| NMR | neonatal mortality rate; nictitating membrane response; nuclear magnetic resonance |
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| RSMR | relative standard mortality rate |
| SMR | senior medical resident; sensorimotor rhythm; severe mental retardation; sexual maturity rating; ske... |
| SPMR | standard proportionate mortality ratio (or rate) |
| ACR | abnormally contracting region; absolute catabolic rate; acriflavine; adenomatosis of colon and rectu... |
| rate, heart | Number of heart beats per minute. The normal resting adult heart beats regularly at an average rate of 60 times per minute. (young children's hearts beat faster). The speed of the heartbeat (heart rate) is governed by the speed of electrical signals from the pacemaker of the heart, the sa node, located in the right atrium (upper chamber of the heart). The electrical signals from the sa node travel across the atria and cause these two upper heart chambers to contract, delivering blood into the lower heart chambers, the ventricles. The electrical signals then pass through the av node to reach the ventricles. Electrical signals reaching the ventricles cause these chambers to contract, pumping blood to the rest of the body, generating the pulse. During rest, the speed of electrical signals originating from the sa node is slow, so the heart beats slowly. During exercise or excitement, the speed of signals from the sa node increases, and the heartbeat quickens. (12 Dec 1998) |
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| rate-limiting step | <biochemistry> The slowest step in a metabolic pathway, or the step in an enzymatic reaction that requires the greatest amount of energy to initiate. (17 Dec 1997) |
| rate meter | A device that continuously displays the magnitude of events averaged over varying time intervals. (05 Mar 2000) |
| rate, pulse | The pulse rate is most often taken at the wrist. It measures the number of pulsations in the radial artery each minute. (12 Dec 1998) |
| rate, respiratory | The number of breaths per minute (or, more formally, the number of movements indicative of inspiration and expiration per unit time). In practice, the respiratory rate is usually determined by counting the number of times the chest rises (or falls) per minute. By whatever means, the aim is to determine if the respirations are normal, abnormally fast (tachypnea), abnormally slow (technically termed bradypnea), or nonexistent (apnea). (12 Dec 1998) |
| rate schedule | A price list showing how the electric bill of a particular type of customer will be calculated by an electric utility company. (05 Dec 1998) |
| rate, sed | A sedimentation rate, or sed rate , is a blood test that detects and is used to monitor inflammation activity. It is measured by recording the rate at which red blood cells (rbcs) sediment in a tube over time. It increases (the rbcs sediment faster) with more inflammation. (12 Dec 1998) |
| rate, sedimentation | A sedimentation rate, or sed rate , is a blood test that detects and is used to monitor inflammation activity. It is measured by recording the rate at which red blood cells (rbcs) sediment in a tube over time. It increases (the rbcs sediment faster) with more inflammation. (12 Dec 1998) |
| rate setting and review | A method of examining and setting levels of payments. (12 Dec 1998) |
| general fertility rate | A refined measure of fertility in a population; the numerator is the number of live births in a year, the denominator is the number of females of child-bearing age, usually defined as ages 15-44 (but increasingly recognised as extending to age 49). (05 Mar 2000) |
| recurrence rate | In genetic counseling, the risk that a future offspring will be affected given some specific set of relatives of whom at least one is already affected. (05 Mar 2000) |
| case fatality rate | The proportion of individuals contracting a disease that die of that disease. (05 Mar 2000) |
| maternal death rate | The number of maternal deaths that occur as the direct result of the reproductive process per 100,000 live births. See: rate. See: maternal death. (05 Mar 2000) |
| maximal expiratory flow rate | <chest medicine, physiology> Measurement of rate of airflow during the first liter expired after the first 200 ml have been exhausted during a forced vital capacity determination. Common abbreviations are MEFR, FEF 202-1200, and fef 0.2-1.2. Acronym: MEFR (21 Jun 2000) |
| maximal midexpiratory flow rate | Measurement of rate of airflow over the middle half of a forced vital capacity determination (from the 25 percent level to the 75 percent level). Common abbreviations are mmfr and fef 25%-75%. (12 Dec 1998) |