Physical violence against children and adolescents in Recife: a 5-year retrospective study.

The aim of the present study was to analyze the prevalence results of physical violence against children and adolescents in a 5-year period in Recife, Brazil. Inter-personal violence is one of the most recognizable forms of child aggression and has become as an imperative public health issue. All violence related forensic reports performed between 2009 and 2013 in the clinical services of the Institute of Legal Medicine Antônio Percivo Cunha were analyzed. Victims were classified according to sex, age, relationship with perpetrator, injuries and year of occurrence. Statistical analysis was performed using the SPSS (version 22.0). Continuous variables were described and when appropriate, frequencies were displayed and compared. The association between variables was evaluated using chi-square and Fisher's exact test. The margin of error for the statistical tests was 5.0%. A total of 9783 occurrences were evaluated, involving mainly male subjects (n=5447, 55.7%). Victims' mean age was 13.9 years, the most common perpetrators were victims' acquaintances (n=2538, 25.9%). Facial injuries were the most frequent affecting a little over a fifth of the total sample (n=3673, 20.1%). These findings support the important role dentists can play in identifying and reporting physical violence against children and adolescents.

First forensic records of termite activity on non-fossilized human bones in Brazil / Primeiros relatos forenses de atividade de térmitas em ossos humanos não fossilizados no Brasil

Abstract The aim of this study was to describe the first records of termite activity on non-fossilized human bones in Brazil. The cases reported in this study resulted from forensic analysis of six human skeletons found in northeastern Brazil between 2012 and 2014. Traces of tunnels and nests commonly produced by termites were found on several human bone surfaces as well as the specimens and characteristic signs of osteophagic activity. In four cases, the species were identified: Amitermes amifer Silvestri, 1901, Nasutitermes corniger (Motschulsky, 1855) (on two skeletons), and Microcerotermes indistinctus Mathews, 1977. In two other cases, the activity of termites on bone surfaces was evidenced by remains of nests and tunnels produced by these insects. At least in the samples of human remains available for this report, the number of termites collected was greater on bones found during autumn, the rainy season in the Northeast of Brazil. The human bones examined showed termites like insects with lots of strength at bone degradation, capable of continuing the process of decomposition of human remains even in completely skeletonized bodies.

Resumo O objetivo deste estudo foi descrever os primeiros relatos de atividade de térmitas em ossos humanos não fossilizados, no Brasil. Os casos relatados neste estudo resultaram da análise pericial de seis esqueletos humanos encontrados no Nordeste do Brasil, entre os anos de 2012 e 2014. Vestígios de túneis e ninhos comumente produzidos por cupins foram encontrados em várias superfícies dos ossos humanos, bem como a presença de espécimes e característicos sinais de atividade osteofágica. Em quatro casos, foram identificadas as espécies: Amitermes amifer Silvestri, 1901, Nasutitermes corniger (Motschulsky, 1855) – em duas ossadas, e Microcerotermes indistinctus Mathews, 1977. Em dois outros casos, a atividade de cupins sobre superfícies ósseas foi evidenciada pelos restos de ninhos e túneis produzidos por esses insetos. Pelo menos nas amostras de restos humanos disponíveis para o presente estudo, o número de térmitas recolhido foi maior em ossos encontrados durante o outono, a estação chuvosa no Nordeste do Brasil. Os ossos humanos analisados ​​apresentaram cupins como insetos com muita força na degradação óssea, com capacidade de prosseguir o processo de decomposição de restos humanos, mesmo em corpos completamente esqueletizados.

First forensic records of termite activity on non-fossilized human bones in Brazil.

The aim of this study was to describe the first records of termite activity on non-fossilized human bones in Brazil. The cases reported in this study resulted from forensic analysis of six human skeletons found in northeastern Brazil between 2012 and 2014. Traces of tunnels and nests commonly produced by termites were found on several human bone surfaces as well as the specimens and characteristic signs of osteophagic activity. In four cases, the species were identified: Amitermes amifer Silvestri, 1901, Nasutitermes corniger (Motschulsky, 1855) (on two skeletons), and Microcerotermes indistinctus Mathews, 1977. In two other cases, the activity of termites on bone surfaces was evidenced by remains of nests and tunnels produced by these insects. At least in the samples of human remains available for this report, the number of termites collected was greater on bones found during autumn, the rainy season in the Northeast of Brazil. The human bones examined showed termites like insects with lots of strength at bone degradation, capable of continuing the process of decomposition of human remains even in completely skeletonized bodies.