Entertainment-education and social change: an analysis of parasocial interaction, social learning, collective efficacy, and paradoxical communication

Most past studies of entertainment-education programs have not provided an adequate theoretical explanation of the process through which community members enact system-level changes as a result of exposure to entertainment-education media message. Here we study the effects of an entertainment-education radio soap opera by means of an observational case study in one Indian village. We investigate the paradoxes, contradictions, and audience members' struggles in the process of media-stimulated change, a process involving parasocial interaction, peer communication, and collective efficacy.     

Electrochromic properties of polyaniline thin film nanostructures derived from solutions of ionic liquid/polyethylene glycol

By exploiting the templating ability, wetting properties and the capability of the ionic liquid, 1-ethyl,3-methylimidazolium bromide to furnish the anionic dopant, nanostructured thin films of polyaniline (PANI) have been fabricated from an aqueous solution of the monomer encompassing this organic moiety by electropolymerization. These films have been compared to films synthesized from a medium based on a conventional polymeric surfactant, polyethylene glycol 400 (PEG). The template/dopant controls pore structure and assembly patterns as an interconnected network of nanofibrils of 50-500 nm in length and 10-40 nm in diameter constitutes the PANI films derived from the ionic liquid-based solution whereas the dominant microstructural attribute of the PANI films obtained from the PEG-containing formulation are abutting nanoparticles with elongated shapes. The effect of the different thin film nanostructures on their electrochromic properties is evident from the higher coloration efficiency, transmission modulation (in the NIR region), larger charge capacity, enhanced cycling stablity and faster color-bleach rates observed for the PANI films obtained from the ionic liquid medium as compared to that shown by the PANI films fabricated from the PEG solution. The outstanding optical and electrochemical behavior of the films, in particular, for the film derived from the ionic liquid-based solutions indicate that such recyclable and environmentally benign reaction media are most useful especially for transposing PANI films to large area substrates for electrochromic window applications.     

Mixed Micellar and Interfacial Studies of Triblock Copolymers with Amphiphilic Drug Ibuprofen in Aqueous Urea Solutions

Mixed micellar and surface properties of non-ionic triblock copolymers (Pluronic® P123 and F68) and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug Ibuprofen (IBF) have been evaluated in aqueous urea (100 mM) solutions with the help of surface tension and fluorescence measurements at 298.15 K. Various bulk and surface parameters such as critical micelle concentration (CMC) of the mixtures, micellar mole fraction (X), interaction parameter (β) and free energies were calculated using Clint, Rubingh, Rosen and Maeda models. In aqueous solutions, all the mixtures show synergistic interactions and are more in mixtures of IBF with P123. These interactions decrease in presence aqueous urea solution due to breaking of water structure surrounding the hydrophobic moieties by urea molecules resulting in delayed mixed micellization. Micellar aggregation number (N_agg) obtained from the steady state fluorescence quenching indicate that the participation of triblock copolymer is more than the drug IBF in mixed micelle formation. Stern-Volmer constant (K_SV), dielectric constant (D_exp), and micropolarity (I₁/I₃) have also been evaluated and their contribution in the mixed micellar systems have been discussed.     

Structural and electrical studies of thermally evaporated nanostructured CdTe thin films

CdTe thin films were deposited on KCl and glass substrates using thermal evaporation technique under high vacuum conditions. CdTe bulk compound grown by vertical directional solidification (VDS) technique was used as the source material to deposit thin films. Powder X-ray diffraction technique was employed to identify the phase of the as grown bulk CdTe compound as well as its thin films. Surface morphology and the stoichiometry of the bulk compound and thin films was carried out by using scanning electron microscope (SEM) with an attachment of energy dispersive spectrometer(EDS). Microstructural features associated with the as deposited CdTe thin films were studied by using transmission electron microscope (TEM). The films deposited on to glass substrates at different temperatures have been used to study the I-V characteristics of the films. These parameters have been studied in detail in order to prepare good quality nanostructured thin films of CdTe compound. CdTe bulk compound grown by VDS method and its thin films prepared by thermal evaporation method found to have single phase with cubic structure. Size of the particles in the as deposited films vary between 5 and 40 nm In the present study efforts have been made to correlate the electrical and optical properties of the CdTe thin films with the corresponding microstructural features associated with them.     

Fabrication of Neisseria gonorrhoeae biosensor based on chitosan-MWCNT platform

We report results of studies relating to preparation and characterization of DNA electrodes based on the chitosan-MWCNT/ITO nanobiocomposite platform for electrochemical detection of gonorrhoea, the most common bacterial sexually transmitted disease. (STD). This biosensing electrode has been characterized using FT-IR, SEM, cyclic voltammetry and differential pulse voltammetry, etc. The sensing characteristics have been investigated in phosphate buffer saline using methylene blue as the hybridization indicator. This DNA biosensor has a response time of 60 s and is found to be stable for about 4 months when stored at 4 °C. The results of DPV studies reveal that this bioelectrode can detect complementary DNA concentration in a wide range of 1 × 10^− 6 M to 1 × 10^− 17 M with a detection limit of 1 × 10^− 16 M.     

Group 1 metabotropic glutamate receptors contribute to slow-onset potentiation in the rat CA1 region in vivo

It has been demonstrated in the CA1 region of the hippocampus in vitro, and in the dentate gyrus and CA1 region in vivo, that application of the metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR) agonist, 1S, 3R-amino cyclopentane 2,3-dicarboxylic acid triggers a slow-onset potentiation of synaptic transmission in the hippocampus. This study examined the involvement of group 1 and 2 mGluRs in this phenomenon in the CA1 region of freely moving rats. Drugs were applied via the lateral cerebral ventricle, and measurements were obtained from the CA1 region via permanently implanted electrodes. The group 1 mGluR agonists, 3,5-dihydroxyphenylglycine (DHPG, 20-100 nmol/5 microl) and trans-azetidine-2,4-dicarboxylic acid (ADA, 100 nmol-1 micromol/5 microl) induced a dose-dependent potentiation of basal synaptic transmission. The mGluR antagonist R,S-alpha-methyl-carboxyphenylglycine (MCPG, 1 micromol), and the group 1 mGluR antagonist, S-4-carboxyphenylglycine (4CPG, 100 nmol) completely inhibited the effects of both DHPG and ADA. The group 2 mGluR agonist, (S)-4-carboxy-3-hydroxy phenylglycine (4C3H-PG, 50-200 nmol/5 microl) induced a dose-dependent decrease of basal synaptic transmission. These results suggest that in the CA1 region in vivo, slow-onset potentiation may be mediated by group 1 mGluRs.