GoodScissors

Robert Irving Burns Property Consultants

2006-11-22T06:50:00.000-08:00

Robert Irving Burns has been established for over 40 years and is an independent partnership, who specialise in a full range of property services. These include commercial property
and commercial offices as well as property to let london. Whilst my business partner and I were looking for Offices, we found Rib’s expertise invaluable.

Girandole

2005-04-04T22:47:00.000-07:00

Elaborate wall bracket incorporating one or more candleholders and frequently a mirror to reflect the light. An object of luxury, it was usually embellished with carving and gilding. Although the name is Italian in origin, girandoles reached the greatest heights of fashion (in the second half of the 18th century) in France and England. At the beginning of this period

Literature, Portugal.

2005-04-04T15:06:00.000-07:00

The Association of Portuguese Writers awarded its 2001 Great Prize for Fiction to Maria Velho da Costa for her novel Irene ou o contrato social (2000). Velho da Costa, who first gained international acclaim with the publication in 1972 of Novas cartas portuguesas, turned to the subject of euthanasia in her latest prizewinning

Aicard, Jean

2005-04-03T01:40:00.000-08:00

As a young man Aicard studied law but abandoned it to devote himself to literature. His first book of poetry, Jeunes croyances (1867; “Beliefs of a Youth”), showed the influence of the Romantic poet Alphonse de Lamartine and was well received upon its appearance. He went

Calendar, The French republican calendar

2005-04-02T13:30:00.000-08:00

In late 18th-century France, with the approach of the French Revolution, demands began to be made for a radical change in the civil calendar that would divorce it completely from any ecclesiastical connections. The first attacks on the Gregorian calendar and proposals for reform came in 1785 and 1788, the changes being primarily designed to divest the calendar of all its Christian

Lophophore Hypothesis

2005-04-02T03:29:00.000-08:00

Viewpoint that conodonts, small toothlike structures found as fossils in marine rocks over a long span of geologic time, are actually parts of and supports for a lophophore organ used for respiration and for gathering or straining minute organisms to be used as food. Lophophores are frilled or fringed organs possessed by many kinds of animals, including brachiopods

France, History Of, Institutions

2005-04-01T02:24:00.000-08:00

The institutions of government underwent great changes under the Frankish monarchs.

Ala Shan Desert

2005-03-30T13:56:00.000-08:00

Southernmost portion of the Gobi (desert), occupying about 400,000 square miles (1,000,000 square km) in north-central China. Covering portions of the western Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and northern Kansu sheng (province), it is bounded by the Huang Ho (Yellow River) and Ho-lan Mountains on the east and southeast; by the Ch'i-lien Mountains on the south and southwest; by the northern

Ionosphere

2005-03-30T01:46:00.000-08:00

Region of the Earth's atmosphere in which the number of ions, or electrically charged particles—resulting from the action of extraterrestrial (primarily solar) radiation on the neutral atoms and molecules of the air—is large enough to affect the propagation of radio waves. The ionosphere begins at a height of about 50 km (30 miles) above the surface but is most distinct

Wolf Spider

2005-03-28T21:55:00.000-08:00

Also called Ground Spider, or Hunting Spider, any member of the spider family Lycosidae (order Araneida), a large and widespread group. They are named for the wolflike habit of chasing and pouncing upon prey. About 125 species occur in North America, about 50 in Europe. Numerous species occur north of the Arctic Circle. Most are small to medium-sized. The largest has a body about 2.5 cm (1 inch) long and legs about the same

Spalding, A.g.

2005-03-28T16:38:00.000-08:00

In his youth Spalding pitched and batted right-handed with such authority that the Forest City (Rockford, Ill.) team became well known.

Koch

2005-03-28T05:21:00.000-08:00

Also called Rajbansi, ethnic group of the Bodo people, dispersed over parts of Assam and Bengal. While their original language is a Tibeto-Burman dialect, large sections of the group in the 20th century spoke Bengali or other Indo-Aryan languages. In the 16th century a Koch chief established the state of Cooch Behar, and they now call themselves Rajbansi (Of Royal Blood), resent being called by the

Music, Western, Modification and expansion of older forms

2005-03-27T19:26:00.000-08:00

Dance pairs of the Renaissance grew, about the middle of the 17th century, into dance suites consisting basically of four dances: allemande, courante, saraband, and gigue, with optional dances such as the gavotte, the bourrée, and the minuet sometimes inserted before the final movement. Variation forms—the chaconne (in which a set of harmonies or a bass theme is continuously

Huascar

2005-03-27T00:19:00.000-08:00

Huascar succeeded his father in 1525 but was given only part of the empire (Cuzco), while about one-fifth of it (Quito)

Silkworm Moth

2005-03-26T06:38:00.000-08:00

(Bombyx), insect and source of commercial silk and an important member of the family Bombycidae (order Lepidoptera). Because of its centuries-old role in sericulture (silk production), the native Chinese silkworm has been introduced throughout the world and approaches complete domestication. The adult attains a wingspan of 40 to 50 millimetres (about 2 inches) and

Utzon, Jørn

2005-03-25T06:07:00.000-08:00

Utzon studied at the Copenhagen School of Architecture (1937–42) and then spent three years in Stockholm, where he came under the influence of the Swedish architect Erik Gunnar Asplund. He also studied in the United States, and, for a six-month

China, Fine arts

2005-03-24T08:46:00.000-08:00

In the realm of the arts, the Ming period has long been esteemed for the variety and high quality of its state-sponsored craft goods—cloisonné and, particularly, porcelain wares. The sober, delicate monochrome porcelains of the Sung dynasty were now superseded by rich, decorative polychrome wares. The best known of these are of blue-on-white decor, which gradually changed

Roman Catholicism, The nature of the church

2005-03-24T04:12:00.000-08:00

In 1965 M.-J. le Guillou, a Roman Catholic theologian, defined the church in these terms: “The Church is recognized as a society of fellowship with God, the sacrament of salvation, the people of God established as the body of Christ and the temple of the Holy Spirit.” The progress of Roman Catholic theology can be seen in the contrast between this statement and the definition still

Chadwick, George Whitefield

2005-03-22T22:32:00.000-08:00

Chadwick studied organ and music theory in Boston and in 1877 went to Germany to study under Karl Reinecke, Salomon Jadassohn, and Josef Rheinberger. Returning to the United States in 1880, he was engaged as instructor in music theory

Leonardo Pisano

2005-03-22T05:00:00.000-08:00

For several years Leonardo corresponded with Frederick II and his scholars, exchanging problems with them. He dedicated his Liber quadratorum (1225; “Book of Square Numbers”) to Frederick. Devoted entirely to Diophantine equations of the second degree (i.e., containing squares), the Liber quadratorum is considered Leonardo's masterpiece. It is a systematically arranged

Swansea

2005-03-22T00:05:00.000-08:00

In the early 12th century the Norman Henry de Newburgh built a castle there, which was later destroyed by the Welsh rebel Owen Glendower. Up to the early 18th century Swansea

French Literature, Bourgeois drama

2005-03-21T19:57:00.000-08:00

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

Pennsylvania Academy Of The Fine Arts

2005-03-21T05:29:00.000-08:00

In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is the oldest art academy and museum in the United States, founded 1805. Specializing in American painting and sculpture of the 18th to the 20th century, the Academy's Art Museum was built between 1872 and 1876 according to designs by architect Frank Furness (1839–1912). The building's architectural style is high Victorian. For its centennial year (1976), which coincided

Durant, William Crapo

2005-03-21T02:45:00.000-08:00

After establishing a carriage company in Michigan in 1886, Durant took over a small firm in 1903 and began to manufacture Buick motorcars. He brought together several automotive manufacturers

Amaterasu

2005-03-19T13:50:00.000-08:00

In full Amaterasu Omikami (Japanese: “Great Divinity Illuminating Heaven”), the celestial sun goddess from whom the Japanese imperial family claims descent, and an important Shinto deity. She was born from the left eye of her father, Izanagi, who bestowed upon her a necklace of jewels and placed her in charge of Takamagahara (“High Celestial Plain”), the abode of all the kami. One of her brothers, the storm

Colchicum

2005-03-19T11:45:00.000-08:00

Genus of flowering plants in the family Liliaceae, consisting of about 30 species of herbs native to Eurasia. The stemless, crocuslike flowers bloom in autumn, and some are variously called autumn crocus and meadow saffron. The fruit is a three-valved capsule that ripens in the spring when the leaves appear. In some species the leaves arise from

Scilly, Isles Of

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

Also called Scilly Isles group of about 50 small islands and many more islets lying southwest of Cornwall, England, 25–36 miles (40–58 km) off Land's End. Administratively, the islands are a distinct unit within England, though they form a part of the historic county of Cornwall. Because their council serves the functions of both a district and a county, they have a status similar to that of a unitary

France, History Of, The liberal years

2005-03-18T06:18:00.000-08:00

The empire thus appeared to have compiled a record of unbroken successes and to be beyond challenge by its domestic critics. Perhaps it was this stability and self-confidence that led Napoleon, beginning in 1859, to turn in the direction of liberalizing the empire. The immediate impulse for this dramatic reversal was the attempted assassination of the emperor in January

Swami-narayani

2005-03-17T14:15:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Swaminarayana, Hindu reform sect with a large popular following in Gujarat state. It arose primarily as a protest against the corrupt practices said to have developed during the 19th century among the Vallabhacarya, a prominent devotional sect renowned for the deference paid to its gurus (spiritual leaders). The sect was founded in Ahmedabad about 1804 by Swami Narayana, who emphasized the observance

Madison River

2005-03-16T08:37:00.000-08:00

River in southwestern Montana and northwestern Wyoming, U.S. The Madison River rises in the northwestern corner of Yellowstone National Park at the junction of the Gibbon and Firehole rivers. It flows west through Hebgen Lake (impounded by a dam) into southwestern Montana, then turns north between the Madison Range (to the east) and the Gravelly Range and the Tobacco

Black Country

2005-03-16T03:27:00.000-08:00

Industrial region closely corresponding to the small south Staffordshire coalfield in the Midlands region of England; its name derives from its pollution-coated industrial landscape. The Black Country extends immediately to the west of the city of Birmingham, which itself lies off the coalfield, and makes up the western part of the metropolitan county of West

Amaterasu

2005-03-16T01:33:00.000-08:00

The AAUW was founded in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1881 by 17 college women. At the time, many barriers hindered women from pursuing higher education and obtaining work in specialized fields. The AAUW had as its objective the betterment of women's lives and their personal

Oslo Fjord

2005-03-15T10:01:00.000-08:00

Norwegian Oslofjorden, fjord on the Skagerrak (strait) penetrating the southern coast of Norway for 60 miles (100 km) from about Fredrikstad to Oslo. With an area of 766 square miles (1,984 square km), the fjord occupies a glacier-formed depression, or graben, that has been partially filled and partially reexcavated. The fjord's forested shoreline is dotted with numerous towns and seaports and is one of the most

Poseidon

2005-03-14T21:39:00.000-08:00

In Greek religion, god of the sea and of water generally; he is to be distinguished from Pontus, the personification of the sea and the oldest Greek divinity of the waters. The name Poseidon means either “husband of earth” or “lord of the earth.” Traditionally he was a son of Cronus, an ancient chief god, and Rhea, a fertility goddess, and was brother of Zeus, the chief god, and Hades,

Frescobaldi, Girolamo

2005-03-14T03:38:00.000-08:00

Italian organist and one of the first great masters of organ composition. He strongly influenced the German Baroque school through the work of his pupils, J.J. Froberger and Franz Tunder. Frescobaldi began his public career as organist at the church of Sta. Maria in Trastevere in Rome, in 1607. He travelled to the Netherlands the

Latin American Integration Association

2005-03-13T13:58:00.000-08:00

Spanish Asociación Latinoamericana de Integración (ALADI) organization that was established by the Treaty of Montevideo (August 1980) and became operational in March 1981. It seeks economic cooperation among its members. Original members were Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela. Cuba joined in 1999. Several countries and organizations maintain observer status. Headquarters

Arabia, The Persian Gulf lowland

2005-03-13T07:50:00.000-08:00

A low-lying region follows the Arabian shore of the Persian Gulf from Kuwait around to the Al-Hajar mountains of Oman at the mouth of the gulf. The gravel plain of Ad-Dibdibah lies inland southwest of Kuwait. Adjacent to Ad-Dahna' is the low plateau of As-Summan; between it and the coast scattered hills rise a few hundred feet. Broad patches of sand occur here and there, and salt

Parabolic Equation

2005-03-12T21:18:00.000-08:00

Any of a class of partial-differential equations arising in the mathematical analysis of diffusion phenomena, as in the heating of a slab. The simplest such equation in one dimension, uxx = ut, governs the temperature distribution at the various points along a thin rod from moment to moment. The solutions to even this simple problem are complicated, but they are constructed

Molasse

2005-03-12T04:15:00.000-08:00

Thick association of continental and marine clastic sedimentary rocks that consists mainly of sandstones and shales formed as shore deposits. The depositional environments involved include beaches, lagoons, river channels, and backwater swamps. The sands are deposited on beaches and in river channels and eventually form shoestring bodies (thickness:width

Fu

2005-03-11T23:15:00.000-08:00

Wade-Giles romanization fu type of Chinese bronze vessel used as a food container, it was produced largely from the middle Zhou period (c. 900–c. 600 BC) through the Warring States period (475–221 BC). Rectangular in shape and divided into two parts, the vessel was supported by angular feet at each corner; the lid was almost a duplicate of the bottom (in principle much like the dui). In ancient documents the vessel was also

Wigeon

2005-03-10T13:23:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Widgeon, any of four species of dabbling ducks (family Anatidae), popular game birds and excellent table fare. The European wigeon (Anas, or Mareca, penelope) ranges across the Palaearctic and is occasionally found in the Nearctic regions. The American wigeon, or baldpate (A. americana), breeds in northwestern North America and winters along the U.S., Mexican, Central American, and

Dabrowski, Jan Henryk

2005-03-10T06:54:00.000-08:00

After service in the Saxon Army (1772–92), Dabrowski joined the Poles to serve against the Russians in 1792. In 1794 he took part in Kosciuszko's uprising, distinguished

Lentulus Spinther, Publius Cornelius

2005-03-10T05:05:00.000-08:00

As curule aedile, Lentulus in 63 helped Cicero suppress Catiline's conspiracy to overthrow the government. He was praetor in 60 and with Caesar's aid became governor of the province of Nearer Spain in 59. After serving as consul in 57, he governed Cilicia from 56 to 53. Despite

Zanuck, Darryl F.

2005-03-09T17:30:00.000-08:00

Abandoned by his parents at age 13, Zanuck joined the U.S. Army and fought in Belgium during World War I. He worked as a steelworker, garment factory foreman, and a professional boxer while pursuing his career as a

Zaltys

2005-03-09T03:46:00.000-08:00

On special occasions the snake was asked to the table to share the family meal from their

Marey, étienne-jules

2005-03-08T09:43:00.000-08:00

Marey wrote extensively on the circulation of the blood, cholera, terrestrial and aerial locomotion, experimental physiology,

Accessory

2005-03-07T23:21:00.000-08:00

In law, a person who becomes equally guilty in the crime of another by knowingly and voluntarily aiding the criminal prior to or after the crime. An accessory is one kind of accomplice (q.v.), the other being an abettor, who aids the criminal during the act itself.

Robert Ii

2005-03-07T00:13:00.000-08:00

The son of Hugh Capet, founder of the Capetian dynasty, and Adelaide of Aquitaine, Robert was educated at the episcopal school of Reims under Gerbert of Aurillac, later Pope Sylvester II. Soon after his own coronation (July 987), Hugh prudently arranged the election and coronation (December 987) of

Asylum Records

2005-03-06T20:48:00.000-08:00

The driving force behind Asylum Records, the musical embodiment of the “Me Decade” (writer Tom Wolfe's characterization of the 1970s), was New York City-born David Geffen, who nurtured most of the major figures in the wave of singer-songwriters who followed Bob Dylan's lead. Having learned the ropes with the William Morris Agency, Geffen and Elliot Roberts left that company

Valdemar Iv Atterdag

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

A son of King Christopher II, Valdemar lived after 1328 at the court of Louis IV the Bavarian, Holy

Soga Shohaku

2005-03-05T07:33:00.000-08:00

As a young man he studied painting under the guidance of Takada Keiho of the Kano school (school of painting based on Chinese subject matter and techniques) in Kyoto, but his disillusionment with contemporary

West Lindsey

2005-03-04T20:43:00.000-08:00

District, administrative and historic county of Lincolnshire, east-central England, north of the city of Lincoln. West Lindsey district comprises two low-lying fertile clay valleys at an elevation of less than 100 feet (30 metres) split by the Lincoln Edge, a narrow limestone ridge 200 feet (60 metres) high that extends north from the Cotswold Hills. On the northeast, this overwhelmingly

Ailly, Pierre D'

2005-03-04T14:59:00.000-08:00

D'Ailly studied at the College of Navarre of the

Thomas, Audrey

2005-03-04T11:24:00.000-08:00

Thomas graduated from Smith College, Northampton, Massachusetts, in 1957 and settled in Canada in 1959. After receiving an M.A. from the University of British Columbia in 1963, she lived in Ghana from 1964 to 1966 and then returned to British Columbia, where she divided

Biblical Literature

2005-03-03T11:53:00.000-08:00

Exegesis, or critical interpretation, and hermeneutics, or the science of interpretive principles, of the Bible have been used by both Jews and Christians throughout their histories for various purposes. The most common purpose has been that of discovering the truths and values of the Old and New Testaments by means of various techniques and principles, though

Neolithic Period

2005-03-02T22:43:00.000-08:00

Also called New Stone Age final stage of cultural evolution or technological development among prehistoric humans. It was characterized by stone tools shaped by polishing or grinding, dependence on domesticated plants or animals, settlement in permanent villages, and the appearance of such crafts as pottery and weaving. The Neolithic followed the Paleolithic Period, or age of chipped-stone

Spock, Benjamin

2005-03-02T21:13:00.000-08:00

Spock received his medical degree in 1929 from Columbia University's College of Physicians and Surgeons and trained for six years at the New York

R.e.m.

2005-03-02T17:15:00.000-08:00

R.E.M., named for a dream-state condition (rapid eye movement), formed in 1980 in Athens, Georgia, a university town about 65 miles

New England Range

2005-03-01T13:25:00.000-08:00

Also called Northern Tableland, section of the Eastern Highlands, or Great Dividing Range, northeastern New South Wales, Australia. The range extends 200 mi (320 km) north from the Moonbi Range (near Tamworth) to the Queensland border and 80 mi from east to west (10–50 mi inland from the coast). It is Australia's largest plateau, having 9,000 sq mi (23,000 sq km) above an elevation of 3,000 ft (900 m). The loftiest point is at Round Mountain (5,300 ft) on the eastern

Silent Trade

2005-03-01T08:35:00.000-08:00

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

Cabrera, Lydia

2005-03-01T00:37:00.000-08:00

The daughter of Cuban historian Raimundo Cabrera, Lydia Cabrera was told African folk legends by her nanny and the household servants during her childhood.

Thököly, Imre

2005-02-28T11:53:00.000-08:00

The scion of a rich Protestant family, Thököly moved to Transylvania after his father was executed for having had a role in the Hungarian magnates' conspiracy against the Habsburg emperor Leopold

Well-made Play

2005-02-27T18:25:00.000-08:00

French Pièce Bien Faite, a type of play, constructed according to certain strict technical principles, that dominated the stages of Europe and the United States for most of the 19th century. The technical formula of the well-made play, developed around 1825 by the French playwright Eugène Scribe, called for complex and highly artificial plotting, a build-up of suspense, a climactic scene in which

Biblical Literature, Concluding exhortation and traditions about the last days of Moses

2005-02-26T19:31:00.000-08:00

Chapters 29–31 comprise the third and last address of Moses to the people of Israel. They are preceded by an introductory verse referring to “these words” as a covenant made in Moab, in addition to the one made at Horeb (Sinai). After reminding them of all that God has done for them, Moses calls on the whole people to enter into the sworn Covenant made this day that they may be his

Mobutu Sese Seko Koko Ngbendu Wa Za Banga (joseph-désiré Mobutu)

2005-02-26T14:24:00.000-08:00

Zairean politician (b. Oct. 14, 1930, Lisala, Belgian Congo--d. Sept. 7, 1997, Rabat, Mor.), as president of Zaire for nearly 32 years, ruled with absolute power. During his reign he took full advantage of the backing he received from the West, which viewed him during the Cold War as a guardian against communism. He amassed a personal fortune worth billions of dollars at the expense of the country's

Dominica, Flag Of

2005-02-26T05:09:00.000-08:00

As a British colony, Dominica obtained a coat of arms of its own in 1961. The arms had a shield with a blue and yellow cross, a banana tree, a coconut tree, a frog, a Carib Indian canoe, a lion symbolizing links with England, and a motto in the local language (“Apres Bondie c'est la ter”) meaning “After the Good Lord, the land.” Flanking the shield were imperial parrots, also known as sisserous,

Nietzsche, Friedrich

2005-02-25T17:11:00.000-08:00

Apart from the books Nietzsche wrote between 1879 and 1889, it is doubtful that his life held any intrinsic interest. Seriously ill, half-blind, in virtually unrelenting pain, he lived in boarding houses in Switzerland, the French Riviera, and Italy, with only limited human contact. His friendship with Paul Rée was undermined by 1882 by their mutual if unacknowledged affection for

Apuseni Mountains

2005-02-25T07:33:00.000-08:00

Romanian Muntii Apuseni large mountain chain, a subgroup of the Carpathians, lying north of the Mures River, northwestern Romania. The Apuseni (Western) Mountains are not high—reaching a maximum elevation of only 6,066 feet (1,849 m)—but as a uniform, imposing group they dominate the low surrounding area. Central to the group, and the highest, is the Bihor Massif (q.v.), from which radiate six lower mountain groups.

Renkum

2005-02-25T06:34:00.000-08:00

Gemeente (commune), Gelderland provincie, central Netherlands. Renkum is situated on the Lower Rhine (Neder Rijn) River, immediately west of Arnhem, and comprises the communities of Oosterbeek (the local government centre), Renkum, Doorwerth, Heelsum, and Wolfheze. The locality was especially associated with the Battle of Arnhem in World War II; on the Oosterbeek village

Boucher De Perthes, Jacques

2005-02-24T18:12:00.000-08:00

From 1825 Boucher de Perthes was director of the customhouse at Abbeville, near the mouth of the Somme River, and began devoting his leisure to archaeological searches in the Somme valley. In

Epicureanism

2005-02-23T23:21:00.000-08:00

In a strict sense, the philosophy taught by Epicurus (341–270 BC). In a broad sense, it is a system of ethics embracing every conception or form of life that can be traced to the principles of his philosophy. In ancient polemics, as often since, the term was employed with an even more generic (and clearly erroneous) meaning as the equivalent of hedonism, the doctrine that pleasure or

San Ignacio

2005-02-23T03:15:00.000-08:00

Formerly El Cayo, or Cayo, town, west-central Belize (formerly British Honduras). It lies along the Belize River, near the Guatemalan border. With Benque Viejo del Carmen, which is about 8 miles (13 km) southwest, it traditionally dealt in chicle and lumber, but these products have now largely been replaced by cattle and corn (maize), beans, and rice. Some trade is carried on with Guatemala. Its inhabitants

Arabic Language

2005-02-23T01:44:00.000-08:00

Arabic is the language of the Qur'an (or Koran, the sacred book of Islam) and the religious language of all Muslims. Literary Arabic, usually called Classical Arabic, is essentially the form of the language

Norm

2005-02-22T07:42:00.000-08:00

Also called Social Norm, rule or standard of behaviour shared by members of a social group. Norms may be internalized—i.e., incorporated within the individual so that there is conformity without external rewards or punishments, or they may be enforced by positive or negative sanctions from without. The social unit sharing particular norms may be small (e.g., a clique of friends) or may include

Fructosuria

2005-02-21T21:11:00.000-08:00

Disturbance of fructose metabolism resulting from a hereditary disorder or intolerance. Normally, fructose is first metabolized in the body to fructose-1-phosphate by a specific organic catalyst or enzyme called fructokinase. In fructosuria this particular enzyme is defective, and the concentration of fructose increases in the blood and urine. There are no

Mammal, The skin and hair

2005-02-20T13:10:00.000-08:00

The skin of mammals is constructed of two layers, a superficial nonvascular epidermis and an inner layer, the dermis or corium. The two layers interdigitate in dermal papillae (fingerlike projections), ridges of sensitive vascular dermis projecting into the epidermis. The outermost layers of the epidermis are cornified (i.e., impregnated with various tough proteins)

Cable

2005-02-20T11:12:00.000-08:00

The first successful stranded iron wire rope was developed in 1831–34 by Wilhelm Albert, a mining official of Clausthal

X-ray Source

2005-02-20T01:02:00.000-08:00

Advances in instrumentation and improved observational techniques have

Stuttgart

2005-02-19T11:37:00.000-08:00

City, northern district seat of Arkansas county (the southern seat is De Witt), east-central Arkansas, U.S., about 50 miles (80 km) southeast of Little Rock. Settled in 1878 by Lutheran minister Adam Buerkle (born in Stuttgart, Germany) and his congregation, the city was incorporated in 1889, raised to a city of the second class in 1897, and to that of the first class in 1917. Stuttgart has long been an agricultural

China, The influence of Buddhism

2005-02-18T21:28:00.000-08:00

The T'ang emperors officially supported Taoism because of their claim to be descended from Lao-tzu, but Buddhism continued to enjoy great favour and lavish Imperial patronage through most of the period. The famous pilgrim Hsüan-tsang, who went to India in 629 and returned in 645, was the most learned of Chinese monks and introduced new standards of exactness in his many translations

Mcphee, John

2005-02-18T11:47:00.000-08:00

After graduating from Princeton University (A.B., 1953), McPhee studied for a year at

Vedic Religion

2005-02-18T06:49:00.000-08:00

The ancient Vedic worshipers offered sacrifices to these gods in the hope that they in return would grant abundant numbers of cattle, good fortune, good health, long life, and male progeny, among other material benefits. To ensure the efficacy of their prayers, the people came to believe that their offerings could be made more acceptable to the gods if accompanied

Kirk, Norman Eric

2005-02-17T07:23:00.000-08:00

A cabinetmaker's son, Kirk ended his formal education in primary school and held such jobs as apprentice fitter and turner and as foreman with the Railways Department. He joined the New Zealand Labour Party in 1943, was mayor of Kaiapoi (1953–57), and entered parliament in 1957. He became leader

Wu Mountains

2005-02-17T04:59:00.000-08:00

Wade–Giles romanization and Pinyin Wu Shan mountain complex on the borders of Hupeh, Szechwan, and Kweichow provinces, China. They are often referred to by Western writers as the Gorge Mountains, owing to the fact that the Yangtze River cuts its way through the area from the Szechwan Basin into the central Yangtze Basin, below I-ch'ang, through a series of deep and impressive gorges. The area is one of great complexity,

Chantal, Saint Jane Frances Of

2005-02-16T21:15:00.000-08:00

In 1592 she married Baron de Chantal, who was killed in a hunting accident (1601), leaving her with four children. In 1604 she heard St. Francis de Sales preach the Lent at Dijon and placed herself under his direction. In 1610, after her eldest daughter had married and her 14-year-old son was provided

Pacific Ocean, Biological resources

2005-02-16T02:12:00.000-08:00

The Pacific has the most varied complement of plants (i.e., algae) and animals of the world's oceans. The circumglobal mixing of water in the southern and, to a much more limited extent, northern polar reaches of the Pacific permit the intermingling of flora and fauna from other oceanic regions, while temperate and tropical surface waters of the Pacific are more likely

Bhaisajya-guru

2005-02-15T23:30:00.000-08:00

(Sanskrit), Tibetan Sman-bla-rgyal-po , Chinese Yao-shih-fo , Japanese Yakushi Nyorai the healing Buddha, widely worshiped in Tibet, China, and Japan. According to popular belief in those countries, some illnesses are effectively cured by merely touching his image or calling out his name. More serious illnesses, however, require the performance of complex ritual acts, as described in the principal scripture of the Bhaisajya-guru cult. Bhaisajya-guru

Romanesque Art

2005-02-15T07:39:00.000-08:00

The name Romanesque

Theatre, Western, Commedia dell'arte

2005-02-14T17:48:00.000-08:00

Around the mid-16th century, there emerged in Italy a lively tradition of popular theatre that fused many disparate elements into a vigorous style, which profoundly influenced the development of European theatre. This was the legendary commedia dell'arte (“theatre of the professionals”), a nonliterary tradition that centred on the actor, as distinguished from the

Liszt, Franz

2005-02-14T10:31:00.000-08:00

In 1869 Liszt was invited to return to Weimar by the grand duke to give master classes in piano playing, and two years later he was asked to do the same in Budapest. From then until the end of his life he divided his time between Rome, Weimar, and Budapest. After a reconciliation with Wagner in 1872, Liszt regularly attended the Bayreuth festivals. He appeared occasionally as a pianist

Thun

2005-02-13T19:46:00.000-08:00

Founded in the 12th century, the town belonged to the kingdom of Burgundy until it passed to

Carlini, Armando

2005-02-13T16:24:00.000-08:00

Educated at

Arusha

2005-02-12T01:29:00.000-08:00

Formerly Northern Region administrative region, northern Tanzania, East Africa. Established in 1963, it has an area of about 33,250 square miles (86,100 square km), including 950 square miles (2,460 square km) of water area. It is bordered on the north by Kenya. The Serengeti Plain lies in the northwest, and the Masai Steppe, broken only by isolated gneiss hills, lies in the south. In the central area of the region are the Crater

Anthony Of Tagrit

2005-02-11T11:02:00.000-08:00

Originally from Tagrit, near Latakia, Syria, Anthony belonged to the part of the Eastern Syriac Church called the Jacobites, which had separated from the authority of the Eastern Orthodox patriarch of Constantinople in the 6th century.

Swartberg

2005-02-11T08:08:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Swartberge, mountain range in Western Cape province, South Africa, extending east-west for 150 mi (240 km) from near the town of Willowmore to the edge of the Witteberge, roughly parallel with the Indian Ocean coast. The Swartberg is the barrier dividing the semiarid Great Karoo (north) and Little Karoo (south) plateaus. Highest elevations range from between 5,500 and 7,500 ft (1,650 and 2,300 m). Small reservoirs

Stagnelius, Erik Johan

2005-02-10T00:33:00.000-08:00

Both his works

Levator Muscle

2005-02-09T13:25:00.000-08:00

Any of the muscles that raise a body part. In humans these include the levator anguli oris, which raises the corner of the mouth; the levator ani, collective name for a thin sheet of muscle that stretches across the pelvic cavity and helps hold the pelvic viscera in position, forming a kind of sphincter around the vagina in the female and the anal canal in both sexes; the

Heterochlorid

2005-02-09T06:15:00.000-08:00

Any protozoan of the plantlike flagellate order Heterochlorida. Heterochlorids have two flagella of unequal length and chromatophores whose pigments vary from yellow to yellow-green. Food reserves are stored as leucosin (probably a carbohydrate) and lipids. Some genera may be amoeboid during part of the life cycle; others may include a palmella stage, a condition

Bynkershoek, Cornelis Van

2005-02-08T02:40:00.000-08:00

Bynkershoek studied law at Franeker and was admitted to the bar at The Hague. In 1703 he was appointed a member of the supreme court of Holland and Zeeland, becoming president of the court in 1724. Although engaged in a demanding judicial career, he found time

Holarctic Region

2005-02-06T11:05:00.000-08:00

One of the six major land areas of the world defined on the basis of its characteristic animal life. It is part of the Megagaean realm; it encompasses all the nontropical parts of Europe and Asia, Africa north of the Sahara, and North America south to the Mexican desert region. This vast region is often subdivided into the Palaearctic (Old World) and Nearctic (New World)