Vander Zanden Research Articles

Cross-sectional study for derivation of a cut-off value for identification of an early versus delayed diagnosis of endometriosis based on analytical and descriptive research methods

BackgroundEndometriosis is a benign, hormone-dependent, chronic inflammatory gynecological disease accompanied by cyclic and acyclic pelvic pain and other complaints. The long lists of research recommendations in the AWMF guideline (Burghaus et al., Geburtshilfe Frauenheilkd 81:422–46, 2021) and ESHRE Endometriosis Guideline (ESHRE Endometriosis Guideline Development Group, Endometriosis: Guideline of European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology, 2022) show that there is still a great need for research in all aspects of the disease. Diagnostic delay, defined as the mean time between symptom onset and confirmed diagnosis, is a particular problem associated with endometriosis. Some quantitative and qualitative studies have investigated possible reasons for this. A range of physician-related (Dixon et al., Br J Gen Pract 71:e668-e676, 2021; van der Zanden and Nap, Reprod Biomed Online 32:527–31, 2016) and patient-related factors (Sayer-Jones and Sherman, Health Psychol Behav Med 9:456–79, 2021) as well as stigmatization of the topic of menstruation by society have been identified (Kruckenberg, Frauenarzt 59:2–5, 2018; Seear, Soc Sci Med 69:1220–7, 2009). The consequences of the disease being diagnosed late (or too late) on the course of disease, the quality of life and the costs of the disease have already been documented in studies (Sims Int J Environ Res Public Health 18(15):8210, 2021; Surrey Adv Ther 37:1087–99, 2020).However, a systematically derived cut-off value that clearly distinguishes between short and long delay is still lacking. Therefore, the aim of our study was to derive a threshold value for the definition of a target corridor for endometriosis diagnosis based on descriptive and analytical methods.MethodsSince our review of the rather sparse publications on diagnostic delay did not yield satisfactory results, we used descriptive statistics and location parameters to calculate a cut-off value for German population data from the EndoCost study. Statistical methods were used for correlation analysis of shortDD versus longDD (correlation analysis and logistic regression) and group membership (discriminant analysis).ResultsFive years was identified as the cut-off value that significantly differentiated between shortDD and longDD based on various disease-related variables. This suggests that endometriosis should be definitively diagnosed within less than five years to minimize the risk of an unfavorable course of the disease.ConclusionOur findings confirmed that an early onset of endometriosis-related symptoms is the most important risk factor for a long diagnostic delay. Consequently, adolescent females should receive increased attention as an especially vulnerable group. Evidently, there is an urgent need to develop adequate concepts to improve the endometriosis education and care among this target group.

EuPrevent

Abstract euPrevent is a non-profit organisation and a Euroregional network that wants to promote the quality of life of citizens in the border regions of the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium. Policy in the field of care and well-being is mainly organised at national level. This has a major impact on citizens in the border region who regularly cross the border for work or family reasons. We therefore focus on the establishment of sustainable, cross-border network connections between health organisations in the border region. Our cross-border cooperation is based on the following three frameworks, within we work: (1) Positive Health, (2) Health in All Policies (HiAP), and (3) Sustainable Development Goals. The network will be represented by Brigitte van der Zanden, the Director of euPrevent and a long standing expert in cross-border health issues.

Comment: Novak et al. (2021) overestimated the successes of species translocations and minimized their risks

Comment: Novak et al. (2021) overestimated the successes of species translocations and minimized their risks

Scientific advances and adaptation strategies for Wisconsin lakes facing climate change

Magee, MR, Hein CL, Walsh JR, Shannon PD, Vander Zanden MJ, Campbell TB, Hansen GJA, Hauxwell J, LaLiberte, GD, Parks TP, Sass GG, Swanston CW, Janowiak MK. 2019. Scientific advances and adaptation strategies for Wisconsin lakes facing climate change. Lake Reserv Manage. 35:364–381.Climate change threatens inland lakes, which are highly valued for their ecological and economic benefits. Here, we synthesize adaptation strategies that could offset climate impacts on Midwestern lakes. Our synthesis is based on results from the Wisconsin Initiative on Climate Change Impacts lake adaptation workshop, in which 48 researchers and managers with expertise on Wisconsin’s inland lakes gathered to provide input on climate adaptation strategies. We identified recent scientific advances, knowledge gaps, and examples of successful climate adaptation strategies with respect to four key themes: lake levels, water quality, aquatic invasive species, and fisheries. While adaptation strategies for each theme differed, there was consensus around the need for a multifaceted approach that incorporates communication and outreach, policy and regulation changes, traditional resource conservation approaches, and novel engineering designs. Managers should focus on protecting high-quality lakes, building lake resilience, and retaining beneficial ecosystem services. Most importantly, thoughtful and strategic interactions with stakeholders, policymakers, and researchers across multiple disciplines will be key to implementing climate adaptation strategies.

Diverse Learners, Diverse Backgrounds

Diverse Learners, Diverse Backgrounds

Evaluating the “Gradual Entrainment Lake Inverter” (GELI) artificial mixing technology for lake and reservoir management

ABSTRACTSmith CA, Read JS, Vander Zanden MJ. 2018. Evaluating the “Gradual Entrainment Lake Inverter” (GELI) artificial mixing technology for lake and reservoir management. Lake Reserv Manage. 00:00–00.Thermal stratification is important to the structure and function of lake and reservoir ecosystems. Yet when lakes undergo eutrophication, thermal stratification can exacerbate water quality problems. As a result, lake management has sometimes involved artificial mixing and destratification, though the available technologies are few and costly. It is therefore important to test the efficacy of new technologies when they arise. Here, we evaluate a lake mixing technology, the “Gradual Entrainment Lake Inverter” (GELI), which was used to mix Crystal Lake, Wisconsin, a 34 ha, 21 m deep, dimictic lake during the summer months of 2012 and 2013. To assess the effect of the GELI treatment on thermal regime, we used DYRESM to model thermal conditions in the 2 treatment years but in the absence of treatment. We found GELI treatment slowly reduced stratification and the temperature range of the lake to 4.2 and 5.3 C in each treatment year, on average. Full destratification and oxygenation of the water column prevented fall hypoxia and anoxia. We found efficiency of the GELI averaged 1.9% during treatment, which is higher than efficiencies reported from field applications of bubble plume aeration. We used DYRESM to simulate bubble plume aeration to match the observed destratification from our GELI treatment and estimate aeration would have required 1.4–1.8 times the airflow and power costs of the GELI. Though considerable limitations of the current iteration of this technology exist, these may be reduced in future versions, possibly leading to a practical lake and reservoir management tool.

RANS-VOF modeling of hydrodynamics and sand transport under full-scale non-breaking and breaking waves

A 2D RANS-VOF model is used to simulate the flow and sand transport for two different full-scale laboratory experiments: i) non-breaking waves over a horizontal sand bed (Schretlen et al., 2011) and ii) plunging breaking waves over a barred mobile bed profile (Van der Zanden et al., 2016). For the first time, the model is not only tested and validated in terms of water surface and outer flow hydrodynamics, but also in terms of wave boundary
 layer processes and sediment concentration patterns. It is shown that the model is capable of reproducing the outer flow (mean currents and turbulence patterns) as well as the spatial and temporal development of the wave boundary layer. The simulations of sediment concentration distributions across the breaking zone show the relevance of accounting for turbulence effects on computing suspended sediment pick-up from the bed.

Perceived Importance of Professional Competencies for Admission to the College of Kinesiologists of Ontario

Background: For more than a decade, the development of professional competencies has been at the heart of curriculum reforms in Education and Health care training worldwide. Reference documents of competencies have been developed in Australia (Brownie, Thomas, McAllister, & Groves, 2014), Canada (Boucher & Ste-Marie, 2013; Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, 2005), United-States (Hurd & Buschbom, 2010), and in Europe (Battel-Kirk, Van der Zanden & al., 2012). In most of these reference documents, the number of professional competencies that a professional must acquire does not exceed twenty. However, in the field of kinesiology, the College of Kinesiologists of Ontario (CKO) (2013) has defined 54 professional competencies required for admittance to the College. Objective: The purpose of this research project aims to identify, from the standpoint of university instructors who teach in a kinesiology program, the professional competencies that are considered the 17 most relevant from those suggested by CKO. Methodology: Participants (N=23) were required to complete an online survey on the domain www.SurveyMonkey.com in order to determine the competencies deemed most important by them. Results: The quantitative data obtained through the use of the surveys allowed for a list of 17 competencies to be retained at the end of the study. The qualitative data provided by the participants supported and complemented the quantitative data. Conclusion: The competencies retained in this study undoubtedly represented the views of all the participants in regards to the essential competencies that a kinesiologist should be able to demonstrate upon admission to the College of Kinesiologists of Ontario.

Increasing Population of the Invader Round Goby, <I>Neogobius Melanostomus</I> (Actinopterygii: Perciformes: Gobiidae), and its Trophic Role in the Curonian Lagoon, Se Baltic Sea

Invasive species are one of the major threats for biodiversity loss through competitive and predatory impacts on resident species, as well as it is for ecosystem functioning through alterations in the food webs (Vander Zanden et al. 1999, Anonymous 2005). Contemporary conservation and resource management of aquatic ecosystems warrant assessment of the trophic role of the invading species in order to predict the impact they may have on native communities. The round goby, Neogobius melanostomus (Pallas, 1814), originating from the Ponto-Caspian region, is a recent invader in the Baltic Sea and the Great Lakes (see Kornis et al. 2012 for review). Round goby invaded the Baltic ACTA ICHTHYOLOGICA ET PISCATORIA (2013) 43 (2): 95–108 DOI: 10.3750/AIP2013.43.2.02

Nidification dans des cavités pierreuses de deux Megachilidae de Grèce (Epire) : Hoplitis (Hoplitis) fabrei van der Zanden, 1987 et Megachile (Chalicodoma) manicata Giraud, 1861 (Hymenoptera, Megachilidae, Osmiini et Megachilini)

Nesting in stony cavities of two Greek Megachilidae (Epirus): Hoplitis (Hoplitis) fabrei van der Zanden, 1987 and Megachile (Chalicodoma) manicata Giraud, 1861 (Hymenoptera, Megachilidae, Osmiini and Megachilini). - In this note are described two nests built in little stony cavities by two Megachilidae in Greece: Hoplitis fabrei and Megachile manicata.

Some concerns regarding early detection and eradication: A comment on Vander Zanden et al. (2010)

Some concerns regarding early detection and eradication: A comment on Vander Zanden et al. (2010)

Invasive species early detection and eradication: A response to Horns (2011)

The Laurentian Great Lakes are among the most heavily invaded freshwater ecosystems in the world. Despite regulation of ballast water discharge and other prevention efforts, new species continue to invade. When prevention efforts fail and a new species is detected, there is currently little choice but to accept the new arrival, along with its potential ecological and economic impacts. Are there proactive measures that could improve the efficacy of invasive species management? This is the fundamental question we posed in a recent paper (Vander Zanden et al., 2010), in which we explored the concept of early detection and eradication of aquatic invasive species in the Laurentian Great Lakes. Our intent was to engage science and management communities regarding some of the factors that early detection and eradication efforts should consider. In a response to our article, Horns (2011-this issue) highlights difficulties associated with invasive species early detection and eradication: arrival of an invasive species is a rare event, only a fraction of established species become problematic, some species may not be eradicable, and species may be detected too late to be eradicated. Horns concluded that developing early detection and eradication capabilities would not be worthwhile. Yet by focusing

Home range and seasonal movement of taimen, Hucho taimen, in Mongolia

Gilroy DJ, Jensen OP, Allen BC, Chandra S, Ganzorig B, Hogan Z, Maxted JT, Vander Zanden MJ. Home range and seasonal movement of taimen, Hucho taimen, in Mongolia. Ecology of Freshwater Fish 2010: 19: 545–554. © 2010 John Wiley & Sons A/SAbstract – Taimen, Hucho taimen, is the world’s largest salmonid and a prized sport fish. We used radio and acoustic telemetry to characterise movements of adult taimen in an extensive river system, the Eg–Uur, in north‐central Mongolia. Forty‐six taimen were tagged with transmitters (27 radio, 17 acoustic and 2 radio‐acoustic combined) and tracked from 2004 to 2008 using mobile surveys and fixed receivers. The mean home range of individual taimen tracked for an average of 2.4 years was 23 km (N = 41, range = 0.5–93.2 km). Of the fish with over 10 relocations (N = 16), 90% remained within a range of 38 km. Four distinct movement patterns were observed: (i) restricted core home range, (ii) core range with seasonal departures, (iii) core range with separate seasonal range and (iv) home range transfer. Movement was greatest in May and June (spawning and postspawning period) with another peak period of movement in September and October (water temperature cooling).

Repeatability and transparency in ecological research

A fundamental tenet of science is that results must be reproducible by other scientists before they are accepted as factual. However, because ecological phenomena are context-dependent, and because that context changes through time and space, it is virtually impossible to reproduce precisely or quantitatively any single experimental or observational field study in ecology. Yet many ecological studies can be repeated. In particular, ecological synthesis—the assembly of derived data sets and their subsequent analysis, reanalysis, and metaanalysis—should be easy to repeat and reproduce. Such syntheses also demonstrate qualitative and quantitative consistency among many ecological studies (Gurevitch et al. 1992, Warwick and Clarke 1993, Jonsen et al. 2003, Walker et al. 2006, Cardinale et al. 2006, Marczak et al. 2007, Vander Zanden and Fetzer 2007) and provide strong support for general ecological theories. It should come as no surprise that meta-analysis by Mittelbach et al. (2001) of the effect of productivity on species richness has led to the development of a cottage industry focused on empirical testing of this relationship (post-2001 examples abound in Appendix A of Whittaker 2010). But it is much more surprising that continual reanalyses of the same data sets (Whittaker and Heegaard 2003, Gillman and Wright 2006, Partel et al. 2007) have yielded such disparate results that Whittaker (2010) has suggested abandoning the effort to obtain consistent results from the available data. He goes even further, suggesting that ecology may not yet be ready for meta-analysis and data synthesis. For two reasons, I respectfully suggest that Whittaker’s critique is misplaced. First, of all the studies critiqued by Whittaker (2010), only Mittelbach et al. (2001) actually conducted a formal meta-analysis. The others, as pointed out by Whittaker (2010), undertook extensive primary analyses, but the authors did not conduct formal meta-analyses (Gurevitch and Hedges 1999). Second, and more importantly, if ecological synthesis is transparent—data, models, and analytical tools are available freely to the research community—then it should yield consistent, repeatable results. We may then disagree on the interpretation of the resulting synthesis, but at least we will be able to agree on the reproducibility of the results themselves.

Isotopic variability in lake littoral organisms presents a challenge for food web studies

Most studies of lake ecosystems, including those that use stable isotope analysis (SIA), have traditionally concentrated on the pelagic system (Beaudoin et al. 2001, Vander Zanden & Vadeboncoeur 2002). Hence, temporal, spatial, and interspecies variability in isotopic signatures of pelagic food web components (especially zooplankton) have been the focus of recent studies (e.g., Matthews & Mazumder 2003, 2007). Recent SIA studies have also clearly indicated, however, that benthic production and the littoral areas of lakes may contribute more than previously thought to the whole lake ecosystem energy budget (Hecky & Hesslein 1995, Vander Zanden & Vadeboncoeur 2002, Vander Zanden et al. 2006). Studies of lake food webs based on SIA often assume single isotope values to represent baseline values for pelagic and littoral food webs. These values may then be used as “end members” in isotope mixing models, such as to assess trophic positions or relative contributions from different energy sources. But such single values ignore temporal, spatial or especially inter-specific variation in stable isotope values for these primary consumers, as shown for pelagic consumers by Matthews & Mazumder (2003). Such variability may have considerable impacts on the outputs from mixing models and hence on the inferences drawn about food web structure. Lake littoral habitats have received much less attention in this respect, despite being important feeding areas for many fish species and therefore contributing significantly to the observed stable isotope signatures at higher trophic levels. Littoral habitats are also inherently more heterogeneous than pelagic habitats, and primary production from phytoplankton, periphyton, and macrophytes, combined with allochthonous sources of energy, potentially result in complex and variable isotopic signatures in littoral primary consumers (Syvaranta et al. 2006). We present stable isotope data for littoral invertebrate consumer populations (benthic invertebrates and zooplankton) from Lake Jyvasjarvi in central Finland and show how variation in isotope signatures between different littoral invertebrate consumers can be reflected at higher trophic levels.

The effects of flow regulation on food-webs of Boreal Shield Rivers

Alteration of flow regimes is a major threat to the functioning of lotic food-webs and is responsible for a wide range of ecological responses, including biodiversity loss (BUNN & ARTHINGTON 2002), reduction of food-chain length at lower trophic levels (MARKS et al. 2000), or diversion of energy flow from top consumers (WOOTTON et al. 1996). Despite growing recognition of the effects of flow disturbances on biota, quantitative understanding and/or predictive models of biotic responses to altered flow regimes are lacking. Consequently, environmental regulations that help to sustain lotic ecosystem ecological integrity are weakened. Such difficulty may stem from ignoring the complexity of flow as a combination of many variables including magnitude, frequency, timing, duration, or rate of change (ARTHINGTON et al. 2006), which have differing consequences on the biota (POWER et al. 1996). We applied a stable isotope (SI) approach to determine the impacts of a flow perturbation on food-web structure in rivers. The carbon and nitrogen isotopic compositions of organisms (δC and δN) are useful to characterize main sources of carbon and positions in the food-web because of the consistent fractionation between consumers and diet (FRY & SHERR 1984, FRANCE 1996, VANDER ZANDEN & RASMUSSEN 2001). In natural streams, the application of SI techniques revealed the importance of flow as a key variable driving the variation in δC of primary producers (FINLAY et al. 1999, MCCUTCHAN & LEWIS 2001, TRUDEAU & RASMUSSEN 2003). The controlling effect of flow at the base of the food-web has been further detected at higher trophic levels based on cross-ecosystem studies showing relationships between the carbon isotopic composition of consumers and basin characteristics such as drainage area (MCNEELY et al. 2006) and geochemistry (JEPSEN & WINEMILLER 2007). Stable isotope techniques have also been successfully applied to study the response of food-web structure to anthropogenic perturbations such as nutrient loading (ANDERSON & CABANA 2006) or contaminant accumulation (CABANA & RASMUSSEN 1994). Despite the great potential of SI techniques to identify impoundment and flow-related perturbations, they are rarely used to quantify food-web structure in regulated systems. We report on the effect of flow regulation on carbon sources and food-web structure of boreal streams based on a large-scale in situ experiment. We related variations in the flow regime to the carbon and nitrogen stable isotope composition of aquatic vegetation, invertebrates, and fish. This study aimed to determine the effects of (1) impoundment and (2) variation in the ramping rate (RR – or rate of change) regime on the food-web of a regulated stream.

Improvement of spoligotyping with additional spacer sequences for characterization of Mycobacterium bovis and M. caprae isolates from Spain

Spoligotyping is a typing tool used worldwide for epidemiological studies on Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex organisms; however it has received little attention regarding improvement of its discriminatory power (DP). In this study, we have evaluated a spoligotyping membrane prepared with 25 novel spacer sequences selected from a previous study [van der Zanden AG, Kremer K, Schouls LM. Improvement of differentiation and interpretability of spoligotyping for Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex isolates by introduction of new spacer oligonucleotides. J Clin Microbiol 2002;40:4628-39] on 308 M. bovis and 88 M. caprae Spanish isolates in comparison with the traditional spoligotyping membrane. The results obtained by combining the two membranes together revealed an improvement of 45 patterns instead of 31. The spacers used in the second membrane were able to distinguish 8 out of the 16 M. bovis types that had more than one isolate. Seven of these types were differentiated into two subtypes with the second-generation membrane, while spb-7, the most prevalent in Spain, was further differentiated into eight subtypes. This second-generation membrane also differentiates M. bovis from M. caprae. A set of 39 spacers (1, 2, 4-8, 10-15, 17-21, 23, 26-32, 37, 44-49, 51-54, 56 and 57) contain all the DP for both M. bovis and M. caprae isolates; and a set of 35 spacers (1, 2, 4-8, 10-15, 17-21, 26-32, 37, 44-48, 52-54 and 57) had all the DP for the M. bovis isolates. Our results show that the research on new spacers and the design of a new membrane may be useful for epidemiological studies of M. bovis and M. caprae isolates.

Employability-oriëntatie van studenten en voorgenomen baanzoekgedrag

Employability orientation of college students Employability orientation of college students K. van Dam, L. van der Zanden & Valeria Piras, Gedrag & Organisatie, volume 20, June 2007, nr. 2, pp. Based on Fugate, Kinicki and Ashforth's (2004) employability model, we investigated students' employability-oriëntation: what is their attitude toward their flexibility and availability in their study and future work situation, and how does this employability-orientation relate to intended job search behavior? Data from 109 students showed that the aspects of personal adaptability (learning orientation, core-self evaluations, and extraversion) had positive relationships with employability-orientation. And whereas career-planning showed a positive relationship, career commitment showed a negative relationship with employability-orientation. In turn, employability-orientation predicted intended job search behavior. In addition, education and work practice made a difference. The findings have theoretical and practical relevance.

Promise and Challenges of Human Regulatory T Cells in the Clinic

Regulation of immune reactions is critical in ealth and disease. Nowhere is this clearer than folowing allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation HCT). Here the beneficial effects of graft-versusumor reactions are clearly demonstrated, as well as he detrimental morbidity and mortality of unconrolled graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). Control of mmune reactions is complex and involves many facors including blood flow, micro-environmental interctions, cytokines, chemokines and both pro-inflamatory and anti-inflammatory molecules. In addition t has become well recognized that specialized popuations of cells, termed regulatory T cells, are critically nvolved in controlling immune reactions. Although he field of regulatory T cell biology has been exlored for many years, the more recent identification f specific populations of cells capable of regulating mmune responses with defined phenotype has opened ur re-examination of the potential impact of these ellular populations on immune function. To date, a umber of different cell populations have been charcterized with defined ability to regulate immune rections, which include two major cell populations, amely those of CD4 CD25 regulatory T cells Treg) [1] and abTCR NK-T cells which express an nvariant T cell receptor and are CD1 reactive [2]. hese cellular populations have generated enormous nterest in the field of HCT since animal models have emonstrated the potential benefit of regulatory T ell biology.

A Fast Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction Method for Sensitive and Specific Detection of the Neisseria gonorrhoeae porA Pseudogene

Ever since the advent of molecular methods, the diagnostics of Neisseria gonorrhoeae has been troubled by false negative and false positive results compared with culture. Commensal Neisseria species and Neisseria meningitidis are closely related to N. gonorrhoeae and may cross-react when using molecular tests comprising too-low specificity. We have devised a real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), including an internal amplification control, that targets the N. gonorrhoeae porA pseudogene. DNA was automatically isolated on a BioRobot M48. Our subsequent PCR method amplified all of the different N. gonorrhoeae international reference strains (n = 34) and N. gonorrhoeae clinical isolates (n = 176) but not isolates of the 13 different nongonococcal Neisseria species (n = 68) that we tested. Furthermore, a panel of gram-negative bacterial (n = 18), gram-positive bacterial (n = 23), fungal (n = 1), and viral (n = 4) as well as human DNA did not amplify. The limit of detection was determined to be less than 7.5 genome equivalents/PCR reaction. In conclusion, the N. gonorrhoeae porA pseudogene real-time PCR developed in the present study is highly sensitive, specific, robust, rapid and reproducible, making it suitable for diagnosis of N. gonorrhoeae infection.