Spinal infection: state of the art and management algorithm

Spinal infection is a rare pathology although a concerning rising incidence has been observed in recent years. This increase might reflect a progressively more susceptible population but also the availability of increased diagnostic accuracy. Yet, even with improved diagnosis tools and procedures, the delay in diagnosis remains an important issue. This review aims to highlight the importance of a methodological attitude towards accurate and prompt diagnosis using an algorithm to aid on spinal infection management. METHODS: Appropriate literature on spinal infection was selected using databases from the US National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health. RESULTS: Literature reveals that histopathological analysis of infected tissues is a paramount for diagnosis and must be performed routinely. Antibiotic therapy is transversal to both conservative and surgical approaches and must be initiated after etiological diagnosis. Indications for surgical treatment include neurological deficits or sepsis, spine instability and/or deformity, presence of epidural abscess and upon failure of conservative treatment. CONCLUSIONS: A methodological assessment could lead to diagnosis effectiveness of spinal infection. Towards this, we present a management algorithm based on literature findings

Organizational Behavior, Decision Making and Virtual Simulations in Military Personnel

The aim of this study is to make a brief review of the research on Human Behavior Models (HBMs) in military simulations. The need to represent the behavior of individual combatants as well as teams and larger organizations is expanding as a result of increasing use of simulations for training, systems analysis, mission rehearsal, systems acquisition, joint force analysis and command decision aiding. Both for training and command decision aiding, the behaviors that are important to represent realistically are those that can be observed by the other participants in the simulation, including physical movement, detection and identification of enemy forces, as well as the aspects of behavior influenced by the cultural background, such as Beliefs, Desires and Intents. Innovative technologies provide opportunities to train the required skills in an interactive and realistic setting, for this reason are needed adequate models that generate the behavior of virtual players. Areas of modelling human behaviors are combat field situations and situations of high risk decision making, teamwork, culturally and emotionally affected behavior. In this paper we provide an overview of current research on human behavior models in military simulation, in order to be used to train military forces, develop force structures and design weapon systems. Implications for further research are made