Faith-based Institutions as Venues for Obesity Prevention

Purpose of review: To critique the scope and value of recent studies with a focus on obesity-related health promotion in faith organizations. Recent findings: Electronic database searches, scanning of the reference lists of identified articles, and hand searching of journals for articles written in English and published in 2013-16, revealed 16 studies. Half of the studies involved African-Americans, in churches and with predominantly female participants. Research among other ethnic groups was more likely to be exploratory. All of the 11 studies reporting the impact of programs on weight-related measures showed favourable outcomes. However due to study limitations (small sample size; short duration; attrition), significant unbiased effects cannot yet be concluded for most of the interventions reviewed. Study strengths included application of theory in community engagement, and detailed description of cultural tailoring. Summary: Faith organizations show promise as settings for obesity prevention among high-risk groups, particularly African-Americans. Support for progressing formative work to adequately powered, randomized controlled trials is vital. Wider involvement of diverse faith settings, and targeting obesity in men and childhood, would be valuable developments

Modern epidemiology and its discontents

The goal of this article is to present a snapshot of an ongoing debate within epidemiology, pitching opposing sides in the struggle to define the path it should follow in the years to come. The debate among epidemiologists in the mid-90s pitted those who defended the idea that epidemiology should necessarily deal with a wide context against those who believed that science and public health are better served by focusing on the individual level. Ian Hacking’s concept of styles of reasoning was used as a theoretical tool. The literature was reviewed using a core set of articles as an entry point, seeking articles that cited them, and then back-tracking the citations of the resulting set in the Scopus database. The main arguments are presented according to levels (ontological, epistemological, axiological and pragmatic), in order to show an even deeper disagreement, in the very conception of science and its relation to social issues and public policy

Modification of Heterotrimeric G-Proteins in Swiss 3T3 Cells Stimulated with <em>Pasteurella multocida</em> Toxin

<div><p>Many bacterial toxins covalently modify components of eukaryotic signalling pathways in a highly specific manner, and can be used as powerful tools to decipher the function of their molecular target(s). The <em>Pasteurella multocida</em> toxin (PMT) mediates its cellular effects through the activation of members of three of the four heterotrimeric G-protein families, G_q, G₁₂ and G_i. PMT has been shown by others to lead to the deamidation of recombinant Gα_i at Gln-205 to inhibit its intrinsic GTPase activity. We have investigated modification of native Gα subunits mediated by PMT in Swiss 3T3 cells using 2-D gel electrophoresis and antibody detection. An acidic change in the isoelectric point was observed for the Gα subunit of the G_q and G_i families following PMT treatment of Swiss 3T3 cells, which is consistent with the deamidation of these Gα subunits. Surprisingly, PMT also induced a similar modification of Gα₁₁, a member of the G_q family of G-proteins that is not activated by PMT. Furthermore, an alkaline change in the isoelectric point of Gα₁₃ was observed following PMT treatment of cells, suggesting differential modification of this Gα subunit by PMT. G_s was not affected by PMT treatment. Prolonged treatment with PMT led to a reduction in membrane-associated Gα_i, but not Gα_q. We also show that PMT inhibits the GTPase activity of G_q.</p> </div