Glossary

Bureau of Land Management (United States Department of the Interior)

A collection of contiguous records that are recorded as a unit, and the units are separated by interblock gaps.

In programming languages, a subdivision of a program that serves to group related statements, delimit routines, specify storage allocation, delineate the applicability of labels, or segment parts of the program for other purposes. In FORTRAN, a block may be a sequence of statements; in COBOL, it may be a physical record.

(ISO) A string of records, words, or characters that for technical or logical purposes are treated as a unity.

A group of bits or digits that are transmitted as a unit and that may be encoded for error-control purposes.

(ISO) The part of the error control procedure that is used for determining that a block of data is structured according to given rules.

(NIST) A diagram of a system, instrument or computer, in which the principal parts are represented by suitably annotated geometrical figures to show both the basic functions of the parts and the functional relationships between them.

(ISO) The number of records, words or characters in a block.

(ANSI) A measure of the size of a block, usually specified in units such as records, words, computer words, or characters.

A sub-unit of the overall randomization where all treatment groups (Subject randomizations) or all dispensable units (Kit Randomization) are randomized according to the block ratio. The block size is a multiple of the sum of the ratio values for each treatment group or dispensable unit.

(ISO) The process, initiated by a single action, of transferring one or more blocks of data.

The act of preventing unwanted molecules from binding to a surface. It is commonly used to prevent antibodies or DNA from binding directly to a membrane instead of binding to a desired biomolecule. It is often done by adding milk proteins (casein) to a protein blot or salmon sperm DNA to a nucleic acid blot after the target molecule has been attached.

(ISO) The number of records in a block. The number is computed by dividing the size of the block by the size of each record contained therein. Synonym: Grouping Factor.

Blood, blood components, and source plasma.

A cell that circulates in the blood.

Blood from which all blood corpuscles, with the exception of platelet cells, have been removed (e.g. by centrifugation) resulting in a clear, straw-colored fluid, which clots as easily as whole blood.

Small, disc-shaped, metabolically active cells circulating in the blood. They are essential in the blood clotting process since they aggregate to form a plug on the injured surface of the blood vessel.

The liquid expressed from clotted blood or clotted blood plasma.

Infectious microorganisms that are carried in the blood of infected humans or animals and that can be transmitted through contact with infected blood, body fluids, tissues, or organs. Blood-borne pathogens are implicated in diseases such as malaria, syphilis, brucellosis, tuberculosis, hepatitis B, and AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome). Workplace transmission of a blood-borne pathogen can occur via accidental inoculation with a contaminated “sharp” exposure through open cuts, skin abrasions, and mucous membranes of eyes and mouth indirect transmission (e.g., touching mouth, eyes, nose or open cuts with contaminated hands).

1. As a verb, this means to transfer DNA, RNA or protein to an immobilizing matrix.2. As a noun, it usually refers to the autoradiograph produced during the Southern or northern blotting procedures. The variations on this theme depend on the molecules:• Southern blot: the molecules transferred are DNA molecules, and the probe (q.v.) is DNA.• northern blot: the molecules transferred are RNA, and the probe is DNA.• western blot: the molecules transferred are protein, and the probe is labelled antibody.• Southwestern blot: the molecules transferred are protein, and the probe is DNA.• dot blot: DNA, RNA or protein are dotted directly onto the membrane support, so that they form discrete spots.• colony blot: the molecules (usually DNA) are from colonies of bacteria or yeast growing on a bacteriological plate.

Refers to machines that combine formation of a plastic container by blow molding, aseptic filling of a liquid product and sealing of the final package.

The bleeding-off of fixed quantities of accumulated feed water to reduce concentrated impurities. If these impurities are permitted to accumulate, they may pass through the distillation process and contaminate the distillate or foul the distillation system.

The withdrawal of water from an evaporating water system to maintain a solids balance within specified limits of concentration of those solids.

The withdrawal of water from an evaporating water system to maintain a solids balance within specified limits of concentration of those solids.