word of the day: obviate

The word of the day is obviate:

Etymology:  < classical Latin obviāt-, past participial stem (compare -ate suffix³) of obviāre to act contrary to, to go against (late 2nd cent. a.d.), in post-classical Latin also to meet (Vulgate), to withstand, oppose, prevent (5th cent.) 

1. trans.  

a. To meet and dispose of; to circumvent, do away with, remove (a difficulty, need, etc.); to prevent or avoid by anticipatory measures.

b. To anticipate, forestall. Obs. rare.

2. trans. To meet, encounter; to withstand, oppose. Obs. 

3. trans. To lie in the way between. Obs. rare.

"The endotherm asymmetry at 13 mole % GD1a suggests a phase transition which is more complex than a simple first order transition.  (Fig. 6 1B, 1C, also see ref. 34.)  It also obviates the possibility that a new species, such as mixed micelles, is formed in the dispersion (as was suggested for egg PC: GD1a dispersions having more than 10 mole% GD1a."

 - Barenholz et al., "Characterization of micellar and liposomsal dispersions of gangliosides and phospholipids", Advances in experimental medicine and biology 125:105 (1980)


Of course, knowing the meaning of this word is not enough to help me decipher this sentence: it would be nice if this paper actually had a Figure 6 1B and 1C.