| LPF | leukocytosis-promoting factor; leukopenia factor; lipopolysaccharide factor; localized plaque format... |
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| PFC | pair-fed control [mice]; patient-focused care; pelvic flexion contracture; perfluorocarbon; pericard... |
| PFU | plaque-forming unit; pock-forming unit |
| PI | first meiotic prophase; isoelectric point; pacing impulse; package insert; pancreatic insufficiency;... |
| PN | papillary necrosis; parenteral nutrition; penicillin; perceived noise; percussion note; periarteriti... |
| neuritic plaque | <cell biology> Abnormal cluster of dead and dying nerve cells, other brain cells and protein. Neuritic plaques are one of the characteristic structural abnormalities found in the brains of alzheimer patients. Upon autopsy, the presence of neuritic plaques andneurofibrillary tangles is used to positively diagnose Alzheimer's disease. (22 May 1997) |
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| dental plaque | <dentistry> A soft, thin film of food debris, mucin and dead epithelial cells deposited on the teeth, providing the medium for the growth of various bacteria. The main inorganic components are calcium and phosphorus with small amounts of magnesium, potassium and sodium, the organic matrix consists of polysaccharides, proteins, carbohydrates, lipids and other components. Plaque plays an important aetiological role in the development of dental caries and periodontal and gingival diseases and provides the base for the development of materia alba, calcified plaque forms dental calculus. (19 Mar 1998) |
| dental plaque index | An index which scores the degree of dental plaque accumulation. (12 Dec 1998) |
| fibrous plaque | Thickened area of arterial intima with accumulation of smooth muscle cells and fibrous tissue (collagen etc.) produced by the fat laden smooth muscle cells. Below the thickening may be free extracellular lipid and debris that, if much necrosis is also present, is referred to as an atheroma. (18 Nov 1997) |
| airbrasive technique | A method of grinding, cutting tooth structure, or roughening the natural tooth surface or the surface of a restoration, by means of a device utilizing a gas-impelled jet of fine Al203 particles which, after striking the tooth, are removed by an aspirator. See: microetching technique. (05 Mar 2000) |
| air-gap technique | Chest radiography performed using a space between the subject and film instead of a grid to absorb scattered radiation; usually requires a target-film distance of 10 feet. (05 Mar 2000) |
| aseptic technique | <procedure> A method used by microbiologists and clinicians to keep cultures, sterile instruments and media, and people free of microbial contamination. (09 Oct 1997) |
| atrial-well technique | An obsolete semi-closed surgical technique for repairing atrial septal defects and other cardiac abnormalities. (05 Mar 2000) |
| Barcroft-Warburg technique | An apparatus for measuring the oxygen consumption of incubated tissue slices by manometric measurement of changes in gas pressure produced by oxygen absorption in an enclosed flask. Synonym: Barcroft-Warburg apparatus. (05 Mar 2000) |
| Begg light wire differential force technique | An orthodontic appliance utilizing small gauge labial wires with expansion and contraction loops formed into it and attached to bands fitted to individual teeth; sometimes called Begg light wire differential force technique. (05 Mar 2000) |
| Berk Sharp technique | <molecular biology, procedure> A technique of genetic mapping in which mRNA is hybridised with single stranded DNA and the nonhybridised DNA then digested with S1 nuclease, the residual DNA that hybridised with the messenger is then characterised by restriction mapping. (18 Nov 1997) |
| bone demineralization technique | Removal of mineral constituents or salts from bone or bone tissue. Demineralization is used as a method of studying bone strength and bone chemistry. (12 Dec 1998) |
| radioisotope dilution technique | Method for assessing flow through a system by injection of a known quantity of radionuclide into the system and monitoring its concentration over time at a specific point in the system. (12 Dec 1998) |
| random amplified polymorphic DNA technique | Technique that utilises low-stringency polymerase chain reaction (pcr) amplification with single primers of arbitrary sequence to generate strain-specific arrays of anonymous DNA fragments. Rapd technique may be used to determine taxonomic identity, assess kinship relationships, analyze mixed genome samples, and create specific probes. (12 Dec 1998) |
| PAP technique | 1. <gynaecology> Colloquial abbreviation for Papanicolaou's stain. 2. <technique> Peroxidase antiperoxidase method for obtaining an enhanced peroxidase reaction to indicate antibody binding to antigen. In the first stage the material, for example a section, is reacted with a specific antiserum (say rat) against the antigen. In the next stage a large excess of say rabbit antirat immunoglobulin is applied so that only one of the binding sites is bound to the first antibody. Then a rat antiperoxidase antiserum is bound to the second antibody unfilled sites and finally peroxidase is added and binds to the third antiserum before the peroxidase is used to develop a colour reaction. (18 Nov 1997) |