University of Latvia faculties are proud of their achievements!

Faculty of Biology Various types of plant cells are investigated in the Plant Cell Biology Laboratory of the Faculty of Biology. Chloroplasts, where photosynthesis happens, can be separated from leaf cells, being able to survive for a good while. Chloroplasts can be separated within particular complexes, which contain also cell nucleus and mitochondria. Each complex is held together by cytoskeleton and a system of internal membranes. Such complexes can be mechanically separated from plant cells. Being outside cells for six months, chloroplasts still carry out photosynthesis within the complexes. Mitochondria, in turn, disperse toxic end products, which are produced by chloroplasts. However, if chloroplasts are separated from cells without the rest of components from the complex, they rapidly lose their ability to carry out photosynthesis and grow old. The objective of the laboratory experiments was to prove that chloroplasts and mitochondria are more autonomous than previously acknowledged. In addition, methods for characterising the vitality of chloroplasts and mitochondria within the complexes were created, as well as optimal conditions for cultivation were found. The researchers’ future plans include working on genetic transformations of chloroplasts, as well as placing in chloroplasts’ complexes certain genes which would produce a particular type of proteins. Unlike modified cells, such complexes are not hazardous to the environment, as they are not capable of proliferation. Faculty of Computing On 25 June, 2012, Rusins Martins Freivalds, professor at the Faculty of Computing, received a prize directly from Sir Roger Penrose’s hands for the best scientific article at a conference in Manchester devoted to Alan Turing Centenary. Prof. R. M. Freivalds received the prize for his work “Ultrametric Automata and Turing Machines”, in which the notion of ultrametric algorithm is introduced. Ultrametric algorithms are similar to probabilistic algorithms, the latter meaning procedures in which “random choices” are employed in certain steps besides the “usual” calculation. However, at the end of the 20^th century, within a number of sciences it was found out that the conventional characterisation of “randomness” with a real number, called the probability, might not be entirely adequate. In quantum mechanics complex numbers are used for characterising this “randomness”, whereas within the recently developed direction of physics - the string theory, as well as within several directions of molecular biology the so-called p-adic numbers are used for it. This notion was introduced in 1987 by German mathematician Kurt Hensel, but the most interesting results regarding p-adic numbers originate from research conducted in the mid 20^th century. The role of these numbers in mathematics is largely the same as that of irrational numbers; however, with several peculiarities. A particular system of p-adic numbers corresponds to each prime number p. By using p-adic numbers in natural sciences, numerous (often an infinite number of) characterisations must be considered simultaneously. The paper awarded in Manchester reveals only the first results on algorithms employing the “random choices” that may be characterised in the above described manner. Already now papers by University of Latvia students, as well as by Japanese scientists have emerged, in which research on the possibilities of such algorithms is continued. Faculty of Economics and Management Scientists and PhD students of the Chair of Environmental Management, under the guidance of Professor Raimonds Ernsteins, are participating in the THESEUS project “Innovative Coastal Technologies for Safer European Coasts in a Changing Climate”, developed in collaboration with 31 European partner institutions under the EC’s Seventh Framework Programme. THESEUS is the largest integrated project within coastal risk assessment and mitigation funded by the European Commission (in the amount of 6 530 000 €). The project will be carried out until the end of 2013. It intends to examine the application of innovative, integrated coastal mitigation and adaptation technologies generally aiming at delivering a safe or low-risk coast for humans and healthy coastal habitats as the sea level rises, climate changes and the European economy continues to grow. Researchers of the Chair are participating also in a project within the European Territorial Cooperation Programme, namely, INTERREG IV A “Baltic Environment, Food and Health – from Habits to Awareness”. Faculty of Physics and Mathematics The Department of Optometry and Optical Science of the Faculty of Physics and Mathematics is currently busy with the project “Exploring vision and visual perception disturbances of school-age children and developing diagnostics methods”. It aims at effective diagnosis of school-age children’s vision and visual perception disturbances beyond eye care service, as well as at developing such methodology for diagnosing vision and visual perception disturbances, which is adapted to prophylactic assessment of near sight functions specific to the school-aged, carried out in school environment. For this reason, it is intended to develop a method for vision screening and a method for visual perception assessment, as well as to conduct epidemiologic research. During the first year of the project the researchers have developed and improved vision screening method and tested its diverse modes, by examining eyesight of more than 2000 pupils in six Latvian schools. Pupils and their parents already have the opportunity to learn about vision functions, screening, learn how to reduce the harm to one’s vision, etc. on the project webpage www.lu.lv/redze, under the section “Useful information”. The project is being carried out from 1 April 2011 to 31 December 2013. Faculty of Geography and Earth Sciences Professor Ervins Luksevics, from the UL Faculty of Geography and Earth Sciences, and Alexander Ivanov from Saint Petersburg State University have added to the collection of the Central Geological Scientific Research and Exploration Museum (CNIGR) in Russia a new species of four-limbed tetrapod from the South Timan stage. The Late Devonian tetrapods are primitive vertebrates with limbs, who are very similar to their ancestors – Panderichthy fish and who exhibit transition between fish and dry land animals. The new tetrapod species from South Timan is now represented by a number of fossils, discovered over the period between 2008 and 2012. International expeditions with Scientists from Russia, Latvia (from UL Faculty of Geography and Earth Sciences) and Sweden have taken place twice near the Izma River; moreover, the excavations of July 2012 were supported by National Geographic’s Fund. Skull, jaw and pectoral girdle bones have well remained in Sosnogorsk’s limestone. More than 50 of the skeleton components found belong to one species, what makes it one of the most perfectly known Devonian tetrapod species and allows developing a credible skull reconstruction. Thorough examination of the material, which has been collected up to 2012, enabled experts to put forward a hypothesis that this new species occupies a position between the well-known Tiktaalik fish from Canada and Ventastega tetrapod from Latvia, thus the new species is the most primitive one among those known from extensive materials. A group of scientists, including also Professor Ervins Luksevics, has already reported on the discovery at several meetings, such as the International Palaeontological Congress in London and etc. The scientists are planning to name the species and publish the discovery news at the end of 2012. Faculty of Humanities Peteris Pildegovics, lecturer at the Department of Asian Studies of the Faculty of Humanities, has spent eight years to compile a Chinese-Latvian dictionary. The presentation of “The Big Chinese-Latvian Dictionary” was held in the Great Hall of the University of Latvia on 29 September 2010. The dictionary contains 5,000 single Chinese words and 50,000 Chinese word groups, with the total pages of 1,025. In addition, the dictionary includes a brief chronology of Chinese history, information on Chinese musical instruments, acupunctures points, as well as abbreviations of the provinces in China, a table of countries, regions and currencies, the periodic table, etc., thus enhancing its informative value. The dictionary is a valuable investment in improving the communication between Latvia and China, as well as it serves as a support for those, who want to learn the Latvian or the Chinese language. The dictionary has been published by the Commercial Press of China in 1,000 copies. “The Big Chinese-Latvian Dictionary” was exhibited also at the Latvian Pavilion of “Expo 2010” in Shanghai. Faculty of Law Researchers from the Faculty of Law are working on the project “Comments on the Constitution of the Republic of Latvia. Chapter I. General Regulations”, which is to be completed on 31 December 2012. The overarching objective is to facilitate uniform interpretation and application of norms laid down in the Constitution to increase public knowledge about the contents of the Constitution norms, as well as to develop a public judicial culture. This project is a natural continuation of the already completed projects – “Comments on the Constitution of the Republic of Latvia. Chapter VIII. Fundamental Human Rights” and “Comments on the Constitution of the Republic of Latvia. Chapter VI-VII”. The researchers’ work can be considered as the most remarkable scientific achievement in Latvia’s jurisprudence over the last decade. Particularly significant are the comments on Chapter VIII, which were released as book “Comments on the Constitution of the Republic of Latvia. Chapter VIII. Fundamental Human Rights” at the end of 2011. The work with this valuable publication – from idea to reality – lasted for three years under the guidance of Ringolds Balodis, Professor at the Faculty of Law. Experts’ comments form a popular reader-friendly style for scientific accounts. Thus the comments on the Constitution are suitable for everyone interested, particularly for practising lawyers and students of law. Faculty of Chemistry Over the last few years research on enrichment and organofilization of Triassic clay (which contains smectites) from the Baltic region has been very successfully conducted at the Chair of Physical Chemistry of the Faculty of Chemistry, and this research allows obtaining new materials on the basis of the local earth entrails’ resources. The most valuable property of Triassic clay is its high sorption ability. The researchers’ objective is to develop new technological methods for enriching and activating the local smectite clay. Enriched smectite clay can be used for extracting new products, e.g., collecting such substances from wastes, which are pharmaceutically active for the production of sorbents. Latvian Triassic clay has low smectites content (approx. 30-40%). However, European researchers this year have patented a new method which allows concentrating the necessary smectite fraction up to 70-80% by precipitating it from the suspension by KOHIDRAC coagulant. Although sorbents are usually isolated from the environment or burnt after their utilisation, a methodology has recently been approbated for reverting smectites, which have been exposed to the temperature of 450-460^oC, to their initial state. This process may serve as a model for regenerating real sorbents. Presumably, using clay as sorbents could decrease the content of dangerous substances in wastes, thus increasing several times the output and relieving purification plants.  Faculty of Medicine In order to clarify the effect of polymorphisms of the Latvian population on the effectiveness and tolerance of different peroral and anti-diabetic medicaments, as well as to develop genetic variation panel for pharmacogenetic diagnostic tests, a longitudinal prospective clinical observation – Optimal Personalised Treatment Programme (OPTIMED) - in which patients with type 2 diabetes are involved, has been developed and initiated within the State’s research programme BIOMEDICINE. Detailed medical history and phenotypological data are collected from research participants, as well as they regularly are kept under observation and the efficiency of the treatment is evaluated at least 3 years after their entry into the project. During the study researchers identified gene polymorphisms and created genetic prognostic test for intolerance to metformin - METFOseq – with the help of which it is possible to identify patients with a higher risk of metformin side effects before beginning the metformin therapy. The authors of the research discovered OCT1 gene deletion or a small break in a gene segment, which approximately 40% of Latvian population has. Information about this gene mutation was available in scientific databases; however, its influence on medication tolerance had not been studied up to now. The research results show that diabetes patients who have this genetic variant (OCT1 gene deletion) have intolerance to metformin 1.72 times more often. The scientific article resulting from the above study was initially written by Linda Tarasova and published by the international quotable journal Pharmacogenetics and Genomics in September 2012. Faculty of Education, Psychology and Art The Faculty of Education, Psychology and Art in collaboration with 6 Latvian higher educational institutions, 15 municipalities, 25 educational institutions, 5 NGOs and State Education Content Centre of the Ministry of Education and Science are carrying out a project “Developing and Implementing Support Programmes to Form Support System for Young People at Risk of Social Exclusion”. During this project it is planned to find out, form, approbate and evaluate the system of decreasing and preventing social exclusion risk for young people aged 13-25 in order to decrease the social exclusion risk and the number of young people, who leave school early and do not continue their education, as well as to facilitate their professional education and employment. The overarching objective of the research is to decrease the number of young people at risk of social exclusion in 15 municipalities and 25 educational institutions by facilitating their involvement in education and employment, as well as society. From January to October 2011, the researchers accomplished a study “The Social-Psychological Portrait of Young People at Risk of Social Exclusion in Latvia”. Faculty of Social Sciences Since 2005 the Social and Political Research Institute of the University of Latvia (SPRI UL) in collaboration with 4 other Latvian higher educational institutions has taken over National Development Report project, where measurements not only from economic, but also from social, health, education and sense of security areas are summarised every two years. Reports are intended for a wide range of readers – students, journalists, local government workers, policymakers, for everyone, who cares about human welfare and Latvia’s development. SPRI UL has already published four reports. On 30 November 2011, the presentation of the most recent report “Report on National Development 2010/2011: National Identity, Mobility and Capacity” (editors-in-chief – Brigita Zepa and Evija Klave, SPRI UL) took place. On April 2012, the Latvian Academy of Sciences, after summarising the proposals from universities, scientific institutes and centres, named this publication among twelve most significant achievements of Latvian science in 2011, indicating its contribution to the scientific research on national identity and development of Latvian society. Faculty of Theology From 2008 to 2009 the teaching staff and students of the Faculty carried out a project “Ideas and Praxes in Latvian Christianity in the 1920s and 30s within European Context” under the guidance of Assoc. Prof. Dace Balode. Its objective was to study the Latvian heritage of academic theology, national religiousness, tendencies and institutional rearrangement of European Christianity, in the context of political and other processes. During the project, the teaching staff and students of the faculty analysed both Christianity in practice, and the history of theological ideas, which revealed the role of Christianity in the society at that time and its interaction with culture and politics. In seminars and a conference devoted to the subject matter of the project, as well as in several articles of the faculty’s collection of theological and cultural heritage articles “Way” (“Ceļš”), the results of the researchers’ work were summarised, thus making them available for students and others interested. As the conference took place and the edition of “Way” was published, new facts and interpretations have appeared within the research community, which supplement Latvian Studies and touch upon the history of Christianity in Latvia. Faculty of History and Philosophy Former students of the Faculty, as well as its lecturers have conducted research and written a book published by UL Academic Publishing House and entitled “History of the Faculty of History and Philosophy in Soviet Times. Personalities, Structures, Ideas (1944-1991)”, which encompasses the Faculty’s academic and everyday life from 1944 to 1991. The authors of the book are historians Janis Keruss, Ineta Lipsa, Inese Runce and Kaspars Zellis. This scientific research is the first and most extensive attempt to encompass and comprehend the academic and everyday life in the UL Faculty of History and Philosophy from 1944 to 1991. From 1944 to 1954 it was called the Faculty of History, from 1954 to 1970 – Faculty of History and Philology, but from 1970 – Faculty of History and Philosophy. The first part of the book contains oral sources – fragments from interviews with lecturers who worked at the Faculty in Soviet times. The second part consists of research based primarily on studies of documents of the State Archive of Latvia. Due to the strong demand, second, enlarged edition of the book has been published.

Translated by students of the professional study programme Translator of the University of Latvia.