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Zernike, Frits

(Encyclopedia)Zernike, Frits, 1888–1966, Dutch physicist, Ph.D. Univ. of Amsterdam, 1915. He was on the faculty at the Univ. of Groningen from 1915 until his retirement in 1958. Zernike received the 1953 Nobel Pr...

whooping cough

(Encyclopedia)whooping cough or pertussis, highly communicable infectious disease caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis. The early or catarrhal stage of whooping cough is manifested by the usual symptoms of ...

seasonal affective disorder

(Encyclopedia)seasonal affective disorder (SAD), recurrent fall or winter depression characterized by excessive sleeping, social withdrawal, depression, overeating, and pronounced weight gain. SAD effects an estima...

noise pollution

(Encyclopedia)noise pollution, human-created noise harmful to health or welfare. Transportation vehicles are the worst offenders, with aircraft, railroad stock, trucks, buses, automobiles, and motorcycles all produ...

angina pectoris

(Encyclopedia)angina pectoris ănjīˈnə pĕkˈtərĭs [key], condition characterized by chest pain that occurs when the muscles of the heart receive an insufficient supply of oxygen. This results when the arterie...

Saint Laurent, Yves

(Encyclopedia)Saint Laurent, Yves săN lôräNˈ [key], 1936–2008, French fashion designer, b. Oran, Algeria, as Yves Henri Donat Mathieu-Saint-Laurent. Moving to Paris at 17, he ultimately established houses of...

Cheltenham

(Encyclopedia)Cheltenham chĕltˈnəm [key], city and district, Gloucestershire, W central England. It has been ...

Estrada Cabrera, Manuel

(Encyclopedia)Estrada Cabrera, Manuel mänwĕlˈ esträˈᵺä käbrāˈrä [key], 1857–1924, president of Guatemala (1898–1920). He ruled as an absolute dictator, and there were several revolutionary movements...

AARP

(Encyclopedia)AARP, a nonprofit, nonpartisan national organization dedicated to “enriching the experience of aging”; membership is open to people age 50 or older. Founded in 1958 by Ethel Percy Andrus as Americ...

Olsztyn

(Encyclopedia)Olsztyn ôlˈshtĭn [key], Ger. Allenstein, city (1993 est. pop. 165,600), capital of Warmińsko-Mazurskie prov., N Poland. It is a trade, manufacturing, and railroad center, as well as a popular heal...