Social, Ecological, and Technological Strategies for Climate Adaptation

Resilient cities are able to persist, grow, and even transform while keeping their essential identities in the face of external forces like climate change, which threatens lives, livelihoods, and the structures and processes of the urban environment (United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, How to make cities more resilient: a handbook for local government leaders. Switzerland, Geneva, 2017). Scenario development is a novel approach to visioning resilient futures for cities. As an instrument for synthesizing data and envisioning urban futures, scenarios combine diverse datasets such as biophysical models, stakeholder perspectives, and demographic information (Carpenter et al. Ecol Soc 20:10, 2015). As a tool to envision alternative futures, participatory scenario development explores, identifies, and evaluates potential outcomes and tradeoffs associated with the management of social–ecological change, incorporating multiple stakeholder’s collaborative subjectivity (Galafassi et al. Ecol Soc 22:2, 2017). Understanding the current landscape of city planning and governance approaches is important in developing city-specific scenarios. In particular, assessing municipal planning strategies through the lens of interactive social–ecological–technological systems (SETS) provides useful insight into the dynamics and interrelationships of these coupled systems (da Silva et al. Sustain Dev 4(2):125–145, 2012). An assessment of existing municipal strategies can also be used to inform future adaptation scenarios and strategic plans addressing extreme weather events. With the scenario development process guiding stakeholders in generating goals and visions through participatory workshops, the content analysis of governance planning documents from the SETS perspective provides key insight on specific strategies that have been considered (or overlooked) in cities. In this chapter, we (a) demonstrate an approach to examine how cities define and prioritize climate adaptation strategies in their governance planning documents, (b) examine how governance strategies address current and future climate vulnerabilities as exemplified by nine cities in North and Latin America where we conducted a content analysis of municipal planning documents, and (c) suggest a codebook to explore the diverse SETS strategies proposed to address climate challenges—specifically related to extreme weather events such as heat, drought, and flooding

Assessment of Urban Flood Vulnerability Using theSocial-Ecological-Technological Systems Framework in Six US cities

As urban populations continue to grow through the 21 st century, more people are projected to be at risk of exposure to climate change-induced extreme events. To investigate the complexity of urban floods, this study applied an interlinked social-ecological-technological systems (SETS) vulnerability framework by developing an urban flood vulnerability index for six US cities. Indicators were selected to reflect and illustrate exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity to flooding for each of the three domains of SETS. We quantified 18 indicators and normalized them by the cities’ 500-yr floodplain area at the census block group level. Clusters of flood vulnerable areas were identified differently by each SETS domain, and some areas were vulnerable to floods in more than one domain. Results are provided to support decision-making for reducing risks to flooding, by considering social, ecological, and technological vulnerability as well as hotspots where multiple sources of vulnerability coexist. The spatially explicit urban SETS flood vulnerability framework can be transferred to other regions facing challenging urban floods and other types of environmental hazards. Mapping SETS flood vulnerability helps to reveal intersections of complex SETS interactions and inform policy-making for building more resilient cities in the face of extreme events and climate change impacts

Over-Production, Crystallization, and Preliminary X-ray Crystallographic Analysis of a Coiled-Coil Region in Human Pericentrin

The genes encoding three coiled-coil regions in human pericentrin were gene synthesized with Escherichia coli codon-optimization, and the proteins were successfully over-produced in large quantities using E. coli expression. After verifying that the purified proteins were mostly composed of α-helices, one of the proteins was crystallized using polyethylene glycol 8000 as crystallizing agent. X-ray diffraction data were collected to 3.8 Å resolution under cryo-condition using synchrotron X-ray. The crystal belonged to space group C2 with unit cell parameters a = 324.9 Å, b = 35.7 Å, c = 79.5 Å, and β = 101.6˚. According to Matthews’ coefficient, the asymmetric unit may contain up to 12 subunits of the monomeric protein, with a crystal volume per protein mass (VM) of 1.96 Å3 Da−1 and a 37.3% solvent content

Dynamic criticality for infrastructure prioritization in complex environments

As infrastructure confront rapidly changing environments, there is an immediate need to provide the flexibility to pivot resources and how infrastructures are prioritized. Yet infrastructures are often categorized based on static criticality framings. We describe dynamic criticality as the flexibility to reprioritize infrastructure resources during disturbances. We find that the most important prerequisite for dynamic criticality is organizational adaptive capacity characterized by flexible goals, structures, sensemaking, and strategies. Dynamic capabilities are increasingly important in the Anthropocene, where accelerating conditions, uncertainty, and growing complexity are challenging infrastructures. We review sectors that deployed dynamic management approaches amidst changing disturbances: leadership and organizational change, defense, medicine, manufacturing, and disaster response. We use an inductive thematic analysis to identify key themes and competencies and analyze capabilities that describe dynamic criticality. These competencies drive adaptive capacity and open up the flexibility to pivot what is deemed critical, depending on the particulars of the hazard. We map these competencies to infrastructure systems and describe how infrastructure organizations may build adaptive capacity toward flexible priorities

Assessment of Urban Flood Vulnerability using the Social-Ecological-Technological Systems Framework in Six US cities

As urban populations continue to grow through the 21st century, more people are projected to be at risk of exposure to climate change-induced extreme events. To investigate the complexity of urban floods, this study applied an interlinked social-ecological-technological systems (SETS) vulnerability framework by developing an urban flood vulnerability index for six US cities. Indicators were selected to reflect and illustrate exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity to flooding for each of the three domains of SETS. We quantified 18 indicators and normalized them by the cities’ 500-yr floodplain area at the census block group level. Clusters of flood vulnerable areas were identified differently by each SETS domain, and some areas were vulnerable to floods in more than one domain. Results are provided to support decision-making for reducing risks to flooding, by considering social, ecological, and technological vulnerability as well as hotspots where multiple sources of vulnerability coexist. The spatially explicit urban SETS flood vulnerability framework can be transferred to other regions facing challenging urban floods and other types of environmental hazards. Mapping SETS flood vulnerability helps to reveal intersections of complex SETS interactions and inform policy-making for building more resilient cities in the face of extreme events and climate change impacts

Interdependence of social-ecological-technological systems in Phoenix, Arizona: consequences of an extreme precipitation event

Abstract Complex adaptive systems – such as critical infrastructures (CI) – are defined by their vast, multi-level interactions and emergent behaviors, but this elaborate web of interactions often conceals relationships. For instance, CI is often reduced to technological components, ignoring that social and ecological components are also embedded, leading to unintentional consequences from disturbance events. Analysis of CI as social-ecological-technological systems (SETS) can support integrated decision-making and increase infrastructure’s capacity for resilience to climate change. We assess the impacts of an extreme precipitation event in Phoenix, AZ to identify pathways of disruption and feedback loops across SETS as presented in an illustrative causal loop diagram, developed through semi-structured interviews with researchers and practitioners and cross-validated with a literature review. The causal loop diagram consists of 19 components resulting in hundreds of feedback loops and cascading failures, with surface runoff, infiltration, and water bodies as well as power, water, and transportation infrastructures appearing to have critical roles in maintaining system services. We found that pathways of disruptions highlight potential weak spots within the system that could benefit from climate adaptation, and feedback loops may serve as potential tools to divert failure at the root cause. This method of convergence research shows potential as a useful tool to illustrate a broader perspective of urban systems and address the increasing complexity and uncertainty of the Anthropocene

Chemopreventive effects of 2-(allylthio)pyrazine on hepatic lesion, mutagenesis and tumorigenesis induced by vinyl carbamate or vinyl carbamate epoxide

2-(Allylthio)pyrazine (2-AP), synthesized for its possible use as a hepatoprotective agent, has been found to selectively inhibit rat hepatic cytochrome P450 2E1 (Kim et al,, Biochem, Pharmacol., 53, 261-269, 1997), while it enhances the activities of phase II detoxification enzymes such as glutathione S-transferase and epoxide hydrolase, As part of a program in evaluating the chemopreventive potential of 2-AP, we have determined its effects on hepatotoxicity, mutagenicity and tumorigenicity of vinyl carbamate (VC), a prototypic hepatocarcinogen preferentially activated by P450 2E1 to the ultimate carcinogenic metabolite vinyl carbamate epoxide (VCO), which undergoes detoxification by glutathione conjugation and oxirane hydrolysis. Administration of 2-AP (100 mg/kg body wt) to male Sprague-Dawley rats by gavage, 2 days, 1 day and 4 h prior to VC or VCO, markedly ameliorated the hepatotoxicity of these compounds as determined by decreased serum aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase activities. Furthermore, 2-AP pre-treatment significantly suppressed the VC-induced hepatocarcinogenesis in infant male B6C3F(1) mice, In a separate experiment, the multiplicities of skin tumors formed in female ICR mice treated with 5.8 mu mol of VC or VCO were inhibited 58 and 70%, respectively, by pre-treatment with 2-AP by oral administration. The mutational spectrum of ras-oncogene in papillomas was not altered by 2-AP pre-treatment. 2-AP also inhibited the mutagenicity of VC in the Salmonella-microsome assay. Taken together, these findings suggest that 2-AP is a potential chemopreventive agent

Developing Knowledge Systems for Urban Resilience to Cloudburst Rain Events

Cities are particularly vulnerable to cloudbursts - short-duration, intense rainfall events – which are often inadequately addressed through conventional stormwater and flood management policy. Climate change is projected to increase the frequency and intensity of cloudbursts in many cities. As minor cloudburst events become more frequent and extreme events more severe, cities will need to rapidly transform their stormwater drainage and interdependent systems, and the knowledge systems that guide their infrastructure decisions and policy. In this paper, we discuss the evolution of knowledge systems to address these challenges, using three diverse cities (Phoenix, USA; Copenhagen, Denmark; and New York City, USA) as case studies. We found that partnerships between cities – even across national boundaries – can be a particularly important component of cloudburst knowledge systems. We also identified limitations in knowledge systems related to non-stationary climate, the vulnerability of private property and the representation of cloudburst infrastructure in integrated water management, which present opportunities for future research to support decision-making

Inhibition of vinyl carbamate-induced hepatotoxicity, mutagenicity, and tumorigenicity by isopropyl-2-(1,3-dithietane-2-ylidene)-2-[N-(4-methylthiazol-2-yl)carbam oyl]acetate (YH439)

Isopropyl-2-(1,3-dithietane-2-ylidene)-2-[N-(4-methylthiazol-2-yl)carbamoyl]acetate (YH439) is a novel dithioylidene malonate derivative developed for the treatment of hepatic injury, The compound has been found to down-regulate the expression of hepatic cytochrome P-450 2E1 (CYP2E1) at the transcriptional level (8), Certain organosulfur compounds present in garlic elicit protective effects on chemically induced carcinogenesis and mutagenesis and their chemopreventive activities are associated in part with inhibition of CYP2E1, As part of a program to determine the likely chemopreventive potential of YH439, we initially examined its effects on hepatotoxicity induced by vinyl carbamate (VC), a proximate carcinogen that is preferentially bioactivated by CYP2E1, A single i.p. injection of VC (125 mg/kg body wt) to male Sprague-Dawley rats resulted in severe hepatic lesions as demonstrated by elevated levels of serum enzymes such as alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase. Histopathological evaluation of liver sections from VC-treated animals revealed that the hepatic damage mainly consisted of centrilobular necrosis with sinusoidal congestion, Oral administration of YH439 (200 mg/kg body wt) to male Sprague-Dawley rats 2 days, 1 day and 4 h prior to VC completely prevented the hepatic damage caused by this carcinogen. In another experiment, rat hepatic microsome-mediated bacterial mutagenicity of VC was suppressed by YH439 in a dose-related manner, Furthermore, pretreatment of female CD-1 mice with YH439 by gastric intubation resulted in diminution of VC-induced skin carcinogenesis