University of Girona

AimsST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) networks often face false-positive activations, leading to unnecessary catheterization laboratory use. To optimize resource allocation, STEMI alerts are sometimes cancelled after telematics evaluation; however, this strategy may result in missed cases of acute coronary occlusion (ACO) requiring urgent revascularization.Methods and resultsThis prospective, single-centre study included patients with initially activated but subsequently cancelled STEMI alerts via the ODISEA digital platform between January 2022 and December 2024. Based on coronary angiography, patients were classified as having ACO (TIMI 0–1 flow with thrombotic appearance) or no occlusion. Baseline characteristics, electrocardiogram (ECG) findings, angiographic data, and in-hospital mortality were compared. Of 2259 STEMI activations, 665 alerts (29.4%) were cancelled following a telematic assessment. Among these, 28 patients (4.2%) had ACO. Compared to the remaining cohort, they had higher rates of hypertension (78.6% vs. 60.3%; P = 0.03), diabetes (46.4% vs. 28.4%; P = 0.03), and prior coronary artery bypass grafting (10.7% vs. 2.5%; P = 0.01). Predominant ECG findings included <1 mm ST-segment elevation (67.8%) and ST-segment depression (25%). The left anterior descending artery was most frequently involved. In-hospital mortality was 10.7% in the ACO group and 7.7% in the non-ACO group (P = 0.50).ConclusionAmong cancelled STEMI alerts, missed ACO cases were infrequent, often presenting with subtle or non-classical ECG findings. These patients showed a higher burden of cardiovascular risk and increased in-hospital mortality.

The stand-alone version of the alpha subunit of tryptophan synthase (TrpA), ZmBX1, catalyzes the retro-aldol cleavage of indole-3-glycerol phosphate (IGP) at a catalytic efficiency that is approximately 144,000 times higher than that of isolated ZmTrpA. Available X-ray crystal structures of ZmBX1 and several TrpAs revealed identical overall structures as well as active site geometries, showing high flexibility of the catalytic E49 in both cases. Based on the crystallographic data, E49 was found to adopt an active state in which the carboxylate group is close to IGP for promoting the retro-aldol cleavage as well as an additional inactive state whose catalytic function was unclear. In this work, by using a combination of Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations and cluster model DFT calculations, we rationalize the effect of the active/inactive conformation of the catalytic E49, as well as how L2 containing the other catalytically relevant residue D60 affects catalysis. The higher levels of retro-aldol activity observed for ZmBX1 are attributed to its dual ability to adopt not only active states of the catalytic E49 crucial for retro-aldol cleavage but also inactive states that position E49 in a noncatalytic orientation for disfavoring the reverse aldol reaction back to IGP after product formation. Our combined MD and QM studies elucidate the mechanistic interplay between conformational changes and catalytic steps in ZmBX1 and TrpA enzymes. This study highlights the importance of optimizing the conformational changes and chemical steps along the catalytic itinerary for altering and/or improving enzymatic function.

We are thrilled to announce the winners of the 2025 JWPE 3-Minute pitch "My Life in Water" event, a global initiative dedicated to celebrating outstanding PhD research in water processing and engineering. This initiative aimed to support emerging researchers by providing a platform within the Journal of Water Process Engineering for them to showcase their work. Participants faced the challenge of distilling their research into a compelling three-minute presentation, using language accessible to a non-specialist audience. We have asked our winners to each deliver a short presentation on their projects to give them the opportunity to elaborate during this webinar. Congratulations to all our winners: 1st place: Yasmina Alseksek, Khalifa University of Science and Technology for her presentation on Photocatalytic membranes for emerging contaminants removal and degradation. Joint 2nd place: Olga El Kik, IMT Mines Alès Institut Européen des Membranes for her presentation on Biology + electricity = the ultimate treatment; and Ebrahim Alosta, Khalifa University of Science and Technology for his presentation on Synthesis of hybrid nanocomposites for sustainable photocatalytic applications. 3rd place: Rajashree Yalamanchili, University of Girona for her presentation on Advancing safe water through efficient reuse and low-energy desalination. Photocatalytic membranes for emerging contaminants removal and degradation. Photocatalytic membranes have emerged as a promising multifunctional platform for the simultaneous removal and degradation of emerging contaminants in water treatment systems. In this work, advanced photocatalytic mixed-matrix membranes were developed by integrating photoactive nanomaterials within a polymeric membrane matrix, enabling coupled separation and in situ catalytic degradation under light irradiation. The membranes exhibited enhanced hydrophilicity, surface charge, and antifouling behavior, leading to improved water permeability and high rejection of representative emerging contaminants. Upon light exposure, the embedded photocatalysts generated reactive species that facilitated the degradation of retained pollutants, mitigating fouling accumulation and reducing secondary waste generation. The synergistic combination of membrane filtration and photocatalysis resulted in superior contaminant removal efficiency and operational stability compared to conventional membranes. This study highlights the potential of photocatalytic membranes as an energy-efficient and sustainable solution for advanced wastewater treatment and the mitigation of persistent emerging contaminants. Synthesis of hybrid nanocomposites for sustainable photocatalytic applications. The increasing presence of emerging contaminants, such as pharmaceuticals, dyes, and personal care products, in aquatic environments poses a serious challenge to conventional wastewater treatment technologies. Photocatalysis has emerged as a sustainable and energy-efficient alternative, particularly when driven by solar or visible light; however, the practical performance of many single-component photocatalysts remains limited by poor charge separation, narrow light absorption ranges, and long-term instability. This work focuses on the synthesis of hybrid nanocomposites engineered to overcome these limitations through rational material design. By integrating semiconductors with complementary band structures, surface functionalities, and redox properties, the developed hybrid systems promote enhanced light harvesting, efficient charge carrier separation, and increased availability of reactive surface sites. These synergistic effects significantly improve photocatalytic degradation efficiency toward representative organic pollutants while maintaining structural stability and reusability. Beyond performance enhancement, the proposed approach emphasizes sustainability, employing low-cost synthesis routes and aiming for scalability suitable for real wastewater treatment applications. This research contributes to advancing photocatalytic material design and offers a promising pathway toward environmentally friendly and resilient solutions for water purification in a resource-constrained future. Advancing safe water through efficient reuse and low-energy desalination. Water scarcity is intensifying the need for alternative sources such as seawater desalination and wastewater reuse. Reverse osmosis (RO) has become the cornerstone of desalination, providing a reliable barrier against salts and most contaminants. However, the high energy demand of seawater desalination remains a key limitation, while ensuring safe reuse and public acceptance continues to challenge the wider implementation of wastewater reuse. Integrating water reuse with desalination offers a pathway to address both challenges. Forward osmosis (FO) enables the dilution of seawater using purified wastewater, harnessing the natural osmotic pressure difference to reduce the energy required in downstream RO. This approach combines safe wastewater reuse with energy-efficient desalination, reducing overall costs and improving sustainability. Within the FORWARD-FACTORY project, this FO–RO hybrid design demonstrates the potential to lower desalination energy consumption to &lt;1 kWh/m³ while achieving up to 90% wastewater recovery. Additionally, concentrating nutrients such as organic matter, nitrogen, and phosphorus in the wastewater stream creates new opportunities for valorization, further enhancing the environmental and economic benefits of the system.

ABSTRACTBody movements like walking can synchronize with auditory and visual inputs presented within a periodic frequency range, peaking around 2 Hz. Some evidence has shown that the spontaneous tempo of human locomotion is around 2 Hz. The EEG frequency‐tagging approach allows us to capture the coupling of beat perception with neural brain oscillations at beat frequency. This study used EEG frequency tagging to explore brain dynamics during the perception of walking‐related sensory information in the auditory (footstep sounds) and visual (point‐light figure) modalities. Sensory inputs were delivered at different rates (1, 2, and 3.6 Hz) in rhythmic or random sequences while recording EEG activity. The experiment included three conditions: (i) auditory, (ii) visual, and (iii) audiovisual, including data from 22 participants. Results showed a main effect of rhythmic sequences compared with random sequences across all frequencies in all three auditory, visual, or audiovisual conditions. Specifically, at 2 Hz, rhythmic sequences enhanced neural entrainment in the sensorimotor cortex for auditory and audiovisual conditions. This effect was absent in the visual condition alone. Notably, 2 Hz rhythmic sequences in the audiovisual condition led to coupling with temporal, sensorimotor, and occipital regions. The study suggests that sensory auditory input related to walking movement presented at 2 Hz can mediate neural entrainment with sensorimotor areas. The findings of this study can have an impact on the spontaneous rhythmic integration of body movements using sensory inputs for walking rehabilitation.

The selective oxidation of nonactivated C(sp3)-H bonds in the presence of olefinic sites is a nonsolved problem. Herein, the chemoselective oxygenation of α,β-unsaturated esters and diesters bearing remote C(sp3)-H bonds was studied through their reactions with H2O2 catalyzed by Mn complexes and with ethyl(trifluoromethyl)dioxirane (ETFDO), both in MeCN and in the strong hydrogen bond donor (HBD) fluorinated alcohols (RFOHs) 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoro-2-propanol (HFIP) and nonafluoro-tert-butyl alcohol (NFTBA). In MeCN, reaction of linear and branched esters with the H2O2/Mn(TIPSmcp) system delivered products deriving from remote oxygenation at tertiary or secondary C-H bonds, allylic ketonization, and C═C bond epoxidation. In NFTBA, selectivity for oxygenation at remote over proximal sites significantly increased, accompanied by a sharp decrease in the relative importance of the epoxidation pathway. Similar trends were observed with ETFDO where, however, epoxidation remained in most cases the predominant pathway and allylic oxygenation was never competing. These changes in chemoselectivity are rationalized in terms of a polarity enhancement effect via the electronic deactivation of the proximal sites imparted by the ester group coupled to solvent hydrogen bonding. Introduction of a dialkyl 2-methylenemalonate unit strongly impacted chemoselectivity, leading in RFOHs to exclusive formation of oxygenation products at the most remote site, completely suppressing epoxidation and allylic ketonization. The use of this group, in combination with NFTBA and a benzimidazole-based catalyst Mn(o,o-CF3bpebpdp), enabled, moreover, the exclusive hydroxylation at remote primary C-H bonds. Because 2-methylenemalonate units can be easily introduced on aldehyde functionalities and then transformed into α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acids, careful control over chemoselectivity obtained through their use in combination with RFOHs provides a powerful strategy to be exploited in synthetically useful procedures.

Bacterial contamination remains a challenge for multiple facets of modern life. While antibiotics are a primary tool for bacterial control, their overuse has accelerated the appearance of multidrug-resistant bacteria and raises global health concerns. In swine, semen is stored at 17 °C in extenders that contain antibiotics to prevent bacterial growth. Apart from the potential consequences for the female, the proliferation of bacteria in liquid-stored semen is associated with a decline in sperm quality, ultimately reducing farrowing rates and litter sizes. With the aim of reducing the use of antibiotics while keeping bacterial growth under control, we herein investigated whether metal ions could exert an antimicrobial effect without impairing sperm quality. Separate metal ions (Ag, silver sulfadiazine; Al, aluminum chloride; Zn, zinc chloride; and Cu, and cooper chloride) were added at different concentrations (100 μM, 300 μM, 500 μM, 1 mM, and 10 mM) to seminal doses, which were stored at 17 °C for 48 h. Motility, viability, and the intracellular levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) were tested to determine their effects on sperm quality maintenance. In addition, ions were added to bacterial strains and to extended seminal samples to assess the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC). Results showed that, although silver sulfadiazine exerted an antimicrobial effect at all the concentrations tested, it also affected sperm quality negatively (p < 0.05). In contrast, aluminum chloride did not impair sperm quality but failed to inhibit bacterial growth at any of the tested concentrations (p > 0.05). Finally, 1 mM concentrations of copper and zinc chloride reduced microbial growth (p < 0.05) without affecting sperm quality. In spite of this, the inhibition of bacterial growth was not complete, thus suggesting that these two ions could contribute to reducing bacterial growth but should be combined with other strategies, such as a lower storage temperature and a decreased concentration of antibiotics. Further research is warranted to address whether copper and zinc chloride could have a synergistic effect when added together.

Ultraviolet B radiation damages DNA increases oxidative stress and impairs fertility and survival in organisms. The spermatozoa are particularly vulnerable, experiencing altered structure, function, and fertilization capacity due to UVB exposure. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effects of ultraviolet B radiation and cold storage on the morphology and physiology of ram spermatozoa. The samples of fresh semen from seven animals, obtained during six collections, yielded 42 ejaculates. Aliquots were diluted in Tris egg yolk and were subjected to varying doses of UVB radiation, namely no radiation (0 mJ/cm2), 2.199 mJ/cm2, 4.398 mJ/cm2, 6.597 mJ/cm2, 8.796 mJ/cm2, and 10.995 mJ/cm2. All evaluations were carried out in duplicate and immediately after UVB exposure; samples were also stored at 5 °C for analysis at 24 and 48 h. Sperm were evaluated for motility using a computer assisted sperm analysis system (CASA), apart from plasma membrane integrity, mitochondrial function, DNA integrity, and acrosomal fluorescence. While UVB exposure damaged the acrosome, the plasma membrane and DNA remained intact. Storage at 5 °C for 24 h and 48 h did not affect any of the structures studied, and even though certain aspects of sperm kinematics were affected, they retained motility. Thus, exposure to UVB resulted in lower sperm motility and structures without completely damaging the sperm.