| A&A | aid and attendance; awake and aware |
|---|---|
| AB | abdominal; abnormal; abortion; Ace bandage; active bilaterally; aid to the blind; alcian blue; alert... |
| ADC | adult day care [facility]; affective disorders clinic; Aid to [Families with] Dependent Children; AI... |
| AEGIS | Aid for the Elderly in Government Institutions |
| AFDC | Aid to Families with Dependent Children |
| first heart sound | Occurs with ventricular systole and is mainly produced by closure of the atrioventricular valves. (05 Mar 2000) |
|---|---|
| first law of thermodynamics | This law, derived from the principle of conservation of energy, is expressed as E = Q - W, where E is the internal change in energy, Q is the heat the environment transfers into the system, and W is the work the system does. In other words, it means that: The internal energy in a system isolated from other systems remains constant The change in the internal energy of a system that is not isolated is equal to the energy that crosses its boundariesinto or out of other systemsIt can be further extrapolated to mean that despite all the processesgoing on in the universe, the total energy contained in the universeremains constant. (09 Oct 1997) |
| first meiotic division | The first of two consecutive divisions of the nucleus of an eukaryotic cell during the process of meiosis. It includes the following stages of meiosis: prophase I, metaphase I, anaphase I, and telophase I. (09 Oct 1997) |
| first molar | First permanent molar, sixth permanent tooth or fourth deciduous tooth in the maxilla and mandible on either side of the midsagittal plane of the head following the arch form. (05 Mar 2000) |
| first-order kinetics | A term describing the reaction rate of a chemical reaction in which the rate is proportional to the concentration (in moles) of only one of the reactants. Such a reaction might have an equation like rate = k[A], where k is the reaction rate constant and [A] is the concentration of a reactant A. (09 Oct 1997) |
| first-order reaction | A reaction the rate of which is proportional to the concentration of the single substance undergoing change; radioactive decay is a first-order process, defined by the equation -(dN/dt)=kN, where N is the number of atoms subject to decay (reaction), t is time, and k is the first-order decay (reaction) constant, i.e., the fraction of all atoms decaying per unit of time. See: decay constant, order. (05 Mar 2000) |
| first parallel pelvic plane | The upper opening of the true pelvis, bounded anteriorly by the pubic symphysis and the pubic crest on either side, laterally by the iliopectineal lines, and posteriorly by the promontory of the sacrum. Synonym: apertura pelvis superior, aditus pelvis, first parallel pelvic plane, pelvic brim, pelvic inlet, pelvic plane of inlet, plane of inlet. (05 Mar 2000) |
| first rank symptoms | Those symptom's that, when present, indicate that the diagnosis of schizophrenia is likely, provided that organic or toxic aetiology is ruled out: delusion of control, thought broadcasting, thought withdrawal, thought insertion, hearing one's thoughts spoken aloud, auditory hallucinations that comment on one's behaviour, and auditory hallucinations in which two voices carry on a conversation. Synonym: first rank symptoms, schneiderian first rank symptoms. (05 Mar 2000) |
| first-set rejection | Allograft transplantation between two organisms not previously sensitised to the graft tissue. Necrosis of the graft usually occurs within 10 days of transplantation. (05 Mar 2000) |
| first stage of labour | The part of labour when the cervix dilates fully (to 10 centimeters). The first stage of labour is also called the stage of dilatation. (12 Dec 1998) |
| first temporal convolution | A longitudinal gyrus on the lateral surface of the temporal lobe between the lateral (sylvian) fissure and the superior temporal sulcus. Synonym: gyrus temporalis superior, first temporal convolution, superior temporal convolution. (05 Mar 2000) |
| first visceral cleft | <anatomy> The cleft between the hyoid and mandibular arches of the embryo; the external auditory meatus is developed from its dorsal portion. Synonym: first visceral cleft. (05 Mar 2000) |