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Forecasting leading economic indicators in the US from financial news using multi-task learning
No full textLeading economic indicators are crucial statistics that are based on the economy and have a significant impact on various factors such as policies, stock market trends, etc. However, due to the long release time interval of these indicators, it is challenging to accurately predict their trends in advance. In this paper, we propose an effective framework for forecasting leading economic indicators in the United States by utilizing leading indicators to predict each other and learn their mutual correlation through an attention mechanism. To achieve this, we present a hierarchical, multi-task learning approach that uses textual data to make predictions for four essential leading economic indicators. We first group news articles by topic and then summarize and extract information using a time-series method and attention. Finally, we concatenate news information with historical data to forecast the leading economic indicators. Our experimental results demonstrate that our approach successfully forecasts leading economic indicators, and we are able to predict four indicators one month beforehand. This framework has significant potential for use in the finance industry and can be used to inform important decisions related to investment strategies, policymaking, and other financial aspects
The populist roadblock: The Alternative for Germany (AfD), climate denial, and electric vehicle adoption in Germany
No full textThis article investigates the influence of right-wing populist parties on public engagement with energy transitions, focusing on Germany\u27s Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) and its opposition to electric vehicles (EVs). Even in the absence of direct governing power, such parties shape discursive environments, mobilize grievances, and condition consumer behavior. Using municipal-level data from 2018 to 2022, we examine patterns of EV adoption alongside electoral support for the AfD, controlling for charging infrastructure, commuting distances, socio-economic conditions, and demographic factors. Results confirm that structural determinants—such as infrastructure availability, mobility needs, education, and income—remain central to EV uptake. Yet political identity has become an increasingly salient predictor. While Green Party supporters consistently adopt EVs at higher rates, AfD supporters have grown significantly less likely to purchase them, particularly in rural districts. Interaction effects indicate that socio-economic vulnerabilities in these areas amplify the AfD\u27s populist framing of the Energiewende as an elite-driven, urban project that threatens traditional lifestyles, jeopardizes the automotive sector, and imposes burdens on low-income households. These findings highlight how populist disinformation and climate skepticism undermine energy transitions not only through policy obstruction but also by eroding public trust and discouraging sustainable consumption. The analysis underscores that energy transitions cannot rely solely on technological innovation and economic incentives: their success hinges on broad societal legitimacy. As populist climate skepticism deepens, especially in rural contexts, the prospects for achieving ambitious decarbonization goals become increasingly precarious
Finite volume incompressible lattice Boltzmann method simulation of pulsatile blood flow in arteries with multiple stenosis: A hemodynamic analysis
No full textAtherosclerosis remains a leading cause of cardiovascular mortality, with multi-stenotic arteries posing critical hemodynamic challenges due to amplified shear stress patterns and flow disturbances. The present study investigates how stenosis severity, stenosis configuration, and pulsatile flow parameters (Reynolds/Womersley numbers) alter shear stress indices-time-averaged wall shear stress (TAWSS) and oscillatory shear index (OSI) alongside cross-sectional indices reverse flow fraction (RFF) and fractional flow reserve (FFR). Using the finite volume incompressible lattice Boltzmann method (FV-iLBM) framework, pulsatile non-Newtonian blood flow through sequential stenoses is simulated. The FV-iLBM framework resolves physiologically relevant pulsatile flow, eliminating conventional pressure solvers, and preserving exact mass conservation in complex geometries while capturing shear-rate-adaptive viscosity using the Carreau model. Results indicate that elevated Reynolds and Womersley numbers amplify inertial effects and flow pulsatility, intensifying pressure gradients and oscillatory flow downstream of stenoses. At higher Reynolds numbers, steeper near-wall velocity gradients intensify wall shear stress and amplify mean pressure drops across stenoses, thereby exacerbating endothelial dysfunction, whereas elevated Womersley numbers accentuate transient flow separation and induce pronounced pressure fluctuations. Across stenosis configurations, the location of the largest stenosis markedly alters pressure distribution and shear stress patterns, especially when placed upstream of smaller lesions. For instance, configurations with the large stenosis downstream exhibit a 56% reduction in peak wall shear stress at the throat, while upstream positioning promotes elevated OSI in distal regions—both linked to disturbed flow and heightened endothelial risk. These findings emphasize incorporating patient-specific hemodynamics, as local flow unsteadiness and inertia may critically affect disease progression
Macro-Meso Characteristics and Damage Mechanism of Cement-Stabilized Macadam Under Freeze–Thaw Cycles and Scouring
No full textThis study quantifies the effects of freeze–thaw (FT) cycling and dynamic water scouring, and establishes links between mesoscale pore evolution and macroscale strength degradation in cement-stabilized macadam (CSM) bases. The objective is to provide quantitative indicators for durability design and non-destructive evaluation of CSM bases. First, laboratory tests were conducted to simulate alpine service conditions: CSM cylindrical specimens (Ø150 × 150 mm) with 4.5% cement content, cured for 28 days, were exposed to 0, 5, or 20 FT cycles (−18 °C for 16 h ↔ +25 °C for 8 h), followed by dynamic water scouring (0.5 MPa, 10 Hz) for 15, 30, or 60 min. Second, the resulting damage was tracked at two scales. Acoustic emission (AE) sensors monitored internal damage during subsequent splitting tests, while industrial computed tomography (CT) was used to scan selected specimens and quantify porosity, pore number, and average pore diameter. Third, gray relational analysis correlated pore structure parameters with strength loss. The results indicate that under 30 min of scouring, increasing FT cycles from 0 to 20 increased mass loss from 0.33% to 1.27% and reduced splitting strength by 28.8%. AE cumulative ringing count and energy decreased by 97.9% and 98.4%, respectively, indicating severe internal degradation. CT scans revealed porosity and pore count increased monotonically with FT cycles, while average pore diameter decreased (dominated by microcrack formation). Frost-heave pressure and cyclic suction enlarged edge pores and interconnected internal voids, accelerating erosion of cement paste. FT cycles compromise the cement–aggregate interfacial bond, thereby predisposing the matrix to accelerated deterioration under dynamic scouring; the ensuing evolution of pore structure emerges as the pivotal mechanism governing strength degradation. Average pore diameter exhibited the strongest correlation with splitting strength (r = 0.763), and its change was the primary driver of strength loss (r = 0.774). These findings facilitate optimizing cement dosage, validating non-destructive evaluation models for in-service base courses, and erosion durability of road base materials in permafrost regions
Development and Assessment of a Performance Enhanced HMMWV with Onboard Vehicle Power
No full textMichigan Technological University (MTU) responded to and was awarded Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) Number: W56JSR-18-S-0001 through the Army Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office (RCCTO). The delivered performance enhanced HMMWV offers increased mobility with over 50% increase in acceleration, improving maneuverability and significant operational range with extended mission duration. Additionally, with on-board energy storage, the vehicle provides extended silent watch and silent mobility capabilities enabling low acoustic and thermal signatures, along with on-board and export vehicle power enabling the powering of mission systems. This paper details the characteristics and performance of an HMMWV with a hybridized powertrain that was designed to meet and demonstrate these benefits
Mapping the carbon finance research: A bibliometric exploration of innovation in sustainable finance
No full textCarbon finance has become an essential mechanism for addressing climate change through market-based green innovation and mechanisms, including carbon pricing, emissions trading system (ETS), and carbon offset markets. This paper conducts a bibliometric review that charts the evolution of carbon finance research by identifying trends, influential contributors, and thematic clusters within the fast-growing body of research. Using a comprehensive dataset of academic publications, the study traces the historical trajectory of carbon finance from its early conceptual foundations to its current role within corporate sustainability and financial markets. It then isolates the key research themes that pertain to carbon pricing, corporate carbon disclosure, the financialization of carbon, and the role of carbon finance within developing economies. The geographical distribution and collaborative networks are highly concentrated in Europe, the United States, and China, with international collaboration playing an important role in driving this scientific field forward. Among these, some emerging trends highlighted in the paper will be the integration of carbon finance with sustainable finance, digitalization innovation of the carbon market, and climate justice. These findings provide valuable insight into the intellectual structure of carbon finance and further extend an understanding of how it has turned into a global approach to dealing with climate change
Reductive Bioleaching of Goethite-Rich and Hematite-Rich Iron Tailings by Anaerobic Organisms
No full textA series of iron-leaching experiments were conducted to test the ability of metal-reducing anaerobic organisms to reduce iron from Fe3+ to Fe2+ to dissolve it from iron ore tailings. This bioleaching process involves the fermentation of biomass from Typha latifolia (a common wetland plant) to generate organic compounds, which, along with metal-reducing organisms, reduce and dissolve iron. The study investigated iron bioleaching from both goethite-rich and hematite-rich tailings, monitoring the dissolution process over one year. Hematite is generally considered resistant to bioleaching due to its crystalline structure, which limits microbial access. However, prolonged microbial activity gradually facilitated its breakdown and dissolution, demonstrating the potential of long-term bioleaching strategies. The maximum dissolved iron concentration observed was 1177 mg/L for goethite-rich tailings at a pH of 4.7 ± 0.7, while hematite-rich tailings reached 619 mg/L at a pH of 5.1 ± 0.8. These results demonstrate the effectiveness of anaerobic bioleaching in reducing iron from two different mineral phases
Observations on the Influence of Experiential Teamwork and Competitive Activities on Student Perceptions, Engagement, and Motivation in the Context of a K-12 STEM Workshop
No full textPurpose
This study aimed to evaluate the impact of active learning and competition on student engagement, motivation, and learning in a STEM-focused summer workshop. This was achieved through exposing K-12 high school students to experiential activities related to concepts within the realm of medicine and engineering. The research question asked was whether these instructional approaches could enhance student interest and effectiveness in understanding complex biomedical and engineering concepts and achieving the intended goals. Methods
The workshop, conducted at Michigan Technological University, involved four distinct classes: Wound Healing, Robotic Arm Construction, C-section Simulation, and Engineering Design. Each class included an interactive lecture, a teamwork activity, and a competitive component. Student engagement, motivation, and perceptions of the teaching style were assessed through questionnaires, and statistical analysis was performed to identify significant differences across the classes. Results
The study showed that the Wound Healing and Engineering Design classes, which fostered positive peer interaction the most along with longer time to achieve the tasks, led to higher student engagement and motivation compared to the Robotic Arm and C-section classes. Significant differences were observed in how students perceived the teaching style, with Wound healing and engineering design classes showing more effective instructional approaches. The variability in responses obtained suggests that while competition and active learning were helpful, their effectiveness depended on the complexity and structure of the activities and their relevance to the students’ interests. Conclusion
STEM workshops for high school students are most effective when they balance active learning with structured competition, align task complexity with appropriate pre-scaffolding, and incorporate clear, collaborative goals. Future educational strategies should focus on using instructional approaches that aim to align the expectations of students with those of the instructors in order to maximize the effectiveness of STEM outreach programs
BOARD # 469: WIP: Partnering to Prepare STEM Master Teachers for Michigan\u27s Middle Schools - A National Science Foundation Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program
No full textMichigan Technological University (MTU) and Northern Michigan University (NMU) have partnered with support from the National Science Foundation to prepare middle school science teachers to become leaders in STEM education. Through this collaboration, the project will recruit, train, and retain high-quality STEM teacher leaders that can serve as effective mentors and address a systemic shortage of science teachers in the state of Michigan.
The Master Teachers Program (MTP) aims to recruit 30 experienced and effective science teachers to lead efforts to improve science education in grades 5-9 in diverse, high-need schools throughout Michigan. We anticipate 20 teachers will enter the program as master\u27s degree holders and 10 teachers will earn a Master\u27s in Educational Instruction Pedagogy, jointly developed and administered by MTU and NMU. The degree will be offered entirely online, making it accessible to teachers throughout Michigan.
Teacher involvement in the project is supported by annual participant stipends. Master\u27s degree holders will receive a 10,000 stipend upon completion of the 2-year master\u27s degree program and additional $10,000 stipends each year for 4 subsequent years.
Teacher participants will receive training in participatory action (PAR) research and develop a PAR research proposal for their STEM classrooms. Teachers will be mentored through the completion of PAR research projects and disseminating results in a conference presentation. We currently have full enrollment to commence both cohorts of teachers. This paper, and associated poster, will detail the project’s progress to date
BOARD # 310: WIP: Impact of Prior Programming Experience on Self-Efficacy Impacts of WebTA Autocritiquer
No full textWebTA is an autocritiquer providing real-time feedback for programming in flipped-class active learning classes for first-year engineering students. WebTA was developed to critique student code in introductory computer science courses that programmed using Java. WebTA provides just-in-time feedback on syntax errors, subtle logic errors, and style issues.
The I-USE project Rich, Immediate Critique of Antipatterns (RICA) in Novice Programmer Code: Broadening Adoption, Supporting Student LEarning, and Enhancing Programming Competencies project is simultaneously extending WebTA for MATLAB and examining its impact on the computer programming self-efficacy of novice programmers. Within first-year engineering classes, students were asked to submit MATLAB code to WebTA for feedback, so that they might revise it prior to submission for grading. In this manner, WebTA provided real-time, instantaneous feedback for classes of up to 120 students at a time - a feat which even the most attentive teaching team of instructors and TAs could not achieve.
As self-efficacy is tied to success in engineering programs, and computer programming is an essential component of the education of first-year engineering students, our team is examining the impacts of WebTA on the computer programming self-efficacy of first-year engineering students as they learn to code. This paper summarizes our current progress investigating how prior programming experience and initial confidence levels influence the effectiveness of the code critiquer tool in enhancing programming self-efficacy. By analyzing these variables, the study identifies key factors that mediate the impact of automated feedback and provides strategies for tailoring educational interventions to diverse student needs