| active placebo | <pharmacology> Any dummy medical treatment, originally, a medicinal preparation having no specific pharmacological activity against the patients illness or complaint given solely for the psychophysiological effects of the treatment, more recently, a dummy treatment administered to the control group in a controlled clinical trial in order that the specific and non-specific effects of the experimental treatment can be distinguished i.e., the experimental treatment must produce better results than the placebo in order to be considered effective. (18 Nov 1997) |
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| active principle | A constituent of a drug, usually an alkaloid or glycoside, upon the presence of which the characteristic therapeutic action of the substance largely depends. (05 Mar 2000) |
| active prophylaxis | Use of an antigenic (immunogenic) agent to actively stimulate the immunological mechanism. (05 Mar 2000) |
| active psychoanalysis | Psychoanalysis in which the analyst intervenes directly and actively in the patient's life, e.g., by making prohibitions, assigning tasks. (05 Mar 2000) |
| active pyruvate | An intermediate formed in the oxidative decarboxylation of pyruvate. Compare: pyruvate dehydrogenase (lipoamide). Synonym: alpha-lactyl-thiamin pyrophosphate. (05 Mar 2000) |
| active repressor | A repressor that combines directly with an operator gene to repress the operator and its structural genes, thus repressing protein synthesis; active repressor may be repressed by an inducer, with resulting protein synthesis; a homeostatic mechanism for regulation of inducible enzyme systems. (05 Mar 2000) |
| active site | <chemistry> A specific region of an enzyme where a substrate binds and catalysis takes place (binding site). (06 May 1997) |
| active splint | A splint utilizing springs or elastic bands that aids in movements initiated by the patient by controlling the plane and range of motion. Synonym: active splint, functional splint. (05 Mar 2000) |
| active succinate | The condensation product of succinic acid and CoA; one of the intermediates of the tricarboxylic acid cycle and a precursor in the synthesis of haem. Synonym: active succinate, succinyl-CoA. (05 Mar 2000) |
| active sulfate | 3'-phosphoadenosine 5'-phosphosulfate;an intermediate in the formation of urinary ethereal sulfates, notable for containing a "high energy" sulfate bond; the 3'-OH of adenosine is replaced by -OPO3H2, the 5'-OH by -OP(O2H)-OSO3H. Synonym: active sulfate. Acronym: PAPS (05 Mar 2000) |
| active transport | <biochemistry, chemistry> Transport of ions, nutrients or other molecules into a cell against a concentration gradient, this requires the expenditure of energy through ATP hydrolysis. (06 May 1997) |
| active treatment | A therapeutic substance or course intended to ameliorate the basic disease problem, as opposed to supportive or palliative treatment. Compare: causal treatment. (05 Mar 2000) |
| active vasoconstriction | Reduced caliber of a vessel caused by increased tonus in the smooth muscle in its walls. (05 Mar 2000) |
| active vasodilation | Vasodilation caused by decrease in tonus of smooth muscle in the wall of a vessel. (05 Mar 2000) |
| artificial active immunity | See: acquired immunity. (05 Mar 2000) |