A Systems Engineering Framework for Bioeconomic Transitions in a Sustainable Development Goal Context

To address sustainable development goals (SDGs), national and international strategies have been increasingly interested in the bioeconomy. SDGs have been criticized for lacking stakeholder perspectives and agency, and for requiring too little of business. There is also a lack of both systematic and systemic frameworks for the strategic planning of bioeconomy transitions. Using a systems engineering approach, we seek to address this with a process framework to bridge bioeconomy transitions by addressing SDGs. In this methodology paper, we develop a systems archetype mapping framework for sustainable bioeconomy transitions, called MPAST: Mapping Problem Archetypes to Solutions for Transitions. Using this framework with sector-specific stakeholder data facilitates the establishment of the start (problem state) and end (solution state) to understand and analyze sectorial transitions to the bioeconomy. We apply the MPAST framework to the case of a Norwegian agricultural bioeconomy transition, using data from a survey of the Norwegian agricultural sector on transitioning to a bioeconomy. The results of using this framework illustrate how visual mapping methods can be combined as a process, which we then discuss in the context of SDG implementation.A Systems Engineering Framework for Bioeconomic Transitions in a Sustainable Development Goal ContextpublishedVersio

Toward an integrated project complexity narrative – A case study of academic organizations

The last decade has seen a growing interest in the benefits of applying project management (PM) and system engineering (SE) in an integrated way toward complex projects and programs. The concept of project complexity dimensions, with roots in both disciplines, is suggested as a component of an integrated project complexity narrative. This paper investigates how such a project complexity narrative is reflected when informants talk about the role of PM and SE in two academic organizations. Most informants address uncertainty and social-political risks as part of their work, but any consistent use of a project complexity narrative is related to environmental and technical systems. The findings also indicate difficulty differentiating between the concepts of complicated and complex. The paper further contemplates how these findings inform efforts to manage complex research projects and programs.Toward an integrated project complexity narrative – A case study of academic organizationspublishedVersio

A Systems Engineering Framework for Bioeconomic Transitions in a Sustainable Development Goal Context

To address sustainable development goals (SDGs), national and international strategies have been increasingly interested in the bioeconomy. SDGs have been criticized for lacking stakeholder perspectives and agency, and for requiring too little of business. There is also a lack of both systematic and systemic frameworks for the strategic planning of bioeconomy transitions. Using a systems engineering approach, we seek to address this with a process framework to bridge bioeconomy transitions by addressing SDGs. In this methodology paper, we develop a systems archetype mapping framework for sustainable bioeconomy transitions, called MPAST: Mapping Problem Archetypes to Solutions for Transitions. Using this framework with sector-specific stakeholder data facilitates the establishment of the start (problem state) and end (solution state) to understand and analyze sectorial transitions to the bioeconomy. We apply the MPAST framework to the case of a Norwegian agricultural bioeconomy transition, using data from a survey of the Norwegian agricultural sector on transitioning to a bioeconomy. The results of using this framework illustrate how visual mapping methods can be combined as a process, which we then discuss in the context of SDG implementation

A Systems Engineering Framework for Bioeconomic Transitions in a Sustainable Development Goal Context

To address sustainable development goals (SDGs), national and international strategies have been increasingly interested in the bioeconomy. SDGs have been criticized for lacking stakeholder perspectives and agency, and for requiring too little of business. There is also a lack of both systematic and systemic frameworks for the strategic planning of bioeconomy transitions. Using a systems engineering approach, we seek to address this with a process framework to bridge bioeconomy transitions by addressing SDGs. In this methodology paper, we develop a systems archetype mapping framework for sustainable bioeconomy transitions, called MPAST: Mapping Problem Archetypes to Solutions for Transitions. Using this framework with sector-specific stakeholder data facilitates the establishment of the start (problem state) and end (solution state) to understand and analyze sectorial transitions to the bioeconomy. We apply the MPAST framework to the case of a Norwegian agricultural bioeconomy transition, using data from a survey of the Norwegian agricultural sector on transitioning to a bioeconomy. The results of using this framework illustrate how visual mapping methods can be combined as a process, which we then discuss in the context of SDG implementation

NZO-3 Expression Causes Global Changes to Actin Cytoskeleton in Madin-Darby Canine Kidney Cells: Linking a Tight Junction Protein to Rho GTPases

We previously demonstrated that exogenous expression of a truncated form of the tight junction protein ZO-3 affected junctional complex assembly and function. Current results indicate that this ZO-3 construct influences actin cytoskeleton dynamics more globally. We show that expression of the amino-terminal half of ZO-3 (NZO-3) in Madin-Darby canine kidney cells results in a decreased number of stress fibers and focal adhesions and causes an increased rate of cell migration in a wound healing assay. We also demonstrate that RhoA activity is reduced in NZO-3–expressing cells. We determined that ZO-3 interacts with p120 catenin and AF-6, proteins localized to the junctional complex and implicated in signaling pathways important for cytoskeleton regulation and cell motility. We also provide evidence that NZO-3 interacts directly with the C terminus of ZO-3, and we propose a model where altered interactions between ZO-3 and p120 catenin in NZO-3–expressing cells affect RhoA GTPase activity. This study reveals a potential link between ZO-3 and RhoA-related signaling events

Toward an integrated project complexity narrative – A case study of academic organizations

The last decade has seen a growing interest in the benefits of applying project management (PM) and system engineering (SE) in an integrated way toward complex projects and programs. The concept of project complexity dimensions, with roots in both disciplines, is suggested as a component of an integrated project complexity narrative. This paper investigates how such a project complexity narrative is reflected when informants talk about the role of PM and SE in two academic organizations. Most informants address uncertainty and social-political risks as part of their work, but any consistent use of a project complexity narrative is related to environmental and technical systems. The findings also indicate difficulty differentiating between the concepts of complicated and complex. The paper further contemplates how these findings inform efforts to manage complex research projects and programs

Toward an integrated project complexity narrative – A case study of academic organizations

The last decade has seen a growing interest in the benefits of applying project management (PM) and system engineering (SE) in an integrated way toward complex projects and programs. The concept of project complexity dimensions, with roots in both disciplines, is suggested as a component of an integrated project complexity narrative. This paper investigates how such a project complexity narrative is reflected when informants talk about the role of PM and SE in two academic organizations. Most informants address uncertainty and social-political risks as part of their work, but any consistent use of a project complexity narrative is related to environmental and technical systems. The findings also indicate difficulty differentiating between the concepts of complicated and complex. The paper further contemplates how these findings inform efforts to manage complex research projects and programs

Plan Evaluation for Heat Resilience: City of Tempe, AZ

The combination of climate change and the urban heat island (UHI) effect is increasing the number of dangerously hot days and the need for all communities to plan for urban heat resilience equitably. Urban heat resilience requires an integrated planning approach that coordinates strategies across community plans and uses the best available heat risk information to prioritize heat mitigation and management strategies for the most vulnerable communities. This report, supported by the U.S. DOE-funded Southwest Urban Corridor Integrated Field Laboratory (SW-IFL), summarizes the findings from two complementary methods for examining how different city plans shape urban heat resilience. The first methodology, Plan Quality Evaluation for Heat Resilience, provides a broad assessment of how plans address heat and their effectiveness likelihood. We adapted well established plan quality assessment approaches to heat. We then applied the methodology to assess whether Tempe’s plans meet 56 criteria across seven established principles of high quality heat resilience planning. We also cataloged the types of heat mitigation and management strategies included in the plans. The second methodology, the Plan Integration for Resilience Scorecard™ (PIRS™) for Heat provides a more detailed assessment of the heat mitigation policies and their spatial alignment with heat vulnerability. PIRS™ for Heat was developed as an extension of the original Plan Integration for Resilience Scorecard™, a methodology developed by Berke et al. (2015) and then further advanced and translated to planning practice by Malecha et al. (2019), for spatially evaluating networks of plans to reduce vulnerability to hazards. With support from the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Climate Program Office’s Extreme Heat Risk Initiative and in partnership with the American Planning Association, PIRS™ for Heat was initially piloted in five geographically diverse U.S. communities, including Baltimore, MD, Boston, MA, Fort Lauderdale, FL, Seattle, WA, and Houston, TX. The rationale, methodology, and findings from the first five cities are published in the guidebook The Plan Integration for Resilience Scorecard™ (PIRS™) for Heat: Spatially evaluating networks of plans to mitigate heat. We analyzed all policies in Tempe’s network of plans, including their comprehensive plan, hazard mitigation plan, and climate action plan. Policies were only included if they had the potential to impact urban heat, were place-specific, and contained a recognizable policy tool. Policies were then scored based on how they would likely impact urban heat. Scored policies were mapped to relevant census tracts across the city to evaluate their spatial distribution and the net effect on urban heat. The resulting PIRS™ for Heat scorecard was then compared with physical and social vulnerability data to assess policy alignment with heat risks and to identify opportunities for improved urban heat resilience planning.This material was supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Climate Program Office’s Extreme Heat Risk Initiative, Cooperative Agreement NA21OAR4310148, and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Science, Office of Biological and Environmental Research’s Urban Integrated Field Laboratories research activity, under Award Number(s) DE-SC0023520. The views and conclusions contained in this document are those of the authors and should not be interpreted as necessarily representing the official policies, either expressed or implied, of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the U.S. NOAA, or U.S. DOE.This item from the UA Faculty Publications collection is made available by the University of Arizona with support from the University of Arizona Libraries. If you have questions, please contact us at [email protected]