Constitutional Factors Research Articles

Linalool and 1,8‐Cineole as Constitutive Disease‐Resistant Factors of Norway Spruce Against Necrotrophic Pathogen Heterobasidion Parviporum

ABSTRACTNorway spruce is an important coniferous species in boreal forests. Root and stem rot diseases caused by the necrotrophic pathogen Heterobasidion parviporum threaten the wood production of Norway spruce which necessitates the search for durable control and management strategies. Breeding for resistant traits is considered a viable long‐term strategy. However, identification of potential resistant traits and markers remains a major challenge. In this study, short‐term disease resistance screening was conducted using 218 Norway spruce clones from 17 families. Disease resistance was evaluated based on the size of necrosis lesion length following infection with the pathogen. A subset of needles/branches from clones with small (partial resistant) or large (susceptible) lesions were used for terpene analysis and transcriptomic profiling. The results revealed that the content of monoterpene linalool and 1,8‐cineole and their respective encoded genes were significantly more abundant and highly expressed in the partial resistant group. Furthermore, linalool and 1,8‐cineole were demonstrated to have inhibitory effect on the growth of the pathogen H. parviporum, with morphological distortion of the hyphae. RNAseq analysis revealed that transcript of pathogen genes involved in the regulation of carbohydrate metabolism and stress responses were significantly decreased in presence of the terpenes. The results suggest the relevance of monoterpenes together with jasmonic acid precursor and some genes involved in phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, as constitutive tolerance factors for Norway spruce tolerance against necrotrophic pathogen. The high level of necrosis related cell death gene expression might be factors critical for host susceptibility and disease development.

Constitution development cyclicity and factors that influence it

The article is dedicated to the study of certain aspects of the constitution development cyclicity and the factors that influence such cyclicity. The author emphasizes that the state, society and the constitution are in constant interconnection with each other, and therefore formation of cyclicity of constitution development is inseparable from other legal phenomena. It was found that cyclicity is characterized by stability (invariability of the stages (phases) forming cyclicity of constitution development) and survivability (dynamics that forms the constitution’s ability to adapt to new challenges and tasks arising in society). The author draws attention to both actual and legal constitutions. It was established that: a) actual and legal constitutions are indeed independent juridical phenomena, however, they interact with each other and that is manifested in the aspect that de facto relations which influence emergence of an actual constitution contribute to changes of a legal constitution; b) the factors under which de facto relations are formed in the state serve as prerequisites for beginning, development or termination of the stages of adoption, reform and invalidation of the constitution. The author specifies that, since the constitution functions within the political organization of society, all factors relating to cyclicity of its development in relation to the state can be divided into internal factors arising in the state (social, cultural, economic, political, etc.) and foreign policy factors (adoption of international acts, unilateral acts of other states, etc.) which influence determination of a political course and orientation of the state and contribute to dynamism of the constitution’s life cycle. The author gives an example of an internal (political) factor influencing cyclicity of the constitution development – a choice of a new vector of Ukraine’s policy towards membership in the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization that resulted in introduction of amendments to the Constitution of Ukraine in 2019. The other example given is associated with a foreign policy factor – constitutional changes in Germany in 2022 aimed at increasing the budget expenditures of the state for its army’s defense capability because of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Constitutional Factors and Irradiation as Risk Factors for Thymoma: A European Case-Control Study.

Little is known about the aetiology of thymoma. This study aims to identify medical risk factors for thymoma as a systematic approach to new hypotheses on the aetiology of this disease. A European multi-centre case-control study was conducted from 1995 to 1997, including incident cases aged 35-69 years with thymoma. Altogether, we accepted 85 cases and 3350 controls, of which we interviewed 77 cases and 2071 population controls about constitutional factors, medical examinations, and former diseases. Odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated. Medical examinations with X-ray or radiotherapy performed >20 times at least one year before the thymoma diagnosis indicated a possible risk factor for thymoma (OR 1.58, 95% CI 0.93-2.69). Having the first radiotherapy treatment at least one year before the thymoma diagnosis yielded an OR for thymoma of 2.39; 95% CI (0.96-5.99), and if it was at least five years before, the OR for thymoma was 2.81; 95% CI (1.03-7.72). Having a red/auburn hair colour was associated with thymoma, (OR 3.6, 95% CI 1.4-9.5) whereas having pigmented skin was slightly associated with thymoma (OR 1.8, 95% CI 0.8-3.8). Over twenty instances of X-ray examinations or radiotherapy were identified as potential risk factors for thymoma, along with certain constitutional factors. The observed correlations between benign tumours and thymoma could stem from an inherent predisposition to tumour development or result from detection bias. Given that this is the initial analytical study examining medical risk factors for thymoma, all of the results should be approached with caution, acknowledging the possibility that some findings might be incidental.

Light regulates widespread plant alternative polyadenylation through the chloroplast

Transcription of eukaryotic protein-coding genes generates immature mRNAs that are subjected to a series of processing events, including capping, splicing, cleavage, and polyadenylation (CPA), and chemical modifications of bases. Alternative polyadenylation (APA) greatly contributes to mRNA diversity in the cell. By determining the length of the 3' untranslated region, APA generates transcripts with different regulatory elements, such as miRNA and RBP binding sites, which can influence mRNA stability, turnover, and translation. In the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, APA is involved in the control of seed dormancy and flowering. In view of the physiological importance of APA in plants, we decided to investigate the effects of light/dark conditions and compare the underlying mechanisms to those elucidated for alternative splicing (AS). We found that light controls APA in approximately 30% of Arabidopsis genes. Similar to AS, the effect of light on APA requires functional chloroplasts, is not affected in mutants of the phytochrome and cryptochrome photoreceptor pathways, and is observed in roots only when the communication with the photosynthetic tissues is not interrupted. Furthermore, mitochondrial and TOR kinase activities are necessary for the effect of light. However, unlike AS, coupling with transcriptional elongation does not seem to be involved since light-dependent APA regulation is neither abolished in mutants of the TFIIS transcript elongation factor nor universally affected by chromatin relaxation caused by histone deacetylase inhibition. Instead, regulation seems to correlate with changes in the abundance of constitutive CPA factors, also mediated by the chloroplast.

Editorial: The case for more action and more research into healthcare provision and health inequalities for people with intellectual disabilities

Accessible SummariesAge, Sex, and Constitutional Factors Whittle et al. identify how sex impacts mental health service use for women with intellectual disability. Sheerin et al. highlight how age‐specific needs are unmet due to service gaps. Burke et al. identify how age‐related healthcare risks for bone health are different for people with intellectual disability.Living and Working Conditions van den Bemd et al. reported the recording of management of long‐term conditions for patients with intellectual disabilities in long‐term care appears suboptimal. Skoss et al. report on the infrastructure of group home settings in Australia and how after COVID‐19 people living in these settings receive fewer healthcare services.Individual Lifestyle Factors Lunsky et al. explored the use of a ‘check‐in tool’ to support people with intellectual disability proactively.Community and Social Networks Donaldson et al. and Karas et al. highlight systemic issues with eyecare and examine the impact of peer‐to‐peer support and community advocacy on improving access to eye care. Schormans et al. examine the lack of social and community support for homeless youth with intellectual disability. Sykes et al. highlight reasonable adjustments and influence of community and familial attitudes in influencing breast and cervical cancer screening access. Earle et al. detail how broader societal and cultural norms affect menstrual health support. Heslop and Lauer found limited evidence about preventing specific avoidable causes of death in people with intellectual disability and outline the need for ‘whole population’ policy changes. Iffland et al. found that lung infections, choking, flu and heart problems were much more likely to be a contributing cause of deaths for people with intellectual disability. Hatton et al. explore the impact of COVID‐19 on access to health services and highlight severe disruptions during the pandemic which persisted and worsened postpandemic. Beeken et al. detail how stakeholder engagement in research and policymaking can improve health and address health inequalities.

The Relationship between the Functional State of the Brain and Clinical and Constitutional Factors in Schizophrenia

The Relationship between the Functional State of the Brain and Clinical and Constitutional Factors in Schizophrenia

The Real Existing Real Reality 2022. Article 1. From the Victory of Neo-Liberalism to the Self-Destructive World Society

The present study ‘The Real Existing Real Reality 2022’ consists of two related articles. These are reflections on societies, and perhaps the world on the road to self-destruction. The author wanted to add a subtitle to the article ‘The three-quarter time waltz of the self-destructive society, the new social structure of the Three Societies and a war, where good can at least fight against evil.’ In this work we discuss the currently urgent issue of how to interpret the rapidly increasing peaceful and non-peaceful transformations in the definitive global world. We point out the common features of the current events. Our title (The Real Existing Real Reality 2022) goes back to Boris Ponomarjov's phrase about ‘real existing socialism,’ which should have been higher than all ‘utopian’ concepts. All references to ‘reality’ seem to have two different directions. In the first case, ‘reality’ is more valuable than utopias (as in Ponomarjov). In the second case, reality is poor and negative compared to the ideas. But we have actually to deal with a third case. ‘Reality’ becomes the highest value, because the possession of the definition of Reality becomes the real goal of the present war. In the first article, ‘From the Victory of Neo-Liberalism to the Self-Destructive World Society,’ we show the ‘real’ process, and not yet reflected, of the political and social transformations. The triumphant neo-liberalism has appeared in every point and as the personification of every value in the current discussions. The greatest problem of the present is to identify liberalism with the monetarist economic system. The really existing socialism of the 1970s and 1980s was the subject against which a classical political liberalism of the human rights, a neo-liberal epistemology (Karl R. Popper) and a market-economy neo-liberalism could unite. Real socialism did not misunderstand this new situation. It has simply not recognized it. A new description of global society is only possible with a hypothesis of three ‘societies’ of this global world. The first society would be the society of the good will, for which the value-oriented life of this year (1989) can no longer be an open problem. We define the second society as the one that is not fundamentally constituted by the good will described above. We see the third society in that political class or elite whose power came into being in the year 1989. The ‘third’ society is the object of self-identification of the ‘first’; the ‘first’ is the product of 1989. The ‘second’ society, as the majority, lived in the shadows for a long time after 1989, its emancipation began after the first elementary shocks (economic crises or the imperialist turn) of globalization. When we talk about the further social embedding of these Three Societies, the phenomenon of public debt seems to be one of the most relevant constitutive factors of our society in the plan. The correlations are more than obvious. The third society suggests to the first society that the heavily indebted state is not a really relevant social fact. It also suggests that today's world economy is the realm of normality, in which only the bad and undisciplined policies of individual governments or the oil price are the real movers.

HPV and RNA Binding Proteins: What We Know and What Remains to Be Discovered

Papillomavirus gene regulation is largely post-transcriptional due to overlapping open reading frames and the use of alternative polyadenylation and alternative splicing to produce the full suite of viral mRNAs. These processes are controlled by a wide range of cellular RNA binding proteins (RPBs), including constitutive splicing factors and cleavage and polyadenylation machinery, but also factors that regulate these processes, for example, SR and hnRNP proteins. Like cellular RNAs, papillomavirus RNAs have been shown to bind many such proteins. The life cycle of papillomaviruses is intimately linked to differentiation of the epithelial tissues the virus infects. For example, viral late mRNAs and proteins are expressed only in the most differentiated epithelial layers to avoid recognition by the host immune response. Papillomavirus genome replication is linked to the DNA damage response and viral chromatin conformation, processes which also link to RNA processing. Challenges with respect to elucidating how RBPs regulate the viral life cycle include consideration of the orchestrated spatial aspect of viral gene expression in an infected epithelium and the epigenetic nature of the viral episomal genome. This review discusses RBPs that control viral gene expression, and how the connectivity of various nuclear processes might contribute to viral mRNA production.

Quorum-sensing agr system of Staphylococcus aureus primes gene expression for protection from lethal oxidative stress

The agr quorum-sensing system links Staphylococcus aureus metabolism to virulence, in part by increasing bacterial survival during exposure to lethal concentrations of H2O2, a crucial host defense against S. aureus. We now report that protection by agr surprisingly extends beyond post-exponential growth to the exit from stationary phase when the agr system is no longer turned on. Thus, agr can be considered a constitutive protective factor. Deletion of agr resulted in decreased ATP levels and growth, despite increased rates of respiration or fermentation at appropriate oxygen tensions, suggesting that Δagr cells undergo a shift towards a hyperactive metabolic state in response to diminished metabolic efficiency. As expected from increased respiratory gene expression, reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulated more in the agr mutant than in wild-type cells, thereby explaining elevated susceptibility of Δagr strains to lethal H2O2 doses. Increased survival of wild-type agr cells during H2O2 exposure required sodA, which detoxifies superoxide. Additionally, pretreatment of S. aureus with respiration-reducing menadione protected Δagr cells from killing by H2O2. Thus, genetic deletion and pharmacologic experiments indicate that agr helps control endogenous ROS, thereby providing resilience against exogenous ROS. The long-lived ‘memory’ of agr-mediated protection, which is uncoupled from agr activation kinetics, increased hematogenous dissemination to certain tissues during sepsis in ROS-producing, wild-type mice but not ROS-deficient (Cybb−/−) mice. These results demonstrate the importance of protection that anticipates impending ROS-mediated immune attack. The ubiquity of quorum sensing suggests that it protects many bacterial species from oxidative damage.

Quorum-sensing agr system of Staphylococcus aureus primes gene expression for protection from lethal oxidative stress.

The agr quorum-sensing system links Staphylococcus aureus metabolism to virulence, in part by increasing bacterial survival during exposure to lethal concentrations of H2O2, a crucial host defense against S. aureus. We now report that protection by agr surprisingly extends beyond post-exponential growth to the exit from stationary phase when the agr system is no longer turned on. Thus, agr can be considered a constitutive protective factor. Deletion of agr resulted in decreased ATP levels and growth, despite increased rates of respiration or fermentation at appropriate oxygen tensions, suggesting that Δagr cells undergo a shift towards a hyperactive metabolic state in response to diminished metabolic efficiency. As expected from increased respiratory gene expression, reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulated more in the agr mutant than in wild-type cells, thereby explaining elevated susceptibility of Δagr strains to lethal H2O2 doses. Increased survival of wild-type agr cells during H2O2 exposure required sodA, which detoxifies superoxide. Additionally, pretreatment of S. aureus with respiration-reducing menadione protected Δagr cells from killing by H2O2. Thus, genetic deletion and pharmacologic experiments indicate that agr helps control endogenous ROS, thereby providing resilience against exogenous ROS. The long-lived 'memory' of agr-mediated protection, which is uncoupled from agr activation kinetics, increased hematogenous dissemination to certain tissues during sepsis in ROS-producing, wild-type mice but not ROS-deficient (Cybb-/-) mice. These results demonstrate the importance of protection that anticipates impending ROS-mediated immune attack. The ubiquity of quorum sensing suggests that it protects many bacterial species from oxidative damage.

Risk factors for hospitalization in Mexican patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease that often requires hospitalization. Most hospitalizations are due to infections and/or disease activity, for which several risk factors have been described in non-Mestizo patients. To identify risk factors for hospitalization in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). This was an observational case-control study of patients with SLE in San Luis Potosí, Mexico, evaluated from January 2019 to October 2020. We compared hospitalized lupus patients with non-hospitalized lupus patients. We used descriptive statistics and logistic regression to describe potential risk factors. Of a total of 202 patients, 89 (45.1%) were hospitalized; these patients were younger, had shorter disease duration, higher disease activity scores (systemic lupus erythematosus disease activity index-SLEDAI), and more accumulated damage than non-hospitalized patients. The primary reasons for hospitalization were disease activity (60.7%), kidney disease, infection, and drug toxicity (5.6%). Multivariate analysis revealed several risk factors associated with hospitalization, including elevated creatinine, C-reactive protein, neutrophil levels, and constitutional symptoms, while prolonged international normalized ratio (INR), longer stay in the intensive care unit (ICU), and vasopressor use were associated with mortality. The use of antimalarials was a protective factor against hospitalization. Survival analysis revealed that patients with hospital-acquired infections had a lower probability of survival. Disease activity was the most common reason for hospitalization; kidney, constitutional, and hematological factors were associated with hospitalization; and the use of antimalarial was a protective factor for hospitalization.

Factor XI deficiency: actuality and review of the literature

Although two clusters have been identified in France, constitutional factor XI deficiency is a rare disorder. Acquired factor XI deficiency is extremely rare. The management of factor XI deficiency is not staightforward because of the unpredictable bleeding tendency that does not clearly relate to the factor XI level. Other haemostastis parameters have to be taken into account to evaluate the bleeding tendency. We report the cases of a congenital factor XI deficiency, an acquired factor XI deficiency and a von Willebrand disease associated to a factor XI deficiency. On the other hand, some interferences can lead to underestimation of factor XI and we report the case of an interference by lupus anticoagulant. The objective of this review is to better understand how to manage a reduced factor XI level.

Locking in Human Rights: An Exploration of the Barriers to echr Withdrawal

Abstract The possibility of the United Kingdom being able to withdraw from the European Convention on Human Rights (echr or Convention) by way of a denunciation under Article 58(1) of the Convention is complicated by a number of domestic constitutional factors and other international legal obligations. This paper explains how, collectively, these constitute a form of ‘lock in’ to the echr. This makes any future UK withdrawal from the echr highly difficult and liable to cause a range of collateral consequences on the international and domestic legal planes.

Phenomenology of addictive craving: recognition and clinical utility

Addiction with its “craving” is a major health problem, world wide. It is useful toknow features of addictive “craving” to distinguish it from desire. These include its instrumentalfocus, its intensity, its imperative nature, its urgency, its salience, and its sense of necessity. Associated emotions include anticipated joy; anger, dysphoria, and fear, in deprivation; and desperation. Associated executive dysfunctions include distortions, rationalizations, preoccupations, ego syntonicity, poor judgment, loss of volition, and lack insight. Differences from other desires for drugs include those desired for pleasure, for social function, and for medical or psychiatric need. Addiction “craving” needs to be distinguished from medical need, psychological dependence, and physical dependence. The biology of addictive “craving” drives itas a motivational force unto itself. The risks of developing addiction include past addiction, developmental factors, social factors, psychological factors, impulsivity, constitutional factors. But addiction requires that the patient reach a threshold of quantity and frequency in use. Someclinical considerations include a patient’s reluctance to disclose “craving,” the resort to illegitimate sources, the need for sound monitoring when medically prescribed

Strategic Litigation and Racism in Healthcare

In Australia, until recently, the use of strategic litigation to achieve broad societal change has not been widely employed, due to historical, constitutional, social, and cultural factors; however, the landscape is changing. This article traces a ground-breaking Australian case, the Inquest into the death of Wiradjuri woman, Naomi Williams, which was run as part of a broader campaign to seek justice for First Nations people affected by racial bias in the healthcare system. The tragic circumstances of the case reignited a national conversation on health inequality through the judicial finding of ‘implicit racial bias’ and served as a platform for Aboriginal communities, organisations, and academics to demand new ways forward, notably by mandating culturally safe care — demands which are being slowly implemented. The authors demonstrate, through a detailed breakdown, how strategic litigation theory functions in practice, showing that litigation is most effective when conducted in conjunction with public advocacy within a multi-faceted campaign for change.

Study on the related factors of TCM constitution and hemodynamics in patients with coronary heart disease.

The concepts of "individualization" and "preventive treatment" should be incorporated into the precise diagnosis and treatment of coronary heart disease (CHD). Both hemodynamics and Chinese medicine constitution studies align with these two concepts. This study utilized data from 81 patients with CHD, including 12 patients with balanced constitution (BC), 20 patients with blood stasis constitution (BSC), 17 patients with phlegm-dampness constitution (PDC), 15 patients with qi-deficiency constitution (QDC), and 17 patients with other constitutions. Clinical data provided information on the patients' blood property, heart function, degree of coronary stenosis, coronary hemodynamics, and so on. These parameters were compared between patients with balanced constitution vs. biased constitutions as well as between those with blood stasis constitution, phlegm-dampness constitution, and qi-deficiency constitution. Compared to biased constitution (BC), patients with balanced constitution exhibited lower total cholesterol (TC) levels and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels. Additionally, they had lighter stenosis degrees in the Left anterior descending branch (LAD) and Left circumflex branch (LCX) branches. The hemodynamic condition of the LAD and LCX was better for those with balanced constitution; however there was no difference in heart function. Among the groups categorized by blood stasis, phlegm dampness or qi deficiency constituions, patients classified under phlegm dampness had higher levels of LDL compared to those classified under blood stasis or qi deficiency, while patients classified under qi deficiency had higher levels of blood glucose compared to those classified under blood stasis or phlegm dampness. Hemodynamic environments also differed among the LAD and LCX for each group but there were no significant differences observed in heart function or degree of coronary stenosis among these three groups. The balanced constitution demonstrates superior blood property, degree of coronary artery stenosis, and coronary hemodynamics compared to the biased constitution. Furthermore, among the three constitutions with CHD, variations in blood property and certain hemodynamic parameters are observed. These findings emphasize the significant clinical value of incorporating physical factors into the diagnosis and treatment of patients with CHD.

Analysing the Character Types and Power Relationships in Metaverse-Themed Movies from the Perspective of Discipline and Anti-discipline

ABSTRACT Since the end of 2021, the concept of “metaverse” has received widespread attention in academic field. Movie sector has long been exploring it prospectively and presenting it innovatively, resulting in the production of metaverse-themed movies. This type of movie has practical significance for the future metaverse thesis. “Character” is an important narrative sign of film composition. This paper starts with several meta-cosmic films, divides the types of characters in meta-cosmic films according to Foucault's theory of spatial power, and analyses their prototype indexes and formation reasons from the constitutive factors of the power relationship, thus explores the power relationship of various types of characters in the metaverse-themed films.

Sounding Habitus: An Interdisciplinary Study on the Factors Influencing Musical Preferences

This paper employs Pierre Bourdieu’s concept of 'habitus' as a theoretical framework to scrutinize the multifaceted elements that influence musical preferences and inclinations in individuals. Drawing from an interdisciplinary approach, this study weaves historical accounts with empirical analyses conducted on scholarly articles primarily in sociology and educational studies. It seeks to explore how the constitutive factors of habitus, specifically education, Social Class Background, Cultural Background, and Ideology, affect one’s taste in music. The paper argues that these variables are not merely incidental but play an integral role in shaping a person’s musical predilections. Through a detailed examination of academic literature and historical contexts, the study further contends that understanding the complex web of these contributing factors can offer profound insights into not just musical tastes but also social hierarchies and cultural legitimacies. The findings aim to contribute to the existing discourse in both sociology of music and educational theory, offering a nuanced perspective on how identity is musically constructed and socially embedded.

Utilization of Primary Health Care Under National Health Insurance in Samarinda Municipality, East Kalimantan Province, Indonesia.

In Indonesia, basic community health services are provided to all citizens through Primary Health Care (PHC) settings under the National Health Insurance (NHI) scheme. The insurance is compulsory and provides basic community health needs. Based on a gatekeeper concept, the PHC is deemed to be the first contact point for all basic healthcare needs. Despite the commencement of services through PHC settings in 2014 under this concept, utilization in PHC settings remains lower than in hospital settings. This study aimed to assess factors associated with utilization of PHC under National Health Insurance in Samarinda Municipality, East Kalimantan Province, Indonesia. The research examined the utilization of services over six months. It employed a cross-sectional method and included 382 NHI participants in 10 districts of Samarinda Municipality. Each district was divided into urban and semi-urban areas based upon local government indicators representing the whole research area. A two-stage random sampling and purposive sampling approach was implemented to select the sample. The participants were interviewed using a structured questionnaire. Chi-square and multiple logistic regressions were conducted to determine the impact of factors on the utilization of PHC. Only 17.3% of participants used PHC services regularly. Three constitutive factors, type of NHI participants (Adj. OR: 2.62; p<0.005), accommodation (Adj. OR: 2.18; p<0.005) and awareness (Adj. OR: 3.27; p<0.005) most profoundly influenced the under-utilization of PHC by NHI participants. The study found that the type of NHI participant and the utilization factors of accommodation and awareness significantly influenced the degree of utilization of PHC facilities by NHI participants and that the differences arose from variations in knowledge and experience. Strengthening these factors will rely upon an expanded role of government and community collaboration, emphasizing the needs of NHI participants.

Omicron Spike confers enhanced infectivity and interferon resistance to SARS-CoV-2 in human nasal tissue

Omicron emerged following COVID-19 vaccination campaigns, displaced previous SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern worldwide, and gave rise to lineages that continue to spread. Here, we show that Omicron exhibits increased infectivity in primary adult upper airway tissue relative to Delta. Using recombinant forms of SARS-CoV-2 and nasal epithelial cells cultured at the liquid-air interface, we show that mutations unique to Omicron Spike enable enhanced entry into nasal tissue. Unlike earlier variants of SARS-CoV-2, our findings suggest that Omicron enters nasal cells independently of serine transmembrane proteases and instead relies upon metalloproteinases to catalyze membrane fusion. Furthermore, we demonstrate that this entry pathway unlocked by Omicron Spike enables evasion from constitutive and interferon-induced antiviral factors that restrict SARS-CoV-2 entry following attachment. Therefore, the increased transmissibility exhibited by Omicron in humans may be attributed not only to its evasion of vaccine-elicited adaptive immunity, but also to its superior invasion of nasal epithelia and resistance to the cell-intrinsic barriers present therein.