Co-located collaborative visual analytics around a tabletop display

Co-located collaboration can be extremely valuable during complex visual analytics tasks. We present an exploratory study of a system designed to support collaborative visual analysis tasks on a digital tabletop display. Fifteen participant pairs employed Cambiera, a visual analytics system, to solve a problem involving 240 digital documents. Our analysis, supported by observations, system logs, questionnaires, and interview data, explores how pairs approached the problem around the table. We contribute a unique, rich understanding of how users worked together around the table and identify eight types of collaboration styles that can be used to identify how closely people work together while problem solving. We show how the closeness of teams’ collaboration and communication influenced how they performed on the task overall. We further discuss the role of the tabletop for visual analytics tasks and derive design implications for future co-located collaborative tabletop problem solving systems.     

An algorithm for three-dimensional reconstruction incorporating cross-plane rays

Conventional multislice positron cameras reconstruct a three-dimensional distribution of a positron-emitting radioscope as a set of two-dimensional transverse sections. Consequently, annihilation photons which cross two or more planes are eliminated from the data. Such an approach makes efficient use of the emitted photon flux. A method is proposed which makes more efficient use of the available photons by including both oblique and transverse section in the reconstruction. The implementation of the method consists of centering a scaled convolution filter on each detected coincidence event line and backprojecting the filter values through the three-dimensional reconstruction volume. The final image is normalized to allow for the different number of oblique and transverse sections that contribute to each point in the imaging volume. The method has been evaluated using both simulated data and measured data obtained with a routing area detector positron camera.     

Stress-sensitivity mapping for surface acoustic waves on quartz

A model is presented, relating the velocity shifts of surface acoustic waves (SAW) to the six tensor components of quasistatic stresses. Stress sensitivity is then defined through six independent coefficients, whatever the origin of the stress (direct external forces, thermoelastic stresses) might be. These coefficients, depending on crystal anisotropy, are computed for different cut angles and propagation directions of quartz crystal, and represented as a contour-line mapping. The determination of SAW quartz cuts compensated for both planar isotropic stresses and first-order temperature effects make it possible to define a family of quartz cuts with potentially low stress and temperature sensitivities for oscillator applications.     

End-user reactions towards working with Computer-Based Information Retrieval Systems (CBIRS)

This paper reports the results of an investigation of users' perceptions of and feelings towards working with Computer-Based Information Retrieval Systems (CBIRS). Detailed questionnaires were distributed to members of the United Kingdom Online User Group (UKOLUG), to database users within a large organisation (Site A), and to end-users of a complex commercial database containing information about electronic components (Codus). The three groups differed significantly in their perceptions towards working with a CBIRS, with UKOLUG members holding the most positive perceptions. More frequent use of the CBIRS was found to be significantly related to perceived functional utility of the CBIRS in all three groups. In only two of the groups (UKOLUG and Codus) was perceived difficulty in operating the system negatively related to frequency of use. Job attitudes were not significantly related with perceptions towards working with a CBIRS, but were significantly related with current usage of the CBIRS. For all three groups, reported 'planfulness' (tendency to plan) when using a CBIRS was positively related to feelings of pressure when using the system. The paper discusses the implications of the study's findings for future research and development in the field of human-computer interaction.     

Fast point spread function computation from aperture functions in high-resolution positron emission tomography

The problem of extracting point spread functions from detector aperture functions in high-resolution PET is addressed. In the limit of very small size detectors relative to the ring dimensions, assumptions are made that lead to a fast and simple computation model yielding point spread functions with negligible errors due to the reconstruction algorithm. The methods allows one to assess accurately the intrinsic performance of a PET tomograph, and it appears to be adequate to relate the imaging capabilities in every point of the camera reconstruction field to the geometric and physical characteristics of the detection system. The method was developed as an investigation tool to help design the next generation of very-high-resolution PET tomographs.