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The most crucial component in a building's ability to conserve energy is the building envelope. The importance of a building's front increases due to its huge surface area. Because of the low thermal resistance of the facade and high transparency ratio of office buildings, energy consumption is rising. India has a tropical climate, thus heating or cooling is needed all year long to create a comfortable indoor atmosphere. The strain on the mechanical heating and cooling can be decreased by constructing the envelope in accordance with the environment, selecting appropriate materials, and choosing the right fenestration and shading device sizes., {"references":["1. Anon., n.d. archspace. [Online] Available at: https://thearchspace.com/5-different-climate-zones-in-india-and-their-important-characteristics/ [Accessed 17 December 2022].","2.\tBano, F. & Kamal, M. A., 2016. Examining the Role of Building Envelope for Energy Efficiency in Office Buildings in India. Research Gate, pp. 1-10.","3.\tHailu, G., 2017. Energy-Efficient Building Envelope. ScienceDirect, pp. 1-23.","4.\tKumar, K., Basu, D. C., Rastogi, A. & Paul, V. K., 2020. Retrofitting the existing requirements for an institutional building Framework for Enhancing the Functionality. IJSDR, 5(3), pp. 362-368.","5.\tKumar, K. & Paul, V. K., 2022. A Critical Review of Risk Factors and Reliability Assessment Issues of Fire and Life Safety in Buildings. NICMAR JOURNAL OF CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT, XXXVII(III), pp. 23-33.","6.\tKumar, K. & Paul, V. K., 2022. Risk and Reliability Assessment of Smoke Control Systems in the Buildings. International Journal for Research in Applied Science & Engineering Technology (IJRASET), 10(X), pp. 576-581.","7.\tKumar, K. & Paul, V. K., 2023. Significance of Fire Protection System Reliability for Structure Fire Safety. STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING DIGEST, Issue October-December, pp. 42-25.","8.\tLalit, A. & Kumar, K., 2022. Applicability of Shading Devices in Building Design for Reducing Heat; SSN: 2583-0228. International Journal of Multidisciplinary Innovative Research, 2(1), pp. 20-25.","9.\tNayak, J. K. & Prajapati, J. A., 2006. HANDBOOK ON ENERGY CONSCIOUS BUILDINGS. Mumbai: Vimal Offset.","10.\tPaul, V. K., Solanki, Yadav, P. S. &S. K., Rastogi, A., 2022. Establishnga PerformanceIndex for Const. Project Managers. 1 ed. X: Taylor & Francis."]}

Introduction The authors of this paper have compiled a report on the prevalence of deafblindness and dual-sensory loss based on the review of existing estimates. The purpose is to inform readers of the importance of using consistent, well-researched definitions and survey questions in future prevalence studies. Methods Articles were extracted through ProQuest and EBSCOhost, online library databases of Cambrian College and Laurentian University. Keywords search included “deafblindness,” “dual-sensory impairment,” “dual-sensory loss,” “age-related,” “congenital,” “acquired,” and “prevalence.” Additionally, the authors conducted a search with Google for research reports and Google Scholar for other relevant peer-reviewed articles. Results This review provides a current overview of prevalence estimates of deafblindness and age-related dual-sensory loss around the world, examining 19 articles or reports published over the last 20 years (2000–2020) in 18 countries, including the European Union (consisting of 8 countries). In line with the prevalence estimates by the World Federation for the Deafblind global report 2018, the review indicates an estimated 0.2–2% prevalence of dual-sensory impairment and underscores varying ranges of prevalence among populations, studies or countries, age groups, and types of deafblindness. The review highlights that the prevalence of deafblindness or dual-sensory loss was often not comparable across studies, but it is clear that the prevalence of dual-sensory impairment increases with age. The studies varied in methods (e.g., population surveys, cross-sectional, and longitudinal studies). Implication for Practitioners The review provides evidence of varying ranges of prevalence rates. Future prevalence studies may benefit from consistent definitions, standard data-collection tools to do better comparisons across countries, and identify factors that predict higher or lower prevalence rates among populations and age groups.

Background and ObjectivesA global report estimates up to 2% of the world population experience concurrent hearing and vision impairment (dual sensory impairment [DSI]). Older adults with DSI are often frequent users of health care, yet the evidence is limited to inform care delivery for this population. This systematic review aimed to synthesize evidence on tools and strategies for screening, assessment, and interventions that promote a continuum of care for older adults with DSI.Research Design and MethodsThe review was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews. Electronic databases (CINAHL, Embase, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Cochrane Library, Global Health, and Web of Science) and clinical trial registries (ISRCTN Registry, WHO ICTRP, and ClinicalTrials.gov) were searched. The quality appraisal was performed using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool.ResultsOf 4,775 identified references, 28 records were selected. The review identified 7 tools and 7 strategies for DSI-specific screening, assessments, and/or interventions. Some of the most promising tools were the interRAI Community Health Assessment with deafblind supplement, adapted Montreal Cognitive Assessment, and the Severe Dual Sensory Loss screening tool. Useful strategies included the use of alternative forms of communication, assistive devices or technology, education and training for service providers, and training of older adults on the use and maintenance of assistive aids/technology. However, quality appraisal indicated a need for more robust evidence to inform clinical practice.Discussion and ImplicationsReviewed evidence pinpointed the need for training for health care providers on DSI-specific challenges and supports and the use of integrated multidisciplinary care for older adults. Future studies need to explore the development and evaluation of tools and interventions to improve the continuum of care for this group.Systematic Review Registration: PROSPERO registration # CRD42020180545

Around 1.5 million Canadians live with some form of vision impairment. The demand for vision rehabilitation (VR) services is projected to increase as the number of older adults with age-related vision loss rises. To inform programmes and policies for VR, we aimed to answer two research questions: (1) How are VR services delivered in Canada? and (2) If gaps exist in current delivery of VR services, how can they be characterized? We used Arksey and O’Malley scoping review framework. A comprehensive search of five databases (PubMed, CINAHL/EBSCO, EMBASE, ProQuest, and Global Health) was performed during January 2019 and then updated in March 2021. Index terms and keywords relating to vision loss or impairment and rehabilitation were used. Non-peer-reviewed (grey) literature, in the form of reports and policies on VR in Canada, was sourced via Google/Google Scholar. To be included, sources had to (1) focus on VR services in Canada, (2) be available in English or French, and (3) be published after 2003. Data were extracted and analysed thematically to describe VR services across provinces and to identify gaps in service delivery in Canada. Out of 1311 studies identified, 62 were included. Findings indicate that the structure of VR services as well as provincial funding for assistive devices varies across provinces. The reported gaps at the level of service providers, users, and delivery systems were lack of awareness about the benefits of VR, limited collaboration and coordinated services between eye care and VR services, delayed referral to VR, shortage of specialists, and insufficient funding and training for vision devices. This article describes VR services in Canada and documents important gaps in VR services and research evidence across provincial jurisdictions. Future work to address gaps, and develop and evaluate interventions to facilitate optimal VR services is imperative.

OBJECTIVE This scoping review aims to synthesize evidence on the practices involving additive manufacturing, also known as three-dimensional printing, as a rehabilitation tool to assist individuals with deafblindness or vision impairment, and to identify which International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health domains of functioning can be improved by its use. The goal is to inform health care professionals and family caregivers on how additive manufacturing may enhance the quality of life of people with deafblindness or vision impairment. INTRODUCTION Deafblindness and vision impairment impact many life domains, such as access to information, communication, and mobility. The sense of touch is the main gateway for communication for individuals living with these impairments. Additive manufacturing is a promising technology for producing customized, tactile-based, low-cost tangible objects and devices that could improve the functioning of those with sensory impairment. Emerging studies explore the benefits of additive manufacturing in rehabilitation, education, and inclusion of people living with vision impairment, but very little is known about its use for the deafblind. INCLUSION CRITERIA This review will consider studies that focus on the most widespread additive manufacturing technologies for the use of individuals living with deafblindness or vision impairment, their family caregivers, or professionals who provide their rehabilitation care. METHODS A comprehensive search of 10 databases (PsycINFO, MEDLINE, Global Health, PubMed, CINAHL, Embase, ERIC, Web of Science, Engineering Village, and Scopus) will be conducted. Screening of records will be done at the title/abstract level and at the full-text level by independent reviewers of the team.

Evidence to inform rehabilitation service delivery for individuals with deafblindness, especially in the Indian context, is inadequate. Rehabilitation professionals often find it challenging to design rehabilitation interventions that promote participation for those with deafblindness. Therefore, our purpose was to understand the contextual factors that influence the participation of individuals with deafblindness in India from the perspectives of those who are involved in providing rehabilitation services to them. Using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF) as a framework, we conducted two focus group discussions with 16 rehabilitation service providers in India. We used a content analysis approach to examine the data. Rehabilitation service providers perceived participation barriers to be linked primarily to the social environment. Specifically, participants identified four major factors acting as barriers, including (a) lack of awareness about deafblindness; (b) negative attitudes and stigma associated with disability; (c) lack of access to resources such as assistive technology and interpreter support; and (d) communication challenges associated with severe impairments. Facilitators include accessibility of the built environment for multisensory impairments, affordable technology, provision of an interpreter and personal support worker, and training on deafblindness for professionals. The participation of individuals with deafblindness could be enhanced by identifying and removing environmental barriers and improving knowledge about deafblindness among rehabilitation professionals for proper identification, assessment, and access to rehabilitation services.

Objective To identify and describe the contextual factors that influence the participation of people with deafblindness in India. Design Qualitative study, using directed content analysis approach and the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) as a framework to analyze the data. Setting Community and social participation settings. Participants Community-dwelling individuals with deafblindness (N=16). Age ranges from 18-45 years. Interventions Not applicable. Main Outcome Measures Personal and environmental factors that influence the participation of individuals with deafblindness using the ICF framework. Results Results indicate that the age of onset and nature of impairment (deafblindness) and willingness to explain the condition (functional consequences of deafblindness) emerged as important personal factors. Access to resources such as assistive technology, social support, and deafblind-specific services were found to be enablers of participation. Lack of services, systems, and policies specific to deafblindness along with negative societal attitude toward disability were highly perceived environmental barriers that influence participation of people with deafblindness in India. Conclusions Professionals must acknowledge aspects of the environment in conducting assessments and delivering interventions and understand the dynamic interactions between environment of the individual and his/her concurrent vision and hearing impairments. Approaches to enable participation require rehabilitation professionals to work with those with deafblindness to advocate for removal of environmental barriers and ensure provision of appropriate resources from the government to facilitate their participation. Social policy and government must ensure emphasis on awareness about deafblindness, access to deafblind-specific services, positive societal attitude, and opportunities for full participation for people with deafblindness in society.

CFD-DEM modelling of particle-laden turbulent flow is challenging in terms of the required and obtained CFD resolution, heavy DEM computations, and the limitations of the method. Here, we assess the efficiency of a particle-tracking solver in OpenFOAM with RANS-DEM and LES-DEM approaches under the unresolved CFD-DEM framework. Furthermore, we investigate aspects of the unresolved CFD-DEM method with regard to the coupling regime, particle boundary condition and turbulence modelling. Applying one-way and two-way coupling to our RANS-DEM simulations demonstrates that it is sufficient to include one-way coupling when the particle concentration is small (O ~ 10−5). Moreover, our study suggests an approach to estimate the particle boundary condition for cases when data is unavailable. In contrast to what has been previously reported for the adopted case, our RANS-DEM results demonstrate that simple dispersion models considerably underpredict particle dispersion and previously observed reasonable particle dispersion were due to an error in the numerical setup rather than the used dispersion model claiming to include turbulence effects on particle trajectories. LES-DEM may restrict extreme mesh refinement, and, under such scenarios, dynamic LES turbulence models seem to overcome the poor performance of static LES turbulence models. Sub-grade scale effects cannot be neglected when using coarse mesh resolution in LES-DEM and must be recovered with efficient modelling approaches to predict accurate particle dispersion.

Background: Various injury characteristics such as cause, level, severity, and time since injury divide individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) into many subgroups. The heterogeneity among individuals' injuries and personal characteristics has significant implications for SCI rehabilitation practice, specifically directed toward community reintegration, which is a key goal of rehabilitation interventions for people with disabilities. Purpose: This study aims to summarize the evidence on attributes that make the SCI population heterogeneous, the impact of these attributes on community reintegration, and the implications of heterogeneity for rehabilitation interventions directed toward optimizing community reintegration. Methods: We used an integrative review approach to conduct this study. MEDLINE, PubMed, CINAHL, EMBASE, Google Scholar, and PsycINFO were searched from inception until May 2017. Out of 670 articles retrieved, 49 provided evidence on the impact of various attributes that make SCI heterogeneous on rehabilitation outcomes related to community reintegration. Results: An array of injury-related, personal, social, and environmental factors are associated with various rehabilitation outcomes that affect community reintegration of people with SCI. There is level 1 evidence that social support, self-efficacy, and self-esteem facilitate community reintegration among people with SCI while there is level 5 evidence that presence of psychological or medical complications decreases it. There is lack of clarity on the impact of injury-related factors on community reintegration. Conclusion: This integrative review found that social support and individuals' self-efficacy can improve community reintegration of people with SCI. However, evidence regarding the impact of injury characteristics on community reintegration is still underdeveloped. Approaches directed at community reintegration should involve components of psychosocial, physical, and vocational rehabilitation while considering personal and societal aspects of an individual's life.

Introduction: There is an increasing emphasis on recovery-oriented care in the design and delivery of mental health services. Research has demonstrated that recovery-oriented services are understood differently depending on the stakeholders involved. Variations in interpretations of recovery lead to challenges in creating systematically organized environments that deliver a consistent recovery-oriented approach to care. The existing evidence on recovery-oriented practice is scattered and difficult to apply. Through this systematic scoping study, we aim to identify and map the essential elements that contribute to recovery outcomes for persons living with severe mental illness.Methods: We used the Arksey & O'Malley framework as our guiding approach. Seven key databases (MEDLINE, PubMed, CINAHL/EBSCO, EMBASE, ProQuest, PsycINFO, and Google Scholar) were searched using index terms and keywords relating to recovery and severe mental illness. To be included, studies had to be peer-reviewed, published after 1988, had persons with severe mental illness as the focal population, and have used recovery in the context of mental health. The search was conducted in August 2018 and last updated in February 2020.Results: Out of 4,496 sources identified, sixty (n = 60) sources were included that met all of the selection criteria. Three major elements of recovery that emerged from the synthesis (n = 60) include relationships, sense of meaning, and participation. Some sources (n = 20) highlighted specific elements such as hope, resilience, self-efficacy, spirituality, social support, empowerment, race/ethnicity etc. and their association with the processes underpinning recovery.Discussion: The findings of this study enable mental health professionals to incorporate the identified key elements into strategic interventions to facilitate recovery for clients with severe mental illness, and thereby facilitate recovery-oriented practice. The review also documents important gaps in knowledge related to the elements of recovery and identifies a critical need for future studies to address this issue.

Background: A recent global report estimates around 2% of the world population (~150 million people) to have concurrent hearing and vision difficulties (referred to as dual sensory impairment/DSI). Older adults with DSI often experience poorer levels of health and barriers to accessing health services in long-term care, home care and hospitals. Yet, the evidence is limited to inform the healthcare planning for this vulnerable population. Understanding the current state of the continuum of care for older adults with DSI is paramount to determine ways to promote healthy ageing. Hence, the objective of this systematic review is to summarize the information available on the continuum of care and synthesize evidence on existing and emergent strategies of screening, assessment and interventions to optimize care for older adults with DSI.Methods: The review will be conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews (PRISMA). Electronic research databases (CINAHL, Embase, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Cochrane Library, Global Health and Web of Science), clinical trial registries (ISRCTN Registry, WHO ICTRP, and ClinicalTrials.gov) will be searched. Editorials, conference publications, thesis/dissertations, books or letters will be excluded. There is no date and language restriction applied, and databases are searched since inception.Discussion: Healthcare professionals have little guidance on how to screen, assess, and provide best possible care to older adults with DSI while accommodating for their hearing and vision challenges; thus, the results of this review will be a relevant resource for policymakers, decision-makers, healthcare organizations, clinicians/professionals, and informal care providers of older adults with DSI. This review will document current practices, determine the evidence gaps, synthesize research findings, and make recommendations for future research priorities.Systematic Review Registration: PROSPERO registration # CRD42020180545

Background Age-related vision impairments and dementia both become more prevalent with increasing age. Research into the mechanisms of these conditions has proposed that some of their causes (eg, macular degeneration/glaucoma and Alzheimer’s disease) could be symptoms of an underlying common cause. Research into sensory-cognitive aging has provided data that sensory decline may be linked to the progression of dementia through reduced sensory stimulation. While hearing loss rehabilitation may have a beneficial effect on cognitive functioning, there are no data available on whether low vision rehabilitation, specifically for reading, could have a beneficial effect on cognitive health. Objective The research questions are: (1) Does low vision rehabilitation reduce reading effort? (2) If so, does reduced reading effort increase reading activity, and (3) If so, does increased reading activity improve cognitive functioning? The primary objective is to evaluate cognition before, as well as at 6 months and 12 months after, 3 weeks of low vision reading rehabilitation using magnification in individuals with age-related macular degeneration, with or without coexisting hearing impairments. We hypothesize that improvements postrehab will be observed at 6 months and maintained at 12 months for participants with vision loss and less so for those with dual sensory loss. The secondary objective is to correlate participant characteristics with all cognitive outcomes to identify which may play an important role in reading rehabilitation. Methods We employ a quasiexperimental approach (nonrandomized, pre-post intervention study). A 3x3 design (3 groups x 3 time points) allows us to examine whether cognitive performance will change before and after 6 months and 12 months of a low vision reading intervention, when comparing 75 low vision and 75 dual sensory impaired (vision & hearing) participants to 75 age-matched healthy controls. The study includes outcome measures of vision (eg, reading acuity and speed), cognition (eg, short-term and long-term memory, processing speed), participant descriptors, demographics, and clinical data (eg, speech perception in noise, mental health). Results The study has received approval, and recruitment began on April 24, 2019. As of March 4, 2021, 38 low vision and 7 control participants have been enrolled. Lockdown forced a pause in recruitment, which will recommence once the COVID-19 crisis has reached a point where face-to-face data collection with older adults becomes feasible again. Conclusions Evidence of protective effects caused by reading rehabilitation will have a considerable impact on the vision rehabilitation community and their clients as well as all professionals involved in the care of older adults with or without dementia. If we demonstrate that reading rehabilitation has a beneficial effect on cognition, the demand for rehabilitation services will increase, potentially preventing cognitive decline across groups of older adults at risk of developing macular degeneration. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04276610; Unique Protocol ID: CRIR-1284-1217; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04276610 International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID) DERR1-10.2196/19931

BACKGROUND Age-related vision impairments and dementia both become more prevalent with increasing age. Research into the mechanisms of these conditions has proposed that some of their causes (eg, macular degeneration/glaucoma and Alzheimer’s disease) could be symptoms of an underlying common cause. Research into sensory-cognitive aging has provided data that sensory decline may be linked to the progression of dementia through reduced sensory stimulation. While hearing loss rehabilitation may have a beneficial effect on cognitive functioning, there are no data available on whether low vision rehabilitation, specifically for reading, could have a beneficial effect on cognitive health. OBJECTIVE The research questions are: (1) Does low vision rehabilitation reduce reading effort? (2) If so, does reduced reading effort increase reading activity, and (3) If so, does increased reading activity improve cognitive functioning? The primary objective is to evaluate cognition before, as well as at 6 months and 12 months after, 3 weeks of low vision reading rehabilitation using magnification in individuals with age-related macular degeneration, with or without coexisting hearing impairments. We hypothesize that improvements postrehab will be observed at 6 months and maintained at 12 months for participants with vision loss and less so for those with dual sensory loss. The secondary objective is to correlate participant characteristics with all cognitive outcomes to identify which may play an important role in reading rehabilitation. METHODS We employ a quasiexperimental approach (nonrandomized, pre-post intervention study). A 3x3 design (3 groups x 3 time points) allows us to examine whether cognitive performance will change before and after 6 months and 12 months of a low vision reading intervention, when comparing 75 low vision and 75 dual sensory impaired (vision & hearing) participants to 75 age-matched healthy controls. The study includes outcome measures of vision (eg, reading acuity and speed), cognition (eg, short-term and long-term memory, processing speed), participant descriptors, demographics, and clinical data (eg, speech perception in noise, mental health). RESULTS The study has received approval, and recruitment began on April 24, 2019. As of March 4, 2021, 38 low vision and 7 control participants have been enrolled. Lockdown forced a pause in recruitment, which will recommence once the COVID-19 crisis has reached a point where face-to-face data collection with older adults becomes feasible again. CONCLUSIONS Evidence of protective effects caused by reading rehabilitation will have a considerable impact on the vision rehabilitation community and their clients as well as all professionals involved in the care of older adults with or without dementia. If we demonstrate that reading rehabilitation has a beneficial effect on cognition, the demand for rehabilitation services will increase, potentially preventing cognitive decline across groups of older adults at risk of developing macular degeneration. CLINICALTRIAL ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04276610; Unique Protocol ID: CRIR-1284-1217; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04276610 INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT DERR1-10.2196/19931

Despite the impressive aggregate growth of India as a developing nation in the past few years, its benefits have hardly reached the marginalized sections of the society, including people with disabilities. Vulnerability and conditions of poverty are still prevalent which make them the most abject under-served populations. The role of civil society organizations is indispensable in a scenario like this, where these organizations are instrumental in ensuring that the rights of the under-served population are fulfilled and needs met. Mostly, these civil society organizations play a complementary role and act as the third leg to development together with government and development partners (donors). In some instances, a few civil society organizations take a different stand and create a parallel system of support services for those marginalized populations whose identity is not recognized in the legal system of the country and almost no welfare policies/services exist for them. Similar is the condition with Sense International India, which was founded in 1997 to cater to the needs of people with deafblindness in India. Until December 2016, deafblindness was not recognized as a distinct disability in India and hence their access to disability welfare services was limited.

The purpose of this study is to systematically review published evidence regarding the development, use, and effectiveness of assistive devices and technol ogies that enable internet access for individuals who are deafblind. Eight electronic research databases (CINAHL, Embase, Engineering Village MEDLINE, PsycINFO, PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science) and three clinical trials registries (ISRCTN Registry, WHO ICTRP, and ClinicalTrials.gov) were searched.Seven articles met the inclusion criteria for this systematic review. The assistive technologies described were in the preliminary stages of development, with only three of the technologies having undergone any testing. The effectiveness of all seven assistive technologies was quantified in this review based on the proposed impacts of internet access on the domains of the World Health Organization's International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health framework.Internet access technologies for individuals with deafblindness are in the early stages of development and are targeted toward specific functions of the internet. It is imperative that future device development and evaluation seek input from persons who are deafblind. There is also a need to address the gap between academic research, which seeks to develop assistive technology to access the internet and the translation into real-world use of this technology.

Research Objectives To identify ways to enhance the social participation of individuals with deafblindness or dual sensory impairment. Design The exploratory study involved a scoping study followed by two qualitative research studies. Data were collected through qualitative interviews with 16 adults with deafblindness, as well as through two focus group discussions with their 16 rehabilitation service providers in India. Various accessible modes of communication were used to conduct qualitative interviews with individuals with deafblindness. Directed content analysis approach and the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) as a framework were used to analyze the qualitative data. Setting Community and social participation settings. Participants Sixteen community-dwelling adults (18-45 years of age) with deafblindness as well as their sixteen rehabilitation service providers in India. Interventions Not applicable. It was an exploratory study. Main Outcome Measures Social participation of individuals with deafblindness Results Participants with deafblindness or dual sensory impairment identified access to information, communication, mobility, relationships, education and productivity, and recreation and leisure as important domains of life for their participation. The rehabilitation service providers suggested developing deafblind-specific rehabilitation services and assistive technology (e.g., hearing aids, cochlear implants, refreshable braille displays, magnifiers) to improve access to information, communication and social interactions, and thus to enable the social participation of individuals with deafblindness or dual sensory impairment. Conclusions Our findings suggest that the interventions should focus on enabling access to information for these individuals as it is available for their non-disabled counterparts. It is imperative for clinicians to design rehabilitation services to remove participation barriers located in the environment and focus on life domains that they value to enable the societal participation of those with deafblindness or dual sensory impairment. Author(s) Disclosures No conflict of interest to declare.

Background and purpose Dissemination of research results is a key component of the research continuum and is commonly achieved through publication in peer-reviewed academic journals. However, issues of poor quality reporting in the research literature are well documented. A lack of formal training in journalology (i.e., publication science) may contribute to this problem. To help address this gap in training, the Enhancing the QUAlity and Transparency Of health Research (EQUATOR) Canada Publication School was developed and facilitated by internationally-renowned faculty to train researchers and clinicians in reporting and publication best practices. This article describes the structure of the inaugural course and provides an overview of attendee evaluations and perspectives. Key highlights Attendees perceived the content of this two-day intensive course as highly informative. They noted that the course helped them learn skills that were relevant to academic publishing (e.g., using reporting guidelines in all phases of the research process; using scholarly metrics beyond the journal impact factor; open-access publication models; and engaging patients in the research process). The course provided an opportunity for researchers to share their challenges faced during the publication process and to learn skills for improving reproducibility, completeness, transparency, and dissemination of research results. There was some suggestion that this type of course should be offered and integrated into formal training and course curricula. Implications In light of the importance of academic publishing in the scientific process, there is a need to train and prepare researchers with skills in Journalology. The EQUATOR Canada Publication School provides an example of a successful program that addressed the needs of researchers across career trajectories and provided them with resources to be successful in the publication process. This approach can be used, modified, and/or adapted by curriculum developers interested in designing similar programs, and could be incorporated into academic and clinical research training programs.

Background Deafblindness, also known as dual sensory loss, is a varying combination of visual and hearing impairment in the same individual. Interest in this topic has increased recently due to evidence suggesting an increase in prevalence of this condition among older adults. Persons with deafblindness frequently experience participation barriers and social isolation. Developing an understanding of their experiences can inform the design of programs and policies to enhance participation of people with deafblindness in society. Objective To identify and summarize available research literature on participation experiences of people with deafblindness or dual sensory loss. Methods A comprehensive literature search of eight databases (CINAHL/EBSCO, Embase, ERIC, Global Health, MEDLINE, ProQuest, PsycINFO, PubMed) was performed in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews (PRISMA) during January 2017 and last updated in June 2017. In addition, non-peer reviewed (grey) literature was also retrieved in the form of online published reports of research projects by 16 deafblind-specific organizations across the globe. To be included, sources had to be published after 1990, had persons with deafblindness as the focal population, and focused on their participation experiences. Results A total 1172 sources were identified of which 54 studies were included. The findings reveal that persons with deafblindness, regardless of origin of their impairment, experience difficulty in communication, mobility, daily living functioning, and social interactions. While these experiences may vary between individuals with congenital versus acquired conditions, they generally feel socially isolated, insecure and uncertain about their future. Conclusion Participation experiences of persons with deafblindness are shaped by dynamic interactions between personal factors (such as onset and type of impairments) and environmental influences (such as attitude, technology, and supports). A better understanding of participation experiences may help professionals in placing emphasis on affected participation domains to design services to enhance participation of people with deafblindness.

Purpose : This paper aimed to demonstrate how participatory action research (PAR) within a Community-based Rehabilitation (CBR) project facilitated community participation to advocate for the rights of people with visual impairment. An advocacy campaign, led by the local people with and without disabilities, was launched for the construction of an accessible foot over- bridge (FOB) at Vangani railway station in Maharashtra, India. Methods : The PAR approach was used to explore the issues faced by the local people with visual impairment. It ensured maximum community consultation, engagement and, consequently, meaningful outcomes for the community. Advocacy tools such as video documentary, online petition, media advocacy, and signature campaign were employed to publicise the issue on a larger platform. Sources for this paper included quantitative data from the survey of Vangani community and documents such as CBR project reports, media coverage articles, minutes of the meeting and correspondence with the Central Railways during the advocacy campaign that was conducted from 2012 - 2015. Results : After 12 months of consistent advocacy, the Ministry of Railways sanctioned INR 15 million for the construction of the foot over-bridge. The construction work on the foot overbridge was completed in December 2016 and now it is open for public use.. Conclusion and Implications : This study illustrates how PAR within a CBR project successfully used an advocacy campaign as a tool for community participation, action and change. Although geographically limited to rural pockets of Maharashtra state, the learning experiences brought out some of the elements crucial for the success of an advocacy intervention within CBR programmes for the rights of people with disability in India.

We consider a model of gravity and matter fields which is invariant only under unimodular general coordinate transformations (GCT). The determinant of the metric is treated as a separate field which transforms as a scalar under unimodular GCT. Furthermore we also demand that the theory is invariant under a new global symmetry which we call generalized conformal invariance. We study the cosmological implications of the resulting theory. We show that this theory gives a fit to the high-z supernova data which is identical to the standard Big Bang model. Hence we require some other cosmological observations to test the validity of this model. We also consider some models which do not obey the generalized conformal invariance. In these models we can fit the supernova data without introducing the standard cosmological constant term. Furthermore these models introduce only one dark component and hence solve the coincidence problem of dark matter and dark energy., 18 pages, no figures, major revisions, substantial changes in analysis, results and conclusions