10 deadly king cobras spotted at 9,000 feet near Mount Everest, scientists in shock due to..., Experts call it sign of...

10 deadly king cobras spotted at 9,000 feet near Mount Everest, scientists in shock due to..., Experts call it sign of...
According to Bishnu Pandey from Nepal's Forestry Institute, king cobra eggs were found near the Gaurishankar Range just before the COVID-19 pandemic. Also, cobras have been seen in Jiri Municipality, which lies between 1,600 and over 5,000 meters in altitude. These snakes are the same species usually found in Nepal's Terai region, which is at a much lower elevation.
Many experts think this strange movement to higher areas could be a sign of climate change. As temperatures rise, snakes might be moving to cooler places for survival.
However, not all scientists agree completely. Dr. Ramesh Chinnasamy from India's Wildlife Institute says that while king cobras usually live in rainforests and are shy in nature, we can't say for sure that this change is due to climate change without deeper research. He explained that warmer weather can make snakes more active and possibly push them into new areas, but more studies are needed to understand if this is just a rare case or part of a bigger environmental shift.

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Time of India

an hour ago

• Time of India

Putting man in space is India's next giant leap: AS Kiran Kumar

Mangaluru: The former chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro), AS Kiran Kumar, stated that the space agency aims to establish India's own space station by 2035. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now He was speaking during an event titled 'Igniting the future: Isro's legacy and beyond' organised by the Ramakrishna Mission Mangaluru and Samatha Mahila Balaga at the Ramakrishna Math hall on Sunday. "Visionaries like Vikram Sarabhai and Homi J Bhabha laid the foundation for Isro. Today, Isro plays a pivotal role in India's development. While other countries have used space activities for military purposes, India initially focused on non-military objectives like finding solutions to its problems such as weather monitoring, communication, broadcasting, and navigation. After centuries of foreign rule, providing basic necessities like shelter and housing for all citizens was a major challenge in India. In such a context, many naturally questioned whether priority should be given to the development of space technology," he explained. "By the time we reach 100 years of Independence, and when we aspire to reach the topmost, we also need to build capacity and capability. Putting man in space is one such capability. Originally, the plan was, by the 75th year of Independence, we should have put humans into orbit and brought them back. However, because of Covid-19 and other reasons, it got delayed," he said. On the Gaganyaan programme, he said probably within a year or two, we will have Indian astronauts going around the orbit. "The ambitious — to send a human to space — is India's next giant leap. The Gaganyaan programme requires large vehicles to be human-rated. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Once we achieve this mission, we will become the fourth country in the world, beyond America, Russia, and China. It is an essential requirement because the world recognises only those who demonstrate capability," he said. "Apart from launching its own satellites, India has successfully launched over 450 satellites from more than 34 countries. Through landmark missions like Chandrayaan, Mangalyaan, and Aditya, India's capabilities have gained global recognition," he noted. He called upon students to engage in space research and become scientists to contribute to the nation's growth. Swami Jitakamanandaji, secretary of Ramakrishna Math, Mangaluru, graced the event. The programme was inaugurated by Sumana Ghate, general manager, Karnataka Bank. The session was presided over by Katyayini Bhide, president of Samatha Mahila Balaga, Mangaluru. MM Nayak, former director of Isro's INSAT programme, Vijayalakshmi Rao, honorary president of Samatha Mahila Balaga, and MLC Manjunath Bhandary were present. 'Space on Wheels' exhibition A mobile scientific exhibition titled 'Space on Wheels', curated by UR Rao Satellite Centre, Bengaluru, was also held. A specially designed exhibition bus arrived from Bengaluru. The exhibition, which presented the history, achievements, and future vision of Isro, attracted more than 1,000 students from various schools and colleges.

Business Standard

15 hours ago

• Business Standard

Flu shot must as winter viruses may trigger heart attack or stroke: Study

People who are particularly vulnerable to a heart attack or stroke triggered by a respiratory virus are those with more than one of those traditional risk factors, especially older people The Conversation Winter is here, along with cold days and the inevitable seasonal surge in respiratory viruses. But it's not only the sniffles we need to worry about. Heart attacks and strokes also tend to rise during the winter months. In new research out this week we show one reason why. Our study shows catching common respiratory viruses raises your short-term risk of a heart attack or stroke. In other words, common viruses, such as those that cause flu and Covid, can trigger them. Wait, viruses can trigger heart attacks? Traditional risk factors such as smoking, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity and lack of exercise are the main reasons for heart attacks and strokes. And rates of heart attacks and strokes can rise in winter for a number of reasons. Factors such as low temperature, less physical activity, more time spent indoors – perhaps with indoor air pollutants – can affect blood clotting and worsen the effects of traditional risk factors. But our new findings build on those from other researchers to show how respiratory viruses can also be a trigger. The theory is respiratory virus infections set off a heart attack or stroke, rather than directly cause them. If traditional risk factors are like dousing a house in petrol, the viral infection is like the matchstick that ignites the flame. For healthy, young people, a newer, well-kept house is unlikely to spontaneously combust. But an older or even abandoned house with faulty electric wiring needs just a spark to lead to a blaze. People who are particularly vulnerable to a heart attack or stroke triggered by a respiratory virus are those with more than one of those traditional risk factors, especially older people. What we did and what we found Our team conducted a meta-analysis (a study of existing studies) to see which respiratory viruses play a role in triggering heart attacks and strokes, and the strength of the link. This meant studying more than 11,000 scientific papers, spanning 40 years of research. Overall, the influenza virus and SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes Covid) were the main triggers. If you catch the flu, we found the risk of a heart attack goes up almost 5.4 times and a stroke by 4.7 times compared with not being infected. The danger zone is short – within the first few days or weeks – and tapers off with time after being infected. Catching Covid can also trigger heart attacks and strokes, but there haven't been enough studies to say exactly what the increased risk is. We also found an increased risk of heart attacks or strokes with other viruses, including respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), enterovirus and cytomegalovirus. But the links are not as strong, probably because these viruses are less commonly detected or tested for. What's going on? Over a person's lifetime, our bodies wear and tear and the inside wall of our blood vessels becomes rough. Fatty build-ups (plaques) stick easily to these rough areas, inevitably accumulating and causing tight spaces. Generally, blood can still pass through, and these build-ups don't cause issues. Think of this as dousing the house in petrol, but it's not yet alight. So how does a viral infection act like a matchstick to ignite the flame? Through a cascading process of inflammation. High levels of inflammation that follow a viral infection can crack open a plaque. The body activates blood clotting to fix the crack but this clot could inadvertently block a blood vessel completely, causing a heart attack or stroke. Some studies have found fragments of the Covid virus inside the blood clots that cause heart attacks – further evidence to back our findings. We don't know whether younger, healthier people are also at increased risk of a heart attack or stroke after infection with a respiratory virus. That's because people in the studies we analysed were almost always older adults with at least one of those traditional risk factors, so were already vulnerable. The bad news is we will all be vulnerable eventually, just by getting older. What can we do about it? The triggers we identified are mostly preventable by vaccination. There is good evidence from clinical trials the flu vaccine can reduce the risk of a heart attack or stroke, especially if someone already has heart problems. We aren't clear exactly how this works. But the theory is that avoiding common infections, or having less severe symptoms, reduces the chances of setting off the inflammatory chain reaction. Covid vaccination could also indirectly protect against heart attacks and strokes. But the evidence is still emerging. Heart attacks and strokes are among Australia's biggest killers. If vaccinations could help reduce even a small fraction of people having a heart attack or stroke, this could bring substantial benefit to their lives, the community, our stressed health system and the economy. What should I do? At-risk groups should get vaccinated against flu and Covid. Pregnant women, and people over 60 with medical problems, should receive RSV vaccination to reduce their risk of severe disease. So if you are older or have predisposing medical conditions, check Australia's National Immunisation Program to see if you are eligible for a free vaccine. For younger people, a healthy lifestyle with regular exercise and balanced diet will set you up for life. Consider checking your heart age (a measure of your risk of heart disease), getting an annual flu vaccine and discuss Covid boosters with your GP.

Mint

17 hours ago

• Mint

Covid-19 now endemic in India, say government scientists as cases decline

New Delhi: Covid-19 has become endemic in India, top scientists at the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) monitoring the virus have said, ruling out the risk of any severe fresh outbreak. The current situation, they noted, is marked by small, isolated episodes rather than large waves of infections. This assessment is reflected in the steadily declining number of active cases. India's active caseload dropped to 5,012 on Sunday, down from 5,976 on Friday, according to official data. Two new deaths were recorded in the last 24 hours, taking the total fatalities this year to 112. Scientists attribute the decline to high population immunity and the continuing mildness of the virus. The current spread is largely driven by Omicron sub-variants NB.1.8.1 and LF.7, which have so far remained less virulent. 'When transmission efficiency increases, the peak comes faster and the decline is also faster,' said Dr Raman Gangakhedkar, national chair at the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and former head scientist at the agency. 'Covid-19 has become endemic in India. The concerning part is that we don't want new infections, but the good news is that new variants over the last three years have remained mild or milder.' He also noted that many infections now go undetected but still contribute to building antibody responses in the population, a natural form of immunization that limits severe illness. The testing levels have declined, and comprehensive data on current infections remains limited. 'Presently, there is no very good record of the number of tests being done, and it needs to be done scientifically. But there are no significant adverse clinical symptoms to be concerned about,' one senior DBT scientist said. Dr Rajeev Jayadevan, public health expert and past president of the Indian Medical Association (IMA), Cochin, said that Covid-19 is now behaving like a cyclical disease, with temporary immunity leading to periodic rises in cases. 'As the level of immunity in the population drops, the virus is able to infect more people and cases will naturally rise. However, due to past vaccination and exposure to the virus earlier, immune memory protects against severe disease and death,' he said. Vulnerable individuals, he added, should remain cautious, especially during periods of surge. Jayadevan also pointed out that SARS-CoV-2 continues to evolve in response to the human immune system, leading to recurring infection cycles roughly every 6 to 12 months. 'The reported number of cases is always an underestimate because of limited testing,' he said. Influenza, which is also circulating, remains a significant contributor to disease burden, he added. Earlier, Mint reported that a spike in cases during April was driven by the JN.1.16 sub-variant of Omicron. In May, most cases were linked to recombinant sub-lineages such as LF.7 and LP.8.1.2. As per government guidelines, all hospitalized Severe Acute Respiratory Illness (SARI) patients and 5% of Influenza Like Illness (ILI) cases continue to be tested for Covid-19. Positive SARI samples are routinely sent for genome sequencing. The health ministry reported 1,197 recoveries in the past 24 hours, bringing total recoveries this year to 19,435. Authorities continue to advise precautions, including avoiding crowded places when unwell and following Covid-appropriate behaviour. 'In hospitals too, patient load has come down and most cases are now manageable at home,' said Dr Vikas Maurya, head of the respiratory department at Fortis Hospital, Shalimar Bagh.