Vrije Volk, Het

(Dutch: �The Free People�), Socialist evening daily newspaper published in 30 regional editions in Rotterdam and outlying locations, one of the largest and most influential dailies in The Netherlands. It was established in 1900 as Het Volk (�The People�), the official organ of the Socialist Democratic Labour Party. During the German occupation of The Netherlands in World War

Argentine

The true smelts

Leap Of Faith

Metaphor used by the 19th-century Danish philosopher S�ren Kierkegaard in his Afsluttende uvidenskabelig Efterskrift (1846; Concluding Unscientific Postscript) to describe commitment to an objective uncertainty, specifically to the Christian God. For Kierkegaard, God is totally other than man; between God and man there exists a gulf that faith alone can bridge. Kierkegaard

Melamine

Melamine is manufactured by heating dicyandiamide under pressure. Its most important reaction is that with formaldehyde, forming resinous compounds of high molecular weight.

Ear Disease, Labyrinthitis

Labyrinthitis, an inflammation of the labyrinth of the inner ear, happens when infection occurs as a result of meningitis, syphilis, acute otitis media and mastoiditis, or chronic otitis media and cholesteatoma. Loss of both equilibrium and hearing occurs in the affected ear. Prompt antibiotic treatment sometimes arrests the damage and allows for the possibility

Floral Decoration

Plant materials are customarily arranged in containers, woven into garlands, and worn or carried for personal adornment. Flower bouquets that are carried include the nosegay and corsage. In the mid-19th century, the nosegay, or posy (a small bunch of mixed flowers), was much in fashion. No well-dressed Victorian lady appeared at a social gathering without carrying one,

Epistemology, G.F.W. Hegel

Empiricism takes cognition

Celiac Disease

Also called �nontropical sprue� or �celiac sprue� a digestive disorder in which people cannot tolerate gluten, a protein constituent of wheat, barley, malt, and rye flours. The disease is characterized by the passage of foul, pale-coloured stools (steatorrhea), progressive malnutrition, multiple vitamin deficiencies, stunting of growth, abdominal pain, and, late in the disease, anemia. In children, celiac disease usually

Metallophone

China had such instruments by the 7th century. Metallophones had reached northern Europe from Indonesia

Pacific Mountain System

Juan Rodr�guez Cabrillo, a Portuguese explorer in the service of Spain, probably was the first European to explore the coast of California. He is thought to have sailed north in 1542, and his pilot, Bartolom� Ferrelo, may have reached as far as the present southern border of Oregon. Sir Francis Drake sailed the coast in 1579 and may have landed in Oregon. Juan P�rez landed on the

Norfolk Four-course System

In the Norfolk four-course system, wheat was grown in the first year, turnips in the second, followed

Rhapsodist

Greek �Rhapsoidos, �plural �Rhapsoidoi, � any of the dramatic reciters of ancient Greece, dating from the 6th century BC. In the oral epic tradition, rhapsodists were preceded by Homeric singers (aoidoi) of their own epic songs and, like them, were musically accompanied on the lyre and aulos. To heighten dramatic effect, rhapsodists used a staff for symbolic gesturing. Their intonation of poetry probably involved

Crime And Punishment, Incapacitation

Incapacitation is an object of punishment that has been known since early times. The idea is simply that the offender should be dealt with in a manner that will make it impossible for him to repeat his offense - by execution or banishment in earlier times, in more modern times by execution or lengthy periods of incarceration. This is the only objective of punishment

Bradley, Tom

The son of sharecroppers and the grandson of slaves, Bradley grew up in poverty. When he was seven years old, his parents moved to Los Angeles. Excelling at track

Smith College

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,

Nilotic Languages

The Nilotic languages are usually divided into a Western group (containing

Yambol

Also spelled �Jambol� town, east-central Bulgaria, on the Tundzha (Tundja) River. North of the present town are the ruins of Kabyle (or Cabyle), which originated as a Bronze Age settlement in the 2nd millennium BC and was conquered by the Macedonians under Philip II in 342 - 341 BC. Taken by Rome in 72 BC, Kabyle became a city in the Roman province of Thrace, governing the middle reaches of the Tundzha (ancient Tonsus)

Ahuitzotl

The aggressive Ahuitzotl succeeded his brother, Tizoc, to the throne. He proved a merciless warrior, conquering tribes as far south as present-day Guatemala and in territory along the Gulf of Mexico, using such tactics as forced marches, ambushes, and surprise attacks. His men

Level

Device for establishing a horizontal plane. It consists of a small glass tube containing alcohol or similar liquid and an air bubble; the tube is sealed and fixed horizontally in a wooden or metallic block or frame with a smooth lower surface. The glass tube is slightly bowed, and adjustment to the horizontal is indicated by movement of the bubble. The device is on a

Anshan

Also spelled �Anzan, � city and territory of ancient Elam, north of modern Shiraz, southwestern Iran. The city's ruins, covering 350 acres, have yielded major archaeological finds, including examples of early Elamite writing. Anshan came to prominence about 2350 BC as an enemy of the Mesopotamian dynasty of Akkad. Its greatest period, however, was during the 13th and 12th centuries BC, when, as �kings of Anshan and

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.

Argentina, Health and welfare

An extensive system of hospitals and clinics in Argentina is run by national, provincial, and local authorities as well as by private organizations. The cost of medical care is covered by a comprehensive array of occupational insurance plans. Public health and sanitation standards are particularly high in developed areas but can drop off considerably in some

Campeche

Estado (�state�), southeastern Mexico, on the Yucat�n Peninsula. It is bounded north and east by the state of Yucat�n, from which it seceded in 1857; northwest by the Gulf of Mexico; east by the state of Quintana Roo; south by Guatemala; and southwest by the state of Tabasco. Named after the ancient Mayan province of Kimpech (Campech), it comprises much of the western part of the peninsula.

Averno, Lake Of

Italian �Lago D'averno, �Latin �Lacus Avernus, � crater lake in Napoli province, Campania region, southern Italy, in the Campi Flegrei volcanic region, west of Naples. It is 7 ft (2 m) above sea level, 118 ft deep, and nearly 2 mi (more than 3 km) in circumference, with no natural outlet. Its Greek name, Aornos, was interpreted as meaning �without birds,� giving rise to the legend that no bird could fly across it and live because of its poisonous

Girl Groups

Primarily American female vocal groups popular from the early to the mid-1960s, the period between the heyday of early rock and roll and the British Invasion. The girl group era produced a clearly identifiable hybrid of gospel, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, and quirky pop. The high-pitched, husky, teen-girl sound of acts such as the Ronettes and the Supremes epitomized the ebullient

Duchesne, Andr�

Duchesne was educated at Loudun and Paris and devoted his early years to studies in history and geography. His first work, Egregiarum seu Selectarum Lectionum et Antiquitatum

Tyre

Tyre, built on an island and on the neighbouring mainland, was probably originally founded as a colony of Sidon. Mentioned in Egyptian records of the