The Latvian government established the Housing Affordability Fund in mid-2022, a long-term self-sustaining financing model to channel investment into affordable housing. The fund is now being scaled ...up to ensure lasting impact on the Latvian housing market. This report identifies options for institutional arrangements, funding and financing opportunities, and operational tools to achieve this aim.
The water-energy-food (WEF) nexus is a complex system operating at many scales, the importance of which is increasingly recognized in academia and policy. There are calls to expand the nexus to ...include land and climate (WEFLC) as well as to narrow the science-policy divide, implying conducting assessments at policy-relevant scales to assess the impacts of policy objectives. This paper presents a national-scale WEFLC nexus system dynamics modelling assessment for Latvia. Qualitative and quantitative assessment was performed with local stakeholders to validate model structure, data, results, and to gather information on Latvian policy objectives and implement them in the model as potential future policies. Under baseline conditions (i.e. without implementing goal-specific policies under shared socio-economic pathway 2), results indicate a levelling off of consumption by 2050 while production of food products and energy is expected to increase. Nitrogen losses and climate emissions increase, going against policy targets. Implementation of indicative policies has desired impacts within their given sector, but may lead to trade-offs in others. Implementing multiple policies simultaneously may augment or hinder progress towards objectives due to system interconnectedness. Therefore, when choosing which policies to implement, cross-sectoral implications must be carefully considered. This work offers insight for policy and decision making in Latvia, hinting at policy options to pursue, and highlighting those to avoid. This study offers suggestions for closing the science-policy divide including the use of visual serious game environments for results interpretation, the use of selected indicators for nexus performance assessment, and close stakeholder engagement throughout a project.
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•There are a lack of policy-relevant integrated nexus studies.•A Latvian water-energy-food-land-climate nexus system dynamics model is developed.•Policies, developed with expert stakeholder, are integrated in the model.•Policies implemented in isolation have desired nexus impacts only in that sector.•Policy packages show complex nexus impacts which must be considered.
The Republic of Latvia is a fascinating mirror of the development of European democratic culture and reflects both the rise of democracy in Eastern Europe after the end of World War I and its ...deterioration into authoritarianism in the early 1930s. The regime, which lasted for only six years (1934-1940), was shaped by the controversial figure, Karlis Ulmanis. This archive-based study illustrates the development of authoritarianism in Latvia, shows controversies and similarities, and places the regime's leader in the international context of European authoritarian culture.
In 2014, African swine fever (ASF) emerged in Latvia for the first time. The majority of cases appeared in wild boar, but the presence of ASF in these animals constitutes a permanent threat to ...domestic pig holdings. Recent studies have shown an increase in serologically positive and a decrease in PCR‐positive ASF cases in wild boar, possibly indicating a decline of ASF incidence. We aimed to investigate the course of the ASF epidemic in wild boar in Latvia, thus attaining further insights into the ASF epidemiology in this country with the goal of assessing the stage of the epidemic. Latvian ASF surveillance data of wild boar were utilized to estimate the seroprevalence and ASF virus (ASFV) prevalence in the wild boar population. Prevalence estimates were obtained for both the eastern and western part of the country and in addition for the 2014/2015 to 2018/2019 hunting seasons. Moreover, prevalence estimates for three different age classes were calculated. An increase in serologically positive yet PCR‐negative wild boar samples from active surveillance was identified over time. When comparing the age groups, wild boar younger than one year displayed the ASFV prevalence to be higher than the seroprevalence, whereas older animals shared higher seroprevalence estimates. These findings support the assumption that only a small proportion of affected animals survive an infection, leading to an accumulation of their numbers over time. As a result, ASF elimination in a country with an infected wild boar population could possibly be achieved, if effective wild boar population management and surveillance is maintained and combined with the detection and removal of wild boar carcasses to reduce the viral load in the environment. In addition, the wild boar population should be kept as small as possible to break the ASFV infection cycle.
Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) intravascular ultrasound imaging can detect lipid-rich plaques (LRPs). LRPs are associated with acute coronary syndromes or myocardial infarction, which can result ...in revascularisation or cardiac death. In this study, we aimed to establish the relationship between LRPs detected by NIRS-intravascular ultrasound imaging at unstented sites and subsequent coronary events from new culprit lesions.
In this prospective, cohort study (LRP), patients from 44 medical centres were enrolled in Italy, Latvia, Netherlands, Slovakia, UK, and the USA. Patients with suspected coronary artery disease who underwent cardiac catheterisation with possible ad hoc percutaneous coronary intervention were eligible to be enrolled. Enrolled patients underwent scanning of non-culprit segments using NIRS-intravascular ultrasound imaging. The study had two hierarchal primary hypotheses, patient and plaque, each testing the association between maximum 4 mm Lipid Core Burden Index (maxLCBI4mm) and non-culprit major adverse cardiovascular events (NC-MACE). Enrolled patients with large LRPs (≥250 maxLCBI4mm) and a randomly selected half of patients with small LRPs (<250 maxLCBI4mm) were followed up for 24 months. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02033694.
Between Feb 21, 2014, and March 30, 2016, 1563 patients were enrolled. NIRS-intravascular ultrasound device-related events were seen in six (0·4%) patients. 1271 patients (mean age 64 years, SD 10, 883 69% men, 388 31%women) with analysable maxLCBI4mm were allocated to follow-up. The 2-year cumulative incidence of NC-MACE was 9% (n=103). Both hierarchical primary hypotheses were met. On a patient level, the unadjusted hazard ratio (HR) for NC-MACE was 1·21 (95% CI 1·09–1·35; p=0·0004) for each 100-unit increase maxLCBI4mm) and adjusted HR 1·18 (1·05–1·32; p=0·0043). In patients with a maxLCBI4mm more than 400, the unadjusted HR for NC-MACE was 2·18 (1·48–3·22; p<0·0001) and adjusted HR was 1·89 (1·26–2·83; p=0·0021). At the plaque level, the unadjusted HR was 1·45 (1·30–1·60; p<0·0001) for each 100-unit increase in maxLCBI4mm. For segments with a maxLCBI4mm more than 400, the unadjusted HR for NC-MACE was 4·22 (2·39–7·45; p<0·0001) and adjusted HR was 3·39 (1·85–6·20; p<0·0001).
NIRS imaging of non-obstructive territories in patients undergoing cardiac catheterisation and possible percutaneous coronary intervention was safe and can aid in identifying patients and segments at higher risk for subsequent NC-MACE. NIRS-intravascular ultrasound imaging adds to the armamentarium as the first diagnostic tool able to detect vulnerable patients and plaques in clinical practice.
Infraredx.
•The Baltic States provide good example of decrease in production-based emissions.•However, consumption-based emissions at the same time had a tendency to rise.•There are significant differences ...among countries in terms of emissions of consumption, production and trade.•They can be explained by differences in carbon intensity of the energy sector, economic structure and physical infrastructure.•Countries have to change household behavior, decarbonize energy and transport sectors, reduce trade related emissions.
The paper analyzes consumption related household CO2 equivalent (CO2e) emissions for the three Baltic States – Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania from 1995 to 2011. The analysis is based on a multi-regional input–output model, which allows us to estimate life-cycle emissions for all major household consumption items. Results demonstrate that household carbon footprints in all the Baltic States significantly increased by 47% in Estonia, 20% in Latvia and 52% in Lithuania during the study period. In 2011 in Estonia expenditures for housing and utility contributed the highest per capita life-cycle emissions – 43%. However, in Lithuania housing accounted only for 16% of per capita emissions, but food and transport were responsible for 31%; whereas in Estonia and Latvia transport accounted for 18% and 21%, respectively. Production processes related to food consumption are responsible for 18% of emissions in Estonia, 31% in Latvia and Lithuania. Most of the indirect emissions are related to imports from Russia and China followed by imports from other Baltic States. If consumption-based emissions are to decrease countries will have to (1) change household behavior, which requires relevant knowledge, infrastructure and resources to facilitate switching to lower carbon-intensive alternatives; (2) decarbonize their own energy and transport sectors; and (3) reduce lifecycle emissions associated with trade, by supporting imports from low carbon regions, including producing locally.
Aims
Improving glycaemic control in people with Type 1 diabetes is known to reduce complications. Our aim was to compare glycaemic control among people with Type 1 diabetes using data gathered in ...regional or national registries.
Methods
Data were obtained for children and/or adults with Type 1 diabetes from the following countries (or regions): Western Australia, Austria, Denmark, England, Champagne‐Ardenne (France), Germany, Epirus, Thessaly and Thessaloniki (Greece), Galway (Ireland), several Italian regions, Latvia, Rotterdam (The Netherlands), Otago (New Zealand), Norway, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Sweden, Volyn (Ukraine), USA and Wales) from population or clinic‐based registries. The sample size with available data varied from 355 to 173 880. Proportions with HbA1c < 58 mmol/mol (< 7.5%) and ≥ 75 mmol/mol (≥ 9.0%) were compared by age and sex.
Results
Data were available for 324 501 people. The proportions with HbA1c 58 mmol/mol (< 7.5%) varied from 15.7% to 46.4% among 44 058 people aged < 15 years, from 8.9% to 49.5% among 50 766 people aged 15–24 years and from 20.5% to 53.6% among 229 677 people aged ≥ 25 years. Sex differences in glycaemic control were small. Proportions of people using insulin pumps varied between the 12 sources with data available.
Conclusion
These results suggest that there are substantial variations in glycaemic control among people with Type 1 diabetes between the data sources and that there is room for improvement in all populations, especially in young adults.
What's new?
We present HbA1c data from registries in 19 different countries describing control in 324 501 people with Type 1 diabetes, across all age groups.
These data are the best representation of diabetes care available and therefore describe the ‘state of the art’.
We show clearly that Type 1 diabetes control is not as good as suggested in guidelines, but that some healthcare systems appear to result in better control than others.
These data present a challenge to diabetes services. Leaders in diabetes units/service can compare their local data to our data and encourage improvement.
This book is an ethnography of politics of waiting. While the global political economy is usually imagined through metaphors of acceleration and speed, this book reveals waiting as the shadow ...temporality of the contemporary logics of governance. The ethnographic site for this analysis is a state-run unemployment office in Latvia, serving as a vantage point from which to observe how welfare programmes use acceleration and waiting as forms of control as well as to compare Western and post-Soviet welfare policy designs. The book is therefore a timely sociological critique of the forms of statecraft that have emerged in the aftermath of neoliberalism. The key audiences for this book are students and scholars of sociology, anthropology, social policy, and social and political theory, as well as policymakers and activists with an interest in welfare reforms and comparisons between Western and post-Soviet welfare designs.
The bioeconomy is seen as crucial for achieving a climate-neutral Europe by 2050; therefore, it is important to monitor and illustrate the performance and trends of the bioeconomy development not ...only at state level but also in regions. The research aims to develop a methodology for the identification of bioeconomy concentration and the structure of bioeconomy enterprises at a regional level. The methodology of the research is based on four main steps: (1) defining the framework of bioeconomy enterprises; (2) setting data sources and research limitations; (3) estimating the bio-based share of bioeconomy industries; (4) estimating a location quotient which provide data serving to assess the level of concentration of the factor analysed. The research is based on the analysis of 119 municipalities and 30 387 bioeconomy enterprises by using a location quotient. The research results revealed that the municipalities could be classified into three groups according to the concentration of the bioeconomy. Such a classification of municipalities allowed us to identify the strengths and weaknesses of each municipality in the field of bioeconomy and potential development possibilities. The novelty of the research provides a methodological background for municipal-level monitoring of the bioeconomy and suggestions for improving the uneven development of the bioeconomy. Doi: 10.28991/ESJ-2023-07-01-05 Full Text: PDF
•A high prevalence of Trichinella spp. was detected in eight carnivorous species.•T. britovi was more prevalent than T. nativa and T. spiralis.•T. spiralis was only found in few animals as mixed ...infection with T. britovi.•The intensity of infection was higher in juvenile than in adult animals.
Trichinella spp. are zoonotic parasites transmitted to humans by the consumption of raw or insufficiently cooked meat of different animal species. Carnivore mammals are important reservoir hosts of these nematodes. The aims of this work were to establish the prevalence of Trichinella spp. and infection intensity in sylvatic carnivore mammals of Latvia, to identify the etiological agents at the species level and their circulation in the Latvian regions. From 2010 to 2014, muscle samples were collected from 1286 hunted animals (2 European badgers, 137 pine martens, 24 stone martens, 4 golden jackals, 394 raccoon dogs, 668 red foxes, 23 grey wolves, and 34 Eurasian lynxes). Trichinella spp. larvae were isolated by muscle digestion. Overall, 633 animals (49.2%; 95% CI 46.5%-52.0%) belonging to all the eight investigated species, tested positive for Trichinella spp. larvae. Trichinella britovi was the most common species (94.0%; 95% CI 91.7%–95.7%). Trichinella nativa was detected in 30 animals as single (6, 1.1%; 95% CI 0.4%–2.3%) or mixed infection (24, 4.4%; 95% CI 2.9%–6.4%) with T. britovi. Trichinella spiralis was detected in only three animals as mixed infection with T. britovi. The high prevalence of Trichinella spp. infection in sylvatic carnivore mammals suggests that they are good indicators for the risk assessment of Trichinella spp. in Latvia.
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