The puzzle of trust in international relations: Risk and relationship management in the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

In this thesis, I explore the prospects for trust in international relations. I advance an agency-centred model that paradoxically emphasises both vigilance and vulnerability between states. I argue that trust is created through the dual diplomatic pursuits of risk management (e.g. monitoring and securing individual state interests) and relationship management (e.g. promoting shared goals, institutions and values). This model is then employed to evaluate the evolution of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE) into the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), 1972-2002. Despite a recent surge in the study of trust in the social sciences, trust has not been explored comprehensively in the discipline of international relations (IR). In particular, the work done in IR has neglected the kernel of trust that distinguishes it from other concepts such as prediction and cooperation; that is, the dynamic of suspension, originally elucidated by the sociologist Georg Simmel, which permits the leap from uncertainty (and unacceptable risk) to positive expectation. Rather than 'reasonable doubt', trust involves giving another 'the benefit of the doubt.' The trust model is capable of providing a novel interpretation of the history, normative declarations and activities of the CSCE during the late Cold War; and the OSCE's post-Cold War role in conflict prevention, conflict resolution and post-conflict rehabilitation among its member states. For example, the OSCE's absent military capacity (e.g. vis-a-vis NATO) restricts its 'thick' risk management competence. The OSCE's limited legal capacity (e.g. vis-a-vis the EU) likewise restricts its 'thick' relationship management competence. Nevertheless, the OSCE's confidence-building activities, combined with its role as a forum for interstate dialogue explicitly linking security with international norms-especially democracy and human rights-fosters a 'propensity to trust' upon which member states are increasingly seeking to give each other the benefit of the doubt

Surface magnetic structure investigation of a nanolaminated Mn2_2GaC thin film using a magnetic field microscope based on Nitrogen-Vacancy centers

This work presents a magnetic field imaging method based on color centers in diamond crystal applied to a thin film of a nanolaminated Mn$_2$GaC MAX phase. Magnetic properties of the surface related structures have been described around the first order transition at 214 K by performing measurements in the temperature range between 200 K and 235 K with the surface features fading out by increasing temperature above the transition temperature. The results presented here demonstrate how Nitrogen-Vacancy center based magnetic microscopy can supplement the traditionally used set of experimental techniques, giving additional information of microscopic scale magnetic field features, and allowing to investigate the temperature dependent magnetic behavior. The additional information acquired in this way is relevant to applications where surface magnetic properties are of essence.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figure

Effect of various factors to ammonia biodegradation by two stage biofiltration system

[Abstract] An autotrophic ammonia-biodegrading PNNS association was isolated from the biological activated sludge of the fish factory wastewater treatment plant and used in the two-stage biofiltration system with the ammonia load 0.78 g/m3h ensured the total removal efficiency up to 0.69 g/m3h as the result of the denitrification process. Additional investigations were made to study physiological and biochemical properties of individual strains of the PNNS association in order to control their growth under various cultivation conditions with the aim to find out the most optimal conditions for biomass preparation and immobilisation. Individual strains of the association can be revealed and counted because of their different colony morphology using selected medium. Cultivation of individual strains of the PNNS association under aerobic conditions revealed a stimulation effect of (NH4)2SO4 in the concentration range of 0.21 – 4.45 g N/l to their growth. Addition of saccharose, glucose, fructose and/or cabbage leaf extract (CLE) in various combinations to agarized medium resulted in the growth stimulation of individual strains of the PNNS association, i.e. Pseudomonas sp., Nitrosomonas sp., Nitrobacter sp. and Sarcina sp. The whole association was cultivated in the liquid mineral medium with amendments mentioned above. Stimulation of the growth in the presence of CLE and some reducing sugars was observed. The results obtained in these experiments will be used for further optimisation of the two-stage biofiltration system using the PNNS association

Characterization of microscopic ferromagnetic defects in thin films using magnetic microscope based on Nitrogen-Vacancy centres

In this work we present results acquired by applying magnetic field imaging technique based on NitrogenVacancy centres in diamond crystal for characterization of magnetic thin films defects. We used the constructed wide-field magnetic microscope for measurements of two kinds of magnetic defects in thin films. One family of defects under study was a result of non-optimal thin film growth conditions. The magnetic field maps of several regions of the thin films created under very similar conditions to previously published research revealed microscopic impurity islands of ferromagnetic defects, that potentially could disturb the magnetic properties of the surface. The second part of the measurements was dedicated to defects created post deposition - mechanical defects introduced in ferromagnetic thin films. In both cases, the measurements identify the magnetic field amplitude and distribution of the magnetic defects. In addition, the magnetic field maps were correlated with the corresponding optical images. As this method has great potential for quality control of different stages of magnetic thin film manufacturing process and it can rival other widely used measurement techniques, we also propose solutions for the optimization of the device in the perspective of high throughput.Funding Agencies|PostDoc Latvia project [1.1.1.2/VIAA/1/16/024]</p

Utilisation of Food and Woodworking Production By-products by Composting

The purpose of the study was to develop laboratory-scale technologies for composting milk/cheese whey, spent liquor, brewery yeast, fish processing by-products, etc., adding these by-products and special microorganism associations to the basic material - sawdust, bark, etc., also arranging different experimental composting sites. Two Trichoderma strains (Tr. lignorum, Tr. viride) and a nitrification association for regulating the circulation of nitrogen-ammonification and nitrification processes were applied. Monitoring of the composting quality was realised by microbiological and chemical analyses, and biotests for compost quality (toxicity) assessment. For purifying the polluted air from the composting facilities, the biofiltration technique was realised in a modified SSF system. Biodegradation of ammonia was investigated in a two-stage system with the inert packing material - dolomite broken bricks, and hemoautotrophic microorganisms: DN-1 (Pseudomonas sp.), DN-2 (Nitrosomonas sp.), DN-3 (Nitrobacter sp.) and DN-13 (Sarcina sp.). For hydrogen sulphide biodegradation, Thiobacillus thioparus-3 was immobilised on glass bricks as the carrier material. Biodegradation efficiency of hydrogen sulphide was 87%. Biodegradation of ammonia in the first step in the two-stage system reached 77%, degradation of the gas remaining in the second step was 75%. Compost's quality was similar to black soil - brown-coloured, with good soil odour and without toxic compounds

NV microscopy of thermally controlled stresses caused by thin Cr2O3 films

Many modern applications, including quantum computing and quantum sensing, use substrate-film interfaces. Particularly, thin films of chromium or titanium and their oxides are commonly used to bind various structures, such as resonators, masks, or microwave antennas, to a diamond surface. Due to different thermal expansions of involved materials, such films and structures could produce significant stresses, which need to be measured or predicted. In this paper, we demonstrate imaging of stresses in the top layer of diamond with deposited structures of Cr2O3 at temperatures 19°C and 37°C by using stress-sensitive optically detected magnetic resonances (ODMR) in NV centers. We also calculated stresses in the diamond-film interface by using finite-element analysis and correlated them to measured ODMR frequency shifts. As predicted by the simulation, the measured high-contrast frequency-shift patterns are only due to thermal stresses, whose spin-stress coupling constant along the NV axis is 21±1 MHz/GPa, that is in agreement with constants previously obtained from single NV centers in diamond cantilever. We demonstrate that NV microscopy is a convenient platform for optically detecting and quantifying spatial distributions of stresses in diamond-based photonic devices with micrometer precision and propose thin films as a means for local application of temperature-controlled stresses. Our results also show that thin-film structures produce significant stresses in diamond substrates, which should be accounted for in NV-based applications. © 2023 Optica Publishing Group under the terms of the Optica Open Access Publishing Agreement. --//-- This is an open access article Andris Berzins, Janis Smits, Andrejs Petruhins, Roberts Rimsa, Gatis Mozolevskis, Martins Zubkins, and Ilja Fescenko, "NV microscopy of thermally controlled stresses caused by thin Cr2O3 films," Opt. Express 31, 17950-17963 (2023), https://doi.org/10.1364/OE.489901.Centrālā finanšu un līgumu aģentūra (CFLA) (2.3.1.1.i.0/1/22/I/CFLA/001); European Regional Development Fund (ERAF) (1.1.1.5/20/A/001); Horizon 2020 Framework Programme H2020-WIDESPREAD-01-2016-2017-Teaming Phase2 (739508, CAMART2); Latvijas Universitātes fonds ("Annealing furnace for the development of sensors", "Improvement of Magnetic field imaging system", "Simulations for stimulation of science"); Latvijas Zinātnes Padome (lzp-2020/2-0243, lzp-2021/1-0379); State Education Development Agency Republic of Latvia (1.1.1.2/VIAA/1/16/024)

Optimization of Nitrification Process by a Bacterial Consortium in the Submerged Biofiltration System with Ceramic Bead Carrier

Laboratory-scale solid phase submerged system was developed to study the process of ammoniumbiodegradation. Ceramic beads were found to be an appropriate carrier material for the attachment of thePNNbacterial consortium (Pseudomonas sp., Nitrosomonas sp., Nitrobacter sp.) exhibiting nitrification/denitrificationactivity. This consortium was previously isolated from a biological activated sludge process at a fish factorywastewater treatment plant. Three organic amendments - molasses, humic acid extract, and malt extract - were usedfor the ceramic bead pretreatment. Molasses significantly enhanced (p<0.05) the process of bacteria attachmentonto the ceramic carrier and further ammonium removal from the bulk liquid media. The addition of 0.45% fructoseto the column notably enhanced ammonium oxidation, as demonstrated by more rapid formation of nitrites in themedium when compared to the sets without sugars. The results of this study could be incorporated in a larger-scaletest of a biofiltration column using wastewater from a fish processing factor

Application of Different Mixing Systems for the Batch Cultivation of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Part I: Experimental Investigations and Modelling

Experimental investigations in different mixing conditions (impulse and vibromixing) in a Saccharomyces cerevisiae batch cultivation are presented in this paper. The investigation is carried out in a 5 l laboratory bioreactor (working volume 3 l). Mathematical models of the process for the two mixing systems are developed. The obtained results have shown that the models are adequate and will be used for process optimisation for the two mixing systems