Diversity, host specialization, and geographic structure of filarial nematodes infecting Malagasy bats

We investigated filarial infection in Malagasy bats to gain insights into the diversity of these parasites and explore the factors shaping their distribution. Samples were obtained from 947 individual bats collected from 52 sites on Madagascar and representing 31 of the 44 species currently recognized on the island. Samples were screened for the presence of micro-and macro-parasites through both molecular and morphological approaches. Phylogenetic analyses showed that filarial diversity in Malagasy bats formed three main groups, the most common represented by Litomosa spp. infecting Miniopterus spp. (Miniopteridae); a second group infecting Pipistrellus cf. hesperidus (Vespertilionidae) embedded within the Litomosoides cluster, which is recognized herein for the first time from Madagascar; and a third group composed of lineages with no clear genetic relationship to both previously described filarial nematodes and found in M. griveaudi, Myotis goudoti, Neoromicia matroka (Vespertilionidae), Otomops madagascariensis (Molossidae), and Paratriaenops furculus (Hipposideridae). We further analyzed the infection rates and distribution pattern of Litomosa spp., which was the most diverse and prevalent filarial taxon in our sample. Filarial infection was disproportionally more common in males than females in Miniopterus spp., which might be explained by some aspect of roosting behavior of these cave-dwelling bats. We also found marked geographic structure in the three Litomosa clades, mainly linked to bioclimatic conditions rather than host-parasite associations. While this study demonstrates distinct patterns of filarial nematode infection in Malagasy bats and highlights potential drivers of associated geographic distributions, future work should focus on their alpha taxonomy and characterize arthropod vectors

Measuring the Quality of the Lakeside Tourist Destinations: Case Study of Lake Palić and Lake Srebrno (Serbia)

The purpose of this study is to determine the dimensions of the lakeside tourist destinations quality through the cases of Lake Palić and Lake Srebrno (Serbia), by interviewing daily visitors and tourists and to determine which dimensions of quality have a crucial impact on the overall satisfaction of daily visitors and tourists. Various models have been developed to measure quality. In this paper, the quality is measured by the model that is appropriate for lakeside tourist destinations, developed by Ryan, Huimin, and Chon (2010). Five dimensions of quality were identified and named as: additional tourist infrastructure, lake water quality, natural environment, hospitality and cleanness of the place. The results showed that the measured quality model largely predicts overall satisfaction of daily visitors and tourists on the destination. The dimension lake water quality has the most effects on the overall satisfaction. Further research could use this research by adding some other quality dimensions into consideration (e.g. quality of service, situational conditions, destination management) in examining the effect of destination’s quality on satisfaction of daily visitors and tourists. The research is important to managers of lakeside tourist destinations who tend to have highly satisfied guests and who work on promotion and improvement of destination quality

Realistic analytic model for the prompt and high-latitude emission in GRBs

‘The definitive version is available at www3.interscience.wiley.com '. Copyright Royal Astronomical Society. DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2966.2009.15355.xMost gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) observed by the Swift satellite show an early steep decay phase (SDP) in their X-ray light curve, which is usually a smooth continuation of the prompt gamma-ray emission, strongly suggesting that it is its tail. However, the mechanism behind it is still not clear. The most popular model for this SDP is high-latitude emission (HLE), in which after the prompt emission from a (quasi-) spherical shell stops photons from increasingly large angles relative to the line of sight still reach the observer, with a smaller Doppler factor. This results in a simple relation between the temporal and spectral indexes, α= 2 +β where Fν∝t−αν−β . While HLE is expected in many models for the prompt GRB emission, such as the popular internal shocks model, there are models in which it is not expected, such as sporadic magnetic reconnection events. Therefore, testing whether the SDP is consistent with HLE can help distinguish between different prompt emission models. In order to adequately address this question in a careful quantitative manner we develop a realistic self-consistent model for the prompt emission and its HLE tail, which can be used for combined temporal and spectral fits to GRB data that would provide strict tests for the HLE model. We model the prompt emission as the sum of its individual pulses with their HLE tails, where each pulse arises from an ultrarelativistic uniform thin spherical shell that emits isotropically in its own rest frame over a finite range of radii. Analytic expressions for the observed flux density are obtained for the internal shock case with a Band function emission spectrum. We find that the observed instantaneous spectrum is also a Band function. Our model naturally produces, at least qualitatively, the observed spectral softening and steepening of the flux decay as the peak photon energy sweeps across the observed energy range. The observed flux during the SDP is initially dominated by the tail of the last pulse, but the tails of one or more earlier pulses can become dominant later on. A simple criterion is given for the dominant pulse at late times. The relation α= 2 +β holds also as β and α change in time. Modelling several overlapping pulses as a single wider pulse would overpredict the emission tail.Peer reviewe