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In
the event that you encounter some unfamiliar terminology on our site
or in any associated reports, we have prepared this glossary of medical
terms. Age-standardised: A rate which has been adjusted to minimise the effects of differences in age composition when comparing rates for different populations. Alpha band: is the spectral component in the EEG signal, which falls between 8-13 Hz. Aneuploidy: A genetically unbalanced condition in which a number of chromosomes for a organism that is not an exact multiple of the haploid number. e trisomy 21 is a form of aneuploidy. Apoptosis: Programmed
cell death. Atopic dermatitis (AD): A pruritic disease of unknown
origin that usually starts in early infancy and is typified by pruritus,
eczematous lesions, xerosis (dry skin), and lichenification on the
skin (thickening of the skin and increase in skin markings). Bcl-2 protein: Prototype for a family
of mammalian genes and the proteins they produce. They govern mitochondrial
outer membrane permeabilization (MOMP) and can be either pro-apoptotic
or anti-apoptotic. Binucleated: Having two nuclei. Biological effects:
A range of possible consequences, depending on the type and degree
of cellular damage that may result from exposure to an external agent. Caenorhabditis elegans: A microscopic (~1 mm) nematode (roundworm) that normally lives in soil. Carcinogenesis: The production of a malignant new growth. Case control study: A study that starts with the identification of persons with the disease (or other outcome) of interest, and a suitable control group of persons without the disease. Causal relationship: The relating of causes to the effects they produce. Most of epidemiology concerns causality and several types of causes can be distinguished. It should be clearly stated, however, that epidemiologic evidence by itself is insufficient to establish causality. Cell cycle: The cycle of cell growth, replication of the genetic material and nuclear and cytoplasmic division. Chromatid: One of the usually paired
and parallel strands of a duplicated chromosome, joined by a single
centromere. Chromosome aberration: A deviation in the normal
number of chromosomes or in their morphology. Cohort study: A study in which a population (i.e., a cohort) is defined according to the presence or absence of a factor that might influence the probability of occurrence of a given disease or other outcome. The cohort is then followed to determine if those exposed to the factor are indeed at greater risk of the outcome. Comet assay: An uncomplicated and sensitive technique for the detection of DNA damage at the level of the individual cell. Confidence interval: A range of values for a variable of interest e.g., a rate, constructed so that this range has a specified probability of including the true value of the variable e.g. the reference to Dolk et al. mentions "an excess risk of 1.83 (95% CI 1.22 2.74)". This means that the estimated risk is 1.83, and there is a 95% probability that the "true" risk (if that could be ascertained) is within the range 1.22 2.74.
Confounding: The distortion of an apparent
effect of an exposure on risk, brought about by the association with
other factors that can influence the outcome. For example, a study
might suggest that alcohol intake is associated with a higher risk
of heart disease, but this apparent relationship is seen because those
who drink alcohol are also more inclined to smoke. When their smoking
is taken into consideration, the relationship between alcohol intake
and heart disease disappears. Control group: A sample in which a factor whose effect
is being estimated is absent or is held constant, in order to provide
a comparison. Cytogenetics: A branch of biology that deals with the study of heredity and variation by the methods of both cytology and genetics. The cytological approach to genetics, mainly involving microscopic studies of chomosomes. DNA: Deoxyribonucleic acid; it constitutes the primary genetic material of all cellular material and the DNA viruses, and occurs predominantly in the nucleus. Dose-response relation: The relationship between the amount of exposure [Radiation) and the resulting changes in body function or health (response). Double-blind trial: A procedure of blind assignment to study and control groups and blind assessment of outcome, designed to ensure that ascertainment of outcome is not biased by knowledge of the group to which an individual was assigned. Ecological study: A study in which the units of analysis are populations or groups of people, rather than individuals. Electroencephalogram (EEG): a tracing of electrical activity arising from brain function Electromagnetic sensibility: The ability to perceive the electromagnetic field (EMF) without necessarily developing health symptoms attributed to EMF exposure.
Endothelial: Pertaining to the layer of cells
that lines the cavities of the heart and of the blood and lymph vessels.
Ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS): A mutagenic, teratogenic, and possibly carcinogenic organic compound with formula C3H8O3S. Experimental study: A study in which conditions are under the direct control of the investigator. Exposure: The amount of a factor to which a group or individual was exposed. Exposure assessment: The process of measuring or estimating the intensity, frequency, and duration of human exposures to an agent (e.g. mobile phone radiofrequency field) currently present in the environment. Fibroblast: Connective tissue cells which secrete an extracellular matrix rich in collagen and other macromolecules. Fibrosis: The formation of fibrous
tissue as a reparative or reactive process. Gene Expression: The full use of the information
in a gene via transcription and translation leading to production of
a protein and hence the appearance of the phenotype determined by that
gene. Genotoxic: Damaging to DNA. Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP): The degenerative brain condition called Alexander disease is caused by mutation in GFAP (glial fibrillary acidic protein). The GFAP gene provides instructions for making GFAP protein, a member of the intermediate filament family that provides support and strength to cells. Several molecules of GFAP protein bind together to form the main intermediate filament found in specialized brain cells called astrocytes.
GH (growth hormone): A hormone secreted by the
anterior pituitary gland, which stimulates growth of the body. It also
has an effect on the metabolism of fat, carbohydrate, and protein. Gliosis: A process leading to scars in the central
nervous system that involves the production of a dense fibrous network
of neuroglia (supporting cells) in areas of damage. Gliosis is a prominent
feature of many diseases of the central nervous system, including multiple
sclerosis and stroke. After a stroke, neurons die and disappear with
replacement gliosis.
Hormone: A chemical substance produced
in the body by an organ, which has a specific regulatory effect on the
activity of other organs or cells.
Hydrophilic: Readily absorbing moisture.
Incidence: The number of instances of illness commencing, or death occurring, during a given period in a specified population. In vitro: Observable in a test tube. In vivo: Within the living body. Ipsilateral: Located on or affecting the same side of the body. Opposite to contralateral. Karyolysis: The destruction of a cells nucleus. Latency: The period of subclinical disease following
exposure that ends with the onset of disease.
Leukocyte: A white blood cell, specifically a colorless cell with a nucleus, found in blood and lymph. They can produce antibodies and move through the walls of vessels to migrate to sites of injury, where they isolate and destroy dead tissue, foreign protein and bacteria. LH
(luteinising hormone): A hormone secreted by the anterior pituitary
gland, which with FSH promotes ovulation and promotes androgen and progesterone
secretion. In the male it stimulates the development and functional
activity of testicular Leydig cells. These cells produce male hormones,
especially testosterone.
Malignant: Malignant tumours have the ability to invade and destroy surrounding tissues and to spread to more distant parts of the body (metastasis). Opposition to benign. Melatonin:
a hormone synthesised by the pineal gland. It is implicated in the regulation
of sleep, mood, puberty, and ovarian cycles. Meta-analysis: A statistical technique for amalgamating, summarising, and reviewing previous quantitative research. By using meta-analysis, a wide variety of questions can be investigated, as long as a reasonable body of primary research studies exist. Selected parts of the reported results of primary studies are entered into a database, and this "meta-data" is "meta-analyzed", in similar ways to working with other data - descriptively and then inferentially to test certain hypotheses. Monocytes: a
relatively large mononuclear leukocyte that normally constitutes
3 – 7
% of the leukocytes in the circulating blood, and is normally found
in lymph nodes, spleen. Bone marrow, and loose connective tissue. Mitotic: Pertaining to mitosis. Microarray: Sets of miniaturized chemical reaction areas that may also be used to test DNA fragments, antibodies, or proteins, by using a chip having immobilized target and hybridising them with probed sample. the color we get from the chip after hybridisation is then scanned and the data is analysed by a soft ware to find the expression level. Micronuclei: Chromosome fragments that are not incorporated into the nucleus at cell division.
Mortality ratio: Actual deaths in a specified
time period divided by the expected number, usually multiplied by 100.
Mutagenic: Inducing genetic mutation.
Neoplasia: The formation of a new and abnormal
growth. Neuron(e):
A nerve cell. The basic unit of the nervous system, specialized for
the transmission of electrical impulses. Neutrophil: a granulocyte that is the chief phagocytic white blood cell. Neurotrophic factors: These substances are responsible for the growth and survival of neurons during development, and for maintaining adult neurons. Neurotrophic factors also are capable of making damaged neurons regrow their processes in a test tube and in animal models.
Observational study: An epidemiologic study
in situations where nature is allowed to take its course; changes or
differences in one characteristic are studied in relation to changes
or differences in other(s), without the intervention of the investigator.
Oncogenicity: The capacity to cause tumours. Oxidation: The act of oxidizing or being oxidized. Chemically it consists of the increase of positive charges on an atom or the loss of negative charges. Oxygen
radicals: A substituent group of chemical elements rich in oxygen
but incapable of prolonged existence in a free state. Personal exposimeter: A dosimeter for assessing individual
RF exposure in an urban environment in a free-living individual. Pituitary
gland: It is located at the base of the brain and is attached
by a stalk to the hypothalamus, from which it receives an important
nerve and blood supply. There are two lobes - the anterior, which secretes
most of the hormones, and the posterior, which stores and releases neurohormones
that it receives from the hypothalamus. Precautionary principle: The principle is precautionary
measures to anticipate, prevent or minimize the causes due to radiofrequency
fields and mitigate its adverse effects. Where there are threats of
serious or irreversible damage, lack of full scientific certainty should
not be used as a reason for postponing such measures. Protein expression: A subcomponent of gene expression. It consists of the stages after DNA has been translated into amino acid chains, which are ultimately folded into proteins. Proteomics: A branch of biotechnology concerned with applying the techniques of molecular biology, biochemistry, and genetics to analyzing the structure, function, and interactions of the proteins produced by the genes of a particular cell, tissue, or organism, including the organization of the information in databases. Psychomotor: Of or relating to movement or muscular
activity associated with mental processes. Rate ratio: The ratio of two rates in epidemiology, the ratio of the rate in the exposed population to the rate in the unexposed population. Random errors: vary in a nonreproducible way around a limiting mean. These errors can be treated statistically by use of the laws of probability. Real-time PCR: A method of simultaneous DNA quantification and amplification. DNA is specifically amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). After each round of amplification, the DNA is quantified. Relative risk: The ratio of the risk of disease or death among the exposed to the risk among the unexposed. REM sleep (Rapid eye movement sleep): The period of sleep during which the brain waves are fast and of low voltage, and activities such as heart rate and respiration are irregular. This type of sleep is associated with dreaming, mild involuntary muscle jerks, and rapid eye movements. It usually occurs three to four times each night at intervals of 80 to 120 minutes, each occurrence lasting from 5 minutes to more than an hour. In an adult, about 20 percent of sleep is REM sleep. Risk: The probability that an event will occur. Risk perception: The significance assigned to risks by stakeholders. This perception is derived form the stakeholders= expressed needs, issues, and concerns. Regression on Order Statistics (ROS): An implementation of a Regression on Order Statistics (ROS) designed for multiply censored analytical chemistry data. The method assumes data contains zero to many left censored (less-than) values.
Selection bias: Error due to systematic difference
in characteristics between those who are selected for study and those
who are not. Subjective outcomes: Outcomes or symptoms that are
difficult to quantify objectively (e.g., pain, headaches, sleep disturbances). Synergize: two or more agents or forces interacting
so that their combined effect is greater Systematic errors: Are reproducible and tend to bias
a result in one direction. Their causes can be assigned, at least in
principle, and they can have constant and variable components.
Temporal lobe: The part of the brain near the temporal bone, in the lateral region of the head. Temporal relationship: In epidemiology, the timing of the relationship between a factor and an outcome. It is one of the criteria used to assign causality to a relationship. Teratology: The division of embryology and pathology that deals with abnormal development and congenital anomalies. Trophoblasts: Cells forming the outer layer of a blastocyst, which provide nutrients to the embryo and develop into a large part of the placenta. They are formed during the first stage of pregnancy and are the first cells to differentiate from the fertilized egg. Tinnitus: Ringing of the ears. TSH (thyroid-stimulating hormone): A hormone secreted by the anterior pituitary gland that promotes the growth of, sustains, and stimulates the hormonal secretion of the thyroid gland. Tumourigenic: Capable of causing tumours.
Can refer either
to a carcinogenic substance or agent such as radiation that affects cells or
to transformed
cells themselves. Uveal melanoma: Cancer of the eye. Vestibule of the ear: The cavity of the inner ear. Vestibular system (balance system): The sensory system that provides the dominant input about movement and equilibrioception.
Dorland's Illustrated Medical Dictionary (1994, 2003). WB Saunders Coy., Philadelphia. |
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