WaitingRing

Great Lakes

2005-04-04T21:49:00.000-07:00

Chain of lakes in east-central North America comprising Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario. They are one of the great natural features of the continent and of the Earth. Although Lake Baikal in Russia has a larger volume of water, the combined area of the Great Lakes—some 94,850 square miles (245,660 square kilometres)—represents the largest surface of fresh water in

Pacific Mountain System

2005-04-04T18:30:00.000-07:00

The geography and geology of the Pacific mountain system are treated in James G. Ashbaugh (ed.), The Pacific Northwest: Geographical Perspectives (1994), covering climate, vegetation, agriculture, and the economy; Stewart T. Schultz, The Northwest Coast (1990), a popular, comprehensive view of the people, economy, and landforms of the region; Paul E. Hammond, Guide to Geology of the Cascade Range (1988), a well-written work; John Eliot Allen, Marjorie Burns, and Sam C. Sargent, Cataclysms on the Columbia (1986), a fine overall exploration of the Missoula floods; and A. Jon Kimmerling and Philip L. Jackson, Atlas of the Pacific Northwest, 7th ed. (1985). A good explanation of how the ocean has shaped the Oregon coast, producing different landforms between California and Washington, may be found in Paul D. Komar, “Ocean Processes and Hazards Along the Oregon Coast,” Oregon Geology, 54(1):3–19 (January 1992).

Torelli, Giacomo

2005-04-03T21:05:00.000-07:00

Nothing is known of Torelli's early life. In 1641 he was a military engineer at Venice. Already known as an architect, he built two churches there. Having erected the Teatro Novissimo at Venice, he furnished it

China, Period of division

2005-04-02T17:17:00.000-08:00

The most extensive modern account of the period of division is that found in the general history by Franke cited above, vol. 2, with copious notes in vol. 3; this is a traditional chronological history, which pays little attention to nonpolitical matters and absolutely none to modern historical writing on the period in Chinese and Japanese. Other works on this important period include Wolfram Eberhard, Das Toba-Reich Nordchinas: eine soziologische Untersuchung (1949), a Western-language study on the T'o-pa Wei—controversial and interesting but highly technical; W.J.F. Jenner, Memories of Loyang (1981), a political history of the Wei dynasty during the Pei-ch'ao (Northern Dynasties) period; Étienne Balazs, “Les Courants intellectuels en Chine au IIIe siècle de notre ère,” Études Asiatiques, vol. 2 (1948), the best Western-language study on the rise of “Neo-Taoism” and other schools of thought after the breakdown of the Han Empire; Henri Maspero, Taoism and Chinese Religion (1983; originally published in French, 1950), a collection of essays dealing mainly with T'ang dynasty Taoism, still the most important general survey of the Taoist religion of this period, written mainly in the 1930s and '40s by a great authority for the general public; Holmes Welch, Taoism: The Parting of the Way, rev. ed. (1965), a general history of the Taoist movement with about one-third of the book devoted to the development of Taoist religion in the Six Dynasties period; Michel Strickmann, Le Taoïsme du Mao Chan: chronique d'une révélation (1981), a scholarly account of one of the main schools of medieval Taoism; Arthur F. Wright, Buddhism in Chinese History (1959, reprinted 1971), a popular but authoritative survey of Chinese Buddhism as a whole, two chapters of which are devoted to the Six Dynasties period; Kenneth K.S. Chen, Buddhism in China (1964, reprinted 1972), an extensive history of Chinese Buddhism by an eminent specialist; Erik Zürcher, The Buddhist Conquest of China, 2 vol. (1959, reprinted 1972), a detailed, rather technical study of the formation of gentry Buddhism; and Jacques Gernet, Les Aspects économiques du bouddhisme dans la société chinoise du Ve au Xe siècle (1956), an indispensable but rather technical work on the economic functions of the Buddhist monasteries from the 5th to the 10th century.

Muhando, Penina O.

2005-04-01T16:08:00.000-08:00

Muhando studied education and theatre in Tanzania at the University of Dar es-Salaam, later joining the faculty of the department of theatre arts. Her plays include Hatia (1972; “Guilt”), Tambueni haki zetu (1973; “Reveal Our

Giovanni Da Pian Del Carpini

2005-04-01T11:35:00.000-08:00

Giovanni was a contemporary and disciple of St. Francis of Assisi. By 1220 he

Bar Harbor

2005-03-31T20:03:00.000-08:00

Coastal town, Hancock county, southern Maine, U.S. It is on Mount Desert Island at the foot of Cadillac Mountain (1,530 feet [466 metres]) facing Frenchman Bay, 46 miles (74 km) southeast of Bangor. Settled in 1763, it was incorporated in 1796 as Eden; the present name (for Bar Island in the main harbour) was adopted in 1918. Most of the town was destroyed by fire in 1947. Rebuilt Bar Harbor is the centre of a popular resort

Military Affairs

2005-03-30T17:01:00.000-08:00

The security situation in the Serbian province of Kosovo deteriorated in January when Yugoslav army and special police troops escalated their offensive against the Kosovar Albanians. Under pressure from the six-nation Contact Group, the two sides met at Rambouillet, near Paris, France, in February and March to seek a peace agreement. The Kosovar Albanian delegation

Qasrayn, Al-

2005-03-30T13:49:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Kasserine, town, west-central Tunisia. The town is an important market, road, and rail junction and is the centre of an irrigated agricultural area. Its economic activities include the cultivation of olives and esparto grass and the manufacture of paper pulp. Kasserine Pass to the northwest was the scene of a decisive battle of the Tunisian campaign in World War II, which contributed

Szentkuthy, Miklos

2005-03-29T08:19:00.000-08:00

After attending Budapest University, Szentkuthy taught secondary school in Budapest (1932–57). After publishing several avant-garde novels, including the

Turkish Literature

2005-03-29T04:00:00.000-08:00

In the 19th century the introduction of Western reforms had its effect on literature. Mainly under French influence, various writers adopted and adapted Western literary forms, such as the novel, the drama, and the essay, while the rigid forms and attitudes of classical poetry gradually went out of fashion in the country. In the 20th century a Turkish nationalist literature

Digestive System, Invertebrate, Vacuolar systems

2005-03-28T00:53:00.000-08:00

Unicellular organisms that ingest food particles via vacuoles rely on intracellular digestion to prepare the nutrients for use. The enzymes that catalyze this digestion, being very potent chemicals capable of breaking down the cell substance itself, are held until needed in special packets, or vesicles, called lysosomes; the membrane of a lysosome is both impermeable

World Water Crisis: Is There A Way Out?

2005-03-27T19:50:00.000-08:00

Such was the dismal state of the world's water supply, as presented in a press release by Koichiro Matsuura, director general of UNESCO, on March 5, 2003. Matsuura later warned, “Over the next 20 years, the average supply of water worldwide per person is expected to drop by a third.” For years there had been warnings of an ever-worsening crisis in the availability of water on planet

Chemical Synthesis

2005-03-26T02:58:00.000-08:00

Chemists synthesize chemical compounds that occur in nature in order to gain a better understanding of their structures.

Harrison, Anna

2005-03-25T09:48:00.000-08:00

In 1858 Anna's house was destroyed in a fire, and she spent the remaining six years of her life with her son John Scott Harrison, the only one of her children to outlive her. She was buried beside her husband in North Bend, Ohio.

Carillon

2005-03-24T02:57:00.000-08:00

Musical instrument consisting of at least 23 cast bronze bells in fixed suspension, tuned in chromatic order (i.e., in half steps) and capable of concordant harmony when sounded together. Customarily located in a tower, it is played from a clavier, or keyboard, containing wooden levers and pedals wired to clappers or, less commonly, from an ivory keyboard with electric action

Visconti-venosta, Emilio, Marchese

2005-03-24T01:35:00.000-08:00

A youthful participant in the revolutionary movement against Austrian rule that began in 1848, Visconti-Venosta was forced in 1859 to flee to Piedmont; he served the government

Malevich, Kazimir (severinovich)

2005-03-22T23:56:00.000-08:00

Malevich was trained at the Kiev School of Art and the Moscow Academy of Fine Arts. In his early work he followed Impressionism as well as Fauvism, and, after a trip to Paris in 1912, he was influenced by Picasso and Cubism. As a member of the Jack of

Saudi Arabia, Religion

2005-03-22T14:56:00.000-08:00

Saudi Arabia is the home of Islam, and its native population is almost entirely Sunnite Muslim (i.e., adhering to the chief branch of Islam, Sunnism [Sunnah], called traditionalist or orthodox). The Wahhabi interpretation of Sunnite Islam is the one officially used. Wahhabism, as it is called in the West, is a puritanical interpretation and is named after Muhammad ibn 'Abd

Quintet

2005-03-22T14:05:00.000-08:00

Musical composition for five instruments or voices; also the group of musicians engaged in the performance of such a composition. The string quintet normally includes two violins, two violas, and a cello. Mozart's six works for this medium are usually considered his greatest achievement in chamber music. The composer and virtuoso cellist Luigi Boccherini favoured

Anne And Joachim, Saints

2005-03-21T19:06:00.000-08:00

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

Sunch'on

2005-03-21T05:04:00.000-08:00

City, Cholla-nam do (province), southern South Korea. Located on the Yosu Peninsula, 87 miles (140 km) southeast of Kwangju, the provincial capital, it is an administrative and economic centre of the eastern part of the province. It is connected by rail with Seoul through Kwangju and Taejon and, since 1968, has been connected with Pusan through Chinju and Masan. A transportation junction,

Guare, John

2005-03-20T13:27:00.000-08:00

Guare, who at age 11 produced his first play for friends and family, was educated at Georgetown University, Washington, D.C. (B.A., 1960), and at Yale University (M.F.A., 1963). He then began staging short plays, primarily in New York City, where he helped to found the Eugene O'Neill Memorial Theatre Playwrights'

Saint

2005-03-19T05:49:00.000-08:00

A holy person believed to have a special relationship to the sacred as well as moral perfection or exceptional teaching abilities. The phenomenon is widespread in the religions of the world, both ancient and contemporary. Various types of religious personages have been recognized as saints, both by popular acclaim and official pronouncement, and their influence

Wyre

2005-03-19T02:38:00.000-08:00

Borough (district), administrative and historic county of Lancashire, northwestern England, bordering on the Irish Sea north and east of the resort of Blackpool. The borough, named for the River Wyre, which crosses and drains it, is generally a low coastal plain. Formerly occupied by pockets of marshland, much of the plain has been reclaimed and is now intensively cultivated.

Swamp Deer

2005-03-18T20:05:00.000-08:00

Common name for the barasingha (q.v.) of India and for the marsh deer (Blastocerus dichotomus), a large reddish brown deer of South American marshes.

Paper

2005-03-17T15:59:00.000-08:00

Paper has been traced to China in about AD 105. It reached Central Asia by 751 and Baghdad by 793, and by the 14th century there were paper mills in several parts of Europe. The invention of the printing press in about 1450 greatly increased the demand for paper, and at the beginning of the

France, History Of, The authoritarian years

2005-03-17T15:02:00.000-08:00

From 1852 to 1859 the empire was authoritarian in tone. Civil liberties were narrowly circumscribed; vocal opponents of the regime remained in exile or were constrained to silence; parliament's wings were clipped; elections to the Legislative Corps (Corps Législatif; the lower house of the Parliament) were spaced at six-year intervals and were “managed” by Napoleon's prefects,

Mountain

2005-03-16T18:07:00.000-08:00

Mountain belts differ from one another in various respects, but they also have a number of similarities that enable Earth scientists to group them into certain distinct categories. Each of these categories is characterized by the principal process that created a representative belt. Moreover, within individual belts different tectonic processes can prevail

'ayyar

2005-03-16T05:18:00.000-08:00

Though 'ayyarun were found fighting for Islam on the frontiers of inner Asia, the most thorough documentation of these warriors describes their activities in Baghdad in the 10th–12th century, a picture that may not be typical of 'ayy

Alençon Lace

2005-03-15T10:02:00.000-08:00

French Point D'alençon, needle lace made in the French city of Alençon, one of the centres designated by Jean-Baptiste Colbert, minister of finance under Louis XIV, for aid in his effort to make French laces financially and artistically competitive with imported laces. Venetian workers, experts in making point de Venise, were brought in to instruct the local needlewomen, who quickly learned

Muscle Disease, Vitamin D deficiency

2005-03-14T11:16:00.000-08:00

A similar mechanism underlies the wasting and weakness associated with lack of vitamin D (osteomalacia) in which marked atrophy of type 2 fibres may be seen. The actions of vitamin D in muscle are not fully understood, but it appears that at least one of its metabolites, 25-hydroxycholecalciferol, may influence the resting energy state of the muscle and also protein turnover.

Domestic Tragedy

2005-03-14T04:49:00.000-08:00

Drama in which the tragic protagonists are ordinary middle class or lower class individuals, in contrast to classical and Neoclassical tragedy, in which the protagonists are of kingly or aristocratic rank and their downfall is an affair of state as well as a personal matter. The earliest known examples of domestic tragedy are three anonymous late Elizabethan

Bean, Roy

2005-03-14T02:52:00.000-08:00

For much of his life from the time he left his Kentucky home in 1847, Bean moved from town to town—in Mexico, Southern California, New Mexico, and Texas—getting into and fleeing from one scrape after another, killing at least two men in duels. During the Civil

Hale, John Parker

2005-03-13T08:17:00.000-08:00

After

Ogburn, William Fielding

2005-03-12T02:07:00.000-08:00

Ogburn was a professor at Columbia University (1919–27) and the University of Chicago (1927–51). He frequently served as a labour mediator

Paulownia Sun, Order Of The

2005-03-12T01:28:00.000-08:00

The badge, suspended from a green

Paul Of Venice

2005-03-11T16:51:00.000-08:00

Paul studied at the universities of Oxford and Padua, where he also lectured (1408–15), and became Venetian ambassador to Poland (1413), but difficulties with the Venetian authorities prompted

Andean Peoples

2005-03-10T23:32:00.000-08:00

Since 1532, under European rule, extractive activities, such as silver, tin, and copper mining, for foreign markets have been favoured to the point to which Andean agriculture and the ecologic wisdom in handling productively the extremely high altitudes have been gradually devalued and mostly forgotten. The population of the Central Andes is both less dense and less

Levinson, Salmon Oliver

2005-03-10T13:01:00.000-08:00

Levinson practiced law in Chicago from 1891 and became noted for his skill in reorganizing the finances of distressed corporations. In an article in the New Republic, March 9, 1918, he argued that violence by nation-states should be declared illegal.

Sankt Wolfgang

2005-03-10T00:01:00.000-08:00

Also called Sankt Wolfgang Im Salzkammergut, town, Oberösterreich Bundesland (federal state), central Austria. It lies on the east shore of Wolfgang (Aber) Lake in the Salzkammergut lake region, west of Bad Ischl. A cog, or rack, railway ascends the Schafberg (5,850 feet [1,783 m]) from the town. The Late Gothic-style Pilgrimage Church (1430–77) has a magnificent carved wooden altar (1481) by the sculptor Michael Pacher. The town's Zum Weissen Rossl

Primate, General structure

2005-03-09T23:45:00.000-08:00

The basis of the success of the order Primates is the relatively unspecialized nature of their structure and the highly specialized plasticity of their behaviour. This combination has permitted the primates throughout their evolutionary history to exploit the wide variety of novel ecological opportunities that have come their way. Although there are a few

Computers, Vannevar Bush's Differential Analyzer

2005-03-09T17:21:00.000-08:00

In 1930 an engineer named Vannevar Bush at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) developed the first modern analog computer. The Differential Analyzer, as he called it, was an analog calculator that could be used to solve certain classes of differential equations, a type of problem common in physics and engineering applications that are often very tedious

Amasya

2005-03-09T11:59:00.000-08:00

Historically Amaseia , or Amasia city, capital of Amasya il (province), northern Turkey, on the Yesil River, also called the Iris River. Capital of the kings of Pontus until about 183 BC, it was made a free city and the administrative centre of a large territory by Pompey in 65 BC. In the 2nd century AD, it received the titles “metropolis” and “first city” under the Romans. It was the capital of the Turkmen Danismend emirs until annexed

A-erh-chin Mountains

2005-03-09T05:15:00.000-08:00

The range falls into three divisions. The southwest

Thousand Days, The War Of A

2005-03-07T08:21:00.000-08:00

The Liberal Party represented coffee plantation owners and import-export merchants who favoured a laissez-faire economic policy. Largely excluded from participation in government after the Conservative victory

Ancient Greek Civilization

2005-03-06T08:28:00.000-08:00

The period following Mycenaean civilization, which ended in about 1200 BC, to the death of Alexander the Great, in 323 BC. It was a period of political, philosophical, artistic, and scientific achievements that formed a legacy with unparalleled influence on Western civilization.

Keyes, Alan

2005-03-06T04:22:00.000-08:00

In full Alan Lee Keyes American diplomat, radio commentator, and politician who was one of the most prominent African American conservatives in the late 20th and the early 21st century. He received a bachelor's degree (1972) and a doctorate (1979) in government studies from Harvard University. In 1978 he joined the U.S. State Department as a foreign service officer. In 1983 he was appointed

Raymond

2005-03-06T01:49:00.000-08:00

Raymond was the younger son of William VII, count of Poitiers, in west-central France. In 1135 King Fulk of the Latin kingdom of Jerusalem, regent for the heiress Constance of Antioch, sent envoys to offer her in marriage to Raymond,

Caucasian Languages, Mingrelian

2005-03-05T23:05:00.000-08:00

The Mingrelian language (self-designation: margaluri nina) is spoken in the territory north of the Rioni River and west of the Tskhenis-Tskali River and along the Black Sea coast from the mouth of the Rioni up to the city of Ochamchire. The language is unwritten; Georgian is used as a literary language.

Pietra Dura

2005-03-05T20:29:00.000-08:00

(Italian: “hard stone”), in mosaic, any of several kinds of hard stone used in commesso mosaic work, an art that flourished in Florence particularly in the late 16th and 17th centuries and involved the fashioning of highly illusionistic pictures out of cut-to-shape pieces of coloured stone. The resulting decorative mosaics were used primarily for tabletops and small wall

Earth, The geomagnetic dynamo

2005-03-05T17:51:00.000-08:00

Observations of the magnetic field of the Earth's surface indicate that more than 90 percent of this field arises from sources internal to the planet. A variety of mechanisms for generating this field have been proposed, but at present only the geomagnetic dynamo is seriously considered. In the dynamo mechanism, fluid motion in the core moves conducting material

Thomas, Norman (mattoon)

2005-03-05T09:32:00.000-08:00

Following his graduation from Union Theological Seminary, New York City, about 1911, Thomas accepted the pastorate of the East Harlem Church and the chairmanship of the American Parish, a settlement house in one of the poorest sections of New York City.

Catafalque

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

Ornate, often theatrical, usually movable funereal structure mounted on a stage to support a coffin for a lying-in-state. It is used for royalty and personages of distinction and is normally set up in a historic public hall, such as Westminster Hall, London, and the Capitol Rotunda in Washington, D.C. The reputation of the Spanish architect José Churriguera, known for

Roman Script

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

Also called Antiqua Script, Italian Lettera Antica, in calligraphy, script based upon the clear, orderly Carolingian writing that Italian humanists mistook for the ancient Roman script used at the time of Cicero (1st century BC). They used the term roman to distinguish this supposedly classical style from black-letter and national hands. It was upon the model of antica, or roman, scripts that Renaissance scribes evolved

Pietra Dura

2005-03-02T21:26:00.000-08:00

Organization of Caribbean nations and dependencies that was established in 1973 by the Treaty of Chaguaramas. It replaced the former Caribbean Free Trade Association (Carifta), which had become effective in 1968. The treaty spurred the development of associate institutions, including the Caribbean Development Bank and the Organization of East Caribbean States, both

Henry I

2005-03-02T05:13:00.000-08:00

The son of Otto the Illustrious, the Liudolfing duke of Saxony, Henry became duke at his

Dysplasia

2005-03-01T21:39:00.000-08:00

Chondroectodermal dysplasia (Ellis-van Creveld syndrome) is a very rare, congenital disorder. It is heritable (autosomal recessive). Affected individuals exhibit heart

Carlile, Richard

2005-03-01T20:26:00.000-08:00

Radical English journalist who was a notable champion of the freedom of the press. Although convinced that the free propagation of ideas was more important than specific reforms, he was an early advocate of almost all the Radical causes of his time, including the abolition of monarchy, completely secular education, and the

Performing Arts, European Union.

2005-03-01T08:54:00.000-08:00

With the funding facilities of the European Union's MEDIA program, possibilities for co-production, and the formation of a European Film Promotion organization, a clear grouping of national film industries developed, linking the member countries of the European Union along with “candidate countries” and Iceland, Norway, and Switzerland—countries that, though

Abbey Theatre

2005-02-28T22:43:00.000-08:00

Dublin theatre, established in 1904. It grew out of the Irish Literary Theatre (founded in 1899 by William Butler Yeats and Isabella Augusta, Lady Gregory, and devoted to fostering Irish poetic drama), which in 1902 was taken over by the Irish National Dramatic Society, led by W.G. and Frank J. Fay and formed to present Irish actors in Irish plays. In 1903 this became the Irish National Theatre

Patagonia

2005-02-27T20:35:00.000-08:00

Semiarid scrub plateau that covers nearly all of the southern portion of mainland Argentina. With an area of about 260,000 square miles (673,000 square kilometres), it constitutes a vast area of steppe and desert that extends from latitude 37° to 51° S. It is bounded, approximately, by the Patagonian Andes to the west, the Colorado River to the north (except where the region extends north of

Dowding, Hugh Caswall Tremenheere Dowding, 1st Baron

2005-02-27T18:36:00.000-08:00

A squadron commander in the Royal Flying Corps

Armoire

2005-02-27T06:26:00.000-08:00

The word, which sometimes denoted

'arabah, Wadi Al-

2005-02-26T08:53:00.000-08:00

Hebrew Ha-'arava, topographic depression in southern Palestine extending about 100 miles (160 km) south from the Dead Sea to the Gulf of Aqaba; it is part of the East African Rift System. Largely sandy desert, it is divided between Israel and Jordan. In the Old Testament, except in Deuteronomy 2:8, the name Al-'Arabah refers to the Jordan Valley, but eventually the name came to be applied exclusively

Würm Glacial Stage

2005-02-25T17:08:00.000-08:00

Major division of late Pleistocene deposits and time in Alpine Europe (the Pleistocene epoch began about 1,600,000 years ago and ended about 10,000 years ago). The Würm glacial stage followed the Riss-Würm interglacial and is correlated with the Weichsel glacial stage of northern Europe and the Wisconsin glacial stage of North America. The Alpine glaciations of the Pleistocene

Endoscopy

2005-02-24T23:55:00.000-08:00

Medical examination of the interior of the body, usually through a natural body opening, by the insertion of a lighted optical shaft or open tube. It is customarily performed with local anesthesia. Instruments used include the esophagoscope, a rigid pipe for examination of the esophagus; the bronchoscope, a similar pipe for examination of the bronchial tubes; and

World Affairs, Dues.

2005-02-24T21:47:00.000-08:00

On December 22, the UN tentatively agreed to the U.S. figures on dues after Ted Turner, founder of the Cable News Network and a Time Warner vice-chairman, offered to pay the $34 million shortfall for the year 2001 created by reducing the U.S. share of the UN administrative budget from 25% to 22% and its share of the peacekeeping budget from 31% to about 27%. The U.S. indebtedness to the UN stood at $1.3 billion

Perfume

2005-02-24T06:45:00.000-08:00

Fragrant product that results from the artful blending of certain odoriferous substances in appropriate proportions. The word is derived from the Latin per fumum, meaning “through smoke.” The art of perfumery was apparently known to the ancient Chinese, Hindus, Egyptians, Israelites, Carthaginians, Arabs, Greeks, and Romans. References to perfumery materials and

Anastasius Ii

2005-02-23T23:18:00.000-08:00

In notifying the Byzantine emperor Anastasius I of his accession, Anastasius expressed a conciliatory attitude toward the late patriarch Acacius of Constantinople, who had been deposed and excommunicated in 484 by Pope St. Felix III. The Acacian Schism resulted from this act. The pope's reception of the Byzantine deacon Photinus,

Insurance, Costs

2005-02-23T09:04:00.000-08:00

Following the publication in the early 1970s of about 40 studies revealing inadequacies in workers' compensation in the United States, most states passed laws increasing the number of workers covered, raising weekly benefits to equal or exceed 66 2/3 percent of the average weekly wage, and making other improvements. Compensable claims now include those involving back pain,

Tiger-flower

2005-02-22T09:57:00.000-08:00

The flowers, in a range of colours including orange-red, have three lower floral parts alternating with three much smaller petals, all with a spotted cup at the centre.

'ar'ar

2005-02-22T00:07:00.000-08:00

Town, northern Saudi Arabia, situated in the Northern region at an elevation of 1,854 feet (565 m). 'Ar'ar was developed in the early 1950s by seminomadic people who were attracted by water made available around the Trans Arabian Pipeline (Tapline). Agriculture and livestock raising are the main economic activities. Crops include alfalfa, dates, fruits, and vegetables. 'Ar'ar has a technical

Mardin

2005-02-21T22:03:00.000-08:00

City, capital of Mardin il (province), southeastern Turkey. It lies on the southern slopes of a broad highland that rises to an altitude of 3,450 ft (1,052 m) and overlooks extensive limestone plateaus. The locality receives more rainfall than the lower plains and has hot summers and cold winters. A ruined Roman citadel, rebuilt in medieval times, crowns the summit of the highland

Computers, Herman Hollerith's census tabulator

2005-02-21T07:46:00.000-08:00

The U.S. Constitution mandates that a census of the population be performed every 10 years. The first attempt at any mechanization of the census was in 1870, when statistical data were transcribed onto a rolling paper tape displayed through a small slotted window. As the size of America's population exploded in the 19th century, and the number of census questions expanded, the

Abasiyanik, Sait Faik

2005-02-21T06:21:00.000-08:00

Abasiyan

Disasters

2005-02-20T18:25:00.000-08:00

January 2-3, Fiji. Deadly Cyclone Kina ripped across the islands and caused widespread damage with winds swirling to 185 km/h (115 mph); at least 12 persons were known dead, hundreds of homes were destroyed, and three major bridges were washed

Roman Catholicism, History Of

2005-02-19T13:35:00.000-08:00

As both its critics and its champions would probably agree, Roman Catholicism has been the decisive spiritual force in the history of Western civilization. There are more Roman Catholics in the world than there are believers of any other religious tradition—not merely

Abd El-krim

2005-02-18T21:46:00.000-08:00

In full Muhammad Ibn 'abd Al-karim Al-khattabi leader of a resistance movement against Spanish and French rule in North Africa and founder of the short-lived Republic of the Rif (1921–26). A skilled tactician and a capable organizer, he led a liberation movement that made him the hero of the Maghrib (northwest Africa). A precursor of the anticolonial struggle for independence, Abd el-Krim was defeated

Pius Iv

2005-02-18T11:39:00.000-08:00

After a long conclave Giovanni was elected pope on Dec. 25, 1559, as Pius IV. Though he had long agreed with those who saw a need for

Gte Corporation

2005-02-18T02:31:00.000-08:00

General Telephone was founded in 1926 as Associated Telephone Utilities by Sigurd Odegard, a Wisconsin phone-company owner who wanted to acquire small independent phone companies.

Neoorthodoxy

2005-02-17T15:53:00.000-08:00

Influential 20th-century Protestant theological movement in Europe and America, known in Europe as crisis theology and dialectical theology. The phrase crisis theology referred to the intellectual crisis of Christendom that occurred when the carnage of World War I belied the exuberant optimism of liberal Christianity. Dialectical theology referred to the

Metallophone

2005-02-17T01:58:00.000-08:00

China had such instruments by the 7th century. Metallophones had reached northern Europe from Indonesia

Hawk Owl

2005-02-16T07:08:00.000-08:00

The northern hawk owl (Surnia ulula) is approximately 40 cm (about 16 inches) long. Its tail is long, and its wings are short and pointed like those of a hawk. The facial disk of the northern hawk owl does not extend above the eyes, and it has no ear tufts. It feeds on small mammals, birds, and insects, hunting during

Fabry, Charles

2005-02-16T05:44:00.000-08:00

Fabry joined the staff of Marseilles University in 1894. His early studies centred on light interference, in which a primary research instrument

Earth, Energy sources for convection

2005-02-15T23:55:00.000-08:00

Measurements of temperature in deep mines and oil wells indicate that there is a substantial temperature increase with depth. In part, this is due to the weight of overlying rocks. Such temperature increases are not accompanied by a change in heat content and are referred to as adiabatic temperature increases. Convection within the Earth occurs only if the temperature

Sagua La Grande

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

City, north-central Villa Clara provincia, north-central Cuba. Lying on the Sagua la Grande River, 15 miles (24 km) from its mouth, the city is a major port and regional manufacturing and commercial centre. The area is known primarily for its sugarcane, but rice, black beans, and livestock also are economically significant. Foundries, distilleries, railroad shops, lumberyards,

Subatomic Particle, The weak nuclear force

2005-02-14T22:14:00.000-08:00

Since the 1930s physicists have been aware of a force within the atomic nucleus that is responsible for certain types of radioactivity that are classed together as beta decay. A typical example of beta decay occurs when a neutron transmutes into a proton. The force that underlies this process is known as the weak nuclear force to distinguish it from the strong nuclear

Nigeria

2005-02-14T17:33:00.000-08:00

A republic and suspended member of the Commonwealth, Nigeria is located in West Africa, on the Gulf of Guinea. Area: 923,768 sq km (356,669 sq mi). Pop. (1996 est.): 103,912,000. Cap.: Abuja. Monetary unit: naira, with (Oct. 11, 1996) an official par value of 22 naira to U.S. $1 (free rate of 34.66 naira = £1 sterling); a truer value of the naira was on the free market, where 79.70 naira = U.S. $1 (125.55 naira = £ 1 sterling). Chairman of the Provisional Ruling Council in 1996, Gen. Sani

Acupuncture

2005-02-13T20:22:00.000-08:00

Acupuncture grew out

French Literature, Bourgeois drama

2005-02-13T20:07:00.000-08:00

Yet Beaumarchais himself espoused the drame bourgeois (“bourgeois drama,” or “middle-class tragedy”) in his Essai sur le genre dramatique sérieux (1767). He wrote several drames, among them the sequel to Le Mariage in L'Autre Tartuffe, ou La Mère coupable (1792). The growing importance of sentiment on the stage had proved as inimical to Classical comedy as to Classical tragedy. More

Alchevsk

2005-02-13T15:20:00.000-08:00

Formerly (1931–61) Voroshilovsk , or (1961–92) Kommunarsk city, Luhansk oblast (province), eastern Ukraine. It lies along the railway from Luhansk to Debaltsevo. Alchevsk was founded in 1895 with the establishment of the Donetsko-Yuryevsky ironworks. The plant has developed into a large, integrated ironworks and steelworks, which was expanded greatly in the 1950s and '60s. The city is a major bituminous-coal mining centre, and there are

Cimon Of Cleonae

2005-02-13T13:09:00.000-08:00

Although Cimon has been dated to the 8th century BC, the fact would seem

Wilde, Oscar (fingal O'flahertie Wills)

2005-02-11T23:10:00.000-08:00

Irish wit, poet, and dramatist whose reputation rests on his comic masterpieces Lady Windermere's Fan (1892) and The Importance of Being Earnest (1895). He was a spokesman for the late 19th-century Aesthetic movement in England, which advocated art for art's sake; and he was the object of celebrated civil and criminal suits involving homosexuality and ending

Gulbransson, Olaf

2005-02-11T16:37:00.000-08:00

Gulbransson studied at the Royal Norwegian Drawing School and worked for several Norwegian newspapers. After a visit to Paris in 1900, he returned to Oslo,

Kadu Languages

2005-02-11T10:48:00.000-08:00

Also called Kadugli-Krongo languages group of related languages spoken along the western and southern edge of the Nuba Hills in The Sudan. These languages were formerly classified as part of the Kordofanian group within the Niger-Congo language family, but they are now widely believed to form a subgroup within the Nilo-Saharan language family. The name Kadu is based on a widespread word for “people” in

Biblical Literature, The Acts of the Apostles

2005-02-10T05:25:00.000-08:00

As indicated by both its introduction and its theological plan (see The Gospel According to Luke), Acts is the second of a two-volume work compiled by the author of Luke. Both volumes are dedicated to Theophilus (presumably an imperial official), and its contents are divided into periods. In the Gospel, Luke describes first the end of the old dispensation and then the earthly

Saint Austell

2005-02-09T20:26:00.000-08:00

Town, Restormel borough, administrative and historic county of Cornwall, southwestern England. St. Austell was originally called Trenance and takes its present name from a hermit named St. Austol. England's most important kaolin (china clay) deposits are dug in the area, then processed at St. Austell, and shipped from the nearby port of Fowey. Many people are employed

Karakul

2005-02-09T11:51:00.000-08:00

Sheep breed of central or west Asian origin, raised chiefly for the skins of very young lambs, which are covered with glossy, tightly curled black coats and are called Persian lamb in the fur trade. The wool of mature Karakul sheep, classified as carpet wool, is a mixture of coarse and fine fibres, from 6 to 10 inches (15 to 25 cm) long, of colours varying from black to various shades

Monticello

2005-02-08T14:49:00.000-08:00

City, seat (1895) of San Juan county, southeastern Utah, U.S. Founded in 1886 as a point of entry into the nearby Abajo Mountains and named after the Virginia estate of U.S. President Thomas Jefferson, the town grew as a centre for several ranches that hosted a thriving livestock industry. A vanadium-processing plant was built during World War II and converted to uranium production