The present disclosure relates to compounds that are useful as near-infrared fluorescence probes, wherein the compounds include i) a ligand that binds to the active site of carbonic anhydrase, ii) a dye molecule, and iii) a linker molecule that comprises an amino acid, amide, ureido, or polyethylene glycol derivative thereof. The disclosure further describes methods and compositions for making and using the compounds, methods incorporating the compounds, and kits incorporating the compounds.

The present invention generally relates to method for forming an immunolabeling complex, the immunolabeling complex comprising a labeled monovalent biotin-binding composition. The invention also related to the use of the antibody-reporter molecule complex for detecting a target in a sample.

The present invention relates to a method for stratifying spermatozoa in a sample obtained from a subject, comprising assaying the spermatozoa for membrane integrity and assaying the spermatozoa for DNA fragmentation. Thereby the spermatozoa stratification method allows an analysis of defined sperm categories and the prediction whether or not the spermatozoa will be functional. Further, a kit is encompassed for performing the method of spermatozoa stratification.

The invention is directed to a conjugate having the general formula (I)

##STR00001## Wherein AR and MU are repeating units of a polymer MU is a polymer modifying unit or band gap modifying unit that is evenly or randomly distributed along the polymer main chain, G1 and G2 stand for hydrogen, halogen or an antigen recognizing moiety, with the provision that at least one of G1 or G2 is an antigen recognizing moiety, a is 10 to 100 mol %, b is 0 to 90 mol % c is 1 to 10 000; with the provisio that a+b=100 mol % characterized in that AR is connected in the polymer chain via the 2,2′ or 3,3′ or 5,5′ or 6,6′ or 7,7′ or 8,8′ positions according to general formula (II)

##STR00002## Wherein the remaining positions 2,2′; 3,3′; 4,4′; 5,5′; 6,6′; 7,7′ and 8,8′ are substituted with same or different residues selected from the group consisting of H, SO.sub.2CF.sub.3, SO.sub.2R.sub.a, CF.sub.3, CCl.sub.3, CN, SO.sub.3H, NO.sub.2, NR.sub.aR.sub.bR.sub.c.sup.+, CHO, CORa, CO.sub.2Ra, COCl, CONRaRb, F, Cl, Br, I, R.sub.a, OR.sub.a, SR.sub.a, OCOR.sub.a, NR.sub.aR.sub.b, NHCOR.sub.a, CCR.sub.a, aryl-, heteroaryl-, C.sub.6H.sub.4OR.sub.a or C.sub.6H.sub.4NRaRb, with Ra-c independently hydrogen, alkyl-, alkenyl-, alkinyl-, heteroalkyl-, aryl-, heteroaryl-, cycloalkyl-, alkylcycloalkyl-, heteroalkylcycloalkyl-, heterocycloalkyl-, aralkyl- or a heteroaralkyl residue or (CH.sub.2)x(OCH.sub.2CH.sub.2)yO(CH.sub.2)zCH.sub.3, wherein x is an integer from 0 to 20; y is an integer from 0 to 50 and z is an integer from 0 to 20

A method and optode for determining a concentration of an analyte in a sample liquid is provided. The method comprises a radiation source, where excitation radiation is directed onto a carrier unit which is in contact with the sample liquid and has immobilized molecules of a sensor dye that is sensitive to the analyte. The excitation radiation induces luminescence radiation of the sensor dye. This radiation is detected by a radiation detector, which generates an output signal. The analyte concentration is ascertained from the detector output signal using an evaluation routine. This uses a property of the luminescence radiation on the interaction of the concentration of the analyte in the sample liquid used. The dependence of the examined property of the luminescence radiation on an indirect exchange interaction between the individual molecules of the sensor dye, which interact with each other over particles of the analyte.

The disclosed technology relates to chemical entities for the detection of wounds, e.g., chronic wounds or infected wounds, including compositions, substrates, kits, dressing materials, and articles, and systems containing such compounds. The disclosed technology further relates to methods of using these compositions, kits and systems in diagnostic assays, and in the diagnosis and/or detection of chronic or infected wounds based on enzymatic action on specific moieties and/or reaction sites. Additional disclosure relates to methods of characterizing wounds based on expression of a plurality of markers and using such information to treat, manage, and follow-up patients suffering from chronic or infected wounds.

A calibration apparatus comprises estimation circuitry configured to estimate, based on a calibration factor, an estimated number of cells of a first type in a dyed biological sample containing an unknown number of cells. Determination circuitry determines the actual number of cells of the first type in the dyed biological sample. Processing circuitry adjusts the calibration factor. The estimation circuitry is configured with the processing circuitry to estimate the estimated number of the cells of the first type in the dyed biological sample one or more times, based on a different value of the calibration factor for each of the one or more times, until the estimated number of the cells of the first type approaches the actual number of cells of the first type.

Antibodies exhibiting a specific genetically modified signature associated with certain diseases of the central nervous system, like multiple sclerosis (MS) and clinically isolated syndrome have been identified. These antibodies recognize and bind with certain tissues in the brain and central nervous system and thus are useful as therapeutics, in the production of animal disease models, targets for therapies and as part of assays of the central nervous system.

An object of the present invention is to provide a method for measuring tryptase activity in a blood sample accurately and rapidly by a convenient operation in order to accurately evaluate the state of a disease whose state involves mast cells. The present invention enables tryptase activity in a blood sample to be directly measured without the pretreatment, such as purification or concentration, of the blood sample, using a substrate for measuring tryptase activity, comprising a tripeptide C-terminally linked through a peptide bond to a dye label, selected from the following formulas (1) to (3): (1) Lys-Ala-Arg-X, (2) Ala-Ala-Arg-X, and (3) Abu-Ala-Arg-X (wherein X represents a dye label whose fluorescence characteristics or color development characteristics change upon the cleavage of the peptide bond with Arg, and Abu represents 2-aminobutyric acid).

The subject invention provides materials and methods for single-step detection of target molecules in a sample. The methods and assays of the subject invention employ a dye-displacement strategy, in which aptamers complexed with a cyanine dye for sensitive and rapid detection of targets of interest. In the presence of a target, aptamer-target binding liberates the non-covalently bound aptamer-binding dye, resulting in optical changes that can be observed spectrophotometrically or with the naked eye. The methods and assays of the subject invention enable the colorimetric detection of targets of interest regardless of their structure, sequence, target-binding affinity, and physicochemical properties of their targets.