Men more than three times as likely to die from a brain injury, new US study shows

National data of traumatic brain injury deaths also reveals disproportionate mortality rates across certain racial and ethnic groups

Taylor & Francis Group

A new analysis of U.S. mortality data reveals the disproportionate impact of traumatic brain injuries (TBI) on older adults, males and certain racial and ethnic groups.

The study, published in the peer-reviewed journal Brain Injury, provides a comprehensive analysis of TBI-related deaths across different population groups across the U.S. in 2021.

The findings indicate that suicides remain the most common cause of TBI-related deaths, followed by unintentional falls, and specific groups are disproportionately affected by these tragedies.

Men, in particular, were found to be most likely to die from a TBI – more than three times the rate of women (30.5 versus 9.4). The reasons observed were multifactorial and could reflect differences in injury severity following a fall or motor vehicle crash, to the interaction of sex and age – with TBI outcomes in men worsening with age, while postmenopausal women fare better than men of similar age.

“While anyone is at risk for getting a TBI, some groups have a higher chance than others of dying from one. We identified specific populations who are most affected. In addition to men, older adults are especially at risk, with unintentional falls being a major cause of TBI-related death. American Indian or Alaska Native people also have higher rates of these fatal injuries,” says lead author Alexis Peterson PhD., of the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

“These findings highlight the importance of tailored prevention strategies to reach groups who may be at higher risk and the role healthcare providers can play in reducing TBI-related deaths through early intervention and culturally sensitive care.”

TBI remains a leading cause of injury-related death in the U.S. In 2020, TBIs were associated with around a quarter of all injury-related deaths. These injuries can result from a bump, blow, or jolt to the head that disrupts normal brain function, whether unintentional (such as motor vehicle crashes or accidental falls), self-inflicted harm, or related to an assault.

Using data from the National Vital Statistics System, the new analysis identified 69,473 TBI-related deaths among U.S. residents during 2021 — an average of 190 deaths per day. The age-adjusted TBI-related mortality rate was 19.5 per 100,000, representing an 8.8% increase from 2020.

Through statistical modeling, the researchers examined the simultaneous effect of multiple factors such as geographic region, sex, race and ethnicity, and age, on TBI-related mortality.

Key findings include:

• Older adults (75+) had the highest rates of TBI-related deaths, with unintentional falls being the most common cause in this age group.
• Non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Native individuals experienced the highest TBI-related death rate (31.5) compared to other racial and ethnic groups.
• There were 37,635 TBI-related deaths categorized as unintentional injuries (i.e., motor vehicle crashes, unintentional falls, unintentionally struck by or against an object, other).
• 30,801 were categorized as intentional injuries (i.e., all mechanisms of suicide and homicide).
• Children aged from birth to 17 years accounted for around 4% of TBI-related deaths (2,977).

The authors emphasize the critical role of healthcare providers in preventing TBI-related deaths, particularly with groups at higher risk. “By assessing patients who may be at higher risk for TBI, especially due to falls or mental health challenges, healthcare providers can make timely referrals and recommend culturally tailored interventions to prevent further injury or death,” says Dr Peterson.

Public health efforts should focus on addressing the underlying causes of TBI-related deaths, such as unintentional falls and mental health crises, to help prevent further loss of life. “TBIs remain a significant public health concern, especially among older adults, men, and certain racial and ethnic groups,” says Peterson.  “CDC has proven resources that healthcare providers can use to not only reduce health disparities that increase the risk for TBI but also improve care for anyone affected by a TBI.”

The authors note the COVID-19 pandemic could have influenced TBI-related death trends in 2021. They also acknowledge several limitations of this analysis, including potential misclassification or incomplete documentation of causes on death certificates, which may lead to inaccuracies in estimating TBI-related deaths.

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Journal

Brain Injury

DOI

10.1080/02699052.2024.2415933 

Method of Research

Meta-analysis

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

Disparities in traumatic brain injury-related deaths—the United States, 2021

Article Publication Date

10-Jan-2025

T cells’ capability to fully prevent acute viral infections opens new avenues for vaccine development

T cells can independently prevent acute viral infections to an extent previously thought only possible with neutralising antibodies.

Duke-NUS Medical School

 

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Clusters of T cells, that are part of our immune system protecting us against harmful pathogens, under a microscope. By studying them, Duke-NUS scientists have found that T cells can independently control acute viral infections to an extent previously thought only possible with neutralising antibodies.

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Credit: Image credit: Antonio Bertoletti, Duke-NUS Medical School

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• T cells can independently prevent acute viral infections to an extent previously thought only possible with neutralising antibodies.

• Findings challenge the longstanding reliance on neutralising antibodies for assessing viral immunity, and suggest that development of future vaccines must consider both antibody and T-cell responses for comprehensive protection.

Singapore, 10 January 2025—Scientists from Duke-NUS Medical School and the Singapore General Hospital have discovered that T cells—white blood cells that can destroy harmful pathogens—can completely prevent viral infection, to an extent previously thought only possible due to neutralising antibodies. Their findings, shown experimentally for the first time in human studies, reshape our understanding of how our immune system works, paving the way for the design of more effective vaccines.

Traditionally, scientists have considered neutralising antibodies (proteins that prevent viruses from entering cells) as the ultimate form of protection against viral diseases. These antibodies bind to viruses to prevent them from infecting cells, such that clinical and lab investigations would find no trace of infection. Such a level of protection is referred to as sterilising immunity. But these latest findings, published in Nature Microbiology, challenge this view, demonstrating that T cells are also capable of controlling viral infection entirely to untraceable extents, even without any neutralising antibodies.

In the study involving 33 healthy adult volunteers aged 21 to 45, scientists employed a cross-vaccination approach by administering a live-attenuated yellow fever vaccine followed by a challenge 28 days later, with a weakened Japanese encephalitis virus, and vice versa. Yellow fever and Japanese encephalitis are genetically related viruses. The weakened strains were not capable of causing disease in the volunteers, but were sufficient to result in mild symptoms and measurable levels of virus in the blood, as well as an immune response necessary for protection. The study was conducted at the SingHealth Investigational Medicine Unit in Singapore from 30 March to 31 Oct 2023.

As the Japanese encephalitis vaccine was constructed using the backbone of the yellow fever vaccine, inoculation with either one of the vaccines generates T cells that are effective against both viruses, but stimulates production of neutralising antibodies that are ineffective against the virus used in the human challenge study. This allowed the scientists to assess how well the T-cells, independent of neutralising antibodies, were able to control the infection.

The results showed that T cells from yellow fever vaccination controlled the Japanese encephalitis vaccine virus challenge infection, reducing both viral loads and antibodies produced. Moreover, when present in high enough levels after vaccination, T cells controlled the challenge infection to undetectable levels in 15 per cent of study participants, to the point that no new antibodies were formed following infection.

Professor Ooi Eng Eong, from Duke-NUS’ Emerging Infectious Diseases Programme and lead author of the study said:

“We found that T cells can serve as the first line of defence, not just a supportive element in protecting us from acute viral diseases. These findings challenge the current paradigm that antibodies are absolutely vital for protection against acute viral infection. Measuring antibodies alone without considering T cells could underestimate herd immunity—when sufficient numbers of individuals in a population are already protected against specific viruses either through vaccination or previous infections—which is one of the considerations in developing policies on vaccine dosage and frequency.”

Historically, vaccine development has prioritised generating elevated levels of antibodies. This approach may not only limit the efficacy of vaccines but could also hinder our ability to combat variants that escape antibodies but not T cells.

Assistant Professor Shirin Kalimuddin is a Senior Consultant with the Department of Infectious Diseases at the Singapore General Hospital and a faculty member of the Emerging Infectious Diseases Programme at Duke-NUS. The first author of the study said:

“We need to rethink how we design and develop vaccines. Vaccines that generate high levels of antibodies do not necessarily generate high levels of T cells. Development of vaccines must incorporate the viral components that T cells recognise and react against. Indeed, our findings may explain why some vaccines offer better protection against viruses when they are able to trigger a broader T cell response.”

Professor Patrick Tan, Senior Vice-Dean for Research at Duke-NUS, added:

“The study findings encourage us to integrate both antibody and T-cell responses to create more effective and comprehensive vaccines. By understanding the unique roles T cells play, especially in viruses like yellow fever, dengue and Zika, all of which are from the same family and could pose a public health threat in Singapore due to Aedes mosquito transmission, we can develop vaccines that target a wider range of viral strains and mutations to control such untreatable diseases.”

Next, the scientists aim to study why certain individuals develop higher T-cell responses to vaccination than others.

Duke-NUS is a leader in medical education and a biomedical research powerhouse, combining basic scientific research with translational knowledge to better understand human biological systems, as well as develop new treatments and vaccines for common diseases affecting millions of people in Singapore and Asia.

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DOI: 10.1038/s41564-024-01903-7

 

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Journal

Nature Microbiology

DOI

10.1038/s41564-024-01903-7 

Method of Research

Randomized controlled/clinical trial

Subject of Research

Cells

Article Title

Vaccine-induced T cell responses control Orthoflavivirus challenge infection without neutralizing antibodies in humans

Article Publication Date

10-Jan-2025

 

Self-destructing vaccine offers enhanced protection against tuberculosis in monkeys

University of Pittsburgh

 

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While unvaccinated macaque monkeys exhibited signs of severe lung inflammation and disease following the Mycobacterium  tuberculosis infection (warm colors indicate inflammation and disease, bottom row), monkeys that received the intravenously administered Kill-Switch BCG vaccine (middle row) were equally or better protected against the infection as those immunized with the standard BCG vaccine (top row).

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Credit: Pauline Maiello

PITTSBURGH, Jan. 10, 2025 – A self-destructing vaccine administered intravenously provides additional safety and protection against tuberculosis (TB) in macaque monkeys, suggests new University of Pittsburgh research published today in Nature Microbiology.

The in-built safety mechanisms circumvent the possibility of an accidental self-infection with weakened mycobacteria, offering a safe and effective way to combat the disease that was named as the deadliest of 2024 by the World Health Organization.

“Although the idea of intravenous vaccination with a live vaccine may sound scary, it was very effective in our previous studies in non-human primates. Here, we focused on the safety aspect of IV vaccination and used a strain of mycobacteria that kills itself once administered to the animals. To our surprise, it was equal or slightly better than the regular TB vaccine in protecting monkeys against infection, providing sterilizing immunity in almost all animals,” said JoAnne Flynn, Ph.D., distinguished professor and chair of microbiology and molecular genetics at Pitt. “The live-attenuated form of the mycobacteria does not need to be alive for very long to provide outstanding protection and with this strain there is essentially no chance for a vaccine-derived infection, even in an immunocompromised host.”

Despite the ongoing global public health burden of TB, safe and effective protection strategies against the infection are lacking. Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine – named for its developers – contains inactivated mycobacteria that infect cattle and remains the only vaccination strategy against the infection in humans. Injected into the skin, it provides only partial protection against TB in young children and no protection in adults.

To develop a more universally effective vaccination approach, Flynn partnered with colleagues at Cornell University. In Flynn’s earlier work in macaque monkeys with collaborators at the National Institutes of Health, researchers saw a 100,000-fold reduction in bacterial burden in the lungs of animals who were given the BCG vaccine intravenously compared with the standard intradermal route. Nine out of 10 animals showed no inflammation in their lungs.

To improve the safety of IV BCG delivery in the new study, researchers engineered two built-in mechanisms that instruct the BCG particles to dissolve either upon exposure to the antibiotic doxycycline or when chronic doxycycline treatment is stopped. Mouse experiments showed that the BCG vaccine containing this dual safety switch protects the animals against TB comparable to a standard BCG vaccination but has the added benefit of faster elimination and safety, even for mice that were immunocompromised.

In macaque monkeys, the updated self-destructing BCG vaccine caused an even stronger immune response and better protection against TB than a standard IV BCG injection. None of the monkeys that received the updated BCG vaccine had any detectable level of lung inflammation eight weeks after being infected with live Mycobacterium tuberculosis. In addition, six out of eight monkeys had no traces of recoverable live M. tuberculosis compared to two out of eight monkeys that received the standard BCG intravenously.

Despite the additional challenges of clinical testing required for expanding the use of the updated BCG vaccine in humans, researchers are optimistic.

“We hope that this ‘kill switch’ BCG strain could limit safety concerns over intravenous vaccine administration and provide an option for a safer and more effective vaccination route for individuals who are immunocompromised,” Flynn said.

The other senior authors of this research are Dirk Schnappinger, Ph.D., and Sabine Ehrt, Ph.D. of Weill Cornell Medicine. Other authors of this research are Alexander Smith, Ph.D., Pauline Maiello, M.S., H. Jacob Borish, Ph.D., Caylin Winchell, Ph.D., Andrew Simonson, Ph.D., Philana Ling Lin, M.D., Mark Rodgers, M.S., Daniel Fillmore and Jennifer Sakal, all of Pitt; and Hongwei Su, Ph.D., Joshua Wallach, Yao Liu, Ph.D., Kan Lin, Ph.D., Valerie Vinette, Ph.D., all of Weill Cornell Medicine.

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Journal

Nature Microbiology

DOI

10.1038/s41564-024-01895-4 

Article Title

A BCG kill switch strain protects against Mycobacterium tuberculosis in mice and non-human primates with improved safety and immunogenicity'

Article Publication Date

10-Jan-2025

Cleopatra's sister remains missing*

CSI methods show: Skull from the collection of the Department of Evolutionary Anthropology is not from Arsinoë IV

University of Vienna

 

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Fig. 1: The cranium from the Ephesos Octagon in the Collection of the Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, University of Vienna. The yellowed note coming with it says: “Skull from Ephesus”.

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Credit: C: Gerhard Weber, University of Vienna

An interdisciplinary research team led by anthropologist Gerhard Weber from the University of Vienna, together with experts from the Austrian Academy of Sciences, has analysed a skull that was found in the ruins of Ephesos (Turkey) in 1929. It was long speculated that it could be the remains of Arsinoë IV, the sister of the famous Cleopatra. However, the latest anthropological analyses show that the remains are those of a boy between the ages of 11 and 14 who suffered from pathological developmental disorders. His genes point to an origin in Italy or Sardinia. The results are currently being published in Scientific Reports.

In 1929, the Austrian archaeologist Josef Keil and his colleagues discovered a sarcophagus completely filled with water in the ruins of the once magnificent "Octagon", a splendid building on the main street of Ephesos (Turkey). No significant grave goods were found in it, but a complete skeleton. Josef Keil only took the skull with him before the researchers closed the tomb on the important "Curetes Street" (Kuretenstraße) again.  After his initial analysis in Greifswald (Germany), he assumed that the burial was that of "a very distinguished person" and probably a 20-year-old woman. Keil was unable to provide any hard data, but the skull travelled to Vienna in his luggage on the occasion of his new appointment at the University of Vienna. In 1953, Josef Weninger, head of the Institute of Anthropology at the University of Vienna, finally published an article with photos and measurements. He also came to the conclusion that the skull from the "Heroon" (Heroengrab), as it was described on a yellowed note accompanying the find, represented a young woman who was of a "refined, specialised type", which could indicate the higher aristocracy of antiquity. 

The rest of the skeleton was found in Ephesos during later excavations in 1982, but this time not in the sarcophagus, but in a niche in an antechamber of the burial chamber. Due to the suspected architectural borrowing of the Octagon from the Egyptian model of the "Pharos of Alexandria" and the additional historical facts that Arsinoë IV was murdered in Ephesos around 41 BCE at the instigation of Mark Antony, Cleopatra's lover, a hypothesis arose in 1990: Arsinoë IV could have found her final resting place in this magnificent tomb in Ephesos. Since then, numerous reports and publications have surrounded this rumour. 

CSI methods in modern anthropology and scientific archaeology 

The Department of Evolutionary Anthropology at the University of Vienna has expanded considerably in recent years and now utilises practically all modern methods in this discipline. Together with geneticists, dating specialists, orthodontists of the University of Vienna and archaeologists from the Austrian Academy of Sciences, the scientific work on the skull began.

In the first step, the skull was subjected to micro-computed tomography to archive its digital copy with a resolution of 80 micrometres for all time. The scientists then took small samples in the milligram range from the base of the skull and the inner ear to determine age and genetic status. The data from the mass spectrometer was compared with the latest calibration curves, which even took into account the presumed dietary composition. The skull therefore dates to between 36 and 205 BCE, which corresponds well with the traditional date of death of Arsinoë IV in 41 BCE. The geneticists also found a match between the skull and existing samples of the femur. The skeleton that was later found in the anteroom of the Octagon therefore actually belonged to the same person as the skull that Josef Keil had removed from the sarcophagus in 1929. "But then came the big surprise: in repeated tests, the skull and femur both clearly showed the presence of a Y chromosome - in other words, a male," explains Gerhard Weber.

The morphological evaluation of the skull and the micro-CT data revealed that the boy from the Octagon was still in his puberty and was around 11 to 14 years old. This is confirmed by the high-resolution images of the dental roots and the still developing skull base. However, he obviously suffered from pathological development in general. One of his cranial sutures, which normally only fuses at the age of 65, was already closed in his case. This gave the skull a very asymmetrical shape. 

The most striking feature, however, was the underdeveloped upper jaw, which was unusually angled downwards and presumably led to major problems with chewing. This is also confirmed by the conspicuous angles of the temporomandibular joints and the dental findings of two teeth remaining in the jaw. The first permanent molar, the first tooth of the permanent dentition and therefore usually the longest in use, showed no signs of use at all. The first premolar, on the other hand, which only appears a few years later in the dentition, was chewed down and had clear cracks, presumably as a result of overloading. The researchers conclude that there was no regular tooth contact, a consequence of the growth anomaly of the jaws and face. What led to the growth disorders remains unclear for the time being. It could have been a vitamin-D deficiency, for example. Genetic syndromes such as Treacher Collins syndrome also lead to an appearance similar to that of the boy in the Octagon. 

The end of a rumour and the beginning of a new search

It is now clear that it was not Cleopatra's sister who was buried in the Octagon in Ephesos, but a young man with developmental disorders who was presumably Roman. The reason for the architectural references to Egypt in this building remains an open question. What is clear is that the tomb was intended for a person of very high social status. In any case, the results of this study open up a wide field for exciting new research. And the search for the remains of Arsinoë IV can now be resumed free of rumours.

Fig. 2: The Octagon cranium is scanned in the Vienna Micro-CT Lab to a resolution of 80 micrometer.

Credit

C: Gerhard Weber, University of Vienna

Fig. 3: The remains of the Octagon in Ephesos, historic picture.

Fig. 4: Virtually reconstructed image of the Octagon in Ephesos in its tentative appearance.

Fig. 5: View of the Octagon in Ephesos along Curetes Street. Only the marble-clad base has survived.

Credit

C: Austrian Academy of Sciences/Austrian Archaeological Institute

Journal

Scientific Reports

DOI

10.1038/s41598-024-83870-x 

Article Title

The cranium from the Octagon in Ephesos.

Article Publication Date

10-Jan-2025

* A CLEVER DOUBLE ENTENDRE ON 'REMAINS'

Connecting through culture: Understanding its relevance in intercultural lingua franca communication

A new linguistic report discusses how cultural differences can affect the dynamics of informal communications

Doshisha University

 

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Culture may or may not be a relevant factor in intercultural communications for people globally. In this study, Professor Stadler from Doshisha University examines the relevance of intercultural communications.

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Credit: Multicultural Globe by Jimee, Jackie, Tom & Asha https://openverse.org/en-za/image/25818e89-4915-48ef-9ade-7c6ad561050c

In today’s world, telecommunications and global connectivity have witnessed an unprecedented increase, making intercultural communication an unavoidable reality. A concerning aspect of such communication is the element of cultural and linguistic diversity between people. However, there is very little consensus on whether cultural diversity truly matters in intercultural communications or if it simply promotes miscommunication.

“In academic literature, culture tends to be approached in a dichotomous stance, either through a lens of miscommunication or is considered an altogether irrelevant construct when it comes to intercultural communication research,” says Stefanie Alexa Stadler, a Professor from the Faculty of Letters, Department of English, Doshisha University, Japan. She is also a member of the Faculty of Languages and Cultures, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland. Adding further, she says, “While it’s true that culture isn’t always relevant, it typically takes the center theme in casual interactions.” Exploring this topic further, Prof. Stadler, who is a dedicated researcher in the field of linguistics, conducted a thorough investigation on the relationship between culture and intercultural informal communications. Her findings have been published online in World Englishes on December 09, 2024.

Reflecting on her personal motivation for the study, Prof. Stadler states, “Having lived in many countries over several decades, I have experienced the challenges and opportunities of intercultural communication firsthand. I wanted to contribute to a better understanding of how cultural contexts shape interactions.”  Inspired by this thought, her study examines over three hours of recorded interactions between participants from 19 different countries in East and South-East Asia. The participants actively explored cultural differences, as evidenced by the sessions, which were primarily recorded in English, their shared lingua franca. Most of the participants often brought up topics such as language practices, lifestyle choices, and cultural norms, which were fueled by curiosity and shared experiences that helped foster connections.

Prof. Stadler observed that during professional conversations, people often tend to downplay their cultural identity to ensure focus on the important tasks. On the other hand, it was quite the opposite for casual informal conversations. In such informal settings, culture is often a rich source for interactions and sharing ideas. The major driver during such conversations was curiosity about cultural diversity; participants often asked questions related to each other’s cultural aspects. Another important observation during the study was that participants often sought solidarity through humor, where teasing and joking about cultural or linguistic differences fostered group cohesion.

The study also highlights the role of culture in identity construction. Participants frequently described their contributions around their cultural and linguistic backgrounds. In most of the conversations, cultural identity naturally emerged in discussions, even when not explicitly prompted. This clarified that these diversities not only served to explain differences but also aided in bridging the gap through shared understanding.

Talking to us about the future implications of her study, Prof. Stadler says, “I believe that this study could provide valuable insights for international business, where understanding cultural dynamics could help improve communication and collaborations in global terms.” Moreover, these findings also hold potential for reforming strategies to foster inclusivity and a better understanding of communication dynamics across diverse cultural environments, which, in turn, could improve global communication practices.

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About Professor Stefanie Alexa Stadler from Doshisha University, Japan
Professor Stefanie Stadler is a Professor at the Faculty of Letters in the Department of English at Doshisha University, Japan. She is also part of the Faculty of Languages and Cultures, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland. With a Ph.D. in Applied Language Studies and Linguistics from the University of Auckland and the University of Hamburg, she is a dedicated researcher in the field of linguistics and has a rich teaching experience. She has contributed to over 34 publications focusing on linguistics, intercultural communications, and social sciences with over 446 citations. Her research interests include sociolinguistics, intercultural communications, conflict communication, pragmatics, and discourse analysis.

Funding information: KAKENHI #23K00598

Journal

World Englishes

DOI

10.1111/weng.12720 

Method of Research

Observational study

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

When culture becomes relevant in intercultural lingua franca communication

Teaching of intercultural communication calls for increasingly diverse approaches

University of Eastern Finland

A new study by researchers at the University of Jyväskylä and the University of Eastern Finland highlights the need for multiple approaches in the teaching of intercultural communication in the context of international business.

Studies in intercultural communication constitute a key element in the international business and sales management syllabus; however, instruction is often too heavily focused on structures stemming from national cultures and their differences. Authored by University Lecturer Lotta Kokkonen and Associate Professor Jonna Koponen, the study suggests that effective teaching of intercultural communication requires understanding and integration of three different approaches to a culture: the positivist, the interpretive and the critical approach.

The positivist approach sees a culture as an unchangeable system allowing, e.g., comparisons between different cultures. This approach is often applied when comparing business negotiation styles between different cultures. The interpretive approach, on the other hand, emphasises the social construction of a culture through interaction. This approach views a culture as socially constructed, changing and negotiated through interaction, with the present study focusing on the experiences of individuals and groups. The critical approach, in turn, focuses on structural inequalities, manifestations of power, and societal discourses.

 According to Kokkonen and Koponen, the theory of interpersonal knowledge can be applied, emphasising genuine interaction between individuals. This helps to understand why mere cultural-level knowledge is not enough for building trust between salespeople and customers in the context of international business.

“The diversity of a culture should be better acknowledged when teaching intercultural communication, and students should learn to examine phenomena from multiple perspectives. This gives them better capabilities to navigate genuinely intercultural interaction situations. For example, the ability to use interpersonal knowledge is a key skill in developing international customer relationships,” Koponen concludes.

The study offers valuable insight for higher education institutions and companies wishing to improve their intercultural communication in the context of international business.

The study constitutes part of the e-Leadership with Digital Communication project funded by the Research Council of Finland, grant number 362482.

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Journal

Business and Professional Communication Quarterly

DOI

10.1177/23294906241302002 

Article Title

Teaching Interculturality: Considering Three Different Cultural Approaches in Intercultural Business Relationships

Goethe University Frankfurt and numerous other German universities withdraw from “X”

Social media platform no longer offers a meaningful environment for fact-based communication by academic, research and scientific institutions

Goethe University Frankfurt

FRANKFURT. Goethe University has joined more than 60 other German-speaking universities, science and research institutions, who, in response to developments on the social media platform, have together decided to discontinue their activities on X (formerly Twitter). To engage in meaningful communication, such institutions require an environment in which discourse takes place in a fact-oriented, transparent and democratic manner, with respect for diversity, freedom and openmindedness. The only way for them to contribute to such discourse is if the platform mechanisms allow it. This is no longer the case on X.

Since being taken over by Elon Musk, not only have X's reach and interaction rate seen a steady decline. The platform’s algorithm has also been manipulated to favor content that corresponds to its owner's worldview. X has evolved from a place of constructive exchange into a tool used for disinformation. Studies and observations document that the platform deliberately discriminates against democratic voices. Evidence of meddling in democratic processes in the USA gives rise to fears of similar developments in Europe. These and other changes make X’s continued use unacceptable for institutions committed to fact-based knowledge and democratic values.

Scientific, factual and fact-based communication does not have it easy on other social networks either; dealing with their mechanisms in a meaningful way poses a daily challenge for anyone involved in science communication. However, whereas on LinkedIn or Instagram, for example, they can counteract this with well-founded, fact-based content, at X, the owner’s corporate policy is aimed precisely at making such content invisible.

Goethe University recommends that all its faculties, affiliated institutes and facilities, as well as the researchers and scientists employed by the university check whether they still consider an account on X to be useful. The social media team of the Office of PR and Communication, part of the University’s Executive Office, will be happy to advise you both on this and/or in the search for alternatives. The university itself operates accounts on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook and YouTube, and is examining whether a presence on other platforms such as Bluesky, Mastodon or Threads makes sense.

The universities involved in this coordinated exit will leave their X accounts in a “frozen” state – i.e. without active content, but still visible, also in order to prevent the misuse of their account names by third parties.

The universities know of many scientific and science-related organizations that are currently considering similar steps and would be pleased if others followed their example. 

The following universities and institutions of higher learning are part of the joint campaign:

• Alanus University of Arts and Social Sciences
• Anhalt University
• Bauhaus-Universität Weimar
• Berliner Hochschule für Technik (BHT)
• Berlin University of the Arts
• Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus – Senftenberg
• Catholic University of Applied Sciences of North Rhine-Westphalia (katho)
• Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development
• Europa-Universität Viadrina Frankfurt (Oder)
• Fachhochschule Dortmund
• FernUniversität in Hagen
• Freie Universität Berlin
• Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg
• Furtwangen University
• German Ornithologists’ Society
• German Sport University Cologne
• University of Music and Drama
• HAWK Hochschule für angewandte Wissenschaft und Kunst Hildesheim/Holzminden/Göttingen
• Heidelberg University
• Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf
• Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg
• Hochschule Darmstadt
• Hochschule der Bildenden Künste Saar
• Hochschule für Wirtschaft und Umwelt Nürtingen-Geislingen (HfWU)
• Hochschule München
• Hochschule Neubrandenburg
• Hochschule Osnabrück
• Hochschule RheinMain
• Hochschule Ruhr West
• Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
• Institut für Vogelforschung "Vogelwarte Helgoland"
• Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz
• Justus-Liebig-Gesellschaft
• Justus Liebig University Giessen
• Kiel University (CAU)
• Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research
• Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research Warnemünde
• Medical University Innsbruck
• Munich School of Philosophy
• Philipps-Universität Marburg
• Protestant University Wuppertal
• RWTH Aachen University
• Saarland University
• Technische Hochschule Georg Agricola
• Technische Universität Braunschweig
• Technical University of Darmstadt
• TH Köln
• Trier University
• TUD Dresden University of Technology
• Ulm University
• University of Bamberg
• University of Bayreuth
• Universität Duisburg-Essen
• University of Erfurt
• University of Greifswald
• University of Innsbruck
• University of Münster
• University of Potsdam
• University of Siegen
• Universität Würzburg
• Universität zu Lübeck
• Westsächsische Hochschule Zwickau

The joint press release issued by all participating universities/institutions is available here in German: http://n.idwf.de/845520.