Ionized gas plasma is the new disinfectant for hands, wounds and materials (video)

Plasma research for combating bacteria: A spin-off of space research may help solve a huge medical problem. It turns out that plasma, a form of ionized gas may help to heal chronic wounds by killing off multidrug resistant bacteria and stimulating tissue growth. Here is a video from Deutsche Welle:



Comments from Twitter:

Dr John Weiner @AllergyNet: Nice video. That’s why there is physics in physician MT @DrVes Gas plasma: disinfectant for wounds? bit.ly/V6JgXx

Low vitamin D levels in children associated with higher plasma glucose and lower HDL

Vitamin D is a steroid hormone and a component of a complex endocrine pathway sometimes called 'vitamin D endocrine system' (Medscape, 2012).  A retrospective record review of pediatric outpatients (age, 2-18 years) included simultaneous measurement of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH] D) and fasting plasma glucose or 25(OH) D and a lipid panel.

25(OH) D levels were inversely correlated with fasting plasma glucose levels.

Lower 25(OH) D levels were also associated with lower serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL) concentrations.

Children who were vitamin D insufficient (25[OH] D ≤30 ng/mL) had higher fasting plasma glucose and lower HDL levels than children who were vitamin D sufficient (25[OH] D >30 ng/mL).

References:
http://www.jpeds.com/article/PIIS0022347609009858/abstract

Monounsaturated fats found in vegetable oils, nuts and avocados increase "good" HDL cholesterol levels by 12% http://goo.gl/GBQa5

Image sources: Wikipedia, public domain.

Room-temperature plasma gases may replace hand disinfectants

From the NYTimes:

Instead of scrubbing, the workers would put their hands into a small box that bathes them with plasma — the same sort of luminous gas found in neon signs, fluorescent tubes and TV displays.

This plasma, though, is at room temperature and pressure, and is engineered to kills bacteria, including the drug-resistant supergerm MRSA.

References:
Hospital-Clean Hands, Without All the Scrubbing

Image source: Neon sign. Wikipedia, Rolf Süssbrich, Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 3.0 License.