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sports medicine ► Springfield rifle I 1805
sports medicine Medical and paramedical supervision and treatment of athletes. It has four aspects. Preparation (conditioning) uses diet, exer¬ cises, and monitoring of practice sessions to improve performance. Pre¬ vention identifies any predisposition to injury or illness and covers warmup, stretching, and design and use of protective equipment. Many surgical techniques developed in sports medicine, particularly for knee injuries, are now used for the general population. Rehabilitation (see physi¬ cal medicine AND rehabilitation) prepares an injured or ill athlete to return to activity after initial treatment.
spotted fever See Rocky Mountain spotted fever
sprat or brisling Species (Sprattus sprattus ) of edible fish in the her¬ ring family. Sprats are silver marine fishes that form enormous schools in western European waters. Less than 6 in. (15 cm) long, they are espe¬ cially valuable for canning as sardines. They are eaten fresh, tinned in oil, pickled, or smoked. The term also refers to a small or young herring or similar fish (e.g., anchovy).
Spratly Islands Group of several dozen small islands and reefs, south- central South China Sea. Located about midway between Vietnam and the Philippines, the group is claimed variously by Vietnam, China, Taiwan, Malaysia, and the Philippines. Of the 12 main islets, the largest is the 90-acre (36-hectare) Itu Aba. Turtles and seabirds are the only permanent inhabitants. After World War II, China established a garrison on Itu Aba, which has been maintained by the Chinese government on Taiwan. All other claimants also have small military forces on several of the islands.
spraying and dusting Standard methods of applying pest-control chemicals and other compounds to plants, animals, soils, or agricultural products. For spraying, chemicals are dissolved or suspended in water or, less commonly, in an oil-based carrier. The mixture is then applied as a fine mist. In dusting, dry, finely powdered chemicals may be mixed with an inert carrier and applied with a blower. In fumigation, gases or the vapours of volatile compounds are held in contact with the materials to be treated. Sprays and dusts are used to control insects, mites, fungi, and bacterial diseases of plants; disease-spreading insects, such as lice and flies, on animals; and weeds. They are also used to apply mineral fertil¬ izers, to increase or decrease fruit set, to delay the dropping of nearly mature fruits, and to defoliate plants to facilitate harvesting (e.g., of cot¬ ton; see defoliant). Sprays adhere to treated surfaces better than dusts do. Fumigation may be used to control insects and some diseases in stored products or to control insects and sometimes fungi and weeds in soil. Increasing use of spraying and dusting has prompted concern over their impact on the environment, the food chain, the water supply, and public health. New chemicals and precautions have only partially allayed these concerns. See also crop duster; fungicide; herbicide; insecticide.
spreadsheet Computer software that allows the user to enter columns and rows of numbers in a ledgerlike format. Any cell of the ledger may contain either data or a formula that describes the value that should be inserted therein based on the values in other cells. When a change is made in one cell, the program recalculates the contents of all cells affected by the change. Spreadsheets are widely used for performing business calcu¬ lations On PERSONAL COMPUTERS.
Spree River Vshpra\ River, northeastern Germany. Rising in the Lus- atian Mountains near the Czech border, it flows north passing through Berlin, where it joins the Havel River after a course of 250 mi (403 km). Between Cottbus and Lubben it divides into a network of channels that form a marshy wooded region known as the Spree Forest. Much of this region is cultivated. It is a popular excursion area.
spring In hydrology, an opening at or near the Earth’s surface where water from underground sources is discharged. Springs discharge either at ground level or directly into the bed of a stream, lake, or sea. Water that emerges at the surface without a perceptible current is called a seep.
spring Elastic machine component able to deflect under load in a pre¬ scribed manner and to recover its initial shape when unloaded. The com¬ bination of force and displacement in a deflected spring is energy, which may be stored when moving loads are being stopped or when the spring is wound up for use as a power source (e.g., in a watch). Though most springs are mechanical, hydraulic (liquid) and air springs exist.
Spring and Autumn Annals See Chunqiu
Spring and Autumn period (770-476 bc) Period of the Chinese Zhou dynasty named for one of the Confucian Classics, the Chunqiu
(“Spring and Autumn Annals”). During the period the imperial house’s authority diminished as local nobles struggled for power in states that formed political and economic coalitions for military purposes as well as for drainage projects, canals, and other civil engineering projects. Mer¬ chants and artisans began to assume some societal significance as well. Classical Chinese thought originates in this period. See also Confucius; Five Classics.
spring balance Weighing device that uses the relation between the applied load and the deformation of a spring. This relationship is usually linear; that is, if the load is doubled, the deformation is doubled. Spring balances are widely used commercially. Those with high load capacities are frequently suspended from crane hooks and are known as crane scales.
spring peeper Species (Hyla crucifer) of tree frog found in ponds, marshes, and other damp areas in the U.S. During the breeding season it can be found in woodland ponds; at other times it is seldom seen. It has a high, whistling call and is one of the first frogs to vocalize in spring. It is tiny (only 0.75-1.3 in. or 2-3.5 cm, long) and grayish, tan, or olive- brown, with an X-shaped or irregular brown mark on its back.
springbok or springbuck Species of antelope (Antidorcas marsupi- alis ), native to treeless plains of southern Africa, the national emblem of South Africa. It stands about 30 in. (80 cm) high at the shoulder, and both sexes have ringed, lyre-shaped horns. A fold of skin from midback to rump can be opened to display a crest of white hair. The reddish brown upper body has a broad horizontal dark-brown band on each side; the under¬ parts, head, tail, and rump are white. When excited, the springbok, with head down, hooves bunched, and back arched, makes a series of stiff-legged, vertical leaps up to 12 ft (3.5 m) high, an action called pronk- ing.
Springfield City (pop., 2000: 111,454), capital of Illinois, U.S. Spring- field lies along the Sangamon River in the central part of the state. The first settler there built a cabin in 1818; in 1837, largely through the efforts of Abraham Lincoln and other members of the Illinois legislature, the state capital was transferred there. Lincoln lived in Springfield until he became president in 1861; he is buried there. An educational and government ser¬ vices centre, it also is a market centre for a rich farming area.
Springfield City (pop., 2000: 152,082), southwestern Massachusetts, U.S. Located on the Connecticut River, Springfield was settled in 1636 and was incorporated in 1641. It was burned during King Philip's War (1675). In 1786 it was the site of an arsenal targeted by Shays' Rebellion; during the American Civil War the U.S. Armory (see Springfield Armory) there produced the Springfield musket. Springfield is home to several colleges and the Basketball Hall of Fame. It was the birthplace of Theodor Geisel (Dr. Seuss).
Springfield City (pop., 2000: 151,580), southwestern Missouri, U.S. Settled in 1829, Springfield grew slowly until the period of heavy west¬ ward migration began in the U.S. Confederate forces held it briefly dur¬ ing the American Civil War, and Wild Bill Hickok lived there in the 1860s. Its agriculture-based economy is augmented by its educational institu¬ tions. The international headquarters of the Assemblies of God church is in the city.