| RS virus | Respiratory Synthitial virus |
|---|---|
| ADV | adenovirus; adventitia; Aleutian disease virus; Aujeszky disease virus |
| AmuLV | Abelson murine leukemia virus; amphotrophic murine leukemia virus |
| ATV | Abelson virus transformed; avian tumor virus |
| BVDV | bovine virus diarrhea virus |
| thalassaemia major | The dire disease also known as beta thalassaemia. The clinical picture of this form of anaemia was first described in 1925 by the paediatrician thomas benton cooley. Other names for the disease are cooley's anaemia and mediterranean anaemia. The term thalassaemia was coined by the nobel prise winning pathologist george whipple and the professor of paediatrics william bradford at u. Of rochester because thalassa in greek means the sea (like the mediterrranean sea) + -aemia means in the blood so thalassaemia means sea in the blood. Thalassaemia is not just one disease. It is a complex contingent of genetic (inherited) disorders all of which involve underproduction of haemoglobin, the indispensable molecule in red blood cells that carries oxygen. The globin part of normal adult haemoglobin is made up of 2 alpha and 2 beta polypeptide chains. In beta thalassaemia, there is a mutation (change) in both beta globin chains leading to underproduction (or absence) of beta chains, underproduction of haemoglobin, and profound anaemia. The gene for beta thalassaemia is relatively frequent in people of mediterranean origin (for example, from italy and greece). Children with this disease inherit one gene for it from each parent (and so are said to be homozygous for beta thalassaemia). The parents are carriers (heterozygotes) with just one thalassaemia gene, are said to have thalassaemia minor, and are essentially normal. Their children affected with beta thalassaemia seem entirely normal at birth (because at birth we still have predominantly foetal haemoglobin which does not contain beta chains) but the anaemia emerges in the first few months of life and becomes progressively more severe leading to pallor and easy fatiguability, failure to thrive (grow), bouts of fever (due to infections) and diarrhoea. Treatment based on blood transfusions is helpful but not curative. Gene therapy will, it is hoped, be applicable to this disease. (12 Dec 1998) |
|---|---|
| trochanter major | A strong process at the proximal and lateral part of the shaft of the femur, overhanging the root of the neck; it gives attachment to the gluteus medius and minimus, piriformis, obturator internus and externus, and gemelli muscles. Synonym: trochanter major. (05 Mar 2000) |
| erythema multiforme major | <syndrome> This is a severe form of allergic reaction that most often results from a medication (for example penicillins). The rash can be generalised and even appear on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet. Stevens-Johnson syndrome is considered to be a variant of erythema multiforme that results in the formation of bullous (blebs) lesions on the soles of the feet, palms and inside the mouth. Stevens-Johnson syndrome may also occur in association with some viral infections and Mycoplasma infections. (27 Sep 1997) |
| etat major | The staff of an army, including all officers above the rank of colonel, also, all adjutants, inspectors, quartermasters, commissaries, engineers, ordnance officers, paymasters, physicians, signal officers, judge advocates; also, the noncommissioned assistants of the above officers. Origin: F, fr. Etat state + L. Major greater. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| justo major | See: pelvis justo major. (05 Mar 2000) |
| zygomaticus major | <anatomy, muscle> Origin, zygomatic bone anterior to temporozygomatic suture; insertion, muscles at angle of mouth; action, draws upper lip upward and laterally; nerve supply, facial. Synonym: musculus zygomaticus major, greater zygomatic muscle, musculus zygomaticus. (05 Mar 2000) |
| forceps major | Occipital radiation of the corpus callosum; that part of the fibre radiation of the corpus callosum which bends sharply backward into the occipital lobe of the cerebrum. Synonym: forceps major, forceps posterior, occipital part of corpus callosum, pars occipitalis corporis callosi. (05 Mar 2000) |
| fossa scarpae major | A triangular space at the upper part of the thigh, bounded by the sartorius and adductor longus muscles and the inguinal ligament, with a floor formed laterally by the iliopsoas muscle and medially by the pectineus muscle; the branches of the femoral nerve are distributed within the femoral triangle; it is bisected by the femoral vessels, which enter the adductor canal at its apex. Synonym: trigonum femorale, fossa scarpae major, Scarpa's triangle, subinguinal triangle. (05 Mar 2000) |
| fossa supraclavicularis major | The triangle bounded by the clavicle, the omohyoid muscle, and the sternocleidomastoid muscle; it contains the subclavian artery and vein. Synonym: fossa supraclavicularis major, trigonum omoclaviculare, greater supraclavicular fossa, omoclavicular triangle, subclavian triangle. (05 Mar 2000) |
| leishmania major | A parasitic haemoflagellate of the subgenus leishmania leishmania that infects man and animals and causes cutaneous leishmaniasis (leishmaniasis, cutaneous) of the old world. Transmission is by phlebotomus sandflies. (12 Dec 1998) |
| Leishmania tropica major | A parasitic haemoflagellate of the subgenus leishmania leishmania that infects man and animals and causes cutaneous leishmaniasis (leishmaniasis, cutaneous) of the old world. Transmission is by phlebotomus sandflies. (12 Dec 1998) |
| abelson leukaemia virus | A defective murine leukaemia virus capable of transforming lymphoid cells and producing a rapidly progressing lymphoid leukaemia after superinfection with friend, moloney, or rauscher virus. (12 Dec 1998) |
| Abelson murine leukaemia virus | A retrovirus belonging to the Type C retrovirus group subfamily (family Oncovirinae) which is associated with leukaemia and produces in vitro transformation of mouse cells. (05 Mar 2000) |
| adeno-associated virus | <virology> A genus of viruses in the family Parvoviridae which are all defective viruses (unable to replicate by themselves) and depend on the co-infection of their host cell by other, nondefective viruses to help them replicate. (09 Oct 1997) |
| adenoidal-pharyngeal-conjunctival virus | <virology> An icosahedral (20-sided) virus that contains DNA, there are over 40 different adenovirus varieties, some of which cause the common cold. (10 May 1997) |