| act | 1. That which is done or doing; the exercise of power, or the effect, of which power exerted is the cause; a performance; a deed. "That best portion of a good man's life, His little, nameless, unremembered acts Of kindness and of love." (Wordsworth) Hence, in specific uses: The result of public deliberation; the decision or determination of a legislative body, council, court of justice, etc.; a decree, edit, law, judgment, resolve, award; as, an act of Parliament, or of Congress. A formal solemn writing, expressing that something has been done. A performance of part of a play; one of the principal divisions of a play or dramatic work in which a certain definite part of the action is completed. A thesis maintained in public, in some English universities, by a candidate for a degree, or to show the proficiency of a student. 2. A state of reality or real existence as opposed to a possibility or possible existence. "The seeds of plants are not at first in act, but in possibility, what they afterward grow to be." (Hooker) 3. Process of doing; action. In act, in the very doing; on the point of (doing). "In act to shoot." "This woman was taken . . . In the very act." (John viii. 4) Act of attainder. An inevitable accident; such extraordinary interruption of the usual course of events as is not to be looked for in advance, and against which ordinary prudence could not guard. Act of grace, an expression often used to designate an act declaring pardon or amnesty to numerous offenders, as at the beginning of a new reign. Act of indemnity, a statute passed for the protection of those who have committed some illegal act subjecting them to penalties. Act in pais, a thing done out of court (anciently, in the country), and not a matter of record. Synonym: See Action. Origin: L. Actus, fr. Agere to drive, do: cf. F. Acte. See Agent. 1. To exert power; to produce an effect; as, the stomach acts upon food. 2. To perform actions; to fulfill functions; to put forth energy; to move, as opposed to remaining at rest; to carry into effect a determination of the will. "He hangs between, in doubt to act or rest." (Pope) 3. To behave or conduct, as in morals, private duties, or public offices; to bear or deport one's self; as, we know not why he has acted so. 4. To perform on the stage; to represent a character. "To show the world how Garrick did not act." (Cowper) To act as or for, to do the work of; to serve as. To act on, to regulate one's conduct according to. To act up to, to equal in action; to fulfill in practice; as, he has acted up to his engagement or his advantages. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
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| ACTe | <abbreviation> Anodal closure tetanus. (05 Mar 2000) |
| ACTH | <endocrinology> A peptide hormone that is produced by the anterior pituitary gland. It stimulates the adrenal cortex to secrete glucocorticoid hormones, which help cells synthesise glucose, catabolize proteins, mobilizefree fatty acids and inhibit inflammation in allergic responses. (10 May 1997) |
| ACTH stimulation test | A test for adrenal cortical function; ACTH administered by continuous intravenous infusion, or intramuscularly, evokes an increase in plasma cortisol in normal persons; in adrenal cortical insufficiency, the expected increase in plasma cortisol is limited or nonexistent. (05 Mar 2000) |
| ACTH suppression test | <investigation> A test that measures the response of the adrenal glands to ACTH. In this case, dexamethasone is given to the patient and then blood cortisol levels are measured. Under normal conditions, cortisol levels should drop in response to dexamethasone. In this test one milligram of dexamethasone is administered in the morning and then the blood is drawn for analysis the following morning. Abnormal test results can indicate Cushing's syndrome. (27 Sep 1997) |
| acth syndrome, ectopic | Symptom complex due to acth production by non-pituitary neoplasms. (12 Dec 1998) |
| ACTH-producing adenoma | <tumour> A pituitary tumour composed of corticotrophs that produce ACTH, often a basophilic adenoma; may give rise to Cushing's disease or Nelson's syndrome. (05 Mar 2000) |
| actihaemyl | <chemical> An extract from calf blood containing inorganic salts, amino acids, polypeptides and purines, but no proteins nor antigenic substances or blood group characteristics. Its exact composition is unknown. It has been proposed as a radiation-protective agent. Chemical name: Actihaemyl (12 Dec 1998) |
| actin | <cell biology> A filamentous proteins (42 kD) involved in muscle contraction in both smooth and striated muscle and also serves as an important structural molecule for the cytoskeleton of many eukaryotic cells. It is the main constituent of the thin filaments of muscle fibres. The filaments (known also as filamentous or f-actin) can be dissociated into their globular subunits; each subunit is composed of a single polypeptide 375 amino acids long. This is known as globular or g-actin. In conjunction with myosin, actin is responsible for the contraction and relaxation of muscle. See: myosin. (25 Jun 1999) |
| actin filament | One of the contractile elements in muscular fibres and other cells; in skeletal muscle, the actin filament's are about 5 nm wide and 100 um long, and attach to the transverse Z filament's. (05 Mar 2000) |
| actin kinase | <enzyme> Phosphorylates actin at threonine-201 and probably at thr(202) and/or thr(203) Registry number: EC 2.7.1.- Synonym: actin-fragmin kinase (26 Jun 1999) |
| actin N-acetylaminopeptidase | <enzyme> Catalyses the amino-terminal processing of actin by removal of acetylmethionine from the amino terminus for class I actins or the removal of the second residue as an n-acetylamino acid for class II actins Registry number: EC 3.4.11.- (26 Jun 1999) |
| actinal | <zoology> Pertaining to the part of a radiate animal which contains the mouth. Origin: Gr, ray. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| actinaria | <zoology> A large division of Anthozoa, including those which have simple tentacles and do not form stony corals. Sometimes, in a wider sense, applied to all the Anthozoa, expert the Alcyonaria, whether forming corals or not. Origin: NL, from Gr, ray. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| acting out | Expressing unconscious emotional conflicts or feelings, often of hostility or love, through overt behaviour. (12 Dec 1998) |
| resource conservation and recovery act | (RCRA) A federal law regulating solid and hazardous waste. RCRA governs the generation, storage, treatment, transport, and disposal of hazardous waste. (05 Dec 1998) |
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| public utility regulatory policies act | (PURPA) A federal law requiring a utility to buy the power produced by a qualifying facility at a price equal to that which the utility would otherwise pay if it were to build its own power plant or buy power from another source. (05 Dec 1998) |
| national environmental policy act | A federal law enacted in 1969 that requires all federal agencies to consider and analyse the environmental impacts of any proposed action. NEPA requires an environmental impact statement for major federal actions significantly affecting the quality of the environment. NEPA requires federal agencies to inform and involve the public in the agency's decision making process and to consider the environmental impacts of the agency's decision. (05 Dec 1998) |
| orphan drug act | Law giving incentives to companies developing a drug for a rare disease. The act gives the developer of the first drug of any one type a 7-year exclusive right to market the new drug. (14 Nov 1997) |
| tax equity and fiscal responsibility act | Pl97-248. Title II of the act specifies "provisions relating to savings in health and income security programs." this includes changes in payment for services, benefits and premiums of medicare as well as changes in provisions under medicaid and other specific programs covered by social security. Title II includes various revenue measures. (12 Dec 1998) |
| employee retirement income security act | A 1974 federal act which preempts states' rights with regard to workers' pension benefits and employee benefits. It does not affect the benefits and rights of employees whose employer is self-insured. (12 Dec 1998) |
| knutson-vandenberg act | (KV) Federal law that allows the U.S. Forest Service to collect money from a timber sale for resource enhancement, protection, and improvement work in the timber sale vicinity. (05 Dec 1998) |