Prevalência e fatores associados à alteração vocal em idosos institucionalizados com capacidade cognitiva preservada

Voice disorders (VD) in the elderly can interfere negatively in communication, emotional well-being and quality of life, conditions that correspond to greater exposure to illness and social isolation bringing consequent economic impact for the health system. It is assumed that institutionalized confinement, weakness and morbidity associated to nursing home (NH) contribute to transform VD an especially prevalent condition in institutionalized elderly, including those without cognitive impairment. Thus, the aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and associated factors of VD in NH elderly residents without cognitive impairment. There is no epidemiological diagnostic instruments of VD for elderly populations, so the first step of this study was dedicated to prepare and analyze the psychometric properties of a short, inexpensive and easy to use questionnaire named Screening for Voice Disorders in Older Adults (Rastreamento de Alterações Vocais em Idosos—RAVI). The methodological procedures of this step followed the guidelines of the Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing and contemplated validity evidence based on test content, based on response processes, based on internal structure and based on relations with other variables, as well as reliability analysis and clinical consistency. The result of the validation process showed that the RAVI final score generate valid and reliable interpretations for the epidemiological diagnosis of VD in the elderly, which endorsed the use of the questionnaire in the second stage of the study, performed in ten NH located in the city of Natal, Rio Grande do Norte. At this stage, data from socioeconomic and demographic variables, lifestyle, general health conditions and characterization of the institution were collected. It was performed a bivariate analysis and it was calculated the prevalence ratio as a magnitude association measure, with a confidence interval of 95%. The variables with p-value less than 0.20 were included in the multiple logistic regression model that followed the Forward selection method. The odds ratio found in the multivariate model was converted into prevalence ratio and the level of significance was 5%. The sample consisted of 117 subjects with predominance of females and average of 79.68 (± 7.92) years old. The prevalence of VD was 39.3% (95% CI: 30.4-48.1%). The multivariate model showed statistically significant association between VD and depressive symptoms, smoking for a year or more and selfreported hearing loss. In conclusion, VD is a prevalent health condition in NH elderly residents without cognitive impairment and is associated with factors involving psychosocial, lifestyle and communicative disability that require attention of managers and professionals involved with NH environment. Strategies to encourage communication and social integration, actions to combat smoking and minimizing the effects of hearing loss could stimulate the physical well-being, emotional and mental health of institutionalized elderly population, contributing to the vocal and communicative maintenance, a more effective social inclusion and better overall health condition.

Arte, prazer e bisturi: construção corporal através da body modification

In view of a field research carried out by a team connected to the universe of body modification, it is possible to discern some uses and meanings linked to these forms of body interventions. Body modification or body change is part of the circuit of piercings and tattoos, although they are socially less thinned and more extreme, like scarifications, subcutaneous implants, bifurcated tongues, surfaces and body suspensions. The aim of this paper is to cast an anthropological glance on these practices, joining at the same context all the subjects involved with these techniques, placing them inside the same relational focus and capturing their journeys and trajectories. The discussions are concentrated on the notion of body building and urban life style. Ideas as personal distinctness and prestige imitation are also present in this universe, as well as matters attached to genre, pleasure, art, and to the so-called alternative circuit . This way, the ethnography so far presented here, reveals the complex and contemporaneous character of these practices of body markings in which the body appears as the central element in the experiences of the subjects of this study

Vem ouvir o verso de teu cantador : amos, cantadores e toadas no Boi-Bumbá Caprichoso Belém/PA

This thesis aims to investigating the cantadores and the toadas in the Boi Bumbá, debating questions which put together around the construction and performance of amo s and cantador s role in the Boi Bumbá Caprichoso of Belém-PA city and exploring the extent of toadas its characteristics, functions, the uses that are made of theirs and the relations that establishes between them and the cantadores. The problematic of the research consisted on analysing what the amos, cantadores and toadas represent in the whole context of boi-bumbá plays in Belém, nowadays. Considering this perspective, I tried to identify on Boi Caprichoso the most meaningful expressions which were related to toadas and how the roles of amo and cantador were performed. Participative observation, ethnical research, open and semistructured interviews were used as research methods. The role performances on Boi Caprichoso plays an essential part on the playing realization, highlighting themselves as pivotal characters. These performances, characterized by the vocal presence, also highlighted the size that toadas occupy in the whole play, and pointed the way for an emerging model of presentation, in which both toada and cantador appear as central figures

O ator que canta um conto: a manipulação de parâmetros musicais na voz do ator

This research started with an investigation about the theatrical speaking. Through an empirical methodology that analyzed a practical experience of creating a play and bibliographical research, the actress/researcher investigated ways to manipulate musical parameters as tools in the creation process of the actor s voice. The actress/researcher attempted to connect theory and practice, moved by the desire to find a vocal expression in theater that unfolds as living and transforming movement. This dissertation also contains the report of pedagogical experiences, in which the actress/researcher explored strategies to teach the appropriation of musical parameters in the construction of the vocal work of the actor. Considering that speaking in theater is closer to singing than everyday speech, she concluded that the actor may compose music as a music composer does in the elaborating process of building vocal scores. Therefore, she demonstrated that it is of fundamental importance a musical training in the development of the actor.

Análise das manifestações auditivas em individuos com hipertensão arterial sistêmica

Objective: To determine the prevalence of auditory manifestations in individuals with hypertension and analyze the association between hearing loss, systemic hypertension and quality of life in hypertensive patients. Method: This was a prospective, observational, case-control study, carried out from June 2010 to December 2013 at the University Hospital Onofre Lopes, in Natal, Brazil, which involved 120 patients of both sexes were analyzed with a diagnosis of hypertension and 120 patients without a diagnosis of hypertension. The audiological function was assessed by tonal and vocal audiometry. The quality of life was defines by the MINICHAL BRASIL questionnaire. Results: The prevalence of hearing loss was high in both groups (82.5 % and 75.8 %, in hypertension group and control, respectively, p=0.003). The sensorineural was the most common type of hearing loss (48.5 %) in hypertension group while conductive hearing loss was predominant (61.5 %) in the control group. There were no difference in the intensity of hearing loss between the groups (p=0,21). The main hearing complaint was hearing loss (51 %), followed by ear pain (14 %). There was worse quality of life in hypertensive individuals with hearing loss (p= 0.0001). Conclusion: Hypertensive individuals showed higher prevalence of auditory events, including hearing loss, sensorineural hearing loss is predominant . Hearing loss is associated with worse quality of life of hypertensive individuals even when these pressure values are within normal limits

Correntes em rede: uma interpretação imagética e textual das correntes religiosas virtuais

This paper develops an analysis of virtual chains religious imagetic. The profusion of images that accompanies us is an irrefutable fact today. The imagetic and virtual join the religion. The approach of the old with the new makes possible the emergence of this new religious practice. Therefore, the study sought to characterize the context in which the virtual chains religious develop. From this perspective, emphasizes religion and cyberculture in order to explain how from that link, it originates an element that exemplifies the current society imagery. This study of the chains takes place from the perspective of the receiver. The image is considered as language, while in communicating becomes capable of imitation

Em nome da república: escolas e tradições modernas

Our research aims to analyze some institutions of primary education in so-called First Republic in Natal/RN, when they were considered high standard institutions on training, dissemination and creation of national identity and republican traditions. Thus, we investigated to try to understand the creation of the new man and the invention of new traditions to confirm the status of republican modernity in two schools in Natal, the Colegio Americano, a private one, and a standard model of school, Augusto Severo, which is a public one. As a basis we have the history of institutions to analyze, paying close attention to consider the use of imitation in cultural patrimony as well as the use of strategies to distinguish. The concept of ownership follows, for present purposes, their focus of study on observation of diverse and contrasting use of these cultural objects, texts, readings and ideas from research institutions. For analysis of the link which occurs within the school environment, in every period of its history, we used the concept of school culture as a set of rules and practices which define knowledge to teach and conduct the introject. A culture that incorporates the school to keep a set with other religious cultures, political and popular of its time and space. In this sense, the educational institutions which we studied while showing what kind of in this work by preparing cultures, codes, different practices, and specific individuals they have, they were in important locations to provide modern cultural appropriation as a strategy for educational innovation and a factor of rationality and efficiency which could be observed and controlled, so gradually the modern school education was organized to produce its own society. As a challenge of affirmation and incorporating diverse social experiences to produce the modern, civilized man of the Republican time, the school, as part of the social life, which is singular in its practices, not only the set of reforms, decrees, laws and projects, but also as expressions of concept about life and society in terms of material, symbolic and cultural symbols in the social context in modernization. We focused on these two schools, because inside the wide cultural and material status of the city, they were the first republic schools which had the goal of having men and woman together culturally , with a view to adapting them to the modern movement to make them civilized / educated / rational . On this view, we would emphasize that this statement needs a reinvention as a new way through what is made at the schools which production of new spaces, practices, rites and what represents school, making and expressing a new identity, modern, different of the old symbols of the Empire. For this, nothing better than the organization of schooling, emphasizing on educating the individual and his/her responsibilities with the order and progress. We need to understand the past as a result of conflicts, including strengths and limitations within the historical and social context, and the invention of tradition as a process of formalization and ritualization of acts which want to perpetuate, as a reference to a group identity. These are practices and social educative representations which support the understanding of pedagogical and educational ideas at this historical moment, making a new way of being and doing in the Republican universe

Interações comunicativas entre uma professora e um aluno com transtorno invasivo do desenvolvimento na escola regular

Inclusion of students with autism in regular education settings is a topic that has not been much explored by the national scientific literature. This matter is complex and, due to the extent of various aspects involved, it is essential to delimitate a focus of investigation. The direction taken by this study was to evaluate the effects of an intervention program in the communicative interactions between a student with autism and his teacher in a regular classroom. Data were collected in an elementary private school, located in the city of Natal, Rio Grande do Norte during the 2010 academic school year. The study included a teacher and a non-vocal, 10-year-old student diagnosed with autism. A quasi-experimental A-B research design was employed. During the intervention program the teacher was trained to use Naturalistic Teaching Strategies and Alternative and Augmentative Communication (AAC) resources to increase the frequency of interactions with the student during three classroom routines (entry time, snack and pedagogical activity). The results indicated qualitative and quantitative changes in the interactions of the dyad after the implementation of the intervention program. The student began to use pictograms to communicate with the teacher in two of the three routines investigated. The frequency of AAC use was also observed in the teacher‟s repertoire, especially when the student failed to understand gestures and words. The teacher positively evaluated the intervention program

Sistema inteligente para diagnóstico de patologias na laringe utilizando máquinas de vetor de suporte

The human voice is an important communication tool and any disorder of the voice can have profound implications for social and professional life of an individual. Techniques of digital signal processing have been used by acoustic analysis of vocal disorders caused by pathologies in the larynx, due to its simplicity and noninvasive nature. This work deals with the acoustic analysis of voice signals affected by pathologies in the larynx, specifically, edema, and nodules on the vocal folds. The purpose of this work is to develop a classification system of voices to help pre-diagnosis of pathologies in the larynx, as well as monitoring pharmacological treatments and after surgery. Linear Prediction Coefficients (LPC), Mel Frequency cepstral coefficients (MFCC) and the coefficients obtained through the Wavelet Packet Transform (WPT) are applied to extract relevant characteristics of the voice signal. For the classification task is used the Support Vector Machine (SVM), which aims to build optimal hyperplanes that maximize the margin of separation between the classes involved. The hyperplane generated is determined by the support vectors, which are subsets of points in these classes. According to the database used in this work, the results showed a good performance, with a hit rate of 98.46% for classification of normal and pathological voices in general, and 98.75% in the classification of diseases together: edema and nodules

Estratégias baseadas em aprendizado para coordenação de uma frota de robôs em tarefas cooperativas

In multi-robot systems, both control architecture and work strategy represent a challenge for researchers. It is important to have a robust architecture that can be easily adapted to requirement changes. It is also important that work strategy allows robots to complete tasks efficiently, considering that robots interact directly in environments with humans. In this context, this work explores two approaches for robot soccer team coordination for cooperative tasks development. Both approaches are based on a combination of imitation learning and reinforcement learning. Thus, in the first approach was developed a control architecture, a fuzzy inference engine for recognizing situations in robot soccer games, a software for narration of robot soccer games based on the inference engine and the implementation of learning by imitation from observation and analysis of others robotic teams. Moreover, state abstraction was efficiently implemented in reinforcement learning applied to the robot soccer standard problem. Finally, reinforcement learning was implemented in a form where actions are explored only in some states (for example, states where an specialist robot system used them) differently to the traditional form, where actions have to be tested in all states. In the second approach reinforcement learning was implemented with function approximation, for which an algorithm called RBF-Sarsa($lambda$) was created. In both approaches batch reinforcement learning algorithms were implemented and imitation learning was used as a seed for reinforcement learning. Moreover, learning from robotic teams controlled by humans was explored. The proposal in this work had revealed efficient in the robot soccer standard problem and, when implemented in other robotics systems, they will allow that these robotics systems can efficiently and effectively develop assigned tasks. These approaches will give high adaptation capabilities to requirements and environment changes.

O princípio metafísico da poética de Aristóteles

Aristotle's definition of tragedy indicates a metaphysical project insinuated by a notion of kátharsis. The reconstruction of Aristotle's method of definition is inspired in the concepts of enérgeia and dýnamis taken from Physics, understanding cause as substance. The Doctrine of the Four Causes is the theoretical basis of the definition of tragedy, placing tragedy in the genre of imitation and distinguishing its species: language (material cause), noble and complete action (formal cause), actors (efficient cause) and kátharsis (temporarily identified with the final cause). Nevertheless, there is no final cause in the definition of tragedy. The kátharsis of passions is experienced by the spectator when he witnesses tragedy, which is the imitation of a noble action, executed by actors and not narrated. Aristotle justifies hid proposition in favor of mimesis by assuming that imitation is natural to man since infancy and the view of objects allows whoever contemplates them to identify and learn the originals. As a metaphysical principle, kátharsis is projected to beyond definition of tragedy, where it is manifested cathartically, in the spectator. Research about the spectator brings one back to the definition of tragedy, where the imitation is an imperfect copy which evokes in the spectator the presence of the originals of the imitated sentiments, thus realizing the kátharsis of these emotions. In this way kátharsis reveals itself as selfknowledge and approach of divine truth and perfections.

Expressão de genes imediatos induzidos por vocalizações em sagüis-comuns (Callithrix jacchus)

Immediate-early genes (IEGs) expression has been widely used as a valuable tool to investigate brain areas activated by specific stimuli. Studies of natural vocalizations, specially in songbirds, have largely benefited from this tool. Here we used IEGs expression to investigate brain areas activated by the hearing of conspecific common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus) vocalizations and/or utterance of antiphonal vocalizations. Nine adult male common marmosets were housed in sound-attenuating cages. Six animals were stimulated with playbacks of freely recorded natural long distance vocalizations (phee calls and twitters; 45 min. total duration). Three of them vocalized in response (O/V group) and three did not (O/n group). The control group (C) was composed by the remaining animals, which neither heard the playbacks nor spontaneously vocalized. After one hour of the stimulation onset (or no stimulation, in the case of the C group), animals were perfused with 0,9% phosphate-saline buffer and 4% paraformaldehyde. The tissue was coronally sectioned at 20 micro meter in a cryostat and submitted to immunohistochemistry for the IEGs egr-1 and c-fos. Marked immunoreactivity was observed in the auditory cortex of O/V and O/n subjects and in the anterior cingulate cortex, the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex and the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex of O/V subjects. In this study, brain areas activated by vocalizations of common marmosets were investigated using IEGs expression for the first time. Our results with the egr-1 gene indicate that potential plastic phenomena occur in areas related to hearing and uttering conspecific vocalizations.

Influência de fotoperíodo artificial no comportamento de um primata neotropical diurno (Callithrix jacchus)

One of the main environmental cues for the adjustment of temporal organization of the animals is the light-dark cycle (LD), which undergoes changes in phase duration throughout the seasons. Photoperiod signaling by melatonin in mammals allows behavioral changes along the year, as in the activity-rest cycle, in mood states and in cognitive performance. The aim of this study was to investigate if common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus) exhibits behavioral changes under short and long photoperiods in a 24h cycle, assessing their individual behaviors, vocal repertoire, exploratory activity (EA), recognition memory (RM) and the circadian rhythm of locomotor activity (CRA). Eight adult marmosets were exposed to a light-dark cycle of 12:12; LD 08:16; LD 12:12 and LD 16:08, sequentially, for four weeks in each condition. Locomotor activity was recorded 24h/day by passive infrared motion detectors above the individual cages. A video camera system was programmed to record each animal, twice a week, on the first two light hours. From the videos, frequency of behaviors was registered as anxiety-like, grooming, alert, hanging position, staying in nest box and feeding using continuous focal animal sampling method. Simultaneously, the calls emitted in the experimental room were recorded by a single microphone centrally located and categorized as affiliative (whirr, chirp), contact (phee), long distance (loud shrill), agonistic (twitter) and alarm (tsik, seep, see). EA was assessed on the third hour after lights onset on the last week of each condition. In a first session, marmosets were exposed to one unfamiliar object during 15 min and 24h later, on the second session, a novel object was added to evaluate RM. Results showed that long days caused a decreased of amplitude and period variance of the CRA, but not short days. Short days decreased the total daily activity and active phase duration. On long days, active phase duration increased due to an advance of activity onset in relation to symmetric days. However, not all subjects started the activity earlier on long days. The activity offset was similar to symmetric days for the majority of marmosets. Results of EA showed that RM was not affected by short or long days, and that the marmosets exhibited a decreased in duration of EA on long days. Frequency and type of calls and frequency of anxiety-like behaviors, staying in nest box and grooming were lower on the first two light hours on long days. Considering the whole active phase of marmosets as we elucidate the results of vocalizations and behaviors, it is possible that these changes in the first two light hours are due to the shifting of temporal distribution of marmoset activities, since some animals did not advance the activity onset on long days. Consequently, the marmosets mean decreased because the sampling was not possible. In conclusion, marmosets synchronized the CRA to the tested photoperiods and as the phase angle varied a lot among marmosets it is suggested that they can use different strategies. Also, long days had an effect on activity-rest cycle and exploratory behaviors

Taxonomia e biogeografia da espécie politípica Herpsilochmus rufimarginatus (TEMMINCK, 1822) (Aves: THAMNOPHILIDAE)

The genus Herpsilochmus is composed mainly of cryptic species, among them is Herpsilochmus rufimarginatus, which is currently represented by four subspecies: H. r. rufimarginatus, H. r. frater, H. r. scapularis and H. r. exiguus. Differences in plumage and vocalization suggest that there are more than one species involved in this complex. Thus this and other subspecific taxa need urgent revision, the disjunct distribution of this species also allows us to infer the relationship between birds that occur in this biome and / or different centers of endemism. This study aims to make a taxonomic revision of the taxa included in the complex time Herpsilochmus rufimarginatus based on morphological, morphometric, vocals and geographical distribution of this bird. Besides creating distribution models current potential and make the reconstruction of the distribution bygone using ecological niche modeling, and testing the niche conservatism and divergence between different subspecies. Consultations for examination of the skins of specimens of the museums: Museum of Zoology, University of São Paulo (MZUSP), National Museum of Rio de Janeiro (MN) and Emilio Goeldi Museum of Pará (MPEG), and the skins deposited at the collection of Ornithological Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (COUFRN). We studied the following measures length of specimens: exposed culmen, culmen and total culmen nostril, tarsus, wing and tail flattened. The voice analysis was performed with vocalizations banks and / or digital banks people where 17 voice parameters were measured. This information and more available in the literature were used to assemble a bunch of data under the limit distribution of taxa and generate ecological niche models. This analyzes carried out in the program Maxent, having as model selection criterion the AUC, and the models were greater than 0.80 are considered good models. Environmental data for the realization of the modeling were downloaded on the website of Worldclim. The morphometric information, vocals and geographic distribution point for the separation of these taxa to be considering various uni and multivariate analyzes. The potential distribution models performed well (AUC> 0.80), and its distribution associated with environmental characteristics of the Amazon forest and Atlantic forest (forests of south and southeast, northeast and forest). The reconstruction of the distribution indicates a possible contact between the southern part of the Atlantic forest in the northern part of the Amazon. The analysis of niche overlap showed a low overlap between taxa and comparisons between the null model and the generated overlay link probably occurring niche conservatism. The data suggest that the taxa that occur in the Amazon and Atlantic forest represent three distinct species