Potential Entry Points Research Articles

Optimal trajectory for the anterior occipital condyle screw.

ObjectiveThis study aimed to assess the practicality and optimal approach for inserting an anterior occipital condyle screw, as well as to measure the screw placement characteristics.MethodsA total of 80 normal head and cervical spine computed tomography scans (40 males/40 females) were used to construct three-dimensional models. The average age of the participants was 45.18 ± 8.86 years (ranging from 25 to 65 years). Three potential entry points for the anterior occipital condyle screw were identified. A simulated screw with a radius of 1.75 mm was created to replicate the screw trajectory and adjusted to establish the maximum and minimum cranial limits for each entry point. The feasibility of screw fixation was assessed, identifying the optimal entry point and analyzing relevant screw placement measurements.ResultsThe success rates for screw placement were 95.6%, 94.4%, and 88.1% for the middle, lateral, and medial entry points, respectively. The success rate for the medial entry point was notably lower than that for the middle and lateral points. No statistically significant differences were found in the measured parameters between the left and right sides. The medial entry point exhibited the highest abduction angulation (35.72° ± 2.01°) for screw placement, followed by the middle (25.96° ± 1.86°) and lateral (15.14° ± 1.82°) points. The middle and lateral entry points displayed a considerably wider safe range of cranial angulation and screw placement length than the medial entry point. All three entry points achieved success rates exceeding 90% when the cranial angulation ranged from 2° to 6°.ConclusionThe anterior occipital condyle screw presents a workable choice for anterior craniovertebral fixation. The middle entry point is identified as the optimal approach for placing 3.5-mm diameter screws.

Evidence for altered immune-structural cell crosstalk in cystic fibrosis revealed by single cell transcriptomics.

Chronic pulmonary inflammation strongly contributes to respiratory failure and mortality in patients with cystic fibrosis (pwCF). Effective anti-microbial immunity and maintaining lung homeostasis require continuous structural-immune cell communication. Whether and how this crosstalk is altered in CF remains poorly understood, obscuring potential new angles for therapy development to restore airway homeostasis in pwCF. We performed droplet-based single cell RNA-sequencing on bronchial biopsies from pwCF to investigate structural-immune cell crosstalk. Computational analyses were used to compare these data to samples obtained from healthy controls. CF airway wall biopsies showed lower proportions and altered transcriptomes of basal cells, submucosal gland cells and endothelial cells, and a higher abundance of ciliated cells, monocytes, macrophages and T cells. Both B and T lymphocytes displayed aberrantly activated phenotypes with transcriptional changes linked to hypoxia and vascular endothelial growth factor signaling, indicative of crosstalk with endothelial cells. The CF lung displayed unique changes in intercellular communication potential involving ionocytes, macrophages, endothelial cells and lymphocytes. This included interactions between HLA-E on structural cells and the druggable CD94/NKG2A immune checkpoint on CD8+T cells. We report the first single cell transcriptome atlas of the CF lung containing the full spectrum of structural and immune cells, providing a valuable resource for investigating changes to cellular composition, phenotypes and crosstalk linked to CF. Our analyses highlight dysregulated basal cell function and adaptive immunity in pwCF - despite favorable responses to CFTR modulator therapy. We identify novel aspects of CF pathophysiology and potential entry points for therapeutic strategies.

The blue-light receptor CRY1 serves as a switch to balance photosynthesis and plant defense.

The blue-light receptor CRY1 serves as a switch to balance photosynthesis and plant defense.

Maybe later: Term limits and strategy behind candidate entry

AbstractWhile academics have examined how term limits affect elected officials, little work has gone into understanding the way they alter challenger behavior. I argue that they reduce the number of candidates who challenge incumbents, leading to a lock‐in effect. By increasing the frequency of open races, term limits incentivize potential challengers to wait for an open race. To demonstrate this, I analyze primary data from 85 legislative chambers in 44 states over a two‐decade period to see how term limits alter challenger entry patterns. I show that term‐limited incumbents face fewer challengers in their last two terms in office and challenges are weaker, while competition for open races ramps up. In doing so, I provide a major insight into how term limits alter challenger decision‐making to run for entry‐level office while improving our understanding of candidate entry by accounting for multiple potential points of entry.

Breadwinners and caregivers: Examining the global relationship between gender norms and economic behavior

AbstractGender norms are often emphasized to help explain gender gaps in the labor market. We examine global patterns of gender attitudes and norms toward the stereotypical gender roles of the male breadwinner and female caregiver, and broad support for gender equality in opportunities, and study their relationship with economic behavior. Using data collected via Facebook from 150,000 individuals across 111 countries the paper explores how gender beliefs and norms are related to labor supply, household production, and intra‐household decision‐making power within a country. We provide descriptive evidence that the more gender equitable or counter‐stereotypical are beliefs and norms, the more likely women are to work, the more time men spend on household chores, and the higher the likelihood of joint decision‐making among married couples. Our findings suggest an underestimation of the support for gender equality globally and the extent of underestimation varies by gender and region. The paper concludes with a discussion of potential entry points for policy to help address gender norms.

Drawn into Dancing and Danced into Drawing: Exploring Deleuze’s Lines of Flight through Dancing–Drawing Approaches in Early Childhood Dance Pedagogies

Abstract This article explores Deleuze and Guattari’s (1987) notion of ‘lines of flight’ as a philosophical concept and a phenomenon in dance pedagogical learning events by focusing on approaches combining dancing and drawing in an early childhood educational context. I share how the enquiry has been guided not only through the concept of thinking with theory (Jackson and Mazzei 2023) but also through dancing with theory through a series of creative approaches. This study is situated in the field of artistic research, with its theoretical framework in post-human theories (Barad 2007), intra-active pedagogy (Lenz Taguchi 2010) and assemblage (Deleuze and Guattari 1987) thinking. Diffractive reading (Barad 2007) is used in narrating the key moments, theorised as translations, that have been significant in researching the lines of flight and the intra-active relationship between drawing and dancing. The central claim is that working with dancing– drawing assemblages may expand children’s potential entry points and modes of participation. This can support more diverse, inclusive and participatory forms of dance pedagogies. Through dancing–drawing approaches, dance improvisation may become a mode of multimodal meaning-making, fostering rich and varied artistic experiences for children where embodied and artistic thinking intersect in novel ways.

Virtual airways heatmaps to optimize point of entry location in lung biopsy planning systems.

We present a virtual model to optimize point of entry (POE) in lung biopsy planning systems. Our model allows to compute the quality of a biopsy sample taken from potential POE, taking into account the margin of error that arises from discrepancies between the orientation in the planning simulation and the actual orientation during the operation. Additionally, the study examines the impact of the characteristics of the lesion. The quality of the biopsy is given by a heatmap projected onto the skeleton of a patient-specific model of airways. The skeleton provides a 3D representation of airways structure, while the heatmap intensity represents the potential amount of tissue that it could be extracted from each POE. This amount of tissue is determined by the intersection of the lesion with a cone that represents the uncertainty area in the introduction of biopsy instruments. The cone, lesion, and skeleton are modelled as graphical objects that define a 3D scene of the intervention. We have simulated different settings of the intervention scene from a single anatomy extracted from a CT scan and two lesions with regular and irregular shapes. The different scenarios are simulated by systematic rotation of each lesion placed at different distances from airways. Analysis of the heatmaps for the different settings shows a strong impact of lesion orientation for irregular shape and the distance for both shapes. The proposed heatmaps help to visually assess the optimal POE and identify whether multiple optimal POEs exist in different zones of the bronchi. They also allow us to model the maximum allowable error in navigation systems and study which variables have the greatest influence on the success of the operation. Additionally, they help determine at what point this influence could potentially jeopardize the operation.

Prevention of Air Embolism in Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Systems: An In Vitro Study on Protection of Central Venous Catheter Lumen.

Background and Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the risk and mechanisms of air entry into the extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) circuit through the central venous catheter (CVC) in a veno-venous configuration. The primary goal was to assess the impact of different air volumes on ECMO circuit performance at varying pump speeds. Material and Methods: The study utilized a circuit model to simulate ECMO conditions and evaluate the potential entry points of air, specifically through the unprotected lumen of the CVC. Various interventions, such as the use of a closed three-way stopcock or clave, were implemented to assess their efficacy in preventing air entry. Results: The unprotected lumen of the central venous catheter posed a significant risk for air entry into the ECMO circuit. The introduction of a closed three-way stopcock or clave proved effective in preventing air ingress through the central venous catheter. Auditory cues, such as a distinct hissing sound, served as an early warning sign of air presence in the circuit. The study demonstrated that even small volumes of air, as minimal as 1 mL, could pass through the oxygenator at specific pump speeds, and larger volumes could lead to pump dysfunction. Conclusions: The study identified the unprotected lumen of the central venous catheter as a potential entry point for air into the ECMO circuit. The use of a closed three-way stopcock or one-way valve was found to be a reliable protective measure against air infiltration. Early detection through the observation of a hissing sound in the circuit provided a valuable warning sign. These findings contribute to enhancing the safety and performance of ECMO systems by minimizing the risk of air embolism.

Methodological guidelines for a rapid appraisal of agricultural innovation systems under agroecology (RAAIS-AE)

The agricultural innovation system (AIS) is an approach that considers agricultural innovation from a multidisciplinary perspective. The Rapid Appraisal of Agricultural Innovation Systems is one of the commonly used operational methods. It involves a series of structured and participatory activities, including interviews, focus group discussions, and stakeholder workshops, to identify the actors, institutions, and relationships involved in the AIS, as well as the strengths and weaknesses of the system. This approach has been structured in such a manner that it adapts easily to different contexts where different stakeholders, such as developers, academicians, and policymakers are working with community members on innovation. A reflection on the concept -what to know (the requirements) and what to get (the outputs) is necessary for coming up with practical, reflective analysis and applicable procedures for a deeper understanding of the context where the innovations are introduced. Following this will enable us to fully understand the bottlenecks in transitioning from conventional systems to an agroecological model thus pinpointing potential entry points for promoting these systems’ dissemination and scaling.

A blockchain based secure authentication technique for ensuring user privacy in edge based smart city networks

A blockchain based secure authentication technique for ensuring user privacy in edge based smart city networks

Organotypic brain slices as a model to study the neurotropism of the highly pathogenic Nipah and Ebola viruses.

Nipah virus (NiV) and Ebola virus (EBOV) are highly pathogenic zoonotic viruses with case fatality rates of up to 90%. While the brain is a known target organ following NiV infection, involvement of the central nervous system in EBOV-infected patients only became more evident after the West African epidemic in 2013-2016. To gain a deeper comprehension of the neurotropism of NiV and EBOV with respect to target cells, affected brain regions and local inflammatory responses, murine organotypic brain slices (BS) were established and infected. Both NiV and EBOV demonstrated the capacity to infect BS from adult wt mice and mice lacking the receptor for type I IFNs (IFNAR-/-) and targeted various cell types. NiV was observed to replicate in BS derived from both mouse strains, yet no release of infectious particles was detected. In contrast, EBOV replication was limited in both BS models. The release of several pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, including eotaxin, IFN-γ, IL-1α, IL-9, IL-17a and keratinocyte-derived chemokine (KC), was observed in both virus-infected models, suggesting a potential role of the inflammatory response in NiV- or EBOV-induced neuropathology. It is noteworthy that the choroid plexus was identified as a highly susceptible target for EBOV and NiV infection, suggesting that the blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier may serve as a potential entry point for these viruses.

The Asian Citrus Psyllid (<i>Diaphorina citri</i>) in Africa: using MaxEnt to predict current and future climatic suitability, with a focus on potential invasion routes

The Asian Citrus Psyllid (ACP) (Diaphorina citri Kuwayama, 1908) (Hemiptera: Psyllidae) is a major citrus pest. The species has been introduced to West and East Africa, but has not yet spread to southern Africa, where it could have a devastating impact on citrus farming and livelihoods. A proactive response is key to mitigating the species’ impacts, particularly the ongoing monitoring of potential invasion routes and entry points into South Africa. Species distribution models (SDMs) were developed under current and future climates for ACP in Africa, and these models were used to (1) determine where the species likely poses a threat, (2) identify potential invasion routes into South Africa, and (3) assess how these factors will be affected under climate change. The SDMs indicated that there is an almost contiguous band of suitable climate along the east coast of Africa that joins the species’ current range in East Africa to South Africa, and under aggressive climate change a potential route of invasion through Namibia and Botswana. Much of South Africa is climatically suitable for the species, but under climate change, climatically suitable areas are likely to shift further inland. The spread of ACP into South Africa is unlikely to be prevented, but the outputs of the present models will inform monitoring activities and assist with preparations to respond to this predicted biological invasion.

The Asian Citrus Psyllid (<i>Diaphorina citri</i>) in Africa: using MaxEnt to predict current and future climatic suitability, with a focus on potential invasion routes

The Asian Citrus Psyllid (ACP) (Diaphorina citri Kuwayama, 1908) (Hemiptera: Psyllidae) is a major citrus pest. The species has been introduced to West and East Africa, but has not yet spread to southern Africa, where it could have a devastating impact on citrus farming and livelihoods. A proactive response is key to mitigating the species’ impacts, particularly the ongoing monitoring of potential invasion routes and entry points into South Africa. Species distribution models (SDMs) were developed under current and future climates for ACP in Africa, and these models were used to (1) determine where the species likely poses a threat, (2) identify potential invasion routes into South Africa, and (3) assess how these factors will be affected under climate change. The SDMs indicated that there is an almost contiguous band of suitable climate along the east coast of Africa that joins the species’ current range in East Africa to South Africa, and under aggressive climate change a potential route of invasion through Namibia and Botswana. Much of South Africa is climatically suitable for the species, but under climate change, climatically suitable areas are likely to shift further inland. The spread of ACP into South Africa is unlikely to be prevented, but the outputs of the present models will inform monitoring activities and assist with preparations to respond to this predicted biological invasion.

Nurses' health promotion practices in rural primary health care in Nigeria. A qualitative study.

Nurses play a vital role in providing high-quality primary healthcare and health promotion services. The state of research highlights their often complex operational realities and shows the need for an evidence-based understanding of nurses' perspectives on health promotion practices, especially in low-resource settings. This study focuses on how community health nurses in rural primary healthcare centers in Nigeria perceive their health promotion role and the opportunities and challenges of, and potential entry points for strengthening, their practice. A sample of 10 nurses from eight rural primary healthcare centers in eight local government areas of Anambra state, Nigeria, was purposively selected. Data were collected via semistructured telephone and written interviews and analyzed by qualitative content analysis using a deductive-inductive approach. Nurses emphasized their commitment to supporting patients and communities to develop skills and take control of their own lives. Nurses described their role as facilitators of behavioral and environmental change, individual and community empowerment facilitators as well as social activists. Factors that enhance the health promotion practice of nurses include adequate skills, sufficient human and material resources and community support and participation. Inhibiting factors included insufficient funding, poor working conditions, staff shortages, high workload, lack of training opportunities and low participation of community members. Overcoming challenges and facilitating health promotion activities in rural communities require bolstering nurses by providing further training opportunities for enhancing their health promotion competencies and creating supportive environments. Future research should focus on how to strengthen nurses' health promotion efforts through interprofessional and intersectoral collaboration.

Latent profiles and predictors of barriers to care in Swiss children and adolescents with rare diseases.

Children and adolescents with rare diseases face significant barriers when accessing healthcare. We aimed to assess and predict these barriers and investigate associations with health-related quality of life (HRQoL). We conducted a cross-sectional survey of Swiss parents (N = 189) of children with rare diseases including the Barriers to Care Questionnaire (BCQ), containing six barriers and the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL). Latent profile analysis (LPA) was used to uncover distinct classes, which were compared using chi-square tests and Mann-Whitney U tests. Relevant medical and sociodemographic class predictors were identified using Elastic Net regression, followed by regression analysis to investigate their role in predicting barriers to care and examine the effects of these classes on HRQoL. Two distinct groups were identified, a higher barriers class (59%) and a lower barriers class (41%). In the higher barriers class, participants showed elevated scores across all subscales and specifically on pragmatics and expectations. More barriers to care were linked to a nonstable disease course (OR = 2.27, p = .002) and a diagnosis after the age of 3months (OR = 2.17, p = .006). Individuals in the higher barriers class exhibited more psychological comorbidities (p = .044), congenital malformations/deformations/chromosomal abnormalities (p=.042), and medical misdiagnoses (p = .006). Children in the higher barriers class had significantly lower PedsQL scores compared to the lower barriers class (p<.05). This study highlights the need for comprehensive assessment of barriers to pediatric care in rare diseases, offering potential entry points for targeted interventions.

Fluorimetric Tool to Discriminate Glomerular and Tubular Injuries In Vivo.

The etiology and pathological complexity of acute kidney injury (AKI) pose great challenges for early diagnosis, typing, and personalized treatment. It is an important reason for poor prognosis and high mortality of AKI. In order to provide a relatively noninvasive diagnostic and typing method for AKI, we proposed the pathological changes of albumin permeability after glomerular injury and reabsorption efficiency after tubular injury as potential entry points. Thus, a renal tubule labeling fluorescent dye which features albumin concentration-related fluorescence intensity was used to fit these pathological changes. Utilizing this fluorescence assay, we realized urinary tract obstruction imaging as early as 12 h after morbidity. For glomerular and tubular injury discrimination, compared to a healthy control, membranous nephropathy as a representative glomerular injury resulted in enhanced fluorescence intensity of the kidney due to increased albumin penetration, while renal tubular injury caused insufficient dye reabsorption to exhibit weakened fluorescence intensity. The significant differences demonstrated the feasibility of this approach for fluorescence imaging-based AKI typing in vivo.

Intermittent Detections of ISAV-HPR0 in a Salmon Recirculating Aquaculture System, and Implications for Sampling

Infectious salmon anemia virus (ISAV) is an important pathogen in global Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) aquaculture. The existence of both non-pathogenic (ISAV-HPR0) and pathogenic (HPR-deleted ISAV) forms of the virus impacts hatchery management. In November 2016, fish tested positive for ISAV-HPR0 at the National Cold Water Marine Aquaculture Center in Maine. A cohort exposed to the fish testing positive for ISAV were lethally sampled over a 7-month period (February–August 2017). No positive samples were detected during this time. Additional testing aimed to determine the extent of the ISAV infections in the facility’s fish and to investigate the water sources as potential virus entry points. Fish testing was designed to detect 2% pathogen prevalence with 95% confidence (assuming diagnostic sensitivity of 85%). Over a three-year period, ISAV-HPR0 was detected in spawning fish annually and once in smolts. Repeat testing of smolts from the affected tank three weeks later failed to detect ISAV-HPR0. Over a one-year period of weekly or biweekly evaluation of the incoming water sources, ISAV was never detected. These findings suggest that ISAV-HPR0 infections in monitored hatchery populations can evade detection and that episodes of high prevalence of ISAV-HPR0 associated with spawning can be highly transient. In both cases, conventional surveillance based on recurrent testing of healthy populations may provide only a very limited indication of the HPR0 status. Instead, targeting surveillance to periods of physiological stress, such as spawning and smoltification, and adjusting the sample sizes to account for a related surge in prevalence, should enhance the detection capacity in hatchery settings while also reducing testing costs.

How to measure agroecology? A rapid appraisal approach based on focus group discussions

ABSTRACT This study presents an approach to assess agroecology at village level through focus group discussions with village committees and district extension agents. This approach is intended as an alternative to resources-intensive assessment methods, covering larger areas and providing rapid yet empirical evidences for policy and practice. It is based on the translation of the 13 agroecology principles of the High-Level Panel of Experts (HLPE) into 21 contextualized indicators and questions that are relevant for the research area. They are grouped into four entry points for transformative action: land use and governance, farm management, social interactions, and socio-economic situation. This approach was tested in 16 villages and three districts in Xiengkhouang Province in Laos. The results show that villages are at an intermediate agroecological level. Comparable results and conclusions were achieved, regarding potential entry points for transformative action in specific villages, encouraging the reliability of the approach. It also showed to be promising in terms of the capacity to characterize the status of the 13 principles of agroecology, and to capture their changes in time. This approach may be further combined with other assessment methods to complement the aspects that require finer understanding or assessment over large territories.

A global multi-indicator assessment of the environmental impact of livestock products

A global multi-indicator assessment of the environmental impact of livestock products

Basketball Returns Home: The Diffusion and Translocation of Basketball to Scotland

The early history of basketball and its diffusion to Scotland is yet to be fully acknowledged and recorded. Two themes are addressed in this article: the spread of basketball worldwide and the process of its translocation to a new country; and whether it was voluntarily accepted or culturally imposed or both upon its new host. Some of the preliminary contributions to knowledge about the global diffusion of basketball during its infancy are added to and reimagined, with a specific focus regarding the arrival and infancy of basketball in Scotland. Based on a body of empirical evidence from the British Newspaper Archive alongside the Archive and Special Collection at Springfield College in conjunction with secondary sources which document the inception of basketball in Britain and Scotland, four potential entry points and groups who were responsible for translocating basketball to Scotland are examined. The four: Hampstead College graduates; Scottish-based Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) workers; Scottish sojourners; and Mormon Missionaries. In the process, other possibilities including Springfield graduates and James Naismith are disregarded. To start, the origins of basketball in the United States and its Scottish connections are outlined, before denoting the inception of basketball in the United Kingdom and Scotland.