High resolution locomotor time series in Japanese quail in a home-cage environment over a 6.5 day period (#7-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 been shown to present both a fractal pattern, as well as ultradian and circadian rhythms. This is the data from quail number 7, 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.

每个数据点对应一段0.5秒的时间区间（记为x_i），在此区间内鹌鹑要么处于移动状态（x_i=1），要么处于静止状态（x_i=0），实验总周期为6.5天。总数据点数约为1.07×10^6个。该时间序列已被证实兼具分形模式、超昼夜节律与昼夜节律特征。本数据集取自第二实验组的7号鹌鹑。整体实验中，研究人员对24只100~140日龄的成年雌性鹌鹑的自主活动行为进行了评估。实验环境为模拟家养笼舍的白色木箱，尺寸为40×40×40厘米（宽×长×高），底板采用金属丝网制作。箱内以金属棒隔板划分为两个面积均等的区域：取食区与巢区，两区之间开设开口作为通道，供鹌鹑自由穿梭于两个隔间。实验箱上方1.5米处悬挂一台摄像机，该设备可在照明关闭后自动切换至红外录制模式，其与邻室的计算机相连，可供实验人员远程调取数据。实验于当日下午约1:00启动：研究人员将12只鹌鹑装入木箱并转运至邻近的实验室，随后将每只鹌鹑单独放置于对应木箱的取食区内。后续6.5天内，研究人员持续记录鹌鹑的自主活动行为，实验于第7日晚9:00结束。每日的维护工作（收集鸟蛋、箱体清洁与投喂）均在每日中午12:00至12:30之间进行，此时间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%的原始数据。由于单次实验仅可同时容纳12只鹌鹑，实验分为连续两批进行，每批各12只（即实验组1与实验组2）。研究人员使用商用软件ANY-MAZE@，以0.5秒为间隔记录鹌鹑的移动行为，每个时间区间对应变量x_i。最终为每只鹌鹑生成自主活动时间序列（共1.07×10^6个时间区间）：若该区间内鹌鹑处于移动状态，则赋值为1（x_i=1）；若处于静止状态，则赋值为0（x_i=0）。