Fabian Wittmers - PubPeer: Archasia Belfragei
@academic-integrity.bsky.social
just a scientist who cares about scientific integrity.
Find sketchy things I find on pubpeer, user "Archasia Belfragei"
Find sketchy things I find on pubpeer, user "Archasia Belfragei"
Wang et al. 2024 (DOI: 10.1038/s41419-024-06897-y) corrected their paper once, but unfortunately, in the already CORRECTED figure they ended up using images that overlapped... Now they request to correct the correction. 🤦♂️ I don't know what else to say... #ImageForensics
pubpeer.com/publications...
pubpeer.com/publications...
December 6, 2025 at 8:05 PM
Wang et al. 2024 (DOI: 10.1038/s41419-024-06897-y) corrected their paper once, but unfortunately, in the already CORRECTED figure they ended up using images that overlapped... Now they request to correct the correction. 🤦♂️ I don't know what else to say... #ImageForensics
pubpeer.com/publications...
pubpeer.com/publications...
Not only 157(!!!) citations to a single "researcher" 🤡, but also fake microscopy images??? This paper has it all!: El-Bindary et al. 2023 (DOI: 10.1016/j.molliq.2023.121946) - Truly magnificent work, published in the Journal of Molecular Liquids! pubpeer.com/publications...
December 3, 2025 at 12:46 AM
Not only 157(!!!) citations to a single "researcher" 🤡, but also fake microscopy images??? This paper has it all!: El-Bindary et al. 2023 (DOI: 10.1016/j.molliq.2023.121946) - Truly magnificent work, published in the Journal of Molecular Liquids! pubpeer.com/publications...
Retraction for a (now) Oxford University group leader in a Royal Society journal. This work was published during the first-authors PhD at Exeter University: Tabish et al. 2018 (DOI: 10.1098/rsfs.2017.0054). pubpeer.com/publications...
I reported this to the journal 3 months ago:
I reported this to the journal 3 months ago:
November 29, 2025 at 10:08 PM
Retraction for a (now) Oxford University group leader in a Royal Society journal. This work was published during the first-authors PhD at Exeter University: Tabish et al. 2018 (DOI: 10.1098/rsfs.2017.0054). pubpeer.com/publications...
I reported this to the journal 3 months ago:
I reported this to the journal 3 months ago:
Reported in March, retracted recently: Mousazadeh et al.2022 (DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2021.118747) 'Carbohydrate Polymers'.
The authors even argued on PubPeer that repetitions in noise in their various figures is totally expected 🤡
pubpeer.com/publications...
Glad Elsevier didn't buy it...
The authors even argued on PubPeer that repetitions in noise in their various figures is totally expected 🤡
pubpeer.com/publications...
Glad Elsevier didn't buy it...
November 28, 2025 at 5:58 AM
Reported in March, retracted recently: Mousazadeh et al.2022 (DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2021.118747) 'Carbohydrate Polymers'.
The authors even argued on PubPeer that repetitions in noise in their various figures is totally expected 🤡
pubpeer.com/publications...
Glad Elsevier didn't buy it...
The authors even argued on PubPeer that repetitions in noise in their various figures is totally expected 🤡
pubpeer.com/publications...
Glad Elsevier didn't buy it...
Happy Thanksgiving!
A nonsense paper I posted about 9 months ago got retracted by the Elsevier journal today, what a nice Thanksgiving present:
pubpeer.com/publications...
Meng et al. 2021 (DOI: 10.1016/j.jare.2020.08.010) ...probably not the last retraction for this author.
A nonsense paper I posted about 9 months ago got retracted by the Elsevier journal today, what a nice Thanksgiving present:
pubpeer.com/publications...
Meng et al. 2021 (DOI: 10.1016/j.jare.2020.08.010) ...probably not the last retraction for this author.
November 27, 2025 at 6:56 PM
Happy Thanksgiving!
A nonsense paper I posted about 9 months ago got retracted by the Elsevier journal today, what a nice Thanksgiving present:
pubpeer.com/publications...
Meng et al. 2021 (DOI: 10.1016/j.jare.2020.08.010) ...probably not the last retraction for this author.
A nonsense paper I posted about 9 months ago got retracted by the Elsevier journal today, what a nice Thanksgiving present:
pubpeer.com/publications...
Meng et al. 2021 (DOI: 10.1016/j.jare.2020.08.010) ...probably not the last retraction for this author.
A great start to the week when you get a notification from @smutclyde.bsky.social spotting a Wiley retraction of a paper me & @sholtodavid.bsky.social flagged in July '25: Wu et al. 2020 (DOI: 10.1002/adhm.201901307) pubpeer.com/publications...
November 24, 2025 at 7:36 PM
A great start to the week when you get a notification from @smutclyde.bsky.social spotting a Wiley retraction of a paper me & @sholtodavid.bsky.social flagged in July '25: Wu et al. 2020 (DOI: 10.1002/adhm.201901307) pubpeer.com/publications...
This article was already corrected, replacing Figure 7 because of image duplication. Yet, in the now 'correct' figure, some of the image panels are still obviously mixed-up. Who approved this correction?:
Du et al. 2022 (DOI: 10.1186/s12885-022-09740-9) 'BMC Cancer' pubpeer.com/publications...
Du et al. 2022 (DOI: 10.1186/s12885-022-09740-9) 'BMC Cancer' pubpeer.com/publications...
November 16, 2025 at 8:52 PM
This article was already corrected, replacing Figure 7 because of image duplication. Yet, in the now 'correct' figure, some of the image panels are still obviously mixed-up. Who approved this correction?:
Du et al. 2022 (DOI: 10.1186/s12885-022-09740-9) 'BMC Cancer' pubpeer.com/publications...
Du et al. 2022 (DOI: 10.1186/s12885-022-09740-9) 'BMC Cancer' pubpeer.com/publications...
I have recently been looking more closely at BMC Cancer. They often correct papers but it seems like no-one checks if the "corrected" figures are actually correct. Huang et al. 2021 (DOI: 10.1186/s12885-021-08056-4) is just one example. pubpeer.com/publications...
This is a "corrected" figure:
This is a "corrected" figure:
November 16, 2025 at 8:40 PM
I have recently been looking more closely at BMC Cancer. They often correct papers but it seems like no-one checks if the "corrected" figures are actually correct. Huang et al. 2021 (DOI: 10.1186/s12885-021-08056-4) is just one example. pubpeer.com/publications...
This is a "corrected" figure:
This is a "corrected" figure:
Another retraction, for concerns that I reported in February. Wiley even credited me in the note (that's a first)!: Sarandry et al. 2015 (DOI: 10.1155/2015/919342) reused data published years prior + most of the newly presented data consisted of overlapping images... pubpeer.com/publications...
November 14, 2025 at 9:12 PM
Another retraction, for concerns that I reported in February. Wiley even credited me in the note (that's a first)!: Sarandry et al. 2015 (DOI: 10.1155/2015/919342) reused data published years prior + most of the newly presented data consisted of overlapping images... pubpeer.com/publications...
November 14, 2025 at 2:19 AM
I am not entirely sure why these regions appear cloned and what the purpose of this type of image alteration is, but this doesn't seem correct to me: Mokhtari et al. 2019 (DOI: 10.1186/s12885-019-6018-1) in 'BMC Cancer': pubpeer.com/publications...
November 14, 2025 at 2:16 AM
I am not entirely sure why these regions appear cloned and what the purpose of this type of image alteration is, but this doesn't seem correct to me: Mokhtari et al. 2019 (DOI: 10.1186/s12885-019-6018-1) in 'BMC Cancer': pubpeer.com/publications...
Another example of great 'BMC Cancer' research: Gao et al. 2021 (DOI: 10.1186/s12885-021-08294-6) - non-coding RNA & breast cancer "research" seem to pair well...
pubpeer.com/publications... #ResearchIntegrity #ImageForensics
pubpeer.com/publications... #ResearchIntegrity #ImageForensics
November 14, 2025 at 2:11 AM
Another example of great 'BMC Cancer' research: Gao et al. 2021 (DOI: 10.1186/s12885-021-08294-6) - non-coding RNA & breast cancer "research" seem to pair well...
pubpeer.com/publications... #ResearchIntegrity #ImageForensics
pubpeer.com/publications... #ResearchIntegrity #ImageForensics
I have recently been looking closely at some BMC journals. To no ones surprise, there is an abundance of questionable biomedical research. For example: Wang et al. 2021 (DOI: 10.1186/s12885-021-08914-1) in 'BMC Cancer' pubpeer.com/publications...
November 14, 2025 at 2:06 AM
I have recently been looking closely at some BMC journals. To no ones surprise, there is an abundance of questionable biomedical research. For example: Wang et al. 2021 (DOI: 10.1186/s12885-021-08914-1) in 'BMC Cancer' pubpeer.com/publications...
Always a good start to the week when you get notified that a paper flagged more than a year ago finally got retracted: Ahsan et al. 2021 (DOI: 10.1007/s10787-021-00840-9). Images overlap with multiple other papers. pubpeer.com/publications...
November 10, 2025 at 5:01 PM
Always a good start to the week when you get notified that a paper flagged more than a year ago finally got retracted: Ahsan et al. 2021 (DOI: 10.1007/s10787-021-00840-9). Images overlap with multiple other papers. pubpeer.com/publications...
Wiley today retracted this paper in which a corner clone was used to manipulate a microscopy-image: Iconaru et al. 2011 (DOI: 10.1155/2011/291512) - retraction was the appropriate actions. pubpeer.com/publications...
I even got cited for my comment on PubPeer! That's a first for me, but nice to see.
I even got cited for my comment on PubPeer! That's a first for me, but nice to see.
November 5, 2025 at 8:05 PM
Wiley today retracted this paper in which a corner clone was used to manipulate a microscopy-image: Iconaru et al. 2011 (DOI: 10.1155/2011/291512) - retraction was the appropriate actions. pubpeer.com/publications...
I even got cited for my comment on PubPeer! That's a first for me, but nice to see.
I even got cited for my comment on PubPeer! That's a first for me, but nice to see.
Not sure I buy these scale bars, at least one must be off.
Team from India & New Zealand: Yadav et al. 2025 (DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.146238). That's on top of what seems like the same underlying image representing two materials... pubpeer.com/publications...
Team from India & New Zealand: Yadav et al. 2025 (DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.146238). That's on top of what seems like the same underlying image representing two materials... pubpeer.com/publications...
November 4, 2025 at 7:36 PM
Not sure I buy these scale bars, at least one must be off.
Team from India & New Zealand: Yadav et al. 2025 (DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.146238). That's on top of what seems like the same underlying image representing two materials... pubpeer.com/publications...
Team from India & New Zealand: Yadav et al. 2025 (DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.146238). That's on top of what seems like the same underlying image representing two materials... pubpeer.com/publications...
Next retraction for Italian cancer researcher Sebastiano Andó: molpharm.aspetjournals.org/article/S002... pubpeer.com/publications... The first concerns on this article were raised in 2013 by C. Francis
I wrote about this disgraceful saga for FBS a few weeks ago: forbetterscience.com/2025/10/21/l...
I wrote about this disgraceful saga for FBS a few weeks ago: forbetterscience.com/2025/10/21/l...
November 1, 2025 at 4:13 AM
Next retraction for Italian cancer researcher Sebastiano Andó: molpharm.aspetjournals.org/article/S002... pubpeer.com/publications... The first concerns on this article were raised in 2013 by C. Francis
I wrote about this disgraceful saga for FBS a few weeks ago: forbetterscience.com/2025/10/21/l...
I wrote about this disgraceful saga for FBS a few weeks ago: forbetterscience.com/2025/10/21/l...
More 'science' by the same Canadian team: Nabipour et al. 2025 (DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.140027). pubpeer.com/publications...
Plenty more anomalies and issues flagged by various others on PubPeer; too much to blame it on a student or undergrad.
Plenty more anomalies and issues flagged by various others on PubPeer; too much to blame it on a student or undergrad.
October 30, 2025 at 4:50 PM
More 'science' by the same Canadian team: Nabipour et al. 2025 (DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.140027). pubpeer.com/publications...
Plenty more anomalies and issues flagged by various others on PubPeer; too much to blame it on a student or undergrad.
Plenty more anomalies and issues flagged by various others on PubPeer; too much to blame it on a student or undergrad.
Some interesting data coming out of this Canadian research group: Nabipour et al. 2024 (DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.128875) - University of Western Ontario seem to have hired some (photoshop) experts cosplaying as 'scientists' pubpeer.com/publications...
October 30, 2025 at 4:47 PM
Some interesting data coming out of this Canadian research group: Nabipour et al. 2024 (DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.128875) - University of Western Ontario seem to have hired some (photoshop) experts cosplaying as 'scientists' pubpeer.com/publications...
Shanghai-based Deng-Guang Yu just lost his 2nd paper (~100 flagged on PubPeer).
It was reported to Frontiers in February & recycled data originally published in 2013 by Yu's team:
Wang et al. 2023 (DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2023.1184767) pubpeer.com/publications...
forbetterscience.com/2025/03/03/a...
It was reported to Frontiers in February & recycled data originally published in 2013 by Yu's team:
Wang et al. 2023 (DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2023.1184767) pubpeer.com/publications...
forbetterscience.com/2025/03/03/a...
October 28, 2025 at 3:45 PM
Shanghai-based Deng-Guang Yu just lost his 2nd paper (~100 flagged on PubPeer).
It was reported to Frontiers in February & recycled data originally published in 2013 by Yu's team:
Wang et al. 2023 (DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2023.1184767) pubpeer.com/publications...
forbetterscience.com/2025/03/03/a...
It was reported to Frontiers in February & recycled data originally published in 2013 by Yu's team:
Wang et al. 2023 (DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2023.1184767) pubpeer.com/publications...
forbetterscience.com/2025/03/03/a...
"Anti-inflammatory and osteogenic nanofibrous scaffolds of bioactive glass/carboxymethyl chitosan-reinforced PCL short fibers for alveolar bone regeneration"
The title almost gave me a stroke. No further comment.
Feng et al. 2025 (DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.147197) pubpeer.com/publications...
The title almost gave me a stroke. No further comment.
Feng et al. 2025 (DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.147197) pubpeer.com/publications...
October 28, 2025 at 4:11 AM
"Anti-inflammatory and osteogenic nanofibrous scaffolds of bioactive glass/carboxymethyl chitosan-reinforced PCL short fibers for alveolar bone regeneration"
The title almost gave me a stroke. No further comment.
Feng et al. 2025 (DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.147197) pubpeer.com/publications...
The title almost gave me a stroke. No further comment.
Feng et al. 2025 (DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.147197) pubpeer.com/publications...
If you correct your paper because of crooked microscopy images but you don't have any clean data to use, so you have to use more nonsense for the "corrected" figure: He et al. 2021 (DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2021.117870) pubpeer.com/publications...
Issuing a correction for the correction next?
Issuing a correction for the correction next?
October 26, 2025 at 10:42 PM
If you correct your paper because of crooked microscopy images but you don't have any clean data to use, so you have to use more nonsense for the "corrected" figure: He et al. 2021 (DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2021.117870) pubpeer.com/publications...
Issuing a correction for the correction next?
Issuing a correction for the correction next?
It is 2025 and Elsevier's International Journal of Biological Macromolecules still publishes nonsense wound healing studies: Mahadev et al. 2025 (DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.140097) pubpeer.com/publications...
100ths of these flagged on PubPeer. 0 scientific value, just animal torture...
100ths of these flagged on PubPeer. 0 scientific value, just animal torture...
October 25, 2025 at 10:15 PM
It is 2025 and Elsevier's International Journal of Biological Macromolecules still publishes nonsense wound healing studies: Mahadev et al. 2025 (DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.140097) pubpeer.com/publications...
100ths of these flagged on PubPeer. 0 scientific value, just animal torture...
100ths of these flagged on PubPeer. 0 scientific value, just animal torture...
Wiley today retracted this nonsense: Yang et al. 2019. Almost all issues were already flagged in 2020 by @smutclyde.bsky.social. I send a complaint about the paper in June 2025 and that seems to have woken up the journal at last... pubpeer.com/publications...
October 22, 2025 at 9:57 PM
Wiley today retracted this nonsense: Yang et al. 2019. Almost all issues were already flagged in 2020 by @smutclyde.bsky.social. I send a complaint about the paper in June 2025 and that seems to have woken up the journal at last... pubpeer.com/publications...
In case you think Science Family journals are immune to issues: I emailed the editors and Science on March 1st 2025 and have not heard back on this. Cited ~6000 times by the way: Ginhoux et al. 2010 (DOI: 10.1126/science.1194637). Might be an honest mistake but it should be addressed/clarified, no?
October 20, 2025 at 4:58 PM
In case you think Science Family journals are immune to issues: I emailed the editors and Science on March 1st 2025 and have not heard back on this. Cited ~6000 times by the way: Ginhoux et al. 2010 (DOI: 10.1126/science.1194637). Might be an honest mistake but it should be addressed/clarified, no?