Biology subjects

Lalu, M.

Publications and source records attributed to Lalu, M..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

A neonatal rat sepsis score captures the time course and severity of disease in a clinically relevant rat peritonitis model.

BackgroundNeonatal sepsis is a major cause of infant morbidity and mortality worldwide, particularly in preterm and very low birthweight babies. Fundamental differences between neonates and adults warrant clinically relevant models of neonatal sepsis. Here, we describe a preclinical fecal-slurry (FS)-induced peritonitis model of polymicrobial sepsis in neonatal rats, along with a novel neonatal rat sepsis score (nRSS) to monitor illness severity. MethodsPeritonitis was induced in 3-day-old Sprague Dawley rats by intraperitoneal injection of various doses (0.3-1.5mg/g body weight) of fecal slurry (FS); control pups received equivalent doses of vehicle. All pups received analgesics (buprenorphine), antibiotics (ampicillin and gentamicin), and fluids (saline) to model clinical standards of sepsis treatment. Time-dependent changes in circulating cytokines (IL-6, IL-1{beta}) and biomarkers of sepsis pathology (hemoglobin, glucose, alanine transaminase [ALT] levels) were assessed and correlated with nRSS scores. ResultsFS administration caused a dose-dependent increase in severity of sepsis over time, as indicated by increases in mortality rates (based on predefined criteria for euthanasia), nRSS scores, as well as time-dependent changes in circulating glucose, hemoglobin, IL-6, IL-1{beta}, and ALT activity levels. nRSS scores correlated with all quantitative measures of sepsis pathology. Notably, females showed higher mortality and higher early NRSS scores than males at moderate to high FS doses, yet biochemical markers and time of death did not differ between sexes, suggesting that the apparent female vulnerability may reflect more conspicuous behavioral manifestations of illness rather than greater underlying physiological severity. ConclusionInduction of peritonitis in rats at postnatal day 3 produced a consistent and reproducible model of polymicrobial neonatal sepsis. Illness severity was monitored using a newly developed nRSS. By minimizing distress and incorporating standards of care, this model and scoring system may serve as a platform for future investigations into the underlying mechanisms and potential therapeutic interventions for neonatal sepsis. ImpactO_LIA clinically relevant rat model of neonatal polymicrobial sepsis was developed, incorporating standards of care (analgesics, antibiotics, and fluid resuscitation) to better reflect the clinical context in which preclinical findings must ultimately translate. C_LIO_LIA novel neonatal rat sepsis scoring system (nRSS) was developed and validated, providing a sensitive, non-invasive measure of disease severity that correlates with biochemical markers and predicts mortality. C_LIO_LIFemale pups showed higher mortality and earlier behavioral signs of illness than males despite equivalent biochemistry, highlighting that clinical scores may capture sex-dependent vulnerability not apparent in standard biochemical measures. C_LIO_LITogether, this model and scoring system offer a refined platform for mechanistic and therapeutic studies of neonatal sepsis while advancing the welfare-conscious 3Rs principles essential to rigorous preclinical research C_LI

physiology↗

bioRxiv2020

Inflated citations and metrics of journals discontinued from Scopus for publication concerns: the GhoS(t)copus Project

Background Scopus is considered a leading bibliometric database. It contains the largest number of abstracts and articles cited in peer reviewed publications. The journals included in Scopus are periodically re-evaluated to ensure they meet indexing criteria. Afterwards, some journals might be discontinued for publication concerns. Despite their discontinuation, previously published articles remain indexed and continue to be cited. The metrics and characteristics of journals discontinued for publication concerns have yet to be studied. This study aimed (1) to evaluate the main features and citation metrics of journals discontinued from Scopus for publication concerns, before and after discontinuation, and (2) to determine the extent of predatory journals among the discontinued journals.Materials and Methods Eight authors surveyed a list of discontinued journals from Scopus (version July 2019). Data regarding metrics, citations and indexing were extracted from Scopus or other scientific databases, for the journals discontinued for publication concerns.Results A total of 317 journals were evaluated. The mean number of citations per year after discontinuation was significantly higher than before (median of difference 64 citations, p<0.0001), and so was the number of citations per document (median of difference 0.4 citations, p<0.0001). The total number of citations after discontinuation was 607,261, with a median of 713 citations (IQR 254-2056, range 0-19468) per journal. The open access publishing model was declared for 93% (294/317) of the journals, but only nine of these are currently indexed in the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ). Twenty-two percent (72/317) of the journals were included in the Cabell blacklist.Conclusions The citation count of journals discontinued for publication concerns, increases despite discontinuation. Countermeasures should be taken to ensure the validity and reliability of Scopus metrics both at journal- and author-level for the purpose of scientific assessment of publishing.View Full Text

scientific communication and education↗

bioRxiv2019

Multicenter preclinical studies as an innovative method to enhance translation: a systematic review of published studies

Multicenter preclinical studies have been suggested as a method to improve reproducibility, generalizability and potential clinical translation of preclinical work. In these studies, multiple independent laboratories collaboratively conduct a research experiment using a shared protocol. The use of a multicenter design in preclinical experimentation is a recent approach and only a handful of preclinical multicenter studies have been published. Here, we systematically identify, assess and synthesize published preclinical multicenter studies investigating interventions using in vivo models. Synthesized data included study methods/design, basic characteristics, outcomes, and barriers and facilitators. Study risk of bias, completeness of reporting and the degree of collaboration were evaluated using established methods. The database searches identified 3095 citations and 12 studies met inclusion criteria. The multicenter study design was applied across a diverse range of diseases including stroke, heart attack, traumatic brain injury, and diabetes. The median number of centers was 4 (range 2-6) and the median sample size was 135 (range 23-384). Most studies had lower risk of bias and higher completeness of reporting than typically seen in single-centered studies. Only four of the twelve studies produced results consistent with previous single-center studies, highlighting a central concern of preclinical research: irreproducibility and poor generalizability of findings from single laboratories. Our review suggests that multicenter preclinical studies may provide a method to robustly assess therapies prior to considering clinical translation. Registered with PROSPERO CRD42018093986.

epidemiology↗