sentence In criminal law, a judgment formally pronouncing the punish¬ ment to be inflicted on a person convicted of a crime. Among the major types are the concurrent sentence, which runs at the same time as another; the consecutive sentence, which runs before or after another; the manda¬ tory sentence, which is specifically required by statute as punishment for an offense; and the suspended sentence, the imposition or execution of which is suspended by the court. See also capital punishment, parole.
Seoul \'sol\ City (pop., 2000: 9,853,972), capital of South Korea since 1946, with the administrative status of a province. Located on the Han River near the centre of the Korean peninsula, Seoul was the capital of the Choson dynasty (1394-1910) and the centre of Japanese rule of Korea (1910-45). During the Korean War it was the capital of the U.S. military government and suffered extensive damage; it has been largely rebuilt since 1953. In 1988 it was the site of the Summer Olympic Games. The commercial, cultural, and industrial heart of South Korea, it is a centre of higher education, with several universities, including Seoul National University (1946).
separation of powers Division of the legislative, executive, and judicial functions of government among separate and independent bodies. Such a separation limits the possibility of arbitrary excesses by govern¬ ment, since the sanction of all three branches is required for the making, executing, and administering of laws. The concept received its first mod¬ ern formulation in the work of Charles- Louis de Secondat, baron de La Brede et de Montesquieu, who declared it the best way to safeguard liberty; he influenced the framers of the Constitution of the United States, who in turn influenced the writers of 19th- and 20th-century constitutions. See also CHECKS AND BALANCES.
Sephardi \so-'far-de\ Any member of the Jewish community, or their descendants, who lived in Spain and Portugal from the Middle Ages until their expulsion in the late 15th century. They fled first to North Africa and other parts of the Ottoman Empire and eventually settled in countries such as France, Holland, England, Italy, and the Balkan states. They differ from the Ashkenazi Jews in their traditional language, Ladino, and in their pres¬ ervation of Babylonian rather than Palestinian Jewish ritual traditions. Many now live in Israel.
Sephardic language See Ladino language
Sepik \'sa-pik\ River River, northeastern New Guinea. It enters the Bismarck Sea through a delta about 700 mi (1,100 km) from its source in the central highlands. Because of the amount of sediment it carries, it discolours the waters for 20 mi (32 km) beyond its mouth, which is more than 1 mi (1.6 km) wide. It is navigable by shallow-draft vessels for more than 300 mi (483 km). The river’s small tribal groups have extensive artistic traditions, known as the Sepik River style.
Sepoy Mutiny See Indian Mutiny
seppuku Vse-po-.kiiX or hara-kiri Japanese ritual suicide by disem- bowelment, practiced by members of the samurai class. Suicide by dis-
Senna (Cassia didymobotrya).
GERALD CUBITT
Mack Sennett.
COURTESY OF THE MUSEUM OF MODERN ART FILM STILLS ARCHIVE, NEW YORK
© 2006 Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.
1722 I September 11 attacks ► Serbia and Montenegro
embowelment was favoured because it was slow and painful and therefore demonstrated courage, self-control, and strong resolve. Voluntary seppuku was performed to avoid the dishonour of capture, show loyalty to one’s lord by following him into death, protest against some policy of a supe¬ rior, or atone for failure. Obligatory seppuku was a method of capital punishment for a samurai, who would be beheaded by a second once he had made an initial stab wound himself. Obligatory seppuku was abol¬ ished in 1873, but voluntary seppuku continued to occur. Notable 20th- century examples included those of army officer Nogi Maresuke and writer Yukio Mishima. See also bushido.
September 1 1 attacks Series of airline hijackings and suicide bomb¬ ings against U.S. targets perpetrated by 19 militants associated with the Islamic extremist group al-QAEDA. The attacks were planned well in advance; the militants—most of whom were from Saudi Arabia—traveled to the U.S. beforehand, where a number received commercial flight train¬ ing. Working in small groups, the hijackers boarded 4 domestic airliners in groups of 5 (a 20th participant was alleged) on Sept. 11, 2001, and took control of the planes soon after takeoff. At 8:46 am (local time), the ter¬ rorists piloted the first plane into the north tower of the World Trade Cen¬ ter in New York City. A second plane struck the south tower some 15 minutes later. Both structures erupted in flames and, badly damaged, soon collapsed. A third plane struck the southwest side of the Pentagon near Washington, D.C., at 9:40, and within the next hour the fourth crashed in Pennsylvania after its passengers—aware of events via cellular telephone—attempted to overpower their assailants. Some 2,750 people were killed in New York, 184 at the Pentagon, and 40 in Pennsylvania. All 19 terrorists died.
septic arthritis Acute inflammation of one or more joints caused by infection. Suppurative arthritis may follow certain bacterial infections; joints become swollen, hot, sore, and filled with pus, which erodes their cartilage, causing permanent damage if not promptly treated by giving antibiotics, draining the pus, and resting the joint. Nonsuppurative arthri¬ tis can accompany several diseases caused by bacteria, viruses, or fungi; joints become stiff, swollen, and painful to move. Treatment includes rest, drugs, and, in the case of tuberculosis, orthopedic care to prevent skeletal deformity.
septicemia \,sep-ti-'se-me-3\ or blood poisoning Invasion of the bloodstream, after surgery or infectious disease, by microorganisms— typically gram-negative (see gram stain) bacteria —and the toxins they release. The latter trigger immune responses and widespread coagulation in blood vessels. High fever, chills, weakness, and sweating are followed by a drop in blood pressure. Multiple infections are often present, requiring broad-spectrum antibiotics as well as drainage of foci of infection. Without immediate treatment, septic shock follows, with a mortality rate over 50%. Invasive technology and antibiotic-resistant bacteria in hospitals have made septicemia more severe and more common. See also bacteremia.
Septimania \,sep-t3-'ma-ne-3\ Ancient territory, southwestern France. Located between the Garonne and Rhone rivers and the Pyrenees and Cevennes mountains, Septimania was settled during the reign of the Roman emperor Augustus by veterans of the Seventh Legion (Septimani). It was the last Gallic holding of the Visigoths of Spain. The region was occupied by the Franks (732-768), was then part of the kingdom of Aquitaine under the Carolingians, and became a separate duchy in 817. Later in the 9th century it was subsumed under the counts of Toulouse.
Septuagint \sep-'tti-3-j9nt\ Earliest extant Greek translation of the Hebrew scriptures from the original Hebrew, presumably made for the use of the Jewish community in Egypt when Greek was the lingua franca. The Pentateuch was translated near the middle of the 3rd century bc; the rest of the Hebrew scriptures were translated in the 2nd century bc. The name Sep¬ tuagint was derived from a legend that 72 translators worked on the project. Its influence was far-reaching. The Septuagint rather than the original Hebrew Bible was the main basis for the Old Latin, Coptic, Ethiopic, Armenian, Georgian, Slavonic, and some Arabic translations of the Bible.
sequencing Determining of the order of amino acids in a protein or of nucleotides in a nucleic acid or gene. The results have increased under¬ standing of the mechanisms of life processes and have numerous appli¬ cations. Whereas Frederick Sanger required 10 years to determine the structure and sequence of amino acids in insulin and about as long to determine the sequence of nucleotides in the DNA of a small virus, auto¬ mated laboratory instruments and techniques can now do either task in days or hours. See also genetic code; polymerase chain reaction.