Publications by authors named "V K Usha"

Background: Cervical cancer, caused by human papillomavirus infection, is the source of significant personal and societal burden, and robs more than one hundred thousand Indian women and their families of the chances of a healthy and productive life each year. As outlined by the World Health Organization, the three-pronged approach of screening, vaccination, and reduction in mortality by early treatment presents the possibility of the elimination of cervical cancer as a public health problem in the next decade. Unfortunately, these approaches are all associated with significant barriers in India.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objectives: To determine the prevalence of depression among school going adolescents and to identify the predictors of adolescent depression.

Methods: A total of 1057 adolescents (619 males and 438 females) studying in six selected schools of Ernakulam District, Kerala participated in the study. All the students from 8th to 12th standards of the schools present during the time of data collection who met the inclusion criteria were enrolled into the study.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Aim: The aim of the present study was to evaluate clinically, radiographically, and functionally the outcomes of immediately loaded basal implants when placed in patients with compromised bone/alveolar ridges.

Materials And Methods: A total of 18 systemically healthy (9 male and 9 female) subjects with compromised bone with poor quantity or quality were included in the study. A total number of 57 implants was placed, out of which 26 implants were placed in maxilla and 31 implants in mandible.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

With the increased incidence of tuberculosis (TB) caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis there is an urgent need for new and better anti-tubercular drugs. N-succinyl-L,L-diaminopimelic acid desuccinylase (DapE) is a key enzyme in the succinylase pathway for the biosynthesis of meso-diaminopimelic acid (meso-DAP) and L-lysine. DapE is a zinc containing metallohydrolase which hydrolyses N-succinyl L,L diaminopimelic acid (L,L-NSDAP) to L,L-diaminopimelic acid (L,L-DAP) and succinate.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The human pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis is the causative agent of pulmonary tuberculosis (TB), a disease with high worldwide mortality rates. Current treatment programs are under significant threat from multi-drug and extensively-drug resistant strains of M. tuberculosis, and it is essential to identify new inhibitors and their targets.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF