Western Turkey Research Articles

Clinical Effects and Predictive Factors Affecting the Clinical Severity of Scorpion Envenomations in Western Turkey.

Scorpion envenomation is a common medical emergency in many countries, including Turkey. Severe systemic symptoms occur more easily in children and mortality rates are higher. The aim of this study is to describe the clinical effects and predictive factors affecting the clinical severity of scorpion envenomations in Western Turkey. Two hundred one children (138 mild cases, 34 moderate, and 29 severe) with scorpion envenomation aged between 1 month and -17 years were included in the study. The patients' demographic and laboratory characteristics were compared among clinical severity subgroups. The patients' median age was 7 (4-11) years. The median age of the severe group was significantly lower than that of the mild and moderate groups (p < 0.001). Seventeen patients (8.5%) developed myocarditis, while no pulmonary edema was observed in any case. Leukocyte, neutrophil and platelet (PLT) counts, and plateletcrit (PCT) and glucose levels increased significantly with the severity of envenomation (p < 0.001). PLT counts and PCT levels exhibited positive correlation with leukocyte and neutrophil counts (p < 0.001, r = 0.781, r = 0.638, r = 0.772, and r = 0.629, respectively). Supraventricular tachycardia developed in 1 (5.9%) patient, and dilated cardiomyopathy in another (5.9%). No mortality occurred in any case. Increased PLT counts and PCT levels may be helpful in evaluating clinical severity in patients with scorpion sting envenomation. The possibility of myocarditis development in children should be remembered and cardiac enzymes should be checked, even if patients are asymptomatic and cardiac enzymes are normal on admission.

The molecular and serological investigation of Feline immunodeficiency virus and Feline leukemia virus in stray cats of Western Turkey

This study aimed to investigate the Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) / Feline leukemia virus (FeLV) infection prevalence among looking healthy stray cats in Western Turkey by serologic and molecular-based tests. A total of 1008 blood samples from the stray cats were used in this study. All samples were tested for FIV antibodies / proviral DNA and FeLV antibodies / antigens / proviral DNA. The genetic characterization and phylogenetic analysis of FeLV and FIV were carried out in this study. These cats also tested for Leishmaniasis and Toxoplasmosis previously. FIV Ab and proviral DNA detected in 25.2 % and 25.5 % of samples, respectively. FeLV Ab, Ag, proviral DNA positivity was in 45.2 %, in 3.3 %, in 69.7 %, respectively. The molecular detection and phylogenetic analysis of the current FeLV pol gene and FIV gag gene performed. The molecular characterization for the pol gene of FeLV (enFeLV and exFeLV) among Turkey's cat population was reported for the first time. The exFeLV pol sequences closer to the FeLV-A genotype, and the enFeLV pol sequences overlapped with other enFeLV. The current FIV gag sequences were clustered within the subtypes A, B, and C. The findings revealed FeLV subtype A and FIV subtype-A, subtype-B, subtype-C circulate among Turkish stray cats. Single and multiple co-infection positivity was found higher compared to previous reports.

A new species of the genus Atractides Koch, 1837 from Turkey (Acari: Hydrachnidia: Hygrobatidae)

In this paper, one new species of the genus Atractides (A. concavus sp. nov.) is described from western Turkey.

Anisian (Middle Triassic) Conodonts of the Kocaeli Triassic, Western Turkey

Anisian (Middle Triassic) Conodonts of the Kocaeli Triassic, Western Turkey

Probabilistic assessment of geothermal resources and their development in Dikili-\u0130zmir region

Dikili-Izmir Region (Western Turkey) has been an active area of development for the utilization of geothermal resources. In this study, we aim to quantify the untapped resource-potential in this region for both direct and indirect utilization purposes. After collecting geological data from the literature, probabilistic heat-in-place calculations are carried out. Yuntdağ Volcanites and Kozak Pluton are considered, and the latter is proposed as an enhanced geothermal system. It is shown that, with 50% probability, 75 MW_e and 17 MW_e of net electrical power can be produced from Yuntdağ and Kozak reservoir systems, respectively. When the unit volumes of reservoirs are considered, Kozak can produce 3.2 and 2.5 times of what Yuntdağ can produce in terms of electrical and thermal power, respectively. A sensitivity analysis is performed to understand the impact of reservoir characteristics on the reserves. Within the uncertainty ranges defined, reservoir size, temperature and recovery factor are found to be critical parameters that affect the net power output. Sustainability attributes are evaluated from both economic and environmental perspectives and potential benefits are discussed.

Determinants of phytoplankton size structure in warm, shallow lakes

AbstractBody size is an important trait of any organism, including phytoplankton, because it affects physiological and morphological performance, reproduction, population growth rate and competitive interactions. Understanding how interacting top-down and bottom-up factors influence phytoplankton cell size in different aquatic environments is still a challenge. Structural equation modeling (SEM) is a comprehensive multivariate statistical tool for detecting cause–effect relationship among different variables and their hierarchical structure in complex networks (e.g. trophic interactions in ecosystems). Here, several SEM models were employed to investigate the direct and indirect interaction pathways affecting the phytoplankton size structure in 44 mostly eutrophic and hypereutrophic permanent lakes in western Turkey. Among the 15 environmental variables tested, only rotifers and Carlson’s Trophic Index (TSI) had significant direct positive effect on the mean phytoplankton size and size variance, respectively. The results indicate that both bottom-up and top-down factors significantly affect phytoplankton community size structure in eutrophic and hypereutrophic lakes in warm climates. Rotifer grazing increased the abundance of large-sized phytoplankton species, such as filamentous and colonial cyanobacteria and TSI affected phytoplankton size variance, with a higher size variance in hypereutrophic lakes.

Exposure Assessment of Climate Extremes over the Europe–Mediterranean Region

The use of a compact set of climate change indexes enhances our understanding of the combined impacts of extreme climatic conditions. In this study, we developed the modified Climate Extremes Index (mCEI) to obtain unified information about different types of extremes. For this purpose, we calculated 10 different climate change indexes considering the temperature extremes, extreme precipitation, and moisture surplus and drought over the Europe–Mediterranean (EURO–MED) region for the 1979–2016 period. As a holistic approach, mCEI provides spatiotemporal information, and the high-resolution grid-based data allow us to accomplish detailed country-based and city-based analyses. The analyses indicate that warm temperature extremes rise significantly over the EURO–MED region at a rate of 1.9% decade−1, whereas the cold temperature extremes decrease. Extreme drought has a significant increasing trend of 3.8% decade−1. Although there are regional differences, extreme precipitation indexes have a significant increasing tendency. According to the mCEI, the major hotspots for the combined extremes are the Mediterranean coasts, the Balkan countries, Eastern Europe, Iceland, western Russia, western Turkey, and western Iraq. The decadal changes of mCEI for these regions are in the range of 3–5% decade−1. The city-scale analysis based on urbanized locations reveals that Fes (Morocco), Izmir (Turkey), Marseille and Aix-en-Provence (France), and Tel Aviv (Israel) have the highest increasing trend of mCEI, which is greater than 3.5% decade−1.

Design of Electrical Submersible Pump system in geothermal wells: A case study from West Anatolia, Turkey

Geothermal is defined as one of the renewable and sustainable energy sources. The sustainability of geothermal wells is highly dependent on the pressure drive mechanism and non-condensable gas (NCG) content of the produced geothermal fluid. Pressure decline and decline of non-condensable gases are commonly observed in geothermal production wells, which is unfavorable for wells’ lifetime. Electrical Submersible Pumps (ESP) are one of the solutions for extending the lifetime of geothermal wells. In this study, the application of ESP in a geothermal well was designed and simulated. The case study well is located in one of the most exploited geothermal fields in Western Turkey: the Alasehir geothermal field. ESP design is performed by using the codes constructed in PYTHON in this study. The sensitivity of production profiles of the well is simulated by using a wellbore simulation program called WELBOR. Sensitivity studies are conducted for different sizes of production tubing (5, 6, 65/8, and 7 inches), setting depths (500, 600, 700 m), and flow rates (85, 150, 180, 250, and 275 ton/hour). The optimum ESP design conditions are determined by considering pump consumption, flashing depth, wellhead flowing pressure, and production rate. Finally, it was found that ESP design will increase the production rate of the case study well by 165 tons/hour. Furthermore, the proposed ESP will make a profit for at least 8 months, according to the economic analysis in this study.

Spreading of a new SARS-CoV-2 N501Y spike variant in a new lineage

ObjectivesSurveillance of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) genomic epidemiology led us to detect several variants since summer 2020. We report the recent spread of a new SARS-CoV-2 spike 501Y variant. MethodsSARS-CoV-2 sequences obtained from human nasopharyngeal samples by Illumina next-generation sequencing were analysed using Nextclade and an in-house Python script and were compared using BLASTn to the GISAID database. Phylogeny was investigated using the IQ-TREE software. ResultsWe identified that SARS-CoV-2 genomes from four patients diagnosed in our institute harboured a new set of amino acid substitutions including L18F, L452R, N501Y, A653V, H655Y, D796Y, G1219V ± Q677H. These spike N501Y genomes are the first of Nextstrain clade 19B. We obtained partial spike gene sequences of this genotype for an additional 43 patients. All patients infected with this genotype were diagnosed since mid-January 2021. We detected 42 other genomes of this genotype in GISAID, which were obtained from samples collected in December 2020 in four individuals and in 2021 in 38 individuals. The 89 sequences obtained in our institute or other laboratories originated from the Comoros archipelago, western European countries (mostly metropolitan France), Turkey and Nigeria. ConclusionThese findings warrant further studies to investigate the spread, epidemiological and clinical features, and sensitivity to immune responses of this variant.

Ultrasonographic Evaluation of the Pyramidal Lobe of the Thyroid Gland in Infants and Children in Western Turkey Between 2018 and 2020

Background: The pyramidal lobe (PL) is a common anatomic variation of the thyroid gland with a reported prevalence of over 50% in adult series, but to the best of our knowledge, there are no data in the literature regarding its characteristics in the pediatric population. Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence, anatomic, and morphological features of the PL in pediatric participants on thyroid ultrasonography (US). Methods: The descriptive cross-sectional study design was used. Between November 2018 and January 2020, the US images obtained from 325 participants with normal thyroid glands were retrospectively evaluated. The presence, location, size, volume, the morphology of the base, and continuity or separation from the thyroid gland were noted for each PL. Results: The PL was present in 34.1% (110/325) of the pediatric participants. It was more frequent in girls than in boys. In all, 56.4% were found to originate from the left of the midline of the isthmus. One patient had double PL. The mean anteroposterior, transverse, and longitudinal diameters were 2.5 ± 1.4, 2.7 ± 1.3, and 5.6 ± 2.5 mm, respectively. The median volume of the PL was 15.11 mm3. PL was longer in girls compared to boys; however, these changes were not significant (5.8 vs. 5.1, P = 0.406, respectively). A total of 63.6% of the PLs were with a wide base and narrow apex, and 36.4% were with a thin base size the same as the apex size. A separation of the PL from the thyroid was not observed. Conclusion: The present study showed, for the first time, that the age of the children is positively correlated with the size and volume of the PL. The prevalence and location of the PL were consistent with those reported in the adult population.

Embedding machine learning techniques into a conceptual model to improve monthly runoff simulation: A nested hybrid rainfall-runoff modeling

One of the frequently adopted hybridizations within the scope of rainfall-runoff modeling rests on directing various outputs simulated from the conceptual rainfall-runoff (CRR) models to machine learning (ML) techniques. In those coupled model exercises, after the parameter calibrations of the CRR models are made, their specific outputs constitute auxiliary inputs for the ML model training. However, in this parallel hybridization comprising two consecutive processes, performing the cascade calibration of CRR and ML models increases the computational complexity. Moreover, the mutual interaction between the parameters governing CRR and ML models is also not considered. In this study, to cope with the handicaps mentioned, artificial neural networks (ANN) and support vector regression (SVR) were separately embedded into a monthly lumped CRR model. The dynamic water balance model (dynwbm) was preferred as the CRR model. Then, all free parameters within these nested hybrid models were calibrated simultaneously. The ML parts within the nested schemes manipulate various output variants derived with three conceptual parameters for monthly runoff simulation. These new hybrid models equipped with an automatic calibration algorithm were applied at several locations in the Gediz River Basin of western Turkey. The performance measures regarding mean and high flows indicated that the nested hybrid models outperformed the standalone models (i.e., dynwbm, ANN, and SVR) and coupled model variants. Thus, the credibility of a novel modeling strategy, which takes advantage of the supplementary strengths of a conceptual model and different ML techniques, was demonstrated.

A Retrospective Study of Cutaneous and Visceral Leishmaniasis in Istanbul, Turkey.

Leishmaniasis is a vector-borne disease caused by flagellated protozoans of the genus Leishmania. This study aimed to evaluate the epidemiological status of Visceral Leishmaniasis (VL) and Cutaneous Leishmaniasis (CL) among patients admitted to a university hospital in Istanbul, located in western Turkey. This study included 160 and 77 patients with a pre-diagnosis of VL and CL, respectively, between January 2001 and December 2017. Detailed demographic data, including age, gender, nationality and the number and location of lesions were collected and recorded from the patient registries. Among 160 bone marrow specimens that suspected as VL, 22 (13.7%) of the specimens that were evaluated with both culture and Giemsa staining detected as positive. Furthermore, 29 (37.7%) of the 77 patients suspected for CL showed evidence of Leishmania. The increase in human immigration from neighbouring countries (with a high incidence of leishmaniasis) to Turkey might increase the risk of spreading the disease. This situation could result in a higher prevalence in metropolitan cities like Istanbul, where the country's population is concentrated.

EXAMINATION OF NURSING STUDENTS' ACCEPTANCE LEVELS FOR AESTHETIC SURGERY AND AFFECTING FACTORS

As a result of the rise of socioeconomic levels and globalization in the 21st century, aesthetic appearance has become more prominent, and the aesthetic/cosmetic sector has made great progress. Nursing education and practice are constantly evolving to meet the needs of the current community. The aim of this research is to examine the acceptance level of nursing students for aesthetic/cosmetic surgery and the affecting factors. This research is of descriptive type. It was conducted in the nursing department of a university in western Turkey (n:179). Permission was obtained from authors who made the adaptation of the scale used in this research, ethics board, institution, and students. The research data were collected using the introductory information form and Cosmetic Surgery Acceptance Scale (CSAS). Number, percentage, mean, standard deviation, Pearson correlation analysis, t test, Mann Whitney u test, one-way Anova and Kruskal Wallis test were used to evaluate the data. 84.9% of nursing students were women, 58.1% had income equal to expenses, 23.5% had a father with undergraduate or higher degree, and 49.2% lived in the city center before enrolling in university. 2.8% of students had previous experience of aesthetic surgery, 29.1% had a friend/family member undergoing aesthetic surgery earlier, 44.7% stated that those who underwent aesthetic surgery were stigmatized by the community, 48.6% stated that aesthetic surgery was not risky compared to other surgical procedures, 55.3% stated that they wanted awareness training about aesthetic surgery, and 47.5% stated that individuals underwent aesthetic surgery to become more beautiful. The mean CSAS score of nursing students was 56.11±21.80 (16.00-105.00). When looking at the characteristics that may affect acceptance levels of the students for aesthetic surgery, there was a statistically significant difference in terms of having a father with undergraduate degree or higher education, living in the city center before enrollment at university, having a friend/family member with previous aesthetic surgery, not seeing aesthetic surgery procedures as more risky compared to surgical procedures and seeking awareness training related to aesthetic surgery. Aesthetic surgery acceptance level of nursing students was found to be moderate. The interaction of demographic and socio-cultural factors plays a role in accepting aesthetic surgery.

Crack-enhanced weathering in inscribed marble: a possible application in epigraphy

Abstract. Raman spectroscopy has been applied to check if there are detectible material differences beneath the inscribed and non-inscribed areas of marble-based written artefacts, which could be further used to visualize lost or hardly readable text via suitable mapping. As a case study, marble segments with ∼ 2000-year-old inscribed letters from Asia Minor (western Turkey) and marble gravestones with 66 ± 14-year-old inscriptions from the cemetery of Ohlsdorf (Hamburg, Germany) have been subjected to Raman spectroscopy, as well as to complementary X-ray diffraction, wavelength-dispersive electron probe microanalysis, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, to thoroughly study the effect of different environmental conditions, grain size, and inscription age on the nature and penetration depth of marble alteration. The results demonstrate that environmental conditions rule over the type of dominant weathering changes, which are carotenoid molecular inclusions produced by lichen and amorphous carbon for marbles from Hamburg and Asia Minor, respectively. The alteration is much stronger in medium- and coarse-grained than in fine-grained marble, but it is suppressed by letter colouring. In the absence of letter colouring, the weathering-related products in both ancient and modern engraved marbles are more abundant beneath than away from the engraved areas, and the penetration depth is larger due to the enhancement of fissures and micro-cracks around the inscribed areas. We show that the Raman intensity ratio between the strongest peak of the weathering-related product (ν(C=C) ∼ 1520 cm−1 for carotenoids or the G peak ∼ 1595 cm−1 for soot-like carbon) and the strongest peak of marble (CO3 stretching near 1087 cm−1) can serve as a quantitative marker to indirectly map the lateral distribution of cracks induced during the inscribing process and hence can potentially be used to trace lost text on vanished marble inscriptions. This approach can be applied to other rock types, but further studies are required to identify the corresponding autochthonous weathering-related products.

Seroprevalence and molecular detection of Leishmania spp. in cats of West Aegean Region, Turkey.

Zoonotic visceral leishmaniasis is caused by protozoa of the genus Leishmania. Although dogs are considered to be primary reservoir hosts of Leishmania spp., several mammals, such as foxes, jackals and small rodents may also be hosts of different Leishmania spp. Previously, cats were considered as asymptomatic hosts of the parasite without acting as a reservoir. In recent years, there has been an increasing number of leishmaniasis cases in cats, especially in regions where the infection endemically occurs. This data indicate that cats are more likely to be one of the main reservoirs of Leishmania spp. rather than being a non-reservoir host. The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of Leishmania spp. by molecular and serological techniques among owned and stray cats in four different cities located in western part of Turkey. A total of 386 blood and 301 serum samples were collected from cats in Western Turkey where leishmaniasis is endemic. Feline serum samples were tested by IFAT to detect IgG antibodies against Leishmania spp. antigens. Blood samples collected from 386 cats were examined by PCR for the presence of Leishmania spp. According to PCR results using RV1/RV2 primers, nine (2.3%) out of 386 samples were positive for Leishmania spp. Further PCR analysis using MC1/MC2 primers showed that one cat in Izmir was found to be infected with L. infantum/donovani complex. Sequence analysis revealed the presence of L. infantum, L. major and L. tropica among sampled cats in western part of Turkey. On the other hand, IFAT results indicated that an overall of 47 out of 301 (15.6%) cats that examined by PCR were found to have anti-Leishmania antibodies. Also, six of the seropositive cats were owned animals. The present study demonstrated that both owned and stray cats can be infected with Leishmania spp. and might be potential reservoirs for other animals and humans. Therefore, all communities living in or nearby endemic regions should be made aware of the role of cats as potential reservoirs of infection. In endemic regions, all animals should be protected against infection with insecticides and monitored routinely to control the spread of zoonotic visceral leishmaniasis.

Bithynian snake bombs

Bithynian snake bombs

Investigation Of Attitudes Of Nurses In Medical Errors And The Affecting Factors

Objectives:This study was conducted in order to investigate the attitudes of nurses in medical errors and the affecting factors. Materials-Methods:Research is planned as a cross-sectional working in a state hospital in western Turkey 362 nurses were conducted.Data were collected by using the information form of nurses and the Attitude Scale for Medical Errors. Frequency, mean, student-t test and Anova test were used. The Games-Howell test was used as a descriptive post-hoc analysis to determine differences after the Anova test. Results:Of the nurses included in the study, 89,9% was female, 60,5% had Bachelor's degree and 59,4%40 years and older. The total score average of the nurses was 2,36±0.32, the medical error perception sub-scale score average was 3,19±0,71, the approach to medical error sub-scale score average was 2,24±0,44, and the medical error causes sub-scale score average was 2,25±0,44. Nurses' total score, medical error causes and approach to medical error sub-scale score averages were found to be low, but their medical error perception sub-scale score average was above average. A significant correlation was found between gender, education status, working service, number of daily patients per nurse and the total score average. Statistically significant relationships were found between medical error perception sub-scale and overtime working status between the approach to medical error sub-scale and gender, education status, service worked, number of daily patients per nurse, and between causes of medical error sub-scale and age and educational status. Conclusion: İt may be suggested to organize in-service training programs on medical errors, their causes and prevention, to take measures in order to reduce the number of daily patients per nurse, and to provide training for new graduate nurses on medical errors, their causes and prevention in orientation training.

Investigation of the Noise Exposure in Weaving Workplaces in Western Turkey

Noise is an unavoidable problem in weaving workplaces. This problem has started to gain more importance with the speed increases in weaving machines. Working in noisy environments has become one of the most important elements in terms of public health with new regulations. Working at high noise levels prepares the ground for many health problems, especially hearing loss. In the study, the effect of technology differences in weaving machines and machine layout on noise level was investigated. It was seen that the placement of machinery along with machine technology had a great impact on noise level.

SERUM LEVELS OF OXIDATIVE STRESS PARAMETERS IN POSTMENOPAUSAL VERSUS FERTILE WOMEN OF KUTAHYA CITY, TURKEY

Background: Decreased concentration of both oestrogen hormone and vitamin D in postmenopausal period may lead to oxidative stress, lipid peroxidation, dyslipidaemia, osteoporosis, and cardiovascular diseases. The objectives of this study were to determine and compare the serum levels of oxidative stress parameters; TOS, TAS, OSI, PON-1, ARYL in postmenopausal and fertile women of Kutahya city, Turkey. Materials &amp; Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Kutahya University of Health Sciences, Kutahya, Turkey from July, 2016 to December, 2016. Kutahya is a city in western Turkey, with population of 237,804 as per 2011 estimates. Two samples were drawn from this population with consecutive technique. Study group included 40 menopausal women, while control group included 40 healthy fertile women. After overnight fasting, venous blood samples were collected, centrifuged, aliquoted into a polystyrene tube, and aliquots were stored at -80°C until measurement for total oxidant status (TOS), total antioxidant status (TAS), paraoxonase-1 (PON-1), and arylesterase (ARYL) measurements were made. Levels of TOS, TAS, OSI, PON-1, ARYL were five research variables on ratio scale. ‘Normal’ data were described by mean, range and SD and skewed data by median, Q1, Q3 and IQR with 95% confidence intervals. For normal data, independent-samples t-test and for skewed data Mann–Whitney U test was used for hypotheses testing. Results: Serum total oxidant status (TOS) and oxidative stress index (OSI) levels were significantly higher (p-value .015 &amp; .003 respectively), and serum paraoxonase-1 (PON-1) and arylesterase (ARYL) levels were significantly lower in postmenopausal than fertile women (p-value &lt;.0001 &amp; .0005 respectively), with no statistical difference for serum total antioxidant status (TAS) levels between the two groups (p-value .186). Conclusion: Postmenopausal period is associated with oxidative stress and decreased antioxidant defence. HDL-c-dependent PON-1 and ARYL activities are also reducing due to a decrease of HDL-c with menopause. Elevated levels of TOS and OSI, decreased levels of PON-1 and ARYL may lead to various life-threatening diseases such as cardiovascular disorders or cancer.

Genetic composition, origin and conservation of loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) frequenting the French Mediterranean coasts

This study aims to characterise the genetic structure and composition of 245 individuals of loggerhead sea turtles collected from stranding and bycatch events along the French Mediterranean coasts (Gulf of Lion, Provence and Corsica). We obtained sequences of the mitochondrial control region for two fragments (683 bp and 241 bp for 170 and 51 individuals, respectively). The analysis of the long fragment revealed that 163 samples (95.9%) are attributed to the haplogroup II (mainly Mediterranean) whereas only seven individuals are included in haplogroup IB (Atlantic Ocean). The mixed stock analysis performed on the same dataset indicated that the biggest rookeries from the eastern Mediterranean mainly contributed to the French stock, with major contributions being from Greece (36% and 56% for adults and juveniles, respectively), Crete (12% and 18%) and Western Turkey (14% and 4%). The thirteen microsatellite nuclear markers that have been analysed for 81 specimens did not reveal much genetic structure within sampled individuals, thus suggesting that the studied individuals could belong to the same genetic group. The microsatellite analyses revealed however that the nine individuals issuing from two nests sampled in Gulf of Lion and Provence are clearly differentiated from the remaining samples, thus suggesting a long-distance colonisation of the western Mediterranean. Our results allowed addressing the question of loggerhead turtle conservation in the western Mediterranean basin that until now is not considered as a Management Unit despite high densities of juveniles and recent nesting observed on French, Italian and Spanish coasts.