| SPF | skin protection factor; specific-pathogen free; spectrophotofluorometer; S-phase fraction; split pro... |
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| TGF | T-cell growth factor; transforming growth factor; tuboglomerular feedback; tumor growth factor |
| ESF | electron scatter function; electrosurgical filter; erythropoietic stimulating factor |
| FRF | Fertility Research Foundation; follicle-stimulating hormone-releasing factor |
| FSH-RF | follicle-stimulating hormone-releasing factor |
| platelet tissue factor | <haematology> Traditional name for substance in plasma that converts prothrombin to thrombin. Now known not to be a single substance. (See thrombin). (18 Nov 1997) |
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| mullerian inhibiting factor | A 535 amino acid glycoprotein secreted by the Sertoli cells of the testis. It is related to inhibin. Synonym: mullerian inhibiting factor. (05 Mar 2000) |
| mullerian regression factor | Mullerian duct inhibitory factor, a non-steroidal substance of foetal testicular origin that acts unilaterally to inhibit development of the paramesonephric (mullerian) ducts and acts with testosterone to promote development of the vas deferens and related structures. (05 Mar 2000) |
| confounding factor | <epidemiology> Factors that can cause or prevent the outcome of interest, are not intermediate variables, and are not associated with the factor(s) under investigation. They give rise to situations in which the effects of two processes are not separated, or the contribution of causal factors cannot be separated, or the measure of the effect of exposure or risk is distorted because of its association with other factors influencing the outcome of the study. (03 Jul 1999) |
| cord factor | Glycolipid (trehalose 6, 6' dimycolate) found in the cell walls of Mycobacteria (causing them to grow in serpentine cords) and important in virulence, being toxic and inducing granulomatous reactions identical to those induced by the whole organism. (18 Nov 1997) |
| corticotrophin releasing factor | adrenocorticotrophin |
| corticotropin-releasing factor | <endocrinology, physiology> A neuropeptide released by the hypothalamus that stimulates the release of corticotropin by the anterior pituitary gland. Chemical name: Corticotropin-releasing factor Synonym: corticoliberin, corticotropin releasing factor. (12 Dec 1998) |
| myocardial depressant factor | A low molecular weight peptide of about 800-1000 having a negative inotropic effect. It is released into the circulation during experimental haemorrhagic pancreatitis, severe ischemia, and postoligaemic shock. (12 Dec 1998) |
| coupling factor | Protein responsible for coupling transmembrane potentials to ATP synthesis in chloroplasts and mitochondria. Include ATP synthesising enzymes (F1 in mitochondrion), that can also act as ATP ases. (18 Nov 1997) |
| Hageman factor | <chemical> Stable blood coagulation factor activated by contact with the subendothelial surface of an injured vessel. Along with prekallikrein, it serves as the contact factor that initiates the intrinsic pathway of blood coagulation. Kallikrein activates factor xii to xiia. Deficiency of factor xii, also called the hageman trait, leads to increased incidence of thromboembolic disease. Chemical name: Blood-coagulation factor XII (12 Dec 1998) |
| Hageman factor assay | A test used to measure the activity of a blood clotting factor XII. This test may be used to evaluate excessive bleeding. Low factor XII may be seen in cases of congenital deficiency of factor XII, heparin administration and liver disease. (27 Sep 1997) |
| hageman factor deficiency | A deficiency of a specific blood clotting factor (XII) that may be genetic or acquired. Administration of heparin or severe liver disease may result in factor XII (Hageman factor) deficiency. There are usually no symptoms associated with this deficiency, but there may be symptoms of mild blood loss in some cases. Treatment is generally unnecessary. Individuals should be cautioned against the use of medications (for example aspirin, warfarin, heparin) with anticoagulant activity, due to risk of exaggerated effects. (27 Sep 1997) |
| Hagemann factor | <haematology> Plasma _ globulin (110 kD), blood clotting factor XII, which is activated by contact with surfaces to form Factor XIIa, that in turn activates factor XI. Factor XIIa also generates plasmin from plasminogen and kallikrein from prekallikrein. Both plasmin and kallikrein activate the complement cascade. Hagemann factor is important both in clotting and activation of the inflammatory process. (18 Nov 1997) |
| safety factor | <radiobiology> The number of times a field line goes around a torus the long way for each time around the short way. In a tokamak, this number is typically near unity in the centre of the plasma and between two and 6 or 8 at the edge. So-called because it helps to determine the degree of stability the plasma has against certain instabilities. The safety factor is the inverse of the rotational transform, and can be expressed mathematically as q = (r Bt)/(R Bp), where r and R are the minor and major radii of the torus, and Bt and Bp are the toroidal and poloidal magnetic fields. (17 Dec 1997) |
| heat-shock factor | <cell biology, protein> A class of molecular chaperones found in both prokaryotes and in several compartments of eukaryotic cells. There is evidence that these proteins can interact with polypeptides during a variety of assembly processes in such a way as to prevent the formation of nonfunctional structures. (12 Dec 1998) Previous: heat-shock factor, heat-shock gene, heat-shock protein, heat-shock protein 27 kinaseNext: heat-shock proteins 90, heat-shock responseheat-shock factor -->heat-shock proteins 90 <cell biology, protein> A class of molecular chaperones whose members act in the mechanism of signal transduction by steroid receptors. (12 Dec 1998) |