- 行业: Printing & publishing
- Number of terms: 178089
- Number of blossaries: 0
- Company Profile:
McGraw Hill Financial, Inc. is an American publicly traded corporation headquartered in Rockefeller Center in New York City. Its primary areas of business are financial, publishing, and business services.
A herb of the genus <i>Artemesia</i> in the aster family (Asteraceae) that is used as a spice. Tarragon is often divided into French and Russian types. French tarragon can be distinguished by its highly aromatic leaves, low seed set or fertility, and compact growth habit. Due to its long history of vegetative propagation to preserve its fine scent characteristics, French tarragon has all but lost its ability to form viable seeds. Russian tarragon does produce seeds, but the plant is much lower in overall oil content and is not as fine-scented.
Industry:Science
A herb of the mint family in the genus <i>Satureja</i>. There are more than 100 species, but only <i>S</i>. <i>hortensis</i> (summer savory) and <i>S</i>. <i>montana</i> (winter savory) are grown for flavoring purposes. A number of varieties of each species are available, although no varietal names have been assigned to them.
Industry:Science
A herbaceous perennial, <i>Rheum rhaponticum</i>, of Mediterranean origin, belonging to the plant order Polygonales. Rhubarb is grown for its thick petioles which are used mainly as a cooked dessert (see <b>illus.</b>); it is frequently called the pie-plant. The leaves, which are high in oxalic acid content, are not commonly considered edible. Propagation is by division of root crowns. Victoria, Macdonald, and Valentine are popular varieties (cultivars). Commercial production is generally limited to areas where crowns may become dormant for 2–3 months each year. Outdoor rhubarb is a common garden vegetable in most areas of the United States except the South. Harvesting begins in the spring and continues for 6–10 weeks. Commercial plantings are renewed every 4–8 years. Michigan and Washington are important centers for forced or hothouse rhubarb. Two- or three-year-old field-grown crowns are moved into darkened forcing structures in late winter and forced at 55–60°F (12–15°C) to obtain petioles of a bright-red color.
Industry:Science
A herbaceous, erect annual, the dry seed or grain of which is used as a source of food and feed. It is not a true cereal and is one of the very few plants, other than those of the Gramineae family, used for their starchy seed, which is processed as a meal or flour.
Industry:Science
A hereditary disease of ancient lineage that is caused by a derangement in purine metabolism, particularly uric acid synthesis. Uric acid is a normal breakdown product of purine metabolism and is derived from either ingested foods or body tissues. The disease is characterized by increased levels of blood uric acid (hyperuricemia), inflammatory arthritis, tophaceous deposits of urate crystals, renal insufficiency, and urolithiasis. Hyperuricemia is caused by increased production or decreased renal excretion of uric acid.
Industry:Science
A hereditary disorder of the basal ganglia causing progressive motor incoordination, abnormal involuntary movements (chorea), and intellectual decline. The disease, which progresses gradually over 15–20 years, is invariably fatal.
Industry:Science
A heterogeneous collection of bacteria with diverse ecologies and physiologies. The initial definition was based on their branching filamentous cellular morphology during a stage of the growth cycle. The name actinomycete means “ray fungus,” and for many years the actinomycetes were erroneously considered to be fungi, or at least closely related to the fungi. True fungi, such as the common bread mold, also grow as branching filaments (hyphae) that are several micrometers in diameter, whereas those of the actinomycetes are about 1 μm in diameter. The genetic material of the eukaryotic true fungi consists of DNA associated with proteins, and is enclosed in a membrane (the nucleus), whereas the genetic material of the prokaryotic actinomycetes consists of free DNA in direct contact with the cell sap (cytoplasm). In general, actinomycetes do not have membrane-bound organelles, whereas the fungi have an array of organelles such as mitochondria and vacuoles. The cell walls of fungi are made of chitin or cellulose, whereas the cell walls of the actinomycetes are made of a cross-linked polymer containing short chains of amino acids and long chains of amino sugars. Actinomycetes are susceptible to a wide range of antibiotics used to treat bacterial diseases, such as penicillin and tetracycline.
Industry:Science
A heterogeneous group of anamorphic (asexual or imperfect) fungi in which sporulation may occur on separate hyphae or composite fruit bodies (conidiomata). These may or may not be differentiated into distinct conidiophores and/or conidiogenous cells (conidium-bearing hyphae or cells) which occur separately or are situated over the surface of or inside a conidioma. Some lack conidiomata and do not produce conidia but form other types of propagules. Conidium-, propagule-, or conidioma-bearing septate hyphae, or individual cells, constitute the vegetative thallus. The diagnostic feature of the group is the lack of a teleomorphic (sexual or perfect) state. There are more than 2500 accepted genera containing 21,000 species.
Industry:Science
A heterogeneous group of diseases that affect the liver and are of particular importance because of the many essential functions of the liver. It is a large organ (50–63 oz or 1400–1800 g), and it is involved in the metabolism of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates; in the production of bile and blood clotting substances; and in the metabolism and detoxification of many hormones and drugs. Because of the numerous functions of the liver, persons with liver disorders can develop a number of different signs and symptoms. One common symptom of liver disease is fatigue, although some people are entirely asymptomatic. A striking sign of liver disease is jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes) due to abnormal production or transport of bile. The presence of liver disease can be confirmed by performing liver function tests on the blood. Such tests can sometimes indicate the severity of the disease and occasionally even the exact type of abnormality. Usually, however, liver function tests can indicate only the presence of a liver abnormality. But a needle biopsy, in which a small amount of tissue is removed through a needle puncture for microscopic examination, can be done safely with minimal pain and inconvenience to the patient. A needle biopsy can help determine the type of liver disorder and the extent of organ damage.
Industry:Science
A heuristic is a rule of thumb that serves as a mental shortcut for judgments and decisions. For example, many people are afraid of becoming victims of a crime, often more so than is justified by official crime statistics. One possible explanation for the imbalance between fear and risk is that people overestimate the prevalence of violent crime because such crimes are exhaustively covered and sensationalized by the media. This coverage enhances the availability of violent crimes in a person's memory, causing the frequency of violent crime to be overestimated. Availability is defined as the ease with which instances of a class, such as “violent crimes,” come to mind, and it is often used as a heuristic in judging frequencies of that instance.
Industry:Science
