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BackgroundWhile spinal cord injury (SCI) caregiving can be a rewarding experience, caregivers often experience reduced mental and physical health. ObjectiveThis article describes the methodology of a study examining the efficacy of a newly developed telehealth Transition Assistance Program (TAP) for caregivers of individuals with acute SCI. MethodsA mixed-methods, randomized controlled trial is comparing TAP outcomes to that of a standard-of-care control. The study is recruiting for 48 months and incorporating quantitative outcome measures. ResultsThis study was funded by the Craig H. Neilsen Foundation in April 2017. It was approved by the institutional review boards at Virginia Commonwealth University and the Hunter Holmes McGuire Veterans Affairs Medical Center that same year. Participant recruitment and data collection began in 2018. ConclusionsThis study is implementing and testing an SCI caregiver intervention unlike any created before, targeting a critical time period that, until now, other SCI caregiver interventions have overlooked. Research personnel intend to disseminate the intervention and study findings through the publication of manuscripts and presentations at conferences. If the current study shows improvements in caregiver or patient well-being, the TAP for SCI caregivers could become part of the standard of care for acute SCI. Trial RegistrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT03244098; https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03244098 International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)DERR1-10.2196/28256

This article details the ways a series of architecture graduate classes partnered with a nonprofit youth sports organization and other community groups to design a shelter to accommodate those experiencing homelessness in Lubbock, Texas. The researchers use a case study approach to discuss how graduate students repeatedly engaged with the public for feedback on their designs and eventually created a design for a community-specific homeless shelter and treatment center. This article shares the project's engagement methods, which included precedent studies, design charrettes, regular presentations to the public, meetings with stakeholders, and professional collaborations.

Students studying at US institutions of higher education come from a broad range of religious and non-religious traditions. Yet religion is often a "no go" topic of discussion within the American cultural context and educators frequently lack the training to engage in productive conversations about this aspect of students' identities. However, study abroad practitioners should not be reluctant to talk about religion as an important lens for cultural learning within the context of study abroad. Through careful advising and recognition of the cultural importance of faith, students from a spectrum of religious leanings can enhance their study abroad experience. This essay looks at tactics which can be used in advising three categories of undergraduate students: religious students leaving a location where their faith is in the majority and going to a place where their religion is in the minority; religious students whose faith tradition is in the majority in the place they wish to study abroad; and non-religious students who find themselves in a strongly religious community. For each of these identity groups, study abroad advisors can support students during all stages of their study abroad experience (pre, on-site and post) so students view their interaction with religion as an important portal to cultural learning in-country. A bibliography is included.

Extending the study of Shaw et al., this study aimed to determine whether early therapeutic alliance, baseline client symptom severity, and client race predicted treatment duration and post client symptom severity. Participants (N = 75) were clients at a community mental health clinic. Baseline client symptom severity, but not early therapeutic alliance, predicted post client symptom severity; client race predicted treatment duration. Collectively, early therapeutic alliance, baseline client symptom severity, and client race predicted post client symptom severity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines how local newspaper stories in a college town created a dominant cultural narrative about an urban redevelopment project using tropes of physical blight and financial obsolescence. The article discusses descriptive tactics that appear throughout 16 years of coverage alongside patterns in the stories' frequency, focus, and authorship. The conclusion shares a series of practical takeaways for technical writers looking to collaborate with communities facing redevelopment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Following traumatic brain injury (TBI) some patients develop lingering comorbid symptoms of fatigue and cognitive impairment. The mild cognitive impairment self-reported by patients is often not detected with neurocognitive tests making it difficult to determine how common and severe these symptoms are in individuals with a history of TBI. This study was conducted to determine the relative prevalence of fatigue and cognitive impairment in individuals with a history of TBI. Methods: The Fatigue and Altered Cognition Scale (FACs) digital questionnaire was used to assess self-reported fatigue and cognitive impairment. Adults aged 18–70 were digitally recruited for the online anonymous study. Eligible participants provided online consent, demographic data, information about lifetime TBI history, and completed the 20 item FACs questionnaire. Results: A total of 519 qualifying participants completed the online digital study which included 204 participants with a history of TBI of varied cause and severity and 315 with no history of TBI. FACs Total Score was significantly higher in the TBI group (57.7 ± 22.2) compared to non-TBI (39.5 ± 23.9; p<0.0001) indicating more fatigue and cognitive impairment. When stratified by TBI severity, FACs score was significantly higher for all severity including mild (53.9 ± 21.9, p<0.0001), moderate (54.8 ± 24.4, p<0.0001), and severe (59.7 ± 20.9, p<0.0001) TBI. Correlation analysis indicated that more severe TBI was associated with greater symptom severity (p<0.0001, r = 0.3165). Ancillary analysis also suggested that FACs scores may be elevated in participants with prior COVID-19 infection but no history of TBI. Conclusions: Adults with a history of even mild TBI report significantly greater fatigue and cognitive impairment than those with no history of TBI, and symptoms are more profound with greater TBI severity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Colin Smith's experience in South Africa and his research on the role of storytelling in the Xhosa culture met all of the guiding principles of Brigham Young University's (BYU) International Field Study Program: that students are prepared to do serious research in a topic that relates to their major, and that they will be in the host country for at least three months, and will become fully immersed in the local culture. Colin spent more than three months in East London, South Africa. For someone with interest in Apartheid and its aftermath, East London has a wealth of history. From the beginning, BYU's intent in South Africa was to minimize its "footprint" on the local community. From a pedagogical view this was important because BYU did not want to create a "cultural bubble" where its students could retreat from the local culture. From the moment students are accepted into the South Africa program they are trained to view themselves as guests of the local culture who are to interact with and learn from the local culture rather than imposing their own cultural views. This paper discusses the challenges faced by a program of this nature and illustrates the success of Colin in adapting this in-class learning to the environment, becoming involved in the local community, and doing serious academic research.