Fovea sparing versus complete internal limiting membrane peeling for myopic traction maculopathy: a meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: Myopic traction maculopathy (MTM) is the leading cause of visual loss in high myopia. The purpose of this study was to compare the outcomes of pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) with fovea-sparing internal limiting membrane (ILM) peeling and complete ILM peeling for MTM. METHODS: A comprehensive literature search was performed to find relevant studies. A meta-analysis was conducted by comparing the weighted mean differences (WMD) in the change of best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and central foveal thickness (CFT) from baseline and calculating the odd ratios (OR) for rates of complete reattachment (CR) and postoperative macular hole (MH) formation. RESULTS: Ten studies were selected, including 417 eyes (172 eyes in the fovea-sparing ILM peeling group (FSIP) and 245 eyes in complete ILM peeling group (CIP)). There was no significant difference in terms of mean change in CFT from baseline and the rate of CR(WMD = 3.53, 95% CI, -25.56 to 32.63, P = 0.81, and OR = 1.41, 95% CI, 0.81 to 2.44, P = 0.22). FSIP was superior to CIP in terms of mean change of logMAR BCVA post operation (WMD = -0.09, 95% CI, -0.15 to -0.03, P = 0.003), and associated with a significantly lower frequency of postoperative MH formation (OR = 0.19, 95% CI, 0.07 to 0.50, P = 0.0008). CONCLUSION: FSIP resulted in similar anatomic outcomes compared to CIP, but resulted in better visual acuity and lower rates of postoperative MH development.

INCIDENCE OF ENDOPHTHALMITIS AFTER VITRECTOMY: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to review the literature reporting rates of postoperative endophthalmitis after pars plana vitrectomy and investigate whether modern microincision vitrectomy surgery (MIVS) increases the postoperative endophthalmitis rate, compared with traditional 20-gauge (20 G) vitrectomy. METHODS: A comprehensive literature search was performed to identify studies describing the incidence of post-pars plana vitrectomy endophthalmitis. A meta-analysis of comparative studies reporting the endophthalmitis rates after MIVS versus 20 G vitrectomy was also conducted. RESULTS: A total of 31 studies reported 199 endophthalmitis cases in 363,544 participants (0.05%). The incidence of endophthalmitis after 20 G vitrectomy was 0.04% (88/229,435), compared with 0.03% (8/27,326) after 23 G and 0.11% (33/29,676) after 25 G. The meta-analysis demonstrated that the incidence of endophthalmitis was higher after MIVS (23 G/25 G) compared with 20 G vitrectomy (odds ratio = 3.39, 95% confidence interval, 1.39-8.23). In a subgroup analysis, we also found an increased risk of endophthalmitis after 25 G compared with 20 G vitrectomy (odds ratio = 4.09, 95% confidence interval, 2.33-7.18), but not for 23 G versus 20 G (odds ratio = 1.14, 95% confidence interval, 0.47-2.78). CONCLUSION: The incidence of post-pars plana vitrectomy endophthalmitis was low, with no significant differences between 23 G MIVS and 20 G vitrectomy, but 25 G MIVS may result in a higher postoperative endophthalmitis rate.

SUBTHRESHOLD MICROPULSE DIODE LASER VERSUS CONVENTIONAL LASER PHOTOCOAGULATION FOR DIABETIC MACULAR EDEMA: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the relative efficacy of subthreshold micropulse diode laser versus conventional laser photocoagulation for the treatment of diabetic macular edema. METHODS: A comprehensive literature search was conducted to find relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Efficacy estimates were determined by comparing weighted mean differences of the mean change of best-corrected visual acuity and central macular thickness from baseline. RESULTS: Six RCTs were selected for this meta-analysis, including 398 eyes (203 eyes in the subthreshold micropulse diode laser group and 195 eyes in the conventional laser group). Subthreshold micropulse diode laser was superior to conventional laser in terms of mean change of logMAR best-corrected visual acuity at 3, 9, and 12 months after treatment (P = 0.02; P = 0.04, and P = 0.03, respectively), and it showed a similar trend at 6 months (P = 0.05). Although, there was no significant difference in terms of mean change in central macular thickness from baseline to 3, 6, 9, or 12 months (P = 0.80; P = 0.20; P = 0.88, and P = 0.86, respectively). CONCLUSION: Subthreshold micropulse diode laser treatment resulted in better visual acuity compared with conventional laser, although the differences before 12 months are likely to be too small to be of clinical relevance and may be dependent on baseline best-corrected visual acuity. The two types of treatment seem to have similar anatomical outcome.

Bevacizumab versus ranibizumab for neovascular age-related macular degeneration: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the relative efficacy and safety of bevacizumab versus ranibizumab for the treatment of the neovascular form of age-related macular degeneration. METHODS: A comprehensive literature search using the Cochrane Methodology Register to identify randomized controlled trials comparing bevacizumab with ranibizumab in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration. Efficacy estimates were determined by comparing weighted mean differences in the change of best-corrected visual acuity and central macular thickness from baseline. Safety estimates were determined by calculating the risk ratio for rates of death, arteriothrombotic events, venous thrombotic events, and at least 1 serious systemic adverse event. Statistical analysis was performed using the RevMan 5.1 software. RESULTS: A total of 6 randomized controlled trials were selected for this meta-analysis, including 2,612 patients (1,292 patients in the bevacizumab group and 1,320 patients in the ranibizumab group). There were no significant differences between bevacizumab and ranibizumab in best-corrected visual acuity mean change at 1 year or 2 years (weighted mean difference = -0.40, 95% confidence interval [CI], -1.48 to 0.69, P = 0.47 and weighted mean difference = -1.16, 95% CI, -2.82 to 0.51, P = 0.17, respectively). Ranibizumab was found to be more efficacious in reducing central macular thickness at 1 year (weighted mean difference = 4.35, 95% CI, 0.92-7.78, P = 0.01). The pooled risk ratios comparing the rates of serious systemic adverse events at 1 year and 2 years were slightly in favor of ranibizumab (risk ratio = 1.24, 95% CI, 1.04-1.48, P = 0.02 and risk ratio = 1.20, 95% CI, 1.05-1.37, P = 0.008, respectively), whereas the rates of death, arteriothrombotic events, and venous thrombotic events did not differ statistically. CONCLUSION: Bevacizumab and ranibizumab had equivalent efficacy for best-corrected visual acuity in the treatment of neovascular age-related macular degeneration. Ranibizumab tended to have a better anatomical outcome. There were no differences between drugs in rates of death, arteriothrombotic events or venous thrombotic events, and differences in rates of serious systemic adverse events that require further study.

[Efficacy of endoscopic transcaruncular approach to reconstruct isolated medial orbital fracture].

OBJECTIVE: To study the efficacy of endoscopic transcaruncular approach in the repair of isolated medial orbital fracture. METHODS: It was a retrospective case series study.Retrospective chart was reviewed in 21 patients (21 eyes) receiving endoscopic transcaruncular approach to reconstruct isolated medial orbital fracture at Quzhou People's Hospital from May 2011 to May 2012. RESULTS: of visual acuity, diplopia, protrusion degree of both eyes and the movement of eye balls was recorded for analysis. RESULTS: All patients were followed up for 8-20 months. There was no extrusion, rejection, infection or other complications of Medpor surgical implant during follow-up. There was no instance of decreased visual acuity at post-operation. The post-operative protrusion degree of both eyes was almost identical at less than 2 mm. The movement of eye balls was satisfactory in all directions. Diplopia disappeared in 13 cases, 1 case improved. CONCLUSION: Endoscopic transcaruncular approach is a safe and effective treatment in the repair of isolated medial orbital fracture.

Internal limiting membrane peeling in rhegmatogenous retinal detachment: A meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: To determine whether pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) with internal limiting membrane (ILM) peeling for rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) could get better functional and anatomical outcomes. METHODS: A comprehensive literature search was performed to find relevant studies. A meta-analysis was conducted by comparing the weighted mean differences (WMD) in the mean change of best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) from baseline and calculating the odd ratios (OR) for rates of epiretinal membrane (ERM) formation and recurrence of retinal detachment (RD). RESULTS: Fourteen studies were selected, including 2259 eyes (825 eyes in the ILM peeling group and 1434 eyes in the non-ILM peeling group). There was no significant difference in terms of mean change in BCVA from baseline and the rate of RD recurrence (WMD = 0.02, 95% CI, -0.20 to 0.24, P = 0.86, and OR = 0.55, 95% CI, 0.24 to 1.26, P = 0.16), but ILM peeling was associated with a significantly lower frequency of postoperative ERM formation (OR = 0.13, 95% CI, 0.06 to 0.26, P<0.00001). Similar results were obtained in a sub-analysis based on macula-off RRD. CONCLUSION: ILM peeling results in similar BCVA, with same rate of RD recurrence, but lower rate of postoperative ERM development. ILM peeling could be considered in selected cases with risk factors that are likely to develop an ERM.

A Microwave-Assisted, Solvent-Free Approach for the Versatile Functionalization of Carbon Nanotubes.

While the functionalization of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) has attracted extensive interest for a wide range of applications, a facial and versatile strategy remains in demand. Here, we report a microwave-assisted, solvent-free approach to directly functionalize CNTs both in raw form and in arbitrary macroscopic assemblies. Rapid microwave irradiation was applied to generate active sites on the CNTs while not inducing excessive damage to the graphitic network, and a gas-phase deposition afforded controllable grafting for thorough or regioselective functionalization. Using methyl methacrylate (MMA) as a model functional group and a CNT sponge as a model assembly, homogeneous grafting was exhibited by the increased robust hydrophobicity (contact angle increase from 30 to 140°) and improved structural stability (compressive modulus increased by 135%). Therefore, when our MMA-functionalized CNTs served as a solar absorber for saline distillation, high operating stability with a superior water evaporation rate of ∼2.6 kg m-2 h-1 was observed. Finally, to highlight the efficacy and versatility of this functionalization approach, we fabricated asymmetrically hydrophobic CNT sponges by regioselective functionalization to serve as a moisture-driven generator, which demonstrated a stable open-circuit voltage of 0.6 mV. This versatile, solvent-free approach can complement conventional solution-based techniques in the design and fabrication of multifunctional nanocarbon-based materials.

Addressing the Trade-Off between Crystallinity and Yield in Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube Forest Synthesis Using Machine Learning.

Synthetic trade-offs exist in the synthesis of single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) forests, as growing certain desired properties can often come at the expense of other desirable characteristics such as the case of crystallinity and growth efficiency. Simultaneously achieving mutually exclusive properties in the growth of SWCNT forests is a significant accomplishment, as it requires overcoming these trade-offs and balancing competing mechanisms. To address this, we trained a machine-learning regression model with a set of 585 "real" experimental synthesis data, which were taken using an automatic synthesis reactor. Subsequently, 16000 exploratory "virtual" experiments were performed by our trained model to examine potential routes toward addressing the current crystallinity-height trade-off limitation, and suggestions on growth conditions were predicted. Importantly, additional validation using "real" experimental syntheses showed good agreement with the predictions as well as a 48% increase in growth efficiency while maintaining the high crystallinity (G/D-ratio). This highlighted the effectiveness and accuracy of the predictive capability of our machine-learning model, which achieved improved results in less than 50 validation tests. Furthermore, the trained model revealed the surprising importance of the nature of the carbon feedstock, particularly the reactivity and concentration, as a route for overcoming the trade-off between the SWCNT crystallinity and growth efficiency. These results of the high-efficiency synthesis of highly crystalline SWCNT forests represent a significant advance in overcoming synthetic trade-off barriers for complex multivariable systems.

Gelotophobia and thinking styles in Sternberg's theory'.

A hypothesis was examined, that gelotophobia (the fear of being laughed at) was negatively related to Type I thinking styles and positively related to Type II thinking styles as defined in Sternberg's theory of mental self-government. 431 university students (250 women, 181 men; M age = 20.4 yr., SD = 1.2) completed self-report measures of gelotophobia (GELOPH <15>) and thinking styles (Thinking Styles Inventory-Revised). Correlation and regression analyses were conducted. The results indicated that gelotophobia was negatively and significantly related to four Type I thinking styles (legislative, judicial, liberal, and hierarchical thinking styles) and a Type III thinking style (external), while it was positively and significantly related to a Type II thinking style (conservative). Thinking styles uniquely explained 18% of the total variance in gelotophobia scores. Possible interventions from the perspective of thinking styles in the treatment of gelotophobia were discussed.

Structural Design and Fabrication of Multifunctional Nanocarbon Materials for Extreme Environmental Applications.

Extreme environments represent numerous harsh environmental conditions, such as temperature, pressure, corrosion, and radiation. The tolerance of applications in extreme environments exemplifies significant challenges to both materials and their structures. Given the superior mechanical strength, electrical conductivity, thermal stability, and chemical stability of nanocarbon materials, such as carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and graphene, they are widely investigated as base materials for extreme environmental applications and have shown numerous breakthroughs in the fields of wide-temperature structural-material construction, low-temperature energy storage, underwater sensing, and electronics operated at high temperatures. Here, the critical aspects of structural design and fabrication of nanocarbon materials for extreme environments are reviewed, including a description of the underlying mechanism supporting the performance of nanocarbon materials against extreme environments, the principles of structural design of nanocarbon materials for the optimization of extreme environmental performances, and the fabrication processes developed for the realization of specific extreme environmental applications. Finally, perspectives on how CNTs and graphene can further contribute to the development of extreme environmental applications are presented.

[Differential expression and significance of complement C4b and transthyretin in proliferative vitreoretinopathy].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the differential expression of complement C4b and transthyretin in proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR). METHODS: It was a controlled experimental study. Human vitreous samples of 5 patients with PVR were analyzed by using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and mass spectrometry, and the results were compared with those from normal control vitreous obtained from donor eyes. An in vivo model of PVR was created by intravitreous injection of cultured rabbit retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells. The vitreous of PVR models were analyzed by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to confirm the proteomic results from the PVR patients. RESULTS: Seventy nine various proteins were expressed differently between PVR and normal vitreous, among which nine up-regulated proteins including complement C4b, transthyretin (TTR), and 7 albumins were identified by mass spectrometry. The up-regulation of complement C4b and TTR in PVR patients was also confirmed by ELISA. The concentration of complement C4b and TTR in normal vitreous were (20.18 ± 1.97) mg/L and (88.58 ± 8.84) mg/L respectively, in PVR patients were (38.1 ± 5.79) mg/L and (112.57 ± 6.89) mg/L respectively, difference significantly between these two groups (C4b: t = 11.54, TTR:t = 9.24; P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Differences of complement C4b and TTR expression were observed between PVR and normal vitreous. These results have lead to the assumption that there is a connection between elevated concentrations of both complement C4b and TTR and the pathogenesis of PVR and further studies on the functions of these proteins are required.

Quantitative Evidence for the Dependence of Highly Crystalline Single Wall Carbon Nanotube Synthesis on the Growth Method.

We present a study quantitatively demonstrating that the method of synthesis (gas phase, fixed bed, non-fixed bed) represents a determining factor in the level of crystallinity in growing single wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs). Using far infrared spectroscopy, the "effective length" (associated with the level of crystallinity) was estimated for CNTs grown using various synthetic methods (lab-produced and supplemented by commercially purchased SWCNTs) as a metric for crystallinity (i.e., defect density). Analysis of the observed "effective lengths" showed that the SWCNTs fell into two general groups: long and short (high and low crystallinity) synthesized by gas-phase methods and all other supported catalyst methods, respectively. Importantly, the "long" group exhibited effective lengths in the range of 700-2200 nm, which was greater than double that of the typical values representing the "short" group (110-490 nm). These results highlight the significant difference in crystallinity. We interpret that the difference in the crystallinity stemmed from stress concentration at the nanotube-catalyst interface during the growth process, which originated from various sources of mismatch in growth rates (e.g., vertically aligned array) as well as impact stress from contact with other substrates during fluidization or rotation. These results are consistent with well-accepted belief, but now are demonstrated quantitatively.

Role of Hydrogen in Catalyst Activation for Plasma-Based Synthesis of Carbon Nanotubes.

The importance of hydrogen in carbon nanotube (CNT) synthesis has been known as it supports the critical processes necessary for CNT growth, such as catalyst reduction. However, within the scope of our mini microplasma CNT synthesis reactor, we found that hydrogen was critical for unexpected reasons. Without hydrogen, CNT growth was inhibited and characterized by amorphous carbon particles. Optical emission spectroscopy of the microplasma revealed that without hydrogen, the high-energy electrons induced the immediate decomposition of carbon feedstock simultaneously with the catalyst feedstock, thus suppressing the formation of catalyst nanoparticles and inducing catalyst deactivation. In contrast, the inclusion of hydrogen induced less-immediate decomposition of reactant gases, through the conversion of electron energy of the plasma to thermal energy, which provided the appropriate conditions for catalyst nanoparticle formation and subsequent CNT nucleation. A simple reaction pathway model was proposed to explain these observed results and underlying mechanisms.

Semiconductor nanochannels in metallic carbon nanotubes by thermomechanical chirality alteration.

Carbon nanotubes have a helical structure wherein the chirality determines whether they are metallic or semiconducting. Using in situ transmission electron microscopy, we applied heating and mechanical strain to alter the local chirality and thereby control the electronic properties of individual single-wall carbon nanotubes. A transition trend toward a larger chiral angle region was observed and explained in terms of orientation-dependent dislocation formation energy. A controlled metal-to-semiconductor transition was realized to create nanotube transistors with a semiconducting nanotube channel covalently bonded between a metallic nanotube source and drain. Additionally, quantum transport at room temperature was demonstrated for the fabricated nanotube transistors with a channel length as short as 2.8 nanometers.

Improved field emission stability of thin multiwalled carbon nanotube emitters.

The improved field emission stability of thin multiwalled carbon nanotube (thin-MWCNT) emitters using a tip sonication process has been investigated. The thin-MWCNTs showed short lengths and many open tips after the tip sonication treatment. The field emission properties of the thin-MWCNT emitters were investigated. Field emission stability dramatically increased as the tip sonication time increased. In particular, field emission current at an acceleration condition was quite stable and showed no degradation for over 19 h after tip sonication treatment of 30 min. Tip sonication could effectively cut CNTs short and regulate the length of CNTs. Therefore, field emission stability was significantly improved during a long period of operation because many shortened thin-MWCNTs could participate in field emission after the treatment.

Part 1. A time-series study of ambient air pollution and daily mortality in Shanghai, China.

Although the relation between outdoor air pollution and daily mortality has been examined in several Chinese cities, there are still a number of key scientific issues to be addressed concerning the health effects of air pollution in China. Given the changes over the past decade in concentrations and sources of air pollution (e.g., the change from one predominant source [coal combustion], which was typical of the twentieth century, to a mix of sources [coal combustion and motor-vehicle emissions]) and transition in China, it is worthwhile to investigate the acute effects of outdoor air pollution on mortality outcomes in the country. We conducted a time-series study to investigate the relation between outdoor air pollution and daily mortality in Shanghai using four years of daily data (2001-2004). This study is a part of the Public Health and Air Pollution in Asia (PAPA) program supported by the Health Effects Institute (HEI). We collected data on daily mortality, air pollution, and weather from the Shanghai Municipal Center of Disease Control and Prevention (SMCDCP), Shanghai Environmental Monitoring Center, and Shanghai Meteorologic Bureau. An independent auditing team assigned by HEI validated all the data. Our statistical analysis followed the Common Protocol of the PAPA program (found at the end of this volume). Briefly, a natural-spline model was used to analyze the mortality, air pollution, and covariate data. We first constructed the basic models for various mortality outcomes excluding variables for air pollution, and used the partial autocorrelation function of the residuals to guide the selection of degrees of freedom for time trend and lag days for the autoregression terms. Thereafter, we introduced the pollutant variables and analyzed their effects on mortality outcomes, including both mortality due to all natural (nonaccidental) causes and cause-specific mortality. We fitted single- and multipollutant models to assess the stability of the effects of the pollutants. For mortality due to all natural causes, we also examined the associations stratified by sex and age. Stratified analyses by education level, used as a measure of socioeconomic status, were conducted as well. In addition to an analysis of the entire study period, the effects of air pollution in just the warm season (from April to September) and cool season (from October to March) were analyzed. We also examined the effects of alternative model specifications--such as lag effects of pollutants and temperature, degrees of freedom for time trend and weather conditions, statistical approaches, and averaging methods for pollutant concentrations-on the estimated effects of air pollution. We found significant associations between the air pollutants--particulate matter 10 pm or less in aerodynamic diameter (PM10), sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and ozone (O3) -and daily mortality from all natural causes and from cardiopulmonary diseases. The increased mortality risks found in the data from Shanghai were generally similar in magnitude, per concentration of pollutant, to the risks found in research from other parts of the world. An increase of 10 microg/m3 in 2-day moving average concentrations of PM10, SO2, NO2, and O3 corresponded to 0.26% (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.14-0.37), 0.95% (95% CI, 0.62-1.28), 0.97% (95% CI, 0.66-1.27), and 0.31% (95% CI, 0.04-0.58) increases, respectively, in mortality due to all natural causes. Sensitivity analyses suggested that our findings were generally insensitive to alternative model specifications. We found significant effects of the gaseous pollutants SO2 and NO2 on daily mortality after adjustment for PM10. Our analysis also provided preliminary, but not conclusive, evidence that women, older people, and people with a low level of education might be more vulnerable to air pollution than men, younger people, and people with a high level of education. In addition, the associations between air pollution and daily mortality appeared to be more pronounced in the cool season than in the warm. We concluded that short-term exposure to outdoor air pollution (PM10, SO2, NO2, and O3) was associated with daily mortality in Shanghai and that gaseous pollutants might have independent health effects in the city. Overall, the results of the study appeared largely consistent with those reported in other locations worldwide. Further research will be needed to disentangle the effects of the various pollutants and to gain more conclusive insights into the influence of various sociodemographic characteristics (e.g., sex, age, and socioeconomic status) and of season on the associations between air pollution and daily mortality.

Can student ratings of teaching be predicted by teaching styles?

The relationship between teaching styles and student ratings of teaching was examined at a Chinese university. 388 teachers (170 men, 218 women) were invited to fill out the 49-item Teaching Styles Inventory (Grigorenko & Sternberg, 1993). The inventory measures seven teaching styles: legislative, judicial, liberal, global, executive, conservative, and local. Scores from students' evaluations of teaching of courses for one semester were collected. Students' evaluation scores were significantly and negatively related to executive and conservative teaching styles of their teachers, while no significant correlation was found between student ratings and any of the other five teaching styles. Only conservative teaching style contributed significantly to the prediction of student ratings. Sex and age were found to have moderating effects on the relationship between teaching style and student ratings. The role of teaching styles in student ratings was discussed.

Mental health and thinking styles in Sternberg's theory: an exploratory study.

The relationship between thinking styles, as defined in Sternberg's theory of mental self-government, and mental health was investigated. 583 university students (362 women, 221 men; M age = 21.4 yr., SD = 0.9) in Guangzhou, P. R. China, were invited to fill out the Thinking Styles Inventory-Revised and the Symptom Checklist-90 on a voluntary basis. Results indicated that scores on six of Sternberg's 13 thinking styles were significantly correlated with the Mental Health Index. The hierarchical style (one Type I style) negatively predicted the General Severity Index beyond sex and age, whereas the judicial, anarchic, and internal styles did so positively. The specific ways in which the thinking styles and mental health scales were related to one another supported Zhang and Sternberg's (2006) claim that thinking styles are value-laden. Applications of thinking styles in enhancing mental health are discussed.

Inverted ILM flap technique versus conventional ILM peeling for idiopathic large macular holes: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

PURPOSE: To compare the anatomical and visual outcomes of inverted internal limiting membrane (ILM) flap technique with the conventional ILM peeling for idiopathic large macular holes (MHs). METHODS: A meta-analysis of randomized control trials (RCTs) using online databases including NCBI PubMed, ClinicalTrials.gov, and ISI Web of Science was performed. Anatomic success and type 1 closure rates, the mean postoperative best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and the mean change of BCVA from baseline were analyzed. RESULTS: Out of 251 articles, four described clinical trials matching the inclusion criteria and were selected. They included 276 eyes (135 eyes in the inverted ILM flap group and 141 eyes in the ILM peeling group). All the studies used gas tamponade, with two studies having a follow-up duration of 3 months, while one study had a follow-up of 6 months and one study- 12 months. The meta-analysis demonstrated that anatomic success and type 1 closure rates (presence of neurosensory retina in MH) were better in the inverted ILM flap technique (odds ratio (OR) = 4.89; 95% confidence interval (CI), 2.09-11.47; P = 0.0003 and OR = 5.23; 95% CI, 2.83-9.66; P<0.00001). Similarly, the inverted flap technique was superior in terms of postoperative logMAR BCVA and mean change of logMAR BCVA from baseline (weighted mean difference (WMD) = 0.17, 95% CI, 0.11 to 0.24, P<0.00001 and WMD = 0.08, 95% CI, 0.01 to 0.16, P = 0.03). CONCLUSION: Inverted ILM flap treatment resulted in better closure rates and visual acuity when compared to the standard ILM peeling for large MHs.

Field emission characteristics of point emitters fabricated by a multiwalled carbon nanotube yarn.

We fabricated point emitters using a multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) yarn which was treated by ethylene glycol. The point emitter showed a very high emission current of 3.01 mA (current density of 1.1 x 10(8) A cm(-2)) and good emission stability of over 20 h. We attributed the excellent field emission properties to a large field enhancement factor caused by the large aspect ratio of the sharp tip of the point emitter and the tight bonding of neighboring MWCNTs due to the ethylene glycol treatment. We investigated the field enhancement factor according to the gap between the anode and the emitter tip at a macroscopic gap regime. The measured field enhancement factor of the MWCNT point emitter was in good agreement with theoretical models.