OrangeSchool

organic bed linen

2006-10-29T00:45:00.000-07:00

Livs range of soft luxurious bed linenis sourced ethically from India and using a fair trade policy. Liv also provide duvet cover set and bath towel set.

Granmont, Louis

2005-02-13T22:49:00.000-08:00

Granmont first distinguished himself in service in the French royal marines, but, having illegally gambled away a captured prize cargo in Hispaniola (Haiti), he dared not return to France and took to buccaneering. His first grand exploit

Uighur

2005-02-12T03:26:00.000-08:00

The Uighur language is part of the

Penates

2005-02-10T10:38:00.000-08:00

Formally Di Penates household gods of the Romans and other Latin peoples. In the narrow sense, they were gods of the penus (“household provision”), but by extension their protection reached the entire household. They are associated with other deities of the house, such as Vesta, and the name was sometimes used interchangeably with that of the Lares, any of various tutelary deities. The Penates

Cartridge

2005-02-07T06:32:00.000-08:00

In weaponry, unit of small-arms ammunition, composed of a metal (usually brass) case, a propellant charge, a projectile or bullet, and a primer. The first cartridges, appearing in the second half of the 16th century, consisted merely of charges of powder wrapped in paper; the ball was loaded separately. During the next century, methods of including the ball with the powder were

Armillary Sphere

2005-02-05T13:43:00.000-08:00

Early astronomical device for representing the great circles of the heavens, including in the most elaborate instruments the horizon, meridian, Equator, tropics, polar circles, and an ecliptic hoop. The sphere is a skeleton celestial globe, with circles divided into degrees for angular measurement. In the 17th and 18th centuries such

France, History Of, Early Frankish period

2005-02-03T20:17:00.000-08:00

In the second quarter of the 5th century, various groups of Franks moved southward toward the middle Rhine area (Cologne), the lower branches of the Moselle and Meuse, and the Atlantic coastal region. In the latter area, separate groups took possession of Tournai and Cambrai and reached the Somme. These Franks along the coast were divided into many small kingdoms. One

Basidiomycetes

2005-02-02T01:50:00.000-08:00

A large and diverse class of fungi (division Mycota) including jelly and shelf, or bracket, fungi; mushrooms, puffballs, and stinkhorns; and the rusts and smuts. The club-shaped spore-bearing organ (basidium) usually produces four sexual spores (basidiospores). Basidia are borne on fruiting bodies (basidiocarps), which are large and conspicuous in

Bahawalnagar

2005-01-31T16:26:00.000-08:00

The surrounding region, once a part of the princely

China, The transition to socialism, 195357

2005-01-29T15:43:00.000-08:00

The period 1953–57, corresponding to the First Five-Year Plan, began China's rapid industrialization. This period is still regarded as having been enormously successful. A strong central governmental apparatus proved able to channel scarce resources into the rapid development of heavy industry. Despite some serious policy issues and problems, the Communist leadership

Marie-antoinette

2005-01-26T11:44:00.000-08:00

The 11th daughter of the Holy Roman emperor Francis I and Maria Theresa, Marie-Antoinette was married in 1770 to the dauphin Louis, grandson of

Scabious

2005-01-24T03:07:00.000-08:00

Also called Scabiosa (genus Scabiosa), any of about 100 species of annual and perennial herbs of the teasel family, Dipsacaceae, order Dipsacales. They are native to temperate Eurasia, the Mediterranean region, and the mountains of eastern Africa. Some are important garden plants. All species have basal leaf rosettes and leafy stems. The flower heads have many crowded, small,

Celaya

2005-01-23T01:56:00.000-08:00

City, south-central Guanajuato estado (“state”), north-central Mexico. It is in the fertile Bajío region on the Mexican Plateau, 2.5 miles (4 km) north of the Laja River and 5,774 feet (1,760 m) above sea level. Founded as Purísima Concepción de Celaya in 1571, the city played an important role in 19th-century Mexican history when it changed hands several times during Mexico's struggle for independence

Carlos De Austria

2005-01-20T05:48:00.000-08:00

Don Carlos spent his first years at Alcalá de Henares with his

Abyssinian

2005-01-19T02:47:00.000-08:00

Breed of domestic cat, probably of Egyptian origin, that has been considered to approximate the sacred cat of ancient Egypt more closely than any other living cat. The Abyssinian is a lithe cat with relatively slender legs and a long, tapering tail. The short, finely textured coat is ruddy reddish brown, with individual hairs of the back, sides, chest, and tail distinctively

Ear, Human, Detection of angular acceleration: dynamic equilibrium

2005-01-16T16:30:00.000-08:00

Because the three semicircular canals—superior, posterior, and horizontal—are positioned at right angles to one another, they are able to detect movements in three-dimensional space (see Anatomy of the human ear: Inner ear: Semicircular canals). When the head begins to rotate in any direction, the inertia of the endolymph causes it to lag behind, exerting pressure that

Carillon

2005-01-14T09:02:00.000-08:00

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

Furniture, 19th century and modern

2005-01-13T05:58:00.000-08:00

E.D. and F. Andrews, Shaker Furniture: The Craftsmanship of an American Communal Sect (1937); R.V. Symonds and B.B. Whineray, Victorian Furniture (1962), with many illustrations; Serge Grandjean, Empire Furniture, 1800 to 1825 (1966); Mikolaus Pevsner, Pioneers of Modern Design from William Morris to Walter Gropius (1960); Jean Cassou, Emile Langue, and Nikolaus Pevsner, Les Sources du vingtieme siecle (1961); John F. Pile, Modern Furniture (1979); Jonathan L. Fairbanks and Elizabeth Bidwell Bates, American Furniture, 1620 to the Present (1981); David A. Hanks, Innovative Furniture in America from 1800 to the Present (1981).

Korean Provisional Government

2005-01-11T16:25:00.000-08:00

Government in exile organized in April 1919 in Shanghai by Korean patriots. The provisional government was formed in reaction to Japanese suppression of the March 1st Movement, the struggle for Korean independence from Japanese rule that had begun with a proclamation of independence issued by 33 prominent Koreans on March 1, 1919, and a number of massive demonstrations that

Sierra Nevada, Plant life

2005-01-09T16:58:00.000-08:00

Generally speaking, there are five fairly distinct vegetation zones on the western slopes. The lower foothills support mostly deciduous trees and shrubs, as well as the evergreen interior live oak (Quercus wislizenii). Black oak, Ponderosa pine, and incense cedar occur in the upper foothills. The montane forest, which constitutes the primary commercial timber zone,

Ríma

2005-01-06T17:43:00.000-08:00

One of three genres of popular early Icelandic poetry (the other two being dances and ballads), rímur were produced from the 14th to the 19th century. They combine an end-rhymed metrical form derived from Latin hymns with the techniques of syllable counting, alliteration

I Am Movement

2005-01-04T17:14:00.000-08:00

Although not consistent in their teachings, the Ballards essentially

Cartel

2005-01-03T05:39:00.000-08:00

Association of independent firms or individuals for the purpose of exerting some form of restrictive or monopolistic influence on the production or sale of a commodity or group of commodities. The most common arrangements are aimed at regulating prices or output or dividing up markets. Members of a cartel maintain their separate identities and financial independence

France, History Of, Urban prosperity

2005-01-01T03:32:00.000-08:00

Town life continued to flourish. A few places, favoured by political and ecclesiastical as well as by economic circumstances, grew far larger than the rest. Paris could probably count more than 100,000 inhabitants by the late 13th century, possibly many more than that; some great provincial centres—e.g., Toulouse, Bordeaux, Arras, Rouen—may have surpassed 25,000, but most of the older cities

Lower Egypt

2004-12-29T23:59:00.000-08:00

Arabic Misr Bahri, geographic and cultural division of Egypt consisting primarily of the triangular Nile River delta region and bounded generally by the 30th parallel north in the south and by the Mediterranean Sea in the north. Characterized by broad expanses of fertile soil, Lower Egypt contrasts sharply with Upper Egypt, where the centres of habitation along the Nile valley are

Aerospace Industry, Internationalization

2004-12-27T16:36:00.000-08:00

In the 1960s the high development cost of wide-body jets started a trend toward international risk sharing and cost sharing in aircraft development. American firms sought foreign partners because international cooperation was not subject to antitrust regulations and provided an excellent entry into overseas markets. This kind of partnership proved particularly

Loy, Myrna

2004-12-25T17:29:00.000-08:00

Loy was the daughter

La Libertad

2004-12-23T02:12:00.000-08:00

Once the home of the Mochica and Chimú cultures—renowned for their ceramics, irrigation works, and vast urban

Moscow

2004-12-21T05:52:00.000-08:00

Since it was first mentioned in chronicles of 1147, Moscow has played a vital role in Russian history; indeed the history of the city and of the Russian nation are closely interlinked. Today Moscow is not

Asturias

2004-12-19T03:04:00.000-08:00

Asturias was an independent Christian kingdom between 718 and 910 and was formed by Visigothic nobles and officials

Nelson, Baby Face

2004-12-18T05:54:00.000-08:00

From petty crime Nelson graduated into labour racketeering, working for Al Capone (1929–31) and other bootleg bosses; he was let go, however, proving too violent even for them. He then turned to bank robberies, joining with John Dillinger on two occasions

Bruck

2004-12-15T00:57:00.000-08:00

Also called Bruck An Der Mur, town, Steiermark Bundesland (federal state), southeast-central Austria. It lies at the junction of the Mur and Mürz rivers north of Graz. First mentioned in 860 as a possession of the archbishops of Salzburg, it was chartered in 1263. The earliest bridge (Brücke) on the site, probably from Roman times, gave the town its name. Notable landmarks are the magnificent Gothic Kornmesserhaus

John I

2004-12-13T11:20:00.000-08:00

His uncle, who succeeded him as Philip V, has been accused of having caused his death, or of having substituted a dead child in his place; but nothing has ever been proved.

Tsuruga

2004-12-10T16:55:00.000-08:00

City, Fukui ken (prefecture), Honshu, Japan. It faces Tsuruga Bay of the Sea of Japan. A flourishing port since early historic times, it was one of the main centres of communication with the Asian mainland and a major shipment centre for the former national capitals of Nara and Kyoto. Tsuruga's industrial base was developed after World War II with factories producing synthetic

Gailhard, John

2004-12-07T09:48:00.000-08:00

In his

Wage-price Control:

2004-12-05T15:23:00.000-08:00

Setting of government guidelines for limiting increases in wages and prices. It is a principal tool in incomes policy (q.v.).

Hai Ben Sherira

2004-12-03T09:16:00.000-08:00

Though the office of gaon was not necessarily hereditary, Hai, whose family traced its origin back to the Davidic

Haley, Margaret Angela

2004-12-01T02:31:00.000-08:00

Haley attended public and convent schools and from 1876 taught in a succession of schools around Chicago. She was an early member of the Chicago Teachers' Federation, formed in March 1897, and rose quickly in the organization to become

Dasa

2004-11-30T18:45:00.000-08:00

Also spelled dasyu member of an aboriginal people in India encountered and embattled by the invading Aryans (c. 1500 BC). They were described by the Aryans as a dark-skinned, harsh-spoken people who worshiped the phallus. This allusion has persuaded many scholars that worship of the linga, the Hindu religious symbol, originated with them; it may, however, have referred to their sexual practices.

Chang Tsai

2004-11-28T19:03:00.000-08:00

The son of a magistrate, Chang studied Buddhism and Taoism but found his true inspiration in the Confucian Classics. In his chief work, Cheng-meng (“Correct Discipline for Beginners”), he declared that the universe is a unity,

Muir Woods National Monument

2004-11-26T05:00:00.000-08:00

One of the two virgin stands of coastal redwoods (Sequoia sempervirens) in the U.S. National Park Service. The groves lie near the Pacific coast of California, U.S., 15 mi (24 km) northwest of San Francisco at the foot of Mt. Tamalpais. Some of these trees are more than 300 ft (90 m) high and 15 ft in diameter and are more than 2,000 years old. The forest, established in 1908 with an area of 503 ac (204 ha), was a gift of Congressman

O'faolain, Julia

2004-11-23T00:43:00.000-08:00

O'Faolain, the daughter of authors Sean O'Faolain and Eileen Gould, was educated at University College,

Lancaster

2004-11-22T14:47:00.000-08:00

City, seat of Lancaster county, northern South Carolina, U.S., near the Catawba River. It was founded in the 1750s by settlers from Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The architect Robert Mills designed the jail (1823) and the courthouse (1828). In the early 19th century the community was identified with the Waxhaw Revival, part of the Great Revival (a nationwide movement of religious vagaries), and

Korhogo

2004-11-19T22:17:00.000-08:00

Town, north central Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast). The town's traditional founder was Nangui (Nengué), a 14th-century Senufo (Senoufo) patriarch from Kong. Modern Korhogo (Heritage) is the chief trade centre (corn [maize], manioc, millet, and yams) for the Senufo farmers of the savanna. Muslim Fulani herdsmen from the north also helped make it a major centre for livestock (cattle, sheep,

Middleton, John Middleton, 1st Earl Of

2004-11-17T13:50:00.000-08:00

In early life he served as a soldier in France. Later, although he fought against Charles I in both England and Scotland, being especially prominent at the Battle of Philiphaugh and in other operations against the great Montrose, he held a high command in the Scottish army that marched to

David De Mayrena, Marie-charles

2004-11-15T21:31:00.000-08:00

After defrauding French authorities in Saigon, David de Mayrena fled to Kontum in the Central Highlands, where he impressed the French missionaries and persuaded the members

Extracellular Fluid

2004-11-14T21:55:00.000-08:00

In biology, body fluid that is not contained in cells. It is found in blood, in lymph, in body cavities lined with serous (moisture-exuding) membrane, in the cavities and channels of the brain and spinal cord, and in muscular and other body tissues. It differs from intracellular fluid (fluid within the cells) in that it generally has a high concentration of sodium and low concentration

Acaraí Mountains

2004-11-11T01:08:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Acarahy, or Akarai, Portuguese Serra Acaraí, low range on the border of Brazil (Pará state) and southern Guyana. The mountains, which rise to about 2,000 feet (600 m) above sea level, run in an east–west direction for about 80 miles (130 km) and form part of the northern watershed of the Amazon Basin. The whole area is covered with dense tropical rain forest and was mapped by satellite in the late 1970s.

Cro-magnon

2004-11-09T07:46:00.000-08:00

In 1868 in a shallow cave at Cro-Magnon in the Dordogne area of southern France, a number of obviously ancient human skeletons were found. The cave was investigated by the French geologist Louis Lartet, who uncovered five archaeological layers. The human bones found

Biblical Literature, Susanna

2004-11-08T04:54:00.000-08:00

The second addition to Daniel, the story of Susanna, and the third one, Bel and the Dragon, are preserved in two Greek versions. In both stories the hero is the wise Daniel. Susanna was the pious and beautiful wife of Joakim, a wealthy Jew in Babylon. Two aged judges became inflamed with love for her. They tried to force her to yield to their lust, and, when she refused, they accused

Parakeet

2004-11-05T15:08:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Parrakeet any of numerous seed-eating parrots of small size, slender build, and long, tapering tail. In this sense the name is given to some 115 species in 30 genera of the subfamily Psittacinae (family Psittacidae) and has influenced another parrot name, lorikeet (see parrot). To indicate size only, the name is sometimes extended to little parrots with short, blunt tails, as the hanging

Websterashburton Treaty

2004-11-04T02:34:00.000-08:00

(1842), treaty between the U.S. and Great Britain establishing the northeastern boundary of the U.S. and providing for Anglo–U.S. cooperation in the suppression of the slave trade. The treaty established the present boundary between Maine and New Brunswick, granted the U.S. navigation rights on the St. John River, provided for extradition in enumerated nonpolitical criminal

Handel, George Frideric

2004-11-01T13:47:00.000-08:00

German (until 1715) Georg Friedrich Händel or Georg Friedrich Haendel German-born English composer of the late Baroque era, noted particularly for his operas, oratorios, and instrumental compositions. He wrote the most famous of all oratorios, the Messiah (1741), and is also known for such occasional pieces as Water Music (1717) and Music for the Royal Fireworks (1749).

Wright Glider Of 1902

2004-10-31T00:53:00.000-07:00

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

Welles, (george) Orson

2004-10-28T20:27:00.000-07:00

American motion-picture actor, director, producer, and writer. His innovative narrative techniques and use of photography, dramatic lighting, and music to further the dramatic line and to create mood combined to make his Citizen Kane (1941)—which he wrote, directed, produced, and acted in—one of the most influential films in the history

Aranda

2004-10-27T03:36:00.000-07:00

Also spelled Arunta, Aboriginal tribe that originally occupied a region of 25,000 square miles (65,000 square km) in central Australia, along the upper Finke River and its tributaries. The Aranda were divided into five subtribes, which were marked by differences in dialect. In common with other Aborigines, the Aranda were greatly reduced in number during the first 70 years of contact with whites, but

Narcissus

2004-10-25T06:54:00.000-07:00

Any member of a genus (Narcissus) of bulbous, often fragrant, ornamental plants in the family Amaryllidaceae. The genus contains about 40 species, native primarily to Europe. Daffodil, or narcissus (N. pseudonarcissus), jonquil (N. jonquilla), and poet's narcissus (N. poeticus) are popular garden flowers. The central crown of each yellow, white, or pink flower ranges in shape from

Floral Decoration

2004-10-23T18:27:00.000-07:00

Liberty Hyde Bailey and Ethel Zoe Bailey (comps.), Hortus Second: A Concise Dictionary of Gardening, General Horticulture and Cultivated Plants in North America (1941), basic for nomenclature; Victor Loret, La Flore pharaonique d'apres les documents hieroglyphiques et les specimens decouverts dans les tombes, 2nd ed. (1892), includes information concerning wreaths and garlands; Charles Victor Daremberg and E. Saglio, Dictionnaire des antiquites Grecques et Romaines d'apres les textes et les monuments, vol. l, pt. 2 (1877), lists flowers grown and ornamental uses (under “Corona” and “Coronarius et Coronaria”); John Gerard, The Herball (1597), descriptions and contemporary wood engravings of English garden flowers; John Parkinson, Paradisi in Sole Paradisus Terrestris (1629), descriptions and usage of flowers in 17th-century England; P. Giovanni Battista Ferrari, Flora ouero cultura di fiori (1633), on the culture and care of cut flowers, including how to preserve, arrange, and ship them, with interesting illustrations; Philip Miller, The Gardeners Dictionary, 2 vol. (1735), an important and popular 18th-century work, with full descriptions of garden flowers and illustrations; Helen Gere Cruickshann (ed.), John and William Bartram's America (1957), contains information about new plant discoveries and exchanges of garden material between America and England in the 18th century; Godey's Lady's Book (1830–98), almost monthly advice in the editorial pages about gardening or arranging flowers; J. Ramsbottom, A Book of Roses (1939), information about old-fashioned roses; Ralph G. Warner, Dutch and Flemish Flower and Fruit Painters of the 17th and 18th Centuries (1928), profusely illustrated; Julia S. Berrall, A History of Flower Arrangement, rev. ed. (1968), on all styles and periods, including original source lists of plant materials and many illustrations; Margaret Fairbanks Marcus, Period Flower Arrangement (1952), emphasis on art; Josiah Conder, The Theory of Japanese Flower Arrangements (1935), reprint of an original paper read by the author in 1889 to the Asiatic Society of Japan, to which have been added 36 colour plates of Ikenobo and moribana arrangements; Alfred Koehn, The Art of Japanese Flower Arrangement (Ikebana): A Handbook for Beginners (1934), with actual photographs instead of paintings; Donald Richie and Meredith Weatherby (eds.), The Masters' Book of Japanese Flower Arrangement: With Lessons by the Masters of Japan's Three Foremost Schools: Sen'ei Ikenobo, Houn Ohara, Sofu Teshigahara (1966), contains an excellent historic section illustrated from the arts and photographs in colour and black and white contemporary expressions; Shozo Soto, The Art of Arranging Flowers (1966), on all aspects of Japanese flower arranging, with excellent colour and black and white illustrations throughout. Later works include Gertrude Jekyll, Flower Decoration in the House (1982), and Colour Schemes for the Flower Garden, 8th ed. (1982); Emma Wood and Jane Merer, Flower Crafts (1982); Marian Aaronson, Flowers in the Modern Manner (1981); Tokuji Furuta, Interior Landscaping (1983); Interior Plantscape Association (U.S.), Manual of Practice (1980); Mary Adams, Natural Flower Arranging (1981); Edith Black, Modern Flower Arranging (1982).

China, Buddhism

2004-10-20T13:52:00.000-07:00

The spokesmen of Chinese Buddhism under the early Mongol rulers came from the Ch'an sect (meditation Buddhism). Their high intellectuality and refined aestheticism, however, did not appeal to the Mongols, who felt more attracted by the mixture of magic practices, rather nebulous metaphysics, and impressive symbolism in the visual arts of Tibetan Buddhism. Kublai

Iran, Abu Muslim's revolution

2004-10-19T03:13:00.000-07:00

Less time was needed before a new Islamic beginning: Abu Muslim's movement, which began in Khorasan in 747 and was caused by Arab assimilation with Iranians in colonized regions. This revolution followed years of conspiracy directed from Medina and across to Khorasan along the trade route that linked East Asia with Merv and thence with the West. Along the route, merchants

Computers, The first stored-program machines

2004-10-17T11:06:00.000-07:00

But engineers in Britain beat the Americans to the goal of building the first stored-program digital computer. At the University of Manchester, Maxwell H.A. Newman, Thomas Kilburn, and Frederic C. Williams built a simple stored-program computer, known as the Manchester Mark I, in 1949. (See the photograph.) Among its innovations was Williams's invention of a way to store information

Plum

2004-10-12T17:22:00.000-07:00

Fruit of the genus Prunus of the rose family (Rosaceae). Like the peach and cherry, it is a stone, or drupe, fruit. Trees of some plum species reach a height from 6 to 10 metres (20 to 33 feet), while others are much smaller; some species are small shrubs with drooping branches. The flower buds on most varieties are borne on short spurs or along the terminal shoots of the main branches. Each

Economic Affairs

2004-10-10T02:26:00.000-07:00

Following a pair of grim years packed with all manner of economic catastrophe, 2003 was a respite for many American companies—for some it was a time of recovery, while for others it was at least a time when things did not get worse. The U.S. National Bureau of Economic Research declared during the year that the recession had ended officially in November 2001, so that the economic

Anatomy

2004-10-09T03:25:00.000-07:00

A field in the biological sciences concerned with the identification and description of the body structures of living things. Gross anatomy involves the study of major body structures by dissection and observation and in its narrowest sense is concerned only with the human body. “Gross anatomy” customarily refers to the study of those body structures large enough

Dysentery

2004-10-06T05:23:00.000-07:00

There are two major types of dysentery: bacillary and amebic, caused, respectively, by bacteria and amoebas. Bacillary dysentery, or shigellosis, is caused by bacilli of the genus Shigella. Symptomatically,

Luray Caverns

2004-10-05T09:58:00.000-07:00

Series of limestone caves in Page county, northwestern Virginia, U.S., near the town of Luray (headquarters of Shenandoah National Park). Covering 64 acres (26 hectares), the caverns, discovered in 1878, were formed millions of years ago by underground rivers and seepage of acid-bearing water through layers of limestone and clay. In time the clay was washed away, leaving only the limestone

Daniel, Gabriel

2004-10-03T01:15:00.000-07:00

Daniel entered the Society of Jesus in 1667, later became librarian of the professed house at Paris, and was appointed historiographer of France by King Louis XIV. In this last capacity he wrote a pioneering work, Histoire de France depuis l'établissement de la monarchie

Ashcroft, Dame Peggy

2004-09-30T05:48:00.000-07:00

After graduation from London's Central School of Dramatic Art, Ashcroft made her debut as Margaret in the Birmingham Repertory's production of Dear Brutus (1926). She made her initial London appearance in 1927, but her first important notices were for the role of Naomi in

Tobol River

2004-09-29T09:45:00.000-07:00

Kazak Tobyl river, left-bank tributary of the Irtysh (Ertis) River, flowing through northern Kazakstan into southern Russia. After rising in the low mountains of the Torghay Plateau, it flows northeast across the West Siberian Plain past the cities of Qostanay (Kazakstan) and Kurgan (Russia) before entering the Irtysh River at Tobolsk after a course of 989 miles (1,591 km). Its main tributaries

Medicine, Britain

2004-09-26T11:40:00.000-07:00

Public health services in Britain are organized locally under the National Health Service. The medical officer of health is employed by the local council and is the adviser in health matters. The larger councils employ a number of mostly full-time medical officers; in some rural areas, a general practitioner may be employed part-time as medical officer of

Bridgwater

2004-09-24T23:39:00.000-07:00

Bristol Channel seaport, Sedgemoor district, administrative and historic county of Somerset, England. The town, which is located in Sedgemoor district, lies to the east of the Quantock Hills, mainly on the right bank of the River Parrett. The first of several charters dates from 1200, and wine and wool fairs were economically important in medieval times. The Church of St.

Scandinavian Literature, Swedish literature

2004-09-23T20:18:00.000-07:00

Swedish literature proper began in the late Middle Ages when, after a long period of linguistic change, Old Swedish emerged as a separate language. The foundations of a native literature were established in the 13th century. The oldest extant manuscript in Old Swedish was the Västgötalagan (“Law of West Gotland”), part of a legal code compiled in the 1220s. These legal documents

Dwarf Star

2004-09-20T00:42:00.000-07:00

Any star of average or low luminosity, mass, and size. Important subclasses of dwarf stars are white dwarfs (see white dwarf star) and red dwarfs. Dwarf stars include most so-called main-sequence stars, among which is the Sun. The colour of dwarf stars can range from blue to red, the corresponding temperature varying from high (above 10,000 K) to low (a few thousand degrees).

Simonin, Albert-charles

2004-09-19T01:27:00.000-07:00

The authenticity of Simonin's work was guaranteed by his upbringing in La Chapelle district of Paris, where he left school at 12 years of age to do a variety of jobs, including

Computers, The age of Big Iron

2004-09-17T20:39:00.000-07:00

Gerrit A. Blaauw and Frederick P. Brooks, Jr., Computer Architecture: Concepts and Evolution (1997), is a highly technical history of the development of the concepts in computer architecture.

Guadalcanal

2004-09-15T21:53:00.000-07:00

Largest island of the Solomon Islands, southwestern Pacific Ocean. With an area of some 2,047 square miles (5,302 square km), it is of volcanic origin with a mountainous spine (Kavo Range) that culminates in Mount Makarakomburu (8,028 feet [2,447 m]), the highest point in the country. Many short, rapid streams, including the Mataniko, Lunga, and Tenaru, tumble from the wooded mountains to the coast,

Hawrani, Akram Al-

2004-09-12T15:15:00.000-07:00

Hawrani's radical orientation had its roots in direct personal experience rather than in intellectual reflection. He resented the large landlords' exploitation of the Syrian peasantry and strove to rouse

Papyrology

2004-09-11T02:20:00.000-07:00

Most papyrus documents have been found in Egypt, where the papyrus plant was cultivated for the manufacture of writing material and the dry climate favoured preservation. Papyrus documents have been

O'casey, Sean

2004-09-08T16:14:00.000-07:00

O'Casey was born into a lower middle-class Irish Protestant family. His father died when John was six, and thereafter the family became progressively poorer.

Kuharic, Franjo Cardinal

2004-09-06T10:33:00.000-07:00

Croatian Roman Catholic cleric (b. April 15, 1919, Pribic, Yugos.—d. March 11, 2002, Zagreb, Croatia), served as a strong nationalist symbol for his countrymen during Croatia's 1991 secession from Yugoslavia and the war that ensued (1991–95). In his role as archbishop of Zagreb (1970–97) and, thus, Roman Catholic primate of Croatia, Kuharic condemned religious intolerance and violence against Serbs and Muslims.

Bread

2004-09-04T17:23:00.000-07:00

Baked food product made of flour or meal that is moistened, kneaded, and sometimes fermented. A major food since prehistoric times, it has been made in various forms using a variety of ingredients and methods throughout the world. The first bread was made in Neolithic times, nearly 12,000 years ago, probably of coarsely crushed grain mixed with water, with the resulting dough

Caacupé

2004-09-03T14:18:00.000-07:00

City, central Paraguay. The name Caacupé originated from the Guaraní word caaguycupé, meaning “the other side of the mountain.” Founded in 1770, the city nestles in a valley of the Cordillera (mountains) de los Altos. Although oranges, tobacco, and sugarcane grown in the hinterland are processed in the city, Caacupé is best known as a resort and pilgrimage centre. On December

Fahrenheit Temperature Scale

2004-09-01T00:25:00.000-07:00

Scale based on 32° for the freezing point of water and 212° for the boiling point of water, the interval between the two being divided into 180 equal parts. The 18th-century German physicist Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit originally took as the zero of his scale the temperature of an equal ice-salt mixture and selected the values of 30° and 90° for the freezing point of water and normal body

Nigeria, Igbo Ukwu

2004-08-29T09:20:00.000-07:00

The bronzes found at Igbo Ukwu, which have been dated to about AD 900, reveal not only a high artistic tradition but also a well-structured society with wide-ranging economic relationships. Of particular interest is the source of the copper and lead used to make the bronzes, which may have been Tadmekka in the Sahara, and of the coloured glass beads, which may have come from

Lowell, Josephine Shaw

2004-08-27T18:07:00.000-07:00

She was born to wealthy Bostonians who numbered among their friends such well-known figures as James Russell Lowell and Margaret Fuller. Traveling

Pacific Mountain System, Resource exploitation

2004-08-26T14:22:00.000-07:00

The abundant precipitation and deep, weathered soils of the coastal ranges from the Queen Charlotte Islands through the Klamath Mountains and into northern California produce the largest softwood lumber trees in the world. The completion of railroads into the region in the 1880s, giving it access to other parts of the country, made possible the large-scale commercial

Jabir Ibn Hayyan, Abu Musa

2004-08-23T07:12:00.000-07:00

Shortly after Jabir was born, his father was beheaded for the part he played in a plot by the 'Abbasids to depose the Umayyad dynasty. Jabir was sent to Arabia, where he became a member of the Shi'ite sect. Apparently, he studied most branches of learning, including medicine. After the 'Abbasids defeated the Umayyads,

Jabir Ibn Hayyan, Abu Musa

2004-08-22T21:11:00.000-07:00

French Organisation De L'unité Africaine (OUA) labour organization founded in 1973 at Addis Ababa, Eth., on the initiative of the Organization of African Unity and replacing the former All-African Trade Union Federation (AATUF; founded in 1961) and the African Trade Union Confederation (ATUC; founded in 1962). The ATUC from its founding had encouraged member affiliation with other international union organizations, while the

Bead

2004-08-20T19:26:00.000-07:00

Small, usually round object made of glass, wood, metal, nut, shell, bone, seed, or the like, pierced for stringing. Among primitive peoples, beads were worn as much for magical as for decorative purposes; hence, little variation was allowed in their shapes and materials. In Arab countries in the 20th century, single blue talismanic beads are attached to domestic animals, children,

Roman Catholicism, History Of

2004-08-15T01:34:00.000-07:00

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

Cat, Domestic

2004-08-13T19:09:00.000-07:00

Also called house cat, (species Felis catus), domesticated member of the family Felidae, order Carnivora. Like all felids, domestic cats, the smallest members of the family, are characterized by supple, low-slung bodies, finely molded heads, long tails that aid in balance, and specialized teeth and claws that adapt them admirably to a life of active hunting. Domestic cats possess other features

Clarke, T.e.b.

2004-08-11T19:21:00.000-07:00

Clarke worked as a free-lance journalist and novelist before joining Ealing Studios as a writer in 1943. He scripted several dramatic motion pictures, notably The Blue Lamp (1950), but received international fame

Europe, History Of

2004-08-09T22:47:00.000-07:00

History of European peoples and cultures from prehistoric times to the present. Europe is a more ambiguous term than most geographic expressions. Its etymology is doubtful, as is the physical extent of the area it designates. Its western frontiers seem clearly defined by its coastline, yet the position of the British Isles remains equivocal. To outsiders, they seem

World War I, The Western Front, JanuaryMay 1917

2004-08-07T18:32:00.000-07:00

The western Allies had good reason to be profoundly dissatisfied with the poor results of their enterprises of 1916, and this dissatisfaction was signalized by two major changes made at the end of the year. In Great Britain, the government of H.H. Asquith, already turned into a coalition in May 1915, was replaced in December 1916 by a coalition under David Lloyd George; and that same

Paradzhanov, Sergey Yosifovich

2004-08-05T05:12:00.000-07:00

Paradzhanov studied music at the Tbilisi Conservatory and cinema at the State Institute of Cinematography. In 1952 he joined the Kiev Dovzhenko Studios, but the early motion pictures that he

Earle, Alice Morse

2004-08-04T17:52:00.000-07:00

Alice Morse married Henry Earle of New York in 1874. Her writing career began in 1890 when, at the suggestion of her father, she wrote an article on old Sabbath customs at her forebears' church

Bárány, Robert

2004-08-01T08:08:00.000-07:00

Bárány graduated in medicine from the University of Vienna in 1900. After study at German clinics he became assistant at the ear clinic of the University of Vienna

Silica

2004-07-31T11:06:00.000-07:00

Also called Silicon Dioxide, compound of the two most abundant elements in the Earth's crust, silicon and oxygen, SiO2. The mass of the Earth's crust is 59 percent silica, the main constituent of more than 95 percent of the known rocks. Silica has three main crystalline varieties: quartz (by far the most abundant), tridymite, and cristobalite. Other varieties include coesite, keatite, and lechatelierite. Silica

Brücke, Ernst Wilhelm Von

2004-07-28T02:21:00.000-07:00

Brücke was a member of a school of physiologists (including

Dramatic Literature, Dramatic expression

2004-07-27T16:59:00.000-07:00

The language of drama can range between great extremes: on the one hand, an intensely theatrical and ritualistic manner; and on the other, an almost exact reproduction of real life of the kind commonly associated with motion picture and television drama. In the ritualistic drama of ancient Greece, the playwrights wrote in verse, and it may be assumed that their actors