HighReceipt

Agreda, María De

2005-03-24T01:58:00.000-08:00

Her virtues and holy life were universally acknowledged, but controversy arose over her mystical writings, her political influence, and her missionary activities.

Blondel, Jacques-françois

2005-03-21T04:16:00.000-08:00

Of a famous architectural family, Blondel was reared by an uncle. Though the nephew early went along with the Rococo ornamentation of the

Steel

2005-03-19T19:01:00.000-08:00

Alloy of iron and carbon in which the carbon content ranges up to 2 percent (with a higher carbon content, the material is defined as cast iron). By far the most widely used material for building the world's infrastructure and industries, it is used to fabricate everything from sewing needles to oil tankers. In addition, the tools required to build and manufacture such

La Fontaine, Jean De

2005-03-17T05:40:00.000-08:00

Biographical and critical studies include Marie-Odile Sweetser, La Fontaine (1987); Agnes Ethel Mackay, La Fontaine and His Friends: A Biography (1972); John C. Lapp, The Esthetics of Negligence: La Fontaine's Contes (1971); and Richard Danner, Patterns of Irony in the Fables of La Fontaine (1985).

Literature, Hebrew.

2005-03-16T08:11:00.000-08:00

The main events in Hebrew literature in 1998 were S. Yizhar's new novel, Malcomia Yefaifia ("Lovely Malcomia") and Amos Oz's innovative novel Oto hayam ("The Same Sea"). Yizhar, considered one of the best Israeli novelists after S.Y. Agnon, had not published a work of fiction for almost 30 years until the early 1990s, when he began producing a new novel about every two years. Despite his long,

Ramazzini, Bernardino

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

A professor of medicine at the University of Modena (1682–1700), and an early student of epidemiology, he described outbreaks of lathyrism (1690; chick-pea poisoning) and malaria (1690–95) in Italy. A strong proponent of the use of cinchona bark in the treatment of malaria,

X Ray

2005-03-12T11:13:00.000-08:00

Any electromagnetic radiation of an extremely short wavelength produced by the deceleration of charged particles or the transitions of electrons in atoms. As can be seen in the Figure, the wavelengths of X rays range from about 10-8 metres to 12-12 metres, with corresponding frequencies of 1016 to 1021 hertz (Hz). Like other forms of electromagnetic radiation (gamma rays, ultraviolet,

Nevi'im

2005-03-10T16:10:00.000-08:00

(Hebrew), English The Prophets the second division of the Hebrew Bible, or Old Testament, the other two being the Torah (the Law) and the Ketuvim (the Writings, or the Hagiographa). In the Hebrew canon the Prophets are divided into (1) the Former Prophets (Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and Kings) and (2) the Latter Prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and the Twelve, or Minor, Prophets: Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum,

Fable, Parable, And Allegory, China

2005-03-07T23:52:00.000-08:00

Chinese philosophers from the Qin dynasty (221–206 BC) onward often used extended metaphors (from which fable is the logical development) to make their points. This is believed to reflect the fact that, as “realistic” thinkers, the Chinese generally did not favour more abstract argument. Thus simple allegory helped to stimulate audience interest and to increase the force of

Capital Radio

2005-03-06T15:47:00.000-08:00

The launch of London's Capital Radio in October 1973 came some 16 years after the British government had outlawed the previous batch of commercial stations, the so-called pirates, whose staff and style had been recruited and diluted to shape Radio 1, the British Broadcasting Corporation's new outlet. However, if those who had campaigned for a legitimate commercial radio

Arabian Desert

2005-03-04T00:53:00.000-08:00

People have inhabited the Arabian Desert since early Pleistocene times. Artifacts have been found widely, including at Neolithic sites in Qatar and Dubai, but are most abundant in the southwestern Rub' al-Khali. Archaeological research sponsored by the Saudi government has uncovered many Paleolithic sites. Remains of cultures from the past 3,000 years occur in many

Webb, Sidney And Beatrice

2005-02-27T22:01:00.000-08:00

In full respectively Sidney James Webb, Baron Passfield of Passfield Corner , and Martha Beatrice Webb, née Potter English Socialist economists (husband and wife), early members of the Fabian Society, and co-founders of the London School of Economics and Political Science. Sidney Webb also helped reorganize the University of London into a federation of teaching institutions and served in

Alaungpaya

2005-02-26T14:29:00.000-08:00

Of humble origins, Alaungpaya was a village headman from the

Hess, Orvan Walter

2005-02-24T21:01:00.000-08:00

American obstetrician and gynecologist (b. June 18, 1906, Margaretville, N.Y.—d. Sept. 6, 2002, New Haven, Conn.), developed the first fetal heart monitor, at the Yale University Medical School, in 1957. The device, which allowed monitoring to continue during labour, became, except for ultrasound, the most-used technique in obstetrics. Hess also played a major part in the initial successful employment

La Chalotais, Louis-rené De Caradeuc De

2005-02-21T04:05:00.000-08:00

La Chalotais became advocate general in the Breton Parlement at Rennes in 1730 and attorney general in 1752. In

Adam Of Bremen

2005-02-19T05:38:00.000-08:00

Of Franconian origin, he was probably educated at the cathedral school in Bamberg but was introduced in 1066 or 1067 into the cathedral chapter at Bremen by Archbishop

Albany

2005-02-17T10:10:00.000-08:00

City, capital (1797) of the state of New York, U.S., and seat (1683) of Albany county. It lies along the Hudson River, 143 miles (230 km) north of New York City. The heart of a metropolitan area that includes Troy and Schenectady, it is a port city, the northern terminus of the deepwater Hudson River Channel, and a natural transshipment point between oceangoing vessels and the New York State Canal

Vung Tau

2005-02-16T15:37:00.000-08:00

French Cap Saint-jacques, port, southern Vietnam. It is situated near the tip of an 11-mile- (18-kilometre-) long projection into the South China Sea, which trends southwest and partially encloses Ganh Rai Bay. The bay receives the Saigon River on the northeastern Mekong delta. The port of Vung Tau has a pilot station, fuel depot, and sea harbour to serve vessels using the port of Ho Chi Minh City (formerly

Hecht, Ben

2005-02-14T04:29:00.000-08:00

Hecht was the son of Russian-Jewish immigrants,

Saldanha Bay

2005-02-11T21:44:00.000-08:00

Afrikaans Saldanhabaai, deep, essentially landlocked harbour of the Atlantic Ocean, situated on the southwest coast of South Africa. Named after the early 16th-century Portuguese navigator António de Saldanha, the bay is both larger and safer than Table Bay, which is located 65 miles (105 km) farther south-southeast. Saldanha Bay's former abundance of seals, fish, and guano deposits was long contested

Nation, Carry

2005-02-10T02:48:00.000-08:00

Carry Moore as a child experienced poverty, her mother's mental instability, and frequent bouts of ill health. Although she held a teaching certificate from a state normal school, her education was intermittent. In 1867 she married a young physician,

Perec, Georges

2005-02-07T17:42:00.000-08:00

Perec was orphaned at an early age: his father was killed in action in World War II, and his mother died in a concentration camp. He was reared by an aunt and uncle and eventually attended the Sorbonne for several years. His best-selling first novel, Les Choses: une

Mccardle, Ex Parte

2005-02-04T21:17:00.000-08:00

William H. McCardle was a Mississippi editor who was arrested and jailed for sedition after criticizing both the local Union military commander and Congress. He was denied the benefit

Shahpura

2005-02-02T15:25:00.000-08:00

Town, south-central Rajasthan state, northwestern India. It is a major road junction and agricultural mart. A walled town, Shahpura was founded about 1629 and was named after the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, who reigned from 1628 to 1658. The town was the seat of the Ramsanehi (“Lovers of Rama”), a medieval sect of mendicants, and was the capital of the former princely state of Shahpura, which became

Tibet, Tibet under Manchu overlordship

2005-01-30T03:14:00.000-08:00

The Dalai Lama's death in 1682 and the discovery of his five-year-old reincarnation in 1688 were concealed by Sangs-rgyas rgya-mtsho, who was intent on continuing the administration without disturbance. He informed the Manchu only in 1696. Emperor K'ang-hsi (reigned 1661–1722) was incensed at the deception. In 1703 he discovered an ally in Tibet and an antagonist to Sangs-rgyas rgya-mtsho when Lha-bzang

Omaha

2005-01-29T17:13:00.000-08:00

North American Plains Indian people of the Dhegiha branch of the Siouan language stock. With the other members of this subgroup (the Osage, Ponca, Kansa, and Quapaw [qq.v.]), the Omaha migrated westward from the Atlantic coast. An early settlement was in Virginia and the Carolinas. After a time they moved to the Ozark Plateau and the prairies of what is now western Missouri.

Pyrargyrite

2005-01-26T05:19:00.000-08:00

A sulfosalt mineral, a silver antimony sulfide (Ag3SbS3), that is an important source of silver, sometimes called ruby silver because of its deep red colour (see also proustite). The best crystallized specimens, of hexagonal symmetry, are from St. Andreasberg in the Harz Mountains and from Freiberg, both in Germany; and Colquechaca, Bol. It is mined at Guanajuato, Mex., and near

Biblical Literature, Second introductory discourse

2005-01-25T23:00:00.000-08:00

The second discourse, also ascribed to Moses, again refers to the Covenant at Horeb and sets forth the Ten Commandments, which the people are admonished to obey rigorously, emphasizing the mediating function of Moses at Horeb between the awesome divine presence and the awestruck people. Israel is further admonished to obey the law through wholehearted love of

Kabbala

2005-01-22T21:15:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Kabala, Kabbalah, Cabala, Cabbala , or Cabbalah esoteric Jewish mysticism as it appeared in the 12th and following centuries. Kabbala has always been essentially an oral tradition in that initiation into its doctrines and practices is conducted by a personal guide to avoid the dangers inherent in mystical experiences. Esoteric Kabbala is also “tradition” inasmuch as it lays claim to secret knowledge of the unwritten

Amontons, Guillaume

2005-01-21T05:32:00.000-08:00

Amontons is often credited with having discovered the laws of friction (1699), though in fact his work dealt solely with static friction—i.e., the friction of objects at rest. It was only after the English physicist Sir Isaac

Quiché

2005-01-19T21:48:00.000-08:00

Also called Quiché Maya, Mayan Indians living in the midwestern highlands of Guatemala. The Quiché Maya had an advanced civilization in pre-Columbian times, with a high level of political and social organization. Archaeological remains show large population centres and a complex class structure. Written records of Quiché history and mythology are preserved in the Popol Vuh, written

Gyllenstierna, Johan, Greve

2005-01-16T04:33:00.000-08:00

From the beginning of his career (at the Riksdag, or Parliament, of 1660), Gyllenstierna advocated a strong royal authority and opposition to the nobles of the Riksråd (Council of the Realm). During Charles XI's minority, an opposition group in the regency and in the council

Fabricius, Johannes

2005-01-14T23:44:00.000-08:00

Dutch astronomer who may have been the first observer of sunspots (1610/1611) and was the first to publish information on such observations. He did so in his Narratio de maculis in sole observatis et apparente earum cum sole conversione (1611; “Account of Spots Observed on the Sun and of Their Apparent Rotation with the Sun”). The son of the astronomer David Fabricius,

Wagon

2005-01-12T14:49:00.000-08:00

Four-wheeled vehicle designed to be drawn by draft animals and known to have been used as early as the 1st century BC, incorporating such earlier innovations as the spoked wheel and metal wheel rim. Early examples also had such features as pivoted front axles and linchpins to secure the wheels. In its essential form, therefore, the wagon has been in common use for about

China, The Tsinling Mountains

2005-01-11T22:46:00.000-08:00

The Tsinling Mountains in Shensi Province are the greatest chain of mountains east of the Plateau of Tibet. The mountain chain consists of a high and rugged barrier extending from Kansu to Honan; geographers use a line between the chain and the Huai River to divide China proper into two parts—North and South. The altitude of the mountains varies from 3,000 to 10,000 feet. The western

Allendale

2005-01-08T06:04:00.000-08:00

Swallow-tanager

2005-01-07T10:41:00.000-08:00

(Tersina viridis), bird of northern South America, the sole member of the subfamily Tersininae, family Emberizidae; some authors give it family rank (Tersinidae). About 15 cm (6 inches) long, it resembles a tanager with long wings and a swallowlike bill. The male is light blue, with black markings; the female is mostly green. Swallow-tanagers catch insects on the

Spring Tide

2005-01-05T20:04:00.000-08:00

Tide of maximal range, near the time of new and full moon when the Sun and Moon are in syzygy—i.e., aligned with the Earth. Conjunction is the time during new moon when the Sun and Moon lie on the same side of the Earth. The other syzygy condition, opposition, occurs during full moon when the Sun and Moon are positioned on opposite sides of the Earth. In either case of syzygy, the

Siljan, Lake

2005-01-02T07:12:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Silja, lake in the administrative län (county) of Dalarna, central Sweden. Covering an area of 112 square miles (290 square km; including Orsa and In lakes, 137 square miles [354 square km]), it is Dalarna's largest lake and Sweden's third. After receiving the Österdal River at Mora, the lake stretches for a length of 25 miles (40 km) toward the southeast and extends into two bays, the wide Rätt to the northeast

Monet, Claude

2004-12-31T03:33:00.000-08:00

Monet's life during the 1860s was precarious and itinerant, and he sold almost nothing; but several works were accepted for exhibition in the yearly Salons, most notably, and with great success, a fine but not yet Impressionist portrait of his future wife, Camille. Having already painted in Paris, Le Havre, Chailly, Honfleur, Trouville, and Fécamp and at other stations between

Earth, Expansion phase

2004-12-29T05:06:00.000-08:00

The expansion phase is less well understood than the growth phase. Many investigators support the “near-Earth neutral-line” model, but concurrently other explanations have been suggested. In the neutral-line model a localized x-type neutral line is formed inside the plasma sheet somewhere between 20 and 40 Re (earth radii) behind the Earth. Figure 13 (top) shows the topology

Port Augusta

2004-12-28T21:17:00.000-08:00

City and former port, southeastern South Australia, at the head of Spencer Gulf. Founded in 1852 and named for the wife of Sir Henry Fox Young, an early colonial governor of South Australia, Port Augusta was incorporated as a town in 1875 and in 1878 was linked by rail to Adelaide, 191 miles (307 km) southeast; it became a city in 1963. Port Augusta is a terminus of both the Central and Trans-Australian

Chondrichthian, Food habits

2004-12-23T21:01:00.000-08:00

All sharks are carnivorous and, with a few exceptions, have broad feeding preferences, governed largely by the size and availability of the prey. The recorded food of the tiger shark (Galeocerdo cuvieri), for example, includes a wide variety of fishes (including other sharks, skates, and stingrays), sea turtles, birds, sea lions, crustaceans, squid, and even carrion such as

Bedford

2004-12-21T08:59:00.000-08:00

Borough (town), seat (1771) of Bedford county, southern Pennsylvania, U.S., on the Pennsylvania Turnpike and the Raystown Branch Juniata River, in the Allegheny Mountains, 38 miles (61 km) south of Altoona. A settlement made on the site about 1750 by John Wray (or Ray), a Scottish trader, was known as Raystown. Fort Bedford (built 1758 and apparently named for John Russell, 4th duke of Bedford) was a frontier

Tebaldi, Renata

2004-12-19T19:29:00.000-08:00

Tebaldi received her early musical training from her mother, a singer, and studied at the Parma Conservatory. At age 18 she sang for Carmen Melis, of the Arrigo Boito Conservatory in Pesaro, who accepted her as a student. She made her debut in Rovigo in 1944 as Elena

Atelectasis

2004-12-17T01:29:00.000-08:00

Congenital atelectasis is seen in stillborn infants who never breathe and in children living

Reform Party

2004-12-16T10:26:00.000-08:00

The Reformers urged that the provincial legislative councils—and by implication even the governors and other officials—be made elective; they also proposed that the officials

Pérez De Cuéllar, Javier

2004-12-13T20:20:00.000-08:00

After attending the Catholic University in Lima, Pérez de Cuéllar joined the foreign ministry in 1940 and the diplomatic service in 1944. After serving in embassies in France, the United Kingdom, Bolivia, and Brazil, he returned in 1961 to the Ministry

Hussein

2004-12-12T13:38:00.000-08:00

Educated partly in England,

Northern Territory, Transportation

2004-12-09T11:19:00.000-08:00

The transport system is relatively undeveloped by Western standards, reflecting the small population base and the vast distances to be traversed. The backbone of the road system is provided by the Stuart Highway, which runs south from Darwin to the South Australian border and connects most of the territory's urban centres. Upgraded by the military in World War

Minbu

2004-12-08T21:50:00.000-08:00

Although much of the surrounding land is semidesert scrub forming part of Myanmar's dry zone, large areas around Minbu are

Earth, Major geologic features of the Earth's exterior

2004-12-05T15:10:00.000-08:00

David Alt, Physical Geology: A Process Approach (1982), is an up-to-date introduction to the principles of physical geology. Daniel S. Barker, Igneous Rocks (1983), discusses the characteristics of igneous rocks and their relationship to plate tectonics. Marland P. Billings, Structural Geology, 3rd ed. (1972), is a classic introduction to structural geology, which describes the deformation of the Earth's crust. A. Hallam, A Revolution in the Earth Sciences: From Continental Drift to Plate Tectonics (1973), is an excellent historical review of the development of ideas on continental drift, polar wandering, seafloor spreading, and plate tectonics. Arthur Holmes, Principles of Physical Geology, 2nd rev. ed. (1965), is a beautifully written, though somewhat dated, introduction to physical geology. Robley K. Matthews, Dynamic Stratigraphy: An Introduction to Sedimentation and Stratigraphy, 2nd ed. (1984), relates the study of the sequence of layered rocks to plate tectonics. William D. Thornbury, Principles of Geomorphology, 2nd ed. (1969), is a classic account of the shaping of the Earth's surface by natural forces, including a description of the relationship between structural geology and landforms. Tjeerd H. Van Andel, New Views on an Old Planet: Continental Drift and the History of Earth (1985), is an excellent introduction to the ideas of continental drift, polar wandering, seafloor spreading, and plate tectonics from the viewpoint of an oceanographer. Brian F. Windley, The Evolving Continents, 2nd ed. (1984), relates the geology of various parts of the Earth to plate tectonics and the Wilson cycle of ocean-basin formation. Studies of historical geology include Don L. Eicher, A. Lee McAlester, and Marcia L. Rottman, The History of the Earth's Crust (1984); and Carl K. Seyfert and Leslie A. Sirkin, Earth History and Plate Tectonics (1979), which relates the history of the Earth to plate tectonics, especially to the Wilson cycle.

Chancre

2004-12-03T03:46:00.000-08:00

Typical skin lesion of the primary stage of infectious syphilis, usually appearing on the penis, labia, cervix, or anorectal region. (Because in women the chancre often occurs internally, it may go unnoticed.) The lesion often occurs in combination with a painless swelling of the regional lymph nodes, and together these symptoms are the major characteristics of syphilis

Carthage

2004-12-01T04:37:00.000-08:00

City, seat of Hancock county, western Illinois, U.S., near the Mississippi River. Laid out in 1833 and named for the ancient North African city, the community was hostile to the Mormons who had settled at nearby Nauvoo. On June 27, 1844, Joseph Smith, the founder of Mormonism, and his brother Hyrum, who were in the Carthage City Jail awaiting trial on charges of treason, were shot to death

China, Muslim rebellions

2004-11-29T03:12:00.000-08:00

Muslim rebellions in Yunnan and in Shensi and Kansu originated from clashes between the Chinese and Muslims in those provinces. Religious antipathy must be taken into account, but more important were the social and political factors. In the frontier provinces the late dynastic confusions were felt as keenly as elsewhere, which aggravated the problems between

Vacuum Technology

2004-11-28T19:27:00.000-08:00

Capacities are available from 100 to 70,000 cu ft per minute, operating usually in the pressure range of 10 to 10-3 torr. The peak speed of the pump is developed in the pressure range of 1 to 10-2 torr, the speed at the lower end of the pressure range depending on the type of forepump used. A typical mechanical booster utilizes two figure-eight-shaped impellers, synchronized by external gears,

Goetz, Walter

2004-11-25T14:52:00.000-08:00

German-born British illustrator and cartoonist whose amusing perspectives on the English and on Anglo-French relations delighted the public in the Daily Express cartoon strips "Colonel Up and Mr. Down" and "Dab and Flounder," 1934-54, and in Pierre Danino's "Major Thompson" books, 1954-57 (b. Nov. 24, 1911--d. Sept. 13, 1995).

Wied, Gustav

2004-11-24T07:24:00.000-08:00

Wied was the son of a well-to-do farmer. He spent most of his life in provincial surroundings, which provide the usual background for his works. He was a private tutor for years, and then an actor, before he became

China, Communist growth

2004-11-21T06:32:00.000-08:00

The Communist armies were growing rapidly in 1943 and 1944. According to U.S. war correspondents visiting the Yen-an area in May 1944 and to a group of U.S. observers that established itself there in July, the Communists professed allegiance to democracy and to continued cooperation with the National Government in the war effort. There was convincing evidence that the areas under

Water Supply

2004-11-19T08:13:00.000-08:00

Available water provided to fulfill a particular need; if the need is domestic, industrial, or agricultural, the water must fulfill both quality and quantity requirements. Water supplies can be obtained by numerous types of water resources projects, such as wells, dams, or reservoirs. See water resource.

Aare River

2004-11-18T21:56:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Aar, tributary of the Rhine and the longest stream (183 miles [295 km]) entirely within Switzerland; it drains an area of 6,865 square miles (17,779 square km). The river rises in the Aare Glacier of the Bernese Alps in Bern canton, below the Finsteraarhorn and west of the Grimsel Pass, in the south-central part of Switzerland. As the Aare flows north past Meiringen, the river cuts through the scenic

Ombudsman

2004-11-15T17:39:00.000-08:00

The legislature appoints the ombudsman, but it may

Viète, François, Seigneur (lord) De La Bigotiere

2004-11-13T05:50:00.000-08:00

Viète, a Huguenot sympathizer, solved a complex cipher of more than 500 characters used by King Philip II of Spain in his war to defend Roman Catholicism from the Huguenots. When Philip, assuming that the cipher could

Arts, East Asian, Architecture

2004-11-11T04:27:00.000-08:00

The Sui capital, Ta-hsing, was designed in 583 on Imperial order by the great architect Yü-wen K'ai; renamed Ch'ang-an, it was further developed by the T'ang after 618. This vast city, six times the size of present-day Sian, was laid out in nine months on a grid plan, with eastern and western markets and the Imperial City placed in the central northern section, a plan later followed at Peking.

Furniture, France

2004-11-08T11:22:00.000-08:00

The furniture of France was among the first to be influenced by the Italian Renaissance. Louis XII and many of his court visited Italy and soon took Italian artists and craftsmen and works of art into France. The French Renaissance of furniture can be divided into two stages. First was a period of transition and adaptation; during the reign of Louis XII and the first

Gottlieb, Adolph

2004-11-03T09:09:00.000-08:00

Early in the 1940s Gottlieb developed

Tzu-jan

2004-11-01T23:58:00.000-08:00

(Chinese: “naturalness”), in Chinese Taoism, an ideal state of human existence that results from living in complete harmony with the forces of nature. Taoists, observing that everything in the world has its natural state, strive to attain a state of complete spontaneity in order to become what nature intended them to be. As a consequence, life becomes exceedingly simple;

Harald V

2004-10-31T14:33:00.000-08:00

Harald attended the Norwegian Military Academy and Balliol College, Oxford, and attained the rank of captain in three branches of his country's armed forces. Like his father he was a fine athlete and excelled at yachting. His courtship of a commoner, Sonja Haraldsen, caused some controversy, but the couple

Waigeo Island

2004-10-28T15:20:00.000-07:00

Indonesian Pulau Waigeo , also spelled Waigeu largest island of the Raja Ampat group in the Dampier Strait, Irian Jaya provinsi (“province”), Indonesia. Waigeo Island lies about 40 miles (64 km) northwest of the Doberai (Vogelkop) Peninsula and across the strait from Irian Jaya. It is 70 miles (110 km) long (east-west) and 30 miles (48 km) wide (north-south). The island, which is almost bisected by a narrow inlet of the Dampier Strait, has a rocky and

Philip

2004-10-27T22:19:00.000-07:00

Byname Philip The Magnanimous, German Philipp Der Grossmütige landgrave (Landgraf) of Hesse (1509–67), one of the great figures of German Protestantism, who championed the independence of German princes against the Holy Roman emperor Charles V.

Infection, Mumps vaccine

2004-10-24T18:56:00.000-07:00

Mumps is generally a self-limited disease in children but occasionally is moderately debilitating. A live attenuated mumps vaccine is available alone or in combination with measles and German measles vaccines. No serious adverse reactions have been reported following mumps immunization.

Cohen, Leonard

2004-10-22T01:12:00.000-07:00

Already established as a poet and novelist (his first book of poems, Let Us Compare Mythologies, was published in 1956), Cohen became interested in the Greenwich Village folk scene while living in New York

Aerarium

2004-10-20T03:32:00.000-07:00

Treasury of ancient Rome, housed in the Temple of Saturn and the adjacent tabularium (record office) in the Forum. Under the republic (c. 509–27 BC) it was managed by two finance magistrates, the urban quaestors, and controlled by the Senate. In theory all revenues were paid into the aerarium, and all public payments were made from it. In practice, money was moved from the provinces

Jammu And Kashmir, Resources and agriculture

2004-10-18T19:57:00.000-07:00

The state has limited mineral and fossil-fuel resources, and much of these are concentrated in the Jammu region. Small reserves of natural gas are found near Jammu, and bauxite and gypsum deposits occur in the Udhampur district. Other minerals include limestone, coal, zinc, and copper. The pressure of population on land is everywhere apparent, and all available resources

Wagner, Cosima

2004-10-17T10:53:00.000-07:00

Cosima was the illegitimate daughter of the composer-pianist Franz Liszt and the countess Marie d'Agoult, who also bore Liszt two other children. Liszt later legitimatized their births; he also provided

Usul Al-fiqh

2004-10-14T21:19:00.000-07:00

In classical Islamic theory, the four major sources from which law is derived: the Qur'an; the sunna, or sunnah (practice of the Prophet as transmitted through his sayings); ijma' (consensus of scholars); and qiyas (analogical deductions from these three). The usul, systematized under ash-Shafi'i (767–820), were the result of an Islamization of law that began about the 2nd century of the Muslim era

East Friesland

2004-10-13T11:43:00.000-07:00

German Ostfriesland, cultural region bordering the North Sea and encompassing the coastal marshlands and East Frisian Islands (Ostfriesische Inseln) of northwestern Lower Saxony Land (state), north-central Germany. The region has close cultural ties with West Friesland in The Netherlands and North Friesland on the west coast of the Jutland Peninsula. The Frisians, traditionally

France, History Of, Economy, society, and culture in the 13th century

2004-10-11T15:05:00.000-07:00

The primary social fact of this period is the continued growth of population. All indicators suggest growth—e.g., expansion of old towns, founding of new villages, the rising price of land—but no exact measurements are possible. A register of hearths dating from 1328 has been estimated variously to point to a total population of 15 million to 22 million; the total was probably

Asvaghosa

2004-10-10T01:03:00.000-07:00

Asvaghosa was born a Brahman. Legend obscures the man, but it is known that he was an outspoken opponent of Buddhism until, after a heated debate with a noted Buddhist scholar

Avalon, Frankie

2004-10-09T22:48:00.000-07:00

A wunderkind trumpet player, Avalon was already an experienced performer when, as a Philadelphia teenager, he joined Rocco and the Saints (whose drummer was future pop star Bobby Rydell). Guided by manager

Ecstasy

2004-10-09T08:23:00.000-07:00

MDMA (3,4, Methylenedioxymethamphetamine), euphoria-inducing stimulant and hallucinogen. The use of Ecstasy, commonly known as “E,” has been widespread despite the drug's having been banned worldwide in 1985 by its addition to the international Convention on Psychotropic Substances. It is a derivative of the amphetamine family and a relative of the stimulant methamphetamine

Margaret

2004-10-07T08:15:00.000-07:00

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

Hatteras Abyssal Plain

2004-10-05T15:52:00.000-07:00

Submarine plain forming the floor of the northwestern Atlantic Ocean. It lies east of the North American continental shelf between the southern United States and Bermuda, extending about 900 mi (1,450 km) from north to south, with an average width of 300 mi. The plain comprises the western part of the North American Basin and is separated from the Nares Abyssal Plain to the southwest

Malaysia, Sabah

2004-10-05T09:00:00.000-07:00

Sabah (North Borneo) was the last region to be brought under British control. In the early 1700s Brunei transferred its claims over much of Sabah to the sultan of Sulu, but, except in the northeast, actual Sulu power remained limited. Occasional resistance to Brunei or Sulu influence, as well as extensive coastal raiding and confusion of suzerainty, invited Western interest

Silent Trade

2004-10-03T17:30:00.000-07:00

Also called dumb barter , or depot trade specialized form of barter in which goods are exchanged without any direct contact between the traders. Generally, one group goes to a customary spot, deposits the goods to be traded, and withdraws, sometimes giving a signal such as a call or a gong stroke. Another group then comes to leave a second set of articles and retreats. The first group returns, removing these

Haakon Iv Haakonsson

2004-10-02T14:38:00.000-07:00

Acknowledged as the illegitimate posthumous son of Haakon III and the grandson of Sverrir of Norway,

Pittsburgh Glass

2004-10-01T07:40:00.000-07:00

American glassware produced from the end of the 18th century at numerous factories in that Pennsylvania city. Pittsburgh had the twin advantages of proximity to a source of cheap fuel (coal) and access to a good waterways system, which afforded an inexpensive means of distribution; thus, of the 50 glasshouses that sprang up in Pennsylvania between 1763 and 1850, 40 or more were situated

Athelstan

2004-10-01T01:05:00.000-07:00

On the death of his father, Edward the Elder, in 924, Athelstan was elected king of Wessex and Mercia, where he had been brought up by his aunt, Aethelflaed, Lady of the Mercians. Crowned king of the whole country at Kingston on Sept. 4, 925, he proceeded to establish boundaries and rule firmly. His dominion

Anderson, Lindsay Gordon

2004-09-29T13:35:00.000-07:00

British stage and film director (b. April 17, 1923, Bangalore, India--d. Aug. 30, 1994, near Angoulême, France), as one of the original Angry Young Men, made his distaste for conformity and England's class consciousness the constant theme of his often anarchic works. While attending Wadham College, Oxford, Anderson cofounded and coedited the film magazine Sequence, and he later wrote for such

Saarbrücken

2004-09-29T00:58:00.000-07:00

City, capital (1959) of Saarland Land (state), southwestern Germany, on the Saar River at the mouth of the Sulz River, a frontier station opposite Forbach, Fr. There were Celtic and Roman settlements in the vicinity, but the name is derived from the Frankish royal castle of Sarrabrucca, referring to a bridge across the river dating from Roman times. Its early rulers were the bishops

Peninsular Campaign

2004-09-27T23:22:00.000-07:00

(April 4–July 1, 1862), in the American Civil War, large-scale but unsuccessful Union effort to capture the Confederate capital at Richmond, Va., by way of the peninsula formed by the York and the James rivers. Following the engagement between the ironclads Monitor and Merrimack at nearby Hampton Roads (March 9), Federal supplies and 100,000 troops were disembarked at Fort Monroe under

Togo, German occupation

2004-09-26T15:58:00.000-07:00

German missionaries arrived in Ewe territory in 1847, and German traders were soon established at Anécho. In 1884 Gustav Nachtigal, sent by the German government, induced a number of coastal chiefs to accept German protection. The protectorate was recognized in 1885, and its coastal frontiers with Dahomey and the Gold Coast were defined by treaties with France and Great Britain.

Quantz, Johann Joachim

2004-09-24T13:15:00.000-07:00

Quantz obtained posts at Radeberg and Dresden and in 1717 studied counterpoint in Vienna with Johann Zelenka and Johann Fux. In 1718 he became oboist in the Polish court

Scheler, Max

2004-09-24T00:40:00.000-07:00

In 1901 Scheler became a lecturer at the University of Jena; by that time he had already been influenced by Husserl. Scheler later met several of Husserl's disciples

Steel, Argon-oxygen decarburization

2004-09-23T11:31:00.000-07:00

In the production of stainless steel and other high-alloy grades that contain highly oxidizable elements such as chromium, lowering the levels of carbon by regular oxygen injection has the undesirable consequence of oxidizing the alloying elements as well. The argon-oxygen decarburization (AOD) process alleviates this problem by diluting the injected oxygen

Afghanistan, Plant and animal life

2004-09-22T23:37:00.000-07:00

Vegetation is sparse in the southern part of the country, particularly toward the west, where dry regions and sandy deserts predominate. Trees are rare, and only in the rainy season of early spring is the soil covered with flowering grasses and herbs. The plant cover becomes denser toward the north, where precipitation is more abundant, and at higher elevations the

Moline

2004-09-21T08:29:00.000-07:00

City, Rock Island county, northwestern Illinois, U.S. It lies just above the upper rapids of the Mississippi River (there crossed by the Twin Bridges to Iowa). With East Moline, Rock Island, and Davenport (qq.v.), Iowa, it forms the Quad Cities. The site was laid out in 1843 by a milling firm. Its name is apparently from the French moulin (“mill”). John Deere, inventor of an improved steel plow,

Textile, Plain weave

2004-09-20T11:16:00.000-07:00

Plain, or tabby, weave, the simplest and most common of all weaves, requires only two harnessses and has two warp and weft yarns in each weave unit. To produce it, the warp yarns are held parallel under tension while a crosswise weft yarn isshot over and under alternate warps across the width of the web. The weave unit is completed at the end of the second row, when the weft

Red River

2004-09-19T18:34:00.000-07:00

Also called Red River Of The South, navigable river rising in the high plains of eastern New Mexico, U.S., and flowing southeast across Texas and Louisiana to a point northwest of Baton Rouge, where it enters the Atchafalaya River (q.v.), which flows south to Atchafalaya Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. Until the mid-20th century, the Red River contributed flow to both the Atchafalaya and, via the Old River, the Mississippi.

Puertollano

2004-09-18T00:03:00.000-07:00

City, Ciudad Real provincia, in the autonomous community (region) of Castile-La Mancha, south central Spain, just south-southwest of Ciudad Real city. Located on the Madrid–Ciudad Real–Mérida railway with rich coal, iron, lead, manganese, and copper pyrite mines in the vicinity, Puertollano's population has tripled in the 20th century. The mines form the basis of important