LastWorm

Accounting

2005-04-05T17:42:00.000-07:00

The systematic development and analysis of information about the economic affairs of an organization. This information may be used in a number of ways: by the organization's managers to help them plan and control the organization's operations; by owners and legislative or regulatory bodies to help them appraise the organization's performance and make decisions

Insurance, Conditions

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

Homeowner's policies may include the following conditions: (1) Owners are required to give immediate written notice of loss to the insurer or the insurer's agent. (2) The insured must provide proof of the amount of loss. This suggests that owners should keep accurate records of the items in a building and of their original cost. (3) The insured must cooperate with the insurer

Bruce Family

2005-04-03T20:56:00.000-07:00

The family is descended from Robert de Bruce (d. 1094?), a Norman knight who came to England with William I the Conqueror and who was awarded by the gift of many

Thailand, Drainage and soils

2005-04-02T05:22:00.000-08:00

Thailand is drained largely by two river systems: the Chao Phraya in the west and the Mekong in the east. Three major rivers in the northern mountains—from west to east, the Ping and its tributary the Wang, the Yom, and the Nan—flow generally south through narrow valleys and onto the plains and then merge to form the Chao Phraya, Thailand's major river. The delta floodplain

Kaiser, Georg

2005-04-01T20:38:00.000-08:00

Kaiser went to Argentina as a clerk, but ill health forced him to return to Germany. During a long convalescence he wrote his first plays, mainly satirical comedies that attracted little attention. His first success was Die Bürger von Calais (1914; The Burghers of Calais). Produced in 1917 at the height

Tepe Yahya

2005-04-01T03:03:00.000-08:00

Ancient Iranian site located northeast of Dowlatabad in southeastern Iran; it has yielded valuable information on the economic exchange patterns of the 3rd millennium BC. Excavations (1968–70) by the American School of Prehistoric Research have revealed that Tepe Yahya was almost continuously occupied from the middle of the 5th millennium to the end of the 3rd millennium BC. It

Ujjain

2005-03-29T23:36:00.000-08:00

Lying on the first meridian of the ancient Hindu geographers, it was the capital (as Ujjayini) of the Aryan Avanti kingdom (6th–4th century BC). In the 2nd century BC, Ujjain was the seat of the emperor A

Burdwan

2005-03-29T17:02:00.000-08:00

Also called Bardhaman, or Barddhaman, city, central West Bengal state, northeastern India. The city is a major communications centre lying astride the Banka River just north of the Damodar River. Rice and oilseed milling and hosiery, cutlery, and tool manufacturing are the chief industries. Of historic interest are the Rajbari (the maharaja's palace and gardens), several ancient Muslim tombs, and 108 Siva linga,

Wagga Wagga

2005-03-28T14:51:00.000-08:00

City, southeastern New South Wales, Australia, situated on the Murrumbidgee River. A service centre for the fertile Riverina district (chiefly wheat and sheep), it is also the site of an agricultural college and research institute, a college of advanced education, a soil-conservation research station, and a Royal Australian Air Force base. Secondary industries include

Switzerland, The postwar period

2005-03-28T03:56:00.000-08:00

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

Scipio Africanus The Elder

2005-03-25T06:24:00.000-08:00

After his capture of Tunis, the Carthaginians sought peace terms, but Hannibal's subsequent return to Africa led to their renewing the war in 202. Scipio advanced southwestward to join the Numidian prince Masinissa, who was bringing his invaluable cavalry to his support. Then he turned eastward to face Hannibal at the Battle of Zama; his outflanking tactics failed against

Tohoku

2005-03-25T04:29:00.000-08:00

Chiho (region), located on northern Honshu, Japan, and including the ken (prefectures) of Aomori, Akita, Iwate, Yamagata, Miyagi, and Fukushima. Its name is derived from the Japanese terms to (“east”) and hoku (“north”). The region is also known as Ou, in reference to its main mountain range. Tohoku occupies nearly one-fifth of Japan's total area but contains less than one-tenth of the country's

Ibaraki

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

Prefecture (ken), central Honshu, Japan, facing the Pacific Ocean. It occupies 2,351 sq mi (6,090 sq km) of the northeastern Kanto Plain. Ibaraki is bordered (south) by the Tone-gawa (Tone River) and contains part of Suigo-Tsukuba Quasi-national Park. Main features of this section of the park include Kasumiga-ura (Lake Kasumi), the second largest Japanese lake after Lake Biwa; the canals and

Hay, Sir Gilbert

2005-03-23T16:05:00.000-08:00

Hay may have been the Gylbertus Hay named in the registers of St. Andrews University in 1418 and 1419. That he received a degree as a master of arts, that he became a knight, and that he was at some time chamberlain to

Maurepas, Jean-frédéric Phélypeaux, Count (comte) De

2005-03-21T14:45:00.000-08:00

Secretary of state under King Louis XV and chief royal adviser during the first seven years of the reign of King Louis XVI. By dissuading Louis XVI from instituting economic and administrative reforms, Maurepas was partially responsible for the governmental crises that eventually led to the outbreak of the French

Halston

2005-03-21T04:47:00.000-08:00

Halston studied at Indiana University and the Art Institute of Chicago and operated a millinery shop in Chicago before joining milliner Lilly Daché in New York City. In 1959 he became a milliner for Bergdorf Goodman; in 1966 he expanded his line into clothes

Vijayanagar

2005-03-20T22:05:00.000-08:00

The city and its first dynasty were founded in 1336 by five sons

Fra Mauro

2005-03-19T08:24:00.000-08:00

Crater on the Moon that appears to be heavily eroded, named for a 15th-century Italian monk and mapmaker. The site of the third manned lunar landing, the Apollo 14 mission in February 1971, is several miles north of the crater. About 80 km (50 miles) in diameter, Fra Mauro lies in Mare Nubium (the Sea of Clouds) at about 6° south latitude, 17° west longitude.

Hypothec

2005-03-18T13:49:00.000-08:00

In Roman law, a type of security for a debt in which the creditor had neither ownership nor possession. It arose in cases in which a renter needed the use of the things that he pledged as security for his continued payment of rent, usually tools or equipment necessary for working the land he was renting. Possession could be taken by the creditor only when the debt, or, in

Fabula Atellana

2005-03-18T01:11:00.000-08:00

(Latin: “Atellan play”), the earliest native Italian farce, presumably rustic improvisational comedy featuring masked stock characters. The farces derived their name from the town of Atella in the Campania region of southern Italy and seem to have originated among Italians speaking the Oscan dialect. They became a popular entertainment in ancient republican and

Venationes

2005-03-17T11:22:00.000-08:00

Contests between beasts or between men and beasts were staged in an amphitheatre, usually in connection with gladiator shows. The men used in these exhibitions were either captives, condemned criminals, or professional animal hunters. Originating in the 2nd century BC as part

Sentimental Comedy

2005-03-17T04:57:00.000-08:00

A dramatic genre of the 18th century, denoting plays in which middle-class protagonists triumphantly overcome a series of moral trials. Such comedy aimed at producing tears rather than laughter. Sentimental comedies reflected contemporary philosophical conceptions of humans as inherently good but capable of being led astray through bad example. By an appeal

Pre-columbian Civilizations, Internal division and external expansion

2005-03-16T02:29:00.000-08:00

For some time there had been palace intrigue in Cuzco over who would succeed Viracocha Inca to the throne. The Emperor chose Inca Urcon ('Inka 'Urqon) as his successor, but the two generals Vicaquirao and Apo Mayta preferred another son, Cusi Inca Yupanqui (Kusi 'Inka Yupanki). As the Chanca approached Cuzco, Viracocha Inca and Inca Urcon withdrew to a fort near Calca, while

X-ray Source

2005-03-15T10:30:00.000-08:00

Advances in instrumentation and improved observational techniques have

Cherwell

2005-03-13T06:30:00.000-08:00

District, administrative and historic county of Oxfordshire, south-central England, occupying an area of 228 square miles (590 square km). The River Cherwell and the Oxford Canal extend north from Oxford city and bisect the district. Predominantly rural, Cherwell is a lowland area bordering the limestone Cotswold Hills on the west and the North Oxfordshire Heights on the

Ecotone

2005-03-13T01:38:00.000-08:00

A transition area of vegetation between two different plant communities, such as forest and grassland. It has some of the characteristics of each bordering community and often contains species not found in the overlapping communities. An ecotone may exist along a broad belt or in a small pocket, such as a forest clearing, where two local communities blend together.

Pyrethrum

2005-03-12T22:21:00.000-08:00

Any of certain plant species of the genus Chrysanthemum, native to southwestern Asia, whose aromatic flower heads, when powdered, constitute the active ingredient in the insecticide called pyrethrin, or pyrethrum. The plants were formerly considered a separate genus, Pyrethrum. The typical species, the perennial C. coccineum, is the florists' pyrethrum, commonly

Christ, Two Natures Of

2005-03-12T17:25:00.000-08:00

The clarification of Trinitarian doctrine during the first four centuries

Neuropteran, Locomotion

2005-03-11T22:28:00.000-08:00

Most larvae have walking legs except in those whose legs are modified for burrowing (Ithonidae and Myrmeleontoidea). The aquatic dobsonfly larvae have a pair of terminal abdominal prolegs that are important in moving in strong currents. The legs, abdominal filaments, and median tail filament of alderfly larvae bear long hairs, or setae, which help to propel them

Leno, Dan

2005-03-11T13:28:00.000-08:00

Born into a family of traveling entertainers, Leno first appeared on stage at the age of four

Deere, John

2005-03-10T13:35:00.000-08:00

Apprenticed to a blacksmith at age 17, Deere set up his own smithy trade four years later and, for 12 years, did work in various towns of his native Vermont. In 1837, when 33 years old, he headed west and eventually settled in Grand Detour, Ill., where he set up a blacksmith's shop, and

Kiesinger, Kurt Georg

2005-03-09T22:28:00.000-08:00

Kiesinger was educated at Berlin and Tübingen, after which he began to practice law. He joined the Nazi Party after Adolf

Wichita Falls

2005-03-08T21:58:00.000-08:00

City, seat (1882) of Wichita county, northern Texas, U.S. The city is located on the Wichita River in the Red River Valley, 115 miles (185 km) northwest of Fort Worth. Founded in 1876, it was named for the Wichita Indians and the low-water river falls that existed there until 1886, when they were washed away by a flood. (A falls, with 35,000 gallons [130,000 litres] recirculating per minute, has been recreated as a tourist

Hawea Lake

2005-03-07T19:15:00.000-08:00

Lake in west-central South Island, New Zealand. The lake lies at the heart of a resort area 182 miles (293 km) northwest of Dunedin by road. It occupies 54 square miles (141 square km) of a valley dammed by a terminal moraine (glacial debris). The lake, 1,142 feet (348 m) above sea level, is 19 miles (31 km) long, 5 miles (8 km) wide, and 1,286 feet (392 m) deep. It drains an area of 536 square miles (1,388 square km). Its main affluent, the Hunter River,

Manchuria

2005-03-07T18:27:00.000-08:00

Also called Northeast , Wade-Giles Tung-pei , Pinyin Dongbei historical region of northeastern China. Strictly speaking, it consists of the modern provinces (sheng) of Liaoning (south), Kirin (central), and Heilungkiang (north); often, however, the northeastern portion of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region also is included. Manchuria is bounded by Russia (northwest, north, and east), North Korea (south), and the province of Hopeh (southwest).

Dbus-gtsang

2005-03-07T00:06:00.000-08:00

One of three regions into which the area of Central Asia inhabited by Tibetans is traditionally divided. Dbus and Gtsang were provinces in the days of the early kings of central Tibet, c. 7th century. The area of Dbus encompassed the Skyid-chu valley system in which Lhasa is located, as well as the Yar-klungs and 'Phyong-rgyas valleys on the south side of the Brahmaputra

Nordraak, Rikard

2005-03-06T09:34:00.000-08:00

Nordraak began composing music as a child. He was sent at age 15 to Copenhagen, Den., for training in business, but he also studied music while there. In 1859 he gave up the study

Mola

2005-03-05T20:51:00.000-08:00

Type of embroidered woman's outer garment, worn as part of the blouse by the Kuna Indians of the San Blas Archipelago, off the eastern coast of Panama. The mola's brightly coloured designs, done in reverse appliqué technique, traditionally are abstract, often based on the patterns of brain coral. Recently, schematically drawn figurative designs have become

Augustine, Saint

2005-03-05T02:00:00.000-08:00

Although autobiographical narrative makes up much of the first 9 of the 13 books of Augustine's Confessiones (397; Confessions), autobiography is incidental to the main purpose of the work. For Augustine confessions is a catchall term for acts of religiously authorized speech: praise of God, blame of self, confession of faith. The book is a richly textured meditation by a middle-aged

Equatorial Guinea

2005-03-04T17:07:00.000-08:00

Officially Republic of Equatorial Guinea, Spanish República de Guinea Ecuatorial, country located on the west coast of Africa. It consists of Río Muni (also called Mbini), on the continent, and five islands: Bioko (formerly Fernando Po), Corisco, Great Elobey (Elobey Grande), Little Elobey (Elobey Chico), and Annobón. A fragmented country, it has a total area of 10,830 square miles (28,051 square kilometres). The capital of the republic is Malabo on Bioko. Bata is the administrative

Fusulina

2005-03-02T18:12:00.000-08:00

Genus of extinct fusulinid foraminiferans (protozoans with a shell) found as fossils in marine rocks of Late Carboniferous age (286 to 320 million years old). Fusulina, an excellent index fossil for Late Carboniferous rocks, enables widely separated rocks to be correlated.

Paulo Afonso

2005-03-01T18:22:00.000-08:00

City, northeastern Bahia estado (“state”), northeastern Brazil, on the São Francisco River, at the site of the Paulo Afonso Falls. Made the seat of a municipality in 1958, Paulo Afonso is the transportation and commercial centre for its agricultural hinterland. It is accessible by highway from Salvador, the state capital, about 310 miles (500 km) south, and from neighbouring communities

Kiribati, Flag Of

2005-03-01T09:20:00.000-08:00

The British acquired extensive colonies and protectorates in the Pacific Ocean during the 19th century, including the Gilbert Islands, with their Micronesian population, and the nearby Ellice Islands, which were dominated by Polynesians. In anticipation of independence from Britain, a referendum was held and the two territories were separated in 1976. The former Gilbert

Ennius, Quintus

2005-03-01T06:10:00.000-08:00

Because of the place of his birth, Ennius was

Tsimlyansk Reservoir

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

Russian Tsimlyanskoye Vodokhranilishche, reservoir created by a giant barrage (dam) at the great bend of the Don River, near the town of Tsimlyansk in Rostov oblast (province), southern Russia. The reservoir, about 160 miles (257 kilometres) long, was constructed in 1950–51 in connection with the building of the Volga-Don Shipping Canal. It provides hydroelectric power and irrigation water for the extensive vineyards and market

Rommel, Erwin

2005-02-27T01:58:00.000-08:00

Less than a year later, in February 1941, Rommel was appointed commander of the German troops dispatched to aid the all but defeated Italian army in Libya. The deserts of North Africa became the scene of his greatest successes—and of his defeat at the hands of a vastly superior enemy. In the North African theatre of war, the “Desert Fox,” as he came to be called by both friend and

Bernini, Gian Lorenzo

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

Bernini's career began under his father, Pietro Bernini, a Florentine sculptor of some talent who ultimately moved to Rome. The young prodigy worked so diligently that he earned the praise of the painter Annibale Carracci and the patronage of Pope Paul V and soon established himself as a wholly independent sculptor. He was strongly influenced by his close study

Porch

2005-02-26T09:47:00.000-08:00

There is little material evidence of the existence of the porch before the period of Classical antiquity, although Egyptian

Turkey, Foreign affairs since 1950

2005-02-25T05:37:00.000-08:00

Until the 1960s, Turkish foreign policy was wholly based on close relations with the West, particularly the friendship of the United States. Turkey sent troops to Korea and joined NATO (1952) and the Baghdad Pact (1955). This Western-oriented policy derived from fear of the Soviet Union, dependence on U.S. military and economic aid, and Turkey's desire to be accepted as a secular, democratic,

Photography, Portraiture

2005-02-24T20:22:00.000-08:00

A new style of portrait, introduced in Paris by André-Adolphe-Eugène Disdéri in 1854, was universally popular from 1859 onward. It came to be called the carte de visite because the size of the mounted photograph (four by 2 1/2 inches) corresponded to that of a calling card. Disdéri used a four-lens camera to produce eight negatives on a single glass plate. Each picture could be separately

Mcarthur River

2005-02-24T18:22:00.000-08:00

River in northeastern Northern Territory, Australia, rising about 45 miles (70 km) south of Anthony Lagoon, along the scarp that marks the northern edge of the Barkly Tableland, and flowing northwest for 150 miles (240 km) across rugged country to Port McArthur on the Gulf of Carpentaria. Swamp and jungle border its lower course, which is navigable by barge for 40 miles (64 km). The river, fed

Mole

2005-02-24T05:15:00.000-08:00

Talpids occur throughout temperate Eurasia and North America. Most are quite small, with

Rowan

2005-02-22T13:51:00.000-08:00

A deciduous tree, Sorbus aucuparia; it is also called the European mountain ash, or quickbeam. See mountain ash.

Lupescu, Magda

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

The facts concerning her early life are uncertain, but it is known that her father was Jewish and her mother Roman Catholic. She was evidently married to an army officer named Tampeanu when, in the early

Hooker, Thomas

2005-02-21T16:10:00.000-08:00

After preaching briefly in the parish of Esher in Surrey, Eng., Hooker about 1626 became lecturer to the Church of St. Mary at Chelmsford, Essex, where he delivered fervent evangelical

Cram, Ralph Adams

2005-02-20T19:47:00.000-08:00

Inspired by the influential English critic John Ruskin, Cram became an ardent advocate of and authority on English and French Gothic styles. In 1888 he opened an architectural firm in Boston, where he became associated with B.G. Goodhue and later with F.W.

Consonant

2005-02-20T15:58:00.000-08:00

Any speech sound, such as that represented by t, g, f, or z, that is characterized by an articulation with a closure or narrowing of the vocal tract such that a complete or partial blockage of the flow of air is produced. Consonants are usually classified according to place of articulation (the location of the stricture made in the vocal tract, such as dental, bilabial, or

Chamber Music, Classical period, c. 17501825

2005-02-19T21:37:00.000-08:00

The 83 string quartets (of which seven are single-movement arrangements of orchestral pieces titled The Seven Words of Our Saviour on the Cross and known as The Seven Last Words) by Joseph Haydn (1732–1809) constitute a series in which virtually the entire history of the string quartet is represented. Most of them appeared in sets of six, each under a separate opus number. The earliest

Hesse-kassel

2005-02-19T06:05:00.000-08:00

In 1567 Hesse was partitioned among four sons of Landgrave Philip the Magnanimous, Hesse-Kassel going to William IV the Wise. Hesse-Kassel was the largest, most important, and most northerly of the four Hesse landgraviates. The landgrave William IV introduced sound financial management and a pacific

Theobromine

2005-02-18T00:44:00.000-08:00

Diuretic drug and major alkaloidal constituent of cocoa. Theobromine is a xanthine alkaloid, a methylxanthine, as are caffeine and theophylline, but it differs from them in having little stimulatory action upon the central nervous system. The stimulant effect of cocoa results from the caffeine that it contains rather than from the theobromine.

Audley (of Walden), Thomas Audley, Baron

2005-02-17T22:18:00.000-08:00

Trained in law, Audley rose in politics to become speaker of the House of Commons in 1529. Because

Robert

2005-02-16T23:59:00.000-08:00

Robert's early years were clouded by the War of the Sicilian Vespers (1282–88), in which his father, Charles II of Anjou, was taken prisoner by the Aragonese. By the terms of the treaty Charles was freed, and Robert took his place as hostage at the Aragonese court. Taking the title of duke of Calabria

Rwanda, Flag Of

2005-02-16T22:13:00.000-08:00

Under the Belgian colonial regime, the elite Tutsi minority ruled the social, political, and economic life of Rwanda. The majority Hutu eventually organized a revolt against this feudal system, which culminated in a civil war that began on November 1, 1959. On March 23, 1960, the new Provisional Special Council, which was established by the Belgians and dominated by Hutu members,

Hardwick, Elizabeth

2005-02-16T07:05:00.000-08:00

Hardwick attended the University of Kentucky (B.A., 1938; M.A., 1939) and Columbia University in New York City. Her experience as a young Southern woman in Manhattan provided the backdrop for her somber, introspective first novel, The Ghostly

Powys, John Cowper

2005-02-14T20:58:00.000-08:00

Educated at Sherborne School and the University of Cambridge, Powys was a university extension

Gregory, Dick

2005-02-14T11:05:00.000-08:00

Byname of Richard Claxton Gregory African-American comedian, civil rights activist, and spokesman for health issues, who became nationally recognized in the 1960s for a biting brand of comedy that attacked racial prejudice. By addressing his hard-hitting satire to white audiences, he gave a comedic voice to the rising Civil Rights Movement. In the 1980s his nutrition business venture targeted

Ashburton, John Dunning, 1st Baron

2005-02-13T23:21:00.000-08:00

English jurist and politician who defended the radical John Wilkes against charges of seditious and obscene libel (1763–64) and who is also important as the author of a resolution in Parliament (April 6, 1780) condemning George III for his support of Lord North's government despite the unpopularity of its policies during

Acrylic Compound

2005-02-13T07:55:00.000-08:00

Any of a class of synthetic plastics, resins, and oils used to manufacture many products. By varying the starting reagents and the process of forming, a material may be produced that is hard and transparent, soft and resilient, or a viscous liquid. Acrylic compounds are used to make molded structural and optical parts, jewelry, adhesives, coating compounds, and textile

Madiun Affair

2005-02-12T14:29:00.000-08:00

Communist rebellion against the Hatta-Sukarno government of Indonesia, which originated in Madiun, a town in eastern Java, in September 1948. The Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) had been declared illegal by the Dutch following uprisings in 1926–27; it was officially reestablished on Oct. 21, 1945, when an independent Indonesia was proclaimed after World War II. The communists resumed

Pacific Islands

2005-02-10T15:50:00.000-08:00

Ron Crocombe, The South Pacific (1983); and Frederica M. Bunge and Melinda W. Cooke (eds.), Oceania, a Regional Study, 2nd ed. (1985), provide comprehensive information. Large-scale maps are found in Atlas of the South Pacific, 2nd ed. (1986), published by the New Zealand government. Herold J. Wiens, Atoll Environment and Ecology (1962), explores the physical characteristics of Pacific Islands environments. The classic demographic study is Norma McArthur, Island Populations of the Pacific (1967, reprinted 1983); see also Vern Carroll (ed.), Pacific Atoll Populations (1975). On physical anthropology, see William Howells, The Pacific Islanders (1973). F.R. Fosberg (ed.), Man's Place in the Island Ecosystem (1963); and Douglas L. Oliver, Oceania: The Native Cultures of Australia and the Pacific Islands, 2 vol. (1989), survey aspects of Pacific Islands societies. University of the South Pacific, Institute of Pacific Studies, Pacific Tourism, as Islanders See It (1980), analyzes the impact of tourism. Current writings about the area are found in Pacific Islands Business (monthly, Fiji); Pacific Magazine (bimonthly, Hawaii); and Pacific Islands Monthly (Australia). John Carter (ed.), Pacific Islands Yearbook, 15th ed. (1984), is a detailed reference work on contemporary conditions and events. For further research, see C.R.H. Taylor, A Pacific Bibliography: Printed Matter Relating to the Native Peoples of Polynesia, Melanesia, and Micronesia, 2nd ed. (1965); and Bibliographie de l'Océanie, published irregularly by the Société des Océanistes in Paris.

Consanguinity

2005-02-10T10:26:00.000-08:00

Kin are of two basic kinds: consanguineous (sharing common ancestors) and affinal (the kinsmen of one's spouse). In some societies other

Amphoterism

2005-02-09T09:31:00.000-08:00

With hydrogen chloride,

Clarence

2005-02-09T06:58:00.000-08:00

Also called Growler, a horse-drawn, four-wheeled coupé that was named in honour of the Duke of Clarence and first introduced in 1840 in London. The body held two seats facing one another and could transport four people in comfort. The carriage was suspended most often on large elliptic springs between two sets of equally sized wheels. It was an especially large style of coupé, with a separate

Roman Curia

2005-02-07T15:42:00.000-08:00

Latin Curia Romana, the group of various Vatican bureaus that assist the pope in the day-to-day exercise of his primatial jurisdiction over the Roman Catholic church. The result of a long evolution from the early centuries of Christianity, the Curia was given its modern form by Pope Sixtus V late in the 16th century. The work of the Curia has traditionally been associated with the members

'olam Ha-ba

2005-02-06T17:07:00.000-08:00

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

Crusade, The Latin East after the Third Crusade

2005-02-06T02:59:00.000-08:00

Saladin died on March 3, 1193, not long after the departure of the Third Crusade. One of the greatest of the Muslim leaders and a man devoutly religious and deeply committed to jihad against the infidel, he was, yet, respected by his opponents. His death led once again to divisions in the Muslim world, and his Ayyubid successors were willing to continue a state of truce with the crusaders,

Recidivism

2005-02-05T01:35:00.000-08:00

Tendency toward chronic criminal behaviour leading to numerous arrests and re-imprisonment. Studies of the yearly intake of prisons, reformatories, and jails in the United States and Europe show that from one-half to two-thirds of those imprisoned have served previous sentences in the same or in other institutions. The conclusion is that the criminal population

Europe, History Of

2005-02-04T21:28:00.000-08:00

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

Dózsa Rebellion

2005-02-04T06:20:00.000-08:00

During the reign of King Vladislas II (1490–1516), royal power declined in favour of the magnates, who used their power to curtail the peasants' freedom. When the cardinal Tamás Bakócz called for volunteers to go on a crusade against

Clotilda, Saint

2005-02-03T16:42:00.000-08:00

Clotilda was the granddaughter of Gundioc, king of Burgundy, who was related to the Visigothic kings and shared their Arian Christian faith. At Gundioc's death his kingdom was divided between his four sons, Gundobad, Godegesil,

Number System

2005-02-02T22:09:00.000-08:00

Any of various sets of symbols and the rules for using them to express quantities as the basis for counting, comparing amounts, performing calculations, determining order, making measurements, representing value, setting limits, abstracting quantities, coding information, and transmitting data. The most elementary representation of numbers is the tally or unitary

Kuba

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

In the 19th century,

Qadarif, Al-

2005-02-01T09:33:00.000-08:00

Also spelled El-gedaref, town, east-central Sudan. It is situated about 120 miles (200 km) southwest of Kassala town. Located at an elevation of 1,975 feet (608 m), it is a commercial centre for the cotton, cereals, sesame seeds, and fodder produced in the surrounding area. The Gash Irrigation Project is located to the northwest of al-Qadarif. Light industries include cotton ginning and spinning mills and soap factories.

African Literature, Oral traditions

2005-02-01T00:17:00.000-08:00

The following works cover and analyze some of the best and most representative collections of oral art forms from many parts of Africa: Uchegbulam N. Abalogu, Garba Ashiwaju, and Regina Amadi-Tshiwala, Oral Poetry in Nigeria (1981), containing articles on a number of different oral genres in contemporary Nigeria; B.W. Andrzejewski and I.M. Lewis, Somali Poetry: An Introduction (1964), a detailed and authoritative account of the main genres and their social context by a linguist and a sociologist; Ulli Beier (comp. and ed.), Yoruba Poetry: An Anthology of Traditional Poems (1970), a good introduction to the rich and complex Yoruba oral traditions; James Stuart (comp.), Izibongo: Zulu Praise-Poems (1968), long poems to kings and chiefs, rich in imagery and allusions, with a discussion of their form, function, and social context; A. Coupez and Th. Kamanzi, Littérature de cour au Rwanda (1970), analysis and texts of the royal poetry of the kings of Rwanda and accounts of the poets responsible for them; Pierre Smith (ed.), Le Récit populaire au Rwanda (1975), 30 popular tales from Rwanda that interpret the history of the region in a different way from the royal praises; M. Damane and P.B. Sanders (eds. and trans.), Lithoko: Sotho Praise-Poems (1974), an authoritative anthology of praise poems of Basotho chiefs, covering 200 years; Francis Mading Deng, The Dinka and Their Songs (1973), a careful account of the performed poetry of the Dinka people of The Sudan; Ruth Finnegan (comp. and trans.), Limba Stories and Story-Telling (1967, reprinted 1981), stories from the Limba of Sierra Leone, with attention to the creative role of individual narrators; Veronika Görög-Karady, Noirs et blancs: leur image dans la littérature orale africaine: étude-anthologie (1976), an analysis of a large number of tales exploring the different perceptions of the relations between races that the stories reveal; Olatunde O. Olatunji, Features of Yorùbá Oral Poetry (1984), a full account of the oral genres from the point of view of Yoruba poetics; Denise Paulme, La Mère dévorante: essai sur le morphologie des contes africains (1976), essays that discuss the social role of the tale and analyze eight archetypal African tales; Jeff Opland, Xhosa Oral Poetry: Aspects of a Black South African Tradition (1983), an analysis primarily of Xhosa praise poetry and poets, incorporating discussion of the interplay of print, literacy, and orality; and Harold Scheub, The Xhosa Ntsomi (1975), an important collection of Xhosa and Zulu stories with an emphasis on the creative role of the storyteller.

Asahara, Shoko

2005-01-30T19:30:00.000-08:00

Chizuo Matsumoto, who changed his name to Shoko Asahara, was born in Kumamoto prefecture, Japan,

Dehmelt, Hans Georg

2005-01-29T19:06:00.000-08:00

German-born American physicist who shared one-half of the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1989 with the German physicist Wolfgang Paul. (The other half of the prize was awarded to the American physicist Norman F. Ramsey.) Dehmelt received his share of the prize for his development of the Penning trap, an electromagnetic device that can hold small numbers

Writing

2005-01-29T18:51:00.000-08:00

This definition highlights the fact that writing is in principle the representation of language rather than a direct representation of thought and the fact that spoken language has a number of levels of structure, including

Medina, Bartolomé De

2005-01-28T13:55:00.000-08:00

Medina developed the patio process, an intricate amalgamation process utilizing mercury, while mining in Pachuca, Mex., in 1557. The process proved especially useful in America, where fuel and waterpower were scarce. It was introduced into

Gamma Ray

2005-01-28T10:14:00.000-08:00

Gamma rays were named (1903) by Ernest Rutherford when evidence showed they differed from beta rays (electrons ejected by radioactive nuclei). Gamma radiation originates in atomic nuclei during

Metasomatic Replacement

2005-01-27T19:48:00.000-08:00

The process of simultaneous solution and deposition whereby one mineral replaces another. It is an important process in the formation of epigenetic mineral deposits (those formed after the formation of the host rock), in the formation of high- and intermediate-temperature hydrothermal ore deposits, and in supergene sulfide enrichment (enriched by generally

Hertz, Gustav

2005-01-27T04:02:00.000-08:00

A nephew of the noted physicist Heinrich Hertz, he studied

Grant, Bernie

2005-01-25T14:34:00.000-08:00

In full Bernard Alexander Montgomery Grant British politician who, with Paul Boateng and Diane Abbott, was one of the first persons of African descent to win election to the House of Commons. The son of educators, he attended St. Stanislaus College, one of the finest schools in British Guiana. In the early 1960s he moved to the United Kingdom and became

La Libertad

2005-01-24T09:10:00.000-08:00

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

Faience Parlante

2005-01-24T08:27:00.000-08:00

(French: “talking faience”), in French pottery, popular utilitarian 18th-century earthenware, principally plates, jugs, and bowls, that had inscriptions as part of its decoration. The city of Nevers was the outstanding centre for the production of faience parlante. The range of inscriptions included owners' names, coats of arms, bacchic or facetious references, Masonic

Næstved

2005-01-24T05:42:00.000-08:00

City, Storstrøm amtskommune (county commune), southern Sjælland (Zealand), Denmark, on the Suså River. Næstved originated around a Benedictine monastery, founded in 1135. The monks moved at the end of the 12th century, and the town developed as a market centre for southern Sjælland (chartered 1426). Chief among its medieval landmarks are Sankt Peder Church, the only survival of the

Rowe, Nicholas

2005-01-23T10:23:00.000-08:00

Rowe was called to the bar in 1696 and, an ardent Whig, afterward held several

Maclaine, Shirley

2005-01-22T23:19:00.000-08:00

After graduating from high school, MacLaine, who had studied ballet since age three, moved to New York City, where she worked as a dancer and model. In 1954 she was hired as a chorus girl and understudy

Slaughter, Enos Bradsher

2005-01-21T14:26:00.000-08:00

American baseball player (b. April 27, 1916, Roxboro, N.C.—d. Aug. 12, 2002, Durham, N.C.), had a lifetime .300 batting average and was a hero of the St. Louis Cardinals, for whom he played 13 of his 19 major league seasons. He was a hard-hitting outfielder who led the National League in hits in 1942 and in runs batted in 1946; played in 10 All-Star games, and was elected in 1985 to the Baseball Hall of Fame. He was most renowned for his

Arachnid

2005-01-21T10:42:00.000-08:00

Any member of the class Arachnida, part of the invertebrate phylum Arthropoda. Arachnida includes forms such as spiders (Araneida), harvestmen (daddy longlegs; Opiliones), scorpions (Scorpionida), and mites and ticks (Acari), as well as lesser-known groups. Only a few species are of economic importance, including the acarids that transmit diseases to humans, other animals,

Greek Religion, The Hellenistic period

2005-01-19T18:05:00.000-08:00

Greek religion, having no creed, did not proselytize. In the heyday of the polis, the Greek religion was spread by the founding of new poleis, whose colonists took with them part of the sacred fire from the hearth of the mother city and the cults of the city's gods. (“Heroes,” being essentially bound to the territory in which they were buried, had to be left behind.) There was a tendency