Shigeaki Kato up to 28 retractions, with three papers cited nearly 700 times

Shigeaki Kato
Shigeaki Kato

Former University of Tokyo researcher Shigeaki Kato has notched his 26th, 27th, and 28th retractions, all in Nature Cell Biology. The three papers have been cited a total of 677 times.

Here’s the notice for “DEAD-box RNA helicase subunits of the Drosha complex are required for processing of rRNA and a subset of microRNAs:” Continue reading Shigeaki Kato up to 28 retractions, with three papers cited nearly 700 times

Weekend reads: “Academic science isn’t sexist;” buying your way into university rankings

booksThe week at Retraction Watch began with news of a lawsuit against PubPeer commenters. Here’s what was happening elsewhere:

Continue reading Weekend reads: “Academic science isn’t sexist;” buying your way into university rankings

Parkinson’s researcher to appear in court to face fraud charges

Caroline Barwood
Caroline Barwood

A researcher in Australia who has had several papers retracted following an investigation by her former employer is now facing fraud and other charges.

As The Guardian reports: Continue reading Parkinson’s researcher to appear in court to face fraud charges

Former NIH lab director faked findings in three papers: ORI

ori logoThe former director  of the X-ray crystallography lab at the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health, faked findings in three papers, according to the Office of Research Integrity.

Two of the three papers by Bijan Ahvazi were published in 2004, and later retracted in 2007, while the other was rejected: Continue reading Former NIH lab director faked findings in three papers: ORI

PubPeer Selections: On an “immodest title;” authors recalculate findings in response to questions

pubpeerHere’s another installment of PubPeer Selections: Continue reading PubPeer Selections: On an “immodest title;” authors recalculate findings in response to questions

Scientist sues PubPeer commenters, subpoenas site for names

Fazlul Sarkar, via Wayne State
Fazlul Sarkar, via Wayne State

Last month, we reported that a Wayne State University cancer researcher had threatened legal action involving post-publication peer review site PubPeer, claiming that he had lost a job offer from the University of Mississippi because of comments on the site.

Fazlul Sarkar — who has received $12.8 million in NIH funding and has been an investigator on five clinical trials — has now filed suit against PubPeer’s anonymous commenters, and has demanded that PubPeer release their names and identifying information. The complaint, filed by attorney Nicholas Roumel in Michigan’s Wayne County Circuit Court and which we’ve made available here, details more of the history of the case and of course describes the legal strategy, which we’ll describe below. Continue reading Scientist sues PubPeer commenters, subpoenas site for names

Weekend reads: Making research true; peer review in Shakespeare; a 79-year-old postdoc

booksThe week at Retraction Watch began with the retraction of a paper touted by Dr. Oz. Here’s what was happening elsewhere:

Continue reading Weekend reads: Making research true; peer review in Shakespeare; a 79-year-old postdoc

Dr. Oz: Following green coffee bean diet retraction, site scrubbed, “further study is needed”

green coffee beanOn Monday, we were first to report that a study of green coffee bean extract for weight loss touted on the Dr. Oz Show had been retracted.

That story has been widely picked up by the media, including The Washington Post, which yesterday reported that the show had posted a statement about the development: Continue reading Dr. Oz: Following green coffee bean diet retraction, site scrubbed, “further study is needed”

Doing the right thing: Authors retract PNAS paper when new experiments show “conclusion was incorrect”

pnascoverResearchers in Sweden and Australia have retracted a paper in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) after follow-up experiments disproved their conclusions.

Here’s the notice for “Dominant suppression of inflammation by glycan-hydrolyzed IgG,” which is signed by all nine of the paper’s authors: Continue reading Doing the right thing: Authors retract PNAS paper when new experiments show “conclusion was incorrect”

“Editors are pleased to receive death threats on the third Thursday of the month:” A new journal launches

inferenceThere’s a new journal in town.

Inference’s first issue includes a lengthy review of a laboratory by a tennis instructor, a set of caricatures, and an exchange of emails from 1996 that is “perhaps, less remarkable for what it says than for the fact that it took place at all.”

In short, its editors — who “would prefer to remain anonymous” — seem to share a sense of humor with the editors of the Journal of Universal Rejection or the Proceedings of the Natural Institute of Science: Continue reading “Editors are pleased to receive death threats on the third Thursday of the month:” A new journal launches