Despite retractions, brain tumor research papers continue to be cited, Chinese Neurosurgical Journal study finds

An analysis of 582 retracted publications found that nearly 90% of the cited papers continued to receive citations after retraction

Chinese Neurosurgical Journal

Facebook

Email

image: 

A Chinese Neurosurgical Journal study reveals that retractions in brain and CNS tumor research are rising, and nearly 90% of these retracted papers continued to receive citations, highlighting the need for more effective systems to flag retractions and protect research integrity.

view more 

Credit: Dr. Hao Wang from Capital Medical University, China Image source link: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s41016-026-00444-8/figures/2

In academic publishing, papers may be retracted when errors, research misconduct, or problems with the publication process undermine confidence in their findings. As more research is published, the number of retractions has also increased, with cases involving data manipulation, image fabrication, and manipulation of the peer review process becoming more prominent alongside plagiarism and duplicate publication.

To investigate trends in retracted research on brain and central nervous system (CNS) tumors, a study published in Volume 12 of the Chinese Neurosurgical Journal on August 10, 2026, analyzed retracted papers in this field.

The study found that retractions have increased over time, with China, the United States, and India accounting for the highest numbers of retracted papers based on the first author's country. More concerningly, nearly 90% of the cited papers continued to receive citations after retraction, raising concerns about the continued use of unreliable research in this field. The study was conducted by researchers from Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University China.

“Given the rising trend of retractions in biomedical research and the absence of systematic data for CNS tumor retractions, this study was conducted to characterize the landscape of retracted publications and inform efforts to maintain research integrity in neuro-oncology,” the study notes.

The researchers searched the publicly accessible Retraction Watch Database for retracted papers published between 1975 and 2025, using tumor names from the 2021 World Health Organization Classification of Tumors of the Central Nervous System to identify relevant articles. Using records available as of December 31, 2025, the researchers identified 582 retracted papers on CNS tumors published in 217 journals. Of the 217 journals, 16 had each published at least 10 retracted papers, accounting for 42.61% of all retractions. Another 30 journals lacked a 2024 impact factor, and 19 of these had been removed from major journal indexes.

The number of retractions increased over time, peaking at 130 in 2023. Of these articles, 78.01% (454 out of 582) had originally been published after 2015. Nearly three-quarters of the retracted papers (434 out of 582) focused on gliomas, glioneuronal tumors, and neuronal tumors.

Of the 582 papers, 469 (80.58%) were retracted due to research misconduct, with paper mill involvement, image duplication, and compromised peer review among the most common reasons. The highest number of retracted papers came from China, with 401 out of 581 articles (69.02%) based on the first author's country. The United States followed with 68 papers (11.70%), while India accounted for 47 papers (8.09%). However, these figures reflect retraction counts, not retraction rates, as total publications per country were not assessed.

Most retracted papers involved basic research, such as laboratory studies (75.26%, or 438 papers), while clinical research accounted for 17.01% (99 papers). One of the most concerning findings was that many retracted papers continued to be cited after being withdrawn. Of the 582 articles, 515 had received at least one citation, with a combined total of 12,151 citations. Among these 515 papers, 462 (89.71%) continued to receive citations after retraction, and 182 papers (35.34%) received more citations after retraction than they had before it.

These findings suggest that even though a paper has been retracted, its findings may still be used in later research, highlighting the importance of checking a paper's retraction status before citing it.

“The persistence and high rate of post-retraction citations in the CNS tumor field raise concerns about evidence-based patient care. Clinicians and principal investigators are strongly advised to check the retraction status of articles before citing them via databases such as Retraction Watch, PubMed, or Web of Science,” the study notes.

The study calls for better systems to alert researchers in neuro-oncology when papers have been retracted, preventing unreliable findings from continuing to influence future research.

 

***

 

Reference

Title of original paper: Retractions of publications on central nervous system tumors based on the Retraction Watch Database

Journal: Chinese Neurosurgical Journal

DOI: 10.1186/s41016-026-00444-8

 

About Chinese Neurosurgical Journal
Chinese Neurosurgical Journal is an open-access, peer-reviewed journal and the official journal of the Chinese Neurosurgical Society. It publishes research across all areas of neurosurgery, with a strong focus on clinical practice, surgical techniques, and emerging developments in neurology and neuroscience. The journal publishes a range of article types, including case reports, reviews, and studies on topics such as cerebrovascular disease and brain tumors, supporting the exchange of research and clinical knowledge in neurosurgery.

Website: https://link.springer.com/journal/41016

 

About Dr. Hao Wang from Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, China
Hao Wang Department of Science and Technology, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China Department of Neurosurgery, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China

---

Journal

Chinese Neurosurgical Journal

DOI

10.1186/s41016-026-00444-8

Method of Research

Data/statistical analysis

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

Retractions of publications on central nervous system tumors based on the Retraction Watch Database

 

Former energy officials announce effort to develop open-source community modeling framework

College of Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University

Facebook

XLinkedInWeChatBlueskyMessageWhatsAppEmail

Former U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) officials, energy modelers, and partner organizations today announced a new collaborative effort to build the Community National Energy Modeling System (C-NEMS): a free, open-source energy-economy modeling framework.

For decades, EIA has developed and enhanced the National Energy Modeling System (NEMS)—the primary federal model used to project U.S. energy production, consumption, conversion, technology performance, and macroeconomic trends.

Unlike traditional energy models that compel every sector into a single mathematical structure, NEMS allows each energy sector to be modeled using the specific logic that best reflects real-world market dynamics. C-NEMS adapts this modular framework to be more flexible and nimble in addressing questions about a rapidly changing energy system. The C-NEMS team plans to use modules to conduct analysis as they are completed, starting with electricity and natural gas. 

C-NEMS originated as Project BlueSky, an EIA initiative from 2022-2025 designed to build a next-generation energy systems model. When EIA paused development, former EIA leaders and research partners decided to continue development of C-NEMS as an independent, open-source community project.

“This work was too valuable to stop,” said Joe DeCarolis, cofounder of C-NEMS, former EIA Administrator, and current Department Head of Engineering and Public Policy at Carnegie Mellon University. “Freed from a federal production schedule, we can take bigger swings. For example, we're testing creative mathematical formulations that not only address modern energy issues like data center demand, but could cut model run times dramatically, which would let researchers explore a wider range of energy futures than they can today. We're doing that work in the open, where the community can weigh in.” 

DeCarolis and former EIA Chief Modeler Sauleh Siddiqui (now a professor at American University) initiated C-NEMS. The project will be guided by a founding advisory board of former energy officials and experts, alongside contributing modelers from Carnegie Mellon University, American University, Ohio State University, Catalyst Cooperative, and Western Spark. Arnold Ventures and the William + Flora Hewlett Foundation support current development. 

The team builds C-NEMS in the open and invites researchers, developers, and modelers to contribute to the code repository, follow progress, or collaborate at c-nems.org. 

About C-NEMS

The Community National Energy Modeling System (C-NEMS) is an open-source, community-built energy-economy modeling framework. Continuing the foundational work of EIA’s Project BlueSky, C-NEMS provides modular, transparent, and freely accessible modeling code and data to advance energy systems analysis. Current development is supported by Arnold Ventures and the William + Flora Hewlett Foundation.

 

As the cold season nears, immunization of newborns against universal RSV could significantly reduce infant hospitalizations across Europe

Report estimates that most RSV-related hospitalizations in infants can be prevented if 90% of newborns are immunized

European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC)

Facebook

XLinkedInWeChatBlueskyMessageWhatsAppEmail

As the season for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and other respiratory diseases approaches, a new report from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) indicates that universal immunisation of newborns against RSV could substantially reduce hospitalisations among infants linked to the disease during the winter season. Bruno Ciancio, ECDC Head of Unit, said: 

‘Protecting infants from RSV in the first months of their life is particularly important, and we have a tool to do just that. Universal immunisation of newborns against RSV can reduce the risk of hospitalisation due to respiratory infections in young children by more than half.’

The models assessed the potential of providing vaccination to expectant mothers, or immunising infants directly with antibodies. Assuming 90% of newborns are immunised with long-acting monoclonal antibodies at birth, models project that 61% of RSV-related hospitalisations in infants can be prevented in the first two months of life. In the same assessment, ECDC estimates that universal vaccination of pregnant mothers would also lead to substantial reductions in RSV hospitalisation among infants in the first two months of life (52%). 

As Europe enters the autumn and winter months, RSV, influenza and other respiratory infections can put children at risk of serious illness, while also placing additional pressure on healthcare systems across the region. This makes it all the more important to ensure that newborns are immunised against RSV.

 

Tiny windows in petals shape the environment inside flowers

Florida Atlantic University

Facebook

XLinkedInWeChatBlueskyMessageWhatsAppEmail

image: 

Lyonia lucida (a) and L. fruticosa (b) have translucent, unpigmented regions at the proximal end of the corolla (‘windows’). White arrows point to a window on each flower. 

view more 

Credit: (a) Jessica Williams and (b) Jacob Francis

Flowers may look simple from the outside, but inside, they can create their own miniature environments. Research from Florida Atlantic University, published in New Phytologist, offers a new look at how the influence of petal color and light can shape the microscopic world inside a flower. The study shows that translucent “windows” in some flower petals can alter the light and heat entering a flower, changing its internal temperature, and influencing the microbes that live there.

“Flowers have microclimates, and just like the ecosystems we see around us every day, they have distinct temperatures and humidities,” said Jessica Williams, first author and an integrative biology doctoral student in the Department of Biological Sciences in FAU’s Charles E. Schmidt College of Science. “For the last 150 years we have studied how floral color impacts attractiveness to pollinators, but our work shows that this color can impact floral microbiomes via microclimatic shifts.”

The researchers studied two distant cousins of blueberries native to the southeastern United States, Lyonia lucida and Lyonia fruticosa, both of which are found throughout Florida. Their flowers have semi-translucent sections of their petals, as do many other members of the blueberry and heath family, Ericaceae.

“Looking closely at these flowers, we were struck by these ‘windows,’” said Jacob Francis, Ph.D., an assistant professor in FAU’s Department of Biological Sciences and lead principal investigator on the project. “A friend first drew his attention to similar petal structures more than a decade ago on a snowy mountain top in California. Since then, I haven’t been able to stop wondering: Why are these petals translucent? Could they warm flowers and impact the microbes living in flowers?”

To test this decade-old hypothesis, Williams and a collaborative team from the Francis lab measured temperatures inside and outside flowers; quantified culturable yeasts, molds and bacteria; and used small-scale spectrometry to determine how much ultraviolet and infrared radiation (IR) passed through different portions of the petals. They found that flowers with high IR-transmitting windows tended to have less mold in them, while flowers that transmitted more UV light – which is used to sterilize surfaces in healthcare and manufacturing – did not consistently harbor fewer microbes.

Instead, the interaction of light and temperature emerged as the key factor. Warmer flowers generally harbored fewer microbes, and IR transmission increased floral temperature in Lyonia lucida, the species where the team observed the strongest relationship between IR and mold abundance.

On the other hand, the story was less clear in Lyonia fruticosa. It did not warm more under intense IR light.

“What excites me is that these two species bloom together in the same place, yet act very differently,”

said Francis. “One fit our prediction that windows warm flowers and influence microbiome; the other left us with more questions. The variation in what these traits do in different species is what’s beautiful about the natural world to me. There will always be more to learn by looking carefully at flowers.”

Microbes living in flowers are more than incidental inhabitants. Floral microbial communities can influence nectar characteristics and potentially affect interactions between flowers and their pollinators. The findings raise the intriguing potential that a feature as small as a translucent patch on a petal may have longer reaching ecological consequences.

The study was supported in part by research conducted at Archbold Biological Station, a leading nonprofit  biological field station for ecological research and conservation in Florida. Francis and his team are part of one several budding collaborations between Florida Atlantic and Archbold’s research programs. Francis and his research team were among the first to use Archbold’s newly completed NSF-funded Core Laboratory facility. The new laboratory is meant to support Archbold’s rich tradition of field-based with the tools needed for microscopy, molecular and microbial ecology, and tightly controlled bioassays.

“Our new indoor laboratory space supports the outdoor research. Rather than researchers bringing field samples all the way back to their home labs, the new facility allows visiting researchers to ‘bring their lab to the field,’ so to speak. This is exactly the sort of project it was designed to support,” said Aaron David, Ph.D., program director of plant ecology and associate research biologist at Archbold.

According to Francis, this project would not have been possible without Archbold’s support.

“Lyonia grows all over the state, but the unique combination of rich natural history knowledge and modern facilities make Archbold the only place we could have gotten this done,” said Francis.

This work offers a new perspective on flowers as dynamic microhabitats, where light, temperature and microorganisms interact in ways that may influence relationships between plants and their pollinators.

“We are measuring this tiny world that we can’t see,” said Williams. “It’s not immediately apparent to us that the inside of flowers is a unique place. But pollinators put their whole heads inside of these flowers to eat and there are entire ecosystems of microbes in there. What excites me is that differences in these microhabitats could have impacts that could scale up to shape whole ecosystem functions like pollination. That’s what I am trying to understand with my research at Florida Atlantic.”

- FAU -

About Florida Atlantic University:

Florida Atlantic University is one of the nation’s fastest-rising public research universities, serving more than 32,000 students in South Florida. Ranked among the Top 100 Public Universities by U.S. News & World Report, Florida Atlantic is also one of only 13 institutions nationwide to hold Carnegie Foundation designations for R1 research, opportunity and community engagement. Guided by its strategic plan, “2031FAU: Where Tomorrow Begins,” the university is focused on delivering career-ready education and experiential learning, driving scholarly inquiry that creates healthier, safer and more prosperous communities, strengthening institutional excellence, and elevating its impact across South Florida and beyond. Florida Atlantic continues to advance its position as Florida’s first quantum university, integrating research, education and industry partnerships around next-generation computing technologies. Through other signature strengths in neuroscience and healthy aging, environmental, ocean and coastal innovation, and national defense and autonomous systems, Florida Atlantic expands knowledge, fuels economic opportunity and fulfills its mission as South Florida’s hometown university.

 

---

Journal

New Phytologist

DOI

10.1111/nph.71608

Method of Research

Experimental study

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

Petal infrared transmission warms flowers and reduces microbial abundance

Article Publication Date

7-Oct-2026

 

Japan's genome-editing law sets a global ethics challenge

Hiroshima University

Facebook

XLinkedInWeChatBlueskyMessageWhatsAppEmail

A Hiroshima University researcher outlines advantages of Japan's new law that prohibits the transfer of genome-edited human embryos or germ cells into the human reproductive tract and imposes criminal penalties for violations. The law leaves somatic gene-editing therapies unaffected and allowing basic research under legally binding oversight.

A Hiroshima University researcher contends that Japan's newly enacted law regulating human genome-edited embryos and germ cells marks a significant advance in the governance of reproductive genome editing. Tsutomu Sawai, professor at Hiroshima University’s Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences, praises the new law for defining prohibited activities and penalties for violation but also stresses the need for stronger international coordination to prevent the prohibitions from being circumvented by individuals seeking procedures abroad.

The correspondence article was published in the journal Nature Medicine on September 8, 2026.

The law, enacted on July 17, 2026, imposes penalties on prohibited reproductive uses of genome-edited human embryos and germ cells, also known as heritable human genome editing. The prohibitions and penalties take effect on July 24, 2027—one year after the law’s promulgation. While the reproductive use of heritable human genome editing had previously been disallowed in Japan, there were no legal penalties for transferring genome-edited embryos or germ cells into a uterus. While the law prohibits the reproductive use of heritable human genome editing outright, it permits the basic research of heritable human genome editing but under binding ministerial oversight.

“This is an important step by Japan,” said Sawai. “Japan is already a leader in regenerative medicine, and it is expected to also be a leader in the ethics of such therapies.”

Therapies based on genome editing are still permitted

The correspondence notes that Japan's law carefully distinguishes between forms of genome editing that affect future generations and those that do not. Therefore, it does not affect the development of somatic gene-editing therapies, whose effects remain confined to the treated individual.

This distinction is important as gene-editing medicine advances rapidly. Treatments for conditions such as sickle cell disease and transfusion-dependent β-thalassemia have already been approved for patients. These therapies are unaffected by the new law and should continue to be developed through normal scientific and regulatory pathways.

International coordination is crucial

The correspondence agrees with the prohibitions, since the long-term consequences of the edits cannot be verified across multiple generations, and future children, who are most affected by these interventions, cannot consent to them in advance. However, it also warns that national prohibitions are likely insufficient and need international coordination, since people in Japan could seek heritable genome-editing procedures in countries with weaker regulations.

“No country can address heritable genome editing alone," said Sawai. "National laws are necessary, but they must be complemented by international frameworks and cooperation. The decisions we make today will affect generations that cannot speak for themselves.”

At the same time, the correspondence notes that prohibitions today do not necessarily imply prohibition forever. Future developments in science, safety, and ethical understanding may justify reassessment of the law and its underlying ethical assumptions. 

---

Journal

Nature Medicine

DOI

10.1038/s41591-026-04641-x

Method of Research

Commentary/editorial

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

A binding ban, and its limits: Japan legislates on heritable human genome editing

 

Rutgers researchers find gambling risks among young Americans, including teens as young as 13

According to a national survey, 43% of teenagers gambled in the past year, with exposure to family gambling especially common among high-risk teen gamblers

Rutgers University

FacebookXLinkedInWeChatBlueskyMessageWhatsAppEmail

More than half (52.5%) of Americans ages 13 to 27 reported gambling in the past year, including 42.7% of teens ages 13 to 17, according to researchers at the Center for Gambling Studies at the Rutgers School of Social Work.

“We are living in a time where anyone can have a casino or sports book in their pocket,” said Lia Nower, director of the center, who led the study. “Now teens who should be playing sports are betting on them, often with family members.”

In the first national prevalence study of U.S. adolescents and young adults in nearly 20 years, researchers examined 21 gambling activities, ranging from bingo, raffles and games of skill to sports betting, cryptocurrency trading, esports betting and trading on prediction markets. The findings encompass online and in-person activities.

The researchers surveyed 1,677 young Americans and found 5.4% of all respondents were high-risk problem gamblers, a classification that corresponds to gambling addiction in clinical settings.

Among those who gambled in the past year, 39.5% showed some symptoms of problem gambling and 10.3% were high-risk problem gamblers. Among teenage gamblers ages 13 to 17, about 11% were classified as high risk for problems, despite being below the legal age for regulated gambling activities.

“These findings should be a wake-up call for parents, educators, health professionals and policymakers,” Nower said. “Gambling is no longer confined to casinos and lottery tickets. It is increasingly embedded in video games, sports broadcasts and other products young people can access. We have worried this would increase rates of problem gambling among youth. Now we know. It does.”

Researchers identified that risk starts early and isn’t limited to boys. Nearly 43% of teens ages 13 to 17 reported gambling in the past year, often through activities such as bingo, raffles and games of skill. Among gamblers, high-risk problem gambling rates were similar for females (10.7%) and males (9.9%).

Other key findings include:

• Racial and ethnic differences were pronounced. Black respondents reported the highest participation in gambling in the past year (63.9%). Among those who gambled, 17.7% of Black respondents and 12.8% of Hispanic respondents were classified as high-risk problem gamblers, compared with 6.4% of white respondents.
• Lower household income was associated with the highest rates of gambling problems. Nearly 30% of those who gambled from households earning less than $10,000 annually were classified at high risk for problems as were 22.8% of those from households earning $10,000 to under $20,000.
• Researchers found that gambling by family and household members was strongly associated with gambling and problem gambling among young people. Overall, 41.1% of those surveyed reported that a family or household member gambled, including 51.5% of adolescents ages 13 to 17. Those who believed a household member had a gambling problem were more than five times as likely to be high-risk gamblers, while those who gambled with a family member were more than four times as likely.
• Among adolescents ages 13 to 17 classified as high risk for problem gambling, 75.5% had a family member who gambled, 66.3% believed a family member had a gambling problem, and 61.2% had gambled with a family member.

The researchers also examined newer gambling-like activities that are more accessible than legalized gambling. For example, prediction markets allow participants to bet on sports using event contracts, which may fall outside traditional gambling regulations. Social casino games simulate casino gambling without initially costing money to play.

Researchers found about 40% of those who bet on prediction markets as well as 41% of social casino players were classified as high-risk problem gamblers – a rate nearly four times as high as gambling on other activities.

The study confirmed what the researchers have long suspected: there is an additive effect to problem gambling. The earlier and more often one bets and the more activities and settings they use, whether online or in person, the higher the risk for problems. Nearly 46% of those who gambled used both online and in-person venues. Of high-risk problem gamblers, 65.4% used both settings and 52.5% gambled weekly or more. High-risk problem gamblers participated in an average of 6.7 activities, compared with 2.7 among gamblers without problems.

Problem gambling was also associated with higher rates of substance use and mental health concerns. Compared with nongamblers, gamblers reported higher rates of alcohol use (44.6% vs. 25.9%), binge drinking (25.6% vs. 10.5%), drug use (26.7% vs. 17.6%), excessive social media use (51.0% vs. 38.7%) and excessive shopping (12.6% vs. 7.8%). Among high-risk problem gamblers, more than half (52.8%) reported anxiety, 38.4% reported depression and 13.1% reported suicidal ideation.

Nower and members of the Center for Gambling Studies recommend:

• Start prevention education in middle school, providing students, parents, teachers, and counselors with evidence-based information about gambling risks.
• Strengthen oversight of emerging gambling-like products, including prediction markets, social casino games, and other activities that may fall outside conventional gambling safeguards.
• Establish a federal gambling regulatory agency to set national minimum standards, including national self-exclusion and other safeguards that follow players across online and land-based gambling activities.
• Fund prevention and treatment where risk is highest by creating an office for problem gambling within the National Institutes of Health, with community partnerships in low-income communities.

“We cannot wait until young people reach adulthood to begin addressing gambling-related harm,” Nower said. “By that point, we will have very high rates of problem gambling. Prevention must start earlier, screening must be broader, and public policy must recognize that the gambling environment has changed dramatically.”

Help is available: the National Problem Gambling Helpline is 1-800-MY-RESET. In crisis, call or text 988.