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Mouse Study Indicates Immune Cells From Spleen May Be Essential In Healing Heart Attack Damage
It takes a spleen to mend a broken heart - that"s the conclusion of a surprising new report from researchers at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Center for Systems Biology, directed by Ralph Weissleder, MD, PhD. In the July 31 issue of Science the team reports how, in following up an intriguing observation, they discovered an unexpected reservoir of the immune cells called monocytes in the spleen and went on to show that these cells are essential to recovery of cardiac tissue in an animal heart attack model.
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Indiana State Health Officials Warn Of Lead In Products
Indiana state health officials warn Hoosiers that elevated lead levels have been found in products sold at Target stores.
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The Birth Of A Synapse
Researchers have identified the locking mechanism that allows some neurons to form synapses to pass along essential information. Mutations of genes that produce a critical cell-adhesion molecule involved in the work were previously linked to autism.
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Receptiveness To Positive Emotion Increased By Naps With Rapid Eye Movement Sleep

Naps with rapid eye movement (REM) sleep refresh the brain"s empathetic sensitivity for evaluating human emotions by decreasing a negative bias and amplifying recognition of positive emotions, according to a research abstract that will be presented on Wednesday, June 10, at SLEEP 2009, the 23rd Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies. Results show that the emotional brain is not stable across the day, resulting in marked changes in emotional reactivity. Naps with REM sleep objectively and bi-directionally modify specific emotions. Individuals who took a 60 to 90 minute nap with REM sleep displayed increased receptiveness to happy facial expression following sleep. People who did not take a nap during the day displayed an amplified reaction to anger and fear. Lead author Ninad Gujar, senior research scientist at the University of California in Berkley, said that findings of the study emphasize the importance of sleep for the most basic yet psychologically and socially important brain process. "Social interactions are critically guided by, and indeed are predicated on the basis of, accurately recognizing emotional facial expressions," said Gujar. "Only through accurate recognition can cogent social judgments and subsequent actions be made. Nowhere are these accurate emotional face judgments more critical than in many professions that are associated with sleep curtailment, including emergency and resident medical staff, military personnel, and even new parents." The study involved 36 men and women, who were asked to rate four different affective face categories which included fear, sadness, anger and happiness. Participants performed the rating task twice; once at 12 p.m. and again the same day at 5 p.m. Half of the participants took a 60 to 90 minute nap that was monitored with polysomnography between the first and second rating sessions while the remaining individuals stayed awake. Gujar states that the results highlight the importance of sleep in beneficially adapting emotional reactivity and stability at social, professional and mental health levels. Abstract Title: Sleep Refreshes Human Emotional Brain Reactivity Presentation Date: Wednesday, June 10 Category: Sleep Deprivation Abstract ID: 0379 Kelly Wagner American Academy of Sleep Medicine


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