| mass action transmission | <epidemiology> Transmission of infection which occurs at a rate directly proportional to the number or density of both susceptibles and infecteds present. Some authors reserve the name mass action for transmission processes of the form b X Y/N , which we associate with STD-type transmission, and describe transmission rates of the form b X Y , as pseudo-mass action ; the two are equivalent if the population size is unchanging. (05 Dec 1998) |
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| cumulative action | The condition in which repeated administration of a drug may produce effect's that are more pronounced than those produced by the first dose. Synonym: cumulative action. (05 Mar 2000) |
| salt action | Any physicochemical effect produced by hypertonic concentrations of osmotically active electrolytes. (05 Mar 2000) |
| prolonged action tablet | sustained action tablet |
| sparing action | The manner in which a nonessential nutritive component, by its presence in the diet, lowers the dietary requirement for an essential component; thus, nonessential l-cysteine spares essential l-methionine and nonessential l-tyrosine spares essential l-phenylalanine. Synonym: sparing phenomenon. (05 Mar 2000) |
| specific action | The action of a drug or a method of treatment which has a direct and especially curative effect upon a disease, e.g., the action of vitamin B12 in pernicious anaemia. (05 Mar 2000) |
| specific dynamic action | The increase of heat production caused by the ingestion of food, especially of protein. (05 Mar 2000) |
| delayed-action preparations | Dosage forms of a drug that act over a period of time. (12 Dec 1998) |
| thermogenic action | Increase of heat production of the body, as by the thyroid hormone. Synonym: thermogenic action. (05 Mar 2000) |
| law of mass action | <chemistry> This law states that the rate of a given chemical reaction is proportional to concentration of the reactants. (09 Oct 1997) |