Streicher Yshtri-korV Julius (b. Feb. 22, 1885, Fleinhausen, Ger.—d. Oct. 16, 1946, Niirnberg, W.Ger.) German Nazi demagogue and politi¬ cian. He joined the Nazi Party in 1921 and became a friend of Adolf Hit¬ ler. In 1923 he founded the anti-Semitic weekly Der Stiirmer, which provided a focus for Hitler’s racial policies. As one of the most virulent advocates of persecution of the Jews, Streicher initiated the campaign that led to the passage of the Niirnberg Laws in 1935. He was appointed gaule- iter (district leader) of Franconia, but his sadistic excesses alienated party officials, and he was stripped of his posts in 1940; he remained editor of Der Stiirmer, however, owing to Hitler’s protection. In 1945 he was arrested by the Allies, prosecuted at the Niirnberg trials, and hanged as a war criminal.
Streisand, Barbra orig. Barbara Joan Streisand (b. April 24, 1942, Brooklyn, N.Y., U.S.) U.S. singer and actress. She sang in night¬ clubs before appearing on Broadway in I Can Get It for You Wholesale (1962), and she became a major star with Funny Girl (1964; film and Academy Award, 1968). Her richly beautiful voice made her one of the world’s most popular singers in the 1970s and ’80s. An exuberant comic and dramatic actress, she starred in movies such as Hello, Dolly! (1969), What’s Up Doc? (1972), The Way We Were (1973), and A Star Is Born (1976), and she later directed and starred in Yentl (1983) and The Prince of Tides (1991). She avoided live performances for several years, but in the 1990s she appeared in a series of concerts that broke box office sales records. In 1995 she received a Grammy Award for lifetime achievement.
Streltsy Russian "musketeers" Russian military corps. Established in the mid-16th century, the streltsy formed the bulk of the Russian army for about 100 years and provided the tsar’s bodyguard. A hereditary mili¬ tary caste by the mid-17th century, they numbered about 55,000 and per¬ formed police and security duties in Moscow and the garrisoned border towns. In 1682 the corps became involved in the succession struggle that led to the regency of Sophia. When she was displaced (1689), they were forcibly disbanded by Peter I; hundreds were executed or deported. The corps was gradually absorbed into the regular army.
strength of materials Engineering discipline concerned with the abil¬ ity of a material to resist mechanical forces when in use. A material’s strength in a given application depends on many factors, including its resistance to deformation and cracking, and it often depends on the shape of the member being designed. See also fracture, impact test, materials sci¬ ence, TENSILE STRENGTH, TESTING MACHINE.
streptococcus \,strep-t3-'ka-k9s\ Any of the spheroidal bacteria that make up the genus Streptococcus. The cells characteristically group together in chains resembling a string of beads. Streptococci are gram¬ positive (see gram stain) and stationary and do not require oxygen. Some species cause infections, including rheumatic fever, scarlet fever, strep throat, and tonsillitis. Others are used in commercial starters for the pro¬ duction of butter, cultured buttermilk, and certain cheeses. See also pneu¬ mococcus.
streptomyces \,strep-t3- , ml-sez\ Any of the threadlike bacteria that make up the genus Streptomyces, occurring in soil and water. These gram¬ positive (see gram stain), oxygen-requiring bacteria form a branching net called a mycelium that bears chains of spores at maturity. Many species are important in the decomposition of organic matter in soil, contributing in part to the earthy odour of soil and decaying leaves and to the fertility of soil. Certain species produce antibiotics such as tetracycline and strep¬ tomycin. See also actinomycete.
streptomycin \,strep-t9-'ml-sen\ Antibiotic synthesized by the actino¬ mycete Streptomyces griseus, found in soil. It was among the first antibi¬ otics discovered (1943, by Selman Waksman), after penicillin, gramicidin, and tyrocidine. The first antibiotic effective against tuberculosis, it inter-
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1832 I Stresa Front ► strip mining
feres with the tubercle bacillus’s ability to synthesize certain vital pro¬ teins. It still has some use in combination with penicillin for treating endocarditis and with tetracyclines in the treatment of plague, tularemia, and brucellosis.
Stresa Front \'stra-za\ (1935) Coalition of France, Britain, and Italy formed at Stresa, Italy, to oppose Adolf Hitler’s announced intention to rearm Germany, which violated terms of the Treaty of Versailles. When Italy invaded Ethiopia, France and Britain tried to reconcile the action with the need to remain united against Germany, but the coalition soon dissolved.
Stresemann \'shtra-z9- 1 man\ / Gustav (b. May 10, 1878, Berlin, Ger.—d. Oct. 3, 1929, Berlin) Ger¬ man chancellor and foreign minister of the Weimar Republic. Noted as an expert on municipal affairs and a writer on economics, he was elected to the Reichstag (1907) as a member of the National Liberal Party. In 1918 he founded the German People's Party and sought to form coalitions with other democratic parties. As chancellor (1923) and foreign minis¬ ter (1923-29), he worked to restore Germany’s international status, pur¬ suing a conciliatory policy with the Allied Powers. He negotiated the Pact of Locarno, supported the repa¬ rations revisions in the Dawes and Young plans, and secured Germany’s admission to the League of Nations.
He shared the 1926 Nobel Prize for Peace with Aristide Briand.
stress In phonetics, an emphasis given to a syllable of speech by mak¬ ing it louder than the rest of the word. This emphasis may have no mean¬ ing; for example, Czech words are regularly stressed on the first syllable. It may, however, distinguish the meanings of similarly spelled but differ¬ ently pronounced words; for example, permit is stressed on the first syl¬ lable as a noun and on the second as a verb. It may also be applied to a word to express its importance in a sentence. See also intonation.
stress In the physical sciences and engineering, the force per unit area within materials that arises from externally applied forces, uneven heat¬ ing, or permanent deformation. Normal stress refers to the stress caused by forces that are perpendicular to a cross-section area of the material. Shear stress arises from forces that are parallel to the plane of the cross section. Stress is expressed as the quotient of a force divided by an area.
stress In psychology, a state of bodily or mental tension resulting from factors that tend to alter an existent equilibrium. Stress is an unavoidable effect of living and is an especially complex phenomenon in modem technological society. It has been linked to coronary heart disease, psycho¬ somatic disorders, and various other mental and physical problems. Treat¬ ment usually consists of a combination of counseling or psychotherapy and medication.
strike Collective refusal by employees to work under the conditions set by employers. Strikes may arise from disputes over wages and working conditions. They may also be conducted in sympathy with other striking workers, or for purely political goals. Many strikes are organized by labour unions; strikes not authorized by the union (wildcat strikes) may be directed against union leadership as well as the employer. The right to strike is granted in principle to workers in nearly all industrialized coun¬ tries, and its use has paralleled the rise of labour unions since the 19th century. Most strikes are intended to inflict a cost to employers for fail¬ ure to meet specific demands. Among Japanese unions, strikes are not intended to halt production for long periods of time and are more akin to demonstrations. In western Europe and elsewhere, workers have carried out general strikes aimed at winning changes in the political system rather than concessions from employers. The decision to call a strike does not come easily, because union workers risk a loss of income for long peri¬ ods of time. They also risk the permanent loss of their jobs, especially when replacement workers hired to continue operations during the strike stay on as permanent employees. See also boycott; lockout.