brain cancer, the uncontrolled growth of cells in the brain. The term brain cancer refers to any of a variety of tumours affecting different brain cell types. Depending on the location and cell type, brain cancers may progress rapidly or slowly over a period of many years. Brain cancers are often

neuron, basic cell of the nervous system in vertebrates and most invertebrates from the level of the cnidarians (e.g., corals, jellyfish) upward. A typical neuron has a cell body containing a nucleus and two or more long fibres. Impulses are carried along one or more of these fibres, called

brain death, State of irreversible destruction of the brain. Before the invention of life-support systems, brain death always led quickly to death of the body. Ethical considerations are crucial to defining criteria for brain death, which in most countries must be met before efforts to extend life

thoracotropic hormone, neurohormone secreted in arthropods. After being released by neurosecretory cells of the brain, the thoracotropic hormone is carried by the blood to the prothoracic glands, where it stimulates the release of ecdysone in insects or crustecdysone in crustaceans, steroid

Karl Lashley: His monograph Brain Mechanisms and Intelligence (1929) contained two significant principles: mass action and equipotentiality. Mass action postulates that certain types of learning are mediated by the cerebral cortex (the convoluted outer layer of the cerebrum) as a whole, contrary to the view that every psychological function…

neural oscillation, synchronized rhythmic patterns of electrical activity produced by neurons in the brain, spinal cord, and autonomic nervous system. Oscillations, in general, are a reflection of a balanced interaction between two or more forces. In the brain, they typically reflect competition

Emerson, Lake & Palmer: …piece on ELP’s hit album Brain Salad Surgery (1973). In addition, the band performed imaginative covers of serious classical compositions—most notably Modest Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition, Aaron Copland’s Fanfare for the Common Man, and the hilarious blues version of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite—and occasional ballads or

brain scanning, any of a number of diagnostic methods for detecting intracranial abnormalities. The oldest of the brain-scanning procedures still in use is a simple, relatively noninvasive procedure called isotope scanning. It is based on the tendency of certain radioactive isotopes to concentrate

brainstem, area at the base of the brain that lies between the deep structures of the cerebral hemispheres and the cervical spinal cord and that serves a critical role in regulating certain involuntary actions of the body, including heartbeat and breathing. The brainstem is divided into three

paresis, psychosis caused by widespread destruction of brain tissue occurring in some cases of late syphilis. Mental changes include gradual deterioration of personality, impaired concentration and judgment, delusions, loss of memory, disorientation, and apathy or violent rages. Convulsions are n

Brain Trust, in U.S. history, group of advisers to Franklin D. Roosevelt during his first campaign for the presidency (1932). The term was coined by journalist John F. Kieran and gained national currency at once. Raymond Moley, Rexford G. Tugwell, and Adolph A. Berle, Jr., all professors at

human nervous system: Cerebral ventricles: Deep within the white matter of the cerebral hemispheres are cavities filled with cerebrospinal fluid that form the ventricular system. These cavities include a pair of C-shaped lateral ventricles with anterior, inferior, and posterior “horns” protruding into the frontal, temporal, and occipital lobes, respectively.…

neural oscillation, synchronized rhythmic patterns of electrical activity produced by neurons in the brain, spinal cord, and autonomic nervous system. Oscillations, in general, are a reflection of a balanced interaction between two or more forces. In the brain, they typically reflect competition

aging: Species differences in longevity and aging: …independent correlations with life span: brain weight, body weight, and resting metabolic rate. The dependence of life span on these traits can be expressed in the form of an equation: L = 5.5E 0.54S −0.34M −0.42. Mammalian life span (L) in months relates to brain weight (E) and body weight…

barbet: …repetitious species are sometimes called brain-fever birds.

human ear: Audiometry: …more frequently used test is brain-stem-evoked response audiometry (BERA). In this test electrodes are pasted to the skin (one placed behind the ear) and are used to record the neural responses to brief tones. The minute potentials evoked by a train of brief sound stimuli are suitably amplified and averaged…

Richard Taylor: …animations for Jackson’s zombie comedy Braindead (1992; released in North America under the title Dead Alive). In 1994 the trio, along with film editor and producer Jamie Selkirk, expanded RT Effects and renamed it Weta Ltd. It later split into two separate businesses, and Taylor and Rodger led the special-effects…

George Saunders: The Braindead Megaphone (2007) is a book of essays. The environmentalist fable Fox 8 was first published in 2013 and then republished as an illustrated book in 2018. Congratulations, by the Way (2014) is a speech that Saunders gave at a Syracuse University commencement ceremony…

John Braine was a British novelist, one of the so-called Angry Young Men, whose Room at the Top (1957; film 1959) typifies the concerns of a generation of post-World War II British writers. Braine attended St. Bede’s Grammar School in Bradford and the Leeds School of Librarianship and was working

John Braine was a British novelist, one of the so-called Angry Young Men, whose Room at the Top (1957; film 1959) typifies the concerns of a generation of post-World War II British writers. Braine attended St. Bede’s Grammar School in Bradford and the Leeds School of Librarianship and was working

Brainerd, city, seat of Crow Wing county, central Minnesota, U.S. It is situated in a forest and lake-resort region south of the Cuyuna Range along the Mississippi River, about 60 miles (95 km) north of St. Cloud. The area was inhabited by Ojibwa Indians when it was visited in 1805 by explorer

David Brainerd was a Presbyterian missionary to the Seneca and Delaware Indians of New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania (1744–47). He gained posthumous fame through the publication of his diary by Jonathan Edwards, the Massachusetts religious philosopher. Brainerd was ordained as a Presbyterian

Hebrew literature: Formative influences: A literary historian, Ruben Brainin, discerned the presence of a “new trend” in literature and foresaw a concentration on human problems. Bialik had already pointed to a conflict between Judaism and the natural instincts of Jews. This psychological interest dominated the work of a group of short-story writers…

Hilary Putnam: Varieties of realism: …Putnam described it in “Brains in a Vat” (1981), this thought experiment contemplates the following scenario:

Brain Trust, in U.S. history, group of advisers to Franklin D. Roosevelt during his first campaign for the presidency (1932). The term was coined by journalist John F. Kieran and gained national currency at once. Raymond Moley, Rexford G. Tugwell, and Adolph A. Berle, Jr., all professors at

brainstem, area at the base of the brain that lies between the deep structures of the cerebral hemispheres and the cervical spinal cord and that serves a critical role in regulating certain involuntary actions of the body, including heartbeat and breathing. The brainstem is divided into three

Braintree, town and district, administrative and historic county of Essex, England, in the north-central part of the county. The town of Braintree lies on the Roman road known as Stane Street. The district also includes the other old market towns of Halstead and Witham, which are set in rich

Braintree, town (township), Norfolk county, eastern Massachusetts, U.S. It lies along Weymouth Fore River (an inlet of Hingham Bay), just southeast of Boston. It was settled in 1634 as Monoticut (an Algonquian word meaning “abundance”) and was part of Boston until it was separately incorporated in

Braintree: district, administrative and historic county of Essex, England, in the north-central part of the county. The town of Braintree lies on the Roman road known as Stane Street. The district also includes the other old market towns of Halstead and Witham, which are set in…

brainwashing, systematic effort to persuade nonbelievers to accept a certain allegiance, command, or doctrine. A colloquial term, it is more generally applied to any technique designed to manipulate human thought or action against the desire, will, or knowledge of the individual. By controlling the

neural oscillation, synchronized rhythmic patterns of electrical activity produced by neurons in the brain, spinal cord, and autonomic nervous system. Oscillations, in general, are a reflection of a balanced interaction between two or more forces. In the brain, they typically reflect competition

neurofeedback, form of therapy in which the brain’s electrical activity is assessed and measured to help correct dysfunctional or abnormal brain-wave patterns. Techniques used to detect electrical rhythms in the brain include electroencephalography (EEG), functional magnetic resonance imaging

braising, the cooking of meat or vegetables by heating them slowly with oil and moisture in a tightly sealed vessel. Braising differs from stewing, in which the food is immersed in liquid, and from covered roasting, in which no liquid is added. Braising is a combination of covered roasting and

R.B. Braithwaite was a British philosopher best known for his theories in the philosophy of science and in moral and religious philosophy. Braithwaite was educated at the University of Cambridge in physics and mathematics before switching to the study of philosophy. In 1924 he became a fellow of

R.B. Braithwaite was a British philosopher best known for his theories in the philosophy of science and in moral and religious philosophy. Braithwaite was educated at the University of Cambridge in physics and mathematics before switching to the study of philosophy. In 1924 he became a fellow of

Braj Bhasha language, language descended from Shauraseni Prakrit and commonly viewed as a western dialect of Hindi. It is spoken by some 575,000 people, primarily in India. Its purest forms are spoken in the cities of Mathura, Agra, Etah, and Aligarh. Most speakers of Braj Bhasha worship the Hindu

Braj Bhasha language, language descended from Shauraseni Prakrit and commonly viewed as a western dialect of Hindi. It is spoken by some 575,000 people, primarily in India. Its purest forms are spoken in the cities of Mathura, Agra, Etah, and Aligarh. Most speakers of Braj Bhasha worship the Hindu

Braj Bhasha language, language descended from Shauraseni Prakrit and commonly viewed as a western dialect of Hindi. It is spoken by some 575,000 people, primarily in India. Its purest forms are spoken in the cities of Mathura, Agra, Etah, and Aligarh. Most speakers of Braj Bhasha worship the Hindu

Birāk, oasis, western Libya, on the southeastern edge of Al-Ḥamrāʾ Hammada, a stony plateau. One of the string of oases along the Wādī (seasonal river) ash-Shāṭiʾ, it is isolated from Sabhā, 40 mi (64 km) south, by great sand dunes, but the Adīrī-Birāk road, running east, links with the north road

Tall Birāk, ancient site located in the fertile Nahr al-Khābūr basin in Al-Ḥasakah governorate, Syria; it was inhabited from c. 3200 to c. 2200 bc. One of the most interesting discoveries at Birāk was the Eye Temple (c. 3000), so named because of the thousands of small stone “eye idols” found

bracken, (Pteridium aquilinum), widely distributed fern (family Dennstaedtiaceae), found throughout the world in temperate and tropical regions. The fronds are used as thatching for houses and as fodder and are cooked as vegetables or in soups in some parts of Asia. However, the leaves of bracken

brake, device for decreasing the speed of a body or for stopping its motion. Most brakes act on rotating mechanical elements and absorb kinetic energy either mechanically, hydrodynamically, or electrically. Mechanical brakes are the most common; they dissipate kinetic energy in the form of heat

automobile: Brakes: …the inner surface of the brake drum attached to the wheel. The larger diameter of the piston in the master cylinder provides a hydraulic force multiplication at the wheel cylinder that reduces the effort required of the driver.

horsepower: …turbine, or motor is termed brake horsepower or shaft horsepower, depending on what kind of instrument is used to measure it. Horsepower of reciprocating engines, particularly in the larger sizes, is often expressed as indicated horsepower, which is determined from the pressure in the cylinders. Brake or shaft horsepower is…

gasoline engine: Performance: A quantity called brake mean effective pressure is obtained by multiplying the mean effective pressure of an engine by its mechanical efficiency. This is a commonly used index expressing the ability of the engine, per unit of cylinder bore, to develop both useful pressure in the cylinders and…

automobile: Brakes: …was carried directly to semicircular brake shoes by a system of flexible cables. Mechanical brakes, however, were difficult to keep adjusted so that equal braking force was applied at each wheel; and, as vehicle weights and speeds increased, more and more effort on the brake pedal was demanded of the…

railroad: Freight cars: …is virtually extinct is the caboose, or brake-van. With modern air-braking systems, the security of a very long train can be assured by fixing to its end car’s brake pipe a telemetry device that continually monitors pressure and automatically transmits its findings to the locomotive cab.

logic puzzle: The brakeman, the fireman, and the engineer: The brakeman-fireman-engineer puzzle has become a classic. The following version of it appeared in Oswald Jacoby and William Benson’s Mathematics for Pleasure (1962).

bremsstrahlung, (German: “braking radiation”), electromagnetic radiation produced by a sudden slowing down or deflection of charged particles (especially electrons) passing through matter in the vicinity of the strong electric fields of atomic nuclei. Bremsstrahlung, for example, accounts for

Brakpan, town, Gauteng province, South Africa, east of Johannesburg. It is part of the mining and industrial complex of the East Rand area within the Witwatersrand. The area, first named in 1886, grew rapidly after the discovery of coal (in 1888) and gold (in 1905). Brakpan officially became a town

Francis Ford Coppola: The 1990s: …another big-budget film, Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992). A florid, bloody, occasionally silly, violently erotic version of the oft-filmed tale, with eccentric Gary Oldman as the count and Ryder as his (possibly) reincarnated love, it was easily the most faithful and horrific version of Bram Stoker’s famous novel. It also returned…

pomfret: The blunt-headed Pacific pomfret (Brama japonica) ranges abundantly throughout the north Pacific. The bigscale pomfret (Taractichthys longipinnis) of the Atlantic Ocean, the largest species in the family, reaches a length of 90 cm (35 inches).

Kingdom of Loango, former African state in the basin of the Kouilou and Niari rivers (now largely in southwestern Congo [Brazzaville]). Founded by the Vili people, (Bavili), probably before 1485, it was one of the oldest and largest kingdoms of the region. By 1600 it was importing ivory and slaves

lock: Development of modern types.: Bramah’s locks are very intricate (hence, expensive to make), and for their manufacture Bramah and his young assistant Henry Maudslay (later to become a famous engineer) constructed a series of machines to produce the parts mechanically. These were among the first machine tools designed for…

Joseph Bramah was an engineer and inventor whose lock-manufacturing shop was the cradle of the British machine-tool industry. Originally a cabinetmaker, Bramah became interested in the problem of devising a pick-proof lock. In 1784 he exhibited his new lock in his shop window, with a sign offering

Donato Bramante was an architect who introduced the High Renaissance style in architecture. His early works in Milan included the rectory of Sant’Ambrogio and the church of Santa Maria delle Grazie. In Rome, Bramante served as principal planner of Pope Julius II’s comprehensive project for

Donato Bramante was an architect who introduced the High Renaissance style in architecture. His early works in Milan included the rectory of Sant’Ambrogio and the church of Santa Maria delle Grazie. In Rome, Bramante served as principal planner of Pope Julius II’s comprehensive project for

Donato Bramante was an architect who introduced the High Renaissance style in architecture. His early works in Milan included the rectory of Sant’Ambrogio and the church of Santa Maria delle Grazie. In Rome, Bramante served as principal planner of Pope Julius II’s comprehensive project for

Bramantino was an Italian painter and architect of the Milanese school and a disciple of Donato Bramante. An independent master, his expressive style was marked by an element of the bizarre. Bramantino’s early work dates from about 1490. Representative of this period is the strange but interesting

history of logic: Syllogisms: Fourth figure: Bramantip, Camenes, Dimaris, Fesapo,

A Hard Day’s Night: …memorable support from character actor Wilfred Brambell as Paul’s “clean old man” of a grumpy grandfather.

bramble, (genus Rubus), large genus of flowering plants in the rose family (Rosaceae), consisting of usually prickly shrubs. Brambles occur naturally throughout the world, especially in temperate areas, and a number are invasive species outside their native range. Many are widely cultivated for

conservation: Australian mammals: In 2019 Australia’s Bramble Cay melomys, a small rat native to a sandy island near Papua New Guinea, was listed as the first mammal to go extinct because of global warming.

Daniel Lieberman: …2004 Lieberman and American biologist Dennis M. Bramble investigated long-distance running performance in humans and how it evolved. Building on early work by American biologist David Carrier, Lieberman and Bramble outlined the endurance-running hypothesis, which states that the ability of humans to run long distances is an adaptation that originated…

Matthew Bramble, fictional character, the irritable protagonist of Tobias Smollett’s epistolary novel The Expedition of Humphry Clinker

brambling, (species Fringilla montifringilla), songbird belonging to the family Fringillidae (order Passeriformes) that breeds in coniferous and birch woods from Scandinavia to Japan and winters southward, millions sometimes appearing in Europe. The brambling is a 15-centimetre (6-inch) finch. The

Johannes Vermeer: Artistic training and early influences: …Delft at the time was Leonard Bramer, who produced not only small-scale history paintings—that is, morally edifying depictions of biblical or mythological subjects—but also large murals for the court of the prince of Orange. Documents indicate that Bramer, who was Catholic, served as a witness for Vermeer at his marriage.…

Henry Percy, 1st earl of Northumberland: …he himself slain at the Battle of Bramham Moor.

pomfret, any of the approximately 35 species of marine fishes constituting the family Bramidae (order Perciformes), with representatives occurring in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian oceans. Most are relatively rare. Members of the family are characterized by a single dorsal fin, extending the

Brampton, city, regional municipality of Peel, southeastern Ontario, Canada, located on Etobicoke Creek, just west of Toronto. Brampton, founded about 1830, was named after the English birthplace of John Elliott, one of its founders. During the city’s development, horticulture, tanning, and paper

Brampton Island, one of the Cumberland Islands off the northeastern coast of Queensland, Australia, 20 miles (32 km) northeast across the Hillsborough Channel (Coral Sea) from Mackay, to which it is connected by launch and air service. An inshore coral-fringed continental island, it has an area of

bran, the edible broken seed coat, or protective outer layer, of wheat, rye, or other cereal grains, separated from the kernel. In flour processing, the coarse chaff, or bran, is removed from the ground kernels by sifting or bolting in a rotating, meshed, cylindrical frame. The amount of residual

Brân, (Celtic: “Raven”), gigantic Celtic deity who figured in the Mabinogion (a collection of medieval Welsh tales) as “crowned king over this Island” (i.e., Britain). Because of his stature, he and his court had to live in a tent, as no house had ever been built large enough to contain him. The

Bran Castle, medieval stronghold in the Transylvanian Alps (Southern Carpathian Mountains) of Brașov county, central Romania. Popularly—if inaccurately—identified with the fictional Castle Dracula, Bran Castle is one of Romania’s top tourist attractions. The first known fortress near Bran Pass (now

Jessica Mauboy: She costarred in the musical Bran Nue Dae (2009), and in The Sapphires (2012) she played Julie, one of four Australian Aboriginal young women who form a musical group and perform for American troops during the Vietnam War. The film was based on the true story of an all-female Australian…

Kenneth Branagh is an Irish-born English actor, director, and writer who is best known for his film adaptations of Shakespearean plays. At age nine Branagh moved with his family from Northern Ireland to London. He began acting in school plays and graduated from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in

Kenneth Branagh is an Irish-born English actor, director, and writer who is best known for his film adaptations of Shakespearean plays. At age nine Branagh moved with his family from Northern Ireland to London. He began acting in school plays and graduated from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in

history of Europe: The Bronze Age: …was reversed, such as at Branč, in Slovakia, where 81 percent of females were on their left side and 61 percent of males on their right. As the period progressed, grave forms began to diversify, and, though inhumation in pits remained the commonest form, it was elaborated in different ways.…

Masaccio: The Brancacci Chapel: Shortly after completing the Pisa Altarpiece, Masaccio began working on what was to be his masterpiece and what was to inspire future generations of artists: the frescoes of the Brancacci Chapel (c. 1427) in the Florentine Church of Santa Maria del Carmine. He…

ginkgophyte: Stem: …central trunk with regular, lateral branching; in older trees the branching is irregular.

branch and twig borer, (family Bostrichidae), any of approximately 700 species of beetles (insect order Coleoptera) that live in dry wood or under tree bark. Branch and twig borers range in size from 3 to 20 mm (0.1 to 0.8 inch). However, the palm borer (Dinapate wrighti) of western North America,

Branch Davidian, member of an offshoot group of the Davidian Seventh-day Adventist Church that made headlines on February 28, 1993, when its Mount Carmel headquarters near Waco, Texas, was raided by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF); four federal agents were killed in the

alewife, (Pomolobus, or Alosa, pseudoharengus), important North American food fish of the herring family, Clupeidae. Deeper-bodied than the true herring, the alewife has a pronounced saw-edge on the underside; it grows to about 30 cm (1 foot). Except for members of a few lake populations, it spends

computer: Central processing unit: …the CPU control section provide branch instructions, which make elementary decisions about what instruction to execute next. For example, a branch instruction might be “If the result of the last ALU operation is negative, jump to location A in the program; otherwise, continue with the following instruction.” Such instructions allow…

University of Arkansas: …was founded in 1873 as Branch Normal College and opened two years later; it operated as a junior college between 1894 and 1929, joining the university system in 1972. The Monticello campus was created in 1909 as an agricultural school, with instruction beginning the next year. It became a four-year…

James Wright: The Branch Will Not Break (1963), the watershed of Wright’s career, is characterized by free verse, simple diction, and a casual mix of objective and subjective imagery, as illustrated by the poem “Lying in a Hammock at William Duffy’s Farm in Pine Island, Minnesota.” The…

asphodel: Branched asphodel (Asphodelus ramosus) and summer asphodel (Asphodelus aestivus) have pinkish white flowers and are very similar in appearance. Yellow asphodel, or king’s spear (Asphodeline lutea), has fragrant yellow flowers and is grown as a landscaping plant.

broomrape: Major species: Hemp broomrape (Orobanche ramosa), also known as branched broomrape, is a noxious pest around the world and can cause significant losses if crops are heavily infested. Especially common in tomatoes, hemp broomrape can parasitize a variety of vegetable crops, and its tiny seeds are usually…

man-made fibre: Linear, branched, and network polymers: …certain intervals, so that a branched structure is formed. In other polymers the branches become numerous and cross-link to other polymer chains, thus forming a network structure. (These three polymer structures are illustrated in Figures 1A, 1B, and 1C of industrial polymers, chemistry of.)

hydrocarbon: Physical properties: …point than any of its branched-chain isomers. This effect is evident upon comparing the boiling points (bp) of selected C8H18 isomers. An unbranched alkane has a more extended shape, thereby increasing the number of intermolecular attractive forces that must be broken in order to go from the liquid state to…

branchial arch, one of the bony or cartilaginous curved bars on either side of the pharynx (throat) that support the gills of fishes and amphibians; also, a corresponding rudimentary ridge in the embryo of higher vertebrates, which in some species may form real but transitory gill slits. In the

circulatory system: The blood vessels: …but ultimately from the efferent branchial system.

circulatory system: Hearts: …have special muscular dilations, the branchial hearts, that pump blood through the capillaries, and insects may have additional ampullar hearts at the points of attachment of many of their appendages.

muscle: Jawless fishes: The branchiomeric muscles in cyclostomes are represented by a sheet of constrictors that compresses the gill pouches and helps the pumping mechanism draw water through the pharynx to the gills. Other muscles of the branchiomeric series have been modified for specialized feeding functions. The branchiomeric musculature…

Didyma, ancient sanctuary and seat of an oracle of Apollo, located south of Miletus in modern Turkey. Before being plundered and burned by the Persians (c. 494 bc), the sanctuary was in the charge of the Branchids, a priestly caste named after Branchus, a favourite youth of Apollo. After Alexander

branchiopod: Ecology: The large fairy shrimp Branchinecta ferox feeds on small particles when young but becomes a predator when mature.

branchiopod: Size range and diversity of structure: The largest living branchiopod is Branchinecta gigas, a fairy shrimp that reaches a length of 10 centimetres (3.9 inches). Some members of the fossil order Kazacharthra also grew to a length of 10 centimetres.

branchiopod: Distribution and abundance: The anostracan Branchinecta paludosa and the notostracan Lepidurus arcticus are regularly found in small pools of the Arctic tundra regions. These pools are temporary in the sense that they freeze solid in winter. A few species in these groups are found in permanent lakes.

angiosperm: Stems: Branching in angiosperms may be dichotomous or axillary. In dichotomous branching, the branches form as a result of an equal division of a terminal bud (i.e., a bud formed at the apex of a stem) into two equal branches that are not derived from axillary…

branching, radioactive disintegration of a particular species of unstable atomic nucleus or subatomic particle that occurs by two or more different decay processes. Some nuclei of a given radioactive species may, for example, decay by ejecting an electron (negative beta decay) and the rest by