University of Maryland, Baltimore

About: University of Maryland, Baltimore is a education organization based out in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Poison control. The organization has 35249 authors who have published 64702 publications receiving 2936441 citations. The organization is also known as: UMAB & UMB.

The Ocular Hypertension Treatment Study: A Randomized Trial Determines That Topical Ocular Hypotensive Medication Delays or Prevents the Onset of Primary Open-Angle Glaucoma

Abstract: Background Primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) is one of the leading causes of blindness in the United States and worldwide. Three to 6 million people in the United States are at increased risk for developing POAG because of elevated intraocular pressure (IOP), or ocular hypertension. There is no consensus on the efficacy of medical treatment in delaying or preventing the onset of POAG in individuals with elevated IOP. Therefore, we designed a randomized clinical trial, the Ocular Hypertension Treatment Study. Objective To determine the safety and efficacy of topical ocular hypotensive medication in delaying or preventing the onset of POAG. Methods A total of 1636 participants with no evidence of glaucomatous damage, aged 40 to 80 years, and with an IOP between 24 mm Hg and 32 mm Hg in one eye and between 21 mm Hg and 32 mm Hg in the other eye were randomized to either observation or treatment with commercially available topical ocular hypotensive medication. The goal in the medication group was to reduce the IOP by 20% or more and to reach an IOP of 24 mm Hg or less. Main Outcome Measures The primary outcome was the development of reproducible visual field abnormality or reproducible optic disc deterioration attributed to POAG. Abnormalities were determined by masked certified readers at the reading centers, and attribution to POAG was decided by the masked Endpoint Committee. Results During the course of the study, the mean ± SD reduction in IOP in the medication group was 22.5% ± 9.9%. The IOP declined by 4.0%± 11.6% in the observation group. At 60 months, the cumulative probability of developing POAG was 4.4% in the medication group and 9.5% in the observation group (hazard ratio, 0.40; 95% confidence interval, 0.27-0.59; P Conclusions Topical ocular hypotensive medication was effective in delaying or preventing the onset of POAG in individuals with elevated IOP. Although this does not imply that all patients with borderline or elevated IOP should receive medication, clinicians should consider initiating treatment for individuals with ocular hypertension who are at moderate or high risk for developing POAG.

Effects of a combination of beta carotene and vitamin a on lung cancer and cardiovascular disease

Abstract: Background Lung cancer and cardiovascular disease are major causes of death in the United States. It has been proposed that carotenoids and retinoids are agents that may prevent these disorders. Methods We conducted a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled primary prevention trial — the Beta-Carotene and Retinol Efficacy Trial — involving a total of 18,314 smokers, former smokers, and workers exposed to asbestos. The effects of a combination of 30 mg of beta carotene per day and 25,000 IU of retinol (vitamin A) in the form of retinyl palmitate per day on the primary end point, the incidence of lung cancer, were compared with those of placebo. Results A total of 388 new cases of lung cancer were diagnosed during the 73,135 person-years of follow-up (mean length of follow-up, 4.0 years). The active-treatment group had a relative risk of lung cancer of 1.28 (95 percent confidence interval, 1.04 to 1.57; P = 0.02), as compared with the placebo group. There were no statistically significant ...

CHARMM36m: An improved force field for folded and intrinsically disordered proteins

Abstract: An all-atom protein force field, CHARMM36m, offers improved accuracy for simulating intrinsically disordered peptides and proteins. The all-atom additive CHARMM36 protein force field is widely used in molecular modeling and simulations. We present its refinement, CHARMM36m ( http://mackerell.umaryland.edu/charmm_ff.shtml ), with improved accuracy in generating polypeptide backbone conformational ensembles for intrinsically disordered peptides and proteins.

Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Management of Pain, Agitation, and Delirium in Adult Patients in the Intensive Care Unit

Abstract: Objective:To revise the “Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Sustained Use of Sedatives and Analgesics in the Critically Ill Adult” published in Critical Care Medicine in 2002.Methods:The American College of Critical Care Medicine assembled a 20-person, multidisciplinary, multi-institutional task f