Reality check : gender mainstreaming in a JICA-funded disaster risk reduction and management project in the Philippines : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of International Development, Massey University, Manawatu, New Zealand

The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is one of the leading bilateral donor agencies which supports the Philippines in enhancing its resilience to natural disasters. Addressing human vulnerability is believed to be the key in strengthening community resiliency, and this includes minimising the disparate impacts of disaster on men and women. Linking these issues to the principles of aid effectiveness, this thesis explores how does one of the largest bilateral development actors, JICA, ensure that its disaster rehabilitation programmes are gender responsive? In particular, this research investigates how JICA mainstreams gender into a disaster risk reduction and management project in the Philippines. This research used a qualitative approach—drawing on semi-structured interviews, document analyses, and a non-participant structured observation—to explore JICA’s gender mainstreaming framework, how it affects a Philippines’ disaster risk reduction and management project, and how the local partners influenced the mainstreaming of gender within the rehabilitation programme. It followed JICA’s gender mainstreaming framework starting from the formulation of the policy in its Headquarters in Tokyo, and to the adoption by JICA’s country office in the Philippines based on the local context. It then examines how the framework is operationalised in the programme, and finally, the contribution of JICA counterparts in the city government of Tacloban in mainstreaming gender. The research found that JICA’s gender mainstreaming framework covers only its departments in Tokyo. It has minor impacts on JICA’s Philippines office and its operations. However, the local gender framework in Tacloban City was reflected in the bilateral programme, albeit with limitations. In examining the frameworks and mechanisms of JICA and Tacloban City, the study found that gender mainstreaming is inherently technical in nature, requiring expertise, resources, and processes to be in place in order to achieve its transformative potential. The research concluded that a gender policy alone is not enough to precipitate changes towards gender responsive operations and outcomes—it requires fundamental commitment to gender equality by agencies who aim to deliver equitable development outcomes. The research hopes to enhance understanding of how gender can be better integrated in the context of official development assistance and disaster-related interventions in the Philippines and elsewhere

COVID-19 Related Physical and Mental Health Stressors in Families Using A Social Determinants Lens.

Racial and ethnic minorities, those of lower socioeconomic status (SES), and older adults have experienced higher rates of infection, severity of illness, and mortality from COVID-19 than other groups. These populations are also disproportionately affected by financial and social disruptions caused by the pandemic, including job loss, reduction in community services, and disconnection from supportive networks critically important for the health and well-being of families. Further, these same populations often live in multi- generational households and rely on a family-dependent caregiver model. The aim of this project is to beta test an online questionnaire to identify individual and household risk factors in a racial/ethnic and SES diverse sample in Upstate New York State (NY). The data collected for this project will help us identify strategies to reduce racial/ethnic and SES-based disparities in the physical and health consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic in upstate NY

Neuroticism, Childhood Rejection, and Perceptions of Intrusive Parent-Child Interactions

According to attachment theory (Bowlby, 1973) individuals construct “internal working models” based on interactions they experienced with attachment figures early in development. These internal working models are representations used to guide expectations of the self, others, and relationships between the two. Internal working models based on childhood memories of parental rejection have found to be associated with avoidant behaviors later on in adulthood. According to Leerkes and Crockenberg (2006) women who recalled emotional rejection during childhood demonstrated less empathy for distressed infants and displayed more negative emotions in response to infant distress

Differences in the determinants of posttraumatic stress disorder and depression after a mass traumatic event

Background: Hurricane Ike struck the Galveston Bay area of Texas on September 13, 2008, leaving substantial destruction and a number of deaths in its wake. We assessed differences in the determinants of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression after this event, including the particular hurricane experiences, including postevent nontraumatic stressors, that were associated with these pathologies. Methods: 658 adults who had been living in Galveston and Chambers counties, TX in the month before Hurricane Ike were interviewed 2–5 months after the hurricane. We collected information on experiences during and after Hurricane Ike, PTSD and depressive symptoms in the month before the interview, and socio‐demographic characteristics. Results: The prevalence of past month hurricane‐related PTSD and depression was 6.1 and 4.9%, respectively. Hurricane experiences, but not socio‐demographic characteristics, were associated with Ike‐related PTSD. By contrast, lower education and household income, and more lifetime stressors were associated with depression, as were hurricane exposures and hurricane‐related stressors. When looking at specific hurricane‐related stressors, loss or damage of sentimental possessions was associated with both PTSD and depression; however, health problems related to Ike were associated only with PTSD, whereas financial loss as a result of the hurricane was associated only with depression. Conclusions: PTSD is indeed a disorder of event exposure, whereas risk of depression is more clearly driven by personal vulnerability and exposure to stressors. The role of nontraumatic stressors in shaping risk of both pathologies suggests that alleviating stressors after disasters has clear potential to mitigate the psychological sequelae of these events. Depression and Anxiety, 2011. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/87144/1/20838_ftp.pd

Communication Efforts of Florida Extension Agents During the 2004 Hurricane Season

The purpose of the study reported here was to examine what communication channels Florida\u27s Extension faculty utilized during the 2004 hurricane season. A total of 208 people responded to the survey, for an overall response rate of 63.4%. Respondents indicated that they made slight to moderate use of news media channels. The most used and effective personal communication channels were word of mouth and telephones. The most used and effective mediated communication channel was flyers/print materials. Respondents did not believe that the general public or their own clientele groups were aware of Extension\u27s disaster response efforts

Participation rates in epidemiologic studies

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/55491/1/galea_participation rates_2007.pd

Permeability and Mechanotransduction in Aging Endothelial Cells

<p>Complications from cardiovascular disease, such as a heart attack or a stroke, represent the leading cause of death in the United States and many developed and developing countries. Atherosclerosis is the primary pathology underlying cardiovascular disease. It is caused by an increase in endothelial cell (EC) permeability, leading to the buildup of cholesterol and lipids which form the atherosclerotic plaque. Accelerated aging in regions of atherosclerosis contribute to the development and progression of the disease. The global hypothesis that motivated this research was that activation of deacetylase antioxidant regulator, Sirtuin1 (SIRT1), improved function in senescent endothelial cells ECs by increasing the integrity of cell-cell junctions. In turn, this led to elevated EC permeability, a decline in the response to shear stress, and elevated traction forces.</p><p>Aging of hCB-ECs significantly increased permeability due to changes in tight junction protein localization and phosphorylation. Activation of SIRT1 significantly reduced permeability in aged hCB-ECs and restored junction integrity. ECs under flow also exhibited changes in cell junctions with increasing age. Aged hCB-ECs were less responsive to shear stress, exhibiting lower levels of atheroprotective genes, KLF2 and eNOS. Activation of SIRT1 in aged hCB-ECs restored the response to shear stress by altering localization and phosphorylation of adherens junction protein, VE-cadherin. The endothelial glycocalyx is a layer of proteoglycans and glycoproteins on the surface of ECs that is important in maintaining EC barrier function. In aging ECs, the glycocalyx was thinner and less dense. However, activation of SIRT1 restored the structure of the glycocalyx, suggesting that the positive effect of SIRT1 on elevated permeability in aged hCB-ECs may also be due to restoration of the glycocalyx. Aged hCB-ECs also exhibited elevated traction forces for measurements done with single cells, cell clusters (2 to 3 cells), and cell monolayers (20 to 30 cells). The elevated traction forces correlated with altered actin localization and increased actin filament thickness. Activation of SIRT1 reduced traction forces and decreased actin stress fiber thickness in aged hCB-ECs, suggesting that the effects of SIRT1 on cell-cell junctions alters binding of junction proteins to the actin cytoskeleton and generation of cell traction forces. Together, these results implicate an important role for SIRT1 in regulating permeability and mechanotransduction in aging endothelium.</p>Dissertatio

Risk factors for depression after a disaster

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/48673/1/person_risk factors for depression_2006.pd

Prodromal dementia with Lewy bodies: a case series of the 3 prodromal types from clinical practice

Prodromal dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) refers to a state prior to the onset of dementia with clinical signs or symptoms that may indicate the future development of DLB. Prodromal symptoms can include not only cognitive deficits but also a mix of clinical features including sleep disorders, autonomic dysfunction, and neuro-psychiatric disturbances. While diagnostic criteria for the subtypes of prodromal DLB were recently published, they are largely for use in the research setting. However, these diagnostic criteria have important implications for clinical practice. Helping clinicians to recognize prodromal stages of DLB can lead to identifying deficits sooner, improved patient and family counseling, and advance care planning. This case series presents examples of the 3 subtypes of prodromal DLB – mild cognitive impairment-onset, delirium-onset, and psychiatric-onset – to help clinicians identify individuals who may be on a trajectory to develop DLB

Identifying Injection Drug Users at Risk of Nonfatal Overdose

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/75145/1/j.1553-2712.2007.tb01846.x.pd