July 13, 1998 Greetings to all the Mini Analysis Program supporters! This newsletter informs the users of Mini Analysis Program about the updates and changes in the program. Since the first registered copy of Mini Analysis Program in November of 1997, there have been over 90 registered copies sold to investigators from all over the world. The program has acquired new and useful features ever since, thanks to the precious and valuable suggestions from the registered users. We are committed to make the program THE ULTIMATE program for analyzing spontaneous activities. And we are open to any suggestions the users might have. Furthermore, we are proud to keep the price low enough to make it available for any neuroscientist who might need it for his or her research. If you haven't tried it yet, please check it out at http://Jaejin.com. 1. Mac users! Now you can enjoy the Mini Analysis Program under Virtual PC version 2.0!!! 2. Combine event files using the data arrays: New and extended features of Data Array. 3. Save papers, print many plots in a page, as many as you wish. 4. Customizable graph properties, and adding a plot to a graph. 5. Bug fixed: deleting of all the events giving an "invalid row value" error. 6. Data file format wanted: Tell us if you have your own data format to add to the ABF utility program. 7. First advertisement in the Journal of Neuroscience Online; Spread the words! 8. We now accept credit card purchases. 9. Export to origin 10. Faster exponential fitting 1. Mac Users! One investigator in Utah successfully installed, and ran the Mini Analysis Program on a Mac running PC emulator program called, Virtual PC version 2.0. This has been the most exciting news, since many Mac users asked for Mac version of the Mini Analysis Program. So, for the $149.00 street price of the Virtual PC, one can run the Mini Analysis Program. Another option is to use the ABF Utility program to convert your data files in Igor binary files to ABF files and opening from the Mini Analysis Program running on a PC, if you have a luxury of having a PC. Either way, now any Mac user can analyze minis with the best mini analysis program available in the market. 2. Combine event files using the data arrays . Many users asked for a possible function to combine event data from several data files. One approach was to make a data file merging function in the ABF Utility program. But this approach was not completely satisfying. Next approach was to utilize the concept of data arrays. Previously, data arrays (Data Array #1 and Data Array#2) were used to temporarily put event data or graph data and run statistical data analysis tools, such as t-test and Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. Now, one can add any event data on top of previous data, allowing many event data files to be added to the data arrays. For example, one can combine amplitude data from five different data files to make a plot of "pooled" amplitude frequency histogram. One can also calculate inter-event intervals and put them into the data array. This can be done repetitively from different event files. Once desired data are put into the data arrays, one can perform a statistical test, obtain column statistics, plot frequency histograms, plot cumulative histograms, copy and save the array data as ASCII, and even plot a x-y scatter plot. The idea of data arrays will really stretch the analysis features of the Mini Analysis Program. We would really like to appreciate several investigators who kindly provided with insightful suggestions in developing these useful features. 3. Save papers, print many plots in a page, as many as you wish Before you could only print one graph per page. Now you can pick how many plots you want to print in a page. First generate plots you want. Use "Select Plots to Print" command under Graph menu in Graph Window. Select the plots you want to print. Set the number of columns and number of rows per page. For example, if you have 10 graphs to print in a page and want to print in a portrait orientation with two graphs horizontally and 5 graphs vertically, then set 2 for column and 5 for row. Then print. 10 graphs will be printed in a page as you wish. You will save lots of paper. 4. Customizable graph properties, and adding a plot to a graph. You can now change graph title, axis title, x-axis tick label frequency, etc. Furthermore, you can superimpose a similar plot on top of a plot. For example, you can make a cumulative amplitude histogram for one data file, make another cumulative amplitude histogram for another data file, copy graph data into the data array, and add a plot from the data array onto the selected plot. This function lets you easily compare two similar plots. 5. Bug fixed: deleting of all the events giving an "invalid row value" error. There was a bug when you highlight all the events and delete, giving an "invalid row value" error. This is fixed. Most of you probably did not catch this, except one meticulous investigator in our lab. 6. Data file format wanted: Tell us if you have your own data format to add to the ABF utility program. The ABF utility program has proved to be extremely useful for some investigators. They probably saved tons of research money because of this data conversion program. So far, the list of data files that this program can convert, includes Igor Binary files, John Dempster's CDR files, ELSAA data files, a proprietary Axobasic data files, Racal Heim DAT recorder data files, and so on. If you are stuck with a not-so-popular data file format, please contact us. We will be happy to convert your data files to ABF files, so that the Mini Analysis Program can analyze. If Axon Instrument won't do it, we will. 7. First advertisement in the Journal of Neuroscience Online; Spread the words! Some of you may have noticed a banner advertisement that is placed in the Journal of Neuroscience Online. Starting July 1, we started our first advertisement and we will continue to let struggling scientists (struggling to analyze minis) know about our Mini Analysis Program. Despite our attempts to advertise, we think the best advertisement is the words of registered users. Please inform your colleagues about the program. Please tell them that they don't have to spend hours to analyze their minis. 8. We now accept credit card purchases. We can handle credit card purchases. This will facilitate the purchasing procedures for some people, especially those from abroad. 9. Export to origin Origin uses some weird way of copying data. Right now, data that are copied by Mini Analysis Program can be pasted from Excel and Sigma Plot with no problem. But from Origin, the data get lost. We will investigate this further. 10. Faster exponential fitting The current exponential fitting is slower than it should be. This will be improved by eliminating some unnecessary steps and fining tuning the algorithm. *****Mini Analysis Program is a product of joint effort by all the users. If you have any suggestions, please let us know, we will incorporate your ideas.****** For more information, visit our website at http://Jaejin.com. If you want to receive the upgrade, please send mailto: Upgrade@Jaejin.com. If you wish to be removed from this newsletter list please mailto:News@Jaejin.com. Jaejin Software 107 Irving Street Leonia, NJ 07605 phone: 201-592-7034 fax: 201-592-7034 http://Jaejin.com ftp://ftp.jaejin.com mailto://Webmaster@Jaejin.com