Search Results for: stem cell

Biology journal bans plagiarizers, reviewers with non-institutional email addresses

DNA and Cell Biology has declared it will ban any authors who submit plagiarized manuscripts for three years, and will no longer accept suggestions of reviewers with non-institutional email addresses. The move comes after a wave of hundreds of retractions stemming from fake peer reviews, often occurring when authors supply fake emails for suggested reviewers. In an … Continue reading Biology journal bans plagiarizers, reviewers with non-institutional email addresses

Former ob-gyn prof notches ninth retraction; investigation still underway

A retired obstetrics and gynecology professor under federal investigation for misconduct has notched his ninth retraction. The latest retraction stems from an investigation by the University of Florida, where Nasser Chegini worked until 2012, which found fabricated data in three figures in a paper on the muscle cells that line the uterus. The paper, “Differential expression of microRNAs in myometrium and … Continue reading Former ob-gyn prof notches ninth retraction; investigation still underway

Much of preclinical research into one cancer drug is flawed, says report

A review of preclinical research of a now widely used cancer drug suggests the studies contain multiple methodology flaws and overestimate the benefits of the drug. Specifically, the researchers found that most studies didn’t randomize treatments, didn’t blind investigators to which animals were receiving the drug, and tested tumors in only one animal model, which limits the … Continue reading Much of preclinical research into one cancer drug is flawed, says report

Elsevier retracting nine papers for fake peer review

The fake peer review retraction count continues to mount. Elsevier is retracting nine papers from five journals because fake email addresses for reviewers were provided during submission of the original manuscripts. According to a statement from the publisher:

Nature: No plans to change wording of STAP retractions

Despite acknowledging in its own pages that two recent high-profile retraction notices turned out to not tell the whole story, Nature will not be updating the original retraction notices, the journal tells us. We checked in with Nature after it published two Brief Communications Arising regarding two high-profile retractions of papers describing a new method of reprogramming … Continue reading Nature: No plans to change wording of STAP retractions

Predatory journals published 400,000 papers in 2014: Report

The number of so-called “predatory” open-access journals that allegedly sidestep publishing standards in order to make money off of article processing charges has dramatically expanded in recent years, and three-quarters of authors are based in either Asia or Africa, according to a new analysis from BMC Medicine.* The number of articles published by predatory journals spiked … Continue reading Predatory journals published 400,000 papers in 2014: Report

Top official at Indian university plagiarized most of paper

A top official and law researcher at a university in India is facing dismissal after being charged with plagiarizing approximately three-quarters of one of her papers, among other allegations. Chandra Krishnamurthy, the Vice Chancellor at Pondicherry University, has been “placed under ‘compulsory wait’ by the Union human resource ministry following several charges against her,” according to … Continue reading Top official at Indian university plagiarized most of paper

Retraction no. 8 (and a 1/2) hits former Duke researcher Erin Potts-Kant

Another retraction and a correction that retracts two figures — ie, a partial retraction — have been posted for Duke University lung researchers, Erin Potts-Kant and Michael Foster. These latest notices move the count up to 8.5 retractions for Potts-Kant and 7.5 for Foster (counting the partial retraction as 1/2), along with the correction for both. In … Continue reading Retraction no. 8 (and a 1/2) hits former Duke researcher Erin Potts-Kant

Weekend reads: Journal invents time machine; endless author lists; is nuance overrated?

The week at Retraction Watch featured the unmasking of the people behind PubPeer, and an editor doing the right thing following a high-profile retraction. Here’s what was happening elsewhere:

NSF investigation of high-profile plant retractions ends in two debarments

A nearly ten-year-long series of investigations into a pair of plant physiologists who received millions in funding from the U.S. National Science Foundation has resulted in debarments of less than two years for each of the researchers. The NSF Office of Inspector General recently posted its close-out report on its decision and a review of … Continue reading NSF investigation of high-profile plant retractions ends in two debarments