Search results for "INDEPENDENCE"

Axiomatic characterization of the weighted solidarity values

2014

Abstract We define and characterize the class of all weighted solidarity values . Our first characterization employs the classical axioms determining the solidarity value (except symmetry ), that is, efficiency , additivity and the A-null player axiom , and two new axioms called proportionality and strong individual rationality . In our second axiomatization, the additivity and the A-null player axioms are replaced by a new axiom called average marginality .

Discrete Derivatives for Atom-Pairs as a Novel Graph-Theoretical Invariant for Generating New Molecular Descriptors: Orthogonality, Interpretation an…

2013

This report presents a new mathematical method based on the concept of the derivative of a molecular graph (G) with respect to a given event (S) to codify chemical structure information. The derivate over each pair of atoms in the molecule is defined as ∂G/∂S(vi  , vj )=(fi -2fij +fj )/fij , where fi (or fj ) and fij are the individual frequency of atom i (or j) and the reciprocal frequency of the atoms i and j, respectively. These frequencies characterize the participation intensity of atom pairs in S. Here, the event space is composed of molecular sub-graphs which participate in the formation of the G skeleton that could be complete (representing all possible connected sub-graphs) or comp…

Inferring slowly-changing dynamic gene-regulatory networks

2015

Dynamic gene-regulatory networks are complex since the interaction patterns between their components mean that it is impossible to study parts of the network in separation. This holistic character of gene-regulatory networks poses a real challenge to any type of modelling. Graphical models are a class of models that connect the network with a conditional independence relationships between random variables. By interpreting these random variables as gene activities and the conditional independence relationships as functional non-relatedness, graphical models have been used to describe gene-regulatory networks. Whereas the literature has been focused on static networks, most time-course experi…

The impact of economic, social and political factors on the landscape structure of the Vidzeme Uplands in Latvia

2005

Abstract Changes in landscape structure in a typical part of the Vidzeme Uplands in central Latvia during the 20th century are analysed and anticipated changes in the 21st century are projected. Forest areas gradually increased in the Vidzeme Uplands over the course of the 20th century. This increase was associated with several factors: the economic policy in Latvia during the 1930s, the exile of farmers in 1940 and 1949 after the Soviet occupation of Latvia, the aggregation of land into collective farms, the amalgamation of small collective farms, the formation of large-scale Soviet collective farms, and widespread land melioration. Since land reform in the 1990s, following the restoration…

Humanities and Social Sciences. Latvia: Vol. 27, N 1 (Spring-Summer 2019)

2019

The Development of Democracy and Local Governance in Latvia

2006

The traditions of autonomous local governments in Latvia between the two world wars were interrupted in the Soviet period. The local council elections held in December 1989 were the first democratic elections in the postwar period. The elections were competitive, with more than one candidate running for each — post, and a majority system was implemented. Local government laws were passed in February 1990 when the Supreme Council of the Latvian SSR government adopted three separate laws on district, city and rural local governments. A short time before the re-establishment of the independent Republic of Latvia — a process in which the local governments played a great role (before Parliament …

After the fall of the soviet union: the changing status of local governments in the republic of latvia

1999

When the Republic of Latvia gained its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, one of Latvia's first priorities was to rebuild its system of local government. This article describes many of the problems local governments in Latvia faced after 50 years of communist rule. The article also discusses the new Latvian laws which changed the structure of local government in that country. Also discussed are Latvian central government institutions which impacted on local governments in general and local government finances in particular. The unique status of the Capitol City of Riga, Latvia's largest municipality is also reviewed in detail.

Tourism Development in Riga: Resident Attitudes Toward Tourism

2017

This study analyses tourism development in Riga, the capital of Latvia. Riga is a tourist destination that was relatively unknown during the Soviet regime and is now becoming a popular international destination. The study reveals key tourism development trends as well as those features of the city that have highlighted the impact of the global economic crisis and the recovery since the country regained its independence. The goal of this research was to analyse the attitudes of local residents towards tourism including their perception of the impact of tourism in terms of how it has developed. In addition to drawing conclusions from collected data, this study has compared current results to …

The Challenges Faced by Life Insurance Companies in the Baltic States

2020

The Baltic life insurance market is a young steadily growing market. It began its development in the early 1990s when all three Baltic States, specifically Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, have regained their independence. The Baltic life insurance market is limited due to a relatively small size with approximately six million inhabitants in all three countries. Additionally, the operations have deteriorated due to the low interest rates and the negative fluctuations in the financial market. The lessons learnt by the life insurers in the Baltic States are useful to other small countries in the European Union (EU) as well as to the larger States, to help bring to light the challenges of those …

Boards of directors: composition and effects on the performance of the firm

2018

This paper analyses the structure of boards of directors and its impact on business performance, which is approximated by economic profitability and the Tobin’s Q ratio. We focus on three basic aspects of boards that have been reviewed in the recent reform of the Good Governance Code: the size of boards, their independence and their diversity. For the study of diversity, we use an index that integrates not only the gender of board members, but also their age and nationality, since these are factors that can influence the knowledge, experience and skills of the directors. The results confirm a high degree of compliance with the recommendations of the Good Governance Code, and suggest that th…