Glossary of Terms

As measured during an echocardiogram, like the ejection fraction, this is a measure of the heart's muscular contractility.

DNA is the genetic language and is read from left to right in 3 letter words. Let us say a normal piece of DNA says “THE MAN HAS CAT AND HAT” . DNA language does not have spaces so in DNA language, above would read: THEMANHASCATANDHAT. A frameshift mutation occurs when you either have a deletion, (one or more letters are removed) or an insertion (one or more letters are inserted). In the case of a deletion, if the E in THE was deleted, you would have THMANHASCATANDHAT. When the copying machinery would read it out by 3, it would no longer make sense THM ANH ASC ATA NDH AT. Similarly with an insertion, if two letters BX and were inserted after MAN, reading the genetic language in DNA would not make sense: THE MAN BXH ASC ATA NDH AT.

A surgical procedure of tucking or folding the fundus of the stomach around the esophagus to prevent reflux

Standing devices which enable individuals by facilitating their ability to stand upright at various intervals throughout the day

A condition in which the muscle at the end of the esophagus does not close properly, allowing the contents of the stomach to leak back, or reflux, into the esophagus. This causes irritation such as a burning sensation in the chest or throat (heartburn) or the taste of stomach fluid in the back of the mouth (acid indigestion). Also known as acid reflux.

The General Data Protection Regulation is a legal framework that sets guidelines for the collection and processing of personal information from individuals who live in the European Union (EU).

The process by which introns, the noncoding regions of genes, are excised out of the primary messenger RNA transcript, and the exons (i.e., coding regions) are joined together to generate mature messenger RNA. The latter serves as the template for synthesis of a specific protein.

The administration of a gene or genetic material to replace, correct or inactivate a mutated (defective) gene or to supply a gene which produces a protein that can compensate for a missing or abnormal protein

The study of heredity and the variation of inherited characteristics.

A mutation in one or more but not all of the cells that the body will use to produce egg and sperm cells. Usually this mutation is not present in other cells of the individual and cannot be detected with a blood test.

Any of a group of sugar molecules that are freestanding as oligosaccharides (A carbohydrate that consists of a relatively small number of monosaccharides which are simple sugars,) or polysaccharides, a carbohydrate containing a large number of saccharide groups.

Glycosylation is the reaction in which a carbohydrate, i.e. a glycosyl donor, is attached to a hydroxyl or other functional group of another molecule. In biology, glycosylation mainly refers in particular to the enzymatic process that attaches glycans to proteins, or other organic molecules

A surgical instrument used in growing children with scoliosis that allows the spine to continue growing while managing the curve until the child is old enough for spinal fusion.

A technique whereby devices such as magic rods are implanted to straighten spine curvature without fixing the spine's height and allowing the patient to continue to grow

A device implanted into the stomach or inserted via nose or mouth to the stomach for providing food, supplements or medication.