It’s possible that I shall make an ass of myself. But in that case one can always get out of it with a little dialectic. I have, of course, so worded my proposition as to be right either way (K.Marx, Letter to F.Engels on the Indian Mutiny)
Tuesday, May 20, 2025
Implications of buy-online-and-assemble-in-store approach for firms, consumers and environment
With the rapid development of digital technology and diversification of consumer needs, companies have adopted the buy-online-and-assemble-in-store (i.e., BOAS) approach to better meet the individual needs of consumers. Through BOAS, consumers can place orders online, pick up the products and enjoy services such as assembly at a physical shop. However, due to uncertain post-processing costs, it remains unclear whether companies would benefit from the use of BOAS. Furthermore, the impacts of BOAS on consumers and the environment are of research interest.
In a study published in the KeAi journal Sustainable Operations and Computers, a team of researchers at South China University of Technology considered a monopolistic firm selling products that require consumers’ post-processing assembly for effective use.
“There are two consumer types with heterogeneity in handling products and consumption preferences,” explains lead author Guanxiang Zhang. “Specifically, professional consumers excel at product post-processing and prioritize product price and quality more highly, whereas amateur consumers demonstrate weaker post-processing skills and are more concerned with convenience and service quality.”
Notably, the distribution of consumer types and product post-processing costs affect the firms’ introduction strategies of the BOAS. Companies may be more willing to introduce the BOAS when facing a high proportion of professional-type consumers. Conversely, with higher handling costs, traveling costs and value perception proportions, firms may be more inclined to forego introducing the BOAS.
“Generally, the use of BOAS is favorable for consumers because it offers a better consumer experience,” says Zhang. “However, we found BOAS may put consumers at risk, as its may idecrease consumer surplus when the share of professional consumers is high. This also explains why companies like Uniqlo went downhill after introducing the BOAS while TUHU gained a strong competitive advantage in the car service industry.”
Furthermore, from the perspective of environmental performance, the introduction of the BOAS channel can reduce waste and energy consumption by centralizing the final assembly or customization of products.
“Implementing the use of BOAS may raise the retail price of products in the online channel and ultimately reduce total demand, says Lipan Feng, corresponding author when discussing the effects of BOPS use on firms' pricing decisions and demand. “Our study contributes to the existing body of knowledge by elucidating the nuanced effects of BOAS on firm strategies and sustainability, providing actionable insights for practitioners navigating the complex omni-channel landscape.”
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Contact the author: Lipan Feng; Department of Electronic Business, South China University of Technology, Guangdong, China; hnnuflp@163.com
The publisher KeAi was established by Elsevier and China Science Publishing & Media Ltd to unfold quality research globally. In 2013, our focus shifted to open access publishing. We now proudly publish more than 200 world-class, open access, English language journals, spanning all scientific disciplines. Many of these are titles we publish in partnership with prestigious societies and academic institutions, such as the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC).
Rescue teams from China and Belarus coordinate efforts at the site of a collapsed building in Mandalay, Myanmar, on April 2, 2025, five days after the 2025 earthquake(CNN, 2025a).
On March 28, 2025, a catastrophic earthquake of magnitude 7.7 struck central Myanmar, marking the most devastating seismic event in the region since 1912. Originating along the Sagaing Fault — a 1,400-km-long dextral strike-slip boundary separating the Burma Microplate and Sunda Plate — the earthquake propagated a supershear rupture over 460 km with surface displacements exceeding 6 meters. The shallow (10 km depth) strike-slip mechanism unleashed violent shaking (Modified Mercalli Intensity IX) across densely populated urban centers, including Mandalay, Sagaing and Naypyidaw, while amplifying seismic energy in distant locations such as Bangkok, Thailand. The human toll was staggering over 4,900 fatalities and 6,000 injuries. Furthermore, widespread destruction of residential, governmental and religious infrastructure occurred.
Beyond immediate physical devastation, the event exposed systemic vulnerabilities in urban planning, historical preservation and transboundary disaster preparedness, underscoring the urgent need to reconcile rapid urbanization with seismic resilience.
In a multidisciplinary study published in the Journal of Dynamic Disasters, a team of researchers integrated seismic, geological and socio-economic analyses to examine the event’s mechanisms and consequences.
“Myanmar’s tectonic framework, shaped by the oblique convergence of the Indian Plate beneath the Burma Microplate at ∼35 mm/year, has long positioned the region as a hotspot for seismic hazard,” noted first author Khan Shahzada. “The Sagaing Fault, accommodating ∼20 mm/year of right-lateral motion, has generated recurrent large-magnitude earthquakes, including the 1930 (M 7.3), 1946 (M 7.7) and 1956 (M 7.0) events. However, the 2025 rupture uniquely highlighted cascading risks: its supershear velocity and extensive surface deformation triggered secondary disasters, from infrastructure collapse in Myanmar to high-rise failures in Bangkok’s soft-soil basins.”
Notably, a 33-story skyscraper in Bangkok collapsed, claiming 29 lives. These transboundary impacts underscore the interconnectedness of geophysical processes and human systems in South and Southeast Asia.
“By integrating fault models, historical seismicity records and on-ground impact assessments, we elucidated the relationship between tectonic dynamics and anthropogenic vulnerabilities,” adds Shahzada.
The report also critiques existing building codes, emergency response frameworks and heritage conservation practices. Based on the findings, the authors advocate for enhanced seismic monitoring, retrofitting of critical infrastructure and international collaboration in disaster risk reduction.
“As climate change and urbanization intensify exposure to natural hazards, the lessons from Myanmar’s catastrophe offer a critical blueprint for fostering resilience in tectonically active, rapidly developing regions worldwide,” says Shazda.
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Contact the author: Umar Ahmad Noor, Department of Structural Engineering, National University of Sciences & Technology (NUST), Pakistan
The publisher KeAi was established by Elsevier and China Science Publishing & Media Ltd to unfold quality research globally. In 2013, our focus shifted to open access publishing. We now proudly publish more than 200 world-class, open access, English language journals, spanning all scientific disciplines. Many of these are titles we publish in partnership with prestigious societies and academic institutions, such as the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC).
In the Wake of the March 28, 2025 Myanmar Earthquake: A Detailed Examination
COI Statement
The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper. The author Zhao-dong Xu is an Editor-in-Chief and the author Khan Shahzada is an Editorial Board Member for Journal of Dynamic Disasters, and were not involved in the editorial review or the decision to publish this article.
U.S. Study reveals financial hardship for cancer survivors due to high-cost immunotherapies, especially among blood cancer patients
Blood cancer survivors were more likely to report difficulty in affording care and drug costs
A study published today in the Journal of Cancer Survivorship found that cancer survivors receiving high-cost immunotherapy treatments were more likely to face financial hardship, leading to increased instances of being unable to afford care and taking fewer medications due to cost.
The research, focusing on Medicare-enrolled patients, investigated the financial challenges faced by cancer survivors, particularly those receiving expensive immunotherapies.
“Although it’s well-known that many cancer patients experience financial hardship due to healthcare costs, there’s not much research available that specifically assesses the financial strain linked to immunotherapy treatments, particularly among Medicare enrollees,” said the study’s senior author Cathy Bradley, PhD, Dean of the Colorado School of Public Health on the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. “As more therapies are developed and the cost of drugs continues to increase, it’s important to determine if patients, even those who are insured, can afford out-of-pocket costs or if these costs are becoming a barrier to access life-saving treatment.”
The authors used data from the 2010-2020 Health and Retirement Study (HRS) to examine cancer survivors aged 65 and older who received infusion and oral immunotherapy. They focused on new immunotherapies due to their growing prevalence, rising costs, prolonged use and the limited availability of lower-cost alternatives.
The researchers found that financial hardship was particularly an issue for blood cancer survivors (e.g., leukemia, lymphoma), who faced greater financial challenges than those with solid tumor cancers like breast or lung cancer.
For blood cancer survivors, there was a nearly 24 percentage point increase in the likelihood of not being able to afford medical care and a 43 percentage point increase in the likelihood of taking fewer medications than prescribed due to cost.
Yet, while Medicare-insured blood cancer survivors suffered worse financial strain, difficulty in affording care and taking fewer medications as a result was present across all survivors studied.
“Ultimately, our findings stress the importance of addressing the financial burden of cancer care to improve access to treatments. There needs to be some intervention, whether that be better financial support or policy strategies, so survivors don’t have to choose between living with financial stresses or taking life-saving medication. Remember, these patients are insured. I cannot imagine what it is like for those who are uninsured,” Bradley said.
About the Colorado School of Public Health
The Colorado School of Public Health is the first and only accredited school of public health in the Rocky Mountain Region, attracting top talent and providing a vital contribution towards ensuring our region’s health and well-being. Collaboratively formed in 2008 by the University of Colorado, Colorado State University and the University of Northern Colorado, the Colorado School of Public Health provides training, innovative research and community service to actively address public health issues including chronic disease, access to health care, environmental threats, emerging infectious diseases and costly injuries.
About the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
The University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus is a world-class medical destination at the forefront of transformative science, medicine, education and patient care. The campus encompasses the University of Colorado health professional schools, more than 60 centers and institutes and two nationally ranked independent hospitals - UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital and Children's Hospital Colorado – which see more than two million adult and pediatric patient visits yearly. Innovative, interconnected and highly collaborative, the CU Anschutz Medical Campus delivers life-changing treatments, patient care and professional training and conducts world-renowned research fueled by $910 million in annual research funding, including $757 million in sponsored awards and $153 million in philanthropic gifts.
Journal
Journal of Cancer Survivorship
Article Title
Financial burden of high-cost immunotherapy among cancer survivors in Medicare
Fresh route to more efficient cooling using light and heat
A newly developed theoretical model enhances passive radiative cooling, through autonomous generation of positive photon chemical potential
SPIE--International Society for Optics and Photonics
Self-sustaining thermodynamic system boosts radiative cooling power by coupling a heat engine with a thermoradiative diode to enable autonomous generation of positive photon chemical potential and enhanced cooling power.
Credit: Zhang and Li, doi 10.1117/1.JPE.15.022507.
As climate change and growing energy demands strain global systems, scientists are increasingly turning to passive cooling technologies—ways to cool objects or spaces without using electricity. One promising method is radiative cooling, which works by reflecting sunlight and releasing heat in the form of infrared radiation into space. But despite its potential, this method is limited by natural laws that cap how much heat can be emitted. Now, a proposed theoretical model has the potential to boost the power of radiative cooling, potentially changing the way we manage heat in a warming world.
As reported in the Journal of Photonics for Energy (JPE), researchers recently developed a theoretical system that links a thermoradiative diode (TRD) with a heat engine, forming a self-sustaining setup that can release more heat than previously thought possible. This approach could allow for more effective cooling without relying on constant electricity from external sources.
The key lies in a concept called photon chemical potential, which influences how much energy can be carried away as infrared light. Normally, achieving a positive photon chemical potential—which increases heat emission—requires energy input. But by pairing a TRD with a heat engine, the system can generate this effect internally, making the setup more efficient and potentially passive.
Using theoretical calculations, the researchers showed that their combined system could reach a cooling power of up to 485 watts per square meter. This figure has the potential to surpass the typical radiation power from a blackbody at room temperature (around 459 W/m²), which has been a limiting factor for passive radiative cooling systems until now.
The team also examined how different setups—such as pairing the TRD with a thermoelectric generator instead of a Carnot engine—might affect performance. They found that certain configurations and design choices, like the size ratio between components, significantly influence efficiency. Importantly, their analysis confirms that integrating a TRD and a thermoelectric generator to turn waste heat into radiation can be effective even without active power sources, as long as the system is properly designed.
While this work is currently theoretical, it offers a new direction for sustainable cooling technologies that could one day reduce the need for energy-hungry air conditioning systems. The researchers hope their findings will guide future experiments and designs for managing heat more efficiently in buildings, electronics, and beyond.
Photon chemical potential-driven power enhancement in passive radiative cooling: a theoretical model
Banksy famed warehouse wall heart art to support heart health
British graffiti artist’s Brooklyn wall art to benefit the American Heart Association
DALLAS, May 16, 2025 — A striking Banksy artwork—a red heart-shaped balloon covered in bandages—will soon find a new home. This unique Banksy, a famed street artist known for stenciled works that blend dark humor with political and social commentary, is a 7,500-pound section of a Brooklyn warehouse wall. Following a public viewing the wall will be auctioned by Guernsey’s, an auction house for extraordinary properties, on May 21, with proceeds benefiting the American Heart Association, devoted to changing the future to a world of healthier lives for all.
The piece was created in the fall of 2013. The then 59-year-old Vassilios Georgiadis, a Brooklyn warehouse owner, offered helpful advice to a passing van driver who later turned out to be Banksy. The elusive artist returned in the middle of the night to create the mural depicting a floating Mylar balloon on Georgiadis’ warehouse wall in the Brooklyn neighborhood, Red Hook. Shortly after its creation, rival artist “Omar NYC” defaced the piece by spray-painting over the heart and scrawling his own name in front of a live crowd. Countering that - and the only time he has ever been known to re-work his art - Banksy revisited the wall at the corner of King and Van Brunt streets and embellished it further.
“To me this powerful artwork is more than just street art—it’s a symbol of the millions of lives impacted by heart disease, our nation’s leading cause of death”, said Nancy Brown, chief executive officer of the American Heart Association. “As we continue our diligent and dedicated work to improve health for everyone, everywhere, we appreciate the support and generosity of the Georgiadis family. This donation will fund life-saving research, help us advocate for healthier communities and improve patient care.”
With Banksy’s bright red, heart-shaped balloon as the wall’s centerpiece, it was a sad coincidence when, just a few years later, Georgiadis passed away from heart disease. Honoring his memory, his family is generously donating a significant portion of the auction's proceeds to the American Heart Association.
The Banksy artwork will be on public display at the Winter Garden at Brookfield Place, lower Manhattan at 230 Vesey St, New York, through May 21, culminating in the live auction. Guernsey’s will hold the auction live on location at the Winter Garden Atrium and online via LiveAuctioneers.com with proceeds benefitting the American Heart Association.
For further information about the auction, please visit www.guernseys.com.
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About the American Heart Association
The American Heart Association is a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives. Dedicated to ensuring equitable health in all communities, the organization has been a leading source of health information for more than one hundred years. Supported by more than 35 million volunteers globally, we fund groundbreaking research, advocate for the public’s health, and provide critical resources to save and improve lives affected by cardiovascular disease and stroke. By driving breakthroughs and implementing proven solutions in science, policy, and care, we work tirelessly to advance health and transform lives every day. Connect with us on heart.org, Facebook, X or by calling 1-800-AHA-USA1.
San Diego researchers to study and improve new AI learning tool
An innovative AI tutor system was created at the UC San Diego, where it’s now in a pilot stage. New funding from the State of California will expand the study of this unique tool through precision deployment to universities and community colleges across
Credit: David Baillot/University of California San Diego
AI-driven chatbots like ChatGPT are transforming how students do their homework, study for tests and complete classroom exercises. But these off-the-shelf tools don’t have access to course materials or knowledge of the instructor’s teaching goals. They also often give away answers to assignments instead of guiding students to the answer. A team of researchers across San Diego County received a $1.5 million grant from the State of California to offer a better alternative to these chatbots. The team will deploy, assess and improve an innovative AI tutor system that originated at the University of California San Diego.
Specifically, the grant will allow researchers to reach three goals:
Deploy the AI tutor in eight foundational courses at higher education institutions in San Diego County
Assess how well the tutor is helping students learn
Develop AI literacy courses and workshops for faculty at several institutions
Thanks to the grant, thousands of students and dozens of faculty will have access to the AI tutor tools alongside traditional support from teaching assistants and student tutors.
The team funded by the grant includes AI engineers, computer scientists, cognitive psychologists, biologists and additional educators.
“We need to understand how AI is impacting education and examine this technology critically,” said Mohan Paturi, the grant’s lead principal investigator and a professor in the UC San Diego Department of Computer Science and Engineering at the Jacobs School of Engineering. “Our goal is to help students and provide a better educational experience.”
This AI tutor is based on large language models created by OpenAI and Anthropic, two leading AI companies. But researchers developed software that acts as guardrails to make sure the tool works as intended, for example by not doing the students’ work for them. Unlike off-the-shelf AI tutors available commercially, the AI tutor that the research team is developing wraps around each instructor's teaching materials and philosophy, Paturi said. And it will never simply give students the answer to a problem. The tutor can also “know” what the instructor taught in each specific session; has access to videos and podcasts from the course; and is aware of what homework is due.
“The project that professor Paturi leads is unique in its focus on building practical AI-based systems and tools that can be used at scale in real classroom settings,” said Sorin Lerner, professor and chair in the UC San Diego Department of Computer Science and Engineering and one of the grant’s co-principal investigators. “This demonstrates how the Computer Science and Engineering department is leading impactful work at the forefront of AI in education.”
This past year, Paturi and colleagues ran a pilot program to test out their AI tutor, initially developed as part of the workforce development program at the UC San Diego Qualcomm Institute, in a few UC San Diego courses in nano engineering and computer programming. Students widely praised the tool in their reviews.
Evaluation tools
Now the grant will allow researchers to go beyond these student first impressions and to evaluate the impact the AI tutor has on learning and on overall student experience. Currently, there is little high-quality data about whether and how generative AI tools, such as ChatGPT, help students learn, said Gena Sbeglia, an SDSU faculty member and a principal investigator of the grant, who will lead the researchers’ assessment efforts. Researchers will create a high-quality assessment plan to determine whether AI tutors are effective, for whom and under what conditions, she said.
This academic year, for example, the researchers are building a baseline for evaluation by gathering data on student performance in the classes where they plan to deploy the AI tutor starting in fall 2025. The data will serve as a benchmark to assess how much the AI tutor helps students learn.
“There is just an urgent need to understand,” Sbeglia said, adding that AI models and tools are evolving unprecedentedly fast.
Creating the best environment for students
The AI tutor is designed to reflect each instructor’s teaching philosophy and support students 24/7. But researchers also are aware that the tutor might not work for all classes. “We need to think about the consequences of deploying this tool,” Paturi said. The goal here, he added, is not removing instructors and teaching assistants from the process, but rather to provide them with more support.
“Our starting point is to create the best virtual learning environment for students,” Paturi said–an environment deployed outside of class to support students when they are studying class materials and doing homework on their own.
Another goal of the AI tutor is to allow instructors and teaching assistants to identify and focus on the students who need the most help, said Sbeglia. “I spend a lot of time with students in the bottom 15% of the class. I seek them out, I make appointments with them. That's where our human capital needs to go.”
Deployment in existing courses and AI literacy
Next academic year, the grant will fund the deployment of AI tutors in eight different foundational courses within computer science and biology.
For example, at UC San Diego, the tutor will be deployed in a programming class for Python, one of the field’s key languages. It will also be deployed in the introductory genetics class for biology students. At SDSU, it will be deployed in Sbeglia’s introductory biology course.
Paturi and UC San Diego colleagues are also developing an AI literacy course for students and faculty members. The course will be focused on the fundamentals of AI and its impact on education. Paturi envisions creating a master template for the course, which can then be tailored for each campus. The UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering will take the lead, he said. The plan is to offer the course in spring 2026.
At Palomar College, the AI literacy course will be offered to faculty members. “We are trying to navigate how to teach with those tools for our students,” said Luis Guerrero, a mathematics professor, professional development coordinator at the college and UC San Diego alumnus. He will co-lead efforts at Palomar.
In addition to the $1.5 million from California’s AI Grand Challenge grant, the UC San Diego Department of Computer Science and Engineering will dedicate $500,000 to supporting the project.
