Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), a novel zoonotic coronavirus that emerged from Wuhan, China. Development of SARS-CoV-2 specific vaccine is considered as the only solution that could control this pandemic. However, the success of COVID-19 vaccination programme will be dependent on the development of effective and safer vaccines and also on the public acceptance which in turn reliant on the beliefs and perception towards the vaccine. Therefore, this study was aimed to analyse the beliefs and barriers associated with COVID-19 vaccination among the general population in India. The study conducted using an online self-administered questionnaire that was distributed among the general population of India during the month of October 2020. The online questionnaire addressed several variables including the socio-demographic parameters, beliefs toward COVID-19 vaccine/vaccination, COVID-19 vaccine acceptance, potential barriers that may prevent from being vaccinated and factors that can improve COVID-19 vaccine acceptance. Among the 351 participants, 55% believed that the COVID-19 vaccination will be safe while only 46.2% believed that it will be effective. Majority of the participants (86.3%) were planning to get COVID-19 vaccination, whereas 13.7% admitted hesitancy. However, only 65.8% of the participants responded that they will receive vaccination as soon as possible whenever the vaccine is available. The study also identified that the concerns regarding the vaccine side effects acted as the key barrier for vaccine acceptance. The major findings of this study can be utilized in planning vaccination campaigns. Furthermore, the level of vaccine acceptance can be increased within the population if additional studies can confirm the safety and effectiveness of available vaccine candidates.
BMPs are multifunctional growth factors implicated in regulating the ovarian function as key intra-ovarian factors. Biological effects of BMPs are mediated through binding with membrane bound receptors like BMPR-IB and initiating downstream Smad signaling pathway. FecB mutation, regarded as a loss of function mutation in the BMPR-IB gene was identified in certain sheep breeds having high fecundity. Similar type of fecundity genes in goats have not been discovered so far. Hence, the current study was designed to investigate the effects of BMPR-IB gene modulation on granulosa cell function in goats. The BMPR-IB gene was knocked out using CRISPR-Cas technology in granulosa cells and cultured in vitro with BMP-4 stimulation for three different durations In addition, the FecB mutation was introduced in the BMPR-IB gene applying Easi-CRISPR followed by BMP-4/7 stimulation for 72 h. Steroidogenesis and cell viability were studied to explore the granulosa cell function on BMPR-IB gene modulation. BMPRs were found to be expressed stage specifically in granulosa cells of goats. Higher transcriptional abundance of R-Smads, LHR and FSHR indicating sensitisation of Smad signaling and increased gonadotropin sensitivity along with a significant reduction in the cell proliferation and viability was observed in granulosa cells upon BMPR-IB modulation. The inhibitory action of BMP-4/7 on P4 secretion was abolished in both KO and KI cells. Altogether, the study has revealed an altered Smad signaling, steroidogenesis and cell viability upon modulation of BMPR-IB gene in granulosa cells similar to that are documented in sheep breeds carrying the FecB mutation.
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