Weekend reads: “Hot-crazy matrix” paper; “comfort women” controversy; COVID-19 vaccine misinformation

Before we present this week’s Weekend Reads, a question: Do you enjoy our weekly roundup? If so, we could really use your help. Would you consider a tax-deductible donation to support Weekend Reads, and our daily work? Thanks in advance. The week at Retraction Watch featured: Eleven papers corrected after nutrition prof fails to disclose patent, … Continue reading Weekend reads: “Hot-crazy matrix” paper; “comfort women” controversy; COVID-19 vaccine misinformation

NIH researcher responds as sleuths scrutinize high-profile study of ultra-processed foods and weight gain

[This post has been updated since publication; see update note at end for details.] In July 2019, Kevin Hall, of the U.S. National Institutes of Health, and colleagues published a study in Cell Metabolism that found, according to its title, that “Ultra-Processed Diets Cause Excess Calorie Intake and Weight Gain.”  A year and a half … Continue reading NIH researcher responds as sleuths scrutinize high-profile study of ultra-processed foods and weight gain

Publisher retracts 14 papers by doctor who ran afoul of U.S. FDA for marketing supplements

Dove Press last week retracted 14 papers by Marty Hinz, a Minnesota doctor who caught the attention of the U.S. FDA years ago for hyping supplements sold by a company he once owned. The 14 articles — on the use of supplements to treat conditions ranging from Crohn’s disease to Parkinson’s disease — were among … Continue reading Publisher retracts 14 papers by doctor who ran afoul of U.S. FDA for marketing supplements

Psychologist’s paper retracted after Dutch national body affirms misconduct findings

A cognitive psychologist in Germany has lost one of two papers slated for retraction after her former institution found her guilty of misconduct.  In a 2019 report, Leiden University found that Lorenza Colzato, now of TU Dresden, had failed to obtain ethics ethics approval for some of her studies, manipulated her data and fabricated results … Continue reading Psychologist’s paper retracted after Dutch national body affirms misconduct findings

Weekend reads: Hydroxychloroquine champion faces ethics charges; a serial plagiarist in philosophy; another author reaches 100 retractions

Before we present this week’s Weekend Reads, a question: Do you enjoy our weekly roundup? If so, we could really use your help. Would you consider a tax-deductible donation to support Weekend Reads, and our daily work? Thanks in advance. The week at Retraction Watch featured: Journals flag concerns in three dozen papers by nutrition researchers … Continue reading Weekend reads: Hydroxychloroquine champion faces ethics charges; a serial plagiarist in philosophy; another author reaches 100 retractions

Author says ‘misguided efforts for the ideal western blot led to the withdrawal of these studies’

The Journal of Biological Chemistry has retracted two papers by a group from the University of Toronto over what the leader of the research says were “misguided efforts” by a co-author to make the perfect Western blot.  The retractions are among a batch of seven recent removals by the journal for image issues, some of … Continue reading Author says ‘misguided efforts for the ideal western blot led to the withdrawal of these studies’

PLOS ONE issues expression of concern for study of dog food and heart problems for failure to disclose conflicts of interest, other issues

A group of veterinary researchers at the University of California, Davis, has received an expression of concern for their May 2020 study on heart disease in dogs, for failing to adequately disclose conflicts of interest and for other aspects of the article.  The paper, “Development of plasma and whole blood taurine reference ranges and identification … Continue reading PLOS ONE issues expression of concern for study of dog food and heart problems for failure to disclose conflicts of interest, other issues

Weekend reads: Retracted COVID-19 papers; a coronavirus study kept under wraps; Harvard and Jeffrey Epstein

Before we present this week’s Weekend Reads, a question: Do you enjoy our weekly roundup? If so, we could really use your help. Would you consider a tax-deductible donation to support Weekend Reads, and our daily work? Thanks in advance. Sending thoughts to our readers and wishing them the best in this uncertain time. The week … Continue reading Weekend reads: Retracted COVID-19 papers; a coronavirus study kept under wraps; Harvard and Jeffrey Epstein

‘I shot at my own foot with my own gun’: Journal rebuffs attempt at un-retraction

An Elsevier journal has denied the efforts of a group of researchers — well, most of them, anyway — to reverse a retraction after having agreed to the move in the first place. The dispute centers on a 2018 paper in Preventive Medicine Reports titled  “Association between low-testosterone and kidney stones in US men: The … Continue reading ‘I shot at my own foot with my own gun’: Journal rebuffs attempt at un-retraction