Warthog Systems    LabAnalyst X
         data analysis software for Mac OS X

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LabAnalyst X is a physiology-oriented but general-purpose data management and analysis program for Macintosh computers.  It contains many display, transformation, and manipulation procedures, along with specialized operations for respirometry.  LabAnalyst X is a Universal application that runs natively on both PowerPC and Intel Macs.   It has been tested on OS X versions through 10.8 ('Mountain Lion') and also seems to work well with 10.9 ('Mavericks') -- although there has not been time for extensive testing with the latter.

Features (current 'beta-test' version; older versions had maxima of 6 open files of 24 channels):
  • Up to 32 channels in each of up to 16 open files, each containing up to seven million samples.
  • Can produce both graphics and text output of results. 
  • Data manipulations include integration, differentiation, smoothing, lag correction, spike and reference removal, baseline correction, gas exchange calculations, and a variety of mathematical transformations and conversions. 
  • Analyses include running averages and averaged pairs differences, descriptive statistics (mean, range, SD, SE), minimum and maximum values averaged over selected time intervals, simple waveform analysis, FFT, slope vs. time, inter-channel regressions, time series, asymptote and polynomial fitting, and time, event, and selective integration.

These instructions begin with a description of how to get started with the program.  Subsequently, entries are arranged according to the LabAnalyst X menus:

Descriptions of the main Warthog Systems File Formats are also available.

Numerical Resolution, data types, file formats

LabAnalyst X stores numbers in a floating-point format with roughly 8-10-digit precision (it also reads BCD files generated by older Warthog software).  Floating-point math is much faster than BCD math, but somewhat less accurate.  However, this is a minor limitation that should pose few problems to the average user, especially because the accuracy of most data is considerably less than can be represented in even 6 decimal digits.  A 16-bit analog-to-digital converter working optimally can resolve one part in 65,535, for example -- five decimal digits.  Most LabAnalyst X operations are performed at higher internal precision to maintain accuracy.

LabAnalyst X is designed to work transparently with files generated by the LabHelper and LabHelper X data-acquisition packages. LabAnalyst X will also load and save most Sable Systems data files, and will work with nearly any data set that can be stored in ASCII (text) format in a spreadsheet, provided that:

  • The data are numeric
  • The data are stored in ASCII (text) format. 
  • Variables are separated by tabs or commas. 
  • There is a carriage return at the end of each row of data
  • The dimensions of the data do not exceed 32 columns (from which you must select a maximum of 24 variables). 

Requirements.  .  .

LabAnalyst X works best with a color screen (but if forced, will function with older gray-scale and monochrome monitors).  Minimum screen resolution is 640 by 480 pixels, but the number of channels is limited to 14 unless at least 600 vertical pixels are available.  It's much happier with 1024 X 768 resolution or better.  LabAnalyst X is not a major memory hog but each open file (up to 6) needs roughly 200 Mb if you want to use the maximum file size of 3.25 million cases and 24 channels.  The program expects the following fonts, and may produce odd-looking or misplaced text if they are not available (nearly all are standard in OS X): Chicago, Helvetica, Geneva, Symbol, Times, New York, Monaco, Copperplate, Papyrus, Myriad Pro.

Credits.  .  .  . 

LabAnalyst X was written in FBtoC by Mark Chappell (a.k.a.  'Warthog Systems', with apologies to Gilbert Shelton) with facilities provided by the University of California, Riverside.  No warranty of any kind is offered or implied.  LabAnalyst X is NOT a commercial product and may not be sold or copied for commercial purposes.  If you have questions you may contact me at the Biology Department, U.C.  Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521; chappell@ucr.edu

     

For no particular reason, LabAnalyst plays a song at start-up:  the contact call of the Eastern whipbird (Psophodes olivaceus), a secretive species that lives in dense undergrowth in the temperate and tropical rainforests of eastern Australia.  Males and females sing a duet; the female answers the male's 'whipcrack' with a softer two-note whistle -- or maybe it's the reverse?

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