Czech Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

octahedra has a larger role in determining the OER activity in both compounds. These insights not only highlight the OER potential of brownmillerite oxides but also provide a foundation for the rational design of next-generation brownmillerite-based electrocatalysts.

When multiple stimuli appear simultaneously in the visual field, they are not processed independently, but rather interact in a mutually suppressive way suggesting that they compete for neural representation. The biased competition model of selective attention suggests that both top-down and bottom-up processes can help resolve this competition by reducing suppressive interactions between competing stimuli. Both top-down attention and bottom-up visual salience (via pop-out visual stimuli) have been found to reduce competition in extrastriate cortex. Here we investigated whether the low- to intermediate-level visual cortical mechanisms that subserve illusory contour formation can reduce the competitive interactions between competing stimuli in a bottom-up fashion. FMRI activity in visual cortex was investigated while subjects performed a target detection task at fixation. While subjects performed this central task, four illusory contour inducers were displayed at four nearby locations within the upper right visual quadrant. The four stimuli were either presented simultaneously (SIM) or sequentially (SEQ: each stimulus presented alone in one of the four locations). In addition, stimuli either formed an illusory contour (inducers rotated inward) or did not (inducers rotated outward). Greater activity was observed in extrastriate cortex for the SEQ condition compared to the SIM condition, regardless of if the stimuli formed an illusory contour. This supports the biased competition model that predicts greater competition, and thus reduced activation, when the stimuli are presented simultaneously. Greater activity was also observed during the SIM condition in V3/V4 when the stimuli could be grouped together to form an illusory contour compared to when the stimuli did not form a perceptual group. This suggests that in the illusory contour condition the four inducers were grouped together into a single perceptual group, reducing competition among the simultaneously presented inducers. These results suggest that early contour formation can influence neural competition in a bottom-up fashion.

**Background:** Skin cancer is a relatively common cancer in Australia with early diagnosis and simple treatment conferring a high likelihood of cure. The aim of this study was to implement a ‘see-and-treat’ clinic, using pre-existing infrastructure, to investigate whether this model of care would reduce waiting times and costs and give high levels of patient satisfaction. **Methods:** Inclusion and exclusion criteria based on suitability for day surgery treatment eligibility were developed in consultation with the hospital’s specialist anaesthetic service. Referrals were screened and those eligible underwent consultation with a plastic and reconstructive surgeon and same-day operative management with their choice of anaesthesia. Patients were reviewed one week and four weeks postoperatively. **Results:** Two hundred and six patients had 286 skin lesions removed over 23 operating lists. Over 75 per cent of excisions were on the face. Local anaesthetic with sedation was the most popular anaesthetic technique. There were 22 complications, and the incomplete excision rate was 4.2 per cent. The average waiting time for suitable patients reduced by 76 per cent, and category I outpatient waitlists were reduced by 100 per cent. An estimated gross saving of AU$1339 per patient was calculated. A survey of patients postoperatively showed all patients would recommend this model. **Conclusion:** This 'see-and-treat' model was shown to reduce waiting times and costs and provide high levels of patient satisfaction. It was also easily implemented using pre-existing infrastructure. It is a service that continues to be offered and expanded, with ongoing patient satisfaction.

The S. clavuligerus ß‐Lactamase Inhibitor Protein (BLIP) is an effective inhibitor of class A ß‐lactamases, including the TEM‐1 β‐Lactamase (TEM1). A previous report from our groups shows that Y143A mutant of BLIP binds to TEM1 with similar affinity as the wild type, but with a larger entropy contribution to binding. The Y50A mutant binds to TEM1 50 fold stronger than wild type, which is the result of increased enthalpy driving forces (Wang J., et al. JBC. 2007; 282:17676–84). In addition, binding of BLIP Y50A with TEM1 exhibits a less negative ΔCp than that of the wild type complex. These findings suggest that binding between BLIP Y50A and TEM1 is enhanced by hydrophilic interactions. Interestingly, our stopped‐flow kinetic measurements show that the association rate of BLIP Y50A with TEM1 is similar to that of the wild type, demonstrating the increased affinity is mainly due to the slower dissociation. To understand the changes in binding thermodynamics and kinetics, we initiated structural studies of these complexes. After extensive crystallization screens, some high quality crystals were obtained for the BLIP Y50A/TEM1 complex and the BLIP Y143A/TEM1 complex crystallized in micro‐needle form. We are currently optimizing conditions to obtain high‐quality crystals. Future X‐ray diffraction analysis will determine if the crystals are suitable for structure determination. Support from AHA & UH to D.C. and NIH to T.P.

/4π, surpassing those of the known materials. Detailed analysis reveals that the significant SHC can be attributed to spin-orbit coupling (SOC)-induced gap openings at Dirac-like band crossings. Additionally, the presence of mirror symmetry can also enhance the SHC. Beyond the high SHC materials, 57 topological insulators with quantized SHCs have been identified. Our work enables rapid screening and paves the way for experimental validation, potentially accelerating the discovery of novel 2D materials optimized for spintronics applications.

Large, high-quality datasets are essential for accelerating materials discovery. However, challenges related to data accessibility and analysis often prevent these datasets from having full impact. Here, we introduce DISCOVER, an open-source descriptor analysis framework designed to facilitate systematic data exploration and descriptor identification for desired or undesired material functions. Using this framework, descriptors can be identified even for complex materials properties, enabling interpretable and data-driven optimization of targeted materials. Alongside the framework, we present an open-access database containing 765 spinel compounds that are relevant to battery applications. These compounds were derived from periodic density functional theory (DFT) simulations, which provide the structural, electronic, and electrochemical properties necessary for understanding and optimizing spinel materials for use in energy storage technologies. Applying this database together with DISCOVER, we uncover a universal, physics-informed descriptor for ionic mobility across oxide, sulfide, and selenide spinels. Specifically, we demonstrate that the migration barrier is fundamentally governed by a direct competition between the thermodynamic site preference and the geometric anion positional parameter. By providing this open-access resource coupled with analytical tools, we aim to promote reproducibility and accelerate the data-driven design of high-performance energy storage materials.

We revisit the problem of proving the incompressible limit for the compressible porous media equation with Newtonian drift and growth. The question is motivated by models of living tissues development including chemotaxis. We extend the problem, already treated by the authors and several other contributions, in using a simplified approach, in treating dimensions two or higher, and in incorporating the pressure driven growth term. We also complete the analysis with stronger $L^4$ estimates on the pressure gradient. The major difficulty is to prove the strong convergence of the pressure gradient which is obtained here by a new observation on an algebraic relation involving the pressure gradient for weak limits.

The integrate and fire equation is a classical model for neural assemblies which can exhibit finite time blow-up. A major open problem is to understand how to continue solutions after blow-up. Here we study an approach based on random discharge models and a change of time which generates a classical global solution to the expense of a strong absorption rate 1/$ε$. We prove that in the limit $ε$ $\rightarrow$ 0 + , a global solution is recovered where the integrate and fire equation is reformulated with a singular measure. This describes the dynamics after blow-up and also gives information on the blow-up phenomena itself.The major difficulty is to handle nonlinear terms. To circumvent it, we establish two new estimates, a kind of equi-integrability of the discharge measure and a L 2 estimate of the density. The use of the new timescale turns out to be fundamental for those estimates.