The study looks at a non - traditional way of perception and assessment of urban landscape, using the photographic method. Advantages and disadvantages of this method have been explained. As an example, a complicated urban area with different landscapes types, including historical, aesthetical, functional and emotional aspects, has been studied. The territory in the existing functional zones was mapped. Typical or representative views of each functional zone were photographed. Out of 590 slides, 25 were chosen and presented on a wall in an auditorium. For each slide, six questions were asked, which represented a public perception of landscapes from the standpoint of Environmental Psychology. These were: the aesthetical value, harmony, order and sense of locality, variety of forms and diversity, secrecy, safety. The results show differences of perception between men and women, younger and older people, and locals and visitors. Most of the respondents were Latvian, and for that reason cultural and mentality aspect was one of the most important the results of this study. Almost everybody chose slides with harmonized, safe and greener space, which are the main features of the historical Latvian country yard.

The main aim of the paper is to analyse influence of the real exchange rate on competitiveness of Latvia. Using fundamental equilibrium exchange rate methodology the equilibrium real exchange rate for Latvia is estimated. According the model's results the real exchange rate was overvalued almost during all the reporting period and therefore it could be used as one of the factors influencing competitiveness of Latvia.

Family relations have always played and still play an important role in the system of social relations. The family is a primary social cell; if executes the fundamental functions of prolongation of relation, upbringing of young generation, and mutual moral and material support of family members. One of the main stages of family creation from both legal and social points of view is contracting a marriage. The form of entering into a marriage and the definition of family legal relations have been changing in the run of history depending on the culture, church and state relationship, and general philosophy of the particular period of time. The Old Testament of Holy Writ gives information about the marriage. In the ancient times marriage and family were more of a religious institution managed by the church, but as marriage is the roof of every legal establishment - family, relations, church, and state - it attracted a wider mass attention. The social and legal relations and aspects of Lithuanian rural family setting and its existence of different periods were really original and interesting. Researching the conception and development of the legal and social family relations and comparing them to the modern law, essential differences can be observed, but at the same similarities, which have not changed till our times, can be found. At all times the prevailing family model in Lithuania was the traditional family model and the main differences in comparison to the modern family model are the forms of marriage registration and its stability. This family model was predominant in the rural areas of late XIX century Lithuania.

Fermentation of milk with probiotics and prebiotics has been shown to increase the concentration of B group vitamins in fermented milk products. The task of the study was to investigate the influence of prebiotics on the increasing of thiamin and riboflavin concentrations in milk during fermentation by Bifidobacterium lactis. Lactulose (Duphilac, Netherlands) and inulin (Raftiline, Belgium) were added (1, 2, 3, 4 and 5%) into 100 g of milk. The milk samples were inoculated with Bifidobacterium lactis (BB-12, Chr. Hansen, Denmark) and incubated at 38 deg C for 16 hours. The amount of thiamine and riboflavin was determined by fluorometric method. Laboratory studies have shown that the increasing of thiamin and riboflavin concentrations in milk depends on the concentration of lactulose and inulin. Data on the final thiamin and riboflavin concentrations in fermented milk indicates that increasing the lactulose concentration from 1% to 3% enhanced the production of thiamin and riboflavin. The similar data was obtained with inulin. Increasing of inulin concentration from 1% to 4% enhanced the production of vitamins thiamin and riboflavin. The present results furthermore indicate that finding optimal combination of prebiotics and probiotic pairs where the prebiotic would benefit the specific probiotic strain, e.g. during production and formulation into foods, is one of the research priority for functional foods.

The major wheat flour constituent, which determines the dough quality, is gluten. Oatmeal has higher biological value due to amino acid composition and content if compared to other cereals, but the technological properties of proteins are not as good as the ones of wheat flour. Oat products can be used in bread making although the increased amount of additives shows negative influence on bread texture, elasticity, volume, taste, and flavour. The method is developed for hydrolysed oatmeal separation in soluble and insoluble fractions, thus extending the oatmeal application possibilities. The aim of the current research was the investigation of influence of hydrolysed oats insoluble fraction on wheat dough rheological properties. The obtained results proved that in case hydrolysed oats insoluble fraction additive was used, water adsorption was increased by 63.8%-66.4% and dough stability time was changed from 4.8 to 10.0 min. The negative influence on dough development time and dough softening degree was observed. The farinograpgh quality index was within acceptable limits (less than 120 FU), if the oat additive of 10% and 15% was used. It is possible to obtain dough with better rheological properties if the hydrolysed oats insoluble fraction additive is 15% from flour mass.

Selenium (Se) is an essential microelement for human health; it is not synthesized in human body and cannot be substituted by any other element. Many health problems have a link with Se deficiency. People need to obtain all necessary amounts of selenium with food. Cereal products are important components of our diets and can contribute comparatively large part of the total dietary intake of Se. The wheat grains growing in Latvia contain comparatively small amount of selenium - on average 0.04 mg kgE-1. The objective of this study was to investigate the possibilities of fortifying wheat grains with microelement selenium during soaking grains in selenium containing solutions. Wheat grain was soaked in sodium selenite and sodium selenate solutions with selenium concentration from 10 to 200 mg lE-1. Sprouting activity was determined after 24, 72 and 120 hours, the influence of selenium valence in compound was observed. Comparing the influence of Se**+4 and Se**+6, it can be concluded that Se**+4 does not promote sprouting activity of wheat grains position to Se**+6 which increases sprouting activity till selenium concentration 100 mg lE-1. Uptake of selenium in grains was studied by determination of total Se using atomic absorption spectroscopy method. Linear correlation between Se concentrations in applied soaking solutions and Se concentration in grains was observed. The content of total protein did not change significantly - it varied from 13.64% in the control sample to 13.87% in the wheat sample with the highest applied selenium concentration (200 mg lE-1).

Sea buckthorn berries are one of the most important sources of vitamins, minerals, organic acids, polyphenols and other biologically active substances in human nutrition. The shelf life of fresh chilled berries does not exceed one week. The venues of research were Fruit and Berry Processing Centre of the Dobele Horticultural Plant Breeding Experimental Station and Packaging Material Testing Laboratory of the Faculty of Food Technology, Latvia University of Agriculture, from August until October 2005. Two most popular sea buckthorn cultivars in Latvia - 'Avgustinka' and 'Prozrachnaja' - were used for the study. Sea buckthorn samples were packed in ready-made PET/adhesive/PP containers supplied by 'Huhtamaki'. Gas mixture with initial composition of 10% of O2, 10% of CO2, 80% of N2 and ambient air as control were used. Containers were sealed on the packaging equipment 'TECNOVAC Pratica'. Packed sea buckthorn samples were stored at +4+-1 deg C temperature for 50 days. The aim of this study was to clarify the effect of the initial concentration of gas mixture in the package made from plastic of high barrier properties on the quality of fresh sea buckthorn berries during storage time. The results showed that shelf life of fresh sea buckthorn berries without any significant quality changes can be extended till 30 days by packaging in containers with high barrier properties and air ambiance.

Company - oriented risk analyses is the necessary precondition to establish, validate and improve HACCP procedures in catering enterprise. In catering area no microbiological criteria exist for ready-to eat food in both European and Latvian level. The objective of the study was to apply risk assessment approach to evaluate microbiological risks during food preparation processes in school catering establishments. The aim of the author's research was to assess the level of microbiological contamination of food as well as the changes of microbial contamination during technological processing of food to motivate the necessity for controlling of food contamination levels in frame of HACCP procedures. It was concluded that no significant risk in consumption of cooked minced meat food if cooking temperature is adequate and food is stored at correct temperature after cooking. The storage of salads in ambient air temperature causes a significant increase of bacterial contamination due to high initial contamination level that may create a serious risk in case of pathogenic bacteria. On the basis of research it was concluded that microbiological investigation should be a recommended way to test step-by step the performance of technological processes because the hygiene situation is specific to each catering establishment and safety of the end-products may vary considerably. Microbiological testing of food and environmental samples could be a helpful tool for development and validation of HACCP procedures to assess potential risks and to establish critical limits for managing of technological steps in school food service area.

In the time of the decrease of global fossil resources storage wood, pulp has an increasing importance as a heat energy source. In Latvia, grey alder stands occupy 189.9 thousand ha with a total growing stock of 31.1 mil. m**3. So far in most of cases grey alder is estimated as a low value tree species, because tree dimensions do not to allow obtain a significant proportion of timber quality wood. The increasing fuel shortage has caused the need for growing grey alder as a bio energy supply. Grey alder has not been analyzed intensive until now, therefore the aim of the investigation is to estimate the stand productivity and or above ground biomass; that could serve as a background for recommendations to establish grey alder stands for energy-wood production. The grey alder biomass is dependent on wood density, but density - on wood moisture. The average newly felled grey alder wood density in April is 0.76+-0.011 g cmE-3, but absolutely dry wood density for trees felled in October, the average value of absolutely dry wood is 0.46+-0.005 g cmE-3, which is 1% more than in the spring, but these relationships are not significant relative moisture demonstrates water content in newly felled wood. Its average value is 54.7+-0.5% in April and 53.5+-0.05% in October. Empirical formulae are worked out for absolutely dry stem and branch biomass

Survival, growth (height, diameter at breast height, stem volume, yield) and quality (thickest branch up to 2 meters of tree height, branchiness, and stem straightness in grades) of phenotypically selected Scots pine plus-tree progenies from different regions in Latvia at the age of 32 years have been analyzed. The material was planted in 4 tests in different forest types (Cladinoso-callunosa, Vacciniosa, Hylocomyosa, and Oxalidosa) in Kalsnava, Eastern part of Latvia. Average number of trees per family varied from 11 to 21 (survival 18-35%). Mean height for Scots pine at the age of 32 years was 14.2 -16.3 m, coefficient of variation -10-17%, diameter at breast height - 13.1-17.7 cm, 24-32%, stem volume 0.1-0.2 m**3, 49-64%, diameter of thickest branch at up to 2 meters of tree height - 1.3-1.7 cm, 23%. To secure ability for detection of significant (alpha=0.05) family differences, average number of trees number per family at evaluation age should be at least 24. Narrow sense individual tree heritability (h**2) was 0.11 for stem volume, 0.09 for diameter at breast height, and 0.07-0.11 for diameter of thickest branch up to two meters of tree height.