LastTable

Hystaspes

2005-04-05T19:14:00.000-07:00

According to the 5th-century-BC Greek historian Herodotus, Hystaspes was governor of Persis under Cyrus II the Great and Cambyses II and accompanied Cyrus on his last campaign against the Massagetai in 530 BC. When Darius seized the throne in 522, Hystaspes was governor of Parthia and Hyrcania,

Loralai

2005-04-04T03:14:00.000-07:00

Loralai district (area 7,364 sq mi [19,073 sq km]), constituted in 1903, consists of a series of long, narrow valleys hemmed in by rugged mountains

Muharraq, Al-

2005-04-03T19:32:00.000-07:00

Taken

Oakley, Annie

2005-04-03T00:25:00.000-08:00

Phoebe Ann Moses early developed an amazing proficiency with firearms. As a child she hunted game with such success that, according to legend, by selling it in Cincinnati, Ohio, she was able to pay off the mortgage

Algae, Diagnostic features

2005-04-01T11:03:00.000-08:00

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

Sicilian Octave

2005-04-01T00:26:00.000-08:00

An Italian stanza or poem having eight lines of 11 syllables (hendecasyllables) rhyming abababab. The form may have originated in Tuscany about the 13th century, though little is known about its origins. The Sicilian octave was in use until the 16th century, when the madrigal overtook it in popularity.

Consonance

2005-03-30T18:01:00.000-08:00

As a poetic device, it is often combined with assonance (the repetition of stressed vowel sounds within words

Hormisdas, Saint

2005-03-30T17:43:00.000-08:00

Born of a wealthy family of Frosinone in the Campania, Hormisdas was married before he rose in the church. (His son became pope as Silverius.) Pope Symmachus made him deacon, and he was prominent in attendance

Obsidian

2005-03-28T00:53:00.000-08:00

Natural glass of volcanic origin that is formed by the rapid cooling of viscous lava. Obsidian is extremely rich in silica (about 35 to 80 percent), is low in water, and has a chemical composition similar to rhyolite. Obsidian has a glassy lustre and is slightly harder than window glass. Though obsidian is typically jet-black in colour, the presence of hematite (iron oxide) produces

Berakah

2005-03-27T15:31:00.000-08:00

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

Cloture

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

A cloture's

Kirkland Lake

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

Town, Timiskaming district, eastern Ontario, Canada. It is situated 125 miles (200 km) north-northwest of North Bay. Since the discovery of gold in the vicinity in 1911, at the time of the construction of the Ontario Northland Railway, the town has grown to become one of Canada's largest gold producers. During the bonanza years of 1927–28, dozens of mines sprang up along its “Golden Mile,” including

Ba'al Shem Tov

2005-03-24T21:22:00.000-08:00

The Besht's life has been so adorned with fables and legends that a biography in the ordinary historical sense is not possible. He came from humble and obscure beginnings in a village known to contemporary Jews as Okop or Akuf, depending on the Hebrew vocalization. As a young orphan he held various semi-menial posts connected with synagogues and Hebrew elementary

La Paz

2005-03-23T02:23:00.000-08:00

City, administrative capital of Bolivia, west-central Bolivia, situated some 42 miles (68 km) southeast of Lake Titicaca. La Paz, which lies between 10,650 and 13,250 feet (3,250 and 4,100 metres) above sea level, is the world's highest national capital. Visitors, upon arrival, find exertion difficult because of the rarefied atmosphere found at these elevations. The centre of the city lies in a deep, broad

Yamazaki Ansai

2005-03-21T23:09:00.000-08:00

A Buddhist monk early in life, Ansai began to study Confucianism and gradually turned against

Argentina, The economy

2005-03-21T22:40:00.000-08:00

Labour movements are covered in Ronaldo Munck, Ricardo Falcón, and Bernardo Galitelli, Argentina: From Anarchism to Peronism: Workers, Unions, and Politics, 1855–1985 (1987); David Tamarin, The Argentine Labor Movement, 1930–45: A Study in the Origins of Peronism (1985); and Charles Bergquist, Labor in Latin America: Comparative Essays on Chile, Argentina, Venezuela, and Colombia (1986).

Res Judicata

2005-03-19T11:24:00.000-08:00

It has long been held that one judicial contest is enough for the litigants on

Guzmán Blanco, Antonio

2005-03-19T08:38:00.000-08:00

Guzmán Blanco was the son of a famous journalist and politician, Antonio Leocadio Guzmán, who had married into the Blanco family of Caracas' upper class. He began his career by consolidating the support of provincial caudillos behind his leadership,

Amol

2005-03-18T15:21:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Amul town, northern Iran, on the Harhaz River. The exact date of the founding of the town is unknown and enshrouded in legend, but it is certain that there has been a town on the site since Sasanian times. During the Sasanian period, the district of Amol, together with the neighbouring district of Gilan, formed a Nestorian Christian episcopate. After the Arab conquest in the 8th century,

Arabian Sea, Submarine morphology and geology

2005-03-18T13:46:00.000-08:00

The Arabian Sea was formed within the past 150 million years (i.e., during the Mesozoic and Cenozoic eras) as the Indian subcontinent migrated north and collided with Asia. Stretching southeastward from Socotra is the submarine Carlsberg Ridge, which coincides with the belt of seismic activity in the Indian Ocean that divides the Arabian Sea into two major basins—the

Cartesianism

2005-03-18T04:56:00.000-08:00

The philosophical and scientific traditions derived from the writings of the French philosopher René Descartes (1596–1650).

Infection, Dacryocystitis and dacryoadenitis

2005-03-17T19:31:00.000-08:00

Inflammation of the tear sac, called dacryocystitis, is a common pediatric infection. It usually occurs after a long-term obstruction of the nasolacrimal duct (a tube that connects the eye with the nose, allowing proper drainage of the eye's secretions). This infection, caused by staphylococci or streptococci, produces tender swelling in the inner corner of the eye

Arabia, History Of, The Hejaz

2005-03-15T17:24:00.000-08:00

The Meccan sharifs were merely the nominees of Egypt until 1840, when the Egyptians evacuated Arabia. Thereafter the sharifs were usually semiautonomous beside the Ottoman governors of the Hejaz. Improved communications after the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 allowed the Ottoman Empire to send troops by sea to Arabia. An attempt to establish direct administration

Ramazan Dynasty

2005-03-15T15:19:00.000-08:00

In 1352 Ramazan, founder of the dynasty, was recognized by the Mamluk sultan of Egypt as the ruler of the Üçok branch of Oguz Turkmen in Çukurova. After a period of attempts to overthrow Mamluk suzerainty, the dynasty's principality about 1418 came under direct Mamluk control and lost its

Pinar Del Río

2005-03-15T09:39:00.000-08:00

Provincia, western Cuba, bounded on the north by the Gulf of Mexico, on the west by the Yucatán Channel, on the south by the Caribbean Sea, on the southeast by the Gulf of Batabanó, and on the east by La Habana province. Low mountain ranges, including the Sierra de los Órganos and the Sierra del Rosario, form the backbone of the territory, which has an area of 4,218 square miles (10,925 square

Family

2005-03-14T17:40:00.000-08:00

A group of persons united by the ties of marriage, blood, or adoption, constituting a single household and interacting with each other in their respective social positions, usually those of spouses, parents, children, and siblings. The family group should be distinguished from a household, which may include boarders and roomers sharing a common residence. It should

Christian Ii

2005-03-14T01:55:00.000-08:00

After serving as viceroy in Norway (1502, 1506–12), Christian succeeded his father, John, king of Denmark and Norway, in 1513. He obtained office by agreeing to a royal charter that granted extensive privileges to the nobility,

Digestive System Disease, Roundworms

2005-03-12T18:16:00.000-08:00

Roundworms, particularly Ascaris lumbricoides, may cause intestinal obstruction if present in sufficient numbers. As they mature from the larval state to the adult worm, roundworms migrate through the body, causing ascariasis, an infection characterized by fever, pneumonitis (lung inflammation), cholangitis (inflammation of the bile ducts), and pancreatitis

Xaignabouri, Muang

2005-03-12T16:28:00.000-08:00

The uplands of the area in which Xaignabouri is situated are sparsely occupied by Miao (Meo, or Hmong) and Khmu peoples,

Wright, Frank Lloyd

2005-03-12T07:53:00.000-08:00

Original name Frank Lincoln Wright architect and writer, the most abundantly creative genius of American architecture. His “Prairie style” became the basis of 20th-century residential design in the United States.

Affective Disorder

2005-03-11T06:51:00.000-08:00

Mental disorder characterized by dramatic changes or extremes of mood. Affective disorders may include manic (elevated, expansive, or irritable mood with hyperactivity, pressured speech, and inflated self-esteem) or depressive (dejected mood with disinterest in life, sleep disturbance, agitation, and feelings of worthlessness or guilt) episodes, and often combinations

Furniture, Wood

2005-03-09T06:35:00.000-08:00

A relatively cheap material, wood lends itself to various kinds of treatment; for example, it can be stained, painted, gilded, and glued.

Osei Tutu

2005-03-08T18:23:00.000-08:00

Osei Tutu had been a hostage in the Denkyera court but had escaped eastward to the powerful state of

Wu School

2005-03-08T04:51:00.000-08:00

Wade-Giles romanization Wu group of Chinese painters of the Ming dynasty active in the second half of the 15th and first half of the 16th centuries. They were scholar-artists who, in their “literati painting” (wenrenhua), perpetuated the personally expressive styles and attitudes of former artists such as the Four Masters of the Yuan dynasty, in contrast to their contemporaries of the Zhe school, who

Computers, The Analytical Engine

2005-03-07T15:18:00.000-08:00

The Analytical

Military Affairs

2005-03-05T22:17:00.000-08:00

(For a comparison of approximate strengths of selected regular armed forces, see Table III.) The issue of homosexuals in the armed forces made headlines in the U.S. throughout the year. The new president, Bill Clinton, was forced to back away from a campaign pledge to drop the 50-year ban on homosexuals serving in the military when he immediately ran into opposition within

Chianciano Terme

2005-03-05T04:45:00.000-08:00

Town and mineral spa, Siena provincia, Toscana (Tuscany) regione, central Italy. It lies at an elevation of 1,500 feet (450 m), just southeast of Montepulciano. The mineral springs, which have been frequented since Etruscan times, are located about 1.25 miles (2 km) from the town; they are a popular tourist attraction, and there are numerous hotels for the accommodation of visitors. The town

Wasil Ibn 'ata'

2005-03-04T15:36:00.000-08:00

As a young man Wasil went to Basra, Iraq, where he studied under the celebrated ascetic Hasan al-Basri and met other influential religious figures who lived there. In Wasil's time there began the discussions that led to the development of Islamic

Vanadic Anhydride

2005-03-04T10:23:00.000-08:00

Vanadium pentoxide, a compound of vanadium and oxygen widely used as an oxidation catalyst, as in the oxidation of unburned hydrocarbons in automobile exhaust (see vanadium).

Fibrocystic Disease

2005-03-03T04:45:00.000-08:00

Fibrocystic disease of the breast, also called chronic cystic mastitis, or cystic disease of the breast, most often occurs in women between the ages of 30 and 50. It is characterized by benign, noncancerous

Anteater

2005-03-03T01:58:00.000-08:00

Unlike the giant anteater, the lesser anteater, or tamandua (genus Tamandua), is arboreal as well as terrestrial. The two tamandua species are similar in size—about 1.2 metres (4 feet) long, including the almost hairless prehensile tail, which is used for climbing. They are often tan with a blackish “vest” around the shoulders and on the body, but some are

Christian Caste

2005-03-02T11:30:00.000-08:00

In India, the social stratification that persists among Christians, based upon caste membership at the time of an individual's own or of an ancestor's conversion. Indian Christian society is divided into groups geographically and according to denomination, but the overriding factor is one of caste. Caste groups may dine together and worship together, but, as a rule,

Perch

2005-03-02T07:31:00.000-08:00

The common and yellow perches are found, respectively, in the fresh waters of Eurasia

Earth, Constructing seismological Earth models

2005-03-01T02:42:00.000-08:00

Effectively what is done is to start with an initial estimate of the density and velocity distributions, calculate the observed properties (periods of oscillations, travel times, and so forth), compare these with the observations, and then refine the density and velocity distributions until the observed properties are satisfactorily reproduced. An elegant mathematical

Interior Design, Egypt

2005-02-28T18:46:00.000-08:00

In contrast with the monumental tombs and temples of stone, many of which remained intact to the 20th century, Egyptian houses were built of perishable materials, and, therefore, few remains have survived. Sun-dried or kiln-burnt mud bricks were used for the walls; floors consisted of beaten earth, and a thin coat of smooth mud plaster was often used as an internal wall

Van Nu En Straks Circle

2005-02-27T16:59:00.000-08:00

Group of writers associated with an influential Flemish review, Van Nu en Straks (“Today and Tomorrow”; 1893–94 and 1896–1901). Though holding a variety of opinions, they strove for an art that should comprehend all human activity and give universal significance to individual feelings. Led by August Vermeylen, they included Prosper van Langendonck, Emmanuel Karel de Bom, and Alfred Hegenscheidt.

Alcalde

2005-02-26T17:56:00.000-08:00

(from Arabic al-qadi, “judge”), the administrative and judicial head of a town or village in Spain or in areas under Spanish control or influence. The title was applied to local government officials whose functions were various but always included a judicial element. Types of alcaldes were differentiated according to the specialized nature of their judicial functions:

Farinacci, Roberto

2005-02-25T15:59:00.000-08:00

After dropping out of school to work for the railroad in Cremona (1909), Farinacci became an ardent Socialist. When World War I broke out, he advocated Italian intervention,

Frederick (i)

2005-02-25T05:12:00.000-08:00

Frederick was the eldest surviving son of the landgrave of Hesse-Kassel. He fought bravely for England during the War of the Spanish Succession (1701–14). His marriage in 1700 to Louise of Prussia ended with her death in 1705, and in 1715 he married

North Lincolnshire

2005-02-24T21:25:00.000-08:00

Unitary authority, geographic and historic county of Lincolnshire, England, comprising a low plain on the south shore of the River Humber estuary that extends inland to the northernmost Lincolnshire Wolds and the reclaimed wetlands of the Isle of Axholme along the River Trent. The unitary authority covers a largely rural and agricultural area. Its fertile lands

Foltz, Clara Shortridge

2005-02-24T16:25:00.000-08:00

Clara Shortridge taught school in her youth and in 1864 married Jeremiah R. Foltz, with whom she moved to California.

Consumerism

2005-02-23T23:37:00.000-08:00

Consumer

Puerto Cortés

2005-02-23T19:38:00.000-08:00

City, northwestern Honduras, situated on the Gulf of Honduras. It is backed by Alvarado Lagoon and extends for 2 miles (3 km) along the southern shore of Caballos Point. Puerto Cortés serves as the seaport for San Pedro Sula and the Sula Valley. The town was founded in 1524 as Puerto Caballos, just to the south across Cortés Bay, but was moved and had its name changed to Puerto

Star

2005-02-21T18:30:00.000-08:00

Throughout the Milky Way Galaxy (and even near the Sun itself), astronomers have discovered stars that are well evolved or even approaching extinction, or both, as well as occasional stars that must be very young or still in the process of formation. Evolutionary effects on these stars are not negligible, not even for a middle-aged star such as the Sun. More massive stars

Biblical Literature, The significance of Elisha

2005-02-21T15:30:00.000-08:00

The stories of Elijah and his successor, Elisha, are of a different literary genre from the historical accounts of the political developments of the 9th century. The historical accounts are based on the viewpoints and biases of the monarchy, nobility, and military leaders. The stories of Elijah and Elisha are legendary, popular accounts, probably having arisen among

Haldimand, Sir Frederick

2005-02-21T03:30:00.000-08:00

Haldimand entered British service in 1756 as a lieutenant colonel in the Royal American Regiment. He served in Sir Jeffrey Amherst's expedition (1760) against Montreal during the Seven Years' War between Great Britain and France, then stayed there as second in command

Percy Family

2005-02-20T23:05:00.000-08:00

The family was founded by William de Percy (c. 1030–96), a follower of William I the Conqueror, who bestowed on him a great fief in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. His grandson William (d. 1175) was the last of the house in the direct line, leaving two daughters and coheiresses, Maud, who died childless,

Spalding, Mother Catherine

2005-02-19T16:32:00.000-08:00

Spalding was taken to frontier Kentucky by her widowed mother about 1799. She was later orphaned and reared by relatives. In December 1812 the Reverend (later Bishop)

Hieroglyphic Writing

2005-02-19T03:42:00.000-08:00

The system of hieroglyphic writing has two basic features: first, representable objects are portrayed as pictures (ideograms) and, second, the picture signs are given the phonetic value of the words for these represented objects (phonograms). At the same time, these signs are also written to designate homonyms, similar-sounding words. The writing disregards vowels

Silver Age

2005-02-17T18:48:00.000-08:00

In Latin literature, the period from approximately AD 18 to 133, which was a time of marked literary achievement second only to the previous Golden Age (70 BC–AD 18). By the 1st century AD political patronage of the arts begun in the Augustan Age (43 BC–AD 18) and a stifling reverence for the literature of the Golden Age, particularly for the poetry of Virgil, had led to a general decline in original literary

Mclean, Jackie

2005-02-17T11:41:00.000-08:00

From a musical family, McLean became known as a fine altoist in his teens and first recorded in 1951, with Miles Davis, playing “Dig” (also called “Donna”), a McLean theme that became a jazz standard. McLean played in Charles Mingus' and Art Blakey's groups, then

Paestum

2005-02-17T06:13:00.000-08:00

Poseidonia was probably founded about 600 BC by Greek colonists from Sybaris, along the Gulf of Taranto, and it had become a flourishing town by 540, judging from its temples.

Arts, Native American, Andean peoples

2005-02-16T00:54:00.000-08:00

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

Balao

2005-02-15T09:31:00.000-08:00

Oil port, northwestern Ecuador, on the Pacific Ocean, adjacent to Esmeraldas city. Its development is entirely due to its choice as the terminus for the Trans-Ecuadorian Pipeline, built 1970–72 to exploit the rich petroleum deposits of Ecuador's Napo province, in El Oriente region, the tropical rainforest of the headwaters of the Amazon east of the Andes. Balao's terminal, opened

Endocarditis

2005-02-14T21:05:00.000-08:00

Inflammation of the heart lining, or endocardium. The inflammation may be associated with a noninfectious disease or may be caused by infection with any of a number of organisms, including bacteria and fungi. The site of the infection is usually the lining of the heart valves. Traditionally, infective endocarditis was classified as acute or subacute; more recently

Argentina, Soils

2005-02-14T13:26:00.000-08:00

Soil types in Argentina range from the light-coloured saline formations of the high puna in the Northwest to the dark, humus-rich type found in the Pampas. Golden-brown loess soils of the Gran Chaco are sometimes lighter where salinity is excessive but turn darker toward the east in the Mesopotamian border zone. These give way to soils ranging from rust to deep red

Mid Bedfordshire

2005-02-13T06:36:00.000-08:00

District, administrative county of Bedfordshire, south-central England. The district lies almost entirely within the historic county of Bedfordshire, but a small area north of Sandy belongs to the historic county of Cambridgeshire. Predominantly rural, Mid Bedfordshire extends across a broad valley within the River Ouse catchment basin and is crossed by a low

Hveragerdhi

2005-02-12T18:45:00.000-08:00

Village, southwestern Iceland. It lies midway between the lake of Thingvallavatn to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the south. The centre of Iceland's hothouse industry, Hveragerdhi is noted for its fruit (especially tomatoes and even bananas), vegetables, and flowers, all of which are grown under glass. The hothouses are heated by steam from the numerous hot springs

Bradford

2005-02-12T16:29:00.000-08:00

City, McKean county, northern Pennsylvania, U.S., on the forks of the Tunungwant (Tuna) River, near the New York state border. Settlers first came to the area about 1823 or 1827, but Bradford itself was not established until 1837. First called Littleton, it took the name Bradford after 1854, probably for the New Hampshire home of many of its settlers. The discovery of oil (1871) brought sudden wealth,

Gamelyn, The Tale Of

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

Anonymous English metrical romance of about 1350, some 900 lines long, written in the East Midland dialect of Middle English, in rhymed couplets. Based on English folklore, it tells of Gamelyn, son of Sir John de Boundys, who is deprived of his inheritance by his brother and becomes an outlaw in the forest. Eventually he is able to regain his estates, and the sheriff who had helped

Armour

2005-02-10T10:06:00.000-08:00

Types of armour generally fall into one of three main categories: (1) armour made of leather, fabric, or mixed layers of both, sometimes reinforced by quilting or felt, (2) mail, made of interwoven rings of iron or steel,

Yamato-e

2005-02-09T10:26:00.000-08:00

Yamato-e is a calculated

Affidavit

2005-02-09T09:41:00.000-08:00

A written statement of fact made voluntarily, confirmed by the oath or affirmation of the party making it, and signed before a notary or other officer empowered to administer such oaths. Affidavits generally name the place of execution and certify that the person making it states certain facts and appeared before the officer on a certain date and “subscribed and

Zahir Shah, Mohammad

2005-02-09T06:51:00.000-08:00

The sons of Mohammed Nader Shah, Zahir Shah and his brothers reasserted central government control during a period of anarchy and banditry in the late 1920s. Zahir Shah came to the throne at the age of 19, after the assassination of his father in November 1933, having previously served as

Domino Theory

2005-02-07T14:44:00.000-08:00

Also called Domino Effect, theory in U.S. foreign policy after World War II stating that the “fall” of a noncommunist state to communism would precipitate the fall of noncommunist governments in neighbouring states. The theory was first proposed by President Harry S. Truman to justify sending military aid to Greece and Turkey in the 1940s, but it became popular in the 1950s when President Dwight D. Eisenhower

Hydra

2005-02-07T04:45:00.000-08:00

In Greek legend, the offspring of Typhon and Echidna, a gigantic monster with nine heads (the number varies), the centre one immortal. The monster's haunt was the marshes of Lerna near Argos. The destruction of Hydra was one of the 12 Labours of Heracles, which he accomplished with the assistance of Iolaus. As one head was cut off, two grew in its place; therefore, they finally

Berceo, Gonzalo De

2005-02-05T21:48:00.000-08:00

Berceo's subjects were religious

Cable

2005-02-05T03:15:00.000-08:00

The most common type of electric power cable is that which is suspended overhead between poles or steel towers. These aerial cables consist of a number of wires, usually of copper or aluminum, twisted (stranded) together in concentric layers. Copper or aluminum is chosen for high electrical conductivity, while stranding gives the cable flexibility. Because aerial

Medicine, History Of, Early Greece

2005-02-04T20:00:00.000-08:00

The transition from magic to science was a gradual process that lasted for centuries, and there is little doubt that ancient Greece inherited much from Babylonia and Egypt, and even India and China. Twentieth-century readers of the Homeric tales the Iliad and the Odyssey may well be bewildered by the narrow distinction between gods and men among the characters

Ibn Khaldun

2005-02-04T03:29:00.000-08:00

In full Wali al-Din 'Abd al-Rahman ibn Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr Muhammad ibn al-Hasan Ibn Khaldun the greatest Arab historian, who developed one of the earliest nonreligious philosophies of history, contained in his masterpiece, the Muqaddimah (“Introduction”). He also wrote a definitive history of Muslim North Africa.

Floral Decoration, China and Korea

2005-02-03T01:38:00.000-08:00

The ancient Chinese could enjoy and feel themselves at one with the growth, maturity, and decline of a few flowers or a branch. The floral expressions of the Chinese have traditionally been based on the Confucian art of contemplation, the Buddhist principle of preservation, and Taoist symbolism. For the Confucian, a floral arrangement was philosophically contemplated

France, History Of, Education

2005-02-02T11:41:00.000-08:00

In the 6th century, especially in southern Gaul, the aristocracy and, consequently, the bishops drawn from it preserved an interest in traditional classical culture. Beginning in the 7th century, the Columbanian monasteries insisted on the study of the Bible and the celebration of the liturgy. In the Carolingian era these innovations shared the focus of education

Biblical Literature, Apocryphal and pseudepigraphal writings

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

The importance of the discovery is very great; the scrolls of books of the Old Testament caused a new evaluation of the history of the text of the Hebrew Bible; fragments of the Apocrypha (Sirach and Tobit) and of already known and unknown Pseudepigrapha enlarge knowledge about Jewish literature of the intertestamental period, and the properly sectarian scrolls

World War I, The collapse of Austria-Hungary

2005-01-31T19:12:00.000-08:00

The duality of the Habsburg monarchy had been underlined from the very beginning of the war. Whereas the Austrian parliament, or Reichsrat, had been suspended in March 1914 and was not reconvened for three years, the Hungarian parliament in Budapest continued its sessions, and the Hungarian government proved itself constantly less amenable to dictation from the military

Shensi, The early period

2005-01-31T16:39:00.000-08:00

The northern parts of Shensi, particularly the Wei Valley, were some of the earliest settled parts of China. In the valley some remains of the Mesolithic Period have been found, while there are Neolithic Yang-shao culture sites spreading along the whole of the west–east corridor from Kansu to Honan, showing that this was already an important route. Chinese Neolithic

Gable

2005-01-31T06:02:00.000-08:00

The architectural treatment of a gable results from the effort to find an aesthetically pleasing solution to the problem of keeping water out of the intersection of walls and roof. This is accomplished either by

Theatre, Western, Imitation of Greek models

2005-01-29T07:01:00.000-08:00

In the literary theatre, plot invention and characters were largely taken from Greek plays. Livius Andronicus, a Greek living in Rome, was the first to adapt Greek plays (in 240 BC), and his example was followed in 235 BC by the poet Gnaeus Naevius, a native of Campania. Naevius can be regarded as the first native Italian playwright, and the genre of comedies he founded was called fabula

Atheism

2005-01-28T23:05:00.000-08:00

In general, the critique and denial of metaphysical beliefs in God or spiritual beings. As such, it is usually distinguished from theism, which affirms the reality of the divine and often seeks to demonstrate its existence. Atheism is also distinguished from agnosticism, which leaves open the question whether there is a god or not, professing to find the questions

O'shaughnessy, Arthur

2005-01-28T08:01:00.000-08:00

O'Shaughnessy became a copyist in the library of the British Museum at age 17 and later became a herpetologist in the museum's zoological department. He published four volumes of verse: An Epic of Women (1870), Lays of France (1872), Music and Moonlight (1874), and Songs of a Worker (1881). O'Shaughnessy

Antandroy

2005-01-27T20:41:00.000-08:00

Also called Antampatrana, a Malagasy people living in southernmost Madagascar. Numbering about 500,000 in the late 20th century, the Antandroy (“People of the Thorn Bush”) speak one of the Malagasy languages, a group of closely related Western Austronesian languages; Antandroy chiefs claim Indian origins. The Antandroy maintained their independence from interior or western Malagasy kingdoms (e.g.,

China, KMT opposition to radicals

2005-01-26T13:08:00.000-08:00

The two parties competed for direction of nationalist policy, control of mass organizations, and recruitment of new members. Under Comintern coaching, the Communist strategy was to try to split the KMT, drive out its conservative members, and turn it to an ever more radical course. In August 1925, KMT conservatives in Canton tried to stop the leftward trend. One of the strongest

Shariqah, Ash-

2005-01-26T09:24:00.000-08:00

English Sharjah constituent emirate of the United Arab Emirates (formerly Trucial States, or Trucial Oman). Some of ash-Shariqah's interior boundaries are only presumptive, but its main portion is an irregularly shaped tract, oriented northwest–southeast, stretching about 60 miles (100 km) from the Persian Gulf (northwest) to the central inland region of the Oman promontory (southeast).

Antibody

2005-01-26T00:36:00.000-08:00

When an alien substance

Hard-boiled Fiction

2005-01-25T04:52:00.000-08:00

A tough, unsentimental style of American crime writing that brought a new tone of earthy realism or naturalism to the field of detective fiction. Hard-boiled fiction used graphic sex and violence, vivid but often sordid urban backgrounds, and fast-paced, slangy dialogue. Credit for the invention of the genre belongs to Dashiell Hammett (1894–1961), a former Pinkerton detective

Metaplasia

2005-01-24T07:20:00.000-08:00

In zoology, the conversion of one type of living cell or group of cells into another as a means of regeneration. For example, the damaged or removed lens of a salamander eye is replaced through the transformation of nearby pigmented iris cells into lens cells. The regeneration of brain tissue from epidermis in annelid worms is another well-documented example of metaplasia.

Gwalior

2005-01-24T01:46:00.000-08:00

The old city of Gwalior centres on a walled fortress, one of the most famous in India,

Béziers

2005-01-23T10:15:00.000-08:00

City, Hérault département, Languedoc-Roussillon région, southern France, 9 miles (14 km) from the Mediterranean Sea, on a hilly site overlooking the Orb River where it is intersected by the Canal of the Midi, southwest of Montpellier. There are remains of an arena from the Roman colony Beterrae. In the 12th century it was a stronghold of the viscounts of Carcassonne. In 1209 Simon

Qurayyat, Al-

2005-01-23T08:26:00.000-08:00

Mintaqah (province), western Northern region, northwestern Saudi Arabia. It is bordered by the manatiq (provinces) of al-Hudud ash-Shamaliyah to the northeast, al-Jawf to the east, and Tabuk to the south, and by Jordan on the north. Al-Qurayyat fronts the Gulf of Aqaba on the west. The mintaqah is mostly upland plateau with rock and gravel and is covered with grass and shrub that are used

Fable, Parable, And Allegory, Allegory

2005-01-22T11:45:00.000-08:00

Allegory, as the basic process of arousing in the reader or listener a response to levels of meaning, provides writers with the structure of fables, parables, and other related forms. By awakening the impulse to question appearances and by bringing order to mythological interpretation, allegory imparts cultural values. A measure of allegory is present in literature

Pendle

2005-01-21T00:28:00.000-08:00

Borough (district), administrative county of Lancashire, England, on the eastern boundary of the county. Most of the borough—including its largest towns Burnley, Nelson, and Colne—lies in the historic county of Lancashire, but an area in the northeast, including the towns of Barnoldswick and Earby, belongs to the historic county of Yorkshire. The borough takes its name