We previously reported that the protonation state of the carboxyl group of amino acids and peptides in the solid state can easily be determined by the carbon chemical shielding tensors but not by the isotropic shifts. In this report the substantial variation in the 22 element for both protonated and deprotonated forms is shown to be a result of hydrogen bonding. We have correlated this tensor element with established measures of hydrogen bonding, namely the IR stretching frequencies of the carbonyl and the asymmetric stretching frequency for the protonated and deprotonated carboxy groups, respectively. We also observed a strong correlation between the 22 values and previously reported O-H hydrogen bonding distances from the carbonyl of protonated acids to the nearest proton donor. In the database, we found a fixed geometry for the protonated acids and a variable and complicated geometry for hydrogen bond interaction in deprotonated carboxylate. Correspondingly, the correlation betweeen NMR, IR, and diffraction data is more convincing for the protonated acids.

Amid pressing demands to achieve critical sustainable development goals, governments in developing countries face the additional complex task of embracing new digital technologies such as blockchains. This paper develops a framework interlinking development, technology, and government institutions that policymakers and development practitioners could use to address such a conundrum. State capacity and democratic governance are introduced as drivers in the overall analysis. With this in hand, blockchain technology is revisited from the perspective of governments in the Global South, identifying in the process key traits and proposing a new typology. An overview of the status of blockchain deployments in the Global South follows, complemented by a closer look at country examples to distill trends, patterns and risks. The paper closes with a discussion of the findings, highlighting both challenges and opportunities for governments. It also provides basic guidance to development practitioners interested in enhancing current programming using blockchains as an enabler.

This paper explores in which way crowdsourcing and other new technologies can help governments in developing countries work more closely with stakeholders to improve public policy making and allocate public resources in a more responsive fashion vis-avis people's needs and priorities. The paper first sets a general background to frame the issues followed by a short literature review of the latest research in this area. It then proposes a new analytical framework which is used to study several cases studies from which it draws conclusions and suggests areas for further research.

This article provides a quick assessment of current e-governance policies and programmes to then suggest an alternative approach to the issue of the use information and communications technology in governance process. By focusing on citizens and stakeholders needs and fostering their participation in decision-making processes, governments can be best prepared to provide them with basic services and information, especially to poor and marginalized areas excluded from the potential benefits of egovernance. Pro-poor basic delivery in turn has the potential of fostering stakeholder engagement in public policy discussions at the local level.

This article provides a quick assessment of current e-governance policies and programmes to then suggest an alternative approach to the issue of the use information and communications technology in governance process. By focusing on citizens and stakeholders needs and fostering their participation in decision-making processes, governments can be best prepared to provide them with basic services and information, especially to poor and marginalized areas excluded from the potential benefits of e-governance. Pro-poor basic delivery in turn has the potential of fostering stakeholder engagement in public policy discussions at the local level.