Implementing a "publish, then review" model of publishing
Authors: Anna Akhmanova
Diane M Harper
Michael B Eisen
Timothy E Behrens
Detlef Weigel
Mone Zaidi
Journal: eLife (2020)
Discipline: BIOLOGY & BIOCHEMISTRY
Keywords: peer review; preprints; research assessment; research communication; scientific publishing.
Affiliations: eLife, Cambridge, United Kingdom

Abstract:  From July 2021 eLife will only review manuscripts already published as preprints, and will focus its editorial process on producing public reviews to be posted alongside the preprints. 

Retracted: No

PubPeer comments:
  XY99-5038 is prepared from several purely natural and non-toxic plants. It is good to know that no **unnatural** plants were used in the preparation of XY99-5038, as that never ends well.  XY99-5038 for these experiments was made and supplied by American Biology Engineering Science Research Institute (Los Angeles, CA), and the external qi of qigong were added by Dr. Yan Xin. It appears that the plant preparation was energised in some way by the first author, using an otherwise-unmeasurable form of remote-projection energy. Is this necessary for the efficacy of the preparation? Are its botanical ingredients ineffective without the addition of External Qi of Qigong? [Yan et al (2002a)] address the same compound but do not mention the Qi-potentiation stage. On the other hand, [Yan et al (2002b)] cite the present paper as proof of the powers of External Qi: *This is somewhat analogous to the results reported in Life Sciences, where the protective effect of **YXLST** was significantly reduced in cells that had been damaged from prolonged hydrogen peroxide exposure in contrast to cells that had been exposed for a shorter duration (Xin et al., 2001).* We are left with a report that an extract from unspecified plants, extracted by an unspecified process, had neuroprotective properties when potentiated with a mystical energy that only the first author can project. This does not generalise well, and the experiment cannot be replicated by other researchers, so there is no scientific value here. ---------------------------------------------------  XY99-5038 for these experiments was made and supplied by American Biology Engineering Science Research Institute (Los Angeles, CA) We learn elsewhere that the second author here, Yuhay Fong of the ABESRI, co-supplier of this dietary supplement XY99-5038 (along with first author Xin Yan), also provided the recipe. Source: [Abstracts of the International Scientific Conference on Complementary, Alternative Integrative Medicine Research, 2002] . ![] I am just surprised that this was not mentioned in the Introduction. -------------------------------------------  This formulation has proven to be effective without side effects for certain degenerative disorders and also shown to delay aging process in many case-based studies [12u201315]. - [12]. Fong YH. Yan Xin qigong informative product: qi nutrition powder, In: International Yan Xin Qigong Association, editor. Yan Xin Qigong Collectanea. 1997. Vol. 6, pp299u2013318. - [13]. Zhang ZW, Zhao JX, Zhang XR. Yan Xin Qigong nutrition powder: clinical report, In: International Yan Xin Qigong Association, editor. Yan Xin Qigong Collectanea. 1997. Vol. 6, pp.319u2013326. - [14]. Wang R, Zhu R. Yan Xin Qigong nutrition powder: Nine case report, In: International Yan Xin Qigong Association, editor. Yan Xin Qigong Collectanea. 1997. Vol. 1, pp.66u201368. - [15]. Yan X, Chiou YH, Fong YH. Clinical Experience in using XY Yang Sheng Su in children with end-stage renal disease and nephrotic syndrome-A preliminary report, In: collected papers of Yan Xin Qigong scientific research conference at he Pennsylvania State University, June 23u201325, 2000, Amber Leaf Press, New Hope, Pennsylvania. 2000. pp.89u201399. Citations 12, 13, 14 appear to be advertisements for the dietary supplement (with second author YH Fong as author of [12]). Citation [15] is from the proceedings of a 2000 meeting on how Xin Yan s proprietary version of Qi-Gong allows one to [survive without food, sustained only by Qi Energy](http: docshare02.docshare.tips files 4029 40296970.pdf). Were these the most reliable references that the authors could find to support their authoritative claim about the efficacy of the dietary supplement? ![file] ,