so one time i got bit by a brown recluse which is one of the only types of spider in my area that's actually dangerous and at first i didn't know what had happened to me, only that it was nasty. the swelling wasn't going down and the wound started to get ugly. i don't want to like get into the details because that's gross but it got to the point 2 weeks later that i was worried enough to go to the doctor, which i hate doing.
i am not afraid of spiders but other people are so i'd been covering it with this big ole square bandage (i needed more landscape coverage than a simple bandaid) and sat in the university medical waiting room, kicking my heels and playing BOTW. the nurse who admitted me was like, oh, we have got to get Tom to cover this one. she wrote spider bite under my ticket.
i waited in the near-empty building for like an hour and then nurse tom shows up in spiderman scrubs, out of breath. "sorry," he says, "i saw - your slip - and I had," he heaves in a breath, "to run home and. get. these scrubs. i literally. ran. felt like a job. for. spiderman."
i laugh. he puts his hands on his knees, thumbs-ups at me. fishes a pamphlet out from under his clipboard that basically says spiders can be scary but you don't need to be scared, there's very few dangerous spiders in new england. "honestly," he wheezes, "we probably don't need to get you into an exam room. just..." he waves his hand at the pamphlet, "read that."
i look down at my arm. then back at him in his scrubs. and then down at my arm. i like that he made an effort to make a joke, but now it does not feel like a good joke, because they are mistaking my calm for a lack of injury. "can i. like. at least show you the bite?"
he gives me kind of a weird look, which is fair, but then says. "if. i mean, if you have to."
i peel the bandage off. his face goes green.
"oh," he says.
"yeah, man."
"a... spider bit you?" his voice is high and tight and trembling. he backs up a few steps.
"i think a brown recluse," i offer. "i know it's nasty, sorry."
"excuse me for a moment." he looks over to the administering nurse on the other side of the small room. "i need to find someone else to take care of you."
the administering nurse smiles over to us with a degree of pleasure that is almost salivating. for a moment, like a window opening, i am briefly aware of what must be a psychic message floating amongst the in-between. her jaguar teeth all say this is like a party for me and i know exactly what i'm doing.
"oh no, tom," she says, grinning. "i gave her to you specifically."
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Machete is much like meringue with his pure white and often pointy appearance and very hard and brittle surface that if you are able to break through reveals sweetness inside.
Vasco on the other hand resembles honey with his rich and warm yellow color that softly flows to embrace anything it touches. His softness must not be mistaken as a weakness for he can be strong and tough like the sugar crystals rendering honey solid, but he can be returned to his soft form once again if shown a little warmth.
And most importantly, soft and warm honey can soften the hard surface of meringue, without breaking it.
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This modified stainless steel could kill bacteria without antibiotics or chemicals
An electrochemical process developed at Georgia Tech could offer new protection against bacterial infections without contributing to growing antibiotic resistance.
The approach capitalizes on the natural antibacterial properties of copper and creates incredibly small needle-like structures on the surface of stainless steel to kill harmful bacteria like E. coli and Staphylococcus. It's convenient and inexpensive, and it could reduce the need for chemicals and antibiotics in hospitals, kitchens, and other settings where surface contamination can lead to serious illness.
It also could save lives: A global study of drug-resistant infections found they directly killed 1.27 million people in 2019 and contributed to nearly 5 million other deaths—making these infections one of the leading causes of death for every age group.
Researchers described the copper-stainless steel and its effectiveness May 20 in the journal Small.
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Aizawa never smells the same.
He always take morning showers when he’s still half asleep. He’ll grab whatever soap is nearest him to wash up with. No need to look, soap is soap and it all cleans the same. If it doesn’t lather, it’s probably conditioner and he just tries again.
Sometimes it’s one of Hizashi’s 300 hair and body products.
Sometimes it’s Eri’s ‘No Tears!’ apple scented kids shampoo.
Sometimes it’s whichever scent body wash Hitoshi liked the best at the store the last time they went.
He never smells the same, and this fact is a closely guarded and much coveted secret by those who have gotten close to him enough times to know.
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Wound treatment hydrogel infused with amino acid kills bacteria naturally and promotes cell growth
Hydrogels are popular for use in skin ailments and tissue engineering. These polymer-based biocompatible materials are useful for their abilities to retain water, deliver drugs into wounds, and biodegrade. However, they are complicated to manufacture and not very resilient to external forces like rubbing against clothing, sheets, or wound dressings. They are also not inherently able to battle bacterial infections, so they are often infused with antimicrobial drugs or metal ions, which can cause antibiotic resistance and negative effects on cell growth.
In a paper published in APL Materials, researchers created a hydrogel that is easier to synthesize, contains natural antibiotic properties, and promotes cell growth.
"A diabetic patient may have skin wounds that do not heal easily due to metabolic disease," author Jing Sun said. "The patient may try to treat the wounds with topical medicines such as erythromycin, and it may be effective at first, but over a long period of time, it may fail to relieve symptoms. This could be due to antibiotic resistance."
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ORGANIZATION TIME. i got this box at CHRISTMAS but have never fully sorted and cleaned them. this guy was absolutely filthy
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