Why is your body not transparent? Animals like jellyfish, Zebrafish and a few Glass frogs have transparent bodies. But most mammals, including humans, should not transparent.

While the concept of ​​a transparent body could appear strange and even a little bit scary, it could actually be very helpful for doctors. If our bodies were transparent, doctors could easily see inside to diagnose diseases in organs just like the liver, spleen, and brain. They wouldn't need invasive procedures like biopsies or expensive equipment like CT scanners and MRIs.

I’m a materials scientistand my team and I are working on how latest materials can aid biomedicine. My colleagues and I wondered whether it was possible to make living tissue temporarily transparent to assist medical treatments and other applications.

We found that by dissolving certain dye molecules, including a food coloring commonly utilized in snacks called FD&C Yellow 5in water, we will change the way in which light travels through the water. We have used this phenomenon to make organic tissue – specifically the skinny skin of mice – transparent in our study, published in September 2024 in Science.

Refractive indices

Our bodies, like those of most mammals, should not transparent, mainly due to the way in which light interacts with our tissues. Normally, light travels in a straight line through the air. But when light hits the human body, it doesn't travel very far before it’s scattered. The light bounces off in several directions as an alternative of passing through us in a straight line. If light passed through us without scattering, our tissues could be transparent.

This spread This is because human tissue is made up of many alternative components, including water, fats and proteins. Each of those components slows down light otherwise, a property generally known as Refractive index.

For example, water has a refractive index of about 1.33while fats and proteins have a better refractive index of about 1.45 within the visible spectrumLight subsequently moves more slowly in lipids than in water.

The key to transparency of living tissue could be to cut back the differences within the propagation of sunshine through different parts of the tissue – especially between water, fats and proteins.

Kramers-Kronig relationships

A principle of physics generally known as Kramers-Kronig relationships explains how a cloth that absorbs more light of 1 color, for instance blue, changes the movement of sunshine of one other color, for instance red, through the fabric because of this increased absorption. Kramers-Kronig relations state that the colours of sunshine should not independent of one another, but are connected to one another.

FD&C Yellow 5 strongly absorbs blue light, which supplies it its characteristic orange-red color when dissolved in water. This happens since the blue a part of the sunshine is absorbed, leaving only the orange-red part visible. Due to Kramers-Kronig relationships, this absorption of blue light increases the refractive index of water for red light. The refractive index of water increases from 1.33 to match that of fats and proteins, which is about 1.45.

When the refractive indices match, red light isn’t any longer scattered as much. It moves in water in the identical way that it does in fats in tissue. The entire tissue subsequently appears as a single, uniform material. This process could make the tissue appear transparent, regardless that it is often opaque.

Making fabric transparent

My research team implemented this concept in an experiment using a scatter phantom, a cloth designed to mimic the opacity of human skin. When we added more FD&C Yellow 5 dye to the phantom, it became more orange-red, just as expected.

But something else happened. It became more transparent to red light. This increased transparency allowed us to see the grid pattern on the table beneath the phantom.

We then decided to check this concept on a bit of chicken breast from the supermarket. Unless it’s sliced ​​very thinly, chicken meat often looks opaque.

When we placed the chicken breast in an answer containing FD&C Yellow 5 dye, something amazing happened. It became more transparent, allowing us to obviously see a Stanford shield attached underneath.

Finally, we used this concept to make a mouse's skin optically transparent. We applied the dye FD&C Yellow 5 to different parts of the mouse's body. When we applied it to the mouse's scalp, we could see the blood vessels in its brain. When we applied it to the mouse's abdomen, we could see its intestines. When we applied it to the mouse's limbs, we could see its muscle fibers.

All that was required for this experiment was gently massaging a dye solution into the mouse's skin and a little bit patience.

This process is non-invasive because it doesn’t require tissue removal or surgery and the skin will return to its normal opacity when you rinse the colour off with water. Although it’s a captivating technique, we strongly advise against trying this yourself.

Although the usage of Yellow 5 is approved by the FDA, some people have raised concerns about its potential Health risksThese include allergic reactions – particularly in asthmatics – hyperactivity in children and possible links to cancer. But researchers must do more testing to find out if there are any dangers.

Future uses

So what could this approach be used for? Currently, it really works best on very thin layers of skin, like that of a mouse.

Unfortunately, human skin is far thicker, so this method will not be quite ready for practical use on humans. Additionally, the red color of the dye implies that the colour balance will not be quite right and the transparency will not be perfect across your complete surface. entire visible spectrumThe dye still blocks blue light.

My colleagues and I are working to enhance this method to make it more practical for human tissue. We are also attempting to direct the absorption of the dye towards the Ultraviolet spectrumwhich might create a more balanced transparency effect across all visible colours.

In the longer term, this technology could make veins more visible, making venipuncture – the practice of drawing blood or injecting fluids using a needle – easier, especially in older patients with difficult-to-see veins.

It could also help to Early detection of skin cancerexpand Light irradiation into deep tissue for photodynamic And Photothermal therapies and simplify Laser tattoo removal.

In photodynamic and photothermal therapies, doctors use a laser to kill cancer cells and precancerous lesions. However, the laser light only penetrates the tissue to a certain extent, so these therapies should not yet suitable for organs situated deeper within the body.

All of those applications may gain advantage from a reversible, on-demand transparency window within the body.

By Hunter Boyce, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Clammy skin, confusion, extreme pain, cold sweats, shortness of breath, death – sepsis is the life-threatening development of an infection. FDA research has found that tattoo ink – present in 32% of all Americans – may contain dangerous bacteria that may put people in danger.

“Given the results of our study, we would like to emphasize the importance of continuously monitoring these products to ensure the microbial safety of tattoo inks,” said study creator and U.S. Food and Drug Administration microbiologist Seong-Jae Kim.

Led by researchers from the FDA's Division of Microbiology and National Center for Toxicology Research, the study found that contaminated ink might be dangerous since it is injected deep into areas of skin vulnerable to bacteria.

“Pathogens or other harmful substances in these inks can travel from the injection site through the blood and lymphatic systems to other parts of the body,” study co-author Linda Katz, director of the FDA's Office of Cosmetics and Colors, said in an email to CNN.

Although sepsis is taken into account some of the serious consequences of ink contamination, skin rashes and contagious infections similar to impetigo, erysipelas and cellulitis are more commonly reported.

According to an assistant professor of chemistry at Binghamton University, the study's results weren’t surprising.

“We know that contaminants in tattoo inks are common,” Assistant Professor John Swierk told CNN in an email. “Part of the problem is that there is no agreed-upon, industry-standard method for sterilizing inks. Our work and the current study really underscore the need for good, standardized manufacturing processes across the tattoo ink industry.”

A Pew Research Center survey for 2023 found that a “vast majority” of U.S. adults imagine society has turn into more accepting of tattoos over the past few a long time. About 32% of adults reported having tattoos, with 22% of respondents having a couple of tattoo.

The study was published earlier this month within the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology.

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©2024 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Visit ajc.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Originally published: July 31, 2024 at 11:09 am

There are three words tattooed in capital letters on Luis Gil's throat, and so they are as loud because the screams he lets out after an enormous strikeout.

“GOD BLESS ME.”

For Gil, the New York Yankees' rookie prodigy, it's a public message in an unusual place and with personal (and blunt) meaning.

For opposing hitters, it's the final thing they see before he delivers the wild fastballs that put him on the short list of possible starters for the American League on this 12 months's All-Star Game.

Gil, who faces the Baltimore Orioles at Yankee Stadium on Thursday afternoon, has a 9-1 record in 14 starts this season.

The 26-year-old also leads the AL with a 2.03 ERA and a .142 batting average. His 96 strikeouts are sixth-most.

He does this with a heater that averages 96.8 mph — sixth-fastest in MLB, based on MLB Statcast — a changeup that hits just below 90 mph and a slider. This got here after he was surprisingly named to the rotation to switch injured leadoff hitter Gerrit Cole in spring training.

“It starts with the fastball,” manager Aaron Boone said. “He's top-notch. He's special. He can be relied upon. … To see him strive to get better and learn from everything he's been through, build a really solid routine — that's what's really satisfying about Luis.”

And while his biggest concern is keeping the Yankees in first place within the AL East, his Christian faith will remain his predominant motivator.

Luis Gil neck tattoo pic.twitter.com/J8auyC6cuL

— Eddie Garcia (@Eddieonfox) May 30, 2024

The idea behind the tattoo is easy.

“It's just a message to God to protect me,” he said last week through a translator in Kansas City.

He wanted it somewhere where it could be seen.

“It’s a reminder to ask for protection,” he said.

How he got there wasn't that easy.

Gil said that in his childhood within the Dominican Republic, he all the time felt like there was a greater power in his life.

“I've been in some really good situations. … For as long as I can remember, I've been able to see things unfolding around me,” he said.

He didn't turn into deeply religious until he was 15 or 16. That was after he signed with the Minnesota Twins. The $90,000 bonus he received wasn't a life-changing amount, especially in comparison with the seven-figure contracts other teenagers from the Dominican Republic were signing on the time.

But the prospect to possibly someday pitch in the most important leagues? That felt like a blessing.

“From that moment on,” he said, “my strong faith developed.”

He described religion as “a good way to anchor myself in something that could help me in my career and to make me aware of the opportunity that was coming my way, something that would help me along the way.” He added that he prays as soon as he wakes up and just before he goes to sleep.

The tattoo wasn't Gil's first, though. His arms and the side of his neck are covered in coloured ink, a few of that are religious symbols. He had a lot of them when he made his MLB debut on August 3, 2021.

But Gil added the neck art within the winter. Yes, it was painful.

“But it happened quickly,” he said.

He had just undergone shoulder surgery when he was traded to the Yankees in exchange for outfielder Jake Cave at age 19. In 2022, Gil needed to undergo Tommy John surgery, which kept him out of motion for the remainder of the 12 months and most of 2023. He knew that in 2024 he might get a likelihood to ascertain himself within the Bronx.

With the tattoo he wanted to specific much more clearly what he felt in his heart.

“It’s a way of being grateful,” he said.

His teammates like it.

Starting pitcher Marcus Stroman has more tattoos than Gil. He is roofed with them from his legs to his neck to the back of his head.

“I love someone who has the confidence to get a neck tattoo,” Stroman said. “I think a lot of people in society think, 'Oh, a neck tattoo, you can't get a neck tattoo.' But I think that speaks to a person's confidence because in American society, it's always so frowned upon, I guess.

“I had these ideas too. But once you’re feeling comfortable and assured about who you might be as an individual, I'll get my whole body tattooed. It doesn't change anything except the opinions from outside.”

Left fielder Alex Verdugo is also tattooed, but he has a limit: he does not allow tattoos on his hands, neck or face.

“My mom doesn't really like tattoos,” he said. “She's already mad enough concerning the small tattoos I actually have. … It takes a variety of confidence to get one in your neck. I've avoided that spot, however it works for him, right? I like it. Maybe I'll get one on my neck, too.”

Rookie catcher Austin Wells remembered what he thought when he first saw Gil's neck tattoo.

“Probably somewhat shocked,” he said. “But I believe it's working for him.”

Wells said he did something similar to Gil. When Wells suffered a fractured rib in spring training in 2022, he was banned from practicing for weeks. He used the downtime to add to his tattoo collection, getting a Chi Rho – a Catholic marking symbolizing the Holy Trinity – inked on the inside of his forearm.

On Wednesday, the excitement surrounding Gil's tattoo reached new heights. Several Yankees players wore the same navy blue shirt as they walked around the clubhouse and during pregame practice.

The writing on her chest?

“GOD BLESS ME.”

The New York Empire State Tattoo Expo celebrated its tenth anniversary and took place May 10-12, 2024 on the New York Hilton Midtown.

Featuring over 500 artists, this gathering of elite international tattoo artists offers a singular experience of artistry, creativity and culture.

The Empire State ExpoWith its curated shows, live tattoos, seminars and workshops, it’s the premier event of the 12 months to fulfill among the world's most famous tattoo artists.