Fashion and beauty advertising models’ age and its impact on over 50 female consumers’ purchase intention

Classificação: M31, M37The dissertation that is now presented, aims to study a social phenomenon that has gained increasing importance and study it under a commercial perspective, concluding about the impacts that it can bring for some markets. The purpose is to study the impact of the Fashion and Beauty advertisements models’ age on the purchase intention of female consumers over 50. This is a segment that has been gaining weight, expression and importance, and it is crucial to understand if it is been addressed with an effective communication strategy. This research, after identifying some gaps in the literature on this such contemporaneous topic, extracted those that seem to be the most important variables to develop a study and draw conclusions through statistical analysis and validation, about how women over 50 have been seeing the markets communication, and how it impacts on the purchase intention. In the first part of the study a deep review of the literature is made, providing a structured knowledge of what has already been studied by other authors on this topic, and on other matters related to or involved with this issue. In the second stage, the approach is quantitative. In the presented study 259 people were involved and asked to answer to a series of questions on the topics described above and according to their opinions and feelings towards some advertising images exhibited throughout the questionnaire. The results revealed that although some values are low to be considered significant almost all the relationships between the variables, suggested by the literature, have occurred. The results are very interesting and highly applicable outputs to the markets concerned. All findings related to this study are adequately summarized in Section 6.A dissertação aqui apresentada pretende estudar um fenómeno social que tem ganho cada vez mais importância e estudá-lo sob a perspectiva comercial, concluindo que impactos podem acarretar para alguns mercados. No caso, o propósito é, então, estudar o impacto que a idade das modelos dos anúncios de Moda e Beleza tem nas intenções de compra das consumidoras com mais de 50 anos. Este é um segmento que tem ganho expressão, volume e importância e importa perceber se está a ser endereçado com estratégia de comunicação mais eficaz. Tendo identificado alguns gaps na literatura existente sobre este tópico tão contemporâneo, o presente estudo expõe aquelas que parecem ser as variáveis mais importantes para desenvolver esta investigação e tirar conclusões, com recurso à análise e validação estatística, sobre como as mulheres acima dos 50 anos vêm a comunicação, a forma como ela impacta na intenção de compra. Na primeira parte do estudo é feita uma profunda revisão da literatura, que proporciona um conhecimento estruturado do que já foi estudado por outros autores neste tópico, ou outros estão relacionados ou envolvidos com esta problemática. Na segunda fase, a abordagem é quantitativa. No estudo que agora se apresenta participaram 259 pessoas, às quais foi solicitado que respondessem a uma série de questões sobre os temas acima descritos e, em alguns casos, segundo as suas opiniões e sentimentos face às imagens a que foram expostas ao longo do questionário. Os resultados revelaram que, apesar de alguns valores se terem mostrado algo baixos para serem considerados significativos, quase todas as relações entre as variáveis sugeridas pela literatura se verificaram, resultando em outputs interessantes e com elevada aplicabilidade para os mercados em causa. Todas as conclusões relacionadas com este estudo se encontram devidamente resumidas na Secção 6

NEOTROPICAL XENARTHRANS: a data set of occurrence of xenarthran species in the Neotropics

Xenarthrans—anteaters, sloths, and armadillos—have essential functions for ecosystem maintenance, such as insect control and nutrient cycling, playing key roles as ecosystem engineers. Because of habitat loss and fragmentation, hunting pressure, and conflicts with domestic dogs, these species have been threatened locally, regionally, or even across their full distribution ranges. The Neotropics harbor 21 species of armadillos, 10 anteaters, and 6 sloths. Our data set includes the families Chlamyphoridae (13), Dasypodidae (7), Myrmecophagidae (3), Bradypodidae (4), and Megalonychidae (2). We have no occurrence data on Dasypus pilosus (Dasypodidae). Regarding Cyclopedidae, until recently, only one species was recognized, but new genetic studies have revealed that the group is represented by seven species. In this data paper, we compiled a total of 42,528 records of 31 species, represented by occurrence and quantitative data, totaling 24,847 unique georeferenced records. The geographic range is from the southern United States, Mexico, and Caribbean countries at the northern portion of the Neotropics, to the austral distribution in Argentina, Paraguay, Chile, and Uruguay. Regarding anteaters, Myrmecophaga tridactyla has the most records (n = 5,941), and Cyclopes sp. have the fewest (n = 240). The armadillo species with the most data is Dasypus novemcinctus (n = 11,588), and the fewest data are recorded for Calyptophractus retusus (n = 33). With regard to sloth species, Bradypus variegatus has the most records (n = 962), and Bradypus pygmaeus has the fewest (n = 12). Our main objective with Neotropical Xenarthrans is to make occurrence and quantitative data available to facilitate more ecological research, particularly if we integrate the xenarthran data with other data sets of Neotropical Series that will become available very soon (i.e., Neotropical Carnivores, Neotropical Invasive Mammals, and Neotropical Hunters and Dogs). Therefore, studies on trophic cascades, hunting pressure, habitat loss, fragmentation effects, species invasion, and climate change effects will be possible with the Neotropical Xenarthrans data set. Please cite this data paper when using its data in publications. We also request that researchers and teachers inform us of how they are using these data

Characterisation of microbial attack on archaeological bone

As part of an EU funded project to investigate the factors influencing bone preservation in the archaeological record, more than 250 bones from 41 archaeological sites in five countries spanning four climatic regions were studied for diagenetic alteration. Sites were selected to cover a range of environmental conditions and archaeological contexts. Microscopic and physical (mercury intrusion porosimetry) analyses of these bones revealed that the majority (68%) had suffered microbial attack. Furthermore, significant differences were found between animal and human bone in both the state of preservation and the type of microbial attack present. These differences in preservation might result from differences in early taphonomy of the bones. © 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved