International Consensus Statement on Rhinology and Allergy: Rhinosinusitis

Background: The 5 years since the publication of the first International Consensus Statement on Allergy and Rhinology: Rhinosinusitis (ICAR‐RS) has witnessed foundational progress in our understanding and treatment of rhinologic disease. These advances are reflected within the more than 40 new topics covered within the ICAR‐RS‐2021 as well as updates to the original 140 topics. This executive summary consolidates the evidence‐based findings of the document. Methods: ICAR‐RS presents over 180 topics in the forms of evidence‐based reviews with recommendations (EBRRs), evidence‐based reviews, and literature reviews. The highest grade structured recommendations of the EBRR sections are summarized in this executive summary. Results: ICAR‐RS‐2021 covers 22 topics regarding the medical management of RS, which are grade A/B and are presented in the executive summary. Additionally, 4 topics regarding the surgical management of RS are grade A/B and are presented in the executive summary. Finally, a comprehensive evidence‐based management algorithm is provided. Conclusion: This ICAR‐RS‐2021 executive summary provides a compilation of the evidence‐based recommendations for medical and surgical treatment of the most common forms of RS

Quality Control and Assurance - An Ancient Greek Term Re-Mastered

Quality control and assurance cover a diverse area of modern life and play, undeniably, an important role. This book brings together a collection of international papers that showcase examples of current research and practice in industry and the medical profession. It is hoped that engineers, researchers and scientists will be assisted in their continuous quest for excelling in qualitative aspects. The Ancient Greek word arete means excellence or virtue and defines the highest qualitative state: a man’s effectiveness and skill in goodness (optimum potentiae). Indeed, Ancient Greeks believed that without quality control, specifications are useless and may result to illegitimacy, which in turn may become a threat to society itself

Quality Management Systems - a Selective Presentation of Case-studies Showcasing Its Evolution

Quality management systems form an integral part of modern corporations. Acknowledging current socio-economic and environmental challenges, quality standards ought to be dynamic and flexible so as to cater for different markets and requirements. This book portrays a collection of international papers addressing current research and practice within the areas of engineering and technology, health and education. Amidst striving for ""zero defects"", ""cost-effectiveness"" and ""tight financial budgets"", quality management systems ought to embrace the creator of them all: humans; as the ancient Greek Sophist Protagoras said, ""Of all money, Man is the measure""

Optimising the effectiveness of European and national funds in the Hellenic education sector

Greece's aim to improve its overall Education system and to make it more competitive necessitated the development of the Operational Programme (OP) 'Education'. This programme forms a part of the Third Community Support Framework's 24 OP within the period of 2000-2006. The overall financial budget is co-financed by the European Social Fund, the European Regional Development Fund and the National Resources. Article 38 of the Regulation 1260/99 EU states that "the member state bears the responsibility in the first degree for the financial control of projects co-funded by structural funds through a series of measures undertaken". As such, 'the prevention, detection and correction of financial fallouts from the discovery of discrepancies' is of predominant importance. Ongoing research revealed that the bottlenecks do occur in the effective cooperation and coordination of the involved bodies. This article will emphasise the existing monitoring schemes and will propose means to improve the effectiveness of the community and the national resources.EU funds, European Union, data-based monitoring system, Greece, national funds, education funding, financial control, cooperation, coordination,

Optimising the effectiveness of European and national funds in the Hellenic education sector

Greece's aim to improve its overall Education system and to make it more competitive necessitated the development of the Operational Programme (OP) 'Education'. This programme forms a part of the Third Community Support Framework's 24 OP within the period of 2000-2006. The overall financial budget is co-financed by the European Social Fund, the European Regional Development Fund and the National Resources. Article 38 of the Regulation 1260/99 EU states that "the member state bears the responsibility in the first degree for the financial control of projects co-funded by structural funds through a series of measures undertaken". As such, 'the prevention, detection and correction of financial fallouts from the discovery of discrepancies' is of predominant importance. Ongoing research revealed that the bottlenecks do occur in the effective cooperation and coordination of the involved bodies. This article will emphasise the existing monitoring schemes and will propose means to improve the effectiveness of the community and the national resources.EU funds; European Union; data-based monitoring system; Greece; national funds; education funding; financial control; cooperation; coordination.

Rare predicted loss-of-function variants of type I IFN immunity genes are associated with life-threatening COVID-19

BackgroundWe previously reported that impaired type I IFN activity, due to inborn errors of TLR3- and TLR7-dependent type I interferon (IFN) immunity or to autoantibodies against type I IFN, account for 15-20% of cases of life-threatening COVID-19 in unvaccinated patients. Therefore, the determinants of life-threatening COVID-19 remain to be identified in similar to 80% of cases.MethodsWe report here a genome-wide rare variant burden association analysis in 3269 unvaccinated patients with life-threatening COVID-19, and 1373 unvaccinated SARS-CoV-2-infected individuals without pneumonia. Among the 928 patients tested for autoantibodies against type I IFN, a quarter (234) were positive and were excluded.ResultsNo gene reached genome-wide significance. Under a recessive model, the most significant gene with at-risk variants was TLR7, with an OR of 27.68 (95%CI 1.5-528.7, P=1.1x10(-4)) for biochemically loss-of-function (bLOF) variants. We replicated the enrichment in rare predicted LOF (pLOF) variants at 13 influenza susceptibility loci involved in TLR3-dependent type I IFN immunity (OR=3.70[95%CI 1.3-8.2], P=2.1x10(-4)). This enrichment was further strengthened by (1) adding the recently reported TYK2 and TLR7 COVID-19 loci, particularly under a recessive model (OR=19.65[95%CI 2.1-2635.4], P=3.4x10(-3)), and (2) considering as pLOF branchpoint variants with potentially strong impacts on splicing among the 15 loci (OR=4.40[9%CI 2.3-8.4], P=7.7x10(-8)). Finally, the patients with pLOF/bLOF variants at these 15 loci were significantly younger (mean age [SD]=43.3 [20.3] years) than the other patients (56.0 [17.3] years; P=1.68x10(-5)).ConclusionsRare variants of TLR3- and TLR7-dependent type I IFN immunity genes can underlie life-threatening COVID-19, particularly with recessive inheritance, in patients under 60 years old