lactobacillus Uak-to-bo-'si-losV Any of the rod-shaped, gram-positive (see gram stain) bacteria that make up the genus Lactobacillus. They are widely distributed in animal feeds, manure, and milk and milk products. Various species are used commercially in the production of sour milks, cheeses, and yogurt. Lactobacilli also play an important role in the manu¬ facture of fermented vegetables (pickles and sauerkraut), beverages (beer, wine, and juices), sourdough breads, and some sausages. They inhabit but do not damage animal and human intestinal tracts. Commercial prepara¬ tions of lactobacilli are used to restore normal intestinal flora after anti¬ biotic therapy.
lactose Slightly sweet sugar (disaccharide) composed of two monosac¬ charides, glucose and galactose, linked together. Lactose-intolerant adults, and more rarely infants, cannot digest lactose because they lack the enzyme (lactase) that splits it into simpler sugars and suffer diarrhea and bloating when they eat foods containing it. Lactose, which makes up 2-8% of the milk of mammals, is the only common sugar of animal origin. Commer¬ cial lactose is obtained from whey, a liquid by-product of cheese. It is used in foods, in pharmaceuticals, and in nutrient broths used to produce penicillin, yeast, and riboflavin, and other products.
Ladakh \b-'dak\ Region, eastern Kashmir region, northwestern Indian subcontinent. It covers about 45,000 sq mi (117,000 sq km) and includes the western Himalayan Ladakh Range (see Himalayas), the Karakoram Range, and the upper Indus River valley. Its capital is Leh. India and Paki¬ stan fought over it before peace negotiations in 1949 gave its southern por¬ tion to India (which is part of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir) and the rest to Pakistan. In the Sino-Indian War of 1962 China gained a portion of northeastern Ladakh. The region’s boundaries are still in dispute.
Ladd-Franklin, Christine orig. Christine Ladd (b. Dec. 1, 1847, Windsor, Conn., U.S.—d. March 5, 1930, New York, N.Y.) U.S. scientist
and logician. She fulfilled Ph.D. requirements at Johns Hopkins Uni¬ versity in the 1880s, but, because women candidates were not recog¬ nized, she was not awarded her degree until 1926. In symbolic logic, she reduced syllogistic reasoning to an inconsistent triad with the intro¬ duction of the antilogism, a form that made the testing of deductions easier. The Ladd-Franklin theory of colour vision stressed increasing colour differentiation with evolution and assumed a photochemical model for the visual system. Her principal works are The Algebra of Logic (1883), The Nature of Color Sensa¬ tion (1925), and Color and Color Theories (1929).
Ladies' Home Journal U.S. monthly magazine, one of the oldest in the country and long the trendset¬ ter among women’s magazines. Founded in 1883 as a supplement to the Tribune and Farmer (1879-85), it began an independent publication in 1884. Under the editorship (1889— 1919) of Edward Bok, its circulation surpassed that of any other U.S. pub¬ lication. Bok revolutionized the women’s magazine field by offering high- quality fiction and nonfiction, establishing service departments that answered letters from readers, and conveying a sense of intimacy. After the mid-20th century Ladies ’ Home Journal was overtaken in circulation by its rival, McCall’s. It was acquired in 1986 by the Meredith Corpo¬ ration, which also publishes Better Homes and Gardens.
ladino \b-'de-no\ Central American whose primary language is Span¬ ish and who wears modern dress. Genetically ladinos may be of Indian, African, or mixed descent. An Indian may become a ladino by abandon¬ ing the Indian dress and customs. Many rural ladinos practice subsistence agriculture much like that of their Indian neighbours, but they tend to emphasize cash crops and modem farming techniques, which the Indians shun. In small towns ladinos commonly engage in commerce as well as farming. In the cities they engage in all occupations, from day labourer to university professor.
Ladino \b-'de-no\ language or Sephardic language Romance language spoken by Sephardic Jews in the Balkans, the Middle East, North Africa, Greece, and Turkey, though nearly extinct in many of these areas. Ladino is a very archaic form of Castilian Spanish, mixed with Hebrew elements. It originated in Spain and was carried to its present speech areas by descendants of the Jews who were exiled from Spain after 1492. It preserves many words and grammatical usages that have been lost in modern Spanish. Ladino is usually written in the Hebrew alpha¬ bet.
Ladislas I or Saint Ladislas \'la-de-,slas\ (b. June 27, 1040, Pol.—d. July 29, 1095, Nitra, Slvk.; canonized 1192; feast day June 27) King of Hungary (1077-95). He greatly expanded the boundaries of the kingdom, gaining land in Transylvania and occupying Croatia (1091). In the Inves¬ titure Controversy he sided with the pope. Ladislas introduced Roman Catholicism to Croatia and persecuted pagans in his dominions. He also promulgated a legal code that brought order and prosperity to Hungary. He died while preparing for the First Crusade and was canonized in 1192.
Lado Enclave Vla-do\ Region, central Africa. It was located north of Lake Albert on the west bank of the Upper Nile River, in what is now northern Uganda and southeastern Sudan. It was first explored by Euro¬ peans in 1841—42 and became a station for ivory and slave traders. Brit¬ ain claimed the Upper Nile region in 1894 and leased to Leopold II of Belgium the area known as the Lado Enclave. It was incorporated into the Anglo-Egyptian Sudan in 1910.
Ladoga Vla-do-goV, Lake Lake, northwestern Russia. The largest lake in Europe, it covers an area of 6,700 sq mi (17,600 sq km). It is 136 mi (219 km) long and has an average width of 51 mi (82 km); its greatest depth is 754 ft (230 m). It contains 660 islands of more than 2.5 acres (1 hectare) in area. Its outlet is the Neva River, in the southwestern corner. Formerly divided between the U.S.S.R. and Finland, it now lies entirely
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Ladrone Islands ► Lagash I 1067
within Russia. During the Siege of Leningrad (1941^4) in World War II, the lake was the lifeline that connected the city with the rest of the Soviet Union.
Ladrone Islands See Mariana Islands
ladybug or ladybird beetle Any of the approximately 5,000 widely distributed beetles of the family Coccinellidae. The name originated in the Middle Ages, when the beetle was dedicated to the Virgin Mary and called “beetle of Our Lady.” Ladybugs are hemispheric and are usually 0.3-0.4 in. (8-10 mm) long. They have short legs and are usually brightly coloured with black, yellow, or reddish markings. Several generations are produced each summer. Ladybugs are often used to control such insect pests as aphids, scales, and mites, which they eat. Several species of lady- bugs feed on plants.
ladyfish or tenpounder Species ( Elops saurus, family Elopidae) of primarily tropical coastal marine fish. The ladyfish is slender and covered with fine silver scales; the dorsal and anal fins can be depressed into grooves. A predatory fish, it has small, sharp teeth and a bony throat plate between its mandibles. It is up to 35 in. (90 cm) long and weighs up to 30 lbs (14 kg). The young are transparent and eel-like.
lady's slipper Any member of several genera of orchids in which the lip of the flower is slipper-shaped.
The genus Cypripedium has about 50 temperate and subtropical species.
Two well-known species, the yellow lady’s slipper (C. calceolus) and the pink lady’s slipper, or moccasin flower (C. acaule ), are found in tem¬ perate coniferous woods in early spring. Other genera include Phrag- mipedium and Selenipedium of the New World tropics, and the tropical Asian Paphiopedilum. Many hybrids have been developed.
Laemmle Vlem-leV Carl (b. Jan.
17, 1867, Laupheim, Ger.—d. Sept.
24, 1939, Beverly Hills, Calif., U.S.)