From economy to political administrations, education to health, environment to human rights, many problems we met have gained a global importance in recent days. Existing state systems, political parties and nation st...From economy to political administrations, education to health, environment to human rights, many problems we met have gained a global importance in recent days. Existing state systems, political parties and nation states are not adequate for solving these problems in question effectively on their own. Not only governments and local authorities but also voluntary organizations based on completely voluntary activities have significant roles in solving these problems. Effective performance of voluntary organizations depends on increasing volunteer population. Individuals＇ attitudes or their perception of understanding volunteerism play an important role in their contributions to voluntary organizations. The aim of this study is to determine individuals＇ ways of perceiving volunteerism concept and their tendency towards it. Furthermore, differences between men and women＇s perception and attitudes towards volunteerism concept have been examined. For this purpose, a survey has been conducted over university students of bachelor＇s degree. Tendencies and attitudes towards volunteerism compared to gender differences have been tested via logistic regression method. Research results reveal that women take part in voluntary activities more than men and women perceive volunteerism as ＂a political position＂ while men perceive volunteerism as ＂a learning atmosphere and learning process＂.展开更多
I was so excited to be a volunteer for the 2025 Asian Winter Games.It was a wonderful chance to meet people from all over Asia.During the Games,I helped players find their way around the stadium.I also answered questi...I was so excited to be a volunteer for the 2025 Asian Winter Games.It was a wonderful chance to meet people from all over Asia.During the Games,I helped players find their way around the stadium.I also answered questions from visitors.Everyone was friendly,and I felt happy to help them.展开更多
Volunteer engagement in emergency management,focusing on mitigating adverse consequences,has attracted scholarly and practitioner attention.Digital volunteering helps overcome the limitations of traditional on-site vo...Volunteer engagement in emergency management,focusing on mitigating adverse consequences,has attracted scholarly and practitioner attention.Digital volunteering helps overcome the limitations of traditional on-site volunteering through extensive volunteering opportunities in emergency management.This study utilizes a case text analysis and interviews to investigate and categorize digital volunteer services in emergency scenarios.Based on two key dimensions—direct recipients of volunteer services and the nature of the services rendered—the study presents four types of digital volunteer services:bridging,supportive,complementary,and collaborative.Moreover,it delineates eight role archetypes digital volunteers assume in emergency response situations along with their primary service contributions.Compared to conventional on-site volunteer services,digital volunteer services offer unique advantages while facing specific challenges.Finally,this study offers recommendations in four dimensions for the robust development of digital volunteer services,contributing to more effective and sustainable emergency management practices.展开更多
On May 10,2025,the"Silk Road People-to-People Connectivity"China-Africa Friendship for International Volunteer Service was held at the Hope Primary School in Mathare Slum,Nairobi,Kenya.The event was co-organ...On May 10,2025,the"Silk Road People-to-People Connectivity"China-Africa Friendship for International Volunteer Service was held at the Hope Primary School in Mathare Slum,Nairobi,Kenya.The event was co-organised by China NGO Network for International Exchanges(CNIE)and the Dream Building Service Association.Li Jun,Vice-President of CNIE delivered opening remarks at the event.展开更多
Background:Oral health issues persistently affect the overall health and well-being of rural populations.Village health volunteers(VHVs)play a crucial role in advancing oral health literacy in their community.This stu...Background:Oral health issues persistently affect the overall health and well-being of rural populations.Village health volunteers(VHVs)play a crucial role in advancing oral health literacy in their community.This study aimed to examine the factors related to nutritional literacy for oral health among VHVs.Methods:This was a mixed-methods study employing an explanatory sequential design.The quantitative data were gathered through questionnaires distributed to a cohort of 10,514 VHVs registered in Health Region 1.A stratified random sampling technique was used to ensure adequate representation of various subgroups within the VHV population,considering factors such as age,education level,and geographical distribution across the region.This approach allowed for a more representative sample that accurately reflects the diversity of the VHV population.Qualitative data were obtained through semi-structured interviews with a purposive sampling of 20 participants based on specific criteria.Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and biserial correlation techniques,while qualitative data were analyzed using content analysis.Results:The study found that the sample group possessed a moderate level of knowledge of health literacy principles and nutrition for oral health.However,their self-assessed skills in nutritional literacy for oral health were rated as high.A statistically significant negative correlation was found between knowledge of nutrition for oral health and skills in nutritional literacy for oral health.VHVs equated health literacy with knowledge because their public health training had focused more on imparting knowledge rather than developing skills based on health literacy principles.Conclusion:There is a need to emphasize skill-based health literacy training and to use effective skill development techniques that are tailored to the specific roles and responsibilities of health volunteers.It is also recommended to continuously monitor and evaluate the outcomes of these efforts.展开更多
HCV is prevailed in the world as well as in China.Blood transfusion is one of the most common transmission pathways of this pathogen.Although data of HCVinfection character were reported during the past years,抗-HCV ...HCV is prevailed in the world as well as in China.Blood transfusion is one of the most common transmission pathways of this pathogen.Although data of HCVinfection character were reported during the past years,抗-HCV reactive profile of展开更多
Background: The volunteer role has been cited as an important in supporting healthcare organizations in diverse areas such as contributing to research, health professional’s education, health care delivery, health po...Background: The volunteer role has been cited as an important in supporting healthcare organizations in diverse areas such as contributing to research, health professional’s education, health care delivery, health policy development and patient administration. Proper motivation of volunteers is required for sustaining volunteer performance, while encumbrances to optimal engagement in health systems need to be addressed. This study aimed to investigate the main factors that motivate volunteers to participate in the UAE healthcare system, along with exploring the barriers and challenges being faced. Methods: This study was designed as a quantitative cross-sectional study in United Arab Emirates (UAE). A purposive sample of the Adult citizens and residents using purposive sampling directed at all major health volunteer recruitment agencies in UAE, who have volunteered at least once in the health system over the preceding 12 months. Participants Adult UAE residents were selected by a purposive sampling method from February to April 2017. Data were collected through electronic questionnaires using modified Volunteer Motivation Inventory (VMI). Data were analyzed from 667 adults’ residents who were reported to volunteer at least once in healthcare opportunities. Results: About 53% (n = 290) of the volunteers in this sample were full time employed individuals. Almost 63% (n = 422) were female. Overall, assessed self-reported motivations of volunteer participants were high. The main motivation for volunteering in healthcare opportunities in the UAE was Understanding dimension (Mean = 4.68), followed by self-esteem dimension (Mean = 4.60). Eight elements of volunteer motivation showed no statistically significant differences between male and female respondents. Organization/system barriers dimension was the highest among respondents (Mean = 2.9), followed by individual barriers (Mean = 2.6), interpersonal (Mean = 2.06) and contextual (Mean = 2.04). Conclusion: UAE health sector volunteers who participated in this study appeared to be highly motivated. The main motivation factor was understanding dimension which allowed volunteers in healthcare to gain a new perspective on things, through practical training and learning new things, dealing with different groups in the health sector, for example doctors, nursing, patients. What makes the health sector volunteer understand them self and the world around them. Therefore the organization should focus on volunteer motivation to ensure future intensions of them. The four main barriers to volunteer were Individual barriers, Interpersonal barriers, contextual barriers and organizations system barriers. Concerted efforts are needed to raise awareness about available volunteer opportunities, and optimally align the motivations of volunteers with organizational objectives in the UAE health sector.展开更多
This paper studies English training for student volunteers at large scale sports events with a comprehensive investigation of the undergraduate student volunteers from Capital University of Physical Education who have...This paper studies English training for student volunteers at large scale sports events with a comprehensive investigation of the undergraduate student volunteers from Capital University of Physical Education who have taken part in large scale sports events.By examining the current volunteer training situation,the author finds that there is a sever lack of professional and systematical English training for student volunteers at large scale sports events.The study shows focusing on sports events knowledge and requirements of the volunteers’specific job is crucial to the service level of the volunteers.The study concludes that the problem can be solved by developing new course books,innovating new flexible training methods,and offering more comprehensive training content.The recommended training methods include intensive group training,computer aided teaching,task training and on-the-spot training to make them fit their work soon.展开更多
Objective:We sought to examine the demand of volunteers on long-term care of elderly patients with chronic diseases.Further,we evaluated patients'reasons to want long-term care volunteers as well as socioeconomic ...Objective:We sought to examine the demand of volunteers on long-term care of elderly patients with chronic diseases.Further,we evaluated patients'reasons to want long-term care volunteers as well as socioeconomic factors affecting these needs.Methods:Questionnaires were distributed to 516 elderly with chronic diseases from nursing homes,hospitals,and elderly living with relatives.Patient questions dealt with basic socioeconomic questions,their reasons to want care volunteers,and the nature of chronic disease,and their motivation to volunteer and which sorts of activities they perform while volunteering.Results:73.4%of the elderly patients with chronic diseases desired to have volunteers for long-term care.The most desired services were care visits,transportation,and leisure/recreation activities.The number of chronic diseases they had,their marital status,education level,and social support system were all statistically important.Conclusion:The data presented here suggest that the government should actively advocate for volunteer service for elderly with chronic diseases.Additional support is needed in terms of financial support,incentive measures,professional training for volunteers,and supervision of volunteers.Such developments are needed to improve volunteer service standards.展开更多
This paper extends recent research into the usefulness of volunteered photos for land cover extraction,and investigates whether this usefulness can be automatically assessed by an easily accessible,off-the-shelf neura...This paper extends recent research into the usefulness of volunteered photos for land cover extraction,and investigates whether this usefulness can be automatically assessed by an easily accessible,off-the-shelf neural network pre-trained on a variety of scene characteristics.Geotagged photographs are sometimes presented to volunteers as part of a game which requires them to extract relevant facts about land use.The challenge is to select the most relevant photographs in order to most efficiently extract the useful information while maintaining the engagement and interests of volunteers.By repurposing an existing network which had been trained on an extensive library of potentially relevant features,we can quickly carry out initial assessments of the general value of this approach,pick out especially salient features,and identify focus areas for future neural network training and development.We compare two approaches to extract land cover information from the network:a simple post hoc weighting approach accessible to non-technical audiences and a more complex decision tree approach that involves training on domain-specific features of interest.Both approaches had reasonable success in characterizing human influence within a scene when identifying the land use types(as classified by Urban Atlas)present within a buffer around the photograph’s location.This work identifies important limitations and opportunities for using volunteered photographs as follows:(1)the false precision of a photograph’s location is less useful for identifying on-the-spot land cover than the information it can give on neighbouring combinations of land cover;(2)groundacquired photographs,interpreted by a neural network,can supplement plan view imagery by identifying features which will never be discernible from above;(3)when dealing with contexts where there are very few exemplars of particular classes,an independent a posteriori weighting of existing scene attributes and categories can buffer against over-specificity.展开更多
AIMTo test the effects of humic acids on innate microbial communities of the colon.METHODSWe followed the effects of oral supplementation with humic acids (Activomin<sup>®</sup>) on concentrati...AIMTo test the effects of humic acids on innate microbial communities of the colon.METHODSWe followed the effects of oral supplementation with humic acids (Activomin<sup>®</sup>) on concentrations and composition of colonic microbiome in 14 healthy volunteers for 45 d. 3 × 800 mg Activomin<sup>®</sup> were taken orally for 10 d followed by 3 × 400 mg for 35 d. Colonic microbiota were investigated using multicolor fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) of Carnoy fixated and paraffin embedded stool cylinders. Two stool samples were collected a week prior to therapy and one stool sample on days 10, 31 and 45. Forty-one FISH probes representing different bacterial groups were used.RESULTSThe sum concentration of colonic microbiota increased from 20% at day 10 to 30% by day 31 and remained stable until day 45 (32%) of humic acid supplementation (P < 0.001). The increase in the concentrations in each person was due to growth of preexisting groups. The individual microbial profile of the patients remained unchanged. Similarly, the bacterial diversity remained stable. Concentrations of 24 of the 35 substantial groups increased from 20% to 96%. Two bacterial groups detected with Bac303 (Bacteroides) and Myc657 (mycolic acid-containing Actinomycetes) FISH probes decreased (P > 0.05). The others remained unaffected. Bacterial groups with initially marginal concentrations (< 0.1 × 10<sup>9</sup>/mL) demonstrated no response to humic acids. The concentrations of pioneer groups of Bifidobacteriaceae, Enterobacteriaceae and Clostridium difficile increased but the observed differences were statistically not significant.CONCLUSIONHumic acids have a profound effect on healthy colonic microbiome and may be potentially interesting substances for the development of drugs that control the innate colonic microbiome.展开更多
The establishment and development of volunteer team are very important in the whole process of palliative care.The concept and practice of palliative care have been developed in Peking Union Medical College Hospital(P...The establishment and development of volunteer team are very important in the whole process of palliative care.The concept and practice of palliative care have been developed in Peking Union Medical College Hospital(PUMCH)since the end of2012.Great progress has been made in different aspects.Volunteers play an extremely important role in the development of palliative care in PUMCH.The whole work began with the establishment of volunteer teams.This article introduces the process of the establishment and development of palliative care volunteer team in PUMCH,aiming to provide practical references for hospitals in China's Mainland to develop their own palliative care volunteer team.展开更多
Background:Triphala extract is a well known medicinal herbal formula which is usually prescribed by Thai traditional doctors to adjust the physiological functions of the body.Previous studies have reported that Tripha...Background:Triphala extract is a well known medicinal herbal formula which is usually prescribed by Thai traditional doctors to adjust the physiological functions of the body.Previous studies have reported that Triphala has antioxidant,anti-inflammatory,antihypercholesterolemia and anticancer properties.Though this herbal recipe is commonly used in Thailand,its human safety,especially in the oral form,has not been studied.We therefore conducted a clinical trial(Phase I).Objective:This study evaluated the safety of administering the aqueous extract of Triphala to healthy volunteers at 2500 mg/d.Design,setting,participants and interventions:An open-label,single-arm trial was conducted at Chulabhorn International College of Medicine,Thammasat University,Pathum Thani,Thailand,between July 2017 and July 2018.The study enrolled 10 male and 10 female healthy volunteers;all were given Triphala(water extract;five capsules of 500 mg each)orally,once a day,at bedtime,for four consecutive weeks.Main outcome measures:Signs and symptoms,physical examinations,hematology and blood chemistry were assessed at the beginning of the trial and every week thereafter,for four consecutive weeks.After finishing the trial,on day 28,all volunteers were invited to a follow-up session on day 35 to evaluate the safety of the herbal recipe using the same measurements.Results:At the oral dose of 2500 mg/d,Triphala had no serious adverse effects in healthy volunteers.Moreover,it was found to have significantly improved the volunteers’high-density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL-C)levels on day 35 and also reduced their blood sugar levels on days 14 and 35.Conclusions:We conclude that aqueous extract of Triphala is safe for healthy volunteers and that it elevates HDL-C levels and lowers blood sugar.Further clinical study should investigate its effects on HDL-C and blood sugar levels among the dyslipidemic and prediabetic groups.Trial registration:This trial was registered in the Thai Clinical Trial Registry with the identifier TCTR20180423002.展开更多
AIM: To assess the clinical effects and the morphological grade of nerve compression.METHODS: In a prospective single-center randomized, open study we assessed the clinical effects and the morphological grade of nerve...AIM: To assess the clinical effects and the morphological grade of nerve compression.METHODS: In a prospective single-center randomized, open study we assessed the clinical effects and the morphological grade of nerve compression during 20 min of either a silicon ring(group A) or pneumatic tourniquet(group B) placement variantly on the upper non-dominant limb in 14 healthy human volunteers. Before and during compression, the median and radial nerves were visualized in both groups by 3 Tesla MR imaging, using high resolutional(2.5 mm slice thickness) axial T2-weighted sequences. RESULTS: In group A, Visual analog pain scale was 5.4 ± 2.2 compared to results of group B, 2.9 ± 2.5, showing a significant difference(P = 0.028). FPS levels in group A were 2.6 ± 0.9 compared to levels in group B 1.6 ± 1, showing a significant difference(P = 0.039). Results related to measureable effect on median and radial nerve function were equal in both groups. No undue pressure signs on the skin, redness or nerve damage occurred in either group. There was no significant difference in the diameters of the nerves without and under compression in either group on T2 weighted images.CONCLUSION: Based on our results, no differences between narrow and wide tourniquets were identified. Silicon ring tourniquets can be regarded as safe for short time application.展开更多
Objective:The objective of this study is to understand the status quo of function motivation and professional identity among nursing volunteers and explore the correlation between the two.Materials and Methods:A total...Objective:The objective of this study is to understand the status quo of function motivation and professional identity among nursing volunteers and explore the correlation between the two.Materials and Methods:A total of 3375 nursing volunteers from Nightingale Volunteer Service Group in Shanxi Province were investigated by using Occupational Identity Scale and Volunteer Functional Motivation Scale.Results:A total of 3375 questionnaires were issued and 3330 were recovered,among which 3324 were valid,with an effective recovery rate of 99.82%(3324/3330).The overall score of professional identity of nurses was 110.31±18.71,and the score of each dimension was 32.17±6.62 for professional cognitive evaluation dimension,22.77±3.74 for professional social support,21.31±4.09 for professional social skills,22.78±3.79 for professional frustration coping,and 11.32±2.03 for professional self-reflection.The total score of function motivation was 157.12±29.92.The above five dimensions of nurse’s professional identity scale were positively correlated with the total score of function motivation of nursing volunteers(r=0.044,0.035,0.034,0.035,and 0.042,respectively,all P<0.05).Conclusion:The functional motivation and professional identity of nursing volunteers in Shanxi Province are in the middle level in China.Therefore,it is necessary for the hospital to stimulate nursing staff’s enthusiasm about participation by carrying out multi-channel and multi-form volunteer service projects,enhance their professional identity,and make them better give back nursing professional skills to the society.展开更多
Disasters resulting in mass casualty incidents can rapidly overwhelm the Emergency Department(ED).To address critical manpower needs in the ED’s disaster response,medical student involvement has been advocated.Duke-N...Disasters resulting in mass casualty incidents can rapidly overwhelm the Emergency Department(ED).To address critical manpower needs in the ED’s disaster response,medical student involvement has been advocated.Duke-National University of Singapore Medical School is in proximity to Singapore General Hospital and represents an untapped manpower resource.With appropriate training and integration into ED disaster workflows,medical students can be leveraged upon as qualified manpower.This review provides a snapshot of the conceptualization and setting up of the Disaster Volunteer Corps-a programme where medical students were recruited to receive regular training and assessment from emergency physicians on disaster response principles to fulfil specific roles during a crisis,while working as part of a team under supervision.We discuss overall strategy and benefits to stakeholders,emphasizing the close symbiotic relationship between academia and healthcare services.展开更多
As a volunteer organization,NGO plays an important role nowadays for its unique social functions.In recent years,Chinese Young Volunteers Associations have made great progress,but compared with the EU countries,there ...As a volunteer organization,NGO plays an important role nowadays for its unique social functions.In recent years,Chinese Young Volunteers Associations have made great progress,but compared with the EU countries,there is still a significant gap.This paper in cludes the result of the comparative researches on two aspects: Volunteer associations;Training systems.From the result,a relatively compre hensive reference can be provided for the development of the Chinese Youth Volunteers Associations.展开更多
Knowledge of the surface ocean dynamics and the underlying controlling mechanisms is critical to understand the natural variability of the ocean and to predict its future response to climate change.In this paper,we hi...Knowledge of the surface ocean dynamics and the underlying controlling mechanisms is critical to understand the natural variability of the ocean and to predict its future response to climate change.In this paper,we highlight the potential use of Volunteer Observing Ship(VOS),as carrier for automatic underway measuring system and as platform for sample collection,to enhance the observing capacity for the surface ocean.We review the concept,history,present status and future development of the VOS-based in situ surface ocean observation.The successes of various VOS projects demonstrate that,along with the rapid advancing sensor techniques,VOS is able to improve the temporal resolution and spatial coverage of the surface ocean observation in a highly cost-effective manner.A sustained and efficient marine monitoring system in the future should integrate the advantages of various observing platforms including VOS.展开更多
This study explored the mechanism on how volunteers as rationalists use rationalism during their cognitive appraisal process when dealing with emotional events in their social helping behavior such as international re...This study explored the mechanism on how volunteers as rationalists use rationalism during their cognitive appraisal process when dealing with emotional events in their social helping behavior such as international rescue events.The authors used the triangulation method to include three studies(Study 1 is a qualitative research which explored ways of TCF leader’s inspiring their volunteer workers;Study 2 is a quantitative research on the decision-making process of volunteer individuals involving in international rescue activities;Study 3 is a quantitative research on individuals’motivation for joining social helping behavior)for validation of Tzu Chi Foundation(TCF),which is a famous non-profit organization worldwide,to prove that volunteers as rationalists rely on the reasonable cognitive appraisal method to substantially evaluate the necessity of social helping behavior,including their emotional responses and arousals.Economic evaluation theory was used to depict volunteers as volunteers as rationalists’way of cognitive appraisal perspective towards emotional events such as international rescue cases or when participating in activities by non-profit organizations.Accordingly,this study found that volunteers as rationalists adhere to the principles of altruism,egoism,compensation,and reciprocity as part of their cognitive appraisal when responding to emotional situations.The researchfindings of this study depicted the volunteers’behavioral intention as volunteers as rationalists in responding to emotional events in the form of NPO helping behaviors and international rescue events.Social helping behaviors often rely on people’s emotional compassion and empathy at the beginning,but social helping behaviors cannot rely solely on emotional support.To create long-term support for non-profit organizations’action plans,it is still neces-sary to plan rationally,turning the actions of volunteers into reasonable plans.In this way,even if the volun-teers have experienced many difficulties during devotion,hindrance,and stress afterward,they can still keep in a rationalist’mindset continuously.This paper provided directions for volunteer training for non-profit organizations.展开更多
文摘From economy to political administrations, education to health, environment to human rights, many problems we met have gained a global importance in recent days. Existing state systems, political parties and nation states are not adequate for solving these problems in question effectively on their own. Not only governments and local authorities but also voluntary organizations based on completely voluntary activities have significant roles in solving these problems. Effective performance of voluntary organizations depends on increasing volunteer population. Individuals＇ attitudes or their perception of understanding volunteerism play an important role in their contributions to voluntary organizations. The aim of this study is to determine individuals＇ ways of perceiving volunteerism concept and their tendency towards it. Furthermore, differences between men and women＇s perception and attitudes towards volunteerism concept have been examined. For this purpose, a survey has been conducted over university students of bachelor＇s degree. Tendencies and attitudes towards volunteerism compared to gender differences have been tested via logistic regression method. Research results reveal that women take part in voluntary activities more than men and women perceive volunteerism as ＂a political position＂ while men perceive volunteerism as ＂a learning atmosphere and learning process＂.
文摘I was so excited to be a volunteer for the 2025 Asian Winter Games.It was a wonderful chance to meet people from all over Asia.During the Games,I helped players find their way around the stadium.I also answered questions from visitors.Everyone was friendly,and I felt happy to help them.
基金funded by the Major Program of the National Fund of Philosophy and Social Science of China(Grant No.:21&ZD163).
文摘Volunteer engagement in emergency management,focusing on mitigating adverse consequences,has attracted scholarly and practitioner attention.Digital volunteering helps overcome the limitations of traditional on-site volunteering through extensive volunteering opportunities in emergency management.This study utilizes a case text analysis and interviews to investigate and categorize digital volunteer services in emergency scenarios.Based on two key dimensions—direct recipients of volunteer services and the nature of the services rendered—the study presents four types of digital volunteer services:bridging,supportive,complementary,and collaborative.Moreover,it delineates eight role archetypes digital volunteers assume in emergency response situations along with their primary service contributions.Compared to conventional on-site volunteer services,digital volunteer services offer unique advantages while facing specific challenges.Finally,this study offers recommendations in four dimensions for the robust development of digital volunteer services,contributing to more effective and sustainable emergency management practices.
文摘On May 10,2025,the"Silk Road People-to-People Connectivity"China-Africa Friendship for International Volunteer Service was held at the Hope Primary School in Mathare Slum,Nairobi,Kenya.The event was co-organised by China NGO Network for International Exchanges(CNIE)and the Dream Building Service Association.Li Jun,Vice-President of CNIE delivered opening remarks at the event.
文摘Background:Oral health issues persistently affect the overall health and well-being of rural populations.Village health volunteers(VHVs)play a crucial role in advancing oral health literacy in their community.This study aimed to examine the factors related to nutritional literacy for oral health among VHVs.Methods:This was a mixed-methods study employing an explanatory sequential design.The quantitative data were gathered through questionnaires distributed to a cohort of 10,514 VHVs registered in Health Region 1.A stratified random sampling technique was used to ensure adequate representation of various subgroups within the VHV population,considering factors such as age,education level,and geographical distribution across the region.This approach allowed for a more representative sample that accurately reflects the diversity of the VHV population.Qualitative data were obtained through semi-structured interviews with a purposive sampling of 20 participants based on specific criteria.Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and biserial correlation techniques,while qualitative data were analyzed using content analysis.Results:The study found that the sample group possessed a moderate level of knowledge of health literacy principles and nutrition for oral health.However,their self-assessed skills in nutritional literacy for oral health were rated as high.A statistically significant negative correlation was found between knowledge of nutrition for oral health and skills in nutritional literacy for oral health.VHVs equated health literacy with knowledge because their public health training had focused more on imparting knowledge rather than developing skills based on health literacy principles.Conclusion:There is a need to emphasize skill-based health literacy training and to use effective skill development techniques that are tailored to the specific roles and responsibilities of health volunteers.It is also recommended to continuously monitor and evaluate the outcomes of these efforts.
文摘HCV is prevailed in the world as well as in China.Blood transfusion is one of the most common transmission pathways of this pathogen.Although data of HCVinfection character were reported during the past years,抗-HCV reactive profile of
文摘Background: The volunteer role has been cited as an important in supporting healthcare organizations in diverse areas such as contributing to research, health professional’s education, health care delivery, health policy development and patient administration. Proper motivation of volunteers is required for sustaining volunteer performance, while encumbrances to optimal engagement in health systems need to be addressed. This study aimed to investigate the main factors that motivate volunteers to participate in the UAE healthcare system, along with exploring the barriers and challenges being faced. Methods: This study was designed as a quantitative cross-sectional study in United Arab Emirates (UAE). A purposive sample of the Adult citizens and residents using purposive sampling directed at all major health volunteer recruitment agencies in UAE, who have volunteered at least once in the health system over the preceding 12 months. Participants Adult UAE residents were selected by a purposive sampling method from February to April 2017. Data were collected through electronic questionnaires using modified Volunteer Motivation Inventory (VMI). Data were analyzed from 667 adults’ residents who were reported to volunteer at least once in healthcare opportunities. Results: About 53% (n = 290) of the volunteers in this sample were full time employed individuals. Almost 63% (n = 422) were female. Overall, assessed self-reported motivations of volunteer participants were high. The main motivation for volunteering in healthcare opportunities in the UAE was Understanding dimension (Mean = 4.68), followed by self-esteem dimension (Mean = 4.60). Eight elements of volunteer motivation showed no statistically significant differences between male and female respondents. Organization/system barriers dimension was the highest among respondents (Mean = 2.9), followed by individual barriers (Mean = 2.6), interpersonal (Mean = 2.06) and contextual (Mean = 2.04). Conclusion: UAE health sector volunteers who participated in this study appeared to be highly motivated. The main motivation factor was understanding dimension which allowed volunteers in healthcare to gain a new perspective on things, through practical training and learning new things, dealing with different groups in the health sector, for example doctors, nursing, patients. What makes the health sector volunteer understand them self and the world around them. Therefore the organization should focus on volunteer motivation to ensure future intensions of them. The four main barriers to volunteer were Individual barriers, Interpersonal barriers, contextual barriers and organizations system barriers. Concerted efforts are needed to raise awareness about available volunteer opportunities, and optimally align the motivations of volunteers with organizational objectives in the UAE health sector.
文摘This paper studies English training for student volunteers at large scale sports events with a comprehensive investigation of the undergraduate student volunteers from Capital University of Physical Education who have taken part in large scale sports events.By examining the current volunteer training situation,the author finds that there is a sever lack of professional and systematical English training for student volunteers at large scale sports events.The study shows focusing on sports events knowledge and requirements of the volunteers’specific job is crucial to the service level of the volunteers.The study concludes that the problem can be solved by developing new course books,innovating new flexible training methods,and offering more comprehensive training content.The recommended training methods include intensive group training,computer aided teaching,task training and on-the-spot training to make them fit their work soon.
基金funded by the Humanities and Social Sciences in Anhui province(SK2014A310)the National College Students'Innovative Entrepreneurial Training Project(201210367007).
文摘Objective:We sought to examine the demand of volunteers on long-term care of elderly patients with chronic diseases.Further,we evaluated patients'reasons to want long-term care volunteers as well as socioeconomic factors affecting these needs.Methods:Questionnaires were distributed to 516 elderly with chronic diseases from nursing homes,hospitals,and elderly living with relatives.Patient questions dealt with basic socioeconomic questions,their reasons to want care volunteers,and the nature of chronic disease,and their motivation to volunteer and which sorts of activities they perform while volunteering.Results:73.4%of the elderly patients with chronic diseases desired to have volunteers for long-term care.The most desired services were care visits,transportation,and leisure/recreation activities.The number of chronic diseases they had,their marital status,education level,and social support system were all statistically important.Conclusion:The data presented here suggest that the government should actively advocate for volunteer service for elderly with chronic diseases.Additional support is needed in terms of financial support,incentive measures,professional training for volunteers,and supervision of volunteers.Such developments are needed to improve volunteer service standards.
基金supported by the COST Action[grant number TD1202]‘Mapping and the Citizen Sensor’.
文摘This paper extends recent research into the usefulness of volunteered photos for land cover extraction,and investigates whether this usefulness can be automatically assessed by an easily accessible,off-the-shelf neural network pre-trained on a variety of scene characteristics.Geotagged photographs are sometimes presented to volunteers as part of a game which requires them to extract relevant facts about land use.The challenge is to select the most relevant photographs in order to most efficiently extract the useful information while maintaining the engagement and interests of volunteers.By repurposing an existing network which had been trained on an extensive library of potentially relevant features,we can quickly carry out initial assessments of the general value of this approach,pick out especially salient features,and identify focus areas for future neural network training and development.We compare two approaches to extract land cover information from the network:a simple post hoc weighting approach accessible to non-technical audiences and a more complex decision tree approach that involves training on domain-specific features of interest.Both approaches had reasonable success in characterizing human influence within a scene when identifying the land use types(as classified by Urban Atlas)present within a buffer around the photograph’s location.This work identifies important limitations and opportunities for using volunteered photographs as follows:(1)the false precision of a photograph’s location is less useful for identifying on-the-spot land cover than the information it can give on neighbouring combinations of land cover;(2)groundacquired photographs,interpreted by a neural network,can supplement plan view imagery by identifying features which will never be discernible from above;(3)when dealing with contexts where there are very few exemplars of particular classes,an independent a posteriori weighting of existing scene attributes and categories can buffer against over-specificity.
文摘AIMTo test the effects of humic acids on innate microbial communities of the colon.METHODSWe followed the effects of oral supplementation with humic acids (Activomin<sup>®</sup>) on concentrations and composition of colonic microbiome in 14 healthy volunteers for 45 d. 3 × 800 mg Activomin<sup>®</sup> were taken orally for 10 d followed by 3 × 400 mg for 35 d. Colonic microbiota were investigated using multicolor fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) of Carnoy fixated and paraffin embedded stool cylinders. Two stool samples were collected a week prior to therapy and one stool sample on days 10, 31 and 45. Forty-one FISH probes representing different bacterial groups were used.RESULTSThe sum concentration of colonic microbiota increased from 20% at day 10 to 30% by day 31 and remained stable until day 45 (32%) of humic acid supplementation (P < 0.001). The increase in the concentrations in each person was due to growth of preexisting groups. The individual microbial profile of the patients remained unchanged. Similarly, the bacterial diversity remained stable. Concentrations of 24 of the 35 substantial groups increased from 20% to 96%. Two bacterial groups detected with Bac303 (Bacteroides) and Myc657 (mycolic acid-containing Actinomycetes) FISH probes decreased (P > 0.05). The others remained unaffected. Bacterial groups with initially marginal concentrations (< 0.1 × 10<sup>9</sup>/mL) demonstrated no response to humic acids. The concentrations of pioneer groups of Bifidobacteriaceae, Enterobacteriaceae and Clostridium difficile increased but the observed differences were statistically not significant.CONCLUSIONHumic acids have a profound effect on healthy colonic microbiome and may be potentially interesting substances for the development of drugs that control the innate colonic microbiome.
基金supported by the Educational Reform Project of Peking Union Medical College(2015zlgc0120)~~
文摘The establishment and development of volunteer team are very important in the whole process of palliative care.The concept and practice of palliative care have been developed in Peking Union Medical College Hospital(PUMCH)since the end of2012.Great progress has been made in different aspects.Volunteers play an extremely important role in the development of palliative care in PUMCH.The whole work began with the establishment of volunteer teams.This article introduces the process of the establishment and development of palliative care volunteer team in PUMCH,aiming to provide practical references for hospitals in China's Mainland to develop their own palliative care volunteer team.
基金the Thai Traditional Medical Knowledge Fund for its research grant.
文摘Background:Triphala extract is a well known medicinal herbal formula which is usually prescribed by Thai traditional doctors to adjust the physiological functions of the body.Previous studies have reported that Triphala has antioxidant,anti-inflammatory,antihypercholesterolemia and anticancer properties.Though this herbal recipe is commonly used in Thailand,its human safety,especially in the oral form,has not been studied.We therefore conducted a clinical trial(Phase I).Objective:This study evaluated the safety of administering the aqueous extract of Triphala to healthy volunteers at 2500 mg/d.Design,setting,participants and interventions:An open-label,single-arm trial was conducted at Chulabhorn International College of Medicine,Thammasat University,Pathum Thani,Thailand,between July 2017 and July 2018.The study enrolled 10 male and 10 female healthy volunteers;all were given Triphala(water extract;five capsules of 500 mg each)orally,once a day,at bedtime,for four consecutive weeks.Main outcome measures:Signs and symptoms,physical examinations,hematology and blood chemistry were assessed at the beginning of the trial and every week thereafter,for four consecutive weeks.After finishing the trial,on day 28,all volunteers were invited to a follow-up session on day 35 to evaluate the safety of the herbal recipe using the same measurements.Results:At the oral dose of 2500 mg/d,Triphala had no serious adverse effects in healthy volunteers.Moreover,it was found to have significantly improved the volunteers’high-density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL-C)levels on day 35 and also reduced their blood sugar levels on days 14 and 35.Conclusions:We conclude that aqueous extract of Triphala is safe for healthy volunteers and that it elevates HDL-C levels and lowers blood sugar.Further clinical study should investigate its effects on HDL-C and blood sugar levels among the dyslipidemic and prediabetic groups.Trial registration:This trial was registered in the Thai Clinical Trial Registry with the identifier TCTR20180423002.
基金Volunteers honorary in the amount of 3.000 USD was supported by private funds of Kovar FMHemaClear~(TM) devices were provided by OHK Medical Device,Haifa,Israel
文摘AIM: To assess the clinical effects and the morphological grade of nerve compression.METHODS: In a prospective single-center randomized, open study we assessed the clinical effects and the morphological grade of nerve compression during 20 min of either a silicon ring(group A) or pneumatic tourniquet(group B) placement variantly on the upper non-dominant limb in 14 healthy human volunteers. Before and during compression, the median and radial nerves were visualized in both groups by 3 Tesla MR imaging, using high resolutional(2.5 mm slice thickness) axial T2-weighted sequences. RESULTS: In group A, Visual analog pain scale was 5.4 ± 2.2 compared to results of group B, 2.9 ± 2.5, showing a significant difference(P = 0.028). FPS levels in group A were 2.6 ± 0.9 compared to levels in group B 1.6 ± 1, showing a significant difference(P = 0.039). Results related to measureable effect on median and radial nerve function were equal in both groups. No undue pressure signs on the skin, redness or nerve damage occurred in either group. There was no significant difference in the diameters of the nerves without and under compression in either group on T2 weighted images.CONCLUSION: Based on our results, no differences between narrow and wide tourniquets were identified. Silicon ring tourniquets can be regarded as safe for short time application.
文摘Objective:The objective of this study is to understand the status quo of function motivation and professional identity among nursing volunteers and explore the correlation between the two.Materials and Methods:A total of 3375 nursing volunteers from Nightingale Volunteer Service Group in Shanxi Province were investigated by using Occupational Identity Scale and Volunteer Functional Motivation Scale.Results:A total of 3375 questionnaires were issued and 3330 were recovered,among which 3324 were valid,with an effective recovery rate of 99.82%(3324/3330).The overall score of professional identity of nurses was 110.31±18.71,and the score of each dimension was 32.17±6.62 for professional cognitive evaluation dimension,22.77±3.74 for professional social support,21.31±4.09 for professional social skills,22.78±3.79 for professional frustration coping,and 11.32±2.03 for professional self-reflection.The total score of function motivation was 157.12±29.92.The above five dimensions of nurse’s professional identity scale were positively correlated with the total score of function motivation of nursing volunteers(r=0.044,0.035,0.034,0.035,and 0.042,respectively,all P<0.05).Conclusion:The functional motivation and professional identity of nursing volunteers in Shanxi Province are in the middle level in China.Therefore,it is necessary for the hospital to stimulate nursing staff’s enthusiasm about participation by carrying out multi-channel and multi-form volunteer service projects,enhance their professional identity,and make them better give back nursing professional skills to the society.
文摘Disasters resulting in mass casualty incidents can rapidly overwhelm the Emergency Department(ED).To address critical manpower needs in the ED’s disaster response,medical student involvement has been advocated.Duke-National University of Singapore Medical School is in proximity to Singapore General Hospital and represents an untapped manpower resource.With appropriate training and integration into ED disaster workflows,medical students can be leveraged upon as qualified manpower.This review provides a snapshot of the conceptualization and setting up of the Disaster Volunteer Corps-a programme where medical students were recruited to receive regular training and assessment from emergency physicians on disaster response principles to fulfil specific roles during a crisis,while working as part of a team under supervision.We discuss overall strategy and benefits to stakeholders,emphasizing the close symbiotic relationship between academia and healthcare services.
文摘As a volunteer organization,NGO plays an important role nowadays for its unique social functions.In recent years,Chinese Young Volunteers Associations have made great progress,but compared with the EU countries,there is still a significant gap.This paper in cludes the result of the comparative researches on two aspects: Volunteer associations;Training systems.From the result,a relatively compre hensive reference can be provided for the development of the Chinese Youth Volunteers Associations.
基金The National Natural Science Foundation of China under contract No.41506090the National Key Research and Development Program of China under contract No.2016YFA0601400the Key Laboratory of Global Change and Marine-Atmospheric Chemistry under contract No.GCMAC1408
文摘Knowledge of the surface ocean dynamics and the underlying controlling mechanisms is critical to understand the natural variability of the ocean and to predict its future response to climate change.In this paper,we highlight the potential use of Volunteer Observing Ship(VOS),as carrier for automatic underway measuring system and as platform for sample collection,to enhance the observing capacity for the surface ocean.We review the concept,history,present status and future development of the VOS-based in situ surface ocean observation.The successes of various VOS projects demonstrate that,along with the rapid advancing sensor techniques,VOS is able to improve the temporal resolution and spatial coverage of the surface ocean observation in a highly cost-effective manner.A sustained and efficient marine monitoring system in the future should integrate the advantages of various observing platforms including VOS.
文摘This study explored the mechanism on how volunteers as rationalists use rationalism during their cognitive appraisal process when dealing with emotional events in their social helping behavior such as international rescue events.The authors used the triangulation method to include three studies(Study 1 is a qualitative research which explored ways of TCF leader’s inspiring their volunteer workers;Study 2 is a quantitative research on the decision-making process of volunteer individuals involving in international rescue activities;Study 3 is a quantitative research on individuals’motivation for joining social helping behavior)for validation of Tzu Chi Foundation(TCF),which is a famous non-profit organization worldwide,to prove that volunteers as rationalists rely on the reasonable cognitive appraisal method to substantially evaluate the necessity of social helping behavior,including their emotional responses and arousals.Economic evaluation theory was used to depict volunteers as volunteers as rationalists’way of cognitive appraisal perspective towards emotional events such as international rescue cases or when participating in activities by non-profit organizations.Accordingly,this study found that volunteers as rationalists adhere to the principles of altruism,egoism,compensation,and reciprocity as part of their cognitive appraisal when responding to emotional situations.The researchfindings of this study depicted the volunteers’behavioral intention as volunteers as rationalists in responding to emotional events in the form of NPO helping behaviors and international rescue events.Social helping behaviors often rely on people’s emotional compassion and empathy at the beginning,but social helping behaviors cannot rely solely on emotional support.To create long-term support for non-profit organizations’action plans,it is still neces-sary to plan rationally,turning the actions of volunteers into reasonable plans.In this way,even if the volun-teers have experienced many difficulties during devotion,hindrance,and stress afterward,they can still keep in a rationalist’mindset continuously.This paper provided directions for volunteer training for non-profit organizations.
