Genetic diversity of a recovering European roller (Coracias garrulus) population from Serbia.

The European Roller (Coracias garrulus), a long-distance migratory bird, faced a considerable decline in breeding pairs throughout Europe at the end of the 20th century. Due to conservation efforts and the installation of nesting boxes, the population of the European Roller in Serbia has made a remarkable recovery. Here, we used the variability of nucleotide sequences of the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region and 10 microsatellite loci to assess the genetic diversity and structuring, phylogeographic patterns and demographic history of this species using 224 individuals from Serbia.

Exploring the effects of habitat management on grassland biodiversity: A case study from northern Serbia.

Grasslands represent a biodiversity hotspot in the European agricultural landscape, their restoration is necessary and offers a great opportunity to mitigate or halt harmful processes. These measures require a comprehensive knowledge of historical landscape changes, but also adequate management strategies. The required data was gathered from the sand grasslands of northern Serbia, as this habitat is of high conservation priority.

Local colonisations and extinctions of European birds are poorly explained by changes in climate suitability.

Climate change has been associated with both latitudinal and elevational shifts in species' ranges. The extent, however, to which climate change has driven recent range shifts alongside other putative drivers remains uncertain. Here, we use the changing distributions of 378 European breeding bird species over 30 years to explore the putative drivers of recent range dynamics, considering the effects of climate, land cover, other environmental variables, and species' traits on the probability of local colonisation and extinction.

Stability and changes in the distribution of Pipiza hoverflies (Diptera, Syrphidae) in Europe under projected future climate conditions.

Climate change is now considered a significant threat to terrestrial biodiversity. Species distribution models (SDMs) are among the modern tools currently used to assess the potential impacts of climate change on species. Pipiza Fallén, 1810 is a well known aphidophagous hoverfly genus (Diptera, Syrphidae) at the European level, for which sampling has been conducted across the region, and long-term databases and geo-referenced datasets have been established.

Photoelectron spectroscopic and computational study of hydrated pyrimidine anions.

The stabilization of the pyrimidine anion by the addition of water molecules is studied experimentally using photoelectron spectroscopy of mass-selected hydrated pyrimidine clusters and computationally using quantum-mechanical electronic structure theory. Although the pyrimidine molecular anion is not observed experimentally, the addition of a single water molecule is sufficient to impart a positive electron affinity. The sequential hydration data have been used to extrapolate to -0.

Photoelectron spectroscopic studies of 5-halouracil anions.

The parent negative ions of 5-chlorouracil, UCl(-) and 5-fluorouracil, UF(-) have been studied using anion photoelectron spectroscopy in order to investigate the electrophilic properties of their corresponding neutral halouracils. The vertical detachment energies (VDE) of these anions and the adiabatic electron affinities (EA) of their neutral molecular counterparts are reported. These results are in good agreement with the results of previously published theoretical calculations.

Photoelectron spectroscopy of homogeneous nucleic acid base dimer anions.

We report the photoelectron spectra of homogeneous dimer anions of the nucleobases: uracil, thymine, cytosine, adenine, and guanine, i.e., U(2)(-), T(2)(-), C(2)(-), A(2)(-), and G(2)(-) along with DFT calculations on U(2)(-) and T(2)(-).

Electron-driven acid-base chemistry: proton transfer from hydrogen chloride to ammonia.

In contrast to widely familiar acid-base behavior in solution, single molecules of NH3 and HCl do not react to form the ionic salt, NH+4Cl-, in isolation. We applied anion photoelectron spectroscopy and ab initio theory to investigate the interaction of an excess electron with the hydrogen-bonded complex NH3..

Valence anions in complexes of adenine and 9-methyladenine with formic acid: stabilization by intermolecular proton transfer.

Photoelectron spectra of adenine-formic acid (AFA(-)) and 9-methyladenine-formic acid (MAFA(-)) anionic complexes have been recorded with 2.540 eV photons. These spectra reveal broad features with maxima at 1.

Intermolecular proton transfer in anionic complexes of uracil with alcohols.

A series of 18 alcohols (ROH) has been designed with an enthalpy of deprotonation in the gas phase (H(DP)) in the range 13.8-16.3 eV.

Two new double Rydberg anions plus access to excited states of neutral Rydberg radicals via anion photoelectron spectroscopy.

We have observed and characterized two new double Rydberg anions N6H19- and N7H22- through their anion photoelectron spectra. The vertical detachment energies of these anions were found to be 0.443 and 0.

AT base pair anions versus (9-methyl-A)(1-methyl-T) base pair anions.

The anionic base pairs of adenine and thymine, (AT)(-), and 9-methyladenine and 1-methylthymine, (MAMT)(-), have been investigated both theoretically and experimentally in a complementary, synergistic study. Calculations on (AT)(-) found that it had undergone a barrier-free proton transfer (BFPT) similar to that seen in other dimer anion systems and that its structural configuration was neither Watson-Crick (WC) nor Hoogsteen (HS). The vertical detachment energy (VDE) of (AT)(-) was determined by anion photoelectron spectroscopy and found to be in agreement with the VDE value predicted by theory for the BFPT mechanism.

On the interaction of electrons with betaine zwitterions.

Betaine is a permanent zwitterion. The molecular betaine anion has been generated in a hybrid, infrared desorption-electron photoemission source and its photoelectron spectrum recorded. The photoelectron spectrum of the betaine anion is characteristic of a dipole bound anion, and its vertical detachment energy was measured to be 0.

The stabilization of arginine's zwitterion by dipole-binding of an excess electron.

The arginine parent anion was generated by a newly developed, infrared desorption-electron photoemission hybrid anion source. The photoelectron spectrum of the arginine anion was recorded and interpreted as being due to dipole binding of the excess electron. The results are consistent with calculations by Rak, Skurski, Simons, and Gutowski, who predicted the near degeneracy of arginine's canonical and zwitterionic dipole bound anions.

Photoelectron spectroscopy of chromium-doped silicon cluster anions.

The photoelectron spectra of chromium-doped silicon cluster anions, CrSi-(n), were measured over the size range, n=8-12. Their vertical detachment energies were measured to be 2.71, 2.

Dipole-bound anions of highly polar molecules: ethylene carbonate and vinylene carbonate.

Results of experimental and theoretical studies of dipole-bound negative ions of the highly polar molecules ethylene carbonate (EC, C3H4O3, mu=5.35 D) and vinylene carbonate (VC, C3H2O3, mu=4.55 D) are presented.

Long-range electron binding to quadrupolar molecules.

An excess electron can be bound to a molecule in a very diffuse orbital as a result of the long-range contributions of the molecular electrostatic field. Following a systematic search, we report experimental evidence that quadrupole binding occurs for the trans-succinonitrile molecule (EA=20+/-2 meV), while the gauche-succinonitrile conformer supports a dipole-bound anion state (EA=108+/-10 meV). Theoretical calculations at the DFT/B3LYP level support these interpretations and give electron affinities of 20 and 138 meV, respectively.

Effects of gluconodeltalactone and Lactobacillus plantarum on the production of histamine and tyramine in fermented sausages.

Fermented sausages were made experimentally with addition of 0.3% (w/w) gluconodeltalactone (GDL) or a starter culture of Lactobacillus plantarum, unable to produce histamine or tyramine. Controls were produced without GDL and starter culture.

The Fate of Listeria Monocytogenes in Fermented Sausages and in Vacuum-Packaged Frankfurters.

In inoculated fermented sausages, the initial "most probable number" (MPN) of Listeria monocytogenes decreased from 8 × 10/g to 1.1 × 10/g during the production process. When the initial MPN was 6.