ParallelKnot

Dentist Central London

2006-10-18T13:55:00.000-07:00

The Welbeck clinic offers specialist Cosmetic Dentistry in a central London location. Dr Joe Oliver has worked for over 11 years in Cosmetic Dentistry and now provides a 1 day Cosmetic Dentistry solution which includes Teeth Whitening, Porcelain Veneers and Dental Crowns.

Deva

2005-03-17T08:02:00.000-08:00

City, capital of Hunedoara judet (county), west-central Romania, on the banks of the Mures River, at an elevation of 590 feet (180 m). The town is dominated by Citadel Hill (1,217 feet), shaped like a truncated cone, which affords a commanding view of the Mures valley. Atop the hill are the ruins of a citadel, built in the 13th century at the time of the Mongol invasions. The city grew in the protective

General

2005-03-16T21:45:00.000-08:00

Title and rank of a senior army officer, usually one who commands units larger than a regiment or its equivalent or units consisting of more than one arm of the service. Frequently, however, a general is a staff officer who does not command troops but who plans their operations in the field. General, lieutenant general, and major general are the first, second, and third

Moshoeshoe Ii

2005-03-15T09:37:00.000-08:00

He was educated locally at Roma College, Maseru, and in Great Britain at Ampleforth College and at Corpus Christi College, Oxford. The descendant and namesake of Moshoeshoe

úbeda

2005-03-13T03:09:00.000-08:00

City, Jaén province, in the comunidad autónoma (“autonomous community”) of Andalusia, southern Spain. Úbeda lies northeast of the city of Jaén, on the Úbeda Hills in the Guadalimar Valley. Originally an Iberian settlement, the city was occupied by the Arabs in 711 and was reconquered by Ferdinand III of Castile in 1234. It is renowned for its architecture, particularly of the Renaissance

Beardfish

2005-03-12T21:14:00.000-08:00

Any of the five species of fishes in the genus Polymixia constituting the family Polymixiidae (order Beryciformes). Beardfishes are restricted primarily to deep-sea marine habitats in tropical and temperate regions of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. They generally are found at depths from about 200 to 600 metres (650 to 2,000 feet). The term beardfish comes from the beardlike appearance

Quadrilateral

2005-03-12T16:09:00.000-08:00

Famous combination of four fortresses mutually supporting one another, during the Austrian rule of northern Italy. The four fortified towns were Mantua, Peschiera, Verona, and Legnago, lying between Lombardy and Venetia; the former two were on the Mincio and the latter two on the Adige. The real value of the Quadrilateral, which gave Austria such a firm hold on Lombardy,

Wright Glider Of 1902

2005-03-10T08:49:00.000-08:00

Biplane glider designed and built by Wilbur and Orville Wright in Dayton, Ohio, during the late summer of 1902. Tested during the autumn of 1902 and again in 1903 at the Kill Devil Hills, four miles south of the village of Kitty Hawk on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, the 1902 glider demonstrated that the Wright brothers had solved the key problems blocking the route to heavier-than-air

East Cambridgeshire

2005-03-09T03:36:00.000-08:00

Prior to the draining of the Fens

P-38

2005-03-08T10:21:00.000-08:00

Also called Lightning fighter-interceptor aircraft used by the U.S. Army Air Force during World War II. The P-38 was produced by the Lockheed Aircraft Company, on a design specification of 1937 calling for a heavily armed fighter that could quickly climb to bomber altitudes of 20,000 feet (6,000 m). Designers Hall Hibbard and “Kelly” Johnson adopted an unconventional “twin-tailboom” configuration, in which the

Natha

2005-03-07T08:22:00.000-08:00

Religious movement of India whose members strive for immortality by transforming the human body into an imperishable divine body. It combines esoteric traditions drawn from Buddhism, Saivism (worship of the Hindu deity Siva), and Hatha Yoga, with a liking for the occult. The term is derived from the names of the nine traditional masters, all of which end in the word natha

Industrial Diamond

2005-03-05T11:05:00.000-08:00

Any diamond that is designated for industrial use, principally as a cutting tool or abrasive. In general, industrial diamonds are too badly flawed, irregularly shaped, poorly coloured, or small to be of value as gems, but they are of vital importance in the modern metalworking and mining industries. Their utility stems from the fact that diamond is the hardest natural

Deng Xiaoping

2005-03-03T11:56:00.000-08:00

The son of a landowner, Deng studied in France (1921–24), where he

Tacitus

2005-03-02T23:21:00.000-08:00

In the 40 years before Tacitus assumed power the empire was ruled by a succession of usurpers and emperors who had been career army officers. On the murder of the emperor Aurelian in 275, the army council invited the Senate to select a nobleman as head of state. The Senate delayed six months before choosing (September

Argentina, Settlement patterns

2005-03-01T19:41:00.000-08:00

The varied topography, climate, and natural resources of Argentina shaped the pattern of European settlement. Although modern transportation and industry have partly effaced regional differences, the organization of life in both city and country still follows patterns that were set in early colonial times.

Argentina, The Gran Chaco

2005-02-28T17:34:00.000-08:00

The western Gran Chaco has growths of thorn forest dominated by algaroba (carob trees) in the drier and often saline zones. Quebracho trees (a source of tannin) are present, but not to the extent that they are farther east. No plants survive in areas with finer salt at the surface. Coarse bunchgrasses are common in the dry steppe, which also supports dense scrub forests

Argentina

2005-02-28T11:40:00.000-08:00

On Dec. 10, 1999, Fernando de la Rúa assumed office as president of Argentina, marking the end of Carlos Saúl Menem's 10-year tenure. The Alliance (composed of de la Rúa's Radical Civic Union [UCR], the Front for a Country in Solidarity [Frepaso], and several smaller parties) held a plurality of the seats in the Chamber of Deputies but remained a minority in the Senate, where Menem's Justicialist

Chao Phraya River

2005-02-26T11:31:00.000-08:00

The Chao Phraya constitutes a valuable waterway for the transport of the nation's

Petróleos De Venezuela, Sa

2005-02-26T07:08:00.000-08:00

By 1971 Venezuela had begun to take steps to curb the influence of the foreign concessionaires who, since their arrival after World War I, had been exploiting the nation's oil

Paustovsky, Konstantin Georgiyevich

2005-02-24T04:08:00.000-08:00

A descendant of Ukrainian Cossacks, Paustovsky attended school in Kiev, St. Petersburg, and Odessa. Before he began to write, he worked at various jobs; he also traveled a good deal, both in

Switzerland, Barbarian invasions

2005-02-23T05:18:00.000-08:00

The first of the barbaric incursions took place in AD 259. By AD 400 Roman Switzerland had disintegrated and the lands of the Romanized Celts were occupied by Germanic tribes such as the Burgundians and Alemannians. The Burgundians, few in number, occupied the lands of western Switzerland. Although they retained political control, they lost contact with their former homelands

Shamanism, Social role

2005-02-22T17:38:00.000-08:00

The extraordinary profession of the shaman naturally distinguishes him socially. The belief that he communicates with the spirits gives him authority. Furthermore, the belief that his actions may not only bring benefit but also harm makes him feared. Even a good (white) shaman may do harm, and a wicked (black) shaman, who is in contact with the spirits of the Lower World,

Elf Owl

2005-02-21T06:11:00.000-08:00

(Micrathene whitneyi), tiny bird of prey of the family Strigidae (order Strigiformes) of Mexico and the southwestern United States. It is the smallest owl and is about the size of a sparrow. In the cactus deserts, elf owls are among the most common birds, but they also inhabit forested areas, dry grasslands, and wet savanna. They nest in holes in cacti

Ikebana

2005-02-20T11:36:00.000-08:00

Traditionally, the classical art of Japanese flower arranging; the meaning of the term was later extended to encompass all the various styles of Japanese floral art. Ikebana was introduced in Japan in the 6th century by Chinese Buddhist missionaries who had formalized the ritual of offering flowers to the Buddha. The first school of flower arranging in Japan, Ikenob

Cartwright, Sir Richard John

2005-02-19T02:21:00.000-08:00

Already a successful businessman, Cartwright was elected to the Parliament of the united province of Canada as an independent Conservative

Mormon

2005-02-17T14:15:00.000-08:00

In western New York state in 1827, during a time of intense religious revivalism, Joseph Smith, Jr., a farmer's son, claimed an angel called Moroni gave him golden plates whose engraved records Smith translated into English as the Book of Mormon—so called after Mormon, an ancient American prophet who had made an abridgment of many previous plates. Smith published the Book

'olam Ha-ba

2005-02-17T09:46:00.000-08:00

In Jewish theology, either “the world after death” or the new creation or restoration of the world that is to follow the messianic millennium. Because this latter interpretation stemmed from the teachings and exhortations of the prophets, it was especially prevalent during the period of the Second Temple of Jerusalem (516 BC–AD 70). Whatever the interpretation of 'olam ha-ba, it

Amazon Rainforest

2005-02-16T06:59:00.000-08:00

Large, tropical rainforest occupying the drainage basin of the Amazon River and its tributaries in northern South America, and covering an area of 2,300,000 square miles (6,000,000 square km). Comprising about 40 percent of Brazil's total area, it is bounded by the Guiana Highlands to the north, the Andes Mountain Ranges to the west, the Brazilian central plateau to the south, and the Atlantic

Razor

2005-02-15T22:16:00.000-08:00

Keen-edged cutting implement for shaving or cutting hair. Prehistoric cave drawings show that clam shells, shark's teeth, and sharpened flints were used as shaving implements, and flints are still in use by certain primitive tribes. Solid gold and copper razors have been found in Egyptian tombs of the 4th millennium BC. According to the Roman historian Livy, the razor

Reformed Church Of Hungary

2005-02-13T03:41:00.000-08:00

Except for minor reverses, the Protestants

Perspective Scenery

2005-02-13T01:06:00.000-08:00

In theatre, scenery and the scene design technique that represents three-dimensional space on a flat surface, creating an illusion of reality and an impression of distance. Developed during the Italian Renaissance, perspective scenery applied the newly mastered science of linear perspective and brought the craft of illusion to the Italian stage. An initial

Zlín

2005-02-12T10:45:00.000-08:00

Formerly (1948–90) Gottwaldov, city, Jihomoravský kraj (region), Czech Republic, on the Drevnice River, near its confluence with the Morava River. Gottwaldov was created in 1948 through a merger of several communities surrounding Zlín, a 14th-century village that had grown rapidly after World War I. The consolidated town was named for Klement Gottwald, the first communist president of Czechoslovakia. In

Coleridge-taylor, Samuel

2005-02-11T10:06:00.000-08:00

Coleridge-Taylor's father, thwarted in his attempts to progress as a physician—through apparent racial prejudice—deserted his son and English wife and returned to his native West Africa. At the age of five Samuel began playing the violin and

Percheron

2005-02-10T18:07:00.000-08:00

Heavy draft-horse breed that originated in the Perche region of France. The breed probably stems from the Flemish “great horse” of the Middle Ages; modified by Oriental blood to develop a coach-horse type, it was changed again in the 19th century by introduction of draft-type blood to produce animals for heavy farm work. Although a few Percherons were imported earlier,

Hystaspes

2005-02-09T08:29:00.000-08:00

According to the 5th-century-BC Greek historian Herodotus, Hystaspes was governor of Persis under Cyrus II the Great and Cambyses II and accompanied Cyrus on his last campaign against the Massagetai in 530 BC. When Darius seized the throne in 522, Hystaspes was governor of Parthia and Hyrcania,

Denmark, Flag Of

2005-02-08T15:50:00.000-08:00

According to tradition, the Danish flag fell from heaven on June 15, 1219, during the Battle of Lyndanisse (near modern Tallinn, Estonia) as a sign from God of his support for King Valdemar II against the pagan Estonians. Contemporary references to this flag date from a century later, and evidence suggests that the flag was not unique to Denmark. Many small states in the Holy Roman

Wolf, Max

2005-02-07T07:25:00.000-08:00

Wolf showed an early interest in astronomy; he was only 21 years old when he discovered a comet, now named for him. In 1890 he was appointed Privatdozent (unsalaried lecturer) at the University of Heidelberg. One year later he adapted

Cleveland Bay

2005-02-05T07:08:00.000-08:00

The Cleveland Bay is descended

Cleveland Bay

2005-02-03T17:44:00.000-08:00

The gray whale attains a maximum length of about 15 metres (49 feet). It is gray or black, mottled with white, and has short yellow baleen with coarse bristles. There are two (rarely more) lengthwise grooves on its throat. Instead of

Neuropteran

2005-02-03T08:13:00.000-08:00

Fossil representatives of the modern families Sialidae

Wolf Snake

2005-02-01T14:48:00.000-08:00

The Cape wolf snake (Lycophidion capense), abundant from Egypt to South Africa, is a small, drab species with a metallic sheen and lives chiefly

Maupin, Armistead

2005-02-01T14:34:00.000-08:00

Maupin was reared in North Carolina. He showed an early interest in film and theatre. His adolescent years were complicated by his growing awareness of his homosexuality. Graduating from the University of North Carolina in 1966, Maupin worked for a time under the future senator Jesse Helms

Guadalupe Peak

2005-01-31T07:59:00.000-08:00

Highest point (8,749 feet [2,667 metres]) in Texas, U.S. The peak is situated in Culberson county, 100 miles (160 km) east of the city of El Paso. Guadalupe Peak is part of the Guadalupe Mountains (a division of the Sacramento Mountains), and together with its twin, El Capitan (8,078 feet [2,462 metres]), it forms the focus of Guadalupe Mountains National Park.

Animal Disease

2005-01-30T08:26:00.000-08:00

Concern with diseases that afflict animals dates from the earliest human contacts with animals and is reflected in early views of religion and magic. Diseases of animals remain a concern principally because of the economic losses they cause and the possible transmission

Anticoagulant

2005-01-28T08:04:00.000-08:00

Any drug that, when added to blood, prevents it from clotting. Anticoagulants achieve their effect by suppressing the synthesis or function of various clotting factors that are normally present in the blood. Such drugs are often used to prevent blood clots (thrombi) from forming in the veins or arteries. Anticoagulants are generally of two types. One type is heparin

Hyde Park

2005-01-27T23:18:00.000-08:00

The park shares a large curved lake with its western neighbour; the portion of the lake in Kensington Gardens is known as the Long Water, whereas the Hyde Park portion is called the Serpentine. The lake is used for boating

Esso

2005-01-27T05:55:00.000-08:00

Any of several foreign affiliates of the Exxon Corporation (q.v.).

Fairfield

2005-01-24T22:06:00.000-08:00

Fairfield is now a trade

Torcy, Jean-baptiste Colbert, Marquis De

2005-01-24T07:13:00.000-08:00

The son of Charles Colbert, minister of foreign affairs, Torcy was a brilliant student, earning a law degree (1683) at so young an age that he needed special dispensation to receive it. His father initiated him into the art of diplomacy, and the

Anglo-saxon Chronicle

2005-01-22T22:44:00.000-08:00

Chronological account of events in Anglo-Saxon and Norman England, a compilation of seven surviving interrelated manuscript records that is the primary source for the early history of England. The narrative was first assembled in the reign of King Alfred (871–899) from materials that included some epitome of universal history: the Venerable Bede's Historia ecclesiastica

Bilandic, Michael Anthony

2005-01-22T08:04:00.000-08:00

American politician and judge (b. Feb. 13, 1923, Chicago, Ill.—d. Jan. 15, 2002, Chicago), succeeded Richard J. Daley as mayor of Chicago and later served as chief justice of the Illinois Supreme Court. Bilandic had been a corporate lawyer for 28 years and was serving as chairman of Chicago's City Council finance committee by the time Mayor Daley died in his sixth term in office in December 1976. The City

Rocky Mountains, Physiography

2005-01-21T04:27:00.000-08:00

The Canadian Rockies include the Mackenzie and Selwyn mountains of the Yukon and Northwest Territories (sometimes called the Arctic Rockies) and the ranges of western Alberta and eastern British Columbia. The Northern Rockies include the Lewis and Bitterroot ranges of western Montana and northeastern Idaho. These ranges formed along the eastern edge of a region

Gaudí, Antoni

2005-01-21T03:24:00.000-08:00

Catalan in full Antoni Gaudí i Cornet , Spanish Antonio Gaudí y Cornet Catalan architect, whose distinctive style is characterized by freedom of form, voluptuous colour and texture, and organic unity. Gaudí worked almost entirely in or near Barcelona. Much of his career was occupied with the construction of the Expiatory Temple of the Holy Family (Sagrada Familia), which was unfinished at his death in

Clonmel

2005-01-18T05:28:00.000-08:00

Irish Cluain Meala municipal borough and seat of Tipperary South Riding, Ireland. It lies on the River Suir. A noted sporting centre, it has fine scenery, with the Comeragh Mountains to the south and the Slievenamon peak to the northeast. Clonmel received its charter in the reign of Edward I (1239–1307). The novelist Laurence Sterne was born there in 1713. Industries include the making of pharmaceuticals

Biblical Literature, Philological criticism

2005-01-18T02:12:00.000-08:00

Philological criticism consists mainly in the study of the biblical languages in their widest scope, so that the vocabulary, grammar, and style of the biblical writings can be understood as accurately as possible with the aid not only of other biblical writings but of other writings in the same or cognate languages. New Testament Greek, for example, is a representative

Biblical Literature, Philological criticism

2005-01-16T17:44:00.000-08:00

French Agence Spatiale Européenne (ASE) western European space and space-technology research organization founded in 1975 from the merger of the European Launcher Development Organisation (ELDO) and the European Space Research Organisation (ESRO), both established in 1964. Members include Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, The Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland,

Andrew Ii

2005-01-16T11:43:00.000-08:00

The son of Béla III, Andrew succeeded László III, his elder brother's son, on the throne in 1205. Powerful landed interests forced Andrew to spend royal funds so recklessly that the crown

Culture-and-personality Studies

2005-01-15T08:17:00.000-08:00

Also called Psychological Anthropology, branch of anthropology that seeks to determine the nature of the interaction between the individual and his culture. It applies the methods of psychology to the field of anthropology in an effort to analyze the differing behaviour patterns of individuals who live in the same culture. Depth interviews, role playing, Rorschach tests, elaborate biographies, studies

Shigellosis

2005-01-15T00:05:00.000-08:00

Infectious disease that is caused by various species of Shigella bacteria and is known as bacillary dysentery. See dysentery.

Mauna Loa

2005-01-13T10:50:00.000-08:00

Volcano, south-central Hawaii Island, Hawaii, U.S., and a part of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park (established as Hawaii National Park in 1916). One of the largest single mountain masses in the world, Mauna Loa (meaning “long mountain”) rises to 13,678 feet (4,169 m) above sea level. Its dome is 75 miles (120 km) long and 64 miles (103 km) wide, and its lava flows occupy more than 2,000 square miles (5,120 square km) of the island. Mokuaweoweo,

Arabia, History Of, The 1991 Persian Gulf War

2005-01-12T20:45:00.000-08:00

Following the end of the Iran-Iraq War in 1988, President Saddam Hussein of Iraq faced massive economic problems, including debts owed to Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. The Iraqi president also viewed himself as the leader of Pan-Arab nationalism and socialism, two ideologies firmly opposed by the conservative monarchies that controlled most of the Arabian Peninsula outside

Skiffle

2005-01-10T22:06:00.000-08:00

Style of music played on rudimentary instruments, first popularized in the United States in the 1920s but revived by British musicians in the mid-1950s. The term was originally applied to music played by jug bands (in addition to jugs, these bands featured guitars, banjos, harmonicas, and kazoos), first in Louisville, Kentucky, as early as 1905 and then more prominently in Memphis, Tennessee,

Briand, Aristide

2005-01-10T10:14:00.000-08:00

As a law student, Briand became associated with left-wing causes,

Lochgilphead

2005-01-09T23:27:00.000-08:00

Burgh (town) and holiday resort, Argyll and Bute council area, historic county of Argyllshire, Scotland, situated at the head of Loch Gilp (a marine inlet of Loch Fyne) by the side of the Crinan Canal (built 1793–1801). The burgh developed from an older herring fishing village and is now a tourist centre and the administrative centre of Argyll and Bute. Pop. (1991) 2,421.

Paddy

2005-01-09T02:19:00.000-08:00

Also called Rice Paddy, small, level, flooded field used to cultivate rice in southern and eastern Asia. Wet-rice cultivation is the most prevalent method of farming in the Far East, where it utilizes a small fraction of the total land yet feeds the majority of the rural population. Rice was domesticated as early as 3500 BC, and by about 2,000 years ago it was grown in almost all of the present-day cultivation

La Rive, Auguste-arthur De

2005-01-07T06:05:00.000-08:00

La Rive was elected to the chair of natural philosophy at the Academy of Geneva in 1823, and for the next seven years he conducted studies on the specific heat of various gases and the temperature of the Earth's crust. His experiments in 1836 on the voltaic

Kamina

2005-01-07T02:01:00.000-08:00

Town, southeastern Congo (Kinshasa). The town is an important centre on the Lubumbashi-Ilebo rail line at the junction of branch lines northward to Kindu and to Kalemie, a port with connections to eastern Africa. The town has air services to Lubumbashi, Kolwezi, and Kananga. Kamina is also the site of a military air base. A nearby dam on the Lovoi River supplies electricity

Pushkin, Aleksandr Sergeyevich

2005-01-05T04:21:00.000-08:00

Russian poet, novelist, dramatist, and short-story writer; he has often been considered his country's greatest poet and the founder of modern Russian literature.

Madeleine

2005-01-04T23:09:00.000-08:00

Napoleon, who had ordered its design and construction, originally intended the building

Amur

2005-01-03T17:35:00.000-08:00

Russian Amurskaya oblast (province), far eastern Russia. It occupies the basins of the middle Amur River and its tributary the Zeya and extends up to the crest of the Stanovoy Range. In 1689 Russia yielded the Amur region to China by the Treaty of Nerchinsk, but Russian Cossacks reincorporated it in the latter part of the 19th century. Amur oblast was formed in 1932 from Khabarovsk kray (region), and its

Clarence Series

2005-01-02T14:35:00.000-08:00

Major division of Cretaceous rocks and time in New Zealand (the Cretaceous Period lasted from 144 to 66.4 million years ago). Rocks of the Clarence Series overlie those of the Taitai Series and underlie rocks of the Raukumara Series. Clarence rocks (sandstones, conglomerates, graywackes, mudstones, and basaltic lava flows) have been divided into four stages representing

Switzerland, The postwar period

2004-12-31T17:16:00.000-08:00

Switzerland's wartime relations with Germany compromised its postwar standing. In a 1946 agreement, the Western Allies, especially the United States, compelled Switzerland to compensate the looted Western central banks. Because Switzerland would have received no special recognition of its neutrality, the Federal Council decided not to join the United

Akund Floss

2004-12-31T04:00:00.000-08:00

Also called Calotropis Floss, downy seed fibre obtained from Calotropis procera and C. gigantea, plants of the Asclepiadaceae family. The plants are native to southern Asia and Africa and were introduced to South America and the islands of the Caribbean. The yellowish material is made up of thin fibres 2 to 3 cm (0.75 to 1.12 inches) long and 12 to 42 microns (a micron is about 0.00004 inch) in diameter and is harvested by hand.

Kilim

2004-12-30T14:32:00.000-08:00

Pileless floor covering handwoven by tapestry techniques in Anatolia, the Balkans, or parts of Iran. In the rest of Iran, the Caucasus, and Turkistan, the name for similar pieces is palas. In most kilims, a slit occurs wherever two colours meet along a vertical line in the pattern, but in a few Karabagh or South Caucasian pieces, interlocking methods are employed in order

Mehsana

2004-12-30T04:30:00.000-08:00

Town, administrative headquarters of Mehsana district, Gujarat state, west central India, in the lowlands between the Aravalli Range and the Little Rann of Kutch. Founded in the 12th to the 14th century by the Chavada Rajputs, the old town is believed to have had four gates, of which only one remains. Rajmahal, built by the Maratha ruler of Baroda (now Vadodara), Sayaji Rao III, is an imposing

Paul Karadjordjevic, Prince

2004-12-28T13:38:00.000-08:00

When Yugoslavia's king Alexander I was assassinated (Oct. 9, 1934), Paul was appointed regent for his 11-year-old nephew Peter II. Although Paul's sympathies lay with the British-French entente, he was forced to submit to Hitler's demands and align his country

Gironde

2004-12-27T09:58:00.000-08:00

The domination of Bordeaux has hindered the development of an active

Io

2004-12-26T18:32:00.000-08:00

In Greek mythology, daughter of Inachus, the river god of Argos. Under the name of Callithyia, Io was regarded as the first priestess of Hera, the wife of Zeus. Zeus fell in love with her and, to protect her from the wrath of Hera, changed her into a white heifer. Hera persuaded Zeus to give her the heifer and sent Argus Panoptes (“the All-Seeing”) to watch her. Zeus thereupon sent

Wake Forest University

2004-12-26T00:39:00.000-08:00

Private, coeducational institution of higher learning in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, U.S., affiliated with the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina. The university consists of Wake Forest College, the Wayne Calloway School of Business and Accountancy, the School of Law, Bowman Gray School of Medicine, the Graduate School, the Divinity School, and the Babcock

Middlebury College

2004-12-24T22:11:00.000-08:00

Private, coeducational institution of higher learning in Middlebury, Vt., U.S. It is a small liberal arts college at which particular emphasis is given to the study of modern languages. Course work at Middlebury is divided into eight academic categories: literature, the arts, foreign languages, philosophical and religious studies, physical and life sciences, historical

Therapeutics, Peptic ulcer

2004-12-24T18:48:00.000-08:00

In the past a bland diet and frequent ingestion of milk and cream were the mainstays of ulcer treatment. Today the only dietary regimen is the avoidance of such irritating foods as spicy and highly seasoned foods and coffee. The newer drug therapies decrease gastric acidity much more than antacids and other dietary measures do. The infection of the stomach by Helicobacter

Jazz

2004-12-21T03:40:00.000-08:00

In spite of the wide dissemination and geographic distribution of these diverse musical traditions, New Orleans was where a distinctive, coherent jazz style evolved. Between 1910 and 1915 a systematization of instrumental functions within an essentially collective ensemble took shape, as did a regularization of the repertory. Despite the fact that a limited set of instruments

Coleopteran

2004-12-21T01:29:00.000-08:00

Any member of the insect order Coleoptera, which includes the beetles and weevils. It is the largest order of insects, representing about 40 percent of the known insect species. Among the approximately 250,000 species of Coleoptera are many of the largest and most conspicuous insects, some of which also have brilliant metallic colours, showy patterns, or striking form. Beetles

Zonda

2004-12-20T14:13:00.000-08:00

The name zonda in Argentina also refers to a hot, humid wind that blows from the north over the plains and precedes a low-pressure centre.

Re

2004-12-19T01:41:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Ra, or Phra, in ancient Egyptian religion, god of the sun and creator god. He was believed to travel across the sky in his solar bark and, during the night, to make his passage in another bark through the underworld, where, in order to be born again for the new day, he had to vanquish the evil serpent Apopis (Apepi). As the creator, he rose from the ocean of chaos on the primeval hill, creating

Fadiman, Clifton

2004-12-18T20:05:00.000-08:00

Fadiman was the son of Russian-Jewish immigrants, and he early became an avid and voracious reader. After graduating from Columbia University, New York City, in 1925, he taught school and then became an editor in the publishing

Mon

2004-12-18T05:19:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Mun , Burmese Talaing people living in the eastern delta region of Myanmar (Burma) and in west-central Thailand, numbering in the late 20th century more than 1.1 million. The Mon have lived in their present area for the last 1,200 years, and it was they who gave Myanmar its writing (Pali) and its religion (Buddhism). The Mon are believed to have spread from western China over the river lowlands from the Irrawaddy

Aethelberht

2004-12-16T19:40:00.000-08:00

King of the West Saxons, or Wessex, who succeeded to the subkingdom of Kent during the lifetime of his father Aethelwulf and retained it until the death of his elder brother Aethelbald in 860, when he became sole king of Wessex and Kent, the younger brothers Aethelred and Alfred renouncing their claim. He ruled these kingdoms for five years. His reign was marked by two serious

Wurtzite

2004-12-15T14:12:00.000-08:00

A zinc sulfide mineral that occurs typically in Potosí, Bolivia; Butte, Mont.; and Goldfield, Nev. It is a rare and unstable (at temperatures below 1,020° C, [1,870° F]) hexagonally symmetrical modification of sphalerite, to which it inverts crystallographically; it may be made artificially from sphalerite by rapid cooling from 1,020° C. For detailed physical properties, see sulfide

Quinoline

2004-12-13T21:05:00.000-08:00

Any of a class of organic compounds of the aromatic heterocyclic series characterized by a double-ring structure composed of a benzene and a pyridine ring fused at two adjacent carbon atoms. The benzene ring contains six carbon atoms, while the pyridine ring contains five carbon atoms and a nitrogen atom. The simplest member of the quinoline family is quinoline

Mexico City, The colonial city

2004-12-13T14:23:00.000-08:00

Cortés razed Tenochtitlán in 1521 and constructed a Spanish city on its ruins. The conquerors divided the central area among themselves and relegated the defeated to the periphery. The city was chartered and its cabildo, or town council, recognized in 1522; it was given leadership over other cabildos of New Spain in 1535. It soon became the most important city of the Americas, with

Cabbage

2004-12-11T05:29:00.000-08:00

Vegetable and fodder plant the various forms of which are said to have been developed by long cultivation from the wild, or sea, cabbage (Brassica oleracea) found near the seacoast in various parts of England and continental Europe. The common horticultural forms of Brassica oleracea may be classified according to the plant parts used for food and the structure

Saladin

2004-12-11T03:54:00.000-08:00

Saladin was born into a prominent Kurdish

Gylippus

2004-12-10T22:35:00.000-08:00

Spartan general who in 414–413, during the Peloponnesian War, broke the Athenian siege of Syracuse, Sicily. Urged by the Athenian exile Alcibiades to send a general to take charge of the defense of Syracuse, the Spartans appointed Gylippus, and his arrival in 414 kept Syracuse from surrendering. Gylippus broke the Athenian blockade by land, organized resistance from

Alva

2004-12-10T22:13:00.000-08:00

City, seat (1907) of Woods county, northwestern Oklahoma, U.S., on Salt Fork of the Arkansas River near the Kansas border. Established as a land office in 1893 at a Santa Fe Railway stop, it was named for Alva Adams, a railroad attorney and governor of Colorado (1887–89). It is a marketing and processing centre for a wheat and livestock area. Manufactures include tractors and furniture; petroleum

Iran, Ancient, Xerxes I

2004-12-08T07:39:00.000-08:00

Xerxes (reigned 486–465 BC), Darius's eldest son by Queen Atossa, was born after his father had come to the throne; he had been designated official heir perhaps as early as 498, and while crown prince he had ruled as the king's governor in Babylon. The new king quickly suppressed the revolt in Egypt in a single campaign in 484. Xerxes then broke with the policy followed by Cyrus and Darius of

Ogunde, Hubert

2004-12-07T17:17:00.000-08:00

Nigerian playwright, actor, theatre manager, and musician who was a pioneer in the field of Nigerian folk opera (drama in which music and dancing play a significant role). He was the founder of the Ogunde Concert Party (1945), the first professional theatrical company in Nigeria. Often regarded as the father of Nigerian theatre, Ogunde sought to

Mandalay

2004-12-05T17:16:00.000-08:00

Mandalay was built mainly in 1857–59 by King Mindon to replace Amarapura as his capital. It was the last capital of the Myanmar kingdom and

San Cristóbal

2004-12-03T20:23:00.000-08:00

Also called Makira , formerly Cristoval island in the Solomon Islands, southwestern Pacific Ocean, 40 miles (64 km) southeast of Guadalcanal. The island is about 80 miles (130 km) long, has a maximum width of 25 miles (40 km), and has an area of 1,231 square miles (3,188 square km). It is fairly rugged, with a central mountain rising to 4,100 feet (1,250 metres). Islets off the northern coast are Uki Ni Masi Island and the Olu Malau Islands (Three Sisters Islands);

Barcelona, Climate

2004-12-03T03:40:00.000-08:00

Although Barcelona is sometimes windy, its protective semicircle of mountains shields it from the harsh, cold winds that blow out of the north and west. The average annual temperature is 61 °F (16 °C); January is the coldest month, averaging 49 °F (9 °C), and August is the hottest, at 76 °F (24 °C). Precipitation amounts to about 23 inches (600 mm) per year.