Krieg als Mittel der Politik?!: Vom Balkan nach Afghanistan und jetzt zum Irak?: Vortrag an der TU Dresden am 30. Oktober 2002

Rolle und Verantwortung der Bundesrepublik Deutschland bei Interventionseinsätzen der Bundeswehr.:Autorenbeitrag: Heinz Loquai, Krieg als Mittel der Politik?! Vom Balkan nach Afghanistan und jetzt zum Irak? - Das Friedensgebot als besondere deutsche Verantwortung. - Die neue NATO-Strategie und der Umbau der Bundeswehr. - Beschädigung der internationalen Rechtsordnung. - Quo vadis - Wohin führt der Weg

Durable Thermochromic VO2 Films Deposited by HiPIMS

Le dioxyde de vanadium, VO2, est le matériau thermochromique le plus étudié. Il présente une transmission de la lumière infrarouge élevée à basse température et une extinction de cette dernière au-dessus de sa température critique. Ce changement de propriété est réversible et ne nécessite pas de stimulus externe. De ce fait, le VO2 est un candidat parfait pour les applications de contrôle de transfert d’énergie. L’application la plus directe est celle des vitrages dits ‘intelligents’, où la couche mince thermochromique module la transmission du rayonnement solaire infrarouge en fonction de la température. Un tel dispositif contrôle la température du milieu ambiant passivement, limitant la consommation des équipements de chauffage et climatisation. Dans un objectif similaire, les matériaux thermochromiques peuvent aussi être utilisés pour créer des dissipateurs thermiques pour les satellites, appelés ‘Smart Radiative Device’ (SRD). Cependant, les dispositifs thermochromiques à base de VO2 sont toujours à l’échelle du laboratoire, principalement à cause de la complexité de synthèse du VO2. Le Vanadium est en effet un métal de transition, possédant de multiple oxydes stoechiométriques dont seul le VO2 présente un intérêt pour ces applications. Un contrôle du niveau d’oxydation lors du dépôt est donc nécessaire, complexifiant l’industrialisation du procédé. De plus, la température de dépôt du matériau pour obtenir la phase cristalline, généralement 400°C, génère un cout prohibitif pour beaucoup d’industriels. Lors de la dernière décade, la communauté scientifique des dépôts physiques en phase vapeur a connu une forte effervescence autour d’une nouvelle technique, la pulvérisation magnétron pulsée de haute puissance (HiPIMS en anglais). Cette dernière combine la flexibilité des procédés de pulvérisation magnétron avec la modulation du temps d’impulsion pour obtenir un plasma de haute densité. Cette technologie est prometteuse pour le dépôt de couches minces. En particulier en mode réactif, le procédé HiPIMS offre un taux de dépôt avantageux comparé au procédé conventionnel de pulvérisations; tout en améliorant les propriétés des couches déposées, telles qu’une plus haute densité, une contrainte mécanique inférieure et un abaissement de la température nécessaire pour obtenir des couches minces cristallines. Les contributions des différents effets de la décharge HiPIMS (haut flux d’ions de basse énergie et le rayonnement du plasma) à la performance des couches ne sont pas encore expliquées, malgré une bonne connaissance du comportement de la décharge HiPIMS. De ce fait, nous avons choisi d’appliquer ce procédé au dépôt de couches minces de VO2 afin d’en améliorer les propriétés et illustrer les aventages du procédé HiPIMS pour le dépôt de ce type d’oxyde.----------Abstract Vanadium dioxide, VO2, is a well-known thermochromic material that exhibits high or low infrared transmittance when its temperature is below or above a critical temperature, respectively. Because this change in properties is reversible, VO2 has long been a candidate for radiative energy control devices. One innovative application is the smart window, in which a thermochromic layer controls the transmission of infrared radiation from the sun as a function of the surrounding temperature. This enables self-controlled temperature regulation, which in turn limits heating and cooling requirements. Similar devices called smart radiator devices (SRDs) are being developed for passive cooling of satellites. However, all these applications remain in the development phase due to VO2 deposition issues. Vanadium is a transition metal that exhibits multiple oxide stoichiometries, of which only VO2 is of interest. Precise control of the oxygen fraction is therefore needed for VO2 synthesis, accompanied by a high deposition temperature, usually around or in excess of 400 °C, in order to obtain the crystalline material. These imperatives currently limit industrial applications of VO2. Over the past decade, high power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) has emerged as a newcomer in the magnetron sputtering community. Because HiPIMS combines the versatility of magnetron sputtering with short high power pulses to generate highly ionized plasma, it is a promising technique for thin film material deposition. In reactive sputtering, HiPIMS provides deposition rates similar to or higher than those for conventional sputtering, along with superior film properties such as higher density and lower stress, among others. Furthermore, crystalline films can be obtained at lower deposition temperature. However, the impacts of the high ion flux, plasma radiation, and HiPIMS dynamics on the metal-oxide properties are still unclear, despite a good understanding of the HiPIMS discharge. We therefore chose to apply HiPIMS to thermochromic VO2 to demonstrate the advantages of using HiPIMS to deposit crystalline films. First, the expansion of a reactive-HiPIMS discharge over a vanadium target was investigated using high-speed plasma imaging combined with optical bandpass filtering. The results showed that the reactive discharge operating in an argon–oxygen mixture behaved similarly in “pulse-on” time to discharges in pure argon and oxygen. However, in the post-discharge, the first microsecond after the cathode voltage was removed, strong light emission in the low-energy spectra was observed

Recent Results From the EU POF-PLUS Project: Multi-Gigabit Transmission Over 1 mm Core Diameter Plastic Optical Fibers

Recent activity to achieve multi-gigabit transmission over 1 mm core diameter graded-index and step-index plastic optical fibers for distances up to 50 meters is reported in this paper. By employing a simple intensity-modulated direct-detection system with pulse amplitude or digital multi-tone modulation techniques, low-cost transceivers and easy to install large-core POFs, it is demonstrated that multi-gigabit transmission up to 10 Gbit/s over 1-mm core diameter POF infrastructure is feasible. The results presented in this paper were obtained in the EU FP7 POF-PLUS project, which focused on applications in different scenarios, such as in next-generation in-building residential networks and in datacom applications

Monitoring economic partnership agreements: inputs to the negotiations and beyond

"The upcoming Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) between the European Union and African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries and regions are extremely challenging. Conceived as a follow-up to the non-reciprocal trade preferences granted to the ACP since 1975, the aim of the EPAs is sustainable development and poverty reduction through the establishment of a Free Trade Area. Many challenges and opportunities arise from this ambitious trade and development partnership between some of the world's poorest and richest countries. Throughout the negotiations, several stakeholders have expressed concerns about the possible negative effects in ACP countries that risk jeopardizing the developmental impacts of EPAs. The ambition, as well as the uncertainties around EPAs make a results-oriented monitoring of the agreements imperative. This study, commissioned by the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, addresses the possible goals of EPA monitoring, drawing conclusions on what broad areas need to be monitored, which principles should be followed and which stakeholders involved. The study then outlines the challenges involved in implementing a results-oriented monitoring system: which steps need to be taken, how best to derive indicators, which characteristics the latter should have and how they may be identified. The study also presents a number of recommendations on how to ensure that monitoring is given due consideration in the EPA legal texts." (author's abstract

The price of tumor control

Ipilimumab, a cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen-4 (CTLA-4) blocking antibody, has been approved for the treatment of metastatic melanoma and induces adverse events (AE) in up to 64% of patients. Treatment algorithms for the management of common ipilimumab-induced AEs have lead to a reduction of morbidity, e.g. due to bowel perforations. However, the spectrum of less common AEs is expanding as ipilimumab is increasingly applied. Stringent recognition and management of AEs will reduce drug-induced morbidity and costs, and thus, positively impact the cost-benefit ratio of the drug. To facilitate timely identification and adequate management data on rare AEs were analyzed at 19 skin cancer centers. Patient files (n = 752) were screened for rare ipilimumab-associated AEs. A total of 120 AEs, some of which were life-threatening or even fatal, were reported and summarized by organ system describing the most instructive cases in detail. Previously unreported AEs like drug rash with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS), granulomatous inflammation of the central nervous system, and aseptic meningitis, were documented. Obstacles included patientś delay in reporting symptoms and the differentiation of steroid-induced from ipilimumab-induced AEs under steroid treatment. Importantly, response rate was high in this patient population with tumor regression in 30.9% and a tumor control rate of 61.8% in stage IV melanoma patients despite the fact that some patients received only two of four recommended ipilimumab infusions. This suggests that ipilimumab-induced antitumor responses can have an early onset and that severe autoimmune reactions may reflect overtreatment. The wide spectrum of ipilimumab-induced AEs demands doctor and patient awareness to reduce morbidity and treatment costs and true ipilimumab success is dictated by both objective tumor responses and controlling severe side effects

eHealth Literacy in German Skin Cancer Patients

The global incidence of skin cancer has steadily increased in recent years, and malignant melanoma still has one of the fastest-growing incidence rates among all malignant tumors in the western world. Thus, newly diagnosed patients have an increased need for health information concerning their disease. Using a standardized questionnaire, our study aims to investigate our patients’ primary sources of health-related information as well as their self-proclaimed eHealth literacy. We received 714 questionnaires. Regardless of age, the primary source of information was the treating dermato-oncologist, followed by the treating general practitioner and the Internet. However, with increasing age, the usage of the Internet decreased. Hence, younger participants were better equipped to find health-related information while using the Internet. Additionally, comprehending health-related information and gaining medical knowledge was significantly increased in better-educated participants. Overall, our study shows that with increased use of eHealth services, accessing web-based information increased, correlating with a better eHealth literacy of our patients. eHealth technologies are increasingly becoming more prevalent as a primary source of information in our modern health care system. Thus, it is crucial to educate cancer patients in eHealth literacy to make autonomous, informed decisions and gain more confidence in dealing with their disease

Open-label, multicenter, single-arm phase II DeCOG-study of ipilimumab in pretreated patients with different subtypes of metastatic melanoma

Background: Ipilimumab is an approved immunotherapy that has shown an overall survival benefit in patients with cutaneous metastatic melanoma in two phase III trials. As results of registrational trials might not answer all questions regarding safety and efficacy of ipilimumab in patients with advanced melanoma seen in daily clinical practice, the Dermatologic Cooperative Oncology Group conducted a phase II study to assess the efficacy and safety of ipilimumab in patients with different subtypes of metastatic melanoma. Patients and methods: We undertook a multicenter phase II study in melanoma patients irrespective of location of the primary melanoma. Here we present data on patients with pretreated metastatic cutaneous, mucosal and occult melanoma who received up to four cycles of ipilimumab administered at a dose of 3 mg/kg in 3 week intervals. Tumor assessments were conducted at baseline, weeks 12, 24, 36 and 48 according to RECIST 1.1 criteria. Adverse events (AEs),including immune-related AEs were graded according to National Cancer Institute Common Toxicity Criteria (CTC) v.4.0. Primary endpoint was the OS rate at 12 months. Results: 103 pretreated patients received at least one dose of ipilimumab, including 83 cutaneous, seven mucosal and 13 occult melanomas. 1-year OS rates for cutaneous, mucosal and occult melanoma were 38 %,14 % and 27 %,respectively. Median OS was 6.8 months (95 % CI 5.3-9.9) for cutaneous, 9.6 months (95 % CI 1.6-11.1) for mucosal, and 9.9 months (lower 95 % CI 2.3, upper 95 % CI non-existent) for occult melanoma. Overall response rates for cutaneous, mucosal and occult melanoma were 16 %,17 % and 11 %,respectively. Eleven patients had partial response (16 %) and ten patients experienced stable disease (14 %),none achieved a complete response. Treatment-related AEs were observed in 71 patients (69 %),including 20 grade 3-4 events (19 %). No new and unexpected safety findings were noted. Conclusions: Ipilimumab is a treatment option for pretreated patients with advanced cutaneous melanoma seen in daily routine. Toxicity was manageable when treated as per protocol-specific guidelines