Controversial Practice Research Articles

Maintaining an Aberrant Practice in a Contradictory Environment: The Case of Doping in Professional Road Cycling

AbstractSports doping is a practice that continues, despite hostile public opinion and counter‐efforts to close it down. In this paper we explore the maintenance of doping in the sport of professional road cycling. While studies of controversial practices find that they often benefit from levels of acceptance and even perceived value, we supplement such research by providing one of the few studies of practices that are subject to powerful social controls. In our case, the continual threat from anti‐doping organizations means that the maintenance and disruption of doping represents a kind of dialectical pair. We utilize and extend a model of types of institutional work that has advantages as an analytical tool, exploring the support required in this setting. Sustaining work was highly dynamic, relying on distinct groups within cycling teams to marshal organizational skills and cope with disruption, while repairing internal defences and concealing activities.

Hypnotherapy as a medical treatment: Evidence-based or pseudoscience?

BackgroundHypnotherapy continues to be a controversial practice in medicine. It is surrounded by myth and misuses that instill doubts about its legitimacy and usefulness. PurposeIn this paper, we will distinguish pseudoscientific claims from evidence-based uses of hypnotherapy. ResultsThe use and acceptability of hypnotherapy has varied over history. Pseudoscientific uses, based on outdated theories that it can access the unconscious mind, have delegitimized hypnotherapy. Modern theories that hypnosis uses common social, emotional, and cognitive processes combined with evidence-based methods have re-established the use of hypnotherapy in many physical and mental health disorders and symptoms. Currently it is a widely accepted and recommended treatment for irritable bowel syndrome, with evidence building for many other applications. ConclusionHypnotherapy, as a pseudoscience, can become unethical and cause distress for the patient and their families. Hypnotherapy, as an evidence-based treatment, can be used as a powerful tool to treat physical and psychological symptoms related to medical ailments.

Allopathic medicine practitioners' experiences with non-disclosure of traditional medicine use.

A pertinent issue impacting patient treatment outcomes is the nondisclosure of traditional medicine (TM) use to Allopathic medicine practitioners (AMPs). For years, TM has been a controversial practice, with patients often using it alongside allopathic medicine without disclosing their use. It is imperitive to learn and understand the experiences of AMPs regarding the disclosure of TM use in Gauteng province to enable them to provide the best possible treatment outcomes for patients who use TM. This study aimed to explore the experiences of AMPs regarding non-disclosure of TM use in Gauteng province. This study was conducted in four district hospitals where outpatient care and services are rendered in Gauteng Province. An interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA) design was followed. Fourteen purposefully sampled AMPs participated in face-to-face, one-on-one, and semi-structured interviews. Interpretive phenomenological analysis in Atlas.ti was conducted. Three themes emerged: bedside manner of AMPs; stigmatising TM use; and individual belief systems. The belief of patients' disclosure hesitancy because of fear of judgment by the AMPs underpinned these themes. Allopathic medicine practitioners are aware that patients who use TM could feel guilty and stigmatised. They acknowledged that patients use TM because of cultural and ethnic reasons, which should not be disregarded. The study highlighted that patients do not disclose their TM use because of AMPs' attitudes, stigmatising TM use, and their prejudices against the cultural beliefs of patients. Allopathic medicine practitioners should establish good communication with patients by providing patient-centred communication to facilitate disclosure of TM use.

Does supplemental irrigation enhance smallholder monsoon season rice yield? Evidence from Bangladesh

AbstractIrrigation is one pillar of the Green Revolution that drove dramatic agricultural productivity gains across Asia. In Bangladesh, irrigation uptake has been so significant that 97% of dry‐season rice is now irrigated. While most Bangladesh monsoon rice is completely rainfed, supplementary irrigation is sometimes employed where late monsoon onset is potentially yield‐limiting. Station‐controlled experiments provide a narrative of positive yield benefits from supplementary irrigation. In contrast, statistical evaluations of actual farm experience mostly show no yield benefit and lower profitability for supplementary irrigation adopters. To add evidence on this controversial practice, we evaluated data from 2012 and 2015 Bangladesh farm household surveys with causality econometric approaches that control for differences between supplementary irrigation adopter and non‐adopter groups. After controlling for self‐selection and endogeneity, we found no statistically significant yield benefit for supplementary irrigation. Our results support scepticism about the profitability of supplementary irrigation. As such, we recommend careful consideration of the mixed evidence on effectiveness in future supplementary irrigation project benefit cost analyses. Further evidence over a longer time and accounting for a broader range of crops is also important moving forward.

Substance use care innovations during COVID-19: barriers and facilitators to the provision of safer supply at a toronto COVID-19 isolation and recovery site

BackgroundEarly in the COVID-19 pandemic, there was an urgent need to establish isolation spaces for people experiencing homelessness who were exposed to or had COVID-19. In response, community agencies and the City of Toronto opened COVID-19 isolation and recovery sites (CIRS) in March 2020. We sought to examine the provision of comprehensive substance use services offered to clients on-site to facilitate isolation, particularly the uptake of safer supply prescribing (prescription of pharmaceutical opioids and/or stimulants) as part of a spectrum of comprehensive harm reduction and addiction treatment interventions.MethodsWe conducted in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 25 clients and 25 staff (including peer, harm reduction, nursing and medical team members) from the CIRS in April–July 2021. Iterative and thematic analytic methods were used to identify key themes that emerged in the interview discussions.ResultsAt the time of implementation of the CIRS, the provision of a safer supply of opioids and stimulants was a novel and somewhat controversial practice. Prescribed safer supply was integrated to address the high risk of overdose among clients needing to isolate due to COVID-19. The impact of responding to on-site overdoses and presence of harm reduction and peer teams helped clinical staff overcome hesitation to prescribing safer supply. Site-specific clinical guidance and substance use specialist consults were crucial tools in building capacity to provide safer supply. Staff members had varied perspectives on what constitutes ‘evidence-based’ practice in a rapidly changing, crisis situation.ConclusionThe urgency involved in intervening during a crisis enabled the adoption of prescribed safer supply, meeting the needs of people who use substances and assisting them to complete isolation periods, while also expanding what constitutes acceptable goals in the care of people who use drugs to include harm reduction approaches.

The Cause and Effect of Responsibility Frame on the Perception of Obesity among 35-55 Years University Female Academic Staff in Nairobi County, Kenya

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the cause and effect of responsibility frame on the perception of obesity among 35-55 years University female academic staff in Nairobi County, Kenya.
 Methodology: This study applied the one-group pretest-posttest experimental design. In the one-group pretest-posttest experimental design all study participants provided with the same treatment and assessment. The researcher, therefore, collected data using the pre-and posttest questionnaires. The treatment applied is Slimpossible television program season six episode one was purposively selected out of seven seasons and ninety-eight episodes covered by the Slimpossible television program. The obese females were qualified through an interview process to participate in the Slimpossible challenge, a popular weight loss television program aired by Citizen Television Network. The justification for choosing the season six-episode one television program was based on assessing the media frames according to Entman (1993), where the scholar mentions the following: human interest, consequences, morality, and responsibility. Although this study is aquasi-experimental research design, the researcher attempted to use randomization to improve the validity of the pretest and posttest experimental study design. Furthermore, out of the randomly selected sample, a purposeful sample was selected for assessment based on a specific interest (Stratton, 2019). The data was analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23.0. This study presented descriptive statistics using tables with frequencies and percentages. Secondly, the research conducted inferential statistics using several types of inferential analysis tools such as the Factor analysis (The Keiser-Meyer –Olkin (KMO) test), Pearson’s correlation coefficient, and regression analysis (logical regression).
 Findings: From the findings, the respondents presented that the media was responsible for showcasing slim-bodied celebrities on TV, in newspapers and magazines, increasing the stigma of obesity among females. They felt that the media was also responsible for supporting controversial weight loss practices that could yield harmful to obese individuals. The respondents also state that the government and public health were responsible for the rise of obesity among 35-55 years University female academic staff because of inefficiencies, lack of health clinics specific to treat obesity cases and lack of insurance covers for obesity cases. However, on individual responsibility, the respondents' findings registered relatively low, indicating that the person may not entirely be blamed for obesity. The inferential statistics successfully obtained three components about the responsibility frame using the factor analysis. Government and public health and social responsibility factors were more likely to produce a negative perception of obesity than personal responsibility.
 Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: In terms of contribution to theory, this study emanated from the media framing theory, where it provided responsibility frame as one among five frames, mentioned by an American political scientist known as Robert Entman in 1993. Its contribution to practice, from the conclusions, it was evident that government and public health were deemed responsible for the rise of obesity among 35-55 years University female academic staff because of inefficiencies, lack of health clinics specific to treat obesity cases and lack of insurance covers for obesity cases. Its contribution to policy looks at collaboration between World Health Organization and the Ministry of Health –in Human Nutrition and Dietetics Unit developing health and nutrition policies to caution the women suffering from obesity. The study recommends that international bodies such as the World Health Organization and the Ministry of Health –in Human Nutrition and Dietetics Unit be actively involved in the development of relevant nutrition policies that address obesity cases affecting individuals and help in setting up health clinics for treating obesity cases.

Judicial communication while approving a settlement agreement in bankruptcy case

The article analyzes the court role while approving a settlement agreement in a bankruptcy case. The implementation of the active component of this role makes the court a subject of proof and а subject of communication in the case. Recently, both the legislator and the law enforcer are inclined to limit the adversarial and dispositive principles in favor of the active role of the court in civil litigation. This trend is most pronounced in bankruptcy proceedings. Particular attention to bancruptcy cases dealt to their social significance, due to the multiplicity of diverse interests, that take place in bankruptcy procedure.The article discusses the controversial judicial practice that exists in the modern legal field. Author concludes that the settlement agreement in the bankruptcy case cannot be limited either strictly by the concept of “settlement agreement” or — “bankruptcy procedure”.

Are corticosteroids safe in adolescent and adult patients with infectious mononucleosis? A retrospective cohort study

Background and aimThe use of systemic corticosteroids during Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-induced infectious mononucleosis is a controversial but widespread practice. We aimed to investigate the frequency of complications in adolescents and adults with infectious mononucleosis in relation to the use of corticosteroids. MethodsWe reviewed the clinical records of 396 patients admitted to the hospital with infectious mononucleosis (52.0% male; median age, 19 years; range, 15–87 years), with a focus on both short-term (infectious and non-infectious) and long-term (hematological malignancies) complications in relation to corticosteroid use. ResultsA total of 155 (38.6%) patients received corticosteroids at some point during infectious mononucleosis. Corticosteroid use was significantly (P≤0.002) associated with sore throat, lymphadenopathy, leukocytosis, and with antibiotics use (mainly indicated after suspicion of tonsillar bacterial superinfection). Overall, 139/155 (89.7%) patients who were treated with corticosteroids also received antibiotics either before or during hospitalization, compared with 168/241 (69.7%) patients who did not. The frequency of short-term severe complications, either infectious (peritonsillar–parapharyngeal abscess or bacteremia) or non-infectious (splenic rupture, severe thrombocytopenia, myopericarditis, or lymphocytic meningitis) were similar in patients receiving and not receiving corticosteroids. After a median of 15 years of follow-up, only one Hodgkin's lymphoma was diagnosed, in a patient who was not treated with corticosteroids during infectious mononucleosis. ConclusionsThe use of systemic corticosteroids during EBV-induced infectious mononucleosis is generally safe, at least with concomitant antibiotic therapy. However, this should not encourage the use of corticosteroids in this context, given that their efficacy has yet to be demonstrated.

Chemical Castration in Indonesian Criminal Law: Human Rights Perspective

This study delves into the controversial practice of chemical castration for sexual offenders against children within Indonesian criminal law, examining it through a human rights lens. Adopting a normative legal method, the research incorporates legislative and conceptual analysis with data sourced from primary and secondary legal materials. The study reveals a stark incongruity between chemical castration and rehabilitation goals of the penal system, highlighting its inhumane nature and violation of human dignity. Furthermore, the research discusses the additional sanction of electronic detection devices, scrutinizing its infringement on privacy rights and inconsistency with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). This study underscores the critical need for a penal system that respects human rights while addressing sexual violence against children, calling for a shift from punitive to rehabilitative approaches.Highlights: Chemical castration in Indonesia's penal system conflicts with rehabilitation goals and human rights principles, being inhumane and degrading. The additional use of electronic detection devices infringes on perpetrators' privacy rights and contradicts international human rights conventions. The study advocates for a penal system that balances the need for justice in cases of sexual violence against children with respect for human rights and dignity. Keywords: Human Rights, Chemical Castration, Indonesian Law, Sexual Violence, Penal System

Narco Analysis: A Comparative Study with Respect to India and Western Countries

Microanalysis, a research method that uses pharmacological agents to induce a relaxed state in subjects to gather information, has become a controversial practice in criminal investigations worldwide. This research paper undertakes an in-depth comparative analysis of drug testing methods in the Indian context and Western countries and unravels the complex legal, ethical and procedural web surrounding its application. The historical development of microanalysis unfolds against the backdrop of differently developed legal frameworks in Indian and Western jurisdictions. This study moves through the maze of legal complexities, examining the legal provisions, court decisions and precedents that shape the permission and limitations of drug testing in both regions. A careful examination of procedural changes forms the backbone of this study, where we explore the step-by-step processes involved in drug testing. A comparative analysis reveals the different protocols followed in India and selected Western countries, revealing the roles of medical professionals and legal authorities in facilitating or controlling the procedure. Ethical considerations that explore the moral implications of using drug testing as an interrogation are central to this debate. Public and professional opinion in India and the West is considered, illuminating different perspectives that contribute to the ongoing debate on the ethics of drug testing. The study brings together clear case studies where pharmacoanalysis has been used and highlights the similarities and differences between Indian and Western applications. As noted in the paper, it synthesizes key findings and considers the broader implications of comparative research. The study discusses the future trajectory of drug analysis, considering possible trends, emerging technologies and alternative methods that may shape the landscape of research practices in both India and the West.

METAseen: Analyzing network traffic and privacy policies in Web 3.0 based Metaverse

Metaverse is a new emerging concept building up a virtual environment for the user using Virtual Reality (VR) and blockchain technology but introduces privacy risks. Now, a series of challenges arise in Metaverse security, including massive data traffic breaches, large-scale user tracking, analysis activities, unreliable Artificial Intelligence (AI) analysis results, and social engineering security for people. In this work, we concentrate on Decentraland and Sandbox, two well-known Metaverse applications in Web 3.0. Our experiments analyze, for the first time, the personal privacy data exposed by Metaverse applications and services from a combined perspective of network traffic and privacy policy. We develop a lightweight traffic processing approach suitable for the Web 3.0 environment, which doesn't rely on complex decryption or reverse engineering techniques.We propose a smart contract interaction traffic analysis method capable of retrieving user interactions with Metaverse applications and blockchain smart contracts. This method provides a new approach to de-anonymizing users' identities through Metaverse applications. Our system, METAseen, analyzes and compares network traffic with the privacy policies of Metaverse applications to identify controversial data collection practices. The consistency check experiment reveals that the data types exposed by Metaverse applications include Personal Identifiable Information (PII), device information, and Metaverse-related data. By comparing the data flows observed in the network traffic with assertions made in the privacy regulations of the Metaverse service provider, we discovered that far more than 49% of the Metaverse data flows needed to be disclosed appropriately.

Risk-Taking in Islamic Debt Financing: Maqasid Perspective

Since the past six decades of its emergence, Islamic banking industry has been widely recognized as an alternative financial system since it could offer similar services like its conventional counterpart. Islamic banking products must be free from Shariah prohibited elements, mainly riba’ which is strongly forbidden. In fact, riba’ is characterised with the risk absence which the risk is fully transferred to one party, resulting this practice is part of exploitation and discrimination. Alternatively, Shariah allows any financial contract as far as it is fair in terms of risk-taking among involved parties. Nevertheless, the current financings offered by Islamic banks particularly debt-based ones are claimed similar to conventional loan. Debt-based financings are systematically organized, by transferring the whole risk to customers in which it should be borne by both parties. However, others said those financings are still exposed to a certain degree of risk. Thus, this paper aims to analyse the issue of risk-taking in debt-based financing from the perspective of M. This subject provides a holistic view on Shariah as well as it plays a significant role in harmonizing between revelation and reality. Based on library research, it is found that there is no strong evidence that debt-based financings should be prohibited because of the issue of risk-taking. Nevertheless, controversial practices that surrounded with those financings should be considered by Islamic finance players. While this study has limitation in terms of the data, it provides a philosophy discussion and deep analysis on the issue.

Too dark to see: Does board governance moderate the relationship between carbon emissions and analyst forecast errors?

AbstractThis study aims to demonstrate that carbon emissions may increase analyst forecast errors because poor environmental performance obscures prospects for business operations. We further examine whether strong board governance moderates such a relationship. Using a sample of S&P 500 firms from the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), we employ Heckman's two‐stage model to examine our research questions. We find a positive association between carbon intensity and forecast errors, but strong board governance, captured by board independence, board diligence, and committee size, may mitigate this positive relationship. However, the effect is amplified for firms engaged in controversial governance practices such as CEO duality and long CEO tenure. Our study provides insight for managers by raising concerns due to high levels of carbon emissions and demonstrating that different governance characteristics may alleviate the adverse effect of carbon emissions on forecast errors.

Establishing driving simulator validity: drawbacks of null-hypothesis significance testing when compared to equivalence tests and Bayes factors

The validity of driving simulators is a topic that has been addressed ever since their first use. In practice, a comparison of field data and simulator data is often used for validation purposes. A systematic literature search was conducted which identified large heterogeneity in both study designs and statistical methods used in research on simulator validity. Most of the included studies concluded simulator validity (thus equivalence of field data and simulator data) from non-significant results in Null-Hypothesis Significance Testing (NHST), which is a well-known yet somewhat controversial practice. In this work, the consequences of both study design choice and the choice of the statistical method are outlined and alternatives such as using Bayes factor hypothesis testing and equivalence tests are discussed and applied to a real data example. The present paper is intended to shed light on the influence of the statistical method on conclusions drawn from experimental data. For research on driving simulator validity, we highly encourage the use of equivalence tests or Bayes factor hypothesis tests, in particular when evidence of the data suggests that an effect might be absent.

Organ donation after euthanasia. Review and criticism of foreign practice

This paper analyzes the problem of euthanasia, gives the history of this phenomenon, presents traditional ethical arguments for and against this practice, critically evaluates the practice of organ donation after euthanasia or euthanasia as a consequence of organ donation as established in some countries of the European Union, the US and Canada. The current status of this controversial practice is assessed.

Jacks of all trades, masters of none? Multiple-mandate holding and trust in local government

ABSTRACT Multiple-mandate holding, i.e., the holding of more than one directly elected mandate simultaneously on different government tiers, is a controversial practice with potential consequences on political trust. The research purpose of this study is thus to contribute to this line of research by exploring how the extent of this practice at the local level reflects on the opinions of ordinary citizens and their confidence in local government. The aim of this paper is therefore to examine this question utilising a vignette survey experiment carried out in Finland. The findings presented contribute to shining a light on the potential consequences of this practice for trust in the local government by exposing one way in which negative evaluations of politicians are formed.

The coloniality of the religious terrorism thesis

Abstract A dominant narrative, produced and reproduced especially by terrorism scholars, holds that terrorism in its worst form is religious. The most dangerous and non-negotiable form of terrorism, in other words, is the religious kind. At the same time, there is a recurring implication, proposed by many terrorism scholars and reflected in public discourse, that terrorism, no matter its official designation, is always inherently ‘religious’ or ‘religious-like’. Both this implication and the dominant narrative about the uniquely dangerous character of ‘religious terrorism’ – which I summarise as the Religious Terrorism Thesis – builds on colonial knowledge and assumptions about ‘religion’. Religion is also, as I argue, written into the category ‘terrorism’ and enables its negative discursive power and the colonial imagination of ‘terrorism’ as racialised and a system-threat to (Western) modernity. Terrorism, therefore, can never constitute a neutral signifier of a specific kind of political violence. Instead, it functions as a negative ideograph to Western societies, which means it functions to uphold the project of Western modernity/coloniality. The Religious Terrorism Thesis, which I identify as the foundation for the dominant discourse on terrorism today, is a crucial element of coloniality and justifies many controversial and contemporary counterterrorism practices.

Blackface on the South African Stage

In most contemporary studies in which the practice of blackface is discussed, it is seen as a controversial and racist practice. While many studies are available globally on different aspects of this practice (e.g., origin and history, the broad spectrum of media where it is used, different permutations and developments of this practice in various countries, etc.), one finds only a few studies focused on the use and practice of blackface in South African theatre studies. This is surprising when one considers the major role played by race in the general history of South Africa, as well as more specifically within the history of South African theatre. The focus in this article is on the practice and occurrence of blackface on the South African English stage from a historical theatre viewpoint as framed within a postcolonial perspective of this topic. Although one can assert that the practice of blackface was probably simply taken from the origin of this practice in the United States and mainly introduced to South Africa via travelling minstrel troupes from America and travelling theatre companies from the United Kingdom, it is important to see how this practice was received in colonial South Africa. The discussion will first address the use of this practice within early English theatre in South Africa as influenced by the blackface minstrelsy travelling troupes of the 19th century (1830s to 1870s), while the second part of the article will focus on the use of blackface by white actors on the South African stage to portray black characters in the early 20th century (1910 to 1930s).

Tocolysis after preterm prelabor rupture of membranes and 5-year outcomes: a population-based cohort study

The administration of tocolytics after preterm prelabor rupture of membranes remains a controversial practice. In theory, reducing uterine contractility should delay delivery and allow for optimal antenatal management, thereby reducing the risks for prematurity and adverse consequences over the life course. However, tocolysis may be associated with neonatal death or long-term adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes, mainly related to prolonged fetal exposure to intrauterine infection or inflammation. In a previous study, we showed that tocolysis administration was not associated with short-term benefits. There are currently no data available to evaluate the impact of tocolysis on neurodevelopmental outcomes in school-aged children born prematurely in this clinical setting. This study aimed to investigate whether tocolysis administered after preterm prelabor rupture of membranes is associated with neurodevelopmental outcomes at 5.5 years of age. We used data from a prospective, population-based cohort study of preterm births recruited in 2011 (referred to as the EPIPAGE-2 study) and for whom the results of a comprehensive medical and neurodevelopmental assessment of the infant at age 5.5 years were available. We included pregnant individuals with preterm prelabor rupture of membranes at 24 to 32 weeks' gestation in singleton pregnancies with a live fetus at the time of rupture, birth at 24 to 34 weeks' gestation, and participation of the infant in an assessment at 5.5 years of age. Exposure was the administration of any tocolytic treatment after preterm prelabor rupture of membranes. The main outcome was survival without moderate to severe neurodevelopmental disabilities at 5.5 years of age. Secondary outcomes included survival without any neurodevelopmental disabilities, cerebral palsy, full-scale intelligence quotient, developmental coordination disorders, and behavioral difficulties. A propensity-score analysis was used to minimize the indication bias in the estimation of the treatment effect on outcomes. Overall, 596 of 803 pregnant individuals (73.4%) received tocolytics after preterm prelabor rupture of membranes. At the 5.5-year follow-up, 82.7% and 82.5% of the children in the tocolysis and no tocolysis groups, respectively, were alive without moderate to severe neurodevelopmental disabilities; 52.7% and 51.1%, respectively, were alive without any neurodevelopmental disabilities. After applying multiple imputations and inverse probability of treatment weighting, we found no association between the exposure to tocolytics and survival without moderate to severe neurodevelopmental disabilities (odds ratio, 0.93; 95% confidence interval, 0.55-1.60), survival without any neurodevelopmental disabilities (odds ratio, 1.02; 95% confidence interval, 0.65-1.61), or any of the other outcomes. There was no difference in the neurodevelopmental outcomes at age 5.5 years among children with and without antenatal exposure to tocolysis after preterm prelabor rupture of membranes. To date, the health benefits of tocolytics remain unproven, both in the short- and long-term.

Human sacrifice: From religious ritual to legal sentence in Nepal.

Human sacrifice is a gruesome and controversial practice where one or more individuals are killed as part of a religious ceremony or as a gift to a deity. While the practice has been widely condemned globally, it still persists in some communities in some countries. Nepal, in particular, has a history of animal sacrifice with larger offerings taking place every five years. While animal sacrifice is legal, the ultimate punishment for engaging in human sacrifice is a legal sentence. This article examines the historical and cultural context of sacrifice in Nepal and explores some contemporary cases of human sacrifice reported in the media. The article also considers the impact of superstitious beliefs and the need for evidence-based attitudes to support human rights.