PhysicalPluto

organic bed linen

2006-10-29T13:30:00.000-08:00

Livs range of soft luxurious bed linenis sourced ethically from India and using a fair trade policy. Liv also provide duvet cover set and bath towel set.

Ankle

2005-04-04T11:12:00.000-07:00

In humans, hinge-type, freely moving synovial joint between the foot and leg. The ankle contains seven tarsal bones that articulate (connect) with each other, with the metatarsal bones of the foot, and with the bones of the lower leg. The articulation of one of the tarsal bones, the ankle bone (talus, or astragalus), with the fibula and tibia of the lower leg forms the actual

Marcello, Benedetto

2005-04-03T19:35:00.000-07:00

Italian composer and writer, especially remembered for two works: the satirical pamphlet Il teatro alla moda (1720); and Estro poeticoarmonico (1724–26), a setting for voices and instruments of the first 50 psalms in an Italian paraphrase by G. Giustiniani. Il teatro alla moda is an amusing pamphlet in which Marcello vented his opinions on the

Bahrain, Settlement patterns

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

The majority of the population now dwells in towns, but in the north and northwest of the main island, where irrigation has long been carried out using artesian water, there are numerous small villages and isolated dwellings where horticulture is the way of life. This area has an aspect of great fertility, which contrasts starkly with the bare desert appearance of

Gobi, Physiography

2005-04-02T22:15:00.000-08:00

The Ka-shun Gobi is bounded by the spurs of the Tien Shan to the west and the Pei Mountains to the south and rises to elevations as high as 5,000 feet (1,524 metres). It is gently corrugated, with a complex labyrinth of wide

Tapestry, 14th century

2005-04-01T22:20:00.000-08:00

In the 14th century the western European tradition of tapestry became firmly established. At that time the most sophisticated centres of production were in Paris and Flanders. Large numbers of tapestries are recorded in inventories. The more luxurious standards of living being adopted by the wealthy of the Gothic period extended the use of tapestries beyond the

Abu Al-'atahiyah

2005-04-01T01:14:00.000-08:00

Abu al-'Atahiyah (“Father of Craziness”) came from a family of mawlas, poor non-Arabs who were clients of the 'Anaza Arab tribe. The family's poverty prevented Abu al-'Atahiyah from receiving

Socrates, Xenophon

2005-03-31T18:41:00.000-08:00

Among the compositions of Xenophon, the one that gives the fullest portrait of Socrates is Memorabilia. The first two chapters of Book I of this work are especially important, because they explicitly undertake a refutation of the charges made against Socrates at his trial; they are therefore a valuable supplement to Xenophon's Apology, which is devoted entirely

Waffle

2005-03-31T13:54:00.000-08:00

Crisp raised cake baked in a waffle iron, a hinged metal griddle with a honeycombed or fancifully engraved surface that allows a thin layer of batter to cook evenly and crisply. Baking powder is the typical leavening in American waffles, and yeast waffles are eaten in Belgium and France. In the United States and Canada waffles are a popular breakfast food, topped with

Los Alamos

2005-03-29T18:01:00.000-08:00

The first white settlers arrived in the 1880s, and the county, named for its seat, was established out of parts of Santa Fe and Sandoval counties in 1949; in 1969 the Los Alamos county and city governments were integrated into one government.

Alchevsk

2005-03-28T20:13:00.000-08:00

Formerly (1931–61) Voroshilovsk , or (1961–92) Kommunarsk city, Luhansk oblast (province), eastern Ukraine. It lies along the railway from Luhansk to Debaltsevo. Alchevsk was founded in 1895 with the establishment of the Donetsko-Yuryevsky ironworks. The plant has developed into a large, integrated ironworks and steelworks, which was expanded greatly in the 1950s and '60s. The city is a major bituminous-coal mining centre, and there are

Salamanca

2005-03-28T14:20:00.000-08:00

As an important Iberian settlement, it was ravaged by the Carthaginian general Hannibal in 217 BC. A Roman

Race, Japan's minority peoples

2005-03-27T02:13:00.000-08:00

A few ethnographic studies have suggested to some that a form of racial ideology may also have developed independently of the West in some traditional societies such as that of Japan, where various minority peoples, notably the burakumin (pejoratively called Eta) and the Ainu, have been victimized and exploited by the dominant society. Discrimination against

Nitrogen Group Element, Commercial production and uses

2005-03-27T00:25:00.000-08:00

High-grade or enriched stibnite reacts directly with scrap iron in the molten state, liberating antimony metal. The metal can also be obtained by conversion of stibnite to the oxide, followed by reduction with carbon. Sodium sulfide solutions are effective leaching agents for the concentration of stibnite from ores. Electrolysis of these solutions produces

Huynh Tan Phat

2005-03-26T10:34:00.000-08:00

While

Cincinnati

2005-03-25T15:14:00.000-08:00

City, seat of Hamilton county, southwestern Ohio, U.S. It lies along the Ohio River (bridged) opposite Covington and Newport, Kentucky, 15 miles (24 km) east of the Indiana border. Cincinnati is Ohio's third largest city, after Cleveland and Columbus. Picturesquely situated between the Little Miami and Great Miami rivers at their influx into the Ohio, it is encircled by hills rising

Spanish North Africa

2005-03-25T08:47:00.000-08:00

Five small areas, in special relationship with the Spanish government, on and off the Mediterranean coast of Morocco. They are Alhucemas, Ceuta, the Chafarinas Islands, Melilla (qq.v.), and Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera, with a combined area of about 12 square miles (31 square km). Ceuta is administered as part of Cádiz province, the rest as part of Málaga province.

Digestive System Disease, Roundworms

2005-03-24T22:01:00.000-08:00

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

Amphibolite

2005-03-23T16:31:00.000-08:00

A rock composed largely or dominantly of minerals of the amphibole group. The term has been applied to rocks of either igneous or metamorphic origin. In igneous rocks, the term hornblendite is more common and restrictive; hornblende is the most common amphibole and is typical of such rocks. Hornblendite is an ultramafic rock (dominantly dark minerals) and is also

Hydrologic Sciences, Concern over groundwater quantity and quality

2005-03-22T02:21:00.000-08:00

Groundwater problems are becoming increasingly serious in many areas of the world. Rapid increases in the rates of pumping of groundwater in many aquifers has caused a steady lowering of water table levels where extraction has exceeded rates of recharge. A notable example is the Ogallala aquifer, a sandy formation some 100 metres thick, which lies beneath the Great

Seymour, David

2005-03-22T00:08:00.000-08:00

Seymour studied graphic arts in Warsaw and in 1931 went to Paris to study at the Sorbonne, where he became interested in photography. During this period he befriended

Gong Xian

2005-03-20T23:06:00.000-08:00

Short, broad vertical strokes characterize Gong's paintings, which, like those of Ni Zan in the Yuan dynasty (1206–1368), typically contain no human figures; yet in contrast

Industrial Diamond

2005-03-20T22:21:00.000-08:00

Any diamond that is designated for industrial use, principally as a cutting tool or abrasive. In general, industrial diamonds are too badly flawed, irregularly shaped, poorly coloured, or small to be of value as gems, but they are of vital importance in the modern metalworking and mining industries. Their utility stems from the fact that diamond is the hardest natural

Toots And The Maytals

2005-03-20T07:02:00.000-08:00

Formed in 1962 as a ska group fronted by the charismatic Hibbert, the Maytals (originally known as the Vikings, then as

Faysal

2005-03-19T10:36:00.000-08:00

Faysal was a son of King Ibn Sa'ud and a brother of King Sa'ud. He was appointed foreign minister and viceroy of Hejaz in 1926 after his father conquered that province, in which lies the

Trichloroethane

2005-03-19T08:01:00.000-08:00

One isomer, 1,1,1-trichloroethane, is used as a replacement for carbon tetrachloride as a cold-cleaning solvent for machinery; it is not used in vapour degreasing processes because no stabilizer is available that will prevent its decomposition at high temperatures.

Hines, Gregory

2005-03-18T11:48:00.000-08:00

By the age of four, Hines and his older brother Maurice were taking tap lessons with renowned dancer and choreographer Henry Le Tang. The brothers soon formed the Hines Kids, a song-and-dance

Robert, Shaaban

2005-03-18T08:22:00.000-08:00

Popular Swahili writer, Robert was the product of two cultures—his father was a Christian, but Shaaban returned to Islam. His work ranges from poetry to essay and didactic tale, influenced in style by the Oriental tradition. Many poems follow the form of utendi verse (used for narration and didactic themes),

Peter Martyr D'anghiera

2005-03-17T03:48:00.000-08:00

Italian Pietro Martire D'anghiera, Spanish Pedro Mártir De Anghiera chaplain to the court of King Ferdinand II of Aragon and Queen Isabella I of Castile, and historian of Spanish explorations, who became a member of Emperor Charles V's Council of the Indies (1518). He collected unidentified documents from the various discoverers, including Christopher Columbus, and wrote De Orbe Novo (published 1530; “On

Wellington

2005-03-17T01:17:00.000-08:00

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

F-15

2005-03-16T16:36:00.000-08:00

The F-15 has

Trail

2005-03-16T15:47:00.000-08:00

The modern city's economy rests on the mining and smelting of metals (especially silver, zinc, and lead) and on the production of chemicals and fertilizers,

Frederick I

2005-03-15T17:01:00.000-08:00

In 1688 Frederick succeeded to the electorate and at once set out, assisted

Abu Ali Mustafa

2005-03-15T05:50:00.000-08:00

Palestinian nationalist (b. 1938, Arabeh, Palestine—d. Aug. 27, 2001, Ram Allah, West Bank), was a cofounder and, from July 2000, secretary-general of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), a radical faction of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). He was born Mustafa az-Zibri and later took the nom de guerre Abu Ali Mustafa. As a young man he joined George Habash's Arab National

Balalaika

2005-03-15T01:34:00.000-08:00

Russian stringed musical instrument of the lute family. It was developed in the 18th century from the dombra, or domra, a round-bodied, long-necked, three-stringed lute played in Russia and Central Asia. The balalaika is made in six sizes, from piccolo to double bass, and has a flat back and a triangular table, or belly, that tapers to the fretted neck. The frets are movable, and

Pramana

2005-03-14T23:17:00.000-08:00

The three principal means of knowledge are (1) perception, (2) inference,

Spalding, A.g.

2005-03-13T22:18:00.000-08:00

In his youth Spalding pitched and batted right-handed with such authority that the Forest City (Rockford, Ill.) team became well known.

Generative Grammar

2005-03-13T16:01:00.000-08:00

A precisely formulated set of rules whose output is all (and only) the sentences of a language—i.e., of the language that it generates. There are many different kinds of generative grammar, including transformational grammar as developed by Noam Chomsky from the mid-1950s. Linguists disagree as to which, if any, of these different kinds of generative grammar will serve as

Loralai

2005-03-13T15:51:00.000-08:00

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

Aerospace Industry, Satellite, launch vehicle, and missile manufacture

2005-03-12T11:28:00.000-08:00

The manufacturing processes for aircraft are largely paralleled in the production of satellites, their launch vehicles, and missiles. Because minimum weight is critical for all three kinds of products, the use of composites has grown such that it can include the entire structure for satellites and smaller missiles. For these vehicles, electronics production

Teal

2005-03-11T18:20:00.000-08:00

Any of about 15 small ducks of the genus Anas (family Anatidae), found on the six major continents and many islands. Within the divisions of true duck species, the teal belong in the dabbling duck (q.v.) group. Many of the teal are popular as game birds, the best known being the Holarctic green-winged teal (A. crecca), a bird about 33–38 centimetres (13–15 inches) in length, usually found in dense

Gyrfalcon

2005-03-11T16:21:00.000-08:00

(Falco rusticolus), Arctic bird of prey of the family Falconidae, the world's largest falcon (q.v.). The gyrfalcon may reach 60 cm (2 feet) in length. Confined as a breeder to the circumpolar region except for isolated populations in Central Asian highlands, it is sometimes seen at lower latitudes in winters when food is scarce. The gyrfalcon varies from pure white with black speckling

Abell, Kjeld

2005-03-11T15:56:00.000-08:00

Abell studied political science but afterward began a career as a stage designer in Paris. He

Strang, James Jesse

2005-03-10T04:46:00.000-08:00

Admitted to the bar in 1836 after teaching for a brief period, Strang also served as postmaster for five years at Ellington, N.Y., and owned and edited a weekly

Painting, Western

2005-03-09T20:52:00.000-08:00

In the Metal Age, western Mediterranean cultures were similar at many points. The area occupied by them extended from Illyria (the northwestern part of the Balkan Peninsula) in the east to the Atlantic shores of the Iberian Peninsula in the west and from the shores along the Gulf of Lion and the Ligurian Sea (i.e., the coasts of what are now southern France and northwestern

France, History Of, Monasticism

2005-03-09T05:30:00.000-08:00

Monasticism originated in the East. It was introduced in the West during the 4th century and was developed in Gaul, mainly in the west (St. Martin of Tours) and southeast (St. Honoratus and St. John Cassian). The earliest monasteries lacked a communal form of discipline; eremitism was widespread. In the 6th century, monasteries throughout Gaul increased, and efforts were made

Las Palmas

2005-03-09T05:17:00.000-08:00

Founded in 1478 at the mouth of a ravine, it was named for the abundant palms there. The city was the headquarters for the Spanish conquest of Tenerife and La Palma islands and

Earth

2005-03-08T02:26:00.000-08:00

Terrestrial body whose solid surface, abundant waters, and oxygen-rich atmosphere have combined to create conditions suitable for life. This article discusses the structure, composition, and properties of the solid Earth. For detailed treatment of its surface features, atmosphere, and waters, see the articles atmosphere, hydrosphere, ocean, river, lake, and continental

Kachchh, Rann Of

2005-03-07T00:57:00.000-08:00

Kachchh also spelled Kutch, Cutch , or Kachh saline mudflats, west-central India and southern Pakistan. The Great Rann covers an area of about 7,000 square miles (18,000 square km) and lies almost entirely within Gujarat state, India, along the border with Pakistan. The Little Rann of Kachchh extends northeast from the Gulf of Kachchh and occupies about 2,000 square miles (5,100 square km) in Gujarat state. Originally an extension of the

Balczó, András

2005-03-06T14:07:00.000-08:00

A strong swimmer and runner and a consistent fencer, Balczó won individual championships in 1963, 1965–67, and 1969. He also won five team championships with the Hungarian team. He was less fortunate in Olympic

Korean War, Back to the 38th parallel

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

As UNC troops crossed the 38th parallel, Chinese Communist Party Chairman Mao Zedong received a plea for direct military aid from Kim Il-sung. The chairman was willing to intervene, but he needed assurances of Soviet air power. Stalin promised to extend China's air defenses (manned by Soviets) to a corridor above the Yalu, thus protecting air bases in Manchuria and hydroelectric

Harrison, Anna

2005-03-06T04:41:00.000-08:00

In 1858 Anna's house was destroyed in a fire, and she spent the remaining six years of her life with her son John Scott Harrison, the only one of her children to outlive her. She was buried beside her husband in North Bend, Ohio.

Anderson, Patrick

2005-03-05T15:49:00.000-08:00

Educated at the University of Oxford and Columbia University, Anderson settled in Montreal as a teacher and professor at McGill University

Yuki

2005-03-04T22:58:00.000-08:00

Four groups of North American Indians who lived in the Coast Ranges and along the coast of northwestern California, U.S. They spoke distinctive languages unaffiliated with any other known language. The four Yuki groups were the Yuki proper, who lived along the upper reaches of the Eel River and its tributaries; the Huchnom, who dwelt in the Redwood Valley to the west;

Abu Al-'abbas As-saffah

2005-03-04T11:44:00.000-08:00

Islamic caliph (reigned 749–754), first of the 'Abbasid dynasty, which was to rule over eastern Islam for approximately the next 500 years. The 'Abbasids were descended from an uncle of Muhammad and were cousins to the ruling Umayyad dynasty. The Umayyads were weakened by decadence and an unclear line of succession, and they enjoyed little popular support, prompting the 'Abb

Marr, Nikolay Yakovlevich

2005-03-04T06:17:00.000-08:00

A professor at St. Petersburg University from 1900, Marr published numerous collections of old Georgian and Armenian literature and attempted to prove a relationship between

Roland (de La Platière), Jeanne-marie

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

Jeanne-Marie Phlipon was the daughter of a Paris engraver. Brilliant and cultured, she absorbed the democratic ideas of Jean-Jacques

çatalhüyük

2005-03-02T18:54:00.000-08:00

Major Neolithic site in the Middle East, located near Konya in south-central Turkey. Excavations (1961–65) by the British archaeologist James Mellaart have shown that Anatolia in Neolithic times was the centre of an advanced culture. The earliest building period at Çatalhüyük is tentatively dated to about 6700 BC and the latest to about 5650 BC. The inhabitants lived in rectangular mud-brick

Cabaiguán

2005-03-02T17:52:00.000-08:00

City, northern Sancti Spíritus province, central Cuba. It is an important manufacturing and commercial centre for surrounding agricultural and pastoral lands known primarily for their sugarcane, although tobacco and fruits are grown and cattle are raised. Sugar refining is the principal industrial activity in the city, which lies on the central highway and

Acre River

2005-03-02T07:19:00.000-08:00

Portuguese Rio Acre, river, chiefly in western Brazil, rising on the Peruvian border, along which it continues eastward to form part of the Brazil–Bolivia border. Turning north at Brasiléia, the remainder of its 400-mi (645-km) course flows in a north-northeasterly direction, through the Brazilian states of Acre and Amazonas, to join the Rio Purus, a tributary of the Amazon, at Bôca do Acre. It was formerly

Gond

2005-02-28T19:45:00.000-08:00

Group of aboriginal peoples (now referred to as scheduled tribes) of central India, about 2 million in number. They live in the states of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, and Orissa. The majority speak various and, in part, mutually unintelligible dialects of Gondi, an unwritten language of the Dravidian family. Some Gond have lost their own language and

Sarcoidosis

2005-02-28T16:40:00.000-08:00

Systemic disease of unknown cause that is characterized by the formation of granulation (scarlike) tissue. Sarcoidosis often disappears spontaneously within two or three years but may progress to involve more than one organ. It is observed in the lungs, lymph nodes, eyes, salivary glands, muscles, liver, spleen, and the connective tissues of the nervous system. Skin

Toadflax

2005-02-28T16:14:00.000-08:00

Also called Spurred Snapdragon, any member of a genus (Linaria) of nearly 100 herbaceous plants native to the North Temperate Zone, particularly the Mediterranean region. The common name refers to their flaxlike leaves; the flowers are two-lipped and spurred like snapdragons. Among the prominent members are common toadflax, or butter-and-eggs (L. vulgaris), with yellow and orange flower

Laie

2005-02-28T14:11:00.000-08:00

Town, Honolulu county, on Laie Bay, northeastern Oahu Island, Hawaii, U.S. The land was acquired by Mormon missionaries in 1864 and settled by a colony of Hawaiian Mormons. The impressive white Laie Temple, where the highest rites of the Mormon church can be performed, was built (1919) on the site of an ancient Hawaiian “city of refuge” (a sanctuary for the pursued). The Polynesian Cultural

Marsh Treader

2005-02-27T19:22:00.000-08:00

The marsh

Irish Wolfhound

2005-02-27T18:19:00.000-08:00

Tallest of all dog breeds, a keen-sighted hound used in Ireland for many years to hunt wolves and other game. An ancient breed, first mentioned about the 2nd century AD, it is similar in build to the greyhound but far more powerful. The female, which is smaller than the male, stands a minimum of 76 cm (30 inches) and weighs a minimum of 48 kg (105 pounds); male wolfhounds may greatly exceed this

Heyward, Dubose

2005-02-27T06:53:00.000-08:00

At the age of 17 Heyward worked on the waterfront, where he observed the black Americans who were to become the subject of his writing. Heyward first wrote poems: Carolina Chansons (1922), a joint publication

Han-chung

2005-02-26T17:34:00.000-08:00

Pinyin Hanzhong city in southern Shensi Province (sheng), China. It is a county-level municipality (shih) and the administrative centre of Han-chung Prefecture (ti-ch'ü). Han-chung is situated in a long, narrow, and fertile basin along the Han Shui (river), between the Tsinling Shan (mountains) and Mi-ts'ang Shan. To the north one of the few routes across the Tsinling Shan joins it to Pao-chi in Shensi,

Haymarket Riot

2005-02-25T10:35:00.000-08:00

On May 3, one person was killed and several were injured as police intervened to protect strikebreakers from strikers during a union action at the McCormick Harvesting Machine Company that was part

Ahmed, Fakhruddin Ali

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

The son of an army doctor from Assam, Ahmed was educated in India and studied history at the University of Cambridge, graduating in 1927. After returning to India, he was elected to the Assam legislature (1935). As Assam's minister of finance and revenue in 1938, he was responsible for some radical taxation measures.

Cella

2005-02-23T06:10:00.000-08:00

Greek Naos, in Classical architecture, the body of a temple (as distinct from the portico) in which the image of the deity is housed. In early Greek and Roman architecture it was a simple room, usually rectangular, with the entrance at one end and with the side walls often being extended to form a porch. In larger temples, where the cella is open to the sky, a small temple was sometimes

Journal Des Débats, Le

2005-02-22T15:21:00.000-08:00

Moderately liberal in its viewpoint, Débats

Tigris-euphrates River System

2005-02-22T09:26:00.000-08:00

Outside the cities and towns, the Arab population on the rivers' banks practice stock breeding

Dai-ichi Kangyo Bank

2005-02-22T05:59:00.000-08:00

Among the businesses the bank developed were commercial banking

Bohr Atomic Model

2005-02-21T22:32:00.000-08:00

Description of the structure of atoms, especially that of hydrogen, proposed (1913) by the Danish physicist Niels Bohr. The Bohr model of the atom, a radical departure from earlier, classical descriptions, was the first that incorporated quantum theory and was the predecessor of wholly quantum-mechanical models. The Bohr model and all of its successors describe the properties

Lancaster

2005-02-21T11:39:00.000-08:00

City, Los Angeles county, southwestern California, U.S., in the Antelope Valley at the western edge of the Mojave Desert. It began as a Scottish settlement organized by M.L. Wicks (1882), who perhaps named it for his hometown in Pennsylvania. The valley largely supported cattle ranching until the early 1900s, when water, pumped by gasoline engines, transformed it into an agricultural

Delisle, Guillaume

2005-02-20T20:51:00.000-08:00

A brother of the astronomer Joseph-Nicolas Delisle and a student of the astronomer Jean-Dominique Cassini, Delisle learned to fix accurate positions by astronomical observation. The accuracy of his continental outlines and his reduction of gross errors in determining lines of longitude

K-capture

2005-02-20T15:42:00.000-08:00

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

Smith College

2005-02-19T22:24:00.000-08:00

Liberal arts college for women in Northampton, Massachusetts, U.S. One of the Seven Sisters schools, it is among the largest privately endowed colleges for women in the United States. Bachelor's degrees are granted in 29 departmental and 8 interdepartmental programs, and undergraduates are urged to study in seven fields of knowledge: literature, historical studies,

Western Literature

2005-02-19T21:35:00.000-08:00

Diverse as they are, European literatures, like European languages, are parts of a common heritage. Greek, Latin, Germanic, Baltic and Slavic, Celtic, and Romance languages

Houston, Whitney

2005-02-19T15:54:00.000-08:00

The daughter of Emily (“Cissy”) Houston—whose vocal group, the Sweet Inspirations, sang backup for Aretha Franklin—and the cousin of singer Dionne Warwick, Whitney Houston began singing in church as a child. While still

Tonga

2005-02-18T21:39:00.000-08:00

Agriculture is the mainstay of the Tongan economy. Coconuts, bananas, and vanilla beans constitute the main cash crops, and other important crops include yams, taro, cassava, corn (maize), watermelons, pineapples, and tomatoes. All land is essentially owned by the Crown, but large estates have been divided among the nobles of Tonga. Land is parceled out to peasant proprietors:

Sponge

2005-02-17T23:20:00.000-08:00

Any of the primitive multicellular aquatic animals that constitute the phylum Porifera. They number approximately 5,000 described species and inhabit all seas, where they occur attached to surfaces from the intertidal zone to depths of 8,500 metres (29,000 feet) or more. One family, the Spongillidae, is found in fresh water. Adult sponges lack a definite nervous system and do not show

Ear Disease, Eczema

2005-02-17T22:48:00.000-08:00

Eczema of the skin of the outer ear, like eczema elsewhere, is an itching, scaling redness, sometimes with weeping of the affected skin. It is often the result of an allergy to a food or substance such as hair spray that comes in contact with the skin. The best treatment is discovery and avoidance of the allergen. Cortisone ointment applied topically may temporarily relieve

Alaska, University Of

2005-02-17T21:17:00.000-08:00

State university system consisting of three campuses (regional university centres) in Fairbanks (main campus), Anchorage, and Juneau (known as the University of Alaska Southeast). All campuses are coeducational and offer bachelor's and master's degree programs in business and education; the Fairbanks and Anchorage campuses include schools of engineering and arts

Frederick, Pauline

2005-02-16T17:09:00.000-08:00

After receiving her A.M. degree in international law from American University, Washington, D.C., Frederick worked as a free-lance reporter on so-called women's issues. She used this experience to gain a foothold in journalism, and after the end of World War II she reported on

Sauerland

2005-02-15T14:33:00.000-08:00

Region, North Rhine-Westphalia Land (state), northwestern Germany. It is bounded on the north by the Ruhr River and its tributary, the Möhne, and on the south by the Sieg River and the Wester Forest, a mountainous area east of the Rhine. It lies to the east of the Bergisches Land (plateau) and has historically centred on the city of Arnsberg (q.v.). Its name (meaning “Bitter Land”) is

Kórinthos

2005-02-15T14:30:00.000-08:00

English Corinth nomós (department), straddling the junction of southern continental Greece and the Peloponnese. With an area of 884 sq mi (2,289 sq km), it is indented by the Saronic Gulf (southeast) and the Gulf of Corinth (northwest), which are linked via a navigable canal through the Isthmus of Corinth. Ephyra (Watchtower), is the ancient name of the plateau of Corinth, which has been inhabited since

Berberova, Nina

2005-02-15T08:49:00.000-08:00

Berberova left the Soviet Union in 1922 and lived in Germany, Czechoslovakia, and Italy as part of Maksim Gorky's entourage before settling in Paris in 1925. While living in Europe she served as coeditor of the literary

Teddington

2005-02-15T00:03:00.000-08:00

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

Vacarescu Family

2005-02-13T23:29:00.000-08:00

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

Perfume

2005-02-12T15:56:00.000-08:00

Fragrant product that results from the artful blending of certain odoriferous substances in appropriate proportions. The word is derived from the Latin per fumum, meaning “through smoke.” The art of perfumery was apparently known to the ancient Chinese, Hindus, Egyptians, Israelites, Carthaginians, Arabs, Greeks, and Romans. References to perfumery materials and

Shadwell, Thomas

2005-02-12T14:32:00.000-08:00

Educated at Cambridge and at the Middle Temple, London, after the Restoration (1660) Shadwell became one of the court wits and an acquaintance of Sir Robert Howard and his brother, Edward, both of whom he satirized in The Sullen

Straight-rail Billiards

2005-02-12T08:46:00.000-08:00

Billiard game played with three balls (one red and two white) on a table without pockets. The object is to score caroms by hitting both object balls with a cue ball. A player may use either white ball as cue ball but not one that has been placed on one of the small spots marked on the table, as at the start of the game or after one is knocked off the table. Only three caroms may be

West Indies Associated States

2005-02-11T19:47:00.000-08:00

Former political organization of islands in the Caribbean Sea that were British colonies whose status changed to free association with the United Kingdom in 1967. This status provided for internal self-government, with Britain responsible for external affairs and defense. The islands attempted several kinds of federation between 1958 and 1966 (see Leeward Islands), but the

Canaan Dog

2005-02-11T04:38:00.000-08:00

Breed of herding dog developed in Israel in the 20th century from semiwild pariah dogs that were the descendants of animals present in the region since biblical times. Over time they had been utilized as guardians and hunting dogs, but most had reverted to a wild state, living in desert areas. In the 1930s a breeding program was begun to redomesticate these wild dogs to serve

Switzerland, Neutrality and internal challenges

2005-02-10T21:43:00.000-08:00

During the 1850s the young republic clashed with Prussia over sovereignty in Neuchâtel, but the Prussian king finally renounced his hereditary rights to the former principality. Otherwise, Switzerland's foreign relations were relatively untroubled in the 19th century. The country adopted a policy of armed but cautious neutrality as the best strategy for a nation

Mercury Processing, Metallurgical uses

2005-02-10T20:57:00.000-08:00

Mercury amalgamates, or mixes, readily with many metals. Amalgams of mercury, silver, and tin have been the most successful material for repairing dental cavities. Gold and silver

Yggdrasill

2005-02-09T16:39:00.000-08:00

Old Norse Mimameidr in Norse mythology, the world tree, a giant ash supporting the universe. One of its roots extended into Niflheim, the underworld; another into Jötunheim, land of the giants; and the third into Asgard, home of the gods. At its base were three wells: Urdarbrunnr (Well of Fate), from which the tree was watered by the Norns (the Fates); Hvergelmir (Roaring Kettle), in which dwelt Nidhogg

Codreanu, Corneliu (zelea)

2005-02-08T19:34:00.000-08:00

Early exposed to anti-Semitism, Codreanu participated widely in anticommunist and anti-Semitic activities during his university years at Iasi (1919–22). In 1922 he helped found the Association of Christian Students, which, from