University of Minho

About: University of Minho is a education organization based out in Braga, Portugal. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Context (language use) & Population. The organization has 10585 authors who have published 34736 publications receiving 732436 citations. The organization is also known as: Universidade do Minho & UMinho.

Tumor Targeting Strategies of Smart Fluorescent Nanoparticles and Their Applications in Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment

Abstract: Advantages such as strong signal strength, resistance to photobleaching, tunable fluorescence emissions, high sensitivity, and biocompatibility are the driving forces for the application of fluorescent nanoparticles (FNPs) in cancer diagnosis and therapy. In addition, the large surface area and easy modification of FNPs provide a platform for the design of multifunctional nanoparticles (MFNPs) for tumor targeting, diagnosis, and treatment. In order to obtain better targeting and therapeutic effects, it is necessary to understand the properties and targeting mechanisms of FNPs, which are the foundation and play a key role in the targeting design of nanoparticles (NPs). Widely accepted and applied targeting mechanisms such as enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect, active targeting, and tumor microenvironment (TME) targeting are summarized here. Additionally, a freshly discovered targeting mechanism is introduced, termed cell membrane permeability targeting (CMPT), which improves the tumor-targeting rate from less than 5% of the EPR effect to more than 50%. A new design strategy is also summarized, which is promising for future clinical targeting NPs/nanomedicines design. The targeting mechanism and design strategy will inspire new insights and thoughts on targeting design and will speed up precision medicine and contribute to cancer therapy and early diagnosis.

The continuous wavelet transform : a primer

Abstract: Wavelet analysis is becoming more popular in the Economics discipline. Until re- cently, most works have made use of tools associated with the Discrete Wavelet Trans- form. However, after 2005, there has been a growing body of work in Economics and Finance that makes use of the Continuous Wavelet Transform tools. In this article, we give a self-contained summary on the most relevant theoretical results associated with the Continuous Wavelet Transform, the Cross-Wavelet Transform, the Wavelet Coherency and the Wavelet Phase-Dierence. We describe how the transforms are usually implemented in practice and provide some examples. We also introduce the Economists to a new class of analytic wavelets, the Generalized Morse Wavelets, which have some desirable properties and provide an alternative to the Morlet Wavelet. Fi- nally, we provide a user friendly toolbox which will allow any researcher to replicate our results and to use it in his/her own research.

The multi-trip vehicle routing problem

Abstract: The basic vehicle routing problem is concerned with the design of a set of routes to serve a given number of customers, minimising the total distance travelled In that problem, each vehicle is assumed to be used only once during a planning period, which is typically a day, and therefore is unrepresentative of many practical situations, where a vehicle makes several journeys during a day The present authors have previously published an algorithm which outperformed an experienced load planner working on the complex, real-life problems of Burton's Biscuits, where vehicles make more than one trip each day This present paper uses a simplified version of that general algorithm, in order to compare it with a recently published heuristic specially designed for the theoretical multi-trip vehicle routing problem