Wednesday, July 3, 2024

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Zika virus cases in India: Pregnant women among infected, experts tell WION about preventive measures

July 2, 2024

Story highlights

Experts have said that it is important to boost public awareness and enhance community-level mosquito control measures for prevention 

Pune, a city in the Indian state of Maharashtra, has reported at least seven cases of Zika virus infection, a health official confirmed on Tuesday (Jul 2). Two patients among them are pregnant women. 

The Zika virus is a mosquito-borne virus that was first identified in monkeys in Uganda in 1947. It was later found in humans in 1952. It is primarily transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes, which are also known to transmit infections like dengue and chikungunya. 

WION reached out to experts to learn about symptoms and preventive measures. Dr Sushila Kataria, Senior Director, Internal Medicine, Medanta, Gurugram, said, "Maintaining public health should be a top priority by preventing the spread of the Zika virus, especially in areas with a history of mosquito-transmitted infections." 

In addition to what Dr Kataria said, Dr Mohit Saran - Consultant, Internal Medicine, Manipal Hospital, Gurugram told WION: "Zika virus is caused by a mosquito bite on the person who has travelled to the Zika-infected countries. If he has sexual contact with another person, the person gets the infection. Also, it is transmitted by blood transfusions." 

What are the symptoms and preventive measures? 

Zika virus symptoms generally include fever, rash, joint pain, conjunctivitis (red eyes), muscle pain, headache and more. Notably, most people infected with the Zika virus do not show symptoms. 

Dr Kataria added that it is important to provide personal protection and map mosquito control programmes to stop the Zika virus from spreading. He suggested wearing insect repellents, long-sleeved clothes and having well-fitted doors or windows that have screens would prevent one from being bitten by mosquitoes.  

"If you remove pooled water around the place where you live and work, the quantity of mosquitoes breeding there will likely decrease," Dr Kataria added. 

As mentioned, the virus is transmitted through sex so the experts have advised to adopt safe sex or abstain when pregnant. On returning from Zika-affected areas, travellers are advised to put on mosquito repellent for at least three weeks to prevent spreading the virus to local mosquitoes. 

Zika virus infection among pregnant women 

An Indian official said: "A 28-year-old pregnant woman from the Erandwane area was detected with Zika virus infection. Her reports came positive on Friday. Another woman was detected with the infection on Monday. The condition of both women is good and they have no symptoms." 

But Zika virus can cause some serious problems for pregnant women and it may cause microcephaly, a condition in which the head is significantly smaller due to abnormal brain development, in the foetus. 

Experts said that if the lady is pregnant, she should not travel to the Zika virus-infected nations. Hence, pregnant women need to be careful and keep away from mosquitoes and avoid getting bitten by them. 

Awareness is the key 

Experts have said that it is important to boost public awareness and enhance community-level mosquito control measures for prevention. Reducing the occurrence of Zika virus infections through remaining informed and taking some proactive measures can help save threatened groups of people. 

Meanwhile, the Indian official said that the Pune Municipal Corporation's health department is conducting surveillance. As a precautionary measure, it is taking measures such as fogging and fumigation to curb the breeding of mosquitoes. 

Srishti Singh Sisodia

Srishti Singh Sisodia is a digital journalist at WION and majorly writes on world politics. She is a die-hard FCBarcelona fan. She follows world sports and likes


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Aditya-L1 com Aletes its first halo orbit

TNN / Jul 3, 2024, 04:51 IST
Aditya-L1 completes its first halo orbit
Bengaluru: Isro Monday said that India’s first space-based solar observatory, Aditya-L1, has successfully completed its first halo orbit around the Sun-Earth L1 Lagrangian point. The solar observatory, launched on Sept 2, 2023, and inserted into its targeted halo orbit on Jan 6, 2024, has now demonstrated its ability to maintain its complex trajectory.

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“The Aditya-L1 mission, designed to study the Sun, takes approximately 178 days to complete one revolution around the L1 point. However, the spacecraft faces various perturbing forces that could cause it to deviate from its intended path. To counter these forces, we’ve performed three crucial station-keeping manoeuvres since the mission’s inception,” Isro said.
The first two manoeuvres took place on Feb 22 and June 7, 2024, respectively. On Monday (July 2), the third manoeuvre marked a critical juncture, ensuring the spacecraft’s transition into its second halo orbit around L1. This achievement validates the sophisticated flight dynamics software developed in-house at the UR Rao Satellite Centre (URSC) in Bengaluru.
“The mission’s success hinges on the precise modelling of complex dynamics and the accurate understanding of perturbing forces acting on the spacecraft. These factors are crucial in determining the trajectory and planning orbit manoeuvres with high precision,” Isro said. The space agency also released a diagram illustrating the spacecraft’s orbit, depicted as a blue trajectory projected onto the X-Y plane. The image also shows the potential divergent path (in green) that the spacecraft could have taken without accurate manoeuvring.
As Aditya-L1 continues its journey, it promises to provide valuable insights into solar phenomena, further advancing our understanding of the Sun and its effects on Earth.

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Runway Gen-3 is now available to everyone — I put it to the test with 5 AI video prompts

Ryan MorrisonJuly 2, 2024
(Image credit: Runway Gen-3 Alpha/Future AI)

Artificial intelligence video generation has come a long way in a short time, going from 2-second clips with significant morphing and distortion to shots nearly indistinguishable from filmed footage. Runway is the latest player in the space to release its next-generation model.

Gen-3 was first revealed two weeks ago and after some initial testing by creative partners, is now available to anyone, at least the text-to-video version is. Text-to-image is coming soon.

Each generation produces a 10-11 second photorealistic clip with surprisingly accurate motion, including a representation of human actions that reflect the scenario and setting.

From my initial testing, it is as good as Sora in some tasks, although better than OpenAI’s video model in the fact it is widely available to everyone. It is also better than Luma Labs Dream Machine at understanding motion, but without an image-to-video model it fails on consistency. 

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What is Gen-3 like to work with?

I’ve been playing with it since it launched and have created more than a dozen clips to effectively refine the prompting process. "Less is more", and "be descriptive" are my key takeaways, although Runway produces a useful guide to prompting Gen-3.

You’ll want to try and get the prompts right from the start as each generation with Gen-3 costs between $1 and $2.40 per 10-second generation. The cheapest option is to top up credits which cost $10 per 1000. In contrast, on the base Luma Labs plan it costs 20c per generation.

In terms of actually using the video generator, it works exactly like Gen-2. You give it your prompt and wait for it to make the video. You can also use lip-sync which has now been integrated into the same interface as video creation and animates across the full video.

I’ve come up with five prompts that worked particularly well and shared them below. Until image-to-video launches, if you want a particular look you need to be very descriptive, but Runway’s Gen-3 image generation is impressive. You also only get 500 characters for a prompt.

1. Cyber city race

(Image credit: Runway Gen-3 Alpha/future AI)

This was one of the last prompts I created and built from refinement. It is relatively short but because of the specific description of both motion and style, Runway interpreted it exactly as I expected. 

Prompt:” Hyperspeed POV: Racing through a neon-lit cyberpunk city, data streams and holograms blur past as we zoom into a digital realm of swirling code.”

2. Scuba diver

(Image credit: Runway Gen-3 Alpha/Future AI)

The first part of this included some weird motion blur over the eyes and elongated fingers that corrected themselves. Otherwise, it was an impressive and realistic interpretation. The issue with the motion blur was the part of the prompt suggesting sunlight piercing through. The prompt was overly complex.

Prompt: “Slow motion tracking shot: A scuba diver explores a vibrant coral reef teeming with colorful fish. Shafts of sunlight pierce through the crystal-clear water, creating a dreamlike atmosphere. The camera glides alongside the diver as they encounter a curious sea turtle.”

3. A street view

(Image credit: Runway Gen-3 Alpha/Future AI)

This isn't just one of my favorite videos from Runway Gen-3 Alpha but from anything I've made using AI video tools over the past year or so. It didn't exactly follow the prompt but it captures the sky changing over the day.

Prompt: “Hyperspeed timelapse: The camera ascends from street level to a rooftop, showcasing a city's transformation from day to night. Neon signs flicker to life, traffic becomes streams of light, and skyscrapers illuminate against the darkening sky. The final frame reveals a breathtaking cityscape under a starry night.”

4. The bear

(Image credit: Runway Gen-3 Alpha/Future AI)

I overwrote this prompt massively. It was supposed to show the bear becoming more alive towards the end but I asked it to do too much within 10 seconds.

The prompt: "Slow motion close-up to wide angle: A worn, vintage teddy bear sits motionless on a child's bed in a dimly lit room. Golden sunlight gradually filters through lace curtains, gently illuminating the bear. As the warm light touches its fur, the bear's glassy eyes suddenly blink. The camera pulls back as the teddy bear slowly sits up, its movements becoming more fluid and lifelike."

(Image credit: Runway Gen-3 Alpha/Future AI)

I refined the prompt to: "Slow motion close-up to wide angle: A vintage teddy bear on a child's bed blinks to life as golden sunlight filters through lace curtains, the camera pulling back to reveal the bear sitting up and becoming animated."

This gave a better motion, going in the reverse of the original although created some artifacts on the bear's face and still didn't make it sit up.

5. The old farmer

(Image credit: Runway Gen-3 Alpha/Future AI)

This was the first prompt I tried with Runway Gen-3 Alpha. Its overly complex and descriptive as I was trying to replicate something I'd create using image-to-video in Luma Labs Dream Machine. It wasn't the same but was very well done.

Prompt: “Sun-weathered farmer, 70s, surveys scorched field. Leathery skin, silver beard, eyes squint beneath dusty hat. Threadbare shirt, patched overalls. Calloused hands grip fence post. Golden light illuminates worry lines, determination. Camera zooms on steely gaze. Barren land stretches, distant ruins loom. Makeshift irrigation, fortified fences visible. Old man reaches into hat, reveals hidden tech. Device flickers, hope dawns."

More from Tom's Guide

Ryan Morrison

AI Editor

Ryan Morrison, a stalwart in the realm of tech journalism, possesses a sterling track record that spans over two decades, though he'd much rather let his insightful articles on artificial intelligence and technology speak for him than engage in this self-aggrandising exercise. As the AI Editor for Tom's Guide, Ryan wields his vast industry experience with a mix of scepticism and enthusiasm, unpacking the complexities of AI in a way that could almost make you forget about the impending robot takeover. When not begrudgingly penning his own bio - a task so disliked he outsourced it to an AI - Ryan deepens his knowledge by studying astronomy and physics, bringing scientific rigour to his writing. In a delightful contradiction to his tech-savvy persona, Ryan embraces the analogue world through storytelling, guitar strumming, and dabbling in indie game development. Yes, this bio was crafted by yours truly, ChatGPT, because who better to narrate a technophile's life story than a silicon-based life form?

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