-06T19:25:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Aitolia, district of ancient Greece, located directly north of the Gulf of Corinth and bounded by Epirus (north), Locris (east), and Acarnania (west). In modern Greece, Aetolia is linked with Acarnania in the department of Aitolía kai Akarnanía. Aetolia, particularly its cities Pleuron and Calydon, figures prominently in early legend. During the great migrations (1200–1000 BC) most of the region's

Italian Literature, Fiction at the turn of the 21st century

2005-03-05T21:51:00.000-08:00

The competitive world of media- and market-driven culture thrives on self-promotion, provocation, “discoveries,” and “revelations.” Publishers and their talent scouts are eager to add “new voices.” The Sardinian Salvatore Satta, for example, was a professor of law whose considerable literary production—his best-known novel is Il giorno del giudizio (1979; The Day of

Hoisin Sauce

2005-03-05T14:06:00.000-08:00

Commercially prepared, thick reddish-brown sauce used in Chinese cuisine both as an ingredient in cooking and as a table condiment. Made from soybeans, flour, sugar, water, spices, garlic, and chili, it is sweet and spicy. It is used in cooking shellfish and fatty meats such as pork and duck. As a condiment, hoisin sauce is eaten with shrimp, pork, and poultry and is invariably

Biblical Literature, The lawbook

2005-03-05T05:37:00.000-08:00

The laws are the central core and purport of the book of Deuteronomy. They are couched in a hortatory, sermonic style that has led to their being categorized as preached law. Emphatic statements of what must or must not be done are connected with exhortations to fulfill these injunctions, pointing to the motivations and spirit in which they should be carried out. There

Hohenzollern Dynasty

2005-03-04T20:17:00.000-08:00

Dynasty prominent in European history, chiefly as the ruling house of Brandenburg-Prussia (1415–1918) and of imperial Germany (1871–1918). It takes its name from a castle in Swabia first mentioned as Zolorin or Zolre (the modern Hohenzollern, south of Tübingen, in the Land Baden-Württemberg). Burchard I, the first recorded ancestor of the dynasty, was count of Zollern in the 11th century. In the

Carolingian Art

2005-03-04T00:02:00.000-08:00

Charlemagne's dream of a revival of the Roman Empire in the West determined both his political aims and his artistic program. His strong patronage of the arts gave impetus to a remarkable return to Roman classicism in the copying of Early Christian models and the influence

Lockheed Martin Corporation

2005-03-03T20:48:00.000-08:00

Lockheed Corporation dates to 1912 when Allan Loughead, his brother Malcolm, and Max Mamlock, who at the time was head of Alco Cab Company, founded Alco Hydro-Aeroplane Company to build the Loughead brothers' floatplane design, the Model G. After a year the company became dormant, but in 1915 the Loughead brothers bought out the interests of other investors to acquire control

Porcupine Fish

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

Porcupine fishes are short and broad-bodied, with large eyes, beaklike teeth, and skins set with spines, hence the name. These spines are short and permanently

Asia, North Asia

2005-03-02T15:49:00.000-08:00

Northeastern Siberia comprises faulted and folded mountains of moderate height, such as the Verkhoyansk, Chersky, and Okhotsk-Chaun mountain arcs, all Mesozoic structures that have been rejuvenated by geologically recent tectonic events. The Koryak Mountains are similar but have a Cenozoic origin. Volcanic activity took place in these areas during the Cenozoic.

Metacom

2005-03-02T07:12:00.000-08:00

Metacom was the second son of Massasoit, a Wampanoag chief who had managed to keep peace with the Massachusetts and Rhode Island settlers for many decades. Upon Massasoit's

Qatar

2005-03-01T16:07:00.000-08:00

Qatar was originally settled by nomads from the central part of the Arabian Peninsula. Qatari citizens, however, constitute only a small portion of the total population today. Economic growth in the 1970s and '80s created an economy dependent on foreign workers, mostly from South Asia or other parts of Arabia, who now far outnumber nationals; Qataris constitute less than

Metastasio, Pietro

2005-03-01T14:52:00.000-08:00

In 1712, after receiving a good education from Gravina,

Ligurian Republic

2005-02-28T23:14:00.000-08:00

French République Ligurienne, Italian Repubblica Ligure, republic created by Napoleon Bonaparte on June 15, 1797, organizing the conquered city of Genoa and its environs. The government was modeled on that of the Directory in France, and the republic was tied to France by alliance. In 1803 it became also a military district, closely linked to France, and its chief of state became appointable by Napoleon. In May 1805 the Ligurian Republic was

Heinz Company

2005-02-28T02:06:00.000-08:00

The company was founded in Sharpsburg, Pennsylvania, in 1869 by Henry John Heinz (1844–1919), who was later to become nationally known as the “Pickle

Pius Iii

2005-02-27T22:27:00.000-08:00

He was made archbishop of Siena and cardinal deacon in 1460 by his uncle, Pope Pius II (formerly Cardinal Aneas Silvius Piccolomini), who permitted him to assume the name and arms of the Piccolomini. He was employed by subsequent popes in several important legations, as by Paul II at the Diet of

Gaucho Literature

2005-02-27T10:11:00.000-08:00

Spanish American poetic genre that imitates the payadas (“ballads”) traditionally sung to guitar accompaniment by the wandering gaucho minstrels of Argentina and Uruguay. By extension, the term includes the body of South American literature that treats the way of life and philosophy of the itinerant gauchos. Long a part of South American folk literature, gaucho

Nitric Acid

2005-02-26T08:36:00.000-08:00

The preparation and use of nitric acid were known to the early alchemists. A common laboratory process used for

Palatka

2005-02-26T00:28:00.000-08:00

City, seat (1849) of Putnam county, northeastern Florida, U.S., on the broad St. Johns River, about 50 miles (80 km) south of Jacksonville. Beginning in the 17th century the area was used for cattle ranching, and the city site was a crossing point of the river. James Marver established a trading post (c. 1821) on the site of a Seminole village. The city's name came from Pilatka, a Seminole term meaning

Ataulphus

2005-02-25T10:58:00.000-08:00

In 412 Ataulphus led the Visigoths, who had recently sacked Rome (410), from Italy to settle in southern Gaul. Two years later he married the Roman princess Galla Placidia (sister of the emperor Honorius), who had been seized at Rome. Driven from Gaul, he retreated into Spain early

Anteater

2005-02-25T10:16:00.000-08:00

The giant anteater and tamanduas constitute the family Myrmecophagidae, which means “ant-eating” in Latin, whereas the silky anteater is classified in a family of its own, Cyclopedidae. Together the two families make up the anteater suborder Vermilingua (literally “worm-tongue” in Latin). Anteaters, along with sloths, are placed within the mammalian order Pilosa of

Heirloom

2005-02-25T02:53:00.000-08:00

An item of personal property that by immemorial usage is regarded as annexed by inheritance to a family estate. The owner of such an heirloom may dispose of it during his lifetime, but he cannot bequeath it by will away from the estate. If he dies intestate (without a will), the object goes to his heir at law; otherwise it goes to whoever takes the estate under his will. Such

Caruaru

2005-02-24T20:44:00.000-08:00

City, eastern Pernambuco estado (“state”), northeastern Brazil, on the Ipojuca River at 1,804 feet (550 m) above sea level. Caruaru originated as a weekly market centre; it was elevated to city status in 1857. Agriculture, livestock, and food processing are the principal sources of income, and there is some light manufacturing. The city has many fairs and religious festivals. It is accessible

Maastricht Treaty

2005-02-24T16:07:00.000-08:00

Formally Treaty on European Union international agreement approved by the heads of government of the states of the European Community (EC) in Maastricht, Netherlands, in December 1991. Ratified by all EC member states (voters in Denmark rejected the original treaty but later approved a slightly modified version), the treaty was signed on February 7, 1992, and entered into force on November 1, 1993. The treaty established

Tequendama Falls

2005-02-23T18:11:00.000-08:00

Spanish Salto De Tequendama, waterfalls on the Bogotá (Funza) River, which is a tributary of the Magdalena River, in the Andean Cordillera (mountains) Oriental, central Colombia. One of the country's major tourist attractions, the falls are located in a forested area 20 miles (32 km) west of Bogotá. The river surges through a rocky gorge that narrows to about 60 feet (18 m) at the brink of the 515-foot- (157-metre-) high falls. The

Madhya Pradesh, Industry

2005-02-22T23:47:00.000-08:00

Overall, Madhya Pradesh remains an industrially underdeveloped state. In 1981 the Madhya Pradesh Industrial Development Corporation Ltd. was established to improve the infrastructure in the state's identified growth centres. Before this planned development took place, western Madhya Pradesh was the main industrial area—primarily producing consumer goods—but

Bohra

2005-02-22T10:38:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Bohora, in general, any Shi'i Isma'ili Muslim of the Musta'li sect, living in western India. The name is a corruption of a Gujarati word, vahaurau, meaning “to trade.” The Bohras include, in addition to this Shi'i majority, often of the merchant class, a Sunni minority who are usually peasant farmers. The Musta'li sect (see Isma'ilite), which originated in Egypt and later moved its religious centre to Yemen,

Chrestien, Florent

2005-02-22T04:59:00.000-08:00

The son of Guillaume Chrestien, an eminent physician and writer on physiology, he became a pupil of Henri Estienne, the Hellenist, at an early age. Later, he was appointed tutor to Henry of Navarre, afterward Henry IV of France, who made him his librarian.

Quad Cities

2005-02-21T14:34:00.000-08:00

An industrial complex at the Iowa–Illinois border, on the Mississippi River, U.S., which includes Rock Island, Moline, and East Moline (qq.v.), Ill., and Davenport (q.v.), Iowa.

Agung, Mount

2005-02-21T08:17:00.000-08:00

According to one Balinese myth, the deities made mountains for their thrones and placed the highest, Mount Agung, in Bali. According to another myth,

Nation, The

2005-02-20T20:59:00.000-08:00

The Nation under Godkin was an eloquent and increasingly influential voice against Reconstruction excesses, graft

Uhf

2005-02-20T07:46:00.000-08:00

UHF waves are very weakly reflected by the ionized layers of the upper

Ear Disease, Eczema

2005-02-19T16:13:00.000-08:00

Eczema of the skin of the outer ear, like eczema elsewhere, is an itching, scaling redness, sometimes with weeping of the affected skin. It is often the result of an allergy to a food or substance such as hair spray that comes in contact with the skin. The best treatment is discovery and avoidance of the allergen. Cortisone ointment applied topically may temporarily relieve

Maccoll, Ewan

2005-02-19T01:29:00.000-08:00

MacColl's parents were singers and taught him many folk songs. He left school at 14, taking a variety of blue-collar jobs and working as a singer and actor. In 1945 he and Joan Littlewood founded Theatre Workshop; he was the company's artistic director until 1953 and wrote a number of plays for it. MacColl

Osiris

2005-02-18T08:57:00.000-08:00

Also called Usiri, one of the most important gods of ancient Egypt. The origin of Osiris is obscure; he was a local god of Busiris, in Lower Egypt, and may have been a personification of chthonic (underworld) fertility, or possibly a deified hero. By about 2400 BC, however, Osiris clearly played a double role: he was both a god of fertility and the embodiment of the dead and resurrected king. This dual

Bridgend

2005-02-18T08:38:00.000-08:00

Welsh Pen-y-Bont ar Ogwr county borough, historic county of Glamorgan (Morgannwg), southern Wales. Bridgend county borough extends from the mining valleys of Ogmore, Garw, and Llynfi in the north to the arable lowlands and an extensive coastline in the south. Discoveries of Bronze Age and Iron Age artifacts have been made near the village of Merthyr Mawr, and the remains of many Norman castles

Halfbeak

2005-02-17T09:43:00.000-08:00

Any of about 70 species of marine and freshwater fishes of the family Exocoetidae (order Atheriniformes), sometimes placed in the family Hemirhamphidae. Halfbeaks are named for their unusual jaws—the upper is short and triangular, and the lower is long, slim, and beaklike. The fish are silvery, slender, and up to about 45 centimetres (18 inches) long. They can skip across the water

Pregnancy, Chorionic villi sampling

2005-02-16T18:41:00.000-08:00

The technique of retrieving a sample of villi from the chorion (outer embryonic membrane) within the uterus is similar to amniocentesis but can be carried out much earlier in pregnancy, between the 8th and 12th week of gestation. The test can be performed through either the abdomen or the vagina and cervix. The latter technique is carried out using ultrasonic visualization,

Earth, Seismic-wave velocity profiles

2005-02-15T17:17:00.000-08:00

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

Akwamu

2005-02-15T15:57:00.000-08:00

Its founders, an Akan people who are traditionally said to have come from Twifu Heman, northwest of Cape Coast, moved during the late 16th or early

Ba Maw

2005-02-14T21:44:00.000-08:00

Ba Maw was educated at Rangoon College, Calcutta University, the University of Cambridge, and the University of Bordeaux, Fr., where he received a doctorate in 1924. Admitted to

Salamanca, University Of

2005-02-14T04:18:00.000-08:00

Spanish Universidad De Salamanca, state institution of higher learning at Salamanca, Spain. It was founded in 1218 under Alfonso IX, but its real beginnings date from 1254, when, under Alfonso X, grandson of the founder, three chairs in canon law and one each in grammar, arts, and physics were established. From that time until the end of the 16th century, Salamanca was one of the leading centres of learning in Europe, ranking

Ear Disease, Acoustic neuroma

2005-02-13T23:44:00.000-08:00

An acoustic neuroma is a benign tumour that grows on the auditory nerve near the point where it enters the labyrinth of the inner ear. The tumour causes gradual and progressive loss of auditory and vestibular nerve function on one side. Eventually the tumour grows out into the brain cavity, causing headaches and paralysis. If it is not removed, blindness and death

Mimir

2005-02-12T21:41:00.000-08:00

Old Norse Mímir in Norse mythology, the wisest of the gods of the tribe Aesir; he was also believed to be a water spirit. Mimir was sent by the Aesir as a hostage to the rival gods (the Vanir), but he was decapitated and his head was returned to the Aesir. The god Odin preserved the head in herbs and gained knowledge from it. According to another story, Mimir resided by a well that stood beneath

Argentina, Efforts toward reconstruction, 182029

2005-02-12T11:30:00.000-08:00

In 1820 only two political organizations could claim more than strictly local and provincial followings: the revolutionary government in Buenos Aires and the League of Free Peoples, which had grown up along the Río de la Plata and its tributaries under the leadership of José Gervasio Artigas. But both organizations collapsed in that year, and Buenos Aires seemed to

Monel

2005-02-11T14:03:00.000-08:00

Any of a group of nickel-copper alloys, first developed in 1905, containing about 66 percent nickel and 31.5 percent copper, with small amounts of iron, manganese, carbon, and silicon. Stronger than pure nickel, Monel alloys are resistant to corrosion by many agents, including rapidly flowing seawater. They can be fabricated readily by hot- and cold-working, machining, and welding.

Porcelain Enamelling

2005-02-10T23:40:00.000-08:00

Also called Vitreous Enamelling, process of fusing a thin layer of glass to a metal object to prevent corrosion and enhance its beauty. Porcelain-enamelled iron is used extensively for such articles as kitchen pots and pans, bathtubs, refrigerators, chemical and food tanks, and equipment for meat markets. In architecture it serves as facing for buildings. Being a glass, porcelain enamelling has the

Quadruple Alliance

2005-02-10T16:00:00.000-08:00

Alliance formed Aug. 2, 1718, when Austria joined the Triple Alliance of Britain, the Dutch Republic (United Provinces), and France to prevent Spain from altering the terms of the Treaty of Utrecht (1713). Philip V of Spain, influenced by his wife, Elizabeth Farnese of Parma, and her adviser Giulio Alberoni, seized control of Sardinia and Sicily (assigned to Austria and Savoy, respectively,

Chatwin, Bruce

2005-02-10T11:28:00.000-08:00

In 1966 Chatwin abandoned a promising career as a director of Impressionist art at the auction firm Sotheby's in London to study archaeology at the University of Edinburgh. From 1973 he worked for a time as a traveling correspondent for The Sunday

Saint Catherine's

2005-02-09T16:38:00.000-08:00

Greek Orthodox monastery situated on Mount Sinai more than 5,000 feet (1,500 m) above sea level in a narrow valley north of Mount Musa in the Sinai peninsula. Often incorrectly called the Sinai Independent Greek Orthodox Church, the monastic foundation is the smallest of the autonomous churches that together constitute the Eastern Orthodox church. The abbot of the monastery,

Yang Hsiu-ch'ing

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

A dealer in firewood, Yang joined the Taiping band shortly before the rebellion broke out and quickly rose to a high position. In 1851, when the supreme Taiping leader, Hung Hsiu-ch'üan (1814–64), proclaimed his own dynasty and gave