Daily Behavior Patterns Research Articles

Metamorphosis Induces a Light-Dependent Switch in Senegalese Sole (Solea senegalensis) from Diurnal to Nocturnal Behavior

Light plays a key role in the development of biological rhythms in fish. Recent research in Senegal sole has revealed that spawning and hatching rhythms, larval development, and growth performance are strongly influenced by lighting conditions. However, the effect of light on the daily patterns of behavior remains unexplored. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the impact of different photoperiod regimes and white, blue, and red light on the activity rhythms and foraging behavior of Solea senegalensis larvae up to 40 days posthatching (DPH). To this end, eggs were collected immediately after spawning during the night and exposed to continuous white light (LL), continuous darkness (DD), or light-dark (LD) 12L:12D cycles of white (LD(W)), blue (LD(B), λ(peak) = 463 nm), or red light (LD(R), λ(peak) = 685 nm). A filming scenario was designed to video record activity rhythms during day and night times using infrared lights. The results revealed that activity rhythms in LD(B) and LD(W) changed from diurnal to nocturnal on days 9 to 10 DPH, coinciding with the onset of metamorphosis. In LD(R), sole larvae remained nocturnal throughout the experimental period, while under LL and DD, larvae failed to show any rhythm. In addition, larvae exposed to LD(B) and LD(W) had the highest prey capture success rate (LD(B) = 82.6% ± 2.0%; LD(W) = 75.1% ± 1.3%) and attack rate (LD(B) = 54.3% ± 1.9%; LD(W) = 46.9% ± 3.0%) during the light phase (ML) until 9 DPH. During metamorphosis, the attack and capture success rates in these light conditions were higher during the dark phase (MD), when they showed the same nocturnal behavioral pattern as under LD(R) conditions. These results revealed that the development of sole larvae is tightly controlled by light characteristics, underlining the importance of the natural underwater photoenvironment (LD cycles of blue wavelengths) for the normal onset of the rhythmic behavior of fish larvae during early ontogenesis.

1A2-P10 全方位画像特徴量の確率推論による高齢者の異常行動パターン検出(看護とメカトロニクス)

This paper describes an anomaly behavior detection system for elderly people based on an omni-directional vision sensor. The proposed monitoring system automatically learns daily behavior patterns and detects anomaly behavior pattern using probabilistic inference approach. Bayesian Network is constructed using image feature values such as area extracted from the captured image sequence. Human trajectories are also included in image features in order to detect the prolonged motionlessness. Some experiments are performed to verify the effectiveness of the proposed system.

Analysis of daily-living dynamics

Analysis of daily-living behavior is an important approach to assess the wellbeing of an elderly person that lives at home alone. This paper presents an approach to monitoring an individual in the home environment by an ambient-intelligence system in order to detect anomalies in daily-living patterns. The proposed method is based on transforming the sequence of posture and spatial information using a novel matrix presentation to extract spatial-activity features. Then, an outlier-detection method is used for a classification of the individual's usual and unusual daily patterns regardless, of the cause of the problem, be it physical or mental. Experiments indicate that the proposed algorithm successfully discriminates between the daily behavior patterns of a healthy person and those with health problems.

Heat tolerance and the effects of shade on the behavior of Simmental bulls on pasture

The objectives were to assess the degree of thermolysis capacity as a characteristic of heat tolerance of the Simmental beef cattle and evaluate the effects of shade and shade type (artificial: AS, trees: TS, or no shade: NS) on daily behavior patterns during summer. Black globe temperature (BGT) was different under the two types of shade (P < 0.05) and was lower under the TS (P < 0.01) and under AS (P > 0.01) than average BGT in the sun. Animals when in AS used more intensely the shade (P = 0.002) mostly lying down under it (10.00-14.00 hours), while time standing was similar (P = 0.107) between TS and NS. Bulls without shade (NS) spent significantly more time at the water trough and most part of the day standing idle (72.4%, 10.1 h/14 h). TS bulls spent more time grazing/standing (P < 0.001). The Simmental bulls that were in TS and AS spent more time ruminating than bulls that stay without shade (NS). The availability of shade changes grazing, rumination and idling behavior of cattle in response to environmental conditions. Shade provided by trees can be more efficient than artificial shading as cattle spent more time grazing when tree shade was available. Thermolysis capacity can be used to select heat-tolerant animals.

Lab Mice in the Field: Unorthodox Daily Activity and Effects of a Dysfunctional Circadian Clock Allele

Daily patterns of animal behavior are potentially of vast functional importance. Fitness benefits have been identified in nature by the association between individual timing and survival or by the fate of individuals after experimental deletion of their circadian pacemaker. The recent advances in unraveling the molecular basis of circadian timing enable new approaches to natural selection on timing. The investigators report on the effect and fate of the mutant Per2(Brdm1) allele in 4 replicate populations of house mice in a seminatural outside environment over 2 years. This allele is known to compromise circadian organization and entrainment and to cause multiple physiological disturbances. Mice (N=250) bred from Per2(Brdm1) heterozygotes were implanted subcutaneously with transponders and released in approximately Mendelian ratios in four 400 m(2) pens. An electronic system stored the times of all visits to feeders of each individual. The study first demonstrates that mice are not explicitly nocturnal in this natural environment. Feeding activity was predominantly and sometimes exclusively diurnal and spread nearly equally over day and night under the protective snow cover in winter. The effect of Per2(Brdm1) on activity timing is negligible compared to seasonal changes in all genotypes. Second, the Per2(Brdm1) allele did not have persistent negative effects on fitness. In the first year, the allele gradually became less frequent by reducing survival. New cohorts captured had the same Per2(Brdm1) frequency as the survivors from previous cohorts, consistent with an absence of an effect on reproduction. In the second year, the allele recovered to about its initial frequency (0.54). These changes in selective advantage were primarily due to female mice, as females lived longer and the sex ratio dropped to about 25% males in the population. While it is unknown which selective advantage led to the recovery, the results caution against inferences from laboratory experiments on fitness consequences in the natural environment. It also demonstrates that the activity of mice, while strictly nocturnal in the laboratory, may be partially or completely diurnal in the field. The new method allows assessment of natural selection on specific alleles on a day-today basis.

Detection of Abnormal Living Patterns for Elderly Living Alone Using Support Vector Data Description

In this study, we developed an automated behavior analysis system using infrared (IR) motion sensors to assist the independent living of the elderly who live alone and to improve the efficiency of their healthcare. An IR motion-sensor-based activity-monitoring system was installed in the houses of the elderly subjects to collect motion signals and three different feature values, activity level, mobility level, and nonresponse interval (NRI). These factors were calculated from the measured motion signals. The support vector data description (SVDD) method was used to classify normal behavior patterns and to detect abnormal behavioral patterns based on the aforementioned three feature values. The simulation data and real data were used to verify the proposed method in the individual analysis. A robust scheme is presented in this paper for optimally selecting the values of different parameters especially that of the scale parameter of the Gaussian kernel function involving in the training of the SVDD window length, T of the circadian rhythmic approach with the aim of applying the SVDD to the daily behavior patterns calculated over 24 h. Accuracies by positive predictive value (PPV) were 95.8% and 90.5% for the simulation and real data, respectively. The results suggest that the monitoring system utilizing the IR motion sensors and abnormal-behavior-pattern detection with SVDD are effective methods for home healthcare of elderly people living alone.

Early detection and monitoring of mild cognitive impairment through the register of daily behavior patterns

Early detection and monitoring of mild cognitive impairment through the register of daily behavior patterns

Nondaily behavior detection monitoring system for elderly people based on bayesian network representation of omnidirectional vision sensor

AbstractThis paper describes an unusual behavior detection system based on an omnidirectional vision sensor, as one of the important elements in realizing “Sensing and Robotic Support Rooms” for elderly people. Such support rooms are expected to be further developed in the future with advanced abilities to automatically recognize elderly people's actions and behavior patterns, to detect unusual patterns by using sensors, and to support their daily motions by using robotic manipulator control systems. The proposed monitoring system using an omnidirectional vision sensor automatically learns daily behavior patterns and detects unusual behavior patterns and actions by using the Bayesian network approach. The Bayesian network is constructed by using image feature values such as area and center‐of‐gravity values extracted from a captured image sequence, and the respective behavior patterns are represented as conditional probabilities. Unusual behavior patterns can be automatically detected on the basis of the low generation probability values. Experiments based on the investigation of elderly people's typical daily behavior patterns have shown the effectiveness of the proposed system. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 172(3): 42–51, 2010; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/eej.20990

Multiple Regression Analysis of Factors Influencing Physical Activity in College Students

PURPOSE: To determine how much of the variance in physical activity (PA) can be explained by daily behavioral patterns. METHODS: A total of 483 college students (302 male, 181 female) were recruited from two general education wellness courses at a Midwestern university. Participants were given a 24-hour time diary to log the following behaviors: PA, TV, computer use, video game use, class time, duration of homework, duration of employment, and sleep. Data were categorized to represent the two primary time blocks in which PA occurs: 3:00 pm-7:00 pm (T1) and 7:00 pm-11:00 pm (T2). Multiple regression was used to assess how much of the variance in PA can be explained by the independent variables separately in T1 and T2. RESULTS: The T1 regression model explained 38.3% of the variance in PA (R=.619, F(7,475) = 42.184, p<.001), with employment (beta = -.712, p<.001) and homework (beta = -.511, p<.001) contributing the most. Other significant variables included class time (beta = -.420, p<.001), TV (beta = -.313, p<.001), sleep (beta = -.256, p<.001), computer use (beta = -.248, p<.001), and video games (beta = -.186, p<.001). The T2 regression model explained 27.1% of the variance (R=.521, F(7,475)=25.221, p<.001), with employment (beta = -.523, p<.001) and homework (beta = -.496, p<.001) again making the largest contribution. Additional significant variables included TV (beta = -.377, p=.025), sleep (beta = -.225, p<.001), video games (beta = -.202, p<.001), class time (beta = -.137, p=.001), and computer use (beta = -.158, p<.001). CONCLUSIONS: Duration of employment and homework accounted for the largest amount of variance in both key time blocks. Implications of this study are not to suggest that college students abandon homework or employment in lieu of PA. Instead, for students to maintain a physically active lifestyle, they must recognize the time constraints employment and homework impose on discretionary leisure time and plan their schedules accordingly.

Effects of photoperiod on daily locomotor activity, energy expenditure, and feeding behavior in a seasonal mammal

The objective of this study was to determine whether the previously observed effects of photoperiod on body weight in Siberian hamsters were due to changes in the daily patterns of locomotor activity, energy expenditure, and/or feeding behavior. Adult males were monitored through a seasonal cycle using an automated comprehensive laboratory animal monitoring system (CLAMS). Exposure to a short-day photoperiod (SD; 8:16-h light-dark cycle) induced a significant decline in body weight, and oxygen consumption (Vo(2)), carbon dioxide production (Vco(2)), and heat production all decreased reaching a nadir by 16 wk of SD. Clear daily rhythms in locomotor activity, Vo(2), and Vco(2) were observed at the start of the study, but these all progressively diminished after prolonged exposure to SD. Rhythms in feeding behavior were also detected initially, reflecting an increase in meal frequency but not duration during the dark phase. This rhythm was lost by 8 wk of SD exposure such that food intake was relatively constant across dark and light phases. After 18 wk in SD, hamsters were transferred to a long-day photoperiod (LD; 16:8-h light-dark cycle), which induced significant weight gain. This was associated with an increase in energy intake within 2 wk, while Vo(2), Vco(2), and heat production all increased back to basal levels. Rhythmicity was reestablished within 4 wk of reexposure to long days. These results demonstrate that photoperiod impacts on body weight via complex changes in locomotor activity, energy expenditure, and feeding behavior, with a striking loss of daily rhythms during SD exposure.

PACAP-Deficient Mice Exhibit Light Parameter–Dependent Abnormalities on Nonvisual Photoreception and Early Activity Onset

BackgroundThe photopigment melanopsin has been suggested to act as a dominant photoreceptor in nonvisual photoreception including resetting of the circadian clock (entrainment), direct tuning or masking of vital status (activity, sleep/wake cycles, etc.), and the pupillary light reflex (PLR). Pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) is exclusively coexpressed with melanopsin in a small subset of retinal ganglion cells and is predicted to be involved extensively in these responses; however, there were inconsistencies in the previous reports, and its functional role has not been well understood.Methodology/Principal FindingsHere we show that PACAP-deficient mice exhibited severe dysfunctions of entrainment in a time-dependent manner. The abnormalities in the mutant mice were intensity-dependent in phase delay and duration-dependent in phase advance. The knockout mice also displayed blunted masking, which was dependent on lighting conditions, but not completely lost. The dysfunctions of masking in the mutant mice were recovered by infusion of PACAP-38. By contrast, these mutant mice show a normal PLR. We examined the retinal morphology and innervations in the mutant mice, and no apparent changes were observed in melanopsin-immunoreactive cells. These data suggest that the dysfunctions of entrainment and masking were caused by the loss of PACAP, not by the loss of light input itself. Moreover, PACAP-deficient mice express an unusually early onset of activities, from approximately four hours before the dark period, without influencing the phase of the endogenous circadian clock.Conclusions/SignificanceAlthough some groups including us reported the abnormalities in photic entrainments in PACAP- and PAC1-knockout mice, there were inconsistencies in their results [1], [2], [3], [4]. The time-dependent dysfunctions of photic entrainment in the PACAP-knockout mice described in this paper can integrate the incompatible data in previous reports. The recovery of impaired masking by infusion of PACAP-38 in the mutant mice is the first direct evidence of the relationship between PACAP and masking. These results indicate that PACAP regulates particular nonvisual light responses by conveying parametric light information—that is, intensity and duration. The “early-bird” phenotype in the mutant mice originally reported in this paper supposed that PACAP also has a critical role in daily behavioral patterns, especially during the light-to-dark transition period.

The suprachiasmatic nucleus participates in food entrainment: a lesion study

Daily feeding schedules entrain temporal patterns of behavior, metabolism, neuronal activity and clock gene expression in several brain areas and periphery while the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), the biological clock, remains coupled to the light/dark cycle. Because bilateral lesions of the SCN do not abolish food entrained behavioral and hormonal rhythms it is suggested that food entrained and light entrained systems are independent of each other. Special circumstances indicate a possible interaction between the light and the food entrained systems and indicate modulation of SCN activity by restricted feeding. This study explores the influence of the SCN on food entrained rhythms. Food entrained temporal profiles of behavior, core temperature, corticosterone and glucose, as well as Fos and PER1 immunoreactivity in the hypothalamus and corticolimbic structures were explored in rats bearing bilateral SCN lesions (SCNX). In SCNX rats food anticipatory activity and the food entrained temperature and corticosterone increase were expressed with earlier onset and higher values than in intact controls. Glucose levels were lower in SCNX rats in all time points and SCNX rats anticipation to a meal induced higher c-Fos positive neurons in the hypothalamus, while a decreased c-Fos response was observed in corticolimbic structures. SCNX rats also exhibited an upregulation of the PER1 peak in hypothalamic structures, especially in the dorsomedial hypothalamic nucleus (DMH), while in some limbic structures PER1 rhythmicity was dampened. The present results indicate that the SCN participates actively during food entrainment modulating the response of hypothalamic and corticolimbic structures, resulting in an increased anticipatory response.

Behavioral patterns of captive alpine musk deer: sex-specific behavior comparisons

The aim of this study was to document the behavior of captive alpine musk deer and to determine if daily behavior patterns varied between females and males. From August 2002 to January 2003, focal sampling was used to observe 32 adult captive alpine musk deer (13 female and 19 male) at Xinglongshan Musk Deer Farm (XMDF), Xinglongshan National Nature Reserve, Gansu Province. Results indicated similar behavior patterns for males and females, with only two out of 12 recorded behaviors showing significant sex differences. In comparison to females, males rested for a longer duration and exhibited tail pasting more frequently. This study also provided the first recording of tail pasting by female musk deer.

Behavioural patterns of heifers under intensive and extensive continuous grazing on species-rich pasture in the Czech Republic

This study examines the effects of season and of two grazing intensities, namely extensive grazing (EG) and intensive grazing (IG), on the grazing behaviour of heifers on species-rich upland pasture in the Czech Republic. Ten or eight (IG), and six or four (EG) heifers were continuously stocked in two completely randomized blocks from June to late September in 1998, 1999, 2000, 2006 and 2007. Swards were maintained at a target height of 5 and 10 cm, respectively. Grazing, ruminating, resting, and other activities were monitored during 24 h observations, and grazing, chewing and ruminating rates (per minute) were recorded. Daily behavioural patterns and the time budgets for particular activities were not significantly different between IG and EG heifers. However, IG heifers did spend more time grazing and slightly less time ruminating and resting than EG heifers. Other activity such as drinking, salt licking, comfort behaviour or social interaction was stable and there was no difference between the two treatments. Grazing rates were found significantly higher for IG heifers. Grazing was negatively affected by increase in air temperature at the expense of resting. Grazing time increased as the season progressed in the both IG and EG treatments, while resting showed a reverse trend. Concurrently, the ruminating time of IG heifers decreased and was variable for EG heifers. As the season progressed further, grazing rates then showed a decreasing trend. Considering that the differences in behavioural patterns between IG and EG were not conspicuous, our results indicate that the target sward of 5 cm commonly used in animal husbandry practices in the Czech Republic does offer enough forage to animals. Furthermore, the seasonal patterns of ingestive behaviour showed that the heifers under both grazing intensities balanced their intake by increase of grazing time along with decrease of grazing rates as the season progressed. These findings suggest that the herbage on species-rich pasture was sufficiently available to livestock at both the investigated grazing intensities.

Emergence of Circadian and Photoperiodic System Level Properties from Interactions among Pacemaker Cells

Daily patterns of behavior and physiology in animals in temperate zones often differ substantially between summer and winter. In mammals, this may be a direct consequence of seasonal changes of activity of the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). The purpose of this study was to understand such variation on the basis of the interaction between pacemaker neurons. Computer simulation demonstrates that mutual electrical activation between pacemaker cells in the SCN, in combination with cellular electrical activation by light, is sufficient to explain a variety of circadian phenomena including seasonal changes. These phenomena are: self-excitation, that is, spontaneous development of circadian rhythmicity in the absence of a light-dark cycle; persistent rhythmicity in constant darkness, and loss of circadian rhythmicity in pacemaker output in constant light; entrainment to light-dark cycles; aftereffects of zeitgeber cycles with different periods; adjustment of the circadian patterns to day length; generation of realistic phase response curves to light pulses; and relative independence from day-to-day variation in light intensity. In the model, subsets of cells turn out to be active at specific times of day. This is of functional importance for the exploitation of the SCN to tune specific behavior to specific times of day. Thus, a network of on-off oscillators provides a simple and plausible construct that behaves as a clock with readout for time of day and simultaneously as a clock for all seasons.

全方位センサのベイジアンネットワーク表現に基づく高齢者非日常行動検出モニタリングシステム

This paper describes an unusual behavior detection system based on an omni-directional vision sensor as one of the important elements in realizing “Sensing and Robotic Support Room” for elderly people. Such support rooms are expected to be further developed in the future with the high performance to automatically recognize elderly people's actions and behavior patterns and detect the unusual patterns using some sensors and to support their daily motions using some robotic manipulator control systems. The proposed monitoring system using an omni-directional vision sensor automatically learns the daily behavior patterns and detects the unusual behavior patterns and actions using Bayesian Network approach. The Bayesian Network is constructed using image feature values such as the area and center of gravity values extracted from the captured image sequence and the respective behavior patterns are represented as the conditional probabilities. Unusual behavior patterns can be automatically detected based on the low generation probability values. Some experiments based on the investigation of elderly people's typical daily behavior patterns show the effectiveness of the proposed system.

The effect of the Ramadan fast on physical performance and dietary habits in adolescent soccer players

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of the Ramadan fast on performance capacities, dietary habits, and the daily behavioral patterns in adolescent (14-16-year-old) soccer players. Nineteen male players performed a series of fitness tests before and at the end of Ramadan fast. Caloric intake, physical activity pattern and sleep habits were evaluated during the week before the Ramadan fast and during the last week of the Ramadan fast. The fast resulted in a significant reduction in aerobic capacity [3,000 m run time (mean +/- SD): 812.8 +/- 73.3 s vs. 819.9 +/- 73.4 s, P < 0.001], speed endurance (Sum 6 x 40 m run time: 46.36 +/- 1.36 s vs. 46.73 +/- 1.31 s, P < 0.001, and performance decrement: 9.0 +/- 1.5% vs. 9.5 +/- 1.7%, P < 0.05), and jumping performance (44.8 +/- 4.5 cm vs. 44.0 +/- 4.5 cm, P < 0.05), but had no significant effect on sprint performance (7.38 +/- 0.25 s vs. 7.40 +/- 0.26 s, P = 0.20) or agility (4 x 10 m shuttle run time: 9.53 +/- 0.35 s vs. 9.55 +/- 0.37 s, P = 0.26). Daily intense physical activity was significantly reduced during Ramadan (6.4 +/- 0.2 h/week vs. 4.5 +/- 0.1 h/week, P < 0.005). There were no significant differences in total caloric intake (3,012 +/- 412 kcal/day vs. 3240 +/- 348 kcal/day, P = 0.39) or total daily sleeping hours (8.6 +/- 0.7 h/day vs. 8.6 +/- 0.5 h/day, P = 0.80) between Ramadan and a regular month. The results indicate that Ramadan fasting can lead to a significant decrease in athletic performance capacities. The decrease in performance does not necessarily relate to changes in caloric intake and sleeping hours during the fast.

Variables That Differentiate Chronic Fatigue Syndrome from Depression

Assessment for chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) has depended primarily on information obtained through clinical interviews or questionnaire data. The present study used an activity log, which describes patterns of daily behavior, over the course of two days to examine whether differences existed in the pattern, intensity, and qualitative nature of activity among those with CFS, Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and controls. On average, participants in the CFS group spent significantly more time resting than the MDD group or control group. The CFS group spent nearly 2.5 times more than the MDD group and 4 times more than the control group performing low intensity activity. Findings indicated that people with CFS feel fatigued more of the time, find activity to be fatiguing more of the time, and need more rest during activity than people with MDD or healthy controls.

Environmental Effects on the Behavior of Zoo-housed Lions and Tigers, with a Case Study o the Effects of a Visual Barrier on Pacing

Tigers and lions in the wild are nocturnal nonhuman animals who may hunt and mate opportunistically during daylight hours. In captivity, they spend most time on exhibit sleeping or pacing. To better understand their activity budget, this study examined the daily behavior patterns of 2 Sumatran tigers and 3 African lions in different housings. The proportion of scans the large felids spent engaged in stereotypic pacing varied by time of day and environment. The tigers spent different amounts of time pacing when housed in different exhibits; the lions paced more in off-exhibit housing than when on exhibit. These differences suggest changes to the cats' immediate housing environment may decrease pacing but provide little insight into altering specifics. Carnivores' pacing relates to their inability to control sensory access to social partners. Both environments with increased pacing contained chain-link fencing. allowing uncontrolled sensory contact. Where the tigers paced, the study placed a visual barrier between one female and keepers' or conspecifics' cues. This did not significantly decrease pacing. However, the study suggests considering sensory access and environmental variables when designing environments for captive carnivores.

Cell Phone Methodology for Research and Service with High Risk Mothers and Children

Cell phones afford a set of distinctive advantages for gathering information on daily patterns of behavior, establishing relationships, maintaining contact, and providing professional expertise to participants in a wide array of programs, including intervention, treatment, and service. This paper presents new findings about innovative applications of cell phone technology in research on daily patterns of behavior with adolescent mothers, findings relative to feasibility and utility, and presents recommendations for the applicability of its use in early care and education.