The location of the five fiducial landmarks, along with a headshape, were digitised using a Polhemus Fastrack 3D digitisation unit and coregistered with the T1 structural scan using a surface matching algorithm.
In order to reduce the impact of digitization error on the overall results, the average of both digitisations was used in the subsequent analyses.
To smooth the raw data (Fig. 1) high frequency noise associated with digitisation errors was removed using a low-pass 4th order Butterworth filter (cut-off 14Hz).
Where actuarial survival outcomes were not reported for 2 and 5 years specifically, and authors could not be contacted, data were digitally extracted from Kaplan Meier survival plots using graphic digitisation software (DigitizeIt, Braunschweig, Germany) according to previously published methodology (Guyot et al, 2012).
The index adds a wider mix of digitisation metrics than previous rankings, using 21 measures including broadband speed, coverage and reliability, and the cost and use of mobile telephones.
Lu et al. introduced a laser scanning 3-D digitisation system for dental casts using a semiconductor laser and found no statistical difference between 3-D and manual measurements.
Following the digitisation of each marker point using the Peak Motus motion analysis system (Peak Performance Technologies Inc ,Alpharetta, GA), the angle between 2 vectors, one connecting the C7 and T12 markers and the other connecting the T12 and greater trochanter markers was calculated.
Especially during the past two decades, globalisation, digitisation, the use of the internet, "omics" technologies and the concept of systems biology have provided unprecedented opportunities for international collaborations and provision of new strategies and powerful tools for revisiting TCM scientifically.
Co-author Dr Phil Manning, also from the University of Manchester, said: "The digitisation of such vast dinosaur skeletons using laser scanners brings Walking with Dinosaurs to life – this is science, not just animation".
