Indian Footwear Market

Brochure More information from http://www. researchandmarkets. com/reports/594216/ Indian Footwear Industry Analysis Description: Standing on the threshold of a retail revolution and witnessing a fast changing retail landscape, the Indian footwear market is set to experience the phenomenal growth in coming years. In past few years too, the market has seen robust growth, says â€Å"Indian Footwear Industry Analysis† report. This report provides extensive research and in-depth analysis on the Indian footwear market.The detailed data and analysis given in the report will help the client to evaluate the leading-edge opportunities critical to the success of the footwear market in India. The forecasts and estimations given in this report are not based on a complex economic model, but are intended as a rough guide to the direction in which the market is likely to move. This forecast is based on a correlation between past market growth and growth of base drivers.Key Findings – The Indian footwear retail market is expected to grow at a CAGR of over 20% for the period spanning from 2008 to 2011. – Footwear is expected to comprise about 60% of the total leather exports by 2011 from over 38% in 2006-07. – Presently, the Indian footwear market is dominated by Men’s footwear market that accounts for nearly 58% of the total Indian footwear retail market. – By products, the Indian footwear market is dominated by casual footwear market that makes up for nearly two-third of the total footwear retail market. As footwear retailing in India remain focused on men’s shoes, there exists a plethora of opportunities in the exclusive ladies’ and kids’ footwear segment with no organized retailing chain having a national presence in either of these categories. – The Indian footwear market scores over other footwear markets as it gives benefits like low cost of production, abundant raw material, and has huge consumption m arket. – The footwear component industry also has enormous opportunity for growth to cater to increasing production of footwear of various types, both for export and domestic market.Key Issues & Facts Analyzed Where India stands in the global footwear market? What are the advantages that Indian footwear market gives? What is the past and future performance of Indian footwear market? Which are the fastest growing products of Indian footwear market? What are the growth prospects of the Indian footwear market? What are the key challenges for the footwear market? What is the present status of ethnic footwear market in India? Who are the key players in the Indian footwear market? Key Players This section provides business overview and financial status of key players in the Indian footwear market.The key players discussed in the report are Bata India Ltd. , Liberty Shoe Ltd. , Khadim India Ltd. , Adidas AG, NIKE Inc. and Puma AG. Research Methodology Used Information Sources Inform ation has been sourced from books, newspapers, trade journals, and white papers, industry portals, government agencies, trade associations, monitoring industry news and developments, and through access to more than 3000 paid databases. Analysis Methods The analysis method includes ratio analysis, historical trend analysis, linear regression analysis using software tools, judgmental forecasting, and cause and effect analysis.Contents: 1. Analyst View 2. Global Footwear Market 2. 1 By Value 2. 2 By Volume 2. 3 By Region 3. India in Context of Global Footwear Market 3. 1 By Production 3. 2 By Consumption 3. 3 By Export 4. Factors Making the Indian Footwear Market Attractive 4. 1 Low Cost of Production 4. 2 Variety & Abundance of Raw Material 4. 3 Large Domestic Consumption Market 4. 4 World Class Institutional Support for Designing & Testing 4. 5 Growing Fashion & Brand Consciousness 4. 6 Rising Living Standard 4. 7 Increasing Use of Credit Cards 4. 8 Government Support 5. Indian Footw ear Market 5. Overview 5. 2 Regional Segmentation 5. 3 Market Performance 5. 3. 1 By Product 5. 3. 1. 1 Casual Footwear 5. 3. 1. 2 Mass Footwear 5. 3. 1. 3 Sports Footwear 5. 3. 1. 4 Premium Leather Footwear 5. 3. 1. 5 Premium Non-leather Footwear 5. 3. 2 By Target Segment 5. 3. 2. 1 Men’s Footwear 5. 3. 2. 2 Women’s Footwear 5. 3. 2. 3 Children’s Footwear 5. 3. 3 By Branded & Non-branded 5. 3. 4 By Structure 5. 3. 4. 1 Organized Footwear 5. 3. 4. 2 Unorganized Footwear 5. 3. 5 By Component 5. 3. 6 By Material 5. 3. 6. 1 Leather Footwear 5. 3. 6. 2 Non-leather Footwear 6.Indian Ethnic Footwear Market 7. Future Growth Prospects 7. 1 Women & Kids Footwear 7. 2 International Brands 7. 3 Franchised Operations 7. 4 RFID & Barcode Readers 7. 5 Employment 8. Growth Restraints 8. 1 Environmental Issues 8. 2 Lack of Proper Distribution Channels 8. 3 Lack of Quality Retail Space 8. 4 Labor Laws 8. 5 Increasing Thefts & Frauds 9. Future of Indian Footwear Market 9. 1 Footw ear Retail Market 9. 1. 1 By Value 9. 1. 2 By Volume 9. 2 Footwear Export Market 10. Key Industry Contributors 10. 1 Indian Brands 10. 1. 1 Bata India Ltd. 10. 1. 2 Liberty Shoes Ltd. 0. 1. 3 Khadim India Ltd. 10. 2 Global Brands 10. 2. 1 Adidas AG 10. 2. 2 NIKE, Inc. 10. 2. 3 Puma AG List of Tables Table Table Table Table Table Table Table 4-1: Emerging Economies – Comparative Per Hour Labor Cost (in US$), 2006 6-1: India – List of Ethnic Footwear by State 10-1: Bata India Ltd. – Key Financials (%), 2006 & Mar 2007 10-2: Liberty Shoes Ltd. – Key Financials (%), Jun 2007 & Dec 2007 10-3: Adidas AG – Key Financials (%), 2006 & Sep 2007 10-4: NIKE, Inc. – Key Financials (%), Nov 2007 & Dec 2007 10-5: Puma AG – Key Financials (%), 2006 & Sep 2007List of Figures Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figu re Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure 2-1: Global* – Footwear Market (in Billion US$), 2003-2007 2-2: Global* – Footwear Market (in Billion Pair), 2003-2007 2-3: Global – Footwear Production by Region (%), 2005 2-4: Global – Footwear Consumption by Region (%), 2005 3-1: Global – Leading Footwear Producing Countries (%), 2005 3-2: Global – Leading Footwear Consuming Countries (%), 2005 3-3: India – Share of Leather Footwear Export in Global Import (%), 2002-2005 3-4: India – Share of Non-leather Footwear Export in Global Import (%), 2002-2005 3-5: Emerging Economies* – Top Ten Footwear Exporters (%), 2006 3-6: India – Footwear Export by Destination (%), 2004-05 4-1: India – Population (in Million), 2002-2007E 4-2: India – Forecast for Population (in Million), 2008-2012 4-3: India – Per Head Disposable Income (in US$), 2002-2007E 4-4: India – Fore cast for Per Head Disposable Income (in US$), 2008-2012 5-1: India – Footwear Retail Market (in Rs Crore), 2004-2007E 5-2: India – Footwear Retail Market (in Billion Pair), 2003-2007 5-3: India – Share of Rural & Urban Regions in Clothing & Footwear Consumption (%), 2005 5-4: India – Footwear Retail Market* by Product (%), 2006 5-5: India – Casual FootwearRetail Market (in Million Pair), 2006 & 2007E 5-6: India – Mass Footwear Retail Market (in Million Pair), 2006 & 2007E 5-7: India – Sports Footwear Retail Market (in Million Pair), 2006 & 2007E 5-8: India – Premium Leather Footwear Retail Market (in Million Pair), 2006 & 2007E 5-9: India – Premium Non-leather Footwear Retail Market (in Million Pair), 2006 & 2007E 5-10: India – Footwear Retail Market* by Target Segment (%), 2006 5-11: India – Men’s Footwear Retail Market (in Million Pair), 2006 & 2007E 5-12: India – Women’s Footwear Ret ail Market (in Million Pair), 2006 & 2007E 5-13: India – Children’s Footwear Retail Market (in Million Pair), 2006 & 2007E 5-14: India – Share of Branded & Non-branded Footwear Market (%), 2007 5-15: India – Structure of Footwear Retail Market (%), 2006 5-16: India – Share of Footwear Market in Organized Retail Sector (%), 2005 5-17: India – Organized Footwear Retail Market (in Rs Crore), 2004-2007E 5-18: India – Unorganized Footwear Retail Market (in Rs Crore), 2004-2007E 5-19: India – Export of Footwear Component (in Million US$), 2003-04 to 2006-07 5-20: India – Export of Footwear Component by Destination (%), 2006-07 5-21: India – Export of Leather Footwear (in Million US$), 2001-02 to 2006-07 5-22: India – Export of Non-leather Footwear (in Million US$), 2004-05 to 2006-07 7-1: India – RFID Consideration by Retailer (%), 2008F Figure Figure Figure Figure 7-2: 9-1: 9-2: 9-3: India India India Ind ia – Retailers Using Barcode Technology (%), 2005 Forecast for Footwear Retail Market (in Rs Crore), 2008-2011 Forecast for Footwear Retail Market (in Billion Pair), 2008-2012 Export of Footwear (in Billion US$), 2007 & 2011F Ordering: Order Online – http://www. researchandmarkets. com/reports/594216/ Order by Fax – using the form below Order by Post – print the order form below and send to Research and Markets, Guinness Centre, Taylors Lane, Dublin 8, Ireland. 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Tour-Guide: Providing Location-Based Tourist Information on Mobile Phones

Nowadays, people’s consumption structure is improving steadily. There has been a large increase in the number of people out on tours, for the sake of recreation and entertainment. Tourism is the strongest and largest industry in the global economy. It has played a significant role in boosting the city's economy and social employment. In the traditional tourism industry, tourist information is obtained mainly through newspaper, magazines, radio and other simple ways. It can not update and utilize timely. The poor situation of the real-time performance failed to meet people’s growing demand. The emergence of the Internet makes up for this shortfall. Detailed texts, pictures, videos and other guidance information are provided, so people can better understand the tourist attractions and make decision objectively. However, this approach also has some drawbacks. Since most people use personal computer to access Internet, they can not get information anywhere and anytime. People need intelligent, professional and personalized user-centric mobile information services. The integration of the Internet and mobile communication is the main tend of the information industry. With the development of the mobile communication technology, mobile telephone has been used not only as communication tool, but also as entertainment and office tools, providing ubiquitous information access, leisure and entertainment, helping people keep in contact with their friends and so on. With portable, wireless mobile devices to access Internet has become a new requirement. To use information technology to publicize and manage tourism, fully making use of mobile telephone to provide guidance information for people’s tour is becoming imperative equirement of modern tour. The prevalence of mobile phones and the pervasiveness of the wireless networks make mobile a promising platform for personal ubiquitous computing. Current mobile services are enhanced with location-aware features, providing the user with better use experience. A great number of mobile phone applications appeared recently, many of which are location-related [1, 2, 3]. Location-dependent services, which answer location-related queries, are an important class of context-aware applications. With kinds of promising pplications, like local information obtain (traffic condition, navigation messages and so on) and neighboring environment queries, such as finding the nearest restaurant, location-dependent query service will soon become an necessary part of our daily lives. We will describe the design, implementation and deployment of a location-based application, named Tour- Guide, with the mobile phone as a platform. This application permitted users to get tour guidance information they need anytime and anywhere. In particular, the tourist data could be browsed or queried through an Internet map service such as Google Maps

Cemex Case

d) What recommendations would you make to CEMEX regarding its globalization strategy going forward? In particular, on what kind of countries should it focus its future expansion? CEMEX expansion is a process where the company performs its due diligence and the aim of expanding into a country with a large population and high population growth. As the text stated CEMEX should continue to focus on developing Asian economies, Central America, the Caribbean and Sub-Saharan Africa. CEMEX should keep its eye on China even though the cement was produced via obsolete kilns by authorities. However, China’s had tremendous growth and ever changing political environment. India is another tremendous area of growth and many competitors also recognize this. CEMEX should aim to get a foothold in this market as it will continue to grow and its restructuring process was more advanced than China’s. Even though there are some barriers to entry CEMEX should keep its eye on Brazil as well. Brazil’s population is nearly 191 million and even though the main language is Portuguese, Spanish is a major language which is also taught in the schools as this will help entry into the country. CEMEX should look at other emerging Latin American markets with growing with growing populations, especially since they speak Spanish. Lastly the Middle East, especially Dubai and the Arab Emirates should be on CEMEX’s radar due to the growth of these areas due to its oil riches and recent growth. However these areas should be carefully studied due to the political environment.

Changes in the Field of Civil Engineering Essay

Changes in the Field of Civil Engineering - Essay Example The aim of this report is to explore the changes that are occurring in the rhetorical practices in the field of civil engineering. Globalization, the computer evolution, population demand, scientific advancements as well as the growing concern for environmental and security in the field of material science, biotechnology, and nanotechnology are the key drivers of the changes. As the changes continue to emerge, students need to adapt, adjust and conform to the changes by acquiring more knowledge about the field that they otherwise would in the past. The adjustments need not only to be in the traditional sciences and math, but also to encompass emerging domains in engineering and science and knowledge in crucial areas such as leadership, communication, marketing, business management, and practical processes. In addition, students must be able to learn how to come up with innovative designs that are required for maintaining and enhancing the competitive advantage with respect to other n ations, and be able to prepare adequately to accomplish emerging professional challenges. Therefore, there is an urgent need to expand and improve civil engineering education (CEE), including professional innovators such as civil engineers with skills and knowledge required to develop novel designs, which can be patented. Over the past six decades, the United States has witnessed a significant reduction in the number of credit hours required for a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering. In fact, at present, America’s average hours stands at about 125 credit hours only. (Arciszewski and Russell 5). This is a huge reduction considering the fact that just decade ago, the U.S. average credit hours for a bachelor’s degree in engineering took an average of 135 hours. This emerging trend is, particularly driven by state funded universities, which are increasingly heeding to political pressure to reduce the cost incurred in undergraduate education, as well as to ensure that civil engineering students graduate in four years. It is also unfortunate that even private universities are increasingly adopting this trend in a bid to remain competitive. Presently, civil engineering education in the country is struggling with the blatant contradiction between the national, state, and local level needs, according to Arciszewski and Russell (5). The aim of this report is to explore the changes that are occurring in the rhetorical practices in the field of civil engineering. The field of civil engineering has undergone many changes over the years. This has seen most paradigms being replaced by the emerging concepts. As earlier stated, the changes that have occurred in the field of civil engineering are attributed mainly to the rapid technological advancements and globalization being witnessed in different parts of the world today. This has necessitated students to adjust in their learning in order to keep pace with the changing needs of the world in the field of civil engineering. According to Arciszewski and Russell, the engineering system evolution is driven by objective evolutionary techniques, known as patterns of evolution (8). They argue that this pattern applies to all engineering fields, including CEE and practice. Many studies that dates back to the 1940s found nine patterns of evolution in the field of engineering. However, the S-curve pattern is the most relevant in CEE. According to the S-curve pattern, engineering systems have undergone transformations following an S-curve pattern, when the relationship between time and specific characteristics of an engineering system are both taken into consideration. This implies that each engineering system has a life cycle that once completed give rise to another system based on different assumptions or different paradigm, as shown in figure 1. For example, when we consider airplanes, we realize that there are separate S-curves for propeller-driven airplanes, jet planes, and turbo-prope ller planes. In this regard, we end up with a family

Robert Rays essay The Thematic Paradigm (from his book A Certain

Robert Rays The Thematic Paradigm (from his book A Certain Tendency of the Hollywood Cinema) - Essay Example The traits that Ferris is seen to depict are that of a hero who is not that much respectable. Even though Ray tries to be critic of the American people for being obsessed and liking Ferris, it is clear that Ferris is a true hero. One of the claims that Ray makes is that there are some American heroes such as George Washington who are revered in the American culture. George Washington is depicted as the a hero who has official traits. â€Å"The outlaw hero is someone like Davy Crockett† (Ray 279). The outlaw is seen as a reckless hero. The outlaw hero is depicted by Ferris Buleller. Ferris is a person that offers the kind of adventure that each person who was in high school once had. The depiction is a person with an attitude that is carefree and a person who has a pure sense of adventure. â€Å"Ferris is seen a someone who has values that are embodied in self determination and values that make someone to be free from entanglements† (Ray 279). The character goes out to do what is most desirable and yet is seen as someone who ha less care of the consequences of the actions that he takes. The fact that he takes a cut out of school and take a day in the city is enough to depict the character as an outlaw. He tries to avoid trouble by not meeting with any authoritative figure. The fact that Ferris gets stuck and sneaks behind his father is one trait that makes him be depicted as someone who could have lost the angelic image in an indefinite manner. From Ray’s perspe ctive, there are some traits that American people favour. One of the traits that American people favour is age. Ray can be seen as someone who sees Americans as people who sway towards the stance of younger individuals. The is something that is much attractive when it comes to the picture of childishness outlaw (Ray 279. A good be example will be in a film that is country old western which will equate

Direct Manipulation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Direct Manipulation - Essay Example The direct manipulation interface is a more efficient mode of interaction where the user points at metaphors on the computer and the commands given on their behalf, unlike the line command that requires them to key in the commands by themselves. Direct manipulation, being easier and faster at executing commands, is a preference of majority computer users today, especially designers and gamers as it supports the creation of virtual environments. A virtual environment is a simulation by means of a computer that creates a false or aped environment in which a computer user can perceive themselves in, and interact with objects in it (Montfort, Nick, & Noah 485). The direct manipulation interface has three main principles that make it a preference for a larger cross-section of computer users today. The first principle is the ability to virtually represent the objects of interest continuously in graphic forms and in almost real appearances. The other principle is the support of fast, revers ible actions that are immediate and the last principle is the ability to directly manipulate a command on an object after using a pointing device to locate it. These principles are universal in that they are almost similar from system to system, therefore allowing frequent users to familiarize with, and use them anywhere. Application of direct manipulation interface in games Direct manipulation supports graphical representation of objects, an application extended and put to use in games, as they require simulation to create virtual environments that enable the user to perceive of them being in them. 3D renderings of virtual environments of action excite the user, further engaging them and letting them take roles and control avatars in games. The user interacts with virtual characters who act as drivers, players, dragons and so on in virtual environments with highways, hills, water, and fire. In order for the user to interact with the virtual characters and environments, they require game controls to direct their subjects. Direct manipulation enables the user to use buttons or other game controls and not type lengthy syntax commands. This makes the user enjoy the game without much cramming of commands. The game controls in the games give instructions or commands to the virtual objects or characters that result in rapid responses that prompt the user to correct their moves or perform moves that are more complex thus actively engaging in the virtual gaming (Montfort, Nick, & Noah 499). Types of game interfaces There are two types of game interfaces: three-dimensional and two-dimensional. 3-D game interface is the representation of geometric data in a form that has length, width, and height (has x, y and z-axes) such that it is visible from all perspectives and has the perception to hold mass. 2-D interface is a representation that displays graphics on a screen by use of pixel arrays. It has an X and Y-axis only (Cellary, Wojciech & Krzysztof 279). These two inter faces apply in gaming and computer aided design but are largely inapplicable in real life applications for several reasons. An example is in word processing or spreadsheet applications where using a 3-D interface will make it impossible or very hard to write and annotate. Another reason is that that due to the additional axis in 3-D

Marketing Audit and Marketing Objectives Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

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Economic of Race and Gender Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Economic of Race and Gender - Essay Example Although such legislation was needed to ensure equal access to employment for all Americans, it also served the purpose of defining diversity by symbolizing what characteristics of American workers should be preserved in the workplace. In this regard, organizations have relied on policies, such as the 4/5ths rule, for ensuring that selection tools do not unfairly discriminate against minority applicants. From the critical perspective, societies themselves made a rational justification for diversity, revealing through their practices that diversification of the workplace in economics is a necessity for increasing workplace innovation and creativity (Cox & Blake, 1991). This rational argument of economic necessity for diversity has been vividly articulated during the United States Supreme Court case of Gratz v.Bollinger (2003). In this case the University of Michigan’s admissions practices were challenged for automatically awarding minority applicants â€Å"diversity points† that were not available for non-minority applicants. A number of organizations filed briefs supporting the University of Michigan’s policies because promoting diversity in higher education would increase the pool of highly qualified applicants for future workforce. Arguments raised in the briefs were that students educated around diversity (1) are more adept at facilitating unique and creative approaches to problem solving; (2) are better able to develop products that appeal to a wide variety of consumers; (3) are better equipped for working with diverse business partners, employees, and clientele and; (4) will contribute to a positive work environment through decreasing incidents of discrimination and stereotyping (3M et al., 2003). Cox and Blake (1991) argued that attitudes, cognition, behaviors, and beliefs are distributed differently across ages, races, and genders, therefore, such heterogeneity, can foster creativity and innovations.

Amearican Pop Cultures and Politics from 1940 to Present ( short Essay

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Varying viewpoints on the importance of group unity vs. the individual Essay

Varying viewpoints on the importance of group unity vs. the individual in American culture - Essay Example On the surface, the themes in the two work of literature that is Pioneers! O Pioneers! By Walt Whitman and The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck appear to be a contest in unity versus individual. However, essentially they tend to reinforce these contradictory yet coexistent trends in the American character. The poem Pioneers! O Pioneers! By Walt Whitman is an ode celebrating the courage of the pioneers who renounced the claims and legacy of the civilizations of the Continent to aspire for a difficult and more fulfilling life in the American West. This sentiment is very much evident in the following lines: â€Å"Have the elder races halted? Do they droop and end their lesson, wearied over their beyond the seas? We take our task eternal, and the burden and the lesson (Whitman: Online)† The poem tends to celebrate the unifying myth of the West, a cherished notion that was central to the genesis of the Unite States, a concept serving as a continuum between the past and the future, celebrating the collective potential of a young country like America. â€Å"O you youths, Western youths, So impatient, full of action, full of manly pride and friendship, Plain I see you Western youths, see you tramping with the foremost (Whitman: Online)† The intermittent usage of the word â€Å"we† in the poem attempts to highlight a collectively American heritage and legacy. However, at the same time the poem also appeals to the individual pioneer lurking in the consciousness of every American. It brings forth the typical American individualistic strain of to do away with the set ways and pulls of the past, to venture forth into new territories, be it geographical or cerebral. The very ploy of using the first person plural by the poet enables one to weave this streak of individualism into a collective entity, thereby allowing for the coexistence of both. I contrast; The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck seems to attempt just the opposite. Actually Steinbeck based this novel on the experience he accumulated while traveling through California in the mid 30s, where he witnessed people living in abject poverty owing to the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl. The novel poignantly and starkly recognizes the situation and times in the lives of the families, where the collective survival and existence seems so impossible, unless bolstered and propped by busts of individual courage and gumption. The very act of trying to eke out a survival by an individual at an economic and emotional level instills something steely in the character of the entire group. Though America is based on the idea of need for the individual, Steinbeck in The Grapes of Wrath tends to qualify this individualism, by depicting the struggle of the individual soul yet celebrating the ability of a well weathered soul to bring solace to the group. So peculiarly, his deliberations on Ma bring forth this enigma: â€Å"She seemed to know, to accept, to welcome her position, the citadel of the family, the strong place that could not be taken. And since old Tom and the children could not know hurt or fear unless she acknowledged hurt and fear, she had practiced denying them in herself. †¦ She seemed to know that if she swayed the family shook, and if she ever really deeply wavered†¦ the family will to function will be gone (Steinbeck 84).†

Team Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Team - Case Study Example He is always ready to help with the tasks that no one wants to handle. However, he has been on several disciplinary meeting for tardiness. The treasurer is a thirty five year old lady with an MBA. She is warm and motherly. She likes to take long lunch breaks in the nearby park. She is also the spiritual guide for the team. She is however moody at times and as such inapproachable. The Associate is a twenty six year old graduate. He is sharp, innovative and eager to please. He is knowledgeable in matters accounting and he is the go to guy with any difficult task. He is always complaining about everything especially his work load and the over time he has to give. The human resource manager is a forty two year old lady. She is always the first in the office and in meetings. She is ever present in the office and when running errands out of the office, she is always within reach. She is a stickler to company rules and regulation and always ready to solve human resource issues. The Team Manager is a forty year old lady. She is an energetic individual ready to work. She is approachable and easy to please. She enjoys the company of other members and her office is always open to all at all time. She likes to head every project that requires a team leader. She can also be fussy at times and controlling towards the rest of team. She likes things and tasks to be done her way. Company rules dictate that a meeting can’t start before there is a quorum. Conflict also comes as a result of a member thinking that their idea is the better one and should be implemented regardless of what other team members think. Politics is a topic that always stirs the team. Members seem to never agree on an opinion and everyone has got his own. In order to resolve these conflicts, the Manager always seeks to address the issue at hand giving each party time and chance to explain themselves. He frowns at gossip and members know not to cross that line. When making important

Introduction to Computer Information Systems Essay Example for Free

Introduction to Computer Information Systems Essay Computer software is no longer a major barrier to widespread use of wireless information systems. Introduction To know about the connection of these topics it is must to know about the link between these phrases as well as the basic concept of these two. Firstly, to know what is computer software and wireless Information systems and then secondly to discuss their effects upon each other. Computer software is basically some programs or events that are written just to achieve certain functions by the software engineers. Events are the set of steps that are written and combined to make a program. Now there arises a question that what is a program then the answer of this question is that: Programs are basically a set of rules and instructions on the basis of which a computer act to achieve certain functions. To perform a specific set of actions on computers intelligently or normally is the basic need to write a program. Wireless Information systems are basically the systems that used wirelessly. What is â€Å"Wireless† and why and how question arises then? â€Å"Wireless†, as its name, shows that it means some sort of transport of data and information among wireless devices without using wires. It can be used in form of mobiles, PDA’s, and on large scale â€Å"Radio† is the example of it. Wireless information systems can be the range of mobiles, wireless devices, and networks. The device used for it is basically a device that is installed first and then it can be used. (Wireless network and information processing system, 2008) Certain Dependencies In case of Wireless information systems, there are certain dependencies. Among those dependencies some of them are very basic and are: the mobility of the user mobility of the resource Explanation These dependencies can be differentiated in a way that in case of user mobility it can be in the form of traveling user whereas the case with the second dependency is that a network if created among multiple PDA’s and now in this case, if the PDA’s are moving. Along with this dependency, there is certain other as well. Just to be a focus on the actual behavior of the wireless and then wireless information systems only two are mentioned here to emphasize the main and important factors affecting the wireless in general. Important features to consider about There are certain tendencies that are important to know about these systems. According to these, Information systems have to develop first. While developing these systems a software engineer needs to know the protocols (specific rules of dealing on networks) and standard to follow up on them and then to develop finally (Feldman, 2007). There are certain standards that need to follow while considering wireless. In this way, there appears a need to select a standard according to the type of wireless information system. Those standards are as follows: IEE802.11 IEE802.11a IEE802.11b IEE802.11g IEE802.16 IEE802.16a Open Air Home based Blue tooth based Discussion After implementation of these steps, architecture to develop a software program is required. When these wireless systems developed then these should cope with the problem fairly in real time. If an architecture of software program is designed in such a way that it is safe for security flexibility and other issues as well. If technology is implemented selected in an improved way then an information system can work well. If there are leaks in the design and programming tactics and technology implementation then there would be a lot of leak in the system as well that result in a very severe or drastic problem. In this way, it can say that software programs that developed to resolve a problem need attention in all these metrics to work upon and to get a better result. If there is a better program written by a programmer who is reliable and portable, efficient and of strong functionality then fulfill the better requirement in this case. Whereas if we are talking about the wireless informa tion systems things become more sensitive as we are dealing on real-time and gather a lot of security risks. That’s why after applying and implementing rules and regulations and following the standards will get the better results. The use of wireless information systems is beneficial for the companies and organization in various ways, first of all, it is accessible in minimum resources. It reduces the time and mobility issues problem and enhances the productivity of the organization in this regard.(Wireless Networking in the developing world session 2007) The use of wireless management systems can improve the effectiveness of applying multiple procedures. An output of these procedures when resulted in a good form then increased or enhanced the productivity of the organization in a fast manner. Well, reputed industries, companies, and organizations are referring towards these wireless information systems that are very fast growing. Along with all this, there are still new advancements are just coming on the way to increase the quality of the projects or to attain the benefits of the technologies as much as it can be. References Phillip M. Feldman (2007), Emerging Commercial Mobile Wireless Technology and Standards Suitable for the Army: http://www.rand.org/pubs/monograph_reports/MR960/index.htmlWireless network and information processing system, (2008), Wireless network and information processing system, 2008: http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7433699.htmlWireless networking in the developing world session (2007), Wireless networking in the developing world session, Wireless Network: http://wirelesssummit.org/content/cwns-and-developing-world

Person centred reviews in adult services

Person centred reviews in adult services The underlying principles for this assignment are to critically evaluate my professional development in a practice placement setting and record reflections for future learning. Within this essay, I will include my reflections on the social work process of assessment, planning, intervention and review, and will critically analyse what I feel was successful and unsuccessful in each process, with efforts to identify what could be changed to enhance future practice. I will also include my knowledge, skills and values incorporated into my practice with two service users and my group work, while explaining my efforts to promote anti-oppressive practice. Throughout my assignment I will endeavour to portray my learning journey from the beginning to the end of my placement and conclude with future learning needs, to enhance my practice as a social worker. Introduction: The practice placement I acquired was a Court Childrens Officer (CCO), based at the Belfast Family Proceedings Court. It forms part of the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust. My role as a CCO, formerly known as a Child Welfare Officer, was to use my training and experience to ascertain the wishes and feelings of children and their families in private law matters. The role falls within family and child care services and determines that the childs interests remain paramount in court proceedings. As a CCO my role was to deal with cases where assistance was needed to help parties focus on the needs of their children, as opposed to continuing the incriminations as to who was responsible for the breakdown of their relationship. As a CCO I was then asked to present the information to court in oral or written report format. The CCO is used if other efforts to get the parties to reach a decision in the interests of their children have failed. This is to prevent the court process itself cont ributing to a lengthy breach in contact before it reaches a decision. As a CCO I was also responsible to act as liaison officer between the court and HSS Trusts, or other agencies (e.g. NSPCC etc) in respect of the courts decisions. Although employed by the Trust, I was responsible to the court. Before commencement of this placement I had limited understanding of the court process, and the legislation involved in private law cases. I was excited about the prospect of the experience I would gain having undertaken law and court modules, and attended court for certain flexible learning days, but I was also anxious about identifying the social work role within such a specific placement. I feel nervous and uncomfortable. Im finding the role intimidating being surrounded by legal professionals and legislation (being just a student). Im worried about having to provide oral and written evidence to the court, and perhaps having to disagree with the legal representatives views in court. I feel deskilled and anxious (PPDW: 21/01/10). After this initial anxious stage I began researching private law and knowledge, and used my practice teacher and on site supervisor to ask questions. Having completed a practice placement last year I already knew of the benefits of using reflection as a crucial aspect of my practice and learning. Thompson (2005) explains that it is important that practitioners use not only established theories, but use their own knowledge and experience to meet the needs of service users. He claims that reflective practice should help us to acknowledge the important links between theory and practice and to appreciate the dangers of treating the two elements as if they were separate domains (Thompson, 2005: 147). I was anxious to identify the social work process within my placement, as it was not evident on commencement. I was already familiar with the process of assessing, planning, intervention and review having had a previous placement with adults with learning disabilities. Within a court, however, this was very different, as a direction of the court determined my involvement with service users. Schà ¶n (1987) identifies that more than a process is needed with service users practitioners need to incorporate experience, skills and intuition for outcomes to be successful. The knowledge and skills that I identified, within my Individual learning plan, were skills in working with children, assertiveness skills, report writing and presenting skills, organisational skills, and group facilitation skills. I also wanted to enhance my value base as my previous placement helped me challenge issues around learning disabilities and the current placement is a very different setting. I wanted to devel op my values around childrens feelings about parental separation, and also working in partnership with children to ascertain their wishes and feelings about contact issues. I have outlined below the three cases I intend to use that will help identify my professional development within my placement setting. I will use these to provide an analysis of how my knowledge, skills and values have been developed through the social work process. Family C: Polish origin Child C (Age 7) currently resides with her father. The parental relationship lasted for seven years. Mother (Ms C) moved out of the family home to gain alternative accommodation when the relationship broke down. Ms C and the childs contact have been very sporadic since. Contact has not taken place since December 2009. Mr C is concerned with Ms Cs new accommodation being unsuitable for the childs safety staying overnight claiming alcohol misuse and the child coming home smelling of smoke. Ms C requires an interpreter and is seeking a Contact Order. As directed by the court I carried out an assessment of Ms Cs home, and also used mediation and counselling when meeting with the parties to focus on the childs best interests. The childs wishes and feelings were also ascertained. Family E: Child E (14) currently resides with his father (Mr E). Mother (Ms E) is seeking a Residence Order. Father currently resides with the child in a family hostel provided by the Belfast Housing Executive, which Ms E is concerned about. Court direction stipulated me to ascertain the childs wishes and feelings about residence with his father and contact with his mother. In addition to this I used mediation as an intervention to try to help the parties reach agreement about the child. I concluded my work with the family using a Person Centred Review with Child E to determine if the plans implemented earlier in my practice were working, and what he would like to change when his case was due for review in court. Group Work: My group work consisted of working with teenage girls at a high school in North Belfast; they were aged 14/15. I worked alongside the Health for Youth through Peer Education (HYPE) team who regularly visit schools to promote sexual health awareness. I co-facilitated this group and worked to educate the group about sexual health and relationships. This was to promote the need for the provision of accurate information to prevent teenage pregnancies and STIs, which have been highlighted as statistically higher in this area of Northern Ireland. Preparation of placement As indicated above, to prepare for this placement, I began by developing my knowledge base around the court setting and private law, so that I could be accountable to the court and the Trust for my actions. Trevithick (2000:162) claims to be accountable denotes professionalism by using knowledge, skills and qualifications, and adhering to values and ethics when serving a client. I began to tune in to the placement setting using knowledge, skills and values, with legislation such as The Children (NI) Order 1995, The Family Law Act (NI) 2001 and The Human Rights Act 1998. I tuned into the court setting and the rights of the service users who used it. Article 3 of the Children (NI) Order 1995 claims that the court should act in the best interests of the child, and I was interested in seeing if this occurred or if parental interests were considered higher. I tuned into the effects that divorce and separation have on children, and focused on gaining knowledge on how to minimize the negative impact this may have on children. The issue of contact in private law proceedings is a complex subject which raises questions of rights, responsibilities and ownership of children (Kroll, 2000: 217). I was initially interested in researching if children knowing both parents were in their best interests, and why. Having had a placement with adults and learning disabilities last year I had reflected on the medical model versus the social model of disability, this placement was very different in that it would be the a legal context versus the social work role. I found this initially difficult as the legal obligations of the court over-shadowed the social work process. Court directions dictated the aspects of work to be done, which I found difficult as service user needs were not necessarily established and met. Assessment: Ms Cs assessment required me to meet with her, discuss issues regarding contact with her child, and investigate her living environment to determine if it was suitable for the child to have contact in. Prior to Ms Cs assessment it was necessary for me to tune in to contact disputes between parents. I recognised that there is significant animosity with both parties, but that having contact with both parents is in the childs best interests to promote for attachment, identity and positive relationships. To initiate Ms Cs assessment I had received court directions, a referral and met with her legal advisor. I was at this time I was informed that Ms C was Polish and required an interpreter. The Human Rights Act 1998 and the Race Relations Amendment Act 2000 both stipulate that an interpreter should be provided for health services to promote anti-discriminative practice and equal opportunities. I was then required to make a referral to the Trust interpreting service, and they informed me that they would make initial contact with Ms C. I found this unnerving, as the interpreter would be making first contact with the service user, and I would have liked the opportunity to explain my role. Having carried out previous assessments, I knew that communication was essential for the assessment and central to the process of gathering information and empowering service users (Watson and West, 2006), therefore to not be able to make initial contact with a service user I found to be restrictive and stressful. On initial contact with Ms C (and the interpreter) communication was difficult to establish. I found that by communicating through an interpreter I was limited in gathering information. I found it difficult to concentrate on Ms C, especially observing body language and tone of voice; instead I focused on the interpreter and actively listening to her. Ms C came across as frustrated and disengaged, showing signs of closed body language. I felt empathetic to Ms C because of the court process she was involved in, and the fact that she had to go to court to gain contact with her child. I felt the initial meeting with Ms C was not as successful as I had hoped, I was not able to discuss the issues affecting her, and unable to establish an effective working relationship due to the barrier on an interpreter. I left the meeting feeling deskilled and questioning my practice. On reflection, I should have provided more time to Ms C due to the language obstacle and gathered more information on her issues. I should have focused on Ms C and not the interpreter, and used the interpreter more effectively to establish a relationship. For future learning I will endeavour to use these reflections. The next part of Ms Cs assessment was her home assessment. I was initially reluctant to carry out a home assessment, as I had no previous experience, and did not know what was classed as an unsafe environment for children. I began tuning in and identified that a home assessment required strong observational skills for child protection concerns. I also discussed the home assessment with my practice teacher and on site supervisor for aspects I should be concerned about within the home. It was indicated that a safe environment for a child did not have to be overly clean, just safe considering where the child sleeps, fire hazards, is there evidence of drug or alcohol use, or smelling of smoke (as Mr C alleges). On entering Ms Cs home, as the interpreter had not arrived yet, I was reluctant to try and converse with Ms C. Ms C spoke limited English, and I did not want to confuse or alarm her by trying to discuss the case issues. However, I did try to use body language and facial expressions to reach for feelings and try to build a rapport by asking general questions about weather and work etc. I feel this helped our relationship, and helped me empathise about how difficult it must be to not be able to communicate effectively. By the time the interpreter had arrived I felt more at ease with Ms C, and addressed her (as opposed to the interpreter) with non-verbal cues such as nodding and body language. I felt more comfortable talking with Ms C, I felt more able to understand her frustrations at the court process, her ex-partner and his allegations. Prior to the assessment of the home I had gained stereotypical perceptions about Ms Cs home. I thought that the house, as it was in a working class area, would be unclean and neglected. However, the assessment of the home, using observational skills, indicated no child protection concerns, a clean environment for a child, and Mr Cs allegations unfounded. On reflection of my perceptions I feel I was oppressive to Ms C having been so judgemental, and I felt guilty about my opinions having been class discriminatory. Throughout the assessment with Ms C I found that by using an interpreter Ms C was able to stay informed and in control over her situation (Watson and West, 2006). I feel that by working with Ms C has helped my challenge my future practice with individuals who are non-English speakers. It will help me consider the needs of the service user, before judging them solely on language or their country of origin to provide equal opportunities. I now feel interpreters are required for a balance of power between the worker and service user, and promote anti-discriminatory practice. Planning: According to Parker and Bradley (2008: 72) Planning as part of the social work process is a method of continually reviewing and assessing the needs of all individual service users. It is based upon the assessment and identifies what needs to be done and what the outcome may be if it is completed. Prior to the beginning of placement I had limited experience of planning, or group work. It was important for me understand the facilitation and communication skills needed for successful group work, and help to develop my understanding of group dynamics, group control, and peer pressure for this age group. The key purpose of planning the group was to enable the young people to develop their knowledge and skills to be able to make informed decisions and choices about personal relationships and sexual health. I began preparing for the planning stage of the social work process by meeting with the HYPE team and researching their work. I was interested in the sexual health training for young people at school, as my own experience at school showed that the information was often limited, and I was interesting in finding out if it had been challenged. I then began by tuning in to how I wanted to proceed through the planning process, and researching the topics of the different sessions as I considered I had limited knowledge on sexual health awareness. As I had to plan every week separately it was important to tune in to each and use knowledge, such as group work skills to inform my practice. During initial sessions I noted how group members were quiet and withdrawn, this was important to note as the subject of sexual relationships may have been embarrassing for them to discuss. I too felt uncomfortable discussing the material, as I had limited understanding of sexual health, but it was important for the group to overcome these anxieties and work through them together. I identified that ice breaking techniques were required to facilitate trust and partnership. As the sessions progressed, one of the main challenges found was that peer influence was a major issue, with some of the participants controlling other quieter members. I felt it was necessary to include all members and encouraged participation using games. However, it was important not to push individuals when they became uncomfortable, as this could cause them to withdraw and disengage, disempowering them. Another challenge was that despite time management of the sessions, inevitably there had to be flexibility. Some of the group monopolised more time than others and it was necessary to be able to alter the plans according to time restraints. I also needed to be aware of my own values when planning sexual health awareness training, as it is still regarded as a controversial issue, especially in Catholic schools with teenagers (www.famyouth.org.uk). I considered sexual health awareness to be a great benefit in schools, but obviously due to religious considerations many Catholic schools continue simply to teach abstinence as the only form of contraception. This was important to consider as the group was facilitated in a Catholic school and many of the members or their teachers could have had religious views and opinions on the sessions, creating tension or animosity. Reflecting on this parental consent had been provided for the group, but the group itself were required to take part during a free period. I consider this to be an ethical dilemma as the childrens views werent regarded as highly as their parents. If undertaking this group in future, I feel it would be necessary to ask the group if they wish to take part, and gi ve the opportunity to withdraw promoting anti-oppressive practice. Intervention: Prior to this practice placement I had limited experience using intervention methods. My previous placement focused on task centred work with service users, but in the court childrens service this could not be facilitated due to the time restrictions of the court. I had also previously used Rogerian person centred counselling which I found I could use some of the theory and apply it to this setting. After gathering a range of information from the court referral, C1 and other professionals, I began to tune in to Es case. I had been directed by the court to ascertain his wishes and feelings in regards to residence and contact arrangements, and mediate between his parents to find agreement about the childs residence. As Child E is fourteen, I felt it was necessary to research levels of development for this age group and understand, according to psychologists, what level Child E would be at emotionally, physically and psychologically. I found that Child E should be at a level of becoming more independent, having his own values, and being able to make informed choices. One of the most important issues, through mediation, was challenging my own values and becoming aware of my own stereotypical views on adults who have separated, and the effects on their children. I had to challenge the idea that Child E just wanted to reside with his father as he was the less disciplined parent, or that Child E would most likely be playing his parents off against each other to get his own way. However, by challenging these views, and working with the parties through mediation, I came to realise that E had strong views about living with his father and had a stronger attachment to him. By reflecting on my values I realised that it was oppressive to consider the child as manipulating and could have affected my work with him. I found that having to be a neutral third party in mediation was difficult, I found myself having a role as a witness, a referee and a peacekeeper trying to find common ground. Despite this I feel a third side was necessary to help the parties work through issues. I found the most difficult aspect of this role to be impartiality as I found myself empathizing more with the mother (as the child refused to live with her). However, I also understood the childs reasons behind his decision. During mediation, and in court, I also challenged my judgements on gender and the notion that the mother is the nurturer or primary care giver in the home (Posada and Jacobs, 2001). The child clearly stated that he wanted to reside with his father, and when using questioning skills to probe about this, he claimed he had a stronger bond with his father, and that his mother was continually ridiculing him. I found myself having to alter my views about attachment and mother being the primary care giver and focus on what the child wants. As the intervention progressed I used family mediation session to work through issues. I found that effective communication was principal in ascertaining Child Es wishes and feelings, and helping the parties consider his views, as opposed to their own relationship incriminations. This not only empowered E by promoting partnership, but also gave him the knowledge that the court would be considering the information he provided. Within the meeting I felt I could have paced the meeting better and made better use of silences with E, as I dominated the conversation. I consider mediation to be successful as it helped the parties focus on the needs of the child, and helped them realise that they had a childs feelings to consider instead of the adversarial relationship built from court. Review: Prior to the review process I had experience of carrying out person centred reviews (PCR) through my previous practice placement. I had previous training on PCRs and found them to be more effective than traditional reviews, due to the service user involvement. A PCR is an example of a person centred approach and the information from a review can be the foundation of a person centred plan (Bailey et al., 2009). Within the family proceedings court the purpose of reviews are to reassess interim plans, and either change them, or confirm they are working for the child(ren). In Child Es case a review was necessary to indicate if living with his father was working, and to discuss if he wanted to change anything about his interim plans, which were introduced three months earlier. Within the court childrens team a review is fundamental to consider what is in the childs best interests, assess what is working and what is not working, and how to progress (considering the childs wishes and feelings). Child centred preparatory work with Child E was fundamental to the review success as it established what was important to him (Smull and Sanderson, 2005). Reflecting on my person centred work last year; I recognised that it was important to have preparatory work with Child E as it promoted choice and options to explore. I had also recognised that the information gathered from the preparatory work could be the foundations of the review itself, especially if Child E felt embarrassed or shy speaking out in front of his family on the day of the review (Smull and Sanderson, 2005) I conducted the review with Child E and his parents present, but reflecting on this it could also have been useful including his school teacher or other friends to have a holistic approach. Throughout the review I feel I was able to engage the participants successfully using goals to focus on, and we were able to create a person centred plan for Child E. During the preparation for the review Child E had expressed that he felt he was having too much contact with his mother, and would like to limit this, he also expressed that this was an awkward subject to discuss with his mother present. I identified this in the review as child E did not wish to. I used skills such as facilitation and communication to show that Child E felt strongly about this issue, and both parents claimed they understood his view point. The review was also useful in presenting the information in court, as the child could not be present and I could advocate on his behalf. On reflection of Child Es review I feel it was a successful measure to determine what was working and not working since plans were implemented from the last court date. I had confidence in facilitating the review, but I did feel I perhaps dominated the conversation as both parents were hostile towards each other, and Child E was shy and unassertive about expressing his feelings. During future reviews I will endeavour to promote communication between parties, while empowering of the child. I will use better use of silences and encourage active involvement. Conclusion: No matter how skilled, experienced or effective we are, there are, of course, always lessons to be learned, improvements to be made and benefits to be gained from reflecting on our practice (Thompson, 2005: 146) I feel this PLO has provided me with learning opportunities and identified my learning needs. It has encouraged me to reflect on my knowledge, skills and values and ensured that I used my reflections to learn from my practice. At the beginning of placement I was concerned I would oppress the service users by having limited understanding of the court process, and unable to work effectively as a result. However, through training, help from my practice teacher and knowledge, I soon realised that the placement was about providing support, not being an expert. I feel I was able to establish a balance of the legal requirements of court and social work role, which has contributed to my learning experience and future knowledge. As my placement progressed I used tuning in and evaluations to analyse my practice, and use them to learn from. My placement has enabled me to improve my court report writing skills, presentations skills and legislation knowledge, which I consider to be invaluable for the future. In terms of future professional development, I will endeavour to challenge my stereotypical assumptions about service users, I will seek advice and guidance from more experienced members of staff, and I will use knowledge and theory to inform my practice prior to meeting service users. Future learning requires me to continue to develop skills in working with children, to use silence as a skill, as listen actively to what the service user wants. Having an opportunity to work within the court system has been invaluable, but I would also like the opportunity to have more experience working with children to enhance my knowledge, skills and values further. References: Bailey, G., Sanderson, H., Sweeney, C. and Heaney, B. (2008) Person Centred Reviews in Adult Services. Valuing People Support Team. Kroll, B. (2000) Milk Bottle, Messenger, Monitor, Spy: Childrens Experiences of Contact. Child Care in Practice: 6: 3 Parker, J., and Bradley, G. (2003) Social Work Practice: Assessment, Planning, Intervention and Review. Learning Matters Ltd. Posada, G and Jacobs, A. (2001) Child-mother attachment relationships and culture. American Psychologist. 56(10), 821-822. Schà ¶n, D. (1987) Educating the Reflective Practitioner. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Smull, M and Sanderson, H. (2005) Essential Lifestyle Planning for Everyone. The USA: Learning Community Thompson, N. (2005) Understanding Social Work: Preparing for Practice. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan Trevithick, P. (2005) Social Work Skills: A Practice Handbook (2nd Ed). Buckingham: Open University Press. Watson, D and West, J (2006) Social Work Process and Practice: Approaches, Knowledge and Skills. Basingstoke; Palgrave Macmillan Williams, P (2006) Social Work with People with Learning Disabilities. Learning Matters Ltd Webpages: http://www.famyouth.org.uk/pdfs/CondomControversy.pdf accessed 24/4/10

Secretors And Non Secretors In Human Population Biology Essay

Secretors And Non Secretors In Human Population Biology Essay Human population can be categorized into secretors and non-secretors. They are categorized on the basis of presence or absence of the blood group antigens (A, B and H) in the body fluids and secretions, such as saliva, sweat, tears, semen, serum, mucus present in the digestive tract or respiratory cavities etc. Secretors are individuals that secrete blood group antigens in their body fluids while non-secretors are the individuals that do not secrete them in their body fluids and secretions. It is a known fact that ABO blood type is controlled by blood type coding genes present on the chromosome 9q34 but the secretor status of an individual is decided by interaction of a separate gene (called secreting gene) with these blood type genes. The presence of the secreting gene in a persons genome makes him a secretor and absence makes him a non secretor. The gene is designated as (Se) for Secretors and (se) for Non-secretors and it is entirely independent of the blood type A, B, AB or O. The individuals secreting antigens in the body fluid are designated as ABH secretors in blood banks. Individuals having O blood group secrete antigen H, A blood group secrete A and H antigens, B blood group secrete B and H antigens in the fluids. A secretor gene helps a person to gain a degree of protection against different environmental conditions especially the micro flora of a particular environment and also the lectins present in them. It helps them in promoting the growth of friendly, stable blood type intestinal bacterial ecosystem which depends on the blood type antigens present in the mucus of an individual. Secretor status does alter the carbohydrates present in the body fluids and their secretions and hence it also affects and influences the attachment and persistence of the micro flora present in the body. Secretors are at a higher advantage than non-secretors. Non-secretors have a potential health disadvantage. They possess many metabolic traits such as carbohydrate intolerance, immune susceptibilities. Different tests are available for determining an individuals secretor status. Most common test uses saliva or other body fluids of an individual for testing the secretor status. These tests are based on the princi ple of Agglutination Inhibition where the antigens are neutralized by the corresponding antibodies so that these antibodies will not be further be available to neutralize or agglutinate the same antigens residing on the red blood cells. ELISA could also be used for determining the presence of the secreted Lewis antigens in the saliva or other body fluids. Statistics Series, Place Reference Number Tested % Secretor % Non-secretor Frequency Frequency Negroes,New York (5) 178 61.2 38.8 0.38 0.62 Danes,Copenhagen (6) 263 74.0 26.0 0.49 0.51 Japanese,Japan . 424 75.7 24.3 0.51 0.49 Germans,Berlin (7) 363 78.0 22.0 0.53 0.47 Poles,Poland (8) 88 79.4 21.6 0.54 0.46 Whites, New York (9) 74 82.4 17.6 0.58 0.42 Finns, Helsinki (10) 196 86.3 13.7 0.63 0.37 American, Indians,New Mexico (11) 69 98.5 1.5 0.88 0.12 American, Indians, Utah (12) 79 100.0 0 1.00 0 The alleles Se and se differ in the frequency and have an anthropological value. They occur in different frequency in different populations. They have a high frequency in the American Indiana and a low frequency in the southern Indians. In US 20% of the population is secretors whereas 80% of the population consist of non-secretors. The fusion allele of the FUT2 (secretor type alpha(1,2)-fucosyltransferase) gene at a high frequency and a new se385 allele in a Korean population SECRETOR AND NON-SECRETOR A person secreting blood group antigens into the body fluids and other secretions like saliva, semen, tear, mucous in the digestive tract and respiratory cavities are named as secretors. In similar terms they put their blood type antigens in the body fluids. They secrete antigens according to their blood type, A secrete antigen A and H, B secret antigen B and H, O secrete antigen O and AB secrete A, B and H antigen. Secretors expresses Lewis b (Leb) antigens on the RBC where as non-secretor expresses Lewis a (Le a) on their RBC.These antigens in the body fluids give additional protection to the individual against the various microorganisms and the lectins present all around us. 15- 20% of the population consists of non-secretor. These individual fail to secrete the blood group antigens in their body fluids hence they become susceptible to bacterial and superficial yeast infections. A large no of them sometimes also suffer from the autoimmune disorder. This could also be correlated with the secretor and non-secretor phenotype. The body secretions of secretors and non-secretors differ quantitatively and also qualitatively. The type and quantity of the antigens present in it differ among different individuals. In some cases the non-secretors may contain the A and B antigens in the saliva but the quantity is less and even quality is very low hence they have similar functional problem. There are certain properties which are specific for secretors and differ in non-secretors. Some are listed below: Intestinal alkaline phosphatase activity ABH secretor correlates the activity of alkaline phosphatase and serum alkaline phosphatase present in the intestine. Non-secretors have low activity of alkaline phosphatase and serum alkaline phosphatase which is responsible for the breakdown of fat and assimilate calcium. Low molecular weight alkaline is present in both secretors and non-secretors and high molecular weight alkaline phosphatase is present only is secretors. Bacterial flora The ABH blood types influence the population of bacteria residing in the local vicinity of the gut mucin glycoproteins. Bacteria produce enzymes that have the capability to degrade the terminal sugar of ABH blood type antigens and which are consumed as food by them. The B antigen degrading bacteria produce enzyme to detach the terminal alpha-D-galactose and A antigen degrading bacteria produce enzyme to detach N-acetylgalactosamine which are used as a source of food by them. Blood clotting The secretor and the ABO genetics influence each other and influence the variance of the plasma concentration of vWf upto 60%. Raised levels of factor VIII and vWf may cause thrombotic and heart disease in future. Secretors have the slowest clotting time, thinnest blood, least tendency of platelet aggregation, low amount of factor VIII and von Willebrand factor (vWf). The non-secretors have highest clotting time, thick blood, high amount of factor VIII and von Willebrand factor (vWf) and low bleeding time. The blood viscosity is also influenced by the secretor phenotype. Lewis Phenotype Clotting Characteristics Le (a- b-)  Ã‚  highest activity of factor VIII and vWf Shortest bleeding times (especially in A, B and AB) Le (a+ b-) intermediate activity Shorter bleeding times (especially for O) Le (a- b+) lowest activity of factor VIII and vWf Longest bleeding times (especially for O) Lewis Blood Type and Clotting Factors Immunoglobulin levels ABH non-secretors have low levels of IgG immunoglobulin. The secretion of different concentration of different components of the blood group substances is controlled by the secretor gene and it also affects the phagocytic activity of the leucocytes which provides an added advantage to the non-secretors. The leucocytes of the non-secretors possess a greater ingestion power when compared to the secretors. The O and B blood group non-secretors have the highest phagocytic activity. The presence of level of anti-I in the serum of an individual is affected by the ABO group, secretor status and sex of the individual. The secretors females have a high level of anti-I in the serum as compared to the males. The non-secretor have low levels of IgA and IgG antibodies and hence have frequent problems with the heart valve. Genetics and Biochemical pathways The secretion of the blood group antigens in the body fluids and other secretions are genetically influenced by certain allelomorphic genes. Secretor gene contains two alleles Se and se. Se is dominant and hence is present in the homozygous or heterozygous condition in the secretors which lead to the secretion of antigens into the body fluids. se is recessive allele and is present in non-secretors in the homozygous condition. SeSe and seSe produces a dominant secretor phenotype and sese produces a recessive non-secretor phenotype. Basically three genes are responsible for the formation of the A and B antigens. They are namely ABO, Hh, and Sese genes encoding glycosyltransferases which produces the A and B antigens. H antigen present in the individual with O blood group is the precursor for the formation of A and B antigens. H antigen act as a backbone on which the A and B antigens are built up. The O gene is considered as amorphic. The allele Hh and Sese reside on each locus and are closely linked together. It is also suggested that one of the allele has arisen by the gene duplication of the other. The H allele is responsible for the production of H antigen on which antigen A and B are built. The second allele on the same locus is really rare. The product related to this allele hasnt been discovered yet and hence it is considered as amorph. The oligosaccharide responsible for the formation of the A and B antigen can exist in a simple linear fashion or a complex branched fashion. Infants A, B and H antigens contain high amount of linear chained oligosaccharide whereas oligosaccharides present in an adult contain high amount of branched chained oligosaccharides The A and B antigen is synthesized from a common intermediate known as substance H. The conversion is carried out by the addition of a sugar molecule to the non reducing end of the H oligosaccharide chains. This addition affects the reactivity of H antigen. The ABH substances are secreted in the Urinary respiratory tract, gastrointestinal tract by mucous glands residing there. The secretor gene regulates the synthesis of blood group antigens in the superficial glands of gastric and small intestinal mucosa. The secretors and non-secretors produce A and B substances which are basically glycoproteins in pylorus and Brunners glands and produce A and B substances those are soluble in alcohol and glycosphingolipids in nature. The secretors also produce ABH substances in the prostate and lactating mammary glands. The secretion of breast is rich in H substance but poor in substance A and virtually absent in substance B. The synthesis of these substances in the exocrine acini of pancreas and secretory cells of sweat gland is not controlled by the secretor gene. The blood groups substances were also detected in the collecting tubules and calyxes of the secretors but it could not be concluded that whether they are produced by the kidneys or are generally excreted. These secretions were noticed in the eight to nine weeks old salivary glands and stomach and later it appears throughout the gastrointestinal tract. Glycosphingolipids carrying the A or B oligosaccharides are present on the membranes of RBCs, epithelial and endothelial cells and are also present in the plasma in the soluble form. The glycoproteins carrying the similar A and B oligosaccharides are responsible for their activity in the body fluids. In the body fluids they are present in the secreted form. The A and B oligosaccharides which do not contain the carrier proteins are present in the milk and urine. The chromosome 19 containsFUT 1 and FUT 2 genes which code for fucosyltransferase. FUT genes numbered from 1-7 and form clusters which are responsible for the production of enzymes called as fucosyltranferases. The cluster is located on chromosome 19q13.3. Fucosyltranferase helps in the formation of fucose moiety which is added to the H antigen and further gylcosylate the A or/and B antigens. H antigen is a basic blood group antigen present in each and every human being but the content varies in different individuals of the same ABO group. A general pattern indicates that its strength varies as O>A2>A2B>B>A1>A1B. Water soluble H antigen has been demonstrated in the saliva and the body fluids of the individuals.H antigens are fucose containing glycan units which are present on the glycolipids or glycoproteins residing on the erythrocytes membrane or in the secretions. The fucosylatedglycans are the substrate for the enzyme glycosytransferases that are responsible for the formation of the epitopes for A, B and Lewis blood group antigens. Secretors contain both the alleles whereas non secretor contains the null allele for FUT2 gene. The FUT 2 gene codes for fucosyltranferaseenzyme in the exocrine tissues which lead to formation of antigens in the body secretions and body fluids. The A and B genes produce glycosyltranferase that add sugar to oligosaccharide chains that is converted to H antigen. The H antigen are constructed on the oligosaccharide chain. The oligosaccharide chains could be of two type : Type 1 and type 2. 1 carbon of the terminal 6-carbon sugar b-D-galactose (Gal) is linked to the number 3 carbon of subterminal  N-acetyl-glucosamine  (GlcNAc) in Type 1 chains and to the number 4 carbon of GlcNAc in Type 2 chains. The glycosphingolipids present in the plasma and on the membranes of glandular and parenchymal cells and glycoproteins present on the cell surfaces or body fluids carry either the type 1 or type 2 chains. The glycolipids antigens present on the RBC contain type 2 chains. A gene-specifies N-acetyl-galactosaminyl-transferase and the B gene-specifies galactosaminyl-transferase and add   GalNAc   and  Gal   respectively in alpha (1-3) linkages to the same Gal which is acted on by the H gene transferase. The H gene produces fucosyltransferase that add fucose to the terminal Galactose molecule of type 2 chain. It forms an alpha (1-2) linkage. A and B antigens are constructed when the A and B transferases attach respective sugars to the type 1 or type 2 chain substituted with Fucose. The A alleles encode UDP-GalNAc: Fuc alpha1->2 Gal alpha1->3 N-acetyl-D-galactosaminyltransferase (alpha 1->3 GalNActransferase or histo-blood group A transferase). The B alleles encode UDP-Gal: Fuc alpha1->2 Gal alpha 1->3 galactosyltransferase (alpha 1->3 galactosyltransferase or histo-blood group B transferase). O alleles encode proteins without glycosyltransferase function The secretor gene FUT2 located at 19q13.3 and codes for the activity of the glycosyltransferasesin concert with the FUT1 gene coding for H antigen, needed to assemble both the ABO and Lewis blood groups.They are active in places like goblet and mucous gland cells which interact with each other and lead to secretions of antigens in the fluids. The expression patterns of both the genes are different. The FUT1 (H) gene is dominantly expressed in the erythroid tissues which lead to the formation of the H enzyme whereas the FUT2 (secretor) gene is expressed in the secretory tissues and lead to the formation of secretor enzyme. The product of the H enzyme or H gene resides on the erythrocytes and product of secretor gene resides on mucins in secretions. If an individual lack these alleles, he/she will not be able express the above active enzymes therefore they would lack the substrates for the A or B glycosyltransferases and hence they would not express the A and B epitopes. Relationship of ABH Secretor status and Lewis system Lewis typing is sometimes used for the de facto determination of the ABH secretor status. The production of Lewis antigens is genetically controlled. Individuals possessing the Lewis (Le) gene would produce the Lewis antigens which are carried in the plasma by different substances and are absorbed onto the Red blood Cells present in ones blood. The ABO determinants and H/h blood groups determinants are structurally related to Lewis blood determinants. FUT1 provide the glycans for glycosyltransferases which convert Lewis antigen to ABH antigens. FUT2 allele is expressed in the secretor and is responsible for the expression of type1 H determinant. The secretors convert their Lewis a antigen to Lewis b therefore they are (a-b+) and the non-secretor are (a+b-) as they lack the FUT2 responsible for glycosyltransferase which could convert Lewis a antigen to Lewis b antigen. Lewis (Le) gene and Secreting (Se) gene interact with each other. Initially Lewisais formed and if Se gene is absent in an individual the Lewisa substance is absorbed on the RBC and the individual is typed as Lewisa but in secretors the Se gene controls the activation of the H gene which causes addition of an additional sugar to Lewisa which convert it to Lewisb. Secretors contain both Lewisa and Lewisb in their plasma but absorb Lewisb preferentially on the red blood cells and the individual is typed as Lewisb. Hence we could interpret that presence of Lewis gene would type an individual as Lewisa positive or Lewisb negative or vice versa. An individual could not be positive for both. A person containing both Lewis gene and Secreting gene are typed as Lewisa negative and Lewisb positive whereas a person having the Lewis gene but not the secretor gene is typed as Lewisa positive and Lewisb negative. Individual who does not have Lewis gene regardless of secretor gene is typed as Lewisa negative and Lewisb negative. Note: Lewis Double Negative (LDN) is a sub type of non secretors but Lewis typing cannot be used for them to determine the ABH secretor status. Detection methods The presence and absence of the antigens in the body fluids could be detected by Agglutination Inhibition and Lewis typing. Agglutination Inhibition test could be divided into two parts:- Part I Antibody Neutralization: To determining ones secretor status, the saliva of the individual is mixed by the antiserum (Anti-A, Anti-B or Anti-H) available commercially. In secretors the soluble substances i.e. blood group antigens will react with the antibodies present in the antiserum and will get neutralized. Part II Agglutination Inhibition: The bed blood cells obtained commercially are added to the test mixture. In secretors agglutination of the RBC do not take place as no free antibodies are available to agglutinate them. All the antibodies have reacted with the soluble antigens present in the saliva whereas in non-secretors agglutination would occur upon addition of the RBC as no blood group antigens are present in the saliva so antibodies present in the antiserum are not neutralized and hence would be free to react with the test RBC cells which are added to the test mixture. Hence agglutination is a negative test for secretor status and positive test for the non-secretor status. Note: Anti-H lectin containing phytohaemagglutinin virtually specific for human RBC. Thirteen Cucurbitaceaespecies have been investigated for the anti-H activity present in their seed lectins. Lectins has been extracted and purified from Ulexeuropaeus seeds. It could be used to demonstrate the H secretor status of blood group O individual and also for subgrouping the blood group A individuals. Lewis typing: Individuals carrying the Lewis gene produce Lewis antigens that are carried by the plasma and are also adsorbed on the red blood cells. Lewis antigens do not reside only on the red blood cells. Initially the gene gives rise to Lewisa. If Se gene is present it activates H gene which interact with the Lewisa and add a sugar to Lewisa and hence get converted it to Lewisb. Both Lewisa and Lewisb in present in the plasma of the secretors. If the Se gene is not present then the Lewisa substance is adsorbed on the red cells and individuals are typed as Lewisa. The secretor status of an individual could be determined with help of Lewisa and Lewisb antibodies mixed with an individuals saliva and observing the agglutination macroscopically. Disease Susceptibility among Secretors and Non-secretors Digestive system Non-secretors are more prone to the diseases caused by the oral bacteria in the digestive system of an individual. It includes ulcers, celiac diseases gastric carcinoma pernicious anemia etc. It could lead to dysplasia or increase in the number of cavities present in the digestive tract. Non-secretors are less resistant to the infection caused by Helicobacter pylori which could lead to the formation of peptic and duodenal ulcers. It could easily colonize and cause inflammation in the non-secretors. The non-secretors lack the blood group antigens in the mucus secretions therefore H.pylori attach to the walls of the digestive tract and cause infection. The secretors have a tendency to secrete free ABH antigens in their intestinal secretions which effect the bacterial and lectins adherence to the microvilli present in the gut. The secretors produce these antigens and act as a competitive disadvantage from preventing H.pylori attachment. These antigens act as a decoy in the secretors whi ch prevent them from attaching with the host tissues. The non-secretors also show a lower IgG immune response to the H.pylori. They have excessive rate of bleeding, perforation and development of stomach ulcers but correlation between these complications and the secretor status have not been documented yet. The non-secretors are not able to turn off the digestive enzymes and hence they produce large amount of enzyme pepsin and hence are more prone to duodenal ulcers. 50% of the duodenal ulcers are present in non-secretors. 30-40% of group O individuals are affected by the duodenal ulcers and 15- 20 % are affected by the gastric ulcers. They act as a multiplicative risk factor with the gene coding for hyperpepsinogenemia I which impact in the risk of duodenal ulcers. Group A individuals have a higher tendency of having gastric cancer and pernicious anemia. Statistics shows that 20% of the group A individuals are affected by gastric cancers and 25% are affected by the pernicious anemi a. Oral pathology The non-secretors are more prone to oral diseases like mouth and esophagus cancer, epithelial dysplasia etc. They have more cavities than secretors. Diabetes The ABH non-secretors and Lewis negative (Le a-b-) individuals have a high risk of developing insulin dependent diabetes or complications arising from diabetes. Secretors with juvenile diabetes have a low chance of developing retinopathy. The ABH non secretors which are affected by insulin dependent diabetes mellitus the mean level of C3c and C4 is lower as compared to ABH secretors. Metabolic Syndrome X The Lewis negative men are predisposing to syndrome X and prothrombic metabolism. They have high levels of BMI, SBP, triglycerides and low rather fasting levels of serum insulin and plasma glucose. This relationship is not true for women and is only applicable for the men. Respiratory System   Secretors have an added protection against the harmful environmental assaults directed towards our lungs and as usual non-secretors have a health disadvantage. They are over represented among the people suffering from influenza viruses A and B, rhinoviruses, respiratory synsytial virus and echinoviruses. The secretors who are miners or smokers do receive a protection against the disastrous effects of the cigarette smoking. Asthma is very common among the individuals working in the coal mines. Upon research it was concluded that asthma among them is also related to the non-secretor phenotype present in them. The non-secretor has a tendency to snore and are more prone to COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease). Heart disease The ABH non-secretor phenotype have a high risk of developing myocardial infarction and Lewis negative individuals have a high risk of developing chronic heart disease (CHD) and also ischemic heart disease (IHD). They contain high levels of triglycerides. Alcoholism has a positive interaction with the Lewis negative individuals. Alcohol consumption is protective in these individuals. Autoimmune Disease   Autoimmune disorders such as ankylosing spondylitis, reactive arthritis, psoriatic arthropathy, Sjogrens syndrome, multiple sclerosis, and Graves disease are more prone in non-secretors. The ABH non-secretors affected with graves disease produces high levels of antitubulin antibodies as compared to secretors and are unable to produce the water soluble glycoproteins in the saliva. Fetal Loss and Infertility ABO antigens are also found on the sperm of the secretors. These are obtained from the seminal secretions present in them. ABO incompatibility could exist between the wife and husband if could affect the fertility of an individual. This issue has not been properly studied and is therefore under research. Rheumatic Fever The secretors and group O individuals are resistant to Rheumatic fever and more number of cases have been recorded in the non-secretors. Secretor status could also determine whether the rheumatic fever would be followed by streptococcal pharyngitis or not. Neisseria species The non-secretors who do not produce water soluble antigens in the saliva are at the risk of getting infected by Neisseria meningcococcal disease. The immune capabilities of the secretor provide a relative protection in the secretors. The ABH non-secretors produce low level of anti-meningococcal salivary IgM antibodies which provide protection to the secretors against the microorganism. Candida species Non-secretors are barriers of candida species and therefore are frequently affected by the candida infections. The glycocompounds secreted by secretors in the body fluids inhibit adhesins present on the yeast which are responsible for their adhesion with the body tissues. This leads to the development of the chronic hyperplastic Candidiasis. Statistics shows that 68% on the non-secretors are affected by chronic hyperplastic candidiasis. Non-secretor women are affected by recurrent idiopathic vulvovaginal Candidiasis. An individual with a combination of non-secretors and absence of Lewis gene are at relative risk of developing recurrent idiopathic vulvovaginal Candidiasis. Tumor Markers The individuals with inactive Se (se/se) alleles and homozygous active Le alleles (Le/Le) allele have a highest mean value of CA19-9 tumor marker. The Lewis negative individuals irrespective of Se genotype have negative values for CA19-9. The Lewis negative individuals have higher mean value for DU PAN-2 as compared to Le-positive individuals. We can conclude that CA 19-9 marker is not an appropriate tumor marker for Le-negative individuals but DU-PAN-9 is an appropriate tumor marker. Bacteria Urinary Tract Infections Non-secretors are at a higher risk of getting recurrent urinary tract infection (UTI) and renal scars as compared to secretors. This susceptibility is higher among negative Lewis subset. Statistics of a study done on women affected with recurrent urinary tract infection stated that 29% of the non-secretor women were affected by UTI and 26% of Lewis (a-b-) women were affected by the UTI. The non-secretor phenotype and blood group B and AB phenotype work together to increase the risk of UTI among women. Women and children suffering from renal scarring with and without the antibiotic treatment for UTI are prone to UTI and pyelonephritis. 55-60% of non-secretors develop renal scars and 16% on secretors develop renal scars. C-reactive protein levels, erythrocyte sedimentation rate and body temperature are higher in the non-secretors that in secretors with recurrent UTI. Conclusion It concludes that there exist a statistical association between the individuals blood-group secretor phenotype and the diseases they are susceptible to. So knowing your secretor status is advantageous as we can use the nutritional supplements more intelligently and effectively. It also makes us aware of the diseases, illness and metabolic dysfunction we are prone to, difference in the levels of intestinal alkaline phosphatase activity, propensities towards blood clotting, tumor markers and different ingredients of breast milk so that we can manage them before hand and would be prepared for them in the near future.