Research integrity

A stupid and foolish question

"Those noises have no scientific meanings, suggest nothing, forming no any judgments, and have no any influences on the experimental results. " - Professor Deng‐Guang Yu

Unknown's avatar
by Leonid Schneider
Comments 4

Dear professors: never insult your critics on PubPeer. Unlike you are used to from your daily experience in the lab, those PubPeer commenters, especially anonymous ones, are absolutely not afraid of you. If you bully them like your lab members, you motivate them to scrutinise your papers even more.

I mean, ask Thomas Südhof, the Nobel Prize laureate.

Tom Südhof’s Verfolgte Unschuld

“The professional bloggers are now trying to turn this into a question of research integrity which is deeply misleading, and claim that they are doing this not for financial gain. Judge for yourself!” – Thomas Südhof, Nobel Prize laureate

Leonid Schneider's avatar by Leonid Schneider

And now, meet the materials scientist Deng-Guang Yu, professor at the University of Shanghai for Science and Technology in China. From 2008 till 2015, Yu was Visiting Scholar at London Metropolitan University and UCL in London, UK. His English collaborators probably regret all these papers they published together with Yu. UCL even grudgingly announced to investigate.

The PubPeer campaign was run by two pseudonymous sleuths, Archasia belfragei and Thallarcha lechrioleuca. And Yu’s cunning response was first to be rude, and then to post nonsense.

Here is a typical Yu paper, with his Shanghai affiliation:

Wei Qian , Deng-Guang Yu, Ying Li , Xiao-Yan Li , Yao-Zu Liao , Xia Wang Triple‐Component Drug‐Loaded Nanocomposites Prepared Using a Modified Coaxial Electrospinning Journal of Nanomaterials (2013) doi: 10.1155/2013/826471 

Archasia belfragei: “Figure 5 XRD patterns for multiple materials share the same exact noise along a large part of the spectra”

And here is a case where one single XRD spectrum was reused NINE times, for different experiments in 3 papers:

Thallarcha lechrioleuca: “Fig.5 Two identical XRD patterns”, “Fig.7 Three XRD patterns with unexpectedly similar noise”
Thallarcha lechrioleuca: “Fig.6 Unexpected noise similarities in 4 pink XRD patterns”

The next study has two corresponding authors, Yu and Gareth Williams, professor of pharmaceutical materials science at UCL, Deputy Director of UCL School of Pharmacy and Head of Research at Department of Pharmaceutics:

Shixiong Kang, Shicong Hou, Xunwei Chen, Deng-Guang Yu, Lin Wang, Xiaoyan Li, Gareth R. Williams Energy-Saving Electrospinning with a Concentric Teflon-Core Rod Spinneret to Create Medicated Nanofibers Polymers (2020) doi: 10.3390/polym12102421 

Archasia belfragei: “XRD spectra in figure 8a have seemingly identical noise, expect that spectrum of N2 is slightly longer:”
“ATR-FTIR spectra in figure 8b have seemingly identical noise, expect that spectrum of N2 is slightly longer:”

Same two corresponding authors, Yu and Williams:

Xia Wang , Deng-Guang Yu, Xiao-Yan Li , S.W. Annie Bligh , Gareth R. Williams Electrospun medicated shellac nanofibers for colon-targeted drug delivery International Journal of Pharmaceutics (2015) doi: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2015.05.077 

Archasia belfragei: “Figure 4a seems to contain two identical spectra with the same exact noise”

This study has 3 corresponding authors including Yu and Williams, the last author SW Annie Bligh whom you just met above, is Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry, formerly professor at London Metropolitan University, then Dean at University of Westminster in UK, and now Provost at University of St Francis in Hong Kong, China:

Xiaolu Zheng , Shixiong Kang , Ke Wang , Yaoyao Yang , Deng-Guang Yu, Fuxian Wan , Gareth R. Williams, Sim-Wan Annie Bligh Combination of structure-performance and shape-performance relationships for better biphasic release in electrospun Janus fibers International Journal of Pharmaceutics (2021) doi: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2021.120203 

Archasia belfragei: “Spectra in 4a for F2 and F4 seem identical, including in their noise signature, which should be unique”

Once again, Williams and Yu are corresponding authors:

Guang-Zhi Yang , Jiao-Jiao Li , Deng-Guang Yu, Mei-Feng He , Jun-He Yang , Gareth R. Williams Nanosized sustained-release drug depots fabricated using modified tri-axial electrospinning Acta Biomaterialia (2017) doi: 10.1016/j.actbio.2017.01.069 

Archasia belfragei: “There is unexpected similarities in the spectra noise of two different materials in figure 6a”

More fake spectra by Yu and Williams:

Deng-Guang Yu, Jia-Hui Yu , Lan Chen , Gareth R. Williams, Xia Wang Modified coaxial electrospinning for the preparation of high-quality ketoprofen-loaded cellulose acetate nanofibers Carbohydrate Polymers (2012) doi: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2012.06.036 

Thallarcha lechrioleuca: “Fig3 shows two XRD patterns with unexpectedly similar noise for different samples.”

This is also bad, Yu again corresponding author:

Chen Li , Deng-Guang Yu, Gareth R. Williams , Zhuan-Hua Wang Fast-dissolving core-shell composite microparticles of quercetin fabricated using a coaxial electrospray process PloS one (2014) doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0092106 

Thallarcha lechrioleuca: “Fig.3 Unexpected overlap between two FESEM images”
Thallarcha lechrioleuca: “Fragment of Fig.6 with 3 patterns showing enexpectedly similar noise”

Here Williams is last author, although not corresponding:

Chen Li , Zhuan-Hua Wang , Deng-Guang Yu, Gareth R Williams Tunable biphasic drug release from ethyl cellulose nanofibers fabricated using a modified coaxial electrospinning process Nanoscale Research Letters (2014) doi: 10.1186/1556-276x-9-258 

Archasia belfragei: “Figure 5a contains seemingly duplicated spectra:
F3 and F4 seem identical in noise. PVP K10 and PVP K90 seem identical in noise.”

And also here Williams is corresponding author:

Brenda Sanchez-Vazquez , Adérito J. R. Amaral , Deng-Guang Yu , George Pasparakis , Gareth R. Williams Electrosprayed Janus Particles for Combined Photo-Chemotherapy AAPS PharmSciTech (2017) doi: 10.1208/s12249-016-0638-4 

Thallarcha lechrioleuca: “Fig.3 Four patterns with unexpectedly similar noise”

And even more by Yu with esteemed British professors Williams and Bligh, flagged by Archasia belfragei and Thallarcha lechrioleuca:

Yaoyao Yang , Wenbing Li , Deng-Guang Yu, Guanhua Wang , Gareth R. Williams , Zhu Zhang Tunable drug release from nanofibers coated with blank cellulose acetate layers fabricated using tri-axial electrospinning Carbohydrate Polymers (2019) doi: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2018.09.061 
Miao Jin , Deng-Guang Yu , Carlos F. G. C. Geraldes , Gareth R. Williams, S. W. Annie Bligh Theranostic Fibers for Simultaneous Imaging and Drug Delivery Molecular Pharmaceutics (2016) doi: 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.6b00197  
“Figure 5 spectra for F3 and F2 are identical with the same noise signal, although they reflect different materials.”
Ke Wang , Pu Wang , Menglong Wang , Deng-Guang Yu author has email , Fuxian Wan , S.W. Annie Bligh Comparative study of electrospun crystal-based and composite-based drug nano depots Materials Science and Engineering C (2020) doi: 10.1016/j.msec.2020.110988 
Xinkuan Liu, Yaoyao Yang , Deng-Guang Yu, Ming-Jie Zhu , Min Zhao , Gareth R. Williams Tunable zero-order drug delivery systems created by modified triaxial electrospinning Chemical Engineering Journal (2019) doi: 10.1016/j.cej.2018.09.096 
“Fig.5 F2 and F3 patterns with unexpectedly similar noise”
Deng-Guang Yu author has email , Gareth R. Williams , Li-Dong Gao , S.W. Annie Bligh , Jun-He Yang , Xia Wang
Coaxial electrospinning with sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate solution for high quality polyacrylonitrile nanofibers Colloids and Surfaces A: (2012) doi: 10.1016/j.colsurfa.2011.12.063 
Jiangang Xie , Hairong Mao , Deng-Guang Yu, Gareth R. Williams , Miao Jin Highly stable coated polyvinylpyrrolidone nanofibers prepared using modified coaxial electrospinning Fibers and Polymers (2014) doi: 10.1007/s12221-014-0078-2 
“ATR-FTIR spectra in Figure 5 seem identical for F3 and F2, including the same “random” noise (apart from 1659/1660 peak).”

As promised, you will soon see why the sleuths were so motivated to screen Yu’s papers. But before that, how about this set of three:

Archasia belfragei: “This paper is one of three that seem to contain an identical XRD spectrum representing three different materials across the three papers.”

Some threads received some replies from one of the authors (likely Yu), which were however removed by PubPeer moderators. They must have been worse than this reply by Yu on this thread, which set off the PubPeer avalanche:

Yaoyao Yang, Shuyue Chang , Yingfu Bai , Yutong Du , Deng-Guang Yu Electrospun triaxial nanofibers with middle blank cellulose acetate layers for accurate dual-stage drug release Carbohydrate Polymers (2020) doi: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2020.116477 

By Thallarcha lechrioleuca and Archasia belfragei: “the similarity in spectra in Figure 6 expends basically along almost the whole spectrum for the green spectra, with only 1 small area in the spetra not looking identical:”

Yu reacted with:

“A stupid and foolish question! Please read the article carefully! […]
Same components, similar amorphous state, similar XRD patterns!”

And this is the inappropriate reaction which provoked the sleuths to check Yu’s publication record, which now stands at around EIGHTY papers on PubPeer.

Omer Nour and Magnus Willander guilty of research misconduct

“The Board assesses that there are no scientifically acceptable explanations for why the notified researchers have fabricated research results in the manner that has occurred in the notified articles. Raw data also does not support the reported results. [..] In summary, the Board finds therefore that the notified researchers have been guilty of misconduct in…

Leonid Schneider's avatar by Leonid Schneider

I wrote to Yu and Williams. The UCL professor replied, and distanced himself from Yu’s rude PubPeer comment:

“Thank you for reaching out. I absolutely do not agree with Prof Yu. It is correct that the X-ray diffraction patterns for amorphous materials do look similar and share an absence of sharp peaks. However, I would not expect the noise to look the same in the patterns. I have reviewed the comments on Pubpeer and to me they look to be deeply concerning.

I can confirm that Prof Yu has been a long-term collaborator of mine, and that I contributed to the flagged manuscripts. I did not generate any of the data presented, but nevertheless I am mortified that such potential misconduct could have happened on my watch. My view is that the flagged manuscripts need, at minimum, to have corrections issued, and potentially to be retracted to correct the scientific record.”

Now, Williams lists on his lab website 41 papers with Yu. Between 2010 and 2017, when Williams was still a humble senior lecturer, roughly 1/3 of his papers were supplied by Yu. During that time, Williams was admitted as Fellow of 3 Academies, and soon after promoted to associate professor, all this most obviously also thanks to Yu’s fake papers, for which Williams “did not generate any of the data“. Maybe those who failed their tenure track evaluations at UCL should be “mortified“?

UCL’s Governance Manager for Research Integrity Rachel Port acknowledged to have received my emails, but didn’t say whether the affair will be investigated. They must be tired of dismissing all those cases I report to them!

Right after Williams, Yu replied to me with:

“Very sorry!
This is the first day of our new semester! 
Very sorry for what happened! 
I retract my words on Pupeer!
I will carefully review the records of each article before
deciding whether to correct or withdraw it! “

After that, Yu changed his tune on PubPeer and his emails to me. He also announced to investigate everything. but kept insisting:

“Those noises have no scientific meanings, suggest nothing, forming no any judgments, and have no any influences on the experimental results. They can be condensed into the smooth lines as numerous other publications through setting the scale of y-axis.“

What Yu means: he regrets not having smoothened the cloned spectra which would have obscured the evidence of fraud. He then proceeded posting this denial on various PubPeer threads.

MIT review closed and decision final

“MIT’s receipt and review of allegations of possible research misconduct by my office are treated as confidential under MIT and, to the extent applicable, federal policies. MIT does not intend to disclose its receipt and review of these allegations to others. By the same token, you therefore may not disclose to others that you brought…

M. van Kampen's avatar by M. van Kampen

Here is another of Yu’s fruitful collaborations with both Williams and Annie Bligh, PFHEA CChem FRSC FRSB FRSA, who by the way is a big fan of TCM, also as Visiting Professor at the Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine:

Archasia belfragei: “Two papers from this group contain hard-to-explain similarities in noise between XRD spectra. The two spectra represent different material.”

Bligh did not reply to my emails. More of her work with Yu:

Archasia belfragei: “This article is one of two that seem to contain overlapping data (XRD spectra with identical noise signals) representing different materials:”

It should be also mentioned that it will be very difficult to get this specific paper retracted:

Pu Wang , Meng-long Wang , Xi Wan, Honglei Zhou , Heng Zhang , Deng-Guang Yu Dual-stage Release of Ketoprofen from Electrosprayed Core–Shell Hybrid Polyvinyl Pyrrolidone/Ethyl Cellulose Nanoparticles Materials Highlights (2020) doi: 10.2991/mathi.k.200825.001 

Archasia belfragei: “There is concerning similarities”, see
Chao-Kun Huang , Kerui Zhang , Qing Gong , Deng-Guang Yu, Jia Wang , Xiaoqin Tan , Heng Quan Ethylcellulose-based drug nano depots fabricated using a modified triaxial electrospinning International Journal of Biological Macromolecules (2020) doi: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2020.02.239 

One reason for predictable editorial inaction at the journal Materials Highlights, issued by Athena Publishing, may be this:

Source

Yes, the two Editors-in-Chief are Williams and Yu. Additional hilarity is provided by the editorial board presence of the papermillers Seeram Ramakrishna and Farooq Sher. The latter is also a scamference organiser, read April 2024 Shorts and especially here:

Nuttingham Trash University

“I will not by myself, or be instructing or encouraging any other person or howsoever othewise, publish or cause to be published words or otherwise howsoever make statements to others which wrongfully refer to Nottingham Trent University and/or their employees and for any person or any body associated with Nottingham Trent University”

smut.clyde's avatar by smut.clyde

Materials Highlights published only a few papers between September 2020 and June 2021, many authored by Williams and/or Yu. However, it continues inviting submissions by offering a “Promotional discount: All articles submitted on or before 31 December 2025 will receive a 25% discount on the APC price upon acceptance“. Still, nobody publishes there since 2021 even at €675 rate.

Another English coauthor of Yu used to be Chris Branford‐White, associate dean for research at the London Metropolitan University, who recently turned 78 years old and is probably retired by now. There is also a Kenneth White, who is much younger and since 2020 professor at London Metropolitan University, thus possibly Chris’s son who inherited the professorship chair. As one does.

Here their papers with Yu, Branford-White’s name is misspelled on one of these publications:

Archasia belfragei: “There is large overlap in images between two papers by the same first author published in 2009, with overlapping review-periods at two different journal:”
“There is large overlap in XRD spectra (including the same exact noise) between two papers by the same first author published in 2009, with overlapping review-periods at two different journal:”

The second paper in that set above was Yu’s most cited, with 340 citations (presumably by himself?). Neither White Sr nor White Jr replied to my emails, not even to deny the presumed family relationship.

The Bielefeld Conspiracy

“During your studies, it should be taught that, for example, you critically question your data, handle it transparently and immediately disclose weak points.” – Prof Katharina Kohse-Höinghaus

Leonid Schneider's avatar by Leonid Schneider

More by Yu and White Jr:

Jie Yan, Kenneth White , Deng-Guang Yu, Xu-Yao Zhao Sustained-release multiple-component cellulose acetate nanofibers fabricated using a modified coaxial electrospinning process Journal of Materials Science (2014) doi: 10.1007/s10853-013-7733-7 

Archasia belfragei: “Three identical spectra represent three different nanomaterials in Figure 5a”

And again Yu with White Sr, flagged by a different PubPeer user:

Li-Ya Huang , Christopher Branford-White , Xia-Xia Shen , Deng-Guang Yu , Li-Min Zhu Time-engineeringed biphasic drug release by electrospun nanofiber meshes International journal of pharmaceutics (2012) doi: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2012.06.058 

Ramboldia elabens: “Reused SEM images are observed on the article”

These days, Yu issues educational papers like “Scientific Research Project Curriculum: A Clever Teaching Method of “Scientific Research Nurturing Teaching”, published as proceedings at a predatory conference.

Yu also studies what the Supreme Leader Xi Jinping demands of his scientists: Traditional Chinese Medicine. This is the result, according to Archasia belfragei, spectra were reused in a set of four papers:

Yu’s reaction on PubPeer was:

“They are right! Thank you for your valuable attention! This is the first day of our new semester, and I don’t have time to read them one by one.”

Well, shouldn’t Yu be happy someone finally read his papers?

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4 comments on “A stupid and foolish question”

  1. Aneurus's avatar
    Aneurus
    March 3, 2025

    I have suggested several times already that pharmacology research should be shut down (temporarily or forever, you call it) at any university worldwide. Pharmacological research has become a toxic dump that should be reformed in its rules, principles, stakeholders, goals, etc. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), Ayurveda, phytomedicine and alternative medicine are infesting the field, and anything else is disastrous too (see anti-Alzheimer drugs). Is anyone tired to pay wages to the clowns involved.

    Dr. Yu is now in China, so he will be safe like houses, but what about Drs. Williams and Bligh? Will they escape any consequence likewise “Mr. 11 retractions” Christoph Thiemermann at Queen Mary University of London?

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