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Medicine is an ever-changing science. Stem cell research is nowadays part of the medicine. After developments and trials for decades, in 1988 it was announced that a variety of diseases and injuries would be cured with new stem cell therapy, such as: cancer, diabetes, Parkinson's, spinal cord injuries and many others. After almost 10 years of research in the field, in 2007 other good news and hopes were announced: the possibility to create induced pluripotent stem cells, derived from somatic cells, easily used to establish any disease-specific cell line. And research is going on. In order to find answer to a variety of challenges in this area, a researcher faces the following main question: Which are the legislations and the normative standards to be taken into account when we are supposing to conduct a research on/with stem cells? The purpose of the paper is: (i) to familiarize professionals with the current steps in the evolution of stem cell research; (ii) to provide main legal orientations related to stem cell research; (iii) to indicate limits and explanations on legal regulations related to the research on stem cells.

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Hospital-acquired infections are nowadays a major health care problem worldwide. The morbidity and mortality associated with them are highest in intensive care units, but their effects are identifiable in virtually any medical department. Information about hospital-acquired infections, especially about their preventive measures, are rarely presented nowadays in a correct fashion to patients. This article aims to present, in a structured manner, the theoretical and practical aspects related to disclosure of hospital-acquired infections-related information to patients and its importance in preventing their spread. We will analyze both the conceptual framework for disclosing medical information related to nosocomial infections (autonomy, veracity, social justice, the principle of double effect, the precautionary principle, and nonmaleficence) and the practicalities regarding the disclosure of proper information to patients.

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"Everyone's right to life shall be protected by law", states the article 2 of the European Convention of Human Rights (1950). This article guarantees the protection of life of all persons. The human embryo, however, does not seem to be under the protection of this article, or, at least not always. The human embryo does not have a nature clearly defined and it is not considered always as person. The law protects only two categories by its ordinary regulations: things and persons. Our main objective is to find out if the human embryo is or not protected, according to the legal framework in Romania. The purpose of the paper is: (1) to familiarize professionals with current debate on the status of the human embryo; (2) to provide main legal standards and regulations concerning this specific area with examples from case reports; (3) to summarize causes and consequences of the human embryo legal interpretations. Our conclusion is that the human embryo is not protected by the law in force at this moment, with very few exceptions. It depends, most of time, on the parent's wishes. From ethical point of view, we are in front of an open and long debate. The law should regulate and define the human embryo in a clear way. Legal standards are extremely necessary for all involved, in the context of the development of the medicine. Embryo's issues have profound implications for medical practice.

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This literature review focuses on the literature on disability from the ethical and human rights perspective in the light of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health in the period from January 1, 2008, to June 30, 2010. This article identifies and examines studies that deal with the subject of disability with reference to rights, ethical issues, and justice. A total of 42 articles and 33 books were selected. The subject most frequently dealt with in studies on disability is that of human rights (76% of the articles and 79% of the books examined), followed by topics relating to welfare (52% of articles and 64% of books), International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (38% of articles and 45% of books), justice (24% of articles and 48% of books), education (21% of articles and 61% of books), and work (19% of articles and 39% of books). The subject of disability is dealt with in various fields of study and various disciplines. Most of the studies are based on the legal approach. It is to be hoped that there will be an increase in the philosophical and ethical study of disability, which has only recently entered the European debate.

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This article provides a brief description of a training course in International Classification of Functioning (ICF), Disability and Health, Ethics and Human Rights done in the field of the European MURINET project. This course, in its three annual editions, was the product of a joint collaborative work among the Neurological Institute Carlo Besta, the Catholic University, and the National Council of Disability. The training program was formulated to provide knowledge and skills in the field of disability and in the use of ICF. The main result is that a new generation of European researchers was trained. Thanks to this specialized training program, they are now able to conduct and manage research on health and disability, applying the new concept of health and disability based on the ICF biopsychosocial model.

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