The urban forest is recognized as a potential to improve the quality of life of urban dwellers and increase the sustainability and ecological stability of the city. However, there is little data on professional attitude to urban naturalistic landscapes. This research studies the attitude of professionals and decision makers to the naturalistic forest landscapes in urban area of Riga city, Latvia, in contrast to more traditional – formal landscape. The survey includes the opinions of territorial planners and environment specialists from Riga municipality and other institutions related to ecological, practical, planning and conservation activities, and private working landscape architects. The statistical analysis and data’s empirical distribution showed that professionals in Riga city recognize the values and benefits of naturalistic forest landscape. However, environmental preferences may depend more on affective reactions than on ecologically-based logical operations.

Latvia is a territorially small country with small open economy, and its main and the most competitive recourses are highly educated society and well developed science which is based on research, innovation and modern technologies. To create a well functioning innovation system as a part of knowledge-based economy, several conditions has to be met to insure that all parts of national innovation system effectively work together. This article is dedicated to analysis of financing mechanisms that can be used by research institutes in the field of agriculture in Latvia to ensure sustainable rural development. The research in the field of agriculture in Latvia is mainly performed by the state research institutes and research agencies of Latvia University of Agriculture. To provide favourable environment for development of research and science, there is set legislation framework and financing mechanisms such as base financing from the state budget, state research programmes, European Commission Framework Programmes, and the European Union (EU) Structural Funds assistance. The analysis has shown that support of EU Structural funds has positive impact on number of applied research carried out in research institutes in the field of agriculture in Latvia. EU Structural funds assistance helps to develop fundamental research activities and innovative approach to the science that is one of the preconditions for the development of states' competitiveness. In conclusion, the authors resume that it is necessary to establish a strong link between higher education institutions, research institutes, and entrepreneurs in the process of building effectively working national innovation system.

Appropriate resources, availability of infrastructure, economic significance and food market forecasts determine the rationale for development of the dairy sector in the Baltic States. The sector is faced by significant economic problems; inter alia, production structure fragmentation, lack of investments and low labour productivity. Several sector's problems can be directly or indirectly solved by integration. Competition legal acts setting strict penalties directly and widely apply to integration processes, imposing a high level of legal risks on integrating parties. Thus, competition legislation forms a central framework limiting and guiding integration. As the subject has not been explored earlier, the author researched the Baltic dairy sector integration options at primary and secondary levels as influenced by the EU and Baltic national competition legislation and its implementation practice. Abstract-logical, monographic and interview methods have been used. The author concludes that law-compliant cross-border integration opportunities for the Baltic dairy sector exist to form larger integrated undertakings with higher market power. Reference to market shares in the competition legislation in countries with lower aggregate crude milk market sales puts the dairy sector participants at a disadvantage in case of integration processes resulting in smaller absolute size of the allowable integrated undertaking. Integration by agreements, decisions and concerted practices is appropriate for national level arrangements but is with limited applicability in the Baltic states cross-border integration at both levels of the dairy sector. In case of concentration, integration may be used to create cross-border integrated structures increasing concentration at every level of the Baltic dairy sector.

The paper deals with the evaluation of resource price preferences and resource utilization efficiency in Latvian dairy sector that shows Latvian relative competitive position both in terms of producing competitive products for the market, as well as ensuring competitive salaries and a general rise in living standard for the employees. The evaluation is carried out through analyzing price levels of the main production resources and the utilization efficiency of these resources, based on the comparison with other EU countries. The efficiency indicators in Latvian primary milk production sector are considerably lower and despite resource price preferences the cost level per production value in Latvia is higher than in other countries. The analyzed resource utilization efficiency is low in Latvia also at the processing industry level, though the current price level of the main production resources helps to ensure competitive positions of Latvian dairy products. But considering large differences in compensation levels for labour force between Latvia and other EU countries, without increase in productivity, the situation is not sustainable in long-term.

Health care has an important role in regional economic and politic development because human life and health is the only criterion and prerequisite for any other value. If for any reason human loses more than 20% of his blood, he is not able to join in economic actions and is under a risk of dying. That is why economic development loses human resources. In case of losing blood, human life can be saved only by donor blood, since synthetic blood replacements have not been discovered yet. In this paper, historical development of blood donor movement as an aspect of economic development has been researched. Experiments, failures and scientific discoveries in blood transmission history have also influenced world economic history. Based on historical literature in Latvia and eye witness stories, historical development of blood donor movement in Latvia as well as its role in health care as a part of economics is studied in this paper.

The development of the multi-storey residential areas in the Baltic Sea region shows an inequality that changes the spatial environment of the territory. The major part of the city territory is occupied by the multistorey residential area that reveals multiple problems of the spatial environment. Therefore, it is necessary to resolve these problems by building new more multi-functional zones in the multi-storey residential areas that would further ensure the sustainable development of the spatial environment. To find the relevant data and material, a scheme of questions for analysis was developed. The scheme reflects all the necessary aspects for the analysis of the landscape composition in multi-storey residential areas. The analysis from the theoretical aspect with the usage of empirical methods determined the current state of the multi-storey residential areas in the Baltic Sea region. The paper presents the study of historical development and the causes of changes, as well as the current state and potential future development of the landscape composition of the multi-storey residential areas. It also reflects the development framework of the landscape composition. The multi-storey residential area that carries a great load of the multi-functional areas, needs an improvement, a renovation and needs to be reconstructed and developed according to all the mentioned characteristics of the spatial environment.

Civilization has historically flourished around rivers. There exists invisible and visible social activity system in the river landscape. With the world's economical, technological and social development, a focus on meeting human needs is vital. There is a need of a reinterpretation of landscapes' functions and revision of archetypes. The proposed approach is search for design of lifestyle versus design for territory. The research is based on the Lielupe river case study. The aim of the on-going research is search for approach to solve individuals' role of the river landscape. The task of this paper is to identify types of individuals' use of river landscape. Data collection was performed both from individuals' prospectus of use of landscape and from the functional use of river as a landscape object supplementing data both ways. I investigated it by analyzing intuitive images, making of an observation of people's habits, behaviours and occupations, and by cartographic analysis. At this stage of research there were observed seventeen groups of functions in the landscape of the Lielupe river valley, characterized by wide range of actions, described by landscape elements, and organised in social groups. These data are assessed by grading of their influence on landscape and its participants. Sixteen marginal grades were detected. This highlights a high potential for development of river landscape with an individual's participation in it. The further investigation is to develop ergonomic and functional planning principles for each type of interest group to compromise the individuals' needs.

Today e-learning is a term which is commonly used, but does not have a universally accepted definition, but it can be considered as technology-enhanced learning, where all types of digital technologies are used to support the learning process. Over the years some new functionality has appeared as mobile and wireless technologies (m-learning) and digital television provided possibilities for interactive study materials management (tv-learning). Latest options for training process acceleration are offered by virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR) technologies. The aim of this paper is to find solution for appropriate hardware selection before constructing VR/AR system for training needs focusing on platforms used for operators preparation to work with industrial equipment. In the beginning of the paper all hardware devices for such systems are summarized and explained. Then by using set theory and combinatorics all possible sets of input/output devices are described and calculated. Next dynamic modelling is used to create deterministic, static simulation model with an aim to ease the process of hardware selection for VR/AR training systems development. Simulation model is used for development of two pilot projects.

The aim of the study is to investigate and analyse the Model of Intercultural Communicative Competence in the Primary Schools. The investigation is based on the theoretical approach – scientific literature analysis of Intercultural Communicative Competence is done. According to that the Model of Intercultural Communicative Competence and the Competence assessment in the Primary Schools' Foreign Language (English) Lessons (for students aged 12-14) has been made. The Model of Intercultural Communicative Competence comprises Linguistic competence, Sociolinguistic competence, Discourse competence, and Intercultural competence. The developmental model of intercultural sensitivity consists of Ethnocentric stage (denial, defence, minimization), and Ethnorelative stage (acceptance, adaptation, integration). Intercultural methodology for teaching foreign languages includes Intercultural comparison, Intercultural didactics, and Intercultural Language awareness. Assessment of Intercultural communication competence shows culture understanding: empathy toward other (target) culture, ability to observe and analyse a culture, ability to communicate in the foreign (target) language.

The aim of the study: to analyse the principle of exemplarity, comprehend its features and their usage in university exact courses learning practice. The principle of exemplarity is a means of arranging the geodesy study course programme according to the most essential notions of the course and students abilities and knowledge level at Latvia University of Agriculture. It is one of the cognitive learning didactical principles proponed by the German scientist Martin Wagenschein and recognised in a teaching/learning process particularly in natural sciences. The origination of the principle of exemplarity, its relevant features and experience of other countries are analysed in the article. The following notions of the principle are analysed in the article: coping with information quantity, comprehension of a course entity and epistemology, interdisciplinarity; usage of exemplar as a feature of entity criterion in obtaining particular knowledge and skills; traits of Socratic dialogue. The principle of exemplarity is combined with problem-based learning, project method and student-centred approach and is used and discussed particularly in Germany and Denmark. The principle features and the ideas of its usage are being assessed, worked in and implemented in the geodesy study course programme for the land survey speciality first year students. The programme is revised thematically determining the focal themes (exemplars) in laboratory works via which the principle of exemplarity can be the means of obtaining the course of geodesy successfully.