Katz, Sir Bernard
German-born British biophysicist (b. March 26, 1911, Leipzig, Ger. - d. April 20, 2003, London, Eng.), shared (with American biochemist Julius Axelrod and Swedish physiologist Ulf von Euler) the 1970 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine for discoveries concerning the chemistry of nerve transmission. Katz was singled out for his studies on the neurotransmitter acetylcholine and the mechanism
Patagonia
Semiarid scrub plateau that covers nearly all of the southern portion of mainland Argentina. With an area of about 260,000 square miles (673,000 square kilometres), it constitutes a vast area of steppe and desert that extends from latitude 37� to 51� S. It is bounded, approximately, by the Patagonian Andes to the west, the Colorado River to the north (except where the region extends north of
Kochowski, Wespazjan
During his years in military service (1650 - 61), Kochowski fought against the Cossacks and the Swedes. He later became court historian for King John III Sobieski and was present at Sobieski's victory over the Turks at Vienna in 1683. Kochowski developed a deep sense of patriotism, which
Rueda, Lope De
A gold-beater by trade, Rueda was probably attracted to the stage by touring Italian actors; he organized a traveling theatre company and as its autor, or author-manager, took his troupe throughout Spain. He became popular and played
Ford Motor Company
American automotive corporation founded in 1903 by Henry Ford (q.v.) and 11 associate investors. In 1919 the company was reincorporated, with Ford, his wife, Clara, and his son, Edsel, acquiring full ownership; they, their heirs, and the Ford Foundation (formed 1936) were sole stockholders until January 1956, when public sale of the common stock was first offered. The company today is chiefly engaged
Tepehuan
The habitat of both the
Carte Du Ciel
(French: �Map of the Heavens�), projected photographic mapping of some 10 million stars in all parts of the sky that was planned to include all stars of the 14th magnitude or brighter and to list in an associated catalog all of the 12th magnitude or brighter. The plan, devised about 1887 by Am�d�e Mouchez, director of the Paris Observatory, involved the cooperation of 18 observatories
Cabanatuan
Chartered city, Nueva Ecija province, central Luzon, Philippines, on the Pampanga River. Formerly the capital of the province, it is the commercial centre for the eastern portion of Luzon's central plain, which is heavily farmed in rice. An important highway junction, it is also the terminus of a rail spur line. Cabanatuan is the site of Central Luzon Polytechnic College.
Smith, George
English Assyriologist who advanced knowledge of the earliest (Sumerian) period of Mesopotamian civilization with his discovery of one of the most important literary works in Akkadian, the Epic of Gilgamesh. Moreover, its description of a flood, strikingly similar to the account in Genesis, had a stunning effect on Smith's
India, Recreation
Virtually all regions of India have their distinctive places of pilgrimage, local saints and folk heroes, religious festivals, and associated fairs. There are also innumerable festivals associated with individual villages or temples or with specific castes and cults. The most popular of the religious festivals celebrated over the greater part of India are
Punic War, Second
In the years after the First Punic War, Rome wrested Corsica and Sardinia from Carthage and forced Carthaginians to pay an even greater indemnity than the payment exacted immediately following the war. Eventually,
Cabez�n, Antonio De
Blind from infancy, Cabez�n studied organ in Palencia and in 1526 became organist and clavichordist
God (anderson Ind.), Church Of
Christian fellowship that considers itself a �reformation movement� among Christians and not a church or sect; it accepts its title for identification purposes only. Its members believe that they have organized themselves to carry on the work of the church, but they do not believe they have organized the church, which is made up of all Christians and cannot be limited
Agni
(Sanskrit: �Fire�), fire-god of the Hindus, second only to Indra in the Vedic mythology of ancient India. He is equally the fire of the sun, of lightning, and of the hearth that men light for purposes of worship. As the divine personification of the fire of sacrifice, he is the mouth of the gods, the carrier of the oblation, and the messenger between the human and the divine orders.
Soter, Saint
Succeeding St. Anicetus as pope, Soter sent a letter and alms to the church of Corinth, whose bishop, St. Dionysius, replied in a letter that acknowledged Soter's affection and theological advice. Soter continued Pope Anicetus' attack against Montanism, a heresy overemphasizing prophecy and rigid moral
Vajra
Vajra, in Sanskrit, has both the meanings of �thunderbolt� and �diamond.� Like the thunderbolt, the vajra cleaves through ignorance. The thunderbolt was originally the symbol of the Hindu rain god Indra (who became the Buddhist Sakra)
Essex
County, extreme northeastern Massachusetts, U.S., bordered by New Hampshire to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Its topography is largely hilly, with coastal lowlands in the east that include several islands in the Atlantic. The principal streams are the Merrimack, Ipswich, Parker, Shawsheen, and Sauqus rivers. Recreational areas include Bradley Palmer
Bafat�
Town, east-central Guinea-Bissau. It lies along the G�ba River, which is navigable to that point. Bafat� is an important trading centre for the interior regions of Guinea-Bissau. There also is intensive agriculture around the town. The town produces peanuts (groundnuts) for export and livestock for domestic consumption. Roads connect Bafat� with Senegal to the north
Prichard, Katherine Susannah
Prichard's father was editor of the Fiji Times, and she grew up mostly in Australia. She first worked as a newspaper journalist in Melbourne and Sydney and then as a free-lance journalist in London before concentrating
John
John began his public career in 1505 as a member of the Diet of R�kos; it was upon his motion that the Diet voted that no foreign prince would ever again be elected king of Hungary after the death of King Ul�szl� II, who also
Jacobi, Lotte
Born into a family of photographers (her great-grandfather began as a professional daguerreotypist in 1840), Jacobi studied art history and literature at the Academy of Posen (1912 - 16) and attended the Bavarian State Academy of Photography in Munich and
Academic Freedom
The freedom of teachers and students to teach, study, and pursue knowledge and research without unreasonable interference or restriction from law, institutional regulations, or public pressure. Its basic elements include the freedom of teachers to inquire into any subject that evokes their intellectual concern; to present their findings to their students,
Heir
One who succeeds to the property of a person dying without a will or who is legally entitled to succeed by right of descent or relationship. In most jurisdictions, statutes of descent determine transfer of title to property if there is no will naming the legatee. In English common law, originally an heir was one who inherited real estate; next of kin inherited personal
K-capture
Also called �Electron Capture, � one of three beta decay processes that affect atomic nuclei. See beta decay.
Yang Hsiu-ch'ing
A dealer in firewood, Yang joined the Taiping band shortly before the rebellion broke out and quickly rose to a high position. In 1851, when the supreme Taiping leader, Hung Hsiu-ch'�an (1814 - 64), proclaimed his own dynasty and gave
Guadalajara, University Of
Spanish �Universidad De Guadalajara, � coeducational state-supported autonomous institution of higher learning at Guadalajara, Mex., founded in 1792 and restructured in 1925. Dissident students and professors from the university formed a private Autonomous University of Guadalajara (1935), which continues to exist independently. The original university includes faculties covering a wide range of academic
Gautier D'arras
An official of Philippe d'Alsace, Count of Flanders, Gautier is named in many charters between
Auckland Islands
Outlying island group of New Zealand, in the South Pacific Ocean, 290 miles (467 km) south of South Island. Volcanic in origin, they comprise six islands and several islets, with a total land area of 234 square miles (606 square km), and have a cool, humid, and windy climate. The islands' soils are generally poor, and shrub forests cover lower elevations. Animal life includes birds, wild cattle,
