From: Richard Feinman <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Mon, Sep 26, 2016 at 10:55 AM


The major problem in the literature...

...is that in many cases there is effectively no peer-review. Editors
are supposed to be the gate-keepers and must recognize when a paper is
controversial and solicit reviewers from both sides of the
controversy. Frequenly this is not done. Most often, reviewers are
chosen to favor the author if they follow the party line. Challenging
authority rarely gets balanced review.

PubPeer is a step in the kind of thing that is needed.

 A case that I am pursuing is the study of low-carbohydrate diets by
Lamont, et al.,

http://www.nature.com/nutd/journal/v6/n2/full/nutd20162a.html

The paper studied nine mice bred for obesity (NZO) and put them on
low-carbohydrate diets. From the abstract:

"The objective of the study was to assess whether a low-carbohydrate
and therefore high-fat diet (LCHFD) is beneficial for improving the
endogenous insulin secretory response to glucose in prediabetic New
Zealand Obese (NZO) mice...

Results:

In NZO mice, an LCHFD reduced plasma triglycerides (P=0.001) but
increased weight gain (P<0.0001), adipose tissue mass (P=0.0015),
high-density...

Conclusions:

An LCHFD is unlikely to be of benefit for preventing the decline in
β-cell function associated with the progression of hyperglycemia in
type 2 diabetes."

In fact, this is exactly the opposite of what happens in humans and I
sent the editor a list of 100 studies. Moreover, my own review
(attached) with 26 authors  many of whom are clinicians with extensive
experience provided evidence supporting  "Dietary carbohydrate
restriction as the first approach in diabetes management..."

(http://www.nutritionjrnl.com/article/S0899-9007(14)00332-3/pdf)

There are problems in methodology but frequently they are a
consequence of the bias of the authors (A comparison gives the "wrong"
answer and confounders are added until it comes out right."   It is
interpretation that is the problem and editors and reviewers are
supposed to prevent biased interpretation.


= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Richard David Feinman
Professor of Cell Biology
SUNY Downstate Medical Center

(718) 270-2252
cell: (917) 554-7794
FAX: (718) 270-3316

blog: http://rdfeinman.wordpress.com

Vocem meam audiet qui me tangit

NOTE: This mailer sometimes creates .DTF files. Please ignore.
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =