DISCOURSE-DRIVEN MEANING CONSTRUCTION IN NEOSEMANTIC NOUN-TO-VERB CONVERSIONS [MEANING CONSTRUCTION IN NOUN-TO-VERB CONVERSIONS]

Neosemantic noun-to-verb conversions such as beer → to beer, door → to door, pink → to pink, etc., constitute a particularly interesting field of study for Cognitive Linguistics in that they call for a discourse-guided and context-based analysis of meaning construction. The present article takes a closer look at the cognitive motivation for the conversion process involved in the noun-verb alterations with a view to explaining the semantics of some conversion formations in relation to the user-centred discourse context. The analysis developed in this article draws from the combined insights of Fauconnier and Turner’s (2002) Conceptual Integration Theory and Langacker’s (2005, 2008) Current Discourse Space

Testing the dimensionality of the quality management construct

© 2014 Taylor & Francis. Numerous empirical studies have conceptualised quality management (QM) as either a multidimensional or unidimensional construct. While few prior studies tested some aspects of the assumed dimensional structure of the construct, no study has been found to have tested the construct's dimensionality using alternative factor analysis models. To gain a better insight into dimensional properties of the QM construct, this paper tests its dimensionality using three confirmatory factor analysis models (oblique factor model, higher-order factor model, and one-factor model) on a subset of data collected in a larger study that investigated the effects of QM on competitive advantage using a sample of 288 hotel managers in Egypt. The results of the three tests indicate that the QM construct is multidimensional. While this study contributes to advancing the QM theory and practice, further studies are needed to investigate the dimensional properties of the construct in greater depth. The results of this study may therefore stimulate research in this area and encourage the much needed debate on the dimensionality of the QM construct

The biomass and ecology of chokka squid Loligo vulgaris reynaudii off the West Coast of South Africa

Migration, stock size and ecology of chokka squid Loligo vulgaris reynaudii off the West Coast of South Africa were studied and their relationship to other regions compared by analysis of distributional, biomass, and size composition, and biological data collected from biannual research cruises from 1983-1987. Biomass was lower than on the South Coast, higher in summer than in winter and declined over the duration of the study. The distribution of squid was generally continuous from the east up to between Cape Point and Cape Columbine. North of Cape Columbine it was more sporadic and occurred only occasionally in the far north (north of 31°S). Depth distribution, at up to 350 m, was much greater than on the S. Coast where an insignificant percentage of the biomass occurs over 200 m. The size composition was unimodal compared to a polymodal distribution on the S. Coast, and mean and modal sizes were smaller. Maturity rates and gonado-somatic indices were also much lower. The percentage of feeding squid was, however, considerably higher. These findings, together with distributional and commercial catch data, showed that cyclic immigration and emigration occurs between the two areas, probably to enable subadult squid to exploit the good foraging opportunities on the W. Coast. A multiple correlation analysis and regression model showed that catches were correlated with a combination of bottom depth, bottom temperatures and bottom oxygen levels. Bottom temperatures of below 8°C and bottom oxygen levels of below 3,5 ml-1 appeared to represent important limiting factors in the distribution

Differentiation between Yeast Species, and Strains within a Species, by Cellular Fatty Acid Analysis. 2. Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Fatty acid extracts of 50 Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains, grown under rigidly standardised conditions, were subjected to capillary gas chromatographic analysis on a polar column. Strains contained saturated, mono-unsaturated and trace amounts of dienoic fatty acids. The mean relative percentages of 10 fatty acids were used to differentiate between the strains studied. Forty-six strains could be differentiated from all others in the group, based on the criterion that when comparing two strains the CFAP's were considered unique if the MRP's of at least one fatty acid differed at the 1 % level. Holman's Index of Relationship proved to be a useful tool for indicating degree of similarity between fatty acid proftles.Efforts to distinguish between the species Sacch. cerevisiae and Sacch. bayanus were not successful. More analyses on authentic strains (determined by DNA homology) are necessary to confirm whether such a separation is possible or not. Oenologically important changes that occurred in a commercial dried yeast during production were reflected in thefatty acid proftles of the dried products. Index of Relationship between the fatty acid profiles of five other dried yeast products, and the mother cultures from which they were produced, was very high indicating no change during the commercial production phase. Changes, or lack of change, were confirmed by fermentation studies

The Gay Science: Power on the Body, Population, and Psyche

Michel Foucault is a philosopher of power who left behind a legacy of ideas that continue to inspire scholars today. His conceptualization of power is not limited to the figures of kings, monarchs, or the sovereign state. Rather, he regards power as a productive force that shapes subjectivity, manufactures knowledge, and engenders the truth in a particular historical context. In this thesis, I aim to provide a comprehensive account of Foucault’s analysis of power, starting with his refutation of the “repressive hypothesis” that challenges the predominant view of centralized top-down power. Then, I present Foucault’s proposal for redefining power as a system of analytics, implying power courses through society via various social relations. This unfortunately renders liberation from power obsolete but opens new ways of resisting power. Following the reconceptualization of power, I differentiate systems of power, specifically sovereign power’s inadequacies with producing subjects, disciplinary power with its domain of the body, and biopower with its concern for the population. Finally, I investigate power in contemporary phenomena of today’s data-driven, digitalized, and neoliberal Western societies, taking stock of the limitations of Foucault’s power analysis while exploring how it might be extended. Written in an aphoristic style, the last chapter encourages ethical inquiry into how power exerts control and governance today

The scalability of small and medium enterprises in South Africa

It has long been recognised that small and medium enterprises (SMEs) account for an overwhelming part of businesses worldwide and that they contribute considerably to private sector Gross Domestic Product (GDP), growth and are the source for most new employment opportunities. It may therefore be postulated that scaling and growing SMEs are of notable importance to the economic wealth of the country and to this extent it eliminates economic stagnation. This treatise argues the significant impact that entrepreneurship exerts on the South African economy. This would allow the role players to identify the strategic interventions necessary to grow and scale SMEs. A literature review was conducted to develop insights on the factors that affect the scalability of SMEs. The aforementioned section expounds on the concept of SMEs. Secondly, the emergence of SMEs across developed and emerging economies is discussed by exploring the United States of America, Europe and the BRICS economies respectively. Thirdly, SMEs in the South African context are explored. Fourthly, the requirements and challenges of SMEs in the South African economy are highlighted. The primary data for this study were collected from the sample by means of an online questionnaire and through fieldworkers who were deployed to collect responses from the sample group. A representative sample of n = 295 responses were received. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the data in a way to simplify the interpretation of the data. Inferential statistics were used to authenticate conclusions made from the data. The model was developed and identified the following factors as exerting influence on the scalability of SMEs: Access to Finance, Access to Markets and Access to Human Capital, Entrepreneurial Intention, Regulatory Framework, Business Support and Networks. The average mean values of the factors were then used to establish their position or ranking as determined from the responses received. All factors ranked above a mean value of 3 which indicates that SMEs have a neutral to positive opinion of the factors identified in the model. According to a one-tailed t-test from the sample of SMEs it was shown that two of the nine factors had a large effect size in the factors of Human Capital and Entrepreneurial Intention. The Scalability of SMEs’ model developed in this study specified the factors that influence the growth of SMEs

Larval Northern Pike (Esox lucius) Ecology in Natural and Restored Coastal Wetlands of the Upper St. Lawrence River

We explored several aspects of the northern pike larval period including the abiotic and biotic dynamics of spring nursery marshes, prey selection in two common nursery habitats, and physical conditions, diet, and survival rates in enhanced wetlands. These findings highlight the importance of physical conditions of nursery marshes on the development of eggs and larvae and production of abundant zooplankton prey. In laboratory experiments, larvae displayed greater prey selection for zooplankton originating in flooded wetlands than nearshore bays. A greater proportion of large cladocerans were selected by larvae given a wetland assemblage. In a mark and recapture study, larval pike survival rates were higher in enhancement sites when compared with those in existing sites, possibly due to more suitable environmental conditions. This research on pike ecology in coastal wetlands may help managers and researchers to better understand larval requirements and devise effective solutions to environmental problems affecting their recruitment