[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 155 (Wednesday, August 12, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43183-43184]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-21589]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Office of the Secretary


Findings of Scientific Misconduct

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, HHS.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the Office of Research Integrity 
(ORI) has made a final finding of scientific misconduct in the 
following case:

[[Page 43184]]

    Benjamin S. Pender, Medical University of South Carolina: Based 
upon a report from the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC), 
information obtained by the Office of Research Integrity (ORI) during 
its oversight review, and Mr. Pender's own admission, ORI found that 
Mr. Pender, former graduate student, Medical Science Training Program, 
MUSC, engaged in scientific misconduct in biomedical research supported 
by a grant from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences 
(NIGMS), National Institutes of Health (NIH). Mr. Pender cooperated 
with MUSC's investigation.
    Specifically, Mr. Pender presented to the MUSC Shock Research Group 
(1) a blank autoradiographic film, which he represented to be a 
Northern blot, as evidence that he had conducted an experiment that he 
had not done, and (2) a photographic slide representing a Western blot 
analysis that he had falsified by using a computer to duplicate two 
sets of bands to misrepresent oligonucleotide treatments at different 
times and by misrepresenting the identities of two bands in one of the 
sets. Also, Mr. Pender falsified data from experiments with thromboxane 
B2 and tumor necrosis factor alpha that were published and 
distributed in an abstract entitled ``Antisense Oligonucleotide to G 
Protein Inhibits Endotoxin Stimulated Thromboxane (Tx) B2 production'' 
(Supplement to Shock 7:20, 1997). This data also was reported as Figure 
4 of a submitted but unpublished and withdrawn manuscript and in the 
Progress Report for an NIH grant.
    Mr. Pender has accepted the ORI finding and has entered into a 
Voluntary Exclusion Agreement with ORI in which he has voluntarily 
agreed, for the three (3) year period beginning July 31, 1998:
    (1) To exclude himself from any contracting or subcontracting with 
any agency of the United States Government and from eligibility for, or 
involvement in, nonprocurement transactions (e.g., grants and 
cooperative agreements) of the United States Government as defined in 
45 CFR part 76 (Debarment Regulations); and
    (2) To exclude himself from serving in any advisory capacity to the 
Public Health Service (PHS), including but not limited to service on 
any PHS advisory committee, board, and/or peer review committee, or as 
a consultant.
    No scientific publications were required to be corrected as part of 
this Agreement. The abstract was withdrawn before presentation.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Acting Director, Division of Research 
Investigations, Office of Research Integrity, 5515 Security Lane, Suite 
700, Rockville, MD 20852, (301) 443-5330.
Chris B. Pascal,
Acting Director, Office of Research Integrity.
[FR Doc. 98-21589 Filed 8-11-98; 8:45 am]
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