Another day, another report of a junk science article published by China-based publisher Scientific Research Publishing, or SCIRP. This publisher specializes in publishing junk cosmology and junk physics, but with this article, the publisher is branching out into junk medical science, specifically AIDS denialism.
The article is entitled “Basic Principles Underlying Human Physiology” [1], and you don’t have to be a scientist to know that it’s junk, for it is a manifestation of AIDS denialism. The conclusion’s first paragraph says:
“HIV is not etiologically involved in AIDS. It is just a common retrovirus found in AIDS conjuncturally. There is only AIDS that may not be strictly associated neither to a primary immune deficiency nor to an acquired immune deficiency. Actually, heart failure represents the causal factor of AIDS and many other “primary” immune deficiencies (p. 1821)”.
The article is indexed in Google Scholar, of course.
The article has a single reference, and it’s to a 2007 article by the same author (Pavel) in a subscription journal that’s indexed by EBSCO.
The publisher SCIRP has a comment feature (Disqus) at the end of each article it publishes, and I have been told that comments left after this article questioning its scientific integrity have been deleted.
The article says that HIV does not cause AIDS, yet the article is branded as a scientific article. This means it’s a threat to the public health, for it could lead to HIV transmission by anyone believing the paper’s conclusions. It’s immoral for SCIRP to publish such rubbish.
The author, Pavel, is currently sending out unsolicited emails to researchers in Europe, promoting the article.
The SCIRP Empire
China-based Scientific Research Publishing is a growing empire with four publishing imprints (brands) that I know of, plus one mega-journal that emulates PLOS ONE, publishing in both English and Chinese and with claimed offices in the United States, Canada, and China. The imprints include:
Scientific Research Publishing
Hans Publishers, Inc. (HansPub, 汉斯)
The mega-journal is OA Lib (Open Access Library).
There is also a possible connection between SCIRP and Sophia Publishing Group, based in British Columbia, but this connection is unclear:
Sophia Publishing Group (This is a meta-publisher, or platform, with the following two journal imprints):
I realize there may be some strong and honest articles published in SCIRP journals. However, these articles are devalued and stigmatized by association with all the junk science that SCIRP publishes. The authors of the good articles are being victimized by the publisher’s policy of publishing pseudoscientific articles like “Basic Principles Underlying Human Physiology.”
SCIRP only rarely retracts articles, preferring instead to protect the interests of its customers, the paying authors.
Hat tip: Deyan Yosifov
[1]. Pavel. Dumitru. (2014). Basic principles underlying human physiology. Health 6, 1816-1821.Appendix
List of SCIRP journals as of 2014-12-13:
- Advances in Aerospace Science and Technology
- Advances in Aging Research
- Advances in Alzheimer’s Disease
- Advances in Anthropology
- Advances in Applied Sociology
- Advances in Biological Chemistry
- Advances in Bioscience and Biotechnology
- Advances in Breast Cancer Research
- Advances in Chemical Engineering and Science
- Advances in Computed Tomography
- Advances in Entomology
- Advances in Enzyme Research
- Advances in Historical Studies
- Advances in Infectious Diseases
- Advances in Internet of Things
- Advances in Journalism and Communication
- Advances in Linear Algebra & Matrix Theory
- Advances in Literary Study
- Advances in Lung Cancer
- Advances in Materials Physics and Chemistry
- Advances in Microbiology
- Advances in Molecular Imaging
- Advances in Nanoparticles
- Advances in Parkinson’s Disease
- Advances in Physical Education
- Advances in Pure Mathematics
- Advances in Remote Sensing
- Advances in Reproductive Sciences
- Advances in Sexual Medicine
- Agricultural Sciences
- American Journal of Analytical Chemistry
- American Journal of Climate Change
- American Journal of Computational Mathematics
- American Journal of Industrial and Business Management
- American Journal of Molecular Biology
- American Journal of Operations Research
- American Journal of Plant Sciences
- Applied Mathematics
- Archaeological Discovery
- Art and Design Review
- Atmospheric and Climate Sciences
- Beijing Law Review
- Case Reports in Clinical Medicine
- CellBio
- Chinese Medicine
- Chinese Studies
- Circuits and Systems
- Communications and Network
- Computational Chemistry
- Computational Molecular Bioscience
- Computational Water, Energy, and Environmental Engineering
- Creative Education
- Crystal Structure Theory and Applications
- Current Urban Studies
- Detection
- E-Health Telecommunication Systems and Networks
- Energy and Materials for Aerospace Engineering
- Energy and Power Engineering
- Engineering
- Food and Nutrition Sciences
- Forensic Medicine and Anatomy Research
- Geomaterials
- Graphene
- Green and Sustainable Chemistry
- Health
- iBusiness
- InfraMatics
- Intelligent Control and Automation
- Intelligent Information Management
- International Journal of Analytical Mass Spectrometry and Chromatography
- International Journal of Astronomy and Astrophysics
- International Journal of Clean Coal and Energy
- International Journal of Clinical Medicine
- International Journal of Geosciences
- International Journal of Intelligence Science
- International Journal of Internet and Distributed Systems
- International Journal of Medical Physics, Clinical Engineering and Radiation Oncology
- International Journal of Modern Nonlinear Theory and Application
- International Journal of Nonferrous Metallurgy
- International Journal of Organic Chemistry
- International Journal of Otolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery
- Int’l J. of Communications, Network and System Sciences
- Journal of Agricultural Chemistry and Environment
- Journal of Analytical Sciences, Methods and Instrumentation
- Journal of Applied Mathematics and Physics
- Journal of Behavioral and Brain Science
- Journal of Biomaterials and Nanobiotechnology
- Journal of Biomedical Science and Engineering
- Journal of Biophysical Chemistry
- Journal of Biosciences and Medicines
- Journal of Building Construction and Planning Research
- Journal of Cancer Therapy
- Journal of Computer and Communications
- Journal of Cosmetics, Dermatological Sciences and Applications
- Journal of Crystallization Process and Technology
- Journal of Data Analysis and Information Processing
- Journal of Diabetes Mellitus
- Journal of Electromagnetic Analysis and Applications
- Journal of Electronics Cooling and Thermal Control
- Journal of Encapsulation and Adsorption Sciences
- Journal of Environmental Protection
- Journal of Financial Risk Management
- Journal of Flow Control, Measurement & Visualization
- Journal of Geographic Information System
- Journal of Geoscience and Environment Protection
- Journal of Human Resource and Sustainability Studies
- Journal of Immune Based Therapies, Vaccines and Antimicrobials
- Journal of Information Security
- Journal of Intelligent Learning Systems and Applications
- Journal of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering
- Journal of Mathematical Finance
- Journal of Minerals and Materials Characterization and Engineering
- Journal of Modern Physics
- Journal of Power and Energy Engineering
- Journal of Quantum Information Science
- Journal of Sensor Technology
- Journal of Service Science and Management
- Journal of Signal and Information Processing
- Journal of Software Engineering and Applications
- Journal of Surface Engineered Materials and Advanced Technology
- Journal of Sustainable Bioenergy Systems
- Journal of Textile Science and Technology
- Journal of Transportation Technologies
- Journal of Tuberculosis Research
- Journal of Water Resource and Protection
- Low Carbon Economy
- Materials Sciences and Applications
- Microscopy Research
- Modeling and Numerical Simulation of Material Science
- Modern Chemotherapy
- Modern Economy
- Modern Instrumentation
- Modern Mechanical Engineering
- Modern Plastic Surgery
- Modern Research in Catalysis
- Modern Research in Inflammation
- Natural Resources
- Natural Science
- Neuroscience & Medicine
- New Journal of Glass and Ceramics
- Occupational Diseases and Environmental Medicine
- Open Journal of Accounting
- Open Journal of Acoustics
- Open Journal of Air Pollution
- Open Journal of Anesthesiology
- Open Journal of Animal Sciences
- Open Journal of Antennas and Propagation
- Open Journal of Apoptosis
- Open Journal of Applied Biosensor
- Open Journal of Applied Sciences
- Open Journal of Biophysics
- Open Journal of Blood Diseases
- Open Journal of Business and Management
- Open Journal of Civil Engineering
- Open Journal of Clinical Diagnostics
- Open Journal of Composite Materials
- Open Journal of Depression
- Open Journal of Discrete Mathematics
- Open Journal of Earthquake Research
- Open Journal of Ecology
- Open Journal of Emergency Medicine
- Open Journal of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases
- Open Journal of Energy Efficiency
- Open Journal of Epidemiology
- Open Journal of Fluid Dynamics
- Open Journal of Forestry
- Open Journal of Gastroenterology
- Open Journal of Genetics
- Open Journal of Geology
- Open Journal of Immunology
- Open Journal of Inorganic Chemistry
- Open Journal of Inorganic Non-metallic Materials
- Open Journal of Internal Medicine
- Open Journal of Leadership
- Open Journal of Marine Science
- Open Journal of Medical Imaging
- Open Journal of Medical Microbiology
- Open Journal of Medical Psychology
- Open Journal of Medicinal Chemistry
- Open Journal of Metal
- Open Journal of Microphysics
- Open Journal of Modelling and Simulation
- Open Journal of Modern Hydrology
- Open Journal of Modern Linguistics
- Open Journal of Modern Neurosurgery
- Open Journal of Molecular and Integrative Physiology
- Open Journal of Nephrology
- Open Journal of Nursing
- Open Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology
- Open Journal of Ophthalmology
- Open Journal of Optimization
- Open Journal of Organ Transplant Surgery
- Open Journal of Organic Polymer Materials
- Open Journal of Orthopedics
- Open Journal of Pathology
- Open Journal of Pediatrics
- Open Journal of Philosophy
- Open Journal of Physical Chemistry
- Open Journal of Political Science
- Open Journal of Polymer Chemistry
- Open Journal of Preventive Medicine
- Open Journal of Psychiatry
- Open Journal of Radiology
- Open Journal of Regenerative Medicine
- Open Journal of Respiratory Diseases
- Open Journal of Rheumatology and Autoimmune Diseases
- Open Journal of Safety Science and Technology
- Open Journal of Social Sciences
- Open Journal of Soil Science
- Open Journal of Statistics
- Open Journal of Stomatology
- Open Journal of Synthesis Theory and Applications
- Open Journal of Therapy and Rehabilitation
- Open Journal of Thoracic Surgery
- Open Journal of Urology
- Open Journal of Veterinary Medicine
- Optics and Photonics Journal
- Pain Studies and Treatment
- Pharmacology & Pharmacy
- Positioning
- Psychology
- Smart Grid and Renewable Energy
- Social Networking
- Sociology Mind
- Soft
- Soft Nanoscience Letters
- Spectral Analysis Review
- Stem Cell Discovery
- Surgical Science
- Technology and Investment
- Theoretical Economics Letters
- Voice of the Publisher
- Wireless Engineering and Technology
- Wireless Sensor Network
- World Journal of AIDS
- World Journal of Cardiovascular Diseases
- World Journal of Cardiovascular Surgery
- World Journal of Condensed Matter Physics
- World Journal of Engineering and Technology
- World Journal of Mechanics
- World Journal of Nano Science and Engineering
- World Journal of Neuroscience
- World Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology
- World Journal of Vaccines
List of BioPublisher journals as of 2014-12-13:
- American Agricultural Research Frontier
- Aquatic Biological Research
- Brewing Journal
- Brewing Research
- Cancer Research and Molecular Diagnostics
- Computational Molecular Biology
- European Research Biotechnology Progress
- Genomics and Applied Biology
- Genomics and Biotechnology
- Genomics and Medical Biology
- Herbal Medicine and Pharmacology Magazine
- Insect Molecular Biology
- Journal of Laboratory Medicine and Quarantine
- Legume Genomics and Genetics
- Marine Biology
- Medical genetics and disease research
- Molecular Plant Breeding
List of The 5th Publisher journals as of 2014-12-13:
- Agriculture Civilization
- Agriculture Inspection
- Journal of Alternative Crops
- Journal of Global Public Health
