Search Results for: sting

Does posting on PubPeer count as prior publication? Journal says yes, rejects letter rebutting campus sexual assault data

Journals typically shy away from publishing data and text readers have seen before — but amidst the newly established norms of open science and data sharing, what counts as a prior publication? We’re asking ourselves that question after learning that JAMA Pediatrics has rejected a letter rebutting a recent study in the journal about sexual assault on college campuses after deciding that … Continue reading Does posting on PubPeer count as prior publication? Journal says yes, rejects letter rebutting campus sexual assault data

Author dispute retracts paper suggesting NSAIDs curb growth in rats

The corresponding author asked the Journal of Pediatric Orthopaedics to retract an article that found popular pain medicines can curb growth in rats, in light of an unresolved authorship dispute. The article, “Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs Cause Inhibition of the Growth Plate in Cultured Rat Metatarsal Bones,” details preliminary results that indicate nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) may reduce growth … Continue reading Author dispute retracts paper suggesting NSAIDs curb growth in rats

Al Jazeera America pulls satire hours after posting, calling it “not appropriate”

About 13 hours after posting a satirical piece it posted at 2:00 AM today listing six hot media startups to watch in 2016, Al Jazeera America has retracted it. The satire? Al Jazeera itself is listed as #6, even though the channel is scheduled to close down in April. In its place is the following message:

Science flags immune-boosting paper under investigation

Science magazine has issued an expression of concern for a paper on the discovery of a new immune-boosting protein. The paper’s findings, which received some press coverage when they came out last spring, are now under investigation by Imperial College London. The expression of concern follows a correction noting a Western blot mix-up. Science Editor in Chief Marcia McNutt told … Continue reading Science flags immune-boosting paper under investigation

We’re wasting a lot of research funding using the wrong cell lines. Here’s one thing we can do.

If you could help reduce the waste of tens of billions of dollars per year in research spending, you’d do it, right? This is the second in a series of two guest posts about the havoc misidentified cell lines can wreak on research, from Leonard P. Freedman, president of the Global Biological Standards Institute. Freedman who … Continue reading We’re wasting a lot of research funding using the wrong cell lines. Here’s one thing we can do.

Weekend reads, part 2: Criminalizing scientific fraud; Nobel Prize folly; boosting impact factor

There were so many items to choose from this week for Weekend Reads — probably because it was Peer Review Week — that we decided to split them into two posts. Here’s part 2:

“To our horror”: Widely reported study suggesting divorce is more likely when wives fall ill gets axed

A widely reported finding that the risk of divorce increases when wives fall ill — but not when men do — is invalid, thanks to a short string of mistaken coding that negates the original conclusions, published in the March issue of the Journal of Health and Social Behavior. The paper, “In Sickness and in … Continue reading “To our horror”: Widely reported study suggesting divorce is more likely when wives fall ill gets axed

Corrections (and one EoC) propagate for distinguished plant biologist, Olivier Voinnet

There may be some deeply rooted issues in the work of high-profile plant biologist Olivier Voinnet, biology department research director at ETH in Zurich. Corrections have continued to pile up months after his work was hit with a barrage of criticism on PubPeer. We’ve tracked a total of seven corrections over the past five months (not including … Continue reading Corrections (and one EoC) propagate for distinguished plant biologist, Olivier Voinnet

Beekeeper association stung by retraction after posting accusations about major honey processor

The American Honey Producers Association has apparently retracted an online article that said Honey Holding — a.k.a Honey Solutions, an industrial honey processor — had been charged with tax evasion and illegally selling Chinese honey containing corn syrup and sugar. According to the note: AHPA has removed the article from its website, and is correcting and … Continue reading Beekeeper association stung by retraction after posting accusations about major honey processor

Science pulls advice post suggesting student “put up with” advisor looking down her shirt

The careers site of Science magazine has pulled an advice column posted today from virologist Alice Huang, who suggested a postdoc tolerate an advisor’s roving eye. In the retraction note, Science Careers apologizes for publishing the post, even if it was for just a few hours. “We regret that the article had not undergone proper editorial review … Continue reading Science pulls advice post suggesting student “put up with” advisor looking down her shirt