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We present, in a synthetic way, some of the main findings from five studies that were conducted in the field of empirical bioethics, using the Functional Measurement framework. These studies were about (a) the rationing of rare treatments, (b) adolescents' abortions, (c) end-of-life decision-making regarding damaged neonates, (d) end-of-life decision making regarding terminally-ill patients, and (e) sexuality among persons with learning disabilities. The paper also discusses what these findings tell us about the relative importance of the four principles of bioethics that are generally considered as fundamental. Two of the four principles--autonomy and justice--seem to dominate lay people's shared beliefs about bioethics issues. The principle of autonomy is clearly central, and the principle of justice is subordinated to the autonomy principle: Each patient, irrespective of his/her characteristics, has the right to have his/her autonomy of decision respected. The two other principles--benevolence and nonmalfeasance--appear as peripheral ones. Once the autonomy principle is respected and the justice principle applies, acting in a benevolent way and not acting in a malevolent way become simple implications. When the patient has lost his/her autonomy, however, these two principles (re)gain importance. (Contains 5 figures.)

Knowing the way children and adolescents assess the risk of disease transmission is important because this kind of knowledge may allow health caregivers to better communicate with them. We had 587 students in Spain and France aged 7-16 judge the risk of disease transmission in 28 scenarios of students visiting a sick friend. The scenarios were composed according to a three within-subject orthogonal design: type of contact (from no contact to prolonged close contact), type of disease (contagious vs. noncontagious), and number of contacts. Cluster analysis revealed six main clusters, labeled "Contagion can never been ruled out," "Depends on type of physical contact," "Depends on type of disease," "Depends simultaneously on contact and disease," "Depends conjunctively on contact and disease," and "Categorical thinking." The composition of these clusters depended strongly on age level. From a practical perspective, even 7-year-olds seem to be fully aware of the issue of contagion, although they overgeneralize the risk. As a result, progress in understanding might be best achieved through a process of unlearning rather than learning. Highlights: We examined the way children and adolescents judge the risk of contagion.Five hundred eighty-seven students aged 7-16 judged the risk of disease transmission in 28 scenarios of students visiting a sick friend that were composed according to a three within-subject design: type of contact × type of disease × number of contacts. Six judgment rules were found. They were labeled "Contagion can never been ruled out," "Depends on type of contact," "Depends on type of disease," "Depends simultaneously on contact and disease," "Depends conjunctively on contact and disease," and "Categorical thinking." Even 7-year-olds seemed to be fully aware of the issue of contagion, although they overgeneralize the risk. As a result, progress in understanding might be best achieved through a process of unlearning rather than learning.

The study was aimed at replicating on a Portuguese sample the seven-factor model of life appraisal (physical autonomy, love life, family life, social life, occupational life, finances, and leisure life) that was suggested by Salvatore and Munoz Sastre ["Social Indicators Research" 53:229-255 (2001)]. A sample of 1,111 Portuguese participants, aged 17-85, was presented with the "Appraisal of Life Questionnaire." The "domain" model of life appraisal satisfactorily accounted for the data gathered on the Portuguese sample. Regarding finances and occupational life, Portuguese scores were lower than French scores. Regarding the occupational score and the leisure score, a clear linear decrease as a function of age was evidenced in the Portuguese sample. Finally, regarding the family score and the financial score, a non-linear relationship with age was found. An increase was observed from young adult age to adult age, and a decrease was observed from adult age to older age. A strong decrease in the physical autonomy scores among Portuguese females was also observed.

Our aim was to understand better how people judge the acceptability of physician-assisted suicide (PAS). We found that, for people in France of all ages and for elderly people with life-threatening illnesses, acceptability is an additive combination of the number of requests for PAS, the patient's age, the amount of physical suffering, and the degree of curability of the illness, not only when judging for hypothetical patients, but also for their spouses and for themselves. PAS can be highly acceptable to people even when the patient does not satisfy all the criteria of legislation about PAS.

Since the start of 2010 there has been a flare-up of measles in France, following on the resurgence observed in 2008. The aim of this study was to present results of the epidemiological surveillance of measles in the French armed forces and to describe the increase in incidence. Measles was surveyed from 1992 to 2010. Criteria for report were those used for French national compulsory notification. The data, concerning active military personnel, were provided by the physicians in the armed forces using anonymous data collection forms. Between 1992 and July 2010, 689 cases of measles were notified. Since 2002, the mean incidence rate was 1 case per 100,000. A significant increase has been observed for 2010 (13.9 cases per 100,000 in 2010 versus 1.8 in 2009). The 28 cases reported in 2010 involved five clusters and three isolated cases. The mean age of affected subjects was 27 years. Only 30% of cases had been vaccinated. The epidemic resurgence of measles observed in 2010 in the French armed forces follows the same pattern as that observed nationally and at European level, and can be seen as the likely consequence of inadequate vaccination cover. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Prosthetic valve endocarditis caused by Candida spp. (PVE-C) is rare and devastating, with international guidelines based on expert recommendations supporting the combination of surgery and subsequent azole treatment., Methods: We retrospectively analyzed PVE-C cases collected in Spain and France between 2001 and 2015, with a focus on management and outcome., Results: Forty-six cases were followed up for a median of 9 months. Twenty-two patients (48%) had a history of endocarditis, 30 cases (65%) were nosocomial or healthcare related, and 9 (20%) patients were intravenous drug users. "Induction" therapy consisted mainly of liposomal amphotericin B (L-amB)-based (n = 21) or echinocandin-based therapy (n = 13). Overall, 19 patients (41%) were operated on. Patients <66 years old and without cardiac failure were more likely to undergo cardiac surgery (adjusted odds ratios [aORs], 6.80 [95% confidence interval [CI], 1.59-29.13] and 10.92 [1.15-104.06], respectively). Surgery was not associated with better survival rates at 6 months. Patients who received L-amB alone had a better 6-month survival rate than those who received an echinocandin alone (aOR, 13.52; 95% CI, 1.03-838.10). "Maintenance" fluconazole therapy, prescribed in 21 patients for a median duration of 13 months (range, 2-84 months), led to minor adverse effects., Conclusion: L-amB induction treatment improves survival in patients with PVE-C. Medical treatment followed by long-term maintenance fluconazole may be the best treatment option for frail patients., (© The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press for the Infectious Diseases Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)