The Shape of Life: Reading Space in Sai Paranjpye's Cinema (1980-2009)

This thesis is an interdisciplinary spatial exploration of the films of Indian director Sai Paranjpye. The thesis examines the aesthetic and narrative strategies of spatial representation in seven of Paranjpye’s films – Sparsh (1980), Chashme Baddor (1981), Katha (1982), Disha (1990), Papeeha (1993), Choodiyan (1993) and Suee (2009). Employing a mixed methodology drawn from the disciplines of human geography, urban studies, sociology, feminist theory and gender studies in reading spaces, I suggest that Paranjpye depicts fragmented Indian life at the intersection of the spatial and the social in this body of films. This encounter of spatial and social is crucial in structuring the ideas of identity, inter-personal relationships and the experience of modernity. Through a textual analysis of each film, the thesis argues that it is essentially the lived space and architectural form that structures life and manifests lived experience in this selected body of films. The thesis identifies five major themes – border crossing, perceptions of home, marginality, private/public divisions and the potential of Mazaa (fun) – that bind together these lived filmic geographies and determine the texture of life. The thesis contextualises Paranjpye’s body of work in relation to the medial environment of the 1970s-80s. It also traces the influence of the cinematic forms of middle cinema and India’s new wave film movement on Paranjpye’s cinema to discover continuities, discontinuities and the subversive potential of these films. In this regard, I argue that Paranjpye’s cinema disrupts the genre orthodoxies that regard middle cinema as middle ‘class’ cinema. This exploration reveals that these films are in constant dialogue with various visual forms that evolved during the 1970s-80s and that they revel in aesthetic fluidity, challenging the strict generic borders

The Spirit of Capitalism and Stock-Market Prices

In existing theory, wealth is no more valuable than its implied consumption rewards. In reality investors acquire wealth not just for its implied consumption, but for the resulting social status. Max M. Weber refers to this desire for wealth as the spirit of capitalism. We examine, both analytically and empirically, implications of Weber's hypothesis for consumption, savings, and stock prices. When investors care about relative social status, propensity to consume and risktaking behavior wvildl epend on social standards, and stock prices will be volatile. The spirit of capitalism seems to be a driving force behind stock-market volatility and economic growth.

Comparative Analysis of HGAST Technique with GA and ST for Loss minimization and Voltage Improvement Constraint in Distributed Generation (DG) System

678-680Distributed generation is the process of generating electricity from many small energy sources and connecting it directly to the distribution network. Sizing and placement of these DG units is an important issue of concern. In this paper, the performance and comparison of various optimization techniques for optimal sizing and placement of DG units in distribution networks is donefor IEEE 9 BUS System

Development and study of waterproof breathable fabric using silicone oil and polyurethane binder

The focus of this study is on determining the optimum combination of hydrophilic and hydrophobic components in coating material to obtain high breathability and waterproof properties. Polyurethane binder and silicone oil were used in eight different combinations to coat the fabric along with one sample with 100% polyurethane binder for control. A knife-over-roll coating machine was used to coat the fabric. The coated samples were tested by using the Sweating Guarded Hot Plate method for breathability and the spray test and contact angle method for waterproof properties. Results obtained from the tests showed that fabric coated with an 80%-20% and 85%-15% polyurethane-silicone oil combination displayed best performance in terms of waterproof and breathable properties. The research also concludes that with a decrease in percentage of silicone in the material, there is an increase in breathability as well as waterproof properties of fabric, and best performance is achieved when its percentage is between 20 and 25%

Crisis in the Information Systems Discipline: A Reflection

This paper explores the issue of crisis in Information Systems discipline. It is argued that lack of a clearly shaped identity for the discipline is causing the problem of legitimacy and wide spread acceptance that IS discipline is facing. These problems put the discipline in crisis. Three dimensions of crisis are examined, viz., absence of core theories and concepts, lack of rigor and relevance in IS research outputs, and fragmented nature of IS research. It is concluded that IS research community must create an identity for itself for a better future

The Impact of Virtuality on the Flexibility of Virtual Teams in Software Development Projects

Despite widespread and growing prevalence of virtual teams, there is little understanding of the way virtual teams benefit from global distribution. Virtual teams are predicted by many to be the form that is much more flexible than traditional teams. As part of an ongoing research, in this paper we present a theoretical framework towards unraveling the relationship between the level of virtuality of a software development project team and it’s flexibility to respond to various environmental changes. Propositions are developed to identify the impact different dimensions of virtuality, viz., team dispersion, workplace mobility, and variety of practices, can have on flexibility to business changes, and flexibility to technological changes

Empirical Analysis of the Impact of Virtuality on Flexibility of Virtual Teams in Software Development Projects

Virtual teams are predicted by many to be the form that is much more flexible than traditional teams. In this paper we execute empirical analysis of the theoretical framework presented earlier. Data was collected through an online survey of the Information Systems specific interest group of Project Management Institute, and executive students at IIM Bangalore. Arguing flexibility to be a formative construct, the data was analyzed using PLS. It was found that virtuality positively and significantly affects flexibility, moderated by technology infrastructure, and team experience