Osaka-kobe Metropolitan Area

Second largest urban and industrial agglomeration in Japan, located on Osaka Bay in west-central Honshu at the eastern end of the Inland Sea. The cities of Osaka and Kobe are at the centre of what is called by geographers the Hanshin Industrial Zone; as a result of the expansion of the urban area along the Inland Sea and northeast toward the city of Kyoto, the region is now

Osaka-kobe Metropolitan Area

Second largest urban and industrial agglomeration in Japan, located on Osaka Bay in west-central Honshu at the eastern end of the Inland Sea. The cities of Osaka and Kobe are at the centre of what is called by geographers the Hanshin Industrial Zone; as a result of the expansion of the urban area along the Inland Sea and northeast toward the city of Kyoto, the region is now

Neotropical Region

Also called �Neogaean Realm, or South American Region, � one of the six major biogeographic areas of the world defined on the basis of its characteristic animal life. It extends south from the Mexican desert into South America as far as the subantarctic zone. It includes such animals as the llama, tapir, deer, pig, jaguar, puma, a variety of opossums, many rodents and fishes, and extremely rich insect and bird populations. The

Shehu Ahmadu Lobbo

Influenced by the teachings of the Islamic reformer Usman dan Fodio, he began a holy war (jihad) in 1818 or possibly as early as 1810. He defeated the forces of the pagan Fulani and Bambara chiefs and established a capital at Hamdallahi. His rule extended to the cities

Medicine

In many parts of the world, particularly in developing countries, people get their primary health care, or first-contact care, where available at all, from nonmedically qualified personnel; these cadres of medical auxiliaries are being trained in increasing numbers to meet overwhelming needs among rapidly growing populations. Even among the comparatively wealthy

Aletsch Glacier

The Alps' largest and longest glacier, lying in the Bernese Alps of south-central Switzerland. Covering an area of 66 square miles (171 square km), it is divided into the Great Aletsch (main) and the Middle and Upper Aletsch (branches). The main glacier is 15 miles (24 km) long and 1 mile (1.6 km) wide. It extends generally southward from the Concordia Platz (where several other glaciers meet) to

Satcher, David

The son of a small farmer, Satcher nearly died of whooping cough at age two because his family had little access to health care. He was attended by the only black physician in the area and resolved from an early age to become a doctor.

Schefflera

The most common schefflera

Humpbacked Fly

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.

Bonard, Louis-adolphe

Entering service in the French Navy in 1825, Bonard was promoted to lieutenant in 1835, captain in 1842, and was commissioned vice admiral in 1862. He was captured by Algerians after a shipwreck in 1830 and later helped quell

Paeoniaceae

The peony family of the order Dilleniales, consisting of the genus Paeonia with about 33 species distributed in Europe, Asia, and western North America. They are perennial herbs or sometimes shrubby plants up to about 2 m (6 feet) tall that grow from stout rootstocks. The leaves are alternately produced along the stems and are divided into three lobes, each lobe being further

Tear Duct And Gland,

Also called �Lachrymal, or Lacrimal, Duct And Gland, � the structures that produce, distribute, and carry away tears (drops of clear saline fluid that are diffused between the eye and eyelid). Tears moisten the membrane that covers the eye (conjunctiva) and facilitate motion. Tears are also secreted as a reflex response to various stimuli, including irritants to the cornea, bright lights, and hot or peppery substances in

Pankhurst, Dame Christabel Harriette

A daughter of suffrage activist Emmeline Pankhurst and a sister of Sylvia Pankhurst, Christabel Pankhurst advocated the use of militant tactics to win the vote for women in England. With her mother she founded the Women's

Ariobarzanes

Persian satrap (provincial governor) of Phrygia after about 387. The son of a nobleman, he cultivated the friendship of Athens and Sparta and, about 366, led the unsuccessful revolt of the satraps of western Anatolia against the Persian king Artaxerxes II (reigned 404 - 359/358 BC).

Madison, Dolley

When Dolley Madison died in 1849 she was one of the most popular figures in Washington and the nation's favourite first lady. At her funeral President Zachary Taylor, his cabinet, the diplomatic corps, and members of Congress lined up to pay their respects. She was buried beside James Madison at a family plot near Montpelier.

Vijayawada

Also called �Bezwada� city, east-central Andhra Pradesh state, southern India, on the Krishna River. The city is a centre for Hindu pilgrimages. It is also known for its toys, many of them miniatures. Of note is the Victoria Jubilee Museum, which has a magnificent black granite Buddha. A college of Oriental studies and a medical college are located in the city. Pop. (1991 prelim.) city, 701,351; metropolitan area,

Vijayawada

Also called �Bezwada� city, east-central Andhra Pradesh state, southern India, on the Krishna River. The city is a centre for Hindu pilgrimages. It is also known for its toys, many of them miniatures. Of note is the Victoria Jubilee Museum, which has a magnificent black granite Buddha. A college of Oriental studies and a medical college are located in the city. Pop. (1991 prelim.) city, 701,351; metropolitan area,

Lower Saxony

German �Niedersachsen, � constituent Land (state) of Germany. The second largest Land in size, it occupies an important band of territory across the northwestern part of the nation. Lower Saxony stretches from The Netherlands border in the west to the border of Mecklenburg - West Pomerania and Saxony-Anhalt L�nder in the east. The neck of land occupied by Schleswig-Holstein, Hamburg, and, farther

Fable, Parable, And Allegory

Any form of imaginative literature or spoken utterance constructed in such a way that readers or listeners are encouraged to look for meanings hidden beneath the literal surface of the fiction. A story is told or perhaps enacted whose details - when interpreted - are found to correspond to the details of some other system of relations (its hidden, allegorical sense).

Romains, Jules

Romains studied science and philosophy at the �cole Normale Sup�rieure in Paris. After teaching philosophy

Romains, Jules

Formerly (1947 - 98) �South Pacific Commission� organization founded in 1947 by the governments of Australia, France, New Zealand, The Netherlands, Great Britain, and the United States to advise them on economic, social, and health matters affecting the South Pacific island territories they administered. It is the oldest regional organization in the Pacific and is headquartered in Noum�a, New Caledonia. Guam and the

Beilby, Sir George Thomas

After graduating from the University of

Light Curve

In astronomy, graph of the changes in brightness with time of a star, particularly of the variable type. The light curves of different kinds of variable stars differ in the degree of change in magnitude (i.e., the amount of light flux observed), in the degree of regularity from one cycle to the next, and in the length of the cycle - i.e., the period. Variations in magnitude range

Yodo River

Japanese �Yodo-gawa,� river, central western Honshu, Japan. The Yodo is the sole outlet of Lake Biwa, the country's largest freshwater lake, from which it issues in a southwesterly direction to Osaka Bay, connecting the Kyoto Basin with the Osaka Plain. It was a major means of transportation and communication during the Tokugawa period (1603 - 1867). The river is dammed for hydroelectricity and

Leninism

In the Communist

Cohort Analysis

Method used in studies to describe an aggregate of individuals having in common a significant event in their life histories, such as year of birth (birth cohort) or year of marriage (marriage cohort). The concept of cohort is useful because occurrence rates of various forms of behaviour are often influenced by the length of time elapsed since the event defining the

Easel Painting

Painting executed on a portable support such as a panel or canvas, instead of on a wall. It is likely that easel paintings were known to the ancient Egyptians, and the 1st-century-AD Roman scholar Pliny the Elder refers to a large panel placed on an easel; it was not until the 13th century, however, that easel paintings became relatively common, finally superseding in popularity

Kuei

Kuei are spirits of individuals who were not properly buried or whose families neglected the proper memorial offerings; they lack the means to ascend to the spirit world, hence their malevolent disposition. In traditional China,