Tuberculosis is a global health problem. According to the World Heath Organization, it killed 1.6 million people in 2005, and one-third of the world's population is currently infected with the TB bacillus. Left untreated, each person with active TB disease will infect 10 to 15 people each year. But reliable methods for detecting the disease cost a lot, and take too long. A prototype device can detect as few as 20 TB bacteria in half an hour, using microfluidics, magnetic-nanoparticle labels, and a detector that works on the same principles as magnetic resonance imaging.

Cambridge Viscosity offers the only viscometers with ASTM recognized technology for both lab and process, delivering a powerful tool in viscosity management.

•  Direct correlation to ASTM D 7483-08 for lab and process

Contact us at 781-393-6500 to learn how our technology can help you better manage viscosity. http://www.cambridgeviscosity.com

ATS200S™ High Performance Flame Photometer (HPFP)™ System, offers instantaneous measurement of Na, K, Li (or Mg), and Ca (as standard). The system comprises: the HPFP™ Analyser, the ATS LabAssistant™ (auto-sampler/auto-dilutor), and ATSMiniSoftWin™ software creating a seamless analysis from sample dilution through to analysis results in GLP format. ATS on GlobalSpec.

Enhance your technical knowledge with this searchable CD featuring over 4,400 LC-MS abstracts from over 240 peer-reviewed publications. The latest release of this database (Version Spring 2009) covers the spectrum of mass spectrometry technology and applications, including both large and small molecule analysis. The CD contains sample preparation and instrumentation

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Near Infrared (NIR) spectroscopy is used for fast, reliable, and non-destructive measurements that simultaneously control manufacturing processes and product quality, assuring that final product specifications and quality are met. The functionality of the product can be determined in both a quantitative and qualitative manner, and measurements can be carried out on solid or liquid samples.

A little cocaine goes a long way on the bills used to snort the powder. Residue of the drug has been found on 90% of bills tested in a study of 234 U.S. banknotes from 18 U.S. cities. Chromatography of banknotes allows researchers to infer illicit drug use in the areas where the banknotes have circulated.

Decompose materials in plasma, and you can analyze the components — for food or toy safety, in particular. An ICP emissions spectrometer offers an affordable simultaneous, dual-view instrument designed for routine analytical laboratories. The company is holding a Webinar on ICP spectroscopy in late September.

This Fourier transform infrared microscope can analyze much smaller samples than conventional infrared microscopes. It also creates chemical maps significantly faster. The microscope won for its speed, accuracy, simplicity, and system integration. It improves process monitoring for those in analytical services and materials science.

Four instruments will board NASA's Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA); a plane equipped with an IR telescope. Instruments include the faint object infrared camera, a heterodyne spectrometer, a high-speed imaging photometer, and a far-infrared field-imaging line spectrometer. Watch a SOFIA overview.

Today's economy is requiring new demands on lab managers around the world with a need for greater efficiency, 1st class service and support, and cost savings. Alternative techniques such as JASCO's Supercritical Fluid Chromatography systems are gaining popularity at a rapid pace with many labs turning to SFC as a first choice.

Lab Brick Signal Generators are RF signal sources with operation up to 6 GHz. These units require connection to a USB port for control and power. No additional DC supply voltage is required. Lab Brick Signal Generators are easily programmable for fixed frequency or frequency stepping directly from the included GUI.

The U.S. EPA is using a performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) mass spectrometer for scientific, laboratory, and technical support services in registering and evaluating new pesticides. The lab is also developing multi-residue analytical methods for gathering data on specific pesticides (and their metabolites in food) at lower levels.

The palatability of many foods and drinks depends on its sweetness. Handheld refractometers are designed to make measuring sugar content easier for small farmers and food-manufacturers. This portable refractometer can help farmers test fruits and vegetables on the vine, to determine the best time to harvest.

If you find this subject interesting, subscribe to GlobalSpec's e-Newsletter DirectU2 The world of Food & Beverage Technology.

Elemental mercury in old glass thermometers is relatively non-poisonous. Methylmercury, however, is highly toxic. Recent research describes how methylmercury forms in cold, underwater, anaerobic environments. The EPA reports that one in four fish from U.S. waterways contains unsafe levels of mercury.

Method development and validation are two of the remaining 'expert realms' in liquid chromatography, according to Chromatography Techniques magazine. Selectivity is controlled through varying solvent strength/type, temperature, column, pH, and additives. Other parameters need to be varied systematically to improve resolution.

The Precious Metal Analyzer uses a non-destructive technique that can identify and quantify the presence of elements such as gold, platinum, silver, base metals present in jewelry, coins, and other forms. The advantages of using XRF are high reproducibility, accuracy, and a similar performance as that of fire assay.

Why wait when you can do it yourself? The Phenom personal electron microscope is the world's fastest desktop SEM. Now, you can quickly obtain high-quality, high-resolution sub-micron images in a matter of seconds. In a world where time is money, the Phenom return on investment in time-savings is… phenomenal.

The Reichert r²i300 is fast and accurate, in a compact design! The r²i300 can hold up to seven custom channels, all with or without Automatic Temperature Correction (Compensation). The r²i300 meets the testing requirements of various industries, including Food, Beverage, Chemical, Pharmaceutical, and Petroleum. Visit our Web site for more information.

This high-performance camera offers a spectral response from 900 nm to 1700 nm with resolution of 640 x 512. This camera utilizes a cooled InGaAs sensor and 14-bit digital processing for maximum imaging performance in the near infrared and short wave infrared spectral regions. Call or email us for more detailed information.

The American Chemical Society Annual Meeting was neither as big nor as busy as usual, but this R&D magazine Blog by Sr. Editor Paul Livingstone doesn't offer an easy explanation for why. Certainly, the economic downturn means that travel budgets have been slashed — not to mention the research budgets and capital equipment budgets. But online and more targeted shows seem to be holding up better.

This isn't your average art show, although it does share some resemblance to works by Leonardo da Vinci. A recent Chicago display at the International Museum of Surgical Science focuses on the work of medical illustrators. The presentations consist of everything from pencils to sculpture to 3D computer graphics. Ebola, cancer, and the flu are all presented both informatively and beautifully.

The Flu and You

With winter comes the flu. Does inoculating all school kids make sense to you? What (if anything) will you do differently this year to react to the threat of H1N1?