July 31, 2006
Scorpion Venom May Help Fight Brain Tumors
A new study showed that TM-601, a synthetic version of a protein found in the venom of giant yellow Israeli scorpions, is useful in treating brain tumors. In the study, 18 patients had surgery to remove malignant gliomas and were then injected with a solution of radioactive iodine and TM-601. The solution bound almost exclusively to leftover tumor cells. Two patients were still alive nearly 3 years after the treatment, despite a life expectancy of only a few months.febricity
DEFINITION: (noun) The condition of having a fever.
SYNONYMS: fever, pyrexia.
USAGE: The doctor told us that his febricity was probably the result of an infection.
J.K. Rowling
The author of the Harry Potter fantasy book series is the wealthiest woman in Great Britain and the first author to become a billionaire through literature alone. She lives in Scotland with her family and is at work completing the Harry Potter saga, which has spawned a movie franchise. She had the idea for her story about a young boy attending a school for wizardry during a delayed train trip. How many Harry Potter books are there in the series?The German Assembly Adopts the Weimar Constitution
Written immediately after WWI, the Weimar constitution was the document that governed the short-lived Weimar Republic of Germany. According to the document, the nation was to be a federal republic, governed by a president and parliament. This was a first attempt to establish a liberal democracy in Germany, but it occurred during a time of civil conflict and failed with the ascent of the Nazi Party in 1933. How did Hitler manage to subvert the Weimar constitution shortly after he came into power?Mekong Delta
The Mekong Delta is the region in Southeast Vietnam where the Mekong River approaches and empties into the South China Sea through a network of distributaries. Crisscrossed by many channels and canals, it is an area of extremely fertile farmlands and one of the greatest rice-growing areas in Asia. It is a densely populated region that was the scene of heavy fighting during the Vietnam War. What major city lies just east of the Mekong Delta?July 30, 2006
lashings
DEFINITION: (noun) Lavish quantities.
SYNONYMS: oodles, dozens, gobs, heaps, loads, lots, rafts, scads, scores, slews, stacks, tons, wads, piles, mountain.
USAGE: Famished, the men ate lashings of spaghetti and meatballs when they finally reached their destination.
Arnold Schwarzenegger
The Austrian-born bodybuilder won the first of his 5 Mr. Universe titles in 1967 and went on to become a Hollywood action star. An increasingly active Republican during the 1990s, he was elected Governor of California in 2003. Though he initially enjoyed strong popular support, voters dealt a devastating blow to Schwarzenegger by rejecting 4 out of 4 of his propositions in November 2005. Why did Austrian politician Peter Pilz demand that Schwarzenegger be stripped of his Austrian citizenship?First Saturn Automobile Rolls Off Assembly Line
General Motors launched its Saturn automobile manufacturing company largely in response to the success of Japanese small-car imports in the US. The company won praise for its environmentally conscious manufacturing process and for its use of flexible plastic side panels on its cars to avoid minor dents. In recent years, however, Saturn has been criticized for not keeping pace with the rest of the automotive industry. Where are Saturn's headquarters and primary manufacturing facility located?Robert Louis Stevenson
Politics is perhaps the only profession for which no preparation is thought necessary.Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu is an Inca site in Peru perched high upon a rock in a narrow saddle between two sharp mountain peaks. Spreading over 5 sq mi (13 sq km), with over 3,000 steps linking its many different levels, the imposing city is one of the largest pre-Columbian sites found virtually intact. It contains rare examples of religious monuments, including a carved stone, a small tower, and a cave with a masonry entrance. What does "Machu Picchu" mean in the South American language of Quechua?- » About
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