Giving up reporting the aggressor: reports of female victims of domestic violence

The goal of this study is to describe the experience of female victims of domestic violence, who forfeited the lawsuits against their aggressors. The interviews were oriented by the question: What was your experience of forfeiting the denunciation of your aggressor? Three themes emerged from the convergence of the testimonies: time passed from the aggression to the denunciation and then to the forfeiting; the partner, the family, the women's precinct; reflecting about the experience, which described the studied phenomenon. The women expressed ambiguous feelings for their aggressor: affection, anger, humiliation and fear. They recognize that they are dominated and humiliated, but notions of justice and equality between spouses do not appear in the testimonies. Forfeiting can be understood in the context of the reproduction of the traditional family structure, conditioned to economic and social factors. Results highlight implications about the role of the Women's Precinct and the healthcare institutions in the care for women who were victims of domestic violence.

Epidemiological aspects of dog bites considering biter dogs and victims

The aim of this study was to characterize dog bites using data on biter dogs and victims. An exploratory cross-sectional study was performed using 203 records of individuals who had attended in public health services in 2009 in the municipality of Araçatuba, São Paulo, Brazil, after they had been bitten by a dog. Over 70% (92/129) of the biter dogs were male and most of them (71%) received as a gift. Dog owners reported companionship as the main reason for acquiring the dog. The victims who were children were predominantly male, while the victims who were elderly were predominantly female. Most children were bitten on the head/neck, while adults were bitten on the hands/feet and lower limbs (p<0.0001). The owner of the dog was known in 83.2% of cases. However, rabies observation of the biter dog following the attack was only reported in 59.4% of cases. Situations involving aggression were related to dogs having escaped from their home (18.7%) or roaming free on the streets (17.0%). The analysis of biting dog characteristics using information obtained from dog bite victims and biting dog owners can help direct the medical treatment for dog bite victims. Moreover, concepts of responsible dog ownership can reduce the occurrence of bites.

Identification of a novel melittin isoform from Africanized Apis mellifera venom

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)