Volunteer

Acquiring reliable estimates for an elusive species' distribution and population size can be problematic. For cryptic species such as the Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra), traditional monitoring approaches rely heavily on identifying field signs that may under or overestimate population sizes. Increasingly, non-invasive genetic sampling is effectively applied to assess the abundance and population structure of otters by genotyping faeces (spraints). Here we present the results of a non-invasive survey conducted in Cork City, Ireland, which aimed to estimate otter population size, sex ratio and genetic diversity. We incorporated a citizen science approach by training members of the public in spraint collection, thus increasing our search effort and sample detection rate. From October 2011 to May 2012, 199 spraints were collected and 187 (94%) were genetically identified as otter. Of these positive otter samples, 13 spraints (7%) yielded genetic information identifying 11 individuals...

Volunteering to teach abroad in a country where palliative care is not well-established, either as
a concept or service, is professionally stimulating and challenging. It provides an opportunity to
learn about other social and healthcare cultures and challenges one’s own views and attitudes.
Sharing knowledge and skills with others, is a two way experience that enriches one’s practice
and provides motivation for change. It is also an opportunity for reflection and re-focusing for
the busy professional and to be recommended. In this paper we seek to describe some of the
challenges you may face and ways around them. We look at subjects such as the need to know
and respect the culture we will travel to, explore ideas around truth-telling, concepts of honour
and shame and training in countries where there are limited resources and opioids. We shall
also comment on introducing new methods of teaching and making them relevant for different
subjects. This is drawn from over 20 years of experience by volunteer educators working under
the auspices of PRIME (Partnerships in International Medical Education), a UK charity.

Despite great efforts in adopting technologies for tourism development, few results have been achieved. A lot of experiences are mostly based on pilot projects or on never completed prototypes. Nations with a large tourism vocation lack of a serious national tourism portal. A different approach has been adopted in Matera (southern Italy), where a volunteered way has been adopted in mapping all tourist services and related information. All data related to cultural heritage, services, transport, etc. have been collected by voluntary actions of students and citizens and shared using cloud-gis web service. These data have been linked with other information already existing on the web (movies, pictures, Wikipedia, historical documentations, etc.), producing a sort of local mini-portal for tourism development. After this first phase a strong interaction with citizens has been created using a blog and social networks in order to complete and correct the whole dataset.

The existing literature highlights some universal principles that are widely accepted as a good volunteer management practice, e. g., volunteer appreciation and recognition, provision of meaningful roles, effective communication, and the importance of relational connection, just to name a few. Yet, it can be argued that a gap exists in the relationship between volunteer management theory and practice in the context of large sport events. For example, published evidence shows that volunteer programs often lack effective planning and management to achieve successful program results. On one hand, this can be attributable to limited knowledge about volunteers' characteristics and motivations, their lived experiences, the processes of volunteering, and the actual volunteer management practices. On the other hand, a lack of the right mechanisms (e.g., political will, financial, and managerial resources) in place before and throughout the event lifespan intensifies this disconnect. The...

Introduction: Vitamin D level has profound clinical implications but there is a dilemma of optimal vitamin D cut off level among the Bangladeshi population as well in many parts of the world. This study aimed to determine the optimal level of vitamin D in relation to intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH) and serum calcium in apparently healthy adult volunteer. Methods: This observational cross-sectional study was carried out in 130 apparently healthy adult participants of BSMMU. All the subjects were taken their demographic profile and investigated for vitamin D level, iPTH, corrected calcium and phosphate. Serum 25(OH)D was measured by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) whereas iPTH, corrected serum calcium and serum phosphate were measured by chemiluminescent method. Results: The mean 25(OH)D level was found to be 16.78(SD8.47) ng/ml and extensively distinct by age distribution and adequacy of sun exposure. There was substantially inverse correlation between serum iPTH and ...

This article is an empirical analysis of an individual's decision to participate in community economic development (CED) initiatives in Canada. The objective of the analysis is to better understand how individuals make decisions to volunteer time toward CED initiatives and ...

College-aged young adults spend significant amounts of time in voluntary activities and may represent an important pool of future volunteers. Consequently, understanding the motivations for volunteering, of students attending different types of colleges and universities, appears to be worthwhile. Do individuals attending different types of universities possess differing motivations to volunteer? The results suggest that students attending different types of universities differ in their motivations to volunteer. The primary differences involved students attending a public commuter university and an African-American liberal arts university. The results are discussed.