Determination of gamma-hydroxybutyrate in water and human urine by solid phase microextraction-gas chromatography/quadrupole ion trap spectrometry

A simple method of detection was developed for gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB). The method involves the derivatization of GHB using a hexyl-chloroformate procedure in aqueous media (such as water or urine), extraction of the derivatization product directly from the sample using solid-phase microextraction, and subsequent separation and detection with gas chromatography quadrupole ion trap mass spectrometry. The deuterated form of GHB (GHB-D6) is used as an internal standard for quantitation. The method was linear for GHB-spiked pure water samples from 2 to 150 microg/mL GHB with a detection limit of 0.2 microg/mL. Spiked urine samples showed linearity from 5 to 500 microg/mL GHB with a detection limit of 2 microg/mL. The SPME-GC/MS method is applied to actual case samples, and the results are compared to those values obtained using a conventional GC/MS method. Sensitivity and linearity are comparable to those seen using traditional methods of separation, yet the SPME method is superior due to the simplicity, speed of analysis, reduction in solvent waste, and ability to differentiate between GHB and gamma-butyrolactone (GBL).     

The art and science of mediation

Book reviewed in this article:
Jacob Bercovitch , Social Conflicts and Third Parties: Strategies of Conflict Resolution.
Jay Folberg and Alison Taylor , Mediation: A Comprehensive Guide to Resolving Conflicts Without Litigation
Deborah Kolb , The Mediators
Christopher Moore , The Mediation Process     

Children's participation in household labor: Child socialization versus the need for household labor

Despite the scarcity of studies of children's participation in housework, it has been established that children contribute a significant amount of total household labor. However, research on why some children contribute more than others has yielded ambiguous results. Using data from the National Survey of Families and Households(J. A. Sweet, L. Bumpus, and V. Call [1988], working paper NSFH-1, Center for Demography and Ecology, University of Wisconsin, Madison), this study tests two competing theories of children's labor participation. The first, dealing with child socialization,proposes that parents assign household chores to children as a socializing experience (e.g., to promote responsibility). The second posits that children are used as a labor source whenever structural constraints prevent adults from performing the necessary chores, and alter the demand for household labor.The results indicate that children average 7 hours of housework per week, representing 12% of all household labor. Both theories receive support, yet the pragmatic aspects of households (e.g., adult labor force participation) receive greater confirmation.Research interests include the sex-based division of household labor, power relations in the home, female depression, and parent-child relationships.     

Assessing civil society impact for democracy programmes: Using an advocacy scale in Indonesia and the Philippines

Democracy assistance programmes have always been notoriously difficult to measure in terms of outcome, but the need to show their impact (or lack of it) remains critical. This article represents part of a continuing endeavour to develop a tool for measuring civil society programme impact in the form of an advocacy scale encompassing democracy's critical components of participation, accountability and contestation. The scale is tested in the context of USAID-assisted initiatives in the Philippines and Indonesia, where it demonstrates a capacity both to monitor donor assistance outcomes and to suggest future programme initiatives.