The present invention is directed generally to the combined use of slurry mining and hydrocyclones to recover hydrocarbons, such as bitumen, from hydrocarbon-containing materials, such as oil sands, and to selective mining of valuable materials, particularly hydrocarbon-containing materials, using a plurality of excavating devices and corresponding inputs for the excavated material. The scanning microscope has means for selecting a lower limit wavelength that defines a lower exclusion region, and means for selecting an upper limit wavelength that defines an upper exclusion region, as well as a first and a second adjustable stop that block light components of the lower and the upper exclusion region of the detection light. The present invention also provides a diagnostic kit for determining the amount of early pregnancy associated hCG in a sample. A switch is coupled to the communication system, the switch adapted to control both operation of the imaging device and the recording device. Therefore, the plants contain nitrogen fixing bacteria the bacteria being located intracellularly in living plant cells. Thus, network security is maintained.