Publications by authors named "Georgios Simatos"
Z-Ala-Ile-OH, a dipeptide building block suitable for the formation of orthorhombic microtubes.
Acta Crystallogr C Struct Chem
July 2023
Article Synopsis
- Self-assembling dipeptides, particularly diphenylalanine (Phe-Phe), have gained attention as innovative materials for biomaterials development, but aliphatic and mixed dipeptides also show significant potential with unique structures.
- The study focuses on the aliphatic dipeptide alanine-isoleucine (Ala-Ile), which has a benzyloxycarbonyl (Z) group at the N-terminus, and reveals its single-crystal structure and crystallization behavior.
- The research demonstrates that Ala-Ile forms hollow microtubes with orthorhombic symmetry on glass surfaces, enhancing the understanding of peptide self-assembly and broadening the options for microtechnological applications
Article Synopsis
- The research investigates the structural and conformational properties of alanine-isoleucine (Ala-Ile) and isoleucine-isoleucine (Ile-Ile) dipeptides in both water and methanol solvents using a mix of simulation and experimental techniques.
- A wide range of concentrations is covered in the study, showing qualitative agreement between the results from molecular dynamics simulations and experimental data, despite differing concentration ranges in each method.
- Temperature variations from 278 to 300 K have minimal impact on the dipeptide structures, with findings ranking their self-assembly strength in aqueous solutions as follows: Phe-Phe > Ala-Ile > Ala-Ala > Ile-Ile.
Article Synopsis
- Hemipelvectomies are rare surgeries usually done for serious health issues like cancer or aggressive benign tumors, with little documented about their complications, particularly post-surgery hernias.
- The case presented is unique because it details an incisional hernia of the urinary bladder occurring after an internal hemipelvectomy performed due to a benign bone cyst.
- The development of the hernia is attributed to the patient's young age, fitness level enabling proper recovery, and the changes in internal anatomy post-surgery, suggesting that using a mesh for initial reconstruction could have potentially prevented this complication.
Article Synopsis
- Enterobius vermicularis, known as pinworm, can rarely infect the liver, with only five documented cases so far, typically leading to mild symptoms and being discovered incidentally during other surgeries.
- The case discussed in the report is the second known instance of hepatic enterobiasis being misdiagnosed as cancer, resulting in unnecessary liver surgery.
- While certain trends in the condition’s causes and behavior were identified, no changes in treatment approaches for suspicious liver nodules are recommended just yet, though better understanding may help avoid unnecessary surgeries in the future.