Abstract: An online qualification management system that can be used to perform qualification management, such as candidate assessment for recruiting or promoting purposes, job description simulations, and learning management. A computing entity can execute a software application to implement a qualification management project that interacts online with a candidate to perform an assessment procedure on the candidate. The qualification management project includes a set of modules intended to interact individually with the candidate being assessed. One of the modules of the set may be a test module for testing the candidate for one or more skills. Another one of the modules of the set may be a virtual simulation module and implement a virtual simulation, the virtual simulation having a scenario defined by a chain of events and including a plurality of graphical scenes. The virtual simulation can also involve one or more avatars and/or interactive graphical objects.

Abstract: A process for the preparation of a silica aerogel that includes subjecting a mixture that includes an organosilicon compound and ethyl acetoacetate to hydrolysis and polycondensation in an acidic medium to obtain a transparent gel. The organic solvent is substituted by liquid carbon dioxide and the carbon dioxide is evacuated under supercritical conditions of the carbon dioxide to obtain an aerogel.