| | - Aloadae
- in Greek legend, the twin sons of Iphimedia, the wife of Aloeus, by the god Poseidon. Named Otus and Ephialtes, the Aloadae were of extraordinary strength and stature. The Aloadae attacked the Olympian gods and tried to storm heaven itself, but Apollo destroyed them before they reached manhood. In a ...
- Aloe
- genus of shrubby succulent plants in the family Asphodelaceae, containing about 200 species native to Africa. Most members of the genus have a rosette of leaves at the base but no stem. [1 Related Articles]
- Alofi
- (from the article "Dates of 2004") Hitter Paul Molitor and pitcher Dennis Eckersley are elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame.capitalNiue...Vava'u Group of Tonga, in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. Niue is sometimes called "the Rock of Polynesia," or simply "the Rock." The capital and largest ...
- Alofi Island
- (from the article "Horne Islands") pair of volcanic islands (Futuna and Alofi) forming the southwestern part of the French overseas collectivity of Wallis and Futuna, in the west-central Pacific Ocean. Futuna (not to be confused with its namesake in Vanuatu, which is said to have been settled from Futuna) is the site of Mount Singavi ...
- Alois, Crown Prince
- (from the article "Liechtenstein") Liechtenstein continued to prosper in 2006-the principality's 200th anniversary year-under the leadership of Prince Alois. In 2004 he had taken over the day-to-day duties of his father, Prince Hans Adam II, who remained head of state. The country maintained one of the highest standards of living in the world, with ...
- Alonella
- (from the article "crustacean") ...(44 pounds), and the giant Japanese spider crab, which has legs that can span up to 3.7 metres (12 feet). At the other end of the scale, some of the water fleas (class Branchiopoda), such as Alonella, reach lengths of less than 0.25 millimetre (0.009 inch), and many members of ...
- Alonso
- (from the article "Tempest, The") ...tasks as gathering firewood. As the play begins, Prospero raises the tempest in order to cast onto the shores of his island a party of Neapolitans returning to Naples from a wedding in Tunis: King Alonso of Naples, his son Ferdinand, his brother Sebastian, and Prospero's brother, Antonio.
- Alonso, Alberto Julio Rayneri
- Cuban dancer, ballet master, and choreographer was cofounder in 1948 (with his brother, Fernando Alonso, and his sister-in-law, Alicia Alonso) of the National Ballet of Cuba and went on to gain international fame with his choreography for Carmen Suite (1967), a role he initially created for Bolshoi Ballet prima ballerina ...
- Alonso, Alicia
- Cuban ballerina highly regarded for her convincing portrayals of leading roles in the great works of classical and Romantic ballet. She was best known for her lively, precise Giselle and for her sensual, tragic Carmen. [1 Related Articles]
- Alonso, Damaso
- Spanish poet, literary critic, and scholar, a member of the group of poets called the Generation of 1927. [1 Related Articles]
- Alonso, Fernando
- (from the article "Automobile Racing") ...With only the last three races to go, the Finn then scored a third-place finish and two straight wins to grab the championship by a single point from McLaren teammates Hamilton and two-time champion Fernando Alonso of Spain. In the end Raikkonen was a worthy world champion with six victories ...
- Alonso, Mateo
- (from the article "Western sculpture") ...the several statues of Joan of Arc in France. These were works of not simply historical but also topical and political significance, as indeed was the colossal "Christ of the Andes" by Mateo Alonso erected in 1902 on the border of Chile and Argentina (photograph). Abstractions were also endowed with ...
- Alonso, William
- (from the article "location theory") William Alonso (Location and Land Use: Toward a General Theory of Land Rent, 1964) built upon the Thunen model to account for intra-urban variations in land use. He attempted to apply accessibility requirements to the city centre for various types of land use (housing, commercial, and industry). According to his ...
- alopecia areata
- (from the article "baldness") ...may also be produced by X rays, ingestion of metals (such as thallium, tin, and arsenic) or drugs, malnutrition, some inflammatory skin diseases, chronic wasting diseases, and endocrine disorders. Alopecia areata, a fairly common disorder of unknown cause characterized by sharply outlined patches of sudden complete baldness, is also usually ...
- Alopecurus
- (from the article "foxtail") any of the weedy grasses in the genera Alopecurus and Setaria of the family Poaceae. There are about 25 species of Alopecurus, distributed throughout the North Temperate Zone. Most species are perennial weeds, with dense, cylindrical, often brushlike, flower clusters that resemble foxes' tails. Meadow foxtail (A. pratensis), which is ...
- Alopo, Pandolfello
- (from the article "Joan II") After her first husband, William of Austria, died in 1406, Joan is reported to have led a promiscuous life. When her brother Ladislas died in 1414, she became queen and appointed her lover Pandolfello Alopo grand chamberlain. Alopo temporarily removed from power the condottiere Muzio Attendolo Sforza, an important figure ...
- Alor Island
- (from the article "Alor Islands") ...in East Nusa Tenggara propinsi (province), Indonesia. Part of the Lesser Sunda Islands, they lie between the Flores and Savu seas. The largest island is Alor (900 square miles [2,330 square km]), the two major mountains of which, Kolana (5,791 feet [1,765 metres]) and Muna (4,724 feet ...
- Alor Islands
- group of two major islands and several lesser islets in East Nusa Tenggara propinsi (province), Indonesia. Part of the Lesser Sunda Islands, they lie between the Flores and Savu seas. The largest island is Alor (900 square miles [2,330 square km]), the two major mountains of which, ...
- Alor Setar
- town, northwestern West Malaysia (Malaya), on the Kedah River. The town, neatly laid out, is concentrated on the west bank of the river and is the residence of the sultan of Kedah. Alor Setar is the major distribution centre for the north Kedah plain, a region in which paddy rice ...
- Alos, Concha
- Spanish novelist and short-story writer, best known for her neorealistic, often existential works deploring social injustice, especially the institutionally sanctioned victimization of women.
- Alosa
- (from the article "shad") any of several saltwater food fishes of the herring family (Clupeidae) that swim up rivers to spawn. Shad of the genus Alosa are rather deep bodied and have a notch in the upper jaw into which the tip of the lower fits. Young shad have small teeth, but the adults ...
- Alotau
- port town, southeast tip of mainland Papua New Guinea, southwestern Pacific Ocean. Situated on the northern shore of Milne Bay, the town lies in the forested foothills of an eastward extension of the Owen Stanley Range. Cocoa and vegetables are grown nearby, and coconuts are raised along the coast east ...
- Aloysius Gonzaga, Saint
- patron saint of Roman Catholic youth.
- Alp Tigin
- (from the article "Iran") ...and Ghaznavids-who ultimately proved disastrous to the Samanids. The Simjurids received an appanage in the Kuhestan region of southern Khorasan. Alp Tigin founded the Ghaznavid fortunes when he established himself at Ghazna (modern Ghazni, Afghanistan) in 962. He and Abu al-Hasan Simjuri, as...
- Alp-Arslan
- second sultan of the Seljuq Turks (1063-72), who inherited the Seljuq territories of Khorasan and western Iran and went on to conquer Georgia, Armenia, and much of Asia Minor (won from the Byzantines). [6 Related Articles]
- alpaca
- (Lama pacos), South American member of the camel family, Camelidae (order Artiodactyla), that is closely related to the llama, guanaco, and vicuna, which are known collectively as lamoids. The alpaca and the llama were both apparently domesticated several thousand years ago by the Indians of the Andes Mountains of South ... [4 Related Articles]
- alpaca fibre
- (from the article "alpaca") ...hair fibre.) The alpaca's wool is remarkably lightweight, strong, lustrous, high in insulation value, and resistant to rain and snow. It is used in parkas, sleeping bags, and fine coat linings. Alpaca fibre is sometimes combined with other fibres to make dress and lightweight suit fabrics and is also woven ...
- alpen
- (from the article "Alps") ...Alpine meadows. There sheep and cows are grazed during the short summer, a factor that has helped lower the upper limits of the natural forest. These distinctive mountain pastures-called alpages, from which both the names of the mountain system and the vegetational zone are derived-are found above the main and ...
- Alpenrhein River
- the part of the Rhine River between the confluence of the Vorder- and Hinterrhein and its entry into Lake Constance. It is 63 miles (102 km) long. From Reichenau to Sargans it flows entirely within Swiss territory; for the next 19 miles (30 km) it forms the border between Switzerland ...
- Alpert, Herb
- (from the article "Los Angeles 1960s overview") Equally distinctive musical styles emanated from companies formed by three Los Angeles-based producers: Phil Spector (Philles), Lou Adler (Dunhill), and Herb Alpert (A&M;). Adler and Alpert had worked together as writers, producers, and managers for various artists-including Sam Cooke and Jan and Dean-but achieved more success after they parted. A&M; ...
- Alpes
- several small provinces set up by the Romans in the western Alps.
- Alpes Cottiae
- (from the article "Alpes") Adjoining it was Alpes Cottiae (Cottian Alps), where Augustus installed Cottius, a native chieftain with Roman citizenship, as prefect. Claudius bestowed the title of king on Cottius's son. After the king's death, Nero organized the area as a province under a procurator. Its capital was Eburodunum (present-day Embrun), which was ...
- Alpes Graiae
- (from the article "Alpes") Farther north, Alpes Graiae (Graian Alps), administered within changing borders, was organized by Claudius as a province that included the Swiss Valais. He founded a capital at Forum Claudii (perhaps present-day Aime, about 20 miles [32 km] from the Little Saint Bernard Pass, which the province was to guard). Alpes ...
- Alpes Maritimae
- (from the article "Alpes") Some time after the conquest of the Ligurian tribes in the area in 14 BC, Augustus established Alpes Maritimae (Maritime Alps) under a prefect (later a procurator), to guard the coastal road from Italy to southern France. Its capital was Cemenelum (present-day Cimiez, near Nice), which developed into a prosperous ...
- Alpes Poeninae
- (from the article "Alpes") ...He founded a capital at Forum Claudii (perhaps present-day Aime, about 20 miles [32 km] from the Little Saint Bernard Pass, which the province was to guard). Alpes Graiae was often combined with Alpes Poeninae (Pennine Alps), farther north and east, which guarded the Great Saint Bernard Pass. The administration ...
- Alpes-de-Haute-Provence
- (from the article "Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur") region of France encompassing the southeastern departements of Alpes-Maritimes, Hautes-Alpes, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, Var, Bouches-du-Rhone, and Vaucluse. Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur is bounded by the regions of Languedoc-Roussillon to the west and...
- Alpes-Maritimes
- (from the article "Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur") region of France encompassing the southeastern departements of Alpes-Maritimes, Hautes-Alpes, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, Var, Bouches-du-Rhone, and Vaucluse. Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur is bounded by the regions of Languedoc-Roussillon to the west and...
- Alpha
- (from the article "Northrop, John Knudsen") ...subcompartments. In 1929 Avion was bought by United Aircraft and Transport Corporation and was renamed Northrop Aircraft Corporation. Under this arrangement Northrop produced the low-wing, aluminum Alpha, which was used to carry mail and passengers. In 1932 he formed the Northrop Corporation in partnership with Douglas, which used his multicellular ...
- alpha alanine
- (from the article "alanine") either of two amino acids, one of which (alpha-alanine) is a constituent of proteins. An especially rich source of alpha-alanine is silk fibroin, from which the amino acid was first isolated in 1879. Alanine is one of several so-called nonessential amino acids for birds and mammals; i.e., they can synthesize ...
- alpha alloy
- (from the article "titanium processing") Using the common phases present at room temperature, titanium alloys are divided into four classes: commercially pure, alpha, alpha-beta, and beta. Each class has distinctive characteristics. Pure titanium, although very ductile, has low strength and is therefore used when strength is not critical and corrosion resistance is desired. The alpha ...
- alpha amino acid
- (from the article "protein") The common property of all proteins is that they consist of long chains of alpha-amino (alpha amino) acids. The general structure of alpha-amino acids is shown in Formula 1.
- Alpha and Omega
- in Christianity, the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, used to designate the comprehensiveness of God, implying that God includes all that can be. In the New Testament Revelation to John, the term is used as the self-designation of God and of Christ. The reference in Revelation likely ...
- alpha brass
- (from the article "brass") ...subdivided into those that can be worked cold (generally those with less than 40 percent zinc) and those with a greater zinc content, which require hot working. The former group, known as the alpha brasses, are widely used in the manufacture of pins, bolts, screws, and ammunition cartridge cases. The ...
- alpha cell
- (from the article "Langerhans, islets of") The alpha cells of the islets of Langerhans produce an opposing hormone, glucagon, which releases glucose from the liver and fatty acids from fat tissue. In turn, glucose and free fatty acids favour insulin release and inhibit glucagon release. The delta cells produce somatostatin, a strong...
- Alpha Centauri
- triple star, the faintest component of which, Proxima Centauri, is the closest star to the Sun, at about 4.2 light-years' distance. The two brighter components, about 15 light-year farther from the Sun, revolve around each other with a period of about 80 years, while Proxima circles them with a period ... [1 Related Articles]
- Alpha Cordillera
- (from the article "Arctic Ocean") The Amerasia Basin is divided into two unequal basins by the Alpha Cordillera (Alpha Ridge), a broad, rugged submarine mountain chain that extends to within 4,600 feet of the ocean surface. The origin of this seismically inactive ridge, which was discovered in the late 1950s, is undetermined and holds the ...
- alpha decay
- type of radioactive disintegration in which some unstable atomic nuclei dissipate excess energy by spontaneously ejecting an alpha particle. Because alpha particles have two positive charges and a mass of four units, their emission from nuclei produces daughter nuclei having a positive nuclear charge or atomic number two units less ... [14 Related Articles]
- alpha effect
- (from the article "geomagnetic field") ...toroidal loop (C). At this stage the rising loop is oriented in a meridian plane with the field pointing in the same direction as the original field-i.e., poloidal. This process is called the alpha effect (because the effects are proportional with a constant, alpha, to the background field). Finally, small ...
- alpha globulin
- (from the article "haptoglobin") a colourless protein of the alpha-globulin fraction of human serum (liquid portion of blood plasma after the clotting factor fibrinogen has been removed) that transports hemoglobin freed from destroyed red blood cells to the reticuloendothelial system, where it is broken down. Three common types-numbered 1-1, 2-1, and 2-2-and three uncommon ...
- alpha granule
- (from the article "bleeding and blood clotting") ...average of 10 days. The normal platelet count in humans is between 150,000 and 400,000 platelets per cubic millimetre of blood. The inactive platelet contains three types of internal granules: the alpha granules, the dense granules, and the lysosomes. Each of these granules is rich in certain chemicals that have ...
- alpha hindrance factor
- (from the article "radioactivity") ...of neutrons, protons, or both may exhibit retardations from equation (6) rates ranging to factors of thousands or more. The factor by which the rate is slower than the rate formula (6) is the hindrance factor. The existence of uranium-235 in nature rests on the fact that alpha decay to ...
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