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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Screening \Screen"ing\ (skr[=e]n"[i^]ng), noun the process of examining or testing objects methodically to find those having desirable properties. See {screen[3]}.
Note: In the pharmaceutical industry, pharmaceutical screening involves testing a large number of samples of substances to find those having desirable pharmacological activity; those samples which have the property sought are called active or positive in the screen. The substances tested may be pure compounds with known structure, mixtures of pure compounds, or complex mixtures obtained by extraction from living organisms. There are often additional sets of test performed on active samples, called
{counterscreening} to eliminate those samples that may also possess undesirable properties. In the case of screening of mixtures from living organisms, a type of {counterscreening} called {dereplication} is usually performed, to determine if the active sample contains a known compound which has previously been studied. [PJC]
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Screen \Screen\ (skr[=e]n), verb (used with an object) [imp. & p. p. {Screened}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Screening}.]
1. To provide with a shelter or means of concealment; to separate or cut off from inconvenience, injury, or danger; to shelter; to protect; to protect by hiding; to conceal; as, fruits screened from cold winds by a forest or hill.
They were encouraged and screened by some who were in high commands. --Macaulay.
2. To pass, as coal, gravel, ashes, etc., through a screen in order to separate the coarse from the fine, or the worthless from the valuable; to sift.
3. to examine a group of objects methodically, to separate them into groups or to select one or more for some purpose. As: (a) To inspect the qualifications of candidates for a job, to select one or more to be hired. (b) (Biochem., Med.) to test a large number of samples, in order to find those having specific desirable properties; as, to screen plant extracts for anticancer agents. [PJC]
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
screening
noun
1: the display of a motion picture [syn: {showing}, {viewing}]
2: fabric of metal or plastic mesh
3: the act of concealing the existence of something by obstructing the view of it; "the cover concealed their guns from enemy aircraft" [syn: {cover}, {covering}, {masking}]
4: testing objects or persons in order to identify those with particular characteristics
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Definitions retrieved from local copies of the freely distributed DICT client/server software and databases. Click here for database copyright information. - KM |