This Special Issue was driven by the need to better understand the theoretical, methodological, and practical implications of the growing mobilization of the street‐level bureaucracy (SLB) analytical ...framework in the study of state action and policy implementation in the developing world. Our curiosity rested on what has been happening to the framework in terms of empirical applications as well as the consequent challenges to the theory when it travels from the Global North to the Global South. We wanted to learn more about the evolution of ideas and theoretical propositions developed on the basis of some important assumptions—such as consolidated liberal states and advanced democracies—when they reach the specific conditions and varying contexts of states and societies in the developing world.
To explore how COVID-19 altered public service provision and what lessons were learned from the first months, this study draws on sickness absence data, employee feedback data, fieldwork among ...vulnerable families and qualitative interviews with public servants responsible for vulnerable youngsters, children and families in four Danish towns. The analyses find evidence of a dilemma between self-protection and service provision across towns and public servants from the police and social departments. A relationship between situational knowledge and service delivery arrangements is uncovered and used to discuss the role of autonomy in public service provision within street-level bureaucracy theory.
Note: In the interests of space, street-level theory and the pandemic context underpinning the articles for this special issue are discussed in detail in the Introduction to the issue.
Diabetic kidney disease is a growing problem leading to end-stage kidney disease but also atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and heart failure. Aldosterone is a key risk factor promoting ...inflammation and fibrosis causing cardio-renal failure. Current options and challenges with mitigating the risk of aldosterone are reviewed.
More aggressive renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) blockade can be maintained in individuals with hyperkalemia if new potassium binders are added. Aldosterone synthase inhibitors may lower aldosterone without causing hyperkalemia. Novel nonsteroidal mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRA) are able to lower proteinuria and markers of heart failure, with limited potassium problems and without renal impairment. Ongoing clinical trials are evaluating the safety and potential benefits of nonsteroidal MRAs on progression of renal disease and development of cardiovascular outcomes in type 2 diabetes and kidney disease.
Aldosterone is an important driver of inflammation and fibrosis leading to renal and cardiovascular complications. MRA lower albuminuria but data showing prevention of end-stage kidney disease are lacking. Side effects including hyperkalemia have previously prevented long-term studies in diabetic kidney disease but new treatment strategies with potassium binders, aldosterone synthase inhibitors and nonsteroidal MRA have been developed for clinical testing.
Approximately 30–40% of people with type 2 diabetes mellitus develop chronic kidney disease. This is characterised by elevated blood pressure, declining kidney function and enhanced cardiovascular ...morbidity and mortality. Increased albuminuria and decreasing estimated glomerular function has to be evaluated regularly to diagsnose kidney disease. New biomarkers may facilitate early diagnosis and provide infomation on undlying pathology thereby supporting early precision intervention for the optimal benefit. A number of biomarkers have been suggested but are not yet implemented in clinical practice. iI the future such bimarkers may pave the way for personalized treatment.
Feruloyl esterases (EC 3.1.1.73), belonging to carbohydrate esterase family 1 (CE1), hydrolyze ester bonds between ferulic acid (FA) and arabinose moieties in arabinoxylans. Recently, some CE1 ...enzymes identified in metagenomics studies have been predicted to contain a family 48 carbohydrate-binding module (CBM48), a CBM family associated with starch binding. Two of these CE1s, wastewater treatment sludge (wts) Fae1A and wtsFae1B isolated from wastewater treatment surplus sludge, have a cognate CBM48 domain and are feruloyl esterases, and wtsFae1A binds arabinoxylan. Here, we show that wtsFae1B also binds to arabinoxylan and that neither binds starch. Surface plasmon resonance analysis revealed that wtsFae1B's Kd for xylohexaose is 14.8 μm and that it does not bind to starch mimics, β-cyclodextrin, or maltohexaose. Interestingly, in the absence of CBM48 domains, the CE1 regions from wtsFae1A and wtsFae1B did not bind arabinoxylan and were also unable to catalyze FA release from arabinoxylan. Pretreatment with a β-d-1,4-xylanase did enable CE1 domain-mediated FA release from arabinoxylan in the absence of CBM48, indicating that CBM48 is essential for the CE1 activity on the polysaccharide. Crystal structures of wtsFae1A (at 1.63 Å resolution) and wtsFae1B (1.98 Å) revealed that both are folded proteins comprising structurally-conserved hydrogen bonds that lock the CBM48 position relative to that of the CE1 domain. wtsFae1A docking indicated that both enzymes accommodate the arabinoxylan backbone in a cleft at the CE1–CBM48 domain interface. Binding at this cleft appears to enable CE1 activities on polymeric arabinoxylan, illustrating an unexpected and crucial role of CBM48 domains for accommodating arabinoxylan.
Enzymatic hydrolysis of starch granules forms the fundamental basis of how nature degrades starch in plant cells, how starch is utilized as an energy resource in foods, and develops efficient, ...low-cost saccharification of starch, such as bioethanol and sweeteners. However, most investigations on starch hydrolysis have focused on its rates of degradation, either in its gelatinized or soluble state. These systems are inherently more well-defined, and kinetic parameters can be readily derived for different hydrolytic enzymes and starch molecular structures. Conversely, hydrolysis is notably slower for solid substrates, such as starch granules, and the kinetics are more complex. The main problems include that the surface of the substrate is multifaceted, its chemical and physical properties are ill-defined, and it also continuously changes as the hydrolysis proceeds. Hence, methods need to be developed for analyzing such heterogeneous catalytic systems. Most data on starch granule degradation are obtained on a long-term enzyme-action basis from which initial rates cannot be derived. In this review, we discuss these various aspects and future possibilities for developing experimental procedures to describe and understand interfacial enzyme hydrolysis of native starch granules more accurately.
Within recent years, Denmark has implemented a number of preventive policies based on the line of reasoning that it is better to prevent than to solve problems. Preventive policies express political ...intentions aimed at solving core welfare state problems, but policy goals are ambiguous and vague, and policy tools are often poorly specified. Thus, front-line workers (FLWs) are pinpointed as key persons to implement these policies, because they hold a 'specific knowledge' about and 'close acquaintance' with citizens. In the article, we explore different types of front-line work, implementing preventive policies, and identifying children in need of a special effort.
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