| united states national aeronautics and space administration | An independent federal agency established in 1958. It conducts research for the solution of problems of flight within and outside the earth's atmosphere and develops, constructs, tests, and operates aeronautical and space vehicles. (12 Dec 1998) |
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| united states occupational safety and health administration | An office in the department of labour responsible for developing and establishing occupational safety and health standards. (12 Dec 1998) |
| united states social security administration | The social security administration administers a national program of contributory social insurance whereby employees, employers, and the self-employed pay contributions that are pooled in special trust funds. When earnings are reduced because of retirement, death, or disability, monthly benefits are paid to partially replace lost earnings. Part of the contributions go into a separate hospital insurance trust fund for workers when they become 65 to provide help with medical expenses. Other programs include the supplemental social security income program for the aged, blind, and disabled and the old age survivors and disability insurance program. Ssa became an independent agency march 31, 1995. It had previously been part of the department of health, education, and welfare, later the department of health and human services. (12 Dec 1998) |
| united states substance abuse and mental health services administration | An agency of the public health service concerned with the overall planning, promoting, and administering of programs pertaining to substance abuse and mental health. It is commonly referred to by the acronym samhsa. On 1 october 1992, the united states alcohol, drug abuse, and mental health administration (adamha) became samhsa. (telephone communication with samhsa 7 april 1992) (12 Dec 1998) |
| food and drug administration | The U.S. Agency responsible for regulation of biotechnology foodproducts. The major laws under which the agency has regulatory powersinclude the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic act, and the Public Health Service Act. (09 Oct 1997) |
| library administration | Planning, organizing, staffing, direction, and control of libraries. (12 Dec 1998) |
| abdominal pressure | Pressure surrounding the bladder; estimated from rectal, gastric, or intraperitoneal pressure. (05 Mar 2000) |
| absolute pressure | Pressure measured with respect to zero pressure. Compare: gauge pressure. (05 Mar 2000) |
| acoustic pressure | In ultrasound, the instantaneous value of the total pressure minus the ambient pressure; unit is pascal (Pa). (05 Mar 2000) |
| air pressure | The force per unit area that the air exerts on any surface in contact with it. Primarily used for articles pertaining to air pressure within a closed environment. (12 Dec 1998) |
| atmospheric pressure | The pressure at any point in an atmosphere due solely to the weight of the atmospheric gases above the point concerned. (12 Dec 1998) |
| back pressure | Pressure exerted upstream in the circulation as a result of obstruction to forward flow, as when congestion in the pulmonary circulation results from stenosis of the mitral valve or failure of the left ventricle. (05 Mar 2000) |
| back-pressure renal atrophy | <radiology> Caliectasis without obstruction, due to repeated episodes of obstruction, gradual loss of renal pyramids (12 Dec 1998) |
| barometric pressure | The absolute pressure of the ambient atmosphere, varying with weather, altitude, etc.; expressed in millibars (meteorology) or mm Hg or torr (respiratory physiology); at sea level, one atmosphere (atm, 760 mm Hg or torr) is equivalent to: 14.69595 lb/sq in, 1013.25 millibars, 1013.25 × 106 dynes/cm2, and, in SI units, 101,325 pascals (Pa). Synonym: atmospheric pressure. (05 Mar 2000) |
| bile duct pressure | <radiology> Normal: 15-20 cm H2O (12 Dec 1998) |