Background: The universal principles of biomedical ethics provide overall guidance which are applicable to all settings. However, the range of ethical issues present in different communities differs subject to variations in ethno-cultural contexts. Rapid Ethical Assessment (REA) is an approach developed to improve context-tailored application of the informed consent process in low-income settings. The tool employs ethnographic and action research techniques to explore and address context specific ethical issues. However, information is lacking on its feasibility and applicability for wide-scale use. This study aimed to explore the need for REA and establish its usefulness for research in Ethiopia and similar settings. The study also aimed to assess feasibility of REA so as to provide further guidance on strategies for its future application. Methods: Pilot REA studies were conducted in three different research projects, 'parent studies', in Ethiopia between 2012 and 2013. The studies employed a range of study designs with multi-disciplinary approach and were conducted in multi-ethnic and multi-cultural settings in Ethiopia. The study disciplines employed ranged from ethics, social science and anthropology to public health. The study designs employed ranged from qualitative, ethnographic and mixed methods to quantitative interventional studies. Results: Qualitative and quantitative studies of research stakeholders indicated presence of gaps in the research consent process in Ethiopia. The need for the REA approach in understanding and addressing these gaps was highlighted. Based on the pilot studies, REA was found to be useful to identify important context-specific ethical issues and contextualizing consent processes for community-based medical research. The ethical issues ranged from general issues such as the cultural setting of the study, perception about research, health and health care practices to perceptions about the research subject matters, and communication dynamics and norms and their hierarchies. REA was associated with improved levels of information comprehension and quality of the informed consent process. REA also appeared to be a feasible intervention in terms of cost, time and skill. REA skills were easily transferrable to local experts and the approach was flexible and adaptable to circumstances, settings and needs. Conclusion: Given clear strategic guidelines, REA is a highly useful approach to identify important ethical issues in research conducted in the Ethiopian context. It is feasible that the approach could be applied at wider scale in such settings. The approach is recommended for further dissemination coupled with continued documentation and validation.

A Keratoprosthesis (KPro) which incorporates all of the features required for long-term retention within the cornea has yet to be developed. Integration is dependent on the induction of an adequate response to corneal injury with limited inflammation and a return to relative quiescence. The keratocyte repair response is central to corneal remodelling and may be disrupted by corneal ageing and the accumulation of senescent keratocytes. Since senescence associated disruption of keratocyte activity has the potential to inhibit KPro biointegration within the cornea, the following study sought to investigate aspects of the EKl.BR keratocyte repair response and changes occurring with senescence of cells in culture. The limitations of using cultured senescent EKl .BRs to make inferences about changes in keratocyte responsiveness in the ageing cornea were assessed by comparing migratory responsiveness with that of keratocytes derived from an elderly donor. A preliminary investigation of suitable KPro skirt materials, capable of enhancing keratocyte adhesion, was also carried out since keratocyte adhesion to the KPro periphery enhances integration within the cornea and may limit cellular downgrowth.

The presence of environmental variables associated with the occurrence of podoconiosis was indicated in studies by Price in the 1970s. Observation of red clay soil of volcanic origin and barefoot people in podoconiosis-endemic areas were starting points for investigating these factors. Recently, demonstration of genetic susceptibility to the disease has shown the added value of understanding individual level variations and the presence of gene-environment interactions in the development of podoconiosis. Deeper understanding of which environmental and individual variables determine the development of podoconiosis, and at what spatial scale these variables act, will assist intervention at national and local levels. The present study aims to investigate individual and environmental level variables related to podoconiosis at local scale.

The Drosophila gene pacman encodes a 5’-3’ exoribonuclease, which is involved in RNA degradation. pacman mutants were created by P-element excision. These mutants have phenotypes including dull and blistered wings, kinked legs and thoracic closure defects. Also, pacman mutant embryos show a dorsal closure defect. The thorax and dorsal closure phenotypes in pacman mutants closely resemble those observed in flies mutant for genes of the highly conserved JNK signalling pathway, for example hemipterous (JNKK), basket (JNK) and kayak (Dfos). These similarities suggest pacman may be involved in regulating the JNK pathway. The JNK signalling pathway is known to regulate morphological processes such as dorsal closure during Drosophila development and wound healing. The phenotypes of our pacman mutants suggest pacman may have a role in these processes possibly through interactions with the JNK signalling pathway.