Volunteering and Depression among Older Adults: An Empirical Analysis Based on CLASS 2018

Introduction:Older adults are prone to high levels of depression due to their deteriorating physical functions and shrinking social networks after retirement.Volunteering as an important social activity is essential for alleviating depression by building social network.This paper aims to examine the effect of volunteering on depression among older adults by using China Longitudinal Aging Social Survey(CLASS 2018)data.Methods:This study uses descriptive analysis and chi-square tests to show differences in demographic factors of older adults’volun-teerism participation,followed by bivariate correlation analysis to examine the correlation between the vital vari-ables.Afterward,stratified linear regression analysis is used to research the significant level and impact between volunteering and degree of expertise,frequency,and variety of participation.Results:8,459 older adults are included in study.The research reveals that older adults who are younger,live in urban areas,are married,or have a higher degree of education tend to have fewer depressive symptoms.Meanwhile,participation in volun-teering(OR=0.90,95%CI:0.8,1.1,p<0.001),as well as that demands specialized skills(OR=0.51,95%CI:0.30,0.2,p<0.001),more frequency of participation(OR=1.85,95%CI:1.53,2.18,p<0.001),and a wider variety of activities(OR=0.21,95%CI:0.12,0.29,p<0.001),all have a positive influence on depression levels.Discussion/Conclusion:Older adults who participate in voluntary services have lower depression symptoms and should be encouraged to use their professional skills and increase participation frequency and variety in this process.This article suggests that governments should help older adults participate in voluntary services by time bank which will further strengthen social ties,rebuild social networks and alleviate depression symptoms of older adults.

Volunteering in the United Arab Emirates’ Health System—Motivations and Challenges

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.

Formal Volunteering and Mental Health in South Korea: Does Age Matter?

Extensive research shows a positive association between formal volunteering and mental health and this association is stronger for older adults compared to their younger peers.The purpose of our study is to re-examine the link between formal volunteering,age,and mental health in a non-western society,South Korea.We employ two recent waves—years 2012-13–of nationally representative data from the Korea Welfare Panel Survey to test the extent to which the relationship between formal volunteering and mental health,as measured by depression,varies across two non-elderly age groups—young adults(18–35)and those middle-aged(36–55).Findings reveal that being a formal volunteer is psychologically more beneficial to young adults compared to their middle-aged counterparts.Understanding the age differential in the link between formal volunteering and depression in South Korea is crucial,given the different economic and sociocultural contexts,at current time,for young adults and their middle-aged peers.

Volunteering Tourism and Sustainable Development: A Case Study of an Andean Indigenous Project: Quilla Pacari, Chimborazo

Volunteering tourism incorporates services and activities related to the caring of environmental, cultural, or humanitarian issues, intending to benefit not only tourists but also locals. Therefore, this activity fits into principles of sustainable development which has been defined as growth based on a balance between the environmental, social, and economic dimensions. The aim of this study was to determine the contribution of volunteering tourism to sustainable development and to identify the crucial factors to implement a successful volunteering project. We explored the interactions between volunteering tourism and sustainable development through a qualitative approach considering as case study: the rural tourism project “Quilla Pacari”, located in the highlands of Chimborazo province, Ecuador. Our findings proportionate information about the influence of volunteering tourism in principles associated with sustainable development revealing a general insight into the interactions and identifying the perception about the crucial factors to implement a successful volunteering project. However, the Quilla Pacari project located in Chimborazo province is relatively emergent and further studies are needed to clarify all the relations associated with the process.

The Interventional Capacity of Community Health Volunteers for Screening and Linkages of Non-Communicable Diseases in Nyeri County, Kenya

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) account for 63% of mortalities. Approximately 80% of these NCD-related deaths occur in LMICs. A quasi-experimental study utilizing a non-equivalent pre-and post-test was conducted from May 2022 to March 2023 with 370 study participants. Multistage cluster and random sampling were used to select ten community units, and therefore, 150 CHVs were chosen for the control unit, and 150 were used to form the interventional group. Data was collected from the KOBO app. Six (6) homogenous FGDs comprised ten members, and 10 KII were conducted across study sites. Quantitative data was analyzed using SPSS version 28.0, and qualitative data was audio-recorded, transcribed, and analyzed via N-Vivo 12. The study shows that 59.3% of respondents have minimal information, and 92.7% (n = 139) have no clear understanding of NCDs, with a pre-intervention capacity of 48.8%. Independent sample t-test showed a significant difference in capacity from a pre-intervention average of 48.75 (SD ± 5.7)%, which increased to 68.28 (SD ± 7.6)%, p < 0.001. A well-designed community interventional model plays a pivotal role in grassroots healthcare delivery but requires optimization for NCD management.

Impact of Regular Blood Donation on Body Iron Stores at Saudi Blood Donors

Introduction: One of the most frequent observations in long-term blood donation is chronic iron deficiency, which can develop into anaemia. The majority of blood screening methods employed by blood banks do not incorporate iron-status markers, which may result in potential subclinical iron deficiency. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of repeated blood donation on the levels of iron in the body and to guide blood donors in preventing the depletion of iron stores. Methods: Regular blood donors were categorised into distinct groups according to the number of donations they gave, and then the correlation between these groups and their bodies’ iron levels was examined. Different parameters were employed to identify iron deficiency and iron depletion in blood donors: serum ferritin, mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular haemoglobin (MCH), mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (MCHC), total iron-binding capacity (TIBC), and serum iron. Results: The study included 300 individuals who regularly and willingly donated blood. There were no iron insufficiency cases among those donating blood for the first time (Group I). However, 15.5% of individuals who had donated once before (Group II) had ferritin levels of 15 - 30 μg/dl (ng/ml), indicating reduced iron stores. The rate increased to 18% (37 out of 206 individuals) among regular blood donors (Groups III, IV, and V). Iron deficiency (depletion) prevalence among regular blood donors in Groups III, IV, and V was 5.9% (12 out of 206) and 50.4% (100 out of 206). Donors who had donated blood most frequently had the lowest levels of haematological markers MCH, MCHC, and TIBC. Provide the p-values representing the differences between the means of MCV, MCH, iron, TIBC, and ferritin levels when comparing donor groups with the control group (Group I) based on the frequency of donations. Indicate statistically significant differences where the p-value is less than 0.0125. This significance level is adjusted based on the Bonferroni method, considering multiple independent tests. The result shows that the Iron parameter for the comparison between Group I and Group III and Group I and Group IV suggests a statistically significant difference in iron levels between these donor groups. Conclusion: The findings of this study show that a higher times of donations lads to a higher occurrence of depleted iron stores and subsequent erythropoiesis with iron deficiency by one donor from every three healthy donors. The iron and ferritin concentrations were within the normal range in group one (Control group) and reduced in the other four groups (G-2 to G-5). However, the level of haemoglobin remained within an acceptable range for blood donation. This outcome suggests that it may be necessary to reassess the criteria for accepting blood donors. The average serum ferritin levels were examined in all five groups (G-1 to G-5), both for males and females, and significant variations were seen among the groups under study. This study found that 35% of the individuals who regularly donate blood have iron-deficient anaemia (sideropenia). This suggests that it would be beneficial to test for serum ferritin at an earlier stage, ideally after three donations.

Nursing student volunteers and their level of involvement during the COVID-19 pandemic:a systematic review

Objective:Many strategic efforts were made to address nurses'shortage in controlling Coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19),including recruiting student health volunteers.This review aimed to explore the contribution and involvement of nursing student volunteers during COVID-19.Methods:A systematic review was registered in PROSPERO International CRD42021283069.Electronic databases for ar ticle search included:SCOPUS,EBSCO MEDLINE,Pub Med,Pro Quest,Springer,Sage Pub,and hand searching.The critical appraisal study quality using The Joanna Briggs Institutes.Data extraction and synthesis used Population,Intervention,Comparison,Outcome,and Design(PICO and D)framework with thematic analysis.Results:Twelve studies were enrolled from 2545 retrieved,with 4 synthesized themes:(1)determinant of the involvement of nursing student volunteers during COVID-19,which includes 3 subthemes:motivations,perception,and barriers,(2)expectations and actual condition of nursing students as volunteers,(3)the need for nursing student volunteers,and(4)the impact and level of student volunteers'contribution.All student volunteers contribute to providing direct or indirect services to patients.Conclusions:This review provides an overview of nursing student volunteers'needs useful in developing competency frameworks and the role of culturally sensitive volunteers in education and training.In the future,student volunteers could choose the appropriate volunteer program and location according to their competence.

When Does Volunteering Your Services Mean Breaking Labor Rules?

Three days after being absent from work without permission, Lou Jiying, a female doctor in southwest China’s Chongqing Municipality, was classed as being AWOL. In fact, her employer officially listed her as "voluntarily quittingjob."

Expanding Older Adults’ Care Choices Utilizing the Proceeds of Reciprocated Volunteerism: Capitalizing on Ghana’s Digitalization Artillery

Ghana has been a collectivistic society. However, due to social change, this value is fast being replaced by individualistic tendencies with implications for age-oriented care provision and receipt. This paper investigates the participation in the socially productive strategy of using ageing-oriented volunteerism to leverage the receipt of care in later life utilizing a quantitative dataset. The results show that volunteering may be undertaken with old age in sight. This needs to take place under circumstances of good communication skills among others. The accumulated time needs to be recorded in a time bank and redeemed with a time bank card in later life. Two-dimensional leveraging points pertain in this context: first, leveraging volunteerism for short or long-term care in the nearest future;second, technological innovation’s facilitation of the same. Volunteerism in this context has the attribute of low levels of depression, with implications for quality of life. These are discussed in the light of the social care pillar of ageing social policy. The paper argues that adopting volunteerism with reciprocation as the ultimate goal constitutes a kickback model for care receipt in later life. It served as a choice of care in later life which is a shock absorber to inadequate formal support infrastructure and individualistic social tendencies in Ghana. It is reminiscent of resistance to the shrinkage of older persons’ social integration in their social world.

Therapeutic Approach for Hair Growth and Regeneration Using Bioactive Formulation Containing Mesenchymal Stromal Cell-Derived Conditioned Medium

Background and Aims: Androgenetic alopecia (AGA) is a common form of hair loss in both men and women. Despite its high prevalence and associated patient morbidity, the approved therapeutic options are limited to finasteride and minoxidil. The present study is aimed at assessing the efficacy of hair serum formulation, Trichosera®containing Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cells conditioned media as an active ingredient, for hair fall control and hair regrowth in healthy Indian human volunteers. Methods: The product was made using a 20% concentration of 10X Conditioned Media along with excipients. The final product was tested for physicochemical parameters, biomarkers, total protein content and microbial limits as per our in-house specifications. Results: The primary irritation patch test showed that the product is non-irritant and dermatologically safe. A clinical study on 40 subjects was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the bioactive formulation in hair fall control and hair regrowth in healthy volunteers. Phototrichogram measurement showed hair density and hair growth rate increased significantly by 11.54% and 18.66% at week 24. Hair tensile strength also increased significantly by 41.10% at 12 weeks follow-up. Hair pull test, to see a reduction in pulled hair and comb’s test to show a decrease in hair fall significantly improved from week 4 onwards. There were no significant adverse events in response to the product application. Conclusion: It is concluded that the hair serum product is completely safe on direct application to the scalp and showed significant improvement in the hair growth rate, hair density, scalp condition and reduction in hair fall. .

恶性肿瘤患者皮质醇的动态变化

目的测定24 h内血液中皮质醇含量,确定正常人和肿瘤患者的日周期节律性。方法采用放射免疫法测定30名健康志愿者和57名恶性肿瘤患者每日8:00,14:00,20:00及次日2:00血液中皮质醇(CORT)浓度。结果采用多因素方差分析及G reenhouse-G e isser法校正的单因素方差分析(P<0.01),表明组内各时间节点CORT浓度不完全相同,且CORT浓度存在时间依赖性。组间效应的方差分析结果(P<0.05),表明分组因素有意义,肿瘤组与对照组CORT浓度不完全相同。应用非参数统计方法(M ann-W h itney U,秩和检验)进行组间各时间节点的两两比较,结果显示两组间在8:00,14:00的CORT浓度存在明显差别。结论肿瘤组与对照组CORT浓度均随时间呈梯度和明暗交替变化,且肿瘤组的CORT浓度昼夜节律明显高于对照组。

HCV infection and distribution character in volunteer blood donors from North of China

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

English Training for College Student Volunteers at Sports Events

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.

疫情期间非定点医院急诊管理的实践与思考

基于危机管理4R理论进行文献检索,结合医院的实际情况梳理管理难点,制定疫情期间非定点救治综合医院的急诊管理策略和流程。从急诊管理的组织架构、空间划分、诊疗流程、人员管理、院感防控、志愿服务等环节完善优化急诊管理流程,并在具体应用过程中不断调整。2022年3月28日-6月1日上海本轮疫情期间,复旦大学附属中山医院多次单日急诊接诊量超1000人,抢救室留观患者170余人,接诊救护车100余辆。2022年1-4月救护车接诊总量位列上海市第一。疫情期间中山医院在遵守上级部门不同阶段疫情防控相关要求的同时,优化急诊管理策略和流程,很好地保障和满足了急诊患者的就医需求。

Changes of resting cerebral activities in subacute ischemic stroke patients

This study aimed to detect the difference in resting cerebral activities between ischemic stroke pa- tients and healthy participants, define the abnormal site, and provide new evidence for pathological mechanisms, clinical diagnosis, prognosis prediction and efficacy evaluation of ischemic stroke. At present, the majority of functional magnetic resonance imaging studies focus on the motor dysfunc- tion and the acute stage of ischemic stroke. This study recruited 15 right-handed ischemic stroke patients at subacute stage （15 days to 11.5 weeks） and 15 age-matched healthy participants. A rest- ing-state functional magnetic resonance imaging scan was performed on each subject to detect cerebral activity. Regional homogeneity analysis was used to investigate the difference in cerebral activities between ischemic stroke patients and healthy participants. The results showed that the ischemic stroke patients had lower regional homogeneity in anterior cingulate and left cerebrum and higher regional homogeneity in cerebellum, left precuneus and left frontal lobe, compared with healthy participants. The experimental findings demonstrate that the areas in which regional homogeneity was different between ischemic stroke patients and healthy participants are in the cerebellum, left precuneus, left triangle inferior frontal gyrus, left inferior temporal gyrus and anterior cingulate. These locations, related to the motor, sensory and emotion areas, are likely po- tential targets for the neural regeneration of subacute ischemic stroke patients.

Epidemiologic characteristics of Helicobacter pylori infection in southeast Hungary

BACKGROUND Epidemiologic studies have revealed a decrease in the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori(H.pylori)infection in Western Europe.AIM To obtain data regarding the prevalence of H.pylori in Csongrád and Békés Counties in Hungary,evaluate the differences in its prevalence between urban and rural areas,and establish factors associated with positive seroprevalence.METHODS One-thousand and one healthy blood donors[male/female:501/500,mean age:40(19–65)years]were enrolled in this study.Subjects were tested for H.pylori IgG antibody positivity via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.Subgroup analysis by age,gender,smoking habits,alcohol consumption,and urban vs nonurban residence was also performed.RESULTS The overall seropositivity of H.pylori was 32%.It was higher in males(34.93%vs 29.2%,P=0.0521)and in rural areas(36.2%vs 27.94%,P=0.0051).Agricultural/industrial workers were more likely to be positive for infection than office workers(38.35%vs 30.11%,P=0.0095)and rural subjects in Békés County than those in Csongrád County(43.36%vs 33.33%,P=0.0015).CONCLUSION Although the prevalence of H.pylori infection decreased in recent decades in Southeast Hungary,it remains high in middle-aged rural populations.Generally accepted risk factors for H.pylori positivity appeared to be valid for the studied population.

Modulatory effect of International standard Scalp Acupuncture on brain activation in the elderly as revealed by resting-state fMRI

The specific mechanisms by which acupuncture affects the central nervous system are unclear. In the International Standard Scalp Acupuncture system, acupuncture needles are applied at the middle line of the vertex, anterior parietal-temporal oblique line, and the posterior parietal-temporal oblique line. We conducted a single-arm prospective clinical trial in which seven healthy elderly volunteers (three men and four women;50–70 years old) received International Standard Scalp Acupuncture at MS5 (the mid-sagittal line between Baihui (DU20) and Qianding (DU21)), the left MS6 (line joining Sishencong (EX-HN1) and Xuanli (GB6)), and the left MS7 (line joining DU20 and Qubin (GB7)). After acupuncture, resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated changes in the fractional amplitude of low frequency fluctuations and regional homogeneity in various areas, showing remarkable enhancement of regional homogeneity in the bilateral anterior cingulate, left medial frontal gyrus, supramarginal gyrus, right middle frontal gyrus, and inferior frontal gyrus. Functional connectivity based on a seed region at the right middle frontal gyrus (42, 51, 9) decreased at the bilateral medial superior frontal gyrus. Our data preliminarily indicates that the international standard scalp acupuncture in healthy elderly participants specifcally enhances the correlation between the brain regions involved in cognition and implementation of the brain network regulation system and the surrounding adjacent brain regions. The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the China-Japan Union Hospital at Jilin University, China, on July 18, 2016 (approval No. 2016ks043).

A comprehensive health education plus monitoring support program for older adults with knee osteoarthritis coexisting with overweight and type 2 diabetes

Objectives:To examine the patient outcomes of a comprehensive health education plus village health volunteer monitoring support program on older adults with knee osteoarthritis who are overweight and have type 2 diabetes.Methods:Quasi-experimental,two-group,pretest-posttest design was applied.Using random geographic cluster sampling,older adults who met the inclusion criteria were assigned to two groups,62 in the intervention group and 71 in the control group.The intervention group received the comprehensive health education plus village health volunteer monitoring support program.The control group received only the comprehensive health education program.Study outcomes,including blood glucose level,knee pain and range of motion,body weight,physical ability(Timed Up and Go Test),fatigue,depressive symptoms,quality of sleep,and quality of life,were assessed at baseline,3 months,and 6 months after enrollment and analyzed using descriptive statistics and multivariate analysis of variance.Results:One hundred and ten participants completed the study(55 participants in each group).Most patient outcomes in the two groups showed general improvement with statistical significance(P<0.001):pain decreased,physical ability improved,less depressive symptoms and fatigue,quality of life and sleep improved.The interaction effect(the group and time)demonstrated statistically significant differences between the intervention and control groups on pain,knee range of motion,and fatigue according to each time follow-up(P<0.001).Conclusions:The comprehensive health education plus village health volunteer monitoring support program promotes good patient outcomes in this population.The integrated health education resource and support for older adults with knee osteoarthritis and type 2 diabetes is an effective,non-surgical treatment that highlights professional nursing roles and non-professional rolesdvillage health volunteers.Nurses should consider implementing a health education plus monitoring support program to mitigate the effects of chronic diseases and improve patients’quality of life.

Pharmacokinetics and bioequivalence of ranitidine and bismuth derived from two compound preparations

AIM： To evaluate the bioequivalence of ranitidine and bismuth derived from two compound preparations. METHODS： The bioavailability was measured in 20 healthy male Chinese volunteers following a single oral dose （equivalent to 200 mg of ranitidine and 220 mg of bismuth） of the test or reference products in the fasting state. Then blood samples were collected for 24 h. Plasma concentrations of ranitidine and bismuth were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography and inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry （ICPMS）, respectively. The non-compartmental method was used for pharmacokinetic analysis. Log-transformed Cmax, AUC（0-t） and AUC（0-∞） were tested for bioequivalence using ANOVA and Schuirmann two-one sided t-test. Tmax was analyzed by Wilcoxon＇s test. RESULTS： Various pharmacokinetic parameters of ranitidine derived from the two compound preparations, including Cmax, AUC（0-t）, AUC（0-∞）, Tmax and T1/2, were nearly consistent with previous observations. These parameters derived from test and reference drug were as follows： Cmax（0.67 ± 0.21 vs 0.68 ± 0.22 mg/L）, AUC（0-t）（3.1 ± 0.6 vs 3.0 ± 0.7 mg/L per hour）, AUC（0-∞）（3.3 ± 0.6 vs 3.2 ± 0.8 mg/L per hour）, Tmax （2.3 ± 0.9 VS 2.1 ± 0.9 h） and T1/2 （2.8 ± 0.3 vs 3.1 ± 0.4 h）. In addition, double-peak absorption profiles of ranitidine were found in some Chinese volunteers. For bismuth, those parameters derived from test and reference drug were as follows： Cmax （11.80 ± 7.36 vs 11.40 ± 6.55 μg/L）, AUC（0-t） （46.65 ± 16.97 vs 47.03 ± 21.49 μg/L per hour）, Tmax （0.50 ± 0.20 vs 0.50 ± 0.20 h） and T1/2 （10.2 ± 2.3 vs 13.0 ± 6.9 h）. Ninety percent of confidence intervals for the test/reference ratio of Cmax, AUC（0-t） and AUC（0-∞） derived from both ranitidine and bismuth were found within the bioequivalence acceptable range of 80%-125%. No significant difference was found in Tmax derived from both ranitidine and bismuth. CONCLUSION： The two compound preparations are bioequivalent and may be prescribed interchangeably.