Search Results for: medical

“Truly extraordinary,” “simply not credible,” “suspiciously sharp:” A STAP stem cell peer review report revealed

Retraction Watch readers are of course familiar with the STAP stem cell saga, which was punctuated by tragedy last month when one of the authors of the two now-retracted papers in Nature committed suicide. In June, Science‘s news section reported: Sources in the scientific community confirm that early versions of the STAP work were rejected … Continue reading “Truly extraordinary,” “simply not credible,” “suspiciously sharp:” A STAP stem cell peer review report revealed

Diabetes researcher Cory Toth now up to nine retractions

Cory Toth is up to nine retractions. The University of Calgary researcher who told us earlier this year that he “will not be publishing in the world of science in the future” has retracted two papers from Neuroscience. Here’s the notice for “Local erythropoietin signaling enhances regeneration in peripheral axons:”

Weekend reads: DIY peer review, wildly exaggerated breakthroughs, and how to commit fraud without being caught

Another busy week at Retraction Watch. Here’s what was happening elsewhere:

Déjà vu: Double pub in the same issue earns a retraction

Always do a careful reading of your galleys, editors. We imagine readers of Biomedical Chromatography’s special issue, “Reminiscences of Chang Kee Lim,” did some flipping back and forth when they found the same paper published twice. Here’s the resulting notice for “Determination of 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal in serum by high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection after pre-column derivatization using … Continue reading Déjà vu: Double pub in the same issue earns a retraction

This retraction has teeth: Journal changes publication policy after discovering misconduct

The Indian Society of Periodontology has changed their editorial policy as the result of an author who had “neither taken adequate permission from nor given due acknowledgement to all authors concerned.” Now, any authors will be required to sign a contract acknowledging accountability for the content of the submitted paper, as well as be able … Continue reading This retraction has teeth: Journal changes publication policy after discovering misconduct

“Our jaws hit the floor!!” Researchers say authors doctored images for rebuttal letter

Try to follow along on this one. We think it’s worth it. The authors of a letter replying to a comment in a urology journal have retracted their response because it contained inappropriate figures. At least, that’s the official story. The original paper, “Effect of a Risk-stratified Grade of Nerve-sparing Technique on Early Return of … Continue reading “Our jaws hit the floor!!” Researchers say authors doctored images for rebuttal letter

“I am not a monster and I am not unreasonable:” Student attacks professor with axe after grant is cut

A physics graduate student at the University of Coimbra in Portugal attacked a professor with an axe earlier this month after losing a grant. The student, Colin Paul Gloster, attacked physics lecturer Maria Filomena Santos, who according to the Irish Mirror will “require reconstructive surgery as the axe cut very close to the tendons.” Speaking of … Continue reading “I am not a monster and I am not unreasonable:” Student attacks professor with axe after grant is cut

Weekend reads: Peer review abuse, a journal that will print anything for $1,200, PubPeer faces legal threats

Another busy week at Retraction Watch. Here’s what was happening elsewhere:

Second study of widely touted cancer and HIV “cure” retracted

Last month, we brought you the story of the retraction of a paper by Nobutu Yamamoto and colleagues about “a protein being used — unapproved by health agencies — to treat diseases including cancer and autism.” A second paper by the group, about using the protein to treat HIV, has been retracted. Here’s the notice … Continue reading Second study of widely touted cancer and HIV “cure” retracted

Hmm: Authors retract paper rather than allow discussion of politics of organ donation in China

Organ donation in China, particularly the practice of using organs from executed prisoners, which the government pledged to stop by the middle of this year, has been a controversial subject. For a group of authors in that country and the U.S, a letter criticizing their work that introduced “the political situation of organ donation in … Continue reading Hmm: Authors retract paper rather than allow discussion of politics of organ donation in China