Findings of scientific misconduct.

FINDINGS OF SCIENTIFIC MISCONDUCT

Release Date:  August 18, 1998

P.T.

Department of Health and Human Services

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

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a submitted but unpublished and withdrawn manuscript and in the Progress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
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.

INQUIRIES

For further information contact:

Acting Director
Division of Research Investigations
Office of Research Integrity
5515 Security Lane, Suite 700
Rockville, MD  20852
Telephone:  (301) 443-5330