Phase estimation without a priori knowledge in the presence of loss

We find the optimal scheme for quantum phase estimation in the presence of loss when no a priori knowledge on the estimated phase is available. We prove analytically an explicit lower bound on estimation uncertainty, which shows that, as a function of number of probes, quantum precision enhancement amounts at most to a constant factor improvement over classical strategiesComment: 8 pages, 2 figures, discussion on adaptive strategies adde

Reconstruction versus conservative treatment after rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament: cost effectiveness analysis

BACKGROUND: The decision whether to treat conservatively or reconstruct surgically a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is an ongoing subject of debate. The high prevalence and associated public health burden of torn ACL has led to continuous efforts to determine the best therapeutic approach. A critical evaluation of benefits and expenditures of both treatment options as in a cost effectiveness analysis seems well-suited to provide valuable information for treating physicians and healthcare policymakers. METHODS: A literature review identified four of 7410 searched articles providing sufficient outcome probabilities for the two treatment options for modeling. A transformation key based on the expert opinions of 25 orthopedic surgeons was used to derive utilities from available evidence. The cost data for both treatment strategies were based on average figures compiled by Orthopaedic University Hospital Balgrist and reinforced by Swiss national statistics. A decision tree was constructed to derive the cost-effectiveness of each strategy, which was then tested for robustness using Monte Carlo simulation. RESULTS: Decision tree analysis revealed a cost effectiveness of 16,038 USD/0.78 QALY for ACL reconstruction and 15,466 USD/0.66 QALY for conservative treatment, implying an incremental cost effectiveness of 4,890 USD/QALY for ACL reconstruction. Sensitivity analysis of utilities did not change the trend. CONCLUSION: ACL reconstruction for reestablishment of knee stability seems cost effective in the Swiss setting based on currently available evidence. This, however, should be reinforced with randomized controlled trials comparing the two treatment strategies

The effect of ball milling on properties of sintered manganese-doped alumina

Alumina-based compounds have many technological applications and attract great attention even after decades of investigation, due to their good chemical, electrical, and mechanical properties. A mixture of several alumina modifications (α-, κ-, γ-Al2O3) doped with 1 wt% of Mn2O3 was used for this experiment. The powder was mechanically activated for 60 min in an ethanol medium. After compaction, green bodies were sintered in the temperature range from 1200 to 1400 °C. Microstructures of the obtained specimens were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). The influence of morphological changes on electrical and mechanical properties was examined in detail. We have developed a test fixture and corresponding software for measurement of the relative dielectric permittivity and the loss tangent of ceramic specimens. This new method overcomes the problems of dimensions and shape of samples, as well as the problem of applying silver paste. The accuracy is around 2% for ε'r and 0.003 for tanδ. We demonstrate that the mechanical activation (MA) has the dominant influence on lowering the characteristic temperatures and microstructure development, which further leads to increased permittivity and tensile strength.This is the peer reviewed version of the paper: Filipović, S., Obradović, N., Marković, S., Mitrić, M., Balać, I., Đorđević, A., Pavlović, V.B., 2019. The effect of ball milling on properties of sintered manganese-doped alumina. Advanced Powder Technology 30, 2533–2540. [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apt.2019.07.033

Size-dependence of the dielectric breakdown strength from nano- to millimeter scale

Dielectric breakdown decisively determines the reliability of nano- to centimeter sized electronic devices and components. Nevertheless, a systematic investigation of this phenomenon over the relevant lengths scales and materials classes is still missing. Here, the thickness and permittivity-dependence of the dielectric breakdown strength of insulating crystalline and polymer materials from the millimeter down to the nanometer scale is investigated. While the dependence of breakdown strength on permittivity was found to be thickness-independent for materials in the nm-mm range, the magnitude of the breakdown strength was found to change from a thickness-independent, intrinsic regime, to a thickness-dependent, extrinsic regime. The transition-thickness is interpreted as the characteristic length of a breakdown-initiating conducting filament. The results are in agreement with a model, where the dielectric breakdown strength is defined in terms of breakdown toughness and length of a conducting filament

Projekt Internationale Frauenuniversitaet 'Technik und Kultur'und die Durchfuehrung des Studiensemesters vom 15. Juli bis zum 15. Oktober 2000. Mit 6 Anhaengen

Published in 12 volumesSIGLEAvailable from TIB Hannover: F01B1123 - F01B1129 / FIZ - Fachinformationszzentrum Karlsruhe / TIB - Technische InformationsbibliothekBundesministerium fuer Bildung und Forschung, Berlin (Germany)DEGerman