Observable Entity Defining Attributes

Characterizes

This attribute specifies the process which the property describes, and on which the property (of this observable) depends. The process can be very general (e.g. excretion).

For example, 

• • Mass concentration ratio of silver to creatinine in 24-hour urine (observable entity) has 704321009 | Characterizes (attribute)|  of excretion process
  • 789098002 |Estimated quantity of intake of potassium in 24 hours (observable entity)| has a 704321009 |Characterizes (attribute)| of administration of substance

Component

This attribute is used to specify the numerator of a relational property types, e.g. ratio, concentration. 

For example, 

• • Arbitrary concentration of Varicella-Zoster virus (observable entity) has the  246093002 | Component (attribute)|   of Human herpesvirus 3

Direct site

This attribute is used to specify the entity on which the observation is directly made. It may also be used when the observation is indirect, i.e. when a direct observation cannot be done.

For example, 

• • 415974002 | Core body temperature measured at tympanic membrane (observable entity)|  has the 704327008 | Direct site (attribute)|  of 42859004 |Tympanic membrane structure (body structure)|

Has realization

This attribute is used to specify the process or activity that is the consequence of realization of the function. 

For example, 

• • 282097004 | Ability to walk (observable entity)| 719722006 | Has realization (attribute)|  of 870595007 |Walking (qualifier value)|

Inherent location

This attribute is used to specify a body site or other location of the independent continuant in which the property exists.

For example,

• • DNA taxon of Mycobacterium from bronchial secretions (observable entity) has 718497002 | Inherent location (attribute)|  of bronchus

Inheres in

This attribute specifies the independent continuant in which the quality exists and on which the dependent quality (of this observable) depends.

For example,

• • 307047009 |Core body temperature measured in rectum (observable entity)| has 704319004 |Inheres in (attribute)| of 278826002 |Body internal region (body structure)|

Precondition

This attribute is used to specify body state, timing, challenges, or other situations that must be true of the entity to be observed.

For example, 

• • Plasma creatinine concentration 7 days post challenge (observable entity) has a Precondition of 7 days post challenge
  • 163033001 | Lying blood pressure (observable entity)|  has a 704326004 | Precondition (attribute)|  of 102538003 |Recumbent body position (finding)|

Procedure device

This attribute is used to model devices associated with a procedure. This attribute is used to define high-level, general concepts that aggregate procedures according to the device involved.

Process acts on

This attribute is used to describe that a process specifically acts on some entity, e.g. by transporting that entity in or out of the body, i.e. Rate of intake of protein, Rate of excretion of creatinine. 

For example,

• 789350001 |Estimated quantity of intake of iron in 24 hours (observable entity)| has a 1003735000 | Process acts on (attribute)| of iron

Process agent

This attribute is used to specify the continuant (e.g. body structure or organism) that is causally active in the process on which the property depends. It is used to refine the meaning of the process named as the value of  704321009 | Characterizes (attribute)| , or it may simply repeat the meaning that is already there. 

For example, 

• • Substance rate of secretion of somatotropin by pituitary following clonidine per os (observable entity) has the 704322002 | Process agent (attribute)| of 56329008 |Pituitary structure (body structure)|.

Process duration

This attribute specifies the duration of the process characterized by the observable property type. 

For example, 

• • Mass rate of excretion of cortisone in 24 hour urine (observable entity) has the  704323007 | Process duration (attribute)|  of 123027009 |24 hours (qualifier value)|

Process extends to

This attribute specifies that the process which the property characterizes has led to the inclusion of a previously not included structure.

For example,

The concept |Presence of direct invasion by primary malignant neoplasm of prostate to seminal vesicle (observable entity)| has a 1003703000 |Process extends to (attribute)| of |Seminal vesicle structure (body structure)|

Process output

This attribute is used to specify the substance or process produced by the process characterized by the observable property type. 

For example, 

• • Substance rate of excretion of pregnanediol in micromoles per day (observable entity) has a 704324001 | Process output (attribute)|  of 28268006 |Pregnanediol (substance)|

Property

This attribute is used to specify the type of feature (i.e. quality, disposition, function, or process characteristic) to be observed. Its values are abstract types of quality (length, odor, concentration) or abstract types of process features (rate, speed). 

For example, 

• • Blood glucose mass concentration (observable entity) has the 370130000 | Property (attribute)| of 118539007 |Mass concentration (property) (qualifier value)|

Mass vs Weight

The Property (qualifier value) hierarchy contains the following:

• 118538004 |Mass, a measure of quantity of matter (property) (qualifier value)|
• 726527001 |Weight (property) (qualifier value)|

Very rarely is the physics definition of weight used.  When the term weight is used, it is most often referring to mass, as further demonstrated by the units of measure i.e., grams, kilograms, etc.  Unless units specific to the physics definition of weight are specified using Newtons, assume that mass is implied.

To summarize, always use the mass qualifier value unless a concept is requested with Newton units that specifically refer to weight.

Relative to

This attribute is used to specify the denominator of a relational property type, e.g. a ratio or proportion. 

For example, 

• • Urine alpha aminobutyrate to creatinine ratio (observable entity) has  704325000 | Relative to (attribute)|  15373003 |Creatinine (substance)|
  • Neutrophils per 100 leukocytes in blood (observable entity) has  704325000 | Relative to (attribute)|  702962009 |Population of all leukocytes in portion of fluid (body structure)|

Relative to part of

This attribute is used to specify the denominator of a relative relational property, such as a ratio of ratios.

For example, 

• • Relative substance concentration of cerebrospinal fluid IgM to plasma IgM (observable entity) has 719715003 | Relative to part of (attribute)|  of 50863008 |Plasma (substance)|

Scale Type

This attribute is used to specify the scale of the result of an observation or a diagnostic test (i.e., quantitative, qualitative, semi-quantitative).

Technique

This attribute is used to specify the systematic method of an observation.

For example, 

• • Presence of Brucella abortus antibody in serum by latex agglutination (observable entity) has the  246501002 | Technique (attribute)|  of 703448004 |Latex agglutination test technique (qualifier value)|

Time Aspect

This attribute is used to specify the timing of an observation.

For example, 

• • Substance concentration of acetone in urine (observable entity) has the 370134009 | Time aspect (attribute)|  of 123029007 |Single point in time (qualifier value)|

Towards

This attribute is used to specify a disposition, what the disposition is towards, i.e. a specific triggering agent, or more generally, participant in the realization of the disposition.

For example, 

• • Quantitative susceptibility of Pseudomonas aeruginosa to amikacin in microbial isolate by disk diffusion (observable entity) has 704320005 | Towards (attribute)| of 387266001 |Amikacin (substance)|

Units

This attribute is used to specify the units used in assigning a value to an observation. 

For example, 

• • Basophils per 100 leukocytes (observable entity) has the  246514001 | Units (attribute)|  of 415067009 |Percentage unit (qualifier value)|

Using device

This attribute is used to specify the instrument or equipment utilized to execute an action. Using device is appropriate when the device is actually used to carry out the action that is the focus of the procedure.

For example, 

• • 415921007 | Temperature of forehead using skin strip thermometer (observable entity)|  has  424226004 | Using device (attribute)|  of 448916003 |Skin strip thermometer (physical object)|