Abstract Synthetic biology has evolved from a set of engineering aspirations to an operationally sophisticated discipline, and artificial intelligence (AI) is its fastest-growing accelerant. This review traces that convergence across six interlocking domains: systems-level biological modeling, de novo protein engineering, metabolic and microbial programming, multi-omics data integration, regulatory element design, and clinical translation. For each domain, we survey established results, integrate findings from 2010–2026 literature, and articulate the trajectories that will define the next decade. Emerging themes include physics-informed neural networks for mechanistically constrained biological modeling, drug design, and federated learning architectures that allow global omics collaboration without centralizing sensitive data, self-driving laboratories that close the Design-Build-Test-Learn loop with minimal human intervention, and large language models that accelerate hypothesis generation from scientific literature. Alongside these opportunities, the review gives equal weight to the governance challenges they create: dual-use risks amplified by generative sequence design, the reproducibility crisis in AI-driven biodesign, and the equitable distribution of autonomous experimentation capacity. The overarching argument is that the promise of synthetic biology, making biological design as deliberate and reliable as any mature engineering discipline, is closer than ever, but will only be realized if technical ambition is matched by scientific rigor, transparent governance, and inclusive access.

Background: The significance of imaging right-heart thrombus via echocardiography in acute pulmonary embolism (PE) patients, as well as its management, remains uncertain. Methods: In this retrospective, observational, multicenter, and multinational registry of consecutive acute PE patients, we compared 100 patients in whom thrombus was visualized in the right heart during echocardiographic evaluation with 2635 patients without visualization of thrombus. The co-primary endpoints were all-cause in-hospital mortality and PE-related mortality. Secondary endpoints included the prevalence of severe PE at admission (intermediate–high and high-risk PE), the frequency of thrombolytic therapy administration, and mortality among patients who received thrombolysis. Results: All-cause and PE-related mortality were higher in patients with thrombus in the right heart (31.0% vs. 9.6%, and 25.8% vs. 5.6%, p < 0.001, respectively). Patients with right-heart thrombi had a more severe PE presentation than those without (74.0% vs. 45.3%, p < 0.001). In patients treated with thrombolysis, all-cause mortality was higher in patients with right-heart thrombi (35.5% vs. 12.7%, p < 0.001). In the multivariable Cox regression analysis adjusted for ESC mortality risk, age, presence of syncope, atrial fibrillation, and hypoxemia, patients with thrombus in the right heart had a significantly higher risk of all-cause and PE-related death compared to patients without thrombus (HR 2.60, 95% CI 1.753–3.859, p < 0.001, and HR 3.287, 95% CI 2.056–5.253, p < 0.001, respectively). Conclusions: Visualization of thrombus in transit through the right heart is associated with higher all-cause and PE-related mortality, independent of PE severity and the use of thrombolytic therapy.

Background/Objectives: This study investigates the correlation between substantia nigra (SN) hyperechogenicity, detected via transcranial sonography (TCS), and retinal thinning in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD). Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 86 PD patients (172 eyes) underwent clinical assessment (UPDRS, Hoehn–Yahr), TCS for SN area measurement, and optical coherence tomography (OCT) for retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL), ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer (GCIPL), and macular thickness analysis. Results: PD patients exhibited significant thinning of the GCIPL, average RNFL, and central macular thickness compared to healthy controls (p < 0.001 in all instances). Pathological SN hyperechogenicity (>0.19 cm2) was detected in 85.9% of patients with a preserved temporal bone window (71 out of 86). A significant negative correlation was found specifically between the SN echogenic area and central macular thickness (r = −0.248, p = 0.003). Patients with pathological SN findings had a significantly thinner central macula (p = 0.006) compared to those with a normal SN, while no significant correlations were observed between the SN area and RNFL or GCIPL. Conclusions: These findings demonstrate a specific correlation between SN hyperechogenicity and central macular thinning. While RNFL and GCIPL effectively differentiate PD from controls, the central macula might serve as a promising biomarker candidate reflecting SN changes. Further longitudinal studies are required to evaluate the role of these combined markers in the PD diagnostic algorithm.

Highlights Diabetes abolishes the normal maturational rise of renal SDC1 in rats. SDC2 remains inappropriately elevated in diabetic kidneys at two months. NDST1 is biphasic: raised at two weeks, then profoundly suppressed by two months. Public transcriptomes reproduce the syndecan changes and point to post-transcriptional NDST control. Abstract Background: The aim of this study was to determine the temporal expression patterns of syndecan family members (SDC1, SDC2, SDC4) and heparan sulfate biosynthesis enzymes (NDST1, NDST2) in kidneys of diabetic rats and age-matched controls. Methods: Male Sprague–Dawley rats received intraperitoneal streptozotocin (55 mg/kg; DM1 group) or citrate buffer (control group). Kidney samples were harvested after 2 weeks and 2 months and processed for immunofluorescence. Results: SDC1 showed significant temporal upregulation in controls that was abolished in diabetic animals. SDC2 exhibited high early expression in the control group with significant decline as the kidneys matured but remained elevated in diabetic kidneys at 2 months compared to controls. SDC4 showed no significant difference between groups, though an age-related decrease was observed in controls. NDST1 was significantly upregulated in diabetic rats at 2 weeks, followed by profound suppression at 2 months (p < 0.0001). NDST2 showed modest but significant early elevation in diabetic animals. Transcript-level analysis of two independent public datasets of streptozotocin-induced diabetic rat renal cortex reproduced the principal directional findings—an early increase in SDC1 and a progressive elevation of SDC2—while indicating post-transcriptional regulation of SDC4 and the early NDST response. Conclusions: Diabetes disrupts normal temporal expression of syndecans and heparan sulfate biosynthesis enzymes in rat kidneys. Early compensatory upregulation of NDST1 and NDST2, followed by progressive NDST1 suppression, suggests a deteriorating heparan sulfate biosynthetic capacity, potentially contributing to the progression of diabetic nephropathy.

Vaccination is one of the most effective public health interventions, yet vaccine hesitancy continues to threaten high childhood immunization coverage. Parental attitudes, knowledge, and information sources play a critical role in shaping vaccination decisions, influencing both individual and community protection. A cross-sectional study was conducted between October and December 2024, including 120 parents of children covered by the national vaccination schedule. Data were collected via a self-administered25-item questionnaire distributed through Google Forms, assessing demographics, knowledge, attitudes, and sources of vaccination-related information. Associations between participant characteristics and vaccination attitudes, knowledge, and compliance were analyzed using chi-square tests. Among participants, 95% reported compliance with the mandatory vaccination schedule, and 84.2% expressed a positive attitude toward childhood vaccination. The majority recognized vaccination as primarily benefiting the child (75%) and providing protection against severe disease (72.5%). Healthcare professionals were the main source of vaccination information (71.7%), while media and social networks were less frequently used. Awareness of the anti-vaccination movement was reported by 58.3%, and 43.3% of participants expressed trust in available vaccine information. Compliance was significantly associated with marital status and number of children, while knowledge correlated with educational level. Younger parents and urban residents relied more on media sources, whereas older and rural parents primarily consulted healthcare professionals. The findings indicate that parents in the studied region demonstrate positive attitudes toward childhood vaccination, with high compliance and a strong reliance on healthcare professionals as sources of information. Vaccine hesitancy persists in a minority, often influenced by misinformation and uncertainty. Targeted, prevention-oriented interventions focusing on health communication and support from healthcare professionals are essential to sustain high vaccination coverage and protect children and communities from vaccine-preventable diseases.Keywords: child health, childhood vaccination, health communication, public health, vaccine hesitancy.

This study aimed to identify distinct motivational profiles in mathematics based on students’ confidence and liking of mathematics and to examine their association with mathematics achievement. A person-centered approach was employed using latent profile analysis (LPA) on TIMSS 2023 data from Bosnia and Herzegovina. The sample comprised 2,795 fourth-grade students (1,449 girls; 1,346 boys). The analysis identified four distinct profiles characterized by different combinations of confidence and liking of mathematics. These profiles ranged from generally low levels on both constructs to profiles with high levels of confidence and liking, as well as mixed patterns reflecting discrepancies between the two. Students in the profile characterized by high confidence and high liking of mathematics significantly outperformed all other profiles, whereas no statistically significant differences were observed among the remaining profiles. Gender differences in profile membership were statistically significant but small in magnitude. No interaction effect between gender and profile membership on mathematics achievement was found, although boys demonstrated higher achievement overall. The findings highlight the importance of considering combined motivational patterns rather than isolated constructs, and fostering both confidence and positive attitudes toward mathematics may contribute to improved student achievement.

A pole of order m∈N\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$m \in \mathbb {N}$$\end{document} at β∈C\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$\beta \in \mathbb {C}$$\end{document} of a regular operator-valued function Q:D(Q)→L(H)\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$Q: \mathcal {D}(Q) \rightarrow \mathcal {L}(\mathcal {H})$$\end{document} is investigated. We provide a characterization of pole cancellation functions ψ(z)\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$\varvec{\psi }(z)$$\end{document} of Q(z) of order k≤m\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$k \le m$$\end{document} at β\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$\beta $$\end{document} in terms of the coefficients of the Laurent expansion of Q. This characterization yields practical and explicit constructions of pole cancellation functions ψ(z)\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$\varvec{\psi }(z)$$\end{document}. Moreover, it leads to an explicit formula for the associated functions φ^(z):=Q(z)ψ(z)\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$\varvec{\hat{\varphi }}(z):= Q(z)\varvec{\psi }(z)$$\end{document}, which are root functions of order k at the zero β\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$\beta $$\end{document} of Q-1\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$Q^{-1}$$\end{document}. The results are illustrated by an example.

In this research, a rapid seismic assessment of the I Gymnasium in Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina) was conducted. The structural information was obtained from original designs, visual inspection, which was supported by the usage of a drone, and infrared thermography. The vulnerability of the structure was assessed by implementing the Vulnerability Index Method (VIM). Once the mean damage grades were obtained for various seismic intensities (EMS 98 scale applied) vulnerability curve was constructed, enabling the quantification of risk for various seismic scenarios. The structure would experience no to minor damage if exposed to weaker earthquakes (IV–V). The most interesting intensities for Sarajevo are VII and VIII, indicating moderate damage. For earthquakes of higher intensities (X–XII), there is a significant increase in heavy and severe damage, leading to the complete collapse in the case of XII intensity level. The paper further discussed the effects that have a direct impact on the degradation of masonry material, leading to a reduction of its resilience. An aspect of inadequate strengthening is emphasized, together with the importance of regular maintenance for prolonging the life of these types of structures.

<p>Estmating the risk to pulic health from heavy metals can help solve the basic questions about the potential dangers of exposure to them. This is the first study&nbsp; aimed to assess the health risk for the residents of the municipality of Zenica, on the land closest to the steel industry by examining the heavy metals Zn, Ni, Pb, Cd, Cr and Cu in the soil and plant cultivars corn and chard that could be used for the potential remediation of such soil. With the calculated data for HQ and HI, the non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risk for adults and children were estimated, based on heavy metals in the selected topsoil and plants, which are usually grown in the area of interest, through different ways of their intake. The results showed that there is an unacceptable risk for children and adults due to long-term consumption of investigated plant cultivars from soil contaminated with heavy metals. Constant monitoring and measures to reducing the heavy metal pollution, primarily Cd, Pb and Cr, are necessary in the lands of ​​the municipality of Zenica. Special caution is required for residents who intend to grow plant cultivars near steel industry</p>

A comprehensive understanding of fundamental physical laws is essential for effectively using modern medical devices and comprehending the biological processes of organisms. This underscores the necessity of physics as a mandatory course in medical and healthcare studies. However, there is a lack of research regarding medical students’ motivation to learn physics and their awareness of its importance in healthcare, particularly among students in radiology and physiotherapy programmes. Therefore, the aim of this study is to assess students’ motivations for enrolling in healthcare programmes, their opinions about physics, and their perceived value of physics education for future career competencies. The sample comprised 157 undergraduate students from the physiotherapy and radiologic technology programmes at the Faculty of Health Studies, University of Rijeka, Croatia. Data were collected using a standardised questionnaire and analysed using the non-parametric Mann–Whitney U test and Kruskal–Wallis test. The research findings indicate that most students are enthusiastic about learning physics when they see its practical applications, especially in therapeutic and diagnostic procedures. Additionally, students are primarily motivated by a desire to help others, positive high school experiences, career aspirations, and family influence. Final-year students particularly recognise the significance of physics in diagnostics and therapies. Furthermore, professors’ professionalism and the curriculum’s relevance to future job skills are keymotivators. These findings can be used to develop diverse teaching strategies to enhance student interest, ultimately cultivating experts who can advance healthcare and improve disease diagnosis and treatment.