High resolution locomotor time series in Japanese quail in a home-cage environment over a 6.5 day period ((ALL SERIES)

Each data point represents a 0.5s time interval (xi) in which the quail could either been ambulating (xi=1) or immobile (xi=0), over a 6.5 day period .The total number of data points is approximately 1.070.000. This time series has been shown to present both a fractal pattern, as well as ultradian and circadian rhythms. 

In this experiment in a whole, the locomotor activity of 24 adult females quail (100-140 days old) was evaluated in a home-cage environment in a white wooden box measuring 40 x 40 x 40 cm (width x length x height, respectively) with a wire mesh floor. A metal bar wall divided the box in two same-size zones (feeding, nesting), and an opening served as a door allowing the bird to move freely between compartments. A video camera that automatically switched to infrared recording after lights were turned off was suspended 1.5m above the box. It was connected to a computer in an adjacent room and could be accessed remotely by experimenters.

Testing began at approximately 1:00 PM, when 12 quail were placed in a box, and transported to a nearby experimental room. Each bird was then placed individually in the feeding zone of one of the boxes. During the following 6.5 days, the birds’ locomotor activity was continuously recorded. Testing ended at 9 PM the 7th day. Daily maintenance activities (egg collection, cleaning and feeding) were performed between 12 and 12:30 PM; the activity during this period was not included in time series, which in total implied a loss of 2% from the data set. Since only 12 birds could be tested simultaneously, two consecutive groups of 12 individuals were evaluated (group 1 and group 2). We used the commercially available ANY-MAZE@ computer program to register locomotion at 0.5 s intervals (xi). The locomotor time series (1.07e6 time intervals) of each bird was obtained by assigning a number one (xi = 1) if during the interval the bird was ambulating, or a zero (xi = 0) if immobile.

0.5s intervals."

每个数据点对应一个0.5秒的时间间隔（记为变量xi），该间隔内鹌鹑的状态为行走（xi=1）或静止（xi=0），实验周期为6.5天，总数据点数约为107万。该时间序列同时呈现分形模式（fractal pattern）、超日节律与昼夜节律特征。

本整体实验旨在评估24只100~140日龄成年雌性鹌鹑的笼养运动活动，实验环境为规格40×40×40厘米（宽×长×高）的白色木质饲养箱，箱底铺设金属网地板。箱内以金属栅栏分隔为两个等大区域：采食区与巢区，区域间开设开口作为通行门，供鹌鹑自由穿梭。实验箱上方1.5米处悬挂一台摄像机，该设备可在灯光关闭后自动切换至红外录制模式，其信号连接至邻室的计算机，实验人员可远程调取录像数据。

实验于当日下午约13:00启动：先将12只鹌鹑装入转运箱，运送至邻近的实验舱后，将每只鹌鹑单独放置于其中一个饲养箱的采食区。在随后的6.5天内，持续记录鹌鹑的运动活动，直至第7日晚21:00实验结束。每日12:00至12:30进行日常维护工作（收集鸟蛋、清洁笼舍与投喂饲料），此时间段内的活动数据未纳入时序数据集，最终导致数据集总丢失约2%的有效数据。由于单次仅可同时测试12只鹌鹑，实验分为两组连续开展，每组包含12只个体（组1与组2）。本研究使用商用ANY-MAZE@计算机程序，以0.5秒为间隔记录运动状态（对应变量xi）。针对每只鹌鹑的运动时序数据集（共1.07×10^6个时间间隔），若该间隔内鹌鹑处于行走状态则记xi=1，静止状态则记xi=0。时间间隔为0.5秒。