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n this extended abstract we present a bidirectional model-driven framework to develop spreadsheets. By being model driven, our approach allows to evolve a spreadsheet model and automatically have the data co-evolved. The bidirectional component achieves precisely the inverse, that is, to evolve the data and automatically obtain a new model to which the data conforms.

Spreadsheets play an important role in software organizations. Indeed, in large software organizations, spreadsheets are not only used to define sheets containing data and formulas, but also to collect information from different systems, to adapt data coming from one system to the format required by another, to perform operations to enrich or simplify data, etc. In fact, over time many spreadsheets turn out to be used for storing and processing increasing amounts of data and supporting increasing numbers of users. Unfortunately, spreadsheet systems provide poor support for modularity, abstraction, and transformation, thus, making the maintenance, update and evolution of spreadsheets a very complex and error-prone task. We present techniques for model-driven spreadsheet engineering where we employ bidirectional transformations to maintain spreadsheet models and instances synchronized. In our setting, the business logic of spreadsheets is defined by ClassSheet models to which the spreadsheet data conforms, and spreadsheet users may evolve both the model and the data instances. Our techniques are implemented as part of the MDSheet framework: an extension for a traditional spreadsheet system.

Biocompatible and biodegradable water-soluble dendrimers comprising ureas within the interior and amino groups on the periphery were synthesized in supercritical carbon dioxide (dendrimer of generation 1 shown in picture). This novel class of dendrimers shows a pH-dependent intrinsic blue fluorescence at very low concentrations, which makes them potential polymeric fluorescent cell markers.

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The present work is devoted to the study of the decontamination of chars obtained in the co-pyrolysis of plastics, biomass and tyre wastes. The chars were extracted with several organic solvents of different polarities either individually or in sequence. The ability of each selected extractant to remove toxic pollutants was evaluated by comparing the extraction yields and by characterizing the crude extracts with a combination of chemical analysis and toxicity bioassays. Also, the mineral composition of the treated and non-treated chars was assessed. The results obtained in this study indicate that hexane is the more efficient extraction solvent to be used in the organic decontamination of chars obtained in the co-pyrolysis of plastics, tyres and biomass. A sequential extraction with solvents of increasing polarity can provide a better decontamination of the raw pyrolysis char than any individual extraction. The compounds removed from the char during the decontamination process are mainly aliphatic hydrocarbons and aromatic hydrocarbons, therefore a material that may be upgraded to be used as a fuel and/or as raw material for the organic chemical industry.

The co-combustion of coal and meat and bone meal (MBM) is a possible energetic valorization route for this residue. Nevertheless, the properties of ashes produced need to be studied. To evaluate these properties, three combustion tests were performed in a fluidized bed reactor: 1) coal combustion; 2) coal + MBM (85% + 15%) co-combustion; 3) MBM combustion. The characterization of ashes was focused on the following aspects: (1) Determination of bulk content of Cr, Zn, Ni, Cu, Pb, Cd, Hg, As, Ba, Mo, Sb, Se, Ca, Na, Mg, Fe, Al and K; (2) Leaching properties of ashes based on the European Standard EN12457-2. The eluates were characterized for some of the metals referred above and for Cr VI, CN−, pH, Cl−, F−, SO42−, dissolved organic carbon and total dissolved solids. The eluates were also characterized for ecotoxicological levels by using the following bio-indicators: bacterium V. fischeri, microalgae S. capricornutum and microcrustacean D. magna. The ashes produced in the combustion of coal and co-combustion of coal + MBM have not shown evidences of ecotoxicity, while the ashes produced in the combustion of MBM were classified as ecotoxic. An assessment of the relationship between the chemical and the ecotoxicological properties of the ashes was performed. pH seemed to be the chemical parameter that most influences the ecotoxicological level of ashes.

Differently shaped polymeric matrices were efficiently coated with stimuli-responsive hydrogels for a wide range of applications using a new methodology. By combining plasma surface activation and polymerization in supercritical media at mild conditions, we report the direct smart coating of microcarriers and membranes in gram-scale quantities with a scalable, green, and low-cost approach.

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