Thesis (M.A.) B.Y.U. College of Religious Instruction.

Thesis (D. Min.)--Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, 1998. / Includes prospectus. This is an electronic reproduction of TREN, #049-0284. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 159-177).

Thesis--Leuven. / Summary in Dutch and French. Bibliography: p. [165]-178.

Thesis (D. Min.)--Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, 1998. / Includes prospectus. This is an electronic reproduction of TREN, #049-0284. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 159-177).

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<p>This thesis is an exploration of the meaning and function of vrats (votive fasting rites) among Hindu women in Banaras. While both men and women observe vrats throughout India today, women observe far more of them, at more frequent intervals, and for a wider array of reasons than do men. In general, girls are trained to direct the performance of vrats to the attainment of a husband, or, for married women, to the well-being and long life of their husbands and children. Essentially, the vrats that women perform are tied to domestic life and traditionally defined family and gender relationships in a way that vrats men perform are not.</p> <p>Scholars who have written on women and the vrat tradition have documented the ways in which women's performance of vrats are expressive of both their religioculturally prescribed duties as women and of their special connection to one of Hinduism's central values: auspiciousness. In this thesis, however, by focusing on the personal narratives of individual women that I interviewed in Banaras, I demonstrate that women's sense of duty and obligation to ensuring the well-being of their families through the performance of vrats only partly explains the appeal of these rites to Hindu women.</p> <p>While my field data confirmed that married women perform vrats for maintaining their "suhaq" (the auspicious married state), they also perform these votive fasts for the psychological, social, physical and spiritual benefits that vrats bring to themselves. I argue that not only do vrats provide an avenue for the expression of profound spiritual yearnings, but some women see the use of vrats as a way to gai.n control over their own lives; as a source of empowerment in an environment in which women frequently lack control and feel dis-empowered. I further consider how women, traditionally denied access to formal asceticism, have found a way to tap into this powerful realm for their own benefit through the performance of vrats.</p> / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

The uptake of amino acids is mediated by amino acid transporters and the peptide transporter, PepT1. The nuclear receptor PPARα may play a role in the activation of PepT1. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effect of a fasting/refeeding regimen and gavaging a PPARα ligand on expression of chicken PepT1 and PPARα. During the fasting/refeeding trial, chicks were placed on a 24h fast and then divided into 3 groups (Continuously Fasted (CF), Refed/Food Withdrawn, and Refed Adlib) and sampled 1, 2, 3, 5 and 7h post-fast. Expression of PepT1 and PPARα increased almost 2-fold post-24h fast (P < 0.002). The CF group had highest expression for both genes (P < 0.0001) suggesting a coordinate change in PepT1 and PPARα expression during fasting, indicating a possible regulatory role for PPARα of PepT1. Oral gavage trials utilizing PPARα ligand WY- 14643 were conducted with layers and broilers. For the layer trial birds were gavaged daily for 3 d with 50 mg WY-14643/kg in carrier (Ligand) or with just carrier (No Ligand) and sampled on d4. For the broiler trial, birds were gavaged daily with 25 or 50 mg WY-14643/kg or just carrier and sampled on d2 or d3 post gavage. No difference in PepT1 was observed between the Ligand and No Ligand groups. In the layer trial, PPARα decreased 6-fold (P = 0.005) in the Ligand group. Broilers treated with WY-14643 showed no effect of ligand. These results indicate a difference between layers and broilers in response to WY-14643. / Master of Science

Applied research project (D. Min.)--School of Theology and Missions, Oral Roberts University, 2005. / Includes abstract and vita. Translated from Korean. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 156-161).

Applied research project (D. Min.)--School of Theology and Missions, Oral Roberts University, 2005. / Includes abstract and vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 153-159).

Purpose: Fasting has been promoted as a method of preventing disease and aging for thousands of years. With heart disease being a leading cause of death in the U.S., researchers have explored the effects of fasting on variables that influence cardiovascular disease (CVD), like LDL cholesterol. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to assess the effects of weekly water-only fasting on LDL cholesterol (LDL-C) in men and women with metabolic risk factors for CVD. Methods: This study was a randomized control trial in adult men and women. Participants were randomized to fasting (treatment) or normal diet (control). The fasting protocol consisted of four weeks of two 24-hour water-only fasts, followed by 22 weeks of once-weekly water-only 24-hour fasts. Measurements such as height, weight, waist circumference and LDL-C were assessed at baseline, 4 weeks, 13 weeks, and 26 weeks. Results: Intermittent fasting (n = 50) and control (n = 53) participants were 49.3 ± 12.0 and 47.0 ± 9.8 years, respectively, predominantly females (66.0% and 67.9%), overweight (103 ± 24 and 100 ± 21 kg), and with mild LDL-C elevation (124 ± 19 and 128 ± 20 mg/dL). Change in weight was −1.70 ± 4.69 (kg) in the fasting group and 0.20 ± 3.45 (kg) in the control group and not different between conditions (p = 0.06). There was no condition-by-period interaction for LDL-C (p = 0.06). Similarly, the change in LDL-C from baseline to follow-up was not different between conditions (t = −0.538, p = 0.59; Cohens D = 0.12) Conclusions: A once-per-week intermittent fasting regimen did not reduce weight or LDL-C. Further research of such fasting regimens is needed to evaluate their potential impact on cardiometabolic health.