Partisan Dealignment in Germany: A rejoinder to Russell Dalton

The work of Russell Dalton has undoubtedly played a seminal role in the study of the relation between political sophistication and partisan dealignment. We furthermore acknowledge the presence of a consensus on the occurrence of lower levels of partisanship in Germany. Using panel data as well as pooled cross-sectional observations, however, it is clear that generational replacement is not the sole driving force of partisan dealignment, but that period effects should also be taken into account. While on an aggregate level rising levels of political sophistication have occurred simultaneously with decreasing partisanship, individual level analysis suggests clearly that the least sophisticated are most likely to feel alienated from the party system. We close with some very specific suggestion on how to address the democratic consequences of declining levels of partisanship.

El Carlos Marx de Roque Dalton (o sobre el Marx responsable “de la felicidad que sigue caminando”)

This article demonstrates the existence of an autochthonous interpretation of classic Marxism in the poetry of Salvadorian author Roque Dalton. His poetry is therefore interpreted as a contribution to that Latin American thinking interested in creating a Marxism adapted to our characteristics.

Polymersomes, smaller than you think : ferrocene as a TEM probe to determine core structure

By incorporating ferrocene into the hydrophobic membrane of PEG-b-PCL polymersome nanoparticles it is possible to selectively visualize their core using Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). Two different sizes of ferrocene-loaded polymersomes with mean hydrodynamic diameters of approximately 40 and 90 nm were prepared. Image analysis of TEM pictures of these polymersomes found that the mean diameter of the core was 4–5 times smaller than the mean hydrodynamic diameter. The values obtained also allow the surface diameter and internal volume of the core to be calculated.

Melt electrospinning of polycaprolactone and its blends with poly(ethylene glycol)

Melt electrospinning is one aspect of electrospinning with relatively little published literature, although the technique avoids solvent accumulation and/or toxicity which is favoured in certain applications. In the study reported, we melt-electrospun blends of poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) and an amphiphilic diblock copolymer consisting of poly(ethylene glycol) and PCL segments (PEG-block-PCL). A custom-made electrospinning apparatus was built and various combinations of instrument parameters such as voltage and polymer feeding rate were investigated. Pure PEG-block-PCL copolymer melt electrospinning did not result in consistent and uniform fibres due to the low molecular weight, while blends of PCL and PEG-block-PCL, for some parameter combinations and certain weight ratios of the two components, were able to produce continuous fibres significantly thinner (average diameter of ca 2 µm) compared to pure PCL. The PCL fibres obtained had average diameters ranging from 6 to 33 µm and meshes were uniform for the lowest voltage employed while mesh uniformity decreased when the voltage was increased. This approach shows that PCL and blends of PEG-block-PCL and PCL can be readily processed by melt electrospinning to obtain fibrous meshes with varied average diameters and morphologies that are of interest for tissue engineering purposes. Copyright © 2010 Society of Chemical Industry

Melt electrospinning

Melt electrospinning is relatively under-investigated compared to solution electrospinning but provides opportunities in numerous areas, in which solvent accumulation or toxicity are a concern. These applications are diverse, and provide a broad set of challenges to researchers involved in electrospinning. In this context, melt electrospinning provides an alternative approach that bypasses some challenges to solution electronspinning, while bringing new issues to the forefront, such as the thermal stability of polymers. This Focus Review describes the literature on melt electrospinning, as well as highlighting areas where both melt and solution are combined, and potentially merge together in the future.

Design, fabrication and characterization of PCL electrospun scaffolds—a review

The expanding interest in electrospinning fibers for bioengineering includes a significant use of polyesters, including poly(3-caprolactone) (PCL). This review summarizes literature on PCL and selected blends, and provides extensive descriptions of the broad range of parameters used in manufacturing such electrospun fibers. Furthermore the chemical, physical and biological approaches for characterizing the electrospun material are described and opinions offered on important information to include in future publications with this electrospun material.