| expectation of life | The average number of years of life an individual of a given age is expected to live if current mortality rates continue to apply; a statistical abstraction based on existing age-specific death rates. Expectation of life at age x, The average number of additional years a person aged x would live if current mortality trends continue to apply, based on the age-specific death rates for a given year. Expectation of life at birth, Average number of years of life a newborn baby can be expected to live if current mortality trends continue. (05 Mar 2000) |
|---|---|
| expectation | 1. The act or state of expecting or looking forward to an event as about to happen. "In expectation of a guest." "My soul, wait thou only upon God, for my expectation is from him." (Ps. Lxii. 5) 2. That which is expected or looked for. "Why our great expectation should be called The seed of woman." (Milton) 3. The prospect of the future; grounds upon which something excellent is expected to happen; prospect of anything good to come, especially. Of c or rank. "His magnificent expiations made him, in the opinion of the world, the best much in Europe." (Prescott) "By all men's eyes a youth of expectations." (Otway) 4. The value of any chance (as the prospect of prize or property) which depends upon some contingent event. Expectations are computed for or against the occurrence of the event. 5. <medicine> The leaving of the disease principally to the efforts of nature to effect a cure. Expectation of life, the mean or average duration of the life individuals after any specified age. Synonym: Anticipation, confidence, trust. Origin: L. Expectio. Exspectio: cf. F. Expectation. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| expectation neurosis | A condition in which anticipation of an event produces neurotic symptoms. (05 Mar 2000) |
| average | <statistics> A value that represents the sum of values divided by the number of values in the set. It represents or summarises the relevant features of a set of values. Origin: M.E. Averays, loss from damage to ship or cargo, fr. It. Avaris, fr. Ar. 'awariya, damaged goods, + damage (05 Mar 2000) |
| average flow rate | <physiology> The flow rate determined by dividing the total volume passed in a time period divided by the time period, usually quoted in mls per minute. (05 Mar 2000) |
| average megawatt | <physics> One megawatt of capacity produced continuously over a period of one year. 1 MWa = 1 MW x 8760 hours/year = 8,760 Mwh = 8,760,000 kWh. Acronym: MWa (05 Dec 1998) |
| average pulse magnitude | <physics> The amplitude of pulse averaged throughout its duration; identical with peak amplitude for a square wave or pulse without droop. (05 Mar 2000) |
| law of average localization | Visceral pain is most accurately localised in the least mobile viscera and least accurately in the most mobile. (05 Mar 2000) |
| advanced life support | Definitive emergency medical care that includes defibrillation, airway management, and use of drugs and medications. Compare: basic life support. (05 Mar 2000) |
| artificial life | Artificial life (AL, alife) is a scientific discipline in whichresearchers study life by creating computer programs that recreatebiological systems from scratch. (09 Oct 1997) |
| basic life support | Emergency cardiopulmonary resuscitation, control of bleeding, treatment of shock, acidosis, and poisoning, stabilization of injuries and wounds, and basic first aid. (05 Mar 2000) |
| biological half-life | <biochemistry, biology> This is the time required for one-half of the total amount of a particular substance in a biological system to be consumed or broken down by biological processes when the rate of removal is approximately exponential. Toxic chemicals with a long biological half-life (such as some pesticides) will tend to accumulate in the body and are, therefore, more likely to be harmful. A substance with a short biological half-life may still accumulate if a portion of it it becomes tightly bound to bone or other tissues, even if most of it is quickly cleared from the body. (21 Mar 1998) |
| vegetative life | The simple metabolic and reproductive activity of humans or animals, apart from the exercise of conscious mental or psychic processes. (05 Mar 2000) |
| germ-free life | Animals not contaminated by or associated with any foreign organisms. (12 Dec 1998) |
| change of life | Colloquialism for menopause, climacteric. (05 Mar 2000) |