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This article can be considered as a continuation of Petrović and Milošević [The truncated Euler-Maruyama method for highly nonlinear neutral stochastic differential equations with time-dependent delay, Filomat 35 (2021), no. 7, 2457–2484], where the authors established the Lq{L}^{q}-convergence of the truncated Euler-Maruyama (EM) method for neutral stochastic differential equations with time-dependent delay under the Khasminskii-type condition. However, the convergence rate of the method has not been studied there, which is the main goal of this article. Also, there are some restrictions on the truncated coefficients of the considered equations, and these restrictions sometimes might force the step size to be so small that the application of the truncated EM method would be limited. Therefore, the convergence rate without these restrictions will be considered in this article. Moreover, one of the sufficient conditions for obtaining the main result of this article, which is related to Lipschitz constants for the neutral term and delay function, is weakened. In that way, some of the results of the cited article are generalized. The main result of this article is proved by employing two conditions related to the increments to the coefficients and the neutral term of the equations under consideration, among other conditions. The main theoretical result is illustrated by an example.

The primary objective of this research was to evaluate boar ejaculate variability and the occurrence of anomalies in spermatozoa, considering climatic factors during spermatogenesis breed, and utilization frequency. This study involved 17 boars (n=129 ejaculates) and fertility testing was conducted during the most critical period of the year, from August to October. The observed sperm characteristics included: ejaculate volume (VOL), sperm concentration (CON, spermatozoa/ml), total number and number of functional spermatozoa (NT, NF), percentage of sperm motility in the native ejaculate and after dilution (MOTN, MOTD), number of produced doses (NPD), percentage of dead and live spermatozoa (PM, PZ), and sperm anomalies. The assessment of the effect was performed using a General Linear Model procedure. The breed did not influence sperm variability, while the frequency of boar utilization impacted on the occurrence of secondary anomalies. The determined regression coefficient indicated that extending the interval by one day increased PPPK by 0.340-0.348%. The maximum daily temperature during semen collection (model 1) and the value of the TH index during semen collection (model 3) influenced ejaculate volume. An increase of one ℃ in temperature, or one unit in THI value, led to a (p

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the lives of billions of people, especially those with chronic diseases such as diabetes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of the pandemic on the physical and mental health of diabetics living in the Balkans. The study was conducted as an online survey in April 2023. 129 people participated in the survey. 76 of them were diagnosed with type 1 and 53 with type 2 diabetes. 6.97% of all respondents had a close family member who died from the consequences of SARS-CoV-2 infection, and as many as 77.78% of these decedents suffered from diabetes and/or cardiovascular disease. The majority of the respondents were also infected with SARS-CoV-2. Most of them were diagnosed with diabetes before infection, and SARS-CoV-2-induced diabetes was mainly type 2. Although they regularly took prescribed pharmacotherapy and nutritional supplements, blood glucose was elevated in half of them, while D-dimer levels were elevated mainly in type 2 diabetics. Also, hospitalization during the acute phase was more frequent in type 2 diabetic patients. Most diabetics suffered from sleep disorders (p < 0.01), and type 2 diabetics also suffered from nightmares (p < 0.05). Consequently, the use of anxiolytics and antidepressants was more frequent in type 2 diabetic patients. Recovery was significantly faster in type 1 diabetics, due to less comorbidities such as hypertension, cardiovascular and liver diseases, which were more common in type 2 patients.

The aim of the study was to examine the influence of the rearing system and age on the phenotypic correlation of the physical properties of the eggs of the Banat naked neck layers. In both examined systems (extensive and semi-intensive system) there were 50 Banat naked neck layers each. The egg properties were examined at three evenly distributed time intervals (40, 45 and 50 weeks of age) in the period from May to July. In order to determine the external properties of egg quality, three basic measures were observed: egg weight, egg length and egg width. Based on the measured length and width of the eggs, the egg shape index was calculated, and subsequently the volume and surface area of the eggs were determined. For each examined factor, the correlation between the mentioned characteristics was determined. The obtained results showed a significant effect of the rearing system on all examined egg properties (R < 0.05), while the influence of age as well as the interaction of the two examined factors had no significant effect. The highest correlation among all investigated factors was found between surface area and egg volume.

Alternaria mycotoxins are the secondary metabolites for which the regulations, as well as the standardization, are yet going to be established by the European Commission and the European Committee for Standardization. This paper describes the possibility to apply a "dilute-and-shoot" method for the determination of tentoxin, alternariol and alternariol monomethyl ether in wheat. The used chromatographic method was liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The strategy involves extraction the samples with the acetonitrile and water mixture (84/16, v/v), followed by the vortexing, centrifugation and filtration before the injection into the LC-MS/MS system. The recovery was assessed by analysis of spiked samples with a mixture of standard solutions of all three mycotoxins at two spiking levels (0.02 and 0.1 mg kg-1) in six replicates. The obtained average recoveries and precisions (expressed as the RSDr, %) for "dilute-and-shoot" method were 76.3% (RSDr of 6.47%) for alternariol, 105.2% (RSDr of 2.16%) for tentoxin, and 86.0% (RSDr of 3.91%) for alternariol monomethyl ether. All the obtained validation data were in accordance with the Commission Decision 2002/657/EC and Commission Regulation (EC) No 401/2006. The main advantages of the present method are the simple and easy sample preparation, along with the high-sensitivity detection.

The problems of traffic safety and the profession of traffic safety are universal problems that require constant strengthening of the system of education and innovation both in syllabuses and in technologies and techniques applied in the field of traffic safety. The purpose of the innovative approach to the education program is to educate undergraduate and graduate students in the field of traffic safety, in accordance with the needs of society, which should provide an interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary approach to safety of all road users, technical solutions and social response to traffic accidents. Traffic safety problems are complex problems, which is why the competencies and skills acquired by engineers should provide knowledge and a deeper understanding of risk while strengthening the applied and practical skills. Innovative study programs must have a common basis for all directions, with a deep knowledge of mathematics, physics and mechanics with an emphasis on a holistic and interdisciplinary approach to the use of engineering in improving traffic safety.

The performance of the QuEChERS extraction followed by the LC-MS/ MS analytical method was evaluated in terms of Alternaria mycotoxins recovery from the wheat. The alternariol (AOH), tentoxin (TEN) and alternariol monomethyl ether (AME) were analyzed using the ESI+ (electrospray positive ionization) by multiple reactions mon­itoring mode (MRM). In order to determine the recovery, the blank wheat samples were spiked at two spiking levels (0.01 and 0.1 mg/kg) in six replicates. The obtained average recoveries and precisions (expressed as the RSDr, %) were as follows: 107.6% (RSDr of 6.84%) for alternariol, 108.0% (RSDr of 6.78%) for tentoxin and 110.1% (RSDr of 6.50%) for alternariol monomethyl ether. The results of this study were in accordance with the Commission Decision 2002/657/EC and Commission Regulation (EC) No 401/2006.

Bone loss leading to osteopenia and osteoporosis is a frequent secondary complication of diabetes. This study aimed to evaluate the value of a traditionally used ‘anti-diabetic’ polyherbal mixture as a possible remedy for the prevention of this complication. Diabetes was induced in Wistar female rats with a single intraperitoneal injection of alloxan monohydrate. The animals with blood glucose higher than 20 mmol/L for 14 consecutive days were considered diabetic. For the next 14 days, animals were treated with two concentrations of the polyherbal mixture (10 and 20 g of dry plant material/ kg). Bone histopathology was evaluated using the H&E and Masson’s trichrome staining. Alloxan-induced diabetes triggered bone histological changes characteristic for the development of osteopenia and osteoporosis and treatment with the polyherbal decoction restored these histopathological changes of the bones to the healthy animal level. At the same time, treatment with these tested doses has shown no adverse effects. These findings suggest that this mixture might be used as a remedy for the prevention of diabetic bone loss.

The interest in tropane alkaloids as food contaminants has been increasing. The tropane alkaloids are plant toxins that mainly occur in Atropa, Datura and Hyoscyamus sp belonging to the Solanaceae family. A sensitive and selective LC-MS/MS method was applied for the analysis of atropine and scopolamine in the mint tea samples from the Serbian market. Tea, which has beneficial properties thanks to the phenolic compounds, can be accidentally contaminated by many weed seeds which contain the tropane alkaloids during the harvest. Only the tropane alkaloids present in the tea bags before the tea making were analysed. Atropine and scopolamine were detected in 30% of the analysed samples in the concentration above the limit of quantification.

The interest in tropane alkaloids (TA) as food contaminants is increasing. A sensitive and selective LC-MS/MS method was applied for the analysis of corn puff samples from the Serbian market. Only atropine was quantified in 22% of the samples. In case of scopolamine, although not quantified, it was detected in 22% of the samples. Whether the acute reference dose (ARfD) could be exceeded was checked on a case-by-case basis for the individual products under assessment. Due to their low body weight and relatively high snack consumption, preschool children were at the highest risk of TA exposure. Assuming that the average consumption is 50 g of corn puffs per day, the sample with the highest concentration of TAs (2.05 μg/kg, 1.58 μg/kg of atropine) could contribute with 32.0% to the ARfD, of which 24.7% owing to atropine. If the same amount of corn puffs is consumed by older age classes, corresponding exposure contributions to the ARfD would progressively decline, down to 8.4% for adult population. The study revealed no health risk from TAs exposure through the consumption of the corn puffs in Serbian population.

Globally, when accessing and driving in public transport vehicles, women have a problem with fear, experiences of sexual harassment and violence. Women's daily trips are very different from those made by men. These factors make a woman more vulnerable, as standard public transport companies do not consider these characteristics enough. The safe public transport option also helps increase the number of women in economic activities. The way of traveling determines the type of work or shift that the woman will accept. Mobility provides women with financial strength and independence, and currently access to safe public transport, both in Sarajevo Canton and throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina, and it can be said that it is not at a satisfactory level in the region, so urgent actions need to be taken. The concept for the implementation of gender equality within the Erasmus + TRAFSAF project, modeled on EU projects, is that all project partners, both those coming from the segment of higher education and NGOs, keep gender statistics and that measures to promote enrollment must be provided. female populations at all levels of study. It is also a requirement for project participants to increase the participation of women as trainers, as well as to enhance the presence of women in trainings related to traffic safety during the project. These activities should continue after the completion of the project, bearing in mind that it is necessary to integrate gender equality in the segment of traffic safety.

The paper analyzes the changes in the number of traffic accidents fatalities in the Republic of Serbia. The statistical significance of the change in the number of fatalities in relation to the period before and after the application of the new Law on Traffic Safety was tested. The results indicate the significance of the change in the total number of fatalities, fatalities of drivers of passenger cars, motorcyclists and mopedists, fatalities of male persons and young people.

Background: Migration is increasing globally, and societies are becoming more diverse and multi-ethnic. Medical school curricula should prepare students to provide high-quality care to all individuals in the communities they serve. Previous research from North America and Asia has assessed the effectiveness of medical cultural competency training, and student preparedness for delivery of cross-cultural care. However, student preparedness has not been explored in the European context. The aim of this study was to investigate how prepared final-year medical students in the Republic of Ireland (ROI) feel to provide care to patients from other countries, cultures, and ethnicities. In addition, this study aims to explore students' experiences and perceptions of cross-cultural care. Methods: Final-year medical students attending all six medical schools within the ROI were invited to participate in this study. A modified version of the Harvard Cross-Cultural Care Survey (CCCS) was used to assess their preparedness, skill, training/education, and attitudes. The data were analysed using IBM SPSS Statistics 28.0, and Fisher's Exact Test was employed to compare differences within self-identified ethnicity groups and gender. Results: Whilst most respondents felt prepared to care for patients in general (80.5%), many felt unprepared to care for specific ethnic patient cohorts, including patients from a minority ethnic background (50.7%) and the Irish Traveller Community (46.8%). Only 20.8% of final-year students felt they had received training in cross-cultural care during their time in medical school. Most respondents agreed that they should be assessed specifically on skills in cultural competence whilst in medical school (83.2%). Conclusions: A large proportion of final-year medical students surveyed in Ireland feel inadequately prepared to care for ethnically diverse patients. Similarly, they report feeling unskilled in core areas of cross-cultural care, and a majority agree that they should be assessed on aspects of cultural competency. This study explores shortcomings in cultural competency training and confidence amongst Irish medical students. These findings have implications for future research and curricular change, with opportunities for the development of relevant educational initiatives in Irish medical schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The present research describes the development and validation of a self-reported instrument that measures the determinants of pedestrians' intention to violate traffic rules, based on the theory of planned behaviour. Moreover, the research deals with the analysis of the predictive validity of an extended theoretical framework of the theory of planned behaviour in relation to pedestrians' intention to violate. Based on the quota sample, adult pedestrian respondents (n = 383) completed a questionnaire assessing the relevant variables. Valid and reliable scales were developed, and they measure subjective, descriptive, normative, and personal norms, cognitive and affective attitudes, perceived behavioural control, habit formation, and behavioural intention concerning pedestrians' misdemeanour. Hierarchical regression analysis indicated that all components, except descriptive norms, were significant simultaneous predictors of pedestrians' intention to violate. The most powerful predictor is the personal norm. Overall, the findings considerably support the concept of the extended theoretical framework of the theory of planned behaviour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bisphenol A is a monomer used primarily in the production of polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins. Polycarbonate plastic is used in a wide variety of digital media products, electrical and electronic equipment, sport safety equipment, reusable food and drink containers, etc. Epoxy resins are used in engineering applications, paints and adhesives and also in a variety of protective coatings in metal cans for foods, bottle tops and water supply pipes. The content of BPA was evaluated in 16 samples (6 baby bottles and 10 drinking containers - can) collected during 2018/2019, of which three baby bottles and 8 cans were collected in 2018, while three baby bottles and 2 cans in 2019. A simple HPLC-FLD analytical method was validated for the quantitation of BPA from baby feeding bottles and cans. The separation was performed on a C18 column. Good linearity was obtained over the concentration range of 0.3-6.0 μg/mL with the regression coefficient (R2) of 0.9998. The limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) were 0.01 and 0.03 μg/mL, respectively. The repeatability of the method (%RSD) was between 4 and 6%, while the recovery ranged from 104.3 to 109.7%. The extraction of BPA was done in accordance with SRPS EN 13130-1:2008. The methods were applied to determine BPA release from baby bottles, performing repeated procedures according to EU and national regulations (SRPS CEN/TS 13130-13 (2008)). The conformity was evaluated according to National and EU requirements. The results show that Bisphenol-A was not detectable in any of the analysed samples. [Project of the Serbian Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development, Grant no. TR31038]

The undemanding LC-MS/MS method was developed for the synchronized analysis of atropine and scopolamine in maize crop. The dSPE was carried out with 1% acetic acid in acetonitrile/water and a mixture of magnesium sulphate, sodium chloride and sodium citrate. The analytes were separated on a Zorbax XDB C18 column using methanol/water as the mobile phase in gradient mode. The detection was done using a tandem masss spectrometry (MS/MS) in the positive ESI. The tropane alkaloids exhibited excellent linearity in the range of 2-20 µg/kg with the LOQ of 5 µg/kg for maize. The extraction recoveries of atropine and scopolamine were 65.7 and 85.5% with the intraday RSDr 10.25 and 4.29%, respectively. The validated method was appled to real maze samples. One sample contained 18.8 µg/kg of atropine and 6.3 µg/kg of scopolamine.

During 2018 a total of 42 sour cherry samples were collected and analysed for pesticide residues by LCMS/MS with the carbofuran–D3 and acetamiprid-D3 as internal standards. The study showed that 42.86% of the analysed samples contained pesticide residues. In percentage terms, it seems to be high, but most of the detections were below the recommended MRL values, which is encouraging. The analysis indicated that three of the analysed sour cherry samples (7.14%) contained pesticide residues above the MRLs (propiconazole, methomyl, dimethoate and prochloraz). In spite of the low concentrations, ten samples contained multiple detections, i.e. 55.56% of the analysed samples contained more than one pesticide residue.

This study was conducted in order to assess the effect of inoculation of soybean (Glycine max L.) seeds with Trichoderma asperellum, followed by mites (Tetranychus urticae) exposure on lipid peroxidation (LP) process and the activity of antioxidant enzymes. T. urticae is an occasional pest of soybean that causes biotic stress. Biotic stress leads to overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) which may cause damage to vital biomolecules. Enzymatic antioxidant defense systems protect plants against oxidative stress. T. asperellum is commonly used as biocontrol agent against plant pathogens. It has been suggested that previous inoculation of seeds with T. asperellum may cause induced resistance against biotic stress. The aim of this study was to determine LP intensity and antioxidant enzymes activity in inoculated and non-inoculated soybean seedlings with and without exposure to mites. Noticeably higher LP intensity was detected in non-inoculated group treated with mites compared to control group. Inoculated soybean seedlings treated with mites had lower LP intensity compared to noninoculated group. Also, it has been noticed that inoculation with Trichoderma asperellum itself, produced mild stress in plants. In addition, positive correlation between enzymes activity and LP was noticed. The level of oxidative stress in plants was followed by the change of LP intensity. According to results obtained, it was concluded that the greatest oxidative stress occurred in non-inoculated group treated with mites and that inoculation successfully reduced oxidative stress. The results indicate that inoculation of soybean seeds with T. asperellum improves resistance of soybean seedlings against mites attack. [Project of the Serbian Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development, Grant no. TR-31022]