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DEFINITION: (noun) A substance, such as calcium oxide or silica gel, that has a high affinity for water and is used as a drying agent. SYNONYMS: drier, drying agent, sicative. USAGE: The shipment was packed with a desiccant to prevent humidity from warping the wood during transport.

Putin, President of Russia since 1999, has sought to reassert the central government's authority over the various regions and administrative units as well as over elements of the independent media. His aggressive response to the separatist movement in Chechnya earned him much popularity with the Russian public. In November 2006, Alexander Litvinenko, a former Russian KGB agent, died of radiation poisoning and Putin was implicated in his death. How did Putin respond to accusations of involvement?

Since 1941, Norodom Sihanouk has held countless positions in Cambodia—including king, prince, president, prime minister, and head of state. He saw Cambodia through difficult years during the Vietnam War, the reign of the Khmer Rouge, and the occupation of his nation by Vietnamese forces in the late 1970s. He abdicated his kingship twice, once in favor of his father and once in favor of his son, King Norodom Sihamoni. What is Sihanouk's official Cambodian title, and what does it mean?

Never waste jealousy on a real man: it is the imaginary man that supplants us all in the long run.

The US-based X-Prize Foundation has put up a $10 million prize for the first team to decode 100 sets of human genomes in 10 days. The prize is meant to stimulate the field of rapid gene sequencing. Organizers will also offer a further $1 million to the winning team to map the genetic sequences of the 'Genome 100' - a group of celebrities and wealthy donors that includes Dr. Stephen Hawking and Larry King. In 2004, the X Prize Foundation awarded $10 million to the winner of a competition for the first manned spaceflight.

Jellyfish are marine invertebrates with umbrella-shaped bodies made of a semi-transparent jellylike substance. They feed on small animals that are paralyzed by the stinging cells in jellyfish tentacles. Most jellyfish cause no more discomfort to humans than a minor sting, but contact with the tentacles of the subtropical Portuguese man-of-war or the Australian box jellyfish can be life-threatening. What is the best way to treat a jellyfish sting?