Songkran, splashy and water-filled New Year festival observed in Thailand and, by other names, in Cambodia, Myanmar (Burma), and Laos as well as in parts of India and China. Songkran is celebrated approximately April 13–15 and marks the entrance of the sun into the astrological sign of Mesha

Carl Shipp Marvel: …during the 1960s, Marvel synthesized polybenzimidazoles (PBIs), a type of polyimide that is resistant to temperatures as high as 600 °C (1,100 °F) and is used in suits for astronauts and firefighters. In 1980 PBIs became the first man-made fibres to be produced commercially in almost a decade. Marvel continued…

protein-bound iodine test, laboratory test that indirectly assesses thyroid function by measuring the concentration of iodine bound to proteins circulating in the bloodstream. Thyroid hormones are formed by the addition of iodine to the amino acid tyrosine and are normally transported in the

combinatorics: PBIB (partially balanced incomplete block) designs: Given υ objects 1, 2, · · ·, υ, a relation satisfying the following conditions is said to be an m-class partially balanced association scheme:

Indian Premier League 2026: Teams:

planetary boundary layer (PBL), the region of the lower troposphere where Earth’s surface strongly influences temperature, moisture, and wind through the turbulent transfer of air mass. As a result of surface friction, winds in the PBL are usually weaker than above and tend to blow toward areas of

China: Finance: …and financial control are the People’s Bank of China and the Ministry of Finance, both subject to the authority of the State Council. The People’s Bank, which replaced the Central Bank of China in 1950 and gradually took over private banks, fulfills many of the functions of Western central and…

MRSA: Mechanisms of resistance: This gene encodes a unique penicillin-binding protein (PBP) that binds methicillin and thereby promotes bacterial survival by preventing the antibiotic from inhibiting cell wall synthesis. Numerous variants of MRSA have evolved, including two strains of epidemic MRSA (EMRSA), which first appeared in the early 1990s—their emergence corresponding to the dramatic…

Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), private, nonprofit American corporation whose members are the public television stations of the United States and its unincorporated territories. PBS provides its member stations with programming in cultural, educational, and scientific areas, as well as in

Public Broadcasting Service: …MacNeil and Jim Lehrer; now PBS NewsHour), Live from Lincoln Center (begun 1976), Live from the Metropolitan Opera (later titled The Metropolitan Opera Presents; 1977–2006), This Old House (begun 1979), Mystery! (begun 1980; later subsumed into Masterpiece), Nature (begun 1982), American Playhouse (1982–93), Frontline (begun 1983), The Frugal Gourmet (1983–95;…

polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), a strong and highly crystalline synthetic resin, produced by the polymerization of butanediol and terephthalic acid. PBT is similar in structure to polyethylene terephthalate (PET)—the difference being in the number of methylene (CH2) groups present in the

personal computer (PC), a digital computer designed for use by only one person at a time. A typical personal computer assemblage consists of a central processing unit (CPU), which contains the computer’s arithmetic, logic, and control circuitry on an integrated circuit; two types of computer

polycarbonate (PC), a tough, transparent synthetic resin employed in safety glass, eyeglass lenses, and compact discs, among other applications. PC is a special type of polyester used as an engineering plastic owing to its exceptional impact resistance, tensile strength, ductility, dimensional

political correctness (PC), term used to refer to language that seems intended to give the least amount of offense, especially when describing groups identified by external markers such as race, gender, culture, or sexual orientation. The concept has been discussed, disputed, criticized, and

propositional calculus, in logic, symbolic system of treating compound and complex propositions and their logical relationships. As opposed to the predicate calculus, the propositional calculus employs simple, unanalyzed propositions rather than terms or noun expressions as its atomic units; and,

Dell, global company that designs, develops, and manufactures personal computers (PCs) and a variety of computer-related products. The company is one of the world’s leading computer brands and suppliers of PCs. Dell is headquartered in Round Rock, Texas. The company, first called PC’s Limited, was

Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), U.S. Protestant denomination formed on June 10, 1983, in the merger of the United Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. (headquartered in New York City) and the Presbyterian Church in the United States (headquartered in Atlanta). The merger ended a North-South split among

personal computer: IBM PC: IBM Corporation, the world’s dominant computer maker, did not enter the new market until 1981, when it introduced the IBM Personal Computer, or IBM PC. The IBM PC was significantly faster than rival machines, had about 10 times their memory capacity, and was…

chess: The world championship and FIDE: …of a new organization, the Professional Chess Association (PCA). Before Kasparov defeated Short in London in late 1993 in the first PCA championship, FIDE disqualified Kasparov and organized its own world championship match, won by Karpov.

Presbyterian Church in America (PCA), theologically conservative U.S. evangelical Presbyterian denomination founded in 1973. In the first quarter of the 21st century, the denomination claimed more than 340,000 members and 1,400 churches, making it the second largest Presbyterian denomination in the

polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB), any of a class of organohalogen compounds prepared by the reaction of chlorine with biphenyl. A typical mixture of PCBs may contain over 100 compounds and is a colourless, viscous liquid. The mixture is relatively insoluble in water, is stable at high temperatures,

Communist Party of Cuba, Cuban communist party organized by Fidel Castro and others in 1965 but historically dating from communist activity begun in Cuba in 1923. Under the constitution of 1976 it became the only party permitted to function in Cuba, and in the revised constitution of 1992 it was

FARC: …the military wing of the Colombian Communist Party (Partido Comunista de Colombia; PCC), the FARC is the largest of Colombia’s rebel groups, estimated to possess some 10,000 armed soldiers and thousands of supporters, largely drawn from Colombia’s rural areas. The FARC supports a redistribution of wealth from the wealthy to…

aldehyde: Synthesis of aldehydes: …have been used, most notably pyridinium chlorochromate, PCC.

Pentecostal/Charismatic Churches of North America (PCCNA), fellowship of Pentecostal and charismatic Christian churches and denominations in North America. It seeks to provide “a framework for fellowship, dialogue, and cooperation” between such churches, denominations, and ministries, which share a

Communist Party of Spain (PCE), Spanish political party founded in 1921 by dissident members of the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE). In April 1920 youth members of the PSOE split from the party, and the following year the PCE was formed when these former socialists united with the Spanish

rabies: …human diploid cell vaccine (HDCV), purified chick embryo cell culture (PCEC), and rabies vaccine adsorbed (RVA). With older vaccines, at least 16 injections were required, whereas with HDCV, PCEC, or RVA, 5 are usually sufficient. Persons at risk of rabies by virtue of occupation (e.g., veterinarians) or travel to endemic…

French Communist Party, French political party that espouses a communist ideology and has joined coalition governments with the French Socialist Party. Founded in 1920 by the left wing of the French Socialist Party and affiliated with the Soviet-run Communist International, the PCF did not gain

Pentecostal Church of God (PCG), Pentecostal denomination that was organized in Chicago in 1919. It had 960 churches in the United States as of 2024 and is a member of the Pentecostal/Charismatic Churches of North America (PCCNA). The Pentecostal Church of God (PCG) was founded as the Pentecostal

AGP: …processing unit) and system memory—unlike PCI (peripheral component interconnect), an earlier graphics card standard on which AGP was based. In graphics-intense applications, this direct channel gave AGP a performance advantage over PCI, which had been used for graphics cards, network cards, and countless other devices.

Truong Chinh: …career within the recently formed Indochinese Communist Party (PCI). While editing a Communist Party newspaper in Hanoi, he was arrested by the French in 1932 and spent the next four years in prison. Paroled in 1936, he was a well-qualified candidate for command in the PCI, most of whose earlier…

Democrats of the Left, former Italian political party and historically western Europe’s largest communist party. The party was originally founded in January 1921 as the Italian Communist Party (Partito Comunista Italiano; PCI) by dissidents of the extreme left wing of the Italian Socialist Party

AGP: …graphics technology about 2010 by PCI Express, a high-speed version of PCI that replaced both PCI and AGP.

major industrial polymers: Degradable polyesters: … (PLA), poly-2-hydroxy butyrate (PHB), and polycaprolactone (PCL), as well as their copolymers:

modulation: Pulse modulation: In pulse modulation, a series of on-off pulses serve as the carrier wave that is subsequently modulated. In pulse-coded modulation (PCM), the information signal converts the carrier into a series of constant-amplitude pulses spaced in such a manner that the desired intelligence is…

machine tool: Photochemical machining (PCM): PCM is an extension of CHM that uses a series of photographic and chemical etching techniques to produce components and devices in a wide range of metals, especially stainless steel.

Nicaragua: Political process: … (Partido Liberal Constitucionalista; PLC), the Conservative Party of Nicaragua (Partido Conservador de Nicaragua; PCN), and the Sandinista National Liberation Front (Frente Sandinista de Liberación Nacional; FSLN). The FSLN was established in the early 1960s as a guerrilla group dedicated to the overthrow of the Somoza family. They governed Nicaragua from…

El Salvador: Military dictatorships: …dismantled and replaced by the National Conciliation Party (Partido de Conciliación Nacional; PCN), which would control the national government for the next 18 years. Under the banner of the Alliance for Progress, Rivera advanced programs aimed at economic growth and diversification, which enabled El Salvador to take advantage of the…

Stein-Leventhal syndrome, disorder in women that is characterized by an elevated level of male hormones (androgens) and infrequent or absent ovulation (anovulation). About 5 percent of women are affected by Stein-Leventhal syndrome, which is responsible for a substantial proportion of cases of

PCP, hallucinogenic drug with anesthetic properties, having the chemical name 1-(1-phenylcyclohexyl)piperidine. PCP was first developed in 1956 by Parke Davis Laboratories of Detroit for use as an anesthetic in veterinary medicine, though it is no longer used in this capacity. Used for a brief time

full-cell process: …creosote, oil-based chemicals such as pentachlorophenol (PCP), and aqueous solutions of compounds such as chromated copper arsenate (CCA), ammoniacal copper zinc arsenate (ACZA), and copper azole (CA-B). Creosote, PCP, and CCA are used on heavy structural members such as railroad ties, utility poles, marine pilings, and bridge timbers; ACZA and…

pipeline: Capsule pipelines: …gas, the technology is called pneumatic capsule pipeline (PCP), and, when water or another liquid is used, it is termed hydraulic capsule pipeline (HCP). Owing to the low density of air, capsules in PCP cannot be suspended by air at ordinary speeds. Instead, the capsules are wheeled vehicles rolling through…

polymerase chain reaction (PCR), a technique used to make numerous copies of a specific segment of DNA quickly and accurately. The polymerase chain reaction enables investigators to obtain the large quantities of DNA that are required for various experiments and procedures in molecular biology,

Vladimir Voronin: …Moldavian Communist Party as the Party of Communists of the Republic of Moldova (PCRM), becoming its president a year later. In 2001 the PCRM won parliamentary elections with slightly more than 50 percent of the vote, ending a decade of rule by a reformist government. Elected president by parliament in…

telephone: Personal communication systems: In a number of countries throughout the world, a wireless service called the personal communication system (PCS) is available. In the broadest sense, PCS includes all forms of wireless communication that are interconnected with the public switched telephone network, including mobile telephone…

Republic of the Congo: Political process: …the most active are the Congolese Labour Party (Parti Congolais du Travail; PCT), the Congolese Movement for Democracy and Integral Development (Mouvement Congolais pour la Démocratie et le Développement Intégral; MCDDI), the Pan-African Union for Social Development (Union Panafricaine pour la Démocratie Sociale; UPADS), Rally for Democracy and Social Progress…

polychlorotrifluoroethylene (PCTFE), synthetic resin formed by the polymerization of chlorotrifluoroethylene. It is a moldable, temperature-resistant, and chemical-resistant plastic that finds specialty applications in the chemical, electrical, and aerospace industries. PCTFE can be prepared as a

palladium (Pd), chemical element, the least dense and lowest-melting of the platinum metals of Groups 8–10 (VIIIb), Periods 5 and 6, of the periodic table, used especially as a catalyst (a substance that speeds up chemical reactions without changing their products) and in alloys. A precious

Tadeusz Mazowiecki: …2005 he helped found the Democratic Party (Partia Demokratyczna [PD]; not to be confused with Poland’s other Democratic Party, Stronnictwo Demokratyczne [SD], founded in 1939). From 1992 to 1995 Mazowiecki represented the former Yugoslavia as a special reporter to the United Nations Human Rights Commission.

Romania: New constitution: …coalition of parties, including the Democratic Party (Partidul Democrat; PD), whose Traian Băsescu was elected president.

immune system: Immunity against cancer: …immune regulatory protein known as programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1), which occurs on the surface of T cells, led to the development of highly effective anti-PD-1 cancer immunotherapies.

PDA, an electronic handheld organizer used in the 1990s and 2000s to store contact information, manage calendars, communicate by e-mail, and handle documents and spreadsheets, usually in communication with the user’s personal computer (PC). The first PDAs were developed in the early 1990s as

Christian Democratic People’s Party, Swiss centre-right political party that endorses Christian democratic principles. With FDP. The Liberals, the Social Democratic Party, and the Swiss People’s Party, the Christian Democratic People’s Party (CVP) has governed Switzerland as part of a grand

José Napoleon Duarte: …a founder of the centrist Christian Democratic Party (Partido Demócrata Cristiano; PDC), which opposed the ruling National Conciliation Party (Partido de Conciliación Nacional; PCN). While he was mayor of San Salvador (1964–70), his administration was instrumental in building new schools and providing such basic services as street lighting, sewerage systems,…

Panama: Transitions to democracy and sovereignty: …of the largest party, the Christian Democrats (Partido Demócrata Cristiano; PDC), led by Vice President Ricardo Arias Calderón. This left the administration without a legislative majority and allowed the remnants of Noriega’s Democratic Revolutionary Party (Partido Revolucionario Democrático; PRD) to regain some political power. As a result, accomplishments were meagre…

Félix Houphouët-Boigny: …year he also founded the Democratic Party of Côte d’Ivoire (PDCI); this party was affiliated with the French Communist Party and was an important component of the interterritorial French West African Federation party, the African Democratic Rally, of which he was also president.

planetary defense: …planetary defense programs into the Planetary Defense Coordination Office (PDCO). In addition to searching for dangerous asteroids, the PDCO would also notify other federal agencies about the approach or possible impact of such objects and work with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in case an asteroid impact is unavoidable.

pervasive developmental disorder (PDD), term historically used in reference to any of a group of conditions characterized by early-childhood onset and varying degrees of impairment of language acquisition, communication, social behavior, and motor function. In 2013 pervasive developmental disorders

dementia with Lewy bodies: …Lewy bodies is related to Parkinson disease dementia (PDD), in that both are associated with the accumulation of so-called Lewy bodies—abnormal deposits of a protein known as alpha-synuclein—in the brain. Lewy bodies are named for German physician Friedrich Heinrich Lewy, who first described them (1912), in the context of Parkinson…

pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS), condition characterized by impairment in the ability to interact with others and by atypical communication or behavior patterns and interests. In the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-IV (1994; DSM-IV),

PDE-5 inhibitor, category of drugs that relieve erectile dysfunction (impotence) in men. Two common commercially produced PDE-5 inhibitors are sildenafil (sold as Viagra) and vardenafil (Levitra). PDE-5 inhibitors work by blocking, or inhibiting, the action of phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE-5), an enzyme

probability density function (PDF), in statistics, a function whose integral is calculated to find probabilities associated with a continuous random variable (see continuity; probability theory). Its graph is a curve above the horizontal axis that defines a total area, between itself and the axis,

PDF, universally readable format for electronic documents. PDF files (generally called PDFs) are widely used because documents converted into PDFs retain all their features, regardless of the application originally used to create them. PDFs can be viewed on any operating system with a PDF-viewer

Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP), one of several organizations associated with the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO); it engaged in acts of terrorism primarily in the 1970s and ’80s and originally maintained a Marxist-Leninist orientation, believing the peasants and the

Gabon: Constitutional framework: …was amended to give the Gabonese Democratic Party (Parti Démocratique Gabonais; PDG), the only legal party after 1968, roles in the executive and legislative processes. In May 1990, following a national conference that was called in response to the upheaval of the previous four months, the constitution was amended to…

Guinea: Constitutional history: …one-party state ruled by the Democratic Party of Guinea (Parti Démocratique de Guinée; PDG). In April 1984, after Touré’s death, a military group led by Lansana Conté abolished the PDG and all associated revolutionary committees and replaced them with the Military Committee for National Recovery (Comité Militaire de Redressement National;…

Equatorial Guinea: Political process: …in Equatorial Guinea is the Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea (Partido Democrático de Guinea Ecuatorial; PDGE), formed in 1987. It was the only political party until 1991, when a new constitution allowing opposition parties was adopted. Since then several other parties have formed, including the Convergence for Social Democracy (Convergencia…

Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle: …and two opposition parties, the Indonesian Democratic Party (later the PDI-P) and the United Development Party. The Indonesian Democratic Party was created from three nationalist groups and two Christian-based parties: the Indonesian Nationalist Party, the Movement for the Defense of Indonesian Independence, the People’s Party, the Catholic Party, and the…

Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), political party in Indonesia formed in 1973 through the forced merger of five non-Islamic political parties. In the final three decades of the 20th century, it was one of two opposition parties officially recognized by the government. Although it

Kosovo: Self-declared independence: …Minister Hashim Thaçi of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (Partia Demokratike e Kosovës; PDK), prompting the dissolution of the body and the scheduling of elections. The fall of the government followed the September resignation of Pres. Fatmir Sejdiu, who in October withdrew his Democratic League of Kosovo (Lidhja Demokratike e…

Romania: New constitution: …the leftist PSD and the Democratic Liberal Party (Partidul Democrat-Liberal; PDL), Băsescu’s new centrist party; the two parties formed a center-left coalition government that December. This government lasted only until October 2009, when the PSD left the coalition in protest over the dismissal of a PSD member from a ministerial…

Italy: Shifting power: …new party known as the People of Freedom (Popolo della Libertà; PdL)—clinched a third term as prime minister.

Pakistan: The government of Imran Khan: …a coalition, known as the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), which sought to increase the independence of civilian government from the military establishment. The PDM staged protests and rallies—some addressed by Nawaz Sharif, calling by video from exile. With opposition sustained into the following year, Khan sought a vote of confidence…

modulation: …frequency, phase, pulse sequence, and pulse duration.

climate change: Decadal variation: One such variation is the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO), also referred to as the Pacific Decadal Variability (PDV), which involves changing sea surface temperatures (SSTs) in the North Pacific Ocean. The SSTs influence the strength and position of the Aleutian Low, which in turn strongly affects precipitation patterns along the…

People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Nigerian political party founded in August 1998 by members of numerous groups and organizations, including the groups known as G-18 and G-34. The party, which has a broad political base, supports economic deregulation, human rights, and greater funding for health

Digital Equipment Corporation: Digital’s first computer, the Programmed Data Processor, or PDP-1, was sold in November 1960. Eventually 50 PDP-1s would be sold, nearly half to International Telephone and Telegraph for message switching systems.

television: Plasma display panels: Plasma display panels (PDPs) overcome some of the disadvantages of both CRTs and LCDs. They can be manufactured easily in large sizes (up to 125 cm, or 50 inches, in diagonal size), are less than 10 cm (4 inches) thick, and have…

Afghanistan: Mohammad Zahir Shah (1933–73): …such group was the Marxist People’s Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA), the major leftist organization in the country. Founded in 1965, the party soon split into two factions, known as the People’s (Khalq) and Banner (Parcham) parties. Another was a conservative religious organization known as the Islamic Society (Jamʿiyyat-e Eslāmī),…

Abdoulaye Wade: In 1974 Wade founded the Senegalese Democratic Party (Parti Démocratique Sénégalais; PDS) as an opposition party to Pres. Léopold Senghor’s Senegalese Progressive Union (Union Progressiste Sénégalaise; UPS), which was known as the Socialist Party (Parti Socialiste; PS) after 1976. The PDS became the centre of a fledgling opposition movement in…

Germany: The reunification of Germany: …the SED, now renamed the Party of Democratic Socialism (PDS), suffered a crushing defeat. The eastern counterpart of Kohl’s CDU, which had pledged a speedy reunification of Germany, emerged as the largest political party in East Germany’s first democratically elected People’s Chamber. A new East German government headed by Lothar…

North Macedonia: Independence of North Macedonia: …also made their mark: the Democratic Party of Albanians (PDSh), with almost 6 percent of the vote and 8 seats, and the newly formed National Democratic Revival (RK), with about 3 percent and 2 seats. This proved to be a period of extensive political turmoil, which included a prolonged boycott…

Romania: The revolution of 1989: …and Iliescu’s supporters formed the Democratic National Salvation Front (DNSF). The party maintained its political dominance, as evidenced by its successes in parliamentary and presidential elections held in September and October 1992, in which Iliescu was reelected and his party emerged as the largest in the parliament. A loose coalition…

therapeutics: Photodynamic therapy: Another form of nonionizing radiation therapy is photodynamic therapy (PDT). This technique involves administering a light-absorbing substance that is selectively retained by the tumour cells. The cells are killed by exposure to intense light, usually laser beams of appropriate wavelengths. Lesions amenable to…

climate change: Decadal variation: One such variation is the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO), also referred to as the Pacific Decadal Variability (PDV), which involves changing sea surface temperatures (SSTs) in the North Pacific Ocean. The SSTs influence the strength and position of the Aleutian Low, which in turn strongly affects precipitation patterns along the…

Petróleos de Venezuela, SA, state-owned Venezuelan company created through the nationalization of the petroleum industry on Jan. 1, 1976. It earns the largest share of Venezuela’s foreign exchange. Its headquarters are in Caracas. By 1971 Venezuela had begun to take steps to curb the influence of

Pete Weber is an American bowler who was one of the sport’s greatest players, though he arguably attracted more attention for his brash personality. He was the first bowler in the history of the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) to complete the “triple crown” at least twice (1989 and 2013) in

polyethylene (PE), light, versatile synthetic resin made from the polymerization of ethylene. Polyethylene is a member of the important family of polyolefin resins. It is the most widely used plastic in the world, being made into products ranging from clear food wrap and shopping bags to detergent

explosive: Picric acid and ammonium picrate: A series of plastic demolition explosives with great shattering power, designated Composition C-1 to Composition C-4, has had considerable publicity. These contain about 80 percent RDX combined with a mixture of various oils, waxes, and plasticizers. The only significant difference is in the temperature range through which they…

Five Great Kings: …identified as the following: (1) Pe-har, chief of the Five Great Kings and described as “king of the karma,” who resides in the northern quarter, is white in colour and rides a white lion; (2) Brgya-byin, the “king of the mind,” who resides in the centre, is dark blue and…

pea, (Pisum sativum), herbaceous annual plant in the family Fabaceae, grown virtually worldwide for its edible seeds. Peas can be bought fresh, canned, or frozen, and dried peas are commonly used in soups. Some varieties, including sugar peas and snow peas, produce pods that are edible and are

aphid: Types of aphids: The pea aphid (Acyrthosiphon pisum) has two colour morphs, pale green and pinkish red. It overwinters on clover and alfalfa, migrating to peas in spring. The yellow bean mosaic virus it transmits is often responsible for killing pea plants. Each female produces 50 to 100 young…

Why Are Navy Beans Called Navy Beans?: Navy beans—also known as Boston beans, haricots, pea beans, and (in Australia) Yankee beans—received their name because they became a staple food for the United States Navy in the second half of the 19th century. These small white beans could be stored for extended periods…

pea crab, any member of a genus (Pinnotheres) of crabs (order Decapoda) living in the mantle cavity of certain bivalve mollusks, echinoderms, and polychaetes as a commensal (i.e., on or in another animal host but not deriving nourishment from it). Females of Pinnotheres ostreum, also known as the

Fabaceae, pea family of flowering plants (order Fabales), comprising about 766 genera and some 19,580 species of trees, shrubs, vines, and herbs. Fabaceae is the third largest family of angiosperms, exceeded only by Asteraceae (aster or sunflower family) and Orchidaceae (orchid family). After

Fabales, order of dicotyledonous flowering plants in the Rosid group among the core eudicots. The order comprises 4 families (Fabaceae, Polygalaceae, Quillajaceae, and Surianaceae), 762 genera, and more than 20,400 species. However, more than 95 percent of the genera and species belong to Fabaceae,

leptospirosis, acute systemic illness of animals, occasionally communicable to humans, that is characterized by extensive inflammation of the blood vessels. It is caused by a spirochete, or spiral-shaped bacterium, of the genus Leptospira. Leptospires infect most mammals, particularly rodents and

Battle of Pea Ridge, (March 7–8, 1862), bitterly fought American Civil War clash in Arkansas, during which 11,000 Union troops under General Samuel Curtis defeated 16,000 attacking Confederate troops led by Generals Earl Van Dorn, Sterling Price, and Ben McCulloch. Following a fierce opening

Great Smog of London: Background: Known as “pea-soupers” for their dense, yellow appearance, such all-encompassing fogs had become a hallmark of London by the 19th century. But polluted fog was an issue in London as early as the 13th century, due to the burning of coal, and the situation only worsened as…

seed beetle: …cycle is typified by the pea weevil (Bruchus pisorum) and the bean weevil (Acanthoscelides obtectus), both of which occur throughout the world.