Abstract This review reports recent advances on the use of dendrimer nanotechnology to build up various contrast agents for different single-mode or dual-mode molecular imaging applications. The versatile dendrimer scaffolds with 3-dimensional spherical shape, highly branched internal cavity, and tunable surface conjugation chemistry enable the facile modification of dendrimer surface with different imaging agents ( e.g. , fluorescent dyes, traditional small molecular contrast agents, or metal ion/chelator complexes) and targeting ligands, and convenient entrapment, stabilization, and self-assembly to form various organic or organic/inorganic hybrid nanoparticles that can be used as multifunctional contrast agents for both non-radionuclide- and radionuclide-based molecular imaging applications. In particular, strategies used to generate multifunctional nanoprobes for different modes of targeted molecular imaging of cancer are discussed in detail.

Highlights • An optimized configuration model of gas storage for seasonal gas load and gas price is built. • An optimized model of gas storage for short-term peak load considering line pack is proposed. • An intraday dispatch scheme model of gas storage with power load uncertainty is provided. Abstract With the rapid increase in the proportion of natural gas for power generation, the operations of the power system are increasingly relevant to the supply of natural gas. To improve the reliability of power generation, some additional gas storage equipment should be set up in gas power plants. This paper considered different constraints, objective functions and gas flow/power flow equations at different time scales and built multi-time period optimized configuration and scheduling of gas storage models for gas power plants. Case studies demonstrated the following: (1) The most economical gas storage capacity could be obtained by the first optimal configuration model considering the long-term seasonal fluctuations of gas loads and gas prices. (2) The second model can not only obtain the minimum gas storage configuration capacity to meet the short-term peak load demand but also obtain the day-ahead gas storage schedule. That is, the remaining gas storage capacity at the initial and final points of each day. Moreover, the results can provide some suggestions on the reconstruction of natural gas pipelines. (3) The charge scheme of the gas storage obtained from the third scheduling model considering the uncertainty of the power load forecast can adapt to a certain fluctuating load interval.

Abstract We investigate the impact of mutual fund herding behaviours on stock price crashes. There are competing hypotheses with respect to how investors’ herding behaviours are associated with information processing. Our empirical evidence shows that mutual fund herding is associated with a poor information environment and low disclosure quality. More importantly, mutual fund herding amplifies stock price crash risk afterwards. The main finding is concentrated on buy-herding rather than sell-herding. To mitigate the endogeneity concern, we use the 2004 SEC mutual fund disclosure regulation change as an exogenous shock and the results hold. We further use propensity score matching to alleviate the impact of information asymmetry. Finally, additional analysis reveals that our results are not driven by the price impact hypothesis.