Survey participation as a function of democratic engagement, trust in institutions, and perceptions of surveys

Objective: With response rates of large-scale surveys having decreased significantly over the years and rebounds seeming unlikely, many studies now examine how response rates vary with methodological design and incentives. This investigation delves into how individual-level factors shape survey participation. Specifically, we examine the influence of individuals’ democratic engagement and their trust in institutions on intent to participate in surveys, both directly and indirectly through their perceptions of surveys. Methods: We collected survey data from a probability sample of adults (N = 1343) in Mannheim, Germany, from November 2019 to March 2020. Structural equation models were estimated to test the hypothesized relationships. Results: The analyses support most, but not all, hypothesized relationships. Democratic engagement bolstered intent to participate, directly as well as indirectly through perceptions of surveys. Institutional trust, on the other hand, only influenced the outcome measure indirectly. Perceptions of surveys had a strong bearing overall effect on intent to participate. Conclusion: The study's results suggest that the response rates and larger issues related to the perceived legitimacy of public opinion and survey research might be intertwined with orientations related to people's civic and political life. The article discusses potential ways survey researchers can counteract distrust in surveys

Aminobenzimidazoles and structural isomers as templates for dual-acting butyrylcholinesterase inhibitors and hCB2R ligands to combat neurodegenerative disorders

A pharmacophore model for butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) inhibitors was applied to a human cannabinoid subtype 2 receptor (hCB(2)R) agonist and verified it as a first-generation lead for respective dual-acting compounds. The design, synthesis, and pharmacological evaluation of various derivatives led to the identification of aminobenzimidazoles as second-generation leads with micro-or sub-micromolar activities at both targets and excellent selectivity over hCB(1) and AChE, respectively. Computational studies of the first-and second-generation lead structures by applying molecular dynamics (MD) on the active hCB(2)R model, along with docking and MD on hBChE, has enabled an explanation of their binding profiles at the protein levels and opened the way for further optimization. Dualacting compounds with "balanced" affinities and excellent selectivities could be obtained that represent leads for treatment of both cognitive and pathophysiological impairment occurring in neurodegenerative disorders