Electrochemical Determination of Fentanyl Using Carbon Nanofiber-Modified Electrodes

In this work, we report the direct electrochemical oxidation of fentanyl using commercial screen-printed carbon electrodes (SPCEs) modified with carboxyl-functionalized carbon nanofibers (fCNFs). CNFs have surface chemistry and reactivity similar to carbon nanotubes (CNTs), yet they are easier to produce and are of a lower cost than CNTs. By monitoring the current produced during the electrochemical oxidation of fentanyl, variables such as fCNF loading, fentanyl accumulation time, electrolyte pH, and differential pulse voltammetry parameters were optimized. Under an optimized set of conditions, the fCNF/SPCEs responded linearly to fentanyl in the concentration range of 0.125-10 μM, with a limit of detection of 75 nM. The fCNF/SPCEs also demonstrated excellent selectivity against common cutting agents found in illicit drugs (e.g., glucose, sucrose, caffeine, acetaminophen, and theophylline) and interferents found in biological samples (e.g., ascorbic acid, NaCl, urea, creatinine, and uric acid). The performance of the sensor was also successfully tested using fentanyl spiked into an artificial urine sample. The straightforward electrode assembly process, low cost, ease of use, and rapid response make the fCNF/SPCEs prime candidates for the detection of fentanyl in both physiological samples and street drugs.

An anti-smoking project instituted by senior nursing students in a rural community

The Health Council of Hawkins County, Tennessee, received a State Tobacco Prevention grant to institute an anti-smoking program in the county schools. The program chosen was called TarWars and encompasses a prohealth tobacco-free program curriculum. The goal was to discourage tobacco use among the nation's youth by focusing on tobacco's short-term ill effects. Because the program encourages community involvement, nursing students from East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, identified volunteers from the Hawkins County Retired Teachers Association to develop a teaching program for use in the first year of the program and as well as in subsequent years of the TarWars curriculum. A pretest and posttest were given to the students to assess the program's success. The objectives of the grant were that 80% of the students would be able to name three negative effects associated with tobacco use and three positive effects of not using tobacco. The goal was met when 91% could identify negative effects and 89% could identify three positive effects of not using tobacco.