Aortic regurgitation is associated with African American and Asian race, smoking, renal disease, and numerous autoimmune diseases in addition to traditional cardiovascular risk factors but has lower risk with alcohol intake.

Background: Aortic regurgitation (AR) is associated with increasing age, rheumatic heart disease, and a bicuspid aortic valve, but its association with other comorbidities and race is less known. The purpose of this study was to investigate any association between AR and comorbid conditions in older adults above 40.

Method: The large Nationwide Inpatient Sample database was utilized for our study using uni- and multivariate analysis.

Independent association of aortic stenosis with many known cardiovascular risk factors and many inflammatory diseases.

Background: Aortic valve stenosis is associated with age, rheumatic fever and bicuspid aortic valve, but its association with other co-morbidities, such as inflammatory disease and race/ethnicity, is less known.

Aim: To investigate any association between aortic stenosis and many co-morbidities.

Methods: We used the large Nationwide Inpatient Sample database to evaluate any association between aortic stenosis and risk factors.

Coarse-grained simulation of PEGylated and tethered protein devices at all experimentally accessible surface residues on β-lactamase for stability analysis and comparison.

PEGylated and surface-tethered proteins are used in a variety of biotechnological applications, but traditional methods offer little control over the placement of the functionalization sites on the protein. Fortunately, recent experimental methods functionalize the protein at any location on the amino acid sequence, so the question becomes one of selecting the site that will result in the best protein function. This work shows how molecular simulation can be used to screen potential attachment sites for surface tethering or PEGylation.