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As our industry changes we are constantly encountering new terms and concepts. We add them here to help you stay current on industry lingo.
If you encounter a new term that does not appear here, please Contact Us so that we can research and add it.
# A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
AAALAC International (the Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care International) is a private, nonprofit organization that promotes the humane treatment of animals in science through voluntary accreditation and assessment pr...
| | 1.3.06
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The American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS) is a forum for the exchange of information and expertise in the care and use of laboratory animals. Since 1950, AALAS has been dedicated to the humane care and treatment of laboratory animals ...
| | 1.9.06
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Found in the CDC’s Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories manual, it involves practices suitable for work with laboratory animals infected with indigenous or exotic agent, agents that present a potential for aerosol transmission, a...
| | 11.7.08
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A machine which produces chilled water typically for facility air conditioning. An absorption chiller utilizes a physical and chemical process for the compression cycle normally found in a refrigeration cycle. Absorption chillers use heat instead of mecha...
| | 7.13.05
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ACRS is a standard employed by the Internal Revenue Service to establish useful lives for most depreciable property placed in service after 1980 for the purpose of recovering the property's capital cost through depreciation allowances. This system establi...
| | 2.14.03
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A rate of depreciation for a building system that is faster than that of the building. Used to increase tax savings. See Accelerated Cost Recovery System (ACRS)....
| | 3.6.03
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An indoor building environment with a temperature thermally acceptable to 80 percent of the building's occupants (per ASHRAE Standard-1981)....
| | 2.14.03
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A raised-floor system used in computer installations and open-plan
offices to provide under-floor space for wire distribution and, in some applications, distribution of
conditioned air; it allows outlets to be located anywhere in the room. The system co...
| | 2.14.03
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Acidic liquid or solid particles that are small enough to become airborne. High concentrations of acid aerosols can be irritating to the lungs and have been associated with some respiratory disorders such as asthma. These particles are also highly corrosi...
| | 2.14.03
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Drains and vents designed for the disposal of acid-based industrial fluids and sediments....
| | 2.14.03
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See Active Construction Management....
| | 2.14.03
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The set of sound frequencies with their associated amplitudes that make up a given sound. The component frequencies of a complicated waveform can be determined through fourier analysis.
...
| | 11.22.04
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See Accelerated Cost Recovery System....
| | 2.14.03
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An approach to hazardous materials
remediation contracting created by Terra Insurance Company. It permits consulting engineers to head up the
equivalent of a design/build site remediation project team without having to establish separate contracting
an...
| | 2.14.03
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In pesticides, the component that kills or otherwise controls the target pests. Pesticides are regulated primarily on the basis of active ingredients. This definition also applies to disinfectants, sterilants, medications, and other chemical mixtures.
...
| | 2.14.03
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Technology used to reduce magnetic noise by generating the antiphase magnetic field.
...
| | 1.29.04
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Abbreviated as ASP, a specification for a dynamically created Web page with a .ASP extension that utilizes ActiveX scripting—usually VB Script or Jscript code. When a browser requests an ASP, the Web server generates a page with HTML code and sends ...
| | 7.21.04
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A vibration reduction and shielding technology used to insulate precision instruments, such as semi-conductor production equipment and measuring instruments, and other vibration-sensitive equipment like electron microscopes, from the vibration of direct d...
| | 1.29.04
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Providing a variety of work settings to fit diverse individual or group activities, such as a lounge area, desk work area, or conference area....
| | 2.14.03
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A form of cost accounting that focuses on the costs of performing specific functions (processes, activities, tasks, etc.) rather than on the costs of organizational units. Activity-based costing generates more accurate cost and performance information rel...
| | 5.13.05
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See Americans with Disabilities Act....
| | 2.14.03
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Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)Accessibility Guidelines...
| | 2.14.03
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Loss of bond between a sealant and a substrate where the sealant
itself remains intact....
| | 2.14.03
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Procedures that reduce or eliminate exposure to a hazard, e.g. scheduling work with toxic substances at night when the majority of employees are not present....
| | 1.22.04
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See Accelerated Depreciation Rate...
| | 3.6.03
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A method of treating waste in which activated carbon removes organic
matter from wastewater....
| | 2.14.03
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Life or processes that require, or are not destroyed by, the presence of
oxygen....
| | 2.14.03
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Aerobiology is a branch of biology that studies airborne organisms and airborne biological particles, for example, pollen and spores....
| | 6.12.06
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Aerosols are droplets of liquid that are suspended in the air. Can refer to disinfectant solutions sprayed into the air or on surfaces, disease-carrying drops of saliva, or the moisture from exhaled breath....
| | 7.28.03
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Contracts between partnerships, parent companies and
subsidiaries, or between otherwise affiliated parties. In negotiating contracts for construction services, full
disclosure of all affiliated-party subcontracts is important to determine the contractor...
| | 2.14.03
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A construction management technique in which a third party acts in a fiduciary role as the owner's agent during the tenure of a project. The agency construction manager—a member of the project delivery team along with the design professional and the...
| | 2.24.03
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In its plainest sense, an aggregate is the sum or total of a group of numbers. In insurance, aggregate limit, the total amount payable under an insurance policy regardless of the number of claims. Also refers to crushed stone, crushed slag, or water-worn ...
| | 2.14.03
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See Automatic Guided Vehicle Systems....
| | 2.14.03
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Air Handling Unit...
| | 2.21.03
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The procedure of adjusting the airflow in an HVAC system to meet the design intent as to the positive/negative air pressures at specified locations....
| | 1.22.04
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Air turbulence in laboratories, specifically near a fume hood, created by the movement of people, doors opening, etc....
| | 2.21.03
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The rate of air ventilation expressed as the number of times per hour that
the air volume in a given room or building is changed by an HVAC system. Equals the cubic-feet-per-hour
of air flow in and out of a specified space divided by the cubic feet of t...
| | 2.21.03
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Another term for pneumatic tubes....
| | 2.21.03
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The frequency with which all of the air in a building is replaced
with outside air. See also Air Changes....
| | 4.13.05
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The direction of air movement in a building, area, or animal caging system. It can be managed by creating areas of higher or lower pressure with respect to the surroundings....
| | 6.29.05
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Curved or angular members at a fume hood entrance that are positioned on the sides and at benchtop level of the fume hood to decrease the chance of hazardous fumes escaping into lab areas....
| | 2.21.03
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In general, a small room in a R&D facility with two doors that are mechanically or electrically interlocked to limit access between contaminated laboratories and corridors....
| | 2.21.03
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Any space used to convey air in a building, furnace, or structure. The space
above a suspended ceiling is often used as an air plenum....
| | 2.21.03
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Air pressure can be either positive or negative in reference to a designated area. In animal facilities, an animal room may have air pressure lower than the outside hall, causing the air pressure in the room to be declared "negative" in relation to that ...
| | 9.12.03
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The level of pollutants that may not be exceeded in a given time
and place....
| | 4.13.05
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Not to be confused with an air lock, a chamber located between a contamination controlled area and the outside environment. Personnel wearing appropriate protective clothing stand within the shower and allow the air jets to blow on them for a predetermin...
| | 1.22.04
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An structure comprised of an exterior impermeable material that creates a weather protection envelope that is then inflated by mechanical means. For all intents and purposes, it is akin to a large balloon that can accommodate habitable space within. There...
| | 1.12.05
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Coatings that normally reach a desired hardness without external heat....
| | 4.13.05
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A ventilation device that warms incoming air with latent
heat in exhaust air....
| | 4.13.05
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A refrigeration or air-conditioning system that removes heat
from one air source and transfers it to another air stream. It is usually applied to heat inside air by cooling
outside air. When operated in reverse, the system will perform like a typical ...
| | 4.13.05
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Refers to the pH of a chemical substance. Alkaline substances are chemically basic with a pH >7. Combined with fat, these substances form soaps. Alkaline detergents are used to wash animal caging....
| | 7.24.01
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Substances that cause an allergic reaction. Allergens are especially problematic in facilities housing rodents and rabbits....
| | 7.25.01
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An allergic reaction where the mucous membranes of the nose become
inflamed....
| | 4.13.05
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The cracking of the surfacing bitumen on a built-up roof, producing a pattern of cracks similar to an alligator's hide. The cracks may or may not extend through the surfacing bitumen. See also Cracking, Crazing, and Checking....
| | 6.1.06
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Refers to cells, tissues, or organs transplanted from another donor....
| | 10.29.07
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An amount that is to be added or deducted from the stated bid amount if
the bidder's proposed changes in project scope, materials and/or methods of construction are accepted....
| | 4.13.05
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In response to the competing demands of reduced occupancy costs, improved productivity, and increased worker satisfaction, many organizations are turning to "alternative officing." This concept is an umbrella term for an evolving spectrum of approaches to...
| | 7.25.01
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Any unconfined portion of the atmosphere: open air, surrounding
air....
| | 4.13.05
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The level of diffuse, background light (as opposed to light
directed in one spot or task lighting)....
| | 4.13.05
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A measurement of existing vibration fields generated by things like traffic, mechanical systems, and earth movement....
| | 8.28.06
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A nationally recognized consensus setting organization.
...
| | 7.28.04
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The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (Public Law 101-336) provides wide-ranging civil-rights protection for people with disabilities in the areas of employment and accessibility to public and private services.
Disabilities include but are not lim...
| | 4.13.05
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Ammonia is a chemcial compound that is formed by the breakdown of amino acids. Urea, which is excreted in urine, is broken down into ammonia and carbon dioxide. Vivarium ventilation must remove high levels of accumulated ammonia and carbon dioxide from th...
| | 7.24.01
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Anaerobic pertains to the airless state. Refers to organisms that cannot live in the presence of air, in particular, oxygen....
| | 7.25.01
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Having male and female characteristics (andro/man + gyneka/woman). In reference to office furniture, indicates that a particular design can accommodate a wide range of body weights and body types to suit both males and females. Androgynous furniture desig...
| | 2.28.02
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A room padded with material that prevents sound and radiation
from entering or escaping. Sensitive electronic equipment, such as that used in airplane radar systems, is
often tested in anechoic chambers because there is negligible electromagnetic interf...
| | 7.20.01
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A device used to measure air flow. A good instrument not only for HVAC personnel, but for animal facility staff to measure the air flow in and out of animal rooms, animal racks, and hoods.
...
| | 7.22.03
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Drugs that alleviate pain or other sensations. Gaseous anesthetics require special ventilation to remove them from the work area. ...
| | 7.24.01
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Unit of length equal to 10-10m. While this unit is rarely used in modern physics, as it is roughly the size of a hydrogen atom, it is still in common use in chemistry and biology.
...
| | 11.22.04
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Tiny flakes of animal skin that often act as allergens....
| | 7.25.01
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When an animal is used to study a natural or induced disease that is similar to a human disease or condition....
| | 3.10.06
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As pertaining to animal rooms: a smaller room used as an entry to the larger animal room. This space may be ventilated to be negative to the corridor and the animal room, therefore providing a safety zone of directional air flow. This area can also be us...
| | 1.22.04
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Relating to the study and application of human measurements.
Anthropometric design is based on how people will use things. It affects such design elements as table and
desk heights, door and door knob locations, lines of sight from workstations and th...
| | 4.13.05
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Created a list of Select Agents that might be used in a terrorist attack and established rules for transferring those agents.
...
| | 7.6.05
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As the security of buildings becomes a greater priority, assessing the risk of a terrorist incident at your facility is important. Is your site a potential target for a terrorist attack? How does a facility manager prepare for that possibility?
The fir...
| | 7.6.05
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A chemical substance that has the ability to inhibit or stop the growth of bacteria and other microorganisms....
| | 7.24.01
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A substance that triggers the production of antibodies when introduced into the
body of an individual....
| | 4.13.05
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A chemical substance that reduces the population or kills microorganisms. Antimicrobials are often used to impregnate flooring, wall, and ceiling surfaces for use in aseptic areas such as surgical suites....
| | 2.27.08
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Chemical substances that inhibit the growth of or kill microorganisms but are still safe to use on living tissue....
| | 7.24.01
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See Alternative Officing....
| | 2.21.03
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A local area network proprietary to Apple Computer Corporation. Unlike
other systems which require networking equipment, AppleTalk is "free," in the sense that it's built into
every Apple Macintosh sold since the MacPlus. For this reason, it is very c...
| | 4.13.05
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The brain of an integrated building system that collects and
stores data and runs various software programs using the data....
| | 4.13.05
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Material, equipment or methods approved by the architect for use in a
construction project as being acceptable as the equivalent in essential attributes to the material, equipment
or methods specified in the contract documents....
| | 4.13.05
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A geological formation, group of formations or part of a formation capable of
yielding water to a well or spring....
| | 4.13.05
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A person who makes a profit from purchasing a product or security in one
market and then reselling the same product or security at a higher price in another market. While true
arbitrage involves no risk or speculation, the term is commonly used to des...
| | 4.13.05
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A means of resolving contractual disputes, without recourse to the courts,
by presenting the facts of the dispute as viewed by each party to an impartial arbiter or panel of arbiters,
usually arranged under the auspices of the American Arbitration Ass...
| | 4.13.05
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An arc flash is a short circuit through the air that occurs when insulation or isolation between electrified conductors is breached or can no longer withstand the applied voltage. As employees work on or near energized conductors or circuits, movement nea...
| | 10.11.07
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An observer of the construction process on-site who
acts for and is employed by the project architect to augment the services provided by the construction
administrator. Normally, an on-site project representative is not provided under an architect's ...
| | 4.13.05
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An open below-grade space next to a building used to admit light or air. May
also be used as an entrance to a basement or crawl space....
| | 4.13.05
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Animals having hard exoskeletons and paired, jointed legs. Insects and spiders are arthropods; vermin that can serve as vectors for disease. Biomedical research facilities must be built to be vermin proof. ...
| | 2.26.07
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Arthropod-borne viruses are a large group of viruses spread by certain invertebrate animals (arthropods), most commonly blood-sucking insects. In the United States, arboviruses are spread mainly by mosquitoes. Birds are often the source of infection for m...
| | 7.28.04
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A weighted fraction (i.e., a value between 0 and 1.0) that represents the effective portion of a speech signal capable of conveying intelligible speech to a listener. It can be calculated if enough information is available or measured using a reader, a li...
| | 4.13.05
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A liner placed beneath a surface impoundment or landfill that
restricts the escape of waste or its constituents from the impoundment or landfill....
| | 4.13.05
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A fine, flexible, non-combustible, inorganic fiber obtained from natural hydrous magnesium silicate. Asbestos can withstand high temperatures without change; is a poor heat conductor; and is fabricated into many forms either alone or with other ingredient...
| | 9.21.01
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A building material that contains at a minimum one percent asbestos. The building materials include spray or trowel applied surface finishes, thermal system insulation, and miscellaneous materials that include but are not liminted to roofing materials, wa...
| | 9.21.01
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Often found in Hazardous Material study reports and on bid documents.
...
| | 3.3.03
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To be free from pathogenic microorganisms and infection....
| | 7.24.01
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A space constructed of nonporous, easily cleanable surfaces that provides
an environment free of viable microorganisms. The area is supplied with HEPA-filtered laminar flow air
and is pressurized to prevent contamination....
| | 4.13.05
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In animal research, these are surgeries that approach the standards set
for human surgeries. Also called survival surgeries....
| | 4.13.05
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American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning
Engineers....
| | 4.13.05
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A measure of the proportions of an image (width to height) expressed in
either whole numbers or decimals. For example, standard TV has an aspect ratio of 12:9 (or 1.33:1) while
HDTV currently in use has an aspect ratio of 16:9 (or 1.78:1)....
| | 4.13.05
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Mixes incoming air with ambient air via high velocity aspirating air
streams. Frequently, this type of diffuser causes drafts within animal rooms with cages on racks....
| | 4.13.05
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In contracts and insurance policies, an agreement, expressed or
implied, which makes one party responsible for the risk involved in fulfilling the contract. Insurance
claimants who have assumed the risk cannot collect damages if it can be reasonably a...
| | 11.23.05
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An instrument able to image surfaces to molecular accuracy by mechanically probing their surface contours. A kind of proximal probe. A device in which the deflection of a sharp stylus mounted on a soft spring is monitored as the stylus is moved acro...
| | 1.20.04
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Space located in the interior of a building that is lit by natural light entering the
building through a light opening in the roof. Atria are often used for public areas. Tests at the University of
California, Berkeley, sky-simulation facility have pr...
| | 4.13.05
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An area considered to have air quality as good as or better than the
national ambient air quality standards as defined in the Clean Air Act. An area may be an attainment area
for one pollutant and a non-attainment area for others....
| | 4.13.05
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A chemical or agent that lures insects or other pests by stimulating their
sense of smell....
| | 4.13.05
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Group voice communication relying on exchanges among three or more participants. Microphones and loudspeakers replace telephone handsets so that groups of people in one or more remote locations can participate. Audio conferencing sometimes includes a capa...
| | 7.26.01
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A teleconferencing method allowing communication through the exchange of annotations, graphics, and still images....
| | 7.27.01
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Sound or the sense of hearing....
| | 7.24.01
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An industrial appliance that uses pressurized steam to sterilize surgical or laboratory instruments, glassware, and other hard materials. Sizes range between counter-top models to pit-mounted units capable of handling entire carloads of materials. In R&D ...
| | 7.7.03
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Refers to cells or tissues that are re-implanted in the subject from which they were derived....
| | 10.29.07
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A medical device for the use in resuscitation of persons suffering from sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). Building officials are now installing these in public areas to provide early defibrillation to save lives of people who have an SCA.
...
| | 7.22.03
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A lifesaving safety device, used by volunteer personnel trained in CPR, located in an easily accessible location of a facility. The AED is stored in a cabinet with A/C power for continuously recharging the AED's battery. Generally the cabinets are equippe...
| | 4.14.05
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Remote-controlled vehicles used in automated plants....
| | 12.31.07
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To be free of foreign microorganisms....
| | 7.24.01
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A fan that is contained in a cylindrical housing. Air flows through an
impeller (the rotating element in a fan) parallel to the fan axis....
| | 4.13.05
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