Author: Glossary
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Advanced practice nurse
A registered nurse with additional education, skill, and specialization in various fields of medicine.
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Nuremberg Code
A set of principles established after World War II to protect the rights of research participants (subjects).
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Nunnation
The frequent and abnormal use of the ānā sound.
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Nummiform
Coin shaped, said of some mucous sputum.
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Number needed to treat
The number of patients who must receive a specific therapy (or undergo a specific medical test) so that one of them will benefit. This concept is important in assessing the relative values and costs of interventions for specific illnesses. For example, to prevent one death from breast cancer, the number of patients who need annual…
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Number needed to harm
The number of patients who would need to be exposed to a noxious agent or medical intervention in order that one might be harmed. This concept is important in the assessment of the relative hazard of medical interventions, the relative toxicities of poisons, or the relative value of certain experimental interventions. Generally, the smaller the…
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Mass number
The mass of the atom of a specific isotope relative to the mass of hydrogen. In general, this number is equal to the total of the protons and neutrons in the atomic nucleus of that specific isotope. The count of protons and neutrons contained within the nucleus, also known as the atomic weight or atomic…
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Hardness number
A number on a calibrated scale indicating the relative hardness as determined by a particular system of testing (e.g., Knoop, Mohs, Rockwell, Vickers hardness tests). A steel ball or diamond point is applied with a known variable load for a determined period of time to produce an indent whose depth or diameter can be measured.…
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Numb chin syndrome
Loss of sensation in the area from the lower lip to the chin, caused by a lesion of the third division of the trigeminal nerve (fifth cranial nerve).
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Nulliparity
Condition of not having given birth to a child.