LightNews — News, ranked by scholars

SNAART🔞

@snaarts.bsky.social

QSS done

March 3, 2025 at 8:18 AM

jacob

@gaycob2.bsky.social

The builders really popped off with the size of this mirror

December 4, 2024 at 11:02 AM

Chise

@sailorrooscout.bsky.social

given to mice bred to express pathological tau they generated antibodies, reduced the extent of the tangles in key brain structures, AND improved their performance on tests to gauge their cognitive disability. Their new paper expands on those exact findings. The vaccine elicited a strong immune

Figure 1. pT181-Qß vaccination induces a robust and long-lasting anti-pT181 tau antibody response. (A) 13-Mer peptides, including the phosphorylated epitope threonine 181 (pT181), were synthesized with two glycines (G) and a cysteine (C) and conjugated to the surface-exposed lysine residues on the coat proteins of a self-assembled Qß RNA bacteriophage (VLP) using a SMPH cross-linker. (B) Conjugation efficiency suggests that up to three peptides could be conjugated per coat protein (≈180 coat proteins/VLP x 3 = max 540 peptides/VLP). (C–D) Anti-pT181 IgG end-point titers (C) and serial dilutions (D) show that anti-pT181 IgGs remain significantly elevated until at least 9 months post-final immunization in PS19 mice. (E) Immune sera from pT181-Qß, but not Qß, vaccinated mice were reactive to pTau—similar to AT8, which was a positive control. LOD = limit of detection. Mean ± SEM, unpaired Student's t-test or one-way ANOVA, *p < .05, ***p < .005; n = 3–4. Scale bar in E – 30 µm. ANOVA, Analysis of Variance; SMPH, Succinimidyl 6-[(beta-maleimidopropionamido) hexanoate].

Figure 2. pT181-Qß vaccination reduces microgliosis, hyperphosphorylated and aggregated tau, and neuroinflammation in PS19 mice. (A–F) pT181-Qß vaccinated PS19 mice show reduced AT180+ (pT231) site tau (A–B), Sarkosyl insoluble tau (D), and Gallyas silver positive NFTs (E) compared to PS19 mice vaccinated with Qβ alone. (G–I) Iba1+ microglial morphology suggests reduced activation in 9-month-old PS19 mice vaccinated with pT181- Qß compared to Qß control. Mean ± SEM, unpaired Student's t-test, *p < .05; n = 3–5.

Figure 3. pT181-Qß vaccination reduces brain atrophy in PS19 mice. (A–C) T2-weighted MRI of the separate regions of interest (ROIs—cortical, aqua-cyan; hippocampal, dark blue; ventricle, green; striatum, pink; corpus callosum, light brown; and cerebellar, light blue) volumes shows prevention of brain atrophy in the cortex and a trend in the hippocampus. Corpus callosum quantification is not shown. Ventricle volumes are reduced in pT181-Qß vaccinated PS19 mice. Mean ± SEM, Student's t-test, *p < .05, n = 3–4.

Figure 4. pT181-Qß vaccination improves delay-dependent memory and motor function in PS19 mice. (A) Frequency of nose pokes to the novel object (NOV) is increased in pT181-Qß vaccinated PS19 mice compared to controls on the test day (right graph. Left: no preference when tested them on identical objects [OBJ1 and OBJ2] on a training day). (B–C) Catwalk motor function test showing restoration of stride length on all four paws in pT181-Qß vaccinated PS19 mice. RF, right front paw; RH, right hind paw; LF, left front paw; LH, left hind paw. Mean ± SEM, Student's t-test. *p < .05, two-way ANOVA, a Tukey's post hoc analysis was used, ** p < .01; n = 3–4.

May 5, 2025 at 4:06 PM

Papa Oz 🇨🇺

@xsaiyanoz.bsky.social

The gym kicking my qss and I gotta do cardio after 😩

November 16, 2024 at 4:22 PM

SNAART🔞

@snaarts.bsky.social

QSS 🇨🅾️🇲Ⓜ️

March 6, 2025 at 1:46 PM

Lari

@laridae.bsky.social

remind your adc to buy qss against 4 cc

December 26, 2025 at 2:35 PM

Mark A. Hanson

@hansonmark.bsky.social

The strain on scientific publishing: we set out to characterise the remarkable growth of the scientific literature in the last few years, in spite of declining growth in total scientists. What is going on?

direct.mit.edu/qss/article/...

A 🧵 1/n
#AcademicSky #PhDchat #ScientificPublishing #SciPub

November 19, 2024 at 12:27 PM

Hierophant Shelley B Woke - Living Saint of Purity🏳️‍⚧️🖤💜🤍 💛

@shelleybwoke.bsky.social

Let the qss kissing begin

Reuters @reuters.com · Jun 11

Since the dispute began, Musk has deleted some social media posts critical of Trump. Sources close to Musk had said his anger has started to subside, and that they believe he may want to repair his relationship with Trump reut.rs/43REvav 6/6

Musk says some of his posts about Trump 'went too far'

Elon Musk said he regretted some of the posts he made last week about President Donald Trump as they had gone "too far".

reut.rs

June 11, 2025 at 9:32 AM

Mark A. Hanson

@hansonmark.bsky.social

Systematic self- and ring-citation is established scientific misconduct. Why don't we treat editors publishing in their own special issues the same?

Groups like COPE and DOAJ have now issued guidelines to limit this, but a lack of data has prevented enforcement.

You know what that means...

3/n

From Abalkina (2023; Learned Publishing).
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/leap.1574

From Hanson et al. (2024; QSS).
https://direct.mit.edu/qss/article/5/4/823/124269/The-strain-on-scientific-publishing

January 13, 2026 at 8:27 AM

Little Luckless

@littleluckless.bsky.social

My qss is so cute in this underwear and it's frankly crazy that your not groveling beneath it
#sizesky

August 31, 2025 at 6:18 AM

Chise

@sailorrooscout.bsky.social

response in two other strains of mice bred to develop tau-related disease- one of which had a HUMAN tau gene inserted in its genome. In a collaboration with the University of California, Davis, and the California National Primate Research Center the vaccine was also administered to macaques,

Figure 5. pT181-Qß vaccination is immunogenic, reduces pTau and inflammasome proteins, and rescues working memory in hTau mice. (A) Schematic showing the experimental timeline for pT181-Qß vaccination in hTau mice. (B–C) Anti-pT181 antibody dilution curve and antibody titers at 12-month time point. (D–E) pT181-Qß vaccination reduces AT180+ tau, PHF-1 (modestly), and inflammasome protein ASC in hTau mice. LOD = limit of detection. Mean ± SEM, Student's t-test. *p < .05, ***p < .005; n = 3.

May 5, 2025 at 4:06 PM

Chise

@sailorrooscout.bsky.social

The study has been published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia. YES, it is PEER-REVIEWED.
• alz-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
• hscnews.unm.edu/news/unm-res...

SUMMARY
Researchers have developed a tau-targeting vaccine that could help prevent the progression of Alzheimer's disease by generating a strong immune response against abnormal tau proteins. The vaccine showed effectiveness in mice and non-human primates, prompting researchers to pursue human clinical trials.
It targets a specific region of the tau protein, pT181, linked to Alzheimer's-related brain damage and cognitive decline. If successful in humans, this approach could complement or even surpass current therapies that only modestly impact disease progression by targeting amyloid beta.
KEY FACTS
•Tau-Targeting Vaccine: Generates antibodies against pT181, a hallmark of Alzheimer's pathology.
• Strong Immune Response: Proven effective in mice and macaques, with long-lasting immunity.
•The vaccine improved memory, reduced brain atrophy, and caused NO major side effects.
•Clinical Trials Ahead: Researchers are preparing for Phase I human trials pending funding.

ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION
Pathological accumulation of tau (pTau) contributes to various tauopathies, including Alzheimer's disease (AD), and correlates with cognitive decline. A rapid surge in tau-targeted approaches via anti-sense oligonucleotides, active/passive immunotherapies suggests that targeting p-Tau is a viable strategy against tauopathies.
METHOD
We describe a multi-species validation of our previously described Qß virus-like particle (VLP)-based vaccine technology targeting phosphorylated tau on threonine 181 (pT181-Qß).
RESULTS
Two vaccine doses of pT181-Qß, without any adjuvants, elicited robust antibody responses in two different mouse models of tauopathy (PS19 and hTau) and rhesus macaques. In mouse models, vaccination reduced AT180+ hyperphosphorylated, Sarkosyl insoluble, Gallyas silver positive tau, inflammasomes/ neuroinflammation, and improved recognition memory and motor function without inducing adverse T-cell activation. Anti-pT181 antibodies are reactive to pTau in human AD brains, engage pT181+ tau in human brain lysates, and are central nervous system bioavailable.
DISCUSSION
Our results suggest the translational utility of pT181-QB against tauopathies.

Highlights
• Icosahedral display of phosphorylated tau at threonine 181 (pT181) Qß virus-like particle surface ("pT181-Qß" vaccine) induces a robust immune response in mice and in non-human primates (NHPs)
• pT181-Qß vaccination reduces pathological tau (pTau) and brain atrophy, and improves memory and motor function in PS19 and hTau mice.
• pT181-Qß vaccination-induced immunoglobulin Gs (IgGs) are safe, Th2 skewed (anti-inflammatory), specific to pTau in human AD brain, and efficiently engage pT181 in NHPs and human brain lysate.
• pT181+ tau in human plasma correlates with the neurofilament light in subjects with mild cognitive impairment (MCI)-suggesting the presence of pT181-Qß vaccine target in the early disease state.

RESEARCH IN CONTEXT
Systematic review: A literature review of PubMed and other literature sources suggests that the pathological modifications in tau protein strongly correlate with the cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and related dementias. As such, many pre-clinical and clinical trials have been targeting pathological tau to determine if such an approach benefits patients.
Emerging clinical trials using monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against different regions of tau show positive results in secondary outcomes of cognitive stabilization.
Even if the mAb is approved for tau, repeated infusions of mAbs may have compliance issues in elderly patients and short-lived antibody responses upon active immunizations. The relevant citations and clinical trials are included where appropriate.
Interpretation: Our study suggests that display of phosphorylated tau (on T181) peptide on the virus-like particles (VLPs) from Qß bacteriophage induced a robust immune response, reduced tau pathology, prevented brain atrophy, and improved memory, and that the immunoglobulin Gs (IgGs) from immunized sera engaged the target in vaccinated non-human primates (rhesus macaques) and human AD brains.
Future directions: Targeting pT181-positive tau with pT181-Qß vaccination may in Phase 0/1 clinical trials validate the safety, immunogenicity, and therapeutic efficacy of pT181-Qß vaccination in patients with AD and related tauopathies.

May 5, 2025 at 4:02 PM

Timeline Cleanse

@timeline-cleanse.bsky.social

By: tanyabarrow

https://www.mummybarrow.com
https://unsplash.com/photos/brutalist-concrete-apartment-building-B1pcgbIxcOM

📸 NORITSU KOKI, QSS-32_33

#architecture #concrete #cityscape #windows #filmPhotography #housing #modernArchitecture #brutalistArchitecture #balcony #brutalism

A brutalist concrete apartment building with tiered balconies against a cloudy sky

September 25, 2026 at 2:00 PM

Miguel Vadillo

@mavadillo.bsky.social

MDPI es una desgracia...
direct.mit.edu/qss/article/...

November 20, 2025 at 10:43 AM

Pablo Gómez Barreiro

@pagomba.bsky.social

Our recently peer-reviewed paper on the current Strain on Scientific Publishing is covered by The @economist.com today.
I'm not surprised by Frontiers and MDPI continuing to champion the virtues of rapid publishing. 🧪
www.economist.com/science-and-...

QSS paper here: direct.mit.edu/qss/article/...

Scientific publishers are producing more papers than ever

Concerns about some of their business models are building

www.economist.com

November 22, 2024 at 11:24 AM

Vincent Traag

@vtraag.bsky.social

📣 Our introduction to structural causal models in science studies is now published:
doi.org/10.1162/QSS....

@tklebel.bsky.social and I tried to make our introduction as accessible as possible. We illustrate the theory by three case studies based on a simulated model of Open Science. 🧵(1/6)

January 27, 2026 at 10:24 AM

MIT Press

@mitpress.bsky.social

A new paper published in Quantitative Science Studies examines the (un)equal distribution of reviewer resources and potential homophily effects on the global journal system: direct.mit.edu/qss/article/...

April 4, 2025 at 7:28 PM

Ethel Weapon

@lousadzak.bsky.social

So looks Tim Janicke has disabled quotes and replies to his post, and all the QSs are not accessible through it now, which is a shame because there were some good analyses of how the paper completely sucked.

Ethel Weapon @lousadzak.bsky.social · Jul 12

mate

Hilton, E., and C. Wright. 2023. " Two Sexes." In Sex and Gender: A Contemporary Reader, edited by A. Sullivan and S. Todd, 16-34.
Routledge.

July 13, 2026 at 9:26 AM

Chise

@sailorrooscout.bsky.social

primates whose immune systems and brains are closer to humans. They also showed a strong and durable immune response. Researchers also tested antibodies in the serum from the immunized monkeys on samples of blood plasma drawn from people with mild cognitive impairment, often a precursor to full-

Figure 6. pT181-Qß vaccination in wild-type NHPs (Macaca mulatta) is immunogenic, shows target engagement, is detectable in the CSF, and is specific to pTau in the human brain. (A) Schematic showing the experimental timeline for pT181-Qß vaccination in ≈6-year-old macaques. (B) Anti-pT181 antibody titers at 8-week time point following vaccination. (C–D) Evidence of target engagement. Plasma pT181 levels (attributed to the age-related basal level of pT181) decrease with the increase in anti-pT181 body level in the sera at different time points following vaccination. € Anti-pT181 antibody levels in the CSF of NHPs and its dynamics at different time points following vaccination. (F) Anti-pT181 antibody from immunized macaque sera can detect pTau (similar to AT8, positive control) in human AD autopsy brain sections. (G) Plasma levels of pT181 (the target for pT181-Qß vaccination) are detectable in human patients with MCI compared to age-matched healthy controls recruited at the New Mexico Alzheimer's Disease Research Center. (H–I) Immunoprecipitation (IP) assay showing the Tau5+ bands and the % tau recovered from human AD brain lysates by the anti-pT181 IgGs from pT181-Qß vaccinated C57BL/6J mice. LOD = limit of detection. Mean ± SEM, Student's t-test or two-way ANOVA and a Tukey's post hoc analysis, *p < .05, **p < .01, *** p < .005; n = 3 pT181-Qß and n = 3 Qß. AD, Alzheimer's disease; NHPs, non-human primates; MCI, mild cognitive impairment.

May 5, 2025 at 4:07 PM

Nikki Shure

@nikkishure.bsky.social

Come join us at QSS @sriucl.bsky.social! We have the best colleagues ♥️

Per Engzell @pengzell.bsky.social · Sep 1

WE ARE HIRING! 2 Lecturers in Quantitative Social Science. Want a friendly interdisciplinary department in one of the world's most vibrant cities? This just might be for you.

Apply by: 10 Oct

www.ucl.ac.uk/work-at-ucl/...

September 1, 2025 at 2:44 PM