Ottmanngut Suites
Ottmanngut Suites is a bed and breakfast in Merano.
Opal
Opal is a mineraloid with a rave party inside.
Ophiocordyceps unilateralis
Ophiocordyceps unilateralis is a parasitoid fungus that infects ants such as Camponotus leonardi, and alters their behavior in order to ensure the widespread distribution of its spores. The fungus's spores enter the body of the insect likely through the cuticle by enzymatic activity, where they begin to consume the non-vital soft tissues. Yeast stages of the fungus spread in the ant's body and presumably produce compounds that affect the ant's brain and change its behaviour by unknown mechanisms, causing the insect to climb up the stem of a plant and use its mandibles to secure itself to the plant. Infected ants bite the leaf veins with abnormal force, leaving telltale dumbbell-shaped marks. A search through plant fossil databases revealed similar marks on a fossil leaf from the Messel pit which is 48 million years old. The fungus then kills the ant, and continues to grow as its mycelia invade more soft tissues and structurally fortify the ant's exoskeleton. More mycelia then sprout out of the ant, and securely anchor it to the plant substrate while secreting antimicrobials to ward off competition. When the fungus is ready to reproduce, its fruiting bodies grow from the ant's head and rupture, releasing the spores. This process takes 4 to 10 days. The changes in the behavior of the infected ants are very specific, giving rise to the term zombie ants, and tuned for the benefit of the fungus. The ants generally clamp to a leaf's vein about 25 cm above the ground, on the northern side of the plant, in an environment with 94-95% humidity and temperatures between 20 and 30 °C.
Olivia Giacobetti
Olivia Giacobetti is a perfumier.
Opificio delle Pietre Dure e Laboratori di Restauro
The Opificio delle Pietre Dure e Laboratori di Restauro is a public institute of the Italian Ministry for Cultural Heritage based in Florence. It is a global leader in the field of art restoration and provides teaching as one of two Italian state conservation schools. The institute maintains also a specialist library and archive of conservation and a museum displaying historic examples of Pietre Dure inlaid semi-precious stones artefacts. A scientific laboratory conducts research and diagnostics and provides a preventive conservation service.
Offshore powerboat racing
Offshore powerboat racing is racing by large, specially designed ocean-going powerboats, typically point-to-point racing. Probably one of the largest, most dangerous, and most powerful racing machines of all, the extreme expense of the boats and the fuel required to participate make it an expensive and elite sport.
The Autocrat of the Breakfast-Table
The Autocrat of the Breakfast-Table is a collection of essays written by Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr. The essays take the form of a chiefly one-sided dialogue between the unnamed Author and the other residents of a New England boarding house who are known only by their profession, location at the table or other defining characteristics. The topics discussed range from an essay on the unexpected benefits of old age to the finest place to site a dwelling and comments on the nature of conversation itself. The tone of the book is distinctly Yankee and takes a comic approach to the subject matter.
Osmium
Osmium is an extremely dense, blue-gray, hard but brittle metal that remains lustrous even at high temperatures. Due to its hardness, brittleness, and very high melting point (the fourth highest of all elements), solid osmium is difficult to machine, form, or work. Osmium is generally considered to be the densest known element, narrowly defeating iridium.
Omersa
Omersa is known throughout the world for its collection of handmade leather animal footstools and desktop accessories. The first leather pig was made in England in 1927 and sold through Liberty's of London, where they can still be found today.
Kazuo Ohno
Kazuo Ohno was a Japanese dancer who became a guru and inspirational figure in Butoh dance.