Conspiracy Theories and Flat-Earth Videos on YouTube

The advent of digital user-created media platforms such as YouTube has made possible the spread of a wide range of information without the constraints of traditional mass media such as editorial gatekeeping. This democratized user-created media environment provides an outlet for subject matter that would otherwise not receive broad exposure–including material that seeks to discredit specific scientific findings and science as a whole. The present paper examines YouTube videos that advocate the idea of a flat earth and tests for conspiratorial ideation using a version of the Conspiratorial Mentality Questionnaire (Bruder, Haffke, Neave, Nouripanah, & Imhoff, 2013). The research finds that flat-earth videos significantly outnumbered debunking videos, were almost twice as long on average and were more likely to include conspiracy ideation, science denial and religious thought and to reference other social media. On the other hand, debunking videos were more likely to reference established science and enjoyed greater favorability ratings from viewers

Religious Hegemony and Muslim Horror Movies

The present paper examines horror films originating in Muslim contexts and available on U.S. streaming services. Using Gramsci\u27s concept of hegemony, the paper examines how such films negotiate and articulate with the dominant Hollywood mainstream horror genre with particular attention to the hegemonic power of the mainstream with its Christian iconography and assumptions

The Regularization q-Homotopy Analysis Method for (1 and 2) - Dimensional Non-linear First Kind Fredholm Integral Equations

In this paper, the solutions of (1 and 2)- dimensional non-linear first kind Fredholm integral equations are studied by combine the q-homotopy analysis method (q-HAM) [2-11] and the regularization method [16,17]. The utilization of this technique depends on converting the first kind Fredholm Integral Equations to the second kind of equations by applying the regularization method. Then q-HAM is employed to the resulting second kind of equations to obtain a solution. Some illustrative examples are given to demonstrate the validity and applicability of this technique

A New Technique of The q-Homotopy Analysis Method for Solving Non-Linear Initial Value Problems

In this paper, a new procedure of the q-homotopy analysis technique (NTqHAM) was submitted for solving non-linear initial value problems. The NTq-HAM contains just a single convergence control parameter α. To show the dependability and proficiency of the technique, this approach is applied to solve two non-linear IVPs, and the outcomes uncover that the NTq-HAM is more general of the He’s homotopy perturbation technique (HPM) [27] and the He’s HPM is only special case of the NTq-HAM when α = 1

Barriers to development and progression of women entrepreneurs in Pakistan

This article would help integration of women entrepreneurs into the mainstream economy in Pakistan.In Pakistan, women entrepreneurs do not enjoy the same opportunities as men due to a number of deep-rooted discriminatory socio-cultural values and traditions. Furthermore, these restrictions can be observed within the support mechanisms that exist to assist such fledgling businesswomen. The economic potential of female entrepreneurs is not being realised as they suffer from a lack of access to capital, land, business premises, information technology, training and agency assistance. Inherent attitudes of a patriarchal society, that men are superior to women and that women are best suited to be homemakers, create formidable challenges. Women also receive little encouragement from some male family members, resulting in limited spatial mobility and a dearth of social capital. The research suggests that in order to foster development, multi-agency cooperation is required. The media, educational policy makers and government agencies could combine to provide women with improved access to business development services and facilitate local, regional and national networks

Impact of hydrodynamic conditions on optimum power generation in dual stage pressure retarded osmosis using spiral-wound membrane

The Dual Stage Pressure Retarded Osmosis technique is considered for power generation. The influence of feed flow rates, hydraulic pressure, and pressure drop on mass transfer and solute diffusion in a full-scale membrane model was investigated for the first time to maximize power generation. Dead Sea-seawater, Dead Sea-reverse osmosis brine, reverse osmosis brine-wastewater, and seawater-wastewater salinity gradient resources were investigated for power generation. Results revealed a 71.07% increase in the specific power generation due to the dual-stage pressure retarded osmosis process optimization using Dead Sea-seawater salinity gradient resources. The increase in the specific power generation due to the dual-stage pressure retarded osmosis optimization was 108.8%, 63.18%, and 133.54%, respectively, for Dead Sea-reverse osmosis brine, reverse osmosis brine-wastewater, and seawater-wastewater salinity gradient resources. At optimum operating conditions, using the dual-stage pressure retarded osmosis process as an alternative to the single pressure retarded osmosis process achieved up to a 22% increase in the energy output. Interestingly, the hydraulic pressure at optimum operating conditions was slightly higher than the average osmotic pressure gradients in the dual-stage pressure retarded osmosis process. The study also revealed that power generation in the dual-stage pressure retarded osmosis process operating at constant mass transfer and solute resistivity parameters was overestimated by 2.8%

Entrepreneurial capital, social values and Islamic traditions: exploring the growth of women-owned enterprises in Pakistan

Main ArticleThis study seeks to explore the variables contributing to the growth of women-owned enterprises in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Based on a previously established multivariate model, it uses two econometric approaches: first classifying variables into predetermined blocks; and second, using the general to specific approach. Statistical analyses and in-depth interviews confirm that women entrepreneurs’ personal resources and social capital have a significant role in their business growth. Further, it reveals that the moral support of immediate family, independent mobility and being allowed to meet with men play a decisive role in the sales and employment growth of women-owned enterprises in an Islamic country such as Pakistan

Alarming Eating Behaviours among Adolescents in Egypt

BACKGROUND: Adolescence is a phase of rapid growth and increased nutritional needs. It includes the stressful burden of pubertal changes, both physically and psychologically. Moreover, it is associated with the utmost need for independence and identity formation. An adolescent finds a great way to practice taking their own decisions by making personal food choices. But unfortunately, wrong dietary choices lead to unsatisfactory nutritional status. AIM: To investigate the prevalence of six eating behaviours among adolescents. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A case-control study was conducted on ninety Egyptian adolescents from 10 to 18 years old. Anthropometric measurements were taken. Body Mass Index (BMI) was calculated. The cases were forty-five children with body mass index ≥ 85th percentile. The control group involved forty-five of matched peers with body mass index ˂ 85th centile. A questionnaire form was constructed according to local customs in Egypt. RESULTS: Two unhealthy behaviours were mostly found in our study group. The first and the predominant one was multitasking while eating practised by 92.1% of candidates and showing the equal distribution in both groups. The second was skipping breakfast and was adopted by 51.7% of the study group with a significantly higher distribution in the ˂ 85th centile group. CONCLUSION: Faulty eating is a behaviour encountered in adolescence irrespective to BMI category. Thus, a normal BMI does not reflect healthy dietary behaviours

Spatial patterns of extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis transmission in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

BACKGROUND : Transmission is driving the global drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB) epidemic; nearly three-quarters of drug-resistant TB cases are attributable to transmission. Geographic patterns of disease incidence, combined with information on probable transmission links, can define the spatial scale of transmission and generate hypotheses about factors driving transmission patterns. METHODS : We combined whole-genome sequencing data with home Global Positioning System coordinates from 344 participants with extensively drug-resistant (XDR) TB in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, diagnosed from 2011 to 2014. We aimed to determine if genomically linked (difference of ≤5 single-nucleotide polymorphisms) cases lived close to one another, which would suggest a role for local community settings in transmission. RESULTS : One hundred eighty-two study participants were genomically linked, comprising 1084 case-pairs. The median distance between case-pairs’ homes was 108 km (interquartile range, 64–162 km). Between-district, as compared to within-district, links accounted for the majority (912/1084 [84%]) of genomic links. Half (526 [49%]) of genomic links involved a case from Durban, the urban center of KwaZulu-Natal. CONCLUSIONS : The high proportions of between-district links with Durban provide insight into possible drivers of province-wide XDR-TB transmission, including urban–rural migration. Further research should focus on characterizing the contribution of these drivers to overall XDR-TB transmission in KwaZulu-Natal to inform design of targeted strategies to curb the drug-resistant TB epidemic.Grants from the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institutes of Health (NIH): R01AI089349 (PI Gandhi and R01AI087465 (PI Gandhi). It was also supported in part by NIH/NIAID grants: K23AI083088 (PI Brust), K24AI114444 (PI Gandhi), K23AI134182 (PI Auld), Emory CFAR P30AI050409 (PI Curran), Einstein CFAR P30AI051519 (PI Goldstein), by Einstein/Montefiore ICTR UL1 TR001073 (PI Shamoon).https://academic.oup.com/jid2019-12-15hj2019Medical Microbiolog