Breeding Ecology and Larval Development of Marsh Frogs (Pelophylax ridibundus s.l.) from East Mediterranean, Türkiye

Reproductive biology of Marsh frogs (Pelophylax ridibundus s.l.) was investigated in the Eastern Mediterranean Region of Türkiye in terms of reproductive phenology, fecundity, clutch size, reproductive effort, and mate choice. Frogs are active for approximately ten months throughout the year and hibernate between November and January. Breeding occurs from mid-January until early June and metamorphosis took 45-65 days, with juveniles observed from the end of March. The tadpole reaches its largest size at stage 38, with a mean total length of 60.61 mm and juveniles have an average snout-vent length of 20 mm at the end of metamorphosis. Secondary sexual characters can be observed on individuals reaching 45 mm snout-vent length and we could not detect any amplexed pairs below this length. The clutch size of spawned egg masses ranged between 144 – 645 and the mean egg size was calculated as 1.73 mm. The mean fecundity was 3853 (ranging between 940 and 6000) eggs and the reproductive effort was 0.094 in females. Females were approximately 16% larger than males and the snout–vent length of males and females of amplexed pairs is significantly different but not correlated. These findings signify random mating instead of size-assortative mating. However, the preference of 6.8% larger females than single ones to mate indicates a size-dependent mating for Western Mediterranean population. © 2023, ABADER (Adıyaman Bilimsel Arastırmalar Dernegi). All rights reserved.2013/BİL/013; Türkiye Bilimsel ve Teknolojik Araştırma Kurumu, TÜBİTAK: 112T913This study was financially supported by TÜBİTAK (The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey, Project number: 112T913) and EBİLTEM (Ege University Science and Technology Centre, Project number: 2013/BİL/013). We thank to Oğuzkan CUMHURİYET and İlhan TUNA for their help in the field studies

Abundance of western caspian turtle, mauremys rivulata (Valenciennes, 1833) in gökçeada (Imbros), Turkey

In this study, we present data on the population of Western Caspian Turtle, Mauremys rivulata, from Gökçeada (Imbros) located at the westernmost of Turkey. The species is distributed almost all around the island, particularly in the western part, with a very low density. Distribution of the species on the island was mapped and a total of 73 individuals were captured and marked in Büyükdere, the largest river of the island. Population size was estimated at 135 individuals (SE — 11, range — 117-161) and density was calculated as 68 ind/ha. Moreover, Emys orbicularis, another freshwater turtle species, which cohabits in the west Anatolia, was observed again on the island after 15 years. Tourism, creeks with irregular flow regime and holding water in the dams negatively affect populations of aquatic species, primarily M. rivulata on the island. © 2016 Folium Publishing Company

Preclinical Studies on Convalescent Human Immune Plasma-Derived Exosome: Omics and Antiviral Properties to SARS-CoV-2

The scale of the COVID-19 pandemic forced urgent measures for the development of new therapeutics. One of these strategies is the use of convalescent plasma (CP) as a conventional source for passive immunity. Recently, there has been interest in CP-derived exosomes. In this report, we present a structural, biochemical, and biological characterization of our proprietary product, convalescent human immune plasma-derived exosome (ChipEXO), following the guidelines set forth by the Turkish Ministry of Health and the Turkish Red Crescent, the Good Manufacturing Practice, the International Society for Extracellular Vesicles, and the Gene Ontology Consortium. The data support the safety and efficacy of this product against SARS-CoV-2 infections in preclinical models