From: Borries Demeler <demeler@bioc09.uthscsa.edu>
  To  : rasmb@bbri.harvard.edu
  Date: Fri, 3 Apr 1998 10:27:01 -0600 (CST)

ANNOUNCING UltraScan II ver. 3.0

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                  ANNOUNCING: version 3.0 of UltraScan II.
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To all RASMB subscribers:

This is the official announcement of version 3.0 of UltraScan II.

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WHAT IS ULTRASCAN II? 

UltraScan II attempts to be a comprehensive data analysis tool for the
hydrodynamic studies of macromolecules and macromolecular assemblies. At
the present time its main focus is on analytical ultracentrifugation
experiments, but provisions exist in the software to integrate
quasi-elastic laser light scattering experiments. The main goal of
UltraScan II is to provide an intuitive graphical user interface (GUI)
which provides an integrated data editing and analysis environment. 

The software utilizes fast and highly efficient analysis algorithms 
that are easily applied. The software should be useful to the non-expert 
technician with little training in the field, as well as provide a 
snappy interface to the experienced user who has to analyze a large 
amount of data in the shortest possible time. 

To achieve this goal, every possible task that can be automated is 
implemented in the software and only tasks that can not be predicted 
a priori are left to the user. This is always a difficult goal to 
attain, since the software will need many diagnostics and error 
checks to assure the user is not overwhelmed and led to incorrect data
interpretations. Therefore, extra care has been taken in the design of
this software to assure that incorrect user actions are caught by the
software and clearly indicated. Similarly, warnings will be provided to
assist the user in correct result interpretation. Over time, I will
attempt to include the majority of published methods as modules that can
be used in this integrated data analysis environment. 


MAJOR CHANGES:

As of version 3.0, UltraScan is distributed WITHOUT CHARGE for
non-commercial use under the Linux platform. A commercial version for
Windows NT/95 is still available. MS-DOS and Windows 3.11 are no longer
supported. For people without Linux/Unix knowledge, support is available
to assist in the installation of Unix. All previous versions of UltraScan
are NO LONGER DISTRIBUTED OR SUPPORTED. Support for the old commercial
versions of UltraScan will be discontinued as of 12/31/98. If you have a
commercial version of UltraScan, please contact me for upgrade
information. More information on that will be made available shortly on
the UltraScan mailing list.

NO ADDITIONAL HARDWARE is required to install Linux and UltraScan on your
PC. LINUX is available for FREE for any PC, Macintosh, DEC Alpha or Sun
Sparc station from http://sunsite.unc.edu/Linux or mirror sites.
Additional GUI libraries required for UltraScan can be obtained for FREE
from ftp://ftp.troll.no. Other Unix X-Windows platforms are supported as
well(*). You can install Linux on the same PC you are currently using in
addition to Microsoft products, such as Windows 95/NT or MSDOS/Windows 3.1
and configure the PC as a dual-boot system, so several operating systems
can be used on the same hardware. 

(*) A small compilation fee may be charged for non-Linux distributions
such as HPUX, SGI/MIPS, OS/F, SOLARIS, SunOS, AIX, FreeBSD, Coherent, etc.
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FOR DETAILED INFORMATION ON ULTRASCAN, DOWNLOADING, A USER MANUAL,
SCREENSHOTS, etc, please visit: 

		http://www.biochem.uthscsa.edu/UltraScan

A FREQUENTLY ASKED QESTIONS (FAQ) FOR ULTRASCAN CAN BE FOUND AT:

	http://www.biochem.uthscsa.edu/UltraScan/faq.html

FOR SUPPORT OPTIONS AND HELP WITH LINUX, please visit:

	http://www.biochem.uthscsa.edu/UltraScan/support.html

IF YOU ARE WONDERING WHY I SWITCHED FROM WINDOWS TO LINUX, please read:

	http://www.biochem.uthscsa.edu/UltraScan/faq.html#why_linux 

IF YOU ARE A USER OF ULTRASCAN, PLEASE REGISTER YOUR SOFTWARE AT:
(you can also subscribe to the UltraScan mailing list this way)

	http://www.biochem.uthscsa.edu/UltraScan/register.html

Your registration will help me convince funding agencies that UltraScan
is a useful product worthy of funding and enhancements.
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MAJOR FEATURES:

	* unlimited number of scans for any analysis
	* Velocity: 
		van Holde - Weischet and combined distributions plots
		dC/dt
		second moment
		dC/dr
		direct fitting to finite element (under development)
		direct fitting to several approximate solutions of the 
		Lamm Equation. (under development)
	* Equilibrium analysis: Global analysis using nonlinear least
	squares fitting methods. (under development)
	Speed estimation calculator
	* Finite Element GUI providing accelerated-time/real-time movies
	of the sedimentation process for:
		velocity experiments
		approach to equilibrium experiments
		models for concentration dependency of s and D 
		user-defined models for:
			unlimited number of components, non-interacting
			isomerizing systems
			monomer-dimer self-associating system
	* SASSOC self-association simulator
 	* Integrated editing environment - software will automatically
	analyze run structure (number of cells, scans, wavelengths, 
	measurement type, rotor speeds, acceleration corrections,
	temperature corrections, etc.
	* automatic buffer density and viscosity calculation
	 (adapted from SEDNTERP)
	* Interface to SWISS-PROT database for vbar calculation
	* Automatic Update (Unix version only) 
	* remote data analysis and problem resolving (Unix version only)
	* Multi processor support (Unix version only)
	* online context specific, hyperlinked help in full color
		(html format, free Netscape program required)
	* Editing/Analysis Tutorial
		(html format, free Netscape program required)
	* Interference optics support (under development)
	* AN 50 Ti rotor support (up to 8 cells/run)
	* Quasi-elastic light scattering analysis (under development)


HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS:

The minimum configuration is as follows:

386/33 compatible PC
8 MB RAM
500 MB diskspace
1 MB SVGA graphics card (1024x768, 8-bit/256 colors)

Recommended comfortable minimum:

133 MHZ Pentium
32 MB RAM
1 GB diskspace
2 MB Graphics Card (1024x768, 16-bit color)
Network Interface Card or modem with Internet connectivity

Feel free to contact me with any questions at demeler@biochem.uthscsa.edu

Regards, -Borries

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 The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
 Dept. of Biochemistry
 7703 Floyd Curl Drive
 San Antonio, Texas 78284-7760
 Voice: (210) 567-6592
 Fax:   (210) 567-4575
 Email: demeler@biochem.uthscsa.edu
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