Detection and toxin production of Staphylococcus Aureus in sudden infant death cases in Hungary

The potential role of microbial agents was investigated in 13 cases of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and in 9 non-SIDS cases in Budapest between September 1996 and May 1998. Autopsy, histological examination and microbiological testes were performed on samples of blood, cerebrospinal fluid, pharyngeal samples and lung tissue from infants under one year died suddenly, without previous diseases. The multifactorial pathomechanism of SIDS was suggested by the isolation of toxin producting Staphylococcus aureus-, Enterobacteriaceae and Candida albicans strains in large number and by the detection of Parainfluenza Type 2 virus antigen. S. aureus proved the predominant bacteria in the SIDS cases. Nasopharyngeal microbial flora and S. aureus carrier of 100 age matched healthy infants were tested during the same period. S. aureus was isolated from 54% of SIDS cases and 37% from healthy infants /OR=1.986 (95% Confidence interval=0.55-7.33), p=0243/. The enterotoxin and TSST-1 toxin producing activity of S. aureus showed the characteristic difference. The toxigenic S. aureus was detected in 46% of SIDS cases and 16% of healthy infants /OR=4.5 (95% CI=1.15-17.72), p=0.010/. The distribution of toxigenic and nontoxigenic isolates was 86% in SIDS cases and 43% in healthy infants /OR=7.875 (CI=0.78-191.89), p=0.041/

Similarities and differences when building trust: The role of cultures

We run an experiment in which students of different European nationalities are matched in groups of five and repeatedly choose with whom within their group they want to play a trust game. Participants observe of each other age, gender, nationality and number of siblings. The region of origin, "North" or "South" is a major determinant of success in the experiment. Participants tend to trust those they trusted before and who trusted them. We do not find evidence of regional discrimination per se. It is only the underlying and significant differences in behavior that translate through repeated interactions into differences in payoffs between the two regions. © 2010 Economic Science Association