Background: Research on reproductive health in developing countries focuses mostly on the role of... more Background: Research on reproductive health in developing countries focuses mostly on the role of economic development on various components of reproductive health. Cross-sectional and empirical research studies in particular on the effects of non-economic factors such as reproductive rights remain few and far between. Objective: This study investigates the influence of two components of an empowerment strategy, gender equality, and reproductive rights on women's reproductive health in developing countries. The empowerment strategy for improving reproductive health is theoretically situated on a number of background factors such as economic and social development. Design: Cross-national socioeconomic and demographic data from a number of international organizations on 142 developing countries are used to test a model of reproductive rights and reproductive health. Results: The findings suggest that both economic and democratic development have significant positive effects on levels of gender equality. The level of social development plays a prominent role in promoting reproductive rights. It is found that reproductive rights channel the influences of social structural factors and gender equality on reproductive health.
The study presented here explores the influences of selected social and social psychological fact... more The study presented here explores the influences of selected social and social psychological factors that are associated with perceived caregiver burden in a sample of 263 primary caregivers of the elderly in Allahabad City in northern India. The results indicate that although male caregivers' perceived burden depends only on the size of the role overload, female caregivers' perceived burden depends on the interrelationship between the size of the role overload and adherence to Asian cultural norms. Implications of the findings for social work are discussed.
The objective of this study is to examine the effect of cultural beliefs about elder care giving ... more The objective of this study is to examine the effect of cultural beliefs about elder care giving on the amount of burden experienced by those who provide primary care to an elderly person within a family setting. These care givers belong to first generation South Asian immigrant households in the Dallas - Fort Worth Metropolitan area. The sample consists of 118 respondents who are primary care givers. The independent effects of cultural beliefs with respect to care giving on the amount of perceived care giver burden is examined. It is found that care givers who have high levels of belief in South Asian cultural norms about elder care giving report low levels of perceived care giver burden. The implications of this finding for provision of services to South Asian elder care givers is presented.
Antimicrobial agents and chemotherapy, Jan 26, 2018
Mycobacterium tuberculosis and the fast-growing species Mycobacterium abscessus are two important... more Mycobacterium tuberculosis and the fast-growing species Mycobacterium abscessus are two important human pathogens causing persistent pulmonary infections that are difficult to cure and require long treatment times. The emergence of drug-resistant M. tuberculosis strains and the high level of intrinsic resistance of M. abscessus call for novel drug scaffolds that effectively target both pathogens. In this study, we evaluated the activity of bis(pyrrolide-imine) gold(III) macrocycles and chelates, originally designed as DNA intercalators capable of targeting human topoisomerase types I and II (Topo1 and Topo2), against M. abscessus and M. tuberculosis. We identified a total of 5 noncytotoxic compounds active against both mycobacterial pathogens under replicating in vitro conditions. We chose one of these hits, compound 14, for detailed analysis due to its potent bactericidal mode of inhibition and scalable synthesis. The clinical relevance of this compound was demonstrated by its ability to inhibit a panel of diverse M. tuberculosis and M. abscessus clinical isolates. Prompted by previous data suggesting that compound 14 may target topoisomerase/gyrase enzymes, we demonstrated that it lacked cross-resistance with fluoroquinolones, which target the M. tuberculosis gyrase. In vitro enzyme assays confirmed the potent activity of compound 14 against bacterial topoisomerase 1A (Topo1) enzymes but not gyrase. Novel scaffolds like compound 14 with potent, selective bactericidal activity against M. tuberculosis and M. abscessus that act on validated but underexploited targets like Topo1 represent a promising starting point for the development of novel therapeutics for infections by pathogenic mycobacteria.
Journal of Social Intervention: Theory and Practice, 2012
RELaTIOnShIP QuaLITy anD ELDER CaREGIVER BuRDEn In InDIa K e y w o r d s Elder care, Asian Indian... more RELaTIOnShIP QuaLITy anD ELDER CaREGIVER BuRDEn In InDIa K e y w o r d s Elder care, Asian Indian, caregiver burden, relationship quality S A M E N VAT T I N G mantelzorg in India: de kwaliteit van de relatie tussen mantelzorger en zorgbehoevende oudere en de ervaren zorg last In deze studie staat de relatie tussen diverse psychosociale factoren en de ervaren zorg last van mantelzorgers (van ouderen) in Allahabad (India) centraal. "De kwaliteit van de relatie" tussen mantelzorg en zorgbehoevende wordt als belangrijke voorspeller van de ervaren zorg last gezien. Deze wordt in de theoretische verkenning van het artikel verder uitgewerkt aan de hand van een zogenaamd "stress-proces-model". Op basis van vragenlijstonderzoek, uitgevoerd onder 259 families, wordt geconcludeerd dat "overbelasting" een belangrijke voorspeller van zorg last is. Ook blijken er verscheidene indirecte effecten van de kwaliteit van de relatie te zijn. De uitkomsten suggereren dat er een mogelijke rol voor psychosociale interventies in het reduceren van de ervaren zorg last onder mantelzorgers in India is weggelegd.
Journal of Social Work Research and Evaluation, 2001
1. The purpose of this article is to empirically determine the factor structure of the original M... more 1. The purpose of this article is to empirically determine the factor structure of the original Marin et al. Acculturation Scale on the foreign-born Chinese American population. The Marin et al. Acculturation Scale was administered to 229 Chinese-Americans (18 yrs and older) via telephone interviews. The confirmatory factor analysis results supported the three-factor structure. In addition the three factors showed high internal consistency among the subscales. The results of the present study with its three factors of acculturation scale ...
... 2(2) 93-104, 2000 ELDER CARE GIVER BURDEN IN SOUTH ASIAN FAMILIES IN THE DALLAS-FORT WORTH ME... more ... 2(2) 93-104, 2000 ELDER CARE GIVER BURDEN IN SOUTH ASIAN FAMILIES IN THE DALLAS-FORT WORTH METROPOLITAN AREA RASHMI GUPTA, LMSW, PH.D. Bedford, Texas VIJAYAN K. PILLAI University of Texas at Arlington ABSTRACT ...
Canadian Journal of Ophthalmology Journal Canadien D Ophtalmologie, Apr 1, 2006
Background: Although direct ophthalmoscopy is an important skill that medical students must pract... more Background: Although direct ophthalmoscopy is an important skill that medical students must practice to gain proficiency, limited time is generally available in medical school curricula. More targeted and effective teaching could result from a clearer understanding of medical students' self-reported needs and weaknesses in performing direct ophthalmoscopy. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted at a Canadian university to determine the confidence of medical students in their skill in performing direct ophthalmoscopy. The responses of 208 participants who volunteered to complete a 21-item questionnaire were analyzed. Results: Although clerks were significantly more confident in their overall skill (χ 2 = 28.03, p < 0.001) than were first-and second-year students, 47% of clerks were "not at all" or only "a little" confident in performing direct ophthalmoscopy on an undilated pupil. Respondents who had practiced on more than 10 occasions outside of formal teaching were significantly more confident in their overall skill than those who had not (χ 2 = 22.94, p < 0.001). Overall, 87% (77% of clerks) were "quite" or "extremely" interested in more practice and training on direct ophthalmoscopy. Interpretation: A large proportion of medical students reported being unconfident in various aspects of their skill in performing direct ophthalmoscopy. Self-confidence was significantly greater among students who practiced outside of formal teaching sessions. Most students were interested in additional training, and medical schools should emphasize the importance of practicing whenever appropriate.
Clustering is a widely adopted energy-saving technique in wireless sensor networks (WSNs). In thi... more Clustering is a widely adopted energy-saving technique in wireless sensor networks (WSNs). In this paper, we study algorithms for finding the best locations of cluster heads in WSNs to minimize the overall energy consumption. Specifically, based on the assumption that the global information of all the sensors' locations or location distribution is available, algorithms are proposed for finding 1) the best location of the cluster head in a single given cluster; 2) the best formation of a given number of clusters where each cluster head has to communicate with base station directly; and 3) the best formation of a given number of clusters where there can be ad-hoc transmission between cluster heads, respectively. For each case, algorithms are designed for free-space and multipath energy consumption models respectively.
Antimicrobial agents and chemotherapy, Jan 25, 2016
Bacterial topoisomerase functions are required for regulation of DNA supercoiling and overcoming ... more Bacterial topoisomerase functions are required for regulation of DNA supercoiling and overcoming the DNA topological barriers that are encountered during many vital cellular processes. DNA gyrase and topoisomerase IV of the type IIA bacterial topoisomerase family are important clinical targets for antibacterial therapy. Topoisomerase I, belonging to the type IA topoisomerase family, has recently been validated as a potential anti-tubercular target. The topoisomerase I activity has been shown to be essential for bacterial viability and infection in a murine model of tuberculosis. Mixture-based combinatorial libraries were screened in this study to identify novel bacterial topoisomerase I inhibitors. Using positional-scanning deconvolution, selective small molecule inhibitors of bacterial topoisomerase I were identified starting from a polyamine scaffold. Antibacterial assays demonstrated that four of these small molecule inhibitors of bacterial topoisomerase I are bactericidal agains...
Http Dx Doi Org 10 1300 J018v29n01_06, Oct 11, 2008
Abstract The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of acculturation and its influence on t... more Abstract The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of acculturation and its influence on the marital relationship in a South Asian couple. An eco-cultural approach is used to analyze the effects of cultural and ecological factors. The case study illustrates the effect of the eco-cultural factors on the marital relationship. Implications for practice with elderly immigrants and suggestions for counselors are suggested.
Background: Research on reproductive health in developing countries focuses mostly on the role of... more Background: Research on reproductive health in developing countries focuses mostly on the role of economic development on various components of reproductive health. Cross-sectional and empirical research studies in particular on the effects of non-economic factors such as reproductive rights remain few and far between. Objective: This study investigates the influence of two components of an empowerment strategy, gender equality, and reproductive rights on women's reproductive health in developing countries. The empowerment strategy for improving reproductive health is theoretically situated on a number of background factors such as economic and social development. Design: Cross-national socioeconomic and demographic data from a number of international organizations on 142 developing countries are used to test a model of reproductive rights and reproductive health. Results: The findings suggest that both economic and democratic development have significant positive effects on levels of gender equality. The level of social development plays a prominent role in promoting reproductive rights. It is found that reproductive rights channel the influences of social structural factors and gender equality on reproductive health.
The study presented here explores the influences of selected social and social psychological fact... more The study presented here explores the influences of selected social and social psychological factors that are associated with perceived caregiver burden in a sample of 263 primary caregivers of the elderly in Allahabad City in northern India. The results indicate that although male caregivers' perceived burden depends only on the size of the role overload, female caregivers' perceived burden depends on the interrelationship between the size of the role overload and adherence to Asian cultural norms. Implications of the findings for social work are discussed.
The objective of this study is to examine the effect of cultural beliefs about elder care giving ... more The objective of this study is to examine the effect of cultural beliefs about elder care giving on the amount of burden experienced by those who provide primary care to an elderly person within a family setting. These care givers belong to first generation South Asian immigrant households in the Dallas - Fort Worth Metropolitan area. The sample consists of 118 respondents who are primary care givers. The independent effects of cultural beliefs with respect to care giving on the amount of perceived care giver burden is examined. It is found that care givers who have high levels of belief in South Asian cultural norms about elder care giving report low levels of perceived care giver burden. The implications of this finding for provision of services to South Asian elder care givers is presented.
Antimicrobial agents and chemotherapy, Jan 26, 2018
Mycobacterium tuberculosis and the fast-growing species Mycobacterium abscessus are two important... more Mycobacterium tuberculosis and the fast-growing species Mycobacterium abscessus are two important human pathogens causing persistent pulmonary infections that are difficult to cure and require long treatment times. The emergence of drug-resistant M. tuberculosis strains and the high level of intrinsic resistance of M. abscessus call for novel drug scaffolds that effectively target both pathogens. In this study, we evaluated the activity of bis(pyrrolide-imine) gold(III) macrocycles and chelates, originally designed as DNA intercalators capable of targeting human topoisomerase types I and II (Topo1 and Topo2), against M. abscessus and M. tuberculosis. We identified a total of 5 noncytotoxic compounds active against both mycobacterial pathogens under replicating in vitro conditions. We chose one of these hits, compound 14, for detailed analysis due to its potent bactericidal mode of inhibition and scalable synthesis. The clinical relevance of this compound was demonstrated by its ability to inhibit a panel of diverse M. tuberculosis and M. abscessus clinical isolates. Prompted by previous data suggesting that compound 14 may target topoisomerase/gyrase enzymes, we demonstrated that it lacked cross-resistance with fluoroquinolones, which target the M. tuberculosis gyrase. In vitro enzyme assays confirmed the potent activity of compound 14 against bacterial topoisomerase 1A (Topo1) enzymes but not gyrase. Novel scaffolds like compound 14 with potent, selective bactericidal activity against M. tuberculosis and M. abscessus that act on validated but underexploited targets like Topo1 represent a promising starting point for the development of novel therapeutics for infections by pathogenic mycobacteria.
Journal of Social Intervention: Theory and Practice, 2012
RELaTIOnShIP QuaLITy anD ELDER CaREGIVER BuRDEn In InDIa K e y w o r d s Elder care, Asian Indian... more RELaTIOnShIP QuaLITy anD ELDER CaREGIVER BuRDEn In InDIa K e y w o r d s Elder care, Asian Indian, caregiver burden, relationship quality S A M E N VAT T I N G mantelzorg in India: de kwaliteit van de relatie tussen mantelzorger en zorgbehoevende oudere en de ervaren zorg last In deze studie staat de relatie tussen diverse psychosociale factoren en de ervaren zorg last van mantelzorgers (van ouderen) in Allahabad (India) centraal. "De kwaliteit van de relatie" tussen mantelzorg en zorgbehoevende wordt als belangrijke voorspeller van de ervaren zorg last gezien. Deze wordt in de theoretische verkenning van het artikel verder uitgewerkt aan de hand van een zogenaamd "stress-proces-model". Op basis van vragenlijstonderzoek, uitgevoerd onder 259 families, wordt geconcludeerd dat "overbelasting" een belangrijke voorspeller van zorg last is. Ook blijken er verscheidene indirecte effecten van de kwaliteit van de relatie te zijn. De uitkomsten suggereren dat er een mogelijke rol voor psychosociale interventies in het reduceren van de ervaren zorg last onder mantelzorgers in India is weggelegd.
Journal of Social Work Research and Evaluation, 2001
1. The purpose of this article is to empirically determine the factor structure of the original M... more 1. The purpose of this article is to empirically determine the factor structure of the original Marin et al. Acculturation Scale on the foreign-born Chinese American population. The Marin et al. Acculturation Scale was administered to 229 Chinese-Americans (18 yrs and older) via telephone interviews. The confirmatory factor analysis results supported the three-factor structure. In addition the three factors showed high internal consistency among the subscales. The results of the present study with its three factors of acculturation scale ...
... 2(2) 93-104, 2000 ELDER CARE GIVER BURDEN IN SOUTH ASIAN FAMILIES IN THE DALLAS-FORT WORTH ME... more ... 2(2) 93-104, 2000 ELDER CARE GIVER BURDEN IN SOUTH ASIAN FAMILIES IN THE DALLAS-FORT WORTH METROPOLITAN AREA RASHMI GUPTA, LMSW, PH.D. Bedford, Texas VIJAYAN K. PILLAI University of Texas at Arlington ABSTRACT ...
Canadian Journal of Ophthalmology Journal Canadien D Ophtalmologie, Apr 1, 2006
Background: Although direct ophthalmoscopy is an important skill that medical students must pract... more Background: Although direct ophthalmoscopy is an important skill that medical students must practice to gain proficiency, limited time is generally available in medical school curricula. More targeted and effective teaching could result from a clearer understanding of medical students' self-reported needs and weaknesses in performing direct ophthalmoscopy. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted at a Canadian university to determine the confidence of medical students in their skill in performing direct ophthalmoscopy. The responses of 208 participants who volunteered to complete a 21-item questionnaire were analyzed. Results: Although clerks were significantly more confident in their overall skill (χ 2 = 28.03, p < 0.001) than were first-and second-year students, 47% of clerks were "not at all" or only "a little" confident in performing direct ophthalmoscopy on an undilated pupil. Respondents who had practiced on more than 10 occasions outside of formal teaching were significantly more confident in their overall skill than those who had not (χ 2 = 22.94, p < 0.001). Overall, 87% (77% of clerks) were "quite" or "extremely" interested in more practice and training on direct ophthalmoscopy. Interpretation: A large proportion of medical students reported being unconfident in various aspects of their skill in performing direct ophthalmoscopy. Self-confidence was significantly greater among students who practiced outside of formal teaching sessions. Most students were interested in additional training, and medical schools should emphasize the importance of practicing whenever appropriate.
Clustering is a widely adopted energy-saving technique in wireless sensor networks (WSNs). In thi... more Clustering is a widely adopted energy-saving technique in wireless sensor networks (WSNs). In this paper, we study algorithms for finding the best locations of cluster heads in WSNs to minimize the overall energy consumption. Specifically, based on the assumption that the global information of all the sensors' locations or location distribution is available, algorithms are proposed for finding 1) the best location of the cluster head in a single given cluster; 2) the best formation of a given number of clusters where each cluster head has to communicate with base station directly; and 3) the best formation of a given number of clusters where there can be ad-hoc transmission between cluster heads, respectively. For each case, algorithms are designed for free-space and multipath energy consumption models respectively.
Antimicrobial agents and chemotherapy, Jan 25, 2016
Bacterial topoisomerase functions are required for regulation of DNA supercoiling and overcoming ... more Bacterial topoisomerase functions are required for regulation of DNA supercoiling and overcoming the DNA topological barriers that are encountered during many vital cellular processes. DNA gyrase and topoisomerase IV of the type IIA bacterial topoisomerase family are important clinical targets for antibacterial therapy. Topoisomerase I, belonging to the type IA topoisomerase family, has recently been validated as a potential anti-tubercular target. The topoisomerase I activity has been shown to be essential for bacterial viability and infection in a murine model of tuberculosis. Mixture-based combinatorial libraries were screened in this study to identify novel bacterial topoisomerase I inhibitors. Using positional-scanning deconvolution, selective small molecule inhibitors of bacterial topoisomerase I were identified starting from a polyamine scaffold. Antibacterial assays demonstrated that four of these small molecule inhibitors of bacterial topoisomerase I are bactericidal agains...
Http Dx Doi Org 10 1300 J018v29n01_06, Oct 11, 2008
Abstract The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of acculturation and its influence on t... more Abstract The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of acculturation and its influence on the marital relationship in a South Asian couple. An eco-cultural approach is used to analyze the effects of cultural and ecological factors. The case study illustrates the effect of the eco-cultural factors on the marital relationship. Implications for practice with elderly immigrants and suggestions for counselors are suggested.
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Papers by Rashmi Gupta