#the blackflies r OUT

[moondahluna]

“It’s the witching hour” - a sentence that was just spoken regarding bugs and a bonfire

[pigspeetsandhooflikefeets]

TMS ship dump under the cut, in case anyone was curious :3c

Season 1:

I really don’t ship any of the S1 masks with another S1 mask, all of them are cross-gen

Season 2:

Iced Egg (Ice Cream x Egg): CLASSIC ship. Both were eliminated together, and they’re both twinks (as well as a lot of people thought they deserved a second ep). I really enjoy this one, it’s a very harmless ship. Ice Cream thrives in the cold and Egg is an ice skater. It’s really good.

Fried Bones (Egg x Skeleton): Raw UST ship. Both sang love songs at each other absolutely carnally. Out for blood, or bone marrow, or yolk, or something. Doesn’t have a good romantic vibe but it’s a good gilf x twink ship. I enjoy. (can you even imagine a hat swap...)

Blackfly (Black Widow x Butterfly): Massive sass warning on this one. Those creepy crawly gals will chew you up and laugh about it while they go on a coffee date. They’ll end your career. Girls helping girls and also kissin each other.

Thottie (Thingamajig x Rottie): Himbo x nerd/jock, lbr. They’re both precious boys are probably really cute together. A good best friends to lovers ship.

Angry Birds (Penguin x Eagle): I will simp for a good Smackdown ship. Both give off a great independent yet together vibe, and they both sang a love song. Have I mentioned they’re both birds and mad as hell? I love them.

Season 3:

Fritty (Frog x Kitty): WHO am I if not a Fritty shipper. I love the dynamic, from the 30′s costumes, to the gangsta boy x sassy girl, to the delicious colour palette. I refuse to accept they ‘broke up’ so easily and between shots. Don’t threaten me with a good ship, FOX

Astroturtle (Astronaut x Turtle): hhh boys. Did FOX REALLY think they could pair up two loverboys together in a verses and we not think ‘hey something is going on here’. While unmasking isn’t canon, Hunter and Jesse being bros irl helps the cause. A nervous space boy and his punk rock turtle boyfriend. It sounds just like a BL novel

Swex (Swan x T-Rex): Not much to say but it’s really cute. Meme culture gals. Bear said it was my turn on the X-Box. Iconic.

Cross-gen

Rabox (Rabbit x Fox): One of the best Fox ships, and THE best Rabbit ship. Fox literally presented a framed picture of Rabbit in the Christmas ep, sniffs it with his muzzle twitching, and polishes the frame. Fellas- The two have a ‘tired alcoholic x chaotic rabbit’ vibe. So Sam and Max. Also they both have mechanical parts, so they’re probably equipped to help the other if anything happens

Leocock (Leopard x Peacock): I DIDN’T NAME THIS ONE. Two flamboyant and sassy men together? I couldn’t imagine not at least headcanoning them as FRIENDS (or rivals). The two have a strong competitiveness (Peacock getting sad about a small mistake/Leopard being burned up about two smack downs) and I can see them firing each other up. Not to mention how touchy those two are...

Night-Lion (Night Angel x Lion): Night Angel deserves a queen. Lion deserves a queen. They are both queens. They are made for each other. They are both elegant, strong, fierce, and worth it. Absolute power couple.

Pink Pile (Alien x Poodle x Flamingo): yeah we don’t have a ship for this one. The basis of this ship is Poodle is good with Flamingo, but ALSO Poodle is good with Alien. In no ways would Alien and Flamingo NOT be good, so it’s an ideal ot3. Alien and Flamingo struggle with their confidence, and Poodle is there to boost it, along with the two crosshairing. Poodle practices her jokes on the two, and they help her brainstorm new ideas. Flamingo and Poodle are both fashion gals, and Alien always takes millions of photos for them. Additionally, Flamingo is an itty bitty thing... snuggled between her taller girlfriends... Soft and fluffy.

I might be missing some ;-; but I really like these ships they r good

[jeetjagani]

Taking a flying car for a test drive - After years of development, the BlackFly personal aerial vehicle will soon be on sale. Correspondent John Blackstone set out to see how someone with no flying experience could manage behind the controls. via /r/Futurology https://ift.tt/3FMTlm7

[sandraguide7-blog]

New urine dipstick test detects cause of disease that blinds millions

Scientists at Scripps Research have developed a urine diagnostic to detect the parasitic worms that cause river blindness, also called onchocerciasis, a tropical disease that afflicts 18 to 120 million people worldwide.

Described in the journal ACS Infectious Diseases, the new, non-invasive test may provide an inexpensive method of determining in real time whether a person has an infection, which would give public health officials and doctors critical information for tracking outbreaks and treating current infections.

"River blindness affects individuals both in Africa and Latin America, and because many of these endemic regions are difficult to access, what is needed in the field is an inexpensive point-of-care means to monitor the disease," says Kim Janda, PhD, the Ely R. Callaway Jr. Professor of Chemistry and member of the Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology at Scripps Research.

River blindness is a filarial disease, like elephantiasis, and occurs when the parasitic worm Onchocerca volvulus takes up residence in the skin. Adult worms pump out babies (microfilaria) at an alarming rate, which are ultimately re-spread by blackfly bites. The microfilariae can migrate to the eye and die, releasing toxins and causing inflammation. People with the disease will slowly go blind without medical intervention.

Janda says onchocerciasis monitoring and evaluation are especially necessary steps for people leading elimination efforts. To know if these efforts are working, doctors need to be able to show when disease transmission has been interrupted. The current gold standard for detecting the parasitic worms is a "skin snip" biopsy. However, snips are generally insensitive indicators of infection, and the sensitivity of the skin snip decreases as the density of microfilaria in the skin decreases. Other tests cannot distinguish between past and current infections.

Currently, onchocerciasis elimination programs rely primarily on mass drug administration of the therapy Ivermectin to suppress and eventually eliminate transmission of Onchocerca volvulus. Yet, without a means to evaluate if an infection is ongoing, it's hard to assess if prevention efforts are working -- and if it's safe for people to stop taking medication.

The new lateral flow assay took over 10 years to develop, but it is now ready for manufacturing and testing in the field. The key to the assay's success was in the making of designer antibodies to detect a unique biomarker that only shows up when a human host has metabolized a worm neurotransmitter called tyramine. Humans then secrete this biomarker in urine.

A negative on the "dipstick" test shows a colored line in the test. Got the parasite? The test would show no lines.

Unlike the skin snip biopsy, Janda says this non-invasive test is the first to use a metabolite produced by adult worms. Moreover, the dipstick's inexpensive design, coupled with smartphone apps, would offer automatic image processing, which ultimately could translate to address critical gaps in the surveillance and treatment of river blindness.

Story Source:

Materials provided by Scripps Research Institute. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

Source: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/08/180827151430.htm

[sian22redux]

ABC tag game

tagged by the hilarious @arizonapoppy.  If only my brain worked that way :)  

A: Age? Still startled by falling into the 50+ age bracket....

B: Birthplace? Canada’s vasting underrated capital....

C: Current Time? 9:28 (Eastern Time)

D: Drink you last had? Coffee--w the luxury of 35% cream  :)

E: Easiest person to talk to? My best friend Julie.  She knows nothing about fandom but is always happy to listen.... 

F: Favorite song? Telegraph Road, by Dire Straits

G: Grossest moment? cleaning out a maggot infested mini fridge of meat that conked out on an abnormally warm high Arctic summer day .my god they multiplied so fast.

H: Horror no or horror yes? Nope, nope, nope. Lowest scare factor of anyone I know.  I once got tricked into seeing Alien by my former boyfriend.  I screamed.  He likely still has the finger bruises on his arm.

I: In love? Romantically? Oh yeah. DH and I have been together for 25 years.   He still makes me melt.

J: Jealous of people? Not typically... but one set of friends makes me crazy.  They sail through life as if touched by gold.  

K: Killed someone? Bears.   Several.  It was rather cut and dried,  a life and limb situation.    And I have no idea how many blackflies I have gleefully squashed in my field book.  

L: Love at first sight? Absolutely.  Instantly, irrevocably.  

M: Middle name? Janne

N: Number of siblings? 1.  My little sis.  We are chalk and cheese, but still v tight.

O: One wish? I can’t have it.  The world doesn’t work that way.   

P: Person you called last? Son.  He and DH are off on a dad/son camping trip.  I wished them clear skies and warm, easy water.  

Q: Question(s) you’re asked often? ‘Is there a meeting today?’  My team is large and made up of fellow scientists.  They can never remember the weekly overview.  

R: Reason to smile? My family, my job, my friends.   Blue flowers and warm cloudless days

S: Song you last sang? Cat Stevens - Tea for the Tillerman, singing along to GoTG mixtape 2.   I knew my hubbie was my soulmate when he admitted to loving Cat Stevens.

T: Time you woke up? 7:00  AM, ugh, why body why?  I am holiday

U: Underwear color? patterned, pink, white, blue, burgundy.  whatever catches my fancy    

V: Vacation destination?

a beach, turquoise water and great snorkeling.  

W: Worst habit? Binge/Stress eating

X: X-rays? uhm.. how long is this post?  broken arm, broken foot, knee injuries,  mulitple lots of abdominal surgery.  Basically my body is a lemon.

Y: Your favorite food? potato chips... 

Z: Zodiac sign? Taurus

tagging @mycapt-ohcapt.  

[homeremedynaturalcure]

Treatment for gnat bites - essential oils and apple cider vinegar

Treatment for gnat bites - essential oils and apple cider vinegar

Gnat bites are present on every continent on the Earth in which Antarctica is also included. They can live anywhere on our bodies with a body of water or damp soil. Gnats are also known as Biting Midges. They are small flying insects which are related to mosquitoes. Gnats are literally pain. Fungus gnats or fruit flies are what people call gnats and they can be a serious nuisance. Gnats are tiny flies and in some cases they can be called blackflies or midges. Some varieties of gnat bites are annoying while others bite. The population control is the best way to prevent gnat bites but also there are some things which you can do to soothe your skin if it is bitten. Similar to mosquitoes, these insects want to be on warm and moist places where they can lay their eggs. Also they need blood to survive. Gnats cannot bite throughout the clothes but they can get underneath your clothes and they even can crawl into your hair. Gnats are tiny creatures. The eye gnat can transmit conjunctivitis. Gnats can bite humans. Talk with your doctor if you have been bitten by gnats because we do not guarantee you that these home remedies will work 100% for you.

Home remedies for gnat bite

Wash the bitten skin: A gnat which is biting has a 4 razor – sharp blades in its mouth which tear your skin and they leave a small open wound. You should clean on and around the affected area with mild soap and water. You should use paper towel or a washcloth to remove any excess moisture. Essential oils: Essential oils are very effective home remedies for gnat bites. You will need a few drops of essential oil and you will notice that you will find a relief from the swelling and itching. Also many essential oils can help to prevent infection which can help you to take a 3 prong approach to treating your gnat bite. The best essential oils for treating gnat bites are: peppermint, eucalyptus, basil, thyme, chamomile, lemon balm, tea tree and lavender. When thyme is mixed with a little apple cider vinegar, then this is one of the best home remedies which you can use for treating gnat bites. It is very important to remember that the essential oils are very powerful and this is a reason why they should not be applied directly on your skin. You should always dilute the essential oil with carrier oil such as coconut, jojoba, apricot or almond oil. Also you should be sure that you are using true essential oils not fragrance oils because they have synthetic ingredients. The best natural treatments which will work great for the gnat bites are therapeutic – grade essential oils. [1,2,3] White vinegar: There are some people who have said that when they have applied white vinegar on their mozzie bite, then this helped them to cure. They have used it frequently and this has always worked for them. You should put some vinegar on a cotton bud or tissue and then apply it to the bite.

Natural treatments for gnat bites

Cedar oil: There are some people who have said that cedar oil have worked very effectively for them but talk with your doctor before  you use it as your natural treatment [3].  They have put 30 drops of cedar essential oil into 2 ounces of rubbing alcohol. They have put this mixture in a spray bottle. They have sprayed themselves and they have noticed that gnats have left them. Baking soda and water: You should put baking soda in a bowl and you should put less water than baking soda and you should mix them until you get a paste from these ingredients. Then, step in the bath tub and you should rub it generously on the bites. You should let it sit on the bites for three to four minutes after that you should turn on the shower and you should wash off the baking soda. This natural cure may take a little bit for it to work but when it works, then it works awesome and perfectly and you can get relax from the opening and itching of the bites. Monitor the wound for changes: If you have noticed that pus is forming in the bite, then you should know that this is a sign of bacterial infection. This is a reason why you need to see your doctor as soon as possible. Oil of cloves: When you are using the clove oil for No – see – ums in the ears, then you should be sure to dilute a concentrated solution of oil of cloves because it can cause your skin to peel. You should start with a small diluted amount and work up a little at a time until No – see – ums are gone. [4] Avoid peak biting times: You should know that mosquitoes and gnats are most often active around pools and ponds during the daylight hours. Also they are active near porch lights during twilight hours and early evening. Apply antiseptic: You should know that gnats can carry bacteria from some things such as rotten food and this is a reason why you should swab the area thoroughly using a cotton ball. You should tape the cotton ball to the wound and you should allow the antiseptic to soak into bite. In the most cases topical antiseptics include hydrogen peroxide, iodine and alcohol. Wear protective clothing: If you are going to area in which there are a lot of gnats, then you should wear long pants and long – sleeved shirts. You should know that gnats cannot bite through clothing and generally bite only exposed flesh. When you go outside, then you should spray the clothing with insect repellant. Also you should buy hats and hiking socks because they can help you to stay away from the gnat bites. Watch for symptoms of anaphylactic shock: There are rare cases when insect bites can cause a severe allergic reaction which can be dangerous for our health or even fatal [5]. If you know that you have insect allergies or if you experience symptoms from the list which we gave below, then you should talk with your doctor as soon as possible. Here are some symptoms of anaphylactic shock:

Weakness or dizziness

Stomach cramps or nausea

Flushing (a hot, red sensation of the skin)

Itching around the eyes, lips, ears, throat or roof of your mouth

Shortness of breath, wheezing or difficulty catching your breath

Difficulty swallowing or talking

Swelling of the throat, tongue or mouth

Collapsing or passing out

Apple cider vinegar: Apple cider vinegar is one of the most used home remedies to get a relief from redness, pain and swelling in bee stings and wasp. Also it can help you to reduce the itch and pain of gnat bites. You should soak a cotton ball in the apple cider vinegar and you should apply it to the affected area until you feel better. This natural cure is known for its anti – inflammatory properties and also it can give you a relief from the itching. You can try Neosporin plus pain relief ointment: This type of ointment is available over – the – counter and it has pain relieving and antibacterial properties. You can apply some of it because in this way you will get a relief from the gnat bite. Apply ice: If you have noticed that there is a swelling on the bitten area, then you can use ice pack or ice cubes because they can help you to reduce the swelling. You should apply ice to your skin and then you should hold it in place until you have noticed that the swelling is gone. Also if your swelling and itching have become unbearable, then you should apply an ice pack to your wound. You should allow the ice to work for fifteen to twenty minutes. The cooling sensation will help bring down the swelling and also it can numb the skin to alleviate the itching. You should not apply the ice directly on your skin. You should keep the pack between a towel and you should not let the ice pack to sit on your wound for longer than 20 minutes. Also you should not fall asleep with the ice pack. Take a cold shower: You can use cold water to reduce the swelling and itching which are caused by bug bites. If you have noticed that you have multiple bites, then you should take a cool shower for 10 minutes or so and you will notice that you will feel better. Avoid scratching: When you are scratching some types of bites and stings, then this can spread the venom through your skin which can cause a more itching and pain. Scratching can also open the wounds which can lead to infection. Rubbing alcohol: When you apply the rubbing alcohol, then it can help to stop no – see – ums or biting midges. Tomatoes: This may sounds weird but this vegetable has lycopene which in natural way can reduce the swelling [6]. Cut open a tomato. Hold it to your skin for a few minutes. References: [1] Kalita B, Bora S, Sharma AK. Plant essential oils as mosquito repellent - a review. International Journal of Research and Development in Pharmacy and Life Sciences. 2013;3(1):741-47. [2] Trongtokit Y, Rongsriyam Y, Komalamisra N, Apiwathnasorn C. Comparative repellency of 38 essential oils against mosquito bites. Phytotherapy Research. 2005;19(4):303-9. [3] Maia MF, Moore SJ. Plant-based insect repellents: a review of their efficacy, development and testing. Malaria Journal. 2011;10(Suppl 1):S11. [4] Baker BP, Grant JA, Malakar-Kuenen R. Clove & clove oil profile: Active ingredient eligible for minimum risk pesticide use. New York State Integrated Pest Management Program. [5] Kemp SF, Lockey RF. Anaphylaxis: A review of causes and mechanisms. The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. 2002;110(3):341-48. [6] Kong K-W, Khoo H-E, Prasad KN, et al. Revealing the power of the natural red pigment lycopene. Molecules. 2010;15:959-987.