The aim of this study is to evaluate if Kinect is a valid and reliable clinical gait analysis tool for children with cerebral palsy (CP), and whether linear regression and long short-term memory (LSTM) recurrent neural network methods can improve its performance. A gait analysis was conducted on ten children with CP, on two occasions. Lower limb joint kinematics computed from the Kinect and a traditional marker-based Motion Analysis system were investigated by calculating the root mean square errors (RMSE), the coefficients of multiple correlation (CMC), and the intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC_2,k). Results showed that the Kinect-based kinematics had an overall modest to poor correlation (CMC—less than 0.001 to 0.70) and an angle pattern similarity with Motion Analysis. After the calibration, RMSE on every degree of freedom decreased. The two calibration methods indicated similar levels of improvement in hip sagittal (CMC—0.81 ± 0.10 vs. 0.75 ± 0.22)/frontal (CMC—0.41 ± 0.35 vs. 0.42 ± 0.37) and knee sagittal kinematics (CMC—0.85±0.07 vs. 0.87 ± 0.12). The hip sagittal (CMC—0.97±0.05) and knee sagittal (CMC—0.88 ± 0.12) angle patterns showed a very good agreement over two days. Modest to excellent reliability (ICC_2,k—0.45 to 0.93) for most parameters renders it feasible for observing ongoing changes in gait kinematics.

Early increased sophistication of human tools is thought to be underpinned by adaptive morphology for efficient tool manipulation. Such adaptive specialisation is unknown in nonhuman primates but may have evolved in the New Caledonian crow, which has sophisticated tool manufacture. The straightness of its bill, for example, may be adaptive for enhanced visually-directed use of tools. Here, we examine in detail the shape and internal structure of the New Caledonian crow’s bill using Principal Components Analysis and Computed Tomography within a comparative framework. We found that the bill has a combination of interrelated shape and structural features unique within Corvus and possibly birds generally. The upper mandible is relatively deep and short with a straight cutting edge and the lower mandible is strengthened and upturned. These novel combined attributes would be functional for (i) counteracting the unique loading patterns acting on the bill when manipulating tools, (ii) a strong precision grip to hold tools securely and (iii) enhanced visually-guided tool use. Our findings indicate that the New Caledonian crow’s innovative bill has been adapted for tool manipulation to at least some degree. Early increased sophistication of tools may require the co-evolution of morphology that provides improved manipulatory skills.

Computational models of many aspects of the mammalian cardiovascular circulation have been developed. Indeed, along with orthopaedics, this area of physiology is one that has attracted much interest from engineers, presumably because the equations governing blood flow in the vascular system are well understood and can be solved with well‐established numerical techniques. Unfortunately, there have been only a few attempts to create a comprehensive public domain resource for cardiovascular researchers. In this paper we propose a roadmap for developing an open source cardiovascular circulation model. The model should be registered to the musculo‐skeletal system. The computational infrastructure for the cardiovascular model should provide for near real‐time computation of blood flow and pressure in all parts of the body. The model should deal with vascular beds in all tissues, and the computational infrastructure for the model should provide links into CellML models of cell function and tissue function. In this work we review the literature associated with 1D blood flow modelling in the cardiovascular system, discuss model encoding standards, software and a model repository. We then describe the coordinate systems used to define the vascular geometry, derive the equations and discuss the implementation of these coupled equations in the open source computational software OpenCMISS. Finally, some preliminary results are presented and plans outlined for the next steps in the development of the model, the computational software and the graphical user interface for accessing the model.