Can Contextualization Increase Understanding During Man-Machine Communication? A Theory-Driven Study

The Internet offers unlimited possibilities for finding health information. However, the user is often faced with the problem of understanding it. Contextualization has a role to play in enhancing the user’s comprehension. We report on a study which addresses this issue, using a theoretical model of communication whose central theme is that of context. A randomized controlled experimental design was chosen, using as a test-bed the website SeniorGezond we had previously developed. The study was composed of a pre-test, the intervention with the website and a post-test. Participants (n=40) were randomly assigned to exposure or no exposure to contextualization with the website. Results show that contextualization increases understanding for non-knowledgeable users. Furthermore, the participant’s cognitive style was found to be a significant factor on understanding. We also found that participants bring their own contexts such as social context and psychological context to support their understanding

DEMONSTRATION OF THE GENUINE ISO-12P CHARACTER OF THE STANDARD MARKER CHROMOSOME OF TESTICULAR GERM-CELL TUMORS AND IDENTIFICATION OF FURTHER CHROMOSOME-12 ABERRATIONS BY COMPETITIVE INSITU HYBRIDIZATION

The recently developed competitive in situ hybridization (CISH) strategy was applied to the analysis of chromosome 12 aberrations in testicular germ cell tumors (TGCTs). DNAs from two rodent-human somatic cell hybrids, containing either a normal chromosome 12 or the p arm of chromosome 12 as their unique human material, were used as probes. Our results demonstrate a genuine iso-12p character of the standard marker chromosome in TGCTs. Moreover, variant markers were identified representing translocation products that also involve chromosome 12

Subregional Assignment of 6 Genes on Chromosome-19q

We report on the precise regional mapping of several expressed DNA sequences most of which have been assigned to chromosome 19 earlier. For subregional assignment we used a panel of somatic cell hybrids containing der (19) chromosomes that allowed us to define several intervals across 19cen-q13.3 (Schonk et al., Genomics 4:384·896, 1989). The genes encoding human prostate-specific antigen (APS) (Riegman et al., FEBS 247:123-126, 1989) and human pancreas kallikrein (KLK1) (Evans et al., Biochemistry 27:3124-3129, 1988) as well as the U1 SnRNP-specific 70kD (U1R70) protein (Sillikens et al., Sillekens Thesis, University of Nijmegen, in press, 1989) were found located in the 19q13.3-19qter region distal to the ERCC DNA repair genes. Three other genes, namely the hormone sensitive lipase gene (LIPE) (Holm et al., SCience 241:1503-1506, 1988) the carcinoembryonic antigen gene (CEA) (Zimmerman et al., Cancer Res. 48:2550-2554, 1988) and the gene for U1 SnRNP specific A protein (Sillikens et al., pers. comm.) could be more precisely assigned to band 19q13.1. U1 SnRNP A protein gene mapped distal to D19S28, GP1 and MAG loci and proximal to D19F11S1 and D19S18 LIPE and CEA genes, together with Apo C2 and CYP2A, are located in the segment between D19S18 and the apolipoprotein C2, -C1, -E1 gene cluster, close to the CEA-related PSBG1 protein (see Nieman et al., this conference). These studies provide further data for the construction of a physical linkage map of the entire 19q, a chromosome area which is surprisingly rich in expressed DNA sequences