The Relationship of Social Constructs to Intimate Partner Violence

Correlations between intimate partner violence and specific social influences such as religiosity, propensity towards forgiveness, and gender role identity were examined. A sample of 105 students enrolled at Central Washington University submitted responses based on their perceptions of gender roles, religiosity, forgiveness, and experience with partner violence. Although previous studies examined exposure to intimate partner violence, substance use in relation to perpetrating partner violence, and attitudes about perpetrating intimate partner violence (IPV), research to date has failed to examine IPV as it relates to gender roles, religion, and forgiveness. In an attempt to fill this gap, the current study examined participants’ gender role identity, religiosity, forgiveness, and experience with Intimate Partner Violence. Because the findings of this study indicated that femininity and IPV were positively correlated and that females were more likely to experience intimate partner violence, there are important implications for counseling. First, when working with clients, counselors should carefully assess gender roles and history of IPV experience. Second, prevention programs might also be strengthened by conversations about the relationships between gender, gender role, and IPV

Preventing Anorexia in Adolescents Through Empowerment and Education (PAATTEE)

Preventing Anorexia in Adolescents Through Empowerment and Education (PAATEE) is a primary preventive program that aims to reduce the risk of adolescent females from developing anorexia nervosa (AN) by using an evidence-based, multilevel approach. The program intends to reduce the risk of AN by influencing the social environment surrounding body image, increasing self-efficacy in program participants, providing education about eating disorders, and promoting intuitive eating practices

RENAL EXPRESSION OF CHROMATIN-REMODELING COMPLEXES IN RATS EXPOSED TO CHRONIC COLD

P. Bruland, A. Haider, A. Hefton, P. Crosswhite. Gonzaga University, Spokane, WA PURPOSE: Chromatin remodeling complexes (CRCs) regulate gene expression by altering DNA-histone bonds and exposing transcriptional elements to regulatory machinery. CRCs are critical to the proper development and maintenance of the embryonic cardiovascular system but remain understudied in the postnatal vasculature. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the expression of three CRCs in whole kidney samples from a cold-induced hypertension rat model. METHODS: Sprague-Dawley rats were previously exposed to either moderate cold (5-6 °C) or room temperature (23 °C) for 24 hours a day for six weeks to induce hypertension. RNA was extracted from whole kidneys of warm control and cold exposed animals and cDNA was generated. Primers were designed for three CRCs (Smarca2, Smarca4, and Chd4) to determine mRNA expression using quantitative polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: Using a standard curve method of analysis, primers for all three genes proved valid for use and downstream application of determining mRNA expression. Following analysis of each individual CRC, cold-induced alterations are expected. CONCLUSION: Chronic exposure to cold is known to induce hypertension by damaging kidney function but the molecular mechanisms are unclear. This study represents the first attempt to determine whether activity of CRC activity is altered in kidneys from cold-exposed animals and could lead to new avenues for investigating the complex genetic changes involved in the development of hypertension