EqualEngine

Arts, Central Asian, Mongols

2005-04-05T04:06:00.000-07:00

Genghis Khan (died 1227), the renowned Mongol conqueror, sacked and destroyed Bukhara in 1224, sparing only the 12th-century Kalyan tower, which was used for throwing criminals to their death. The 14th-century Turkic conqueror Timur, however, endowed Samarkand with new glory by building a series of religious monuments widely renowned for their splendour and decorative use of glazed

Bench

2005-04-04T02:13:00.000-07:00

Long seat that may be freestanding, fixed to the wall, or placed against the wall. Paneled benches were used by the Romans, and they were the most common form of seating in medieval halls at a time when a chair was a rare luxury. Benches were not only used as seats but were normally wide enough to be used for sleeping on or eating from; as the Frankish ecclesiastic and historian

Buckingham, George Villiers, 2nd Duke Of

2005-04-03T22:01:00.000-07:00

His father, the 1st Duke of Buckingham,

Cinecittà

2005-04-03T13:37:00.000-07:00

The studios were rebuilt after the war,

Alzon, Emmanuel D'

2005-04-03T07:19:00.000-07:00

D'Alzon studied in Paris, in Montpellier, and in Rome, where he was ordained (1834). He was named canon and vicar-general of Nîmes and retained this position until his death. In 1843 he acquired Assumption College in Nîmes, where he founded (1845) the congregation

Surduc Pass

2005-04-01T07:56:00.000-08:00

Also called Jiu Defile , or Jiu Pass Romanian Pasul Surduc pass, southwestern Romania. The Jiu River flows through the pass between the Vâlcan (west) and the Parâng (east) mountains, in the Transylvanian Alps (Southern Carpathians). The pass connects the Petrosani Depression (upper Jiu Valley) with the Plain of Oltenia. A road and the Bumbesti–Livezeni railway line, opened in 1947, follow the pass by means of 30 tunnels and several

Estates-general

2005-03-31T20:42:00.000-08:00

The origins of the Estates-General are to be found in traditions of counsel and aid and the development of corporate representation

Skepticism

2005-03-31T19:32:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Scepticism the philosophical attitude of doubting knowledge claims set forth in various areas. Skeptics have challenged the adequacy or reliability of these claims by asking what they are based upon or what they actually establish. They have raised the question whether such claims about the world are either indubitable or necessarily true, and they have challenged the

Sevilla, University Of

2005-03-30T16:55:00.000-08:00

The University of Sevilla

Infection, Rabies

2005-03-30T14:45:00.000-08:00

Rabies virus is associated with dogs, foxes, jackals, and wolves, among other smaller animals, and has an odd association with vampire bats. In the plains of South America, these bats feed on the blood of cattle, and the death of cattle from paralytic rabies is a serious economic problem there. The bats themselves become rabid and bite other bats, but the spread of rabies

Cellulose

2005-03-29T04:44:00.000-08:00

A complex carbohydrate, or polysaccharide, consisting of 3,000 or more glucose units. The basic structural component of plant cell walls, cellulose comprises about 33 percent of all vegetable matter (90 percent of cotton and 50 percent of wood are cellulose) and is the most abundant of all naturally occurring organic compounds. Nondigestible by man, cellulose is a food for herbivorous

Yung-lo

2005-03-27T11:41:00.000-08:00

In the early years of his reign, he seems to have been fascinated by the regions beyond China's southern borders, perhaps in part because of rumours that the emperor Chu Yün-wen had escaped overseas. In 1403 the Yung-lo emperor sent out three fleets under eunuch commanders to proclaim his accession throughout Southeast Asia as far as Java and southern India. More vigorously

Computers And Information Systems, E-Commerce.

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

E-commerce continued the downward slide that had begun in early 2000. In the first half of 2001, U.S. Internet advertising revenues declined 7.8% from the same period a year earlier. The on-line ad sales decline compared with revenue growth of 78% in 2000 and marked the end of several years of substantial growth in on-line ad revenues. The Interactive Advertising Bureau, a trade group, said the

Chain

2005-03-26T21:07:00.000-08:00

Also called Gunter's Chain, in surveying, a unit of length. See surveyor's chain.

Wilkes-barre

2005-03-25T17:47:00.000-08:00

Its permanent settlement began in 1769 when Major John Durkee, a veteran of the French and Indian War, settled a band

Police Technology

2005-03-25T09:48:00.000-08:00

Throughout the 20th century, improvements and innovations have been made in police transportation, communications, weaponry, laboratory facilities, and other areas, but these have scarcely more than kept pace with the pressures generated by denser urban populations, greater sophistication

Tzu-jan

2005-03-24T15:58:00.000-08:00

(Chinese: “naturalness”), in Chinese Taoism, an ideal state of human existence that results from living in complete harmony with the forces of nature. Taoists, observing that everything in the world has its natural state, strive to attain a state of complete spontaneity in order to become what nature intended them to be. As a consequence, life becomes exceedingly simple;

Kerr Electro-optic Effect

2005-03-24T07:07:00.000-08:00

In physics, the inducement of double refraction of light in a transparent substance when a strong electric field is applied in a direction transverse to the beam of light. In double refraction, the index of refraction (a measure of the amount the ray is bent on entering the material), and hence the wave velocity of light vibrating in the direction of the electric field,

Wandering Jew

2005-03-24T00:06:00.000-08:00

In horticulture, any of several popular houseplants in the family Commelinaceae. See spiderwort; Zebrina.

Fief

2005-03-23T06:42:00.000-08:00

In European feudal society, a vassal's source of income, held from his lord in exchange for services. The fief constituted the central institution of feudal society (see feudalism). It normally consisted of land to which a number of unfree peasants were attached; the land was supposed to be sufficient to support the vassal and to secure his knight service for the lord.

Bulbocavernosus Muscle

2005-03-22T19:54:00.000-08:00

Also called Bulbospongiosus, a muscle of the perineum, the area between the anus and the genitals. In the male, it surrounds the bulb (the enlarged inner end of the structure that surrounds the urethra) of the penis and can be contracted to expel the last drops of urine or semen. In the female it is divided into halves that extend from just behind the clitoris to the central tendon of the perineum and

Bahnaric Languages

2005-03-22T02:40:00.000-08:00

Branch of the Mon-Khmer family of languages, itself a part of the Austroasiatic stock. The Bahnaric branch is divided into West, Northwest, North, Central, and South subbranches. North Bahnaric languages, such as Sedang and Halang, are spoken primarily in central Vietnam. Central Bahnaric languages, such as Bahnar itself, are spoken in central Vietnam and adjacent parts

Team Handball

2005-03-21T15:29:00.000-08:00

A game consists of two 30-minute halves with an intermission,

Chat

2005-03-21T01:29:00.000-08:00

Australian chats are chiefly Epthianura species, usually placed in the family

Bradenton

2005-03-20T09:29:00.000-08:00

City, seat (1903) of Manatee county, west-central Florida, U.S. It lies on the south bank of the Manatee River near its mouth at Tampa Bay, about 10 miles (15 km) north of Sarasota. The explorer Hernando de Soto landed nearby, probably at Shaw's Point, in 1539 (an event commemorated by a national memorial). Founded in the 1840s, the city was named for an early settler, Joseph Braden, who planted sugar and

Wellington

2005-03-20T08:51:00.000-08:00

Town (“parish”), Taunton Deane district, administrative and historic county of Somerset, England, just west-southwest of Taunton. The first duke of Wellington (Arthur Wellesley, who took his title from the town), victor of the Battle of Waterloo (1815), is commemorated by a monument (National Trust property) on the highest point of the nearby Blackdown Hill. Wellington School, at

Gazelle Peninsula

2005-03-19T13:33:00.000-08:00

Peninsula extending northeast from the island of New Britain, Bismarck Archipelago, Papua New Guinea, southwestern Pacific. It is about 50 miles (80 km) wide but tapers to 20 miles (32 km) at the isthmus joining it to the main part of the island. From coastal plains its surface rises as high as 7,999 feet (2,438 m) at Mount Sinewit of the central Baining Mountains. The area is actively volcanic (Mount

Endangered Species

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

A number of agencies, both international and national, work to maintain lists of endangered species, to protect and preserve natural habitats, and to promote programs for recovery and reestablishment of these species. One such international agency is the Survival Service Commission of the International

Turdidae

2005-03-18T18:49:00.000-08:00

Members range in size from 11.5 to 33 centimetres (4.5 to 13 inches) long. They have slender bills and stout legs and feet, the lower leg smooth rather than scaly. Included

Tocantins River

2005-03-18T04:35:00.000-08:00

Portuguese Rio Tocantins river that rises in several headstreams, including the Paranã and Maranhão rivers, on the central plateau in Goiás state, Brazil. It flows northward through Goiás and then Tocantins states until it receives the Manuel Alves Grande River. Looping westward, it marks the boundary of Tocantins and Maranhão states as far as its junction with the Araguaia River. The Tocantins

Chia-i

2005-03-17T15:20:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Chiayi, shih (municipality) and seat of Chia-i hsien (county), on the western coastal plain of Taiwan. It lies at the foot of the A-li Mountains, on Taiwan's main north–south rail and highway routes. Narrow-gauge branch railways built by the Japanese (who occupied Taiwan from 1895 to 1945) run from Chia-i to the sugar-producing plains to the west and into the A-li Mountains for the transport of lumber.

Akkad

2005-03-17T10:26:00.000-08:00

Ancient region in what is now central Iraq. Akkad was the northern (or northwestern) division of ancient Babylonian civilization. The region was located roughly in the area where the Tigris and Euphrates rivers are closest to each other, and its northern limit extended beyond the line of the modern cities of al-Fallujah and Baghdad. The early inhabitants of this region

Ectoplasm

2005-03-16T23:31:00.000-08:00

In occultism, a mysterious, usually light-coloured, viscous substance that is said to exude from the body of a spiritualist medium in trance and may then take the shape of a face, a hand, or a complete body. It is normally visible only in the darkened atmosphere of a séance (q.v.). Ectoplasm is said to be the substance involved in the materialization of spiritual bodies, and

Tyus, Wyomia

2005-03-16T22:55:00.000-08:00

Tyus attracted national attention as a high-school runner and as an athlete at Tennessee State University (B.A, 1967). She made her Olympic debut at the 1964 Games in Tokyo, capturing the gold medal in the 100-metre race and

Endometriosis

2005-03-16T18:08:00.000-08:00

Rather than flowing out of the uterus by way of the vagina (during menstruation), some fragments of the endometrium may leave via the fallopian tubes and move into the pelvic

Florentine Diamond

2005-03-15T18:34:00.000-08:00

Clear, pale-yellow stone weighing 137 carats; of Indian origin, it was cut as a double rose with 126 facets. Once owned by Charles the Bold, duke of Burgundy, who lost it when he fell in battle in 1477, the stone came into the possession of Pope Julius II and the Medici family early in the 16th century. Maria Theresa of Austria acquired it through her marriage (1736) to the Duke of Tuscany, and it subsequently

Hyades

2005-03-14T23:33:00.000-08:00

Cluster of several hundred stars in the zodiacal constellation Taurus. As seen from Earth, the bright star Aldebaran appears to be a member of the cluster, but in fact Aldebaran is much closer to the Earth than the Hyades' distance of about 130 light-years. Five genuine members of the group are visible to the unaided eye. Their name (Greek: “the rainy ones”) is derived from the

Uijongbu

2005-03-13T16:49:00.000-08:00

City, Kyonggi do (province), north western South Korea. Uijongbu lies 12 miles (20 km) north of Seoul. Its name, meaning “the Cabinet” in old Korean, derives from its being the temporary site of the Cabinet office during the Choson (Yi) dynasty (1392–1910). The city was formerly the market centre for agricultural products grown in the surrounding area. It developed rapidly after the Korean War (1950–53) as

Owain Cyfeiliog

2005-03-13T10:39:00.000-08:00

After ruling over the people of Powys from 1149 to 1195, Owain retired to the Cistercian monastery of Strata Marcella (Ystrad Marchell), which he had established in 1170. He died and was buried there, despite his previous excommunication (1188) for failing to support the Third Crusade.

Hayek, Friedrich Von

2005-03-12T21:55:00.000-08:00

Hayek studied law, psychology, and economics at the University of Vienna, receiving a doctorate in 1923. He spent the following

Biblical Literature, The conclusion of the Sinai sojourn

2005-03-12T04:49:00.000-08:00

The book opens with a command from God to Moses, early in the second year after the Exodus, to take a census of the arms-bearing men over 20 in each of the clans of Israel. Moses and Aaron, aided by the clan chiefs, take the count, clan by clan, and reach a total of 603,550 men—according to critical scholars, an unbelievably large total for the time and conditions. The Levites, to whom is entrusted

Hadley, George

2005-03-11T18:36:00.000-08:00

Though educated in law, Hadley preferred physics to legal work. A pamphlet describing the quadrant and a Latin translation of this

Parsi

2005-03-11T01:02:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Parsee, member of a group of followers in India of the Iranian prophet Zoroaster. The Parsis, whose name means “Persians,” are descended from Persian Zoroastrians who emigrated to India to avoid religious persecution by the Muslims. They live chiefly in Bombay and in a few towns and villages mostly to the north of Bombay, but also at Karachi (Pakistan) and Bangalore (Karnataka,

Sarada Script

2005-03-10T15:07:00.000-08:00

Writing system used for the Kashmiri language by the educated Hindu minority in Kashmir and the surrounding valleys. It is taught in the Hindu schools there but is not used in printing books. Originating in the 8th century AD, Sarada descended from the Gupta script of North India, from which Devanagari (q.v.) also developed. The earliest inscriptions in Sarada script, found

Johannesburg

2005-03-09T22:57:00.000-08:00

One of the youngest of the world's major cities, Johannesburg was founded in 1886, following the discovery of gold. The city was initially part of the Transvaal, an independent Afrikaner, or Boer, republic that later became one of the four provinces of South Africa. Today the

Wagner, Carl

2005-03-09T09:36:00.000-08:00

Wagner was educated at the universities of Munich and Leipzig

Sarada Script

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

Also called interstitial-cell stimulating hormone (ICSH) one of two gonadotropic hormones (i.e., hormones concerned with the regulation of the gonads, or sex glands) that is produced by the pituitary gland. LH is a glycoprotein and operates in conjunction with follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). Following the release of the egg (ovulation) in the female, LH promotes the transformation of the graafian follicle (a small egg-containing

Traherne, Thomas

2005-03-08T11:57:00.000-08:00

The son of a shoemaker, Traherne was educated at the University of Oxford, ordained in 1660, and presented in 1661 to the living of Credenhill, which he held until 1674. From 1669 to 1674 Traherne lived in London and Teddington, serving as chaplain to Sir Orlando

Hippocratic Oath

2005-03-07T16:32:00.000-08:00

Ethical code attributed to the ancient Greek physician Hippocrates, adopted as a guide to conduct by the medical profession throughout the ages and still used in the graduation ceremonies of many medical schools. Although little is known of the life of Hippocrates—or, indeed, if he was the only practitioner of the time using this name—a body of manuscripts, called

Malay Language

2005-03-07T05:44:00.000-08:00

Member of the Western, or Indonesian, branch of the Austronesian (Malayo-Polynesian) language family, spoken as a native language by more than 33,000,000 persons distributed over the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Borneo, and the numerous smaller islands of the area, and widely used in Malaysia and Indonesia as a second language. Malay shows the closest relationship to most of the

Huang-shih

2005-03-06T16:44:00.000-08:00

Pinyin Huangshi, city in southeastern Hupeh sheng (province), China. It is situated on the south bank of the Yangtze River about 60 miles (96 km) southeast of Wu-han. The nucleus of the present city was a small market town called Shih-tan-yao, or Shih-hui-yao; Huang-shih was the name of the landing on the Yangtze serving the town. When the nearby Ta-yeh iron mines began to be exploited at the end of the

Hay Fever

2005-03-06T01:59:00.000-08:00

Also called rose fever or allergic rhinitis seasonally recurrent bouts of sneezing, nasal congestion, and tearing and itching of the eyes caused by allergy to the pollen of certain plants, chiefly those depending upon the wind for cross-fertilization, such as ragweed in North America and timothy grass in Great Britain. In allergic persons contact with pollen releases histamine from the tissues, which irritates

Harding, Florence

2005-03-05T10:20:00.000-08:00

Before returning to Marion, Florence destroyed many of the papers that could have documented more fully her role in what many observers consider the worst presidency in the country's history. She had worked hard to make her husband a success, but the revelations associated with the Teapot Dome Scandal made his flaws very clear. One biographer concluded that she was a “full partner” in Warren's presidency. She died in 1924 and was buried beside her husband in a large mausoleum near the house where they were married.

Pease, Edward Reynolds

2005-03-05T08:28:00.000-08:00

Born to a prosperous family, Pease left a business career and joined with Frank Podmore, a spiritualist and socialist writer, to found the Fabian Society in London in January 1884. The Fabians sought a gradualist approach to socialism in Britain. Early members

Andorra

2005-03-04T21:26:00.000-08:00

Andorra's independence is traditionally ascribed to Charlemagne, who recovered the

Ryle, Gilbert

2005-03-04T21:16:00.000-08:00

Ryle gained first-class honours at Queen's College, Oxford, and became a lecturer at Christ Church College in 1924. Throughout his career, which remained centred at Oxford, he attempted—as Waynflete professor of metaphysical

Barquisimeto

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

City, capital of Lara estado (“state”), northwestern Venezuela. Situated on a wide terrace of the Turbio River at 1,856 feet (566 m) above sea level, Barquisimeto is swept by the drying trade winds but has a warm climate (mean average temperature 75° F [24° C]). One of Venezuela's oldest cities, it was founded in 1552 by the Spanish interim governor Juan de Villegas, who originally named the city Nueva

Amplifier

2005-03-03T11:14:00.000-08:00

In electronics, device that responds to a small input signal (voltage, current, or power) and delivers a larger output signal that contains the essential waveform features of the input signal. Amplifiers of various types are widely used in such electronic equipment as radio and television receivers, high-fidelity audio equipment, and computers. Amplifying action

Chédiak-higashi Syndrome

2005-03-02T15:55:00.000-08:00

Persons with Chédiak-Higashi syndrome experience persistent or recurrent infections. Other symptoms associated with the disease include enlargement of the liver and spleen, partial albinism, and depressed activity

Miracle, Sacred places

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

Miracles are often connected with special sacred places. Normally these are natural shrines, such as sacred groves, or temples and sanctuaries in which a god or spirit lives or has manifested himself or in which his statue, symbol, holy objects, or relics are enshrined. Holy places, such as Mecca and the Ka'bah in Islam or the Buddhist stupas, are centres of pilgrimages

Madhya Pradesh, Transportation

2005-03-01T21:29:00.000-08:00

In comparison with other Indian states, Madhya Pradesh is poorly served with transport and communications facilities. The main railroads that pass through the state were originally laid down to connect the ports of Chennai (Madras), Mumbai (Bombay), and Kolkata (Calcutta) with their hinterlands. Important railway junctions include Bhopal, Ratlam, Khandwa, Bilaspur, and

Maremma

2005-03-01T20:43:00.000-08:00

In Etruscan and Roman times the Maremma was well-settled and known for its farms, which were drained by subterranean canals. Among the Etruscan towns situated on hilltops, Populonia, Cosa,

Vacarescu Family

2005-02-28T02:35:00.000-08:00

Ienachita (1740–99), after traveling and studying in St. Petersburg and Vienna, wrote poems inspired by Russian folk songs. He wrote the first Romanian grammar book (Gramatica româneasca, 1787). His chief poems, Amarîta turturea (“Sad Turtledove”) and Testamentul, reveal a high artistic

Yamato

2005-02-27T14:56:00.000-08:00

City, Kanagawa ken (prefecture), Honshu, Japan, in the eastern part of the Sagamihara Plateau. During the Tokugawa period (1603–1867) it was a local trade centre for the surrounding sericultural region. An air base of the Imperial Japanese Army, established in the city in 1942, was taken over by U.S. occupation forces after World War II. The city has rapidly industrialized since 1955, producing

Furniture, France

2005-02-27T02:13:00.000-08:00

The transitional phase in French furniture from Baroque to Rococo is called Régence. The heavy, monumental style of the earlier part of Louis's reign was gradually replaced by a lighter and more fluent curvilinear style. The leading exponent of the Régence style was Charles Cressent, ébéniste (“cabinetmaker”) to the regent Philippe II, duc d'Orléans. In his work the ormolu

Byrd, William, Of Westover

2005-02-26T14:55:00.000-08:00

His birthplace was the James River plantation home of his father, also named William Byrd, an Indian trader and slave importer. The boy went to school in England, travelled in Holland, and studied law in the Middle Temple, London.

Paul, Les

2005-02-26T04:30:00.000-08:00

Paul designed a solid-body electric guitar in 1941, but, by the time the Les Paul Standard was ready for production by the Gibson Guitar Company in 1952, Leo Fender had already mass-produced the Fender Broadcaster four years earlier, thus beating Paul to popular credit for the invention. Nonetheless, the

Westerwald Stoneware

2005-02-25T14:15:00.000-08:00

Salt-glazed stoneware produced in German towns such as Höhr, Grenzau, and Grenzhausen in the area known as the Westerwald. Their products (jugs, tankards, and the like), made from the 15th century to the present day, are molded, stamped with dies, and sometimes incised. Westerwald pottery received impetus from the immigration in the late 16th century of Anno Knütgen and his

Cromwell, Thomas, Earl Of Essex, Baron Cromwell Of Okeham

2005-02-25T00:50:00.000-08:00

Principal adviser (1532–40) to England's Henry VIII, chiefly responsible for establishing the Reformation in England, for the dissolution of the monasteries, and for strengthening the royal administration. At the instigation of his enemies he was eventually arrested for heresy and treason and executed.

Macapagal, Diosdado

2005-02-24T05:46:00.000-08:00

After receiving his law degree, Macapagal was admitted to the bar in 1936. During World War II he practiced law in Manila and aided the anti-Japanese resistance. After the war he worked in a law firm and in 1948 served as second secretary to the Philippine Embassy in Washington, D.C. The following

Biblical Literature, Early reign of David

2005-02-24T05:31:00.000-08:00

The Second Book of Samuel, as noted earlier, relates the exploits of David and the events of his monarchy. After mourning the death of Saul and executing an Amalekite who claimed to have killed the former king, David began to consolidate his position as the successor to Saul. He was anointed king of Judah at Hebron while Ishbosheth (“man of shame,” originally Ishbaal, or

Baptistery

2005-02-23T19:03:00.000-08:00

Hall or chapel situated close to, or connected with, a church, in which the sacrament of baptism is administered. The form of the baptistery originally evolved from small, circular Roman buildings that were designated for religious purposes (e.g., the Temple of Venus, Baalbek, Lebanon, AD 273, and the Mausoleum of Diocletian, Spalato [Split, Croatia], AD 300); but because baptism originally

Black Duck

2005-02-23T01:31:00.000-08:00

(Anas rubripes), highly prized game bird (family Anatidae) of eastern North America, inhabiting salt, brackish, and freshwater marshes, as well as lakes, rivers, and beaver ponds. These ducks winter from Nebraska to Texas and along the Atlantic coast from Nova Scotia to Florida; their preference for seafoods such as periwinkles and mussels enables them to winter so far

Hypoxia

2005-02-22T06:29:00.000-08:00

Condition of the body in which the tissues are starved of oxygen. In its extreme form, where oxygen is entirely absent, the condition is called anoxia. There are four types of hypoxia: (1) the hypoxemic type, in which the oxygen pressure in the blood going to the tissues is too low to saturate the hemoglobin; (2) the anemic type, in which the amount of functional hemoglobin is too

Palau

2005-02-21T03:33:00.000-08:00

Officially Republic of Palau , Palauan Belu'u era Belau , Palau also spelled Pelew country in the western Pacific Ocean. It consists of some 340 coral and volcanic islands perched on the Kyushu-Palau Ridge. The Palau archipelago lies in the southwest corner of Micronesia, with the Philippines 550 miles (885 km) to the west, New Guinea 400 miles (644 km) to the south, and Guam 830 miles (1,336 km) to the northeast. It reaches from latitude 2°55¢ to 8°12¢ N and from longitude 131°05¢ to 134°44¢ E. A huge barrier reef

Vanadzor

2005-02-20T23:43:00.000-08:00

Formerly (until 1935) Karaklis or (1935–93) Kirovakan city, northern Armenia. It lies at the confluence of the Pambak, Tandzut, and Vanadzoriget rivers. In 1826 the villages of Bolshoy and Maly Karaklis were merged into the town of Karaklis. Construction of the Tiflis-Karaklis-Alexandropol railway at the end of the 19th century speeded the town's development. In 1935 the name of Karaklis was officially changed to Kirovakan to

Cohn, Ferdinand (julius)

2005-02-19T23:44:00.000-08:00

Cohn was born in the ghetto of Breslau, the first of three sons of a Jewish merchant. His father spared no effort in the education of his precocious oldest child, and Ferdinand retained a melancholy

Black Obelisk

2005-02-19T19:41:00.000-08:00

Assyrian monument of King Shalmaneser III (reigned 858–824 BC). The most complete Assyrian obelisk yet discovered, it is decorated with cuneiform inscriptions and reliefs recording military campaigns and other triumphs, including payment of tribute by King Jehu of Israel (reigned 842–815). The 6-foot (1.8-metre) black basalt piece was discovered in 1845 at ancient Kalhu (or Kalakh; biblical Calah;

Wakayama

2005-02-19T18:41:00.000-08:00

City, Wakayama ken (prefecture), south-central Honshu, Japan. It is situated at the mouth of the Kino River, on the Kii Peninsula, and lies along the Kii Strait, which leads from the Pacific Ocean into the Inland Sea. It is the capital and largest city of Wakayama prefecture. The settlement's growth began in 1585 with the construction of a castle there by Hideyoshi Toyotomi. Wakayama

île-de-france

2005-02-17T13:21:00.000-08:00

Région encompassing the north-central French départements of Val-d'Oise, Seine-et-Marne, Seine-Saint-Denis, Paris, Hauts-de-Seine, Val-de-Marne, Essonne, and Yvelines and roughly coextensive with the historical region of the Île-de-France. The capital is Paris. The région is bounded by the départements of Eure to the northwest, Oise and Aisne to the north, Marne, Aube, and Yonne

Sculpture, Western, The Orientalizing period

2005-02-17T11:38:00.000-08:00

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,

Interior Design, Japan

2005-02-17T04:03:00.000-08:00

Interior decoration in Japan was much influenced by Chinese ideas, especially between the 8th and 12th centuries, but it developed along lighter, more austere and elegant lines. It has altered little since medieval days. The most important differences in modern design are that the matting has been extended to cover the whole of the wooden floor, and sliding doors have

Ma'daba

2005-02-17T03:27:00.000-08:00

An ancient city, Ma'daba was mentioned in the Old Testament as being laid waste by the Israelites under Moses when the Amorites refused passage through their territory (Numbers 21). It was subsequently

Andrews, Frank M(axwell)

2005-02-16T19:53:00.000-08:00

Graduating from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., in 1906, Andrews was commissioned in the cavalry, serving in the Philippines

Rousseau, Jean-baptiste

2005-02-16T10:23:00.000-08:00

The son of a poor cobbler, Rousseau as a young man showed a talent for satiric verse. He later attempted to produce several of his plays, becoming involved in a series of disputes and exchanges of insults with detractors and critics.

Condylarthra

2005-02-15T03:21:00.000-08:00

Extinct order of hoofed mammals that includes the ancestral forms of later, more advanced ungulates (hoofed mammals with a plant diet). The condylarths are transitional between the insectivores and advanced ungulates. The condylarths existed mostly in the Paleocene Epoch (66.4 to 57.8 million years ago), but some forms persisted through the Eocene Epoch into the Early Oligocene

Arval Brothers

2005-02-15T01:57:00.000-08:00

Latin Fratres Arvales, in ancient Rome, college or priesthood whose chief original duty was to offer annual public sacrifice for the fertility of the fields. The brotherhood, probably of great antiquity, was almost forgotten in republican times but was revived by Augustus and probably lasted until the time of Theodosius I. It consisted of 12 members, elected for life from the highest ranks,

Costa Rica, Flag Of

2005-02-14T22:29:00.000-08:00

Like other parts of the United Provinces of Central America, Costa Rica originally flew the federal flag of blue-white-blue stripes with a coat of arms in the centre. Adopted when Central America freed itself from Mexico in 1823, it drew its design inspiration from the flag of Argentina, one of the earliest Spanish colonies to proclaim independence. Even after the five

Canadian Imperial Bank Of Commerce

2005-02-13T23:38:00.000-08:00

The bank was established in 1858 as the Bank of Canada and reorganized in 1867 as the Canadian Bank of Commerce. The present name was assumed upon the merger in 1961 of the Canadian Bank of Commerce and the Imperial Bank of Canada (established in 1875). Over the years the bank has absorbed

Chromium Processing

2005-02-13T17:26:00.000-08:00

Chromium (Cr) is a brilliant, hard, refractory metal that melts at 1,857° C (3,375° F) and boils at 2,672° C (4,842° F). In the pure state, it is resistant to ordinary corrosion, resulting in its application as an electroplated protective coating for other metals. It dissolves in nonoxidizing mineral acids but not in aqua regia or nitric acid, which passivate

Brianchon, Charles-julien

2005-02-12T22:36:00.000-08:00

In 1804 Brianchon entered the École Polytechnique in Paris, where

Wilder, Gene

2005-02-12T14:23:00.000-08:00

As a youth in Milwaukee, Wilder was a student of the renowned acting instructor Herman Gottlieb, and in 1955 he graduated from the University of Iowa with a degree in theatre. In 1961 he joined the Actors Studio in New York City, where he studied under Lee

Ear Shell

2005-02-12T07:58:00.000-08:00

Any of various marine snails of the subclass Prosobranchia (class Gastropoda) that constitute the genus Haliotis and family Haliotidae. The characteristic planispiral shell has a broad, oblique aperture, which gives it an earlike shape. A series of perforations through the shell follow the spiral form. The inside of the shell is always nacreous, often in iridescent

Antelami, Benedetto

2005-02-12T07:07:00.000-08:00

Little is known of his life. It is believed that he served his apprenticeship in sculpture at Saint-Trophîme in Arles, Fr., and that this service may have influenced his sensitivity to French (particularly Provençal) stylistic developments. It is

Falkland Current

2005-02-10T15:34:00.000-08:00

Branch of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current in the Southern Hemisphere, flowing northward in the South Atlantic Ocean along the east coast of Argentina to about latitude 30° to 40° S, where it is deflected eastward after meeting the southward-flowing Brazil Current. Characterized by cold temperatures varying from 41° to 66° F (5° to 19° C), the current has a relatively low salinity averaging

Race, The persistence of race

2005-02-10T10:03:00.000-08:00

Race also continues to be the focus of discourse on specific topics. Among these are IQ, as in Steven Jay Gould, The Mismeasure of Man (1981); Mark Snyderman and Stanley Rothman, The IQ Controversy: The Media and Public Policy (1988); and Richard J. Herrnstein and Charles Murray, The Bell Curve: Intelligence and Class Structure in American Life (1994); and sports, as in John Hoberman, Darwin's Athletes: How Sport Has Damaged Black America and Preserved the Myth of Race (1997); and Jon Entine, Taboo: Why Black Athletes Dominate Sports and Why We Are Afraid to Talk About It (2000).

Exuma Cays

2005-02-10T05:51:00.000-08:00

Group of some 365 cays and islands, part of the Bahama Islands, situated in the Atlantic Ocean. The Exuma Cays begin some 35 miles (56 km) east-southeast of Nassau, stretch southeast in a gently curving arc for about 90 miles (145 km), and have an area of 112 square miles (290 square km). Most of the inhabitants live on the islands of Great Exuma and Little Exuma. The Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park, which includes

Mindanao

2005-02-09T10:59:00.000-08:00

Paleo-siberian Languages, Phonological features

2005-02-08T04:47:00.000-08:00

Typical phonological features of the Paleo-Siberian languages are postvelar consonants (i.e., sounds that are formed farther back in the mouth than /k/ and usually represented as q), vowel harmony of various kinds (e.g., the alternation of e and i in the form for ‘my' in Nivkh ñe-rla ‘my harpoon' and ñi-rly ‘my sky'), consonant alternations (e.g., the alternation between b, v, and f in Nivkh bal

Cbs Corporation

2005-02-07T21:56:00.000-08:00

Formerly (1928–74) Columbia Broadcasting System, or (1974–97) CBS Inc., major American broadcasting company and operator of the CBS national radio and television networks. The company was incorporated in 1927 as United Independent Broadcasters, Inc. Its name was changed a year later to Columbia Broadcasting System, Inc., and in 1974 it adopted the name CBS Inc. In 1995 CBS Inc. was bought by the Westinghouse Electric Corporation, which changed its name