Layered High-Entropy Metallic Glasses for Photothermal CO2 Methanation.

High entropy alloys and metallic glasses, as two typical metastable nanomaterials, have attracted tremendous interest in energy conversion catalysis due to their high reactivity in nonequilibrium states. Herein, a novel nanomaterial, layered high entropy metallic glass (HEMG), in a higher energy state than low-entropy alloys and its crystalline counterpart due to both the disordered elemental and structural arrangements, is synthesized. Specifically, the MnNiZrRuCe HEMG exhibits highly enhanced photothermal catalytic activity and long-term stability. An unprecedented CO2 methanation rate of 489 mmol g-1 h-1 at 330 °C is achieved, which is, to the authors' knowledge, the highest photothermal CO2 methanation rate in flow reactors. The remarkable activity originates from the abundant free volume and high internal energy state of HEMG, which lead to the extraordinary heterolytic H2 dissociation capacity. The high-entropy effect also ensures the excellent stability of HEMG for up to 450 h. This work not only provides a new perspective on the catalytic mechanism of HEMG, but also sheds light on the great catalytic potential in future carbon-negative industry.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of moxibustion for chronic prostatitis.

BACKGROUND: Chronic prostatitis (CP) is a common condition that affects many individuals. Previous clinical trials have explored the use of moxibustion as a potential treatment for CP. However, the evidence on the effectiveness of moxibustion for CP remains limited. Therefore, this study aimed to comprehensively assess the effects of moxibustion for CP. METHODS: In order to gather relevant and up-to-date information, we conducted a systematic literature search of databases including Cochrane Library, PUBMED, EMBASE, CNKI, and Wangfang from inception until June 30, 2023. Only randomized clinical trials (RCTs) that investigated the use of moxibustion for CP were included in this study. The primary outcomes of interest were the National Institutes of Health-Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index (NIH-CPSI) scores and the overall response rate. To evaluate the quality of the included studies, we used the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool. RESULTS: After analyzing the data from 8 RCTs involving a total of 664 patients, we found significant differences in NIH-CPSI scores between moxibustion and other treatment modalities. Specifically, when compared with herbal medicine, moxibustion was associated with a mean difference (MD) of -1.78 in NIH-CPSI scores (95% confidence interval [CI] [-2.78, -0.78], P < .001), and when compared with western medicine, moxibustion was associated with a MD of -5.24 in NIH-CPSI scores (95% CI [-7.80, -2.67], P < .08). In terms of the overall response rate, moxibustion was found to be superior to herbal medicine, with a MD of 2.36 (95% [19, 4.67], P = .01). Additionally, when moxibustion was combined with herbal medicine, it yielded a higher overall response rate with a MD of 4.07 (95% CI [1.54, 10.74], P = .005) compared to herbal medicine alone. Moxibustion also outperformed western medicine in terms of the overall response rate, with a MD of 4.56 (95% CI [2.24, 9.26], P < .001). CONCLUSION: Based on the findings of this study, moxibustion appears to be a potentially efficacious treatment for CP. The results suggest that moxibustion can improve NIH-CPSI scores and overall response rate in patients with CP. However, further high-quality studies are needed to validate these results and establish the long-term effects of moxibustion as a treatment for CP.

Room-Temperature Laser Planting of High-Loading Single-Atom Catalysts for High-Efficiency Electrocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution.

Despite stunning progress in single-atom catalysis (SAC), it remains a grand challenge to yield a high loading of single atoms (SAs) anchored on substrates. Herein, we report a one-step laser-planting strategy to craft SAs of interest under an atmospheric temperature and pressure on various substrates including carbon, metals, and oxides. Laser pulses render concurrent creation of defects on the substrate and decomposition of precursors into monolithic metal SAs, which are immobilized on the as-produced defects via electronic interactions. Laser planting enables a high defect density, leading to a record-high loading of SAs of 41.8 wt %. Our strategy can also synthesize high-entropy SAs (HESAs) with the coexistence of multiple metal SAs, regardless of their distinct characteristics. An integrated experimental and theoretical study reveals that superior catalytic activity can be achieved when the distribution of metal atom content in HESAs resembles the distribution of their catalytic performance in a volcano plot of electrocatalysis. The noble-metal mass activity for a hydrogen evolution reaction within HESAs is 11-fold over that of commercial Pt/C. The laser-planting strategy is robust, opening up a simple and general route to attaining an array of low-cost, high-density SAs on diverse substrates under ambient conditions for electrochemical energy conversion.

Strain engineering of high-entropy alloy catalysts for electrocatalytic water splitting.

Developing active and cost-effective bifunctional electrocatalysts for overall water splitting is challenging but mandatory for renewable energy technologies. We report a high-entropy alloy (HEA) of PtIrCuNiCr as a bifunctional electrocatalyst for overall water splitting, which shows a low overpotential of ca. 190 mV at the current density of 10 mA cm-2. Compared with pure metals, HEAs exhibit remarkable surface strain due to severe lattice distortion in their crystal structures. Theoretical calculations reveal that the strain can regulate the binding energy of intermediates on catalysts by adjusting the metal-metal bonding energy. It pushes the HEA toward the top of volcano plots to achieve superior electrocatalytic activity for both hydrogen and oxygen evolution reactions. The strain effect of HEAs on electrocatalysis can be well engineered by tuning the catalyst radius or configurational entropy. This work renders a systematic strain regulation strategy for designing a high-performance HEA catalyst for overall water splitting.

In situ resource utilization of lunar soil for highly efficient extraterrestrial fuel and oxygen supply.

Building up a lunar settlement is the ultimate aim of lunar exploitation. Yet, limited fuel and oxygen supplies restrict human survival on the Moon. Herein, we demonstrate the in situ resource utilization of lunar soil for extraterrestrial fuel and oxygen production, which may power up our solely natural satellite and supply respiratory gas. Specifically, the lunar soil is loaded with Cu species and employed for electrocatalytic CO2 conversion, demonstrating significant production of methane. In addition, the selected component in lunar soil (i.e. MgSiO3) loaded with Cu can reach a CH4 Faradaic efficiency of 72.05% with a CH4 production rate of 0.8 mL/min at 600 mA/cm2. Simultaneously, an O2 production rate of 2.3 mL/min can be achieved. Furthermore, we demonstrate that our developed process starting from catalyst preparation to electrocatalytic CO2 conversion is so accessible that it can be operated in an unmmaned manner via a robotic system. Such a highly efficient extraterrestrial fuel and oxygen production system is expected to push forward the development of mankind's civilization toward an extraterrestrial settlement.

Yangxin decoction for the treatment of angina pectoris of coronary heart disease: A systematic review of randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: This study assessed the effectiveness of Yangxin Decoction (YXD) in the treatment of coronary heart disease (CHD) patients with angina pectoris (AP). METHODS: In this study, we systematically and comprehensively searched the PUBMED, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, CNKI, WANGFANG, and VIP databases from their establishment to June 1, 2022. Clinical randomized controlled trials of YXD for the management of AP in patients with CHD were considered for inclusion. The outcomes included the response rate of AP, response rate based on electrocardiogram, and the rate of nitroglycerin use. Two authors independently performed literature selection, data extraction, and methodological quality assessment. Any differences were resolved by a third author through a discussion. RESULTS: Nine trials involving 819 patients were included. The meta-analysis results showed that YXD significantly improved the response rate of AP (OR = 2.98, 95% CI: 1.96-4.55, I2 = 0%, P < .01) and the response rate based on the electrocardiogram (OR = 1.88, 95% CI: 1.28-2.78, I2 = 26%, P < .01), and significantly reduced the rate of nitroglycerin use (OR = 2.04, 95% CI: 1.19-3.52, I2 = 0%, P = .01). CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study showed that YXD was effective in the treatment of patients with AP of CHD. Further studies are required to confirm these results.

Applications of Nondominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm II Combined with WKNN Online Matching Algorithm in Building Indoor Optimization Design.

The present work aims to improve the comfort of architectural interior design and reduce indoor energy consumption. The Weight K-Nearest Neighborhood (WKNN) algorithm and Nondominated Sorting Genetic algorithm are proposed to locate and analyze the spatial location of indoor personnel and optimize the indoor energy consumption in combination with residential behavior. Firstly, the indoor human behavior data and energy-saving problems are analyzed based on residential behavior theory and architectural physics. The indoor positioning algorithm is proposed to identify the personnel activities to realize the optimization of indoor energy distribution. Secondly, mean filtering and cluster analysis are adopted to optimize sampling points' data and fingerprint database to eliminate data noise. Besides, the WKNN algorithm is used for Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) indoor location fingerprint location. Then, aiming at the multiobjective optimization problem of building indoor energy consumption, the Nondominated Sorting Genetic algorithm obtains the optimal solution of the model. Combined with the indoor location information of personnel, the indoor heating and cooling system is monitored and distributed to reduce the energy consumption in the building while ensuring the living comfort of personnel. The test and simulation results demonstrate that the mean filtering algorithm can solve the room's fluctuation problem of Wi-Fi signals. The cluster analysis algorithm can eliminate the data noise of the fingerprint database and improve the positioning accuracy of the positioning algorithm. Moreover, the location result is independent of the number of nodes; the number of sampling points does not affect the location result. The positioning accuracy of the WKNN algorithm is 2 m, and the positioning error rate within 2 m is about 60%. Compared with other algorithms, the WKNN algorithm has better positioning accuracy and positioning stability. Therefore, the location algorithm designed here can be applied to indoor location optimization. This study provides a reference for optimizing buildings' indoor positioning and energy consumption.

Implementation and Optimization of Reverse Suspension Structure Design Model Using Deep Learning.

The present work aims to improve the design efficiency and optimize the results in the increasingly complex and diversified material design projects to help architects realize the better performance of building structures. According to the characteristics of comprehensive perception and intelligent processing of the Internet of Things, a reverse suspension structure design model is constructed based on the finite element method and simulated annealing algorithm. Besides, deep learning is adopted to train complex functions for performance correction and to optimize the plane structure of shell structure. Moreover, the force is transformed into shape, and the form-finding process is completed to facilitate the operation of designers. Finally, the spatial anchoring ability of the geographic information system is used to match and calculate the relevant characteristics of spatial elements. On this basis, the index construction strategy based on weight distribution is employed to realize the data fusion diagnosis framework and enhance the intelligence of architectural design. The simulation results show that the maximum tensile stress of the physical suspension experiment is 3.71 MPa and the maximum compressive stress is 14.7 MPa. The compressive stress value is much larger than the tensile stress value. The maximum deformation value's difference between the compressive and tensile stress is 0.07 and 0.11, respectively. The error is within the acceptable range, which is similar to the compression state results obtained from the actual suspension physical experiment, indicating that the initial design model of the reverse suspension structure based on deep learning is reliable. In addition, the evolutionary optimization effect analysis results demonstrate that the load of the design structure is relatively uniform, which verifies the feasibility of the algorithm reported here. The research significance of the reverse suspension structure model constructed here is to provide an accurate and feasible design idea for the reverse design of some complex structures in the building suspension. It can also shorten the creation and improvement cycle of this kind of structure and optimize the performance and construction cycle of the building structure.

Does shear wave elastography for medullary thyroid carcinoma predict lateral cervical lymph node metastasis?

PURPOSE: To assess whether shear wave elastography (SWE) for medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) can independently predict lateral cervical lymph node metastasis (LNM). METHOD: Patients with MTC who were treated via primary surgery between January 2015 and May 2020 and who had undergone preoperative SWE and ultrasound (US) examinations in the Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital were retrospectively studied. The relationships between lymphatic status and the clinicopathological and imaging characteristics were evaluated. Afterwards, associations between lateral cervical LNM and SWE parameters, as well as sex, age, invasive size, extrathyroidal extension (ETE), preoperative calcitonin levels, and US features were assessed by using multivariable logistic regressions. RESULTS: A total of 76 patients (31 men and 45 women, 48.1 ± 11.8 years) were evaluated. The following factors demonstrated significant associations with lateral cervical LNM: the male sex (P = 0.015), an age ≤ 35 years (P = 0.049), an invasive size > 1.0 cm (P = 0.028), ETE (P = 0.005), a preoperative calcitonin level > 60 pg/ml (P < 0.001), irregular shape on the US (P = 0.001), the presence of a non-circumscribed margin on the US (P = 0.009), an Emax > 66 kPa (P < 0.001), an Emean > 37.5 kPa (P < 0.001), and an ER > 1.65 (P = 0.002). In the multivariable analysis, an age ≤ 35 years (P = 0.049), a preoperative calcitonin level > 60 pg/ml (P = 0.004), an irregular shape on the US (P = 0.036), and an Emax > 66 kPa (P = 0.011) maintained independent significance. CONCLUSION: Emax was demonstrated to be an independent predictor for lateral cervical LNM of MTC. SWE may serve as a noninvasive method of preoperative lateral cervical LNM risk assessment for MTC.

Selective Removal of Hexavalent Chromium by Novel Nitrogen and Sulfur Containing Cellulose Composite: Role of Counter Anions.

Exploiting an adsorbent with superb selectivity is of utmost importance for the remediation of Cr (VI)-laden wastewater. In this work, a novel nitrogen and sulfur functionalized 3D macroporous cellulose material (MPS) was prepared by homogeneous cross-link cellulose and polyvinylimidazole, followed by ion exchange with MoS42-. MPS exhibited high removal efficiency at a broad pH range (1.0-8.0) and large adsorption capacity (379.78 mg/g) toward Cr (VI). Particularly, outstanding selectivity with an enormous partition coefficient (1.01 × 107 mL/g) was achieved on MPS. Replacing MoS42- with Cl- and MoO42- led to a sharp decline in adsorption selectivity, demonstrating that MoS42- contributed substantially to the selectivity. Results of FTIR, XPS, and apparent kinetic analysis revealed that Cr (VI) was first pre-enriched on the MPS surface via electrostatic and dispersion forces, and then reacted with MoS42- to generate Cr (III), which deposited on MPS by forming Cr(OH)3 and chromium(III) sulfide. This study provides a new idea for designing adsorbents with a superior selectivity for removing Cr (VI) from sewage.

Extraterrestrial artificial photosynthetic materials for in-situ resource utilization.

Aerospace milestones in human history, including returning to the moon and manned Martian missions, have been implemented in recent years. Space exploration has become one of the global common goals, and to ensure the survival and development of human beings in the extraterrestrial extreme environment has been becoming the basic ability and technology of manned space exploration. For the purpose of fulfilling the goal of extraterrestrial survival, researchers in Nanjing University and the China Academy of Space Technology proposed extraterrestrial artificial photosynthesis (EAP) technology. By simulating the natural photosynthesis of green plants on the Earth, EAP converts CO2/H2O into fuel and O2 in an in-situ, accelerated and controllable manner by using waste CO2 in the confined space of spacecraft, or abundant CO2 resources in extraterrestrial celestial environments, e.g. Mars. Thus, the material loading of manned spacecraft can be greatly reduced to support affordable and sustainable deep space exploration. In this paper, EAP technology is compared with existing methods of converting CO2/H2O into fuel and O2 in the aerospace field, especially the Sabatier method and Bosch reduction method. The research progress of possible EAP materials for in-situ utilization of extraterrestrial resources are also discussed in depth. Finally, this review lists the challenges that the EAP process may encounter, which need to be focused on for future implementation and application. We expect to deepen the understanding of artificial photosynthetic materials and technologies, and aim to strongly support the development of manned spaceflight.

2D High-Entropy Hydrotalcites.

High-entropy materials (HEMs) with unique configuration and physicochemical properties have attracted intensive research interest. However, 2D HEMs have not been reported yet. To find out unique properties of combining 2D materials and HEMs, a series of 2D high-entropy hydrotalcites (HEHs) is created by coprecipitation method, including quinary, septenary, and even novenary metallic elements. It is found that the fast synthetic kinetics of coprecipitation process conquers the thermodynamically solubility limitation of different elements, which is the prerequisite condition to form HEHs. As the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) electrocatalysts, HEHs show significantly decreased apparent activation energy compared with low-entropy hydrotalcites (LEHs) due to the lattice distortion induced by the multimetallic character of HEHs. This work opens up a new avenue for the development of 2D HEMs, which broadens the family of HEMs and presents a most promising platform for exploring the unknown properties of HEMs.

Geographical origin traceability and identification of refined sugar using UPLC-QTof-MS analysis.

Authentication of geographical origin is essential to the food safety of refined sugar. This study aimed to determine the geographical origin traceability and authenticity of refined sugar in China. Ultra performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight Mass Spectrometry (UPLC-QTof-MS), instead of conventional stable isotope ratio mass spectrometer (IRMS), was used to detect the mass fragment ratios (Rδ-sucrose and Rδ-glucose) of refined sugar. These ratios could reflect the cultivation practice and environmental conditions. A total of 108 batches of samples were collected from six regions in China, and additional 72 samples were verified with support vector machines (SVM) model, in order to evaluate the accuracy of origin identification and composition prediction. Our results showed that 83.3% of the refined sugar was correctly classified based on the geographical region of origin under different environmental conditions. These findings indicate that the specified mass fragment ratio may be a promising approach for assessing the traceability and authenticity of refined sugar.

Domino Effect: Gold Electrocatalyzing Lithium Reduction to Accelerate Nitrogen Fixation.

Green production of NH3 , especially the Li-mediated electrochemical N2 reduction reaction (NRR) in non-aqueous solutions, is attracting research interest. Controversies regarding the NRR mechanism greatly impede its optimization and wide applications. To understand the electrocatalytic process, we treated Au coated carbon fibrous paper (Au/CP) as the model catalyst. In situ XRD confirmed the transformation of lithium intermediates during NRR. Au greatly improved electron transfer kinetics to catalyze metallic Li formation, and accordingly highly accelerated spontaneous NRR. The Faradaic efficiency of NRR on Au/CP reached 34.0 %, and NH3 yield was as high as 50 µg h-1 cm-2 . Our research shows that the key step of Li-mediated non-aqueous NRR is electrocatalytic Li reduction and offers a novel electrocatalyst design method for Li reduction.

Yangxin Decoction combined acupuncture on blood lipid metabolism in Qi Deficiency and Blood Stasis type of Chest Bi-Syndrome: A protocol of systematic review.

BACKGROUND: In recent years, clinical studies about Yangxin Decoction combined acupuncture (YXDA) for the treatment of Qi Deficiency and Blood Stasis type of Chest Bi-Syndrome (CBS-QDBS) has been increased, but the results are different. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of YXDA on blood lipid metabolism (BLMB) in patients with CBS-QDBS. METHODS: We will collect any randomized controlled trials that assess the effect of YXDA on BLMB in CBS-QDBS from PUBMED, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Allied and Complementary Medicine Database, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure. All of these databases will be searched from their initial time to the present. All language limitation will be imposed. Literature selection, information collection, and risk of bias assessment will be performed independently by two authors, respectively. All data analysis will be undertaken using RevMan 5.3 Software. RESULTS: This study will summarize the systematic nature of the literature search and its methods for assessing study quality and analyzing all relevant outcome data. Considering the inconsistent results, this study will improve the existing evidence on the effect of YXDA on BLMB in CBS-QDBS. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study will present the latest evidence of YXDA on BLMB in patients with CBS-QDBS. STUDY REGISTRATION: INPLASY202070047.

Quantitative shear wave elastography in primary invasive breast cancers, based on collagen-S100A4 pathology, indicates axillary lymph node metastasis.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the value of quantitative shear wave elastography (SWE) in indicating the axillary lymph node metastasis (LNM) of invasive breast cancers (IBCs) and to investigate if S100A4 plays a key role in promoting metastasis and increasing stiffness in IBC. METHODS: The differences in SWE of 223 IBC patients were compared between the LNM+ and LNM- groups and the optimal cutoff values of SWE for diagnosing LNM were calculated. We searched the gene expression omnibus (GEO) to determine whether S100A4 was more highly expressed in IBCs that were LNM+ than in those that were LNM-. Sirius red and immunohistochemical staining were used to examine the collagen deposition and S100A4 expression of included tissue samples, and correlations of SWE and S100A4 expression with collagen deposition were analyzed. RESULTS: The optimal cutoff values for Emax (the maximum stiff value), Emean (the mean stiff value), and EmeanR (the ratio of Emean between mass and parenchyma) for diagnosing axillary LNM were 111.05 kPa, 79.80 kPa, and 6.89, respectively. GSE9893 exhibited more increased S100A4 expression in IBCs that were LNM+ than in those that were LNM-. Collagen volume fraction (CVF) and the average optical density of S100A4 (AODS100A4) in the LNM+ group were significantly higher than those in the LNM- group. Emax, Emean, EmeanR, and AODS100A4 were all positively correlated with CVF. CONCLUSIONS: SWE in primary IBC could be useful for indicating axillary LNM. S100A4 may be a factor that regulates cancer-associated collagen deposition and metastasis; however, prospective molecular biological studies are needed.

Adsorption behavior of hexavalent chromium in aqueous solution by polyvinylimidazole modified cellulose.

Developing multifunctional adsorbent materials is an effective solution to hexavalent chromium (Cr (VI)) pollution. In this study, 3D macroporous materials with the synergetic advantages of cellulose and polyvinylimidazole were fabricated through a homogeneous method, and served as effective adsorbents for Cr (VI) elimination in aqueous solution. The physicochemical properties of the designed materials were studied by SEM, FTIR, 13C NMR, XPS, and CHN element analysis, and the results confirmed that imidazole groups were successfully grafted onto the macroporous cellulose. The influences of different water chemistry conditions, including contact time, temperature, initial solution pH value, and coexisting ion concentration, on the adsorption performance of the modified cellulose adsorbents were studied, and the corresponding adsorption mechanism was explored. The optimized adsorbent showed a fast adsorption rate (0.12 g/(mg∙min)), and a high adsorption ability (134 mg/g). The adsorption process was spontaneous and conformed to Langmuir isotherm and pseudo-second kinetic models. The Cr (VI) uptake mechanism of the designed materials was primarily controlled by electrostatic attraction, ion exchange, and redox. These results suggest that cellulose modified with imidazole groups is a promising candidate for the adsorption and detoxification of Cr (VI).

Quantitative Evaluation of Shear Wave Elastography on Radiation-Induced Neck Fibrosis in Patients With Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma.

ABSTRACT: The value of shear wave elastography (SWE) for quantitatively assessing neck fibrosis induced by radiotherapy (RT) in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma was evaluated over time. We prospectively observed 56 patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma before and after therapeutic neck irradiation. The elasticity parameters including Emax and Emean were used to measure the stiffness of the bilateral sternocleidomastoid muscles. Twenty-seven patients completed a 1.5-year follow-up, with examinations beginning at 3, 6, 12, and 18 months after RT. Forty controls were recruited for reliability tests (along with the patients) and measurement comparisons. The consistency of SWE measurements with the Late Effects Normal Tissue Task Force-Subjective, Objective, Management and Analytic (LENT-SOMA) scale was tested. The intraclass correlation coefficients of elasticity indices for both patients and controls were higher than 0.75. The Emax and Emean of bilateral sternocleidomastoid muscles in the pre-RT patient group were comparable with those of the controls, and increased with increasing postirradiation duration (r = 0.514-0.555; P < 0.01). Significant increases in the Emax and Emean were observed 18 months after RT. The SWE correlated well with the LENT-SOMA score when assessing radiation-induced neck fibrosis 1.5 years after RT (r = 0.557-0.649; P < 0.01). Furthermore, both the Emax and Emean in the LENT-SOMA grade 0 subtype were higher 18 months after RT than before RT (P < 0.01). Because of its high reliability and good consistency with the LENT-SOMA score and better stiffness reflection at grade 0, SWE may be used to objectively and quantitatively evaluate the variation trend of radiation-induced neck fibrosis.

Correlations Between Ultrasonographic Findings of Invasive Lobular Carcinoma of the Breast and Intrinsic Subtypes.

PURPOSE: To analyze the ultrasonographic findings of invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC) of the breast in 360 women and the correlations between the characteristics and the intrinsic subtypes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We evaluated the imaging findings according to the lexicon of the American College of Radiology Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS). The included ultrasonographic features were shape, orientation, margin, echo pattern, posterior features, calcifications, the vascularity of the masses and the presence of architectural distortions. The associations between those features and the intrinsic ILC subtypes were investigated. RESULTS: The most common manifestations of ILC on ultrasound (US) were hypoechoic masses with irregular shape, parallel orientation, spiculated margin, posterior acoustic shadowing, no calcification and blood vessels in the rim. The patients in the luminal A subtype were the youngest, and the patients in the HER2 overexpression subtype were the oldest (p = 0.01). On US, the HER2 overexpression subtype was characterized by microlobulated margins (p = 0.002), while the luminal A subtype and the luminal B subtype mostly had spiculated margins. The basal-like subtype was distinctive in that it had no posterior features (p = 0.041), rather than acoustic shadowing, and the masses in the HER2 and basal-like subtypes were larger than in the other two groups (p = 0.03). CONCLUSION: There were significant differences and several trends in the ultrasonographic characteristics of different intrinsic subtypes, which may supply accurate imaging diagnostic criteria to assist in the management of individuals with ILC.