| PFC | pair-fed control [mice]; patient-focused care; pelvic flexion contracture; perfluorocarbon; pericard... |
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| 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... |
| PrA-HPA | protein A hemolytic plaque assay |
| bacterial plaque | In dentistry, a mass of filamentous microorganisms and large variety of smaller forms attached to the surface of a tooth which, depending on bacterial activity and environmental factors, may give rise to caries, calculus, or inflammatory changes in adjacent tissue. Synonym: dental plaque, mucous plaque, mucinous plaque. (05 Mar 2000) |
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| bacteriophage plaque | A clear circular zone in an otherwise confluent growth of bacteria on an agar surface resulting from bacterial lysis by bacterial viruses. (05 Mar 2000) |
| plaque | <dentistry> Dental plaque is a combination of food (left in the mouth after eating), bacteria (which live in the mouth) and bacterial byproducts (acidic wastes). These acidic wastes can break down the tooth enamel leading to tooth decay. Plaque also irritates the gum tissue (see gingivitis) and eventually destroys periodontal tissue, promoting periodontal disease. (27 Sep 1997) |
| plaque and tartar cause | (12 Dec 1998) |
| plaque assay | 1. <investigation> Assay for virus in which a dilute solution of the virus is applied to a culture dish containing a layer of the host cells, convective spread is prevented by making the medium very viscous. After incubation the plaques, areas in which cells have been killed (or transformed), can be recognised and the number of infective virus particles in the original suspension estimated. 2. Assay for cells producing antibody against erythrocytes or against antigen that has been bound to the erythrocytes. The cell is surrounded by a clear plaque of haemolysis. Basic principle behind the assay is the same as for the virus plaque assay. (18 Nov 1997) |
| plaque-forming unit | <virology> Number of infectious virus particles or Ig producing cells per unit volume. See: plaque assay. <microbiology> Refers to any entity which can give rise to a plaque. For example: if a phage stock solution has 1010 pfu/ml, it means that every ml of this stock has 1010 phage particles which can form plaques. This (pfu/ml) is the conventional way to refer the concentration of a phage preparation. Compare: CFU. (10 Oct 1997) |
| Plaque Index | An index for estimating the status of oral hygiene by measuring dental plaque which occurs in the areas adjacent to the gingival margin. (05 Mar 2000) |
| mucous plaque | In dentistry, a mass of filamentous microorganisms and large variety of smaller forms attached to the surface of a tooth which, depending on bacterial activity and environmental factors, may give rise to caries, calculus, or inflammatory changes in adjacent tissue. Synonym: dental plaque, mucous plaque, mucinous plaque. (05 Mar 2000) |
| pleural plaque | Fibrous thickening of the parietal pleura, characteristically caused by inhalation exposure to asbestos. (05 Mar 2000) |
| haemolytic plaque assay | <investigation> A haemolytic plaque assay is a lab technique used to show that certain antibodies are secreted by antibody-making cells when these cells are mixed with red blood cells. The mixture is spread onto a plate of agar, if a plaque appears, it means that the red blood cells have been destroyed (by haemolysis) by the antibodies. (09 Oct 1997) |
| senile plaque | <neurology> Characteristic feature of the brains of Alzheimer's patients and aged monkeys, consisting of a core of amyloid fibrils surrounded by dystrophic neurites. The principal component of amyloid fibrils in senile plaques is B/A4, a peptide of about 4 kD that is derived from the larger amyloid precursor protein (APP). The B/A4 sequence is located near the C terminus of APP. (18 Nov 1997) |
| small plaque parapsoriasis | See: parapsoriasis en plaque. Synonym: small plaque parapsoriasis. (05 Mar 2000) |
| 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) |
| 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) |