OPEN FAU
Online publication system of Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg
The online publication system OPEN FAU is the central publication platform for Open Access publishing for all members of Friedrich-Alexander-Universität. Qualified works from research and teaching may be published here free of charge, either as a primary or secondary publication. The full texts are permanently available worldwide and are findable and citable via catalogues and search engines.
To search for documents in OPEN FAU, please select "Search" (via the magnifying glass at the top right); this will provide you with various search options. If you want to publish a document, go to "Login" and "My Publications". Then drag you document into the field provided and enter the metadata. In just a few steps, you can submit your document. Please note our guidelines, the publication contract and FAQs.
Recent Submissions
Article
Open Access
Impact of comorbidities on treatment management and prognosis in patients with anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC)
(Springer Berlin Heidelberg, 2025-12-23) Augustin, Teresa; Oliinyk, Dmytro; Haderlein, Marlen; Frei, Charlotte; Jacob, Julia; Medenwald, Daniel; Trommer, Maike; Mäurer, Matthias; Drozdz, Sonia; Rühle, Alexander; Grosu, Anca-Ligia; Nicolay, Nils Henrik; Waltenberger, Maria; Combs, Stephanie E.; Löser, Anastassia; Oertel, Michael; Eich, Hans Theodor; Janssen, Stefan; Rauch, Josefine; Gurtner, Ralph; Renollet, Robert; Spitzweg, Christine; Vordermark, Dirk; Belka, Claus; Käsmann, Lukas
To evaluate the impact of comorbidities on treatment allocation and prognosis in anaplastic thyroid cancer, 137 patients from 10 German tertiary cancer centers treated with radiotherapy between 2001 and 2020 were analyzed. Four validated comorbidity scores were applied to assess comorbidity burden. The primary objective was to identify prognostic factors for the survival rate at 6 months after radiotherapy and discriminate the comorbidity scores using concordance statistics, ROC curve net reclassification index, and integrated discrimination improvement for 6-month survival. The median overall survival (OS) of the entire cohort was 4 months (95% CI = 2.72–5.28). The 6-, 12- and 24-months survival rates were 42.1%, 29.0% and 15.0%, respectively. In the univariate analysis, Karnofsky Performance Score (KPS) (> 70%, p < 0.001), UICC stage ( p < 0.001), treatment modality ( p < 0.001), intention of treatment ( p < 0.001) as well as lower scores in the conventional Charlson Comorbidity Index (cCCI, p < 0.001), the updated Charlson Comorbidity Index (uCCI, p < 0.001) were associated with improved OS. KPS (> 70%, p = 0.06) and type of therapy ( p = 0.087) showed a trend in multivariate analysis. Higher comorbidity burden (cCCI and uCCI) was associated with less intensive treatment and lower cumulative radiation doses in univariable analyses. However, after adjustment for age and metastatic status, none of the comorbidity indices remained independently associated with the use of multimodal therapy or the prescribed EQD2 dose ( p > 0.05). Age, but not metastatic status, was linked to a reduced likelihood of receiving multimodal treatment. In contrast, KPS emerged as the only independent predictor of higher EQD2 dose levels in the multivariable models.
Article
Open Access
Obligate intracellular bacteria and host cell death pathways—the matter of life and death
(Springer Berlin Heidelberg, 2025-11-08) Szperlinski, Manuela; Schermuly, Elias; Lührmann, Anja; Kozjak-Pavlovic, Vera
To limit the damage caused by pathogenic bacteria, host organisms possess different defense systems and mechanisms for preventing infection, combating the pathogens, and creating a memory that will avert recurrent infections. Pathogens, on the other hand, have developed countermeasures to enable their replication and spreading. For intracellular pathogenic bacteria, the battleground is localized at the cellular level. Different cell types, including phagocytic, epithelial, and endothelial cells, fibroblasts, and trophoblasts, not only are equipped with diverse defense tools, but also provide different microenvironments, such as varying oxygen tension, pH levels, tonicity, and nutrient supply. The outcome of the infection depends on these conditions in conjunction with microbe-derived virulence factors and bacterial microenvironment needs. Here, we will review the current knowledge on how eukaryotic cells fight obligate intracellular bacteria and how these pathogens counteract the host cell defenses, focusing on cell death pathways. Whereas common cellular strategies for dealing with intracellular bacteria exist, there are also unique approaches adjusted to the individual properties of the pathogen.
Article
Open Access
Enhancing allergenicity risk assessment for novel foods in the EU: insights from the updated EFSA guidance - requirements, knowledge gaps and research needs
(Frontiers Media S.A., 2025-12-10) Laganaro, Marcello; Pieger, Anna-Maria; Muñoz-González, Alejandra; Noriega Fernández, Estefanía; Ververis, Ermolaos; Germini, Andrea; Fernández Dumont, Antonio
With growing interest in new protein sources, driven by market trends and European Union (EU) food policy priorities, novel proteins are entering the market. These novel foods (NFs) might have the potential of introducing new allergens into the diet. In the EU, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) is tasked with assessing the safety of NFs and has recently updated its scientific guidance to reflect advancements in food science and built-up experience in NF risk assessment (RA). EFSA’s allergenicity RA strategy follows a weight-of-evidence approach. Data requirements depend on whether the NF is produced from or with materials containing protein, derived from known allergenic foods (whether subject to mandatory labelling or not), or has unknown allergenic potential. For the latter, a tiered approach focused on assessing the cross-allergenicity potential is applied to single proteins, protein mixtures and whole foods. However, allergenicity RA continues to face challenges including the availability of reference standard materials and the lack of agreement on the interpretation of in silico and in vitro results, as well as lack of validated and internationally recognized methods meeting regulatory requirements. These limitations underscore the need for further research to deliver robust and fit-for-purpose RA tools to support safe food systems. This review highlights key aspects of the allergenicity RA approach presented in the updated EFSA NF scientific guidance and provides a critical overview of existing uncertainties and emerging approaches aiming at encouraging international cooperation and research to further enhance allergenicity RA.
Article
Open Access
Characterization of preferential evaporation in binary ethanol-isooctane sprays: 2D droplet size and volume fraction measurements
(Springer Berlin Heidelberg, 2025-12-22) Klevansky, Benjamin W.; Lehnert, Bastian; Wensing, Michael; Bauer, Florian J.; Will, Stefan
Understanding preferential evaporation in multi-component fuel sprays is critical for optimizing combustion efficiency and reducing emissions in internal combustion engines. This study focuses on the development of a novel approach that allows for the simultanous detailed characterization of the Sauter Mean Diameter (SMD) and relative ethanol/isooctane volume fraction to elucidate the mechanisms governing preferential evaporation in binary fuel mixtures. This is achieved by combining Planar Droplet Sizing (PDS), a technique based on the ratio between the laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) signal of Nile red-doped fuel and the elastic scattering signal, with a two-color-LIF approach. As Nile red is a solvatochromic dye, i.e., it exhibits a shift in its fluorescence signal with changes in solvent polarity and temperature, the mole fraction of ethanol and isooctane in the spray can be determined, if the spray temperature is known. We performed extensive calibration on various Nile red-doped fuel mixtures in a heated cuvette, as well as in a droplet generator. Further, we minimized morphology-dependent resonance (MDR) effects in the LIF signal of the spray by the selection of spectral filters designed to cover all measured temperatures and concentrations. We found that in the ethanol spray temperatures decrease toward the spray edge. For the fuel-mixed samples, this coincides with a smaller overall SMD and a shift in the ethanol volume fraction in this region.
Article
Open Access
Addressing Mass Transport Limitation and Gas Crossover Behavior in Zero-Gap Porous Separator Configurations for Alkaline Water Electrolysis
(American Chemical Society, 2025-12-01) Hartert, Adrian; Böhm, Benedikt; Hegelheimer, Manuel; Thiele, Simon; Freiberg, Anna T.S.
Traditional alkaline water electrolysis (AWE) is an established technology for green hydrogen production but suffers from high overpotentials and balance of plant costs. Efforts to allow high current densities have included a zero-gap design but so far neglected the parallel advancements in related membrane electrolysis technologies. This study therefore employs a 5 cm 2 zero-gap AWE setup with a porous diaphragm, nanostructured electrodes, and mild electrolyte concentrations of 1 M KOH. Initially, the system is bound to low current densities by mass transport limitation. By variation of the compression and comparison of different porous transport layers (PTLs), a structure–performance relationship is developed. The gas purity and attained hydrogen flux at the cathode are analyzed simultaneously. Configurations with low overpotentials are identified to commonly bear high crossover rates so that optimization toward efficient hydrogen production can be achieved only when electrochemical and gas crossover analyses are paired. A potential solution is found when the path of the liquid electrolyte within the cell is modified. By forcing convective transport through the PTL, the gas bubbles are removed efficiently. Ultimately, the system is able to reach current densities above 2.5 A cm –2 at 2.3 V while keeping adequate gas purity.