EqualTown

serviced offices

2006-11-01T15:10:00.000-08:00

Office planet have a huge database of serviced offices throughout the UK. serviced offices provide an affordable and hassle free office solution

Insurance, Renewability

2005-03-18T00:55:00.000-08:00

An important condition of health insurance is that of renewability. Some contracts are cancelable at any time upon short notice. Others are not cancelable during the year's term of coverage, but the insurer may refuse to renew coverage for a subsequent year or may renew only at higher rates or under restrictive conditions. Thus the insured may become ill with a chronic

Denson, William Dowdell

2005-03-16T21:24:00.000-08:00

American lawyer who, as chief military prosecutor of Nazis accused of many of the most horrific of the atrocities committed in Germany at the Buchenwald, Mauthausen, Flossenberg, and Dachau concentration camps, was the most successful of the American prosecutors of World War II criminals; of 177 Nazis he prosecuted between 1945 and 1947, 97 were hanged and the rest went to prison

Alismatidae

2005-03-14T13:28:00.000-08:00

Subclass of flowering plants belonging to the class Lilopsida.

Philipp, Isidor

2005-03-13T07:05:00.000-08:00

Philipp was brought to Paris as an infant. As a piano student of Georges Mathias at the Conservatoire, he won the first prize in 1883. After study with Saint-Saëns and Stephen Heller, he began a brief solo concert career, making his London debut in 1890. From 1903 to 1934 he was professor

Ilhéus

2005-03-11T13:44:00.000-08:00

City, southeastern Bahia estado (“state”), northeastern Brazil. It is situated just east of Itabuna near the mouth of the Cachoeira River on Ilhéus Bay, an inlet of the Atlantic. An old Portuguese colonial settlement that was originally named São Jorge dos Ilhéos (1532), it was given city status in 1881. Most of Brazil's cacao is grown in the locality, and Ilhéus is consequently one of

Oats

2005-03-08T01:24:00.000-08:00

The wild oat was first found in western Europe, apparently as

Cozzi Porcelain

2005-03-06T06:31:00.000-08:00

Soft-paste porcelain made in Venice by Geminiano Cozzi from about 1764 to 1812. Cozzi products, often freely adapted versions of Meissen porcelain, consisted mainly of figures, vases, and tablewares with Rococo decoration that was frequently distinguished by an imaginative interpretation wholly Italian in style. Rich colours, including red, bluish purple, and emerald

Earth Exploration, Magnetic methods

2005-03-05T22:04:00.000-08:00

Measurements can be made of the Earth's total magnetic field or of components of the field in various directions. The oldest magnetic prospecting instrument is the magnetic compass, which measures the field direction. Other instruments include magnetic balances and fluxgate magnetometers. Most magnetic surveys are made with proton-precession or optical-pumping

Moivre, Abraham De

2005-03-03T10:31:00.000-08:00

A French Huguenot, de Moivre was jailed as a Protestant upon the revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685. When he was released shortly thereafter, he fled to England. In London he became a close friend of Sir Isaac Newton and the astronomer

Defense Mechanism

2005-03-01T14:51:00.000-08:00

In psychoanalytic theory, any of a group of mental processes that enables the mind to reach compromise solutions to problems that it is unable to resolve. The process is usually unconscious, and the compromise generally involves concealing from oneself internal drives or feelings that threaten to lower self-esteem or provoke anxiety. The concept derives from

Sorbon, Robert De

2005-02-27T19:32:00.000-08:00

Born into a poor rural family, Sorbon was educated in Reims and in Paris, where his piety and diligence drew the patronage of the comte d'Artois and King Louis IX. In 1251 he became canon

Piciform, Vocalizations

2005-02-24T20:31:00.000-08:00

The voices of Piciformes are rarely melodious and are often harsh or strident. The vocalizations of jacamars are squeaky, the notes sometimes being run together into a trill. Whistles or trills may be alternated or mixed, forming a simple song. Puffbirds are relatively quiet, producing thin whistles, peeps, and twitters. The vocalizations of toucans are loud and often

Caragiale, Costache

2005-02-23T03:17:00.000-08:00

Caragiale made his stage debut in 1835 in Bucharest, and in 1838 he organized a theatre of contemporary drama in Iasi (now Jassy). During the next 15 years he worked with regional theatres, notably those in Iasi, Botosani, and Craiova,

Mammal, Locomotion

2005-02-21T11:47:00.000-08:00

Specialization in habitat preference has been accompanied by locomotor adaptations. Terrestrial mammals have a number of modes of progression. The primitive mammalian stock was doubtless ambulatory and plantigrade, walking with the digits, metacarpals, and metatarsals (bones of the midfoot), and parts of the ankle and wrist in contact with the ground. The limbs

Schäfer, Karl

2005-02-18T04:31:00.000-08:00

Schäfer started training to be a figure skater early in his youth. He placed fourth

Genesis

2005-02-16T03:26:00.000-08:00

Founded in 1967 by schoolmates

Rabelais, François

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

Details of Rabelais's life are sparse and difficult to interpret. He was the son of Antoine Rabelais, a rich Touraine landowner and a prominent lawyer who deputized for the lieutenant-général of Poitou in 1527. After apparently studying law, Rabelais became a Franciscan novice at La Baumette (1510?) and later moved to the Puy-Saint-Martin convent at Fontenay-le-Comte in Poitou.

Balaton, Lake

2005-02-13T16:11:00.000-08:00

Largest lake of central Europe, located in central Hungary about 50 miles (80 km) southwest of Budapest. It has an area of 231 square miles (598 square km) and extends for 48 miles (77 km) along the southern foothills of the Bakony Mountains of Hungary. At it widest point, Lake Balaton measures about 9 miles (14 km) across. Its maximum depth is 37 feet (11 m). The Zala River provides the largest inflow of water.

Monarchianism

2005-02-11T10:28:00.000-08:00

A Christian heresy that developed during the 2nd and 3rd centuries. It opposed the doctrine of an independent, personal subsistence of the Logos, affirmed the sole deity of God the Father, and thus represented the extreme monotheistic view. Though it regarded Christ as Redeemer, it clung to the numerical unity of the Deity. Two types of Monarchianism developed: the Dynamic

Albert I

2005-02-09T19:49:00.000-08:00

In 1123 Albert inherited Saxon estates between the Harz Mountains and the middle reaches of the Elbe River from his father, Otto the Rich. After his mother's death in 1142, he received the central German possessions

Thailand

2005-02-07T02:41:00.000-08:00

Officially Kingdom of Thailand, formerly (1856–1939) Siam, Thai Prathet, or Prades, Thai (“Thailand”), Rajanajak Thai (“Thai Kingdom”), or Sayam (“Siam”), byname Muang Thai (“Land of the Free”), country located in the centre of mainland Southeast Asia. Its area of 198,115 square miles (513,115 square kilometres) consists of two broad geographic areas: a larger section in the north and a smaller peninsular section in the south. The main body of the country is surrounded by Myanmar (Burma) to the west, Laos to the north and east, Cambodia to the southeast, and the Gulf of Thailand

Briand, Aristide

2005-02-05T05:04:00.000-08:00

As a law student, Briand became associated with left-wing causes,

Uguccione Della Faggiuola

2005-02-02T00:24:00.000-08:00

A member of an old Ghibelline (pro-imperial) family, Uguccione had served as podestà (chief magistrate) and captain general in several Italian cities when the sudden death of Holy Roman Emperor

Naguib, Muhammad

2005-01-31T18:40:00.000-08:00

A professional soldier, Naguib distinguished himself during the Egyptian defeat at the hands of Israel (1948) and won the respect of the Free Officers, a nationalist military group led by Gamal Abdel Nasser. In 1952 the Free

Base

2005-01-30T08:21:00.000-08:00

In chemistry, any substance that in water solution is slippery to the touch, tastes bitter, changes the colour of indicators (e.g., turns red litmus paper blue), reacts with acids to form salts, and promotes certain chemical reactions (base catalysis). Examples of bases are the hydroxides of the alkali and alkaline earth metals (sodium, calcium, etc.) and the water solutions

Plume Moth

2005-01-27T03:24:00.000-08:00

Any of the approximately 600 species of the cosmopolitan insect family Pterophoridae (order Lepidoptera), named for the deep wing divisions that resemble plumes or lobes. It differs from the many-plumed moth, an Orneodidae-family member, in that its forewings and hindwings are not split down to their base into six plumes but are divided only to their middle, the forewings

Mitscher, Marc A.

2005-01-25T10:18:00.000-08:00

Early

Hardenberg, Karl August, Fürst Von (prince Of)

2005-01-23T02:00:00.000-08:00

Also called (until 1814) Freiherr (baron) von Hardenberg Prussian statesman and administrator, who preserved the integrity of the Prussian state during the Napoleonic Wars. Domestically he was able to continue the reforms introduced by Karl, Freiherr vom Stein; in foreign affairs he exchanged Prussia's alliance with France for an alliance with Russia in 1813, and in 1814–15 he represented

Crake

2005-01-21T11:59:00.000-08:00

Any of numerous marsh birds of the family Rallidae (order Gruiformes), generally any small rail (q.v.) in which the bill is short and conical. The name is chiefly European but can be extended to New World rails of this type. The most widespread genus is Porzana (13 species), typified by the spotted crake (P. porzana) found in Europe and eastward to Mongolia; in winter

Resonance

2005-01-20T09:13:00.000-08:00

In physics, relatively large selective response of an object or a system that vibrates in step or phase, with an externally applied oscillatory force. Resonance was first investigated in acoustical systems such as musical instruments and the human voice. An example of acoustical resonance is the vibration induced in a violin or piano string of a given pitch when

Guatemala, Settlement patterns

2005-01-17T04:09:00.000-08:00

Approximately 60 percent of the population of Guatemala is concentrated within the volcanic uplands and adjacent Pacific coastal plain to the south and west of Guatemala City. A little more than 10 percent live to the east and south, while only about 2 percent reside within the Petén. The remaining populace resides in the region of the sierras. Of the urban dwellers who

Irish Harp

2005-01-15T18:47:00.000-08:00

Irish clairseach, Scottish Gaelic clarsach traditional harp of medieval Ireland and Scotland, characterized by a huge soundbox carved from a solid block of wood; a heavy, curved neck; and a deeply outcurved forepillar—a form shared by the medieval Scottish harp. It was designed to bear great tension from the heavy brass strings (normally 30 to 50), which were plucked by the fingernails to produce a ringing, bell-like

Malatesta, Sigismondo Pandolfo

2005-01-14T09:35:00.000-08:00

Sigismondo was one of three illegitimate sons of Pandolfo Malatesta, who had ruled over Brescia and Bergamo from about 1404 to 1421. Sigismondo was legitimated by Pope Martin V, but he felt no loyalty toward the papacy, which deprived his family of many of

Hupeh, Relief

2005-01-12T23:29:00.000-08:00

Almost all of Hupeh Province lies immediately north of the Yangtze River. Hupeh is bounded on the north by the eastern extension of the axis of the Tsinling, T'ung-pai, and Ta-pieh mountains. In the southeast the Mu-fu Mountains divide the province from Kiangsi. Along its central southern border there is no clear physical divide apart from the Yangtze itself: a lake-studded

Biblical Literature, The modern period

2005-01-09T19:59:00.000-08:00

Following a line marked out earlier by the Spanish philosopher and poet Moses ibn Ezra (1060–1139), Benedict de Spinoza (1632–77) put forward a thoroughgoing reappraisal of the traditional account of the origin of the Pentateuch in his Tractatus Theologico-Politicus (1679). In the following century the Jewish Enlightenment (Haskala) brought a fresh appreciation of the Bible as literature.

Anomalous Water

2005-01-07T18:03:00.000-08:00

Also called Orthowater, or Polywater, liquid water generally formed by condensation of water vapour in tiny glass or fused-quartz capillaries and with properties very different from those well established for ordinary water; e.g., lower vapour pressure, lower freezing temperature, higher density and viscosity, higher thermal stability, and different infrared and Raman spectra. For a few years after

Robertsport

2005-01-06T04:09:00.000-08:00

Robertsport

Bewcastle Cross

2005-01-04T21:14:00.000-08:00

Runic monument in Cumbria, Eng., dating from the late 7th or early 8th century. Although the top of the cross has been lost, a weather-beaten, 15-foot (4.5-metre) shaft remains, showing on one face a figure of Christ trampling on the heads of beasts, a runic inscription underneath, and, above Christ's figure, a falconer, possibly St. John the Evangelist with his eagle. On another side elaborate

Murad, Ferid

2005-01-01T06:47:00.000-08:00

Murad

Visigothic Art

2004-12-31T02:47:00.000-08:00

Artistic style produced in southern France and Spain under the Visigoths, who ruled the region between the 5th and the 8th century AD. The style is largely the result of local Roman traditions combined with Byzantine influences. The effect of Germanic metalworking techniques is also seen in the decorative arts, but the ornamentation of these pieces, most notably a collection

Cosimo Ii

2004-12-29T19:41:00.000-08:00

Cosimo II succeeded his father, Ferdinand I, in 1609; and, guided by his mother, Christine of Lorraine, and by Belisario Vinta, he followed his father's example and sought to establish a balance between France and Spain. He used his

Galashiels

2004-12-27T04:27:00.000-08:00

Town, Scottish Borders council area, southeastern Scotland. It is on Gala Water near its junction with the River Tweed, 33 miles (53 km) south-southeast of Edinburgh. The part of the town on the west bank of the Gala lies within the historic county of Selkirkshire, while the east bank belongs to the historic county of Roxburghshire. Woolen manufacture dates from the close of

Epistemology

2004-12-25T13:33:00.000-08:00

The study of the nature, origin, and limits of human knowledge. The name is derived from the Greek episteme (“knowledge”) and logos (“reason”), and accordingly the field is sometimes referred to as the theory of knowledge. Epistemology has had a long history, spanning the time from the pre-Socratic Greeks to the present. Along with metaphysics, logic, and ethics, it is one of the four

Köchel, Ludwig (alois Ferdinand), Ritter Von

2004-12-22T19:59:00.000-08:00

The son of a treasury official, Köchel took a doctorate

Roumanille, Joseph

2004-12-20T06:11:00.000-08:00

While teaching at the Collège Royal of Avignon

Dispensation

2004-12-18T19:08:00.000-08:00

Economy is the term that is normally employed in the Eastern Orthodox churches for this type of action. The church strives for the salvation of souls, and, when this is more likely to be achieved by a relaxation

Bacheller, Irving (addison)

2004-12-17T17:18:00.000-08:00

Bacheller graduated from St. Lawrence University, Canton, N.Y., in 1882 and entered journalism. In 1883 in Brooklyn, N.Y., he founded the first modern newspaper syndicate and through

Kra, Isthmus Of

2004-12-14T20:39:00.000-08:00

Thai Khokhok Kra narrow neck of southern Myanmar (Burma) and Thailand, connecting the Malay Peninsula to the Asian mainland. The isthmus lies between the Gulf of Thailand to the east and the Andaman Sea to the west. It is 25–30 miles (40–48 km) wide at its narrowest point, between Chumphon and Kra Buri (both in Thailand). Kra Buri, for which it was named, is at the head of the Pakchan River estuary, an inlet

Oak

2004-12-13T14:39:00.000-08:00

Many plants commonly called “oak” are not Quercus species—e.g., African oak, Australian oak, bull oak, Jerusalem oak, poison oak, river oak, she-oak,

Daud Khan, Mohammad

2004-12-10T18:17:00.000-08:00

Educated in Kabul and France, Daud Khan, a cousin and brother-in-law of Zahir Shah, pursued a career in the military. He rose to command an army corps in 1939 and held the post of minister

Arezzo

2004-12-09T16:00:00.000-08:00

Latin Arretium, city, capital of Arezzo provincia, Toscana (Tuscany) regione of north-central Italy, in a fertile plain near the confluence of the Chiana and Arno rivers southeast of Florence. An important Etruscan city, it was known to the Romans as Arretium and was noted for its red-clay Arretine pottery. A flourishing commune in the Middle Ages, it fell to Florence in 1384 and later became

Smilodon

2004-12-06T05:47:00.000-08:00

Extinct genus of large carnivores known collectively by the common name sabre-toothed cat (q.v.).

Ambrose, Stephen Edward

2004-12-05T18:06:00.000-08:00

American biographer and historian (b. Jan. 10, 1936, Decatur, Ill.—d. Oct. 13, 2002, Bay St. Louis, Miss.), wrote some three dozen books on U.S. history. His later works were populist in tone, celebrating the achievements of ordinary people. In 2002 he was accused of plagiarism, but in his defense he argued that he had cited sources for his material. Ambrose earned a B.S. degree in history from the University

Charadriiform

2004-12-03T01:54:00.000-08:00

The order is a heterogeneous assemblage of 16 families linked by similarities in anatomical features (especially skeleton and plumage) and developmental pattern. Better-known members of the order fall into three groups, easily recognized on the basis of general body plan. The first of these (the suborder Charadrii), collectively known as shorebirds or waders, includes

Strategus

2004-12-01T00:41:00.000-08:00

An annual board of 10 strategi was introduced in Athens during the reorganization of the tribal system under Cleisthenes (c. 508 BC), each of the 10 tribal units being represented in the army by a taxis (“regiment”) led by a strategus. At the Battle

Baba Taher

2004-11-28T23:23:00.000-08:00

Most of his life is clouded in mystery. He probably lived in Hamadan. His nickname, 'Aryan (the Naked), suggests that he was a wandering dervish, or mystic. Legend tells that the poet, an illiterate woodcutter, attended lectures at a religious college, where he was ridiculed

Pierce, Jane

2004-11-27T18:30:00.000-08:00

At the end of Franklin's single term, the couple traveled to Europe for a year and a half, but by 1860 they had returned to Concord, New Hampshire. Jane also spent time with relatives in Massachusetts. When she died in 1863, she was buried near her children.

Hinchinbrook Island

2004-11-24T17:59:00.000-08:00

Island off the northeastern coast of Queensland, Australia. It is situated opposite the port of Cardwell and 60 miles (95 km) northeast of Townsville. About 22 miles (35 km) long and 152 square miles (394 square km) in area, it is separated from the mainland by Hinchinbrook Channel. The thickly wooded, mountainous island, now a national park, is noted for its waterfalls and caves. Its rugged

Fraenkel-conrat, Heinz L.

2004-11-23T04:19:00.000-08:00

Fraenkel-Conrat studied medicine at the University of Breslau (M.D., 1933) and then turned to biochemistry at the University of Edinburgh (Ph.D.,

Ulam, Stanislaw Marcin

2004-11-21T01:28:00.000-08:00

Ulam received a doctoral degree (1933) at the Polytechnic Institute in Lvov (now Lviv). At the invitation of John von Neumann, he worked at the Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton, New

Coptic Literature

2004-11-18T14:53:00.000-08:00

Body of writings, almost entirely religious, that dates from the 2nd century, when the Coptic language of Egypt, the last stage of ancient Egyptian, began to be used as a literary language, until its decline in the 7th and 8th centuries. It contains, in addition to translations from the Greek, original writings by the Greek Fathers and founders of Eastern monasticism and

Smith, Jedediah (strong)

2004-11-16T17:33:00.000-08:00

Smith probably made his first trip west while still in his teens. In 1822 he joined a fur-trading expedition to the Rocky Mountains and continued in the Rocky Mountain trade for the remainder of the

Puerperium

2004-11-14T17:56:00.000-08:00

Puerperal changes begin almost immediately after delivery, triggered by a sharp drop in the levels of estrogen and progesterone

Pacific Scandal

2004-11-13T11:00:00.000-08:00

One of the conditions under which British Columbia entered the Dominion of Canada (1871) was that a railway to link that province with the east be constructed

Arraignment

2004-11-10T06:14:00.000-08:00

In Anglo-American law, first encounter of an accused person with the court prior to trial, wherein he is brought to the bar and the charges against him are read. The accused usually enters a plea of guilt or innocence. If he chooses not to plead, a plea of not guilty will be entered for him. A guilty plea will usually result in the case's being handed over for judgment. Sometimes

Arraignment

2004-11-08T01:35:00.000-08:00

American organization created in 1890 by the merger of the two major rival women's rights organizations—the National Woman Suffrage Association and the American Woman Suffrage Association—after 21 years of independent operation. NAWSA was initially headed by past executives of the two merged groups, including Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lucy Stone, and Susan B.

Furniture, Inlay and marquetry

2004-11-07T01:31:00.000-08:00

Inlaid woodwork, in which decorative material such as wood or ivory is set into the surface of the veneer, has accompanied the art of furniture making for thousands of years. Ivory inlay can be seen in Egyptian furniture, particularly in small, meticulously executed toilet caskets, but it is difficult to locate in Greek and Roman furniture, today known almost exclusively

Chuikov, Vasily Ivanovich

2004-11-04T11:38:00.000-08:00

The son of peasants, Chuikov worked as a mechanic apprentice from the age of 12. At the age of 18, after

China, From Ch'eng-ti to Wong Mang

2004-11-04T05:01:00.000-08:00

In the reigns of Ch'eng-ti (33/32–7/6), Ai-ti (7/6–1 BC), and P'ing-ti (1 BC–AD 6) the conduct of state affairs and the atmosphere of the court were subject to the weakness or youth of the emperors, the lack of an heir to succeed Ch'eng-ti, and the rivalries between four families of Imperial consorts. It was a time when considerable attention was paid to omens. Changes that were first introduced in the state religious

Kudamatsu

2004-11-02T19:33:00.000-08:00

Kudamatsu revived during World War I as an industrial city, assisted by its natural

Powell, Maud

2004-11-01T17:04:00.000-08:00

Powell early displayed musical talent and took up the violin. Encouraged especially by her mother, an amateur musician and composer, she studied under teachers in Aurora, Illinois, and in Chicago. At age nine she made a six-week

Circulation, Amphibians

2004-11-01T08:51:00.000-08:00

Modern amphibians are characterized by the flexibility of their gaseous exchange mechanisms. Amphibian skin is moistened by mucous secretions and is well supplied with blood vessels. It is used for respiration to varying degrees. When lungs are present, carbon dioxide may pass out of the body across the skin, but in some salamanders there are no lungs and all respiratory

Andrew Of Crete, Saint

2004-10-31T21:50:00.000-08:00

From his monastery in Jerusalem he was sent to Constantinople (modern Istanbul), where he became deacon of the Hagia Sophia. During the reign of the Byzantine emperor Philippicus Bardanes he was made archbishop of Gortyna and took part

Ann, Cape

2004-10-29T06:04:00.000-07:00

Cape on the Atlantic Ocean comprising the eastern extremity of Essex county, northeastern Massachusetts, U.S., 30 miles (48 km) northeast of Boston. Sheltering Ipswich Bay, it is indented by Annisquam Harbor on the north and Gloucester Harbor on the south. The tidal Annisquam River, a 4-mile- (6.4-km-) long navigable waterway, connects the two harbours. The cape also shelters the northern

Lae

2004-10-28T15:18:00.000-07:00

Port city, northeastern Papua New Guinea. It is located near the mouth of the Markham River on Huon Gulf. Commercial activities centre on the export of timber, plywood, and coffee (transported by road from Bulolo and Wau) and the produce from the Central Range, which is airfreighted. Lae is also the marketing centre for the agricultural produce of the surrounding

Bonacolsi Family

2004-10-28T07:30:00.000-07:00

The signoria (lordship) of the Bonacolsi was first established by Pinamonte (died 1293), who allied himself with other powerful families to eliminate his rivals

Athanasius, Saint

2004-10-26T16:28:00.000-07:00

Theologian, ecclesiastical statesman, and Egyptian national leader; he was the chief defender of Christian orthodoxy in the 4th-century battle against Arianism, the heresy that the Son of God was a creature of like, but not of the same, substance as God the Father. His important works include The Life of St. Antony and Four Orations

Arabian Sea, Resources

2004-10-26T04:50:00.000-07:00

High levels of inorganic nutrients, such as phosphate concentrate, which produce a rich fish life, have been observed in the western Arabian Sea and off the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula. Occurring in the euphotic zone (zone of light, which is found in the upper 450 feet of the sea), this fertilizing effect undoubtedly is attributable in part to coastal upwelling,

Insurance, Government regulation

2004-10-24T18:02:00.000-07:00

The insurance business is subject to extensive government regulation in all countries. In European countries insurance regulation is a mixture of central and local controls. In Germany central authority over insurance regulation is provided by the Federal Insurance Supervisory Authority (BAV), which exercises tight control of premiums, reserves, and investments

Carnivore

2004-10-24T16:03:00.000-07:00

For general information on the biology of the carnivores, see E.P. Walker et al., Mammals of the World, 3 vol. (1964), in which each genus is described and illustrated, along with a brief summation of its biology. The taxonomy of carnivores is discussed in G.G. Simpson, “Principles of Classification and a Classification of Mammals,” Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist., vol. 85 (1945), a classic work on classification, followed by most recent mammalogists; and H.J. Stains, “Carnivores and Pinnipeds,” in S. Anderson and J.K. Jones, Jr. (eds.), Recent Mammals of the World: A Synopsis of Families (1967). F.E. Beddard, Mammalia (1902, reprinted 1958), is a definitive early work on mammalian anatomy. The paleontology of the Carnivora is summarized in two works by A.S. Romer: Vertebrate Paleontology, 3rd ed. (1966), fundamental to an understanding of fossil forms, and Notes and Comments on Vertebrate Paleontology (1968), containing additional information not found in the general text. Books devoted to particular subgroups of the carnivores include A. Denis, Cats of the World (1964), an excellent summary of the status of all members of the Felidae; C.J. Harris, Otters (1968), a fine summary of the status of the otters around the world; H.E. Hinton and A.M.S. Dunn, Mongooses: Their Natural History and Behaviour (1967), which contains much interesting information that is difficult to find elsewhere, except in scattered literature; R.J. Harrison et al. (eds.), The Behavior and Physiology of Pinnipeds (1968), an excellent summation of knowledge on these aquatic carnivores; and V.B. Scheffer, Seals, Sea Lions, and Walruses: A Review of the Pinnipedia (1958), a major work on the taxonomy of the Pinnipedia.

Augustinian

2004-10-23T15:16:00.000-07:00

Also called Austin, in the Roman Catholic Church, member of any of the religious orders and congregations of men and women whose constitutions are based on the Rule of St. Augustine, instructions on the religious life written by Augustine, the great Western theologian, and widely disseminated after his death, AD 430. More specifically, the name is used to designate members of two main branches

Elijah Ben Solomon

2004-10-22T07:35:00.000-07:00

Born into a long line of scholars, Elijah traveled

Pacemaker

2004-10-20T05:51:00.000-07:00

A healthy human heart contains its own electrical conducting system capable of controlling both the rate and the order of cardiac contractions. Electrical impulses are generated at

Humpbacked Fly

2004-10-19T18:27:00.000-07:00

Also called Coffin Fly, any of numerous species of tiny, dark-coloured flies with humped backs that are members of the insect family Phoridae (order Diptera). The adults are abundant around decaying vegetation. Larvae may be scavengers, parasites, or commensals in ant and termite nests. Some species have reduced or no wings.

France, History Of, France from 1715 to 1789

2004-10-18T00:01:00.000-07:00

Alexis de Tocqueville, The Old Régime and the French Revolution (1955, reprinted 1978; originally published in French, 1856), is still a basic source for the study of the period. Comprehensive histories include C.B.A. Behrens, The Ancien Régime (1967, reprinted 1976); Pierre Goubert and Daniel Roche, Les Français et l'Ancien Régime, 2 vol. (1984); Albert Soboul, La France à la veille de la Révolution, 2nd rev. ed. (1974), a Marxist interpretation; Alfred Cobban, Old Régime and Revolution, 1715–1790 (1957, reprinted 1969), vol. 1 in his A History of Modern France; Hubert Méthivier, L‘Ancien Régime en France: XVIe–XVIIe–XVIIIe siècles (1981); and Norman Hampson, The Enlightenment (1968, reprinted 1982). For discussions of social classes and economic issues, see Robert Forster, The Nobility of Toulouse in the Eighteenth Century (1960, reprinted 1971); Elinor G. Barber, The Bourgeoisie in 18th Century France (1955, reprinted 1970); Franklin L. Ford, Robe and Sword: The Regrouping of the French Aristocracy After Louis XIV (1953, reprinted 1965); Henri Sée, Economic and Social Conditions in France During the Eighteenth Century (1927, reissued 1968; originally published in French, 1925); and Steven Laurence Kaplan, Provisioning Paris: Merchants and Millers in the Grain and Flour Trade During the Eighteenth Century (1984). Economic histories make much use of the 18th-century travelogue of Arthur Young, Travels During the Years 1787, 1788, & 1789: Undertaken More Particularly with a View of Ascertaining the Cultivation, Wealth, Resources, and National Prosperity of the Kingdom of France, 2nd ed., 2 vol. (1794), available in many later editions. The culture and ideology of the period are explored in Harvey Chisick, The Limits of Reform in the Enlightenment: Attitudes toward the Education of the Lower Classes in Eighteenth-Century France (1981); Thomas E. Crow, Painters and Public Life in Eighteenth-Century Paris (1985); Joan B. Landes, Women and the Public Sphere in the Age of the French Revolution (1988); Jeremy D. Popkin, News and Politics in the Age of Revolution: Jean Luzac's Gazette de Leyde (1989); and Jean Starobinski, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Transparency and Obstruction (1988; originally published in French, 1957).

Jam Master Jay

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American rap musician and producer (b. Jan. 21, 1965, New York, N.Y.—d. Oct. 30, 2002, New York City), was a member of Run-D.M.C., the first rap group to attract a worldwide audience. Jam Master Jay teamed with Joe (“Run”) Simmons and Darryl (“D.M.C.”) McDaniels to form the group in the early 1980s. The trio's debut album, Run-D.M.C. (1984), featuring the hit singles “It's like That” and “Sucker MCs,” became the first rap album to attain gold

Florida, Flag Of

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The first flag of Florida was hoisted on June 25, 1845, at the inauguration of its first governor, William D. Moseley. It had five horizontal stripes (blue, orange, red, white, and green) and a ribbon with the inscription “Let us alone.” The U.S. flag served as a canton. The states' rights and antifederalist symbolism in the design is clear, but the associations of the colours are unknown;

Yale School

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Group of literary critics at Yale University, who became known in the 1970s and '80s for their deconstructionist theories. The Yale school's skeptical, relativistic brand of criticism drew inspiration from the work of French philosopher Jacques Derrida. Its most prominent members were Paul de Man and J. Hillis Miller. De Man, a professor of comparative literature and author

Golden Eagle

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In North America the golden eagle ranges

Dysentery

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There are two major types of dysentery: bacillary and amebic, caused, respectively, by bacteria and amoebas. Bacillary dysentery, or shigellosis, is caused by bacilli of the genus Shigella. Symptomatically,

Finland, Recreation

2004-10-12T13:52:00.000-07:00

In Finland the basic national sport—which originally was a necessary means of winter transportation—is cross-country skiing. Nationalism also encouraged the development of special proficiency, which was fostered by ski fairs and competitions held at Oulu beginning in the late 1890s. An interest in other athletics developed from the time that the Finns took part

Dingelstedt, Franz Ferdinand, Freiherr Von (count Of)

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A member of the liberal Young Germany movement, Dingelstedt wrote political satires against the German princes, notably Die Neuen Argonauten (1839; “The New Argonauts”) and a collection of satirical poems, Lieder eines Kosmopolitischen

China, Foreign affairs under Yang-ti

2004-10-09T13:06:00.000-07:00

In addition to these farsighted construction works, Yang-ti also pursued a very active foreign policy. An expedition to the south established sovereignty over the old Chinese settlement in Tongking and over the Champa state of Lin-yi in central Nam Viet. Several expeditions were sent to Taiwan, and relations with Japan were opened. The T'u-yü-hun people were driven

Asclepigenia

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After the death of her father, Plutarchus, Asclepigenia was active in perpetuating the eastern version of Platonism, in cooperation with her brother, Hiero. Upon the succession of Proclus as head of the school at Athens, Asclepigenia instructed him in the philosophies of Plato and Aristotle. She

Gumma

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Sericulture and wheat cultivation are major economic activities.

Adams, John, Adams's writings

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Other pieces of the massive Adams correspondence include: Charles Francis Adams (ed.), Letters of John Adams, Addressed to His Wife, 2 vol. (1841, reissued 1965); Alexander Biddle et al., Old Family Letters, 2 vol. (1892); Worthington Chauncey Ford (ed.), Statesman and Friend: Correspondence of John Adams with Benjamin Waterhouse, 1784–1822 (1927); Lester J. Cappon (ed.), The Adams-Jefferson Letters, 2 vol. (1959, reprinted in 1 vol., 1988); John A. Schutz and Douglass Adair (eds.), The Spur of Fame: Dialogues of John Adams and Benjamin Rush, 1805–1813 (1966, reissued 1980).

Morecambe Bay

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Bay of the Irish Sea deeply indenting the northwest coast of England between the port of Barrow-in-Furness to the north and the seaside resorts of Morecambe and Heysham to the south. The bay separates the Furness region of the historic county of Lancashire (now in the administrative county of Cumbria) from the remainder of Lancashire. Much of the Lake District massif,

Naga

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City, southeastern Luzon, Philippines. It is situated along the Bicol River, south of San Miguel Bay. Founded in 1573 as Nueva Caceres by the Spaniards, it is the site every September of a festival in honour of Nuestra Señora de (“Our Lady of”) Peñafrancia, the patroness of the Bicol Peninsula. Naga has a large cathedral and is the seat of a bishopric. The University of Nueva Caceres

William Of Saint-amour

2004-10-03T16:45:00.000-07:00

A protégé of the Count of Savoy, who supported his doctoral studies in canon law and theology at the University of Paris, William was chosen dean of the theology