Ussuri \u-'sur-e\ River Chinese Wusuli Jiang or Wu-su-li Chiang River, eastern Asia. Formed by the confluence of two rivers ris¬ ing in the Sikhote-Alin Mountains of extreme southeastern Siberia (Rus¬
sia), it flows north, marking part of the border between Russia and China and joining the Amur River near Khabarovsk. It is 565 mi (909 km) long. In the 1960s, and especially in 1969, Soviet and Chinese forces clashed over large sections of the river border. A limited agreement was reached on navigational use of the river in 1977.
Ustinov \ , yus-t9- I nof\ / Sir Peter (Alexander) (b. April 16, 1921, London, Eng.—d. March 28, 2004, Genolier, Switz.) British actor, direc¬ tor, author, and playwright. He made his professional stage debut at age 17, in which he displayed his talents for vocal mimicry and age affecta¬ tion, and landed his first major screen role in The Goose Steps Out{ 1942). His film appearances include Lola Montes (1955), Spartacus (1960, Acad¬ emy Award), Topkapi (1964, Academy Award), and a recurring role as Hercule Poirot in movies based on Agatha Christie’s mysteries, beginning with Death on the Nile (1978). He both starred in and directed Billy Budd (1962), among other films. Lady L (1965), with Sophia Loren and Paul Newman, was probably his best-received directorial effort. He wrote suc¬ cessful plays such as The Love of Four Colonels (1951) and Romanoff and Juliet (1956) and won Emmy Awards for his television performances in The Life of Samuel Johnson (1957), Barefoot in Athens (1966), and A Storm in Summer (1970). Ustinov also wrote several novels and the auto¬ biographical works Dear Me (1977), Ustinov at Large (1993), and Usti¬ nov Still at Large (1994). Noted for his humanitarian efforts, he served as ambassador at large for UNICEF from 1969 until his death. Ustinov was knighted in 1990.
Usumacinta River \ l ii-su-ma- , sen-ta\ River, southeastern Mexico and northwestern Guatemala. Rising in northwestern Guatemala, it is formed by the confluence of the Salinas (or Chixoy) and Pasion rivers. It flows northwest and forms a section of the border between Guatemala and Mexico. It then empties into the Grijalva River in Mexico. With the Sali¬ nas River, it is about 600 mi (1,000 km) long.
Usumbura See Bujumbura
usury \'yii-zha-re\ In law, the crime of charging an unlawfully high rate of interest. In Old English law, the taking of any compensation whatso¬ ever was termed usury. With the expansion of trade in the 13th century, the demand for credit increased, necessitating a modification in the defi¬ nition of the term. In 1545 England fixed a legal maximum interest, a practice later followed by other Western nations.
Utah State (pop., 2000: 2,233,169), western U.S. It covers 84,904 sq mi (219,901 sq km); its capital is Salt Lake City. Utah is bordered by Idaho to the north, Wyoming to the northeast, Colorado to the east, Arizona to the south, and Nevada to the west. At Four Corners, in the southeast, Utah meets Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona at right angles, the only such meeting of states in the nation. Utah contains the Great Salt Lake and parts of the middle Rocky Mountains and Uinta Mountains. The western third of the state is a broad desert-like area. About 70% of the land is owned by either the federal or the state government. The region was inhabited as early as 10,000 bc. In c. ad 400 the Pueblo Indians lived throughout Utah; they were followed by other groups, including the Shoshone, Ute, and Paiute Indians. Spanish missionaries visited there in the late 18th cen¬ tury. It passed to Mexico in 1821. U.S. pioneer Jim Bridger was the first white man to see the Great Salt Lake, in 1824. The area’s first permanent settlers were Mormons, who were led to the valley of the Great Salt Lake in 1847 by Brigham Young. Acquired by the U.S. after the Mexican War, the region was organized as the Utah Territory in 1850; it had been reduced to the area of the present state by 1868. A conflict between Mor¬ mon authorities and the U.S. government known as the Utah War occurred in 1857-58, and statehood was denied until the Mormons renounced polygamy. When they did, Utah entered the Union in 1896 as the 45th state. The Mormon church has officially been politically neutral since the early 20th century, and the influence of economic blocs has become more important. Utah has large reserves of coal and petroleum and is the world’s largest producer of beryllium. Major industries include agricul¬ ture and tourism.
Utamaro \u-ta-'ma-ro\ orig. Kitagawa Nebsuyoshi (b. 1753, Japan—d. Oct. 31,1806, Edo) Japanese printmaker and painter. He moved from a provincial town to Edo (now Tokyo) in his youth; his early work included many illustrated books. One of the greatest ukiyo-e artists, he is known especially for his masterfully composed portraits of sensuous female beauties. Unlike other ukiyo-e artists, who favoured prints of women in groups, Utamaro concentrated on half-length single portraits.
© 2006 Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.
1978 I Ute ► Utrillo
Ute \"yut\ North American Indians living mostly in Colorado and Utah, U.S. Their language belongs to the Numic branch of the Uto-Aztecan lan¬ guage family, and their name means “hill people.” Their traditional home¬ land included western Colorado, eastern Utah (whose name derives from Ute), and parts of New Mexico. They eventually joined into a loose con¬ federation of seven bands. Until the 19th century, the Ute had no horses and lived in small family clusters, subsisting by food collecting. They were virtually indistinguishable from the Southern Paiute. When the Ute acquired horses in the early 1800s, they became organized as loose bands of hunters, often targeting livestock. After the Indian wars of 1864-70, most Ute were settled on reservations. At the turn of the 21st century, they numbered more than 5,000.
uterine Yyii-ta-ranV bleeding Abnormal bleeding from the uterus not related to menstruation. Most common in the first few years after menarche and as menopause approaches, it is thought to occur when malfunctioning ovaries reduce blood estrogen levels. A malfunctioning hypothalamus or pitu¬ itary gland may also cause hormonally induced uterine bleeding, as can birth-control pills or hormone-replacement therapy. Some tumours pro¬ duce estrogen and can alter the menstrual cycle, causing bleeding. Tumours in the uterus often bleed easily. Other causes include injury to the uterus, stress, obesity, chronic illness, psychological problems, and blood and car¬ diovascular disorders. Treatment is directed toward the underlying cause.
uterine cancer Malignant tumour of the uterus. Cancers affecting the lining of the uterus (endometrium) are the most common cancers of the female reproductive tract. Risk factors include absence of pregnancy, early age of first menstruation (before age 12), late onset of menopause (after age 52), obesity, diabetes, and estrogen replacement therapy. Addi¬ tional risk factors are a personal history of breast or ovarian cancer, age (over age 40), and a family history of uterine cancer. Whites are more likely to develop uterine cancer than are blacks. The major symptom is vaginal bleeding or discharge. Treatment may begin with simple or radi¬ cal hysterectomy. Some uterine cancers are treated in part by hormonal therapy, radiation therapy, or chemotherapy.
uterus or womb Inverted-pear-shaped organ of the female reproduc¬ tive system, in which the embryo and fetus develop during pregnancy. Lying over and behind the bladder, it is 2.5-3 in. (6-8 cm) long and about 2.5 in. (6 cm) across at the top, where the fallopian tubes enter it; at the other end, the cervix extends down into the vagina. The uterine lining (endometrium), a moist mucous membrane, changes in thickness during the menstrual cycle (see menstruation), being thickest at ovulation in readi¬ ness for a fertilized EGG. The uterine wall, about 1 in. (2.5 cm) thick, expands and becomes thinner as a fetus develops inside. The cervix expands to about 4 in. (10 cm) for delivery. Disorders of the uterus include infections, benign and malignant tumours, prolapse, endometriosis, and fibroids (leiomyomas; see muscle tumour).