oxygen supply depends on sufficient distribution of air (ventilation) and blood (perfusion) in the lungs. Lung injuries or diseases (e.g., emphysema, embolism, pneumonia) can affect either or both.
lung cancer Malignant tumour of the lung. Four major types (squamous-cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma, large-cell carcinoma, and small-cell carcinoma) have roughly equal prevalence. Most cases are due to long-term cigarette smoking. Heavy smoking and starting smoking ear¬ lier in life increase the risk. Passive inhalation (“secondhand smoke”) is linked to lung cancer in nonsmokers. Other risk factors include exposure to radon or asbestos. Symptoms, including coughing (sometimes with blood), chest pain, and shortness of breath, seldom appeal - until lung can¬ cer is advanced, when treatment with surgery, chemotherapy, and radia¬ tion or some combination of the three is less effective. Most patients die within a year of diagnosis.
lung congestion Distention of blood vessels in the lungs and filling of the pulmonary alveou with blood. It results from infection, hypertension, or inadequate heart function (e.g., left-sided heart failure). Congestion seriously impairs gas exchange, leading to breathing difficulty, bloody discharge in sputum, and bluish skin tint.
Lung-men caves See Longmen caves Lung-shan culture See Longshan culture
Luni River \'lu-ne\ River, Rajasthan state, western India. Rising in the western Aravalli Range, where it is known as the Sagarmati, it flows southwest and enters a patch of desert before dissipating into the Rann of Kachchh, after a total course of 330 mi (530 km). Its Sanskrit name is Lavanavari (“Salt River”), referring to its high salinity. The major river in the region, it serves as a source of irrigation.
Lunt, Alfred and Lynn Fontanne orig. Lillie Louise Fontanne
(respectively b. Aug. 19, 1892, Milwaukee, Wis., U.S.—d. Aug. 3, 1977, Chicago, Ill.; b. Dec. 6, 1887, Essex, Eng.—d. July 30, 1983, Genesee Depot, Wis.) U.S. acting team. Lunt made his acting debut in Boston in 1912 and starred in Clarence on Broadway (1919). Fontanne made her acting debut in London in 1909 and in New York City in 1910. She and Lunt married in 1922 and performed with the Theatre Guild from 1924 to 1929. They acted together in more than 25 plays, including The Guards¬ men (1924) and Design for Living (1933), the latter of which Noel Cow¬ ard wrote for them. Considered the foremost acting couple of the U.S. theatre, they were acclaimed for the subtlety and effortless cooperation of their performances, especially in comedies by Coward and George Ber¬ nard Shaw.
Lunyu \Tun-'yiB\ English Analects One of four Confucian texts that, when published together in 1190 by Zhu Xi, made up the Four Books. Scholars consider Lunyu the most reliable source of the doctrine of Con¬ fucius. It covers almost all the basic ethical concepts of Confucianism— for example, ren (benevolence), junzi (the superior man), Tian (Heaven), zhong yong (doctrine of the mean), li (proper conduct), and zheng ming (rectification of names). It also contains many direct quotations from Confucius and personal glimpses of the sage as recorded by his disciples. See also Neo-Confucianism; Zhong yong.
Luo \b-'wo\ People of the flat country near Lake Victoria in western Kenya and northern Uganda. They speak a language of the Nilo-Saharan family. Numbering 3.2 million, the Luo are the third-largest ethnic group in Kenya. They are settled agriculturalists who also keep cattle; many work as agricultural labourers and in urban occupations. Most are Chris¬ tians. See also Nilot.
Lupercalia N.lu-psr-'ka-le-oV Ancient Roman festival held each Febru¬ ary 15. Its origins are uncertain, but the likely derivation of its name from lupus (Latin: “wolf’) may signal a connection with a primitive deity who protected herds from wolves or with the legendary she-wolf who nursed Romulus and Remus. Each Lupercalia began with the sacrifice of goats and a dog; two of its priests (Luperci) were then led to the altar and their fore¬ heads were anointed with blood. After all had feasted, the Luperci cut thongs from the skins of the sacrificed animals and ran around the Palatine hill, striking at any woman who came near them; a blow from the thong was supposed to bestow fertility.
lupine or lupin \Tu-pon\ Any of about 200 species of herbaceous and partly woody plants that make up the genus Lupinus in the pea family (see legume), found throughout the Mediterranean and especially on the prairies of western North America. Many are grown in the U.S. as orna-
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mentals, and a few species are useful as cover or forage crops. Herba¬ ceous lupines, which grow up to 4 ft (1.25 m) tall, have low, divided leaves and an upright flower spike, and many are hybridized for gardens. The name comes from the Latin for “wolf’ because these plants were once thought to deplete, or “wolf,” minerals from the soil; in actuality some species aid soil fertility through nitrogen fixation.
Lupino \lu-'pe-no\ family British theatrical family. The earliest mem¬ ber, Signor Luppino, flourished c. 1610, probably in Italy. His descendant George William Luppino (1632-93), a puppet master, immigrated to England as a political refugee. A later descendant, the scenic artist and dancer Thomas Frederick Lupino (1749-1845), changed the spelling of the family name. Another family member, George Hook Lupino (1820- 1902), had 16 children, 10 of whom were dancers. His eldest son, George Lupino (1853-1932), was a famous clown; George’s son Barry Lupino (1884-1962) excelled in pantomime and musical comedy; another son, Stanley Lupino (1894-1942), performed in comedy revues. Stanley’s nephew Henry Lupino (1892-1959), a Cockney comedian known as Lupino Lane, created the “Lambeth walk” dance in the musical Me and My Girl (1937). Stanley’s daughter Ida Lupino (1916-95) moved in 1934 to the U.S., where she starred in movies such as They Drive by Night (1940), The Sea Wolf (1941), and The Hard Way (1942). One of the first female film directors, she was noted for The Hitch-Hiker (1953) and The Bigamist (1953), and she also directed several dramas for television.
lupus erythematosus Vlii-pos-.er-o-.the-mo-'to-sosV Either of two inflammatory autoimmune diseases, both more common in women. In the discoid type, a skin disease, red patches with grayish brown scales appear on the upper cheeks and nose (often in a butterfly pattern), scalp, lips, and/or inner cheeks. Sunlight worsens it. Antimalarial drugs may help. The second type, systemic (disseminated) lupus erythematosus (SLE), may affect any organ or structure, especially the skin (with marks like those of the discoid type), kidneys, heart, nervous system, serous (moisture-forming) membranes (e.g., in synovial joints or lining the abdo¬ men), and lymph nodes, with acute episodes and remissions. Symptoms vary widely. Kidney and central-nervous-system involvement can be life- threatening. Treatment includes pain relief, control of inflammation, and trying to limit damage to vital organs.
Luria, A(leksandr) R(omanovich) (b. July 3, 1902, Kazan, Russia—d. 1977) Soviet neuropsychologist. After earning degrees in psy¬ chology, education, and medicine, he became professor of psychology at Moscow State University and later head of its department of neuropsy¬ chology. Influenced by his former teacher L.S. Vygotsky, he studied lan¬ guage disorders and the role of speech in mental development and retardation. During World War II Luria made advances in brain surgery and in the restoration of brain functions after trauma. He also developed theories concerning the functioning of the frontal lobe and the existence of zones of brain cells working in concert. His books include Higher Cor¬ tical Functions in Man (1966), The Working Brain (1973), and Basic Problems of Neurolinguistics (1976).