FatKettle

Financial services

2007-01-10T10:20:00.000-08:00

Owner of 0800Promote, steve harris
has launched a new estate agency business, bringing a fresh approach to property services in North London.

Maxim, Hiram Percy

2005-04-04T04:45:00.000-07:00

Son and nephew of famous inventors, Maxim graduated from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, then in Boston, at age 16 and by 1890 was superintendent of the American Projectile Company plant at Lynn, Mass. While bicycling from Salem to Lynn,

Race, Human rights versus property rights

2005-04-03T15:40:00.000-07:00

Chattel slavery was not established without its critics. From the beginning, many Englishmen condemned the presence of slavery in English territories. They argued that theirs was a society of free men and of democratic institutions and that it was committed to the preservation of human rights, justice, and equality. For several hundred years, trends in English

Olympia

2005-04-03T14:36:00.000-07:00

Sickles, Daniel Edgar

2005-04-02T08:12:00.000-08:00

Sickles attended the University of the City of New York, later studied law, and in 1846 was admitted to the bar. He immediately

Casserius, Julius

2005-04-02T05:28:00.000-08:00

Casserius was a servant of Hieronymus Fabricius ab Aquapendente, professor of anatomy and surgery at the University of Padua. Instructed

Shamanism, Social role

2005-04-02T05:17:00.000-08:00

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

Reproductive System, Animal, Sponges, coelenterates, flatworms, and aschelminths

2005-03-31T21:07:00.000-08:00

Sponges are at a cellular level of organization and thus do not have organs or even well-developed tissues; nevertheless, they produce sperm and eggs and also reproduce asexually. Some species of sponge are monoecious, others are dioecious. Sperm and eggs are formed by aggregations of cells called amoebocytes in the body wall; these are not considered gonads because

Dach, Simon

2005-03-31T18:54:00.000-08:00

After earning his living for many years as a private

Annelid, Locomotion

2005-03-31T16:17:00.000-08:00

The basic features of locomotion in annelids are most easily observed in the earthworm because it lacks appendages and parapodia. Movement involves extending the body, anchoring it to a surface with setae, and contracting body muscles. When the worm begins a forward movement, circular muscles at the anterior end contract, extending the head forward. At the same

Carnivore, Distribution and abundance

2005-03-29T16:34:00.000-08:00

Carnivores are found worldwide. Terrestrial forms are absent from most oceanic islands, though the coastlines are usually visited by seals (pinnipeds). Except for the dingo (which probably was introduced by aboriginal man), Australia has no native terrestrial members of the Carnivora. Man has taken his pets, as well as a number of wild species, to most islands. For example,

Elisha

2005-03-29T05:36:00.000-08:00

The popular traditions about Elisha (2 Kings 2–13) sketch a charismatic, quasi-ecstatic figure, very similar to Elijah.

Ascites

2005-03-27T13:40:00.000-08:00

Accumulation of fluid in the peritoneal cavity, between the membrane lining the abdominal wall and the membrane covering the abdominal organs. The most common causes of ascites are cirrhosis of the liver, heart failure, tumours of the peritoneal membranes, and escape of chyle (lymph laden with emulsified fats) into the peritoneal cavity. In patients having liver

Biblical Literature, The canon

2005-03-27T10:13:00.000-08:00

The term canon, from a Hebrew-Greek word meaning a cane or measuring rod, passed into Christian usage as a norm or a rule of faith. The Church Fathers of the 4th century CE first employed it in reference to the definitive, authoritative nature of the body of sacred Scripture.

Alagoas

2005-03-26T23:54:00.000-08:00

Estado (“state”) of northeastern Brazil. It is the second smallest of Brazil's states and is an agricultural region in the early stages of industrialization. Situated on the northern bank of the São Francisco River, it is bounded on the north and west by the state of Pernambuco, on the east by the Atlantic Ocean, on the south by Sergipe, and on the west by Bahia. It has an area

Respiration, Amphibians

2005-03-25T05:45:00.000-08:00

The living amphibians (frogs, toads, salamanders, and caecilians) depend on aquatic respiration to a degree that varies with species, stage of development, temperature, and season. With the exception of a few frog species that lay eggs on land, all amphibians begin life as completely aquatic larvae. Respiratory gas exchange is conducted through the thin, gas-permeable

Henderson, Thomas

2005-03-25T03:59:00.000-08:00

Henderson was elected

Mahmoud

2005-03-23T03:18:00.000-08:00

Mahmoud was foaled in France by Mah Mahal and sired by Blenheim. He was owned by the Aga Khan who sent him to England to be trained by Frank Butters at Newmarket. He won all three of his races as a two-year-old, and as a three-year-old he lost the Two Thousand Guineas by a short head,

Morava River

2005-03-23T01:26:00.000-08:00

Serbo-Croatian Velika Morava river in Serbia, Yugoslavia, formed by the confluence of the South (Juzna) Morava and West (Zapadna) Morava rivers. It follows a 137-mile (221-kilometre) course, mainly northerly, to enter the Danube River near Smederevo. North of Lapovo the Morava opens into the wide, meandering Pomoravlje valley, a fertile agricultural region. The total area of the Morava River basin is 14,457 square miles

Augustana Evangelical Lutheran Church

2005-03-22T08:59:00.000-08:00

Church organized by Norwegian and Swedish immigrants in 1860 in Jefferson Prairie, Wis., as the Scandinavian Augustana Evangelical Lutheran Synod. Tufve Nilsson Hasselquist, an ordained minister in the Church of Sweden, was the first president. It took its name from Confessio Augustana, the Latin name for the Augsburg Confession, written in 1530 by German Lutheran Reformers.

Moses De León

2005-03-21T07:19:00.000-08:00

The details of Moses de León's life, like those of most Jewish mystics,

Craiova

2005-03-20T02:27:00.000-08:00

City, capital of Dolj judet (county), southwestern Romania. It is situated near the Jiu River, 115 miles (185 km) west of Bucharest. Settlement there is of long standing. Close to the city archaeologists have discovered the remains of a Roman fortress built under Trajan. From the late 15th to the 18th century Craiova was the residence of the military governors of the region. The city prospered

Molecular Beam

2005-03-19T19:14:00.000-08:00

Any stream or ray of molecules moving in the same general direction, usually in a vacuum—i.e., inside an evacuated chamber. In this context the word molecule includes atoms as a special case. Most commonly, the molecules comprising the beam are at a low density; that is, they are far enough apart to move independently of each other. Because of the one-directional motion of

Blonde Lace

2005-03-19T14:17:00.000-08:00

Originally, bobbin lace made in France in the 18th century from unbleached pale beige Chinese silk. Subsequently, the term blonde was extended to cover lace made of bleached silk (white blonde) and black-dyed silk (black blonde). Blonde lace was made in France at Bayeux, Caen, and Chantilly in the mid-18th century and also in England (Dorset) c. 1754–80. Just before the Revolution of 1789, blonde

Storm Petrel

2005-03-18T20:49:00.000-08:00

Any member of about 20 species of seabirds constituting the family Hydrobatidae, or sometimes considered as Oceanitidae (order Procellariiformes). Ranging in length from about 13 to 25 centimetres (5 1/2 to 10 inches), all are dark gray or brown, sometimes lighter below, and often with a white rump. The wings are shorter than those of most other procellariiforms and are rounded at

Switzerland, Precipitation

2005-03-17T23:17:00.000-08:00

Since rainfall tends to increase in direct proportion to altitude, the precipitation map corresponds very closely to the relief map; and, because of the marked variation in reliefs, differences in precipitation within short linear distances are often very great. For example, St. Gall (Sankt Gallen), at 2,556 feet, has an average annual precipitation of 52 inches (1,318 mm), while that

Homophony

2005-03-17T18:37:00.000-08:00

Homophony does

Romain Du Roi

2005-03-16T14:24:00.000-08:00

(French: King's Roman), in printing, a roman typeface developed in France at the express order of King Louis XIV, who, in 1692, directed that a typeface be designed at any necessary expense for the exclusive use of the royal printer. The design was the work, for several years, of a committee of the Academy of Sciences, whose members ignored calligraphic models in favour of analytical

Ear Disease, Hematoma

2005-03-16T13:14:00.000-08:00

Injury to the outer ear can cause bleeding between the cartilage and the skin, producing a smooth, rounded, nontender purplish swelling called hematoma. The accumulation of clotted blood is removed by a surgeon because, if it is left, it will become transformed into scar tissue and cause a permanent, irregular thickening of the outer ear commonly called cauliflower

Jacobi, Mary Putnam

2005-03-15T21:04:00.000-08:00

Mary Putnam was the daughter of George Palmer Putnam, founder of the publishing firm of G.P. Putnam's Sons, and was an elder sister of Herbert Putnam, later librarian of Congress. The family returned from England in 1848, and Mary grew

Claude Of France

2005-03-15T07:57:00.000-08:00

In 1504 Claude's mother, eager to keep Brittany out of French hands, caused the Treaty of Blois to be concluded, which assured the hand of Claude to Charles of Austria (the future emperor Charles V) and promised him Brittany, Burgundy,

Fairbanks

2005-03-14T14:19:00.000-08:00

City, east central Alaska, U.S., on the Chena River (tributary of the Tanana). Founded in 1902 during a gold strike, it was named for Sen. (later Vice Pres.) Charles Warren Fairbanks. It lies on the 800-mi (1,300-km) north–south trans-Alaskan oil pipeline midway from the Prudhoe Bay fields to the Valdez terminal. As the northern terminus of the Alaska and Richardson highways and Alaska Railroad

Costello, Frank

2005-03-14T13:54:00.000-08:00

Arriving in New York City at the age of four with his immigrant Calabrian parents, Costello grew up in East Harlem and became head of the 104th Street Gang, a group of young Italian hoodlums. In 1915 he went to prison for a year for

Ijsselmeer

2005-03-12T21:39:00.000-08:00

The dam that formed the IJsselmeer lies about 25 feet (8 m) above sea level and is 19 miles (31 km) long,

Fairchild, Mary Salome Cutler

2005-03-12T11:23:00.000-08:00

Salome Cutler graduated from Mount Holyoke Female Seminary (now Mount Holyoke College) in South Hadley, Massachusetts, in 1875 and taught there from 1876 to 1878. After a period of ill health, she became interested in the

Maban Languages

2005-03-12T11:10:00.000-08:00

Group of related languages spoken in the border area of Chad, The Sudan, and the Central African Republic. The Maban languages form a branch of the Nilo-Saharan language family. Maba (also called Bura Mabang) is the largest Maban language in terms of number of speakers (more than 250,000). Other members of the group include Karanga, Kibet, Massalat, Masalit (Massalit), Marfa, and Runga.

M16 Rifle

2005-03-10T22:05:00.000-08:00

Also called Ar-15, assault rifle adopted as a standard weapon by the U.S. Army in 1967. The M16 superseded the M14 rifle. It is gas-operated and has both semiautomatic (i.e., autoloading) and fully automatic capabilities. Weighing less than 3.6 kg (8 pounds) and equipped with a 20-round or 30-round magazine, the M16 is 99 cm (39 inches) long and fires 5.56-millimetre (.223-calibre) ammunition at the rate of 700–950 rounds per minute. Both U.S. and

Rodent

2005-03-10T18:56:00.000-08:00

As documented by fossils, the evolutionary history of rodents extends back 56 million years to the Late Paleocene Epoch in North America. Those species, however, are considered to have originated in Eurasia, so the origin of the order Rodentia is certainly older. However, lack of fossil evidence prior to the Late Paleocene makes the understanding of evolutionary relationships

Ustyurt Plateau

2005-03-10T04:21:00.000-08:00

Kazak Üstirt , Turkmen Üstyurt plateau in Uzbekistan and Kazakstan, lying between the Aral Sea and the Amu Darya (river) delta in the east and the Mangyshlak (Tupqarghan) Plateau and the Kara-Bogaz-Gol (Garabogazköl; an inlet of the Caspian Sea) in the west. It has an area of about 77,000 square miles (about 200,000 square km) and an average elevation of about 500 feet (about 150 m), rising to a maximum of 1,200 feet (365 m) in the southwest. At its

Displacement Current

2005-03-10T01:40:00.000-08:00

In electromagnetism, a phenomenon analogous to an ordinary electric current, posited to explain magnetic fields that are produced by changing electric fields. Ordinary electric currents, called conduction currents, whether steady or varying, produce an accompanying magnetic field in the vicinity of the current. The British physicist James Clerk Maxwell in

Anorthoclase

2005-03-09T19:10:00.000-08:00

Any member of a continuous series of feldspar minerals related to sanidine (q.v.).

Novatian

2005-03-09T10:09:00.000-08:00

Novatian was ordained at Rome and about 250 became a leader of the Roman clergy, in whose name

Camden

2005-03-08T04:59:00.000-08:00

City, seat (1791) of Kershaw county, in north-central South Carolina, U.S. It was founded by English settlers along the Wateree River about 1733 and was originally known as Pine Tree Hill. It changed its name in 1768 to honour Charles Pratt, 1st Earl Camden, a British supporter of the colonial cause and became a contested site in the American Revolution (see Camden, Battle of). Afterward Camden

Quebec, Battle Of

2005-03-08T00:35:00.000-08:00

(December 31, 1775), in the American Revolution, unsuccessful American attack on the British stronghold. In the winter of 1775–76, American Revolutionary leaders detached some of their forces from the Siege of Boston to mount an expedition through Maine with the aim of capturing Quebec. On December 31, 1775, under General Richard Montgomery and Colonel Benedict Arnold, an inadequate force

Pre-columbian Civilizations, The nature of Andean civilization

2005-03-07T16:00:00.000-08:00

The coastal desert was inhabited for millennia by fishermen, and many of their settlements have been studied by archaeologists. The people in these communities were familiar with the sea and depended heavily on its products, but from very early times they also used and possibly cultivated native varieties of cotton. Textiles have been the major art form in the

Venice, Gulf Of

2005-03-06T23:06:00.000-08:00

Italian Golfo Di Venezia, northern section of the Adriatic Sea (an arm of the Mediterranean Sea), extending eastward for 60 miles (95 km) from the Po River delta, Italy, to the coast of Istria, in Slovenia and Croatia. It receives the Po, Adige, Piave, and Tagliamento rivers. Marshes, lagoons, and sandspits border the gulf's shores as far as Trieste, Italy, where the low plateau of the Istrian Peninsula begins.

Light-year

2005-03-06T09:39:00.000-08:00

In astronomy, the distance traveled by light moving in a vacuum in the course of one year, at its accepted velocity of 299,792,458 metres per second (186,282 miles per second). A light-year equals about 9.46053 ´ 1012 km (5.878 ´ 1012 miles), or 63,240 astronomical units. About 3.262 light-years equal one parsec (q.v.).

Serbia And Montenegro, Zeta

2005-03-06T03:47:00.000-08:00

The Slav peoples were organized along tribal lines, each headed by a zupan (chieftain). In this part of the Adriatic littoral, from the time of the arrival of the Slavs up to the 10th century, these local magnates often were brought into unstable and shifting alliances with other larger states, particularly with Bulgaria, Venice, and Byzantium. Between 931 and 960 one such zupan, Ceslav,

Rupert

2005-03-05T08:27:00.000-08:00

A member of the Wittelsbach dynasty, he was chosen king by the German ecclesiastical electors on Aug. 22, 1400, to succeed Wenceslas, who had been deposed the day before by the German princes. After being crowned at Cologne on Jan.

Sukhoy

2005-03-05T07:25:00.000-08:00

The Sukhoy design bureau has three

Earth Sciences

2005-03-04T23:25:00.000-08:00

Luria, Salvador

2005-03-04T11:35:00.000-08:00

Luria graduated from the University of Turin in 1935 and became a radiology specialist. He fled Italy for France in 1938 and went to the United States

Tabula Rasa

2005-03-03T21:11:00.000-08:00

Comparison of the mind to a blank writing-tablet occurs in Aristotle's De anima (4th century BC), and the Stoics as

China, Confucianism

2005-03-03T19:11:00.000-08:00

Confucianism was perceived by the Mongols as a Chinese religion, and it had mixed fortunes under their rule. The teachings of the Neo-Confucian school of Chu Hsi from the Sung period were introduced to the Mongol court at Chung-tu in the late 1230s but were confined to limited circles there and in North China. Confucian scholars enjoyed the benefits extended to the clergy

Telephone And Telephone System, Early telegraph facsimile

2005-03-03T07:26:00.000-08:00

Facsimile transmission over wires traces its origins to Alexander Bain, a Scottish mechanic. In 1843, less than seven years after the invention of the telegraph by Samuel F.B. Morse, Bain received a British patent for “improvements in producing and regulating electric currents and improvements in timepieces and in electric printing and signal telegraphs.” Bain's fax

Rodent

2005-03-02T23:59:00.000-08:00

Dysphagia

2005-03-01T18:59:00.000-08:00

Difficulty or pain in swallowing, caused by lesions or stricture of the upper digestive tract, obstruction of the upper digestive tract by tumours or foreign bodies, or disturbances in the nervous or muscular control of swallowing. Obstruction of the esophagus is the most common cause of dysphagia. People with dysphagia may experience a sensation that food or

Philanthropic Foundation

2005-03-01T18:20:00.000-08:00

A nongovernmental, nonprofit organization, with assets provided by donors and managed by its own officials and with income expended for socially useful purposes. Foundation, endowment, and charitable trust are terms used interchangeably to designate these organizations, which can be traced far back in history. They existed in the ancient civilizations of the

Berakah

2005-03-01T04:09:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Berakha, or Berachah (Hebrew: “blessing”), plural Berakoth, Berakot, Berachoth, or Berachot, in Judaism, a benediction (expression of praise or thanks directed to God) that is recited at specific points of the synagogue liturgy, during private prayer, or on other occasions (e.g., before performing a commandment or for being spared from harm in the face of danger). Most berakoth begin with the words Barukh Attah Adonai Eloheinu Melekh ha-Olam (“Blessed art Thou, O Lord

Yale University

2005-02-28T14:39:00.000-08:00

Private university in New Haven, Conn., one of the Ivy League schools. It was founded in 1701 and is the third oldest university in the United States. Yale was originally chartered by the colonial legislature of Connecticut as the Collegiate School and was held at Killingworth and other locations. In 1716 the school was moved to New Haven, and in 1718 it was renamed Yale College in honour

Pinochle

2005-02-27T16:05:00.000-08:00

Card game derived from bezique and most often played in North America. One popular version is auction pinochle, a three-handed game using two packs of 24 cards ranking ace, 10, king, queen, jack, and 9 of each suit. Each player is dealt 15 cards, 3 at a time; after the first 3 have been dealt, 3 are dealt to the table to form the widow. Bidding goes clockwise from the dealer's left. The lowest bid

Biblical Literature, Wanderings in the desert of Paran

2005-02-26T13:09:00.000-08:00

This section apparently combines various traditions of how the Israelites came into Palestine, and J, E (or JE), and P sources have been discerned in these chapters. The traditional “40 years” in the wilderness (38 or 39, according to critical calculations) were spent mostly in the wilderness of Paran, with a short stay in the oasis of Kadesh, according to P; while, according to J, they

Protein, Results of X-ray diffraction studies

2005-02-26T07:54:00.000-08:00

Most knowledge concerning secondary and tertiary structure of globular proteins has been obtained by the examination of their crystals using X-ray diffraction. In this technique X rays are allowed to strike the crystal; the X rays are diffracted by the crystal and impinge on a photographic plate, forming a pattern of spots. The measured intensity of the diffraction

Endocrine System, Phylum Chordata

2005-02-25T04:21:00.000-08:00

The phylum Chordata is separated into three subgroups (or subphyla). The invertebrate subphylum Tunicata consists of the marine tunicates, including the ascidians and salps. The invertebrate subphylum Cephalochordata includes the fishlike amphioxus (or lancelet). Amphioxus is a small marine animal that closely resembles the larva of the jawless fishes (class

Eads, James B.

2005-02-24T21:31:00.000-08:00

His writings are collected in Estill McHenry (ed.), Addresses and Papers of James B. Eads (1884). Florence L. Dorsey, Road to the Sea: The Story of James B. Eads and the Mississippi River (1947), is the standard work, a well-documented biography, based on research in technical and family papers. Louis How, James B. Eads (1900, reissued 1970), is by Eads's grandson. H.J. Hopkins, A Span of Bridges (1970), offers a good account of the building of the bridge. Quinta Scott and Howard S. Miller, The Eads Bridge (1979), includes a photographic essay.

Protein, Results of X-ray diffraction studies

2005-02-24T14:33:00.000-08:00

Judicial organ established in 1959 that is charged with supervising the enforcement of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (1950; commonly known as the European Convention on Human Rights), which was drawn up by the Council of Europe. The convention obligates signatories to guarantee various civil and political freedoms, including

Kempe, William

2005-02-23T23:01:00.000-08:00

The first record of Kempe as a performer is with the Earl of Leicester's Men on a tour of the Low Countries and Denmark in 1585–86. As

Teddington

2005-02-23T04:53:00.000-08:00

Residential area in the London borough of Richmond upon Thames, about 11 miles (18 km) southwest of central London. Teddington is situated on the north bank of the River Thames, and its large lock (1912) marks both the North Sea tidal limit on the Thames and the upstream limit of the jurisdiction of the Port of London Authority. The National Physical Laboratory is at

Performing Arts, Germany.

2005-02-22T05:42:00.000-08:00

Two notable films in a generally undistinguished year were Winfried Bonengel's Führer Ex, a dramatic investigation of contemporary neo-Nazism, seen as a legacy of communist oppression in the former East Germany, and Eoin Moore's Pigs Will Fly, a battered-wife story that observed the unhappy relationship through the psychology of the husband, himself a painfully

Stair-step Moss

2005-02-21T20:18:00.000-08:00

(Hylocomium splendens), plant of the order Bryales that covers areas of coniferous forest floor of the Northern Hemisphere and also occurs on dunes, ledges, and tundra. The fernlike shoots have many branches and reddish, glossy caulids (stems) with phyllids (leaves) up to 3 mm (0.12 inch) long. The capsules (spore cases) of the female plant are borne on setae (stalks) about 2 cm (0.8 inch)

Cellar

2005-02-21T09:44:00.000-08:00

Room beneath ground level, especially one for storing fruits and vegetables, both raw and canned, on a farm. A typical cellar may be beneath the house or located outdoors, partly underground, with the upper part mounded over with earth to protect from freezing and to maintain fairly constant temperature and humidity. Such a structure is sometimes called a root cellar.

Lista, Alberto

2005-02-21T08:16:00.000-08:00

At age 20, Lista held the chair of mathematics at a college in Sevilla (Seville); later (1807) he assumed the chair of rhetoric and poetry at the University of Sevilla. After spending

Percier, Charles; And Fontaine, Pierre (-françois-léonard)

2005-02-21T00:54:00.000-08:00

Percier and Fontaine became acquainted with each other while both were studying architecture in Paris.

Philetaerus

2005-02-19T21:23:00.000-08:00

Philetaerus initiated the policies that made Pergamum a leading centre of Greek civilization in the East. He served under Antigonus I Monophthalmus, successor to Alexander

Deng Yingchao

2005-02-19T15:17:00.000-08:00

Deng's involvement in political and social causes began in her youth. She joined the movement to abolish the custom of binding women's feet

Gobi, Climate

2005-02-18T10:36:00.000-08:00

The climate is acutely continental and dry: winter is severe, spring is dry and cold, and summer is warm. The annual temperature range is considerable, with average lows in January reaching -40° F (-40° C) and average highs in July climbing to 113° F (45° C); daily temperature ranges also can be quite large. The annual total precipitation varies from less than three inches in the west to more

Bribie Island

2005-02-18T01:31:00.000-08:00

Island off the southeastern coast of Queensland, Australia, at the northern extremity of Moreton Bay. The island is 20 miles (32 km) long and from 1 to 5 miles wide and has an area of 59 square miles (153 square km). Its surface, generally low with some higher sand ridges, is wooded with cypress pine. Matthew Flinders, the English navigator, landed in 1799 at its southern tip, which he named Skirmish

Buddhism, The Bka'-gdams-pa and Dge-lugs-pa

2005-02-17T19:14:00.000-08:00

The Bka'-gdams-pa school was based on the teachings of Atisa (an Indian monk who came to Tibet in the 11th century). It was founded by his chief disciple, 'Brom-ston (c. 1008–c. 1064), who emphasized austere discipline. The school produced the Bka'-gdams gces-bsdus (“Collection of the Sayings of the Bka'-gdams-pa Saints”), which preserves the often highly poetic utterances of those close to the founder.

Minamoto Tameyoshi

2005-02-17T08:47:00.000-08:00

The scion of a noted warrior family, Tameyoshi distinguished himself at the age of 19 by suppressing a riot against the court by soldier-priests of a monastery near the capital. Following this event, Tameyoshi

Gate

2005-02-16T23:50:00.000-08:00

In hydraulic engineering, movable barrier for controlling the passage of fluid through a channel or sluice. River and canal locks have a pair of gates at each end. When closed, the gates meet at an obtuse angle that points upstream in order to resist the water pressure. When opened, they swing into recesses in the walls of the lock. Gates also regulate the outflow of water

Aaron

2005-02-16T00:14:00.000-08:00

The traditional founder and head of the Jewish priesthood, who, with his brother Moses, led the Israelites out of Egypt. The figure of Aaron as it is now found in the Pentateuch is built up from several sources of traditions. In the Talmud and Midrash he is seen as the leading personality at the side of Moses. He has appeared in different roles in Christian

Aaron

2005-02-15T23:31:00.000-08:00

Greek Literature, Historical works

2005-02-15T00:25:00.000-08:00

Conscious as they were of their classical and biblical past, the Byzantines wrote much history. Until the early 7th century a series of historians recounted the events of their own time in classicizing style, with fictitious speeches and set descriptive pieces, in a genre that owed much to the classical Greek historians Thucydides and Polybius. Procopius, Agathias,

Strain

2005-02-14T17:30:00.000-08:00

In physical sciences and engineering, number that describes relative deformation or change in shape and size of elastic, plastic, and fluid materials under applied forces. The deformation, expressed by strain, arises throughout the material as the particles (molecules, atoms, ions) of which the material is composed are slightly displaced from their normal

Biblical Literature, The united monarchy

2005-02-14T01:27:00.000-08:00

The monarchy was initiated during the career of Samuel, a prophet of great influence and authority who was also recognized as a judge and is depicted in varying biblical accounts as either favouring or not favouring the reign of a human king over Israel. In any case, he anointed Saul, a courageous military leader of the tribe of Benjamin, as king (c. 1020 BCE). Saul won substantial

Judah Ha-levi

2005-02-13T18:55:00.000-08:00

Hebrew in full Yehuda Ben Shemuel ha-Levi Jewish poet and religious philosopher. His works were the culmination of the development of Hebrew poetry within the Arabic cultural sphere. Among his major works are the poems collected in Diwan, the “Zionide” poems celebrating Zion, and the Sefer ha-Kuzari (“Book of the Khazar”), presenting his philosophy of Judaism in dialogue

Hystero-epilepsy

2005-02-13T11:03:00.000-08:00

Hysterical seizures that resemble epilepsy and, in diagnosis, must be distinguished from it. In hystero-epilepsy the reflexes and responses to stimulation in the part of the body affected are normal, and the electroencephalogram shows no significant abnormality in the brain waves. Usually the person affected can be roused by painful stimuli and is never completely

Masirah

2005-02-13T03:24:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Masira, island of Oman, in the Arabian Sea, off the country's southeastern coast. The island is separated from the mainland by the narrow Tur'at (channel) Masirah. There is an airfield, occupied by the British until the late 1970s, at the northern tip. The Gulf of Masira lies between the island (north) and the Ra's (cape) al-Madrakah (south). Masirah is the habitat of large colonies of turtles. There

Scorpius

2005-02-12T20:47:00.000-08:00

In astrology,

Morocco, The pre-World War II period

2005-02-11T23:16:00.000-08:00

Abd al-Hafid

Poison

2005-02-11T17:43:00.000-08:00

In nuclear physics, any material that can easily capture neutrons without subsequently undergoing nuclear fission. Examples of poisons are the naturally occurring elements boron and cadmium and the fission products xenon-135 and samarium-149. In nuclear reactors, poisons act as parasitic neutron absorbers and lower the rate of fission.

Resserella

2005-02-11T17:31:00.000-08:00

Extinct genus of brachiopods (lamp shells) that occurs as fossils in marine rocks of Middle Ordovician to Lower Silurian age (421 to 478 million years old).Resserella has a dorsal shell whose margin is horizontal, and a distal, or upper, shell with an arcuate (bow-shaped) margin. Both valves are often gently convex. Surface markings consist of fine lines, and the internal structure

Mengelberg, Willem

2005-02-11T15:13:00.000-08:00

Trained as a pianist at the Cologne Conservatory, he became a conductor at Luzern, Switz., in 1891. He became renowned as an interpreter of Beethoven, Mahler, and Richard

Iran, Ancient, The Old Elamite period

2005-02-09T18:54:00.000-08:00

The earliest kings in the Old Elamite period may date to approximately 2700 BC. Already conflict with Mesopotamia, in this case apparently with the city of Ur, was characteristic of Elamite history. These early rulers were succeeded by the Awan (Shustar) dynasty. The 11th king of this line entered into treaty relations with the great Naram-Sin of Akkad (reigned c. 2254–c. 2218 BC). Yet a new ruling

Mughal Glass

2005-02-09T13:06:00.000-08:00

Bottles, hookah bowls, dishes, and spittoons

China, Social organization

2005-02-08T23:57:00.000-08:00

The basic unit of production and consumption in Chinese society remained the chia (“family”), consisting of kin related by blood, marriage, or adoption, with a common budget and common property. The Chinese family system was patrilineal; daughters married out, while sons brought in wives and shared the residence of their fathers. The head of the family, the patriarch, had

Uberlândia

2005-02-08T15:31:00.000-08:00

City, western Minas Gerais estado (“state”), Brazil. It lies along the Bom Jardim River, which is a tributary of the Araguari River (also known as the Velhas River), at 2,802 feet (854 m) above sea level. It was given city status in 1892. Uberlândia is a trade centre for a primarily agricultural and pastoral hinterland whose chief crops include cotton, corn (maize), rice, and feijão (beans). The city

Muar

2005-02-07T07:03:00.000-08:00

Also called Bandar Maharani, town and port on the southwestern coast of West Malaysia (Malaya). It lies along the strait of Malacca, at the mouth of the Muar River. An old town, it was occupied by the end of the 14th century AD by Parameswara, founder of the Malay kingdom of Malacca (Melaka). Naval battles involving neighbouring sultanates and kingdoms were fought at Muar in 1517, 1615, and 1616. The present town of Muar was

China, Social organization

2005-02-06T20:18:00.000-08:00

French national theatre created in 1920 to bring theatre to the general public. Its first director, Firmin Gémier, had been the director of the Théâtre Antoine and had made a number of attempts to create a people's theatre. Initially the TNP offered productions from the other national companies in a large hall with inexpensive tickets. It had no acting company, could not

Addison

2005-02-06T04:26:00.000-08:00

County, western Vermont, U.S. It is bounded by Lake Champlain (constituting the border with New York state) to the west and the Green Mountains to the east. Lowlands in the west give way to foothills and mountains in the east. The county is drained by Otter Creek, the state's longest stream, and its tributaries, the Lemon Fair, New Haven, Leicester, and Middlebury rivers. Other