A self-evaluation maintenance (SEM) model was used to make predictions about the positivity of perception of the performance of friends and strangers. The model predicts that when the target of perception is close (i.e., a friend) the target's performance should be perceived more positively on dimensions of low personal relevance (to the perceiver) and less positively on dimensions of high personal relevance. If the target is psychologically distant (i.e., a stranger), this tendency should be attenuated. Thirty-four female subjects were given positive and negative feedback on a social sensitivity and an esthetic judgment task. One task had greater relevance for some subjects and the other task had greater relevance for the remaining subjects. Subjects rated their perception of a friend's and a stranger's performance on these tasks. The patterning of positivity in perception conformed to the pattern predicted by the SEM model. Subjects' awareness of their behavior as well as individual differences in self-esteem and repression-sensitization were also examined and discussed.The present pajjer is concerned with how our perceptions of otber people's performances are affected by our relationships with those people. For example, are the achievements of friends perceived differently from the achievements of strangers? One can bask in the reflected glory of a friend, whereas the achievements of a stranger do not provide that opportunity. So, we might predict that a friend's achievements are likely to be exaggerated, compared to those of a stranger. On the other hand, we are more likely to compare ourselves to friends than to strangers and, therefore, more likely to suffer by comparison with the outstanding performance of a friend than that of a stranger. This analysis suggests that people may be less likely to exaggerate tbe performance of a friend than that of a stranger. Below we describe a recent model of self-evaluation main-

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The present study examined the interrelations among performance in school, friendship choices in the classroom, and the importance of various school-related' activities for a child's self-definition. Children named as friends those classmates whose performance (both actual and distorted) was better than their own on irrelevant activities and somewhat inferior to their own on relevant activities. There was also a striking similarity effect. Friends' overall performance was highly similar to the subject's own overall performance, and both the subjects and friends performed better on the subject's relevant activity than on the subject's irrelevant activity. The performance of a distant other, in this case a disliked other, was derogated on both relevant and irrelevant activities. ReflectionPeople will often attempt to bask in the reflected glory of another's accomplishments.

A PCR assay that uses primers whose sequences were obtained from the published sequence of the cdt-III gene was developed to determine the frequencies of the cdt-I, cdt-II, and cdt-III genes in Escherichia coli isolates from humans and animals. E. coli isolates producing cytolethal distending toxin (CDT) were infrequently detected. The cdt-I gene was preferentially detected in strains with the cnf1 gene, while the cdt-III gene was found in strains carrying the cnf2 gene. The cdt-III genotype was more prevalent in animal isolates, while the cdt-I and cdt-II genotypes were more evident in human isolates. The presence of further cdt gene variants was indicated by the presence of toxin activity in cell culture in the absence of PCR amplification of the cdt-I, cdt-II, or cdt-III gene.Cytolethal distending toxin (CDT) is a potent bacterial exotoxin that has dramatic effects on target cells in culture (23). Intoxication of eukaryotic cells results in blockage of the cell cycle at the G 2 /M transition (2, 22) by a mechanism involving prevention of cdc2 protein kinase dephosphorylation and activation (6). Cellular effects include accumulation of F-actin assemblies resembling stress fibers (2), progressive cell distension, and eventual cell death (14, 15). Epidemiologic studies have not found a statistically significant difference in the incidence of CDT-producing Escherichia coli in children with diarrhea and healthy controls (23). However, animal studies with toxigenic E. coli strains (18) and Campylobacter jejuni CDTknockout mutants (26) suggest that CDT may be a virulence factor in vivo.Three genes, cdtA, cdtB, and cdtC, are required for the production of an active toxin in E. coli (24,28), Shigella dysenteriae (19), Campylobacter spp. (25), Haemophilus ducreyi (7), Helicobacter hepaticus (32), and Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans (16). Although these genes appear to be homologous in all bacteria, the degree of relatedness at the genetic level varies widely (23). Three cdt genetic variants, designated cdt-I, cdt-II, and cdt-III, have been identified and cloned from E. coli (22,24,28). However, PCR methods have been developed only for the detection of the cdt-I and cdt-II variants (19). The distribution of the cdt-I and cdt-II genes within E. coli is not well characterized (23), and little is known about the incidence or prevalence of cdt-III. PCR primers were developed for the detection of cdt-III. A number of E. coli isolates from humans and animals were tested for the presence of all three cdt variants.A group of 46 CDT-producing E. coli isolates was collected between 1986 and 1998 from Canadian and international sources. CDT-positive animal isolates collected during this time were also characterized. Enhanced surveillance for cdt genes was accomplished by testing 151 non-Shiga toxin-producing non-O157:H7 E. coli isolates collected between October 1998 and the end of 2000 together with a randomly chosen subset of 53 E. coli O157:H7 isolates. In addition, 72 non-O157 E. coli isolates from a series of consecutive...

This study examined the effects of victim and offender intoxication on attributions of blame in a rape incident. Participants read scenarios of a rape incident in which victim, offender, both, or neither were intoxicated. The male offender was attributed less and the situation was attributed more responsibility when the offender was drunk than when he was sober. In addition, participants derogated the female victim's character and assigned her greater responsibility when she was drunk than when she was sober.