Serf 3.03
Electrophysiological and image analysis for MS-Windows.
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Serf 3.03Electrophysiological and image analysis for MS-Windows.
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Serf is a program to analyse electrophysiolo-gical data and (stacks of) images for MS-Windows 98, 2000 and XP.
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Features.
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Simple, intuitive "visual" program layout. | ||
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Fast: No need to switch between multiple programs to obtain your figure at last, no useless options, few dialogue windows, lots of short-cuts and hence a minimum of mouseclicking to do, resulting in a gain of time. | ||
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In only minutes carry out baseline correction, leak and common signal subtraction, detect single channel openings, synaptic currents or spikes with high precision and make your publish-ready dwell time histograms,dot plots, post/peri stimulus time histograms (PSTH), spike interval histograms, EPSP size, rise or decay time histograms etc. | ||
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The program is build around four types of window each having its own
menu:
1) Windows showing the raw input records (input windows). 2) Windows showing wav records (sound windows). 3) Windows showing vector drawings (drawing sheets). 4) Windows showing columns of numerical data (spreadsheets). |
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Items in the last two types of window may communicate such that a modification in a column in a spreadsheet results in a change in the associated vector graph, allowing easy editing. | ||
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The concatenated mode of plotting of input data allows a quick overview of an experiment. | ||
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The path from input to graph may involve a single step or multiple steps using a spreadsheet to hold and manipulate temporary data. It takes only a few mouse clicks and less then 10 s to go from the data above to the IV curve below. | ||
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Curve fitting using either build-in or user-defined functions can be carried out in the input windows and the drawing sheets. | ||
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The math library contains many useful functions such as convolution and deconvolution, Fourier transform, matrix inversion and eigen decomposition of a matrix. The latter function also handles repeated and complex eigen values and vectors. | ||
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Statistical tests for data in spreadsheet columns: linear correlation, chi-2 test, Student's t-test, Fisher's F-test, Tukey's q-test (one-way anova). | ||
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Rapid detection of synaptic currents using a user-defined template, stacked minis are recognised with high temporal resolution. | ||
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Simulation of synaptic currents (minis) and Markov simulation of unitary patch-clamp currents, macroscopic currents and dwell time histograms. | ||
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Create dwell time distributions from rate constants in a transition matrix. | ||
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Estimation of rate constants in a Markov chain from experimental data (macroscopic currents and single-channel dwell time histograms). | ||
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Determine a system impulse response using your sound card. | ||
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Bitmaps may be imported and manipulated on the drawing sheet, allowing for example to carry out semi-automatic optical density measurements on images of gels and blots, | ||
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Stacks of bitmaps may be animated or analysed with a single instruction. | ||
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Data other than AxoLab files (PClamp, Axograph) may be imported in (tab- or comma-delimited) ASCII format. | ||
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With the JRTalk extension Serf may be controlled by a program you have written in Visual Basic, Mediacy's IP+ script or C. | ||
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Serf is amply documented and help is provided in several ways: by key word search, by context and by menu item. The doc file includes a comprehensive step by step tutorial. Creating formulas is a piece of cake with the spreadsheet formula assistant. | ||
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Requirements: * a PC with a 486 processor or up. * Windows 95 or up. Download the self-extracting installation file ( ~4 Mb).
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Useful electrophysiology documentation and software can be found at ionchannels.org. Find Freeware at: or at FreewareWorld:
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