...the identification of the species needs to be done with caution to avoid future misinterpretations. First catalogue of the Asopinae (Hemiptera, Pentatomidae) from French Guiana. First record of ...the predatory stink bug Podisus sagitta (Hemiptera: Asopinae) in Brazil.
The predatory stink bugs are well known by their behavior, but the knowledge of the immature morphology and their natural history are scarce. Studies on predatory stink bugs are important to better ...understand their evolution and their use as biological controllers. Here, we describe the morphology of egg and the five nymphal instars of
Oplomus catena
(Drury, 1782), using optical and scanning electron microscopy. In general,
O. catena
immatures are very distinctive from other Asopinae species already studied. The egg is black, with short aero-micropylar processes and similar to those described for
Stiretrus
species. The nymphs can be diagnosed by the abdominal plates very large and bright blue. The color polymorphism of adults is fully illustrated, and four color patterns are proposed. The natural history of the species is described based on field and laboratory observations. The known prey of the species is reviewed and new preys are reported. The morphological and biological traits here described are discussed in order to better understand the biological role of predatory stink bugs.
Pulse shape discrimination is an important handle to improve sensitivity in low background experiments. A dedicated setup was built to investigate the response of high-purity germanium detectors to ...single Compton scattered events. Using properly collimated γ-ray sources, it is possible to select events with known interaction location. The aim is to correlate the position dependent signal shape with geometrical and electrical properties of the detector. We report on design and performance of the setup with a first look on data.
•Automatized setup for the signal characterization of a HPGe detector depending on interaction location and bias voltage.•Compton coincidence measurements with a Broad Energy Germanium (BEGe) detector.•Single site event selection with known interaction location and high purity.
The GERmanium Detector Array (Gerda) is a low background experiment located at the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso in Italy, which searches for neutrinoless double-beta decay of
Ge into
Se+2e
. ...Gerda has been conceived in two phases. Phase II, which started in December 2015, features several novelties including 30 new
Ge enriched detectors. These were manufactured according to the Broad Energy Germanium (BEGe) detector design that has a better background discrimination capability and energy resolution compared to formerly widely-used types. Prior to their installation, the new BEGe detectors were mounted in vacuum cryostats and characterized in detail in the Hades underground laboratory in Belgium. This paper describes the properties and the overall performance of these detectors during operation in vacuum. The characterization campaign provided not only direct input for Gerda Phase II data collection and analyses, but also allowed to study detector phenomena, detector correlations as well as to test the accuracy of pulse shape simulation codes.
The OPERA neutrino detector at the underground Gran Sasso Laboratory (LNGS) was designed to perform the first detection of neutrino oscillations in appearance mode, through the study of nu_mu to ...nu_tau oscillations. The apparatus consists of a lead/emulsion-film target complemented by electronic detectors. It is placed in the high-energy, long-baseline CERN to LNGS beam (CNGS) 730 km away from the neutrino source. In August 2006 a first run with CNGS neutrinos was successfully conducted. A first sample of neutrino events was collected, statistically consistent with the integrated beam intensity. After a brief description of the beam and of the various sub-detectors, we report on the achievement of this milestone, presenting the first data and some analysis results.
The GERmanium Detector Array (GERDA) experiment searched for the lepton-number-violating neutrinoless double-β (0νββ) decay of ^{76}Ge, whose discovery would have far-reaching implications in ...cosmology and particle physics. By operating bare germanium diodes, enriched in ^{76}Ge, in an active liquid argon shield, GERDA achieved an unprecedently low background index of 5.2×10^{-4} counts/(keV kg yr) in the signal region and met the design goal to collect an exposure of 100 kg yr in a background-free regime. When combined with the result of Phase I, no signal is observed after 127.2 kg yr of total exposure. A limit on the half-life of 0νββ decay in ^{76}Ge is set at T_{1/2}>1.8×10^{26} yr at 90% C.L., which coincides with the sensitivity assuming no signal.
Summary
Background Comparative studies of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) have revealed that acid reflux is influenced by PPI treatment, formulations and dosing regimens. Wireless pH capsules have ...circumvented some of the limitations of conventional catheter‐based pH testing with the additional advantage of 96‐h recording periods.
Aim To clarify the effectiveness of intra‐oesophageal acid suppression by omeprazole, pantoprazole and lansoprazole in non‐erosive reflux disease patients through a 4‐day monitoring of oesophageal pH and related symptoms.
Methods Twenty‐four patients with typical symptoms of gastro‐oesophageal reflux disease were enrolled and administered upper endoscopy and placement of a wireless pH capsule. Patients randomly received omeprazole, pantoprazole or lansoprazole for 3 days after the first 24 h. Symptom–reflux associations were expressed using the symptom index (SI).
Results All patients completed the study. Significant decrease in acid exposure occurred on day 2 and in each successive day in all groups. Pantoprazole and omeprazole are more effective than lansoprazole at inducing a normalization of intra‐oesophageal acid exposure at days 2 and 3. Significant reduction in SI at day 2 was observed.
Conclusions Four‐day ambulatory oesophageal pH monitoring is feasible and safe. Omeprazole, pantoprazole and lansoprazole have an equivalent potency for normalizing intra‐oesophageal acid exposure after 3 days of treatment in non‐erosive reflux disease patients.
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