Kidney
In vertebrates and some invertebrates, organ that maintains water balance and expels metabolic wastes. Primitive and embryonic kidneys consist of two series of specialized tubules that empty into two collecting ducts, the Wolffian ducts (see Wolffian duct). The more advanced kidney (metanephros)
Czardas
Also spelled �Csardas�, Hungarian �Cs�rd�s� national dance of Hungary. A courting dance for couples, it begins with a slow section (lassu), followed by an exhilarating fast section (friss). The individual dancers carry themselves proudly and improvise on a simple fundamental step, their feet snapping inward and outward, the couples whirling. The music, often played by a Gypsy orchestra, is in 2/4 or 4/4 time with compelling,
Aholehole
Any of several species of fishes constituting the family Kuhliidae (order Perciformes). Various members of the genus Kuhlia inhabit marine or fresh waters in the Indo-Pacific region, whereas representatives of the other two genera are restricted to freshwater or brackish habitats of Australia. Superficially the aholeholes resemble the freshwater sunfishes
Mindszenty, J�zsef
Politically active from the time of his ordination as a priest in 1915, Mindszenty was arrested as an enemy of totalitarian
Lu-chou
Pinyin �Luzhou, � city in southern Szechwan sheng (province), China. A river port at the junction of the Yangtze River and the T'o River, Lu-chou's communications were further improved during World War II, when a highway was built south across the mountains to K'un-ming in Yunnan province to connect Szechwan to the Burma Road. Lu-chou, although an ancient city, remains essentially a river
Trafalgar, Battle Of
At the end of September 1805, Villeneuve had
Boito, Arrigo
The son of an Italian painter of miniatures and a Polish countess, Boito attended the Milan Conservatory and travelled to Paris on a scholarship. There he met Verdi, for whom, in 1862, he wrote
Prodi, Romano
Prodi graduated from Catholic University in Milan in 1961 and did postdoctoral work at the London School of Economics. After serving as a professor of economics at the University of Bologna, he entered government as minister of industry in 1978. In 1996, after two productive stints
World War I, The collapse of Austria-Hungary
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
Ch'iang-t'ang
Pinyin �Qiangtang�, Tibetan �Byang Thang� enormous alpine basin in the northern part of the Tibetan autonomous ch'� (region), China. With an average elevation of more than 16,500 feet (5,000 m) above sea level, it lies between the Kunlun Mountains to the north and the T'ang-ku-la Mountains and A-ling Mountains to the south and stretches 800 miles (1,300 km) from the mountain complex called the Pamir Knot in the west to the region of the Tsaidam
Rabbit
There is no single taxonomic group that constitutes the rabbit. Rather the name refers to an accumulation of 10 genera in the family Leporidae whose characteristics are intermediate between hares and pikas, the other members of order Lagomorpha. The best-known and most recognizable of the 28 rabbit species are the European rabbit and the 16 or so species of North and South
In Medias Res
In narrative technique, the recommended practice of beginning an epic or other fictional form by plunging into a crucial situation that is part of a related chain of events; the situation is an extension of previous events and will be developed in later action. The narrative then goes directly forward, and exposition of earlier events is supplied by flashbacks.
Sunfish
Any of numerous species of North American freshwater fishes placed with the crappies and black basses in the family Centrarchidae (order Perciformes). The family contains about 30 species, all native to North America and all, with the exception of the Sacramento perch (Archoplites interruptus), native to waters east of the Rocky Mountains. Several species, such as the
Vads�
Town and seat of Finnmark fylke (county), northern Norway. Located on the northern shore of Varangerfjorden, the original settlement was on the adjacent island of Vass�ya, but in the early 1700s the port was reestablished on the mainland. Vads� received its town charter in 1833, and the town prospered, principally through trade with Russia. It was almost totally destroyed by
France, History Of, Monasticism
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
Fabales
Legumes occur in all terrestrial habitats occupied by plants, although the greatest number of species is in the tropics, where the group probably originated. But there are many legumes in the temperate plains, woodlands, and deserts. A few not only survive but succeed as weeds, in the human-made farming, industrial, and urban environment. They are less common in the northern
Mysticism, Union of opposites
Mystical experience is flanked with a communication hazard, a �polar identity.� The linguistic liberties and extravagances are part of the logical impossibility of having to describe one order of experience in terms of another. Hence, the rhetoric of mysticism is largely one of symbols and paradoxes. The most striking of the strategies, as the medieval Christian
France, History Of, Napoleon and the Revolution
The Revolutionary legacy for Napoleon consisted above all in the abolition of the ancien r�gime's most archaic features - �feudalism,� seigneurialism, legal privileges, and provincial liberties. No matter how aristocratic his style became, he had no use for the ineffective institutions and abuses of the ancien r�gime. Napoleon was �modern� in temperament as well as
Wigan
Town and metropolitan borough in the northwestern part of the metropolitan county of Greater Manchester, historic county of Lancashire, England. It lies along the River Douglas and the Leeds and Liverpool Canal. The borough includes large industrial and commercial centres such as the towns of Wigan and Leigh, suburban neighbourhoods, and small rural
Lagoon
Area of relatively shallow, quiet water with access to the sea but separated from it by sandbars, barrier islands, or coral reefs. The term lagoon is used to describe two classes of phenomena that share the physical characteristics described but are otherwise quite distinct. These are coastal lagoons, found on most land margins, and coral-reef lagoons (see photograph
Yezhov, Nikolay Ivanovich
Nothing is known of his early life (he was nicknamed the �Dwarf� because he was but five feet tall and lame). Joining the Communist Party in March
Beastie Boys, The
American hip-hop and rock group, the first white rap performers to gain a substantial following; as such, they were largely responsible for the growth of rap's mainstream audience. The principal members were MCA (byname of Adam Yauch; b. August 5, 1964, New York, New York, U.S.), Mike D (byname of Mike Diamond; b. November 20, 1966, New York), and King AdRock (byname of Adam Horovitz; b. October 31, 1966, New
Fadden, Sir Arthur William
Fadden was active in local and state government as a young man, and he was a member of Parliament (1936 - 58) and leader of the Country Party (1941 - 58). As a member of the cabinet he held the position of minister for air and civil aviation (1940) and of treasurer (1940 - 41, 1949 - 58); he also served
Pa Hsien
In Chinese art they sometimes also
Lipase
Initial lipase digestion occurs in the lumen (interior) of the small intestine. Bile salts reduce the surface tension of the fat droplets
Lipase
Initial lipase digestion occurs in the lumen (interior) of the small intestine. Bile salts reduce the surface tension of the fat droplets
Earth, Strain
Any deformation caused by stress constitutes strain. It may be an increase or decrease in the length of an object, an alteration of its shape, or a change in its volume. It is generally measured as a percent elongation, percent shortening, angular distortion, or percent change in volume.
Aeolis
Also called �Aeolia, � group of ancient cities on the west coast of Anatolia, which were founded at the end of the 2nd millennium BC by Greeks speaking an Aeolic dialect. The earliest settlements, located on the islands of Lesbos and Tenedos and on the mainland between Troas and Ionia, resulted from migrations during 1130 - 1000 BC. A second group of Aeolian settlements was colonized in the 7th century BC. At the
Paasche Index
The index is a ratio that compares the total purchase cost of a specified bundle of current-period commodities (commodities valued at current
