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Rationale Aims and Objectives Method Results Conclusion HIV incidence has decreased in England by over a third since 2019. Despite the early success of HIV Pre‐Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) in reducing HIV transmission in the United Kingdom, many people who could benefit from HIV PrEP do not yet know about it, or know how to access it.This paper presents the findings of the first England‐wide national peer‐to‐peer based diffusion model to disseminate information about PrEP. Ask Me About PrEP (AMAP) was a 5‐month pilot programme which commenced in November 2021. Volunteer mobilisers were encouraged to use their existing knowledge of their communities and geographical areas to assist them in discussing PrEP with their peers.12 enrolled mobilisers took part in three project evaluation focus groups between November 2021 and March 2022, and five AMAP project staff took part in one focus group in March 2022. Additionally, descriptive statistical analysis explored volunteer mobiliser recruitment to the AMAP project, demographical data of project staff and volunteer mobilisers, volunteer mobiliser attrition rates, and the project's impact.96 volunteers enrolled, completed training and volunteered as mobilisers. Thoroughout the project, mobilisers engaged their peers in 11,889 conversations about PrEP through individual conversations, online group conversations, online workplace educational events, and social media. The focus groups enabled key stakeholders to reflect on their experiences of the pilot programme. Four key themes were identified during the focus groups: motivations to mobilise and recruitment experiences; training, learning, and materials; mobilisation activity; and support and social networking.Our evaluation demonstrates that peer‐to‐peer diffusion models used to increase awareness of HIV PrEP in key unreached groups, offer an acceptable public health intervention model for volunteers and project staff. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study will evaluate the Basic Income for Care Leavers in Wales pilot (BIP), which is the most generous basic income scheme in the world. A cohort of care-experienced young people who become aged 18 during a 12-month enrolment period (July 2022-June 2023) are receiving £1,600 (before tax) per month for two years, and the Welsh Government intends this to have a range of benefits. This evaluation will examine the impact of BIP, the implementation of the pilot and how it is experienced, and its value for money. Methods: The study is a theory-based quasi-experimental evaluation, and the design and methods are informed by ongoing co-production with care-experienced young people. We will estimate the impact of BIP on participants using self-reported survey data and routinely collected administrative data. This will include outcomes across a range of domains, including psychological wellbeing, physical and mental health, financial impact, education, training and volunteering. Comparisons between temporal (Welsh) and geographical (English, using administrative data) controls will be done using coarsened exact matching and difference in differences analysis. The process evaluation will examine how BIP is implemented and experienced, primarily through monitoring data (quantitative) and interview, observational, and focus group data (qualitative). The economic evaluation will take a public sector and a societal perspective to identify, measure and value the costs and outcomes of BIP, and to synthesise the evidence to inform a social cost-benefit analysis at 24 months post-intervention. Discussion: BIP is unusual in that it targets a wide range of outcomes and is available to an entire national cohort of participants. The evaluation also has several practical constraints. Therefore, the study will use a range of methods and triangulate between different analyses to assess how successful it is. Findings will inform policy in relation to care leavers, social security and basic income studies worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For 35 years, APOYOnline – Association for Heritage Preservation of the Americas has been building bridges of communication and promoting professional development in the field of heritage preservation, strengthening, empowering, and transforming our community, increasing inclusion and access, and reducing social inequalities in the Americas and in Portuguese- and Spanish-speaking countries. As a grassroots, volunteer-based, non-profit organization, we listen to the community and work to address needs caused by widely recognized discrepancies in working conditions, adverse climate conditions, social inequalities in training, and other factors that directly impact heritage preservation and to provide access to specialized technical resources. This paper presents the voices of APOYOnline and the impact of the organization's catalyzing work in improving resource accessibility and connecting people. This work has mobilized regional and global networks, providing equal opportunities through translation of reference materials in multiple languages, professional development grants for students and emerging professionals, and training and regional networking events in underserved territories in the region. It also addresses our special community-based initiative Manos a la Obra, which strengthens long-term community engagement as a collaborative knowledge-sharing process, based on learning through participation and dialogue. The program improves access to technical information and fosters the long-term sustainability of local and regional cultural heritage preservation efforts, and has served as a model for similar activities in other countries. APOYOnline pursues sustainability through volunteer-based networking showing that communication and horizontal interaction with local communities creates awareness and better opportunities for our professionals and positively impacts heritage preservation in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Nurses routinely face psychological challenges as part of their work, acutely so during times of crises when nurses may treat many severely injured and dying patients. While the need for such support is well documented in the literature, mental health support programmes aimed at healthcare workers, even when available, are often underutilised, especially by nurses. To gain insights about needed mental health supports for nurses and programme implementation, this study examines a programme launched following a surprise attack on Israel on 7 October, 2023, resulting in thousands of deaths and injuries and precipitating a war. The programme deployed 30 volunteer nurses trained in cognitive behavioural therapy, trauma support and mental health first aid to offer up to three, anonymous, 30‐min online therapy sessions to nurses around Israel in December 2023. Using a qualitative descriptive design, we engaged 22 of these volunteers in one of the three focus groups lasting 60–90 min each. Our findings highlight a range of mental health issues—among both the volunteers and therapy recipients—as well as barriers to providing mental health support to nurses. The importance of normalising the pursuit of mental health support in nursing education and ensuring the availability of support in healthcare organisations was emphasised. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Featured Application: Feasibility study of vestibular training to reduce dizziness in healthy participants. Many situations can induce dizziness in healthy participants, be it when riding a carrousel or when making head movements while wearing a head-mounted display. Everybody—maybe with the exception of vestibular loss patients—is prone to dizziness, albeit to widely varying degrees. Some people get dizzy after a single rotation around the body axis, while others can perform multiple pirouettes without the slightest symptoms. We have developed a form of vestibular habituation training with the purpose of reducing proneness to dizziness. The training consists of a short (8 min) exercise routine which is moderate enough that it can easily be integrated into a daily routine. Twenty volunteers performed the training over the course of two weeks. We measured subjective dizziness before and after each daily session. We also performed several vestibular tests before (pre-test) and after (post-test) the two-week training period. They included exposure to a rotating and pitching visual environment while standing upright, as well as a physical rotation that was abruptly stopped. The results show that the dizziness induced during a given daily session decreased over the course of the two weeks. The dizziness induced by the rotating visual stimulus was significantly less after completion of the training period compared with the initial pre-test. Also, postural stability and post-rotatory spinning sensations had improved when comparing the post-test with the pre-test. We conclude that a short regular vestibular training can significantly improve proneness to dizziness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the aftermath of the devastating Palu disaster in September 2018, communities, especially children, suffered deep psychological trauma. At the request of faith leaders, local NGO Wahana Visi Indonesia (WVI), in partnership with Krida Wacana Christian University (UKRIDA), conducted a psychosocial support training program for volunteers, including Qur'an recitation teachers and Sunday school teachers in Palu. These trained volunteers then initiated a psychosocial support initiative for children in the area. Years later, WVI and UKRIDA conducted a reflective study of the program, collecting data from 40 volunteers through focus group discussions and surveys. The study identified key themes, including the effectiveness of the training, reflections on program implementation, lessons learned, and recommendations for future programs. The study underscores the importance of multi-stakeholder involvement, particularly that of faith-based organizations, in providing psychosocial support in disasteraffected areas. Given the recurring threat of disasters in the region, the study advocates for transparent collaboration among various social stakeholders. To build community resilience, disaster management strategies need to be widely disseminated, and the need for continuous training to strengthen community preparedness is emphasized. In addition, the development of culturally sensitive training modules tailored to the community's language, age, and religious background is essential. Such a comprehensive commitment will ensure the community's ability to deal effectively with future disasters. Detailed findings are discussed further in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ability to form a mental representation of the surroundings is a critical skill for spatial navigation and orientation in humans. Such a mental representation is known as a "cognitive map" and is formed as individuals familiarize themselves with the surrounding, providing detailed information about salient environmental landmarks and their spatial relationships. Despite evidence of the malleability and potential for training spatial orientation skills in humans, it remains unknown if the specific ability to form cognitive maps can be improved by an appositely developed training program. Here, we present a newly developed computerized 12-days training program in a virtual environment designed specifically to stimulate the acquisition of this important skill. We asked 15 healthy volunteers to complete the training program and perform a comprehensive spatial behavioral assessment before and after the training. We asked participants to become familiar with the environment by navigating a small area before slowly building them up to navigate within the larger and more complex environment; we asked them to travel back and forth between environmental landmarks until they had built an understanding of where those landmarks resided with respect to one another. This process repeated until participants had visited every landmark in the virtual town and had learned where each landmark resided with respect to the others. The results of this study confirmed the feasibility of the training program and suggested an improvement in the ability of participants to form mental representations of the spatial surrounding. This study provides preliminary findings on the feasibility of a 12-days program in training spatial orientation skills. We discuss the utility and potential impact of this training program in the lives of the many individuals affected by topographical disorientation as a result of an acquired or developmental condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: COVID-19 posed a major threat to countries around the world, but many nations in sub-Saharan Africa avoided large-scale outbreaks. In Uganda, the government first enacted strict lockdowns but later focused on public health policies like masking and distancing. The government also embarked on an ambitious campaign to deliver a free face mask to all Ugandan citizens (approx. 30 million masks). We test whether mask distribution, and public education and encouragement of mask use by community health volunteers, affected mask behavior. Methods: We collected data about mask behavior before and after masks were distributed in the Mbale district of Uganda. Trained enumerators directly observed mask wearing in public places and asked about mask use via phone surveys. We compared observed and self-reported mask behavior before and after masks were distributed. We also tested whether training volunteers from randomly selected villages to educate the public about COVID-19 and masks affected behavior, attitudes, and knowledge among mask recipients. Results: We collected 6,381 direct observations of mask use at baseline (February 2021) and 19,855 observations at endline (April 2021). We conducted a listing of 9,410 households eligible for phone surveys and randomly selected 399 individuals (4.2%) at baseline and 640 (6.8%) at endline. Fewer than 1% of individuals were observed wearing masks at baseline: 0.9% were seen with a mask and 0.5% wore masks over mouth and nose. Mask wearing significantly increased at endline but remained low: 1.8% of people were observed with masks and 1.1% were seen wearing masks correctly after the distribution campaign. At the same time, a high proportion of people reported using masks: 63.0% of people reported using masks at baseline and 65.3% at endline when walking around their villages. When respondents were asked about mask use in public places, 94.7% reported using masks at baseline and 97.4% reported using masks at endline. We found no differences in knowledge, behavior, or attitudes among mask recipients in villages where volunteers were tasked with conveying information about COVID-19 and masks during distribution. Conclusion: Mask use remained low in Mbale district of Uganda during study observation period even after free masks were distributed. Encouraging new health behaviors may need to involve more intensive interventions that include reminders and address social norms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Issue Addressed: The proactive strategy of village health volunteers could help decrease the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) in Thailand. This research aimed to study the factors that influence the operation of the COVID‐19 Control Centre in the village health volunteer communities in Thailand. Thai village health volunteers are trained in infection control education, so they could help control the spread of COVID‐19 in the country. This questionnaire study examined factors related to the work of volunteers who could influence the outcomes of initiatives of the COVID‐19 Control Centre in Thailand. Method: A questionnaire was used that gathered demographic data about the volunteers in section 1, assessed the factors influencing the operation of the control centre in section 2, and evaluated the operation of the control centre in section 3. A predictive correlational design was conducted with 10 400 village health volunteers nationwide. Cronbach's alpha was used to assess the reliability of the instrument, with a score range of.773 to.917. The data were analysed using multiple regression analysis. Results: Factors associated with the volunteers that could influence their implementation of the initiatives of the Thai COVID‐19 Control Centre were disease severity awareness (β =.196), preventive health behaviours (β =.159), organisational support awareness (β =.167), motivation (β =.120), and work duration (β =.036). These five factors yielded 26% variance (adj. R2 =.260, p <.001). Conclusion: The village health volunteers have an important role in implementing the initiatives of the Thai COVID‐19 Control Centre. The key findings suggest that disease severity awareness, preventive health behaviour, and organisational support awareness are critical factors influencing the operation of the COVID‐19 Control Centre by village health volunteers in Thailand. Understanding and addressing these factors could contribute to early and effective interventions in managing the spread of COVID‐19 and potentially future other epidermics. So What?: These outcomes may positively contribute to effective early interventions as well as appropriate responses to the spread of COVID‐19 and to be better prepared to tackle future infectious threats. Further support for the village health volunteers is warranted to determine their efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Information Library Magazine 'INFOLIB' is the property of National Library of Uzbekistan named after Alisher Navoi and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background: Recreational parks can play a significant role in older people's health, with emerging evidence suggesting that changes in the physical environment, such as refurbishments of local parks, can increase park visitations and physical activity engagement. The ENJOY MAP for HEALTH aimed to evaluate the impact of Seniors Exercise Park installations and associated capacity building activities on older people's park visitation, and park-based physical activity. Method: The ENJOY MAP for HEALTH was a quasi-experiment study design that involved the installation of specialised Seniors Exercise Park equipment as part of park refurbishment, supported by promotion and community capacity building activities in six municipalities in Victoria, Australia. Direct observations of park users took place prior to park upgrades, one-month post upgrade and 12-months from baseline. The overall number and characteristics of park visitors, and the type and level of physical activity undertaken, were summarised descriptively. Generalised linear models were used to examine the impact of park refurbishment (equipment installation and site activation) on the total number of older people observed in the park, and their engagement in physical activity, accounting for site and seasonal effects. Results: Overall number of visits increased following park upgrades, with the largest number of visitors observed one-month post upgrade (n = 12,501). The proportion of older people observed at the parks remained relatively low prior to and one-month post upgrade compared to other age groups. However, after adjusting for site and seasonal effects, the number of older people observed in the parks increased significantly post upgrade and site activation compared to prior to the refurbishment (incidence rate ratios (IRR) 3.55; 95% CI 2.68, 4.70). The number of older people observed to be exercising at the Seniors Exercise Park also increased by 100% at 12-months post-installation relative to one-month post upgrade (IRR 2.00; 95% CI 1.26, 3.17). Conclusion: Installation of the Seniors Exercise Parks and the supportive programs and activities following six park upgrades resulted in an increase in older people's park visitation and engagement in physical activity. Community engagement and training of volunteers with the support of local governments are likely to contribute to the increased park usage by older people. Trial registration: This trial was registered with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry. Trial registration number ACTRN12621000965808. https://www.anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=380745&isReview=true. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Volunteering in the community is thought to provide unique benefits to people who experience limited engagement in society. In the global South, volunteer programs are often framed as empowering women and benefiting the poor, without empirical evidence or systematic investigation of what this means from a local perspective. For this reason, it is critical to represent stakeholder knowledge, understand how change happens systemically, and reduce cultural bias in scientific inquiry and public policy. As such, efforts to respect diverse narratives and problem-solving approaches are key to science diplomacy - they help us understand cultural relevance, program efficacy, and for whom a program is considered transformative. Methods and results: This study shows how Syrian refugee and Jordanian women, living in resource-poor families, articulated (i) concepts of empowerment and life satisfaction and (ii) the benefits of engaging in community-based volunteering programs. Through engaging in a participatory methodology known as Fuzzy Cognitive Mapping, women generated visual representations of these constructs and cause-and-effect reasoning. They identified several dimensions of empowerment (e.g., cultural, financial, and psychological empowerment) and several meanings of life satisfaction (e.g. adaptation, acceptance, and contentment). They also mapped connections between variables, identifying those that might catalyze change. We were specifically interested in evaluating understandings of We Love Reading, a program that trains volunteers to become changemakers in their local community. In simulations, we modelled how employment, education, money, and volunteering would drive system change, with notable results on cultural empowerment. Discussion: Through visual maps and scenarios of change, the study demonstrates a participatory approach to localizing knowledge and evaluating programs. This is key to improving scientific enquiry and public policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As part of a broader evolution of our K-12 programming, the Art Institute of Chicago transitioned our docent program into a newly designed Volunteer Program, a process that was informed by rigorous research, reflection, and evaluation of our engagements with students and teachers. This case study offers a perspective on designing a new structure for volunteer engagement, including defining and aligning new volunteer roles to strategic priorities, the process for reinviting former volunteers to join the new program and matching them to roles, and an overview of a new onboarding and training program grounded in equity and inclusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Osteoporosis is a bone disease related to increased bone loss and fracture‐risk. The variability in bone strength is partially explained by bone mineral density (BMD), and the remainder is contributed by bone microstructure. Recently, clinical CT has emerged as a viable option for in vivo bone microstructural imaging. Wide variations in spatial‐resolution and other imaging features among different CT scanners add inconsistency to derived bone microstructural metrics, urging the need for harmonization of image data from different scanners. Purpose: This paper presents a new deep learning (DL) method for the harmonization of bone microstructural images derived from low‐ and high‐resolution CT scanners and evaluates the method's performance at the levels of image data as well as derived microstructural metrics. Methods: We generalized a three‐dimensional (3D) version of GAN‐CIRCLE that applies two generative adversarial networks (GANs) constrained by the identical, residual, and cycle learning ensemble (CIRCLE). Two GAN modules simultaneously learn to map low‐resolution CT (LRCT) to high‐resolution CT (HRCT) and vice versa. Twenty volunteers were recruited. LRCT and HRCT scans of the distal tibia of their left legs were acquired. Five‐hundred pairs of LRCT and HRCT image blocks of 64×64×64$64 \times 64 \times 64 $ voxels were sampled for each of the twelve volunteers and used for training in supervised as well as unsupervised setups. LRCT and HRCT images of the remaining eight volunteers were used for evaluation. LRCT blocks were sampled at 32 voxel intervals in each coordinate direction and predicted HRCT blocks were stitched to generate a predicted HRCT image. Results: Mean ± standard deviation of structural similarity (SSIM) values between predicted and true HRCT using both 3DGAN‐CIRCLE‐based supervised (0.84 ± 0.03) and unsupervised (0.83 ± 0.04) methods were significantly (p < 0.001) higher than the mean SSIM value between LRCT and true HRCT (0.75 ± 0.03). All Tb measures derived from predicted HRCT by the supervised 3DGAN‐CIRCLE showed higher agreement (CCC ∈$ \in $ [0.956 0.991]) with the reference values from true HRCT as compared to LRCT‐derived values (CCC ∈$ \in $ [0.732 0.989]). For all Tb measures, except Tb plate‐width (CCC = 0.866), the unsupervised 3DGAN‐CIRCLE showed high agreement (CCC ∈$ \in $ [0.920 0.964]) with the true HRCT‐derived reference measures. Moreover, Bland‐Altman plots showed that supervised 3DGAN‐CIRCLE predicted HRCT reduces bias and variability in residual values of different Tb measures as compared to LRCT and unsupervised 3DGAN‐CIRCLE predicted HRCT. The supervised 3DGAN‐CIRCLE method produced significantly improved performance (p < 0.001) for all Tb measures as compared to the two DL‐based supervised methods available in the literature. Conclusions: 3DGAN‐CIRCLE, trained in either unsupervised or supervised fashion, generates HRCT images with high structural similarity to the reference true HRCT images. The supervised 3DGAN‐CIRCLE improves agreements of computed Tb microstructural measures with their reference values and outperforms the unsupervised 3DGAN‐CIRCLE. 3DGAN‐CIRCLE offers a viable DL solution to retrospectively improve image resolution, which may aid in data harmonization in multi‐site longitudinal studies where scanner mismatch is unavoidable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strandings have been extensively documented for large mammals, however, a comprehensive survey focusing on batoids is currently lacking. To address this knowledge gap, we conducted a review of available stranding data sourced from iNaturalist, news websites, and published papers. A total of 3.148 reports encompassing 189 batoid species were recovered, revealing the vulnerability of both oceanic and coastal species to strandings. Nevertheless, limited data on life stage, sex, animal condition, and fate hinder a comprehensive understanding of this phenomenon. Putative causes were identified only for a small percentage (6%) of the reports, namely pollution, abrupt environmental alterations, predation, pathologies, and fishing activities. The earliest reported stranding dates back to 1989, with an increase in reports observed since 2019. iNaturalist accounted for the majority (75%) of records, emphasizing its significance as a platform for reporting and monitoring batoid strandings. These strandings were reported in 51 countries, with the coastal areas of California, United States, particularly notable. Among the identified species, Rhinoptera bonasus exhibited the highest number of strandings, with 392 recorded individuals. Alarmingly, more than half of the reports involved threatened species, underscoring the need for increased attention to batoid strandings. To address these issues, we propose the establishment of stranding monitoring networks and the development of a freely accessible global database. In addition, the training of volunteer citizen scientists, the development of rescue and rehabilitation protocols, and manuals of good fishing practices aimed at commercial and recreational fisheries are also recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article's argument revolves around the training and practice of volunteer Christian educators engaged in teaching diverse age groups. It posits the necessity of formulating an educational project rooted in a theoretical-referential framework anchored in Christ. Central to the discussion is the inquiry: How can the cultivation of Christian educators' formation contribute to the alignment of their practice with this theoretical-referential perspective? Failure to ground their training in this perspective may potentially impede the coherence of their educational endeavors. The proposed research methodology entails a bibliographical and explanatory approach with a qualitative orientation. This methodology aims to elucidate the envisaged training process and anticipate its potential outcomes. The complexity of the subject matter is acknowledged, particularly in light of the scarcity of volunteers in educational roles within certain church contexts, regardless of size. Nonetheless, the urgency of this reflection is underscored, as it directly impacts generational understanding and experience of faith. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The book "A War Against Poverty" by Fernando Purcell analyzes the role of Peace Corps volunteers in Latin America during the 1960s. The author examines the training of the volunteers, their on-the-ground experience, and the implemented community programs. It also addresses the volunteers' relationship with the people and the difficulties they faced. The book offers an expanded view of the political-ideological dimensions in which Latin America was involved during the Cold War. [Extracted from the article]

With the development of higher education, the integration of youth volunteer service into the practical teaching of Civics and Political Science courses in colleges and universities has become an important direction of teaching reform. This strategy significantly improves students' sense of social responsibility, and practical ability and effectively promotes the combination of theoretical knowledge and practical application by combining volunteering and Civic and Political education. This paper discusses the specific countermeasures for the integration of youth volunteering into the teaching of Civics and Political Science, including the construction of volunteering courses in conjunction with majors, the expansion of inter-school and social cooperation, the systematic training of volunteers, the establishment of an accurate assessment and dynamic incentive system, and the application of information technology. This process aims to ensure that educational activities can effectively cultivate future social builders with more innovative abilities and social responsibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global and national policy frameworks emphasize the importance of people's participation and volunteers' role in disaster risk reduction. While research has extensively focused on volunteers in disaster response and recovery, less attention has been paid on how organizations involved in disaster risk management can support volunteers in leading and coordinating community-based disaster risk reduction. In 2019, the New Zealand Red Cross piloted the Good and Ready initiative in Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand, with the objective to empower local people in resilience building with a focus on volunteers and community participation. This research examined the positive and negative outcomes of Good and Ready and investigated volunteers' experiences in the disaster resilience initiative. It involved the codesign of a questionnaire-based survey using participatory methods with Good and Ready volunteers, the dissemination of the survey to gather volunteers' viewpoints, and a focus group discussion with participatory activities with Red Cross volunteers. The findings highlight that a key challenge lies in finding a balance between a program that provides flexibility to address contextual issues and fosters communities' ownership, versus a prescriptive and standardized approach that leaves little room for creativity and self-initiative. It pinpoints that supporting volunteers with technical training is critical but that soft skills training such as coordinating, communicating, or facilitating activities at the local level are needed. It concludes that the sustainability of Good and Ready requires understanding and meeting volunteers' motivations and expectations and that enhancing partnerships with local emergency management agencies would strengthen the program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Trees in towns and cities provide many benefits, but also disservices such as risk and conflicts. Structural pruning of young trees can reduce future conflicts and risk as trees grow larger; it also can reduce future maintenance costs. Volunteers can perform important urban forestry tasks such as planting, watering, and conducting inventories. It was hypothesized that, with training, they could also learn to structurally prune young street trees. Methods: Forty-seven volunteers in three cities in Massachusetts were trained to structurally prune trees. Twenty volunteers trained in a classroom lecture; twenty-seven trained with a hands-on approach. The volunteers' performance was evaluated with a written exam and in situ assessments of their ability to specify and explain pruning recommendations and make pruning cuts. Training type and covariates (e.g., volunteers' familiarity with trees, number of branches) influence on volunteers' performance were investigated. Results: On the assessment of volunteers' ability to explain pruning recommendations, volunteers who received hands-on training achieved higher mean scores (79%) than volunteers who received classroom training (74%). All volunteers who received hands-on training did not leave a stub when making a reduction cut, but only 70% of volunteers who received classroom training did not leave a stub. Volunteers who received classroom training achieved higher scores on the exam (93%) than volunteers who received hands-on training (85%). Conclusions: Results suggest that with minimal training volunteers successfully learned structural pruning. This is an encouraging finding that may help municipal arborists accomplish more with limited urban forestry budgets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Participation in urban agriculture conducted through community gardens and allotments is known for its benefits to physical and mental health. Due to the recognition of these benefits, which include reduction of stress, depression and anxiety, such participation is increasingly being prescribed as a non-medical health intervention. Community gardens have the added advantage of immersion into a community, without the often-long waiting lists and level of commitment involved in allotment tenancies. What has not been explored is the demanding nature of the commitment required by volunteer coordinators, and ironically, the negative effects it can have on their wellbeing. In a study of food activism in Aberdeen, UK, we conducted 21 semi-structured interviews with participants from a range of bodies involved in the city's food growing projects. From the spectrum of food growers, we found that volunteer coordinators of community gardens experienced the greatest burdens on their time and wellbeing, with their demanding multi-functional roles leading to fatigue and feelings of over-commitment. Other problems encountered by community gardeners were over-reliance on grant funding and the disproportionate impacts of COVID closures on vulnerable groups. Policy interventions are required to reduce dependency on competitive grant funding and to support both coordinators and the long-term sustainability of community gardens. Key policy highlights Long-term budgets are required to support the longevity of existing community projects that align with public health goals. Funded, centralised bodies are required to help coordinate volunteers and to provide training and empowerment activities to encourage the sharing of workloads. Governing bodies need to acknowledge the diverse activities involved in urban food growing and the economic benefits they bring in relation to human, environmental and public health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Volunteers are noteworthy youth development professionals in the 4-H program whose training translates into practices that promote positive outcomes among young people they serve. This study explored how contextual and programmatic factors were associated with volunteers' practices of the essential elements with youth. Programmatic influences included breadth of volunteer training, tenure in 4-H whereas gender and age were contextual factors. Results supported associations between breadth of volunteer training and the essential element of mastery; this effect was not found with other essential elements. Also, volunteers' tenure in the 4-H program moderated the relationship between breadth of training and practices promoting mastery, with stronger association between training breadth and mastery for less seasoned volunteers. Moreover, among volunteers reporting greater breadth of trainings in the past year, men reported greater levels of facilitating independence than women, an effect not found across the whole sample. Our findings suggest mastery as a relevant essential element retained in training and applied in 4-H volunteers' practice. Implications are discussed regarding volunteer training content and promotion of responsibilities for both new and seasoned volunteers, as well as consideration for possible effects of differences in gender role expectations influencing the practice of promoting certain essential elements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on comparing two youth mental health training programs for volunteers: Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA) and Supporting Youth Mental Health (SYMH). It evaluates their effectiveness in preparing volunteers to support youth experiencing mental health challenges, with an emphasis on addressing the training needs and logistical challenges faced by Extension volunteers.

Copyright of Revista Brasileira de Prescrição e Fisiologia do Exercício is the property of Instituto Brasileiro de Pesquisa e Ensino em Fisiologia do Exercicio and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

MANY ADULTS AVOID SINGING PARTICIPATION, even in informal situations. We examined components of singing identity in self-identified non-singers using questionnaires, including a novel Singing Inhibition (SI) scale, among 238 adults volunteering for a training study. Higher levels of Singing Inhibition were predicted by a combination of lower self-reported singing skill, lower Parental/Family Engagement in singing, and stronger belief that singing is a fixed ability. A subsample of 20 self-reported non-singers (aged 23-71) participated in 10 months of singing lessons, and we tracked changes in objective singing competence as well as selfassessments and singing-related attitudes and beliefs at baseline, at six months, and at the conclusion. Among the trainees, some but not all aspects of singing improved. Importantly, we found that after six months, participants showed a significant reduction in Elitist Attitudes and Sensitivity to Social Judgment in singing and viewed singing as more open to improvement rather than a fixed talent. Self-assessment of accuracy, vocal tone, and physical sensations also improved. We view this shift as becoming an Activated Singer, encompassing both skills and attitudes, which is encouragement for even life-long non-singers to begin the journey to becoming a singer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the beliefs and attitudes toward the use of information and communication technology (ICT). The study examines the challenges of implementing ICT-based training and provides insights for promoting the acceptance of online training in volunteer sports communities. Design/methodology/approach: The study uses an action design research methodology that combines the implementation of ICT-based training, interviews, and a survey of 523 participants to examine the influence of online training on beliefs and attitudes. Findings: The study shows that before the COVID-19 pandemic, soccer referees had negative beliefs about the use of ICT for learning. However, the experience of being forced to use ICT for training during the pandemic led to a positive shift in their beliefs about ICT. Research limitations/implications: The study offers four lessons learned for promoting the use of ICT-based training in voluntary sports. Future research should investigate the influence of blended learning approaches on affective, cognitive, and skill-based learning outcomes. Practical implications: The study has practical implications for those responsible for implementing ICT-based training in voluntary sport. The findings suggest that design features such as usefulness, ease of use and enjoyment should be emphasized to increase the acceptance of online training. Originality/value: The study contributes to the literature by providing insights into the challenges of implementing ICT-based training in voluntary sport contexts. The findings suggest that the experience of being forced to use ICT can promote the acceptance of online training in volunteer sports communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This investigation analyzes the volunteer management programmes of two British archival institutions against best practice, taking into consideration the perspectives of both volunteer managers and the volunteers themselves. Results show that, in both cases, despite the variety of measures adopted to attract volunteers, word of mouth and individual initiative are the most effective. Volunteer training and supervision are consolidated and positively received by all volunteers, while more resources should be invested in team incorporation. Overall, it was found that the institutions plan and act according to what they know motivates their volunteers, which proves to be successful considering that most volunteers have been with each organization for over one year. It can be concluded that by following best practice the institutions are equipped with thoroughly planned volunteer management programmes, created and adapted according to the institutions' goals and resources, and their volunteers' motivations, expectations, and interests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Volunteers are crucial for successful event delivery, from community to mega-events. Mega-sport events (MSE) are sold on their generative potential for social legacies for host communities like volunteering to support future community and tourism activity. With the lens of the temporal extension of the socioecological framework (TESEF), we propose that strategic human resource management (SHRM) across the volunteer journey will facilitate post-MSE legacy. A previously used online questionnaire and then structural equation modeling (SEM) are used to test 10 hypotheses with 4,824 Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games volunteers. Analysis revealed four predictors (SHRM: recruitment, job allocation, and supervision; and Motivational: variety) have significant positive effects on overall satisfaction. However, volunteer training and overall satisfaction had a highly negative influence on legacy potential. SEM revealed the moderating effect of volunteers??? gender and prior experience. Gender moderated five relationship paths and experience moderated six relational paths. MSE management implications are explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the digital existence of the food bank users in a university town in Texas, and subsequently, aligned with the research's pragmatic focus, the researchers designed a training model for these food bank users. Two research questions guided the study: What are the digital existence levels of the food bank users, and what training model would best serve these food bank users? Data were collected by means of a survey from 230 individual food bank users representing households. Additional data included observations and conversations with food bank staff, and documents and materials from the site which provided deeper insights. The study found that the food bank users 1) had little to no broadband connectivity; 2) possessed limited digital devices which revealed significant barriers to their digital existence; and 3) had feelings of desperation, vulnerability and isolation. Regarding training offered at no cost, the food bank users did not show much interest, which was attributed to the food bank users’ insufficient digital knowledge. The three-level training model was designed with the following objectives: 1) Prepare participants for training; 2) introduce the concept of digital; and 3) teach basic computing and cybersecurity skills. To implement this training, an interactive learner-centric model was created demonstrating collaboration among university instructors, volunteer students and the food bank staff. The study concluded that to exist in digital societies affordable broadband connectivity, needs-based devices, and continual support and training were needed for such underserved groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Foam rolling is widely used in fitness, sports, rehabilitation, and injury prevention. However, there are limited data available on the effect of foam rolling techniques on the upper limbs. The aim of this investigation is to assess the effects of foam rolling the latissimus dorsi area during the rest period between two consecutive lat pull-down exercise (LPDE) sets. Seventeen resistance training experienced volunteer male subjects (25.8 ± 3.4 years; 180.3 ± 9.0 cm; 79.7 ± 9.9 kg) participated in this research. Each subject performed 2 training sessions of LPDE in a random order, separated by one week. Each session consisted of 2 sets of maximum repetitions using 85% of their one-repetition maximum (1RM), with a 7 min rest period between sets. The rest period condition between sets was different in the 2 sessions: passive rest (Pr) or foam rolling the latissimus dorsi muscle bilaterally for 3 sets of 45 s (FRr). The following variables were assessed for each LPDE set: number of repetitions (REPS), average excursion per repetition in millimeters (EXC), average power of the set in watts (AP) and rating of perceived exertion (RPE). Pr did not show any significant change between the first and the second LPDE set for REPS, EXC, and AP. However, there was a significant increase for RPE (8.4 ± 0.5 vs. 8.9 ± 0.5 a.u., p = 0.003) between the two sets. FRr resulted in an increase for REPS (7.1 ± 1.5 vs. 8.2 ± 1.3, p < 0.001) and AP (304.6 ± 61.5 W vs. 318.8 ± 60.8 W, p = 0.034) between the first and the second LPDE sets, but no changes were observed for EXC and RPE. The use of foam rolling techniques on the latissimus dorsi area during the complete rest period between sets in LPDE at 85% 1RM appears to improve the number of repetitions and the movement power without affecting the RPE during the second set. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The burden of non-communicable diseases is becoming unmanageable by primary healthcare facilities in low- and middle-income countries. Community-based approaches are promising for supporting healthcare facilities. In Vietnam, community health volunteers are trained in providing health promotion and screening in a culturally adapted training. This study aims to assess the change in knowledge, attitude and practice regarding NCD prevention and management after a culturally adapted training, and the potential mechanisms leading to this change. Methods: The Knowledge Attitude and Practice survey was assessed before and after an initial training, and before and after a refresher training (n = 37). We used a focus group discussion with community health volunteers (n = 8) to map potential mechanisms of the training and applying learned knowledge in practice. Data were collected in the districts Le Chan and An Duong of Hai Phong, Vietnam, in November 2021 and May 2022. Results: We found that knowledge increased after training (mean = 5.54, 95%-confidence interval = 4.35 to 6.74), whereas attitude and practice did not improve. Next, knowledge decreased over time (m=-12.27;-14.40 to -10.11) and did not fully recover after a refresher training (m=-1.78;-3.22 to -0.35). As potential mechanisms for change, we identified the use of varying learning methods, enough breaks, efficient coordination of time located for theory and practice, handout materials, large group size and difficulty in applying a digital application for screening results. Conclusion: Culturally adapted trainings can improve knowledge among community health volunteers which is important for the support of primary healthcare in low- and middle-income countries. Using a digital screening application can be a barrier for the improvement of knowledge, attitude and practice and we suggest using an intergenerational or age-friendly approach, with the supervision of primary healthcare professionals. Future research on behavioral change should include additional components such as self-efficacy and interrelationships between individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Older adults living alone in rural areas frequently experience health declines, social isolation, and limited access to services. To address these challenges, our medical academic university supported a quality improvement project for developing and evaluating the Visiting Neighbors program in two rural Appalachian counties. Our Visiting Neighbors program trained local volunteers to visit and guide rural older adults in healthy activities. These age-appropriate activities (Mingle, Manage, and Move– 3M's) were designed to improve the functional health of older adults. The program includes four in-home visits and four follow-up telephone calls across three months. Purpose: The purpose of this paper was to describe the 3M's Visiting Neighbors protocol steps guiding the quality improvement procedures relating to program development, implementation, and evaluation. Methods and materials: This Visiting Neighbors study used a single-group exploratory quality improvement design. This program was tested using quality improvement standards, including collecting participant questionnaires and visit observations. Results: Older adults (> 65 years) living alone (N = 30) participants were female (79%) with a mean age of 82.96 (SD = 7.87) years. Volunteer visitor participants (N = 10) were older adult females. Two volunteer visitors implemented each visit, guided by the 3M's activities manual. All visits were verified as being consistently delivered (fidelity). Enrollment and retention data found the program was feasible to conduct. The older adult participants' total program helpfulness ratings (1 to 5) were high (M = 51.27, SD = 3.77). All volunteer visitor's program helpfulness ratings were also high (M = 51.78, SD = 3.73). Discussion: The Visiting Neighbors program consistently engaged older Appalachian adults living alone in the 3M's activities. The feasibility and fidelity of the 3M's home visits were verified. The quality improvement processes included engaging the expert advisory committee and rural county stakeholders to ensure the quality of the program development, implementation, and evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies informed by poststructuralist theories of language have examined the relationship between language teachers' emotion labor, identity, and agency. However, research has not yet explored the relationship between emotion labor and volunteer teaching, which is an important practice in language education. Our research seeks to address this gap, drawing on a 2‐year qualitative case study at the community‐based Vancouver Bangla School (VBS). With emotion labor and investment as the conceptual underpinnings, our study investigated how the VBS heritage language (HL) program structured the emotion labor of seven volunteer teachers, what the feeling rules associated with the VBS program were, and the extent to which volunteer teachers' investment in HL education helped them manage their emotion labor. Data sources included participant classroom observations, field notes, focus group and interview transcripts, questionnaires, and educational resources, which were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. Findings indicate that the emotion labor of volunteer teachers was structured by the following characteristics of the VBS program: lack of funding, poor organizational structure and teacher recognition, challenges of online teaching, insufficient number of teachers, limited parental support, and lack of training. This emotion labor was associated with four feeling rules implicit in the VBS program: (a) be generous and caring, (b) be committed and dedicated, (c) be a good and efficient teacher, and (d) have limited expectations of the community. Findings suggest that teachers' investment in Bangla as a mother tongue in multicultural Canada, and their investment in promoting the children's transcultural identities, was particularly powerful, and enabled the volunteer teachers to navigate and manage their emotion labor. The study suggests that an enhanced understanding of a language teacher's investment in a program, institution, or community might provide insight into the important relationship among desire, agency, and emotion labor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim. The aim was to study motivation functions and the psycho-emotional reaction to participation in volunteering in Polish and Ukrainian volunteers who assisted Ukrainian refugees at the beginning of the war in Ukraine in 2022. Methods. For the empirical study of volunteers, the team of authors developed the questionnaire. The Volunteer Functions Inventory VFI and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales DASS were used. The significance of the differences between the mean results of the measured variables in the Polish and Ukrainian samples was tested using the Student's t-test. Volunteers' expectations of volunteer leaders were tested by analysing responses to the open exploratory question. Results. The article reveals similarities and significant differences between Polish and Ukrainian volunteers in their motives and psycho-emotional reactions to volunteering. A common motive for both samples is that they are not helping for the sake of their professional careers. Ukrainian volunteers had higher rates of protective, religious, and social motivation functions of volunteering. Polish volunteers had higher rates of motivation based on understanding and empowerment opportunities. Ukrainian volunteers scored higher than Polish volunteers on the depression, anxiety, and stress scales. Volunteers' motivation expectations of leaders indicate the importance for volunteers of leaders' adherence to values, openness of intentions and actions, and attentiveness to volunteers' difficulties. Conclusion. The survey results can be used in psychological training for volunteers, in planning the activities of volunteer leaders, and in developing new methods for studying volunteer motivation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on examining 4-H volunteer leaders' satisfaction, reasons for volunteering, and turnover intention. Topics include factors influencing volunteer satisfaction such as supervisor communication and task assignments, motivations for volunteering including impacting the community and working with a team, and turnover intention defined as plans to withdraw from volunteering.

Copyright of Community Connections: Studies on Education, Culture / Közösségi Kapcsolódások: Tanulmányok Kultúráról és Oktatásról is the property of Szeged University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Voluntaris: Journal of Volunteer Services & Civic Engagement / Zeitschrift für Freiwilligendienste und Zivilgesellschaftliches Engagement is the property of Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

When faced with incivility from service recipients, do volunteers feel damaged? As few previous studies have explored this issue, this study uses the conservation of resources theory to investigate the mechanisms through which incivility affects volunteer engagement and burnout, based on three-wave survey data from 1675 volunteers. This study develops a moderated mediation model to examine the effect of incivility on volunteer outcomes. We find that incivility affected volunteers' subsequent outcomes, reducing engagement and increasing volunteer burnout by lowering volunteers' psychological detachment. Volunteers' hostile attribution bias played a moderating role, amplifying the negative impact of incivility on psychological detachment. Hostile attribution bias also enhanced the mediating effect of incivility on volunteer engagement and increased volunteer burnout by reducing psychological detachment. Besides developing a moderated mediation model, this study also proposes that managers should pay attention to strengthening volunteer training and providing psychological counseling to improve psychological detachment for volunteers experienced with incivility from service recipients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Beneficial effects have been observed for mechanical vibration stimulation (MVS), which are mainly attributed to tonic vibration reflex (TVR). TVR is reported to elicit synchronized motor unit activation during locally applied vibration. Similar effects are also observed in a novel vibration system referred to as functional force stimulation (FFS). However, the manifestation of TVR in FFS is doubted due to the use of global electromyography (EMG) features in previous analysis. Our study aims to investigate the effects of FFS on motor unit discharge patterns of the human biceps brachii by analyzing the motor unit spike trains decoded from the high-density surface EMG. Methods: Eighteen healthy subjects volunteered in FFS training with different amplitudes and frequencies. One hundred and twenty-eight channel surface EMG was recorded from the biceps brachii and then decoded after motion-artifact removal. The discharge timings were extracted and the coherence between different motor unit spike trains was calculated to quantify synchronized activation. Results and discussion: Significant synchronization within the vibration cycle and/or its integer multiples is observed for all FFS trials, which increases with increased FFS amplitude. Our results reveal the basic physiological mechanism involved in FFS, providing a theoretical foundation for analyzing and introducing FFS into clinical rehabilitation programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we present formal and informal volunteers' perceived experiences of a mass vaccination clinic for COVID‐19 in central Texas. Volunteers at one or more of our team's vaccination events responded to an anonymous survey to share perceptions of their preparedness, training experiences, communication effectiveness and satisfaction, to help us identify opportunities to improve volunteer training and engagement for responses to pandemics. Overall, the volunteers perceived their work to be meaningful, felt prepared and were satisfied with their experiences as volunteers. A dedicated team that communicates well and emphasizes a team approach is key to success, especially in unprecedented situations such as the COVID‐19 pandemic. Implications for future volunteer training and involvement in disaster responses are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Problem: As community-engaged research (CER) methods evolve, Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) must adapt policies to facilitate CER research. This paper describes a novel collaboration between hospital-based therapy dog volunteer teams (CERs), academic faculty, and an IRB. Subjects: CER volunteers delivered a canine-assisted intervention to hospitalized adults in a clinical trial. Methods: IRB members and faculty developed a human subjects protections training tailored to the volunteer handlers' role as study interventionists including an interactive video- and discussion-based training with a knowledge assessment. Findings: Fourteen volunteer handlers were trained. The expedited IRB review period was similar to national average rates (18 days.) Volunteer handlers have conducted 107 research visits with little patient attrition. Conclusion: Tailored human subjects trainings facilitate research with interventions delivered by people who are not typically involved in research. Bespoke CER human subjects training requires collaboration between researchers and IRBs and flexibility in IRB policy regarding CER. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) has radically changed the way healthcare is conducted, and its relevance continues to expand as healthcare technology evolves. This article describes a method for training inexperienced undergraduate students to become HIPAA-compliant clinical research volunteers in a pediatric traumatic brain injury (TBI) study. Volunteers are trained to use the hospital's electronic health records (EHR) system to identify potential study candidates for approach, and they develop this skill set through google classroom modules/quizzes along with routine zoom calls to solidify their consenting approach. Since the inception of this study in 2018, there have been over one hundred different undergraduate research volunteers involved, and there has not been a single HIPAA violation to date. This compliance success rate is indicative of the efficacy of this training protocol. This paper serves as a guide to implementing HIPAA compliance training and ensuring accountability in new and existing clinical research studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]