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)
Friday, April 04, 2025
Gender inequity in institutional leadership roles in US academic medical centers
This systematic scoping review suggests that even though emphasis has been placed on addressing gender inequities in academic medicine, considerable disparities remain at the leadership level. While certain positions and specialties have been observed to have more female leaders, niches of academic medicine almost or completely exclude women from their leadership ranks. Importantly, even female-dominated specialties, such as obstetrics and gynecology, have substantial inequity in leadership roles. It is past time for organizational and systems-level changes to ensure equitable gender representation in academic leadership.
Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Marilyn Huang, MD, MS, email msh8f@uvahealth.org.
Editor’s Note: Please see the article for additional information, including other authors, author contributions and affiliations, conflict of interest and financial disclosures, and funding and support.
About JAMA Network Open: JAMA Network Open is an online-only open access general medical journal from the JAMA Network. On weekdays, the journal publishes peer-reviewed clinical research and commentary in more than 40 medical and health subject areas. Every article is free online from the day of publication.
Journal
JAMA Network Open
Coseismic surface ruptures of 2023 Türkiye earthquake doublet, and seismic hazard assessment of the East Anatolian Fault Zone
1:250,000 active faults were obtained from Emre et al. (2012). The seismogenic faults of historical earthquakes were sourced from Duman and Emre (2013). Earthquake catalog was obtained from USGS (2023).
This study is led by Prof. Yue-Ren Xu at the Institute of Earthquake Forecasting, China Earthquake Administration (IEF, CEA). This article focuses on using high-resolution satellite data to rapidly assess surface ruptures caused by strong international earthquakes. Post-earthquake high-resolution satellite images have become invaluable in mapping coseismic surface ruptures induced by strong earthquakes. This study took the 2023 Türkiye earthquake doublet as an example. On February 6, 2023, twin earthquakes shook southeastern Türkiye and northwestern Syria. The first earthquake, known as the Pazarcık earthquake, occurred at 1:17 A.M. GMT (4:17 AM local time) with a moment magnitude of MW7.8 and a focal depth of 10 km. The second strong earthquake, the Elbistan earthquake, occurred 9 hours later, with MW7.5 (37.196°E, 38.011°N) and a focal depth of 7.4 km.
After the mainshocks, various post-earthquake high-resolution satellite data covered the epicenter area, providing valuable information for rapidly assessing surface ruptures. Xu’s group utilized multiple images, including the Chinese GF-series satellites (GF-2/7), the Beijing satellites (BJ-2/3), and the Maxar satellites. The spatial resolution of those images ranges from 0.3 to 0.8 m. The interpretations based on those data yielded the results: the two strong earthquakes had separate rupture zones. The first earthquake generated an approximately 280 km coseismic surface rupture along the southwestern segment of the main East Anatolian Fault (EAF), with 241 left-lateral displacements reaching up to 6.8 ± 0.68 m, particularly 40 km northeast of the epicenter. The second earthquake produced a roughly 110 km surface rupture on an east-west branch of the EAF, with maximum displacements of 7.2 ± 0.72 m. The group also compared the distribution of the surface ruptures and offsets derived from these high-resolution satellite images with the results obtained from InSAR and field measurements. They think that rapid assessment based on high-resolution remote sensing data can help scholars quickly understand the characteristics of surface ruptures caused by strong earthquakes abroad.
Based on the MW7.8 earthquake’s cascading rupture pattern, the group found that surface rupture might not always follow established recurrence intervals. During cascading ruptures, the maximum surface slip was constrained by the accumulated stress energy of individual fault segments. Despite the magnitude of the MW7.8 earthquake, its maximum surface offset was smaller than that of the MW7.5 earthquake. Xu also pointed out in this article that “the 1822 MS7.5 earthquake likely occurred on the Yesemek segment rather than the Amanos segment, preventing rupture and aftershocks from extending southward along the Narlı segment during the MW7.8 earthquake”.
Finally, the group argued that the Malatya Fault and specific EAF segments, such as the Palu, Karlıova, and Amanos segments, may pose seismic risks in the future. Hence, focusing on enhanced seismic fortification efforts in the valley regions near these fault segments is crucial.
(a) comparison of coseismic surface displacements induced by the MW7.8 earthquake extracted in this study (based on high-resolution satellite image interpretation and field surveys) and those reported by Karabacak et al. (2023) and Meng et al. (2024). (b) coseismic surface displacements induced by the MW7.5 earthquake extracted based on high-resolution satellite image interpretation and field surveys conducted in this study.
Goethe University acquires two new DFG research groups
Research unit focuses on power and abuse in the church / Second funding phase of the center for advanced studies on polycentricity and plurality of premodern christianities
FRANKFURT. How do power and abuse develop, particularly within the Catholic Church? What defines this power, and how does it function? These questions have long been a research focus at Goethe University’s Faculty of Roman Catholic Theology. An interdisciplinary research team will now intensify its work on this topic with additional support: The German Research Foundation (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, DFG) has approved the research unit “Power and Abuse in the Roman Catholic Church – Interdisciplinary Critique and Analysis” which brings together experts from theology, religious studies, philosophy of religion, law, and educational sciences. The group is led by Prof. Anja Middelbeck-Varwick, a religious studies scholar and Catholic theologian. “The issue of power and powerlessness in the Church has gained particular urgency due to the countless cases of abuse that have come to light in Germany since 2010. That is why this topic has been a major focus for our faculty. As an interdisciplinary research unit, we now have even greater strength and focus to address these issues – something we are very pleased about,” she says.
The researchers approach the topic from various disciplinary perspectives, structured into three clusters: (1) Vulnerability and Systemic Conditions – examining the factors that make individuals and institutions susceptible to abuse; (2) Orders and Structures of Power – investigating institutional power dynamics; and (3) Theological Foundations of Power Imbalances and Abuse – analyzing underlying legal frameworks and thought structures that may enable or reinforce abuse. Questions revolve around what typical perpetrator-victim structures look like and what factors contribute to their becoming taboo or being covered up. The project also aims to apply its findings beyond the Church, contributing to broader efforts to combat and prevent abuse. The unit’s members include Prof. Sabine Andresen (education specialist and former chair of Germany’s Independent Commission for Child Sexual Abuse Issues), Prof. Ute Sacksofsky (constitutional law expert), and Prof. Christoph Mandry (ethics scholar). The research will initially be funded for four years, with the possibility of a four-year extension.
Follow-up funding for Center for Advanced Studies in Humanities and Social Sciences
The Center for Advanced Studies “Polycentricity and Plurality of Premodern Christianities”, first launched during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, will continue its work. The Center explores the diversity of Christian groups up to the eighteenth century. Traditionally, historical research has projected the highly centralized church structures of the nineteenth century onto earlier periods, neglecting the actual complexity of premodern Christianity. Terms such as “confession“ or “church” do not fully capture the reality of these historical Christian communities, hence the introduction of the term “Christianities.” Unlike institutionalized churches, these Christianities are seen as interactive communities that defined themselves through their connection to Jesus Christ while maintaining identities distinct from other groups. These communities evolved dynamically, sometimes alongside or in opposition to formal church structures, which incidentally also grew out of these communities. Religious centers developed at times outside well-known church centers.
The first phase of funding has already produced several publications. In 2022, the Center welcomed displaced historians from Ukraine. Initially, they were funded through the Center’s own resources, later with the support of the Gerda Henkel Foundation, and eventually as DFG Fellows. “These colleagues are a tremendous enrichment to our research. Ukraine has historically had a remarkable religious diversity. Before the Russian full-scale invasion, we had planned a research trip to the region. We hope that our collaboration will lead to lasting research partnerships with Ukrainian scholars,” says Prof. Birgit Emich, an early modern historian and spokesperson for the Center. For the second phase, Prof. Hartmut Leppin, a scholar of early Christianity, will join the project. This next stage will involve external experts in the completion of a three-volume compendium, which will offer insights into the religious and social practices of the time. More details can be found at: https://www.poly-unifrankfurt.de/.
”I am very pleased about both funding approvals – the Research Unit and the Center for Advanced Studies in Humanities and Social Science research at Goethe University holds great potential, which will now gain even more momentum and visibility. These two programs promise entirely new perspectives, both in terms of the past and the future of our society,” says Prof. Bernhard Brüne, Vice President Research at Goethe University.
Research Units and Centers for Advanced Studies in Humanities and Social Sciences
Funded by the German Research Foundation (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, DFG), Research Units (Forschungsgruppen) consist of small teams of scholars working together on a specific research question that cannot be solved individually. The funding program has existed since 1962 and was called Forschergruppe until 2018. It particularly aims to support international and interdisciplinary collaboration among researchers as well as early-career academics.
Centers for Advanced Studies in Humanities and Social Sciences (Kolleg-Forschungsgruppen) are a DFG funding program specifically designed for research in the humanities and social sciences. These centers bring together distinguished scholars to advance a specific research topic at a single location. The chosen topic should correspond with local research strengths and provide a framework for integrating individual research ideas. “Polycentricity and Plurality” is currently Goethe University’s only Center for Advanced Studies in Humanities and Social Sciences.
‘Making memories’ via social media is increasingly “crucial” part of live events
Eventgoers’ live experiences are shaped by media technologies like social media, whether used in the moment or not, and memory and anticipation are increasingly part of live experiences themselves, research published in Cambridge University Press journal Memory, Mind & Media has found.
Researcher Esther Hammelburg of theAmsterdam University of Applied Sciences studied how eventgoers used media technologies at three large cultural events in the Netherlands: Oerol Festival, 3FM Serious Request and Pride Amsterdam. Their media technology use included taking photos, making videos, and in-the-moment sharing of content on social media platforms – actions that will become newly visible, with summer music festivals around the corner.
Hammelburg also interviewed 379 eventgoers.
“My interviewees tell me that they already know beforehand what their Instagram post from the event could look like,” she says.
This means that live media practices at events are shaped by a twofold anticipation: that of the live experience, and that of the future memory of the live experience. Anticipated nostalgia informs how the eventgoer understands themselves as part of the event and the event as part of their life story.
“The way people I interviewed described using their smartphones suggests that when they are at events, they are subconsciously always thinking about what would be the best, truest, or fullest way for them to experience and to remember these occasions,” Hammelburg adds.
“They don’t just carry their phones – they also carry ideas they’ve established in advance of potential photos, posts, and stories they could share. These ideas are shaped by the multitude of images that they have seen before of the events that they are attending.”
Hammelburg notes that live events, such as festivals and parades, are inextricably connected to memory: strong live experiences are memorable, distinct instants that stand out from daily occurrences. Eventgoers enter organised live events anticipating intense in-the-moment experiences that will become fond memories. They also visualise these events through photographs and videos, which they share through various social media platforms and apps.
In search of special moments
When asked about why they take photos and videos at events, Hammelburg’s interviewees consistently emphasised a desire to capture moments that are extraordinary and memorable. As one interviewee at Pride, 25-year-old Kyle, said: “It is a special moment to be here.”
Hammelburg comments that this seemingly obvious observation led her to question how live instances are figured by eventgoers as special moments.
“Live instances are memorable moments: noticeable experiences that are singled out because they will be commemorated as an event that stands out from the everyday. These instances become part of the narratives that eventgoers construct of their own lives, which intersect with communal narratives of the event.
“These are the moments that people anticipate and that will become their memories.”
Festivals and cultural events are also well-placed to contribute to this creation of memories, as they are in fact created to be extraordinary moments. Eventgoers are also aware that they are involved in the construction of such events as special moments.
Hammelburg consequently argues that eventgoers are involved in live storytelling practices and that, through their live media practices at events, they construct narratives that position them in time, most often for the eyes of others.
A groundbreaking new artificial intelligence (AI) model developed by Israeli researchers promises to revolutionize wildfire prediction, with a particular focus on lightning-induced blazes that are growing increasingly common due to climate change. The new AI model can predict where and when lightning strikes are most likely to cause wildfires, achieving over 90% accuracy—a first in wildfire forecasting.
Dr. Oren Glickman and Dr. Assaf Shmuel from the Department of Computer Science at Bar-Ilan University, in collaboration with experts from Ariel and Tel Aviv Universities, utilized seven years of high-resolution global satellite data, alongside detailed environmental factors like vegetation, weather patterns, and topography, to map and predict lightning-induced wildfire risks on a global scale. Their research was recently published in Scientific Reports.
What makes the research by Dr. Glickman, Dr. Shmuel, and their colleagues so significant is their ability to predict lightning-induced wildfires with remarkable precision. The AI model outperforms traditional fire danger indices by taking a global, data-driven approach. It integrates data from satellites, weather systems, and environmental factors to assess the likelihood of lightning-induced fires, overcoming the limitations of regional and data-restricted models.
The model was rigorously tested using wildfire data from 2021 and showed an unprecedented accuracy rate of over 90%, a level of precision that could transform emergency response and disaster management worldwide.
As climate change accelerates, extreme weather events—such as lightning storms, hot and dry conditions, and shifting ecosystems—are contributing to more frequent and intense wildfires. While human activity is often responsible for igniting many fires, lightning remains one of the most unpredictable and deadly causes, particularly in remote regions. These fires can smolder undetected for days, only to erupt into uncontrollable infernos before firefighters can respond. The catastrophic wildfires that ravaged Northern California in August 2020 were sparked by lightning strikes, burning more than 1.5 million acres and claiming dozens of lives.
With an improved ability to predict lightning fires, meteorological services, fire departments, and emergency planners can respond earlier, smarter, and more effectively—potentially saving lives and protecting ecosystems. This model also addresses a key gap in existing wildfire prediction models: while many models are effective for fires caused by human activity, they struggle to predict lightning-induced fires, which behave very differently and often start in hard-to-reach areas.
While the AI model is not yet integrated into real-time forecasting systems, its development marks a critical step forward in wildfire prediction. As Dr. Shmuel notes, “With the growing implications of climate change, new modeling tools are required to better understand and predict its impacts; machine learning holds significant potential to enhance these efforts.”
The new machine learning models developed by the team have the potential to predict lightning-ignited wildfires worldwide, offering a powerful tool for fire mitigation and response. With an ever-increasing risk of wildfires driven by climate change, early detection and prediction are essential for protecting forests, wildlife, and human communities from the devastating effects of these fires.
“We are at a critical moment in understanding the complexities of wildfire ignitions,” said Dr. Glickman, from Bar-Ilan University’s Department of Computer Science. “Machine learning offers the potential to revolutionize how we predict and respond to lightning-ignited wildfires, providing insights that could save lives and preserve ecosystems.”
Journal
Scientific Reports
Article Title
Global lightning-ignited wildfires prediction and climate change projections based on explainable machine learning models
Common phrases, not fancy words, make you sound more fluent in a foreign language
Researchers found that using everyday phrasal expressions boosts fluency perception more than rare phrases in foreign language speech
Language learners often assume that using rare, complex vocabulary will make their speech sound more fluent. Research suggests that there is a close relationship between formulaic expression usage in speech and acoustic features of oral fluency. This implies that using formulaic expressions leads to faster articulation speed and fewer disruptions during speech. However, in terms of how listeners perceive speakers’ fluency, the role of formulaic expressions has been unclear.
To investigate this, Ph.D. student, Kotaro Takizawa and Research Assistant ProfessorShungo Suzuki from Waseda University, Japan, analyzed speech from 102 Japanese speakers of English, each delivering an argumentative speech. They measured the use of bigram and trigram expressions (two- and three-word sequences) and had fluency judged by 10 experienced raters. The study controlled for key fluency metrics, including articulation rate, pauses, and self-corrections, to isolate the effect of formulaic expressions on fluency perception. This study was published online in the journal Studies in Second Language Acquisitionon February 12, 2025.
The findings revealed that utterance fluency (smoothness of speech delivery) was the strongest predictor of fluency perception, accounting for 61% of the variance in ratings. However, high-frequency formulaic expressions added an extra 0.8% to fluency judgments, while rarer, more complex phrases had little to no effect.
The study also reveals that the key to sounding fluent is not about using sophisticated words; it is about using the right phrases. Their study shows that common, everyday expressions have a small but significant impact on how fluency is perceived, even when a factor like smoothness is accounted for. "We found that common, oft-used formulaic expressions, rather than rare, sophisticated ones, significantly influenced rater judgment of speakers’ fluency," said Takizawa.
Fluency plays a crucial role in language learning and assessment, especially in standardized tests like TOEFL and IELTS, where expert raters evaluate how natural and smooth a speaker sounds. Traditionally, fluency has been associated with speed and uninterrupted speech, but the role of formulaic expressions (common multi-word phrases) has been less clear. Previous studies suggested that these expressions help speakers communicate more smoothly, but few have examined how they influence fluency perception on their own.
Suzuki highlighted the practical implications: "It is generally observed that language teachers and learners tend to focus more on rare words or difficult phrases that sound more proficient. However, the current findings indicate that that should not necessarily be the focus, particularly if they want to improve their fluency perceived by others."
This research suggests that learners should shift their focus from advanced vocabulary to mastering everyday phrases that come naturally in conversation. For example, instead of saying "I agree the idea"—which sounds unnatural—learners should use "I agree with the idea." These common expressions are easy to find in textbooks and everyday conversations, making them more accessible for learners of all levels.
The study has significant implications for language testing, where fluency judgments can impact scores. It suggests that test-takers should focus on integrating natural phrasal expressions into their speech while maintaining the smoothness of their speech. Highlighting the importance of both aspects, "Our research shows that there is no denying that improving fluency in utterance contributes to good fluency judgment scores," noted Takizawa.
This study highlights the crucial role of common expressions in shaping how fluency is perceived, offering valuable insights for language learners and educators.
Affiliations 1Graduate School of Education, Waseda University, Japan
2Green Computing Systems Research Organization, Waseda University, Japan
About Waseda University Located in the heart of Tokyo, Waseda University is a leading private research university that has long been dedicated to academic excellence, innovative research, and civic engagement at both the local and global levels since 1882. The University has produced many changemakers in its history, including nine prime ministers and many leaders in business, science and technology, literature, sports, and film. Waseda has strong collaborations with overseas research institutions and is committed to advancing cutting-edge research and developing leaders who can contribute to the resolution of complex, global social issues. The University has set a target of achieving a zero-carbon campus by 2032, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by the United Nations in 2015.
About Kotaro Takizawa Kotaro Takizawa is a Ph.D. student at Waseda University's Graduate School of Education. He earned his B.A. (2019) and M.A. (2021) in Education from the same institution. His research focuses on second language acquisition, particularly the relationship between oral fluency and formulaic language. Currently, he is a Research Fellow at the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (2023–2025).
