[Federal Register: July 1, 1998 (Volume 63, Number 126)]
[Notices]               
[Page 35933]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr01jy98-93]

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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Office of the Secretary

 
Findings of Scientific Misconduct; Terry D. Reisine, Ph.D.

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:
    Terry D. Reisine, Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania: Based upon 
``The Dean's Proposed Findings of Fact'' and ``Memorandum on Issues Not 
Fully Addressed in Findings of Fact,'' forwarded to ORI by the 
University of Pennsylvania, dated October 25, 1996 (Findings and 
Memorandum), and ORI's oversight review of the evidence provided, ORI 
finds that Terry D. Reisine, Ph.D., former Professor, Department of 
Pharmacology, University of Pennsylvania, engaged in scientific 
misconduct in biomedical research supported by Public Health Service 
(PHS) grants.
    Specifically, ORI finds that the Respondent falsified results 
related to the measurement of cyclic AMP in cultured, transfected cells 
by falsely representing in manuscripts and publications the number of 
experiments conducted, and by falsifying and/or fabricating some of the 
substantive data presented in those manuscripts and publications. 
Moreover, ORI finds that the Respondent attempted to falsify data by 
directing members of his laboratory to construct figures and tables 
with false values in the preparation of manuscripts.
    Dr. Reisine has entered into a Voluntary Exclusion Agreement with 
ORI. The settlement is not an admission of liability on the part of the 
Respondent, and Dr. Reisine denies having committed scientific 
misconduct. Pursuant to the Agreement, Dr. Reisine has agreed to the 
following:
    (1) Respondent agreed to exclude himself voluntarily for a period 
of three (3) years beginning on June 11, 1998, 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).
    (2) Respondent agreed 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 a period of three (3) years, beginning on June 11, 
1998.
    (3) Within 30 days of the effective date of the Agreement, 
Respondent agreed to submit letters to the following journals 
requesting correction of the corresponding articles. The corrections 
are warranted by the following findings of the Findings and Memorandum:

a. The Journal of Biological Chemistry

Kong, H., Raynor, K., Yasuda, K., Moe, S.T., Portoghese, P.S., Bell, 
G.I., and Reisine, T. ``A single residue, aspartic acid 95, in the 
gamma opioid receptor specifies selective high affinity agonist 
binding.'' J. Biol. Chem. 268:23055-23058, 1993.

     i. The results in Table 1 are stated in the table legend to be 
based on four (4) experiments with calculated SEM values and Hill 
coefficients when, in fact, the majority of the listed compounds 
were tested only once, and a few tested only twice.
    ii. Figure 2 data are stated in the figure legend to be the 
means of three (3) different experiments when, in fact, most of the 
results were based on a single experiment.

b. The Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics

Raynor, K., Kong, H., Hines, J., Kong, G., Benevoc, J., Yasuda, K., 
Bell, G.I., and Reisine, T. ``Molecular mechanisms of agonist-
induced desensitization of the cloned mouse kappa opioid receptor.'' 
J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther. 270:1381-1386, 1994.

    i. The figure legend for Figures 3A, 3C, and 3D claimed that the 
values shown were the average of three (3) different experiments 
when, in fact, the results were from only one (1) experiment.
    ii. The figure legend for Figure 4B claimed that the values 
shown were the average of four (4) different experiments when, in 
fact, the results were from only three (3) experiments.
    iii. Figures 3A, 3C, and 3D each show several levels of adenyl 
cyclase inhibition that do not reflect the actual results obtained 
in duplicate cyclic AMP assays.

c. Molecular Pharmacology

Reisine, T., Kong, H., Raynor, K., Yano, H., Takeda, J., Yasuda, K., 
and Bell, G.I. ``Splice variant of the somatostatin receptor 2 
subtype, somatostatin receptor 2B, couples to adenylyl cyclase.'' 
Mol. Pharmacol. 44:1016-1020, 1994.

    i. The legend for Figure 3A claims that three (3) experiments 
were performed when, in fact, only two (2) experiments were 
performed for the SSTR2B mutants.
    ii. The legend for Figure 3B claims that the values presented 
are the average of two (2) different experiments when, in fact, the 
inhibition curve shown was based on a single experiment.

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.
Dorothy K. Macfarlane,
Acting Director, Office of Research Integrity.
[FR Doc. 98-17411 Filed 6-30-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4160-17-P