New Products

The Model 211D incubator, with a 1.6-cubic-foot chamber, is the smallest in the company's line. It has a temperature range of ambient 5°C to 95°C, making it useful for a variety of applications, including growing cultures and hybridization. The Smart Chek Temperature Control system regulates the incubator's temperature with a claimed accuracy and stability of 0.1°C. The user can adjust an independent safety thermostat to take control if the interior temperature rises as little as 1°C over the set point to avoid damaging fragile samples. The temperature is set and displayed on an LCD. The insulated, magnetic gasketed door features a glass window for observation of the incubator contents. Mechanical convection reportedly delivers uniformity of 0.5°C and promotes rapid temperature recovery after the door is opened. Accessories include three full-size shelves and one half shelf. The unit also features an interior electrical outlet for powering accessory equipment. National Labnet Co. Woodbridge, NJ Imaging And Analysis Software Version 3.1 of IPLab Spectrum now allows users to directly adjust the contrast, brightness, and whiteness of color images. With a new command, researchers can directly segment color images, especially useful in applications such as histology and fluorescence microscopy, in which objects of interest can be distinguished from the background on the basis of their color differences. Also, users can now read and process 48-bit color images generated by high-performance scanners. With the new software, images can be printed at any resolution and size supported by a given printer. The software also provides support for creating long QuickTime movies from time-lapse image sequences. It enables the performance of particle analysis or fast Fourier transforms (FFTs) in the background while capturing images at up to five frames per second, enabling users to do real-time studies on time-varying phenomena. All of the company's software modules for controlling image acquisition are included with the new software. Signal Analytics Corp. Vienna, VA The Academic Press Dictionary of Science and Technology, Version 1.0, for Windows and Macintosh includes more than 130,000 entries from 124 scientific fields. Each field is introduced with a brief essay by a specialist scientist. Spoken pronunciations are offered for more than 3,500 difficult or phonetically irregular terms. The CD-ROM also features 350 full-color and black-and-white illustrations as well as appendices that include the periodic table, standard weights and measures, physical constants, geological eras, and a classification of plants and animals. A Chronology of Science is included as a separate "book" that can be independently or jointly searched. Academic Press Inc. San Diego, CA The FOTO/Analyst Investigator PC Eclipse Workstation is a Windows-based image-acquisition system designed to capture, manipulate, and store laboratory data. It includes PC-Image acquisition software, a charge-coupled device (CCD) camera with zoom lens, frame-grabber board, FOTO/Eclipse Benchtop Darkroom, thermal printer, all cables and connectors, and an ultraviolet light, white light, or dual light transilluminator with appropriate filters. Files can be archived in 36 file formats for further analysis. An integration feature enables the acquisition of very-low-light fluorescent gels. As little as .2 ng of ethidium bromide-stained DNA reportedly can be detected. FOTODYNE Inc. Hartland, WI The NuPAGE Gel System is a neutral pH, pre-cast polyacrylamide gel system designed for electrophoresis and blotting applications. It has an operating pH of 7 during electrophoresis, which reportedly provides increased stability in both protein samples and gels. The system includes two Bis-Tris Gels (10 percent and 4-12 percent), which can be combined with two different SDS running buffers (MES-SDS or MOPS-SDS) to provide four separation ranges between 2 and 250 kDa. A sample buffer and antioxidant are also available to ensure proper sample reduction and complete oxidation. The system's transfer buffer is designed to promote the neutral pH environment throughout the transfer process and improve blotting efficiency. Novex San Diego, CA The 25-Hydroxy Vitamin D RIA is a 125I radioimmunoassay designed for quantitative determination of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) in human serum or plasma. Vitamin D, along with parathyroid hormone and calcitonin, plays a role in the regulation of calcium and phosphorous metabolism. Decreased 25(OH)D levels have been reported in a variety of diseases, including systemic juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, primary Sjogren's syndrome, and Crohn's disease. The kit's extraction is based on the principle of negative adsorption using a mixture of nonhazardous polar compounds that avoids use of acetonitrile. It employs a solid-phase bound absorber reagent, which removes most of the interfering substances, but not 25(OH)D. Controls and standards are ready to use. The product is offered for in vitro diagnostic research only. American Laboratory Products Co. (ALPCO) Windham, NH

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