Psychopathological violence in criminals and intense aggression in fruit flies and rodents are studied with novel behavioral, neurobiological, and genetic approaches that characterize the escalation from adaptive aggression to violence. One goal is to delineate the type of aggressive behavior and its escalation with greater precision; second, the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and brainstem structures emerge as pivotal nodes in the limbic circuitry mediating escalated aggressive behavior. The neurochemical and molecular work focuses on the genes that enable invertebrate aggression in males and females and genes that are expressed or suppressed as a result of aggressive experiences in mammals. The fruitless gene, immediate early genes in discrete serotonin neurons, or sex chromosome genes identify sexually differentiated mechanisms for escalated aggression. Male, but not female, fruit flies establish hierarchical relationships in fights and learn from previous fighting experiences. By manipulating either the fruitless or transformer genes in the brains of male or female flies, patterns of aggression can be switched with males using female patterns and vice versa. Work with Sts or Sry genes suggests so far that other genes on the X chromosomes may have a more critical role in female mouse aggression. New data from feral rats point to the regulatory influences on mesocortical serotonin circuits in highly aggressive animals via feedback to autoreceptors and via GABAergic and glutamatergic inputs. Imaging data lead to the hypothesis that antisocial, violent, and psychopathic behavior may in part be attributable to impairments in some of the brain structures (dorsal and ventral PFC, amygdala, and angular gyrus) subserving moral cognition and emotion.Key words: aggression; alcohol; genetics; learning; prefrontal cortex; serotonergic 1A receptor; serotonin; sex differenceResearch on aggression and violence is pursued by social and biological scientists with profoundly divergent approaches. At present, the schism between these approaches promises to be overcome by advancing our knowledge of the molecular events through which social experiences sculpt future aggressive acts. Insights into the gene-environment interactions are critical for the way in which the criminal justice and the public health systems deal with aggression and violence. Neurobiological research of aggressive behavior is emerging from several shameful episodes during the past century ranging from the eugenics movement to lobotomies to stigmatizing individuals with phrenologically defined biomarkers (Valenstein, 1987). As a matter of fact, the World Report on Violence and Health (2002) by the World Health Organization ignores the neuroscience approach to these behaviors altogether (Krug et al., 2002). Here we point to several emerging successes in behavioral and molecular biology of aggression research that may have important implications not only for diagnosis, prevention, and treatment but also for guidance of public and judicial policies. Aggression as an a...

This paper aimed to characterize the rural work process in nine counties in MinasGerais State, considering socio-demographic

No other drug has been associated with aggressive and violent behavior more than alcohol has. A major characteristic of the link between alcohol and social interactions is the very large variation in who becomes more aggressive while drinking and who does not. Tracing the origins of these individual differences has led to a focus on predispositions, such as the antisocial behavior of Type 2 alcoholics. Successful development of an experimental procedure to model heightened aggressive behavior after voluntary consumption of alcohol has facilitated the neurobiologic analysis of the link between alcohol and aggression. From a pharmacologic perspective, consumption of low to moderate doses of alcohol engenders heightened aggressive behavior in a significant minority of individuals before the circulation of appreciable amounts of the aldehyde metabolite. Ionophoric receptors such as NMDA, 5-HT(3) and GABA(A) have been identified in the brain as major sites of action for alcohol in the dose range that is relevant for engendering heightened aggression. Actions at the GABA(A) receptor complex that depend on particular GABA(A) subunits appear to be necessary for alcohol-heightened aggression. Genes that encode the synthesis of these alpha and gamma subunits are potentially significant markers for those individuals that are prone to engage in heightened aggressive behavior after the consumption of alcohol. Of particular importance are the reciprocal interactions between GABA and serotonin. Activating specific serotonin receptor subtypes such as 5-HT(1B) receptors reduces alcohol-heightened aggressive behavior. How these GABAergic and serotonergic corticolimbic mechanisms for alcohol-heightened aggression develop during the adolescent period remains an area of urgent study.

As a rule, older mothers are at higher risk of adverse perinatal outcomes, which, however, may be mitigated or eliminated, depending on gestational age, parity, and, especially, on the education level of the pregnant woman.

Objective To investigate the patterns of hospital births in the state of Rio de Janeiro (RJ), Brazil, between 2015 and 2016; considering the classification of obstetric characteristics proposed by Robson and the prenatal care index proposed by Kotelchuck. Methods Data obtained from the Information System on Live Births of the Informatics Department of the Brazilian Unified Health System (SINASC/DATASUS, in the Portuguese acronym) databases were used to group pregnant women relatively to the Robson classification. A descriptive analysis was performed for each Robson group, considering the variables: maternal age, marital status, schooling, parity, Kotelchuck prenatal adequacy index and gestational age. A logistic model estimated odds ratios (ORs) for cesarean sections (C-sections), considering the aforementioned variables. Results Out of the 456,089 live births in Rio de Janeiro state between 2015 and 2016, 391,961 records were retained, 60.3% of which were C-sections. Most pregnant women (58.6%) were classified in groups 5, 2 or 3. The percentage of C-sections in the Robson groups 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 8 was much higher than expected. Prenatal care proved to be inadequate for women who subsequently had a vaginal delivery, had an unfavorable family structure and a lower socioeconomic status (mothers without partners and with lower schooling), compared with those undergoing cesarean delivery. For a same Robson group, the chance of C-section increases when maternal age rises (OR = 3.33 for 41–45 years old), there is the presence of a partner (OR = 1.81) and prenatal care improves (OR = 3.19 for “adequate plus”). Conclusion There are indications that in the state of RJ, from 2015 to 2016, many cesarean deliveries were performed due to nonclinical factors.