COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy in India: State of the nation and priorities for research.

BACKGROUND: Few COVID-19 vaccines were anticipated in India in early 2021. However, little was known about COVID-19 vaccination acceptance among the public. We conducted a nationwide study to understand the public's perception about COVID-19 vaccines in December 2020. METHOD: An online survey was deployed using a multi-item validated questionnaire via social media websites and networking platforms for adults in India. We asked participants about vaccination willingness, concerns about vaccination, and their sociodemographic characteristics. RESULTS: Nationwide, 1638 participants from 27 states/union territories took the survey where the majority of the participant were males (55%), 18-30 years old (52%), urban dwellers (69%), college-educated (81%), without a history of COVID-19 infection (92%). More than a fifth were either unaware of the vaccines (20.63%) or were not sure if they will get the vaccine (27%), and 10% refused to obtain the vaccine. Almost 70% of the population had concerns regarding the vaccines. Statistically significant differences (p<0.01) in awareness about vaccine and acceptability were observed based on age, educational qualifications, and employment status. CONCLUSION: While the majority of Indians would accept the vaccine, given the large population of India, even a small proportion of hesitant individuals would translate to millions of unvaccinated individuals. Strategic measures and policy decisions to enhance the rate of COVID-19 vaccination should be continuously planned and implemented in India.

Data on docking of phytoconstituents of Actinidia deliciosa on dengue viral targets.

Major Phytoconstituents of Actinidia deliciosa were explored for their anti-viral potential against dengue virus (DENV). The docking of these phytoconstituents was performed on 7 viral targets- 4 DENV non structural protein (NS5-SAM binding domain, NS5 RdRp domain, NS3 helicase & NS2B-NS3 protease) and 3 DENV structural proteins (Envelope protein-ß-OD domain, stem domain & Domain III). The analysis was done on the basis of binding affinity, type of interactions (bond type and distance) and interaction with amino acids significant in viral replication. The top 5 phytoconstituents with best docking score have been reported.

Novel TACE inhibitors in drug discovery: a review of patented compounds.

TNF-alpha converting enzyme (TACE), a pro-inflammatory cytokine, catalyzes the formation of TNF-alpha from membrane bound TNF-alpha precursor protein. TNF-alpha is believed to play pathophysiological roles in inflammation, anorexia, cachexia, septic shock, viral replication and so on. TNF-alpha is a key player in inflammation and joint damage in rheumatoid arthritis. While a variety of TACE inhibitors have been reported in the literature, a vast majority of these compounds are peptidic and peptide-like compounds that are expected to have bioavailability and pharmacokinetic problems, common to such compounds, limiting their clinical effectiveness. Low molecular mass, long acting, orally bioavailable inhibitors of TACE are, therefore, highly desirable for the treatment of potential chronic diseases mentioned above. A review of patented compounds as TACE inhibitors in drug discovery is given. A selection of interesting patents recorded from 2001 to 2009 is presented. Various novel TACE inhibitors developed by different companies have been discussed.