Editorial

In the years leading to the handover on 1 July 1997, there were both pessimists and optimists among the observers of the process of decolonisation and the establishment of the so-called “One Country, Two systems” arrangement in Hong Kong. For the pessimists, their main concerns were two. First, the socialist system in China could hardly accommodate a free market, capitalist Hong Kong; conflict was inevitable. Second, the encounter between an authoritarian China and a highly liberalised Hong Kong would also be a source of conflict and contention; personal freedom in Hong Kong would quickly be contained. For the optimists, with China eager to carry out market reform and Hong Kong being well placed to facilitate its economic reform and modernisation, capitalism would continue to prosper in the former British colony. The return of Hong Kong to China would therefore be no more than business as usual. Changes, if any, would be minimal. Both the pessimists and the optimists failed to anticipate the kind of problems encountered by Hong Kong since 1997.

Éditorial

Dans les années qui ont précédé la rétrocession de Hong Kong à la Chine le 1er juillet 1997, les observateurs du processus de décolonisation du territoire et de l’instauration de la formule « un pays, deux systèmes » étaient partagés en optimistes et pessimistes. Les pessimistes avaient deux inquiétudes principales. Ils pensaient tout d’abord que le système socialiste chinois pourrait difficilement intégrer le capitalisme de marché de Hong Kong et que le conflit était donc inévitable. Ensuite, la rencontre entre un pays autoritaire et une ville très libérale serait également une source de tension et de conflit, qui entrainerait rapidement la limitation des libertés individuelles à Hong Kong. Pour les optimistes, Hong Kong était en revanche bien placé pour faciliter les réformes économiques et la modernisation que la Chine était impatiente de renforcer et poursuivre. En conséquence, le capitalisme allait pour eux continuer à prospérer dans l’ancienne colonie britannique et la rétrocession ne provoquerait que peu de changements. En réalité, ni les pessimistes ni les optimistes n’ont anticipé les nouveaux défis qui se posent à Hong Kong depuis 1997

Editorial

In the years leading to the handover on 1 July 1997, there were both pessimists and optimists among the observers of the process of decolonisation and the establishment of the so-called “One Country, Two systems” arrangement in Hong Kong. For the pessimists, their main concerns were two. First, the socialist system in China could hardly accommodate a free market, capitalist Hong Kong; conflict was inevitable. Second, the encounter between an authoritarian China and a highly liberalised Hong Kong would also be a source of conflict and contention; personal freedom in Hong Kong would quickly be contained. For the optimists, with China eager to carry out market reform and Hong Kong being well placed to facilitate its economic reform and modernisation, capitalism would continue to prosper in the former British colony. The return of Hong Kong to China would therefore be no more than business as usual. Changes, if any, would be minimal. Both the pessimists and the optimists failed to anticipate the kind of problems encountered by Hong Kong since 1997.

Magnetic Properties of YBa_2Cu_3O_{7-\delta} in a self-consistent approach: Comparison with Quantum-Monte-Carlo Simulations and Experiments

We analyze single-particle electronic and two-particle magnetic properties of the Hubbard model in the underdoped and optimally-doped regime of \YBCO by means of a modified version of the fluctuation-exchange approximation, which only includes particle-hole fluctuations. Comparison of our results with Quantum-Monte Carlo (QMC) calculations at relatively high temperatures ($T\sim 1000 K$) suggests to introduce a temperature renormalization in order to improve the agreement between the two methods at intermediate and large values of the interaction $U$. We evaluate the temperature dependence of the spin-lattice relaxation time $T_1$ and of the spin-echo decay time $T_{2G}$ and compare it with the results of NMR measurements on an underdoped and an optimally doped \YBCO sample. For $U/t=4.5$ it is possible to consistently adjust the parameters of the Hubbard model in order to have a good {\it semi-quantitative} description of this temperature dependence for temperatures larger than the spin gap as obtained from NMR measurements. We also discuss the case $U/t\sim 8$, which is more appropriate to describe magnetic and single-particle properties close to half-filling. However, for this larger value of $U/t$ the agreement with QMC as well as with experiments at finite doping is less satisfactory.Comment: Final version, to appear in Phys. Rev. B (sched. Feb. 99

Spin dynamics of stripes

The spin dynamics of stripes in high-temperature superconductors and related compounds is studied in the framework of a spin-wave theory for a simple spin-only model. The magnon dispersion relation and the magnetic structure factor are calculated for diagonal and vertical stripes. Acoustical as well as optical bands are included in the analysis. The incommensurability and the $\pi$ resonance appear as complementary features of the band structure at different energy scales. The dependence of spin-wave velocities and resonance frequencies on the stripe spacing and coupling is calculated. At low doping, the resonance frequency is found to scale roughly inversely proportional to the stripe spacing. The favorable comparison of the results with experimental data suggests that the spin-only model provides a suitable and simple basis for calculating and understanding the spin dynamics of stripes.Comment: 11 page, 10 figures, pdf version with high-res.pics at http://www.thp.uni-koeln.de/~sts

An Integrated TCGA Pan-Cancer Clinical Data Resource to Drive High-Quality Survival Outcome Analytics

For a decade, The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) program collected clinicopathologic annotation data along with multi-platform molecular profiles of more than 11,000 human tumors across 33 different cancer types. TCGA clinical data contain key features representing the democratized nature of the data collection process. To ensure proper use of this large clinical dataset associated with genomic features, we developed a standardized dataset named the TCGA Pan-Cancer Clinical Data Resource (TCGA-CDR), which includes four major clinical outcome endpoints. In addition to detailing major challenges and statistical limitations encountered during the effort of integrating the acquired clinical data, we present a summary that includes endpoint usage recommendations for each cancer type. These TCGA-CDR findings appear to be consistent with cancer genomics studies independent of the TCGA effort and provide opportunities for investigating cancer biology using clinical correlates at an unprecedented scale. Analysis of clinicopathologic annotations for over 11,000 cancer patients in the TCGA program leads to the generation of TCGA Clinical Data Resource, which provides recommendations of clinical outcome endpoint usage for 33 cancer types

A search for neutral Higgs bosons in the MSSM and models with two scalar field doublets

A search is described for the neutral Higgs bosons h^0 and A^0 predicted by models with two scalar field doublets and, in particular, the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM). The search in the Z^0 h^0 and h^0 A^0 production channels is based on data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 25 pb^{-1} from e^+e^- collisions at centre-of-mass energies between 130 and 172GeV collected with the OPAL detector at LEP. The observation of a number of candidates consistent with Standard Model background expectations is used in combination with earlier results from data collected at the Z^0 resonance to set limits on m_h and m_A in general models with two scalar field doublets and in the MSSM. For example, in the MSSM, for tan(beta) > 1, minimal and maximal scalar top quark mixing and soft SUSY-breaking masses of 1 TeV, the 95% confidence level limits m_h > 59.0 GeV and m_A > 59.5 GeV are obtained. For the first time, the MSSM parameter space is explored in a detailed scan.A search is described for the neutral Higgs bosons h^0 and A^0 predicted by models with two scalar field doublets and, in particular, the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM). The search in the Z^0 h^0 and h^0 A^0 production channels is based on data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 25 pb^{-1} from e^+e^- collisions at centre-of-mass energies between 130 and 172 GeV collected with the OPAL detector at LEP. The observation of a number of candidates consistent with Standard Model background expectations is used in combination with earlier results from data collected at the Z^0 resonance to set limits on m_h and m_A in general models with two scalar field doublets and in the MSSM. For example, in the MSSM, for tan(beta) > 1, minimal and maximal scalar top quark mixing and soft SUSY-breaking masses of 1 TeV, the 95% confidence level limits m_h > 59.0 GeV and m_A > 59.5 GeV are obtained. For the first time, the MSSM parameter space is explored in a detailed scan

Spin alignment of leading K∗(892)0K^{*}(892)^{0} mesons in hadronic Z0Z^0 decays

Helicity density matrix elements for inclusive K*(892)^0 mesons from hadronic Z^0 decays have been measured over the full range of K^*0 momentum using data taken with the OPAL experiment at LEP. A preference for occupation of the helicity zero state is observed at all scaled momentum x_p values above 0.3, with the matrix element rho_00 rising to 0.66 +/- 0.11 for x_p > 0.7. The values of the real part of the off-diagonal element rho_1-1 are negative at large x_p, with a weighted average value of -0.09 +/- 0.03 for x_p > 0.3, in agreement with new theoretical predictions based on Standard Model parameters and coherent fragmentation of the qq(bar) system from the Z^0 decay. All other helicity density matrix elements measured are consistent with zero over the entire x_p range. The K^*0 fragmentation function has also been measured and the total rate determined to be 0.74 +/- 0.02 +/- 0.02 K*(892)^0 mesons per hadronic Z^0 decay.Helicity density matrix elements for inclusive K*(892)^0 mesons from hadronic Z^0 decays have been measured over the full range of K^*0 momentum using data taken with the OPAL experiment at LEP. A preference for occupation of the helicity zero state is observed at all scaled momentum x_p values above 0.3, with the matrix element rho_00 rising to 0.66 +/- 0.11 for x_p > 0.7. The values of the real part of the off-diagonal element rho_1-1 are negative at large x_p, with a weighted average value of -0.09 +/- 0.03 for x_p > 0.3, in agreement with new theoretical predictions based on Standard Model parameters and coherent fragmentation of the qq(bar) system from the Z^0 decay. All other helicity density matrix elements measured are consistent with zero over the entire x_p range. The K^*0 fragmentation function has also been measured and the total rate determined to be 0.74 +/- 0.02 +/- 0.02 K*(892)^0 mesons per hadronic Z^0 decay.Helicity density matrix elements for inclusive K*(892)^0 mesons from hadronic Z^0 decays have been measured over the full range of K^*0 momentum using data taken with the OPAL experiment at LEP. A preference for occupation of the helicity zero state is observed at all scaled momentum x_p values above 0.3, with the matrix element rho_00 rising to 0.66 +/- 0.11 for x_p > 0.7. The values of the real part of the off-diagonal element rho_1-1 are negative at large x_p, with a weighted average value of -0.09 +/- 0.03 for x_p > 0.3, in agreement with new theoretical predictions based on Standard Model parameters and coherent fragmentation of the qq(bar) system from the Z^0 decay. All other helicity density matrix elements measured are consistent with zero over the entire x_p range. The K^*0 fragmentation function has also been measured and the total rate determined to be 0.74 +/- 0.02 +/- 0.02 K*(892)^0 mesons per hadronic Z^0 decay.Helicity density matrix elements for inclusive K*(892)^0 mesons from hadronic Z^0 decays have been measured over the full range of K^*0 momentum using data taken with the OPAL experiment at LEP. A preference for occupation of the helicity zero state is observed at all scaled momentum x_p values above 0.3, with the matrix element rho_00 rising to 0.66 +/- 0.11 for x_p > 0.7. The values of the real part of the off-diagonal element rho_1-1 are negative at large x_p, with a weighted average value of -0.09 +/- 0.03 for x_p > 0.3, in agreement with new theoretical predictions based on Standard Model parameters and coherent fragmentation of the qq(bar) system from the Z^0 decay. All other helicity density matrix elements measured are consistent with zero over the entire x_p range. The K^*0 fragmentation function has also been measured and the total rate determined to be 0.74 +/- 0.02 +/- 0.02 K*(892)^0 mesons per hadronic Z^0 decay.Helicity density matrix elements for inclusive K ∗ (892) 0 mesons from hadronic Z 0 decays have been measured over the full range of K ∗ 0 momentum using data taken with the OPAL experiment at LEP. A preference for occupation of the helicity zero state is observed at all scaled momentum x p values above 0.3, with the matrix element ϱ 00 rising to 0.66 ± 0.11 for x p > 0.7. The values of the real part of the off-diagonal element ϱ 1 - 1 are negative at large x p , with a weighted average value of −0.09 ± 0.03 for x p > 0.3, in agreement with new theoretical predictions based on Standard Model parameters and coherent fragmentation of the q q system from the Z 0 decay. All other helicity density matrix elements measured are consistent with zero over the entire x p range. The K ∗ 0 fragmentation function has also been measured and the total rate determined to be 0.74 ± 0.02 ± 0.02 K ∗ (892) 0 mesons per hadronic Z 0 decay

Studies of Hadronic Event Structure in e+e- Annihilation from 30 GeV to 209 GeV with the L3 Detector

In this Report, QCD results obtained from a study of hadronic event structure in high energy e^+e^- interactions with the L3 detector are presented. The operation of the LEP collider at many different collision energies from 91 GeV to 209 GeV offers a unique opportunity to test QCD by measuring the energy dependence of different observables. The main results concern the measurement of the strong coupling constant, \alpha_s, from hadronic event shapes and the study of effects of soft gluon coherence through charged particle multiplicity and momentum distributions.Comment: To appear in Physics Report

Driver Fusions and Their Implications in the Development and Treatment of Human Cancers.

Gene fusions represent an important class of somatic alterations in cancer. We systematically investigated fusions in 9,624 tumors across 33 cancer types using multiple fusion calling tools. We identified a total of 25,664 fusions, with a 63% validation rate. Integration of gene expression, copy number, and fusion annotation data revealed that fusions involving oncogenes tend to exhibit increased expression, whereas fusions involving tumor suppressors have the opposite effect. For fusions involving kinases, we found 1,275 with an intact kinase domain, the proportion of which varied significantly across cancer types. Our study suggests that fusions drive the development of 16.5% of cancer cases and function as the sole driver in more than 1% of them. Finally, we identified druggable fusions involving genes such as TMPRSS2, RET, FGFR3, ALK, and ESR1 in 6.0% of cases, and we predicted immunogenic peptides, suggesting that fusions may provide leads for targeted drug and immune therapy