Analysis of the market for a new frozen coal release device

Conditions that contribute to coal freezing and the costs of frozen coal handling are discussed. The various methods currently used to handle frozen coal are examined and assessed relative to costs, effectiveness, and advantages and disadvantages. A NASA designed gas detonation lance for breaking the ice bonds between frozen coal nuggets is described and illustrated. Market demand for the controlled gas detonation lance is estimated to be at least 10 units

Market analysis of seismic security systems

This report provides information on the commercialization potential of the NASA Activity Monitor. Data on current commercially available products, market size, and growth are combined with information on the NASA technology and the projected impact of this technology on the market

R\'esum\'e Parsing as Hierarchical Sequence Labeling: An Empirical Study

Extracting information from r\'esum\'es is typically formulated as a two-stage problem, where the document is first segmented into sections and then each section is processed individually to extract the target entities. Instead, we cast the whole problem as sequence labeling in two levels -- lines and tokens -- and study model architectures for solving both tasks simultaneously. We build high-quality r\'esum\'e parsing corpora in English, French, Chinese, Spanish, German, Portuguese, and Swedish. Based on these corpora, we present experimental results that demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed models for the information extraction task, outperforming approaches introduced in previous work. We conduct an ablation study of the proposed architectures. We also analyze both model performance and resource efficiency, and describe the trade-offs for model deployment in the context of a production environment.Comment: RecSys in HR'23: The 3rd Workshop on Recommender Systems for Human Resources, in conjunction with the 17th ACM Conference on Recommender Systems, September 18--22, 2023, Singapore, Singapor

Inventory Routing Optimization for Empty Pesticide Container Collection in the Southwest of Buenos Aires Province

En este trabajo se proponen modelos de programación mixta entera lineal (MILP) para la gestión de inventarios de Envases Vacíos de Fitosanitarios (EVFs) en los Centros de Acopio Transitorio (CATs) instalados en el Sudoeste Bonaerense (SOB). Las formulaciones integran además decisiones de transporte hacia las Plantas de Reciclado de Plástico, definiendo circuitos de vaciado de los CATs en un horizonte de planificación multiperíodo. Dado que para estas operaciones se utiliza una flota heterogénea de vehículos que generan emisiones significativas, se consideran dos formulaciones: una orientada a minimizar los costos de transporte y otra enfocada en reducir las emisiones de CO₂. En ambos casos se evalúan dos restricciones de recolección: una que exige una carga mínima del vehículo al finalizar el circuito y otra que incorpora además una meta mínima de recolección total del sistema. En base a un perfil conocido de ingreso de EVFs, los modelos MILP propuestos permiten identificar alternativas logísticas que optimizan su retiro desde los CATs, definiendo circuitos y frecuencias de vaciado eficientes para el manejo óptimo de sus inventarios. Asimismo, seleccionan el tipo de vehículo a utilizar en cada circuito, entre los disponibles en la flota, con el fin de reducir tanto el costo como el impacto ambiental del proceso. Esta herramienta permite diseñar estrategias de gestión que minimicen costos y fomenten la recuperación de los EVFs dentro del circuito productivo, promoviendo así la transición hacia una economía circular en el sector agroindustrial del SOB.This work proposes mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) models for the inventory management of Empty Pesticide Containers (EPCs) stored in Temporary Collection Centers (TCCs) located in the Southwest of Buenos Aires Province (SOB). The formulations also integrate routing decisions to Plastic Recycling Plants, determining collection routes for the TCCs over a multiperiod planning horizon. Since these operations rely on a heterogeneous fleet of vehicles that produce significant emissions, two alternative formulations are considered: one aimed at minimizing transportation costs and the other focused on reducing CO₂ emissions. In both cases, two collection constraints are evaluated: one requiring a minimum vehicle load at the end of each route, and another that also imposes a minimum total collection target for the system. Based on a known EPCs input profile, the proposed MILP models identify logistics alternatives that optimize container removal from the TCCs, defining efficient collection routes and frequencies for optimal inventory management. Additionally, the models select the most suitable vehicle type for each route from the available fleet, in order to reduce both costs and environmental impact. This tool enables the design of management strategies that minimize costs and extend the lifecycle of EPC material within the production system, thus supporting the transition toward a circular economy in the SOB agro-industrial sector

Designing Thematic Tourist Trails for Local Development: A Framework Based on Territorial Heritage

The tangible and intangible heritage of a region can form the basis for innovative tourism models capable of fostering sustainable development in a specific local area. In this context, thematic trails are increasingly recognized as a tool for connecting tourism to local heritage, although they tend to focus on food and wine itineraries, avoiding the development of structured models that can be replicated in other production chains. This study aims to fill this gap by proposing a scalable framework for designing thematic tourism itineraries that integrate and enhance local heritage. Inspired by the “Destinazione Impresa” model, the proposed framework emphasizes community engagement and multilevel collaboration among stakeholders as key factors for sustainable and localized tourism. The framework was tested in two rural areas of Piedmont (Italy) selected for their distinctive productive traditions and limited exposure to mass tourism: Moncucco Torinese, linked to the gypsum supply chain, and the Biellese area, linked to dairy production. The participatory methodology employed, based on the Delphi method, confirmed the willingness of local stakeholders to co-design thematic trails. Findings highlight the potential of thematic trails to enhance economic diversification, foster community participation and preserve local identity, while offering a practical and transferable methodology for sustainable tourism development in underexplored areas