An efficient timing device to record activity patterns of small mammals in the field

AbstractWe propose a simple, accurate, and inexpensive timing device to record the activity patterns of small mammals in the field using live traps. The present timing device can be used in cage-type live traps. It is built from commercially available components and does not require special skills to construct. The device is set outside the trap and does not need to be permanently affixed or require drill perforations, as others devices do. This device is easily incorporated into long-term monitoring studies to provide temporal information about small mammal populations without affecting their behavior.

Download Full-text

Analysis of Tawny Owl (Strix Aluco) Food Remains as a Tool for Long-Term Monitoring of Small Mammals

Acta Zoologica Lituanica ◽

10.1080/13921657.2005.10512379 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 15 (2) ◽

pp. 85-89 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

Laima Balčiauskienė

Keyword(s):

Small Mammals ◽

Tawny Owl ◽

Strix Aluco ◽

Long Term Monitoring ◽

Term Monitoring

Download Full-text

248 Behavioural Biometrics: Using Smartphone Keyboard Activity as a Proxy for Rest-Activity Patterns

SLEEP ◽

10.1093/sleep/zsab072.247 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 44 (Supplement_2) ◽

pp. A100-A100

Author(s):

Gerrieke Druijff-van de Woestijne ◽

Hannah McConchie ◽

Yvonne de Kort ◽

Giovanni Licitra ◽

Chao Zhang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Neurological Disorders ◽

Activity Patterns ◽

Sleep Diary ◽

Monitoring Method ◽

Smartphone Use ◽

Long Term Monitoring ◽

Behavioural Biometrics ◽

Term Monitoring ◽

Rest Activity

Abstract Introduction Rest-activity patterns are important aspects of healthy sleep and may be disturbed in conditions like circadian rhythm disorders, insomnia, insufficient sleep syndrome, and neurological disorders. Long-term monitoring of rest-activity patterns is typically performed with diaries or actigraphy. Here, we propose a fully unobtrusive method to obtain rest-activity patterns using smartphone keyboard activity. This study investigated whether keyboard activities from habitual smartphone use are reliable estimates of rest and activity timing compared to daily self-reports within healthy participants. Methods First-year students (n = 51) used a custom smartphone keyboard to passively and objectively measure smartphone use behaviours, and filled out the Consensus Sleep Diary for one week. The time of the last keyboard activity before a nightly absence of keystrokes, and the time of the first keyboard activity following this period were used as markers. Results Results revealed high correlations between these markers and user-reported onset and offset of resting period (r ranged 0.74 - 0.80). Linear mixed models could estimate onset and offset of resting periods with reasonable accuracy (R2 ranged 0.60 - 0.66). This indicates that smartphone keyboard activity can be used to estimate rest-activity patterns. In addition, effects of chronotype and type of day were investigated. Conclusion Implementing this monitoring method in longitudinal studies would allow for long-term monitoring of (disturbances to) rest-activity patterns, without user burden or additional costly devices. It could be particularly useful in studies amongst clinical populations with sleep-related problems, or in populations for whom disturbances in rest-activity patterns are secondary complaints, such as neurological disorders. Support (if any):

Download Full-text