Knowledge Base

Social Escape

Definition

A discrete (state event) variable that is scored when the focal subject walks away from a conspecific (named Receiver). The distance between the center points of the two subjects is within two times the average body length of the receiver.

Calculation

1. EthoVision XT finds all the events of type Get Away in the Live Mouse Tracker database.
2. EthoVision XT calculates the average body length of the subject which the focal subject is moving away from. The body length is measured as the distance between the nose-point and the tail-base point, and averaged throughout the entire track.
3. If the distance between the center point of the focal subject is within two times the average body length of the other subject, Social escape is scored for that sample.

How to Specify Social Escape

1. Open an Analysis profile and in the Dependent Variables panel, under Live Mouse Tracker, click the Add button next to Social escape.
2. Click the Receivers tab. Under Select, choose the subjects that the focal subject escaped from. If you select two or more subjects, select one of the available options from the list:
   • All selected subjects: Social escape is scored when the focal subject escaped from all the subjects selected above simultaneously. For example, when the focal subject left a group of three cage mates.
   • Any selected subject: Social escape is scored when the focal subject escaped from any of the subjects selected above.
   • Each subject: Social escape is scored when the focal subject escaped from one of the subjects selected above. The results are displayed for each Receiver.
3. Complete the procedure to add the variable to the Analysis profile. See Calculate statistics: procedure.

Notes

In the Trial Statistics results table, with the default layout, the results of Social escape are shown per subject (on the rows). The columns vary depending on what you chose in the Receivers tab.

• If you chose Each subject, the columns contain the statistics of Social escape from specific subjects (for example, Social escape A to D).
• If you chose All selected subjects or Any selected subject, a column All of A, B, C, D or Any of A, B, C, D contains cumulative statistics of Social escape when the subject escaped from all the cage mates simultaneously or from any of them, respectively, depending on which option you chose.

See also

• Social Approach
• Social > Relative Movement

Stop

Definition

A discrete (state event) variable that marks the time that the focal subject's center point moves little or not at all in space. Two categories are defined, based on whether the subject is in contact with other subjects or not.

Calculation

1. EthoVision XT finds all the events of type Stop in the Live Mouse Tracker database. These are scored when the speed of the subject is lower than the threshold value (5.26 cm/s or 2 5/64 in). This threshold is set in the Live Mouse Tracker algorithms and cannot be changed.
2. EthoVision XT finds the events of type Contact in the Live Mouse Tracker database.
3. If the event Stop and Contact overlap, then Stop in contact is scored for that sample. In all other cases, Stop alone is scored.

How to Specify Stop

1. Open an Analysis profile and in the Dependent Variables panel, under Live Mouse Tracker, click the Add button next to Stop.
2. Under Calculate Statistics for, select Stop alone, Stop in contact, or both.
3. Click the Receivers tab. This applies if you selected Stop in contact in the previous step. Under Select, choose the subjects that the focal subject was in contact with while it was not moving. If you select two or more subjects, select one of the available options from the list:
   • All selected subjects: Stop in contact is scored when the focal subject was in contact with all the subjects selected above simultaneously.
   • Any selected subject: Stop in contact is scored when the focal subject was in contact with any of the subjects selected above.
   • Each subject: Stop in contact is scored when the focal subject was in contact with one of the subjects selected above. The results are displayed for each Receiver.
4. Complete the procedure to add the variable to the Analysis profile. See Calculate statistics: procedure.

Notes

• The state Not moving, which you can find in the EthoVision XT dependent variable Movement, is similar to Stop. However, there are differences:
  • You can set the speed thresholds for Not moving, not for Stop.
  • Instances of Not moving cannot be split based on the events of contact with other subjects.
• In the Trial Statistics results table, with the default layout, the results of Stop are shown per subject (on the rows). When choosing Stop in contact, the columns vary depending on what you chose in the Receivers tab.
  • If you chose Each subject, the columns contain the statistics of Stop in contact with specific subjects (for example, Stop in contact with A to D).
  • If you chose All selected subjects or Any selected subject, a column With all of A, B, C, D or With any of A, B, C, D contains cumulative statistics of Stop in contact when the subject was in contact with all the cage mates simultaneously or with any of them, respectively, depending on which option you chose.

See also

• Live Mouse Tracker > Move
• Movement

Stretch Attend Posture

Definition

A discrete (state event) variable that is scored when the subject slows down and stretches its body forward. The subject's apparent body length (measured from the top view) increases and its height (measured with the depth camera) decreases.

Calculation

1. EthoVision XT calculates the average and the standard deviation (SD) of the body length, measured as the distance between the nose-point and the tail-base point, throughout the entire track.
2. EthoVision XT calculates the median body height, where body height is measured using the z-coordinate of the subject's center point.
3. Stretch attend posture is scored when the following occur simultaneously:
   • The current body length is equal to or greater than the average + 1 SD of the body length.
   • The current body height is smaller than the median body height.
   • The current speed of the subject is lower than 5 pixels per video frame (at 30 fps, this is about 26 cm/s).

How to Specify Stretch Attend Posture

1. Open an Analysis profile and in the Dependent Variables panel, under Live Mouse Tracker, click the Add button next to Stretch Attend Posture.
2. Complete the procedure to add the variable to the Analysis profile. See Calculate statistics: procedure.

Note

Stretch attend posture is not detected if the nose-point or the tail-base point are not found at that time. The software needs both points to estimate the body length.

See also

• Dependent Variables for Live Mouse Tracker

Managing Files and Experiments

Main Topics and Tasks

• Manage your experiments
• Import data
• Export data

Important: Manage your files and experiments within EthoVision XT. If you delete, move, or rename files using the Windows File Explorer, EthoVision XT may not be able to find the files again. To move or copy data and experiments to another location, see Back up an experiment.

See also

• Using Digital Video
• File Locations

Source: EthoVision XT 19 Help, Noldus Information Technology