DIGITAL ERA IN CROSS-SECTIONAL HUMAN ANATOMY: THE USE OF DETAILED IMAGES IN THE STUDY PROCESS

INTRODUCTION An increasing number of digital technologies have been introduced which assist in some practical aspects of the teaching and learning of Human Anatomy. For modern-day students, more and more cross-sectional images of the human body are available as materials in their studies. Digital 2D images and/or 3D images such as high-resolution computed tomography (CT) scans and magnetic resonance (MR) have been received with much enthusiasm and have found their way into anatomy courses and practical classes. An emphasis on sectional anatomy can help medical students develop and improve their knowledge of cross‐sectional imaging. The aim of this study was to assess and verify the impact of cross-sectional images on the study of Human Anatomy. MATERIALS AND METHODS 200 medical students in their 2nd study year at Rīga Stradiņš University were included in this investigation in 2018. In practical classes, all students were asked by tutors to identify several anatomical structures using "Anatomage", a 3D virtual dissection table (USA). They were randomly divided into two groups: Group I analysed cross-sectional images of the human body after cutting and segmentation with interactive tools; Group II studied X-rays, CT scans and MRI images of different regions and systems. Similar images in all possible cross-sectional planes were displayed. The pathological findings from the cross-sectional images were used to develop several clinical questions and cases. At the beginning of each practical class, the tutor spent about 30 minutes demonstrating the themes in the images to all the students. At the end of the teaching session, their understanding of the relationships between anatomical structures and the rate of cross-sectional image effectiveness among both groups was assessed by means of discussion. RESULTS By this time, students were able to identify the position of bones and organs from the lectures, practical classes and dissections. The majority of students recognized the landmarks, anatomical structures and relationships between them on cross-sectional images in three planes. By removing different kinds of tissue, students in both groups were able to learn more difficult anatomical topics and to explain details in these complicated regions. Self-assessment exercises helped students verify their understanding of topographical relations and regional anatomy. In these groups, students with less prior anatomy experience wanted to focus more on the basics of anatomy whereas students with more prior anatomy experience wanted to see and study more complex and interactive materials in cross-sectional images. CONCLUSION This study demonstrated the role of the 3D virtual dissection table "Anatomage" in facilitating students' ability to interpret cross-sectional images and understand the relationships between different anatomical structures. All the X-rays, CT scans and MRI cross-sectional images used played an important role in the teaching and learning of Human Anatomy. Skills and the ability to interpret these medical images is important for the application of anatomical knowledge right from basic studies until clinical courses.

TALENT RETENTION, ATTRACTION AND THE REQUIRED FUTURE SKILLS FOR EMPLOYEES IN WINNING CITIES IN RURAL REGIONS

INTRODUCTION The article intends to identify the factors that can retain talented people and attract new talent in small and medium-sized urban areas of European scale, especially in regions with declining and ageing populations. The problem is topical in today's Europe and as well as in Japan. It is equally important to understand the skills needed and the sectors where talents are required in small and medium-sized urban areas with an ascending development trend. The theoretical background of the research is based on literature studies on the theory of talent flow, knowing the factors of the talent flow in small and medium-sized cities, and building the talent flow models based on them. The article discusses the concept of talent (Michaels et al. 2001, several dictionaries, understanding of Valmiera residents). The researchers define that talented people fascinate others, create and implement ideas and have good reasoning skills. Until now, mainly in Europe and in the USA, the attraction of talent at the level of cities and regions has been implemented through migration policy. The administrative boundaries where the migrant talents come from are not as important as the factors that encourage the decisions on the choice of the place of living and work. In Estonia a National Policy for Attracting and Retaining International Talents (2014) has been developed. The findings of the report on models for attracting talent in Europe through the public sector are relevant to small and medium-sized urban areas. In the case study, there are no respondents representing a migrant group that is not a diaspora, and this is a specific feature of a small and medium-sized urban area. MATERIALS AND METHODS The empirical part has been developed through a study in Valmiera City (Latvia, Europe) with a population of 23 thousand inhabitants, aiming at increasing this number by 5000 and further boosting growth in the city's competitiveness in human resources. A survey of 25 experts was conducted initially to highlight the trends. In order to obtain the data, 29 interviews were conducted with the city's entrants, outgoing residents and the steady, already stable and welcoming residents of Valmiera. Also, an online survey of 81 university graduates was carried out to find out the major reasons for staying in or leaving the regional city of Valmiera. The research city of Valmiera was compared to Ventspils, Rezekne and Jelgava in Latvia, as well as to two foreign cities in Northern Europe – the nearest neighbouring city of Tartu in Estonia and Joensuu in Finland. The cities were compared by socio-economic factors - population dynamics, economic development, access to culture, and political stability, which are important factors in attracting talent. The research methodology is based on the theoretical findings of Ingram, Shapiro, Albouy on the impact of four dimensions in talent attraction: economic development, market competition, labour market conditions and national culture, as well as the impact of lifestyle on choice. According to these dimensions, interview questions have been developed, and, by grouping the content, the analysis of the responses has been carried out. The previous study by the authors has been used as a secondary source. The study focused on the future skills needed for the labour force in the Vidzeme region in Latvia, and the compliance of the proposed education with the labour market requirements in the Vidzeme region of Latvia. RESULTS The results of the research show that a job offer providing the applicant the possibility to demonstrate his capacity and pursue his or her objectives is of primary importance for the recruitment of skilled labour in a winning city in a rural area, followed by the appropriate housing and transport, and social infrastructure. As a secondary factor, lifestyle, which includes diversity, cultural environment, architecture and the presence of the natural environment, is important. The importance of the factors of attraction varies according to the stage of human life. DISCUSSION The results of the interviews show that small and medium-sized urban areas have the potential to attract talented human resources, taking into account the key attraction factors described in the theory. The empirical analysis in the example of Valmiera reveals that a significant attraction factor in small and medium urban areas is social ties with the area. The labour market demand is also an important factor. The results of the research revealed that in certain occupational groups in Valmiera (such as managers, social sciences in general), the labour market demand is lower than the supply. In further research it would be necessary to carry out focus group interviews with migrants in small and medium-sized urban areas in order to find out the important factors in taking a decision on their choice of residence. CONCLUSION Small and medium-sized urban areas need to develop diversity and openness. This initiative needs to be strengthened both in the operation and investments of a municipality and in communication with the public. Virtually all of the examples discussed refer to migration as inevitable in attracting talent – highly skilled people.

DEVELOPMENT OF A MICROSCOPY SLIDE SYSTEM OF BASIC SUBJECTS FOR INCLUSION IN E -STUDIES FOR MEDICAL AND DENTISTRY STUDENTS

INTRODUCTION Medical and dentistry studies are time-consuming and require patience and perseverance. The study of basic medical subjects including Histology with Cell biology and Embryology require the possibility for regular study of tissues and self-evaluation which should not be limited in time, and should not be limited to classroom time. Furthermore, official slide-sets for the above-mentioned subjects often contain incomplete cell, tissue and organ slides which do not allow a full understanding of the teaching subjects. Thus, our aim was the development of a microscopy slide system for basic medical subjects to be included in e-studies which are accessible to medical students anywhere and anytime MATERIALS AND METHODS We planned to use 220 slides in Histology and 80 slides in Embryology. For the scanning process a Glissando Slide Scanner was used (Objective Imaging Ltd., UK). Slide images were then processed using Adobe Photoshop 7.0.1 Update and Paint.Net Software. A description of the slides was evaluated by three tutors, independent experts and IT specialists and all slides were transferred/incorporated into the Riga Stradiņš University e-study system. RESULTS The result was the development of 786 high quality digitalised slides with easily changeable magnification for two subjects: 372 new slides for use in Histology for the Medical faculty (MF) and 290 new slides for use in Histology for the Dentistry faculty (DF); 65 new slides for use in Embryology for the MF and 59 slides for the DF. Additionally, the quality of 230 Histology slides and 99 Embryology slides previously scanned using a press scanner were improved. Furthermore, descriptions of each slide were given in Latvian and English for easier orientation and to facilitate independent study. Altogether, slide descriptions were prepared for 16 2nd semester labs and 15 3rd semester labs in MF Histology, while the DF received 14 descriptions for 1st semester labs and 8 descriptions for 2nd semester labs in this subject. In Embryology, 6 lab slide descriptions for the MF were used and 5 lab slide descriptions for the DF were used. All slides were also marked with a special university watermark. The slide-set introduction contained a warning to students regarding copy/reproduction rights . In the end, the addition of slide study to e-studies was very highly evaluated by Latvian and foreign students in student feed-back questionnaires at the end of their studies in basic medical subjects. CONCLUSION The inclusion of Histology and Embryology slide-sets in e-studies allows an absolutely indispensable possibility for modern, independent study in medicine, saving the time of students and tutors outside the auditorium and creates the possibility of increasing the number of students in the classes. The digitalisation of high quality slides allows the development of many variations of basic teaching slides and expands teaching explanations in this way. The existing digitalised slide-sets and their descriptions can easily be changed if needed. However, the minus of such digitalised slide-sets in e-studies is that violations of university property copy rights by students cannot be excluded. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT The Foundation of Boris and Inara Teterevi is highly acknowledged for its financial support of the development of digitalised e-studies slide-set Programs in Histology and Embryology at Riga Stradiņš University.

THE EFFECT OF EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION AND CARE SERVICES IN LATVIA

INTRODUCTION In recent years, more attention has been paid to social investment policies, especially the importance of investment in early childhood. A growing number of studies have shown that social investment at an early age has the highest returns in human capital and the main social investment instrument in this period of life is high-quality early childhood education and care services (hereafter – ECEC services). The importance of social investment in early childhood has been stressed in both Latvian and EU planning documents. One of the policy priorities defined by both the EC and the EP in order to meet the Europe2020 targets is to “ensure universal provision of ECEC”. Previous research has shown that the successful implementation of social investment at an early age reduces crime, increases the future number of school graduates and skilled workers, and also brings individual benefits - better health, greater civil and social involvement. However, since most of these studies have been conducted in the US there is a lack of empirical research on social investment returns in Europe, and in Latvia,. Until now, social investment returns have not been researched in Latvia. The aim of this research is to see if early signs of positive change as a result of social investment can be observed, given that statistical data shows an expansion of ECEC in recent years in Latvia, especially for children who have not yet started compulsory education. The ECEC attendance rate has grown from 44.42% in 2010 to 54.43% in 2017. MATERIALS AND METHODS In this the study the author has analysed whether or not positive connections can be observed between ECEC attendance rate and eight indicators that have been positively connected with ECEC attendance rate in previous studies - educational attainments (3rdgrade test results), school graduation rate, average income, teen pregnancy rate, fertility rate, female workforce participation rate, overall labour-force participation rate and crime rate. To achieve the aims of the study, analyses of policy documents, previous research and statistical data were carried out. SPSS Software was used for data editing and analysis. Statistical data were analysed from the period 2010-2017, with exceptions in the case of high school graduation rate (2011-2017) and educational attainment (2012-2017) due to the lack of open access data available on these topics. To gain a deeper understanding of the research results that are connected with educational outcomes, 14 secondary school teachers from two schools in Valmiera were surveyed. RESULTS Research results show that in recent years a positive connection can be observed in Latvia between the ECEC attendance rate and fertility rate (0.879), female employment (0.981), overall employment (0.980), average income (0.955) and teen pregnancy (-0.967). Results show that ECEC services can be one of the factors that have positively influenced these indicators. A weaker connection can be observed when we look at the high school graduation rate (0.703) and crime level reduction (-0.786). However, research results showed that there is no connection between ECEC attendance rate and educational attainment (average state examination results of 3rd graders in mathematics (-0.110) and learning language (0.111)). CONCLUSION There has been an increase in social investment in early age in Latvia, and it has already had some economic and socio-economic outcomes. However, despite the fact that literature suggests the effect of ECEC on educational attainment can be observed the earliest, results showed that this is not true in the case of Latvia. Surveys of 1st-grade teachers suggested that this kind of situation may occur due to ECEC quality problems, so further studies in this field should be carried out.

A WEB-BASED FAST AND RELIABLE TEXT CLASSIFICATION TOOL

INTRODUCTION Opinion analysis in the big data analysis context has been a hot topic in science and the business world recently. Social media has become a key data source for opinions generating a large amount of data every day providing content for further analysis. In the Big data age, unstructured data classification is one of the key tools for fast and reliable content analysis. I expect significant growth in the demand for content classification services in the nearest future. There are many online text classification tools available providing limited functionality -such as automated text classification in predefined categories and sentiment analysis based on a pre-trained machine learning algorithm. The limited functionality does not provide tools such as data mining support and/or a machine learning algorithm training interface. There are a limited number of tools available providing the whole sets of tools required for text classification, i.e. this includes all the steps starting from data mining till building a machine learning algorithm and applying it to a data stream from a social network source. My goal is to create a tool able to generate a classified text stream directly from social media with a user friendly set-up interface. METHODS AND MATERIALS The text classification tool will have a core based modular structure (each module providing certain functionality) so the system can be scaled in terms of technology and functionality. The tool will be built on open source libraries and programming languages running on a Linux OS based server. The tool will be based on three key components: frontend, backend and data storage as described below: backend: Python and Nodejs programming language with machine learning and text filtering libraries: TensorFlow, and Keras, for data storage Mysql 5.7/8 will be used, frontend will be based on web technologies built using PHP and Javascript. EXPECTED RESULTS The expected result of my work is a web-based text classification tool for opinion analysis using data streams from social media. The tool will provide a user friendly interface for data collection, algorithm selection, machine learning algorithm setup and training. Multiple text classification algorithms will be available as listed below: Linear SVM Random Forest Multinomial Naive Bayes Bernoulli Naive Bayes Ridge Regressio Perceptron Passive Aggressive Classifier Deep machine learning algorithm. System users will be able to identify the most effective algorithm for their text classification task and compare them based on their accuracy. The architecture of the text classification tool will be based on a frontend interface and backend services. The frontend interface will provide all the tools the system user will be interacting with the system. This includes setting up data collection streams from multiple social networks and allocating them to pre-specified channels based on keywords. Data from each channel can be classified and assigned to a pre-defined cluster. The tool will provide a training interface for machine learning algorithms. This text classification tool is currently in active development for a client with planned testing and implementation in April 2019.

THE SPECIFICATION OF HYDROLOGICAL MODEL REQUIREMENTS FOR BOG RESTORATION

INTRODUCTION Within the scope of biodiversity and sustainable ecosystem development, the restoration of a bog’s ecosystem is important because by reducing the drainage effect on the bog, the negative impact on adjacent intact or relatively intact raised bog and other wetland hydrological regimes is lowered. Degraded bogs are mires with a disturbed natural hydrological regime, or those partly exploited for peat extraction. However, the hydrological regime can be restored and peat formation is expected within 30 years. The restoration of a bog’s hydrological regime can be accelerated by filling up the drainage ditches. In the course of researching scientific literature, the author has found no evidence of a system dynamics model developed to simulate tree cutting intensity in degraded bogs after filling the drainage ditches for the purpose of speeding up the restoration of the hydrological regime. Thus, this approach is an innovative way of solving the problem. Bog hydrological systems are complex systems with many components, thus an interdisciplinary approach must be applied which combines hydrology, biology, geography and meteorology with computer sciences. Specification requirement technique is a useful tool for determining the elements that shape a bog’s hydrological system and interact with each other, thus providing the design for a simulation model. MATERIAL AND METHODS In the opinion of the author, the most suitable specification requirement tool to determine components forming the bog hydrological system is (OOAD), because it is applicable both in system dynamics and object modelling systems. Based on OOAD, it will be able to build system dynamics models in STELLA system dynamics and the GEOframe NewAGE modelling system, which is based on an object modelling system framework. OOAD principles are fundamentally based on real world objects (Powell-Morse, 2017) - in this case, the elements forming a bog’s hydrological system. OOAD combines all behaviours, characteristics and states into one analysis process, rather than splitting them up into separate stages, as many other methodologies would do (Powell-Morse, 2017). OOAD can be divided in two parts – Object-Oriented Analysis (OOA), and Object-Oriented Design (OOD). The products of OOA serve as models from which we may start an object-oriented design; the products of OOD can then be used as blueprints for completely implementing a system using object-oriented programming methods (Booch, 1998). In the study of the boundaries of the bog hydrological model, theoretical methods such as case study and content analysis were mainly used - specifically evaluative, explorative and instrumental review methods. RESULTS This study helped to understand complex interrelationships that exist between different elements within a bog’s hydrological system. The bog hydrological system boundaries were clarified, and the simulation model specification requirements were determined. DISCUSSION The next step is to develop simulation models in STELLA system dynamics and the GEOframe NewAGE modelling system and compare the performance. These simulation models will be made to represent water movement in a bog’s hydrological system from water input by means of precipitation to water output through interception, sublimation, evaporation, transpiration, lake outflow and overland flow. The input data will be loaded manually from the QGIS Open Source Geographic Information System and Excel databases. It will be possible to generate output data in the form of frequency tables, graphical analysis, review tables, GIS raster files and others. CONCLUSION The determination of tree thinning intensity in degraded bogs using modelling is a new innovative approach which should allow the water level of ecosystems to be restored faster and more efficiently, thus increasing natural diversity, improving the quality of life of local people and promoting bog recreational ability.

ENERGY WOOD STORES IN UNDERGROWTH OF FORESTS IN LATVIA

INTRODUCTION Forest resources are the most significant natural asset of the state of Latvia. According to data of the 2nd stage of forest resource monitoring for 2014, Latvia has 3575 thousand hectares of forest land comprising 55.3 percent of the total territory of Latvia, while the total timber stock is estimated at 668 million cubic meters (Bumanis et al., 2014). However, from the available data on forest resources it is only possible to theoretically and hypothetically state what proportion of these resources would be useful and economically justified as an energy supply. Each forest stand has a certain amount of undergrowth and understorey – small woody plants (shrubs) which have not been researched much until now. A precise determination of the amount of energy wood in Latvian forests would be of great benefit to the Latvian economy. MATERIAL AND METHODS Research data were collected in forests at the Jelgava Forest District “Forest Research Station”. The research was carried out in two forest subquarters of forest site type Myrtillosa mel. Eight circle-shaped sample plots were established. The area of each single plot was 25 m2. In the sample plots, the understorey and undergrowth trees were cut at the root neck. A sample was prepared from each tree harvested which was then sent for drying. The wood samples were transferred to "Forest and wood products research and development institute Ltd” for moisture determination. Total moisture content of the wood sample was determined according to standard LVS EN ISO 18134-2: 2016. RESULTS In the forest subquarter with a stand composition of 10Pine (66 years old) the sum biomass of undergrowth and understorey was 177.91 kg per sample plot. In the forest subquarter with a stand composition of 9Pine1Birch (88 years old) there was a total understorey tree mass of 180.9 kg but 16.17 kg of undergrowth per plot. This means there was more biomass in understorey than undergrowth in the site investigated. DISCUSSION When the tree stand was 10Pine (66 years old) the amount of dry matter to be extracted from all sample plots was 12.37 t ha-1 on average. In the forest subquarter with a stand composition of 9Pine1Birch (88 years old) the amount of dry mass is 10.24 t ha-1 on average. According to previous research, 7-20 t ha-1 of dry mass was obtained in Sweden, 7 to 12 t ha-1 in Poland, 6 to 14 t ha-1 in Germany and 8 to 12 t ha-1 in Latvia (Lazdina et al., 2010). There are also several researches papers which describe biomass from young hardwood stands on abandoned agricultural land in Canada: the values vary from 0,6 t ha-1 to 82,6 t ha-1 (Lupi et al., 2017). Consequently, a sufficient amount of biomass was obtained in the forest subquarters investigated in our research, which fits with the results of other studies carried out. CONCLUSION The volume of potential energy wood in undergrowth and understorey in Myrtillosa mel. forest site types is significant and it is advisable to use it as a raw material for energy production together with felling residues. However, it is necessary to evaluate the technical and technological capabilities from an economic perspective in each particular case.

THE USE OF AIRFLOW TESTS AND ANTHROPOLOGICAL MEASUREMENTS IN ASSESSING THE VOICE RANGE OF PROFESSIONAL SINGERS

INTRODUCTION In the vocal arts, it is difficult to determine the exact type of human voice, and it is particularly challenging to identify the voice category of vocalist-beginners because the diapason of the voice has not fully developed. A vocalist often develops his or her voice in an unsuitable tessitura (sings in a wrong voice type) resulting in a loss of sound quality and damage to the voice. An objective metric-based system for the determination of the human voice is needed. The detection for the correlation between the airflow and vital capacity of the lungs, anthropometric data of the singers and the type of the human voice. MATERIALS AND METHODS Sixty vocalists (ten sopranos, ten mezzo-sopranos, ten altos, ten tenors, ten baritones, and ten basses) were examined during this experimental research. All participants were professional singers who have been very successful singing in their voice category for more than five years. The Jaeger spirograph was used to investigate the volume of the peak expiratory flow of representatives of various voice categories, i.e. by measuring the speed of airflow in a time unit (per second). Measurements were made of height, body weight, vital lung capacity, and volume of the air flow per second in the big, middle and small bronchial tubes. To analyse the results, leading indicators of descriptive statistics were calculated, and one-factor disperses analysis (ANOVA) was used in equivalence testing calculations of the average values of morphological qualities. All statistical calculations were performed with the “Statistics” programme (7.0 edition). RESULTS The average height of the vocalists: sopranos – 165,8; mezzo-sopranos – 168,1; altos – 175,8; tenors – 180,5; baritones – 187,5; basses – 188,2. The average weight of the singers (kg): sopranos – 60,2; mezzo-sopranos – 70,5; altos – 74,1; tenors - 87,7; baritones – 91,4; basses – 92,6. The average vital lung capacity of the singers (L): sopranos – 3,79; mezzo-sopranos – 3,96; altos – 4,35; tenors 5,13; baritones – 6,06; basses – 6,12. The average peak expiratory flow of the singers per second (L/s): sopranos – 7,44; mezzo-sopranos – 7,43; altos – 8,19; tenors – 9,80; baritones - 11,49; basses – 11,2. The average volume of the air flow per second in the big bronchial tubes of the singers(L/s): sopranos – 6,49; mezzo-sopranos – 9,29; altos – 7,42; tenors – 7,91; baritones – 10,07; basses – 9,77. The average volume of the air flow per second in the middle bronchial tubes of the singers (L/s): sopranos – 4,60; mezzo-sopranos – 4,02; altos – 4,96; tenors 4,46; baritones – 5,79; basses – 5,73. The average volume of the air flow per second in the small bronchial tubes of the singers (L/s): sopranos – 1,98; mezzo-soprano – 1,49; altos – 1,99; tenors – 1,69; baritones – 2,24; basses – 2,17. There was a correlation between the airflow results e.a. Vital capacity, MEF 75 MEF 50 and PEF and the type of human voice, but there was no correlation between PEF 25 and the type of human voice. There was a positive correlation between anthropometric data like weight and height and the pitch of the voice. CONCLUSION There is a correlation between the type of human voice and a person's height, weight as well as their vital lung capacity and peak expiratory flow. According to our research data, an algorithm could be made for the determination of the type of human voice to avoid voice damage and health problems related to the forced use of the voice in a wrong pitch.

DEPOSIT REFUND SYSTEM FOR BEVERAGE CONTAINERS IN LATVIA: LEARNINGS WITHIN THE BALTIC STATES

INTRODUCTION One of the main global environmental problems we are facing is the increasing the amount of waste. There are numerous policy instruments used to reduce the environmental impact of packaging. Many EU member states use producer levies, packaging and resource taxes, deposit-refund systems and producer responsibility systems (Bailey, 2017; Watkins et al., 2017). MATERIALS AND METHODS In this article we conduct comparative analyses and evaluate the effectiveness of deposit-refund systems for beverage packaging in the three Baltic States: Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Data used in the study is obtained from statistical databases of the Central Statistical Bureau, Eurostat and Euromonitor, as well as from stakeholders of the deposit-refund system - beverage manufacturers, retailers and waste management organisations. When necessary data was not available, we made calculations and approximations using analogies with neighbouring countries, e.g. regarding the quantity of different kinds of beverage containers (plastics, glass, cans) delivered to the market, the average weight of containers, changing trends etc. RESULTS To stimulate the rate of beverage packaging collection and recycling, both Estonia (2005) and Lithuania (2016) have introduced deposit-refund systems. Both are mandatory centralized systems with collection rates over 90%. The strengths of the Estonian system are a result of sophisticated IT solutions, differentiated EAN coding logic, elasticity and good management. The Lithuanian system is one of the most technologically advanced systems. One of its positive features is the lease of taromats, reducing the upfront investment costs for retailers and producers. DISCUSSION Previous research shows that the introduction of a deposit-refund system increases the collection rate of beverage packaging (Dewey, Denslow, Chavez, Romero, & Holt, 2011; Lavee, 2010) but requires substantial organisational and financial resources. It is more economically viable to introduce a deposit system when separate waste collection system is already in place. The results of this study are similar. CONCLUSION Latvia needs a DRS in order to achieve PET goals and reduce environmental pollution; The required score and distribution is about the same A DRS has to be operated by a non-profit organisation consisting of manufacturers and retailers; The recommended deposit is 10 cents; Provision should be made for the inclusion of beverage cartons and alcoholic beverage bottles; Provision should be made for the inclusion of refillable glass bottles and jars.

LEARNING AGILITY AS A PREDICTOR OF HIGH PERFORMANCE AND POTENTIAL: A CASE STUDY FROM HEALTHCARE INDUSTRY

INTRODUCTION Term “learning agility” was first introduced by Lombardo and Eichinger (2000). It is defined as the willingness and ability to learn from experiences, and subsequently apply that learning in new situations to perform successfully under new or first-time situations. Learning agility is heavily used for talent assessment and development and succession planning in multinationals worldwide, but for Latvian local companies it is not yet a daily human resources practice. Very little scholarly research has been conducted on this construct worldwide and in Latvia. In the turbulent business environment, the company leaders need to be more agile than ever. Leaders should adapt to new business strategies, working across cultures and dealing with virtual teams. Various studies suggest that learning agility is a better predictor of high performance. Connolly & Viswesvaran (2002) suggests learning agility is a better predictor of high performance as compared to IQ and personality traits. It has also been found that learning agile leaders are more successful in dynamic, turbulent workplaces (Dai, De Meuse, & Tang, 2013). There are five major factors of learning agility - mental agility, people agility, change agility, results agility and self-awareness (Swisher et al., 2013). As described by Mitchinson & Morris (2012) at Columbia University research there are four behaviors that enable learning agility (innovating, performing, reflecting and risking) and one that derails it (defending). In the same study no significant differences were found in learning agility scores across gender, age or organizational level. The scientific support of a linkage between learning agility and leadership seems to be scanty. Results of a meta-analysis by De Meuss (2019) show learning agility has a robust relationship with both leader performance (ρ = 0.74) and potential (ρ = 0.75). In this study it was hypothesized that learning agility will be positively related to annual performance ratings. MATERIAL AND METHODS The author was reviewing talent management process for three consecutive years – 2011, 2012, 2013 - and high potential employee identification for a local branch of a global innovative pharmaceutical company in Latvia. The company has a solid talent management process in place and devotes time and resources to the development of identified talents. Up to three times a year, Talking Review sessions are conducted to identify and develop their high potential employees around the world. Talking Review is a facilitated session where people managers openly discuss and calibrate talented employees in terms of performance, potential, readiness, willingness, and mobility. During a typical session, line managers carefully assesses candidates using a 9-cell performance-potential matrix (see figure below). Each candidate is placed in a cell based on ratings of their performance during the past years and a discussion revolving their perceived level of learning agility. The researcher collected learning agility scores and annual performance ratings on 33 managers located in Latvia. A mean performance rating was computed based on the three years – all 33 employees were at managerial level. RESULTS A positive relationship between learning agility and ratings of performance was observed. It was observed that the percentage of candidates classified as highly learning agile increased over time, ranging from 16% (2011) to 22% (2012) to 18% (2013). It suggests that as the company implemented the Talking Review process, decision makers learned from their experiences, calibrated their evaluations, and improved their accuracy in identifying their high potentials candidates. DISCUSSION The case study certainly holds several practical implications for the researchers as well as the practitioners. There are need for empirical studies to be conducted in this area. Caution should be exercised before drawing firm conclusions about these findings since the study included no controls for a manager’s commitment to change, the extent of the line manager’s support for such change, or the culture and structure of the organization and its possible influence on learning agility. Regression to the mean also might have played a role in the results. CONCLUSIONS The present paper and case study is an attempt to explore the relationship between learning agility and high performance. A positive relationship between learning agility and ratings of performance was observed. This understanding of the relationships among all these factors will further add to the existing knowledge on these constructs and help the organizations to execute leadership assessment in a better way. Scholars should provide new ideas for understanding and conceptualizing learning agility. Human resources professionals and executives in organizations should provide access to high-potential employee data and performance, so a more rigorous process can be applied to understanding the linkage between learning agility and leader success (or derailment).