The invention relates to a method for counting cells, such as bacteria and/or somatic cells in liquid samples, such as in dairy products, preferably raw milk. Disclosed is a method comprising a combination of steps that apply dimeric nucleic acid dyes that normally do not penetrate cells (=cell-impermeant dyes), which are rendered cell-permeant by using the right combination of pH, buffer and temperature.

The present invention relates to compositions thermally curable on demand by red to near infrared irradiation, method of using same for thermal amplification of free radical polymerizations, and articles obtained by such method. The invention also relates to the use of a heat-generating dye in association with a thermal initiator for controlling the onset of thermal free radical polymerization.

The present invention relates to compositions thermally curable on demand by red to near infrared irradiation, method of using same for thermal amplification of free radical polymerizations, and articles obtained by such method. The invention also relates to the use of a heat-generating dye in association with a thermal initiator for controlling the onset of thermal free radical polymerization.

The invention provides fluorescent probes having the general formula (I)

##STR00001##

wherein X, Y, L and R.sup.1 to R.sup.4 are as described herein, compositions including the compounds, processes of manufacturing the compounds and methods of using the compounds.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide: a high-performance polarizing plate which functions for light in an infrared wavelength range; and a liquid-crystal display device or the like comprising the same. Provided is a polarizing plate for an infrared range, which is a stretched film containing a dye exhibiting absorption in an infrared range, the film exhibiting dichroism.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide: a high-performance polarizing plate which functions for light in an infrared wavelength range; and a liquid-crystal display device or the like comprising the same. Provided is a polarizing plate for an infrared range, which is a stretched film containing a dye exhibiting absorption in an infrared range, the film exhibiting dichroism.

A method for calibrating scientific instrumentation or light utilizing instrumentation utilizing one or more small-molecule, ionic isolation lattice (“SMILES”) composites for use as calibration targets for a scientific instrument, such as a fluorescent microscope. The SMILES composite can include a dye element, a couterion element, and a receptor element. In some exemplary embodiments, the SMILES composite can include the following formula: a (dye.sup.m+).sub.x.(counterion.sup.n−).sub.y.(receptor).sub.z, wherein values of m, n, x and y may be integers greater than or equal to 1. The materials derived from these SMILES elements may be prepared as crystals (about >1000 nm diameter), microparticles (between about 1000-300 nm diameter), nanoparticles (between about 300-1 nm diameter), and dispersions in polymers or solution (dyes are monomolecular or ion-paired) or neat films of any thickness (no added polymer).

A method for calibrating scientific instrumentation or light utilizing instrumentation utilizing one or more small-molecule, ionic isolation lattice (“SMILES”) composites for use as calibration targets for a scientific instrument, such as a fluorescent microscope. The SMILES composite can include a dye element, a couterion element, and a receptor element. In some exemplary embodiments, the SMILES composite can include the following formula: a (dye.sup.m+).sub.x.(counterion.sup.n−).sub.y.(receptor).sub.z, wherein values of m, n, x and y may be integers greater than or equal to 1. The materials derived from these SMILES elements may be prepared as crystals (about >1000 nm diameter), microparticles (between about 1000-300 nm diameter), nanoparticles (between about 300-1 nm diameter), and dispersions in polymers or solution (dyes are monomolecular or ion-paired) or neat films of any thickness (no added polymer).

This disclosure provides cyanine dye compounds having linked hydrogen bond-forming groups that can be used for detecting nucleic acids, particularly for fluorescent staining of DNA, in a biological sample. We found that the simultaneous incorporation of at least two hydrogen bond-forming groups (HBGs) into such a nucleic acid stain can provide for crosslinking interactions between the stain and the target nucleic acid, and lead to a significant increase in the detection sensitivity without substantially increasing undesirable cytotoxicity or mutagenicity properties of the dye compounds. The cyanine dye compounds can have a cyanine structure that connects two particular fused heterocycle ring systems, where at least two HBGs are connected to the core structure through linkers. Also provided are nucleic acid complexes including the cyanine dye compounds, and methods of using the compounds to detect nucleic acids in a biological sample.

The present disclosure provides encoded chromophoric polymer particles that are capable of, for example, optical and/or biomolecular encoding of analytes. The present disclosure also provides suspensions comprising a plurality of encoded chromophoric polymer particles. The present disclosure also provides methods of using the encoded chromophoric polymer particles and systems for performing multiplex analysis with encoded chromophoric polymer particles.