Strontium and rubidium concentrations of ODP Site 104-642 (Table 1)

We have attempted to date several samples from Site 642 using a combination of Sr isotope stratigraphy and Rb-Sr dating of glauconite. A carbonate shell fragment from Sample 104-642B-22H-6, 70-73 cm gives a Sr isotope stratigraphy date of 17.3 +/- 1.0 Ma, which agrees well with available biostratigraphic and paleomagnetic data. Glauconites from a nearby sample (104-642B-23H-1, 66-69 cm) give a similar date. One carbonate shell fragment and two fish teeth samples from Core 104-642D-12X give concordant Sr isotope stratigraphy ages of about 37 Ma (latest Eocene). Rb-Sr glauconite analyses from one of the samples, while showing some substrate contamination, also support an Eocene age. Our results are in conflict with Miocene palynomorph dates from Core 104-642D-12X. As specific reworking of fish teeth and carbonate macrofossils (and also glauconite) from 37 Ma old sediments into three different samples in Core 104-642D-12X is most unlikely, we view the 37-Ma date as the depositional age of the core

Individual Music Therapy for Agitation in Dementia: An Exploratory Randomized Controlled Trial

OBJECTIVES: Agitation in nursing home residents with dementia leads to increase in psychotropic medication, decrease in quality of life, and to patient distress and caregiver burden. Music therapy has previously been found effective in treatment of agitation in dementia care but studies have been methodologically insufficient. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of individual music therapy on agitation in persons with moderate/severe dementia living in nursing homes, and to explore its effect on psychotropic medication and quality of life. METHOD: In a crossover trial, 42 participants with dementia were randomized to a sequence of six weeks of individual music therapy and six weeks of standard care. Outcome measures included agitation, quality of life and medication. RESULTS: Agitation disruptiveness increased during standard care and decreased during music therapy. The difference at -6.77 (95% CI (confidence interval): -12.71, -0.83) was significant (p = 0.027), with a medium effect size (0.50). The prescription of psychotropic medication increased significantly more often during standard care than during music therapy (p = 0.02). CONCLUSION: This study shows that six weeks of music therapy reduces agitation disruptiveness and prevents medication increases in people with dementia. The positive trends in relation to agitation frequency and quality of life call for further research with a larger sample

CDR2L Antibodies: A New Player in Paraneoplastic Cerebellar Degeneration

<div><p>Objective</p><p>Yo antibodies are associated with paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration (PCD). We have characterized Yo sera by measuring CDR2 and CDR2L antibodies and the localization of their antigens.</p><p>Methods</p><p>Forty-two Yo sera from patients with paraneoplastic neurological syndromes (PNS), 179 sera from ovarian and 114 sera from breast cancer patients without PNS and 100 blood donors were screened for CDR2 and CDR2L antibodies by radioactive immune assay (RIA). Fluorescence microscopy was also used to determine the presence of CDR2 or CDR2L antibodies by staining of HeLa cells transfected with CDR2 or CDR2L fused to green fluorescent protein (GFP). Confocal microscopy was further used to localize the CDR2 and CDR2L proteins.</p><p>Results</p><p>RIA showed that 36 of the 42 Yo positive sera contained CDR2 and CDR2L antibodies whereas 6 sera contained only CDR2 antibodies. Five of the ovarian cancer patients had CDR2L antibodies and 4 of the breast cancer patients had either CDR2 or CDR2L antibodies. Only patients with both antibodies had PCD. RIA and staining of transfected cells showed similar results. Yo antibodies were not present in the 100 blood donors. Confocal microscopy showed that CDR2 and CDR2L were localized to the cytoplasm, whereas CDR2L was also present on the cell membrane.</p><p>Interpretation</p><p>Yo sera usually contain CDR2 and CDR2L antibodies and both antibodies are associated with PCD. Since only CDR2L is localized to the cell membrane it is likely that CDR2L antibodies may be of primary pathogenic importance for the development of PCD.</p></div

Yo positive serum containing CDR2L stains Purkinje cells.

<p>Serum from a patient with PCD and Yo antibodies (both anti-CDR2 and anti-CDR2L) shows granular cytoplasmic staining of Purkinje cells in rat cerebellar section (A). Similar staining of the serum was observed after absorption with recombinant CDR2 (B). However, no staining was observed when the serum was absorbed with recombinant CDR2L (C). Scale bar 10 µm.</p

Three patient sera with different Yo antibody composition are shown.

<p>The first serum reacts with CDR2 (A1–3), but not CDR2L (A4–6). The second serum reacts with CDR2L (B4–6), but not CDR2 (B1–3). The third serum reacts with both CDR2 (C1–3) and CDR2L (C4–6). The first row shows HeLa cells transfected with CDR2 fused with GFP (A1, B1, C1) or CDR2L fused with GFP (A4, B4, C4) in green. The second row shows the immunocytochemical labelling of the transfected cells with patient serum and a secondary antibody goat-anti-human Alex Fluor 594 in red. The third row shows the overlay of GFP fluorescence and antibody-labelling, co-localization appears in yellow. Note that the first serum shows strong co-localization with CDR2 (A3), but not CDR2L (A6), the second serum shows strong co-localization with CDR2L (B6), but not CDR2 (B3), and the third serum shows strong co-localization with both CDR2 (C3) and CDR2L (C6). The results show that Yo sera can contain CDR2, CDR2L or both antibodies. Scale bar 25 µm.</p