Cholecystitis or scarring of the bile duct. The greatest risk factor for cholecystitis is gallstones. Risk factors for gallstones include female sex, increasing age, pregnancy, oral contraceptives, obesity, diabetes mellitus, ethnicity (Native North American), rapid weight loss. Gallstones blocking the flow of bile account for 90% of cases of cholecystitis (acute calculous cholecystitis). Blockage of bile flow leads to thickening and buildup of bile causing an enlarged, red, and tense gallbladder. The gallbladder is initially sterile but often becomes infected by bacteria, predominantly "E. coli", "Klebsiella", "Streptococcus", and "Clostridium" species. Inflammation can spread to the outer covering of the gallbladder and
Time is the Simplest Thing body and explore the universe. They are accompanied by a small machine that can record experiences and gather physical samples. Some explorers have returned with minds affected by what they encountered. Those explorers have disappeared and never been heard from again. Blaine returns from one expedition having encountered an intelligence that looks like a large pink blob sitting immobile in a room open to the sky. The blob greets him telepathically with the message "Hi pal! I trade with you my mind." Blaine immediately feels the alien mind alongside his own. Returning to his body, he knows he must get