FirstPot

Estate Agent London

2006-10-26T19:05:00.000-07:00

Robert Irving Burns specialise in London Commercial and Residential property services, including estate agent london and estate agent central london. Their centrally located ground floor offices, minutes from Oxford Circus offer an ideal marketing base for your property.

Animal Learning

2005-04-04T21:40:00.000-07:00

That animals can learn seems to go without saying. The cat that runs to its food dish when it hears the sound of the cupboard opening; the rat that solves a maze in the laboratory; the bird that acquires the song of its species—these

Biblical Literature, The Thomas Matthew version

2005-04-03T16:06:00.000-07:00

In the same year that Coverdale's authorized version appeared, another English Bible was issued under royal license and with the encouragement of ecclesiastical and political power. It appeared (Antwerp?) under the name of Thomas Matthew, but it is certainly the work of John Rogers, a close friend of Tyndale. Although the version claimed to be “truly and purely translated

Algae, Diagnostic features

2005-04-02T03:59:00.000-08:00

The classification of algae into taxonomic groups is based upon the same rules as for the classification of plants. The organization of groups above the order level has changed substantially since 1960. Research using electron microscopes has demonstrated new and important features of the flagellar apparatus, cell division process, and organelle structure and

Athens

2005-03-31T21:12:00.000-08:00

City, seat of McMinn county, southeastern Tennessee, U.S. It lies in the Tennessee River valley, between the Great Smoky Mountains (east) and the Cumberland Plateau (west), about 55 miles (90 km) southwest of Knoxville. It was founded in 1821 as a seat of justice, and the courts were moved there in 1823 from a temporary courthouse that had been erected at nearby Calhoun. It was named for the city

Lur

2005-03-29T03:23:00.000-08:00

Also spelled lure bronze horn, or trumpet, found in prehistoric Scandinavian excavations. It has a conical bore that extends in length from roughly 5 to 8 feet (1.5 to 2.5 metres) in a bent S-shape (somewhat resembling a mammoth tusk) and ends in an embossed metal disk. The mouthpiece of the lur is permanently affixed. Lurs are usually found in pairs and were probably played ritually.

Kirkus, Virginia

2005-03-28T15:24:00.000-08:00

Kirkus attended private schools and in 1916 graduated from Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, New York. After taking courses at Columbia University Teachers College, New York City, she taught in a private school in Delaware

Smith, Sir Keith Macpherson; And Smith, Sir Ross Macpherson

2005-03-27T22:00:00.000-08:00

During World War I, Keith Smith flew as a pilot in the Royal Air Force (1917–19), while Ross started with the Australian Light Horse in Gallipoli and Sinai until he learned to fly in Egypt

Ussachevsky, Vladimir (alexis)

2005-03-26T19:38:00.000-08:00

The son of Russian parents, Ussachevsky entered the United States in 1931 and thereupon studied at Pomona College, Claremont, Calif., and at the Eastman School of Music of the University of

Zach, Franz Xaver, Freiherr Von

2005-03-25T23:50:00.000-08:00

Zach built an observatory on the Seeberg near Gotha and directed the observatory—one of the most important of the time—from 1791, when it was completed, until 1806. During this period Zach enlisted 24 astronomers throughout Europe in making a systematic

Amphibole, Regional metamorphic rocks

2005-03-25T16:14:00.000-08:00

Many different amphiboles may be contained in regional metamorphic rocks. Commonly several amphiboles may coexist with one another in the same sample, depending on the bulk chemistry of the rock and on the pressure and temperature of metamorphism. The amphiboles typically occur with plagioclase feldspar, quartz, and biotite, as well as with chlorite and oxide

Wad Madani

2005-03-22T11:15:00.000-08:00

City, east-central Sudan. Wad Madani lies on the west bank of the Blue Nile, 85 miles (136 km) southeast of Khartoum, at an elevation of 1,348 feet (411 m). It owes its recent growth to the irrigated lands of the Jazirah (Gezira) irrigation scheme and is the commercial centre of the al-Jazirah cotton-growing area. Peanuts (groundnuts) and wheat are also grown in the area. The University of al-Jazirah

Arts, Central Asian, Dance and theatre

2005-03-21T17:06:00.000-08:00

Mircea Eliade, Le Chamanisme et les techniques archaïques de l'extase (1951; 2nd ed., 1968; Eng. trans., Shamanism: Archaic Techniques of Ecstasy, rev. ed., 1964), a classic study of the rituals, costumes, and symbolisms of shamanic performances; Luther G. Jerstad (op. cit.), an analytical and descriptive study of 'cham as performed in the Tengpoche monastery of northern Nepal. Materials and translations of some morality plays have been published by Marion H. Duncan in his Harvest Festival Dramas of Tibet (1955) and More Harvest Festival Dramas of Tibet (1967); and a study of the “Moon-cuckoo” play of the Mongols has been published in Japanese by Hidehiro Okada. Information on the performing arts may be found scattered in various other publications, but it is usually descriptive in nature and deals with only one genre. As yet no scholar has carried out a comprehensive analytical study of the origins and interrelations of dance and theatre in Central Asian regions.

Industrial Medicine

2005-03-21T00:18:00.000-08:00

Historically, industrial medicine was limited to the treatment of injuries and diseases occurring to production workers while at work. Over the years this has changed, and everyone at

Ibn Zuhr

2005-03-19T10:58:00.000-08:00

An intensely practical man, Ibn Zuhr disliked medical speculation; for that reason, he opposed the teachings of the Persian master physician Avicenna. In his Taysir fi al-mudawat wa al-tadbir (“Practical Manual of Treatments and Diet”), later translated

Pencil Drawing

2005-03-19T08:44:00.000-08:00

Drawing executed with an instrument composed of graphite enclosed in a wood casing and intended either as a sketch for a more elaborate work in another medium, an exercise in visual expression, or a finished work. The cylindrical graphite pencil, because of its usefulness in easily producing linear gray-black strokes, became the successor of the older, metallic

Joule-thomson Effect

2005-03-18T16:22:00.000-08:00

The change in temperature that accompanies expansion of a gas without production of work or transfer of heat. At ordinary temperatures and pressures, all real gases except hydrogen and helium cool upon such expansion; this phenomenon often is utilized in liquefying gases. Hydrogen and helium cool upon expansion only if their initial temperatures are very low.

Abu

2005-03-17T15:58:00.000-08:00

Also called Mount Abu, city, southwestern Rajasthan state, northwestern India. It is situated on the slopes of Mount Abu, an isolated feature of the Aravali Range. The city is a noted hill resort, and the Jaina temples at nearby Dilwara, built of white marble, are famous. Tejpal temple, built about AD 1200, is known for the delicacy and richness of its carving, especially for that on the underside of its dome.

Eagles, The

2005-03-16T10:20:00.000-08:00

American band that cultivated country rock as the reigning style and sensibility of white youth in the United States during the 1970s. The original members were Don Henley (b. July 22, 1947, Gilmer, Texas, U.S.), Glenn Frey (b. November 6, 1948, Detroit, Michigan), Bernie Leadon (b. July 19, 1947, Minneapolis, Minnesota), and Randy Meisner (b. March 8, 1946, Scottsbluff, Nebraska). Later members included Don Felder (b. September

Biblical Literature, Ezekiel

2005-03-16T04:01:00.000-08:00

The Book of Ezekiel, written by the prophetpriest Ezekiel, who lived both in Jerusalem prior to the Babylonian Exile (586 BCE) and in Babylon after the Exile, and also by an editor (or editors), who belongs to a “school” of the prophet similar to that of the prophet Isaiah, has captured the attention of readers for centuries because of its vivid imagery and symbolism. The book has also

Marche

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

In ancient times the country was part of Limousin, from which it was detached in the middle of the 10th century to form a separate frontier countship (march) to protect Poitou and the rest of the duchy of

Biblical Literature, Canonical standards of the 3rd and 4th centuries

2005-03-14T18:21:00.000-08:00

Clement of Alexandria, a theologian who flourished in the late 2nd century, seemed to be practically unconcerned about canonicity. To him, inspiration is what mattered, and he made use of the Gospel of the Hebrews, the Gospel of the Egyptians, the Letter of Barnabas, the Didache, and other extracanonical works. Origen (died c. 254), Clement's pupil and one of the greatest thinkers

Graciosa Island

2005-03-14T17:15:00.000-08:00

Portuguese Ilha Graciosa, volcanic island, northernmost of the central Azores, east-central Atlantic Ocean. The 23-square-mile (60-square-kilometre) island reaches a height of 1,338 feet (408 m) at the summit of Enxôfre Caldera, a volcanic crater. Dense vegetation is supported by the volcanic soils, and wine grapes, fruit, cereals, and cattle are raised. They are marketed through the principal settlements, Santa

Tabes Dorsalis

2005-03-14T07:10:00.000-08:00

, also called Progressive Locomotor Ataxia, rare neurologic form of tertiary syphilis, involving sensory deficits, loss of neuromuscular coordination, and diminished reflexes. Symptoms of this form of neurosyphilis chiefly affect the legs and may not appear for more than 25 years after the initial infection. Untreated, tabes dorsalis usually makes unassisted walking impossible and severely debilitates

Fuse

2005-03-13T02:04:00.000-08:00

The blasting safety fuse, employed to fire an explosive from a distance or after a delay, is a hollow cord filled with a mixture resembling black powder and designed to propagate burning at a slow and steady rate. The far end of the fuse is usually

Abbeville

2005-03-13T01:22:00.000-08:00

Town, Somme département, Picardy région, northern France, near the mouth of the canalized Somme, northwest of Amiens. Stone Age artifacts unearthed by Boucher de Crèvecoeur de Perthes in 1844 attesting to early occupation of the site are displayed at the Musée Boucher-de-Perthes. The town originated as Abbatis Villa, a 9th-century dependency of the abbots of Saint-Riquier,

Barani, Ziya'-ud-din

2005-03-12T01:41:00.000-08:00

Using mainly hearsay evidence and his personal experiences at court, Barani in 1357 wrote the Tarikh-e Firuz Shahi (“History of Firuz Shah”), a didactic work setting down the duties of the Indian sultan toward Islam. In his Fatawa-ye jahandari (“Rulings

Astronomy

2005-03-12T00:10:00.000-08:00

Until the invention of the telescope and the discovery of the laws of motion and gravity in the 17th century, astronomy was primarily

Welland

2005-03-11T13:09:00.000-08:00

City, regional municipality of Niagara, southeastern Ontario, Canada. It lies along the Welland River and Welland Ship Canal. During the War of 1812 the area was the scene of several battles between British-Canadian and American forces. Founded as The Aqueduct by loyalists around the first Welland Canal (completed 1829), the settlement was renamed Merrittsville in 1842 after William

Shehu Ahmadu Lobbo

2005-03-11T04:27:00.000-08:00

Influenced by the teachings of the Islamic reformer Usman dan Fodio, he began a holy war (jihad) in 1818 or possibly as early as 1810. He defeated the forces of the pagan Fulani and Bambara chiefs and established a capital at Hamdallahi. His rule extended to the cities

Agnesi, Maria Gaetana

2005-03-10T18:38:00.000-08:00

Agnesi was the eldest child of a wealthy silk merchant who provided her with the best tutors available. She was an extremely precocious child who mastered Latin, Greek,

Fuller, Ray W.

2005-03-09T19:55:00.000-08:00

U.S. biochemist who, as a pharmacological researcher at Eli Lilly & Co. from 1963, helped to create fluoxetine--the popular antidepressant drug known by the trademark Prozac. The drug, which combated depression by slowing the reabsorption of serotonin in the brain, was synthesized in 1972 and marketed in 1987 (b. Dec. 16, 1935--d. Aug. 11, 1996).

East Ayrshire

2005-03-09T17:29:00.000-08:00

Council area, southwestern Scotland. It covers an undulating lowland in the north and west that rises to forested and moor-covered uplands in the east and south, where Blackcraig Hill reaches an elevation of 2,298 feet (700 metres). East Ayrshire forms part of the historic county of Ayrshire. Dairy farming is important in the lowlands, while cattle and sheep raising predominate

France, History Of, The Resistance

2005-03-09T09:16:00.000-08:00

Vichy's decline was paralleled by the rise of the anti-German underground. Within weeks of the 1940 collapse, tiny groups of French citizens had begun to resist. Some collected military intelligence for transmission to London; some organized escape routes for British airmen who had been shot down; some circulated anti-German leaflets; some engaged in sabotage of railways

Hypochondriasis

2005-03-09T01:27:00.000-08:00

Mental disorder characterized by an excessive preoccupation with one's own health and a tendency to fear or believe that one has a serious disease based on the presence of insignificant physical signs or symptoms. A hypochondriac may become convinced that he is ill even though such physical signs are completely absent, or he may exaggerate the medical significance

Producer Gas

2005-03-07T04:50:00.000-08:00

Mixture of flammable gases (principally carbon monoxide and hydrogen) and nonflammable gases (mainly nitrogen and carbon dioxide) made by the partial combustion of carbonaceous substances, usually coal, in an atmosphere of air and steam. Producer gas has lower heating value than other gaseous fuels, but it can be manufactured with relatively simple equipment;

Norrisla Guardia Act

2005-03-06T22:09:00.000-08:00

(1932), in the history of the United States, legislative act that removed certain legal and judicial barriers against the activities of organized labour. The act declared that the members of labour unions should have “full freedom of association” unmolested by employers, and it made illegal the “yellow-dog” contracts by which employers had forced workers to state that they

Furniture, Renaissance and later

2005-03-06T07:55:00.000-08:00

(Italy): George Leland Hunter, Italian Furniture and Interiors, 2 vol. (1918), mostly illustrations; William M. Odom, A History of Italian Furniture from the 4th to the Early 19th Centuries, 2 vol. (1918–19). (Spain): Arthur Byne and Mildred Stapley, Spanish Interiors and Furniture (1921), profusely illustrated with scale drawings and photographs. (Germany): Heinrich Kreisel, Die Kunst des deutschen Möbels, 2 vol. (1968–70), thorough, illustrated history of German furniture. (France): Pierre Verlet, Le Mobilier royal français, 2 vol. (1945–55); Les Meubles français du XVIIIe siecle, 2 vol. (1956), a learned treatise on French furniture. (England and the colonies): Percy Macquoeo and Ralph Edwards, The Dictionary of English Furniture from the Middle Ages to the Late Georgian Period, 2nd ed., 3 vol. (1954), documented survey of English and American furniture; Ralph Fastenedge, English Furniture Styles from 1500 to 1830 (1962), an excellent elementary introduction to the study of English furniture; Anthony Coleridge, Chippendale Furniture (1968), illustrated study of Chippendale and his contemporaries; Clifford Musgrave, Adam and Hepplewhite and Other NeoClassical Furniture (1966), written by one of the best informed students of the Neoclassical English style of furniture; Charles F. Montgomery, American Furniture (1966), a survey of Federal period furniture. See also Berry B. Tracy, The Federal Furniture and Decorative Arts at Boscobel (1981); Charles Santore, The Windsor Style in America (1981); John T. Kirk, American Furniture and the British Tradition to 1830 (1983).

Goncourt, Edmond And Jules

2005-03-06T05:38:00.000-08:00

In full Edmond-louis-antoine Huot De Goncourt and Jules-alfred Huot De Goncourt French brothers, writers and constant collaborators who, despite and partly because of neurotic sensibility, contributed solidly to the Naturalistic novel, social history, and art criticism. Above all, they are remembered for their perceptive, revealing Journal and for Edmond's legacy, the Académie

Flegel, Eduard Robert

2005-03-05T22:41:00.000-08:00

In 1879 Flegel travelled about 525 miles (845 kilometres) up the Benue River and in 1880 went by way of the Niger to Sokoto, in northwestern Nigeria, where he obtained permission from the Sultan for an expedition to the Adamawa Plateau. In

Bene Israel

2005-03-05T03:56:00.000-08:00

The largest and oldest of several groups of Jews of India. Believed by tradition to have shipwrecked on the Konkan coast of western India more than 2,100 years ago, they were absorbed into Indian society, maintaining many Jewish observances while operating within the caste system. Of some 67,000 Bene Israel at the turn of the 21st century, less than 5,000 remain in India, the great majority

Korean Literature

2005-03-04T23:08:00.000-08:00

Although Korea has had its own language for several thousand years, it has had a writing system only since the mid-15th century, when Hangul

Sachs, Hans

2005-03-03T22:44:00.000-08:00

Wagner's opera is partly a tribute to the common people—and Sachs was one of them. The son of a tailor, he was apprenticed to a shoemaker in

Disraeli, Benjamin, Earl Of Beaconsfield, Viscount Hughenden Of Hughenden

2005-03-03T18:40:00.000-08:00

Byname Dizzy British statesman and novelist who was twice prime minister (1868, 1874–80) and who provided the Conservative Party with a twofold policy of Tory democracy and imperialism.

Genesee River

2005-03-02T19:38:00.000-08:00

River mainly in New York state, U.S. The Genesee flows generally north from its headwaters in Pennsylvania, crosses the New York State Canal System, and bisects Rochester to enter Lake Ontario after a course of 158 miles (254 km). At Portageville, midway along its course, the river flows into a 17-mile- (27-km-) long postglacial, winding, rocky gorge with sides rising as high as 600 feet (180 metres)

Resistor

2005-03-02T06:54:00.000-08:00

Electrical component that opposes the flow of either direct or alternating current, employed to protect, operate, or control the circuit. Voltages can be divided with the use of resistors, and in combination with other components resistors can be used to make electrical waves into shapes most suited for the electrical designer's requirements. Resistors can have

Qasr 'amrah

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

Also spelled Qasr Al-'amrah, palace in Jordan, about 50 miles (80 km) east of Amman. Built about AD 712–715, it served as both a hunting lodge and a fortress, and it is one of the best-preserved monuments of Islamic architecture from the Umayyad period. Its main chamber is roofed with three parallel vaults that rest on broad arches. The vaults are covered with frescoes of people and animals in scenes from daily life; a

Christian, William

2005-03-01T04:16:00.000-08:00

Christian was the third son of Ewan Christian, one of the deemsters (judges) of the Isle of Man. In 1648 Christian was appointed to the post of receiver general by the 7th Earl of Derby, lord of the Isle of Man. In 1651 Derby left for England to fight with the armies of Charles II against the forces

Balcon, Sir Michael

2005-02-28T18:10:00.000-08:00

He began his career as a producer in 1922, founded and directed Gainsborough Pictures, Ltd., in 1928, and became the director of production for Gaumont-British Pictures, Ltd., in 1931. From 1936 to 1938 he worked as producer for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and from 1938 to 1959 as executive producer

Quantum Field Theory

2005-02-28T14:25:00.000-08:00

Body of physical principles designed to account for subatomic phenomena. The theory also has found applications in other branches of physics. The theory arises from the attempt to combine the principles of quantum mechanics with those of relativity in an effort to describe processes such as high-energy collisions in which particles may be created or

Pompadour, Jeanne-antoinette Poisson, Marquise De

2005-02-27T10:16:00.000-08:00

Byname Madame De Pompadour, also called (1741–45) Jeanne-antoinette Le Normant D'étioles influential mistress (from 1745) of the French king Louis XV and a notable patron of literature and the arts.

Bernard, Jean-jacques

2005-02-27T07:09:00.000-08:00

French playwright and chief representative of what became known as l'école du silence (the “school of silence”) or, as some critics called it, the “art of the unexpressed,” in which the dialogue does not express the characters' real attitudes. As in Martine(1922), perhaps the best example of his work, emotions are implied in gestures, facial

John Hyrcanus I

2005-02-26T13:31:00.000-08:00

Hyrcanus was the youngest son of Simon

Aksakov, Sergey Timofeyevich

2005-02-26T08:46:00.000-08:00

Brought up in a strongly patriarchal family, Aksakov was educated in the pseudoclassical tradition at home, at school, and at the newly founded university in Kazan. He

Oat Grass

2005-02-25T06:18:00.000-08:00

Any of the perennial plants of two genera of grasses, Arrhenatherum and Danthonia (family Poaceae). Approximately six species of tall grasses, native to temperate Europe and Asia, constitute the genus Arrhenatherum. Tall oat grass (A. elatius), which has been introduced into various countries as a pasture grass, grows wild in many areas and is considered a weed, especially

Alexander

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

The only child of Prince (later King) Milan (reigned 1868–89) and his consort, Natalie, Alexander ascended the Serbian throne on March 6 (Feb. 22), 1889, after his father had abdicated and named a regency

Cereal Farming, Weeds

2005-02-24T10:21:00.000-08:00

Weeds present difficulties, as they compete with cereal crops for water, light, and mineral nutrients. The infestation of annual seeds planted in a field may cause many weeds in that field for successive years. Charlock or wild mustard, wild oats, crouch grass, and other common weeds are disseminated by wind, water, and birds.

Rupa-loka

2005-02-24T06:03:00.000-08:00

Also called Rupa-dhatu, in Buddhist thought, the world, or realm, of form. See arupa-loka.

Aschelminth, Adaptations

2005-02-23T20:38:00.000-08:00

The ability of some nematodes and rotifers to survive drying or freezing conditions in a state of suspended animation, i.e., cryptobiosis or anabiosis, has enabled them to inhabit the driest deserts and the coldest polar regions, as long as free water occurs occasionally and for long enough periods of time for them to reproduce. This ability also allows both groups

Cartilage

2005-02-23T14:59:00.000-08:00

Dense connective tissue forming the skeleton of mammalian embryos before bone formation begins and persisting in parts of the human skeleton into adulthood. Cartilage is the only component of the skeletons of certain primitive vertebrates, including lampreys and sharks. It is composed of a dense network of collagen fibres embedded in a firm, gelatinous ground

Base

2005-02-22T01:13:00.000-08:00

Also called Radix, in mathematics, an arbitrarily chosen number in terms of which any number can be expressed. See number system.

France, History Of, Monarchy and church

2005-02-20T22:41:00.000-08:00

In the 18th century the king still thought of himself as the feudal suzerain of his subjects. Familial imagery was an important component of royal rhetoric; the king of France was father of his subjects. His right to reign echoed all husbands' right to rule over their wives and all fathers' right to rule over their children. His messages, however draconian and confiscatory

Narayanan, Kocheril Raman

2005-02-20T22:14:00.000-08:00

Despite his family's poverty and social status, Narayanan's intellect won him a government-sponsored scholarship. After graduating

Estaing, Charles-hector, Comte (count) D'

2005-02-20T19:49:00.000-08:00

D'Estaing served in India during the Seven Years' War and was governor of the Antilles (1763–66). He was appointed vice admiral in 1767 and in 1778 attempted to surprise the English squadrons in North America and enable the colonists

Fukien, Settlement patterns

2005-02-19T06:03:00.000-08:00

About one-fifth of Fukien's population lives in cities and towns, the rest in rural areas. Population densities are lowest in the mountain uplands, increase in the river valleys, and are highest on the coastal plains and estuaries near Amoy, Ch'üan-chou, and Fu-chou.

Danané

2005-02-18T13:06:00.000-08:00

Town, western Côte d'Ivoire. It lies along the Boan River, a tributary of the Nuon (Nipoué, Cestos) River, and at the intersection of roads from Liberia, Guinea, and the Ivoirian town of Man. It is the chief trade centre (rice, coffee, and kola nuts) of a forested region mainly inhabited by the Dan people. Pop. (1975) town, 19,608.

Nicaragua, Flag Of

2005-02-18T08:15:00.000-08:00

Independence for Central America was first proclaimed on September 15, 1821, but Mexico then subdued the area for two years. The flag of the newly independent United Provinces of Central America was adopted on August 21, 1823, and consisted of blue-white-blue stripes with the national coat of arms in the centre. Those arms included basically the same design elements Nicaragua uses

Palace Museum

2005-02-17T05:24:00.000-08:00

The palace itself consists of many separate halls and courtyards. The outer buildings of the palace became a museum in 1914, although the imperial family continued to live in the private apartments until 1924. Many

Cuckoopint

2005-02-16T23:36:00.000-08:00

The cuckoopint grows from a whitish rootstock, which

Deville, édouard Gaston (daniel)

2005-02-16T22:27:00.000-08:00

Deville served in the French navy, conducting hydrographic surveys in the South Sea islands, Peru, and elsewhere until 1874. He then went to Canada, where he

Hino

2005-02-16T05:26:00.000-08:00

City, Tokyo no (metropolis), Honshu, Japan, on the railway linking Tachikawa and Hachioji. Located on the Tama River, Hino was a post town and ferry station during the Tokugawa era (1603–1867). The city is now part of the Keihin Industrial Region, producing automobiles, electrical machinery, and precision instruments. It also serves as a residential suburb of the Tokyo and Yokohama

Wyre

2005-02-15T08:07:00.000-08:00

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

Girnar Hills

2005-02-15T02:41:00.000-08:00

Physical region on the Kathiawar Peninsula, Gujarat state, west-central India. At the foot of one of the hills is a rock bearing one of the Rock Edicts of Asoka (3rd century BC). The same rock bears an inscription referring to the construction of a lake, called Sudarsana, by the Maurya emperor Candra Gupta (late 4th century BC). In the hills surrounding these two important historical records

K-capture

2005-02-14T05:19:00.000-08:00

Also called Electron Capture, one of three beta decay processes that affect atomic nuclei. See beta decay.

Bucareli Y Ursúa, Antonio María

2005-02-14T01:07:00.000-08:00

Bucareli began his military career as a soldier for Spain in Italy, where he attained

Fadeyev, Aleksandr Aleksandrovich

2005-02-13T07:10:00.000-08:00

Fadeyev passed his youth in the Ural Mountains and in eastern Siberia, receiving his schooling in Vladivostok. He joined the Communist

Ile-ife

2005-02-12T14:56:00.000-08:00

Also called Ife, or Ife-lodun, town, Osun state, southwestern Nigeria. The town lies at the intersection of roads from Ibadan (40 miles [64 km] west), Ilesha, and Ondo. It is one of the larger centres and probably the oldest town of the Yoruba people. Considered by the Yoruba to be a holy city and the legendary birthplace of mankind, it was held to have been founded by a son of the deity Oduduwa and was certainly the

Mckim, Charles Follen

2005-02-12T13:09:00.000-08:00

McKim was educated at Harvard and at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris. He was trained as a draftsman by the architect H.H. Richardson while the latter was completing Trinity Church, Boston. In 1879 he joined William Rutherford Mead

Aer Lingus

2005-02-12T08:41:00.000-08:00

National airline of Ireland, comprising two government-owned companies: (1) Aer Lingus Teoranta, incorporated in 1936 and operating air services within Ireland and between Ireland and Britain and continental Europe, and (2) Aerlinte Eireann Teoranta, incorporated in 1947 and operating air services between Ireland and the United States and Canada. Though legally separate

Arts, Native American, Andean peoples

2005-02-11T23:34:00.000-08:00

Andean tribes, across the mountains from the Jívaro, also favour pentatonic scales, but they evolved a more sophisticated musical style during prehistory and in the period of Spanish colonization. They retain fragments of ancient ceremonial music, such as the invocation to the rain god on the Island of Taquila in Lake Titicaca—a repetitious tune for whistle and

La Fontaine, Jean De

2005-02-11T17:14:00.000-08:00

Though he never secured the favour of Louis XIV, La Fontaine had many well-wishers close to the throne and among the nobility. He moved among churchmen, doctors, artists, musicians, and actors. But it was literary circles that he especially frequented. Legend has exaggerated the closeness of his ties with Molière, Nicholas Boileau, and Jean Racine, but he certainly numbered

Augustus Ii

2005-02-10T20:40:00.000-08:00

The second son of Elector John George III of Saxony, Augustus succeeded his elder brother John George IV as elector in 1694. After

Lancaster

2005-02-10T15:01:00.000-08:00

In the 17th century

Sorbian Languages

2005-02-09T21:49:00.000-08:00

Also called Lusatian, or Wendish, closely related West Slavic languages or dialects; their small number of speakers in eastern Germany are the survivors of a more extensive medieval language group. The centre of the Upper Sorbian speech area is Bautzen, near the border with the Czech Republic, while Cottbus, near Poland, is the centre for Lower Sorbian. The oldest written record of Sorbian dates from

Trafford

2005-02-09T21:18:00.000-08:00

Metropolitan borough in the southwest of the metropolitan county of Greater Manchester, England. Most of the borough's area, including towns such as Sale and Altrincham, lies south of the River Mersey in the historic county of Cheshire, but the historic county of Lancashire encompasses the urban core of the borough north of the Mersey, including Stretford, the Trafford

Measurement System, Electric current: ampere

2005-02-08T17:41:00.000-08:00

The ampere is defined as the magnitude of the current that, when flowing through each of two long parallel wires separated by one metre in free space, results in a force between the two wires (due to their magnetic fields) of 2 ´ 10-7 newton (the newton is a unit of force equal to about 0.2 pound) for each metre of length.

Amsterdam

2005-02-08T17:35:00.000-08:00

City, Montgomery county, eastern New York, U.S. It lies along the Mohawk River, 16 miles (26 km) northwest of Schenectady. Settled by Albert Veeder in 1783, it was known as Veedersburg until it was renamed for Amsterdam, Netherlands, in 1804. Its location on the Mohawk Trail, the completion of the Erie Canal (1825; now part of the New York State Canal System), and the arrival of the railroad (1836) stimulated

Adams, Henry (brooks)

2005-02-07T21:04:00.000-08:00

Adams was the product of Boston's Brahmin class, a cultured elite that traced its lineage to Puritan New England. He was the great-grandson of John Adams and the grandson of John Quincy Adams, both presidents

Fiske, Bradley Allen

2005-02-07T19:22:00.000-08:00

Fiske graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1874. As the navigator of the gunboat Petrel, he used one of his inventions, a stadimeter range finder, to communicate the ranges of enemy ships to American gunners

Jhelum

2005-02-07T07:44:00.000-08:00

Town, Punjab province, northeastern Pakistan. The town lies just west of the Jhelum River (there bridged by both road and rail) and is connected by rail and the Grand Trunk Road with Peshawar and Lahore. The old town, across the river, may have been Bucephala, founded by Alexander the Great in the 4th century BC. Although once a salt-trade centre, Jhelum is now a major timber market.

Ma'an

2005-02-06T11:59:00.000-08:00

Town, southern Jordan. It is a regional trade centre for the sparsely settled southern part of the country, which is inhabited mainly by the Huwaytat and other Bedouin tribes. Ma'an is the chief road and rail junction of southern Jordan. The town lies on the Hejaz-Jordan Railway, which runs north-south and connects to Damascus (Syria) in the north. The part of the rail line south

Belgium, History Of

2005-02-05T06:02:00.000-08:00

After the Burgundian regime in the Low Countries (1363–1477), the southern as well as the northern provinces had dynastic links with the Austrian Habsburgs, then with Spain and the Austrian Habsburgs together. Later, as a consequence of revolt in

Celiac Disease

2005-02-04T22:56:00.000-08:00

Also called nontropical sprue or celiac sprue a digestive disorder in which people cannot tolerate gluten, a protein constituent of wheat, barley, malt, and rye flours. The disease is characterized by the passage of foul, pale-coloured stools (steatorrhea), progressive malnutrition, multiple vitamin deficiencies, stunting of growth, abdominal pain, and, late in the disease, anemia. In children, celiac disease usually

Vigo

2005-02-04T21:48:00.000-08:00

Port town and naval station, Pontevedra provincia, in the comunidad autónoma (“autonomous community”) of Galicia, northwestern Spain. Vigo lies along the southeastern shore of the Vigo Inlet of the Atlantic Ocean, southwest of Pontevedra city. It was attacked by the English admiral Sir Francis Drake in 1585 and 1589. In 1702 a British-Dutch fleet under Sir George Rooke and James Butler,

Biblical Literature, Authorship and style

2005-02-04T09:28:00.000-08:00

Apocalypticism was introduced into Asia Minor after AD 70 (the fall of Jerusalem), and c. 80–90 a prophetic circle was formed near Ephesus. Its leader was John, a prophet, who might well have been the author of Revelation, which is deeply steeped in apocalyptic traditions. The “Johannine circle” bearing the tradition of John, the Apostle of the Lord, and from which emerged the Gospel

Sculpture, Western, The Orientalizing period

2005-02-03T14:21:00.000-08:00

Sculpture of the Orientalizing period was profoundly affected by technical and stylistic influences from the East. In about 700 BC, the Greeks learned from their Eastern neighbours how to use molds to mass-produce clay relief plaques. Widely adopted, this technique helped to establish in Greece a stereotyped convention for figure representation, even in freestanding,

Rainmaking

2005-02-03T13:55:00.000-08:00

Any process of increasing the amount of precipitation discharged from a cloud. Primitive methods, such as rain dances or the throwing of pebbles into water, failed to produce rain, but modern techniques of seeding supercooled clouds with frozen carbon dioxide or silver iodide offer some possibility of increasing rainfall amounts substantially.

Alcalá De Henares

2005-02-02T07:14:00.000-08:00

City, Madrid provincia and comunidad autónoma (“autonomous community”), central Spain. Known under the Romans as Complutum, the city was destroyed in 1000 and rebuilt in 1038 by the Moors, who called it Al-Qal'ah al-Nahr. It was reconquered in 1088 by Alfonso VI and granted with the surrounding lands to the archbishop of Toledo. The city contains the unique Gothic church of San Justo (built

Maseru

2005-02-02T04:38:00.000-08:00

Capital and largest urban centre of Lesotho. It is on the left bank of the Caledon River near the border with Free State province, South Africa. In 1869 the chief of the Sotho (Basotho) nation, Moshoeshoe, founded the town near his mountain stronghold of Thaba Bosiu; few of the 19th-century buildings remain. Lesotho is linked with the South African railway system by a short line

Mercenary

2005-02-01T16:38:00.000-08:00

Employment of mercenaries could be politically dangerous