Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Perioperative Fluid Management In Cardiac Surgery: Contemporary Evidence And Clinical Controversies, Hussein Ali Hussein Al-Hchaimi, Hussein Alkhfaji, Majid Fakhir Al-Hamaidah, Mohammad Ali Hassan Jassim, Ammar Hoom Mahdi, Fatima Al-Sharwood, Sunder Etta

AUIQ Complementary Biological System

Perioperative fluid therapy is a cornerstone of anesthetic management in cardiac surgery, where both hypovolemia and hypervolemia are associated with increased morbidity, forming a ``U-shaped'' relationship with outcomes. This narrative review synthesizes evidence from peer-reviewed literature (2000–2024) identified via PubMed, Scopus, and the Cochrane Database, focusing on randomized trials, meta-analyses, and guidelines for adult cardiac surgery. A central debate persists regarding fluid choice. Current evidence supports the preferential use of balanced crystalloids over normal saline, as large-volume saline is linked to hyperchloremic acidosis and reduced renal perfusion. Colloids like albumin and hydroxyethyl starch (HES) offer efficient volume expansion but require …

Interdisciplinary Management Of Severe Pediatric Subglottic Stenosis: A Case Report Of Endoscopic Balloon Dilation Under Shared Airway Conditions, Margaretha Gunawan, Syahrial Marsintha Hutauruk, Fauziah Fardizza, Christopher Kapuangan, Mikhael Yosia

AUIQ Complementary Biological System

Pediatric acquired subglottic stenosis is a high-risk airway condition that requires close coordination between anesthesiology and otorhinolaryngology teams, particularly during endoscopic interventions performed under shared-airway conditions. This report describes the interdisciplinary management and anesthetic–surgical coordination in a child with severe acquired subglottic stenosis undergoing endoscopic balloon dilation, highlighting key decision points and airway management strategies. A 2-year-old boy with a history of prolonged and repeated endotracheal intubations presented with persistent dyspnea and noisy breathing, consistent with fixed extrathoracic airway obstruction. The case was reviewed in a multidisciplinary pediatric difficult-airway meeting, and operative management consisted of endoscopic airway evaluation and balloon …

Rural Georgia Hospital Covid-19 Virus Patient Outcomes, Susan P. Smith, Neeraj Dayama, Morgan E. House, Debra Flores, Sharon Hunt, April Dukes, Steven Gautney

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Background: The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has led to over 1.2 million deaths in the United States. Given the staggering scale of the pandemic, rural hospitals faced heightened challenges due to limited resource availability and underlying patient characteristics.

Methods: In this context, we examined patient and hospital-related factors associated with inpatient mortality due to COVID-19. This study is a retrospective chart review of patient outcomes of patients who were hospitalized in a Southwest Georgia rural hospital with COVID-19 during the initial onset of the outbreak and over the following 23 months of the pandemic. Patient demographics, other characteristics, …

Rates And Predictors Of Intention To Get Preventive Screenings Among Individuals In Recovery From Substance Use Disorders, Afsha Hossain, Ban A. Majeed, Lia Pierson Bruner

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Background: Individuals with substance use disorders (SUDs) are at greater risk for chronic disease but often face barriers to access and uptake of preventive screenings, so the aim of this study was to identify rates and predictors for intention to get preventive screenings among residents at two recovery centers.

Methods: We used a cross-sectional survey (N=95, response rate 51%) to determine previous screening rates and the intention to get recommended preventive screenings among residents of two long-term recovery programs in Athens, GA, using bivariate analysis with chi-square to look for associations with intention.

Results: Prior use of preventive health services …

94th Annual Georgia Public Health Association Meeting And Conference Report, Angela H. Peden, Beverley Townsend, Patrina L. Bowles, Sarah L. Mosley

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

The 94th Annual Meeting and Conference of the Georgia Public Health Association (GPHA) was held in Jekyll Island, Georgia, at the Jekyll Island Convention Center, on May 1-3, 2024. The goal of the 2024 Georgia Public Health Association Annual Meeting and Conference was to assemble public health professionals, students, County Board of Health members, and stakeholders for networking and educational opportunities to support the mission and vision of GPHA.

The theme for the 2024 Georgia Public Health Association Annual Meeting and Conference was selected by the GPHA Executive Board during a meeting in the early fall of 2023: “Lighting the …

Ai-Powered Reporting For Improved Hospital Efficiency, Joel C. Laskow, Chris Papesh, Srishti Awasthi, Jacquelyn Cheun

SMU Data Science Review

This study explores the feasibility of an AI-powered chatbot for HIPAA-aligned intake of emergency room patients seeking treatment for overdose and violence. The system utilizes AWS Amplify, an encrypted EC2 instance, and a secure S3 Bucket house on Amazon Web Services. Chat functionality is powered by a multi-agentic framework operating on Anthropic’s Claude Sonnet 4. Manual evaluation and exact match testing reveal the system reliably obtains and records relevant information during intake. Future work will focus on expanding accessibility by integrating voice functionality, obtaining HIPAA compliance certifications, and incorporating the chat system into existing healthcare networks.

Bias Evaluation Of Healthcare Data With The Use Of Vbqa - A Vaers Inspired Bias Question Answer Dataset, Nolan Dulude, Renu Karthikeyan, Bivin Sadler, Faizan Javed

SMU Data Science Review

Abstract. Large Language Models (LLMs) are being used increasingly within the healthcare industry to summarize complex clinical information, but their outputs can often reflect biases inherited from their training data. In healthcare, these biases are not just technical flaws, but they can lead to distorted and false information about vaccine safety, compromise patient trust, and lead to potential harmful outcomes. This study investigates bias found in LLM-generated outputs to question-answer pairs inspired by adverse vaccine reactions using COVID-19 data from the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) from 2020–2024. We examined whether training the LLMs on a known Bias Benchmark …

Virtual Ai Lifestyle Assistant, Solomon T. Mathew, Babu T. Mathew

SMU Data Science Review

Patients struggle with adhering to prescribed medication and leading a healthy lifestyle outside of clinical visits. A mechanism needs to be developed and deployed to constantly remind them about the need to take medication and to lead a healthy lifestyle in a non-intrusive way while watching for changes in vitals that can be collected using wearable devices. With these considerations, a Virtual Healthcare Assistant is proposed, built with a multi-agent system that is easily integrated with wearable devices such as Apple Watches, Fitbits, and Oura Rings. a LangGraph-based multi-agent workflow to mimic real-world continuous monitoring. The resulting system enables agent-to-agent …

Expression Of Aph(3')-Iib And Aminoglycoside Efflux Pump Regulatory Genes In Clinical Extensive Drug Resistant Pseudomonas Aeruginosa.: Running Title: Relative Gene Expression Of Aminoglycoside Modifying Enzyme Aph(3')-Iib And Efllux Pump Regulatory Genes In Xdr Pseudomonas Aeruginosa., Shaimaa Altofaily, Ibtisam Habeeb Al-Azawi

Al-Qadisiyah Medical Journal

Background: A remarkable level of aminoglycosides  resistance expressed by Pseudomonas aeruginosa is well known. One of the most important mechanisms of aminoglycoside resistance is over expression of efflux pumps and aminoglycoside modifying enzymes. Aim of Study: To evaluate the expression of aph(3')-IIb and MexXY-OprM Pump Regulatory Genes in XDR Pseudomonas aeruginosa in Al-Diwaniyah city. Methods: During the period from November 2021 to August 2022, 50 clinical P. aeruginosa isolated from hospitalized  patients admitted to Al-Diwaniyah Burn Center and Al-Diwaniyah Teaching Hospital including 25(31.3%) burns, 15(22.7%)   wounds, and 10(18.5%) diabetic foot ulcers. The vitek2 compact system was employed for identification and …

Detection Of Serotype Gene Of Klebsiella Pneumoniae Isolated From Different Clinical Cases Of Hospitalized Infections In Al-Diwaniya City, Adnan H. Al Hamadani, Hazem K. Al Khafaji, Ahmed S.Abed

Al-Qadisiyah Medical Journal

This study aimed to identify serotype of Klebsiella Pneumonia  isolated from different clinical cases of hospitalized infections( urinary tract infection, respiratory infection, burns & wounds) by using polymerase chain reaction(PCR).A total of 110 clinical specimens from in-patients with nosocomial infections(including 47 respiratory infection,37  UTI , burns  & wound infections 26) in Al-Diwaniya Teaching Hospital during the period from December 2012 –March 2013 were collected. K. Pneumonia  isolated from 35.4% of the specimens distributed as 18.18% sputum specimens,10.90% urine specimens & 6.36% burns & wounds specimens. K1,K2,K5,K20,K54 & K57 serotypes of K. Pneumonia  were successfully detected in multiplex PCR.The results revealed …

Overexpression Of Mammaglobin In Tissue Breast Carcinoma By Immunohistochemistry, Shoroq Mohammad Abbas

Al-Qadisiyah Medical Journal

Our purpose was to investigate the mammaglobin overexpression in tissue breast cancer and to determine its correlations with conventional prognostic parameters. There were investigated 60 patients with breast carcinoma, and slides from paraffin blocks were stained with an antibody against mammaglobin. The immunohistochemical reaction was scored based on the percentage of positive tumor cells in tumors. Positive reaction for mammaglobin was diffused cytoplasmic staining foundin 75% of tissue breast carcinoma. A significant correlation was found between the mammaglobin expression in the breast cancer and grades of the tumor. Out results suggest that mammaglobin is a good prognostic marker forbreast carcinomaAim …

Histopathological Study On The Effect Of Antioxidants (Vitamin E And Selenium) In Hepatotoxicity Induced By Lead Acetate In Rats, Adnan W. Al-Bideri

Al-Qadisiyah Medical Journal

The study was carried out to evaluate histopathological changes inrats liver induced by different doses and durations of lead acetate toxicity and to investigate the therapeutic effects of vitamin E and Selenium together against lead poisoning.Thirty two adult male rats (Rattus rattus), randomized into four groups (n=8) were used for this study. In group I rats received only drinking water as control while in   group II , III and IV rats were given o.5%,1%,1.5% lead acetate respectively in drinking water for ten weeks. Two animals from each group were sacrificed and and dissected after five weeks and ten weeks of …

The Degree Of Bother Of Nocturea On Quality Of Life In A Group From Al-Diwaniya Population, Ali Hamdan Alkinany, Muntather Hameed Neema, Falah Mehdy Ali, Ahmed Abdulameer Alwan

Al-Qadisiyah Medical Journal

Background: Nocturia is common and disrupts sleep. Traditionally, one nightly episode has been regarded as clinically meaningless.Objective: To evaluate the bothersome effect of nocturia on health related quality of life (HRQoL) in a group from Al-Diwaniya population.Patients and methods: In 2006–2008, a survey was made on a random sample of 600 patients aged 18–79 yr who were identifiedfrom Al-Diwaniya teaching hospital, proportion was 62% males and 38% were females).Measurements: bother from nocturia on QoL were examined in relation to self-reported nocturia frequency (using the American Urological Association Symptom Score). Bother from nocturia was assessed on a four-point scale (none, small, …

Challenges Of Electronic Medical Record Implementation From The Perspective Of Hospital Leaders In Riyadh, Kingdom Of Saudi Arabia's Public Hospitals: A Mixed-Methods Study, Atheer A. Alghamdi, Samiha H. Sayed

Saudi Medical Journal

Objectives: To assesses the challenges of implementing electronic medical records (EMR) from the leaders' perspective in public hospitals in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), and explores their suggestions for improvement. Methods: A concurrent mixed research approach using a purposive sample of all hospital leaders (61) involved in EMR in 5 randomly selected public hospitals utilizing EMR in Riyadh. The researchers deployed a semi-structured interview schedule to collect the data. They used descriptive statistics and ordinal regression analysis for quantitative data, and thematic analysis for qualitative data. Results: Indicate that 80.3% of the hospital leaders had a good perception of …

Incidence And Risk Factors Of Recoarctation Following Surgical Repair Of Aortic Coarctation In Infants: A Retrospective Single-Centre Study, Hamid Atiyaq Al Badi, Hamood Al Kindi, Khalid Al Alawi, Abdullah Al Furqani, Laith Al Kindi, Madan Mohan Maddali

Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal

Objectives: The reported incidence and risk factors for aortic recoarctation (reCoA) after surgical repair in infants vary widely. This study aimed to determine the incidence of reCoA and to identify associated risk factors in a cohort of infants. Secondary objectives included assessing parameters associated with reintervention. Methods: This retrospective cohort study was conducted at the National Heart Center, Muscat, Oman, and included all infants who underwent surgical repair of coarctation of the aorta (CoA) from January 2016 to December 2022. Preoperative, intraoperative and postoperative data were collected, including demographics, prostaglandin E2 use, surgical technique and echocardiographic measurements. Recoarctation was defined …

Comparative Evaluation Of Orthodontic Measurements Using Two Intraoral Scanners Versus Conventional Plaster Models: An In Vivo Study, Pranoy Nair, Achint Juneja, Monis Raza, Prashant Shahi, Ridhi Kothari, Deepthi Raj

International Arab Journal of Dentistry

Introduction: This study evaluated and compared the accuracy and reliability of two intraoral scanners, iTero Element 1 and Panda P2, with conventional plaster models for essential orthodontic measurements.

Methods: Thirty subjects were evaluated using three methods: plaster casts, iTero Element 1, and Panda P2. Inter-canine distance, inter-molar distance, overjet, overbite, and Bolton’s ratios were measured. Data was analysed using one-way ANOVA and Tukey’s post-hoc test after confirming normality (Shapiro–Wilk). Intra-operator reliability was assessed using Dahlberg’s formula and ICC.

Results: No statistically significant differences were observed among the three methods (p > 0.05). Both scanners demonstrated high repeatability and minimal measurement error, …

Redesigning Online Graduate Orientation To Foster Academic Resilience And Prevent Underperformance, Stella Michael-Makri, David E. Rodriguez

Journal of Academic Underperformance

Graduate students in fully online programs often begin their academic journey without adequate preparation for the emotional, structural, and cultural challenges of graduate-level work. For students who are first-generation, racially marginalized, international, or returning to education after time away, this lack of scaffolding can lead to early disengagement, underperformance, or attrition. Orientation, often treated as a checklist of logistical tasks, represents a missed opportunity for meaningful academic intervention. This manuscript proposes a five-module conceptual model for online graduate orientation designed to proactively support online graduate students in the domains of emotional regulation and academic identity, time management and executive functioning, …

Building Capacity, Changing Teaching Practices: Insights From A Professional Development Program For Educators In A Low-Income Country, Caroline Havery, Mary Kililo, Julie Dopsie, Mary Roroi, Di Brown, Ali Moloney, Lisa Townsend, Amanda Neill, Michele Rumsey, Chris Rossiter, Thelma Ali

Pacific Journal of Health

Background

Building capacity of health professional educators in low- and middle-income countries can improve population health outcomes through upskilling the health workforce. However, education programs must respond to local contexts and challenges including participants’ needs and expectations, language difficulties, and resource limitations. This paper evaluates a program for nursing and community health worker educators in Papua New Guinea.

Methods

This qualitative descriptive study was designed and implemented using a collaborative partnership approach. It comprised six focus groups with 26 educators who were program participants. Thematic analysis examined participants’ perceptions of the program and their implementation of change projects.

Results

Four …

Retrocardiac Innominate Vein: A Rare Vascular Anomaly Associated With Congenital Heart Disease, Ali Alakhfash, Osama Alrusaini, Fahad Alhabshan, Khaled Alhawri, Abdulrahman Almesned

Journal of the Saudi Heart Association

Atrial septal defects are common congenital heart anomalies and may coexist with rare systemic venous abnormalities. We describe a one-year-old female with a large secundum atrial septal defect and an unusual retrocardiac innominate vein. Transthoracic echocardiography suggested a persistent left superior vena cava, but the innominate vein was absent from its usual location and the coronary sinus was not dilated. Cardiac CT angiography demonstrated a retrocardiac innominate vein draining into the azygos system and subsequently to the right atrium. Surgical atrial septal defect closure was successful. Recognition of this anomaly is essential for accurate diagnosis and procedural planning.

Late Local Recurrence Of Gastric Cancer After Preoperative Radiochemotherapy: Three Case Reports And Literature Review, Mateusz M. Gajek, Magdalena Szymala-Cortez, Jerzy Wydmański

Pacific Journal of Health

Gastric cancer (GC) ranks as the fifth most common cancer type, contributing significantly to cancer-related mortality. This paper presents three cases of patients treated with preoperative radiochemotherapy (preopRTCT) at the National Cancer Center who experienced recurrences of GC after 15, 11 and 19 years. In all cases follow-up ended years before recurrence. Relapse was diagnosed late and treatment outcome was poor. We believe that extending the follow-up period for gastric cancer patients beyond the initial treatment is necessary especially for younger patients with large tumors. Late recurrences, often diagnosed at advanced stages, require differentiation from second primary malignancies, a process …

Camouflage Orthodontic Treatment Of Skeletal Class Ii Malocclusion With Missing Mandibular Incisors Using Improved Superelastic Ti–Ni Alloy Wire, Pin-Yu , Chen, Yuan-Hou Chen, Yuan-Hou Chen, Jian-Hong Yu

Taiwanese Journal of Orthodontics

This article presents a camouflage orthodontic treatment utilizing the improved superelastic Ti-Ni alloy wire (ISW) to address a case of skeletal Class II malocclusion with two missing mandibular incisors. A 28-year-old female patient with a chief complaint of poor dental alignment sought orthodontic evaluation. Clinical examination revealed a Class III molar relationship, mild crowding, and lingually positioning of tooth 35. Radiographic analysis confirmed a skeletal Class II pattern. The treatment plan included the application of an ISW curve over the maxillary arch to control anterior tooth inclination. Canine distal drive and anterior retraction were performed following the extraction of bilateral …

Interdisciplinary Orthodontic Management Of Class Ii Severe Hypodontia Using Improved Super-Elastic Ti-Ni Alloy Wire, Hsuan Jeng, Yuan-Hou Chen, Jian-Hong Yu

Taiwanese Journal of Orthodontics

This case report presents the orthodontic management of a 23-year-old male with severe hypodontia, specifically the congenital absence of all premolars and bilateral peg laterals. The patient sought treatment due to dissatisfaction with previous orthodontic outcomes, characterized by noticeable spacing in the upper anterior region. Clinical evaluation revealed a skeletal Class II relationship and several dental anomalies, prompting the need for an interdisciplinary approach.

The patient was treated using an improved super-elastic Ti-Ni alloy wire (ISW), which provided consistent light continuous forces, high elasticity, and super-elastic properties beneficial for controlling tooth movement in patients with missing teeth and anchorage limitations. …

Long-Term Interdisciplinary Management Of Severe Vertical Bony Defects Using Periodontal Accelerated Osteogenic Orthodontics (Paoo), Chun-Han Su, Huei-Mei Tsai, Yi-Min Liu, Yuen-Yung Tsang, Yu-Ling Cheng

Taiwanese Journal of Orthodontics

Background: Management of severe malocclusion in patients with chronic periodontitis poses significant challenges due to compromised periodontal support and alveolar bone loss. Periodontally accelerated osteogenic orthodontics (PAOO) may facilitate tooth movement while promoting bone regeneration in such cases.

Case presentation: A 33-year-old male with chronic periodontitis and severe malocclusion presented for orthodontic correction. Initial treatment included comprehensive periodontal therapy—oral hygiene control, open-flap debridement, and bone grafting—prior to orthodontic intervention. Congenital absence of tooth 12 resulted in mesial drift, and teeth 17, 24, and 27 were extracted due to poor prognosis. Despite initial periodontal improvement, inflammation and labial plate collapse at …

Correction Of Facial Asymmetry Using Bilateral Sagittal Split Osteotomy Combined With Anterior Mandibular Midline Split And Genioplasty, Po-Yu Yang, Chia-Tze Kao, Yi-Chieh Chen, Wen-Ken Tai

Taiwanese Journal of Orthodontics

Facial asymmetry accounts for approximately two-thirds of orthognathic surgical patients and may involve discrepancies in any of the three spatial planes. Conventional bilateral sagittal split osteotomy (BSSO) has limitations in correcting patients with significant discrepancies in bilateral ramus angles. This paper proposes a novel surgical approach for the correction of facial asymmetry using BSSO combined with an anterior midline mandibular split osteotomy and genioplasty.

A 30-year-old woman presented with a skeletal Class III pattern, occlusal canting, and a 3-mm deviation of the chin to the right. Intraoral examination revealed an anterior crossbite, dental midline deviation, and a left Angle’s Class …

An Ai-Assisted Digital Workflow For Clinical Planning And Guide Fabrication In Miniscrew-Assisted Rapid Palatal Expansion, Yu-Chiang Chen, Szu-Ching Lee, Ting-Fen Chang, Wei-Lun Chang, Shu-Cheng Lin, Tzu-Ying Wu

Taiwanese Journal of Orthodontics

Purpose: This article introduces a digital workflow for creating a miniscrew-assisted rapid palatal expander (MARPE) guide, to virtually determine the proper MARPE position and to precisely transfer it into the reality. Materials and Methods: A digital workflow was established by the following steps: (1) generating a digital model with palatal soft tissue from the digital scan, (2) isolating teeth on the digital model from the CBCT file for band size try-in using AI software (DentalSegmentator), (3) constructing a model with four parallel cylinders simulating the MARPE screws’ pathways, (4) superimposing the three models to determine the proper MARPE position, (5) …

To Extract Or Not To Extract: On What Basis Do We Make That Decision? (Part Ii), Ib Leth Nielsen

Taiwanese Journal of Orthodontics

The most common extraction pattern in orthodontic patients with crowding of the teeth is the four first bicuspids. This is usually done in cases with severe crowding or bimaxillary protrusion. In some instances, orthodontists have decided, instead of extracting the first bicuspids, to extract the second bicuspids, for various reasons that we shall discuss in this review. Several other extraction patterns have also been implemented in the past, including second molars, lower incisors, and even asymmetric extractions. In this review, we shall discuss the pros and cons of each of these choices. In some patients, clinicians have even decided to …

Waste-To-Energy Innovations And Advances In Hydrothermal Carbonization, Microwave, And Pyrolysis Processes: A Review, Ali Mohammed Saleh, Noah Mohammed Saleh, Mahmod A. Abdulqader, Hadi Hamdi Mahdi, Jafar Keighobadi, Omar K. Ahmed, Khalil Farhan Yassin, Azil Bahari Bin Alias, Omar Abed Habeeb, Ibrahim Awad Mohammed

AUIQ Complementary Biological System

The accelerating global generation of municipal solid waste, coupled with escalating energy demands, presents one of the most pressing sustainability challenges of the 21st century. Conventional waste disposal pathways, such as landfilling and incineration, exacerbate environmental degradation and resource loss. In response, thermochemical technologies—specifically hydrothermal carbonization (HTC), microwave-assisted processing, and pyrolysis—have emerged as promising strategies for waste valorization and renewable energy recovery. This review critically examines recent advancements in these technologies, emphasizing their roles in converting diverse waste streams into high-value energy carriers and carbon-rich materials. Comparative analysis reveals that HTC operates efficiently under subcritical water conditions, producing hydrochar with …

Role Of Continuous Positive Airway Pressure In The Prevention Of Cardiovascular Events In Patients With Obstructive Sleep Apnea: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis Of Randomized Clinical Trials, Saif Almuzainy, Mohamed Lemine, Rayan Aljubeh, Ahmad Alilo, Maryam Altaher, Mohamed Almuzainy, Sami Alsalem, Mohamed Dawdi

Journal of the Saudi Heart Association

Background: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is prevalent among patients with cardiovascular disease and is associated with increased risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE). Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is the standard treatment for OSA, but its impact on cardiovascular outcomes remains uncertain, particularly in randomized controlled trials (RCTs).

Objectives: To evaluate the effect of CPAP therapy on cardiovascular outcomes in patients with OSA, and to explore the influence of adherence on treatment efficacy.

Methods: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of RCTs comparing CPAP with placebo or usual care in adults with OSA. Databases including PubMed, Scopus, Ovid, …

Post-Traumatic Pituitary Stalk Transection Syndrome, Raya Albusaidi, Asma Alhatmi, Azza Al Shidhani, Eiman Al-Ajmi

Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal

No abstract provided.

Public Perception Of Risk In Missing Persons Investigations, Harry Lockett, Stefana Juncu

International Journal of Missing Persons

The current study investigated public perceptions of risk in missing person cases. A total of 271 participants were sequentially presented with five fictional vignettes describing missing individuals. Each case included a baseline description of the disappearance being "out of character" and four of these cases were paired with an additional risk factor: substance abuse, depression, dementia, or repeat missing status. The gender of the missing person was also manipulated between participants. Participants rated each case using both the standard categorical scale (Low/Medium/High) and an Extended Scale ranging from 1 to 7 and were also invited to respond to exploratory items …