The Imperial Prostate 9 - Approaches To Long-term Active Surveillance: Regular MRI scans versus standard of care (IP9-ATLAS) randomised controlled trial.

Corrigendum: Bridging the gap between procedural and relational ethics in qualitative research: insights from the ethics review process

Ethnographic research in fragile and conflict-affected settings (FCAS) is frequently distorted by an implicit assumption of social and cultural homogeneity. In Somalia, a society defined by profound internal differentiation across clan structures, gender relations, generational identities, livelihood systems, geographic locations, and diaspora affiliations, this distortion is particularly consequential. This paper critically reviews thirty-one peer-reviewed sources published between 2023 and 2026 to interrogate what we term the ‘myth of homogeneity’: the methodological and epistemological tendency to treat internally differentiated societies as socially uniform units. Two guiding questions organise the review: first, how does the myth of homogeneity shape ethnographic knowledge production in fragile contexts? Second, what methodological alternatives can centre heterogeneity, reflexivity, and participatory knowledge production? Drawing on scholarship in ethnographic methodology, feminist research, decolonial epistemology, and fragile state governance, the paper argues that homogeneity-premised research designs produce epistemic distortion and contribute to misinformed policy and humanitarian interventions. The review reveals that a significant proportion of recent scholarship on Somalia relies on urban-centric, IDP-focused, or male-dominated samples, systematically excluding pastoralist, rural, coastal, minority-clan, and diaspora voices. The review is organised around five thematic areas: conceptual foundations, Somali heterogeneity, methodological challenges, ethical imperatives, and reconstructive methodological pathways. It concludes by proposing the Heterogeneity-Centred Ethnographic Framework for Fragile Contexts (HCEFF), built on five operational principles — intersectional sampling, multi-sited ethnography, reflexive positionality, participatory co-production, and attention to access economies as practical tools for rigorous, ethical qualitative inquiry in fragile contexts. Adopted systematically, this framework has the potential to reorient Somali studies and comparable FCAS scholarship toward epistemically accountable and policy-relevant knowledge production.

ABSTRACT This article examines how undergraduate students negotiate the use of photography as a pedagogical tool during an overseas field-based learning course in the Mekong Delta. While existing scholarship has established theoretical frameworks for ethical visual research and documented the benefits of field-based learning, a critical gap remains in understanding how undergraduate learners navigate the messy, affective dimensions of conducting visual research in cross-cultural contexts. Drawing on reflection essays written by 27 students across two cohorts at a university in Singapore, this study reveals how photography functions simultaneously as a site of ethical negotiation, a catalyst for affective-cognitive transformation, and a reflexive practice that shapes students’ meta-understanding of cross-cultural learning in an overseas field course. Findings demonstrate that visual engagement involves a recursive learning process where ethical struggles generate emotional responses that deepen understanding, which in turn prompts critical reflection on positionality and privilege. Informed by scholarship in geography education and beyond, this article contributes to field-based learning by documenting the subjective experience of learning through photography, revealing the development of visual competence through iterative reflection on embodied encounters with communities in cross-cultural contexts. It also offers a pedagogically informed model for teaching field-based pedagogy to enrich undergraduate visual learning.

ABSTRACT This paper critically examines how to reconstruct research ethics education within internationalised higher education (HE), drawing on our backgrounds in childhood studies. Using duoethnography from our dual perspectives of student and lecturer, supervisee and supervisor, we interrogate tensions in cross-context research ethics education. Findings primarily advocate a shift from a deontological, compliance-based model toward critical, contextual adaptation. This is built on four themes: identifying the misalignment between the cultural backgrounds of students and lecturers to foster decolonial ‘border thinking’ in ethics pedagogy; replacing rigid, procedural tick-boxing ethics pedagogy with dialogic, situated one; introducing an eclectic approach that balances Northern ethical frameworks with Southern contexts in childhood studies into ethics pedagogy; and pursuing decolonisation across ethics pedagogy and governance. We recommend promoting dialogic, collaborative ethics pedagogical approaches that move beyond prescriptive and tick-boxing models and theorising ethics as a community of practice oriented toward critically engaged scholarship.

In the contemporary society with the rapid development of science and technology, the instrumental value of science and technology has been brought into full play. At the same time, a series of ethical dilemmas of science and technology have also been highlighted, which seriously affect the social development order and the quality of human existence. This paper focuses on the ethical dilemma of science and technology, analyzes its realistic representation and deep roots by philosophical thinking, and puts forward a targeted philosophical construction path combining the dialectical relationship between instrumental rationality and value rationality. Firstly, it expounds the background and significance of scientific and technological ethics research, and clarifies the research ideas and methods; secondly, it combs the realistic manifestations of scientific and technological ethics dilemma, and discusses it from three dimensions: right conflict, responsibility ambiguity and value imbalance; Finally, from three aspects of value rationality regression, ethics subject reconstruction and ethics norm perfection, this paper puts forward the philosophical construction strategy of science and technology ethics system, summarizes the research conclusion and looks forward to the future development. The research aims to provide philosophical theoretical support for solving the ethical dilemma of science and technology, realizing the coordinated development of science and technology and humanities, and promoting the healthy development of science and technology in the direction of human common interests.

As artificial womb technology (AWT) nears clinical translation for extreme prematurity, ethical interest has grown. To characterize this ethical landscape, we conducted a scoping review of ethical considerations of AWT searching Medline, Embase, and Web-of-Science through March 2025. Ethical considerations were extracted and organized using thematic analysis. In total, 247 papers were included: 114 (46.2%) focused on AWT for extreme prematurity and 133 (53.8%) on futuristic complete ectogenesis. Most papers were authored by bioethics scholars (157/247, 63.5%), and within this group, the majority addressed complete ectogenesis (98/157, 62.4%). Seven thematic categories were identified: Benefits and Harm; Decision-making; Moral and Legal Status; Justice and Access; Cultural and Societal Perspectives; Research Ethics and Speculative Concerns. Overall, AWT ethics literature is divided between concerns about "complete ectogenesis" and use for extreme prematurity. Insights from clinically focused literature and comprehensive stakeholder engagement are essential for ethical guidance of impending clinical translation of AWT.

The petrous portion of the temporal bone (often informally referred to as the "petrous bone") is a key element in human evolutionary studies due to its exceptional preservation of biomolecules and morphological information. Intensive and often redundant sampling raises concerns about sustainability and long-term conservation, however. Digital recording of morphology (micro-computed and medical tomography) can preserve what destructive sampling destroys, enabling future analyses, yet there have been concerns regarding its effect on biomolecular preservation. Here, we present a systematic observational assessment of whether micro-computed tomography (µCT)-a widely used tool for digital preservation-affects ancient DNA (aDNA) integrity in archaeological human petrous portions. We analyzed 93 archaeological samples from Argentina, of which 50 were µCT-scanned prior to molecular analysis and 43 were not. We compared six commonly used molecular parameters, including endogenous DNA content, read length, cytosine deamination patterns, and mitochondrial and nuclear contamination estimates. No statistically significant differences were observed between scanned and unscanned samples across these parameters (Mann-Whitney/Wilcoxon tests, p > 0.05). Although mitochondrial contamination estimates were marginally higher in scanned samples (p = 0.051), they largely remain below the widely accepted 5% threshold for genomic analysis. Moreover, this pattern was not observed when considering nuclear contamination. Within the limits of this non-paired design, these results suggest that µCT imaging, under the scanning parameters applied here, does not introduce large or systematic bias derived from disruptions in standard aDNA preservation metrics. Building on these observations and on our collaborative experience with the shared use of archaeological samples across complementary research lines, and given that our results show that µCT imaging under appropriate scanning conditions does not significantly compromise DNA preservation, we propose a sustainable, multi-step workflow that integrates biological profiling, osteobiography, imaging, and compositional pre-screening prior to molecular sampling. This approach aims to maximize the scientific information obtained from skeletal collections while minimizing destructive practices, thereby promoting ethical and sustainable research on irreplaceable anthropological remains, and fostering interdisciplinary collaboration.

Abstract Background Medicines are the most common healthcare intervention. However, disposal of pharmaceutical waste in health facilities contributes significantly to financial costs and carbon emissions, and incorrect disposal can lead to environmental contamination. Appropriate segregation of pharmaceutical waste at the point of use is critical to reduce waste in hospitals. Aim The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of a ward‐based education programme to optimise pharmaceutical waste management, through increasing staff knowledge, capability and opportunity to segregate waste and measure changes in waste, costs, carbon emissions, and staff motivation, knowledge, and behaviour. Method We developed and implemented a brief education intervention for staff in patient care areas of a regional hospital and introduced a recycling option for medication blister strips. The intervention encouraged better waste segregation and recycling knowledge and practices. Numbers and weights of pharmaceutical waste bins collected for incineration during a five‐month intervention period (January–May 2024) were compared with a two‐year pre‐intervention period (January 2022–December 2023) using interrupted time series analysis. Pre‐ and post‐intervention surveys assessed staff waste management knowledge, attitudes, and behaviour. Ethical approval was granted by the Greater Western Human Research Ethics Committee (Reference no: 2023/ETH01746) and the study conforms to Australian National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research . Informed consent was obtained from all participants for participation in the education and surveys via distribution of project information and confirmation of electronic consent. Results We found weak evidence of lower bin numbers sent for incineration (p = 0.051) and greater bin weights (p = 0.052). Additionally, 140 L of medication blister strips were collected for recycling. Survey responses post‐education suggested that staff had improved knowledge of pharmaceutical waste management, disposal, and recycling. Conclusion This brief intervention generated improvements in waste management among staff in hospital wards without disruption to work routines. Appropriate education coupled with sustained resources and infrastructure can improve pharmaceutical waste management at point of use with potential benefits for health and the environment.

Knee osteoarthritis (OA) leads to pain, disability, and reduced quality of life. For advanced stages, knee arthroplasty surgery is the standard treatment, yet dissatisfaction and persistent mobility deficits remain common. Current surgical decision-making processes seldom incorporate objective predictors of outcomes, such as biomechanical data. Advances in computer vision, wearable sensors, and artificial intelligence now enable efficient capture and interpretation of clinically prognostic gait features in real-world settings. However, the clinical adoption of such innovations remains limited, hindered by usability challenges, misalignment with stakeholder needs, and system-level barriers. This study aims to inform the development of a knee OA clinical decision support (CDS) tool that integrates gait analysis and artificial intelligence with clinical decision-making. More broadly, it seeks to advance a framework for participatory digital health CDS tool implementation by identifying and addressing suboptimal workflows, stakeholder priorities, and organizational challenges. This study uses a 3-phase participatory design process, with in-depth interviews conducted in each phase to generate insights that inform subsequent stages. Phase 1 investigates perceived barriers to and facilitators of the implementation of a digital CDS tool and examines current workflow processes in knee OA management. Phase 2 focuses on identifying and defining user requirements to guide solution ideation for translational digital decision support. Phase 3 assesses user acceptance of prototyped solutions. Field observations in phase 1 and usability testing in phase 3 will supplement interview findings with real-world evidence. The study was funded in November 2024. Ethics approval was granted by the Nova Scotia Health Research Ethics Board on July 28, 2025. Data collection began in September 2025. As of February 2026, a total of 6 clinicians have been interviewed, with all 6 interviews transcribed and 4 coded as part of phase 1 analysis. Study completion is anticipated by August 2026. Findings will be published by January 2027. Our stakeholder-driven approach prioritizes both technological rigor and practical usability, addressing key human factors for successful implementation. While initially focused on Nova Scotia's orthopedic setting, this research provides a scalable framework for integrating digital decision support tools into broader clinical environments, advancing innovation in knee OA care and beyond.

Pharmacological studies are important in terms of further development of health care innovation, but the rapid evolution of science has compounded ethical and legal issues that surround clinical trials, protection and safeguarding of participants, and regulatory regulation. This paper discusses the problem of ethics and law in pharmacological research and practice by combining the bioethical theory and regulatory analysis and primary survey data. The study conducts a quantitative cross-sectional research design based on the structured questionnaire survey with the means of Google Form, which results in the collection of 98 valid answers among the participants of the study as healthcare professionals, researchers, and academics. The research assesses the attitudes of ethical awareness, the practice of informed consent, legal adherence, accountability of the pharmaceutical industry, and the challenges brought about by emerging technology. The results suggest that the respondents are highly ethical as shown by their keenness in participant welfare, ethical inquiry, and the implications of research misconduct on the society. Nevertheless, there was a moderate level of trust in legal and regulatory frameworks, which indicated a discord between the ethical standards and the institutional practice. Another major issue was the question of informed consent which was highlighted by the participants who indicated that continuous communication and not procedural documentation was necessary. Findings also indicate doubtful professional faithfulness to the practice of pharmaceutical industries, raising concerns on transparency and commercial control and firmly advocate on the conduct of post-marketing safety studies. The most agreement was found in the up-and-coming ethical risks associated with artificial intelligence, digital health information, and personalized medicine, and this suggests that adaptive governance frameworks are in demand. The research makes a contribution to the field of pharmacological ethics scholarship because it empirically proves the relationship between ethical thinking and the perception of legal governance. It suggests a combined ethicallegal system, which urges transparency, constant monitoring, and regulation responsive to technology. The results demonstrate the significance of integrating ethical values, law implementation, and innovation regulation to enhance the confidence of the population and guarantee responsible pharmacological research in the rapidly changing healthcare settings.

Abstract Researching participants’ experiences through a qualitative, multiperspective design presents distinct ethical challenges, particularly when including both partners and their therapist during ongoing couple therapy where violence is a central concern. Situated within a publicly funded therapeutic context, this study examines these challenges through interviews with eight clients and five therapists, which were analyzed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Four key themes emerged: (1) When Understanding Accumulates: Confidentiality and Safety as Emerging Ethical Tensions , (2) Motivation , Recruitment , and Power in Interconnected Relationships , (3) Consent in Motion: An Iterative and Ongoing Process , and (4) Research Ripples: Reflexive Spillovers into Ongoing Therapy? The findings indicate that ethical dilemmas often emerge as situated “branching points”, decision-making junctures in which relational and systemic interconnections continually reshape participants’ vulnerability and researchers’ responsibilities. These branching points cannot be adequately addressed and managed through procedural safeguards alone. To navigate such dilemmas, the study describes a triadic process involving: (1) cultivating ethical sensitivity and attentiveness to emerging branching points ; (2) interpreting these situations through reflection and dialogue to form provisional ethical impressions ; and (3) mobilizing resources to respond with context-aware action. Overall, the study highlights that ethical research in sensitive, multiperspective contexts involves ongoing ethical judgment rather than the identification of a single “right” course of action. Ethical research practice is shown to require sustained reflexivity, responsiveness, and care as research unfolds alongside complex relational and systemic processes.

Evaluation of senna-based laxatives' candies: A cross-sectional study on constipation management.

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) has ramifications for qualitative research practices within the European Union, forcing researchers to grapple with new and broad regulations concerning the protection of personal data. Yet besides itspositive impacts on research ethics and consent practices, the GDPR may clash with principles of qualitative inquiry. This article highlights the need for an interdisciplinary discussion to address the tensions between GDPR-mandates – such as informed consent, data minimisation and data storage – and the explorative, iterative and flexible methodologies that underpin qualitative research. We will highlight how the regulation’s demands impact key stages of the research process, including recruitment, data collection, and transcription, creating practical and ethical dilemmas for researchers. These impacts trigger critical questions about how to maintain the integrity of research while adhering to legal constraints. Consequently, this article calls for a critical and open examination of the profound ramifications posed by GDPR, urging researchers to confront the limitations it imposes on scholarly inquiry. Only through dialogue and collective reflection can the academic community navigate these obstacles and rethink research practices to safeguard both data protection rights of participants and the epistemic openness vital to qualitative methodologies.

Nipah virus (NiV) is a fatal zoonotic virus with a case fatality of up to 75%, causing severe outbreaks in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) primarily in South and Southeast Asia. Since it's highly transmissible and there are no approved medications or vaccines, public health responses often involve measures that raise significant ethical concerns. This review investigated the ethical issues arising during the response to NiV disease outbreak. The study was conducted according to Arksey and O'Malley’s framework, informed by Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) was used to guide the search for relevant evidence. A total of thirteen papers were reviewed out of the 197 papers found from the search strategy by two independent reviewers. Nine main themes on ethical issues were identified: Public health measures (n=5 papers), communication and infodemics (n=4), Resources constraints (n=4), equitable distribution of resources (n=3), vaccine and research ethics (n=2), community engagement (n=2), stigmatization (n=2), ethics of culling (n=1 handling of deceased subjects (n=1). Results generated indicate that ethical challenges arising during One Health response to NiV disease are not given the attention that they deserve. Kerala's decentralized governance model provides useful guidance for responding to outbreaks in an ethical manner. There is a common agreement that equitable distribution of resources, communication, and public health responses during zoonotic disease outbreaks must be ethically grounded to enable smooth responses towards outbreaks of the NiV and related zoonotic diseases. To be ethically prepared for NiV disease outbreaks, public health systems must incorporate ethical interventions both locally and internationally. It is also important to address injustice, encourage community engagement, and fund research towards NiV disease response and prevention.

In cluster randomised trials (CRT), groups (rather than individuals) are randomised to intervention and control conditions. Since the publication of the Ottawa Statement on the Ethical Design and Conduct of CRTs, the accurate identification of research participants has continued to challenge researchers and research ethics committees. In this article, we focus on CRTs involving healthcare providers and provide a practical framework for applying Ottawa Statement criteria for identifying research participants. We illustrate key lessons with example CRTs. Study procedures should be analysed in relation to the study objective. A study intervention confers research participant status on healthcare providers if the study objective is to evaluate its effect and it is delivered to or targeted at healthcare providers. A data collection procedure confers research participant status on healthcare providers if it informs a study outcome used to achieve the study objective and it involves interactions between researchers and healthcare providers to collect their data, or the collection of healthcare providers' identifiable private information. In CRTs, healthcare providers may be research participants because of study interventions, data collection procedures, or both; conversely, they may simply be research collaborators. Some study interventions confer research participant status on both healthcare providers and patients. Collecting data on healthcare provider behaviour may confer research participant status on healthcare providers. Accurately identifying research participants in CRTs is essential to their ethical conduct. When healthcare providers are research participants, their rights and welfare should be protected in accordance with research ethics guidelines.

BackgroundPatient privacy is a fundamental value and core ethical principle in healthcare. In Turkey, privacy is protected by legal regulations while also shaped by cultural and religious norms, which together influence how it is perceived and practiced in clinical settings.AimThis study explores how adult hospitalized patients perceive and experience patient privacy.Research DesignA descriptive qualitative approach guided by COREQ checklist was employed.Participants and Research ContextPurposive sampling was used to ensure variation, and thirty-three adult inpatients from general medical and surgical wards in five hospitals across Ankara participated in the study between the period of October and November 2024. Data collection involved face-to-face semi-structured interviews, and data saturation was reached when no additional findings, codes, or themes emerged. Braun and Clarke's six-phase thematic analysis was applied to analyze the data. Some of the patient statements were included to illustrate key points.Ethical ConsiderationsApproval was granted by the Hacettepe University Health Sciences Research Ethics Committee (ID: 2023/08-24). All participants provided written and verbal informed consent.ResultsFour main themes emerged: (1) "The concept of privacy"-patients viewing privacy as a moral and human right connected to bodily integrity; (2) "Perception of patient privacy"-including bodily, informational, and emotional aspects; (3) "Protection of patient privacy"-practices that promote feelings of safety, well-being, and respect; (4) "Violation of patient privacy"-experiences that evoke fear, regret, and avoidance of healthcare. Cultural and religious norms-especially modesty and confidentiality-strongly shape perceptions.ConclusionsPatient privacy in Turkey is shaped by ethical, legal, and cultural values. Culturally sensitive patient care that respects patients' physical, informational, and emotional boundaries is essential. To promote trust-based, ethical practice, we recommend improving environmental arrangements, enhancing data security measures, and providing ongoing ethics education for healthcare professionals.

Ethnobotany is the scientific study of the interrelationship between plants and human societies including their use for food, medicine, shelter, economic, cultural, and religious purposes. This area has developed into an important multidisciplinary study that connects traditional knowledge with contemporary studies in agriculture, pharmacology, nutrition, ecology, and biodiversity conservation. This review summarizes recent case studies to show how ethnobotanical knowledge influences cultural practices, economic activities, sustainable agricultural systems, and applications in medicine and nutrition which further contributes to food security, drug development, biodiversity conservation, and livelihood sustenance. The review also discusses current issues such as habitat deterioration, intellectual property issues, and the loss of traditional knowledge. This study highlights the importance of combining indigenous knowledge with interdisciplinary scientific approaches to support cultural heritage preservation and sustainable development by focusing on documentation, ethical research practices, and conservation strategies.

Control of blood pressure (BP) continues to be a challenge globally. Clinical trials have shown home BP monitoring and text-message interventions to lower BP. Integrating these to personalise supportive messaging in response to changing BP and activity through leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) could improve BP control. The aim of this trial is to examine the impact on BP, compared with a text-message only programme, of the My Intelligent Cardiac Assistant (MICArdiac) programme. MICArdiac is a 6-month programme comprising tracking of BP, physical activity and heart rate informing a content stream of AI-driven personalised messages to encourage BP self-management, as-necessary medical review to up-titrate medicines and cardiovascular preventative behavioural change. MICArdiac is a prospective randomised open-blinded endpoint randomised controlled trial with 1:1 (intervention:control) allocation and active control. Individuals aged 35 years old or above with high BP are randomised to the MICArdiac programme or to a text-message cardiovascular education programme. Recruitment started in primary care and hospital clinics in Western Sydney and moved to decentralised direct-to-community recruitment in the Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales and Victoria. Randomisation and allocation concealment occur via a secure web-based system. The primary outcome is mean daytime systolic BP measured by 24-hour Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring at 6 months. Primary analysis will follow intention-to-treat principles; data analysts will be blinded. Process evaluation will be conducted. Ethics approval was obtained from Western Sydney Local Health District Human Ethics Research Committee (2021/ETH11379). ACTRN12622000091707.

ABSTRACT UK funding for adult social care research has increased considerably in the last 5 years, reflecting the strategic goals of the government and social care organisations to develop research capacity in this area. Research studies are reviewed by national and university committees to assess ethical delivery and ensure good governance. This paper reports on the experience of navigating governance and ethics approval processes in England as part of a feasibility and evaluation study, including four nested primary research projects, concerned with developing adult social care research capacity. Qualitative data from reflexive diaries and semi-structured interviews were analysed thematically to explore participants’ experience with research governance processes. Findings identified inconsistencies in local research governance infrastructure, knowledge gaps on ethics and governance guidelines, and insufficient capacity within both national and local research governance committees. National research governance processes remain incongruous with the research ethics and governance needs of adult social care research. We highlight the consequences of this situation for research capacity development and suggest using this lens to enhance the connection between national and local research governance and invest in close partnering with adult social care services to enable reciprocal learning about the delivery of high-quality research and the needs of adult social care.