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Introduction: Diabetes today is a global health issue, posing a risk to several organ systems. Besides complications like cataracts, diabetic retinopathy (DR), glaucoma and refractive errors, anatomical parameters like central corneal thickness (CCT), which is a crucial indicator of corneal endothelium function and keratometry parameters, have also been noticed to be altered in diabetes. Variations in these parameters may affect the accuracy of applanation tonometry in measuring intraocular pressure. This study aims to investigate variations in CCT and keratometry across different stages of DR, as prior research has yielded inconsistent results. The study also intends to explore the relationship between glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1C) levels and changes in keratometry and CCT., Materials and Methods: This observational cross-sectional study was conducted from July 2022 to June 2024. A total of 204 subjects, aged 35-70 years, were included in the study. All participants were evaluated for DR, and those showing fundus findings were graded into five classes based on the Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) classification. CCT, keratometry parameters (K1 and K2) and HbA1C levels were measured for all participants. The clinical parameters were correlated across different grades of diabetes mellitus and compared using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, IBM Corp., Version 23.0, Armonk, NY) software., Results: The patient population consisted of 130 males (63.7%) and 74 females (36.3%). It was found that there was a trend indicating that the presence of DR increased with age, which was statistically significant (p=0.036). However, the differences in the mean duration of diabetes across DR groups were not statistically significant. Findings suggested that individuals with DR generally possess a higher CCT compared to the control group, particularly in the earlier stages of the disease, i.e. no DR and mild non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR). However, as the severity of DR increases, the CCT tends to decrease slightly in moderate NPDR, severe NPDR, and proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) stages. The study notes that the variations in CCT across these groups were not statistically significant (p-value of 0.29). The study also found that changes in corneal curvature, as indicated by keratometry values, were more pronounced in the proliferative stage of DR, with a statistically significant increase in k2 values of the left eye (p-value = 0.025). The study concluded that there was no statistically significant relationship between CCT and keratometry values of both eyes with HbA1c levels., Conclusion: While there were some clear patterns, especially concerning age, most variations in ocular parameters were not statistically significant, suggesting that other factors might need an in-depth study in the development of DR and its correlation with ocular parameters. Similarly, while HbA1c has often been stated to be a prognostic factor in diabetes mellitus, significant correlations were neither noted with ocular parameters like CCT and keratometry, nor the stage of retinopathy., Competing Interests: Human subjects: Consent for treatment and open access publication was obtained or waived by all participants in this study. Institute Ethics Committee, Ophthalmology, Kalinga Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS), Bhubaneswar issued approval KIIT/KIMS/IEC/955/2022. This observational cross-sectional study was carried out in the Ophthalmology Department at Pradyumna Bal Memorial Hospital, KIMS in Bhubaneswar from July 2022 to June 2024, following the approval. Animal subjects: All authors have confirmed that this study did not involve animal subjects or tissue. Conflicts of interest: In compliance with the ICMJE uniform disclosure form, all authors declare the following: Payment/services info: All authors have declared that no financial support was received from any organization for the submitted work. Financial relationships: All authors have declared that they have no financial relationships at present or within the previous three years with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work. Other relationships: All authors have declared that there are no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work., (Copyright © 2024, Yousuf et al.)

Introduction: Computer vision syndrome (CVS) has become a significant issue for individuals working on computers and digital devices for extended periods. The ocular and periocular symptoms and signs associated with CVS are a major concern, affecting individuals physically and financially. Additionally, CVS has been linked to the rapid progression of myopia, exacerbating the situation. Blinking has been one of the major treatment methods for the treatment of CVS. This study presents a unique and novel randomized controlled therapeutic trial that evaluates the impact of extended blinking therapy on eye health and vision, along with other related parameters. Materials and methods: The present study is a randomized controlled trial conducted from September 2022 to April 2024. Participants aged 18-40 with CVS and a computer vision syndrome questionnaire (CVS-Q) score of ≥6, with mild to moderate refractive error (between -6D and +4D), were included. The sample size was determined based on a pilot study, resulting in a minimum required sample size of 36 patients (18 cases and 18 controls). Participants were randomly assigned to either the case (interventional) or control (conventional) group and were followed up for six months. Cases received conventional CVS treatment plus optimized blinking exercises, while controls received conventional therapy only. Comprehensive ocular assessments were conducted bi-monthly over six months, evaluating changes in uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA), refractive error, near point of accommodation (NPA), near point of convergence (NPC), Schirmer's test, and tear film breakup time (TBUT)., Results: The study included 20 patients in the case group and 18 in the control group, primarily aged 20-29 (60.5%). Most patients used laptops for their activities (55.26%). The CVS-Q score significantly decreased in both groups following treatment, with both cases and controls showing significant improvement (p<0.001 for both groups). UCVA in the right eye (RE) and left eye (LE) of the cases improved significantly post-treatment in the interventional group (RE: p=0.002; LE: p<0.001). A significant change in refractive error, which is measured as spherical equivalent (SE), was seen among cases following treatment (RE: p<0.001; LE: p=0.021). Controls showed no significant changes in visual acuity or refractive error. The NPA in the cases improved significantly in the RE (p=0.027) but not in the left. The NPC in the intervention group showed no significant change, while controls showed considerable improvement (p=0.042). Schirmer's test results showed no significant change in either group. However, TBUT in the cases improved significantly (RE: p<0.001; LE: p<0.001). In the controls, TBUT decreased significantly, indicating a deterioration in tear film stability. Asthenopia grades improved considerably in cases, while controls showed only some improvement. Severe symptoms still remained in the control group, emphasizing the potential benefits of the blinking exercise in reducing asthenopia symptoms., Conclusion: Optimized blinking therapy significantly improves vision and refractive error, tear film stability, and discomfort, making it beneficial for chronic computer users to maintain ocular health and enhance productivity and quality of life., Competing Interests: Human subjects: Consent was obtained or waived by all participants in this study. Institute Ethics Committee of Kalinga Institute of Medical Sciences issued approval KIIT/KIMS/IEC/953/2022. Animal subjects: All authors have confirmed that this study did not involve animal subjects or tissue. Conflicts of interest: In compliance with the ICMJE uniform disclosure form, all authors declare the following: Payment/services info: All authors have declared that no financial support was received from any organization for the submitted work. Financial relationships: All authors have declared that they have no financial relationships at present or within the previous three years with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work. Other relationships: All authors have declared that there are no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work., (Copyright © 2024, Sadhwani et al.)

Plasma is regularly alluded to as the fourth form of matter. Its bounty presence in nature along with its potential antibacterial properties has made it a widely utilized disinfectant in clinical sciences. Thermal plasma and non-thermal (or cold atmospheric) plasma (NTP) are two types of plasma. Atoms and heavy particles are both available at the same temperature in thermal plasma. Cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) is intended to be non-thermal since its electrons are hotter than the heavier particles at ambient temperature. Direct barrier discharge (DBD), atmospheric plasma pressure jet (APPJ), etc. methods can be used to produce plasma, however, all follow a basic concept in their generation. This review focuses on the anticipated uses of cold atmospheric plasma in dentistry, such as its effectiveness in sterilizing dental instruments by eradicating bacteria, its advantage in dental cavity decontamination over conventional methods, root canal disinfection, its effects on tooth whitening, the benefits of plasma treatment on the success of dental implant placement, and so forth. Moreover, the limitations and probable solutions has also been anticipated. These conceivable outcomes thus have proclaimed the improvement of more up-to-date gadgets, for example, the plasma needle and plasma pen, which are efficient in treating the small areas like root canal bleaching, biofilm disruption, requiring treatment in dentistry., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2021 The Authors.)