scientific visualization, process of graphically displaying real or simulated scientific data. It is a vital procedure in the creative realization of scientific ideas, particularly in computer science. Basic visualization techniques include surface rendering, volume rendering, and animation.

gay rights movement: The beginning of the gay rights movement: …with the founding of the Scientific-Humanitarian Committee (Wissenschaftlich-humanitäres Komitee; WhK) in Berlin. Their first activity was a petition to call for the repeal of Paragraph 175 of the Imperial Penal Code (submitted 1898, 1922, and 1925). The committee published emancipation literature, sponsored rallies, and campaigned for legal reform throughout Germany…

education: Scientific-realist education: The scientific-realist education movement began in 1900 when Édouard Claparède, then a doctor at the Psychological Laboratory of the University of Geneva, responded to an appeal from the women in charge of special schools for “backward” and “abnormal” children in Geneva. The experience…

space exploration: Soviet Union: …which five years later became Scientific-Research Institute 3 (NII-3). In its early years the organization did not work directly on space technology, but ultimately it played a central role in Soviet rocket development.

existentialism: Nature of existentialist thought and manner: …any form of objectivism or scientism, since those approaches stress the crass reality of external fact. Third, existentialism is opposed to any form of necessitarianism; for existence is constituted by possibilities from among which the individual may choose and through which he can project himself. And, finally, with respect to…

Scientology, international movement that emerged in the 1950s in response to the thought of L. Ron Hubbard, a writer who introduced his ideas to the general public in Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health (1950). Hubbard’s stated goal was to analyze humankind’s mental aberrations and to

Gaetano Filangieri: …La scienza della legislazione (The Science of Legislation) is considered one of the most important works of the Enlightenment. His ideas were a precursor of modern constitutionalism, and he may have influenced Benjamin Franklin and the writing of the Constitution of the United States.

Giambattista Vico: Period of the Scienza nuova of Giambattista Vico: The outline of the work that he planned to call Scienza nuova first appeared in 1720–21 in a two-volume legal treatise on the “Universal Law.” The outline was written in Latin and appeared in a chapter entitled “Nova Scientia Tentatur” (“The…

Jon Scieszka is an American children’s author and educator perhaps best known for his book The Stinky Cheese Man, and Other Fairly Stupid Tales (1992). Scieszka, an avid reader in his youth, said that he found such schoolroom staples as the Dick and Jane readers—a series of illustrated books

squill, (genus Scilla), genus of about 100 species of bulbous plants (family Asparagaceae, formerly Hyacinthaceae) native to temperate Eurasia. Some spring-flowering species are cultivated as garden ornamentals. Siberian squill (Scilla siberica) has escaped cultivation and is considered an invasive

Scillitan Martyrs, 12 North African Christians from Scilla (or Scillium) in Numidia who were tried in Carthage under the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius. The Acts of their martyrdom is the earliest authentic document on Christianity in North Africa and represents the earliest specimen of Christian

Isles of Scilly, group of about 50 small islands and many more islets lying southwest of Cornwall, England, 25 to 36 miles (40 to 58 km) off Land’s End. Administratively, the islands are a distinct unit within England, though they form a part of the historic county of Cornwall. Because their

Isles of Scilly, group of about 50 small islands and many more islets lying southwest of Cornwall, England, 25 to 36 miles (40 to 58 km) off Land’s End. Administratively, the islands are a distinct unit within England, though they form a part of the historic county of Cornwall. Because their

sword: The Turkish scimitar was modified in the West to the cavalry sabre. At the other extreme of Asia, the Japanese developed a long-bladed, slightly curved version with a two-handed grip, with which an elaborate dueling cult, as well as ancestor worship, became associated.

scimitar-babbler, any of about 12 species of songbirds of the babbler family Timaliidae (order Passeriformes), which have long, curved bills used for uncovering insects in ground litter. Scimitar-babblers are 18 to 28 cm (7 to 11 inches) in length, with fairly long tails. Their plumage is mostly

oryx: The scimitar-horned oryx (O. dammah), 120 cm (47 inches) tall and weighing 200 kg (440 pounds), is mostly white except for the reddish brown neck and chest. The horns are long and straight in the gemsbok and the Arabian oryx. Females’ horns are thinner but as…

skink, (family Scincidae), any of about 1,275 species of lizards, mostly secretive ground dwellers or burrowers, that are represented throughout most of the world but are especially diverse in Southeast Asia and its associated islands, the deserts of Australia, and the temperate regions of North

skink: Sand skinks (Scincus), also called sandfish, run across and “swim” through windblown sand aided by fringes of scales on their toes. Their countersunk lower jaw, scales that partially cover the ear openings, specialized nasal openings, and fringes on the eyelids allow them to move through…

pothos, (Epipremnum aureum), hardy indoor foliage plant of the arum family (Araceae) native to southeastern Asia. It resembles, and thus is often confused with, the common philodendron. Pothos is an evergreen plant with thick, waxy, green, heart-shaped leaves with splashes of yellow. As a

Sindhia family, Maratha ruling family of Gwalior, which for a time in the 18th century dominated the politics of northern India. The dynasty was founded by Ranoji Sindhia, who in 1726 was put in charge of the Malwa region by the peshwa (chief minister of the Maratha state). By his death in 1750,

Vasundhara Raje is an Indian politician and government official who rose to become a senior leader in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). She was the first woman chief minister of Rajasthan state and served two terms (2003–08 and 2013–18). Raje was born into the wealthy Scindia (Sindhia) royal

seeing: Scintillation, the “twinkling” of stars to the unaided eye, is a commonly known result of turbulence in the higher reaches of the atmosphere. Poor seeing in telescopes is more a result of turbulence in the lower atmosphere. This turbulence sets a limit on the features…

scintillation counter, radiation detector that is triggered by a flash of light (or scintillation) produced when ionizing radiation traverses certain solid or liquid substances (phosphors), among which are thallium-activated sodium iodide, zinc sulfide, and organic compounds such as anthracene

mass spectrometry: Daly detector: …high negative potential to a scintillation crystal mounted on a photomultiplier at ground potential. The electrons generate a light signal in the scintillation crystal that is amplified by the photomultiplier. The output is then treated just as the output of an electron multiplier. The advantage of this more complicated device…

scintillation counter, radiation detector that is triggered by a flash of light (or scintillation) produced when ionizing radiation traverses certain solid or liquid substances (phosphors), among which are thallium-activated sodium iodide, zinc sulfide, and organic compounds such as anthracene

radiation measurement: Scintillators: …fraction is given the name scintillation efficiency and ranges from about 3 to 15 percent for common scintillation materials. The photon energy (or the wavelength of the light) is distributed over an emission spectrum that is characteristic of the particular scintillation material.

quantum mechanics: The electron: wave or particle?: …electrons; the most common are scintillators. When an electron passes through a scintillating material, such as sodium iodide, the material produces a light flash which gives a voltage pulse that can be amplified and recorded. The pattern of electrons recorded by each detector is the same as that predicted for…

Earth exploration: Radioactive methods: …in most cases with a scintillometer, a photoconversion device containing a crystal of sodium iodide that emits a photon (minute packet of electromagnetic radiation) when struck by a gamma ray. The photon, whose intensity is proportional to the energy of the gamma ray, causes an adjacent photocathode to emit electrons,…

Cristina Fernández de Kirchner: The Nisman scandal: Her handpicked successor, Daniel Scioli, the former governor of Buenos Aires province, was thought to be something of a shoo-in, but he only narrowly won the first round of voting in October and failed to gain the 45 percent of the vote necessary to prevent a runoff election.…

marsh fly, (family Sciomyzidae), any member of a family of insects in the fly order, Diptera, in which the parasitic larvae are known to prey on slugs, snails, and other mollusks. These medium-sized flies occur worldwide. There are about 600 known species, each associated with certain types of

Toyota Motor Corporation: …with the launch of its Scion brand (2003) and unveiling the world’s first luxury hybrid vehicle, the Lexus RX 400h (2005).

Gallipolis: …founded in 1790 by the Scioto Company for Royalists fleeing the French Revolution who had been deceived by agents of the company into purchasing land certificates that were worthless. The company later, however, financed a settlement at the site, and some French moved there. The name means “City of the…

Scioto River, river rising in Auglaize county, west-central Ohio, U.S., and flowing southeast past Columbus, Circleville, and Chillicothe, joining the Ohio River at Portsmouth after a course of some 230 miles (370 km). Griggs (built 1908) and O’Shaughnessy (1925) dams, both near Columbus, impound

Othmar Herman Ammann: …and the Ohio River Bridge, Sciotoville, Ohio.

Scipio Africanus the Younger was a Roman general famed both for his exploits during the Third Punic War (149–146 bc) and for his subjugation of Spain (134–133 bc). He received the name Africanus and celebrated a triumph in Rome after his destruction of Carthage (146 bc). He acquired the

Scipio Africanus was a Roman general noted for his victory over the Carthaginian leader Hannibal in the great Battle of Zama (202 bce), ending the Second Punic War. For his victory he won the surname Africanus (201 bce). Publius Cornelius Scipio was born into one of the great patrician families in

Scipio Africanus was a Roman general noted for his victory over the Carthaginian leader Hannibal in the great Battle of Zama (202 bce), ending the Second Punic War. For his victory he won the surname Africanus (201 bce). Publius Cornelius Scipio was born into one of the great patrician families in

Scipio Africanus the Younger was a Roman general famed both for his exploits during the Third Punic War (149–146 bc) and for his subjugation of Spain (134–133 bc). He received the name Africanus and celebrated a triumph in Rome after his destruction of Carthage (146 bc). He acquired the

Scipio Africanus was a Roman general noted for his victory over the Carthaginian leader Hannibal in the great Battle of Zama (202 bce), ending the Second Punic War. For his victory he won the surname Africanus (201 bce). Publius Cornelius Scipio was born into one of the great patrician families in

Scipio Africanus the Younger was a Roman general famed both for his exploits during the Third Punic War (149–146 bc) and for his subjugation of Spain (134–133 bc). He received the name Africanus and celebrated a triumph in Rome after his destruction of Carthage (146 bc). He acquired the

Publius Cornelius Scipio: …bc he and his brother Gnaeus Cornelius Scipio Calvus (consul in 222 bc) were proconsuls (provincial governors) and commanders of the Roman expeditionary force in Spain. Publius was the father of Scipio Africanus the Elder.

Tiberius Sempronius Gracchus: …traditional allocation of funds, but Scipio Nasica, an elderly senator from the Scipionic faction, succeeded in limiting these to a derisory sum. Tiberius countered by a second outrageous proposal, of which he failed to see the implication. The king of Pergamum, a city in Anatolia, on his death in 134…

Marcus Porcius Cato: He then attacked Lucius Scipio and Scipio Africanus the Elder and broke their political influence. This success was followed by his election to the censorship in 184, again with Flaccus as his colleague. (The censors were twin magistrates who acted as census takers, assessors, and inspectors of morals…

Publius Cornelius Scipio was a Roman general, consul in 218 bc. From 217 to 211 bc he and his brother Gnaeus Cornelius Scipio Calvus (consul in 222 bc) were proconsuls (provincial governors) and commanders of the Roman expeditionary force in Spain. Publius was the father of Scipio Africanus the

Quintus Caecilius Metellus Pius Scipio was a Roman politician, a leading supporter of his son-in-law Pompey the Great in the power struggle between Pompey and Julius Caesar. The son of Publius Cornelius Scipio Nasica, Metellus was adopted by Quintus Caecilius Metellus Pius, the son of Metellus

Francesco Scipione, marchese di Maffei was an Italian dramatist, archaeologist, and scholar who, in his verse tragedy Merope, attempted to introduce Greek and French classical simplicity into Italian drama and thus prepared the way for the dramatic tragedies of Vittorio Alfieri and the librettos of

letters patent: …by the procedure known as scire facias, an action brought against the patentee in the name of the crown with the fiat of the attorney general.

Theseus: …cliff he flung the wicked Sciron, who had kicked his guests into the sea while they were washing his feet. Later he slew Procrustes, who fitted all comers to his iron bed by hacking or racking them to the right length. In Megara Theseus killed Cercyon, who forced strangers to…

bulrush, Any of the annual or perennial grasslike plants constituting the genus Scirpus, especially S. lacustris, in the sedge family, that bear solitary or much-clustered spikelets. Bulrushes grow in wet locations, including ponds, marshes, and lakes. Their stems are often used to weave strong

Lake Titicaca: …on floating mats of dried totora (a reedlike papyrus that grows in dense brakes in the marshy shallows). From the totora, the Uru and other lake dwellers make their famed balsas—boats fashioned of bundles of dried reeds lashed together that resemble the crescent-shaped papyrus craft pictured on ancient Egyptian monuments.

coleopteran: Annotated classification: Family Scirtidae, or Helodidae (marsh beetles) Small, oval; on vegetation in swampy places; aquatic larvae; about 600 species; widely distributed; example Scirtes. Superfamily Staphylinoidea Very large group; antennae with last 3 segments rarely club-shaped; outer skeleton rarely very hard, shiny; wing veins M (media) and Cu (cubitus) not connected;

coleopteran: Annotated classification: Superfamily Scirtoidea Antennae typically long and multisegmented; body sclerotized; contains some of the most primitive polyphagans. Family Clambidae (fringed-wing beetles) Small, hairy; in decaying plant material; about 30 species; worldwide distribution; sometimes placed in Staphylinoidea.

ether: Cleavage: Ethers are good solvents partly because they are not very reactive. Most ethers can be cleaved, however, by hydrobromic acid (HBr) to give alkyl bromides or by hydroiodic acid (HI) to give alkyl iodides.

nuclear fission: Structure and stability of nuclear matter: …at some point, S (the scission point), the nucleus breaks in two. Qualitatively, at least, the fission process is thus seen to be a consequence of the Coulomb repulsion between protons. Further discussion of the potential energy in fission is provided below.

nuclear fission: Nuclear models and nuclear fission: …the scission point (the so-called scission-point models of fission) is whether the system remains long enough at this point on the steep decline of the potential-energy surface for a quasi-equilibrium condition to be established. There is some evidence that such a condition may indeed prevail, but it is not clearly…

scissors, cutting instrument consisting of a pair of opposed metal blades that meet and cut when the handles at their ends are brought together. The term shears sometimes denotes large-size scissors. Modern instruments are of two types: the more usual pivoted blades have a rivet or screw connection

military bridge: …during World War II the scissors assault bridge was introduced; a folding bridge, consisting of a pair of solid-girder-supported deck sections, hinged at their juncture, was carried to the riverbank by a tank; opening out in an inverted V, it flattened into a level crossing. Modern refinements of basic types…

scissors chair, chair supported by two crossed and curved supports either at the sides or at the back and front. Because of its basic simplicity, it is one of the oldest forms of chair or stool, with examples reaching back to the 2nd millennium bc. The seat, which was originally made of leather or

Soviet Union: The NEP and the defeat of the Left: …in 1923 as the “scissors crisis,” from the shape of the graph of (comparatively) high industrial and low agricultural prices. The original “scissors crisis” was a short-lived phenomenon, owing mainly to the government’s setting prices of agricultural goods too low, and it disappeared when this was remedied. But the…

air warfare: Air superiority: The scissors maneuver acquired a vertical variation, in which two fighters would execute a series of climbing turns or barrel rolls, each with the aim of slipping behind the plane that climbed too fast. Speed—usually the greatest asset of the fighter—could easily become a liability, and…

Peter Abelard: Final years of Peter Abelard: …also wrote a book called Ethica or Scito te ipsum (“Know Thyself”), a short masterpiece in which he analyzed the notion of sin and reached the drastic conclusion that human actions do not make a man better or worse in the sight of God, for deeds are in themselves neither…

rodent: Evolution and classification: Suborder Sciuravida 1 extant family, 4 extinct families containing 51 genera. Early Eocene to present. Family Ctenodactylidae (gundis) 5 species in 4 genera, 16 extinct genera. Early Oligocene to Early Pliocene in Asia, Oligocene to Pleistocene in the Mediterranean, and Middle Miocene to present in Africa.…

squirrel, (family Sciuridae), generally, any of the 50 genera and 268 species of rodents whose common name is derived from the Greek skiouros, meaning “shade tail,” which describes one of the most conspicuous and recognizable features of these small mammals. These distinctive animals occupy a range

squirrel: General features: …squirrels are the smallest: the neotropical pygmy squirrel (Sciurillus pusillus) of the Amazon Basin weighs 33 to 45 grams (1 to 1.5 ounces), with a body 9 to 12 cm long and an equally long tail; but the African pygmy squirrel (Myosciurus pumilio) of the West African tropical forests is…

rodent: Evolution and classification: hazel, and fat dormice) Suborder Sciuromorpha (squirrel-like rodents) 3 extant (living) families, 7 extinct families containing 89 genera. The extinct families Alagomyidae and Ischyromyidae include the earliest-known fossil rodents. Family Sciuridae (squirrels) 272 species in 51 genera. 25 extinct genera.

squirrel: Natural history: …red squirrels (genus Tamiasciurus) and Sciurus species of temperate climates will stalk, kill, and eat other squirrels, mice, and adult birds and rabbits for food, but such predation in tropical tree squirrels seems rare.

squirrel: The North American gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) has adapted to urban and suburban areas where it is regarded as aesthetic or as a minor annoyance. In northern Europe the red squirrel (S. vulgaris) is valued for its soft, thick fur. Villagers in tropical forests keep squirrels…

squirrel: Natural history: Certain species, such as the red-tailed squirrel (S. granatensis) of the American tropics and the African pygmy squirrel, are active from ground to canopy. In the United States, the Eastern fox squirrel (S. niger) runs along the ground from tree to tree, but others, including the Eastern gray squirrel (S.…

squirrel: Natural history: … (Rubrisciurus rubriventer) and the northern Amazon red squirrel (Sciurus igniventris), nest at middle levels but travel and forage low in the understory or on the ground. The African palm squirrels (genus Epixerus) are long-legged runners that forage only on the ground. Certain species, such as the red-tailed squirrel (S. granatensis)…

squirrel: Natural history: In the United States, the Eastern fox squirrel (S. niger) runs along the ground from tree to tree, but others, including the Eastern gray squirrel (S. carolinensis), prefer to travel through the treetops and regularly cross rivers by swimming with the head up and tail flat on the water’s surface.…

squirrel: In northern Europe the red squirrel (S. vulgaris) is valued for its soft, thick fur. Villagers in tropical forests keep squirrels as pets. Most species are hunted for food.

Vittorio De Sica: …of the genre: Sciuscià (1946; Shoeshine), an account of the tragic lives of two children during the American occupation of Italy; Ladri di biciclette (1948; The Bicycle Thief), an Oscar winner for best foreign film; Miracolo a Milano (1951; Miracle in Milan), a comic parable about the clash of rich…

28 Notable Women Cricketers: Katherine Sciver-Brunt: Katherine Sciver-Brunt made her debut for England at age 19 and has gone on to take more than 300 international wickets, including 170 in women’s ODIs, an England record. She has been part of three World Cup-winning England squads and has been named…

28 Notable Women Cricketers: Nat Sciver-Brunt: Nat Sciver-Brunt was born in Tokyo and plays international cricket for England. She has scored more than 6,000 international runs with 10 centuries and taken more than 150 wickets as of 2024. She is credited with inventing the “Natmeg” shot, in which she…

28 Notable Women Cricketers: Nat Sciver-Brunt: Nat Sciver-Brunt was born in Tokyo and plays international cricket for England. She has scored more than 6,000 international runs with 10 centuries and taken more than 150 wickets as of 2024. She is credited with inventing the “Natmeg” shot, in which she…

St. Hildegard: The finished work, Scivias (1141–52), consists of 26 visions that are prophetic and apocalyptic in form and in their treatment of such topics as the church, the relationship between God and humanity, and redemption. About 1147 Hildegard left Disibodenberg with several nuns to found a new convent at…

Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease: Types: …types of CJD: familial (fCJD), sporadic (sCJD), and acquired (aCJD). Both sCJD and aCJD may be further divided into subtypes. The most common sCJD subtype is sCJDMM1. Subtypes of aCJD include iatrogenic (iCJD) and variant (vCJD) forms of the disease (kuru is sometimes considered a third subtype of aCJD).

biogeographic region: History: …1858 by the English ornithologist Philip L. Sclater, who based his division of the terrestrial world on the distributions of birds. In the 1870s the biologist Adolf Engler devised a schema based on plant distributions. The phytogeographic work of Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker, a plant collector and systematist, and the…

Byzantine Empire: The last years of Justinian I: …menace Dyrrhachium; in 550 the Sclaveni, a Slavic people, reached a point about 40 miles (65 km) from Constantinople. The major invasion came in 559, when the Kutrigur Bulgars, accompanied by Sclaveni, crossed the Danube and divided their force into three columns. One column reached Thermopylae; the second gained a…

Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), nonsectarian American agency with headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia, established by the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr., and other civil rights activists in 1957 to coordinate and assist local organizations working for the full equality of African

lung cancer: Small-cell lung cancer: Small-cell lung cancer (SCLC), also called oat-cell carcinoma, is rarely found in people who have never smoked. It is characterized by cells that are small and round, oval, or shaped like oat grains. SCLC is the most aggressive type of lung cancer; because…

human eye: The outermost coat: The sclera is essentially the continuation backward of the cornea, the collagen fibres of the cornea being, in effect, continuous with those of the sclera. The sclera is pierced by numerous nerves and blood vessels; the largest of these holes is that formed by the optic…

cnidarian: Size range and diversity of structure: …hydroids, hydrocorals, and soft and hard corals, however, proliferate asexually into colonies, which can attain much greater size and longevity than their component polyps. Certain tropical sea anemones (class Anthozoa) may be a metre in diameter, and some temperate ones are nearly that tall. Anthozoans are long-lived, both individually and…

pear: Physical description: …flesh, the so-called grit, or stone cells. In general, pear fruits are elongate, being narrow at the stem end and broader at the opposite end.

sclerenchyma, in plants, support tissue composed of any of various kinds of hard woody cells. Mature sclerenchyma cells are usually dead cells that have heavily thickened secondary walls containing lignin. The cells are rigid and nonstretchable and are usually found in nongrowing regions of plant

sclerenchyma: Mature sclerenchyma cells are usually dead cells that have heavily thickened secondary walls containing lignin. The cells are rigid and nonstretchable and are usually found in nongrowing regions of plant bodies, such as the bark or mature stems. Sclerenchyma is one of the three types of…

Cyperaceae: Evolution and classification: The subfamily Sclerioideae has about 14 genera and 300 species; its flowers also are unisexual, but its fruit is not enveloped by a similar bract. The smallest subfamily, the Mapanioideae, has about 170 species in 14 genera. The highly reduced, unisexual flowers are grouped together tightly in…

skeleton: Crystals: …segment is a so-called tergal sclerite of calcified or sclerotized cuticle, usually a ventral (lower) sternite and often lateral pleurites—i.e., side plates. There may be much fusion of sclerites on the same segment. Sometimes fusion occurs between dorsal sclerites of successive segments, to form rigid plates. Leg sclerotizations are usually…

scleritis, inflammation of the sclera, the white part of the eye. The inflammation is immune-mediated and is commonly associated with underlying systemic infections, such as shingles (herpes zoster), syphilis, and tuberculosis, or with autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis and systemic

barrel cactus: The 19 species of Sclerocactus, which are sometimes called little barrels, have at least one hooked central spine. (All cacti with such curved spines may be called fishhook cacti, including some species of Ferocactus.) The flowers are mainly pink, yellow, and cream. The Mojave fishhook cactus (S. polyancistrus) is…

barrel cactus: Almost as large is the small-flowered fishhook cactus (S. parviflorus) native to the Colorado Plateau. The remaining species of small cacti grow in widely scattered colonies.

barrel cactus: The Mojave fishhook cactus (S. polyancistrus) is a cylindroid cactus up to 40 cm (16 inches) in height and 13 cm (5.1 inches) in diameter and has showy red and white spines and large flowers. Almost as large is the small-flowered fishhook cactus (S. parviflorus) native…

veld: Plant life: …characteristic trees are acacia and marula, the latter bearing an intoxicating plumlike fruit. The open ground is dominated by red grass. In the lower areas, such as the Sabi and Limpopo river valleys, tufted finger grasses, euphorbias, and other succulents replace red grass; the acacias increase in number; and the…

connective tissue disease: Scleroderma: …restricted to the fingers (sclerodactyly) and face but often spread. Although there may be spontaneous improvement in the condition of the skin, those persons with more diffuse scleroderma tend to lose the ability to straighten their fingers. The disease may remain confined to the skin for many months or…

scleroderma, a chronic disease of the skin that also can affect the blood vessels and various internal organs. Scleroderma is characterized by excessive deposition of collagen—the principal supportive protein of the connective tissues—in affected areas. There are two main types of scleroderma: a

Lycoperdaceae: …of puffballs and earthstars, the Sclerodermataceae, is placed within the order Boletales. Individuals of these species, found in soil and rotting wood, form puffball-like fruiting bodies with a hard outer wall and a dark-coloured interior when mature.

tetraodontiform: Annotated classification: Suborder Balistoidei Frontals extending far anterior to the articulation between lateral ethmoid and ethmoid. 3 superfamilies with 4 families, 61 genera, 182 species. Superfamily Triacanthoidea 1 family. Family Triacanthidae (triple spines) Shallow-water

beard worm: Form and function: …the very thin tubes of Sclerolinum, however, pierce pieces of sunken wood. The tube, secreted by special glands, contains a hard substance called chitin. Although the animals never leave their tubes, they are able to move inside them.

sclerophyll, type of vegetation characterized by hard, leathery, evergreen foliage that is specially adapted to prevent moisture loss. Broad-leaved sclerophyll vegetation, including species such as holly (Ilex), is known as Mediterranean vegetation (q.v.) because it is characteristic of regions

temperate forest: Flora: …that were occupied by temperate sclerophyllous forests before the effects of human manipulation of the environment were felt. These areas extend as a narrow ring around the coastline of the Mediterranean Sea. Typical evergreen trees are oaks (several species including the cork oak, Quercus suber) and the pistachio relative Pistacia…