Demonstrating Path-Independent Anyonic Braiding on a Modular Superconducting Quantum Processor.

Anyons, exotic quasiparticles in two-dimensional space exhibiting nontrivial exchange statistics, play a crucial role in universal topological quantum computing. One notable proposal to manifest the fractional statistics of anyons is the toric code model; however, scaling up its size through quantum simulation poses a serious challenge because of its highly entangled ground state. In this Letter, we demonstrate that a modular superconducting quantum processor enables hardware-pragmatic implementation of the toric code model. Through in-parallel control across separate modules, we generate a 10-qubit toric code ground state in four steps and realize six distinct braiding paths to benchmark the performance of anyonic statistics. The path independence of the anyonic braiding statistics is verified by correlation measurements in an efficient and scalable fashion. Our modular approach, serving as a hardware embodiment of the toric code model, offers a promising avenue toward scalable simulation of topological phases, paving the way for quantum simulation in a distributed fashion.

Causes and treatment strategies of unilateral leaflet escape of bileaflet mechanical prosthetic heart valves after surgery: a case series.

BACKGROUND: During the eleven years from 2010 to 2021, preliminary statistics have shown that Fuwai Hospital completed 23,571 mechanical valve replacements for various types of valves, and 1139 mechanical valve replacements were performed in Guangyuan First People's Hospital. Only two patients developed valve leaflet escape, so valve leaflet escape is a rare postoperative complication. CASE PRESENTATION: In 2010 and 2021, two patients were selected after they had unilateral leaflet escape after having mechanical valve replacements in Fuwai Hospital of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Guangyuan First People's Hospital. Both patients underwent reoperations with the classic operation and the new bileaflet mechanical prosthetic heart valve was sutured. The treatment of detached single lobe and distal vessel was comprehensively determined, and the condition was treated according to the patient's symptoms, CT results, ultrasound results and other test results, as well as whether this detached lobe caused any abnormal hemodynamics of the distal vessel. The patient with mechanical aortic valve escape completed the 10-year follow-up, and patient with mechanical mitral valve escape completed the 3-month follow-up. there was no thrombosis or hematoma at the embolic site; the patient had no lower limb symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: The reason for the leaflet escape may be related to the valve design and the leaflet material. If the detached leaflets are damaged and if the distal blood vessels are affected, simultaneous surgical treatment is required. Those patients whose vessels were not damaged by the valve lobe should be carefully monitored.

EWSR1-induced circNEIL3 promotes glioma progression and exosome-mediated macrophage immunosuppressive polarization via stabilizing IGF2BP3.

BACKGROUND: Gliomas are the most common malignant primary brain tumours with a highly immunosuppressive tumour microenvironment (TME) and poor prognosis. Circular RNAs (circRNA), a newly found type of endogenous noncoding RNA, characterized by high stability, abundance, conservation, have been shown to play an important role in the pathophysiological processes and TME remodelling of various tumours. METHODS: CircRNA sequencing analysis was performed to explore circRNA expression profiles in normal and glioma tissues. The biological function of a novel circRNA, namely, circNEIL3, in glioma development was confirmed both in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, RNA pull-down, mass spectrum, RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP), luciferase reporter, and co-immunoprecipitation assays were conducted. RESULTS: We identified circNEIL3, which could be cyclized by EWS RNA-binding protein 1(EWSR1), to be upregulated in glioma tissues and to correlate positively with glioma malignant progression. Functionally, we confirmed that circNEIL3 promotes tumorigenesis and carcinogenic progression of glioma in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, circNEIL3 stabilizes IGF2BP3 (insulin-like growth factor 2 mRNA binding protein 3) protein, a known oncogenic protein, by preventing HECTD4-mediated ubiquitination. Moreover, circNEIL3 overexpression glioma cells drives macrophage infiltration into the tumour microenvironment (TME). Finally, circNEIL3 is packaged into exosomes by hnRNPA2B1 and transmitted to infiltrated tumour associated macrophages (TAMs), enabling them to acquire immunosuppressive properties by stabilizing IGF2BP3 and in turn promoting glioma progression. CONCLUSIONS: This work reveals that circNEIL3 plays a nonnegligible multifaceted role in promoting gliomagenesis, malignant progression and macrophage tumour-promoting phenotypes polarization, highlighting that circNEIL3 is a potential prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target in glioma.

Artificial Graft Replacement for the Pulmonary Artery Aneurysm: Three Case Reports.

Pulmonary artery aneurysm (PAA) is a relatively rare disease. The symptoms are usually nonspecific and often identified due to coughing or dyspnea. Pericardial tamponade caused by the PAA dissection or rupture is the most common cause of death, so active surgical treatment is recommended. The surgical reports in the literature are handful. Here we report three cases, all of whom were admitted due to exertional dyspnea. PAAs were observed from the main to the left and/or the right pulmonary artery. All three cases received PAA resection and artificial graft replacement with good outcomes.

Flux Tunable Superconducting Quantum Circuit Based on Weyl Semimetal MoTe2.

Weyl semimetals have drawn considerable attention for their exotic topological properties in many research fields. When in combination with s-wave superconductors, the supercurrent can be carried by their topological surface channels, forming junctions mimicking the behavior of Majorana bound states. Here, we present a transmon-like superconducting quantum intereference device (SQUID) consisting of lateral junctions made of Weyl semimetal Td-MoTe2 and superconducting leads of niobium nitride (NbN). The SQUID is coupled to a readout cavity made of molybdenum rhenium (MoRe), whose response at high power reveals the existence of the constituting Josephson junctions (JJs). The loop geometry of the circuit allows the resonant frequency of the readout cavity to be tuned by the magnetic flux. We demonstrate a JJ made of MoTe2 and a flux-tunable transmon-like circuit based on Weyl semimetals. Our study provides a platform to utilize topological materials in SQUID-based quantum circuits for potential applications in quantum information processing.

High-Fidelity, High-Scalability Two-Qubit Gate Scheme for Superconducting Qubits.

High-quality two-qubit gate operations are crucial for scalable quantum information processing. Often, the gate fidelity is compromised when the system becomes more integrated. Therefore, a low-error-rate, easy-to-scale two-qubit gate scheme is highly desirable. Here, we experimentally demonstrate a new two-qubit gate scheme that exploits fixed-frequency qubits and a tunable coupler in a superconducting quantum circuit. The scheme requires less control lines, reduces cross talk effect, and simplifies calibration procedures, yet produces a controlled-Z gate in 30 ns with a high fidelity of 99.5%, derived from the interleaved randomized benchmarking method. Error analysis shows that gate errors are mostly coherence limited. Our demonstration paves the way for large-scale implementation of high-fidelity quantum operations.

Iridium-Catalyzed Intramolecular Cycloisomerization between Functionalized Alkyne with Aryl Vinyl Ether: Synthesis of 2-Vinyl-3-functionalized Methylbenzofurans.

We have developed cycloisomerization between an aryl vinyl ether and a functionalized alkyne, such as silylalkyne, to give 2,3-disubstituted benzofuran derivatives using [IrCl(cod)]2, PCy3, and NaBArF4. This catalyst system not only catalyzes the above cycloisomerization but also isomerize a terminal olefin to give an aryl vinyl ether.

1.5 µm polarization coherent lidar incorporating time-division multiplexing.

Atmospheric depolarization ratio and wind velocity are measured simultaneously by a single versatile coherent Doppler lidar (CDL). Backscattering components at parallel and perpendicular polarization states are obtained by using a single balanced detector, adopting time-division multiplexing technique. Thus systematic error induced by the non-uniform response of different detectors in traditional lidars is avoided. The operation mode of the instrument can be switched from polarization CDL to traditional CDL by the user depending on atmospheric conditions and desired performance. As demonstrated, the perpendicular component of the backscattering, usually wasted, not only can be used to retrieve the ADR, but also can be used to improve the carrier to noise ratio in wind detection. In the traditional mode, given a tolerance of 0.5 m/s precision, a detection range of 6 km is achieved by using a 300 ns laser pulse with energy of 100 µJ, where the temporal and spatial resolution of 2 s and 60 m, respectively. Continuous wind detection of the atmospheric boundary layer over 26 hours is presented to demonstrate the robustness and stability of the system. Dynamic evolution and wind structure are recorded.

Micro-pulse polarization lidar at 1.5 µm using a single superconducting nanowire single-photon detector.

An all-fiber, eye-safe and micro-pulse polarization lidar is demonstrated with a polarization-maintaining structure, incorporating a single superconducting nanowire single-photon detector (SNSPD) at 1.5 µm. The time-division multiplexing technique is used to achieve a calibration-free optical layout. A single piece of detector is used to detect the backscatter signals at two orthogonal states in an alternative sequence. Thus, regular calibration of the two detectors in traditional polarization lidars is avoided. The signal-to-noise ratio of the lidar is guaranteed by using an SNSPD, providing high detection efficiency and low dark count noise. The linear depolarization ratio (LDR) of the urban aerosol is observed horizontally over 48 h in Hefei [N31°50'37'', E117°15'54''], when a heavy air pollution is spreading from the north to the central east of China. Phenomena of LDR bursts are detected at a location where a building is under construction. The lidar results show good agreement with the data detected from a sun photometer, a 532 nm visibility lidar, and the weather forecast information.

Dual-frequency Doppler lidar for wind detection with a superconducting nanowire single-photon detector.

A dual-frequency direct detection Doppler lidar is demonstrated using a superconducting nanowire single-photon detector (SNSPD) at 1.5 µm. The so-called double-edge technique is implemented by using a dual-frequency laser pulse, rather than using a double-channel Fabry-Perot interferometer. Such a modification to the reported lidars enhances the frequency stability in the system level. Using the time-division multiplexing method, only one piece of SNSPD is used in the optical receiver, making the system simplified and robust. The SNSPD is adopted to enhance the temporal resolution since it offers merits of high quantum efficiency, low dark count noise, no after-pulsing probability, and a high maximum count rate. Two telescopes that point westward and northward at a zenith angle of 30° are used to detect the line-of-sight wind components, which are used to synthesize the horizontal wind profile. Horizontal wind profiles up to an altitude of about 2.7 km are calculated with vertical spatial/temporal resolution of 10 m/10 s. Wind dynamic evolution and vertical wind shears are observed clearly.

All-fiber upconversion high spectral resolution wind lidar using a Fabry-Perot interferometer.

An all-fiber, micro-pulse and eye-safe high spectral resolution wind lidar (HSRWL) at 1.5 µm is proposed and demonstrated by using a pair of upconversion single-photon detectors and a fiber Fabry-Perot scanning interferometer (FFP-SI). In order to improve the optical detection efficiency, both the transmission spectrum and the reflection spectrum of the FFP-SI are used for spectral analyses of the aerosol backscatter and the reference laser pulse. Taking advantages of high signal-to-noise ratio of the detectors and high spectral resolution of the FFP-SI, the center frequencies and the bandwidths of spectra of the aerosol backscatter are obtained simultaneously. Continuous LOS wind observations are carried out on two days at Hefei (31.843 °N, 117.265 °E), China. The horizontal detection range of 4 km is realized with temporal resolution of 1 minute. The spatial resolution is switched from 30 m to 60 m at distance of 1.8 km. In a comparison experiment, LOS wind measurements from the HSRWL show good agreement with the results from an ultrasonic wind sensor (Vaisala windcap WMT52). An empirical method is adopted to evaluate the precision of the measurements. The standard deviation of the wind speed is 0.76 m/s at 1.8 km. The standard deviation of bandwidth variation is 2.07 MHz at 1.8 km.

Micro-pulse upconversion Doppler lidar for wind and visibility detection in the atmospheric boundary layer.

For the first time, to the best of our knowledge, a compact, eye-safe, and versatile direct detection Doppler lidar is developed using an upconversion single-photon detection method at 1.5 µm. An all-fiber and polarization maintaining architecture is realized to guarantee the high optical coupling efficiency and the robust stability. Using integrated-optic components, the conservation of etendue of the optical receiver is achieved by manufacturing a fiber-coupled periodically poled lithium niobate waveguide and an all-fiber Fabry-Perot interferometer (FPI). The double-edge technique is implemented by using a convert single-channel FPI and a single upconversion detector, incorporating a time-division multiplexing method. The backscatter photons at 1548.1 nm are converted into 863 nm via mixing with a pump laser at 1950 nm. The relative error of the system is less than 0.1% over nine weeks. In experiments, atmospheric wind and visibility over 48 h are detected in the boundary layer. The lidar shows good agreement with the ultrasonic wind sensor, with a standard deviation of 1.04 m/s in speed and 12.3° in direction.

Stratospheric temperature measurement with scanning Fabry-Perot interferometer for wind retrieval from mobile Rayleigh Doppler lidar.

Temperature detection remains challenging in the low stratosphere, where the Rayleigh integration lidar is perturbed by aerosol contamination and ozone absorption while the rotational Raman lidar is suffered from its low scattering cross section. To correct the impacts of temperature on the Rayleigh Doppler lidar, a high spectral resolution lidar (HSRL) based on cavity scanning Fabry-Perot Interferometer (FPI) is developed. By considering the effect of the laser spectral width, Doppler broadening of the molecular backscatter, divergence of the light beam and mirror defects of the FPI, a well-behaved transmission function is proved to show the principle of HSRL in detail. Analysis of the statistical error of the HSRL is carried out in the data processing. A temperature lidar using both HSRL and Rayleigh integration techniques is incorporated into the Rayleigh Doppler wind lidar. Simultaneous wind and temperature detection is carried out based on the combined system at Delhi (37.371°N, 97.374°E; 2850 m above the sea level) in Qinghai province, China. Lower Stratosphere temperature has been measured using HSRL between 18 and 50 km with temporal resolution of 2000 seconds. The statistical error of the derived temperatures is between 0.2 and 9.2 K. The temperature profile retrieved from the HSRL and wind profile from the Rayleigh Doppler lidar show good agreement with the radiosonde data. Specifically, the max temperature deviation between the HSRL and radiosonde is 4.7 K from 18 km to 36 km, and it is 2.7 K between the HSRL and Rayleigh integration lidar from 27 km to 34 km.

Immune landscape of hepatocellular carcinoma tumor microenvironment identifies a prognostic relevant model.

Background: Various studies highlighted that immune cell-mediated inflammatory processes play crucial roles in the progression and treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the immune microenvironment of HCC is still poorly characterized. Exploring the role of immune-related genes (IRGs) and describing the immune landscape in HCC would provide insights into tumor-immune co-evolution along HCC progression. Methods: We integrated the datasets with complete prognostic information from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database and GEO DataSets (GSE14520, GSE76427, and GSE54236) to construct a novel immune landscape based on the Cibersort algorithm and reveal the prognostic signature in HCC patients. Results: To describe the tumor microenvironment (TME) in HCC, immune infiltration patterns were defined using the CIBERSORT method, and a prognostic signature contains 5 types of immune cells, including 3 high-risk immune cells (T.cells. CD4. memory. resting, Macrophages.M0, Macrophages.M2) and 2 low-risk immune cells (Plasma. cells, T.cells.CD8), were finally constructed. A novel prognostic index, based on prognostic immune risk score (pIRG), was developed using the univariate Cox regression analyses and LASSO Cox regression algorithm. Furthermore, the ROC curve and KM curve showed that the TME signatures had a stable value in predicting the prognosis of HCC patients in the internal training cohort, internal validation, and external validation cohort. Differential genes analysis and qPCR experiment showed that the expression levels of AKR1B10, LAPTM4B, MMP9, and SPP1 were significantly increased in high-risk patients, while the expression of CD5L was lower. Further analysis found that AKR1B10 and MMP9 were associated with higher M0 macrophage infiltration, while CD5L was associated with higher plasma cell infiltration. Conclusions: Taken together, we performed a comprehensive evaluation of the immune landscape of HCC and constructed a novel and robust prognostic prediction model. AKR1B10, LAPTM4B, MMP9, SPP1, and CD5L were involved in important processes in the HCC tumor microenvironment and were expected to become HCC prediction markers and potential targets of treatment.

Safety and effectiveness of the sutureless integrated stented graft prosthesis in an animal model.

Background: Prolonged circulatory arrest time is an independent risk factor for postoperative adverse events of type A aortic dissection (TAAD) surgery. Further reduction of the circulatory arrest time is essential to improve surgical outcomes. This study aimed to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of the novel Sutureless Integrated Stented (SIS) graft prosthesis in an animal experiment. Materials and methods: Straight type of the SIS graft prosthesis was implanted into the descending aorta of 10 adult male sheep, and the use of the device was scored on a scale of 1-10. Aortic digital subtraction angiography (DSA) was performed at 4, 14, and 26 weeks to investigate the prostheses. After 26 weeks, the animals were sacrificed for histological analysis. Results: The immediate success rate of the surgery was 100 %, and the overall mean score of the use of the device was 9.65 ± 0.99. Three animals died from non-device-related causes during follow-up. Aortic DSA showed filling defects in 5 animals. Histological analysis revealed that all prostheses were intact. Except for 2 early deaths, the other 8 prostheses were endothelialized with mild inflammation, foreign body reactions, and intimal fibrosis. The mean cross-sectional area of the sutureless region was reduced by 26.4 % (range, 1.3-39.1 %). Conclusions: The safety and effectiveness of the novel SIS graft prosthesis were acceptable, and the delivery system exhibited a promising performance. Using the SIS graft prosthesis in TAAD surgery was expected to simplify the procedures and shorten the circulatory arrest time. Further large-scale clinical trials are required to verify these findings.

Comparison of extraction processes, characterization and intestinal protection activity of Bletilla striata polysaccharides.

We optimized the extraction process of Bletilla striata polysaccharides using orthogonal design, Box-Behnken design (BBD), and genetic algorithm-back propagation (GA-BP), then compared and evaluated them to confirm that the combination of BBD and GA-BP neural networks was capable of increasing polysaccharide yields and antioxidant activity. The optimal extraction parameters were as follows: liquid-to-solid ratio of 15 mL/g, extraction power of 450 W, and extraction time of 34 min. Under these conditions, the polysaccharide yield and antioxidant activity were 8.29 ± 0.50 % and 26.20 ± 0.28 (mM FE/mg). Subsequently, the polysaccharide was purified to obtain purified Bletilla striata polysaccharides 1 (pBSP1) with a Mw of 255.172 kDa. Scanning electron microscope (SEM), ultraviolet-visible detector (UV), fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR), high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), X-ray diffraction (XRD), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and periodate oxidation were used to analyze the structure of pBSP1. The results showed pBSP1 had a smooth surface and a rough interior, with a composition of α-D conformation glucose (18.23 %) and ß-D conformation mannose (53.77 %), and an amorphous crystal structure. According to the results of thermogravimetric and rheological tests, pBSP1 exhibits good thermal stability and viscoelastic behavior. Furthermore, pBSP1 protected lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced GES - 1 and Caco2 cells, the results showed pBSP1(400 µg/mL) lowered TEER synthesis in Caco2 cells as well as apoptosis and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in both cells, indicating that pBSP1 may have an intestine protective effect.

Hypoxia-Induced Neuronal Activity in Glioma Patients Polarizes Microglia by Potentiating RNA m6A Demethylation.

PURPOSE: Neuronal activity in the brain has been reported to promote the malignant progression of glioma cells via nonsynaptic paracrine and electrical synaptic integration mechanisms. However, the interaction between neuronal activity and the immune microenvironment in glioblastoma (GBM) remains largely unclear. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: By applying chemogenetic techniques, we enhanced and inhibited neuronal activity in vitro and in a mouse model to study how neuronal activity regulates microglial polarization and affects GBM progression. RESULTS: We demonstrate that hypoxia drove glioma stem cells (GSC) to produce higher levels of glutamate, which activated local neurons. Neuronal activity promoted GBM progression by facilitating microglial M2 polarization through enriching miR-200c-3p in neuron-derived exosomes, which decreased the expression of the m6A writer zinc finger CCCH-type containing 13 (ZC3H13) in microglia, impairing methylation of dual specificity phosphatase 9 (DUSP9) mRNA. Downregulation of DUSP9 promoted ERK pathway activation, which subsequently induced microglial M2 polarization. In the mouse model, cortical neuronal activation promoted microglial M2 polarization whereas cortical neuronal inhibition decreased microglial M2 polarization in GBM xenografts. miR-200c-3p knockdown in cortical neurons impaired microglial M2 polarization and GBM xenograft growth, even when cortical neurons were activated. Treatment with the anti-seizure medication levetiracetam impaired neuronal activation and subsequently reduced neuron-mediated microglial M2 polarization. CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicated that hypoxic GSC-induced neuron activation promotes GBM progression by polarizing microglia via the exosomal miR-200c-3p/ZC3H13/DUSP9/p-ERK pathway. Levetiracetam, an antiepileptic drug, blocks the abnormal activation of neurons in GBM and impairs activity-dependent GBM progression. See related commentary by Cui et al., p. 1073.

Comparative Pharmacokinetic Study of 5 Active Ingredients after Oral Administration of Zuogui Pill in Osteoporotic Rats with Different Syndrome Types.

Zuogui Pill is a kidney-yin-tonifying formula in traditional Chinese medicine that is widely used to manage osteoporosis with kidney-yin-deficiency in China. Herein, an efficient and accurate high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method was developed to determine the concentrations of 5 bioactive compounds in rat plasma following oral administration of Zuogui Pill. Because drug absorption and distribution differ under physiological and pathological conditions, the established method was used to quantify blood components and dynamic change in osteoporotic rats with different syndrome types. Moreover, integrated pharmacokinetic study was conducted to describe the overall pharmacokinetic characteristics of traditional Chinese medicine. The results showed that the absorption, distribution, and metabolism of Zuogui Pill varied widely under different states. The bioavailability of most active components showed significant advantages in osteoporotic rats with kidney-yin-deficiency, which corresponds to the opinion that Zuogui Pill has the effect of nourishing kidney-yin. It is hoped that this finding could interpret the pharmacodynamic substances and mechanism of Zuogui Pill in the treatment of osteoporosis with kidney-yin-deficiency.

Midterm Outcomes of One-Stage Hybrid Aortic Arch Repair for Stanford Type A Aortic Dissection: A Single Center's Experience.

This study sought to identify the midterm outcomes of one-stage hybrid aortic arch repair (HAAR) in patients with Stanford type A aortic dissection (TAAD). Between January 2010 and December 2015, 75 consecutive patients with TAAD involving the aortic arch who underwent one-stage type Ⅱ HAAR at our institution were identified. During this period, 496 consecutive patients with TAAD underwent traditional total aortic arch replacement (TAR) with frozen elephant trunk. The preoperative, perioperative, and postoperative data of all patients were compared. A propensity score-matching analysis was applied to adjust for baseline risk factors. Five hundred and seventy-one patients were included for analysis (428 men; mean age, 48.9 ± 11.1 years). For all patients, the mean follow-up time was 41.1 ± 22.1 months, in-hospital mortality was 4.7%, and the 5-year survival rate was 89.5%. Midterm outcomes between the propensity-matched groups were compared (59 HAAR vs TAR pairs). HAAR group showed shorter cardiopulmonary bypass time (105-159 minutes vs 158-230 minutes, P < 0.001), aortic cross-clamping time, postoperative ventilation time, and intensive care unit stays (33-108 hours vs 45-131 hours, P = 0.010) than the TAR group. There were no significant differences in in-hospital mortality, rate of stroke and rate of paraplegia between the 2 groups, however, better 5-year survival rate was found in HAAR group (94.9% vs 75.8%, Log-rank P = 0.005). As compared to propensity matched cohort of TAR patients, HAAR shows good midterm outcomes for patients with TAAD. Further randomized study was needed to clarify the optimal management strategy of TAAD.

Identification of immune-related signatures and pathogenesis differences between thoracic aortic aneurysm patients with bicuspid versus tricuspid valves via weighted gene co-expression network analysis.

BACKGROUND: Thoracic aortic aneurysm (TAA) occurs due to pathological aortal dilation, and both individuals with normal tricuspid aortic valves (TAV) or abnormal bicuspid aortic valves (BAV), the latter being a congenital condition, are at risk. However, some differences are present between TAA/BAV and TAA/TAV with respect to their pathophysiological processes and molecular mechanisms, but their exact nature is still mostly unknown. Therefore, it is necessary to elucidate TAA developmental differences among BAV vs. TAV patients. METHODS: Publically-available gene expression datasets, aortic tissue derived from TAA/BAV and TAA/TAV individuals, were analyzed by weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) to identify gene modules associated with those conditions. Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis was performed on those modules to identify the enriched genes within those modules, which were verified by Gene Set Variation Analysis (GSVA) on a dataset derived from aortic smooth muscle cell gene expression between TAA/TAV and TAV/BAV patients. Immune cell infiltration patterns were then analyzed by CIBERSORT, and a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed based on WGCNA and enrichment analysis results to identify hub genes, followed by validation via stepwise regression analysis. Three signatures most strongly associated with TAA/TAV were confirmed by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) and decision curve analyses (DCA) between prior-established training and testing gene sets. RESULTS: WGCNA delineated 2 gene modules being associated with TAA/TAV vs. TAA/BAV; both were enriched for immune-associated genes, such as those relating to immune responses, etc., under enrichment analysis. TAA/TAV and TAA/BAV tissues also had differing infiltrating immune cell proportions, particularly with respect to dendritic, mast and CD4 memory T cells. Identified three signatures, CD86, integrin beta 2 (ITGB2) and alpha M (ITGAM), as yielding the strongest associations with TAA/TAV onset, which was verified by areas under the curve (AUC) at levels approximating 0.8 or above under ROC analysis, indicating their predictive value for TAA/TAV onset. However, we did not examine possible confounding variables, so there are many alternative explanations for this association. CONCLUSIONS: TAA/TAV pathogenesis was found to be more associated with immune-related gene expression compared to TAA/BAV, and the identification of three strongly-associated genes could facilitate their usage as future biomarkers for diagnosing the likelihood of TAA/TAV onset vs. TAA/BAV, as well as for developing future treatments.