[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 211 (Friday, October 31, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 64799-64800]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-25887]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Office of the Secretary


Findings of Research 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 taken final action in the following case:
    Bijan Ahvazi, Ph.D., National Institutes of Health: Based on the 
report of an investigation conducted by the National Institutes of 
Health (NIH) and additional analysis by ORI in its oversight review, 
ORI found that Dr. Bijan Ahvazi, former Director of the Laboratory of 
X-ray Crystallography, National Institute of Arthritis and 
Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), NIH, engaged in research 
misconduct in research supported by the Intramural Program at NIAMS, 
NIH.
    ORI found that Respondent engaged in research misconduct by 
falsifying data related to or in the following published papers:
    1. Ahvazi, B., Boeshans, K.M., Idler, W., Baxa, U., & Steinert, 
P.M. ``Structural basis for the coordinated regulation of 
transglutaminase 3 by guanine nucleotides and calcium/magnesium.'' J. 
Biol. Chem. 279(8):7180-92, 2004 Feb 20 (withdrawn) (hereinafter ``JBC 
2004a'')
    2. Ahvazi, B., Boeshans, K.M., & Steinert, P.M. ``Crystal structure 
of transglutaminase 3 in complex with BMP: Structural basis for 
nucleotide specificity.'' J. Biol. Chem. 279:26716-25, 2004 (withdrawn) 
(hereinafter ``JBC 2004b'')
    3. Ahvazi, B., Boeshans, K.M., Idler, W.,& Cooper, A.J.L. ``Crystal 
structure of transglutaminase 3-cystamine complex: Binding of two 
cystamines to the nucleotide-binding pocket. M6:06060, Submitted to J. 
Biol. Chem., 2006 (rejected) (hereinafter ``JBC 2006'').
    Specifically, ORI finds that Respondent:
    1. Falsely labeled Figure 3A in JBC 2004b representing an 
isothermal calorimetric titration (ITC) experiment using guanine 
monophosphate (GMP) and transglutaminase 3 (TGase 3) when the figure 
was actually a relabeled version of an unrelated experiment that 
Respondent previously published as Figure 1A in JBC 2004a.
    2. falsified Figure 4B, Figure 4C, and Figure 6D in JBC 2004b and 
Figure 5E in JBC 2006, by altering the original data in the following 
ways to represent the desired experiment:

a. Falsified Figure 4B in JBC 2004b, by adding multiple data points to 
titration curves for four different concentrations of TGase 3 bound by 
different concentrations of tagged GTP[gamma]S and deleting two (2) 
outlying data points from one of the curves
b. falsified Figure 4C in JBC 2004 b, representing a competition assay 
for the release of tagged GTP[gamma]S bound to TGase 3, by (1) falsely 
claiming that the release of the tagged nucleotide occurred with the 
addition of untagged GMP, when the result was from an assay using 
untagged GDP, (2) adding additional data points onto the titration 
curves, and (3) altering the scale of the abscissa
c. falsified Figure 6D in JBC 2004b, by using the false Figure 4B to 
also represent an additional competition experiment using unmodified 
nucleotide analog compounds and

[[Page 64800]]

ATP; specifically, Respondent (1) falsified the units and labels of the 
axes, (2) falsified the labels of the curves, and (3) vertically 
inverted the curves
d. falsified Figure 5E in the JBC 2006 manuscript, representing a 
competition experiment for the release of tagged GTP[gamma]S bound to 
TGase 3 with the addition of cystamine, when the actual experiment was 
a competition experiment with the addition of untagged nucleotides.

    Dr. Ahvazi has entered into a Voluntary Settlement Agreement 
(Agreement) and has voluntarily agreed for a period of two (2) years, 
beginning on October 7, 2014:
    (1) To have his U.S. Public Health Service (PHS) research 
supervised and to notify any employer(s)/institution(s) at which he may 
participate in PHS funded projects of the terms of his supervision; 
Respondent agrees that prior to the submission of an application for 
PHS support for a research project on which the Respondent's 
participation is proposed and prior to Respondent's participation in 
any capacity on PHS-supported research, Respondent shall ensure that a 
plan for supervision of Respondent's duties is submitted to ORI for 
approval; the supervision plan must be designed to ensure the 
scientific integrity of Respondent's research; Respondent agrees that 
he shall not participate in any PHS-supported research until such a 
supervision plan is submitted to and approved by ORI; Respondent agrees 
to maintain responsibility for compliance with the agreed upon 
supervision plan;
    (2) that any institution employing him to work on PHS-supported 
projects shall submit, in conjunction with each application for PHS 
funds, or report, manuscript, or abstract involving PHS-supported 
research in which Respondent is involved, a certification to ORI that 
the data provided by Respondent are based on actual experiments or are 
otherwise legitimately derived and that the data, procedures, and 
methodology are accurately reported in the application, report, 
manuscript, or abstract; and
    (3) to exclude himself voluntarily from serving in any advisory 
capacity to PHS including, but not limited to, service on any PHS 
advisory committee, board, and/or peer review committee, or as a 
consultant.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Acting Director, Office of Research 
Integrity, 1101 Wootton Parkway, Suite 750, Rockville, MD 20852, (240) 
453-8200.

Donald Wright,
Acting Director, Office of Research Integrity.
[FR Doc. 2014-25887 Filed 10-30-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4150-31-P