We propose a life cycle optimization framework for the design of sustainable product systems and supply chains considering the concept of "functional unit" under economic and environmental criteria. This general modeling framework integrates the life cycle analysis methodology with multiobjective optimization and measures both the economic and environmental performances based on a standard quantity of functional unit associated with final products. The Pareto-optimal frontier returned by the multiobjective optimization problem reveals the trade-off between the economic and environmental objectives. We also present tailored optimization algorithms for efficiently solving the mixed-integer linear fractional programming problems, which result from the life cycle optimization framework. We apply the proposed life cycle optimization framework to a case study on the hydrocarbon biofuels through a spatially explicit model for the county-level supply chain in Illinois. The Pareto-optimal results show that the environmental impact of hydrocarbon biofuels ranges from 10.66 to 23.83 kg CO 2 equiv per gasoline-equivalent gallon (GEG)

This prospective study was conducted with the Korean Cancer Study Group to evaluate the efficacy and safety of cetuximab combined with modified FOLFOX6 (mFOLFOX6) as first-line treatment in recurrent or metastatic gastric cancer and to identify potential predictive biomarkers. Patients received cetuximab 400 mg m À2 at week 1 and 250 mg m À2 weekly thereafter until disease progression. Oxaliplatin (100 mg m À2 ) and leucovorin (100 mg m À2) were administered as a 2-h infusion followed by a 46-h continuous infusion of 5-fluorouracil (2400 mg m À2 ) every 2 weeks for a maximum of 12 cycles. Biomarkers potentially associated with efficacy were analysed. Among 38 evaluable patients, confirmed response rate (RR) was 50.0% (95% CI 34.1 -65.9). Median time-to-progression (TTP) was 5.5 months (95% CI 4.5 -6.5) and overall survival (OS) 9.9 months. Eleven patients having tumour EGFR expression by immunohistochemistry with low serum EGF and TGF-a levels showed a 100% RR compared to 37.0% in the remaining 27 patients (Po0.001). Moreover, ligand level increased when disease progressed in seven out of eight patients with EGFR expression and low baseline ligand level. No patient exhibited EGFR amplification or K-ras mutations. Gastric cancer patients with EGFR expression and low ligand levels had better outcomes with cetuximab/mFOLFOX6 treatment.

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Small solid pseudopapillary tumors were predominantly seen as completely well-demarcated pure solid tumors in middle-aged women. They had lower signal intensity on T1-weighted images and higher signal intensity on T2-weighted images than did the other two tumor types and had early heterogeneous and progressive enhancement.

Study findings highlight potential intervention opportunities for increasing PTG by facilitating discussion around growth experiences within an optimistic framework among a supportive network of family members and peers.