Issues of sustainable food production in Latvia

The article presents main results of the first in Latvia study addressing the issues of the development of Latvia’s sustainable food production. For detailed research two main themes for Latvia’s agri-food sector’s sustainability were chosen: 1) the issues related to further development of the organic farming and processing; where the special attention has been paid to organic milk processing; and obtaining of organic pigmeat and beef in different Latvia’s regions; 2) quality and environment management systems enforcement - mandatory and voluntary and the trends of implementation of the international management standards (ISO 9001, ISO 22000; HACCP DS 3027:2002; ISO 14001). The publications, legal documents and databases of Latvia’s governmental and nongovernmental institutions were used as materials and the qualitative and quantitative research methods were applied for this empirical research. The assessment of present situation and the proposals for further development has been given

The Early Stages of the Integration of the Internet in EU Newsrooms

The current study explores the perceived integration of the internet inside European newsrooms. The authors carried out a survey with 239 journalists working for 40 of the most-read outlets in 11 European countries.The study shows that journalists consider the internet a useful tool mainly for practical functions, rather than to enhance the core values and functions of their profession. However, news production continues to be based on direct interaction, and journalists’ professional identity is still anchored to print newspapers. Moreover, a lack of communication between publishers and newsrooms emerges. Professional and personal profiles and nationality play a relevant role in the development of attitudes towards the implementation of the internet in newsrooms

A Cross-regional Comparison of Selected European Newspaper journalists and their Evolving Attitudes and Beliefs about the Internet - including a single-country focus on the UK.

This study approaches how journalists in the United Kingdom might compare with individuals working in print journalism in 10 other European countries, to assess role perceptions and beliefs in relation to the internet. The continental Europeans were grouped into north and south, and the UK set was independently compared with each. In all, 270 journalists across 44 newspapers in Europe gave scaled reactions to a questionnaire about their role conceptions, the internet, and the future. It appears the sampled UK journalists, despite some historical conceptions about the distinctively separate evolution of their press, conform strikingly with their European counterparts but in a specific and patterned way: the UK journalists align with their counterparts from the north of Europe but have significant differences to those in the south. The principal ingredient of the division is the degree to which the journalists find the internet useful, positive and a worthwhile extension of their working opportunities. The findings conform in some respects to academic studies taking a historical and cultural approach to comparative journalism

The general harmonic-oscillator brackets: compact expression, symmetries, sums and Fortran code

We present a very simple expression and a Fortran code for the fast and precise calculation of three-dimensional harmonic-oscillator transformation brackets. The complete system of symmetries for the brackets along with analytical expressions for sums, containing products of two and three brackets, is given.Comment: 13 pages, accepted for publication in Nuclear Physics

Choosing treatment for localised prostate cancer: A patient-conducted-interview study

Objectives: Treatment choice can be particularly difficult in localised prostate cancer because of the uncertainty involved. Indeed, some men prefer maintaining their masculine identity and quality of life to potentially securing longer-term survival through surgery or radiotherapy. UK health services are now obliged to leave the choice of treatment to the patient and the aim of this study is to improve understanding of patients’ experiences of choosing treatment. Methods: A one-day participative workshop where men of six months post-diagnosis design and conduct audio and video interviews on each other about their experiences of choosing treatment. Results: The findings show that treatment choice is a complex process combining emotional and rational elements. Information gathering and delegation to professional expertise were two key themes that emerged. Conclusions: The findings emphasise that treatment choice for localised prostate cancer is little like the traditional notions of consumerism from which it is derived. Importantly, the results illustrate, from a patient perspective, how health professionals can engage in their roles as information providers and as experts

Isoscalar Hamiltonians for light atomic nuclei

The charge-dependent realistic nuclear Hamiltonian for a nucleus, composed of neutrons and protons, can be successfully approximated by a charge-independent one. The parameters of such a Hamiltonian, i.e., the nucleon mass and the NN potential, depend upon the mass number A, charge Z and isospin quantum number T of state of the studied nucleus.Comment: REVTeX, 22 pages, 3 eps figures, to appear in PR

Few-nucleon systems in translationally invariant harmonic oscillator basis

We present a translationally invariant formulation of the no-core shell model approach for few-nucleon systems. We discuss a general method of antisymmetrization of the harmonic-oscillator basis depending on Jacobi coordinates. The use of a translationally invariant basis allows us to employ larger model spaces than in traditional shell-model calculations. Moreover, in addition to two-body effective interactions, three- or higher-body effective interactions as well as real three-body interactions can be utilized. In the present study we apply the formalism to solve three and four nucleon systems interacting by the CD-Bonn nucleon-nucleon potential. Results of ground-state as well as excited-state energies, rms radii and magnetic moments are discussed. In addition, we compare charge form factor results obtained using the CD-Bonn and Argonne V8' NN potentials.Comment: 25 pages. RevTex. 13 Postscript figure

The burden of proof: The process of involving young people in research

Patient and public involvement in research includes non‐academics working with researchers, on activities from consultative tasks, to joint working, and on user‐led initiatives. Health and social care funding bodies require involvement in research projects. A current debate focuses on a perceived lack of empirical “proof” to demonstrate the impact of involvement upon the quality of research. It is also argued that the working relationships between researchers and those becoming involved need to be understood more fully. These areas are beginning to be reported upon but there are few studies of young people involved in health research. This study describes the experiences of adult academics and young people, working together on a large‐scale, UK health research programme. Using qualitative interview and focus group methods, the aim was to explore participants’ perceptions about the process and outcomes of their work together. The importance of cyclical, dynamic and flexible approaches is suggested. Enablers include having clear mechanisms for negotiation and facilitation, stakeholders having a vision of “the art of the possible,” and centrally, opportunities for face‐to‐face working. What is needed is a continuing discourse about the challenges and benefits of working with young people, as distinct from younger children and adults, understanding the value of this work, without young people having to somehow “prove” themselves. Involvement relies on complex social processes. This work supports the view that an improved understanding of how key processes are enabled, as well as what involvement achieves, is now needed

Risk management in Lithuanian and Irish credit unions: Trends and impacts on credit union development

The aim of this article is to examine the Irish and Lithuanian credit union movements in terms of risk management and risk performance, and to discuss credit union risk regulation. Risk management in credit unions often closely relates to credit union development stages so that as credit unions mature, higher standards of risk management should be implemented. In some cases these changes are accompanied by shifts in the regulatory framework. A comparison of the situations in Lithuania and Ireland offers some interesting and sometimes unexpected contrasts in the levels of credit union regulation. Despite the comparatively advanced stage of development of the Irish movement, key aspects of risk regulation are considerably more lenient than in Lithuania, where the credit union movement is far smaller and less developed, yet at the same time, more tightly regulated. This comparison demonstrates that the regulatory regime is not always aligned with the stage of credit union development and may, indeed, reflect the economic policies of the country in which they operate.Part of Journal of Rural Co-Operation Vol 34 No. 2: A selection of articles presented at the XXI International Co-operatives Research Conference on The Contribution of Co-operatives to Community Culture, held at Centre for Co-operative Studies, University College Cork, Ireland (11-14 August 2005

Gdzie odbywały się obrady sejmiku wileńskiego w latach 1717–1795?

Vytauto Didžiojo universitetasŠvietimo akademij