Concordance in Discriminating Recordings of Different Lung Sounds Between Physiotherapists.

BACKGROUND: Auscultation is a fundamental part of the physical examination, but its utility has been questioned due to the low inter-rater concordance. We therefore sought to evaluate the concordance of the discrimination of lung sound recordings between experienced physiotherapists. METHODS: Lung sound recordings were selected and validated by an expert panel when Fleiss κ concordance was > 0.75. Eleven recordings were played for subject recognition using a portable computer in their workplace. Results were analyzed using Fleiss κ when looking for concordance between physiotherapists. Univariate regression was performed to determine if there was an association with clinical training, years of experience, academic accomplishment, or university affiliation. RESULTS: Sixty-nine physiotherapists with a median of 4 years of working experience (interquartile range 2-6 y) completed the study. There was moderate concordance (κ = 0.562; 95% CI 0.462-0.605) for overall lung sound recording discrimination. For continuous and noncontinuous lung sound recordings, discrimination concordance was substantial (κ = 0.63 and κ = 0.76, respectively). A bivariate analysis revealed that years of experience presented an inverse association with stridor recognition. CONCLUSIONS: Concordance between physiotherapists in discriminating recorded lung sounds was moderate. The ability to recognize stridor was inversely associated with years of work experience.

Análise acústica da voz: comparação entre dois tipos de microfones / Acoustic voice analysis: comparison between two types of microphones

RESUMO Objetivo Comparar os valores das medidas acústicas da voz, extraídas de gravações vocais realizadas com dois tipos de microfones. Métodos Participaram da pesquisa 103 pessoas do sexo feminino, com idades entre 18 e 54 anos. Foram coletadas amostras da vogal sustentada /e/, captadas por dois microfones, simultaneamente: Shure SM58 e Karsect HT-9. Foi realizada a análise acústica das vozes, com a extração de valores de frequência fundamental (F0), variação da frequência (Jitter) e variação de amplitude dos segmentos fundamentais da voz (Shimmer) e proporção Glottal to Noise Excitation (GNE). Resultados Houve diferenças entre os microfones apenas na medida de Shimmer, com predomínio de valores mais altos captados pelo Karsect HT-9. Porém, os resultados de ambos os microfones estiveram dentro dos padrões de normalidade do software utilizado. Conclusão Os resultados da análise acústica extraídos a partir da gravação de voz realizada com os microfones Shure SM58 e Karsect HT-9 foram semelhantes, concluindo-se que ambos os microfones podem ser utilizados para gravação do sinal sonoro na análise acústica.

ABSTRACT Purpose To compare acoustic measurements of voice recorded by two types of microphones. Methods The study counted with 103 women from 18 to 54 years old. The recorded sample was the sustained vowel /ɛ/. The acoustic signal was picked up simultaneously by two unidirectional microphones: the Shure SM58 and the Karsect HT-9. The acoustic analysis was performed on these edited vocal samples. The measured parameters were F0, Jitter, Shimmer and Glottal to Noise Excitation (GNE) ratio. Results Recurrent differences between the microphones were observed only in Shimmer measurement (p=0.026); the Karsect HT-9 presented higher values. However, the acoustic measures were within the normal range for healthy voices, despite of the microphone used. Conclusion The acoustic analysis results extracted from the voice recording performed with the Shure SM58 and the Karsect HT-9 microphones were similar. Hence, it can be deduced that, connected to a high-quality interface, both microphones can be used in the acoustic analysis to record the sound signal.

Perceptions of Adolescents and Caregivers of Corporal Punishment: A Qualitative Study Among Indo-Caribbean in Suriname.

While the protection of children from all forms of violence is a fundamental right guaranteed by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, violence remains a part of life for children around the globe. Corporal punishment is a form of violence and a dominant practice as a method of corrective parenting in the Caribbean. While researchers are starting to ask children directly about their experiences of violence, there is limited research on children's perspectives of the function, legality, and boundaries of corporal punishment, particularly in low-and middle-income countries. This study begins to address this gap by reporting on 12 focus groups that were conducted with adolescents (aged 12 to 18 years) and caregivers of Indo-Caribbean background in Suriname. The aim is to explore adolescents' and caregivers' shared perspectives about the prevalence of corporal punishment in Suriname, responses to and feelings about its use as a discipline strategy and perspectives of the rationales for and against corporal punishment, and their views on banning it. Analyses were done using ATLAS.ti version 1.0.50, a qualitative data package. Corporal punishment showed to be an everyday experience in children's lives in Suriname. There was no clear consensus regarding adolescents' and caregivers' perspectives on the parental use of corporal punishment. Many participants hesitated to support efforts to prohibit corporal punishment legally. Messages arising from this study could usefully inform the development of a public information campaign on safe and effective discipline of children in Suriname.

Formulations in Psychotherapy: Admission Interviews and the Conversational Construction of Diagnosis.

In this article, we contribute to understanding the interactional aspects of making clinical diagnosis in mental health care. We observe that therapists, during the "problem presentation" sequence in clinical encounters, often use a specific form of diagnostic formulations to elicit more diagnostically relevant information. By doing so, they often substitute one type of verb with another, following a diagnostic hypothesis. Specifically, in interviews that arrive at a diagnosis of neurosis, therapists formulate with behavioral verbal processes; in interviews that arrive at a diagnosis of psychosis, they do so with material ones. Such formulations often prove useful to define clinical diagnoses. They can, however, also be dangerous in that they may favor the therapist's agenda over the patient's. Our analysis helps therapists not only better understand the diagnostic process but also reflect upon their own use of diagnostic formulations and become aware of the clinical effects of their interactional performance.

[Optimistic perspectives in communicating difficult news on fetal development]. / Perspectivas otimistas na comunicação de notícias difíceis sobre a formação fetal.

Communicating diagnostic news in health contexts is a potentially difficult event for all parties involved. However, despite this task's presence in the physician-patient context, it is rarely addressed during clinical training. The current study thus aimed to describe and evaluate how difficult news can be toned down during genetic counseling sessions involving cases of fetal syndromes and/or malformations. The study analyzed 33 naturalistic interactions (i.e. real situations), taped and transcribed, according to the theoretical and methodological perspective of Conversation Analysis, with an ethnomethodological basis. These interactions consisted of sessions in clinical genetics with pregnant women seen at the fetal medicine service of a reference hospital for maternal and child health in the Brazilian Unified National Health System (SUS). The analysis showed that communicating difficult news can be accompanied by optimistic perspectives that are scaled-up according to each situation's severity. In the absence of a positive diagnosis, the appointments can conclude with positive aspects such as recommendations for palliative care, so that the patient always leaves the appointment with some kind of recommendation. This study proposes to innovate and expand the scope of studies on communicating difficult news in the physician-patient relationship in Brazil, precisely by developing an analysis of real interactions in genetic counseling and thus providing interactional backing for training health professionals that deal with this challenge in their routine work.

Perspectivas otimistas na comunicação de notícias difíceis sobre a formação fetal / Optimistic perspectives in communicating difficult news on fetal development / Perspectivas optimistas en la comunicación de noticias difíciles sobre la formación fetal

A comunicação de notícias diagnósticas em contextos de saúde é um evento potencialmente impactante para todos os envolvidos. Contudo, apesar de constante no contexto médico-paciente, essa tarefa ainda é escassamente tratada na formação clínica. Assim, os objetivos deste estudo foram os de descrever e avaliar como as notícias difíceis podem ser comunicadas de forma mais abrandada em casos de síndromes e/ou de malformações fetais em consultas de aconselhamento genético. Para isso, foram analisadas 33 interações naturalísticas (i.e. situações reais de consultas), gravadas e transcritas, pela perspectiva teórica e metodológica da Análise da Conversa de base etnometodológica. Essas interações consistiram em consultas da genética clínica com gestantes atendidas em um serviço de medicina fetal de um hospital materno-infantil de referência do Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS). A análise evidenciou que a entrega de notícias difíceis pode ser acompanhada por perspectivas otimistas escalonadas conforme a gravidade de cada situação. Na ausência de diagnóstico, o fechamento das consultas pode ser realizado com aspectos positivos, como recomendações de cuidados paliativos, de forma que a paciente sempre saia da consulta com algum tipo de recomendação. Propõe-se, com este estudo, inovar e alargar o escopo de estudos sobre a comunicação de notícias difíceis na relação médico-paciente no Brasil, justamente ao desenvolver uma análise de interações reais de atendimento e, assim, prover subsídios interacionais para a formação de profissionais da saúde que têm essa tarefa em sua rotina.

Communicating diagnostic news in health contexts is a potentially difficult event for all parties involved. However, despite this task's presence in the physician-patient context, it is rarely addressed during clinical training. The current study thus aimed to describe and evaluate how difficult news can be toned down during genetic counseling sessions involving cases of fetal syndromes and/or malformations. The study analyzed 33 naturalistic interactions (i.e. real situations), taped and transcribed, according to the theoretical and methodological perspective of Conversation Analysis, with an ethnomethodological basis. These interactions consisted of sessions in clinical genetics with pregnant women seen at the fetal medicine service of a reference hospital for maternal and child health in the Brazilian Unified National Health System (SUS). The analysis showed that communicating difficult news can be accompanied by optimistic perspectives that are scaled-up according to each situation's severity. In the absence of a positive diagnosis, the appointments can conclude with positive aspects such as recommendations for palliative care, so that the patient always leaves the appointment with some kind of recommendation. This study proposes to innovate and expand the scope of studies on communicating difficult news in the physician-patient relationship in Brazil, precisely by developing an analysis of real interactions in genetic counseling and thus providing interactional backing for training health professionals that deal with this challenge in their routine work.

La comunicación de noticias diagnósticas en contextos de salud es un evento potencialmente impactante para todos los involucrados. No obstante, a pesar de ser constante en el contexto médico-paciente, esta tarea todavía es escasamente tratada en la formación clínica. Por ello, los objetivos de este estudio fueron los de describir y evaluar cómo las noticias difíciles pueden ser comunicadas de una forma más mitigada, en casos de síndromes y/o de malformaciones fetales en consultas de asesoramiento genético. Para este fin, se analizaron 33 interacciones naturales (p.ej. situaciones reales de consultas), grabadas y transcritas, mediante la perspectiva teórica y metodológica del Análisis de la Conversación con base etnometodológica. Estas interacciones consistieron en consultas de genética clínica con gestantes atendidas en un servicio de medicina fetal de un hospital materno-infantil de referencia, perteneciente al Sistema Único de Salud brasileño (SUS). El análisis evidenció que la comunicación de noticias difíciles puede ser acompañada de perspectivas optimistas escalonadas, conforme la gravedad de cada situación. En ausencia de diagnóstico, el final de las consultas puede realizarse con aspectos positivos, como recomendaciones de cuidados paliativos, de forma que el paciente siempre salga de la consulta con algún tipo de recomendación. Se propone, con este estudio, innovar y alargar el alcance de estudios sobre la comunicación de noticias difíciles, en la relación médico-paciente en Brasil, justamente al desarrollar un análisis de interacciones reales de atención y, así, proveer ayudas para la formación de profesionales de la salud que tiene esa tarea como parte de su rutina.

Mapping the Early Language Environment Using All-Day Recordings and Automated Analysis.

PURPOSE: This research provided a first-generation standardization of automated language environment estimates, validated these estimates against standard language assessments, and extended on previous research reporting language behavior differences across socioeconomic groups. METHOD: Typically developing children between 2 to 48 months of age completed monthly, daylong recordings in their natural language environments over a span of approximately 6-38 months. The resulting data set contained 3,213 12-hr recordings automatically analyzed by using the Language Environment Analysis (LENA) System to generate estimates of (a) the number of adult words in the child's environment, (b) the amount of caregiver-child interaction, and (c) the frequency of child vocal output. RESULTS: Child vocalization frequency and turn-taking increased with age, whereas adult word counts were age independent after early infancy. Child vocalization and conversational turn estimates predicted 7%-16% of the variance observed in child language assessment scores. Lower socioeconomic status (SES) children produced fewer vocalizations, engaged in fewer adult-child interactions, and were exposed to fewer daily adult words compared with their higher socioeconomic status peers, but within-group variability was high. CONCLUSIONS: The results offer new insight into the landscape of the early language environment, with clinical implications for identification of children at-risk for impoverished language environments.

Divergence in mating signals correlates with genetic distance and behavioural responses to playback.

Animals use acoustic signals to defend resources against rivals and attract breeding partners. As with many biological traits, acoustic signals may reflect ancestry; closely related species often produce more similar signals than do distantly related species. Whether this similarity in acoustic signals is biologically relevant to animals is poorly understood. We conducted a playback experiment to measure the physical and vocal responses of male songbirds to the songs of both conspecific and allopatric-congeneric animals that varied in their acoustic and genetic similarity. Our subjects were territorial males of four species of neotropical Troglodytes wrens: Brown-throated Wrens (Troglodytes brunneicollis), Cozumel Wrens (T. beani), Clarion Wrens (T. tanneri) and Socorro Wrens (T. sissonii). Our results indicate that birds respond to playback of both conspecific and allopatric-congeneric animals; that acoustic differences increase with genetic distance; and that genetic divergence predicts the strength of behavioural responses to playback, after removing the effects of acoustic similarity between subjects' songs and playback stimuli. Collectively, these results demonstrate that the most distantly related species have the most divergent songs; that male wrens perceive divergence in fine structural characteristics of songs; and that perceptual differences between species reflect evolutionary history. This study offers novel insight into the importance of acoustic divergence of learned signals and receiver responses in species recognition.

Decision Making About Method of Delivery on the U.S.-Mexico Border.

We explored how low-risk, nulliparous pregnant women and their doctors in two contiguous U.S.-Mexico border communities communicate about methods of delivery and how they perceive that the delivery method decision is made. We recruited 18 women through obstetricians in El Paso, Texas (n = 10), and prenatal care providers in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico (n = 8). We observed prenatal care visits, interviewed women prenatally and postpartum, and interviewed the El Paso obstetricians. Qualitative analysis demonstrated that birthing decisions are complex and involve multiple influences, including women's level of knowledge about birth, doctor-patient communication, and women's participation in decision making.

The effects of unrelated offspring whistle calls on capybaras (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris) / Os efeitos do chamado de assobio de filhotes não aparentados em capivaras (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris)

Parent-offspring vocal communication, such as the isolation call, is one of the essential adaptations in mammals that adjust parental responsiveness. Thus, our aim was to test the hypothesis that the function of the capybara infants' whistle is to attract conspecifics. We designed a playback experiment to investigate the reaction of 20 adult capybaras (seven males and 13 females) to pups' whistle calls recorded from unrelated offspring or to bird song, as control. The adult capybaras promptly responded to playback of unrelated pup whistles, while ignoring the bird vocalisation. The adult capybaras took, on average, 2.6 ± 2.5 seconds (s) to show a response to the whistles, with no differences between males and females. However, females look longer (17.0 ± 12.9 s) than males (3.0 ± 7.2 s) toward the sound source when playing the pups' whistle playback. The females also tended to approach the playback source, while males showed just a momentary interruption of ongoing behaviour (feeding). Our results suggest that capybara pups' whistles function as the isolation call in this species, but gender influences the intensity of the response.(AU)

A comunicação vocal entre pais-filhotes, tal como os chamados de isolamento, é uma das adaptações essenciais nos mamíferos para o ajuste da resposta parental. Assim, nosso objetivo foi testar a hipótese de que a função do chamado de assobio em filhotes de capivara é para atrair co-especificos. Delineamos um experimento via playback para investigar a reação de 20 capivaras adultas (sete machos e 13 fêmeas) ao chamado de assobio de filhotes não aparentados e como controle usamos o chamado de um pássaro. As capivaras adultas prontamente responderam ao playback de assobios de filhotes não aparentados, enquanto ignoraram as vocalizações de pássaro. As capivaras levaram, em media 2,6 ± 2,5 segundos (s) para mostrar a resposta para os assobios, não havendo diferença entre machos e fêmeas. No entanto, fêmeas permanecem mais tempo (17,0 ± 12,9 s) do que os machos (3,0 ± 7,2 s) para retornar da fonte sonora após o playback de assobio iniciar. As fêmeas também tendem a aproximar-se da fonte sonora, enquanto os machos fazem uma breve interrupção do comportamento que estão engajados (comendo). Os resultados sugerem que a função do chamado de assobio de filhotes de capivaras é um chamado de isolamento na espécie e que o gênero influencia a intensidade da resposta.(AU)

The effects of unrelated offspring whistle calls on capybaras (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris) / Os efeitos do chamado de assobio de filhotes não aparentados em capivaras (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris)

Parent-offspring vocal communication, such as the isolation call, is one of the essential adaptations in mammals that adjust parental responsiveness. Thus, our aim was to test the hypothesis that the function of the capybara infants' whistle is to attract conspecifics. We designed a playback experiment to investigate the reaction of 20 adult capybaras (seven males and 13 females) to pups' whistle calls – recorded from unrelated offspring – or to bird song, as control. The adult capybaras promptly responded to playback of unrelated pup whistles, while ignoring the bird vocalisation. The adult capybaras took, on average, 2.6 ± 2.5 seconds (s) to show a response to the whistles, with no differences between males and females. However, females look longer (17.0 ± 12.9 s) than males (3.0 ± 7.2 s) toward the sound source when playing the pups' whistle playback. The females also tended to approach the playback source, while males showed just a momentary interruption of ongoing behaviour (feeding). Our results suggest that capybara pups' whistles function as the isolation call in this species, but gender influences the intensity of the response.

A comunicação vocal entre pais-filhotes, tal como os chamados de isolamento, é uma das adaptações essenciais nos mamíferos para o ajuste da resposta parental. Assim, nosso objetivo foi testar a hipótese de que a função do chamado de assobio em filhotes de capivara é para atrair co-especificos. Delineamos um experimento via playback para investigar a reação de 20 capivaras adultas (sete machos e 13 fêmeas) ao chamado de assobio de filhotes não aparentados e como controle usamos o chamado de um pássaro. As capivaras adultas prontamente responderam ao playback de assobios de filhotes não aparentados, enquanto ignoraram as vocalizações de pássaro. As capivaras levaram, em media 2,6 ± 2,5 segundos (s) para mostrar a resposta para os assobios, não havendo diferença entre machos e fêmeas. No entanto, fêmeas permanecem mais tempo (17,0 ± 12,9 s) do que os machos (3,0 ± 7,2 s) para retornar da fonte sonora após o playback de assobio iniciar. As fêmeas também tendem a aproximar-se da fonte sonora, enquanto os machos fazem uma breve interrupção do comportamento que estão engajados (comendo). Os resultados sugerem que a função do chamado de assobio de filhotes de capivaras é um chamado de isolamento na espécie e que o gênero influencia a intensidade da resposta.

The effects of unrelated offspring whistle calls on capybaras (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris).

Parent-offspring vocal communication, such as the isolation call, is one of the essential adaptations in mammals that adjust parental responsiveness. Thus, our aim was to test the hypothesis that the function of the capybara infants' whistle is to attract conspecifics. We designed a playback experiment to investigate the reaction of 20 adult capybaras (seven males and 13 females) to pups' whistle calls - recorded from unrelated offspring - or to bird song, as control. The adult capybaras promptly responded to playback of unrelated pup whistles, while ignoring the bird vocalisation. The adult capybaras took, on average, 2.6 ± 2.5 seconds (s) to show a response to the whistles, with no differences between males and females. However, females look longer (17.0 ± 12.9 s) than males (3.0 ± 7.2 s) toward the sound source when playing the pups' whistle playback. The females also tended to approach the playback source, while males showed just a momentary interruption of ongoing behaviour (feeding). Our results suggest that capybara pups' whistles function as the isolation call in this species, but gender influences the intensity of the response.

Representations of nurses regarding sexuality of women treated for breast cancer in Brazil.

The development of new treatments has improved survival and quality of life among cancer patients. Nurses are expected to answer questions and to provide orientation regarding patients' sexuality since it is an important aspect of life. The main objective of this paper is to understand the representations of sexuality among nurses working with women who survive breast cancer after diagnosis and during treatment assuming that their representations may affect communication with the patient. This is a qualitative study using an in-depth guideline which involved interviews with 28 nurses living and working in the southeast of Brazil. The narratives were submitted to a content analysis and categories of representations were identified and are discussed here. Several representations of sexuality were found in the nurses' discourses. Some of the nurses' representations may be expected to hinder their ability to provide helpful orientation regarding the sexual lives of these patients.

Representations of nurses regarding sexuality of women treated for breast cancer in Brazil / Representações das enfermeiras sobre a sexualidade de mulheres tratadas de câncer de mama / Concepciones de enfermeras sobre la sexualidad de las mujeres tratadas por cáncer de mama

The development of new treatments has improved survival and quality of life among cancer patients. Nurses are expected to answer questions and to provide orientation regarding patients' sexuality since it is an important aspect of life. The main objective of this paper is to understand the representations of sexuality among nurses working with women who survive breast cancer after diagnosis and during treatment assuming that their representations may affect communication with the patient. This is a qualitative study using an in-depth guideline which involved interviews with 28 nurses living and working in the southeast of Brazil. The narratives were submitted to a content analysis and categories of representations were identified and are discussed here. Several representations of sexuality were found in the nurses' discourses. Some of the nurses' representations may be expected to hinder their ability to provide helpful orientation regarding the sexual lives of these patients.

O desenvolvimento de novos tratamentos melhorou a sobrevivência e a qualidade de vida dos pacientes de câncer. Espera-se que as enfermeiras forneçam orientações sobre a sexualidade dos pacientes, considerada importante aspecto da vida. O principal objetivo deste artigo é compreender as representações da sexualidade entre as enfermeiras que trabalham com as mulheres sobreviventes ao câncer de mama depois do diagnóstico e durante o tratamento, considerando que estas representações possam afetar a comunicação com o paciente. Este é um estudo qualitativo que entrevistou 28 enfermeiras que vivem e trabalham no Sudeste do Brasil. As narrativas foram submetidas à análise de conteúdo e as categorias das representações foram identificadas e discutidas. Várias representações sobre sexualidade foram encontradas nos discursos das enfermeiras. Algumas delas podem ocultar a habilidade de transmitir orientação em relação à vida sexual desses pacientes.

El desarrollo de nuevos tratamientos mejoró la supervivencia y la calidad de vida de los pacientes con cáncer. El estudio analiza las orientaciones que proporcionan las enfermeras sobre sexualidad a las pacientes, puesto que se considera un importante aspecto de la vida. El principal objetivo de este artículo es comprender las concepciones sobre sexualidad entre las enfermeras que trabajan con mujeres que han superado un cáncer de mama, después del diagnóstico y durante el tratamiento, considerando que estas concepciones pueden afectar la comunicación con el paciente. Este es un estudio cualitativo que entrevistó a 28 enfermeras que viven y trabajan en el sureste de Brasil. Las narraciones fueron sometidas a un análisis de contenido y se identificaron y discutieron las categorías de las concepciones. Se encontraron varias concepciones sobre sexualidad en los relatos de las enfermeras. Algunas de ellas pueden ocultar su habilidad para transmitir orientaciones relacionadas con la vida sexual de estas pacientes.

Nuclear brinkmanship: a study in non-linguistic communication.

This article examines meaning making with nuclear bombs and military manoeuvres. The data is verbatim audio recordings from the White House during the Cuban Missile Crisis. The analysis uses concepts from impression management and dialogism. It is found that actions often speak louder than words and that even non-linguistic communication with nuclear weapons is often oriented to third-parties, in this case, world opinion. A novel process of 'staging the other' is identified, that is, when one side tries to create a situation which will force the other side to act in a way which will create a negative impression on world opinion. Staging the other is a subtle form of meaning making for it entails shaping how third parties will view a situation without those third parties being aware of the intentionality of the communication.

Intimate partner violence in Mexican-American women with disabilities: a secondary data analysis of cross-language research.

The aim of this qualitative descriptive study, guided by Antonovsky's salutogenic model, was to explore the manifestations of strength within the interviews of Spanish-speaking Mexican-American women aging with mobility impairments who also experienced intimate partner violence (IPV). IPV events gleaned from 26 audiotaped interviews from 7 Spanish-speaking Mexican-American women, who ranged in age from 55 to 75 years, constituted the sample for this secondary analysis. Five categories were identified: abuse from early on that shaped sense of coherence; violencia tan cruel--threatened sense of coherence; "salutogenic" choices within the context of IPV; a quest for peace; and strength amid struggle.

Female happy wrens select songs to cooperate with their mates rather than confront intruders.

Vocal duetting occurs in many taxa, but its function remains much-debated. Like species in which only one sex sings, duetting birds can use their song repertoires to signal aggression by singing song types that match those of territorial intruders. However, when pairs do not share specific combinations of songs (duet codes), individuals must choose to signal aggression by matching the same-sex rival, or commitment by replying appropriately to their mate. Here, we examined the song types used by female happy wrens (Pheugopedius felix) forced to make this decision in a playback experiment. We temporarily removed the male from the territory and then played songs from two loudspeakers to simulate an intruding female and the removed mate's response, using song types that the pair possessed but did not naturally combine into duets. Females were aggressive towards the female playback speaker, approaching it and overlapping the female playback songs, but nevertheless replied appropriately to their mate's songs instead of type matching the intruding female. This study indicates that females use song overlapping to signal aggression but use their vocal repertoires to create pair-specific duet codes with their mates, suggesting that duetting functions primarily to demonstrate pair commitment.

True katydids (Pseudophyllinae) from Guadeloupe: acoustic signals and functional considerations of song production.

Guadeloupe, the largest of the Leeward Islands, harbors three species of Pseudophyllinae (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae) belonging to distinct tribes. This study examined the basic aspects of sound production and acousto-vibratory behavior of these species. As the songs of many Pseudophyllinae are complex and peak at high frequencies, they require high quality recordings. Wild specimens were therefore recorded ex situ. Collected specimens were used in structure-function experiments. Karukerana aguilari Bonfils (Pterophyllini) is a large species with a mirror in each tegmen and conspicuous folds over the mirror. It sings 4-6 syllables, each comprising 10-20 pulses, with several peaks in the frequency spectrum between 4 and 20 kHz. The song is among the loudest in Orthoptera (> 125 dB SPL in 10 cm distance). The folds are protective and have no function in song production. Both mirrors may work independently in sound radiation. Nesonotus reticulatus (Fabricius) (Cocconotini) produces verses from two syllables at irregular intervals. The song peaks around 20 kHz. While singing, the males often produce a tremulation signal with the abdomen at about 8-10 Hz. To our knowledge, it is the first record of simultaneous calling song and tremulation in Orthoptera. Other males reply to the tremulation with their own tremulation. Xerophyllopteryx fumosa (Brunner von Wattenwyl) (Pleminiini) is a large, bark-like species, producing a syllable of around 20 pulses. The syllables are produced with irregular rhythms (often two with shorter intervals). The song peaks around 2-3 kHz and 10 kHz. The hind wings are relatively thick and are held between the half opened tegmina during singing. Removal of the hind wings reduces song intensity by about 5 dB, especially of the low frequency component, suggesting that the hind wings have a role in amplifying the song.

Improvement of older women's sexuality through emancipatory education.

The purpose of this action research (AR) was to explore the ways in which sexuality is experienced daily and to improve the expression of older women's sexuality. The pedagogy of autonomy as proposed by the Brazilian educator Paulo Freire theoretically supported this AR, with the participation of six older adult women living in a rural setting in southwest Brazil. The older women's experiences regarding sexuality, their concerns, and their educational demands could be summarized through five phrases: the improvement of self-esteem as a way to promote sexuality; sexuality impaired by loneliness and lack of affection; men's sexual satisfaction seen as a woman's obligation; women's sexuality controlled by the society; and relinquishment of the companion to attend to the expectations of family members. Dialogical and participative educational approaches and continuous observation-participation strategies were performed to support the women's care and educational requirements.