Overexpression of the C4 protein of tomato yellow leaf curl Sardinia virus increases tomato resistance to powdery mildew.

Powdery mildew (PM) is one of the most important diseases of greenhouse and field-grown tomatoes. Viruses can intervene beneficially on plant performance in coping with biotic and abiotic stresses. Tomato yellow leaf curl Sardinia virus (TYLCSV) has been reported recently to induce tolerance against drought stress in tomato, and its C4 protein acts as the main causal factor of tolerance. However, its role in response to biotic stresses is still unknown. In this study, transgenic tomato plants carrying the TYLCSV C4 protein were exposed to biotic stress following the inoculation with Oidium neolycopersici, the causal agent of tomato PM. Phytopathological, anatomic, molecular, and physiological parameters were evaluated in this plant pathosystem. Heterologous TYLCSV C4 expression increased the tolerance of transgenic tomato plants to PM, not only reducing symptom occurrence, but also counteracting conidia adhesion and secondary hyphae elongation. Pathogenesis-related gene expression and salicylic acid production were found to be higher in tomato transgenic plants able to cope with PM compared to infected wild-type tomato plants. Our study contributes to unraveling the mechanism leading to PM tolerance in TYLCSV C4-expressing tomato plants. In a larger context, the findings of TYLCSV C4 as a novel PM defense inducer could have important implications in deepening the mechanisms regulating the management of this kind of protein to both biotic and abiotic stresses.

Investigation on Modulation-Based Straightness Measurement.

The concept of a novel non-contacting technique for measuring straightness and its practical realization in a mechanical device are presented in this article. The device, called InPlanT, is based on the acquisition of the luminous signal retroreflected by a spherical glass target and impinged on a photodiode after mechanical modulation. The received signal is reduced to the sought straightness profile using dedicated software. The system was characterized with a high-accuracy CMM and the maximum error of indication was derived.

Non-Contact Thermometer for Improved Air Temperature Measurements.

A compact thermometer for air temperature based on the measurement of the speed of sound was developed at INRIM. This paper focuses on the comparison of this instrument with platinum resistance thermometers in a climatic chamber over a temperature range (-30 ÷ +55) °C, relative humidity (10 ÷ 90)%rh, and irradiation (>1 kW/m2) values similar to those of surface atmospheric conditions. Overall uncertainty values of 0.2 °C over the range from -30 °C to +30 °C, and from 0.6 °C to +55 °C, were found. Moreover, the instrument proved to be immune to irradiation errors and free from the need for temperature calibration.

Improved Acoustic Thermometry for Long-Distance Temperature Measurements.

Accurate measurements of long distances (in the order of tens of meters or more) are necessary in manufacturing processes of large structures, as, for example, in the aerospace industry. In the most demanding applications, the goal is to achieve a relative accuracy of 10-7 in the measurement of distances (e.g., 1 µm over 10 m). This goal can be obtained with laser interferometers whose accuracy is based on knowledge of the speed of light, which, in turn, depends on the temperature of air. A thermometer based on the measurement of the speed of sound in air has been realized at INRIM. Its purpose is the measurement of the air temperature along the measurement path of the interferometer with an accuracy of 0.1 °C at distances up to 11 m. The paper describes the principle and the experimental setup of the acoustic thermometer and demonstrates its performance by comparison with calibrated reference platinum resistance thermometers. Furthermore, we demonstrate the potentiality of the method to measure the vertical temperature gradient, which is the main error source in triangulation measurements when using laser trackers.

A Proposal to Improve the Effectiveness of the Deflection Control Method Provided by Eurocodes for Concrete, Timber, and Composite Slabs.

Limited deflection of structural members represents an important requirement to guarantee proper functionality and appearance of building and infrastructures. According to Eurocodes, this requirement is ensured by limiting the maximum deflection of horizontal structural members to a fraction of their span. However, each Eurocode provides different maximum deflection limits, which are independent of the type of superstructures considered. Thus, the respect of these limits may not always guarantee the integrity of certain superstructures. In this paper, the reliability of the Eurocode deflection control methods, in guaranteeing the integrity of the superstructures, is assessed and discussed. First, different types of horizontal member, namely rib and clay (hollow) pot, composite steel-concrete, and timber beam slabs are designed to respect the deflection limit enforced by the Eurocodes. Then, the maximum curvature developed by these members is compared with the ultimate (limit) curvatures of various superstructures (e.g., ceramic and stone tile floorings). The results obtained show that the approach adopted by Eurocode 2 may provide non-conservative results, but also that the rules proposed by Eurocodes 4 and 5, albeit more reliable, do not always guarantee the integrity of the superstructure. Based on these results, an alternative method, based on the curvature control, is proposed and its advantages and limitations critically discussed. This method appears simpler and more reliable than the method currently adopted by the Eurocodes.

A Method to Calculate the Support Length of Beams Resting on Masonry Walls.

Rehabilitation, strengthening, and retrofitting of existing masonry buildings represent an important challenge for the construction engineering field. Often, slab strengthening/retrofitting is performed by replacing existing timber and steel beams or by adding new beams to improve the slab load-carrying capacity. The computation of the stresses at the beam-masonry interface (i.e., the contact pressure) is crucial to properly design the beam support length, preventing local failure of masonry and beam. This paper presents a simple analytical procedure to compute the contact pressure at the beam-masonry interface. The analytical procedure is validated by comparison between analytical and corresponding numerical results obtained by finite element modeling. Different types of beam (solid and laminated timber beams and steel beams) were considered, as well as different support conditions (simply resting on the wall considering different support lengths or fully embedded). The results obtained show that the method proposed is simple and reliable, which makes it suitable for professional practice.

Sensor for the Characterization of 2D Angular Actuators with Picoradian Resolution and Nanoradian Accuracy with Microradian Range.

High precision angular actuators are used for high demanding applications such as laser steering for photolithography. Piezo technology allows developing actuators with a resolution as low as a few nanoradians, with bandwidths as high as several kilohertz. In most demanding applications, the actual performance of these instruments needs to be characterized. The best angular measurement instruments available today do not sufficient resolution and/or bandwidth to satisfy these needs. At the Istituto Nazionale di Ricerca Metrologica, INRIM a device was designed and built aiming at characterizing precision 2D angular actuators with a resolution surpassing the best devices on the market. The device is based on a multi reflection scheme that allows multiplying the deflection angle by a factor of 70. The ultimate resolution of the device is 2 prad/√Hz over a measurement range of 36 µrad with a measurement band >10 kHz. The present work describes the working principle, the practical realization, and a case study on a top-level commercial angular actuator (Nano-MTA2 produced by Mad City Labs).

Characterization of Angle Accuracy and Precision of 3-Degree-of-Freedom Absolute Encoder Based on NanoGPS OxyO Technology.

An absolute encoder based on vision system nanoGPS OxyO was developed by HORIBA France. This encoder provides three types of position information, namely, two inplane co-ordinates and inplane angular orientation. This paper focuses on the characterization of its angular performance. To this aim, the nanoGPS OxyO system was compared with the national angle standard of the National Metrology Institute of Italy (INRIM) that had evaluated accuracy of about 0.1 µrad. The effect of image size and illumination conditions on angular measurements was studied. Precision better than 10 µrad and accuracy better than 63 µrad over 2π rotation were demonstrated. Moreover, the application of nanoGPS OxyO to the characterization of rotation bearing is presented. Small deviations from pure rotational behavior were evidenced that would have not been possible using laser interferometers. As a consequence of its accuracy and versatility, the nanoGPS OxyO encoder is expected to be useful for laboratory experiments and quality-control tasks.

High-Index Glass Ball Retroreflectors for Measuring Lateral Positions.

This paper is concerned with backscattered luminous signals, coming from a particular class of dielectric spheres illuminated by a coherent source. The purpose is to measure the lateral position of the sphere serving as an optical target, to achieve an overall contactless sensor of lateral position in space. Traditional approaches and theories such as ray-tracing and Mie scattering-as implemented in dedicated software-are applied to investigate their fitness for purpose in this application. No previous literature was found dealing with this specific case. Unfortunately, our observations did not match the theories' predictions to an acceptable degree, and these approaches proved to be unsatisfactory. The rest of the paper focusses then on the development and comparison of suitable algorithms to compute the image coordinates of a representative point, which was in fact the true motivation of this work. Two original algorithms are proposed and discussed. Their robustness and repeatability are benchmarked under noisy conditions and at different distances from the target, with simulated as well as real images. Both resulted capable of sub-pixel accuracy.

Fabry-Perot-based Fourier-transform hyperspectral imaging allows multi-labeled fluorescence analysis.

We demonstrate the ability of our hyperspectral imaging device, based on a scanning Fabry-Perot interferometer, to obtain a single hyper-image of a sample marked with different fluorescent molecules, and to unambiguously discriminate them by observing their spectral fingerprints. An experiment carried out with cyanines, fluorescein, and quantum dots emitting in the yellow-orange region, demonstrates the feasibility of multi-labeled fluorescence microscopy without the use of multiple filter sets or dispersive means.

A hyperspectral imager based on a Fabry-Perot interferometer with dielectric mirrors.

In this paper we present a new hyperspectral imager based on a Fabry-Perot interferometer with low reflectivity dielectric mirrors. This set-up has been validated by measuring hypercubes of scenes containing emitting bodies and reflective surfaces in the visible region and compared with success with reference spectra. The system is based on dielectric mirrors which, with respect to similar systems based on metallic mirrors, have lower losses at lower cost and are available off-the-shelf. The spectra calculation is carried out with a Fourier transform based algorithm which takes into account the not negligible dispersion of the mirrors.

Compact imaging spectrometer combining Fourier transform spectroscopy with a Fabry-Perot interferometer.

An imaging spectrometer based on a Fabry-Perot interferometer is presented. The Fabry-Perot interferometer scans the mirror distance up to contact and the intensity modulated light signal is transformed using a Fourier Transform based algorithm, as the Michelson based Fourier Transform Spectrometers does. The resulting instrument has the advantage of a compact, high numerical aperture, high luminosity hyperspectral imaging device. Theory of operation is described along with one experimental realization and preliminary results.

Multiple reflection Michelson interferometer with picometer resolution.

A Michelson interferometer based on an optical set-up allowing multiple reflection between two plane mirrors performs the multiplication of the optical path by a factor N, proportionally increasing the resolution of the measurement. A multiplication factor of almost two orders of magnitude has been demonstrated with a simple set-up. The technique can be applied to any interferometric measurement where the classical interferometer limits due to fringe nonlinearities and quantum noise are an issue. Applications in precision engineering, vibration analysis, nanometrology, and spectroscopy are foreseen.

Angle amplification for nanoradian measurements.

A method to amplify the rotation angle of a mirror, based on multiple reflections between two quasi-parallel mirrors, is presented. The method allows rotations of fractions of nanoradians to be measured with a simple setup. The working principle, the experimental setup, and the results are presented.

[Pleuro-pancreatic fistula diagnosed by ultrasonography]. / Fistola pleuropancreatica diagnosticata ecograficamente.

A pleural effusion resulting from pancreatitic-pleural fistula is a rare clinical entity which has, however, been more frequently recognised in the last ten years. The cause is a fistula tract between the pancreas and the pleura. Elevated amylase levels in the pleural fluid are the key to suspecting this diagnosis, which needs to be confirmed using imaging techniques such as CT, MRI and ultrasound or ERCP, which are necessary for defining the therapeutic strategy. After the failure of conservative management, a cysto-jejunostomy with a Roux-en-Y loop resolved the pleural effusion. This is the surgical technique of choice in the presence of a pseudocyst. We report details of a patient with a pancreaticopleural fistula diagnosed by ultrasonography, in which CT and ERCP were unable to demonstrate any communication between the pleural cavity and the pseudocyst. Only one similar case has been reported in the literature, diagnosed initially following visualization of a fistula tract at CT. We discuss the diagnostic and therapeutic options.