Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Drug and Cosmetics Act, 1938). The last sentence of this definition helps to distinguish a device
from a drug. Both are regulated, but differently, by the US Food and Drug Administration.
Dignity - A person's worthiness of respect, privacy, autonomy, and self-worth.
Dilemma - Choice between two equally unattractive options.
Disaster (Latin:
dis
and
astrum
meaning “bad star”) - A relative term meaning a catastrophic event that
wreaks great destruction. However, the term is not exclusive to large-scale events, such as hurricanes
or earthquakes, but can also include small-scale events with highly negative consequences, such as an
engineering or medical failure where one or a few people are impacted but that has other implications
(malpractice, bad publicity, blame, etc.).
Disease - Abnormal and adverse condition in an organism (although sometimes applied metaphorically,
such as the “disease” of poverty).
Disparate effect - Health outcome, usually negative, that is disproportionately high in certain members
of a population, such as an increased incidence of certain cancers in minority groups.
Disparate exposure - Exposure (see Exposure) to a physical, chemical, or biological agent that is
disproportionately high in certain members in a population, such as the higher than average exposure
of minority children to lead.
Disparate susceptibility - Elevated risk of certain members of a population (e.g., genetically predisposed)
to the effects of a physical, chemical, or biological agent; can lead to disparate effects (see Disparate
Effect).
Distributive justice - Just allocation of goods, services, and utility within society. Focuses more on
outcome than on procedures (i.e., procedural justice).
Doctrine of the mean - Confucian, 23-chapter topic on usefulness of a golden way (Tao) to gain virtue.
Dose - Amount of a substance available for interactions with metabolic processes or biologically
significant receptors after crossing the outer boundary of an organism. Potential dose is the amount
ingested, inhaled, or applied to the skin. Applied dose is the amount presented to an absorption barrier
and available for absorption (although not necessarily having yet crossed the outer boundary of the
organism). Absorbed dose is the amount crossing a specific absorption barrier (e.g., the exchange
boundaries of the skin, lung, and digestive tract) through uptake processes. Internal dose is a more
general term denoting the amount absorbed without respect to specific absorption barriers or exchange
boundaries. The amount of the chemical available for interaction by any particular organ or cell is
termed the delivered or biologically effective dose for that organ or cell.
Dose-response - Relationship between a quantified exposure (dose) and the proportion of subjects
demonstrating specific biologically significant changes in incidence and/or in degree of change
(response).
Drug - Substance intended for use in the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease,
which is regulated by the US Food and Drug Administration. Contrast with device and nutritional
supplement (see Device and Nutritional Supplement).
Dry lab -
1.
In
silico
research (contrast with wet lab).
2. Walkthrough prior to actual laboratory work (step preceding wet lab).
3. Unethical practice of forging (making up) data.
Dual use -
1. Science, engineering, and technology designed to provide both military and civilian benefits.
