Itemset trees for targeted association querying

Association mining techniques search for groups of frequently co-occurring items in a market-basket type of data and turn these groups into business-oriented rules. Previous research has focused predominantly on how to obtain exhaustive lists of such associations. However, users often prefer a quick response to targeted queries. For instance, they may want to learn about the buying habits of customers that frequently purchase cereals and fruits. To expedite the processing of such queries, we propose an approach that converts the market-basket database into an itemset tree. Experiments indicate that the targeted queries are answered in a time that is roughly linear in the number of market baskets, N. Also, the construction of the itemset tree has O(N) space and time requirements. Some useful theoretical properties are proven.     

The X-HPD—conceptual study of a large spherical hybrid photodetector

We present the results of a conceptual study demonstrating the feasibility of a large spherical hybrid photodetector with central anode. A prototype tube with 208 mm diameter and an anode in form of a metallic cube has been fabricated. In the final version of the so-called X-HPD concept the anode will be a scintillator cube with plated faces and a small photodetector to readout the bottom. The bialkali photocathode covers three quarters of the sphere surface. Combined use of this cathode in transmissive and reflective mode leads to effective quantum efficiency values exceeding those obtained in conventional hemispherical PMT designs. Further features of the concept are a photoelectron collection efficiency approaching 100% and a photon amplification in the scintillator crystal leading to a distinct single photoelectron signal.

Using a custom built electron accelerator based on a CsI transmissive photocathode, LSO and YAP block crystals in geometries adapted to the anode of an X-HPD have been tested with single photoelectrons in the 10–30 keV energy range. The scintillation light was readout with a conventional PMT or a Si-PM. More than 30 photoelectrons per incident electron could be detected with the PMT.     

Low-cycle fatigue in silicon: comparison with fcc metals

Undoped FZ silicon single crystals were cyclically loaded in tension‐compression under plastic strain amplitude control in a temperature and strain rate domain where the glide of dislocations is still controlled by the lattice friction: 1073–1173 K and (1.5–6) × 10⁻⁴s⁻¹; the plastic strain amplitude being varied from 6 × 10⁻⁴ to 10⁻². Cyclic hardening curves display logarithmic then linear hardening and pass through a maximum before the peak stress per cycle stabilizes. The maximum and stabilized stresses decrease when temperature increases. Microscopical observations suggest that strain localization takes place near the maximum cyclic stress and beyond. But, contrary to what is observed in fcc metals, the maximum or saturation stress decreases when the strain amplitude per cycle increases. Several types of dislocation arrangements, rather different from those found in copper, but looking more similar to Ni fatigued at low temperatures, were revealed by transmission electron microscopy. Before mechanical saturation, edge dislocation dipoles gather in thick stripes forming more or less corrugated walls, depending on the amplitude per cycle, when viewed normal to the primary slip plane. Once the maximum stress is reached, it seems that parts of the microstructure cease to participate in the imposed plastic strain, while others concentrate it. In active areas, thick walls condense into much thinner ones, forming chevrons when viewed normal to the slip plane. In areas which seem to be inactive, dipolar walls anneal out leaving a rather homogeneous distribution of prismatic loops. Thin PSBs with a well‐characterized ‘ladder‐structure’ are very rare. Characteristic lengths of the observed patterns are given and briefly discussed using current theories of cyclic deformation.     

Brittle fracture of high-strength steels at very low temperatures

High-strength steels are used to increase the load carrying capacity of components. However, to guarantee a safe design, it is also necessary to combine high strength with adequate fracture toughness. In this paper, fracture toughness of three high-strength steels with yield strengths ranging from 460 to 890 MPa has been studied at very low temperatures. Taking into account experimental evidence, a new mechanism of cleavage at very low temperatures is proposed. This mechanism considers the possibility of reaching the ideal strength (the stress at which the lattice of a single crystal losses its stability) in the immediate vicinity of the fatigue crack tip. Moreover, a computational model able to calculate the external load needed to produce a catastrophic failure of these steels has been developed.     

Significance of the elastic peak stress evaluated by FE analyses at the point of singularity of sharp V-notched components

The paper presents an expression useful to estimate the notch stress intensity factor (NSIF) from finite element analyses carried out by using a mesh pattern with a constant element size. The evaluation of the NSIF from a numerical analysis of the local stress field usually requires very refined meshes and then large computational effort. The usefulness of the presented expression is that (i) only the elastic peak stress numerically evaluated at the V‐notch tip is needed and no longer the whole stress–distance set of data; (ii) the adopted meshes are rather coarse if compared to those necessary for the evaluation of the whole local stress field. The proposed expression needs the evaluation of a virtual V‐notch tip radius, i.e. the radius which would produce the same elastic peak stress than that calculated by FEM at the sharp V‐notch tip by means of a given mesh pattern. Once such a radius has been theoretically determined for a given geometry, the expression can be applied in a wide range of notch depths and opening angles.     

S-N-P curves in 7075 T7351 and 2024 T3 aluminium alloys subjected to surface treatments

The S-N-P (stress, number of cycles, failure probability) curves for 2024 T3 and 7075 T7351 aluminium alloys were obtained. Previously, surface treatments of degreasing and different types of anodizing were applied to samples, evaluating the influence of these treatments on the fatigue life of the alloys. The determination of the S-N-P curves was done using Maennig's method. Rotary fatigue was used because this technique produces greater stress on the sample surfaces, the zone in which it is important to evaluate fatigue resistance. Both the transition range and the finite life range were evaluated, calculating the 1, 50 and 99% fracture probability. SEM was performed in order to characterize the fracture micromechanism. The conclusions were that Maennig's method is useful to evaluate fatigue life of these materials in a fast and efficient manner. Moreover, surface treatments produce a decrease in the fatigue life of both alloys, associating this effect with the surface damage produced on each sample during the treatment.     

Finite-element analysis and experimental study on tensile fatigue behaviour of bitumen–stone adhesion

Tensile fatigue behaviours of bitumen–stone adhesion were investigated using a dynamic mechanics analyser under stress‐controlled mode at two temperatures of 5 and 25°C and various controlled‐stress levels. Failure characteristics including interfacial failure and cohesive failure were examined using image analysis of fracture surfaces. Finite‐element analysis on stress distributions was conducted under different temperatures, film thickness and interfacial bonding conditions. A Coulomb–Mohr like criterion in combination with shear and normal stresses is proposed to deal with the extreme thin adhesive layer, which can be further simplified into an adhesive zone without significant loss of accuracy for stress analysis.     

Schwingfestigkeit von Schraube‐Mutter‐Verbindungen

High cycle fatigue of bolted connections Extensive tests regarding the influences on the fatigue of bolt‐nut‐connections of preloading with torsion, of preloading with yielding, of loading with superimposed bending and of the tested lot are processed. These influences are not yet known according to VDI 2230. New testing devices were designed for these tests, which allow a far less expensive operation and may easily be used for bolts of diameters up to M100 and testing frequencies up to 1000 Hz. The validity of fatigue resistance according to VDI 2230 is specified with respect to the test results. The determined influence of the tested lots is unexpectedly high. The manufacturing process of bolts should be improved to minimize this influence.