High resolution locomotor time series in Japanese quail in a home-cage environment over a 6.5 day period (#5-group 2)

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 both a fractal pattern, as well as ultradian and circadian rhythms. This is the data from quail number 5, of the second experimental group. 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.

本数据集的每个数据点对应一段时长0.5秒的时间区间（记为$x_i$）：在6.5天的观测周期内，若鹌鹑处于移动状态则$x_i=1$，静止状态则$x_i=0$。本数据集共包含约1.07×10^6个数据点。该时间序列同时具备分形模式（fractal pattern）、超昼夜节律（ultradian rhythm）与昼夜节律（circadian rhythm）特征。本数据集取自第二实验组的5号鹌鹑个体。

在本整体实验中，研究人员对24只100~140日龄的成年雌性鹌鹑的运动活动进行了评估。实验环境为白色木质饲养箱（规格：40cm×40cm×40cm，依次对应宽×长×高），箱底铺设金属丝网。箱内设有一根金属杆隔墙，将箱体均分为两个等大区域：喂食区与巢区，两区之间留有开口作为通道，允许鹌鹑在隔间间自由穿梭。箱体上方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。摄像机与邻室的计算机相连，实验人员可远程调取录制内容。

实验于当日下午约13:00启动：研究人员先将12只鹌鹑装入饲养箱并转运至邻近的实验室，随后将每只鹌鹑单独安置于对应饲养箱的喂食区域中。在随后的6.5天内，研究人员持续记录鹌鹑的运动活动，实验于第7日晚间21:00正式结束。每日的维护工作（捡蛋、箱体清洁与投喂）均在中午12:00至12:30之间开展，该时段内的活动数据未被纳入时间序列，最终导致数据集整体损失约2%的有效数据。由于单次仅可同时测试12只鹌鹑，实验共分为连续的两组，每组12只个体（即第1实验组与第2实验组）。

本研究采用商用ANY-MAZE@计算机程序，以0.5秒为间隔记录鹌鹑的移动行为（对应变量$x_i$）。通过对每个时间区间进行判定：若该区间内鹌鹑处于移动状态，则将$x_i$赋值为1；若处于静止状态，则赋值为0，由此得到每只鹌鹑的运动活动时间序列（共1.07×10^6个时间区间）。