Conditionally reprogrammed primary airway epithelial cells maintain morphology, lineage and disease specific functional characteristics

© 2017 The Author(s). Current limitations to primary cell expansion led us to test whether airway epithelial cells derived from healthy children and those with asthma and cystic fibrosis (CF), co-cultured with an irradiated fibroblast feeder cell in F-medium containing 10 µM ROCK inhibitor could maintain their lineage during expansion and whether this is influenced by underlying disease status. Here, we show that conditionally reprogrammed airway epithelial cells (CRAECs) can be established from both healthy and diseased phenotypes. CRAECs can be expanded, cryopreserved and maintain phenotypes over at least 5 passages. Population doublings of CRAEC cultures were significantly greater than standard cultures, but maintained their lineage characteristics. CRAECs from all phenotypes were also capable of fully differentiating at air-liquid interface (ALI) and maintained disease specific characteristics including; defective CFTR channel function cultures and the inability to repair wounds. Our findings indicate that CRAECs derived from children maintain lineage, phenotypic and importantly disease-specific functional characteristics over a specified passage range

Test beam results of CMS quartz fibre calorimeter prototype and simulation of response to high energy hadron jets

CMS very forward calorimeter is based on a quartz fibre technology. The calorimeter prototype composed of two longitudinal segments was tested at CERN in 1996, We present the test beam data analysis of this prototype. It was shown that the mean values of responses for pions and electrons of the same energy could be equalised using the appropriate ratio of calibration constants for longitudinal segments. The beam test data were used to simulate the calorimeter response to hadron jets

Beam test results from a fine-sampling quartz fiber calorimeter for electron, photon and hadron detection

We present the results of beam tests with high-energy (8-375 GeV) electrons, pions, protons and muons of a sampling calorimeter based on the detection of Cherenkov light produced by shower particles. The detector, a prototype for the very forward calorimeters in the CMS experiment, consists of thin quartz fibers embedded in a copper matrix. Results are given on the light yield of this device, on its energy resolution for electron and hadron detection, and on the signal uniformity and linearity. The signal generation mechanism gives this type of detector unique properties, especially for the detection of hadron showers: narrow, shallow shower profiles and extremely fast signals. These specific properties were measured in detail. The implications for measurements in the high-rate, high-radiation Large Hadron Collider (LHC) environment are discussed

Test beam of a quartz-fibre calorimeter prototype with a passive front section

We present test-beam data analysis of a quartzfibre calorimeter prototype composed of a single active section with a passive absorber in front of it. The partial suppression of the electromagnetic showers leads to the equalization of the response to electrons and pions for a given depth of this passive section. Results are compared with the Monte-Carlo expectations

On the differences between high-energy proton and pion showers and their signals in a non-compensating calorimeter

We present the results of experimental studies of hadron showers in a copper:quartz-fiber calorimeter, based on the detection of Cherenkov light. These studies show that there are very significant differences between the signals from protons and pions at the same energies. In the energy range between 200 and 375 GeV, where these studies were performed, the calorimeter's response to protons was typically 10% smaller than the response to pions. On the other hand, the energy resolution was about 25% better for protons. In addition, the protons had a Gaussian line shape, whereas the pion response curve was asymmetric. These differences can be understood from the requirements of baryon number conservation in the shower development. They are expected to be present in any non-compensating calorimeter, to a degree determined by the e/h value