Anthropogenic Forcing of the Baltic Sea Thallium Cycle.

Anthropogenic activities have fundamentally changed the chemistry of the Baltic Sea. According to results reported in this study, not even the thallium (Tl) isotope cycle is immune to these activities. In the anoxic and sulfidic ("euxinic") East Gotland Basin today, Tl and its two stable isotopes are cycled between waters and sediments as predicted based on studies of other redox-stratified basins (e.g., the Black Sea and Cariaco Trench). The Baltic seawater Tl isotope composition (ε205Tl) is, however, higher than predicted based on the results of conservative mixing calculations. Data from a short sediment core from East Gotland Basin demonstrates that this high seawater ε205Tl value originated sometime between about 1940 and 1947 CE, around the same time other prominent anthropogenic signatures begin to appear in the same core. This juxtaposition is unlikely to be coincidental and suggests that human activities in the surrounding area have altered the seawater Tl isotope mass-balance of the Baltic Sea.

The Relationship Between Workplace Burnout and Male Depression Symptom Assessed by the Korean Version of the Gotland Male Depression Scale.

Screening for depression in males is important because their symptoms differ from those of females, ranging from indications of aggression to attempts at suicide. Men and women differ in their responses to job stress. There are no tools that have been verified, developed, or translated for screening male depression in Korea. Our team translated the Gotland Male Depression Scale (GMDS) into Korean. The Korean version of GMDS (K-GMDS) and Maslach Burnout Inventory-General Survey (MBI-GS) were administered to 277 office workers in one public institution. Gender differences in each scale score were measured along with the correlation between the K-GMDS and the MBI-GS. There was no significant difference in the K-GMDS score between males and females, whereas females scored significantly higher on the MBI-GS (p < .001). The correlation between the K-GMDS total score and the MBI total score (male: r = .702, p < .001, female: r = .375, p < .001) and MBI subscale scores were higher in males than females. Gender moderated the relationship between total K-GMDS and total MBI scores (p < .001). The Korean version of the GMDS is suitable for screening male depression symptoms in the workplace. The results of the K-GMDS demonstrated a strong correlation between depressive symptoms and work-related burnout among men. This study can be used as a basis for studying male depression symptoms in Korea, which has not been studied extensively. This will prove beneficial for work environments.

Shared Ancestry and Signatures of Recent Selection in Gotland Sheep.

Gotland sheep, a breed native to Gotland, Sweden (an island in the Baltic Sea), split from the Gute sheep breed approximately 100 years ago, and since, has probably been crossed with other breeds. This breed has recently gained popularity, due to its pelt quality. This study estimates the shared ancestors and identifies recent selection signatures in Gotland sheep using 600 K single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotype data. Admixture analysis shows that the Gotland sheep is a distinct breed, but also has shared ancestral genomic components with Gute (~50%), Karakul (~30%), Romanov (~20%), and Fjällnäs (~10%) sheep breeds. Two complementary methods were applied to detect selection signatures: A Bayesian population differentiation FST and an integrated haplotype homozygosity score (iHS). Our results find that seven significant SNPs (q-value < 0.05) using the FST analysis and 55 significant SNPs (p-value < 0.0001) using the iHS analysis. Of the candidate genes that contain significant markers, or are in proximity to them, we identify several belongings to the keratin genes, RXFP2, ADCY1, ENOX1, USF2, COX7A1, ARHGAP28, CRYBB2, CAPNS1, FMO3, and GREB1. These genes are involved in wool quality, polled and horned phenotypes, fertility, twining rate, meat quality, and growth traits. In summary, our results provide shared founders of Gotland sheep and insight into genomic regions maintained under selection after the breed was formed. These results contribute to the detection of candidate genes and QTLs underlying economic traits in sheep.

Marine fungi of the Baltic Sea.

Vast parts of the Baltic Sea have been mycologically neglected and are still awaiting exploration. Here we summarise earlier records of marine fungi from the Baltic, supplementing them with discoveries from fieldwork in Sweden in 2019. Although marine fungal diversity is clearly attenuated in the brackish water of the Baltic Sea, a substantial number has still been discovered. Here we list 77 species from the Baltic Sea, whereas after a critical assessment a further 18 species have been excluded as records of marine fungi. The species have mainly been identified by their morphological features, supplemented by DNA-based diagnostics. Most of the species have their main distributions in temperate areas of the Atlantic Ocean. Some of the Baltic species discovered here represent far disjunctions to tropical waters while only a very few are until now only recorded for the Baltic Sea. In this paper two species belong in Basidiomycota, while the most ascomyceteous speciose classes are Sordariomycetes (with 42 species) and Dothideomycetes (24). Halosphaeriaceae is the most speciose family in marine habitats, as also in the Baltic Sea, represented here by 29 species. Three species are new to Europe, and in addition 13 to the Baltic Sea and 13 to Sweden.

The role of epistatic interactions underpinning resistance to parasitic Varroa mites in haploid honey bee (Apis mellifera) drones.

The Red Queen hypothesis predicts that host-parasite coevolutionary dynamics can select for host resistance through increased genetic diversity, recombination and evolutionary rates. However, in haplodiploid organisms such as the honeybee (Apis mellifera), models suggest the selective pressure is weaker than in diploids. Haplodiploid sex determination, found in A. mellifera, can allow deleterious recessive alleles to persist in the population through the diploid sex with negative effects predominantly expressed in the haploid sex. To overcome these negative effects in haploid genomes, epistatic interactions have been hypothesized to play an important role. Here, we use the interaction between A. mellifera and the parasitic mite Varroa destructor to test epistasis in the expression of resistance, through the inhibition of parasite reproduction, in haploid drones. We find novel loci on three chromosomes which explain over 45% of the resistance phenotype. Two of these loci interact only additively, suggesting their expression is independent of each other, but both loci interact epistatically with the third locus. With drone offspring inheriting only one copy of the queen's chromosomes, the drones will only possess one of two queen alleles throughout the years-long lifetime of the honeybee colony. Varroa, in comparison, completes its highly inbred reproductive cycle in a matter of weeks, allowing it to rapidly evolve resistance. Faced with the rapidly evolving Varroa, a diversity of pathways and epistatic interactions for the inhibition of Varroa reproduction could therefore provide a selective advantage to the high levels of recombination seen in A. mellifera. This allows for the remixing of phenotypes despite a fixed queen genotype.

Paternal Perinatal Depression Assessed by the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale and the Gotland Male Depression Scale: Prevalence and Possible Risk Factors.

Several studies have used the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), developed to screen new mothers, also for new fathers. This study aimed to further contribute to this knowledge by comparing assessment of possible depression in fathers and associated demographic factors by the EPDS and the Gotland Male Depression Scale (GMDS), developed for "male" depression screening. The study compared EPDS score ≥10 and ≥12, corresponding to minor and major depression, respectively, in relation to GMDS score ≥13. At 3-6 months after child birth, a questionnaire was sent to 8,011 fathers of whom 3,656 (46%) responded. The detection of possibly depressed fathers by EPDS was 8.1% at score ≥12, comparable to the 8.6% detected by the GMDS. At score ≥10, the proportion detected by EPDS increased to 13.3%. Associations with possible risk factors were analyzed for fathers detected by one or both scales. A low income was associated with depression in all groups. Fathers detected by EPDS alone were at higher risk if they had three or more children, or lower education. Fathers detected by EPDS alone at score ≥10, or by both scales at EPDS score ≥12, more often were born in a foreign country. Seemingly, the EPDS and the GMDS are associated with different demographic risk factors. The EPDS score appears critical since 5% of possibly depressed fathers are excluded at EPDS cutoff 12. These results suggest that neither scale alone is sufficient for depression screening in new fathers, and that the decision of EPDS cutoff is crucial.

Microbial Sulfide Filter along a Benthic Redox Gradient in the Eastern Gotland Basin, Baltic Sea.

The sediment-water interface is an important site for material exchange in marine systems and harbor unique microbial habitats. The flux of nutrients, metals, and greenhouse gases at this interface may be severely dampened by the activity of microorganisms and abiotic redox processes, leading to the "benthic filter" concept. In this study, we investigate the spatial variability, mechanisms and quantitative importance of a microbially-dominated benthic filter for dissolved sulfide in the Eastern Gotland Basin (Baltic Sea) that is located along a dynamic redox gradient between 65 and 173 m water depth. In August-September 2013, high resolution (0.25 mm minimum) vertical microprofiles of redox-sensitive species were measured in surface sediments with solid-state gold-amalgam voltammetric microelectrodes. The highest sulfide consumption (2.73-3.38 mmol m-2 day-1) occurred within the top 5 mm in sediments beneath a pelagic hypoxic transition zone (HTZ, 80-120 m water depth) covered by conspicuous white bacterial mats of genus Beggiatoa. A distinct voltammetric signal for polysulfides, a transient sulfur oxidation intermediate, was consistently observed within the mats. In sediments under anoxic waters (>140 m depth), signals for Fe(II) and aqueous FeS appeared below a subsurface maximum in dissolved sulfide, indicating a Fe(II) flux originating from older sediments presumably deposited during the freshwater Ancylus Lake that preceded the modern Baltic Sea. Our results point to a dynamic benthic sulfur cycling in Gotland Basin where benthic sulfide accumulation is moderated by microbial sulfide oxidation at the sediment surface and FeS precipitation in deeper sediment layers. Upscaling our fluxes to the Baltic Proper; we find that up to 70% of the sulfide flux (2281 kton yr-1) toward the sediment-seawater interface in the entire basin can be consumed at the microbial mats under the HTZ (80-120 m water depth) while only about 30% the sulfide flux effuses to the bottom waters (>120 m depth). This newly described benthic filter for the Gotland Basin must play a major role in limiting the accumulation of sulfide in and around the deep basins of the Baltic Sea.

Twinning Rates in Isolates.

The aim of this study was to investigate the twinning rates (TWRs) in isolates relative to the TWRs in the surrounding populations. It is not uncommon that the TWR shows extreme values (high or low rates) within isolated subpopulations. Starting from the isolated populations of the Åland Islands in Finland (high rates), we enlarged our studies to other isolated subpopulations in other countries: the island of Gotland (high rates), the county of Älvsborg located in the southwestern part of Sweden (low rates), and mountain villages in Norway. In our statistical analyses, we paid special attention to the robustness of the variance formula of the TWR and to alternative confidence intervals for the TWR. Particularly, we show how to obtain the most precise confidence intervals for the twinning rates. These statistical methods are crucial when the extreme TWRs within subpopulations are compared with the TWRs within the general population. One must decide whether the differences are real or caused by random fluctuations within the small isolates.

The Chinese Version of the Gotland Male Depression Scale (GMDS): Mokken scaling.

OBJECTIVE: Invariant item ordering (IIO) is defined as the extent to which items have the same order for each respondent who completes a scale. IIO is crucial for establishing a scale hierarchy that is replicable across samples; however, no research has demonstrated IIO in the Gotland Male Depression Scale (GMDS). The aim of this study was to determine if an IIO hierarchy of depressive symptoms existed in a clinical sample of men who completed the GMDS. METHODS: A convenience sample of 231 men (age: mean (SD) = 46.1 (11.0) yrs) who visited a men's health polyclinic in Taiwan and completed the GMDS. Mokken scale analysis was conducted to evaluate the psychometric properties of the GMDS. RESULTS: All items on the GMDS formed a strong uni-dimensional scale (H=0.592). Except for item #9 (alcohol/drug abuse, or hyperactivity), IIO was found for the remaining 12 items (H(T)=0.366). These symptoms reflected the following hierarchy: positive family history (#13), complaining (#12), anxiety (#8), loss of vitality (#10), depressed mood (#11), indecisiveness (#6), aggression (#2), irritability (#5), stress (#1), burn-out (#3), fatigue (#4), and sleep problems (#7). CONCLUSION: The GMDS is a psychometrically sound measure of depressive symptoms in Taiwanese male outpatients. The GMDS has both cumulative and hierarchical properties.

Validity of Gotland Male Depression Scale for male depression in a community study: the Sudurnesjamenn study.

BACKGROUND: Several studies suggest a "male depressive syndrome", where not only the standard symptoms of major depressive disorder (MDD) but also symptoms of anxiety, anger, irritability and antisocial behaviour are prominent. METHOD: In a community study, 534 males were screened for possible depression by the Gotland Male Depression Scale (GMDS) and Beck's Depression Inventory (BDI). For comparison psychiatrists examined a sub-sample of healthy and depressive males (n=137). The validity of the GMDS was compared both with the BDI and MDD diagnosis according to DSM-IV. RESULTS: GMDS was as good as BDI for screening males. ROC-curve analysis gave AUC 0.945 (95% CI 0.923-0.968) for GMDS when tested against BDI. Second, when both scales were tested by ROC-curves against DSM-IV, the GMDS had AUC=0.861 (95% CI 0.800-0.921) and BDI had AUC=0.822 (95% CI 0.751-0.893). The estimated prevalence was 14-15%. LIMITATIONS: Low participation rate (25%) in the screening phase. CONCLUSION: GMDS is a valid screening tool for detecting male depression (MDD). Furthermore it is a short self-rating scale, easy to use in daily practice to screen for depression. Our results support recent reports of high prevalence of depressions in the community which supports active screening of males in clinical practice.

Validity and clinical utilization of the Chinese version of the Gotland Male Depression Scale at a men's health polyclinic.

INTRODUCTION: Symptoms of depression in males, such as aggression and irritability, are different from those in females. However, there are no adequate scales for detecting possible diagnoses in the Chinese population. The aim of this study was to assess whether the Chinese version of the Gotland Male Depression Scale (CV-GMDS) could identify male depression as effectively as the English version. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 231 male outpatients were sampled from a men's health polyclinic. We used questionnaires to evaluate the characteristics and mood status of participants, including the CV-GMDS, the Chinese version of the Beck Depressive Inventory II (CV-BDI-II), and the Chinese version of the Aging Males' Symptoms (CV-AMS) scale. Cronbach's α-coefficient and Levene's test were used to investigate internal consistency and homogeneity, respectively. External validity was evaluated using Spearman's correlation coefficient. A factor analysis was conducted to evaluate the conceptual structure of the CV-GMDS, and a regression analysis was used to determine the relationship of the CV-AMS scale with the CV-GMDS and CV-BDI-II. RESULTS: The mean age of the 231 participants was 46.1 years (standard deviation 11.0). Of the participants, 36.8% (n=85) were found to have depression according to the CV-GMDS and 34.6% (n=80) according to the CV-BDI-II. The internal consistency of the CV-GMDS was demonstrated by a Cronbach's α of 0.933, and the test of homogeneity revealed a P-value of 0.762. The external validity for the CV-GDMS and CV-BDI-II was demonstrated by an intercorrelation of 0.835. The third and fourth items of the GMDS differed from the others, and the CV-GMDS showed a better relationship (R (2)=0.616) with the CV-AMS scale than the CV-BDI-II did. CONCLUSION: The CV-GMDS is a satisfactory and suitable psychometric questionnaire for detecting depression among a Chinese-speaking middle-aged or older male population. The results of this study could be used as a basis for investigating specific male depression and aging symptoms.

Prevention of depression and suicide by education and medication: impact on male suicidality. An update from the Gotland study.

Depression is an endemic disease with high morbidity, and a high mortality in depression-related suicide. Suicidal tendencies, especially among males, are increasing today in East European countries. General practitioners are considered to have a very important role in the prevention and treatment of depression. Matters of depression are more openly discussed in society. Patients showing up in primary care are nowadays less reluctant to see depression as a causative factor behind their symptoms. Taboos concerning the stigma of depression and suicidality are weaker. In spite of this, important problems still exist regarding poor diagnostic and treatment routines in primary care and the inability of depressive and suicidal men to seek for help or to be recognized. In the years 1983-1984, the Swedish Committee for Prevention and Treatment of Depression (PTD) offered an educational programme to all general practitioners (GPs) on the Swedish island of Gotland. During the 1980s this education was shown to lead to a significant decrease in inpatient care, morbidity, suicide, mortality and costs of depressive illness on the island. The use of anxiolytic and sedative medication decreased and that of antidepressant medication increased. This all showed that an educational programme in primary care on depression and suicide was effective. However, the effects faded and, unexpectedly, the number of male suicides was almost unaffected by the educational programme and by the GPs' ability to diagnose and treat depression. Repeated educational activities during the 1990s again led to a decrease in suicides, mainly in females. Also, the increase in antidepressant prescriptions following GP education in the 1990s was mostly in the treatment of female patients. One of the reasons was that few suicidal males are known to the medical services although many of these people are known to the police and social welfare services. The reasons why depressed and suicidal men do not show up in the medical services are discussed, and found to lie in the differences between the male and the female depressive syndrome, leading to difficulties in reaching, diagnosing and treating these patients. Strategies for finding and treating suicidal depressives are discussed. One conclusion is that males are as often depressed as females, but in different ways, and that one of the reasons behind the dramatic over-representation of males amongst suicide victims may be found in the low rate of diagnosis and treatment of the male depressive syndrome, (hit J Psych Clin Pract 1997; 1: 39-46).