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• Evaluates the St. Peter Sandstone and Everton Formation for CO 2 storage in Illinois. • Integrates geological, petrophysical, and seismic data to assess storage potential. • Develops a regional geocellular model to identify optimal CO 2 injection sites. • Simulates CO 2 injection and plume dynamics over 80 years using reservoir modeling, comprising a 30-year injection period and a subsequent 50-year post-injection period. • Highlights west-central Illinois as a highly suitable area for CO 2 storage. • Analyzes risks related to fault leakage, pressure build-up, and salinity impacts. • Contributes to understanding of CO 2 storage feasibility in the Illinois Basin. This study provides a detailed investigation of CO 2 storage potential in the St. Peter Sandstone and Everton Formation in Southern Illinois, employing a comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach that integrates geological and petrophysical analysis, seismic evaluations, and reservoir modeling. The objective of this study is to thoroughly characterize the geological and petrophysical attributes of these formations, emphasizing the lithology, thickness, and spatial distribution of porosity and permeability. A regional geocellular model was developed to identify specific areas within the St. Peter Sandstone and Everton Formation with significant CO 2 storage potential. The parameters used to identify these areas include average thickness, porosity, permeability, and brine salinity. The evaluation of the petrophysical logs and core intervals indicate that the St. Peter Sandstone is predominantly characterized by its fine to medium, well-sorted pure quartz sandstone composition, which is notably devoid of clay minerals. Furthermore, the Everton Formation exists locally in southwestern and southern Illinois and has two distinct intervals: the upper dolomite and the lower fine to medium grained, well-sorted quartz sandstone intervals. The Everton sandstone interval in southwest Illinois has reservoir properties similar to the St. Peter Sandstone. Regional variation in porosity and permeability is evident, with high porosity values in the west-central region of Illinois diminishing gradually towards the southern parts of the state. A portion of the regional geocellular model was used as input to dynamic reservoir simulation of CO 2 injection via the Lively Grove 1 well in Washington County, Illinois. A 30-year injection phase and a 50-year post-injection phase were simulated. Dynamic reservoir simulations were performed to assess the long-term viability of securely storing CO 2 within the St. Peter Sandstone and Everton Formation. Preliminary simulation results indicate that over two million metric tonnes of CO 2 can be securely injected annually into the St. Peter Sandstone and Everton Formation via a single well, thereby underscoring the practical implications of the study's findings for effective CO 2 management. Significantly, the study identifies the west-central part of Illinois as a highly suitable location for CO 2 storage within these formations. This insight is instrumental for developing targeted CO 2 storage strategies in the Illinois Basin, contributing to broader carbon mitigation efforts worldwide. The research emphasizes the role of geological storage in lowering atmospheric CO 2 concentrations, marking a critical step forward in combating climate change. Moreover, it highlights the indispensable role of the St. Peter Sandstone and Everton Formation in advancing carbon storage techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A workflow for determining the maximum operational CO 2 injection rate via a vertical well was developed based on regulatory and technical constraints applicable to CO 2 injection projects. • Technical and regulatory constraints that affect CO 2 injection rate include, but are not limited to, maximum injection bottomhole pressure, maximum injection pressure at the surface or wellhead pressure, and threshold vibration velocity. • The most stringent constraint predetermines the maximum operational CO 2 injection rate. • CO 2 injection rate may be further reduced if faults or hydraulically conductive fractures are present within the injection zone and adjacent formations. A workflow that considers regulatory and technical constraints applicable to subsurface CO 2 injection projects was developed to determine fluid injection rates accurately. The constraints considered include, but are not limited to, maximum injection bottomhole pressure, maximum injection pressure at the surface or wellhead pressure, and threshold vibration velocity. The workflow was developed and tested using a reservoir model developed from site characterization data of an Illinois Basin CarbonSAFE Phase II notional storage project. The Nexus® reservoir simulation software suite and the Peng-Robinson equation-of-state were used to perform compositional dynamic simulations. Reservoir modeling results indicated that (1) the regulated and technically feasible CO 2 injection rate of a vertical well is predetermined by the most stringent parameter amongst maximum bottomhole pressure, maximum wellhead (surface injection) pressure, and threshold vibration velocity constraints; (2) the threshold vibrational velocity constraint predetermines CO 2 injection rate for high-permeability injection zones; and (3) the most stringent constraint for low-permeability injection zones could be either the maximum bottomhole pressure or the maximum wellhead pressure. However, the injection rate may be further reduced if faults or hydraulically conductive fractures are present within the injection zone and adjacent formations because the pressure required to reactivate the faults may be lower than maximum injection bottomhole pressure, maximum wellhead pressure, and vibrational velocity constraints. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BackgroundMost of the disability-related scholarly literature focuses on high-income countries, whereas there is a lack of data concerning challenges (barriers and obstacles) and opportunities (participatory research and community engagement) in the Global South. Moreover, many frameworks for interventions for people with disabilities (PWDs) have been designed for resource-rich contexts, and little is known about their translatability to low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).ObjectiveThe main objective of this study was to design and pilot an interventional approach based on an innovative framework aimed at improving the livelihood of PWDs in LMICs.MethodologyThe present mixed-method study was conducted in Bamenda, North-West Region of Cameroon, through an intervention of household visits by community health workers using innovation and best practices informed by a systematic literature review and embedded into an evidence toolkit called the eBASE Family-Centered Evidence Toolkit for Disabilities (EFCETD), adapted from the WHO matrix and consisting of 43 questions across five categories (health, education, social wellbeing, empowerment, and livelihood). Out of 56 PWDs identified, 30 were randomly sampled, with an attrition of four participants. Three datasets (baseline, qualitative, and quantitative) were collected. The Washington Group tool, exploring the type of disability, gender, how long one has had the disability, their facility situation coupled with their coping strategies, and the context of livelihood, was used to design the questionnaire for baseline data collection. Qualitative data were collected through key informant interviews and focus group discussions analyzed with MAXQDA, while quantitative data were collected through the EFCETD and analyzed by means of descriptive statistics.ResultsIn total, 69.2% of PWDs were female individuals. Many PWDs were aged 10–20 years (57% of the sample size). Physical/motor disability was the most common type of disability recorded (84.6%). The mean percentile for education increased from 29.9% during the first visit to 70.2% during the last visit, while the mean percentile for health increased from 65.4 to 78.7% and the mean percentile for social wellbeing moved from 73.1 to 84.9%. The livelihood and empowerment standards increased from 16.3 to 37.2% and from 27.7 to 65.8%, respectively. Overall, the temporal trend was statistically significant (F = 35.11, p

A comparison of two well-known test formats for evaluating and characterizing foreign language learners' interlanguages revealed that open-ended production test questions were more difficult than closed-item recognition test questions. (CB)

Outlines a contrastive analysis model and a non-contrastive analysis model for studying interlanguage in strictly bilingual settings, and suggests a bidimensional framework, including both linguistic and curricular components, for studying interlanguage in multilingual settings. (21 references) (CB)

Brine extraction strategies can be applied in carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects to overcome two technical barriers to the commercial deployment of CCS technology: (1) managing reservoir pressure and (2) controlling the carbon dioxide (CO 2) plume in the subsurface. Numerical simulations were performed to evaluate changes in reservoir pressure and CO 2 saturation during brine extraction. A series of scenarios were simulated to determine the optimal brine extraction strategies through the sensitivity study of well type, well location, extraction rate, and perforation interval. The simulation results were analyzed for their efficacy to manage reservoir pressure and the CO 2 plume. Differential pressure, CO 2 storage efficiency, and the distance of the CO 2 plume to the extraction well were used as metrics to evaluate performance. With an injection-to-extraction ratio of 1:1 (volumetric balance), the optimal location for a vertical extraction well is in a direction perpendicular to high hydraulic conductivity direction, and on the down-dip side, with perforation(s) within the injection zone. A horizontal extraction well has the following advantages over a vertical extraction well: it presents less risk of drilling into an existing CO 2 plume; CO 2 storage efficiency is improved; a lower extraction rate, thus less volume of brine extraction, is required to move the CO 2 plume and reduce reservoir pressure; and it has less impact on the lateral movement of the CO 2 plume, which could result in lower CO 2 storage efficiency and CO 2 plume leaving the area of review. To minimize brine extraction yet have a noticeable effect on reservoir pressure and movement of the CO 2 plume, this study recommends injection-to-extraction ratios of 2:1 for a vertical well and 4:1 for a horizontal well, which correspond to extraction rates of 10,000 and 5,000 stb/day, respectively, when injecting 1 million metric tons of CO 2 per annum. These findings can be used to guide similar studies on brine extraction to manage CO 2 storage. • Brine extraction can reduce reservoir pressure, move the CO 2 plume, and improve CO 2 storage efficiency. • A vertical extraction well needs to be placed perpendicular to high hydraulic conductivity direction on the down-dip side. • Injection-to-extraction ratios of 2:1 for a vertical well and 4:1 for a horizontal well are recommended to minimize brine extraction. • Horizontal extraction wells provide better control of the CO 2 plume and pressure with a lower extraction rate than vertical extraction wells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Capillary trapping plays an important role in CO 2 storage. Two capillary trapping mechanisms have been extensively investigated, i.e., snap-off trapping and capillary pinning. The latter mechanism only occurs in heterogeneous reservoirs. The majority of studies related to CO 2 trapping have focused on snap-off trapping during the post-injection period, when imbibition of the wetting fluid (e.g. brine) is prevalent at the tail of a buoyantly rising CO 2 plume. The main reason that the injection period has been ignored is that snap-off trapping is absent in homogeneous reservoirs; in homogeneous reservoirs there is no imbibition during injection. Here, we investigate capillary trapping in heterogeneous fluvial-type reservoirs during the injection period. We show that snap-off trapping exists in heterogeneous reservoirs even during the injection period; imbibition occurs because the relative permeability characteristics are different for different facies. More trapping occurs by capillary pinning during the injection period. The amount of snap-off and capillary pinned CO 2 critically depends on the contrast in rock properties, such as (1) intrinsic permeability, (2) irreducible water saturation, (3) maximum residual CO 2 saturation, and (4) capillary entry pressure barrier. The pinned amount is proportional to the fraction of the rocks with low capillary pressure. Pinning is larger in gravity-dominated flow than in viscous-dominated flow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The storage potential and movement of fluids within a formation is dependent on hydraulic characterization unique to each depositional environment. Storage efficiency ( E ), the ratio of the injected volume of CO 2 to the accessible pore volume, quantifies the CO 2 storage capacity in a geologic depositional environment, providing a means to assess the CO 2 storage resource of candidate reservoirs. This paper quantifies the ranges for E via numerical modeling for eight depositional environments: deltaic, shelf clastic, shelf carbonate, fluvial deltaic, strandplain, reef, fluvial and alluvial, and turbidite. An important aspect of this work is the development of geologic and geocellular modeling that reflects the uniqueness of each depositional environment. Depositional environments were interpreted from core and geophysical log data; geologic and petrophysical data from oil fields and gas storage sites were used as constraints in the development of geocellular models, which were upscaled for flow simulations. Evaluation of the effects of geologic structures on storage efficiency indicates it causes a net increase in efficiency. Fluvial deltaic had the highest E and shelf carbonate had the lowest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has already claimed considerable lives. There are major concerns in Africa due to existing high prevalence rates for both infectious and non-infectious diseases and limited resources in terms of personnel, beds and equipment. Alongside this, concerns that lockdown and other measures will have on prevention and management of other infectious diseases and non-communicable diseases (NCDs). NCDs are an increasing issue with rising morbidity and mortality rates. The World Health Organization (WHO) warns that a lack of nets and treatment could result in up to 18 million additional cases of malaria and up to 30,000 additional deaths in sub-Saharan Africa.ObjectiveDocument current prevalence and mortality rates from COVID-19 alongside economic and other measures to reduce its spread and impact across Africa. In addition, suggested ways forward among all key stakeholder groups.Our ApproachContextualise the findings from a wide range of publications including internet-based publications coupled with input from senior-level personnel.Ongoing ActivitiesPrevalence and mortality rates are currently lower in Africa than among several Western countries and the USA. This could be due to a number of factors including early instigation of lockdown and border closures, the younger age of the population, lack of robust reporting systems and as yet unidentified genetic and other factors. Innovation is accelerating to address concerns with available equipment. There are ongoing steps to address the level of misinformation and its consequences including fines. There are also ongoing initiatives across Africa to start addressing the unintended consequences of COVID-19 activities including lockdown measures and their impact on NCDs including the likely rise in mental health disorders, exacerbated by increasing stigma associated with COVID-19. Strategies include extending prescription lengths, telemedicine and encouraging vaccination. However, these need to be accelerated to prevent increased morbidity and mortality.ConclusionThere are multiple activities across Africa to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and address misinformation, which can have catastrophic consequences, assisted by the WHO and others, which appear to be working in a number of countries. Research is ongoing to clarify the unintended consequences given ongoing concerns to guide future activities. Countries are learning from each other.

Abstract: Numerical modeling of geologic carbon sequestration (GCS) is needed to guide efficient development and to understand potential consequences of its development. The Illinois Basin is a major geologic basin in north-central United States. To evaluate the feasibility of future, commercial-scale GCS within this basin, a basin-scale, flow model is being developed using TOUGH2-MP/ECO2N and refined as new geologic data become available. Current models include the Mt. Simon Sandstone and its caprock (Eau Claire Shale). The project goals are to evaluate the migration of injected CO2 and assess the pressure changes in this open reservoir in response to future GCS developments. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Numerical simulations of carbon dioxide injection, via a fully penetrating well, into a homogeneous confined saline aquifer were conducted using TOUGH2 to study temporal variations in near-wellbore pressures. The effect of contrasts in fluid properties on near-wellbore pressure was studied by comparing the predicted pressure histories of carbon dioxide injection to that of water injection into a confined saline aquifer. Simulation results predict an initial jump followed by subsequent decline in near-wellbore pressure over time under isotropic and weakly anisotropic conditions due to phase separation between the less dense and highly compressible carbon dioxide-rich (gas) phase and weakly compressible brine. Conversely, near-wellbore pressure increased monotonically during water injection because the differences between the viscosities, densities, and compressibilities of resident brine and water are relatively small. Sensitivity studies on the effects of the compressibility and viscosity of carbon dioxide and permeability anisotropy suggest that temporal variations in near-wellbore pressures depend strongly on the contrast in density between carbon dioxide and brine, and on the ratio between vertical and horizontal permeabilities of the aquifer (permeability anisotropy). These results suggest that the monitoring near-wellbore pressures during carbon dioxide injection is crucial for maintaining the integrity of the caprock and thereby warrants geomechanical studies. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: During injection of carbon dioxide (CO2) into deep saline aquifers, the available pore volume of the aquifer may be used inefficiently, thereby decreasing the effective capacity of the repository for CO2 storage. Storage efficiency is the fraction of the available pore space that is utilized for CO2 storage, or, in other words, it is the ratio between the volume of stored CO2 and the maximum available pore volume. In this note, we derive and present simple analytical expressions for estimating CO2 storage efficiency under the scenario of a constant-rate injection of CO2 into a confined, homogeneous, isotropic, saline aquifer. The expressions for storage efficiency are derived from models developed previously by other researchers describing the shape of the CO2-brine interface. The storage efficiency of CO2 is found to depend on three dimensionless groups, namely: (1) the residual saturation of brine after displacement by CO2; (2) the ratio of CO2 mobility to brine mobility; (3) a dimensionless group (which we call a “gravity factor”) that quantifies the importance of CO2 buoyancy relative to CO2 injection rate. In the particular case of negligible residual brine saturation and negligible buoyancy effects, the storage efficiency is approximately equal to the ratio of the CO2 viscosity to the brine viscosity. Storage efficiency decreases as the gravity factor increases, because the buoyancy of the CO2 causes it to occupy a thin layer at the top of the confined formation, while leaving the lower part of the aquifer under-utilized. Estimates of storage efficiency from our simple analytical expressions are in reasonable agreement with values calculated from simulations performed with more complicated multi-phase-flow simulation software. Therefore, we suggest that the analytical expressions presented herein could be used as a simple and rapid tool to screen the technical or economic feasibility of a proposed CO2 injection scenario. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• A workflow is developed to assess the efficacy of brine extraction for managing injection-induced seismicity. • Coulomb failure function is used to constrain allowable pressure and determine maximum injection rates that will not induce seismicity. • The efficacy of brine extraction to manage injection-induced seismicity is dependent on brine extraction plans. • Workflow provides insights on natural fracture distribution in the PCB at the CO 2 injection site near Decatur, Illinois. • Brine extraction can be used to increase injection rates and concurrently manage potential for seismicity. Injection of CO 2 for storage in a geologic formation increases pore pressure and alters in situ stresses. Depending on the orientation of any existing fault and fracture planes, such as critically stressed planes, this stress alteration will modify normal stresses acting on planes and could result in frictional sliding and release stored energy in the form of seismicity. Brine extraction (BE) is a technique that can be applied prior to, or during, CO 2 injection to reduce pore pressure for increasing storage capacity and, potentially, for reducing the likelihood of frictional sliding. A workflow is described to assess the efficacy of BE for mitigating frictional sliding (i.e., seismicity) during injection and entails: site characterization, stress calculations and failure assessment, static and dynamic modeling, and BE operational planning. Site characterization describes the stress field used to calculate the Coulomb Failure Function (CFF) that constrains allowable pore pressure changes and injection rates in the numerical simulation of CO 2 injection scenarios. The inclusion of BE in the workflow allows for determination of the potential need for pressure reduction, and evaluation of the effectiveness of this operation. Example application of the workflow using an injection field dataset near Decatur, IL, provides insight on fracture planes and stresses at the site, formation properties and the impact of variable CO 2 injection-rate targets on whether BE plans are required. The study workflow indicates that BE could enhance CO 2 injection rate by 39% and correspondingly reduce the potential for injection-induced seismicity as indicated by a reduction in CFF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• This paper discusses major technical challenges of using brine extraction to manage CO 2 storage. • Keywords discussed include: CO 2 storage; brine extraction; pressure management; plume location; brine handling. Developing and deploying commercial-scale carbon dioxide (CO 2) storage at a site requires operational strategies to manage pressure and CO 2 plume distribution. In the natural gas storage and oil and gas industries, fluid extraction has been successfully implemented as a strategy to manage pressure and control fluid distribution (i.e., hydrocarbon recovery and natural gas storage efficiency, respectively). The technical challenges of integrating brine extraction at CO 2 storage sites are expected to be similar, if not identical, to those in the natural gas storage and petroleum industries. Major technical challenges of using brine extraction to manage storage in a storage unit include (1) designing and completing the brine extraction wells, (2) locating the brine extraction well, (3) assessing the efficacy of brine extraction, and (4) handling the extracted brine. The design and completion of the brine extraction well include the well type (i.e., vertical or horizontal) and perforated interval. The location of the well is influenced by the timing of extraction operations (i.e., prior or after CO 2 injection starts) and project objectives (i.e., desired directional movement of the CO 2 plume and avoid or minimize CO 2 extraction). The efficacy of brine extraction requires a baseline projection of the pressure and CO 2 plume distribution. Options for handling extracted brine include subsurface disposal, surface disposal, and industrial use. This paper addresses means of overcoming technical challenges that may likely be encountered before or after CO 2 injection starts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The first version of the World Health Organization Model list of essential medicines contained 186 medicines in 1977 and has evolved to include 502 medicines in 2023. Over time, different articles criticized the methods and process for decisions; however, the list holds global relevance as a model list to over 150 national lists. Given the global use of the model list, reflecting on its future role is imperative to understand how the list should evolve and respond to the needs of Member States. In 2023, the model list Expert Committee recommended the World Health Organization (WHO) to initiate a process to revise the procedures for updating the model list and the criteria guiding decisions. Here, we offer an agenda outlining priority areas and a vision for an authoritative model list. The main areas include improving transparency and trustworthiness of the recommendations; strengthening connection to national lists; and continuing the debate on the principles that should guide the model list, in particular the role of cost and price of essential medicines. These reflections are intended to support efforts ensuring the continued impact of this policy tool., Competing Interests: Governments are paying increased attention to conflicts of interest, and applications to the model list may come from those with vested financial interests.32 Indeed, companies’ global market strategy may drive their desire to apply to the model list. The challenge lies in ensuring that interest is adequately managed so that the expert committee can decide on unbiased available evidence. Equally, attention to conflicts of interest among the committee’s members is critical to ensuring robust, defensible and trustworthy WHO recommendations. When selecting essential medicines, the committee’s experts can learn from WHO’s guideline recommendation development process, where in response to criticism, a process to overhaul the management of interests was implemented, mitigating risks of undue influence.33,34 However, even the introduction of detailed disclosure forms for WHO experts and strong mitigation strategies may not completely avoid risks of actual or perceived interests and biases. For example, in 2019, concerns about perceived experts’ conflicts of interest were among the reasons to discontinue two WHO guidelines on opioid use.35 While identifying and managing obvious, direct conflicts of interest in the model list process is possible, for example the exclusion of an expert who has received payments from a pharmaceutical industry, mechanisms to identify and manage indirect and less obvious conflicts of interest are more challenging, such as the influence of pervasive pharmaceutical marketing on forming an expert opinion., ((c) 2024 The authors; licensee World Health Organization.)

Background: The 21st century has brought about a damaging information crisis, significantly challenging and undermining efforts to increase the uptake of scientific research evidence in both policy and practice. The World Health Organization (WHO) recognizes misinformation and disinformation as major drivers of pandemic spread and impact, dedicating a policy brief to pandemic preparedness on this issue. In this study, we examine the impact of mis/disinformation on the use of research evidence in public policy decision-making in West and Central Africa and reflect on how this can inform future pandemic preparedness., Objectives: What factors affect the uptake of scientific evidence during disease outbreaks in Africa?, Methods: We used the JBI Scoping Review and Prevalence/Incidence Review methodologies to synthesize the best available evidence. A DELPHI survey was conducted in two stages: the first gathered experiences from policymakers, practitioners, and citizens in Cameroon, Nigeria, and Senegal regarding mis/disinformation and its impact. The second stage explored potential situations related to the issues identified in the first stage. Qualitative data analysis was conducted using MAXQDA., Results: The research identified the origins ( n = 5), transmission platforms ( n = 15), cases ( n = 4), mitigation strategies ( n = 6), and impacts ( n = 4) of infodemic on policy design, implementation, and uptake. Online platforms were identified as the main source of infodemic in 53.3% of cases, compared to 46.7% attributed to offline platforms. We conclude that the severity of COVID-19 as a global pandemic has highlighted the dangers of mis/disinformation, with a considerable number of studies from Middle Africa demonstrating a significant negative impact on the uptake of health policies and to an extend evidence informed policy making. It is also imperative to consider addressing evidence hesitancy in citizens through innovative and indigenous approaches like storytelling., Discussions: Digital technologies, especially social media, play a key role in the propagation of infodemics. For future pandemic preparedness, stakeholders must consider using digital tools and platforms to prevent and mitigate pandemics. This study adds new evidence to the existing body of evidence, emphasizing the need to address infodemics within the context of future pandemic preparedness in Middle Africa., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Penka, Tangang, Alang Wung, Tata Kelese and Okwen.)

Introduction: Citizen science (CS) is an emerging approach in public health to harness the collective intelligence of individuals to augment traditional scientific efforts. However, citizens' viewpoint, especially the hard-to-reach population, is lacking in current outbreak-related literature. We aim to understand the awareness, readiness and feasibility of outbreak-related CS, including digitally enabled CS, in low-income and middle-income countries., Methods: This mixed-method study was conducted in nine countries between October 2022 and June 2023. Recruitment through civil society targeted the general population, marginalised/indigenous groups, youth and community health workers. Participants (aged ≥18 years) completed a quantitative survey, and a subset participated in focus group discussions (FGDs)., Results: 2912 participants completed the survey and 4 FGDs were conducted in each country. Incorporating participants' perspectives, CS is defined as the practice of active public participation, collaboration and communication in all aspects of scientific research to increase public knowledge, create awareness, build trust and facilitate information flow between citizens, governments and scientists. In Bangladesh, Indonesia, the Philippines, Cameroon and Kenya, majority were unaware of outbreak-related CS. In India and Uganda, majority were aware but unengaged, while in Nepal and Zimbabwe, majority participated in CS before. Engagement approaches should consider different social and cultural contexts, while addressing incentivisation, attitudes and practicality factors. Overall, 76.0% expressed interest in digital CS but needed training to build skills and confidence. Digital CS was perceived as convenient, safer for outbreak-related activities and producing better quality and quantity of data. However, there were concerns over non-inclusion of certain groups, data security and unclear communication., Conclusion: CS interventions need to be relatable and address context-specific factors influencing CS participation. Digital CS has the potential to facilitate collaboration, but capacity and access issues must be considered to ensure inclusive and sustainable engagement., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2024. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Paralympic powerlifting (PP), formerly known as "International Paralympic Committee" (IPC) powerlifting, is the format of powerlifting adapted for athletes with disabilities, and it differs from the version for able-bodied athletes in that it consists of bench press only. According to the mandate of the IPC, PP athletes should be enabled to achieve sporting excellence. As such, rigorous evidence is needed. However, to the best of our knowledge, there exists no systematic assessment of the body of scholarly evidence in the field of PP. Therefore, the present study was conducted to fill in this gap of knowledge, by conducting a scoping review of the literature enhanced by a bibliometrics analysis and by mining two major scholarly databases (MEDLINE via PubMed and Scopus). The aim was to provide a review/summary of the findings to date to help practitioners and athletes. Thirty-seven studies were retained in the present study. These covered the following thematic areas: (i) warm-up strategies ( n = 2); (ii) aspects of training ( n = 2); (iii) physiological aspects and responses ( n = 2); (iv) psychological aspects and responses ( n = 2); (v) biomechanics of bench press ( n = 8); (vi) recovery strategy ( n = 5); (vii) impact of the disability and type of disability ( n = 4); (viii) epidemiology of PP ( n = 6); and (ix) new analytical/statistical approaches for kinematics assessments, internal load monitoring, and predictions of mechanical outputs in strength exercises and in PP ( n = 6). Bibliometrics analysis of the PP-related scientific output revealed that, despite having already become a paralympic sports discipline in 1984, only in the last few years, PP has been attracting a lot of interest from the community of researchers, with the first scholarly contribution dating back to 2012, and with more than one-third of the scientific output being published this year (2022). As such, this scholarly discipline is quite recent and young. Moreover, the community dealing with this topic is poorly interconnected, with most authors contributing to just one article, and with one single author being a hub node of the author network. Distributions of the number of articles and the authors/co-authors were found to be highly asymmetrical, indicating that this research is still in its infancy and has great room as well as great potential to grow. Reflecting this, many research topics are also overlooked and underdeveloped, with the currently available evidence being based on a few studies.

Monkeypox is an emerging zoonotic disease caused by the monkeypox virus, which is an infectious agent belonging to the genus Orthopoxvirus . Currently, commencing from the end of April 2022, an outbreak of monkeypox is ongoing, with more than 43,000 cases reported as of 23 August 2022, involving 99 countries and territories across all the six World Health Organization (WHO) regions. On 23 July 2022, the Director-General of the WHO declared monkeypox a global public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC), since the outbreak represents an extraordinary, unusual, and unexpected event that poses a significant risk for international spread, requiring an immediate, coordinated international response. However, the real magnitude of the burden of disease could be masked by failures in ascertainment and under-detection. As such, underestimation affects the efficiency and reliability of surveillance and notification systems and compromises the possibility of making informed and evidence-based policy decisions in terms of the adoption and implementation of ad hoc adequate preventive measures. In this review, synthesizing 53 papers, we summarize the determinants of the underestimation of sexually transmitted diseases, in general, and, in particular, monkeypox, in terms of all their various components and dimensions (under-ascertainment, underreporting, under-detection, under-diagnosis, misdiagnosis/misclassification, and under-notification)., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Bragazzi, Woldegerima, Iyaniwura, Han, Wang, Shausan, Badu, Okwen, Prescod, Westin, Omame, Converti, Mellado, Wu and Kong.)