Cartan, �lie-joseph

In 1894 Cartan became a lecturer at the University of Montpellier, where he studied the structure of continuous groups introduced by the noted Norwegian mathematician Sophus Lie. He later examined theories of equivalence

Ylang-ylang

Ylang-ylang in Tagalog (a Philippine language) means �flower of flowers.� The slim, smooth-barked evergreen reaches about 25 m (80 feet) and is covered year-round with drooping, long-stalked, rich-scented flowers

World War I, Rival strategies and the Dardanelles campaign, 1915 - 16

Erich von Falkenhayn had succeeded the dispirited Moltke as chief of the German general staff in September 1914. By the

Soga Umako

A leader of the Soga family of Japan, who was responsible for the destruction of the powerful Mononobe and Nakatomi clans and the ascendancy of the Soga to a position of supreme power. Umako was instrumental in introducing Buddhism into Japan. His influence helped spur the introduction of Chinese cultural, bureaucratic, and administrative

Mushroom Poisoning

Among the mushrooms that most commonly cause poisoning are Amanita muscaria, A. phalloides, and the four white Amanita species called destroying angels.

Lithuania

Elgon, Mount

Extinct volcano on the Kenya-Uganda boundary. Its crater, about 5 miles (8 km) in diameter, contains several peaks, of which Wagagai (14,178 feet [4,321 m]) is the highest. Its extrusions cover about 1,250 square miles (3,200 square km) and consist largely of fragmental rocks and only a smattering of lavas. The mountain slope is gentle and the outline unimpressive. On the east and southeast at about 6,200 feet

Ogata Kenzan

Kenzan received a classical Chinese and Japanese education and pursued Zen Buddhism. At the age of 27 he began studying with the potter Ninsei and in 1699 established his own kiln in Narutaki. Encountering financial

Mahathir Bin Mohamad

The son of a schoolmaster, Mahathir was educated at Sultan Abdul Hamid College and the University of Malaya in Singapore, where he studied medicine. After graduating in 1953, he worked as a government

Aegirine

A pyroxene mineral, sodium and iron silicate (NaFe 3Si2O6), that is commonly found in alkaline igneous rocks, particularly in syenites and syenite pegmatites. It also occurs in crystalline schists. Aegirine forms a continuous chemical series with aegirinaugite, in which calcium replaces sodium, and magnesium and aluminum replace iron. In this series, the name acmite

Beverly

City, Essex county, northeastern Massachusetts, U.S. It is situated on Beverly Harbor, an inlet of the Atlantic Ocean, just north of Salem. Settled about 1626, it was named for Beverley, England, when incorporated as a town (township) in 1668. It early developed as a shipping centre, and the schooner Hannah, claimed to be the first ship of the U.S. Navy, was commissioned (September 5, 1775) at Glover's

Yard-of-ale Glass

Tall, extremely narrow drinking glass that was known in England from the 17th century. It is approximately 1 yard (90 cm) long and holds about 1 pint (0.5 litre). The glass has a trumpet-shaped opening at one end and either a foot at the other or a trick bulb, which makes drinking more difficult, for when air gets into it the ale is forced out in a rush. Impractical for ordinary use, it appears

Vel�zquez, Diego

According to Palomino, Vel�zquez's first master was the Sevillian painter Francisco Herrera the Elder (c. 1576 - 1656). In 1611 he was formally apprenticed to Francisco Pacheco, whose daughter he married in 1618. �After five years of education and training,� Pacheco writes, �I married him to my daughter, moved by his virtue, integrity, and good parts and by the expectations of his disposition

Jet Stream

Any of several long, narrow high-speed air currents that flow eastward in a generally horizontal zone in the stratosphere or upper troposphere. Jet streams are characterized by wind motions that generate strong vertical shearing action, which is thought to be largely responsible for the clear air turbulence so hazardous to aircraft. They also are associated

Eure River

River in northern France, a left-bank tributary of the Seine, with a length of 140 miles (225 km). From its source in the Perche Hills, Orne d�partement, at an elevation of about 800 feet (240 m), to its confluence with the Seine River above Rouen at Pont de l'Arche, it flows chiefly through agricultural and wooded regions, receiving numerous tributaries, including the Blaise, the Avre, and the

Lawes, Lewis Edward

Assuming the office of warden of Sing Sing State Prison (now Ossining Correctional Facility), Ossining, N.Y., in 1920, Lawes instituted such reforms as the establishment of theatricals, film showings, and athletics;

Mena (y Medrano), Pedro De

Beginning as a student of his father, the sculptor Alonso de Mena, Pedro worked in the studio of Alonso Cano from 1652 to 1657. After Cano departed for Madrid, Pedro went in 1658 to M�laga to begin

Bulbourethral Gland

Also called �Cowper's Gland, � either of two pea-shaped glands in the male, located beneath the prostate gland at the beginning of the internal portion of the penis; they add fluids to semen during the process of ejaculation (q.v.). The glands, which measure only about 1 cm (0.4 inch) in diameter, have ducts that empty into the urethra, the tube through which both urine and semen pass. They are composed of a network

Annelid, Respiratory system

Gas exchange generally takes place through the skin, but it may occur through gill filaments in some polychaetes or through the rectum of aquatic oligochaetes. Although oxygen may be transported directly in the blood, it is usually carried by a respiratory pigment, either hemoglobin or chlorocruorin. Hemoglobin, the most common pigment, is present in most free-moving

Howard, Jean

American actress and celebrity photographer (b. Oct. 13, 1910, Longview, Texas - d. March 20, 2000, Beverly Hills, Calif.), was an actress in films of the 1930s and '40s and later became a prominent socialite and a noted photographer of Hollywood's glamour set. She started in show business as a chorus girl, appearing in Florenz Ziegfeld's Broadway musical Whoopee in 1930 and Ziegfeld's last Follies (1931). A screen

General Staff

In the military, a group of officers that assists the commander of a division or larger unit by formulating and disseminating his policies, transmitting his orders, and overseeing their execution. Normally a general staff is organized along functional lines, with separate sections for administration, intelligence, operations, training, logistics, and other categories.

Alimentary Canal

Also called �digestive tract� pathway by which food enters the body and solid wastes are expelled. The alimentary canal includes the mouth, pharynx, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, and anus. See digestion.

Keel

In shipbuilding, the main structural member and backbone of a ship or boat, running longitudinally along the centre of the bottom of the hull from stem to stern. It may be made of timber, metal, or other strong, stiff material. Traditionally it constituted the principal member to which the ribs were attached on each side and to which the stem and sternpost were also attached.

Yahya Khan, Agha Mohammad

Yahya was born to a family that was descended from the elite soldier class of Nader Shah, the Persian ruler who conquered Delhi in the 18th century. He was educated at Punjab University and later graduated first in his class

Halberstadt

City, Saxony-Anhalt Land (state), central Germany, on the Holtemme River in the foreland of the northern Harz mountains, southwest of Magdeburg. It became a bishopric about 814 and was granted market rights in 989. It was one of the most important German trading cities in the 13th - 14th century. The bishopric was suppressed and the town granted to Brandenburg by the Peace of Westphalia

Trade Wind

Very steady wind that blows westward and toward the equator from the subtropical high-pressure belts at latitudes near 30� N and 30� S toward the intertropical convergence zone. It is stronger and more consistent over the oceans than over land and produces fairly clear skies that make trade-wind islands popular tourist resorts. Its average speed is about 5 to 6 m per second

France, History Of, Henry IV

The restoration of royal authority was not, of course, simply a matter of adjusting theories of kingship; there was a clear practical reason for Henry's success. The country had tottered on the brink of disintegration for three decades. By the time of Henry's succession, it was generally recognized that only a strong personality, independent of faction, could guarantee

Alcamo

Town, Trapani provincia, northwestern Sicily, Italy, 23 miles (37 km) west-southwest of Palermo. The name comes from that of the nearby Saracen fortress, Alqamah, on Mount Bonifato. The present town was founded by the emperor Frederick II in 1233. Notable churches include the 17th-century Assunta Church and the Church of San Tomaso with an elaborate 14th-century doorway. There is also

Sunch'on

City, Cholla-nam do (province), southern South Korea. Located on the Yosu Peninsula, 87 miles (140 km) southeast of Kwangju, the provincial capital, it is an administrative and economic centre of the eastern part of the province. It is connected by rail with Seoul through Kwangju and Taejon and, since 1968, has been connected with Pusan through Chinju and Masan. A transportation junction,