Catalogue Search | MBRL
Are you sure you want to remove the book from the shelf?
{{itemTitle}}
195,766
result(s) for
"tender"
Sort by:
Procrastination over Prudence: The ‘Customary’ Way in Public Procurement
This case describes a delay in the procurement of crawler dozers, a type of heavy earth-moving machinery, by a public sector undertaking of the Government of India in the mining sector. The chronology of events over 6 years highlights the underlying factors, including procrastination in initiating the procurement process, the time taken to prepare technical specifications, complaints from bidders and multiple-tiered queries. The most important learning outcome is that while arbitrary decisions are discouraged in any procurement, procrastination in decision-making should be equally discouraged. The case underlines the necessity of extensive, all-embracing standard operating procedures or definite guidelines.
Journal Article
L3‐edge X‐ray spectroscopy of rhodium and palladium compounds
L3‐edge high‐energy‐resolution fluorescence‐detection X‐ray absorption near‐edge structure (XANES) spectra for palladium and rhodium compounds are presented, with focus on their electronic structures. The data are compared with transmission XANES spectra recorded at the K‐edge. A correlation between the absorption edge energy and the metal ion oxidation state is not observed. Despite the different filling of the 4d orbitals and different local coordination, the Rh and Pd compounds show remarkably similar spectral shapes. Calculation of the density of states and of the L3‐XANES data reproduce the experimental results. The K and L3 X‐ray absorption near‐edge structures of Rh and Pd compounds are compared.
Journal Article
A high transmission tender X‐ray monochromator employing a matched pair of multilayer grating and mirror
It is now well established that multilayer coated gratings may offer high diffraction efficiencies over the tender X‐ray range, from about 1 keV to 5 keV, covering the gap between single layer coated grating monochromators and crystal monochromators. Nevertheless, few beamlines in the world are using such gratings in their monochromator. The successful implementation of a multilayer grating monochromator requires producing a matched pair of a multilayer grating and a multilayer mirror, and this matching is not straightforward as it must account for different incidence angles and refraction effects on each element. Here we review the realization of the multilayer grating monochromator of the SIRIUS beamline which has been successfully in service for several years. We show how, by alternating computer simulation with our diffraction code and measurements, we could optimize the monochromator transmission on a very wide energy range. After the grating was coated, it was found that the angle of optimal efficiency versus photon energy was significantly different from what was predicted by a simple conformal model of binary layers. Layer interdiffusion and profile smoothing during the deposition process must be added to the multilayer model to reproduce the measured data. The critical adjustment of the mirror multilayer period is achieved by the lateral translation of the mirror, which was given a small transverse period gradient. The monochromator is thus providing high transmission efficiency in the 1 to 5 keV energy range, more than 30% over 2.5 keV and up to 46% at 4.6 keV. Monochromators based on multilayer gratings can provide a very high throughput on an extended energy range (1 to 5 keV) in the tender X‐ray domain. A multilayer mirror must be associated with the grating to achieve a fixed exit direction. We show how important an accurate modeling of the reflectivity of these two elements is to achieve both an optimal design and an optimal tuning.
Journal Article
Tender X‐ray diffraction anomalous fine structure spectroscopy applied to the study of PbSc0.5Nb0.5O3 relaxor ferroelectric oxide
Diffraction anomalous fine structure spectroscopy (DAFS) is a well established technique for characterizing the local structure of elements embedded in complex interfaces and templates when crystallographic and/or site selectivity is needed. DAFS has been effectively applied in the hard X‐ray range, where reciprocal space is extended and the absorption edges of the chemical elements are usually well spaced. In this work, we extend the use of DAFS to the tender X‐ray range. This energy range is important since it includes the L‐edges of second row transition metal elements, which are constituents of functional oxide materials; and some important edges for semiconductors. We present a study of the Nb L‐edges in PbSc0.5Nb0.5O3 relaxor ferroelectric oxide, where the use of superstructure reflections provides access to the ordered part of the sample. At the SIRIUS beamline of Synchrotron SOLEIL, the use of the DAFS technique has been extended to the tender X‐ray range. We present a study of the Nb L3‐edge in PbSc0.5Nb0.5O3 relaxor ferroelectric oxide, where the use of superstructure reflections provides access to the ordered part of the sample.
Journal Article
Determinants of Public Construction Tender Cancellations in Türkiye
Many construction tenders conducted by public institutions and organizations are canceled for various reasons, leading to project delays, resource inefficiencies, and disruptions to public services. This research aims to analyze the reasons for construction tender cancellations and the factors that influence the likelihood of cancellation, with a focus on institutional capacity and transaction costs. The cancelled tenders were obtained from the Electronic Public Procurement Platform (EKAP), which is officially used by public bodies. A total of 2483 construction tenders canceled in 2024 were analyzed. This figure represents 15.44% of the construction tenders conducted in Turkey in 2024. The construction tenders examined were subjected to a categorical frequency analysis using administrative reason codes. Additionally, weighted logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with the likelihood of cancellation among the 16,105 construction tenders held in 2024. According to the analysis results, region, type of administration, time, and tender type have a statistically significant impact on cancellation. The primary causes for cancellation include bids substantially above the estimated cost, the absence of submitted tenders, and the issuance of a published circular. The municipal elections held in March 2024 and the accompanying circular have led to an increase in tender cancellations. Inadequate institutional capacity may lead to uncertainty in the process; this, in turn, may result in the suspension of tenders and a rise in transaction costs. In this context, strengthening institutional resilience can be seen as a facilitator in resolving many issues. The factors that lead to tender cancellations and the suggested approaches can offer useful guidance for both the administration and contractors in normalizing processes. Furthermore, public authorities might consider investments to enhance institutional capacity to reduce the risk of tender cancellations.
Journal Article
Effect of coconut milk, tender coconut and coconut sugar on the physico-chemical and sensory attributes in ice cream
The investigation was aimed to understand the effect of coconut milk, tender coconut pulp, tender coconut water and coconut sugar on the qualitative attributes of ice cream. Five ice cream formulations were laid out to substitute the major ingredients of ice cream such as, dairy milk and butter with coconut milk, skim milk powder with tender coconut pulp, refined sugar with coconut sugar and potable water with tender coconut water. Two of the formulations were exclusively non-dairy, third one was the standard dairy ice cream, fourth formulation was with the inclusion of coconut sugar in the standard ice cream and the fifth one was standard ice cream with tender coconut and coconut sugar. Proximate composition of the raw materials revealed that coconut milk, tender coconut pulp and coconut sugar can contribute to the solids-non-fat content in ice cream. Significant effect (p< 0.01) was observed on physico-chemical qualities of the mix and ice cream. Total solids, density and total soluble solids of the ice cream mixes were positively correlated. Density, one of the key physical parameters was ranged from 0.98 to 1.13 g/ cm3. Though coconut milk is acidic, the percent titratable values were within the limit. Non- dairy ice cream formulations obtained lower overrun (p < 0.001). There was a negative correlation between percent fat of ice cream and overrun. Crude fat and protein contents of the ice creams were ranged from 10.52–11.62 % and 3.42–4.94 % respectively. Inclusion of coconut products resulted in increased total phenolics and minerals (ash). Non-dairy formulations were preferred over dairy counterpart with respect to flavour and taste during the sensory evaluation carried out with four different age groups. Thus, the study enlightens the potential scope of utilization coconut products in ice cream industry. It also gave a lead towards developing non-dairy/ vegan delicacy on coconut.
Journal Article
Cannibalistic Capitalism: Societal Collapse in Agustina Bazterrica’s Tender Is the Flesh
This article examines Agustina Bazterrica’s Tender Is the Flesh as a dystopian allegory that challenges speciesist hierarchies and re-conceptualizes relationality within contemporary systems of consumption, commodification, and social transformation. The novel presents a post-apocalyptic world where a virus has supposedly contaminated all animal meat, leading to the normalization of breeding and consuming humans, known as “heads”. The analysis first connects Bazterrica’s grotesque vision to broader critiques of capitalism, arguing that the novel literalizes Nancy Fraser’s concept of cannibal capitalism, a system that devours its own social and ecological foundations. This aligns with Jason W. Moore’s notion of the Capitalocene, which frames capitalism as a system that devalues nature, labor, and life itself into expendable resources. The article then highlights how the society presented in the novel employs a chilling bureaucratic and linguistic system to render human beings as mere commodities, a process representing the mechanisms of denial inherent in a carnistic ideology. Through its exploration of linguistic sanitization and bodily mutilation, the novel exposes how violence is normalized when it is made morally and economically convenient. The article further argues that this manipulation of the human-animal division is a powerful tool of control, reinforcing societal hierarchies and reflecting historical instances where power dynamics dictated who was deemed fully human. The protagonist’s internal struggle with the treatment of “heads” reflects how individual morality and consciousness can endure against systemic dehumanization. The article analyzes this by referring to Rosi Braidotti’s perspective on biopolitical control, where advanced capitalism penetrates life on a biological level, turning the genetic code of living matter into a form of capital. Ultimately, the novel compels a posthuman reading, challenging human exceptionalism and revealing a shared vulnerability among all organic beings within an exploitative system.
Journal Article