Measuring animal activity in the context of light/dark phase and social proximity

自动行为评估已经成为大规模、高质量、基于动物的研究不可或缺的工具。在过去的几年里，收集详细的行为数据需要在现场观察或视频评估期间进行劳动密集型评分，但随着最近的技术进步，现在可以使用自动化设备有效和客观地获得许多措施。Actigraph系统是人类研究中使用最广泛的活动监测设备，近年来也越来越多地用于检查狗和马的研究。除了活动监测外，ActiGraph wGT3X-BT还包括一个测量亮度的luxometer，以及一个可以检测其他单元的接近传感器，无论安装在有生命或无生命的物体上。在光照水平变化的情况下评估活动对研究尤其重要，因为光照水平每天都在变化，要么是由于人为干扰，要么是由于季节。接近传感器极大地扩展了自动行为评估的能力，因为它允许自动评估社会互动（例如，动物之间，或人与动物之间），以及与使用环境中各种无生命物体（例如，喂食器，休息区）相关的时间预算。对于本应用程序中描述的研究来说，这是一个重要的技术进步，因为长期的、基于观察者的行为评分在私人家庭和工作环境中是完全不切实际的，因为主人对观察者或摄像机的存在是有抵抗力的。因此，自动评估是在这些私有环境中收集这些类型数据的唯一可行且具有成本效益的方法。我们的团队包括一组不同的研究人员（三个共同申请者和五个合作者），他们需要一个复杂的系统来自动评估猫、狗和马的行为。我们将利用这些设备进行尖端研究，旨在改善猫和狗的营养、健康和福利，并制定控制策略，防止传染病在马和其他农场物种中爆发。受训人员将大量使用该设备，他们将获得自动化行为评估的宝贵技能，这对他们未来作为独立研究人员的成功至关重要。********

Automated behavioural assessment has become an indispensable tool for large scale, high quality, animal-based studies. In years past, collection of detailed behavioural data required labour intensive scoring during either live observations or video assessment, but with recent technological advancements many measures can now be obtained efficiently and objectively using automated equipment. The Actigraph system is the most widely used activity monitoring equipment for human research, and it has also been increasingly used in recent years for research examining dogs and horses. In addition to activity monitoring, the ActiGraph wGT3X-BT includes a luxometer to measure light levels, and a proximity sensor that can detect other units, whether mounted on animate or inanimate objects. Assessment of activity in the context of light levels is particularly important for research where light levels are variable from day to day, either due to human interference or season. The proximity sensor dramatically expands the capacity for automated behavioural assessment, since it allows for automated assessment of social interactions (e.g., between animals, or between humans and animals), and of time budgets in relation to use of various inanimate objects within the environment (e.g., feeders, resting areas). This is an important technological advancement for the research described in this application, since long-term, observer-based behaviour scoring is entirely impractical in private home and work environments where owners are resistant to the presence of observers or videos cameras. Thus, automated assessment is the only feasible and cost-effective method for collection of these types of data in these private environments. Our team includes a diverse group of researchers (three co-applicants and five collaborators) that require a sophisticated system for automated behavioural assessment for use in cats, dogs and horses. We will use this equipment to conduct cutting edge research aimed at improving nutrition, health and welfare for cats and dogs, and developing control strategies to prevent infectious disease outbreaks in horses and other farm species. This equipment will be heavily used by trainees, who will gain valuable skills in automated behaviour assessment that will be important to their future success as independent researchers.********