Regions Of Latvia Research Articles

COVID-19 and Adult Education – a Path to Transformation of Regions in Latvia

This research examines the consequences of COVID-19 on the adult education sector in Latvia in the context of regional restructuring. A survey of adult education institutions of Latvia (N = 60) was used as the main research method. Main findings of the research: in the pandemic context, the main challenges in the adult sector are related to the lack of digital skills, technological issues, and transformation of the content of the subject to distance learning.

The impact of regional and catchment characteristics on long-term runoff in small agricultural catchments in Latvia

Abstract The explanation of runoff behavior is challenging due to variable weather conditions, and catchment characteristics. The parameter equifinality in catchment-scale models turns into the uncertain distribution of water balance components even though models tend to represent total runoff well. This study aims to discuss long-term runoff and evapotranspiration (ET) variations affected by regional allocation and catchment characteristics in Latvia. The study applies the observational runoff data from drainage fields and small catchment scales. The sites represent the spatially different regions in Latvia with relatively variable yearly precipitation amounts. The robust data of surface slope gradients, the share of subsurface drainage systems, arable and grasslands, and ditch networks describes the differences in the catchment characteristics. The results reveal that higher long-term yearly average runoff and ET rates are experienced by the regions with higher yearly precipitation amounts. Simultaneously, the higher the long-term yearly average precipitation and steeper the surface slope gradient, the proportionally (%) higher is the runoff contribution into the water balance. When compared with the small catchments, the soil profiles at drainage fields might store more water after the subsurface drainage runoff is running short. Consequently, the small catchments might experience the later response of subsurface drainage runoff after the dry seasons.

Lake Managment in the Piebalga Region: Climate, Nature and Culture from the 1890s to Now

There are many regions in Latvia with a long history and beautiful landscapes. However, of all the regions, the most beautiful landscapes and the richest culture are in the Piebalga region. Piebalga is located in the Vidzeme highlands, where the longest domestic river in Latvia, the Gauja, has its source. There are several counties in the Piebalga region, the most famous of which is Vecpiebalga, where two of the first Latvian writers were born, the Kaudzītes brothers, who are well-known for their novel The Surveyors’ Time, one of the first books written by Latvians. In this study, the culture, religion and environmental management practices of Piebalga during the 19th century were studied using an extensive analysis of historical literature about the region, and compared to Piebalga in the present, which was studied using case study research. During the research it was discovered that the main influences on Piebalga culture and environmental management practices have been the Hernhutian congregations who influences had shaped the local culture and continues to do so even after being effectively disbanded. It was also discovered that the municipalities in the region are less effective at monitoring lakes than they were during the 19th century due to lacking resources.

Transformations of Old Believer Wedding Rites in Latvia: The Case of Latgale

Abstract The wedding2 is an integral part of family life. The ways in which it is organised can differ not only between representatives of different religious groups, but also between members of the same denomination. By applying cultural-historical, ethnographic and qualitative data processing method, the paper focuses on transformations in Old Believer wedding rites between the first half of the 20th century and the present. Analysis of interviews conducted in the south-eastern region of Latvia reveals that there have been several variations in Old Believer weddings (traditional, religious and civil) which interacted and overlapped, thus creating new hybrid forms. The transformations depended on urbanisation and economic processes, political conditions, and the development of the community in interaction with other ethnic and religious groups under conditions of globalisation.

Parents' Experiences Regarding School Meals during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic required not only the reorientation of learning to remote form but also a change in the form of state-funded school lunches. One of the forms of school catering allowance was food packs, which obligated parents to prepare a warm lunch for the pupil from products included in food packs. As the responsibility for providing a warm lunch for the pupil was transferred to the parents, it was important to understand the parents’ experience. The survey was used to gather parents’ experiences of school catering allowance received during the pandemic using survey administration software—Google forms; 5166 respondents from different regions of Latvia took part in the survey. The school catering allowance in the form of food packs (83.7%) can be considered successful as over 70% of respondents rated it as positive, giving a rating of 7 (good) or above. Parents from Vidzeme and Latgale had the most positive experience with food packs. The parents appreciated the support they received, stating that it provided a certain sense of security during the crisis. Parental dissatisfaction was related to the composition of food packs, lack of local products and unacceptable products, such as canned meat and fish.

Associative field of the concept “fire” in the linguistic consciousness of native Russian speakers at the background of the Latvian linguistic culture

The research is devoted to one of the modern trends in linguistics - cultural linguistics. The topicality is related to the study of the Russian language functioning as the language of diaspora in the eastern region of Latvia - Latgale. The research aims to characterize the means of expressing the concept fire based on modelling and analyzing its associative field in the aspect of Latvian picture of the world. Theory and practice of the associative experiment were used as a methodological framework for the research. The method of free associative experiment reveals the specific features of different cultures, as well as the functional peculiarities of the linguistic consciousness both of a separate individual - a native speaker, and of a certain ethnic or national group. The word fire (Latvian - uguns) was suggested as a stimulus word. The received reactions were analyzed according to linguistic and cultural-contextual aspects. A comparative analysis of the associative fields revealed both the specific features of the Russian linguistic picture of the world, which combines the characteristics inherent in the Russian language of the metropolis and the ones that indicate the influence of the linguistic and cultural environment, and the features and signs that coincide or are identical in the Russian and the Latvian linguistic picture of the worlds. The data processing and the analysis define the concept fire precisely as a full-fledged concept in the perception of the native speakers of the Russian language in Latgale, since not only the dictionary meaning is actualized in their linguistic picture of the world, but also a multi-level associative field, unique in terms of contextual connotations, is modelled.

Decision-Making within Smart City: Waste Sorting

The concept of the Smart City is the answer for the majority of the challenges of an increased rate of urbanization. However, the implementation of the ideas of the Smart City faces some difficulties. It is a necessity to correspond to the sustainability pillars and the decisive role of the population in all processes, and correspondently the necessity to comprehend what factors influence the decision-making process. The research goal of this paper is to analyze the factors determining the decision of the population of multi- and one-family houses to sort waste. The data were collected via population survey of the Vidusdaugavas region of Latvia and semi-structured interviews of municipal councils’ representatives. Both parties—population and authorities—have mentioned the existence of more negative factors of waste sorting in their life than positive ones. For authorities, the most important externalities of waste sorting have an economic nature, while, for citizens, the factors of convenience are not less important than costs. The problem was considered from the position of municipal authorities and the local population, and the identification of problems and misunderstanding is a possibility to start effective communication between the two parties. Moreover, the analysis of the literature has shown that Scandinavian countries and west European countries, which started their way towards implementing smart sustainable cities significantly earlier than Latvia, had the same stages. The most important factor for constructing a smart sustainable city is the changing the way of thinking of population.

Extreme Solar Events’ Impact on GPS Positioning Results

The main objective of the present study is to perform an analysis of the space weather impact on the Latvian CORS (Continuously Operating GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) Stations) GPS (Global Positioning System) observations, in situations of geomagnetic storms, sun flares and extreme TEC (Total Electron Content) and ROTI (Rate of change of TEC index) levels, by analyzing the results, i.e., 90-s kinematic post-processing solutions, obtained using Bernese GNSS Software v5.2. To complete this study, the 90-s kinematic time series of all the Latvian CORS for the period from 2007 to 2017 were analyzed, and a correlation between time series outliers (hereinafter referred to as faults) and extreme space weather events was sought. Over 36 million position determination solutions were examined, 0.6% of the solutions appear to be erroneous, 0.13% of the solutions have errors greater than 1 m, 0.05% have errors greater than 10 m, and 0.01% of the solutions show errors greater than 50 m. The correlation between faulty results, TEC and ROTI levels and Bernese GNSS Software v5.2 detected cycle slips was computed. This also includes an analysis of fault distribution depending on the geomagnetic latitude as well as faults distribution simultaneously occurring in some stations, etc. This work is the statistical analysis of the Latvian CORS security, mainly focusing on geomagnetic extreme events and ionospheric scintillations in the region of Latvia, with a latitude around 57°N.

Analysis of Latvian and Belarusian Oak (Quercus robur L.) Population Provenance and Genetic Structure Using Chloroplast Markers

Abstract In this study, oak specific chloroplast simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers were used to analyse Latvian and Belarusian oak (Quercus robur L.) population provenance and genetic structure. Chloroplast haplotypes were compared between Latvian and Belarusian pedunculate oak, and several common haplotypes were identified. The SSR haplotypes were compared to previously reported PCR-RFLP haplotypes, and haplotypes from the A (eastern European) and C (central European) lineages were identified. C lineage haplotypes were only found in the western region of Latvia. Haplotypes shared between Latvia and Belarus were all from the A lineage. Despite the much smaller population size of oak in Latvia in comparison to Belarus, the level of genetic diversity identified using the chloroplast SSR markers is similar. Provenance trials will need to be established in order to determine the suitability of Belarusian oak reproductive material for deployment in Latvia. Based on the results from this comparison of chloroplast haplotypes, as well as climatic similarities, it is probable that Belarusian oak material will be better suited to the eastern regions of Latvia compared to the western regions of Latvia.

Active Wild Food Practices among Culturally Diverse Groups in the 21st Century across Latgale, Latvia.

Simple SummaryA study in the bordering region of Latvia took place in order to investigate wild plant food uses. In total 72 interviewees reported food uses. The most represented uses of recorded plants were recreational tea; for jam; as snacks and soup; and drink. Interviewees also reported loss of foraging practice due to the habitat change as for example in case of caraway and chamomile. The results indicated that part of the reason for the main use of wild plants were linked to diet diversification.Local ecological knowledge (LEK), including but not limited to the use of wild food plants, plays a large role in sustainable natural resource management schemes, primarily due to the synergy between plants and people. There are calls for the study of LEK in culturally diverse areas due to a loss of knowledge, the active practice of utilizing wild plants in various parts of the world, and a decline in biodiversity. An ethnobotanical study in a border region of Latvia, characterised by diverse natural landscapes and people with deep spiritual attachments to nature, provided an opportunity for such insight, as well as the context to analyse wild food plant usages among different sociocultural groups, allowing us to explore the differences among these groups. Semi-structured interviews were carried out as part of a wider ethnobotanical field study to obtain information about wild food plants and their uses. The list of wild food plant uses, derived from 72 interviews, revealed a high level of homogenisation (in regards to knowledge) among the study groups, and that many local uses of wild food plants are still actively practiced. People did not gather plants as a recreational activity but rather as a source of diet diversification. The results provide evidence of the importance of safeguarding ecological and cultural diversity due to high local community dependency on natural resources.

EVALUATION OF DAMAGE OF ROUNDWOOD ASSORTIMENTS CAUSED BY VARIED CONSTRUCTION, TECHNICAL SOLUTIONS AND CONDITIONS OF HARVESTER HEAD FEED ROLLERS

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the depth of damages caused by harvester head feed roller spikes to birtch veneer logs, harvested according to top diameter group (18x25cm, 25cm), spruce sawlogs (6x10cm), spruce and pine sawlogs according to top diameter group (10x14cm, 14x18cm). Thirteen technical solutions and conditions of the harvester head soft feed rollers (Moipu Standard, Rib), standard feed rollers (Multi-Tree Handling (MTH), Steel Thumbnail) and agreesive feed rollers (TP) were tested in this study.Regulation parameters of hydraulic system and angles of delimbing knife blades during the harvesting of stems in different woodland types and seasonality using single grip harvesters: John Deere 1270E, John Deere 1070E and John Deere 1070D equipped with harvester heads: H754; H480C and H460 were examined in clearcutting and thinning operations in twenty four wood felling sites in Kurzeme and Vidzeme region of Latvia.

PHARMACEUTICAL CARE AND EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION WITH CUSTOMERS

Nowadays, the provision of pharmaceutical care and effective communication with customers are being discussed more often. A pharmacist is a specialist in his field with specific knowledge in the field of pharmacy. Therefore, the trust from the customer’s side and a kind, informative, and professional approach from the pharmacist’s side are very important in this case. Objective: To clarify what knowledge do the pharmacy customers have about pharmaceutical care and how satisfied they are with the pharmaceutical care services. The research was conducted using a quantitative survey, the statistical analysis of the obtained data was carried out using data processing software Microsoft Office Excel 2010, 267 respondents from various regions of Latvia were surveyed. Only 37% of respondents understand meaning of pharmaceutical care. This means that most of the customers are unaware of the duties and responsibilities of a pharmacist. Most of the respondents associate pharmaceutical care with medication dispense, consultation and good customer service. It would be necessary to inform society about pharmaceutical care and its importance in healthcare. Conclusions: The hypothesis put forward in the thesis confirms that society needs to be informed about pharmaceutical care, and pharmacist duties and responsibilities.

SERVICE QUALITY IN THE PUBLIC SERVICE OF LATVIA

Improvement of quality of public services is one of the important goals in the advancement of the operation of state / public administration in Latvia. The aim of the research was to evaluate the quality of customer service in the institutions of public administration in Latvia, to perform the factor analysis of the collected data.The research was based on the selection of customers of public services, in total of 292 people in Riga and in Latvian regional centres in 2017-2018. The research was conducted in public institutions of Latvian regions that provide social assistance (SSIA – the State Social Insurance Agency), offer employment promotion services (SEA – the State Employment Agency); realize tax policy in the state (SRS – the State Revenue Service), implement the state environmental protection policy (MEPRD – Ministry of Environment Protection and Regional Development); provide legal aid services (DC – Daugavpils Court). The quality of services provided to the clients of corresponding institutions was evaluated. For the data collection, the service quality assessment model – the SERVQUAL instrument (Parasuraman et al., 1988) was used, as well as the analysis of the research data factors was carried out.The service quality assessment revealed that the performance of public service organizations in Latvia does not meet the customers’ expectations. The evaluation of service quality provided by public authorities, as well as their regular monitoring would improve the quality of services provided.

JOB SATISFACTION: ANALYSIS OF SOCIO-DEMOGRAPHIC DATA RELATED TO JOB SATISFACTION AMONG TEACHERS IN THE VIDZEME REGION

This study analyses the socio-demographic factors of a group of teachers and school headmasters and their job satisfaction. It explores potential correlations and links between socio-demographic factors, the subjects which they teach, their role at the educational institution and the level of job satisfaction. The data were collected from 128 female respondents (N=128) from nine regional communities in the Vidzeme region of Latvia. Respondents were between 22 and 73, with an average age of 49. They were divided into five categories on the basis of age. There were also eight categories for subjects, teaching levels and the performed roles - the arts, the humanities, the social sciences, other sciences, preschool teachers (with students aged 1-7), primary school teachers (7-10), elementary school teachers (7-16) and headmasters. The study shows that job satisfaction among teachers is closely linked to the issue of whether they do or do not have children. Socio-demographic indicators such as partnership, the number of marriages, the number of marriages of their parents, and the existence of siblings - these indicated links, but not statistically significant ones in relation to the job satisfaction of teachers. The Likert scale was used to measure job satisfaction. The collected data were analysed with non-parametric methods.

Evaluation of the Competitiveness of Statistical Regions in Latvia Using Official Statistical Information

There is a lack of methodologically grounded and generally accepted regional competitiveness’ evaluation method in Latvia. Common feature of the research about nature of competitiveness is that competitiveness of a region depends on how high and sustainable the level of prosperity in the region is. The analysis of scientific literature showed, that most often synthetic indexes are used to evaluate competitiveness of a region. Methodology to evaluate regional competitiveness was developed and approbated in case of Latvia. To identify the most appropriate method for competitiveness index calculation, Regional Competitiveness Index (RCI) according to two different methods was calculated in the research. The results obtained were similar, but each of index calculation methods has its own advantages and disadvantages and the choice of the appropriate method will depend on the researcher's goals and objectives. Use of relative weights in index calculations affects the obtained results, therefore, necessity of relative weights must be economically justified. It was proven that regional competitiveness cannot be characterized by such simple indicators as GDP or GDP per capita. RCI shows the level of competitiveness of Latvia’s statistical regions, it is possible to compare regions in time and among each other. It allows to form regional development policy and strategy more reasonably.

DEVELOPMENT OF SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZED ENTERPRISES IN REGIONS OF LATVIA

For successful economic transition to the new stage of development improvements in business environment, as also the entrepreneurswho are ready to start your own business and to set up new companies. One of the main challenges the EU Member States face isthe need to boost their level of entrepreneurship and to become more competitive in the global market. That was one of the mainobjectives set by the Lisbon European Council, in March 2000, with a view to improving the Union’s performance in terms of employment,economic reform and social cohesion. Entrepreneurship is not only a driving force in the creation of new jobs, but it alsoincreases and enhances competitiveness and growth, personal fulfilment and the achievement of social objectives. The authors payspecific attention to the need to examine factors that affect the business environment development and entrepreneurship in regions ofLatvia, which determinethe complexity of the existing conditions and factors in each region in Latvia.

THE DEVELOPMENT OF RETAIL STORE TYPES IN THE CONTEXT OF REGION AND CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR

The aim of the article is to analyze the prevalence of retail stores in Latvian regions and consumer behavior in Latvia. The authors have analyzed the prevalence of largest retail stores in regions and consumer behavior in retail using available statistical data and research done by the authors. As a result of the study, the role of shop assistants was determined during the purchasing process, and the results of the study have been compiled from the viewpoint of generations. These results can help retail companies to work more effectively by choosing the most appropriate retail store types

The association between work-related factors and use of psychotherapeutic methods with burnout rates in family physicians

IntroductionA physicians work is closely related to patients and the understanding of their problems. The use of psychotherapeutic methods is a factor for successful care (Swanson, 1994). At the same time burnout is a syndrome that can affect the health of doctors themselves thus reflecting on the quality of care they can provide (Lloyd et al, 2002).ObjectivesTo investigate the use of psychotherapeutic methods in family physicians work in Latvia and the association between burnout rates and the use of these methods in practice as well as different demographic and work-related factors.MethodsA cross sectional study was carried out. An anonymous online form that contained questions about the demographic data, psychotherapeutic methods/techniques mastering and usage and questions from the Maslach Burnout Inventory was sent out to the publicly available email addresses of family physicians in Latvia. The collected data was analyzed using Microsoft Excel and IBM SPSS software.ResultsTogether 54 responses were received from all regions of Latvia. The analysis found association between work hours per week, patients seen per week, usage of psychotherapeutic methods and burnout. More hours per week was associated with higher rates of depersonalization (p=0,014) and burnout (p=0,010). More patients per week was associated with higher rates of burnout (p=0,024). Being unsure if they were using any psychotherapeutic methods was associated with higher rates of depersonalization (p=0,028).ConclusionsThe data obtained allows a better insight in to the usage of psychotherapeutic methods, everyday work and the association with burnout rates in family physicians.

Quality of Life of the Families With Children with Disability in Regions of Latvia

Quality of life characterizes the conditions of human existence, the level of satisfaction of needs. Children with disability restrict ability of the families to meet their needs. Parents of these children quite often are limited in their employment and education opportunities, and their resources, they meet with restrictions in all areas if life. Such a situation has developed not only because of the socio-economic situation in the country, but also due to the lack of interest and inadequate support. The aim of the paper is to analyse the family quality of life of the families with disabled children with in regions of Latvia. Empirical data were obtained by structured interviews with 272 families. The research shows that the situation of the families with disabled children differs in different regions of Latvia. Families are supported by the state and municipalities, bet the support in the areas of emotional, physical and social wellbeing does not recompense the influence of special needs of the disabled children on the family quality of life.KEYWARDS: quality of life, family quality of life, family needs.JEL CODES: I31

Regional Competitiveness as an Aspect Promoting Sustainability of Latvia

Providing of sustainability is one of the main priorities in normative documents in various countries. Factors affecting regional competitiveness is seen as close to them determining sustainability in many researches. The aim of this research was to identify and evaluate main factors of competitiveness for statistical regions of Latvia to promote sustainable development of the country, applying the complex regional competitiveness assessment system developed by the author. The analysis of the Regional Competitiveness Index (RCI) and its sub-indexes showed that each statistical region has both: factors promoting and hindering competitiveness. Overall the most competitive is Riga statistical region, but the last place takes Latgale statistical region. It is possible to promote equal regional development and sustainability of Latvia by implementing well-developed regional development strategy and National Action Plan. To develop such strategies, it is necessary to understand the concept of sustainable competitiveness. To evaluate sustainable competitiveness of Latvia and its regions it is necessary to develop further the methodology of regional competitiveness evaluation.