This paper describes G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) microarrays on porous glass substrates and functional assays based on the binding of a europium-labeled GTP analogue. The porous glass slides were made by casting a glass frit on impermeable glass slides and then coating with gamma-aminopropyl silane (GAPS). The emitted fluorescence was captured on an imager with a time-gated intensified CCD detector. Microarrays of the neurotensin receptor 1, the cholinergic receptor muscarinic 2, the opioid receptor mu, and the cannabinoid receptor 1 were fabricated by pin printing. The selective agonism of each of the receptors was observed. The screening of potential antagonists was demonstrated using a cocktail of agonists. The amount of activation observed was sufficient to permit determinations of EC50 and IC50. Such microarrays could potentially streamline drug discovery by helping integrate primary screening with selectivity and safety screening without compromising the essential functional information obtainable from cellular assays.

The thermodynamics and kinetics of a many-body system can be described in terms of a potential energy landscape in multidimensional configuration space. The partition function of such a landscape can be written in terms of a density of states, which can be computed using a variety of Monte Carlo techniques. In this paper, a new self-consistent Monte Carlo method for computing density of states is described that uses importance sampling and a multiplicative update factor to achieve rapid convergence. The technique is then applied to compute the equilibrium quench probability of the various inherent structures (minima) in the landscape. The quench probability depends on both the potential energy of the inherent structure and the volume of its corresponding basin in configuration space. Finally, the methodology is extended to the isothermal-isobaric ensemble in order to compute inherent structure quench probabilities in an enthalpy landscape.

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A wideband dual-circularly polarised (CP) substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) cavity-backed patch antenna is designed by using twolayer structure. The realised dual-CP, a cavity-backed square patch lies on the top substrate is excited by two pins, which are symmetrically located at an offset to the diagonal axis of the patch. These pins induce strong loading effect in the cavity and generate additional resonances in the vicinity of the patch resonant that help to achieve a wideband response by adjusting their locations. Thus, generation of dual-CP and wide impedance bandwidth is accomplished by using this new feeding topology. Moreover, the antenna is fabricated and tested for dual-CP. The experimental results show an impedance bandwidth of nearly 28.4% (8.59-11.43 GHz) and an axial-ratio bandwidth of 3.4% under the criterion <3-dB.

We present a macroscopic model for the spreading and rupture of a spherical lipid vesicle on a flat, isotropic, hydrophilic surface. Formulas for the free energy of the initial and final states are derived, and the details of spreading pathways are examined. We show that the activation barrier for vesicle rupture is too large to be overcome by thermal fluctuations at room temperature and the final configuration is more likely to consist of a deflated vesicle. In order for the vesicle to rupture into a planar bilayer, it would have to be aided by increased temperature, application of an external force, or preparation of a mixed hydrophilic/ hydrophobic surface.

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