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Glossary

Sections
Accreditation
General
Instruments
LIMS
Methods
Procedures
Project management

LIMS terminology defined and explained

Accreditation

ANSI · The American National Standards Institute #: a voluntary membership organization, run with private funding. that develops national consensus standards for a wide variety of devices and procedures. www.weizmann.ac.il
CGMP #: (i) Current Good Manufacturing Practice -the basis principles, procedures and resources required to ensure an environment suitable for manufacturing products of an acceptable quality. www.dsm.com (ii) Regulations as specified by the US FDA or other regulatory body that describes the methods, equipment and control procedures required for food processing, medical device manufacturing and related industries. www.bridgefieldgroup.com
CPAR - Corrective and Preventive Action Request #: a system to deal with quality issues and manage actions taken to resolve them all within the proven ISO framework. www.intimedata.co.za
GALP - Good Automated Laboratory Practice #: standards that provide guidance in the use of automated equipment and instruments in the laboratory ... www.atlab.com
GAMP - Good Automated Manufacturing Practice #: a technical sub-committee, known as a COP - Community Of Practice - of the International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering (ISPE). The goal of the community is to promote the understanding of the regulation and use of automated systems within the pharmaceutical industry. The GAMP publishes a series of Good Practice Guides for its members on several topics involved in drug manufacturing. The most well-known is the GAMP Guide for Validation of Automated Systems in Pharmaceutical Manufacture. The last major revision (GAMP5) was released in January 2008. en.wikipedia.org
GCP - Good Clinical Practices #: the practices, responsibilities and actions of the sponsor, investigator, and monitor, that must be followed in any clinical trial to ensure the safety of study participants and the quality of the data. www.painceptor.com
GMP - Good Manufacturing Practice #: regulations, which have the force of law, require that manufacturers, processors, and packagers of drugs, medical devices, some food, and blood take proactive steps to ensure that their products are safe, pure, and effective. GMP regulations require a quality approach to manufacturing, enabling companies to minimize or eliminate instances of contamination, mix-ups, and errors. www.sciteclabs.com
IAF · International Accreditation Forum #: International Accreditation Forum Inc. www.navigateinternationalstandards.com
ILAC · International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation #: an international partner with IAF and ISO. www.navigateinternationalstandards.com
ISO 15189 for Medical laboratories #: (i) particular requirements for quality and competence. This standard is basically the application of the ISO/IEC 17025 and ISO 9001 standards to a Medical Laboratory. www.eaglegroupusa.com (ii) ... includes provision of advice to users of the laboratory service, the collection of patient samples, the interpretation of test results, acceptable turnaround times, how testing is to be provided in a medical emergency and the lab's role in the education and training of health care staff. While the standard is based on ISO/IEC 17025 and ISO 9001, it is a unique document that takes into consideration the specific requirements of the medical environment and the importance of the medical laboratory to patient care. en.wikipedia.org
ISO · International Standards Organization #: ISO does not create standards but - as with ANSI - provide a means of verifying that a proposed standard has met certain requirements for due process, consensus, and other criteria by those developing the standard. www.orafaq.com
OOS - Out of Specification #: Term used to refer to an out of specification result in the lab that requires an investigation workflow be generated and the lab manager be notified
PHIN - the Public Health Information Network #: The Public Health Information Network (PHIN) is CDC’s vision for advancing fully capable and interoperable information systems in the many organizations that participate in public health. PHIN is a national initiative to implement a multi-organizational business and technical architecture for public health information systems. More at http://www.cdc.gov/phin/overview.html
QA - Quality Assurance #: (i) QA, as distinguished from quality control (QC), involves activities in the business, systems, and technical audit areas. A set of predetermined, systematic actions which is required if a product or service is to satisfy quality requirements. www.st.com. (ii) All the planned and systematic activities implemented within the quality system and demonstrated as needed, to provide adequate confidence that an entity (service, product, process, activity, organization) will fulfill the requirements for quality. strategis.ic.gc.ca
QC - Quality Control #: (i) the regulatory process through which we measure actual performance, compare it with standards, and act on the difference. Also sometimes used to distinguish inspection and test activities from other quality activities (see QA: Quality Assurance). www.st.com (ii) the operational techniques and activities undertaken within the quality assurance system to verify that the requirements for quality of the trial-related activities have been fulfilled. www.trimanos.com
QMS · Quality management system #: Quality management system. Such as ISO/IEC 17025
RSD - Relative Standard Deviation #: A measure of the reproducibility of an analysis. This is determined by dividing the standard deviation (of a sample rather than the population) by the mean for the same set and then multiplying by 100%. www.ne-wea.org
SD - Standard deviation #: a measure of the variability of a distribution of scores. The more the scores cluster around the mean, the smaller the standard deviation. In a normal distribution, 68% of the scores fall within one standard deviation above and one standard deviation below the mean. www.wrightslaw.com
SOP · Standard Operating Procedure #: documents that describe a specific method of accomplishing a task that is to be followed precisely the same way every time. www.madison.k12.wi.us
TQM - Total Quality Management #: i) a general process framework that grew out of the work of Deming in Japan after WWII. The framework is focused on specifying the processes necessary to ensure incremental process improvement. Unlike most process frameworks, this one also provides a large number of intellectual tools to be used during process improvement and it also defines some processes in considerable detail. pathfinderpeople.blogs.com/hslahman. ii) Total Quality Management. A comprehensive system of measuring the efficiency, effectiveness and adaptability of the total process. www.asresearch.com

General

ALAT - Alanine Aminotransferase #: An enzyme that is normally found in the liver cells and in the blood; an increase in ALT levels may indicate liver damage. www.pegassist.com
Analyte #: the substance which a laboratory test aims to detect. In cholesterol testing, for example, the analyte is cholesterol. In genetic testing, the analyte could be, for example, a specific allele or genetic mutation. www.cs.uu.nl
Base metal #: i) Any metal other than a precious or noble metal. ii) The principal metal of an alloy. iii) The principal metal of a piece underlying a coating of another metal. Example: Iron, aluminum, magnesium, copper, nickel, zinc ... www.metsoc.org
Best of Breed #: The best product of its type. Organisations often purchase software from different vendors in order to obtain the best-of-breed for each application area; for example, a human resources package from one vendor and an accounting package from another. While enterprise solution (ERP) vendors provide a wealth of applications for the enterprise and tout their integrated system as the superior solution, every module may not be best-of-breed. It is difficult to excel in every niche. www.answers.com
Bilirubin #: a chemical breakdown product of hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is a substance in red blood cells that grabs onto oxygen in the lungs and carries it to the tissues in the body where it releases it. When red blood cells wear out they are trapped in the spleen and destroyed, releasing bilirubin into the blood. This type of bilirubin is called unconjugated. The liver takes the bilirubin out of the blood and conjugates it by attaching a portion of another molecule to the bilirubin molecule. www.classkids.org
BOD - Biochemical Oxygen Demand #: A measure of the amount of oxygen consumed in the biological processes that break down organic matter in water. BOD is used as an indirect measure of the concentration of biologically degradable material present in organic wastes. It usually reflects the amount of oxygen consumed in five days by biological processes breaking down organic waste. BOD can also be used as an indicator of pollutant level, where the greater the BOD, the greater the degree of pollution. antron.dupont.com
CFR · Code of Federal Regulations #: the manufacturing standards that govern and regulate blood operation, laboratories and other medical functions throughout the United States. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) enforces compliance of the CFR. www.yourbloodcenter.org
CIP - Carbon in pulp #: a technique for recovery of gold which has been liberated into a cyanide solution as part of the gold cyanidation process, a gold extraction technique. en.wikipedia.org
COD - Chemical Oxygen Demand #: A quantitative measure of the amount of oxygen required to oxidize all organic components in a unit volume on waste water - non-biodegradable as well as the BOD. The COD level can be determined more readily than BOD, but this measurement does not indicate how much of the waste can be decomposed by biological oxidation (www.bugsatwork.com). the amount of oxygen required for chemical oxidation of pollutants in water. The higher the COD, the higher the water pollution (www.pref.mie.jp)
Composite sample #: A sample that is made up of a number of grab samples that have been thoroughly mixed together. www.omafra.gov.on.ca. Also see grab sample
COTS · Commercial off the shelf #: (i) commercially available products that can be purchased and integrated with little or no customisation, thus facilitating customer infrastructure expansion and reducing costs. www.raidstorage.uk.com (ii) Ready-made products such as application software marketed by software vendors. The objective of the software vendor is to create a package suitable for a variety of users in the same industry or with the same application. www.glenchambers.com
Creatinine #: a waste product from protein in the diet and from the muscles of the body. Creatinine is removed from the body by the kidneys; as kidney disease progresses, the level of creatinine in the blood increases. www.diabetes.org. a substance in the blood (a piece of a protein) which should be at a constant level in the blood. When creatinine levels rise in the blood, it can be a sign that the kidneys are not functioning well. Sometimes, creatinine is measured in the blood and in the urine, as part of a Creatinine Clearance test. www.abcbirth.com
CSF - Cerebrospinal Fluid #: a clear, colourless fluid that contains small quantities of glucose and protein. Cerebrospinal fluid fills the ventricles of the brain and the central canal of the spinal cord. Analysis of the cerebrospinal fluid can be accomplished using lumbar puncture. The presence of white blood cells or bacteria within the cerebrospinal fluid can indicate a bacterial infection, eg meningitis. www.findhealer.com
DGA - Dissolved Gas Analysis #: the single-most comprehensive asset condition assessment and management tool for oil-filled transformers. DGA offers advanced detection of incipient fault conditions. www.energy.siemens.com
DRM · Digital Rights Management #: i) any technology used to protect the interests of owners of content and services (such as copyright owners). Typically, authorized recipients or users must acquire a license in order to consume the protected material according to the rights or business rules set by the content owner. www.microsoft.com. ii) DRM refers to the administration of rights in a digital environment. DRM solutions may use technologies to protect files from unauthorised use, as well as ensuring that rights holders are compensated for the use of their intellectual property. ww.europe4drm.com Bika does not subscribe to this philosophy, but that of the Free Software Movement, "Free software is a matter of freedom: people should be free to use software in all the ways that are socially useful, run, copy, distribute, study, change and improve". See http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/
EDTA - Ethylene Diamine Tetra Acetic acid #: i) a complex molecule used medically to chelate metal ions in cases of lead or heavy metal poisoning. wordnet.princeton.edu. ii) acronym for ethylene diamine tetra acetate (C 10 H 16 N 2 O 8 ). This large organic compound binds to many different metal ions and prevents them from reacting with any other chemical that might be present in solution. ... www.chem.ubc.ca
Email whitelist #: a list of contacts that you deem are acceptable for sending mail to your domain and should not be labeled as spam. www.google.com
EMR - Electronic Medical Record system #: (i) a term that may be treated synonymously with computer-based patient record and/or electronic health record. library.ahima.org (ii) This technology, when fully developed, meets provider needs for real-time data access and evaluation in medical care. Together with clinical workstations and clinical data repository technologies, the EMR provides the mechanism for longitudinal data storage and access. A motivation for healthcare entities to implement this technology derives from the need for medical outcome studies, more efficient care, speedier communication among providers and management of health plans. www.plexisweb.com
EPA - Environmental Protection Agency #: the US government agency founded to “protect human health and to safeguard the natural environment–air, water and land–upon which life depends.” www.belluckfox.com
Flashpoint #: the lowest temperature at which a liquid gives off enough vapor to form an ignitable mixture with air and burn when a source of ignition (sparks, open flames, cigarettes, etc.) is present. Two tests are used to determine the flashpoint: open cup and closed cup. web.mit.edu
FLOSS - Free/Libre/Open-Source Software #: refers to both Free Software and Open Source Software. A combined phrase is useful due to an unresolved naming dispute. The phrase "Open Source" was devised in February 1998 with the explicit intent of replacing the historically earlier phrase "Free Software,"which Open Source advocates felt was impeding acceptance by the business community. See also the similarly derived FOSS. en.wikipedia.org
FOSS · Free Open Source Software #: Also see glossary item OSS (i) a joint term sometimes used when refering to the Free Software and Open Source communities as a whole without differentiating between the terms and the matching philosophies. www.libervis.com (ii) an acronym that is most often used in English-speaking military software communities.The acronym was first used in a 2003 MITRE report that documented widespread use of, and reliance on, free software and open source software in the United States Department of Defense. www.wikipedia.org
GCP - Good Clinical Practices #: the practices, responsibilities and actions of the sponsor, investigator, and monitor, that must be followed in any clinical trial to ensure the safety of study participants and the quality of the data. www.painceptor.com
GMP - Good Manufacturing Practice #: regulations, which have the force of law, require that manufacturers, processors, and packagers of drugs, medical devices, some food, and blood take proactive steps to ensure that their products are safe, pure, and effective. GMP regulations require a quality approach to manufacturing, enabling companies to minimize or eliminate instances of contamination, mix-ups, and errors. www.sciteclabs.com
Grab sample #: A single sample collected at a particular time and place that represents the composition of the water, air, or soil only at that time and place. www.caslab.com. Also see composite sample
HIS - Hospital Information System #: Integrated, computer-assisted system designed to store, manipulate and retrieve information concerned with the administrative and clinical aspects of providing services within the hospital. www.centc251.org
HISP - Health Information Systems Programme #: HISP is the acronym for the Health Information Systems Programme, which aims to support the improvement of health care systems in the southern hemisphere by increasing the capacity of health care workers to make decisions based on accurate information. HISP provides training and support for users of the open source District Health Information System (DHIS) software, which is under continuous development. en.wikipedia.org
IP Address #: Internet Protocol addresses are unique numbers that allow devices to locate information on a network
LIS - Laboratory Information System #: Perform similar functions as a LIMS, Laboratory Information Management Software, computer software that is used in the laboratory for the management of samples, laboratory users, instruments, standards and other laboratory functions such as invoicing, plate management and work flow automation. wikipedia.org
Metrology #: i) The science of measurement. There are two branches of metrology: legal metrology deals with settling legal requirements for measurement and physical metrology provides national measurement standards and tests measuring and calibration equipment. The correct calibration of equipment underpins all other forms of conformity assessment. www.med.govt.nz. (ii) Metrology is the science and process of ensuring that a measurement meets specified degrees of both accuracy and precision. en.wikipedia.org
Mycotoxin #: Certain molds, such as Aspergillus, Fusarium, Penicillium, Chaetomium and Stachybotrys release chemicals during their metabolic cycle called mycotoxins, which can be toxic to humans and animals. These chemicals can be found in the mold spores, within the mold itself, and in the materials that the mold is growing. Inhalation of mold spores or dust containing mycotoxins can result in human exposure with potentially severe heath effects. www.totalwellness.com
NTU - Nephelometric Turbidity Unit #: The unit used to describe turbidity. Nephelometric refers to the way the instrument, a nephelometer, measures how much light is scattered by suspended particles in the water. The greater the scattering, the higher the turbidity. Therefore, low NTU values indicate high water clarity, while high NTU values indicate low water clarity. www.pca.state.mn.us
OSS · Open Source Software #: software for which the underlying programming code is available to users so that they may read it, make changes to it, and build new versions of the software incorporating their changes. There are many types of Open Source Software, mainly differing in the licensing term under which altered copies of the source code must be redistributed. www.domainsmagazine.com
Pharmacopoeia #: authoritative treatises on drugs and preparations, their description, formulation, analytic composition, physical constants, main chemical properties used in identification, standards for strength, purity, and dosage, chemical tests for determining identity and purity, etc. They are usually published under governmental jurisdiction. They differ from formularies in that they are far more complete; formularies simply list drugs or collections of formulas for the compounding of medicinal preparations. However, sometimes the terms "pharmacopoeia" and "formulary" are used interchangeably. In addition to serving as current reference sources, pharmacopoeias and formularies provide an historical record of pharmacy practice, drug use, and drug availability. www.nlm.nih.gov
PHIN - the Public Health Information Network #: The Public Health Information Network (PHIN) is CDC’s vision for advancing fully capable and interoperable information systems in the many organizations that participate in public health. PHIN is a national initiative to implement a multi-organizational business and technical architecture for public health information systems. More at http://www.cdc.gov/phin/overview.html
PQL - Practical Quantitation Limits #: the lowest level of quantitation that can be reliably achieved within specified limits of precision and accuracy. www.mfe.govt.nz
Precious metal #: a rare metallic chemical element of high economic value. Chemically, the precious metals are less reactive than most elements, have high luster, are softer or more ductile, and have higher melting points than other metals. en.wikipedia.org
Proprietary Software #: i) is software offered for sale or license where the vendor controls the source code. www.dis.wa.gov ii) Much of the software users are accustomed to is known as proprietary software. With proprietary software users are not allowed to see the source code. Nor are they able to modify the code for their own use or to distribute to others. In some cases certain customers are allowed to view the source code - sometimes for an additional fee - but even then they are not able to alter and re-distribute the software. Examples of proprietary software include Microsoft's Office suite. floss.meraka.org.za
QA - Quality Assurance #: (i) QA, as distinguished from quality control (QC), involves activities in the business, systems, and technical audit areas. A set of predetermined, systematic actions which is required if a product or service is to satisfy quality requirements. www.st.com. (ii) All the planned and systematic activities implemented within the quality system and demonstrated as needed, to provide adequate confidence that an entity (service, product, process, activity, organization) will fulfill the requirements for quality. strategis.ic.gc.ca
QC - Quality Control #: (i) the regulatory process through which we measure actual performance, compare it with standards, and act on the difference. Also sometimes used to distinguish inspection and test activities from other quality activities (see QA: Quality Assurance). www.st.com (ii) the operational techniques and activities undertaken within the quality assurance system to verify that the requirements for quality of the trial-related activities have been fulfilled. www.trimanos.com
QCM - Quartz Crystal Microbalance #: a technique developed for measuring the thiosulfate concentration in gold thiosulfate leaching solutions containing copper and ammonia. The method, which is based on the relationship between thiosulfate concentration and the oxidation rate of silver, was firstly studied using the ‘rotating electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance’ (REQCM). It was found that the measured silver oxidation rate is directly related to the thiosulfate concentration. The silver oxidation rate was also shown to be unaffected by the presence of other species likely to be found in gold leach solutions. The technique was then evaluated for use as a method of flow injection analysis, utilizing a flow through ‘electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance’ (EQCM) cell. www.ingentaconnect.com
Repeatability #: (i) the variation in measurements taken by a single person or instrument on the same item. A measurement is said to be repeatable when this variation is small. en.wikipedia.org (ii) the degree to which repeated measurements of the same quantity vary about their mean. www.baneng.com (iii) the closeness of agreement between individual results, using the same method, test substance, and set of laboratory conditions. www.atlab.com
SaaS - Software as a Service #: (i) a software application delivery model where a software vendor develops a web-native software application and hosts and operates the application for use by its customers over the Internet. Customers pay not for owning the software itself but for using it. The term SaaS has become the industry preferred term, generally replacing the earlier terms Application Service Provider (ASP), On-Demand and "Utility computing" (ii) As a term, SaaS is generally associated with business software and is typically thought of as a low-cost way for businesses to obtain the same benefits of commercially licensed, internally operated software without the associated complexity and high initial cost. Consumer-oriented web-native software is generally known as Web 2.0 and not as SaaS. Many types of software are well suited to the SaaS model, where customers may have little interest or capability in software deployment, but do have substantial computing needs. Application areas such as Customer Relations Management, Video Conferencing, Human Resources, Accounting and Email are just a few of the initial markets showing SaaS success. The distinction between SaaS and earlier applications delivered over the Internet is that SaaS solutions were developed specifically to leverage web technologies such as the browser, thereby making them web-native. www.beingpro.com
SAR - Sodium Adsorption Ratio #: this ratio expresses the relative activity of sodium ions in exchange reactions. www.alken-murray.com
SD - Standard deviation #: a measure of the variability of a distribution of scores. The more the scores cluster around the mean, the smaller the standard deviation. In a normal distribution, 68% of the scores fall within one standard deviation above and one standard deviation below the mean. www.wrightslaw.com
TAT · Turn-around time #: Turn-around time
TDM - Therapeutic drug monitoring #: a branch of clinical chemistry that specialises in the measurement of medication levels in blood. Its main focus is on drugs with a narrow therapeutic index, i.e. drugs that can easily be under- or overdosed. en.wikipedia.org
TDS - Total dissolved solids #: a quantitative measure of the residual minerals dissolved in water that remain after evaporation of a solution. Usually expressed in milligrams per liter. www.mwdoc.com
TKN - Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen #: (i) an oxidative procedure that converts organic nitrogen forms to ammonia by digestion with an acid, catalyst, and heat. www.soil.ncsu.edu (ii) The sum of organic nitrogen and ammonia in a water body. Measured in milligrams per liter (mg/L). High measurements of TKN typically results from sewage and manure discharges to water bodies. www.pca.state.mn.us
TOC - Total Organic Content #: the total amount of organic matter dissolved in water. www.greenprocurement.org
TQM - Total Quality Management #: i) a general process framework that grew out of the work of Deming in Japan after WWII. The framework is focused on specifying the processes necessary to ensure incremental process improvement. Unlike most process frameworks, this one also provides a large number of intellectual tools to be used during process improvement and it also defines some processes in considerable detail. pathfinderpeople.blogs.com/hslahman. ii) Total Quality Management. A comprehensive system of measuring the efficiency, effectiveness and adaptability of the total process. www.asresearch.com
Trace metals #: metals in extremely small quantities, almost at the molecular level, that reside in or are present in animal and plant cells and tissue. They are a necessary part of good nutrition. en.wikipedia.org
Turbidity #: The light-scattering property associated with suspended particles in a liquid. A turbid solution appears cloudy. www.ne-wea.org
URL - Uniform Resource Locator #: This is the address of a resource on the Internet. For example, the URL of the Bika Help Centre is http://www.bikalabs.com/helpcentre
VOC - Volatile Organic Compound #: i) any organic compound which evaporates readily to the atmosphere. VOCs contribute significantly to photochemical smog production and certain health problems. www.egr.msu.edu ii) organic substances which easily become vaporous or gaseous. Frequently deemed a health hazard. Often used as quick dry solvents which, on evaporation, give off volatiles. An increasing environmental concern. www.trident-itw.com
WIKI #: (i) online collaboration model and tool that allows any user to edit some content of webpages through a simple browser. mobileman.projects.supsi.ch (ii) “Wiki wiki” means "rapidly" in the Hawaiian language. www.cpsr-peru.org (iii) A website or similar online resource which allows users to add and edit content collectively. www.parliament.vic.gov.au

Instruments

AES - Auger Electron Spectroscopy #: Auger (pronounced ~o-jay) electron spectroscopy is an electron spectroscopic method that uses a beam of electrons to knock electrons out of inner-shell orbitals. Auger electrons are ejected to conserve energy when electrons in higher shells fill the vacancy in the inner shell. These Auger electrons have energies characteristic of the emitting atom due to the characteristic energy-level structure of that element. elchem.kaist.ac.kr
Autoclave #: Closed vessel for conducting chemical reactions under high pressure and temperature www.potterseurope.org. a device that uses steam to sterilise equipment and other objects. This means that all bacteria, viruses, fungi, and spores are inactivated. However, in 2003 scientists discovered a single-cell organism, Strain 121, that survives autoclave temperatures. Prions also may not be destroyed by autoclaving. en.wikipedia.org
Cryoscope #: a measuring instrument for measuring freezing and melting points. wordnet.princeton.edu
FIA – Flow Injection Analysis #: microchemical technique to automate wet chemical methods. In a FIA system, a carrier solution and the chemical reagents are continuously pumped through tubes, mixing coils and finally through a flow cell in a detector. A small portion of the sample is injected into the carrier. The carrier merges with one or more reagents to produce a chemical reaction. The resulting colour change in the sample zone is measured in the detector. The time between injection and detection is typically 1 minute. The dispersion or dilution of the sample zone is controlled by the system components, i.e. injected volume, flow rates and length and diameter of the tubing. When the dispersed sample zone reaches the flow cell of the detector neither the chemical reaction nor the dispersion process must have reached completion or a steady state. Keeping identical conditions for both samples and standards makes evaluation and quantification reproducible and precise. www.foss.dk
FID - Flame Ionization Detector #: a type of detector used in gas chromatography. See GC FID. The Flame Ionization Detector (FID) is one of the many methods by which to analyze materials coming off of gas chromatography column. The detection of organic compounds is most effectively done with flame ionization. Biochemical compounds such as proteins, nucleotides, and pharmaceuticals can be studied with flame ionization as well as other detectors, like thermal conductivity, thermionic, or electrolytic conductivity due to the presence of nitrogen, phosphorus, or sulfur atoms or because of the universality of the thermal conductivity detector. However, typically the biochemical compounds have a greater amount of carbon present than other elements. This means that a particular compound may be more easily detected using flame ionization over the other methods because of higher carbon concentration and also flame ionizations sensitivity. http://en.wikipedia.org
FOSS · Free Open Source Software #: Also see glossary item OSS (i) a joint term sometimes used when refering to the Free Software and Open Source communities as a whole without differentiating between the terms and the matching philosophies. www.libervis.com (ii) an acronym that is most often used in English-speaking military software communities.The acronym was first used in a 2003 MITRE report that documented widespread use of, and reliance on, free software and open source software in the United States Department of Defense. www.wikipedia.org
GC - Gas chromatography #: a method for separating substances in a mixture and measuring the relative quantities of substances. It is a useful technique for substances that do not decompose at high temperatures and when a very small quantity of sample is available. www.polymicro.com
GC FID - Gas Chromatograph(y) Flame Ionization Detector #: n GC/FID, the FID or flame ionization detector detects analytes by measuring an electrical current generated by electrons from burning carbon particles in the sample. The flame ionization detector (FID) is a non-selective detector used in conjunction with gas chromatography. Because it is non-selective, there is a potential for many non-target compounds present in samples to interfere with this analysis and for poor resolution especially in complex samples. The FID works by directing the gas phase output from the column into a hydrogen flame. A voltage of 100-200V is applied between the flame and an electrode located away from the flame. The increased current due to electrons emitted by burning carbon particles is then measured. Although the signal current is very small (the ionization efficiency is only 0.0015%) the noise level is also very small (<10-13 amp) and with a well-optimized system, sensitivities of 5 x 10-12 g/ml for n-heptane at a signal/noise ratio of 2 can be easily realized. Except for a very few organic compounds (e.g. carbon monoxide, etc.) the FID detects all carbon containing compounds. The detector also has an extremely wide linear dynamic range that extends over, at least five orders of magnitude with a response index between 0.98-1.02. http://www.chromatography-online.org/
Homogeniser #: A mechanical device which is used to create a stable, uniform dispersion of an insoluble phase within a liquid phase. www.alken-murray.com
HPLC - High Performance Liquid Chromatography #: a family of analytical chemistry techniques for the separation of mixtures. It involves passing the sample, a mixture which contains the analyte, in the "mobile phase", often in a stream of solvent, through the "stationary phase." The stationary phase retards the passage of the components of the sample. When components pass through the system at different rates they become separated in time, like runners in a marathon. ... en.wikipedia.org
Hydrometer #: An inexpensive and widely available analytical device that measures the specific gravity (relative density) of a solution. Very useful to measure the amount of sugar (in Balling or degrees Brix) in a juice or wine. Because density depends on temperature, a thermometer reading of the solution being tested is critical for accurate results. Hydrometers are calibrated to be used at 60° F. winemakermag.com
ICP - Inductively Coupled Plasma #: (i) ICP, combined with optical emission spectrometry, is a commonly used technique to determine chemical analysis of master alloys. www.metallurgaluminium.com (ii) a high temperature conductive gaseous mixture, contained and energized by a radio frequency electromagnetic field. Often used in AES (Auger Electron Spectroscopy) as a source of energy for the generation of emission spectra from elements. www.ionsigtech.com
ISE - Ion Selective Electrode #: These electrodes respond to ions present in a sample. A potential develops across the membrane surface that is selectively dependent on the concentration of one particular ion in solution. The magnitude of the potential relates to the concentration of the ion concentration. The higher the potential, the higher the concentration. www.ne-wea.org
Kjeldahl method #: a method for the quantitative determination of nitrogen in chemical substances developed by Johan Kjeldahl. The method as described in Julius Cohen's Practical Organic Chemistry of 1910 consists of heating a substance with sulfuric acid which oxidizes nitrogen to ammonium sulfate. In this step potassium sulfate is added in order to increase the boiling point of the medium from 337°C to 373°C. Chemical decomposition of the sample is complete when the medium has become clear and colorless (initially very dark). The solution is then distilled with sodium hydroxide added in small quantities, which converts the ammonium salt to ammonia. The end of the condenser is dipped into a solution of hydrochloric acid or sulfuric acid of precisely known concentration. The ammonia reacts with the acid and the remainder of the acid is then titrated with a sodium carbonate solution with a methyl orange PH indicator. In modern times the Kjeldahl method is largely automated and makes use of specific catalysts like mercury oxide or copper sulfate to speed up the decomposition. en.wikipedia.org
Lactometer #: device used to measure the specific gravity, and therefore the richness, of milk. www.answers.com
Lactoscope #: instrument measuring amount of cream in milk. www.tiscali.co.uk
Laminar flow cabinet #: A laminar flow cabinet creates a particle-free working environment by taking air through a filtration system and exhausting it across a work surface in a laminar or unidirectional air stream. Commonly, the filtration system compromises of a pre-filter and a HEPA filter. Because the air within the cabinet does not contain any airborne particles, it is also sterile. The laminar flow cabinet is enclosed on the sides and kept under constant positive pressure in order to prevent the infiltration of contaminated room air. The most common application of the laminar flow cabinet is to provide an individual clean air environment for small items not requiring a full-size cleanroom. In the laboratory, individual laminar flow cabinets are commonly used for specialized work such as spin coating to eliminate airborne contamination that would otherwise interfere with work processes. www.polymer-physics.uwaterloo.ca
LC - Liquid chromatography #: an analytical chromatographic technique that is useful for separating ions or molecules that are dissolved in a solvent. If the sample solution is in contact with a second solid or liquid phase, the different solutes will interact with the other phase to differing degrees due to differences in adsorption, ion-exchange, partitioning, or size. These differences allow the mixture components to be separated from each other by using these differences to determine the transit time of the solutes through a column. www.polymicro.com
MS · Mass spectrometer #: instrument used to measure the masses of molecules and atoms by volatilizing and then ionizing them. The ions are then separated magnetically according to their mass-to-charge ratio. www4.nau.edu
PLC - Programmable Logic Controller #: microprocessor-based industrial control system. It communicates with other process control components through data links. It is used in process control for simple switching tasks, PID control, complex data manipulation, arithmetic operations, timing and process and machine control. www.onesixsigma.com
Potentiometric #: the apparent equivalence point of a titration at which a relatively large potential change is observed. www.flw.com
Pycnometer or Pyknometer #: a device used for measuring fluid density, also known as a specific gravity bottle. Uses an appropriate working fluid such as water or mercury to find a volume for use in Archimedes' principle. Used in ISO standard: ISO 1183-1:2004. www.wikipedia.org
RSD - Relative Standard Deviation #: A measure of the reproducibility of an analysis. This is determined by dividing the standard deviation (of a sample rather than the population) by the mean for the same set and then multiplying by 100%. www.ne-wea.org
Salinometer #: Any device or instrument for measuring salinity, especially one based on electrical conductivity methods. www.telemet.com
SCADA - Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition #: (i) also System Control and Data Acquisition or Security, Control and Data Acquisition. A common process control application that collects data from sensors on the shop floor or in remote locations and sends them to a central computer for management and control. www.cxrlarus.com (ii) Software systems and algorithms used to provide real-time instructions to plant automation equipment such as programmable logic controllers (PLC). www.bridgefieldgroup.com
UV/Vis Spectroscopy #: Ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy or ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometry involves the spectroscopy of photons and spectrophotometry. It uses light in the visible and adjacent near ultraviolet (UV) and near infrared (NIR) ranges. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UV-Visible_spectroscopy
Viscometer (viscosimeter) #: an instrument used to measure the viscosity and flow parameters of a fluid. The common Brookfield-type viscometer determines the required force for rotating a disk in the fluid at known speed. Other viscometer types use bubbles, balls or other objects. Viscometers that can measure fluids with high viscosity or molten polymers are usually called rheometer or plastometer. en.wikipedia.org
XRFS - X-Ray Fluorescence Spectroscopy #: a spectroscopic technique that is commonly used with solids, in which X-rays are used to excite a sample and generate secondary X-rays. The X-rays broadcast into the sample by X-ray fluorescence spectrometers eject inner-shell electrons. Outer-shell electrons take the place of the ejected electrons and emit photons in the process. The wavelength of the photons depends on the energy difference between the outer-shell and inner-shell electron orbitals. The amount of X-ray fluorescence is very sample dependent and quantitative analysis requires calibration with standards that are similar to the sample matrix. http://test-equipment.globalspec.com

LIMS

ANSI · The American National Standards Institute #: a voluntary membership organization, run with private funding. that develops national consensus standards for a wide variety of devices and procedures. www.weizmann.ac.il
AR · Analysis Request #: The collection of concurrently requested analyses for a sample. Has unique ID and action log
ASP · Application Service Provider #: i) an ASP deploys, hosts and manages access to a packaged application to multiple parties from a centrally managed facility. The applications are delivered over networks on a subscription basis. This delivery model speeds implementation, minimizes the expenses and risks incurred across the application life cycle, and overcomes the chronic shortage of qualified technical personnel available in-house. www.comptia.org ii) an ASP hosts a variety of applications on a central server. For a fee, customers can access the applications that interest them over secure Internet connections or a private network. This means that they do not need to purchase, install and maintain the software themselves; instead they rent the applications they need from their ASP. www.x-solutions.poet.com
Best of Breed #: The best product of its type. Organisations often purchase software from different vendors in order to obtain the best-of-breed for each application area; for example, a human resources package from one vendor and an accounting package from another. While enterprise solution (ERP) vendors provide a wealth of applications for the enterprise and tout their integrated system as the superior solution, every module may not be best-of-breed. It is difficult to excel in every niche. www.answers.com
CMS · Content Management System #: i) In the context of a Web site, a CMS is a collection of tools designed to allow the creation, modification organisation and removal of information. It is common for a CMS to require users to have no knowledge of HTML in order to create new Web pages. www.bized.ac.uk ii) a system used to organize and facilitate collaborative content creation. internal.bath.ac.uk iii) a document centric collaborative application for managing documents and other content. A CMS is often a web application and often it is used as a method of managing web sites and web content
FOSS · Free Open Source Software #: Also see glossary item OSS (i) a joint term sometimes used when refering to the Free Software and Open Source communities as a whole without differentiating between the terms and the matching philosophies. www.libervis.com (ii) an acronym that is most often used in English-speaking military software communities.The acronym was first used in a 2003 MITRE report that documented widespread use of, and reliance on, free software and open source software in the United States Department of Defense. www.wikipedia.org
Gap analysis #: i) The process of determining, documenting, and approving the variance between business requirements and system capabilities in terms of packaged application features and technical architecture. www.georgetown.edu ii) The process of determining and evaluating the variance or distance between two items’ properties being compared. http://uis.georgetown.edu/
HIPAA - Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act #: A US regulation that gives patients greater access to their own medical records and more control over how their personally identifiable health information is used. The regulation also addresses the obligations of healthcare providers and health plans to protect health information. In general, covered entities such as health plans, healthcare clearinghouses, and healthcare providers which conduct certain financial and administrative transactions electronically had until April 14, 2003, to comply. www.microsoft.com
How-to #: a How-to is a document describing how to address a single, common use-case or issue
IAF · International Accreditation Forum #: International Accreditation Forum Inc. www.navigateinternationalstandards.com
ILAC · International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation #: an international partner with IAF and ISO. www.navigateinternationalstandards.com
ISO · International Standards Organization #: ISO does not create standards but - as with ANSI - provide a means of verifying that a proposed standard has met certain requirements for due process, consensus, and other criteria by those developing the standard. www.orafaq.com
JC · Job Card #: The work sheet collection of analyses grouped together for work-flow purposes, i.e. all analyses intended for the same lab instrument, work station or analist, or analyses batched together for a specific client
LDAP #: In TCP/IP, a protocol that enables users to locate people, organizations, and other resources in an Internet directory or intranet directory. www.sabc.co.za
LIMS · Laboratory Information Management System #: From the Wikipedia: A LIMS is computer software that is used in the laboratory for the management of samples, laboratory users, instruments, standards and other laboratory functions such as invoicing, plate management, and work flow automation
LSP · LIMS Service Provision #: LIMS service on the ASP (application service provision) model. The LIMS is hosted off-site and offered and priced as a service accessible via the web - full functionality and branded to individual lab colours. Brings LIMS applications within reach of smaller labs. Also see ASP: an ASP hosts applications on a central server. For a fee, customers access the applications over secure Internet connections or network. This means that they do not need to purchase, install and maintain the software themselves, they rent the applications they need from their ASP. www.x-solutions.poet.com
Metrology #: i) The science of measurement. There are two branches of metrology: legal metrology deals with settling legal requirements for measurement and physical metrology provides national measurement standards and tests measuring and calibration equipment. The correct calibration of equipment underpins all other forms of conformity assessment. www.med.govt.nz. (ii) Metrology is the science and process of ensuring that a measurement meets specified degrees of both accuracy and precision. en.wikipedia.org
MITP · project methodology #: Managing the Implementation of the Total Project - the project methodology developed by IBM, ISO 9000 conformant and taught at the Stellenbosch Business School in the 90s
OSS · Open Source Software #: software for which the underlying programming code is available to users so that they may read it, make changes to it, and build new versions of the software incorporating their changes. There are many types of Open Source Software, mainly differing in the licensing term under which altered copies of the source code must be redistributed. www.domainsmagazine.com
PLC - Programmable Logic Controller #: microprocessor-based industrial control system. It communicates with other process control components through data links. It is used in process control for simple switching tasks, PID control, complex data manipulation, arithmetic operations, timing and process and machine control. www.onesixsigma.com
QMS · Quality management system #: Quality management system. Such as ISO/IEC 17025
RSS · Rich Site Summary #: RDF Site Summary, or Rich Site Summary, or Really Simple Syndication – A lightweight XML format for distributing news headlines and other content on the Web (www.jisc.ac.uk) How does it work? A Web site can allow other sites to publish some of its content by creating an RSS document and registers the document with an RSS publisher. A web publisher can post a link to the rss feed so users can read the distributed content on his/her site (mason.gmu.edu)
SCADA - Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition #: (i) also System Control and Data Acquisition or Security, Control and Data Acquisition. A common process control application that collects data from sensors on the shop floor or in remote locations and sends them to a central computer for management and control. www.cxrlarus.com (ii) Software systems and algorithms used to provide real-time instructions to plant automation equipment such as programmable logic controllers (PLC). www.bridgefieldgroup.com
SDMS - Scientific Data Management System #: i) in contrast to Data Management (DM) definition and usage by commercial enterprises, Scientific Data Management (SDM) focuses and tailors DM techniques to scientific data resources management and adapts them to scientific research goals. www.cscs.ch. ii) many laboratories have invested in SDMS/ECM (Scientific Data Management System/Electronic Content Management) to help them manage the huge volumes of data that are created in their labs. An SDMS/ECM allows them to collect, organize and search through their vast data library. www.labtronics.com
SOA - service-oriented architecture #: a collection of services that communicate with each other. The services are self-contained and do not depend on the context or state of the other service. They work within a distributed systems architecture. www.dmreview.com
SOAP - Simple Object Access Protocol #: a standard for exchanging XML-based messages over a computer network, normally using HTTP. SOAP forms the foundation layer of the web services stack, providing a basic messaging framework that more abstract layers can build on. en.wikipedia.org
SOP · Standard Operating Procedure #: documents that describe a specific method of accomplishing a task that is to be followed precisely the same way every time. www.madison.k12.wi.us
TQM - Total Quality Management #: i) a general process framework that grew out of the work of Deming in Japan after WWII. The framework is focused on specifying the processes necessary to ensure incremental process improvement. Unlike most process frameworks, this one also provides a large number of intellectual tools to be used during process improvement and it also defines some processes in considerable detail. pathfinderpeople.blogs.com/hslahman. ii) Total Quality Management. A comprehensive system of measuring the efficiency, effectiveness and adaptability of the total process. www.asresearch.com
UDDI #: XML-based protocol that provides a distributed directory that enables businesses to list themselves on the Internet and discover other services. Similar to a telephone number, businesses can list themselves by name, product, location, or the Web services they offer. www.reactivity.com
Wire frame model #: Traditionally used for drawings and CAD, e.g. The basic framework of a part model constructed of wires and surface parts (hannawestside.anderson5.net). In LIMS development projects, Bika analysts often build html wire frame models to communicate design principles to sponsors and future users. Their feedback is then used to improve the LIMS design
WSDL - Web Services Description Language #: an XML-formatted language used to describe a Web service's capabilities as collections of communication endpoints capable of exchanging messages. WSDL is an integral part of UDDI, an XML-based worldwide business registry. WSDL is the language that UDDI uses. WSDL was developed jointly by Microsoft and IBM. www.hta-bi.bfh.ch
WURFL · Wireless Universal Resource File #: part of a FOSS - Free and Open Source - community effort focused on the problem of presenting content on the wide variety of wireless devices. The WURFL itself is an XML configuration file which contains information about device capabilities and features for a variety of mobile devices. Device information is contributed by developers around the world and the WURFL is updated frequently reflecting new wireless devices coming on the market. Luca Passani is the driving force behind WURFL.

Methods

EDTA - Ethylene Diamine Tetra Acetic acid #: i) a complex molecule used medically to chelate metal ions in cases of lead or heavy metal poisoning. wordnet.princeton.edu. ii) acronym for ethylene diamine tetra acetate (C 10 H 16 N 2 O 8 ). This large organic compound binds to many different metal ions and prevents them from reacting with any other chemical that might be present in solution. ... www.chem.ubc.ca
Elution #: the process of extracting one material from another by washing with a solvent to remove adsorbed material from an adsorbent, as in washing of loaded ion-exchange resins to remove captured ions. http://wordnet.princeton.edu
FIA – Flow Injection Analysis #: microchemical technique to automate wet chemical methods. In a FIA system, a carrier solution and the chemical reagents are continuously pumped through tubes, mixing coils and finally through a flow cell in a detector. A small portion of the sample is injected into the carrier. The carrier merges with one or more reagents to produce a chemical reaction. The resulting colour change in the sample zone is measured in the detector. The time between injection and detection is typically 1 minute. The dispersion or dilution of the sample zone is controlled by the system components, i.e. injected volume, flow rates and length and diameter of the tubing. When the dispersed sample zone reaches the flow cell of the detector neither the chemical reaction nor the dispersion process must have reached completion or a steady state. Keeping identical conditions for both samples and standards makes evaluation and quantification reproducible and precise. www.foss.dk
PQL - Practical Quantitation Limits #: the lowest level of quantitation that can be reliably achieved within specified limits of precision and accuracy. www.mfe.govt.nz
RT-PCR. Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction #: Powerful technique for producing millions of copies of specific parts of the genetic code of an organism so that it may be readily analyzed. More specifically, RT-PCR produces copies of a specific region of complementary DNA that has been converted from RNA. The technique is often used to help in the identification of an infectious agent. www.cdc.gov
TCD - Thermal conductivity detector #: A number of detectors are used in gas chromatography. The most common are the flame ionization detector (FID) and the thermal conductivity detector (TCD). Both are sensitive to a wide range of components, and both work over a wide range of concentrations. While TCDs are essentially universal and can be used to detect any component other than the carrier gas (as long as their thermal conductivities are different from that of the carrier gas, at detector temperature), FIDs are sensitive primarily to hydrocarbons, and are more sensitive to them than TCD. However, an FID cannot detect water. Both detectors are also quite robust. Since TCD is non-destructive, it can be operated in-series before an FID (destructive), thus providing complementary detection of the same analytes. en.wikipedia.org

Procedures

AES - Auger Electron Spectroscopy #: Auger (pronounced ~o-jay) electron spectroscopy is an electron spectroscopic method that uses a beam of electrons to knock electrons out of inner-shell orbitals. Auger electrons are ejected to conserve energy when electrons in higher shells fill the vacancy in the inner shell. These Auger electrons have energies characteristic of the emitting atom due to the characteristic energy-level structure of that element. elchem.kaist.ac.kr
Analyte #: the substance which a laboratory test aims to detect. In cholesterol testing, for example, the analyte is cholesterol. In genetic testing, the analyte could be, for example, a specific allele or genetic mutation. www.cs.uu.nl
Bray phosphorus test #: Bray "available" phosphorus test involves extraction of absorbed phosphorus with HCl and NH4F. Concentration of extracted phosphorus is determined by spectrophotometer. Bray phosphorus test is generally accepted as a probability indicator for phosphorus fertiliser response for pasture in higher rainfall areas. www.dlwc.nsw.gov.au
Colorimetry #: i) form of absorption spectroscopy in which a reagent that bonds with the species of interest is added to a liquid solution, resulting in a change in color of the solution. The method has been applied, for example, in the determination of the content of certain metals in atmospheric aerosols. amsglossary.allenpress.com/glossary/browse. ii) process of measuring the concentration of a known solution constituent by comparison with colors of standard solutions of that constituent. www.polytechnic.edu.na
ELISA - enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay #: A sensitive technique for accurately determining specific molecules in a mixed sample. The amount of protein or other antigen in a given sample is determined by means of an enzyme-catalysed colour change, avoiding both the hazards and expense of radioactive techniques. www.fao.org. an assay that relies on an enzymatic conversion reaction and is used to detect the presence of specific substances such as enzymes or viruses or antibodies or bacteria. wordnet.princeton.edu. A positive ELISA test generally is confirmed by the Western Blot test. www.aidsinfobbs.org
Fehling's test #: Test for Reducing Sugars, Keto-Enol-Tautomerism, Copper-Tartrate-Complex . www.uni-regensburg.de
FID - Flame Ionization Detector #: a type of detector used in gas chromatography. See GC FID. The Flame Ionization Detector (FID) is one of the many methods by which to analyze materials coming off of gas chromatography column. The detection of organic compounds is most effectively done with flame ionization. Biochemical compounds such as proteins, nucleotides, and pharmaceuticals can be studied with flame ionization as well as other detectors, like thermal conductivity, thermionic, or electrolytic conductivity due to the presence of nitrogen, phosphorus, or sulfur atoms or because of the universality of the thermal conductivity detector. However, typically the biochemical compounds have a greater amount of carbon present than other elements. This means that a particular compound may be more easily detected using flame ionization over the other methods because of higher carbon concentration and also flame ionizations sensitivity. http://en.wikipedia.org
FTIR - Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy #: FTIR measures the absorption caused by infrared active molecules. This technique involves generation of a light beam over a range of wavelengths in the near-IR portion of the spectrum. The beam passes through a parcel of atmosphere in which chemical species absorb IR radiation at characteristic wavelengths. The beam is reflected directly back on itself to the receiver/transmitter. The received spectrum is compared to a library spectrum for each chemical compound of interest so that the compounds present can be identified and qualified. Data analysis is conducted using a PC and a software package. www.aboutremediation.com
GC - Gas chromatography #: a method for separating substances in a mixture and measuring the relative quantities of substances. It is a useful technique for substances that do not decompose at high temperatures and when a very small quantity of sample is available. www.polymicro.com
GC FID - Gas Chromatograph(y) Flame Ionization Detector #: n GC/FID, the FID or flame ionization detector detects analytes by measuring an electrical current generated by electrons from burning carbon particles in the sample. The flame ionization detector (FID) is a non-selective detector used in conjunction with gas chromatography. Because it is non-selective, there is a potential for many non-target compounds present in samples to interfere with this analysis and for poor resolution especially in complex samples. The FID works by directing the gas phase output from the column into a hydrogen flame. A voltage of 100-200V is applied between the flame and an electrode located away from the flame. The increased current due to electrons emitted by burning carbon particles is then measured. Although the signal current is very small (the ionization efficiency is only 0.0015%) the noise level is also very small (<10-13 amp) and with a well-optimized system, sensitivities of 5 x 10-12 g/ml for n-heptane at a signal/noise ratio of 2 can be easily realized. Except for a very few organic compounds (e.g. carbon monoxide, etc.) the FID detects all carbon containing compounds. The detector also has an extremely wide linear dynamic range that extends over, at least five orders of magnitude with a response index between 0.98-1.02. http://www.chromatography-online.org/
GCP - Good Clinical Practices #: the practices, responsibilities and actions of the sponsor, investigator, and monitor, that must be followed in any clinical trial to ensure the safety of study participants and the quality of the data. www.painceptor.com
GLP · Good Laboratory Practice #: i) a collection of detailed standards that mandate specific operating procedures that covers basic research, data acquisition and reporting. Also included are laboratory design and utilisation requirements enforced by regulatory agencies. www.sciteclabs.com ii) Good Laboratory Practice, international regulations that must be observed to ensure high quality experimental standards and reliable data. www.epidauros.com
HIPAA - Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act #: A US regulation that gives patients greater access to their own medical records and more control over how their personally identifiable health information is used. The regulation also addresses the obligations of healthcare providers and health plans to protect health information. In general, covered entities such as health plans, healthcare clearinghouses, and healthcare providers which conduct certain financial and administrative transactions electronically had until April 14, 2003, to comply. www.microsoft.com
HPLC - High Performance Liquid Chromatography #: a family of analytical chemistry techniques for the separation of mixtures. It involves passing the sample, a mixture which contains the analyte, in the "mobile phase", often in a stream of solvent, through the "stationary phase." The stationary phase retards the passage of the components of the sample. When components pass through the system at different rates they become separated in time, like runners in a marathon. ... en.wikipedia.org
Hydrolysis #: [Greek, hydro= water + Iysis= breaking] Breaking the bond between two building blocks by adding a water molecule, reversing the dehydration-condensation reaction. embryology. med.unsw.edu.au. The splitting of a compound into fragments by the addition of water, the hydroxyl group being incorporated in one fragment and the hydrogen atom in the other. www.shodor.org
IC · Ion Chromatography #: technique for separating chemicals that are ionic. Chemicals can then be identified or quantitated. Typically used for inorganic anions such as sulfate, phosphate, or chloride. www.chemir.com
ICP - Inductively Coupled Plasma #: (i) ICP, combined with optical emission spectrometry, is a commonly used technique to determine chemical analysis of master alloys. www.metallurgaluminium.com (ii) a high temperature conductive gaseous mixture, contained and energized by a radio frequency electromagnetic field. Often used in AES (Auger Electron Spectroscopy) as a source of energy for the generation of emission spectra from elements. www.ionsigtech.com
Kjeldahl method #: a method for the quantitative determination of nitrogen in chemical substances developed by Johan Kjeldahl. The method as described in Julius Cohen's Practical Organic Chemistry of 1910 consists of heating a substance with sulfuric acid which oxidizes nitrogen to ammonium sulfate. In this step potassium sulfate is added in order to increase the boiling point of the medium from 337°C to 373°C. Chemical decomposition of the sample is complete when the medium has become clear and colorless (initially very dark). The solution is then distilled with sodium hydroxide added in small quantities, which converts the ammonium salt to ammonia. The end of the condenser is dipped into a solution of hydrochloric acid or sulfuric acid of precisely known concentration. The ammonia reacts with the acid and the remainder of the acid is then titrated with a sodium carbonate solution with a methyl orange PH indicator. In modern times the Kjeldahl method is largely automated and makes use of specific catalysts like mercury oxide or copper sulfate to speed up the decomposition. en.wikipedia.org
Laminar flow cabinet #: A laminar flow cabinet creates a particle-free working environment by taking air through a filtration system and exhausting it across a work surface in a laminar or unidirectional air stream. Commonly, the filtration system compromises of a pre-filter and a HEPA filter. Because the air within the cabinet does not contain any airborne particles, it is also sterile. The laminar flow cabinet is enclosed on the sides and kept under constant positive pressure in order to prevent the infiltration of contaminated room air. The most common application of the laminar flow cabinet is to provide an individual clean air environment for small items not requiring a full-size cleanroom. In the laboratory, individual laminar flow cabinets are commonly used for specialized work such as spin coating to eliminate airborne contamination that would otherwise interfere with work processes. www.polymer-physics.uwaterloo.ca
LC - Liquid chromatography #: an analytical chromatographic technique that is useful for separating ions or molecules that are dissolved in a solvent. If the sample solution is in contact with a second solid or liquid phase, the different solutes will interact with the other phase to differing degrees due to differences in adsorption, ion-exchange, partitioning, or size. These differences allow the mixture components to be separated from each other by using these differences to determine the transit time of the solutes through a column. www.polymicro.com
MS · Mass spectrometer #: instrument used to measure the masses of molecules and atoms by volatilizing and then ionizing them. The ions are then separated magnetically according to their mass-to-charge ratio. www4.nau.edu
PCR - Polymerase Chain Reaction #: a technique for amplifying DNA, making it easier to isolate, clone and sequence. www.inproteomics.com
Pharmacopoeia #: authoritative treatises on drugs and preparations, their description, formulation, analytic composition, physical constants, main chemical properties used in identification, standards for strength, purity, and dosage, chemical tests for determining identity and purity, etc. They are usually published under governmental jurisdiction. They differ from formularies in that they are far more complete; formularies simply list drugs or collections of formulas for the compounding of medicinal preparations. However, sometimes the terms "pharmacopoeia" and "formulary" are used interchangeably. In addition to serving as current reference sources, pharmacopoeias and formularies provide an historical record of pharmacy practice, drug use, and drug availability. www.nlm.nih.gov
Potentiometric #: the apparent equivalence point of a titration at which a relatively large potential change is observed. www.flw.com
Pycnometer or Pyknometer #: a device used for measuring fluid density, also known as a specific gravity bottle. Uses an appropriate working fluid such as water or mercury to find a volume for use in Archimedes' principle. Used in ISO standard: ISO 1183-1:2004. www.wikipedia.org
Reducing Sugar #: A reducing sugar is a type of sugar with a ketone or aldehyde group. This allows the sugar to act as a reducing agent, for example in the Maillard reaction. en.wikipedia.org
RSD - Relative Standard Deviation #: A measure of the reproducibility of an analysis. This is determined by dividing the standard deviation (of a sample rather than the population) by the mean for the same set and then multiplying by 100%. www.ne-wea.org
SOP · Standard Operating Procedure #: documents that describe a specific method of accomplishing a task that is to be followed precisely the same way every time. www.madison.k12.wi.us
Standardisation (standardization) #: a process of equalizing electrode potentials in one standardizing solution (buffer) so that potentials developed in unknown solutions can be converted to pH values. www.flw.com
TBN - Total Base Number #: Total Base Number, a measure of the amount of basic additives in a lubricant. High TBN is desirable in a crankcase oil to control corrosive engine wear from the acids of combustion. May be measured by ASTM test methods D 664 (Total Base Number) or D 2896 (Alkalinity Value). These methods may give different results for a given oil. www.dcpetroleum.com
Tribology #: i) the process of monitoring the condition of equipment through the analysis of properties of its lubricating and other oils. Typically conducted through the measurement of particulates in the oil, or the measurement of the chemical composition of the oil (Spectographic Oil Analysis). Commonly used for monitoring the condition of large gearboxes, engines and transformers, amongst other applications. www.maintenanceresources.com. ii) derived from the Greek tribos meaning I rub. Formally defined, it is the science and technology of interacting surfaces in relative motion and all practices related thereto. In other words, it is the science and technology of friction, lubrication, and wear. The study of tribology is perhaps most commonly applied in bearing design - but extends into other unlikely areas including hair care products such as conditioners. en.wikipedia.org
Turbidity #: The light-scattering property associated with suspended particles in a liquid. A turbid solution appears cloudy. www.ne-wea.org
UPLC - Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography #: see HPLC - High-performance liquid chromatography. By using smaller particles, speed and peak capacity (number of peaks resolved per unit time in gradient separations) can be extended to new limits, termed Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography, or UPLC. The technology takes full advantage of chromatographic principles to run separations using columns packed with smaller particles and/or higher flow rates for increased speed, with superior resolution and sensitivity. www.lcgcmag.com
UV/Vis Spectroscopy #: Ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy or ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometry involves the spectroscopy of photons and spectrophotometry. It uses light in the visible and adjacent near ultraviolet (UV) and near infrared (NIR) ranges. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UV-Visible_spectroscopy
Western blot test #: A technique in which protein is transferred from an electrophoretic gel to a cellulose or nylon support membrane following electrophoresis. A particular protein molecule can then be identified by probing the blot with a radiolabelled antibody which binds only the specific protein to which the antibody was prepared. Useful, for example, for measurement of levels of production of a specific protein in a particular tissue or at particular developmental stage. www.fao.org
XRFS - X-Ray Fluorescence Spectroscopy #: a spectroscopic technique that is commonly used with solids, in which X-rays are used to excite a sample and generate secondary X-rays. The X-rays broadcast into the sample by X-ray fluorescence spectrometers eject inner-shell electrons. Outer-shell electrons take the place of the ejected electrons and emit photons in the process. The wavelength of the photons depends on the energy difference between the outer-shell and inner-shell electron orbitals. The amount of X-ray fluorescence is very sample dependent and quantitative analysis requires calibration with standards that are similar to the sample matrix. http://test-equipment.globalspec.com

Project management

Alpha Testing #: (i) Testing conducted internally by the manufacturer, alpha testing takes a new product through a protocol of testing procedures to verify product functionality and capability. www.wrightcolorgraphics.com (ii) In-house testing of a software product. www.eabnet.org.uk
Beta testing #: (i) testing conducted at one or more customer sites by the end-user of a delivered software product or system. This is usually a "friendly" user and the testing is conducted before general release for distribution. www.stsc.hill.af.mil (ii) User testing of a completed information system using real data in the real user environment. www.cbu.edu
Beta version #: (i) a product in that is in its final stages of testing. Often, especially with FOSS, a beta version of a product (or beta product), will be made available to the public for general use and may contain minor bugs. This is done so that the product can be tested on a large-scale in the field, and allow people to start using new tools as soon as possible. www.cpsr-peru.org (ii) In software engineering, development stage terminology expresses how the development of a piece of software has progressed and how much further development it may require. Each major version of a product usually goes through a stage when new features are added (alpha stage), then a stage when it is actively debugged (beta stage), and finally a stage when all important bugs have been removed (stable stage). Intermediate stages may also be recognized. en.wikipedia.org
Change Control #: The review, approval/disapproval, implementation, tracking, closure, and status reporting of proposed changes to an item. cio.osu.edu
Contingency Plan #: An alternative for action if things don't go as planned or if an expected result fails to materialize.
CPAR - Corrective and Preventive Action Request #: a system to deal with quality issues and manage actions taken to resolve them all within the proven ISO framework. www.intimedata.co.za
ERP - Enterprise Resource Planning #: an industry term for the broad set of activities supported by multi-module application software that help a manufacturer or other business manage the important parts of its business, including product planning, parts purchasing, maintaining inventories, interacting with suppliers, providing customer service, and tracking orders. www.redfernservices.com
ERP - Enterprise Resource Plan #: software that integrates departments and functions across a company into one computer system. ERP runs off a single database, enabling various departments to share information and communicate with each other. ERP systems comprise function-specific modules designed to interact with the other modules, eg Accounts Receivable, Accounts Payable, Purchasing, etc. www.theaccountspayablenetwork.com
IDE - Integrated Development Environment #: en.wiktionary.org/wiki/IDE
PERT - Program Evaluation and Review Technique #: a project management technique for determining how much time a project needs before it is completed. each activity is assigned a best, worst, and most probable completion time estimate. These estimates are used to determine the average completion time. The average times are used to figure the critical path and the standard deviation of completion times for the entire project. cio.osu.edu
Phase Gate #: The point at the end of a project phase where project performance is measured and a decision is made whether the project can move to the next phase or whether the project should be killed. cio.osu.edu
Project Charter / Definition #: A document consisting of a mission statement, including background, purpose, and benefits, a goal, objectives, scope, assumptions and constraints. A Project Charter clearly documents project definition in order to bring a project team into necessary agreementcio.osu.edu
RBS - Resource Breakdown Structure #: in project management, the Resource Breakdown Structure (RBS) is a standardized list of personnel resources related by function and arranged in a hierarchical structure. The Resource Breakdown Structure standardizes the Departments personnel resources to facilitate planning and controlling of project work. It defines assignable resources such as personnel, from a functional point of view; it identifies "who" is doing the work. The total resources define the Top Level, and each subsequent level is a subset of the resource category (or level) above it. Each descending (lower) level represents an increasingly detailed description of the resource until small enough to be used in conjunction with the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) to allow the work to be planned, monitored and controlled. en.wikipedia.org
Risk #: the cumulative effect of the chances of uncertain occurrences, which will adversely affect project objectives. It is the degree of exposure to negative events and their probable consequences. Project risk is characterized by three risk factors namely: risk event, risk probability and the amount at stake. Risk is the opposite of opportunity. cio.osu.edu
Scope creep #: (i) the tendency of a project to include more tasks or to implement more systems than originally specified, which often leads to higher than planned project costs and an extension of the initial implementation date. bridgefieldgroup.com. (ii) Scope creep is the slow and continuous expansion of the scope or a project, such as data type or routine, resulting in a broad, unfocused, and unmanageable scope and usually leads to cost-overruns, missed deadlines, and loss of original goals. www.tjiss.net
Sponsor #: Individual or body for whom the project is undertaken and who is the primary risk taker. cio.osu.edu
TOR - Terms of Reference #: Definition of the requirements and objectives of the services requested under the terms of a contract or tender, including, where necessary, the methods and means to be used and/or results to be achieved. www.projectmanagement.ro
WBS - Work Breakdown Structure #: A task-oriented detailed hierarchical breakdown, which defines the work packages and tasks at a very low level. cio.osu.edu

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