Accessibility 2.0: people, policies and processes

The work of the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) is described in a set of technical guidelines designed to maximise accessibility to digital resources. Further activities continue to focus on technical developments, with current discussions exploring the potential merits of use of Semantic Web and Web 2.0 approaches.In this paper we argue that the focus on technologies can be counter-productive. Rather than seeking to enhance accessibility through technical innovations, the authors argue that the priority should be for a user-focussed approach, which embeds best practices through the development of achievable policies and processes and which includes all stakeholders in the process of maximising accessibility.The paper reviews previous work in this area and summarises criticisms of WAI’s approach. The paper further develops a tangram model which describes a pluralistic, as opposed to a universal, approach to Web accessibility, which encourages creativity and diversity in developing accessible services. Such diversity will need to reflect the context of usage, including the aims of a service (informational, educational, cultural, etc.), the users’ and the services providers’ environment.The paper describes a stakeholder approach to embedding best practices, which recognises that organisations will encounter difficulties in developing sustainable approaches by addressing only the needs of the end user and the Web developer. The paper describes work which has informed the ideas in this paper and plans for further work, including an approach to advocacy and education which coins the “Accessibility 2.0” term to describe a renewed approach to accessibility, which builds on previous work but prioritises the importance of the user. The paper concludes by describing the implications of the ideas described in this paper for WAI and for accessibility practitioner stakeholders

Uremic Toxins Inhibit Transport by Breast Cancer Resistance Protein and Multidrug Resistance Protein 4 at Clinically Relevant Concentrations

During chronic kidney disease (CKD), there is a progressive accumulation of toxic solutes due to inadequate renal clearance. Here, the interaction between uremic toxins and two important efflux pumps, viz. multidrug resistance protein 4 (MRP4) and breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP) was investigated. Membrane vesicles isolated from MRP4- or BCRP-overexpressing human embryonic kidney cells were used to study the impact of uremic toxins on substrate specific uptake. Furthermore, the concentrations of various uremic toxins were determined in plasma of CKD patients using high performance liquid chromatography and liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry. Our results show that hippuric acid, indoxyl sulfate and kynurenic acid inhibit MRP4-mediated [3H]-methotrexate ([3H]-MTX) uptake (calculated Ki values: 2.5 mM, 1 mM, 25 µM, respectively) and BCRP-mediated [3H]-estrone sulfate ([3H]-E1S) uptake (Ki values: 4 mM, 500 µM and 50 µM, respectively), whereas indole-3-acetic acid and phenylacetic acid reduce [3H]-MTX uptake by MRP4 only (Ki value: 2 mM and IC50 value: 7 mM, respectively). In contrast, p-cresol, p-toluenesulfonic acid, putrescine, oxalate and quinolinic acid did not alter transport mediated by MRP4 or BCRP. In addition, our results show that hippuric acid, indole-3-acetic acid, indoxyl sulfate, kynurenic acid and phenylacetic acid accumulate in plasma of end-stage CKD patients with mean concentrations of 160 µM, 4 µM, 129 µM, 1 µM and 18 µM, respectively. Moreover, calculated Ki values are below the maximal plasma concentrations of the tested toxins. In conclusion, this study shows that several uremic toxins inhibit active transport by MRP4 and BCRP at clinically relevant concentrations

"Alcohol and nicotine" - Concept and evaluation of an interdisciplinary elective course with OSPE in preclinical medical education

In the last decade, increasing interest has been paid to interdisciplinary and practical courses in the medical education in Germany. This report describes the implementation and outcome of a preclinical interdisciplinary elective course with a team-teaching concept developed by lecturers in medical psychology, anatomy, physiology and biochemistry. The practical orientation of the course led to the implementation of a final interdisciplinary OSPE to ensure fair consideration of the different disciplines involved in grading. Individual OSPE results correlate well with the fact that different skills are required in medical psychology compared to those required in anatomy, physiology and biochemistry. Student course evaluation and lecturers` experience indicate the success of this elective course. Its concept can be well adapted to other interdisciplinary courses.In der medizinischen Ausbildung wird in den letzten Jahren bei Lehrveranstaltungen zunehmend Wert auf Interdisziplinarität und praktische Bezüge gelegt. In dieser Arbeit werden Implementierung, Prüfungsergebnisse und Evaluation eines vorklinischen interdisziplinären Wahlfachs mit Teamteaching-Konzept vorgestellt, das von FachvertreterInnen der Medizinischen Psychologie, Anatomie, Physiologie und Biochemie entwickelt und realisiert wurde. Wegen der besonderen Berücksichtigung praktischer Unterrichtsanteile erfolgte die fachübergreifende Notenfindung anhand einer abschließenden gemeinsamen OSPE-Prüfung. Die fachspezifische Auswertung der OSPE-Resultate spiegelt die unterschiedlichen Kompetenzfelder der Lehr- und Prüfungsinhalte der Medizinischen Psychologie im Vergleich zu den medizinischen Grundlagenfächern Anatomie, Physiologie und Biochemie wider. Die positiven Ergebnisse der studentischen Evaluation dieses Wahlfachs mit OSPE und die Erfahrungen der Lehrenden zeigen eine erfolgreiche Umsetzung des entwickelten interdisziplinären Konzepts, das auch als Modell für die Entwicklung anderer Lehrveranstaltungen mit interdisziplinärem Charakter dienen kann

Artículos sobre HTML5

Si hay un tema que ha despertado la expectación de público y profesionales a lo largo del último año en el mundo del diseño y desarrollo web, ese es el de HTML5. En el marco de un número monotemático de Mosaic, en el que hablamos con uno de los miembros destacados de la comunidad Bruce Lawson y dedicamos también al tema el artículo, aprovechamos para incorporar a Mosaic, junto al ya existente currículum de estándares web de Opera (disponible en castellano y en catalán), cinco artículos más sobre este tema.Si hi ha un tema que ha despertat l'expectació del públic i dels professionals al llarg de l'últim any en el món del disseny i el desenvolupament web, aquest és el d'HTML5. En el marc d'un número monotemàtic de Mosaic, en el qual parlem amb un dels membres destacats de la comunitat Bruce Lawson i dediquem també al tema l'article, aprofitem per a incorporar a Mosaic, junt amb el ja existent currículum d'estàndards web d'Opera (disponible en castellà i en català), cinc articles més sobre aquest tema.If there is an issue that has aroused the expectation of the public and professionals over the last year in the world of web design and development, that is HTML5. In the framework of a monograph number of Mosaic, in which we speak with Bruce Lawson (one of the leading members of the community), and also analyse the subject in the article, we take to include Mosaic, along with existing Opera web standards curriculum (available in Spanish and Catalan), five more articles on the subject

Artículos sobre HTML5

Si hay un tema que ha despertado la expectación de público y profesionales a lo largo del último año en el mundo del diseño y desarrollo web, ese es el de HTML5. En el marco de un número monotemático de Mosaic, en el que hablamos con uno de los miembros destacados de la comunidad Bruce Lawson y dedicamos también al tema el artículo, aprovechamos para incorporar a Mosaic, junto al ya existente currículum de estándares web de Opera (disponible en castellano y en catalán), cinco artículos más sobre este tema.Si hi ha un tema que ha despertat l'expectació del públic i dels professionals al llarg de l'últim any en el món del disseny i el desenvolupament web, aquest és el d'HTML5. En el marc d'un número monotemàtic de Mosaic, en el qual parlem amb un dels membres destacats de la comunitat Bruce Lawson i dediquem també al tema l'article, aprofitem per a incorporar a Mosaic, junt amb el ja existent currículum d'estàndards web d'Opera (disponible en castellà i en català), cinc articles més sobre aquest tema.If there is an issue that has aroused the expectation of the public and professionals over the last year in the world of web design and development, that is HTML5. In the framework of a monograph number of Mosaic, in which we speak with Bruce Lawson (one of the leading members of the community), and also analyse the subject in the article, we take to include Mosaic, along with existing Opera web standards curriculum (available in Spanish and Catalan), five more articles on the subject

Altered Expression of ZO-1 and ZO-2 in Sertoli Cells and Loss of Blood-Testis Barrier Integrity in Testicular Carcinoma In Situ

Carcinoma in situ (CIS) is the noninvasive precursor of most human testicular germ cell tumors. In normal seminiferous epithelium, specialized tight junctions between Sertoli cells constitute the major component of the blood-testis barrier. Sertoli cells associated with CIS exhibit impaired maturation status, but their functional significance remains unknown. The aim was to determine whether the blood-testis barrier is morphologically and/or functionally altered. We investigated the expression and distribution pattern of the tight junction proteins zonula occludens (ZO) 1 and 2 in normal seminiferous tubules compared to tubules showing CIS. In normal tubules, ZO-1 and ZO-2 immunostaining was observed at the blood-testis barrier region of adjacent Sertoli cells. Within CIS tubules, ZO-1 and ZO-2 immunoreactivity was reduced at the blood-testis barrier region, but spread to stain the Sertoli cell cytoplasm. Western blot analysis confirmed ZO-1 and ZO-2, and their respective mRNA were shown by RT-PCR. Additionally, we assessed the functional integrity of the blood-testis barrier by lanthanum tracer study. Lanthanum permeated tight junctions in CIS tubules, indicating disruption of the blood-testis barrier. In conclusion, Sertoli cells associated with CIS show an altered distribution of ZO-1 and ZO-2 and lose their blood-testis barrier function