Mycotoxins as one of the foodborne risks most susceptible to climatic change

The impact of climate change on agriculture and food safety is certain. This may affect mycotoxin concentrations as fungi with higher temperature optima for growth and mycotoxin production will dominate in regions with currently cooler climates, or become less prevalent as the temperatures become too high in areas where the temperature is already hot. In Serbia, recent drought and then flooding confirmed that mycotoxins are one of the foodborne hazards most susceptible to climate change. This paper ams to discuss the weather influence on the mycotoxicology situation and to point out the possibility of prediction and prevention of such future problems

Da li neuromotorna nezrelost predstavlja rizik za usvajanje bazičnih akademskih veština kod dece školskog uzrasta?

Background/Aim. Studies that investigated the presence of soft neurological signs in terms of neuromotor immaturity and impact on the ability of reading, writing and calculation are rare. At school age, cognitive development in children of the typical population is monitored over, while much less was focused on motor development. This is one of the important reasons for conducting this research. The aim of this study is to determine whether neuromotor immaturity of children poses a risk for the adoption of the basic academic skills in school children. Most authors investigated the presence of dysgraphia, dyslexia and dyscalculia in clinically diagnosed conditions. Methods. The data were obtained by testing. To assess neuromotor maturity, The Developmental Screening Test was used. The quality of handwriting was evaluated according to the criteria proposed by Simner and Eidlitz. Quality of reading skills is assessed by the Three-dimensional Reading Test. Evaluation of the presence of difficulties in numeracy was performed by a series of adapted tasks, taken from the Romanian Screening Instrument for Dyscalculia. Results. The sample was divided into two groups of pupils according to the results. The groups consisted of students with and without the presence of neuromotor immaturity. There was a significantly higher prevalence of students with difficulties in reading, writing and numeracy in the group of neuromotor immature students. Conclusion. The results clearly indicated that neuromotor immaturity of children represents a risk to the adoption of the basic academic skills in children in school age. We believe that the school age is very important time to monitor motor development of a child to the same extent as the cognitive development. In this way, we would have the opportunity to intervene on time and reduce a possibility of school failure. Wider studies in this area are urgently needed.Uvod/Cilj. Retka su istraživanja koja istražuju prisustvo blagih neuroloških simptoma u smislu neuromotorne nezrelosti i uticaj na sposobnosti usvajanja čitanja, pisanja i računanja. U školskom uzrastu najviše se prati kognitivni razvoj dece opšte populacije, a mnogo manje motorni, te je ovo jedan od bitnih razloga za sprovođenje ovog istraživanja. Cilj ovog rada je bio da se utvrdi da li neuromotorna nezrelost dece predstavlja rizik za usvajanje bazičnih akademskih veština dece u školskom uzrastu. Uobičajeno se ispituje prisustvo disgrafije, disleksije i diskalkulije kod klinički dijagnostikovanih stanja. Metode. Podaci su dobijeni testiranjem. Za procenu neuromotorne zrelosti korišćen je Developmental Screening Test. Kvalitet rukopisa je procenjen prema kriterijumima koje su predložili Simner and Eidlitc. Kvalitet čitanja je procenjen Trodimenzionalnim testom čitanja. Prisustvo poteškoća pri računanju procenjeno je adaptiranim Rumunskim skrining testom za procenu prisustva diskalkulije. Rezultati. Uzorak je prema dobijenim rezultatima podeljen u dve grupe učenika, onih sa i onih bez prisustva neuromotorne nezrelosti. Nađena je statistički značajno veća prevalencija učenika sa poteškoćama čitanja, pisanja i računanja u grupi neuromotorno nezrelih učenika. Zaključak. Dobijeni rezultati nedvosmisleno pokazuju da neuromotorna nezrelost dece predstavlja rizik za usvajanje bazičnih akademskih veština kod dece školskog uzrasta. Zbog toga smatramo da je u školskom uzrastu veoma bitno pratiti i motorni razvoj deteta u istoj meri kao i kognitivni, kako bi se na vreme intervenisalo i kako bi se smanjila mogućnost neuspeha deteta u školi. Potrebna su dalja istraživanja u ovoj oblasti

Organoleptic properties of Lamb meat: Factor of quality

Organoleptic propertyies of thermally processed lamb meat of mixed breed lambs of the mixed Svrljig strain and Domestic Pramenka, and Merinolandschaf sheep, and meat of the Wuerttemberg Merino lambs. Sensory methods of meat examination were used, with the participation of six trained evaluators. The results of the investigations in which numerical-descriptive scales were used are presented in tables. A salty, sour and bitter taste were expressed in a very small degree in both groups of samples. A sweet taste, although of low intensity, significantly differed among the examined groups. No differences were established regarding juiciness and tenderness, but statistically significant differences were established in aftertaste and overall acceptibility in favor of meat of the first group of lambs

Exploring the motives of employees in Serbia

Motivacija je jedan od značajnijih faktora u menadžmentu savremenih organizacija. Organizacija bi bila efikasnija kada bi bili izbalansirani lični interesi i interesi organizacije. Značaj motivacije ogleda se u činjenici da organizacija ostvaruje ciljeve i rezultate na osnovu radnih učinaka zaposlenih. Većina poslodavaca danas želi da im zaposleni budu motivisani da rade, da preuzmu inicijativu i poboljšavaju način rada, ali ne razumeju šta zaista motiviše osobu. Da bi se utvrdilo kako zaposleni radnici, različitih ličnih karakteristika i uslova rada, vrednuju motivacione faktore, istraživanje je sprovedeno u dve organizacije. Sagledavanjem i upoređivanjem rezultata sprovedenog istraživanja utvrdili smo neke od pokretačkih, motivacionih faktora, njihove međusobne odnose i njihov uticaj na efikasnost organizacije.Motivation is one of important issues in the management of modern organizations. The organization would be more effective if they had balanced personal interests and the interests of the organization. The importance of motivation is reflected in the fact that the organization achieves the objectives and results based on the work performance of employees. Most employers today want their employees to be motivated to work, take initiative and improve the way of working, but do not really understand what motivates a person. In order to determine how employees, and various personal characteristics and working conditions, evaluate incentives, research was conducted in two organizations. Perceiving and comparing the result of the research we have found some of the driving, motivating factors, their mutual relations and their impact on organizational performance

Exploring the motives of employees in Serbia

Motivacija je jedan od značajnijih faktora u menadžmentu savremenih organizacija. Organizacija bi bila efikasnija kada bi bili izbalansirani lični interesi i interesi organizacije. Značaj motivacije ogleda se u činjenici da organizacija ostvaruje ciljeve i rezultate na osnovu radnih učinaka zaposlenih. Većina poslodavaca danas želi da im zaposleni budu motivisani da rade, da preuzmu inicijativu i poboljšavaju način rada, ali ne razumeju šta zaista motiviše osobu. Da bi se utvrdilo kako zaposleni radnici, različitih ličnih karakteristika i uslova rada, vrednuju motivacione faktore, istraživanje je sprovedeno u dve organizacije. Sagledavanjem i upoređivanjem rezultata sprovedenog istraživanja utvrdili smo neke od pokretačkih, motivacionih faktora, njihove međusobne odnose i njihov uticaj na efikasnost organizacije.Motivation is one of important issues in the management of modern organizations. The organization would be more effective if they had balanced personal interests and the interests of the organization. The importance of motivation is reflected in the fact that the organization achieves the objectives and results based on the work performance of employees. Most employers today want their employees to be motivated to work, take initiative and improve the way of working, but do not really understand what motivates a person. In order to determine how employees, and various personal characteristics and working conditions, evaluate incentives, research was conducted in two organizations. Perceiving and comparing the result of the research we have found some of the driving, motivating factors, their mutual relations and their impact on organizational performance

Kvalitet mesa koza i njegov uticaj na zdravlje ljudi

Today, goats are spread throughout the world. They live in small or large herds and in different areas and environments. Because of its distinctive taste and desired chemical composition, goat meat is increasingly consumed in Serbia. As animal foods, it is rich in protein, vitamins and minerals, but contains very little fat, especially cholesterol. The aim of this review paper is to highlight some health benefits, nutritional values and potential use of goat meat. On the chemical composition of goat meat affect race, gender, productivity and adaptability to stress, environment, management, diet, weight at slaughter and health condition as well as slaughter and procedures with the carcasses after slaughter. Average chemical composition of lean goat meat contains about 75.42% water, 3.55% fat, 19.95 % protein and 1.06% mineral matter. The energy value is about 580 kJ per 100 g. The goat meat has about the same nutritional value as well as sheep meat. Due to low content of saturated fatty acids and cholesterol, goat meat in the human diet is healthier alternative compared to other types of red meat. Polyunsaturated fatty acids prevalent in goat meat, and the diet rich in unsaturated fatty acids is correlated with a reduced risk of stroke and coronary disease. In addition, in goat meat are present the essential amino acids such as lysine, threonine and tryptophan. Regardless to the nutritional value, goat meat is still less appreciated due to their specific smell and taste, the more if the animal is older

Microstructural Analysis of Thermally Treated Geopolymer Incorporated with Neodymium

The following investigation presents the thermal treatment of geopolymer based on metakaolin, with the addition of 1% and 5% of neodymium in the form Nd2O3, at 300˚C, 600˚C and 900˚C. Six samples were synthesized in total. Samples GT1 and GT2 containing 1% and 5% of Nd2O3, and they were treated at 300˚C, while the samples GT3 and GT4 also had the same percentage composition of Nd2O3 and were treated at 600˚C, and the samples GT5 and GT6 were treated at 900˚C with the same percentage of Nd2O3. Physical and chemical changes in the aluminosilicate geopolymer matrix were monitored. The incorporation of rare earths into the polymer network of aluminosilicates has been proven to disrupt the basic structure of geopolymers, however, with increased temperature, these materials show even more unusual properties. DRIFT was employed to investigate the structural properties of thermally treated geopolymers. Additionally, TEM provided further insight into the structural changes induced by thermal treatment and Nd2O3 doping. SEM was used to observe the effect of thermal treatment temperature (300˚C and 600˚C) on geopolymer porosity, which resulted in the appearance of large pores and cracks in the material. The UV/Vis spectra of the synthesized Nd3+ doped geopolymers exhibited attractive optical properties. The photoexcitation of electrons from the valence band to the conduction band in the geopolymer structure is responsible for the absorbance observed at 260 nm, while the minor peaks at slightly longer wavelengths can be linked to Nd3

Uticaj starosti jagnjadi na senzorne osobine mesa jagnjadi

Ovčije meso, što podrazumeva i kategoriju jagnjećeg mesa, koriste potrošači širom sveta u svim kulturama i religijama, mada znatan broj ljudi ne prihvata ovu vrstu mesa zbog karakterističnog mirisa i ukusa. Jedan od faktora koji utiču na prihvatljivost mesa i proizvoda od mesa su senzorne osobine (izgled, ukus i miris što zajedno čini aromu, nežnost i sočnost, odnosno tekstura). Kao materijal u ovom eksperimentu korišćeno je meso jagnjadi meleza svrljiško-pirotske pramenke. Jagnjad su bila stara jedan, tri i pet meseci prilikom klanja i hranjena su kombinovano: mlekom, na ispaši i dodavanjem u obrok koncentrovanih hraniva. Meso je obrađeno toplotom u pećnici pri temperaturi od 170oC u trajanju od 60 minuta. Učestvovalo je osam ocenjivača. Za kvantitativnu deskriptivnu analizu (ISO 6564/85) korišćene su strukturne skale intenziteta sa sedam tačaka, pri čemu su ispitivani intenzitet mirisa, mekoća, sočnost, intenzitet (punoća) ukusa, prihvatljivost arome i ukupna prihvatljivost. Nakon termičke obrade, miris mesa je bio najizraženiji kod mesa jagnjadi uzrasta od pet meseci. Najmekše meso je bilo meso koje je poticalo od jagnjadi uzrasta od tri meseca, ali najsočnije je bilo meso jagnjadi uzrasta od pet meseci. Prema ocenjivačima, najukusnije je bilo meso koje je poticalo od jagnjadi uzrasta od tri meseca. Specifična aroma jagnjećeg mesa je bila najizraženija kod mesa jagnjadi uzrasta od tri meseca. Ukupna prihvatljivost, kao veoma kompleksna osobina, zavisna od više faktora, iznijansirana velikim brojem isparljivih jedinjenja, koja pojedinačno imaju jako nizak prag detekcije, ali zajedno i u kombinaciji sa ostalim organoleptičkim osobinama, ocenjena je najpovoljnije kod mesa jagnjadi uzrasta od tri meseca.The meat of sheep, which also includes the category of lamb meat, is used by consumers all over the world of all cultures and religions, even though a considerable number of people do not accept this type of meat because of its characteristic smell and taste. One of the factors that influence the acceptability of meat and meat products are the sensoric properties (appearance, taste and smell which all together make up the aroma, tenderness and juiciness, the meat texture) The meat of lambs of mixed breed, combined Svrljig and Pirot Pramenka, was used as the material in this experiment. The lambs were aged one, three and five months at the time of slaughter. They were fed in a combined manner: with milk, on pastures, and with the addition of concentrated feeds to their diet ration. The meat was heat processed in an oven at a temperature of 170oC over a period of 60 minutes. Eight evaluators took part in the experiment. The quantitative descriptive analysis (ISO 6564/85) comprised structure scales of intensity with seven points, with the examination of smell intensity, tenderness, juiciness, intensity (fullness) of taste, acceptability of aroma, and total acceptability. Following thermic processing, the smell of the meat was the most intense in the meat of lambs aged five months. The most tender meat was that originating from lambs aged three months, and the juiciest meat was that of lambs aged five months. According to the evaluators, the tastiest meat was that originating from lambs aged three months. The specific aroma of lamb meat was most expressed in the meat of lambs aged three months. Total acceptability, as a very complex property dependent on a series offactors, nuanced by a large number of volatile compounds which individually have a very low threshold of detection, but are observed together and in combination with the other organoleptic characteristics, was most favorably assessed in the meat of lambs aged three months

Perspectives of the integration of an absorption refrigeration cycle in energy production system

Global warming and ozone depletion issues have had an impact on novel approaches of integrating some of the energy production systems. In present, fossil fuels such as oil, coal and natural gas still are the primary sources of energy used to provide the majority of the cooling requirements in vapor compression systems. In addition, this high energy-consumption systems work with substances that contribute to ozone layer depletion and are typically based on fluorinated gases (F gases), that as well, can have a global warming impact thousands of times greater than CO2. Much research has been done on reuse and waste heat utilization within different systems to achieve a reduction in high carbon fuel consumption. The method that aims at improving the value of the exergy of the available renewable energy sources is the absorption refrigeration cycle (ARC). With ARC, the concept of “cooling with the heat“ can be achieved, with a variety of benefits such as integration of the energy production systems, implementation of sustainable based technology in the industry of cooling, the possibility of establishing a district cooling system, etc. The cooling demands can be met through utilization of solar radiation, energy from biomass, waste heat from industrial processes, geothermal energy. In the terms of the importance of low-temperature heat sources and the reuse of heat energy, currently present researches have focus on identifying engineering and cost-effective approaches to enhance the efficiency of an integrated system. That kind of system affects the output parameters of energy production and energy consumption, so the possibilities to compare the different systems from the exergy and economic standpoint, based on the different parameters are vast. The criteria of comparison and investigation the effects of integrated systems in majority of cases would be based on: better performance at very low temperatures, carbon dioxide emissions and cost savings. Despite the existence of different obstacles, the integration of different energy production systems will have a considerable impact when it comes to overcoming the challenges in the energy sector

Serum biomarkers of schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is a widespread mental disorder that leads to significant functional impairments and premature death. The state of the art indicates gaps in the understanding and diagnosis of this disease, but also the need for personalized and precise approaches to patients through customized medical treatment and reliable monitoring of treatment response. In order to fulfill existing gaps, the establishment of a universal set of disorder biomarkers is a necessary step. The investigation of serum samples of Serbian patients with schizophrenia (51) and healthy controls (39), based on NMR analyses based on detection and of low molecular weight components in samples can be difficult due to overlapping signal caused by line broadening characteristics of macromolecules. A way of overcoming this problem could be the exploitation of the difference in relaxation between small molecules and macromolecular species, such as the application of a T2 filter by using the Carr–Purcell–Meiboom–Gill (CPMG) spin-echo pulse sequence, which led to the identification of 26 metabolites/biomarkers for this disorder. The established biomarker set includes aspartate/aspartic acid, lysine, 2-hydroxybutyric acid, and acylglycerols, which are identified for the first time in schizophrenia serum samples by NMR experiments. The other 22 identified metabolites in the Serbian samples are in accordance with the previously established NMR-based serum biomarker sets of Brazilian and/or Chinese patient samples. Thirteen metabolites (lactate/lactic acid, threonine, leucine, isoleucine, valine, glutamine, asparagine, alanine, gamma-aminobutyric acid, choline, glucose, glycine and tyrosine) that are common for three different ethnic and geographic origins (Serbia, Brazil and China) could be a good start point for the setup of a universal NMR serum biomarker set for schizophrenia