抗原变异可使得多种致病微生物易于逃避宿主免疫应答。表达在感染红细胞表面的恶性疟原虫红细胞表面蛋白1（PfPMP1）与感染红细胞、内皮细胞、树突状细胞以及胎盘的单个或多个受体作用，在黏附及免疫逃避中起关键的作用。每个单倍体基因组var基因家族编码约60种成员，通过启动转录不同的var基因变异体为抗原变异提供了分子基础。

疟原虫var基因转换速率变化导致抗原变异[英]／Paul H, Robert P, Christodoulou Z, et al//Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A

J. Appl. Cryst.の発刊に際して

Diffraction (X-ray, neutron and electron) and electron cryo-microscopy are powerful methods to determine three-dimensional macromolecular structures, which are required to understand biological processes and to develop new therapeutics against diseases. The overall structure-solution workflow is similar for these techniques, but nuances exist because the properties of the reduced experimental data are different. Software tools for structure determination should therefore be tailored for each method. Phenix is a comprehensive software package for macromolecular structure determination that handles data from any of these techniques. Tasks performed with Phenix include data-quality assessment, map improvement, model building, the validation/rebuilding/refinement cycle and deposition. Each tool caters to the type of experimental data. The design of Phenix emphasizes the automation of procedures, where possible, to minimize repetitive and time-consuming manual tasks, while default parameters are chosen to encourage best practice. A graphical user interface provides access to many command-line features of Phenix and streamlines the transition between programs, project tracking and re-running of previous tasks.

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Macromolecular structure determination using X-rays, neutrons and electrons: recent developments in Phenix

Interpretation of X-ray Powder Diffraction Patterns . By H. Lipson and H. Steeple. Pp. viii + 335 + 3 plates. (Mac-millan: London; St Martins Press: New York, May 1970.) £4.

X-Ray Diffraction

Recent advances in nanoscience and nanotechnology radically changed the way we diagnose, treat, and prevent various diseases in all aspects of human life. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are one of the most vital and fascinating nanomaterials among several metallic nanoparticles that are involved in biomedical applications. AgNPs play an important role in nanoscience and nanotechnology, particularly in nanomedicine. Although several noble metals have been used for various purposes, AgNPs have been focused on potential applications in cancer diagnosis and therapy. In this review, we discuss the synthesis of AgNPs using physical, chemical, and biological methods. We also discuss the properties of AgNPs and methods for their characterization. More importantly, we extensively discuss the multifunctional bio-applications of AgNPs; for example, as antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, anti-angiogenic, and anti-cancer agents, and the mechanism of the anti-cancer activity of AgNPs. In addition, we discuss therapeutic approaches and challenges for cancer therapy using AgNPs. Finally, we conclude by discussing the future perspective of AgNPs.

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Silver Nanoparticles: Synthesis, Characterization, Properties, Applications, and Therapeutic Approaches

X-ray micro-tomography systems often suffer severe ring artifacts in reconstructed images. These artifacts are caused by defects in the detector, calibration errors, and fluctuations producing streak noise in the raw sinogram data. In this work, these streaks are modeled in the sinogram domain as additive stationary correlated noise upon logarithmic transformation. Based on this model, a streak removal procedure is proposed where the Block-Matching and 3-D (BM3D) filtering algorithm is applied across multiple scales, achieving state-of-the-art performance in both real and simulated data. Specifically, the proposed fully automatic procedure allows for attenuation of streak noise and the corresponding ring artifacts without creating major distortions common to other streak removal algorithms.

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Ring artifact reduction via multiscale nonlocal collaborative filtering of spatially correlated noise

With a small double-mirror setup, we used grazing-x-ray interferometry to study nanometric steps. These one-dimensional steps were microfabricated upon the surface of one of the two mirrors; the other mirror provided the reference wave. Two geometries were studied. In the longitudinal case in which the x rays are parallel to the step edges, it is straightforward to determine the step size. In the transverse case, one deals with Fourier holography, and a reconstruction process for a phase object had been demonstrated for the case of a single step.

X-ray interferometry of surfaces with Fresnel mirrors.

In ptychography experiments, redundant scanning is usually required to guarantee the stable recovery, such that a huge number of frames are generated, and thus it poses a great demand on parallel c...

Overlapping Domain Decomposition Methods for Ptychographic Imaging

We employ a coded aperture pattern in front of a charge couple device (CCD) pixilated detector to image fluorescent xrays (6-25KeV) from samples irradiated with synchrotron radiation. Coded apertures encode the angular direction of xrays, and given a known source plane, allow for a large Numerical Aperture x-ray imaging system. The algorithm to develop the free standing coded aperture pattern of the Non-Two-Holes-Touching (NTHT) was developed. The algorithms to reconstruct the x-ray image from the encoded pattern recorded are developed by means of modeling and confirmed by experiments on standard samples. Spatial resolution and efficiency are determined for the next development stage whereby an energy resolving pixilated CCD will be deployed allowing for elemental imaging.

Stefano Marchesini

Papers

Ring artifact reduction via multiscale nonlocal collaborative filtering of spatially correlated noise

X-ray interferometry of surfaces with Fresnel mirrors.

Overlapping Domain Decomposition Methods for Ptychographic Imaging

Coded aperture imaging for fluorescent x-rays

Two-dimensional coherence measurements with Fresnel mirrors