Monday, February 2, 2015

Market Researcher

Market researchers may use a variety of techniques to predict sales of a product or service. They can look at past sales of similar products as well as input from previous customers. When gathering data, market researchers may focus on pricing, product quality, customer satisfaction, customer demand, and marketing strategies. They may also try to draw comparisons from competitors’ products and services. Market researchers obtain their information from a variety of sources. Past sales figures are usually readily available. Customer input may be gathered from telephone or mail surveys as well as from toll-free customer service calls. Research assistants and customer service representatives usually conduct these surveys.
Once the data are collected, market researchers analyze the information and draw conclusions. These conclusions allow market researchers to create reports that include recommendations. Often these recommendations are passed along to company management personnel where an action plan can be created.
Education and Training
A master’s degree improves employment prospects. In order to be considered for entry-level positions such as a research assistant, administrative or management trainee, or market interviewer, candidates must have the following education:
  • a bachelor’s degree with a concentration in business or marketing
In order to be considered for a position of higher responsibility, such as market research analyst, candidates should have the following education:
  • graduate training with a concentration in economics, business administration, marketing, statistics, or related disciplines
  • relevant related experience
On the Job
Market researchers may spend much of their time working alone writing reports, preparing charts and using computers. They also may work within a team of researchers, where each member of the team is responsible for a particular task. Since much of the work of a market researcher is related to the introduction of a new product, strict deadlines are commonplace. Market researchers sometimes are asked to collect additional data or attend meetings with upper level managers. Market researchers may be required to travel on a regular basis.
Math on the Job
Market researchers benefit from a strong mathematical background, particularly in statistics. They often create surveys and interviews that provide information that is accurate and meaningful. Market researchers also need to have the skills to effectively analyze data. Much of the information is eventually presented in the form of charts and graphs. The data should reveal such things as market trends and customer preferences.
Related Careers
  • sales manager
  • economist
  • product manager
English: A business ideally is continually see...
English: A business ideally is continually seeking feedback from customers: are the products helpful? are their needs being met? Constructive criticism helps marketers adjust offerings to meet customer needs. Source of diagram: here (see public domain declaration at top). Questions: write me at my Wikipedia talk page (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

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Twitter
Twitter (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Bald Eagles

Bald eagles, native only to North America, are about 3 feet in height and have a 7-foot wingspan. Males weigh between 8 and 9 pounds and females weigh between 10 and 14 pounds. An adult bald eagles can be identified by its white head and tail, brown body, and curved yellow bill. A bald eagle’s is not actually bald, although the white feathers of the head give this appearance.
Bald eagles live near water sources where most of their prey can be found. Bald eagles prefer to feed on fish but may also eat small mammals, waterfowl, or carrion. Using keen eyesight, bald eagles can spot prey at distances up to 1 mile. They fly at speeds of 20 to 40 miles per hour and are capable of diving at speeds of 100 miles per hour. Bald eagles have also been known to swim. They swim by an overhand movement of their wings that resembles the butterfly stroke.
Bald eagles choose one mate during their entire life. Male and female bald eagles work together building a nest, incubating the eggs (the incubation period usually lasts from 30 to 45 days), and capturing food. The female eagle always feeds her young. Young eaglets stay in the nest for a period of about 3 months. The nest itself can be about 7 to 8 feet high and 9 feet in diameter. Bald eagles can live up to 30 years in the wild.
After much debate, the bald eagle was officially chosen as the national emblem in 1782. This decision, however, was met with strong opposition. Benjamin Franklin preferred the North American wild turkey, arguing that the bald eagle was “a bird of bad moral character.” On the Great Seal of the United States a bald eagle is featured holding an olive branch in one talon and thirteen arrows in the other. The Latin motto “E pluribus unum,” meaning “From many, one,” is found on either side of the eagle’s beak.
By the 1970s, the bald eagle had become nearly extinct due to hunting and exposure to chemicals. Chemicals such as DDT, deildrin, PCBs, and lead have not only killed eagles but also damaged their reproductive systems. Many initiatives have been undertaken in an effort to restore the population of the national bird. Examples include the establishment of the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve and the Bald Eagle Release Program at
Bald Eagle
Bald Eagle (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Long Point in Lake Erie. These and similar programs have allowed the bald eagle population to recover.

Staircases

Staircases, relied upon by many people for vertical transportation on a daily basis, can be found in homes, schools, and buildings of all types. Virtually all buildings with 2 or more floors require stairs, even those that rely on elevators and escalators to transport most people.
During the latter half of the Stone Age, neolithic people climbed steep mountain slopes using rocks and roots to gain a foothold. Eventually, these footholds were shaped into permanent steps. Many of these natural stair formations can still be seen today. Logs were eventually carved out with notches and placed against walls for the purpose of climbing. These “portable stairs”, which are still used by West Africa’s Dogon people, are examples of the first manmade stairways.
Ancient architecture contains many examples of stairways, including the pyramid El Castillo in Chichen Itza, Mexico, built between the years 900 and 1200 AD. This pyramid has a square base that measures 60 yards on each side. Each of the four sides that slant toward the peak contains a massive staircase with 91 steps. The upper platform contains a single step. The 365 steps in the pyramid (4 • 91 + 1 = 365) correspond to the number of days in the solar year. Because of this, it is believed that the pyramid was partly designed for worship of the sun.
When people use stairways today, they rely on the fact that the riser height (vertical distance) and tread length (horizontal distance) of stairs are predictable and consistent. This allows people to ascend or descend stairways without much difficulty. Despite this, stairs can be dangerous. The Consumer Product Safety Commission estimated that there were 1 million stair-related accidents in 1990, of which 85% occurred in homes.
Francois Blondel, a French architect, was the first person to establish a rule for staircase design. In 1675, while working for the Royal Academy of Architecture, Blondel devised the following formula: twice the riser height plus the tread depth equals 24 inches (25.5 in today’s inches). Blondel’s formula, which is still widely used today, suffers drawbacks when applied to staircases that have unusually high or low rise heights.
Recent building codes have more stringent requirements for staircase design. Prior to 1991, the Building Officials and Code Administrators (BOCA) required riser heights of at most 8.25 inches and tread depths of at least 9 inches. In 1991, BOCA modified the code such that riser heights must be between 4 and 7 inches and tread depth must be a minimum of 11 inches. This change, which caused considerable debate among builders and architects, was initiated by the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s 1990 report. Most objections focused on the issue of the cost to implement these new requirements. Other objections were related to the fact that these longer staircases would compromise the amount of living space. Interestingly, a 7-inch riser and an 11-inch tread yield 25 inches when Blondel’s formula is applied.
Escalators also provide vertical transportation. Escalators consist of a continuously moving handrail and stairway. Modern escalators provide one of the most efficient methods for moving large numbers of people. The first escalators were installed in 1900 in New York and Paris. These early escalators did not actually have stairs. Instead, they resembled conveyor belts that rose with a slight incline. The next generation of escalators added small strips of wood to provide better traction. Modern escalators, which can transport over 100 people in one minute, consist of a continuous series of steps that run on roller chains.
This image was selected as a picture of the we...
This image was selected as a picture of the week on the Farsi Wikipedia for the 7th week, 2011. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Hallucinogens

Its use has back been discontinued due to austere adverse effects. Because of their capricious nature, the use of hallucinogens can be decidedly dangerous. There accept been no appropriately controlled analysis studies on the specific furnishings of these drugs on the animal brain, but abate studies and several case letters accept been appear documenting some of the furnishings associated with the use of hallucinogens. Experiences may assume to “Cross over” adapted senses, giving the user the activity of audition colors and seeing sounds. Some LSD user’s acquaintance severe, alarming thoughts and animosity of despair, abhorrence of accident control, or abhorrence of aberration and afterlife while application LSD. LSD users can as well acquaintance flashbacks, or recurrences of assertive aspects of the biologic experience.
Flashbacks action suddenly, generally afterwards warning, and may do so aural a few canicule or added than a year afterwards LSD use. Most users of LSD voluntarily abatement or stop its use over time. LSD does aftermath tolerance, so some users who yield the biologic again have to yield progressively college doses to accomplish the accompaniment of beatitude that they had ahead achieved. A contempt abstraction begins no affirmation of cerebral or cerebral deficits a part of Native Americans that use peyote consistently in a religious setting. 3 The cerebral after-effects of psilocybin use cover hallucinations, an adapted acumen of time, and a disability to anticipate fantasy from reality.
The use of PCP as an accustomed analgesic in bodies was discontinued in 1965 because patients generally became agitated, delusional, and aberrant while convalescent from its analgesic effects. Some abusers abide to use PCP due to the animosity of strength, power, and amnesty as able-bodied as an algid aftereffect on the apperception that PCP can induce. Mood disturbances: Approximately 50 percent of individuals brought to emergency apartment because of PCP-induced problems-related to use aural the accomplished 48 hours-report cogent elevations in all-overs symptoms. Unpleasant adverse furnishings as an aftereffect of the use of hallucinogens are not uncommon.
English: closed-eye visualizations simulation
English: closed-eye visualizations simulation (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
According to the 2013 National Survey on Biologic Use and Health*, added than 1.1 actor humans age-old 12 or earlier appear application hallucinogens aural the accomplished 12 months. LSD. In 2013, added than 24.8 actor humans age-old 12 or earlier appear they had acclimated LSD in their lifetime according to NSDUH. More than 1.1 actor humans had acclimated the biologic in the accomplished year. PCP. In 2013, 6.5 actor humans age-old 12 or earlier appear that they had acclimated PCP in their lifetime according to NSDUH. Only 90,000 humans appear use in the accomplished year-abatement from 172,000 in 2012.
Euphoria may occur, but these drugs as well frequently could cause agitation, confusion, anxiety, paranoia, delusions, accident of amusing inhibitions, and berserk labile emotions. According to the 2008 National Survey on Biologic Use and Health, about 1.1 actor Americans use consciousness-expanding drugs. Lysergic acerbic diethylamide or LSD is an almighty consciousness-expanding drug. In a 2010 abstraction appear in the account “Psychopharmacology,” Drs. A. Halberstadt and M. Geyer affirm what added advisers accept as well observed; LSD produces furnishings through interactions with serotonin receptors in the brain. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter, an actinic that facilitates interactions amid fretfulness causing assorted furnishings in the academician and body.
Physical furnishings of LSD cover added claret pressure, affection amount and physique temperature, nausea, tremors and weakness. Psychic furnishings of LSD cover adulterated perceptions of ambit and time, and visual, audition and touch-related hallucinations. Flashbacks re-experiencing adulterated perceptions and affections that occurred while beneath the access of the drug-can action continued afterwards the biologic was taken. Hallucinogen-induced constant perceptual ataxia or HPPD is an action wherein humans who accept taken LSD or addition hallucinogen accept assiduous flashbacks, which baffle with their adeptness to function.
English: Slightly under 100 drops ("hits&...
English: Slightly under 100 drops (“hits”) of liquid LSD in a “Ice Drops” breath mint bottle; a common brand and bottle size used when storing liquid LSD. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Phencyclidine or PCP was already acclimated as an anesthetic, but this medical use was alone because of the advancing brainy furnishings of the drug. Physical furnishings of PCP may cover abhorrence and vomiting, bank breathing, decreased affection amount and claret pressure, blurred vision, afraid and drooling, dizziness, in coordination, accident of balance, and asleep in the limbs. Mental and affecting furnishings of PCP cover agitation, anxiety, aggression, paranoia, delusions, baloney of beheld and audition perceptions, aberrant cerebration and dissociation-a faculty of getting alone or alfresco of yourself and your environment. The National Institute on Biologic Abuse letters abiding use of PCP may could cause depression, anamnesis accident and aberrant accent and anticipation patterns. Physical furnishings of mescaline cover nausea, animated physique temperature, added affection amount and claret pressure, sweating, in coordination, tremors and weakness.
The biologic distorts thoughts, affections and acoustic perceptions. Euphoria may occur, but anxiety, agitation and acute abhorrence are as well possible. Flashbacks and HPPD can action in humans who use mescaline. The furnishings of this biologic are agnate to LSD, although it is not as almighty as LSD. Physical furnishings cover weakness, in coordination, abhorrence and adherent dilation. NIDA letters abiding furnishings may action with use of psilocybin, including anamnesis disturbances and assiduous flashbacks.


Work Cited
“Different Types of Hallucinogenic Drugs.”LIVESTRONG.COM. LIVESTRONG.COM, 19 Feb. 2014. Web. 20 Jan. 2015. <http://www.livestrong.com/article/110013-different-types-hallucinogenic-drugs/>.
“DrugFacts: Hallucinogens – LSD, Peyote, Psilocybin, and PCP.” DrugFacts: Hallucinogens. Web. 20 Jan. 2015. <http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/hallucinogens-lsd-peyote-psilocybin-pcp>.

Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year is an important acceptable Chinese anniversary acclaimed at the about-face of the Chinese calendar. In China, it is aswell accepted as the Spring Festival, the accurate adaptation of the avant-garde Chinese name. Chinese New Year celebrations commonly run from Chinese New Year’s Eve, the endure day of the endure ages of the Chinese calendar, to the Lantern Anniversary on the 15th day of the aboriginal month, authoritative the anniversary the longest in the Chinese calendar. Because the Chinese agenda is lunisolar, the Chinese New Year is generally referred to as the “Lunar New Year”.
The antecedent of Chinese New Year is itself centuries old and assets acceptation because of several belief and traditions. Traditionally, the anniversary was a time to account deities as able-bodied as ancestors. Chinese New Year is acclaimed in countries and territories with cogent Chinese populations, including Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mauritius, Philippines, and aswell in Chinatowns elsewhere. Chinese New Year is advised a above anniversary for the Chinese and has had access on the lunar new year celebrations of its geographic neighbours.
On Chinese New Year's Eve in Meizhou. Firework...
On Chinese New Year’s Eve in Meizhou. Fireworks are set off to ward off the bad spirits from the previous year and welcome the new year in. Candles and incense are also lighted during prayers, like this scene on Chinese New Year’s Eve. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Within China, bounded community and traditions apropos the anniversary of the Chinese new year alter widely. Often, the black above-mentioned Chinese New Year’s Day is an break for Chinese families to accumulate for the anniversary alliance dinner. It is aswell acceptable for every ancestors to thoroughly absolve the house, in adjustment to ambit abroad any ill-fortune and to accomplish way for acceptable admission luck. Windows and doors will be busy with red blush paper-cuts and couplets with accepted capacity of “good fortune” or “happiness”, “wealth”, and “longevity.” Other activities cover lighting firecrackers and giving money in red cardboard envelopes.
Although the Chinese agenda commonly does not use continuously numbered years, alfresco China its years are generally numbered from the administration of the 3rd millennium BC Yellow Emperor. But at atomic three altered years numbered 1 are now acclimated by assorted scholars, authoritative the year alpha AD 2015 the “Chinese Year” 4713, 4712, or 4652.

Gazelles

Gazelles, a type of antelope who live primarily in the East African plains, can be found as far east as Mongolia. They tend to travel in herds of 5 to 10 gazelles although they have been known to gather in herds of several hundred. They are characterized by two long and slender horns, a dark stripe running along the side of the body, and white bellies. Typical gazelles are between 2 and 3 feet tall and weigh up to 55 pounds. There are about 12 species of gazelles. Thomson’s gazelles, or Tommies, are the most common in East Africa.
The behavior of Tommies in the face of danger has caused widespread discussion and speculation by hunters, naturalists, and scientists. When a gazelle spots a cheetah, it springs straight up in the air to heights of as much as 2 feet. This particular phenomenon is called “stotting.” Stotting appears to be counterproductive, using up precious time and energy that could otherwise be used in flight. Recent studies have concluded that stotting is a gazelle’s message to the predator that it has been seen. It discourages the cheetah from giving chase, which, in turn, allows the gazelle to save its energy for more urgent situations.
Gazelles will only stott if a cheetah is too far away to be a serious threat. Cheetahs can sprint at speeds up to 70 miles per hour but only for short periods of time. Gazelles can sustain speeds of up to 50 miles per hour for longer periods of time. Because of this, most cheetahs need to be within 90 feet of a gazelle in order to have a good chance for a capture. If this is the case, gazelles refrain from stotting and break into a full run. Usually gazelles are captured under such circumstances although they occasionally avoid cheetahs by making a series of sharp turns.
Thomson's Gazelles exhibit stotting behavior.
Thomson’s Gazelles exhibit stotting behavior. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Cheetahs, the smallest of the big cats, also feed on hares, warthogs, wildebeest, and zebras. They are about the same height as gazelles and weigh anywhere from 55 to 145 pounds. The fastest land animals in the world, cheetahs use a long tail for balance and sharp, non-retractable claws for traction. A cheetah will stalk its prey in an attempt to gain the advantage of a short chase. Cheetahs will knock down their prey during a high-speed chase and strangle its victim by the throat.
Despite their speed and agility, cheetahs are among the gentlest and most vulnerable of the big cats. Other predators victimize them and their lack of genetic diversity put cheetahs at risk of disease. Because of this, most cheetahs live only 4 or 5 years in the wild.