Religious Purposes Research Articles

Vigol and Harāskān Fire Temple: Archaeological Evidence About the Veneration of Fire in the Center of the Iranian Plateau During the Sasanian Period

ABSTRACT The historical site of Vigol and Harāskān is located in Isfahan province (Iran). Archaeological studies showed that this site was inhabited at least from the Sasanian period to the Islamic middle ages. Archaeological excavations in 2010 resulted in the discovery of a fire temple belonging to the Sasanian period. Previous studies have shown that this fire temple, in comparison to others such as Niasar and Khoramdasht Fire Temples in Kashan plain, Natanz Fire Temple, Atashkouh of Delijan, Nevis and Chāhak of Qom, and Separoo of Nain, could be considered as the most important fire temple in terms of structure and archaeological evidence in the centre of Iran during the Sasanian period. This fire temple consists of a chāhār tāqi building with religious elements surrounded by a circumambulatory corridor. The fire temple of Vigol and Harāskān is considered as one of the prominent examples of local fire temples in the Sasanian period. The present study indicated that this fire temple was built in the Sasanian period and used for religious purposes until the beginning of the Islamic era. However, this fire temple lost its religious nature and was totally abandoned with the gradual decline of the Zoroastrian religion in the region.

Segmenting Umrah performers based on outcomes behaviors: a cluster analysis perspective

PurposeUmrah is a religious ritual that takes place inside the Holy Mosque in Makkah. Umrah can be performed any time during the year; however, performing Umrah in the month of Ramadan is much rewarded. Although the kingdom of Saudi Arabia is hosting this event each year, studies that focus on exploring the Holy Mosque visitor segments are scarce. This study aims to explore and describe the marketing segments of Umrah performers relative to their Umrah experience inside the Holy Mosque of Makkah. Most specifically, this study aims to explore segments of Umrah performers based on their perception of servicescape, hedonic and convenience value and the visitors’ outcome behaviors [i.e. intention to revisit and positive word of mouth (PWOM)].Design/methodology/approachMixed-method techniques of data collection [i.e. self-administered questionnaires (n = 278) and short discussions (n = 10)] were used.FindingsCluster analysis is used for data analysis. The findings revealed four clusters of Umrah performers: real, occasional, rational and passionate performers.Research limitations/implicationsThis study is a first attempt to target pilgrims based on their experience with the servicescape during the organized religious event; despite its exploratory nature, it reveals interesting insights that will be useful for managers and scholars. Although the study helps to enrich the existing knowledge on visitors’ experience and proposes some implications for practitioners, it does have some limitations. First, convenience sampling was used, and hence the findings cannot be generalized. Second, the limited period of observation did not allow the authors to provide a complete picture of the pilgrims’ behavior; for this reason, the study findings partially describe the phenomenon. Another limitation is related to the difficulty of approaching respondents from Asia or South East Asia although they constitute a significant percentage of the total Umrah performers every year; this is because of the language barrier as data was collected from only English and Arabic speakers. Hence, to overcome these limitations, it is suggested that future studies could be expanded to target Asian respondents and perhaps other nationalities; and could be undertaken in other religious contexts. Moreover, an interesting future study could be carried out to compare the same model during other religious events. Added to that, another growing area of research could be approached by researchers, such as the impact of pilgrims sharing their experiences on influencing E-PWOM.Practical implicationsThe findings reveal several implications for policymakers and stakeholders. The segmentation of Umrah performers assists destination managers, policymakers and local firms involved in managing this mass event to identify effective marketing decision-makers, business strategies and policymakers to satisfy the needs of these visitors (Disegna et al., 2011). Particularly, the identification of the key characteristics of these visitors can help destination marketers to develop a marketing mix that suits the needs of each cluster (Smith et al., 2014). Despite that the performers’ main motivation is the religious purpose, marketing strategists can attract the attention of these visitors to visit other religious, cultural and heritage sites in the country.Social implicationsEncouraging the visit to other tourist spots in Saudi has several impacts on nourishing the economy and the community. Tourism in Saudi could encourage entrepreneurs to start new ventures to satisfy the need of visitors to the country. Small-medium enterprises could benefit from tourism as they could target market niches in which leader companies are not serving. For instance, hand-made souvenirs are one of these industries that could grow to satisfy the need of visitors.Originality/valueThe results contribute to the literature of event segmentation by identifying visitors’ profiles to rarely investigated destinations. The findings reveal several implications for policymakers and stakeholders.

To Estimate the Prevalence and Determinants of Male Circumcision Procedures Conducted at A. M Shaikh Homoeopathic Hospital, Belagavi - A Descriptive, Retrospective Study

Background Male circumcision is one of the oldest and most common surgical procedures practiced worldwide. Our aim of this study is to review the religious and medical determinants of Male circumcision and calculate the prevalence regionally at A. M. Shaikh Homoeopathic Medical College and Hospital.Materials and Methods This is a descriptive retrospective study done at A M Shaikh Homoeopathic Medical College Hospital and PG Research Centre on patients who underwent Medical Circumcision procedure from the period 2011 to 2020. Current study concentrates solely on the medical indications with routine religious or ritual circumcision procedures. The study consisted of 1943 patients who underwent circumcision procedures for 9 years at our Hospital.Result Amongst 1943 procedures conducted between 2011 to 2020 1596 patients underwent Male Circumcision procedure with religious purpose which was seen in Group A 0-18yrs category. The number of medical indications for Circumcision in this category was very less as compared with religious purpose. Group B above 18yrs category of patients who underwent the procedure were more of Medical indications like Phimosis 228 cases Balanitis 2 Paraphimosis 2 and 1 case of Phimosis with Hydrocele.Conclusions Global prevalence study showed percentage of circumcised males in Indian territory to be 13.5 with no clarity in estimates of prevalence with regards to religious and medical determinants. Among the patients who visited the Hospital for Male Circumcision procedures from 2011 to 2020 religious prevalence was derived as 82.14 and those with Medical determinants as 17.75.

Prediction of Extremist Behaviour and Suicide Bombing from Terrorism Contents Using Supervised Learning

This study proposes an architecture for the prediction of extremist human behaviour from projected suicide bombings. By linking ‘dots’ of police data comprising scattered information of people, groups, logistics, locations, communication, and spatiotemporal characters on different social media groups, the proposed architecture will spawn beneficial information. This useful information will, in turn, help the police both in predicting potential terrorist events and in investigating previous events. Furthermore, this architecture will aid in the identification of criminals and their associates and handlers. Terrorism is psychological warfare, which, in the broadest sense, can be defined as the utilisation of deliberate violence for economic, political or religious purposes. In this study, a supervised learning-based approach was adopted to develop the proposed architecture. The dataset was prepared from the suicide bomb blast data of Pakistan obtained from the South Asia Terrorism Portal (SATP). As the proposed architecture was simulated, the supervised learning-based classifiers naïve Bayes and Hoeffding Tree reached 72.17% accuracy. One of the additional benefits this study offers is the ability to predict the target audience of potential suicide bomb blasts, which may be used to eliminate future threats or, at least, minimise the number of casualties and other property losses.

Therapeutic Properties of Datura Stramonium (D. Stramonium) and its Medico Legal Aspect

Various diseases can be treated and managed with plants, and they have been utilized in many nations to cure a variety of disease situations. Plants have therapeutic potential because of their bioactive phytochemical components, which have specific physiological effects on living things. Many therapeutic plants include chemical components that, when ingested in large doses, may have adverse effects on individuals. Despite having medical properties, plants with high concentrations of alkaloids could become poisonous. One of the well-known folk medicines with widespread use is Datura, a member of the Solanaceae family, also known as Jimson weed and as "Jaozmasel" in Arabic. Chemical analysis of this plant revealed its components as alkaloids, carbohydrates, and proteins, among which alkaloids including scopolamine, hyoscyamine, and atropine are the main active ingredients that exhibit various activities, such as anti-asthmatic. In addition to being used medicinally, Datura is one of the most abused plants in the world due to its widespread availability, particularly in Africa, Southeast Asia, and India, where it is primarily used for spiritual or religious purposes and has a much higher rate of negative reports than other psychoactive substances. When used excessively or abused, it can have poisonous side effects including delirium, mydriasis, mental disorientation, psychosis, and even violent conduct. In this review, various decorative appeal of the medicinal value of Datura has been mentioned along with its medico legal importance.

Incense Burning Indoor Pollution: Impact on the prevalence of prediabetes and Type-2 Diabetes Mellitus.

Objectives:Incense burning is a well-known practice in Asian and Middle Eastern cultures for ceremonial and religious purposes. The excessive use of incense burning has become a critical environmental health concern. The incense sellers are more exposed to incense allied air pollution. This study examines the association between prediabetes and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in incense sellers.Methods:This cross-sectional prevalence study was conducted in the Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia” during the period July 2019 to January 2020. After medical history and examinations had been performed, a total of 265 non-smoking volunteers male incense sellers were selected. American Diabetes Association (ADA) criteria were followed, people with “HbA1c less than 5.7% were considered normal; HbA1c 5.7%-6.4% were pre-diabetics, and HbA1c > 6.4% were considered people with diabetes”. In shops, the incense sellers were exposed to incense-related pollution for 8 hours daily, seven days a week. The mean age for the participants was 25±5.5 years, and body mass index was 19±2.8 (kg/m)2.Results:In incense sellers, the pre-diabetic was 125 (47.2%), and diabetes was 75 (28.3%). However, 65 (24.5 %) incense sellers were without prediabetes and diabetes. There was an increase in HbA1c levels with increasing working exposure to incense shops.Conclusions:The prevalence of pre-diabetic and type-2 diabetes was increased in incense sellers. The prevalence of pre-diabetic and type-2 diabetes was further increased with the increasing working duration of incense sellers. The study findings call for safe practice and avoiding indoor burning incense. It is suggested that well-ventilated areas with proper masks for the workers may reduce the incense-related pollution effects.

Religious Music in China

This paper examines China's topology and the close relationships between its government and different religions, encompassing Taoism, Buddhism, and Confucianism, manifested by music. Under the government's authority and guidance, these religions' music does not express political views or social transformations and instead seeks inner peacefulness and facilitates the fulfilment of religious or ritual purposes. The rise of Chinese Christian praise music in the recent two decades reflects a transformation that Christianity will likely continue to grow with more praise songs covered and created in China and enrich the diversity of Chinese religious music.

The Kamranga Mosque: Architectural Synthesis and Heritage Significance in Colonial Dhaka - Review

The colonial phase (1757-1947) of the Indian subcontinent saw a blend of various cultural and philosophical influences on art and architecture, prominently shaped by the Portuguese, Dutch, English, British, French, and Danish. During the British Raj (1858-1947), large-scale edifices for administrative, commercial, religious, and secular purposes were constructed, profoundly impacting the architectural landscape. Bangladesh, then part of Bengal, became adorned with numerous architectural buildings reflecting these influences. Dhaka, a major trade hub, emerged as a cultural melting pot, integrating local contributions and colonial architectural styles. This study focuses on the "Kamranga" mosque in Zindabahar, Old Dhaka, built by affluent merchant Golam Rasul Chowdhury around 1895 AD. The mosque's unique features exemplify the assimilation of colonial architectural philosophies. Through precise documentation, construction analysis, comparative analogical study, and relevant case studies, this review highlights the stylistic synthesis of the Kamranga mosque, emphasizing its blend of Moorish and Mughal styles, and proposes heritage management plans to preserve similar structures.

Investigate the Uses of Goats and Socioeconomic Impact of Peste des Petits Ruminant on Farmers Engaged in Diamond Mining in Tongo Field

Background: There is a paradigm shift in the uses of goats during the twenty-first century. In time past, people raise goats for prestige and festivals. Today, people rear goat for financial, spiritual, cultural, religious, mental and sacrificial purposes. Goat rearing has become a major source of income in Africa and Sierra Leone in particular. Goats are primary and immediate source of cash when it becomes herculean to get diamonds during mining. The illicit miners sacrifice brown goats before and during extraction to appease the spirits. Goat rearing becomes the industrial life -supporting machine for vast majority of illicit diamond miners and other business people in Tongo Field. Peste des Petits Ruminant is the major disease affecting most of the goats in Tongo Field. The study investigates the socioeconomic impact of Peste des Petits ruminant on goat farmers engaged in diamond mining in Tongo Field. The Objective: The objective of the research is to investigate the uses and measure the socio-economic impact of PPR disease on goat farmers in six sections in Tongo field Method: A semi-structured questionnaire was administered to 10 randomly selected household heads in each of the six sections. A blind ballot selector dips into a bag and select a number designated to receive questionnaire for interview. The selected person receive one questionnaire and complete or assisted by the interviewee. Informal discussion, desktop review and observational techniques were used to obtain additional information. Data collected was analyzed using SPSS and presented in form of tables, charts and graphs for proper interpretation. Result: Goat farmers in Tongo field six sections practice free-range 65%, and tethering 35%. The primary purpose of rearing goats is for income 100% and rituals 35%. The main challenge of goat rearing is PPR disease 100%, and the mortality ranges between 1-5 animals per family household at 53.3%. Conclusion: In conclusion, goat production is an important source of income to address both socio-economic, cultural issues, and emergencies, thereby reducing the harsh economic risk incurred from diamond mining.

Salt, Smurthwaite, and Smith: The Origins of the Modern Legal Identity of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Salt, Smurthwaite, and Smith: The Origins of the Modern Legal Identity of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

OSOBITOSTI NASLJEDNO-PRAVNOG UREĐENJA CRESKO-OSORSKOG STATUTA IZ 1441. GODINE

Particular attention in this research is paid to the regulation of property relations arising after the death of the testator in the Statute of Cres-Osor. The provisions regulating inheritance relations among family members in the content of this source confirm the importance of the family as a community as well as the importance of family property within this late mediaeval commune. In this regard, the Statute of Cres-Osor shows specific features. The equality of male and female descendants when it comes to intestate inheritance is marked by the inheritance regulation of the rare communes of the Kvarner region, including the Cres commune. In this regard, it is important to determine the position of women in marriage and family. In a period when under the influence of the reception of different legal sources, primarily of the Venetian and Byzantine ones, most Adriatic communes adopted almost identical features of inheritance law, in which the inheritance of family property is linked to a certain degree of kinship. The Statute regulated testamentary freedom and free disposal of property according to the will of the testator or for religious purposes. As the systematic analysis of the legal provisions of the statute is merely the subject of the discussions in academic community, a detailed analysis of hereditary relationships regulated by the provisions of this source will certainly contribute to understanding of the legal reality of this mediaeval island commune. This research conducts a detailed analysis into the legal source, and compares specific provisions of other close communes in order to analyse inheritance by will and intestate inheritance regulation as well as other important issues such as the position of certain categories of heirs. Moreover, it aims at detecting the origin of a separate regulation of hereditary relations in this island community.

Ancient Derbent in the History of the Early Christian World

Derbent has gone down in history as an outstanding monument of world fortification erected in the 5th–7th centuries AD to protect against the invasions of nomads of Eurasia. Extensivearchaeological research of Derbent, under the guidance of the author, revealed completely new stages of the city’s existence, and Derbent emerged not only as the main military and political stronghold of the world powers of the medieval East in the Caucasus but also as the largest economic and religious center of the region, where Christianity, Islam, Zoroastrianism, and Judaism penetrated and developed early. Derbent acquired a special significance in the history of the Christian world of the Caucasus during the reign of the Sasanian kings Yezdegerd II (439–457) and Peroz (459–484), ardent opponents of Christianity, when the struggle of the peoples of the Caucasus with the “teaching of magicians” severely aggravated. The Derbent fortifications began to play an important role in the anti-Iranian uprisings of the Caucasian rulers who relied on the nomads and mountaineers of the North Caucasus in their fight against the Sasanians. It was in the 60s of the 5th centuries, as our excavations have shown, that a cruciform temple was erected in the citadel of Derbent, which was transformed at the beginning of the 17th century into a reservoir. The most recent geophysical research, conducted in 2020, using georadar and laser scanning and photogrammetry confirmed the data obtained during the excavations about the religious purpose of the cross-domed structure in the citadel and its identification with the Christian temple of the 5th century, one of the oldest in Russia.

The Shell Motif in the Culture and Architecture of the Ancient Town of Marina el-Alamein in Egypt

At the archaeological site of Marina el-Alamein in Egypt, many monuments and everyday objects feature motifs related to Aphrodite and her cult. One recurring theme is the seashell that lamps are often decorated with. In one case, it accompanies the depiction of the goddess herself. This article collects oil lamps with the image of a scallop shell from the research of the Polish-Egyptian Conservation Mission, as well as already published specimens from earlier archaeological research. It has been noted to date that this motif is one of the most common on lamps found in Marina el-Alamein. Shells also appear on architectural elements – in the finials of niches with a religious purpose, located in the main reception halls of houses. In such aediculae they are well exposed, but the use of shells does not arise from the shape of the architectural framing. Therefore, other reasons, possibly symbolic ones, for including this motif in decoration should be considered.

Constantine’s SOLI INVICTO COMITI Coinage: Theme and Variations

Sometime in AD 310, a mint worker in the provincial Gallic town of Lugdunum (modern Lyon) engraved a reverse die depicting a majestic figure raising his right hand and holding a celestial sphere in his left. The figure wears a spiked, radiate crown and is clothed only by a chlamys, a cape worn by ancient Greek horsemen. The legend in the dative case, SOLI INVICTO COMITI, identifies this figure as Sol, the invictus or unvanquished sun god whose cult was among the most popular in the ancient world. He is further identified as being the comes, or companion, of the figure on the obverse. The fact that this figure was Constantine the Great, known to history as the man who Christianized the Roman Empire, makes this coin as enigmatic as it was ubiquitous, one of the most widespread and enduring numismatic designs of that emperor’s long reign.
 This essay explores this coin type’s iconographic theme, its variations, and what they both might say about politics and religion in the age of Constantine. In scholarly discussions of his reign, coins are often adduced to illustrate some larger historiographical point. In this essay, I would like to shift that emphasis, rendering the historical context a means to better understand the coins themselves—their origins and style, the way in which traditional solar iconography serves as a foil to set off topical points of emphasis, and the religious and political purposes for their decade-long striking. Perhaps it is too much to say that in the SOLI INVICTO COMITI reverse type we witness the history of Constantine’s age in one coin, but it is not an overstatement to point out that this type touches upon the most prominent events of the early 4th century, whose impact is felt even in the present time.

Identifying English Language Needs of Religious Guides at The General Presidency of The Grand Mosque and Prophet’s Mosque

The aim of this study is to identify English language needs for religious guides at The General Presidency of The Grand Mosque and Prophet’s Mosque. This study adopted a quantitative approach methodology using needs analysis questionnaire. The quantitative data collection instrument was a questionnaire with (51) participants. SPSS was used as the quantitative data analysis method. Findings showed that listening and speaking were the most important skills, and reading was moderately important, while writing is not important at all. Also, English is greatly rated as a tool to effectively perform their tasks in term of preaching and advising guests and pilgrims. Difficulties are embodied in lacking English language, accents, and proper religious expressions and vocabulary. This study highlights an urgent need for English for Religious Purposes. The study proposes a general guideline for a course design framework based on participants’ needs.

Challenges Faced by Arabic Madrasas in Sri Lanka and Proposed Solutions

Learning different languages for different reasons in addition to the mother tongue is essential in the present context, like learning Arabic in Sri Lanka. Arabic is the language of religion of Islam. Muslims in Sri Lanka have been learning this language since the emergence of Islam for religious purposes. Religious educational institutions were established many years ago in Sri Lanka. These institutions (madrasas) for teaching the Holy Quran and religious sciences appeared in the late eighteen centuries. However, there are shortcomings in these educational institutions in terms of their educational and administrative activities. A study on "Challenges faced by Arabic Madrasas in Sri Lanka", aims to reveal the entry of Arabic into Sri Lanka and its status. It also identifies the challenges and difficulties faced by these institutions in teaching Arabic. To obtain accurate scientific results, this study follows the descriptive qualitative method, using primary and secondary information, primary data was collected through interviews with specialists in teaching Arabic. For secondary data, books and other authentic documents were studied. In this study, the researcher has identified difficulties in teaching Arabic in the Sri Lankan context; designing teaching materials due to lack of agreement among the institutions, difficulties in appointing efficient teachers since the salaries are not attractive, unavailability of good environment for education and the lack of modern equipment.

PENILAIAN TERHADAP KUALITAS RUANG PUBLIK PADA KAWASAN GEDUNG KESENIAN DR IR. SOEKARNO DI PERKOTAAN NEGARA, JEMBRANA

The availability of public space is a must for a city. Public space serves as a place for people to meet, gather and interact, whether for religious purposes, trade or building government. This study aims to assess the quality of public space in the area of ​​the Gedung Kesenian Dr. Ir. Soekarno, Jembrana Regency. This research uses the approach of Carr's (1992) public space theory about aspects of forming the quality of public space which consists of 3 aspects, namely aspects of needs, aspects of rights, and aspects of meaning. The quality value is set in four types, namely good, sufficient, less good, and not good. The range of values ​​as a benchmark for the quality of public space is calculated by multiplying the maximum number of values ​​for each item on the question item by the weight of each sub-factor. The results showed that based on the measurement of the quality of the public space, it was found that the quality of the public space in the Dr. Art Building area. Ir. Soekarno is in the good category. Aspect value of needs (needs) obtained is 71.07 meaning good category. For the rights aspect, it got a score of 40.87 in the good category. Meanwhile, for the meaning aspect, the public space of the Dr. Art Building area. Ir. Soekarno got a score of 15.88 with a fairly good category. Overall, based on the results of data interpretation and analysis, it was concluded that the Dr. Ir Soekarno Art Building Area can be said to be a good quality public space.

Dziewiętnastowieczne wydania polskich przekładów pism Świętej Teresy z Ávili

From the 1840’s to the end of the 19th century more than twenty editions of Polish translations of texts by Saint Teresa of Ávila, as well as the ones attributed to her, were released. It was attempted to popularise her works, information about her life and thought, as well as the cult of her, knowledge about Christian mysticism and the revival of religious life. Two important bibliographies presenting the reception of Teresa in Poland: one by Stefania Ciesielska-Borkowska (1939) and the other one by Benignus Wanat (1972) require complementing and corrections, which should find reflection in contemporary editions and catalogues. The paper presents all the editions of works by Teresa (fragments, all works, collections of works, as well as paraphrases), released in Polish in the 19th-century books and periodicals. It corrects the mistakes in bibliographical descriptions, which result from mistakes in the publications themselves, as well as errors in attribution. It refers to the authorship of anonymous translations and their undetermined bases, it characterises briefly the environments in which Saint Teresa’s works were translated and published. It presents the religious, literary, social and scientific purposes accompanying the texts by Teresa, as well as translation, editorial and ideological assumptions. It shows the editions of Saint Teresa’s texts in translations or paraphrases by: Sebastian Nucerin, Ignacy Hołowiński, Nina Łuszczewska, Eleonora Ziemięcka, Michał Bohusz Szyszko, Eleonora z Paprockich Szemiothowa, Zygmunt Krasiński, Lucjan Siemieński, Ignacy Domeyko, Karmela Wiktima od Jezusa (Amalia Zenopolska), Tadeusz Miciński, Henryk Piotr Kossowski, as well as anonymous translators.

Cannabis sativa L. (var. indica) Exhibits Hepatoprotective Effects by Modulating Hepatic Lipid Profile and Mitigating Gluconeogenesis and Cholinergic Dysfunction in Oxidative Hepatic Injury.

Cannabis sativa L. is a crop utilized globally for recreational, therapeutic, and religious purposes. Although considered as an illicit drug in most countries, C. sativa until recently started gaining attention for its medicinal application. This study sought to investigate the hepatoprotective effect of C. sativa on iron-mediated oxidative hepatic injury. Hepatic injury was induced ex vivo by incubating hepatic tissues with Fe2+, which led to depleted levels of reduced glutathione, superoxide dismutase, catalase and ENTPDase activities, triglyceride, and high-density lipoprotein–cholesterol (HDL-C). Induction of hepatic injury also caused significant elevation of malondialdehyde, nitric oxide, cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein–cholesterol (LDL-C) levels while concomitantly elevating the activities of ATPase, glycogen phosphorylase, glucose-6-phosphatase, fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase, amylase, and lipase. Treatment with the hexane, dichloromethane (DCM), and ethanol extracts of C. sativa leaves significantly (p < 0.05) reversed these levels and activities to almost near normal. However, there was no significant effect on the HDL-C level. The extracts also improved the utilization of glucose in Chang liver cells. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis showed the presence of phenolics in all extracts, with the ethanol extract having the highest constituents. Cannabidiol (CBD) was identified in all the extracts, while Δ-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ-9-THC) was identified in the hexane and DCM extracts only. Molecular docking studies revealed strong interactions between CBD and Δ-9-THC with the β2 adrenergic receptor of the adrenergic system. The results demonstrate the potential of C. sativa to protect against oxidative-mediated hepatic injury by stalling oxidative stress, gluconeogenesis, and hepatic lipid accumulation while modulating cholinergic and purinergic activities. These activities may be associated with the synergistic effect of the compounds identified and possible interactions with the adrenergic system.

Palace Courtyards in Iléṣà: A Melting Point of Traditional Yorùbá Architecture

The Yorùbá courtyard is an important architectural space in traditional Yorùbá architecture that has not received adequate scholarly attention. This paper examines the courtyards in the palace of certain chiefs and Ọwá Obòkun in Iléṣà, in southwest Nigeria. Fieldwork identified about ten courtyards in the palace of the Ọwá, four in the Rísàwè palace, and two in the palaces of the Léjọkà and Ọdọlé of Iléṣà. It uses these courtyards as models for courtyards in Yorùbá architecture. The study revealed that most of the courtyards in the Ọwá’s palace are generally not used for one specific function, though some are used mainly for religious purposes. The courtyards in the palaces of the chiefs are more functional, and better maintained than those of the Ọwá’s palace. The paper concludes that—considering their ancient and social function—the courtyards form a melting point within Yorùbá architecture. It suggests that efforts be made to ensure that the existing courtyards in these palaces are designated as land