Mid-term report for the CORE Organic II funded project. “Innovative cropping Practices to increase soil health of organic fruit tree orchards” BIO-INCROP

Activities performed in the first part of BIO-INCROP project concern five of the eight main objectives fixed in the project proposal. They are: Evaluation of soil borne pest and pathogens involved in replant disease Role of rhizospheric bacterial and fungal communities in plant health Selection of naturally available resources to increase microbial diversity and biomass Compost and organic amendments Evaluation of biologically active formulates The document reports main research results and shows main items of dissemination activity performed in the first part of the project

The European Union, borders and conflict transformation: the case of Cyprus

Much of the existing literature on the European Union (EU), conflict transformation and border dynamics has been premised on the assumption that the nature of the border determines EU intervention and the consequences that flow from this in terms of EU impact. The article aims to transcend this literature through assessing how domestic interpretations influence EU border transformation in conflict situations, taking Cyprus as a case study. Moreover, the objective is to fuse the literature on EU bordering impact and perceptions of the EU’s normative projection in conflict resolution. Pursuing this line of inquiry is an attempt to depart from the notion of borders being constructed solely by unidirectional EU logics of engagement or bordering practices to a conceptualization of the border as co-constituted space, where the interpretations of the EU’s normative projections by conflict parties, and the strategies that they pursue, can determine the relative openness of the EU border

Erratum to: 36th International Symposium on Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1186/s13054-016-1208-6.]

Hemoglobin, Albumin, Lymphocyte and Platelet Score as a Novel Predictor of Mortality and Rebleeding in Patients with Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding

Burcu Azapoğlu Kaymak,1 Merve Eksioglu,1 Tuba Cimilli Öztürk,1 Mehmet Köroğlu2 1University of Health Sciences, Fatih Sultan Mehmet Education and Research Hospital, Department of Emergency Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey; 2University of Health Sciences, Fatih Sultan Mehmet Education and Research Hospital, Department of Gastroenterology, Istanbul, TurkeyCorrespondence: Burcu Azapoğlu Kaymak, University of Health Sciences Fatih Sultan Mehmet Education and Research Hospital Department of Emergency Medicine Atasehir-Istanbul, Istanbul, Turkey, Email [email protected]: Upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) poses significant risks of morbidity and mortality, necessitating effective risk stratification tools. Traditional scoring systems such as the Rockall (RS), Glasgow-Blatchford (GBS), and AIMS65 have limitations in accurately predicting mortality and rebleeding. The Hemoglobin, Albumin, Lymphocyte, Platelet (HALP) score, initially developed for cancer prognosis, has demonstrated prognostic value in various conditions. This study aims to evaluate whether the HALP score, when assessed at admission, aligns with the Rockall score and can be used to predict rebleeding and 30- day mortality in UGIB patients.Patients and Methods: This retrospective study included 256 patients with confirmed UGIB admitted to a tertiary hospital in Istanbul, Turkey, between 2017 and 2024. Patient data, including demographics, vital signs, laboratory parameters, endoscopic findings, and clinical outcomes, were collected. The HALP score was calculated at admission to the emergency department. ROC curve analysis assessed the predictive accuracy of the HALP score for 30-day mortality, rebleeding, and its performance was compared with the Rockall score.Results: The predictive performance of the HALP and Rockall scores for 30-day mortality and rebleeding was evaluated using ROC analysis, with AUC values of 0.772 (95% CI: 0.715– 0.822) and 0.770 (95% CI: 0.714– 0.820) for mortality prediction, respectively (p = 0.9801). For rebleeding prediction, the Rockall score had a higher AUC (0.739, 95% CI: 0.681– 0.792) than the HALP score (0.688, 95% CI: 0.627– 0.744), though the difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.2969).Conclusion: The results of this study demonstrate that the HALP score can be used for prognosis prediction in UGIB, exhibiting comparable sensitivity and specificity to the Rockall score. Its ease of calculation using routine laboratory parameters offers a practical complement to existing scoring systems.Keywords: upper gastrointestinal bleeding, HALP score, prognostic scoring, mortality predictio

Comparative Prognostic Accuracy of Clinical and Inflammation- or Nutrition-Based Scores in Older Adults with Community-Acquired Pneumonia

Merve Eksioglu,1 Burcu Azapoglu Kaymak,1 Ebru Unal Akoglu,1 Selman Faruk Akyıldız,1 Ramazan Sivil,2 Tuba Cimilli Ozturk1 1Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Health Sciences, Fatih Sultan Mehmet Education and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey; 2Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Health Sciences, Antalya Education and Research Hospital, Antalya, TurkeyCorrespondence: Merve Eksioglu, Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Health Sciences, Fatih Sultan Mehmet Education and Research Hospital, Hastane Sokak No: 1/9 İçerenköy, Ataşehir, Istanbul, 34752, Turkey, Tel +90 216 578 30 00; +90 505 295 36 87, Email [email protected]: This study aimed to assess the prognostic accuracy of the Glasgow Prognostic Score (GPS), modified Glasgow Prognostic Score (mGPS), and C-reactive protein/albumin ratio (CAR) in predicting 30-day mortality and intensive care unit (ICU) admission compared with the Pneumonia Severity Index (PSI) and CURB-65 in older adults with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP).Patients and Methods: This retrospective, single-center cohort study was conducted in a tertiary emergency department. Patients aged ≥ 65 years with CAP were included. Exclusion criteria were hospital- or ventilator-associated pneumonia, pneumonia mimics, and immunocompromised status. GPS and mGPS were calculated using CRP > 10 mg/L and albumin < 35 g/L. ROC and logistic regression analyses were performed.Results: A total of 349 patients (mean age: 77.96 ± 8.42 years; 52.7% men) were included. The 30-day mortality and ICU admission rates were 19.5% and 27.2%, respectively. For predicting mortality, the GPS showed an AUC of 0.753 (95% CI: 0.690– 0.816), sensitivity of 75.0%, specificity of 73.3%, PPV of 43.9%, and NPV of 92.4%. mGPS had an AUC of 0.747 (95% CI: 0.679– 0.814), sensitivity 77.9%, specificity 73.3%, PPV 45.2%, and NPV 93.2%. The CAR yielded an AUC of 0.677 (95% CI: 0.604– 0.751), sensitivity of 82.4%, specificity of 45.6%, PPV of 29.5%, and NPV of 91.4%. For ICU admission, the AUCs were 0.770 (GPS), 0.757 (mGPS), and 0.676 (CAR). The PSI demonstrated the highest predictive accuracy (AUC: 0.884 for mortality, 0.919 for ICU admission), followed by CURB-65 (AUC: 0.848 and 0.879, respectively). Independent predictors of 30-day mortality included acute confusion, lower PaO2/FiO2 ratio, low systolic blood pressure, reduced hemoglobin levels, and Alzheimer’s disease or dementia.Conclusion: The PSI and CURB-65 demonstrated superior prognostic accuracy. GPS and mGPS showed moderate performance, whereas CAR exhibited the lowest overall discriminative ability for both outcomes.Keywords: geriatric emergency care, community-acquired pneumonia, prognostic scores, pneumonia severity index, PSI, glasgow prognostic score, GPS, C-reactive protein to albumin ratio, CA

Lysophosphatidic Acid-Mediated GPR35 Signaling in CX3CR1⁺ Macrophages Regulates Intestinal Homeostasis.

Single-nucleotide polymorphisms in the gene encoding G protein-coupled receptor 35 (GPR35) are associated with increased risk of inflammatory bowel disease. However, the mechanisms by which GPR35 modulates intestinal immune homeostasis remain undefined. Here, integrating zebrafish and mouse experimental models, we demonstrate that intestinal Gpr35 expression is microbiota dependent and enhanced upon inflammation. Moreover, murine GPR35 <sup>+</sup> colonic macrophages are characterized by enhanced production of pro-inflammatory cytokines. We identify lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) as a potential endogenous ligand produced during intestinal inflammation, acting through GPR35 to induce tumor necrosis factor (Tnf) expression in macrophages. Mice lacking Gpr35 in CX3CR1 <sup>+</sup> macrophages aggravate colitis when exposed to dextran sodium sulfate, which is associated with decreased transcript levels of the corticosterone-generating gene Cyp11b1 and macrophage-derived Tnf. Administration of TNF in these mice restores Cyp11b1 expression and intestinal corticosterone production and ameliorates DSS-induced colitis. Our findings indicate that LPA signals through GPR35 in CX3CR1 <sup>+</sup> macrophages to maintain TNF-mediated intestinal homeostasis

Evidence, and replication thereof, that molecular-genetic and environmental risks for psychosis impact through an affective pathway

Background There is evidence that environmental and genetic risk factors for schizophrenia spectrum disorders are transdiagnostic and mediated in part through a generic pathway of affective dysregulation. Methods We analysed to what degree the impact of schizophrenia polygenic risk (PRS-SZ) and childhood adversity (CA) on psychosis outcomes was contingent on co-presence of affective dysregulation, defined as significant depressive symptoms, in (i) NEMESIS-2 (n = 6646), a representative general population sample, interviewed four times over nine years and (ii) EUGEI (n = 4068) a sample of patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorder, the siblings of these patients and controls. Results The impact of PRS-SZ on psychosis showed significant dependence on co-presence of affective dysregulation in NEMESIS-2 [relative excess risk due to interaction (RERI): 1.01, p = 0.037] and in EUGEI (RERI = 3.39, p = 0.048). This was particularly evident for delusional ideation (NEMESIS-2: RERI = 1.74, p = 0.003; EUGEI: RERI = 4.16, p = 0.019) and not for hallucinatory experiences (NEMESIS-2: RERI = 0.65, p = 0.284; EUGEI: -0.37, p = 0.547). A similar and stronger pattern of results was evident for CA (RERI delusions and hallucinations: NEMESIS-2: 3.02, p < 0.001; EUGEI: 6.44, p < 0.001; RERI delusional ideation: NEMESIS-2: 3.79, p < 0.001; EUGEI: 5.43, p = 0.001; RERI hallucinatory experiences: NEMESIS-2: 2.46, p < 0.001; EUGEI: 0.54, p = 0.465). Conclusions The results, and internal replication, suggest that the effects of known genetic and non-genetic risk factors for psychosis are mediated in part through an affective pathway, from which early states of delusional meaning may arise