Incidental findings in human subjects research: what do investigators owe research participants?

The use of brain imaging technology as a common tool of research has spawned concern and debate over how investigators should respond to incidental findings discovered in the course of research. In this article, we argue that investigators have an obligation to respond to incidental findings in view of their entering into a professional relationship with research participants in which they are granted privileged access to private information with potential relevance to participants' health. We discuss the scope and limits of this professional obligation to respond to incidental findings, bearing in mind that the relationship between investigators and research participants differs fundamentally from the doctor-patient relationship.     

Agendas and sincerity: a second response to Schwartz

An Ordeshook-Schwartz agenda tree requires a voting theorist to assign a unique “ostensive alternative” to each node, but under some non-pairwise agendas there is no evident principle by which to do this. Therefore Ordeshook-Schwartz sincere voting is not clearly defined under all types of agendas. Farquharson-style agenda trees sidestep this problem and allow one or more definitions of sincere voting under every type of agenda.     

Analysis of biofluids for flunitrazepam and metabolites by electrospray liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry

A rapid and sensitive liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (LC/MS) procedure has been developed for the analysis of biofluids containing flunitrazepam and its metabolites. Specimens were spiked with deuterated analogs of the analytes. Urine specimens were enzymatically hydrolyzed and blood specimens were untreated. Extractions were carried out using CleanScreen DAU SPE cartridges. The drugs were separated on a C18 column using a methanol-water-ammonium hydroxide (60:40: 0.03 v/v) mobile phase. After determination of base peaks using full scan mass spectrometry, the mass spectrometry method was optimized to operate in selected-ion monitoring (SIM) mode for the base peak of each analyte. Positive findings were confirmed by LC/MS/MS using the same mobile phase and column. This analytical procedure allows for the detection of low levels of flunitrazepam and metabolites in biofluids. It is useful for ascertaining the role of flunitrazepam in cases of drug-facilitated sexual assault.