High resolution locomotor time series in Japanese quail in a home-cage environment over a 6.5 day period (quail # 11 - group 1)

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. <strong>This is the data from quail number 11, of the first experimental group.</strong> In this experiment as 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.

每个数据点对应一个0.5秒的时间区间（xi），该区间内鹌鹑要么处于移动状态（xi=1），要么保持静止（xi=0），实验周期为6.5天。总数据点数约为1.07×10^6个。该时间序列被证实同时呈现分形模式（fractal pattern）、超昼夜节律（ultradian rhythms）与昼夜节律（circadian rhythms）。**本数据集来自第一实验组的11号鹌鹑**。本整体实验中，研究人员对24只成年雌性鹌鹑（日龄100~140天）在笼养环境下的运动活动进行评估：饲养笼为尺寸40×40×40厘米（宽×长×高）的白色木质箱体，底部铺设金属丝网地板。箱体被一根金属杆隔墙分为两个等大的区域（喂食区与巢区），并开设一处开口作为通道，允许鹌鹑在两个隔间间自由活动。箱体上方1.5米处悬挂一台摄像机，关灯后自动切换至红外录制模式，该摄像机连接至邻室的计算机，实验人员可远程访问该设备。实验于下午1:00左右启动：将12只鹌鹑转运至邻近的实验室房间，随后将每只鹌鹑单独放置于其中一个箱体的喂食区。在接下来的6.5天内，研究人员持续记录鹌鹑的运动活动。实验于第7天的晚上9点结束。每日的维护工作（收集鸟蛋、清洁箱体与投喂饲料）均在中午12:00至12:30之间进行，该时段内的活动数据未被纳入时间序列，最终导致数据集损失约2%的数据。由于单次仅可同时测试12只鹌鹑，因此实验分为两组连续开展，每组12只个体（即第一组与第二组）。研究人员使用商用ANY-MAZE@计算机程序，以0.5秒的时间间隔记录鹌鹑的运动情况（xi）。每只鹌鹑的运动时间序列（共1.07×10^6个时间区间）可通过如下方式获得：若某一时间区间内鹌鹑处于移动状态，则将xi赋值为1；若保持静止，则赋值为0。