Latest news with #UniversityOfBuenosAires
BBC News
22-05-2025
- Science
- BBC News
Sluggish sloth's secrets of success revealed in new study
Sloths have a reputation for being sluggish and slow, spending most of their lives dozing in trees, but a new study suggests this is one of the enduring secrets of their have examined the evolutionary history of the animals, including extinct forms known only from the fossil say giant sloths walking the land were an easy target for the first human contrast, small sloths in the trees managed to cling on to survival. The researchers say it is a reminder of the need to conserve Earth's remaining sloths, which represent only the tip of the iceberg of 30 million years of evolutionary history."Some sloths are here with us today, some of them are at risk of extinction and one take home message is that we need to act now to avoid a total extinction of the group, said Dr Alberto Boscaini of the University of Buenos Aires, who led the sloths are small, tree-dwelling mammals, known for their cute faces and unhurried demeanour, found only in the rainforests of South and Central back in the ancient past there were hundreds of different sloths across the Americas, of all shapes and sizes, adapted to live in every environment. Sloths lived on the ground, in caves and tunnels underground and even in water, some growing as big as elephants and standing taller than a man. But around 15,000 years ago, sloths started to die out. Scientists have been split over their demise, with various factors blamed, such as human hunting, environmental factors such as changes in the climate, or a combination of the new study, researchers analysed the body size of sloths across their evolutionary family tree and combined this with genetic found sloths adjusted their body size many times to cope with changes in the climate, without any long-term effects. Their "abrupt and precipitous decline" coincided with the time humans were spreading across the Americas hunting large mammals for ground-dwelling sloths would have been a relatively easy target, and it was these that started to vanish, the scientists say. In contrast, smaller sloths living in trees went largely unnoticed and have survived to this day."Living sloths are extremely slow and that's because they have a very low metabolic rate. This is their strategy to survive," said Dr Dr Daniel Casali, of The University of São Paulo, Brazil, added: " We can conserve the ones that are alive but unfortunately we lost something that is not possible to replace."The research is published in the journal, Science.
Zawya
15-05-2025
- Health
- Zawya
Saudi Arabia hosts landmark Ophthalmology Meeting to advance (DME) and (RVO) Treatment
Under the title 'Holistic pro-Inflammatory Target for Sight (HITS)' the Ophthalmology Pivotal Meeting kicked off in Saudi Arabia on April 25, 2025, under the auspices of AbbVie, the global biopharmaceutical research and development company. This is a significant move to elevate the standard of care for various eye conditions like Diabetic Macular Edema (DME) and Retinal Vein Occlusion (RVO). More than 100 national and international ophthalmologists participated in the meeting, which included scientific lectures and in-depth workshops to leverage applied medical specialties in ophthalmology and optics, exchange knowledge and expertise, and help change perspectives on the best ways to improve patient outcomes. It also discussed treatment and management methods of these prevalent diseases. In his lecture, Dr. Mattias Iglicki, Consultant Ophthalmologist, Vitreoretinal Surgeon and Researcher from University of Buenos Aires, Argentina, praised the convening of this meeting, which is a good opportunity to discuss the latest advancements and clinical trials in the presence of this elite group of international retinal specialists, along with local experts. He explained that diabetic macular edema, which is often the result of high blood sugar levels in diabetics, accompanied with leaky blood vessels leading to swelling in the retina. On the other hand, retinal vein occlusion occurs when the retinal veins are blocked, causing fluid buildup and impaired vision. Both conditions are serious and require proactive management to prevent the disease from worsening. Dr. Iglicki emphasized that organizing such medical summits and conferences serves as a platform for sharing and disseminating the cutting-edge research and developments in treating eye diseases, especially DME and RVO, which are diseases whose rates are increasing with the increasing incidence of diabetes. This enables the attending ophthalmologists to implement these updates in their practices, which in turn advances treatment methods in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in accordance with the latest international recommendations and technologies, thus improving the lives of patients and alleviating their daily suffering. For his part, Dr. Ashraf Daoud, General Manager of AbbVie Saudi Arabia, pointed out that Saudi Arabia's hosting of such medical meetings and seminars reflects the Kingdom's interest in promoting medical education and exchanging scientific expertise between international and local physicians to highlight the most important scientific and medical developments and provide distinguished medical care. By organizing this congress, AbbVie underscores its commitment to enhancing patient outcomes through educational initiatives and collaboration among eye care professionals. Sharing knowledge and expertise at such events is crucial to our ongoing efforts to refine treatment strategies, improve patients' quality of life, and help make a real difference in their lives. About AbbVie AbbVie's mission is to discover and deliver innovative medicines and solutions that solve serious health issues today and address the medical challenges of tomorrow. We strive to have a remarkable impact on people's lives across several key therapeutic areas including immunology, oncology, neuroscience, and eye care – and products and services in our Allergan Aesthetics portfolio.
Zawya
15-05-2025
- Health
- Zawya
Saudi Arabia hosts landmark ophthalmology meeting to advance DME and RVO treatment
Under the title 'Holistic pro-Inflammatory Target for Sight (HITS)' the Ophthalmology Pivotal Meeting kicked off in Saudi Arabia on April 25, 2025, under the auspices of AbbVie, the global biopharmaceutical research and development company. This is a significant move to elevate the standard of care for various eye conditions like Diabetic Macular Edema (DME) and Retinal Vein Occlusion (RVO). More than 100 national and international ophthalmologists participated in the meeting, which included scientific lectures and in-depth workshops to leverage applied medical specialties in ophthalmology and optics, exchange knowledge and expertise, and help change perspectives on the best ways to improve patient outcomes. It also discussed treatment and management methods of these prevalent diseases. In his lecture, Dr. Mattias Iglicki, Consultant Ophthalmologist, Vitreoretinal Surgeon and Researcher from University of Buenos Aires, Argentina, praised the convening of this meeting, which is a good opportunity to discuss the latest advancements and clinical trials in the presence of this elite group of international retinal specialists, along with local experts. He explained that diabetic macular edema, which is often the result of high blood sugar levels in diabetics, accompanied with leaky blood vessels leading to swelling in the retina. On the other hand, retinal vein occlusion occurs when the retinal veins are blocked, causing fluid buildup and impaired vision. Both conditions are serious and require proactive management to prevent the disease from worsening. Dr. Iglicki emphasized that organizing such medical summits and conferences serves as a platform for sharing and disseminating the cutting-edge research and developments in treating eye diseases, especially DME and RVO, which are diseases whose rates are increasing with the increasing incidence of diabetes. This enables the attending ophthalmologists to implement these updates in their practices, which in turn advances treatment methods in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in accordance with the latest international recommendations and technologies, thus improving the lives of patients and alleviating their daily suffering. For his part, Dr. Ashraf Daoud, General Manager of AbbVie Saudi Arabia, pointed out that Saudi Arabia's hosting of such medical meetings and seminars reflects the Kingdom's interest in promoting medical education and exchanging scientific expertise between international and local physicians to highlight the most important scientific and medical developments and provide distinguished medical care. By organizing this congress, AbbVie underscores its commitment to enhancing patient outcomes through educational initiatives and collaboration among eye care professionals. Sharing knowledge and expertise at such events is crucial to our ongoing efforts to refine treatment strategies, improve patients' quality of life, and help make a real difference in their lives. About AbbVie AbbVie's mission is to discover and deliver innovative medicines and solutions that solve serious health issues today and address the medical challenges of tomorrow. We strive to have a remarkable impact on people's lives across several key therapeutic areas including immunology, oncology, neuroscience, and eye care – and products and services in our Allergan Aesthetics portfolio. For more information about AbbVie, please visit us at Follow @abbvie on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, X and YouTube.
