Study of musculoskeletal problems among long-term computer users in Ahmedabad City

Background: COVID-19 made many changes in life of persons and even after post COVID era these changes are integral to our life. Some of the changes were online classes, work from home, and online gaming. Computer work leads to static position of neck, shoulders, and upper limbs for extended hours. This leads to higher risk of developing visual, musculoskeletal and psychological problems. Aims and Objectives: The present study was carried out to determine prevalence of musculoskeletal health disorders, assess work distribution, and their probable interaction with musculoskeletal health problems in computer users of Ahmedabad city. Material(s) and Method(s): A cross-sectional study was carried out over a period of 1-year time among 800 participants to study the musculoskeletal problems among computer users. Result(s): Out of 800 participants, 76.75% of participants had any computer related musculoskeletal problem. If participants work more than 4 h in a single spell prevalence of musculoskeletal problems was 82.95%. Regular exercise has significant role in preventing computer-related musculoskeletal problems. Conclusion(s): Computer-related musculoskeletal problems have relation with number of hours spent in single spell, total daily working hours, and years of computer-related work.Copyright © 2023, Mr Bhawani Singh. All rights reserved.

Opposition-based sine cosine optimizer utilizing refraction learning and variable neighborhood search for feature selection.

This paper proposes new improved binary versions of the Sine Cosine Algorithm (SCA) for the Feature Selection (FS) problem. FS is an essential machine learning and data mining task of choosing a subset of highly discriminating features from noisy, irrelevant, high-dimensional, and redundant features to best represent a dataset. SCA is a recent metaheuristic algorithm established to emulate a model based on sine and cosine trigonometric functions. It was initially proposed to tackle problems in the continuous domain. The SCA has been modified to Binary SCA (BSCA) to deal with the binary domain of the FS problem. To improve the performance of BSCA, three accumulative improved variations are proposed (i.e., IBSCA1, IBSCA2, and IBSCA3) where the last version has the best performance. IBSCA1 employs Opposition Based Learning (OBL) to help ensure a diverse population of candidate solutions. IBSCA2 improves IBSCA1 by adding Variable Neighborhood Search (VNS) and Laplace distribution to support several mutation methods. IBSCA3 improves IBSCA2 by optimizing the best candidate solution using Refraction Learning (RL), a novel OBL approach based on light refraction. For performance evaluation, 19 real-wold datasets, including a COVID-19 dataset, were selected with different numbers of features, classes, and instances. Three performance measurements have been used to test the IBSCA versions: classification accuracy, number of features, and fitness values. Furthermore, the performance of the last variation of IBSCA3 is compared against 28 existing popular algorithms. Interestingly, IBCSA3 outperformed almost all comparative methods in terms of classification accuracy and fitness values. At the same time, it was ranked 15 out of 19 in terms of number of features. The overall simulation and statistical results indicate that IBSCA3 performs better than the other algorithms.

To Observe the Appearance of Amblyopia in 6 to 10 Years of School Going Children during and Post COVID Era

Introduction: As a part of prophecy by WHO nearly half of the population of Globe will be facing problem of refractive errors by 2050. In India by the mid of this century these diseases will flourish in Indian continent with frightening velocity. Amblyopia is one of the basic reason for refractive errors in childhood with maximum global prevalence of 4.7% averaging 2% school going children. "Amblyopia" is a disorder in retinal image foundation because of decline in the value of central, adjusted vision which most commonly happens during first decade of life. Hence we have undertaken the present study to know the status of amblyopic status in school going children during and in Post Covid sessions. Methodology: In this hospital-based observational cross-sectional study we examined (optometry, retinoscopy along with Auto-refractometer) 639 school going students from our tertiary care institutes who were facing problem in their vision. Results and discussion: Amongst the participants during COVID period 331 (52.73%) were girls and 308 (48.2%) were boys learning in different classes having refractive errors. Out of these total participants 27 students were found to have amblyopia. Affecting a greater number of females that is 16 (4.8%) and 11 boys (3.5%) of the total participating population. While in post covid period out of 437 boys students 3.4% were having amblyopia with statistical significant difference between the two groups depicting more number of boys having amblyopia during COVID period. Refractive errors are mostly caused by prolonged focusing on the screen, that children should take a break from the screen every half an hour to avoid possible eye problems. Conclusion(s): We conclude that if detection of amblyopia is possible in earlier phases of life then nationwide campaign or programme should be initiated and implemented for prevention of mortality of vision.Copyright © 2023, Dr Yashwant Research Labs Pvt Ltd. All rights reserved.

Progression in refractive error in children during COVID-19 pandemic due to virtual classes: A cohort study

Background: The pandemic resulted in increased screen hours in children due to virtual education. The rate of progression of myopia was noticed to be remarkable in the past 2 years. This study is an endeavor to study the effect of increased screen hours during COVID home confinement on the degree of progression of myopia in school children and to evaluate the difference in change of refractive errors with a variation in the screen size of the digital device used. Method(s): This was prospective observational study with a retrospective comparison arm, wherein 70 school children (140 eyes) aged 4-18 years were subjected to a cycloplegic refraction test. The difference in spherical equivalent refraction from the year 2018 to 19 was compared with that of the difference observed in the pandemic year 2019-2020. A statistical analysis was also made regarding the correlation of variation in refraction between the different genders, age groups, and screen sizes. Result(s): Of the 70 children, 29 (41.42%) were girls and 41 (58.58%) were boys. The gadgets being used vary from mobiles to laptops, and the range of screens and sizes varies from 100 cm2 to 500 cm 2. Similarly, the duration of device use varied from 4 to 8 h. For 2018, the mean value of the spherical equivalent was -1.69 +/- 1.42, for 2019 it was -1.92 +/- 1.50 and for 2020 the mean value was -2.61 +/- 1.47 for the right eye. The mean value of the spherical equivalent for the left eye in 2018 was -1.68 +/- 1.51, in 2019 the value was -1.87 +/- 1.58, and in 2020, the mean value was -2.73 +/- 1.78. Conclusion(s): Increased exposure to digital devices during the COVID-19 period has a role to play in the progression of myopia in school-aged children.Copyright © 2023 Authors. All rights reserved.

Refractive Errors Due To Online Classes Among School Children During The Covid-19 Pandemic

Aim: The current study aimed to assess the effect of refractive errors among school children due to online classes. Material(s) and Method(s): School-going children who were attending online classes between five and fifteen years were subjected to ophthalmic evaluation. A questionnaire including sections like demographics, gadget use, on-screen time, and physical complaints was administered to collect the required data. Result(s): The participants in our study had a mean age of 9 +/- 2 years (range 5-15 years) of whom 48.4% (n = 140) were males and 51.6% (n = 149) were females. There was a predominance of myopia (86.5%) in children where 44.6% of them have newly developed refractive errors. Around 70 (67.8%) children with a previous refractive error have been shown to have progression of refractive error. Conclusion(s): Our study reports that children were exposed to prolonged screen time which led to a rise in the number of myopia cases.Copyright © 2022 Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications. All rights reserved.

A Review Study on Associated Factors Ofmyopia Amongschool Goingchildren

Myopia is a prevalent yet confusingocular disorder. Myopia,formerlyconsidered abenignrefractivecondition, is nowassociatedwithanincreasedriskofdevelopingseveraloculardisorders,evenatmodestlevels.Myopiaisaglobalproblemthatexpe rts have documented. Despite the fact that the specific cause of myopia remains a mystery, it appears to be a combinationof genetic and environmental factors, making the prevention and treatment of the condition difficult and highly personalised.Myopia can have a positive impact on both the quality of life and the health of the eyes if it is prevented. Progressive additionlenses (PAL), topical atropine, ortho-k (orthokeratology) lenses and multifocal contact lenses are some of the most commoncontrol options currently available. Myopia has gained prominence in optometry studies as a result of its high prevalence. It ismore common for children to suffer from problems, such as extreme myopia and myopic macular degeneration, if they begindevelopingmyopiaatanearlyage.Thepurposeofthisstudywillbetoconductaninquiryintotheepidemiologyandriskfactorsfor myopiainschool-agedchildren(aged 6-19years)aroundtheworld.Copyright © 2022, Anka Publishers. All rights reserved.

Introduction to Light Properties and Basic Principles of Spectroscopy at the High-School Level: A Pilot Study

Spectroscopy is the basis of many applications in chemistry;however, the basic principles of light, light–matter interaction, and the operation of spectrophotometers are rarely present in chemistry curricula at the high-school level, or they are only briefly introduced to students before focusing on analytical chemistry applications. In this work, we report the results of a study conducted over several years, aimed to design, optimise, and put into practice a didactic sequence on light phenomena such as reflection, refraction, interference, diffraction, and light dispersion, as well as the basic principles of ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy and spectroscopic instruments. Difficult concepts of light phenomena and related topics were deeply investigated, focusing on the best ways to teach them to high-school students in the framework of the content-specific components identified in the topic-specific pedagogical content knowledge theoretical model. Inquiry-based learning and interactive STEM laboratory activities were combined with a historical epistemological teaching method. Short introductory videos were also recorded to help students during the remote lessons in the COVID-19 pandemic period. In this paper, we report and discuss the research strategy used in order to design and implement the sequence of educational activities, leading to a final optimised didactic sequence that was tested in a pilot study. The main results were obtained from the experimentation with several classes in two high-school technical institutes with a chemistry and material sciences curriculum, along with a group of undergraduate students during the first part of an introductory course on molecular spectroscopy. © 2023 by the authors.

Associations between anthropometric indicators and refraction in school-age children during the post-COVID-19 era.

Purpose: To explore the associations between anthropometric indicators and refraction in school-aged children in the post-COVID-19 era. Methods: Data were collected from 25,644 children aged 7 to 12 years in 48 elementary schools in Tianjin. The comprehensive examination included height, weight, systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), refraction, and calculation of BMI, with a follow-up visit after 6 months. Myopia was defined as spherical equivalent refraction (SER) ≤-0.50 diopter (D). Bivariate correlation coefficients and multiple linear regression models were used to explore the cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between anthropometric indicators (height, weight, BMI, SBP, and DBP) and refraction. Results: The mean changes in height, weight, BMI, SBP, DBP, and SER of the participants were 4.03 ± 2.18 cm, 3.10 ± 2.39 kg, 0.45 ± 1.16 kg/m2, 2.26 ± 14.74 mmHg, 2.18 ± 11.79 mmHg and -0.17 ± 0.51 D, respectively. Overall, height, weight, BMI, SBP, and DBP were all correlated with SER (r = -0.324, r = -0.234, r = -0.121, r = -0.112, r = -0.066, both p < 0.001), and changes in height and weight were correlated with changes in SER (r = -0.034, -0.031, both p < 0.001). Furthermore, multiple linear regression analysis revealed that the association of BMI, SBP, and DBP with SER was significant in myopic children but not in non-myopic children. The association between changes in weight and changes in SER was only present in non-myopic children but not in myopic children. Conclusion: Height and weight were negatively correlated with SER in both cross-sectional analysis and longitudinal changes, indicating that children's height, weight and growth rate may be used as a reference indicator for myopia risk prediction and myopia progression monitoring.

Myopia risk behaviour related to the COVID-19 lockdown in Europe: The generation R study.

PURPOSE: To battle the spreading of the COVID-19 virus, nationwide lockdowns were implemented during 2020 and 2021. Reports from China revealed that their strict home confinements led to an increase in myopia incidence. The Netherlands implemented a more lenient lockdown, which allowed children to go outside. We evaluated the association between COVID-19 restrictions, myopia risk behaviour and myopia progression in Dutch teenagers. METHOD: A total of 1101 participants (mean age 16.3 ± 3.65 yrs) completed questionnaires about their activities before, during and after lockdown (March-October 2020). We used a repeated-measures ANOVA to compare time use between these time periods. Ocular measurements were acquired before the COVID-19 pandemic when participants were 13 years old; only 242 participants had ocular measurements at 18 years of age at the time of this analysis. Linear regression analyses were used to evaluate the association between lifestyle factors and myopia progression. RESULTS: Children were on average 16.2 (1.03) years of age during lockdown. Total nearwork increased from 8.11 h/day to 11.79 h/day, and remained higher after lockdown at 9.46 h/day (p < 0.001). Non-educational nearwork increased by 2.22 h/day (+49%) during lockdown and was associated with faster axial length progression (B 0.002 mm/h/year; SE 0.001 p = 0.03). Before and during lockdown, the mean time spent outdoors was similar (1.78 h/day and 1.80 h/day, respectively). After lockdown, time spent outdoors decreased to 1.56 h/day (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The Dutch lockdown significantly increased digitised nearwork in adolescents but did not affect outdoor exposure. The changes in time spent performing nearwork remained after the lockdown measures had ended. We expect that the COVID-19 pandemic may lead to an increase in myopia prevalence and progression in European children.

Increased Screen Time as a Cause for Further Myopia BoomFollow up Study of School Health Survey

Background: Myopia is a major health issue around the world. The World Health Organization estimates that half of the population of the world may be myopic by 2050. In the present years, insufficient time spent in outdoor activities has been recognized as a major risk factor for myopia development. The duration and intensity of near work are also associated with myopia progression. Aim(s): To study the increase in myopic shift in school going children during covid 19 pandemic due to increased screen time. Material(s) and Method(s): A prospective cross sectional study was done as a follow up after 2 years (in March 2021) from a school health survey done in May 2019. 150 students, of ages 7-15 were included and spherical equivalent refraction was recorded for each child and progression of myopia was documented in dioptres. Children wearing contact lenses, with h/o any ocular surgery and children with pathological myopia were excluded from study. Result(s): Out of 145 children called for follow up, only 123 children reported in the OPD for follow up. The mean refractive error(spherical equivalent) had increased by +2D in children of ages 7-10 and by +1D in children from ages 11-13 and somewhat remained constant in older ages. The parents reported an increase in time spent on digital devices and prolonged near work and all this had a positive correlation with an increase in myopic shift. Conclusion(s): Shorter viewing distance, increased screen time and lesser outdoor activities is also associated with myopia progression, especially in younger children. Younger children's refractive status may be more sensitive to environmental changes than older children, as they are in a more important period for myopic development and progression. Copyright © 2022, Dr Yashwant Research Labs Pvt Ltd. All rights reserved.

Screen Time and its Relation with Ophthalmic Problems among Medical Students

Background: The inflated use of digital screens has completely changed the lives of people physically, mentally and psychologically. The covid-19 pandemic has also compelled people of all age groups to shift to digital media. The average screen time usage is 7-9 hours a day which is alarming. Aim(s): To find out the relation of screen time with ophthalmic problems among medical students. Study Design: Cross-sectional study Place and Duration of Study: Department of Community Medicine, HITEC-IMS Taxila from 1st January 2020 to 30th June 2020. Methodology: One hundred and fifty two medical students were included using non probability convenience sampling technique. An electronic questionnaire was developed and Google forms were used for data registration. Result(s): The relation between screen time duration with difficulty in refocusing (p=0.05) and eye redness (p=0.05). No relation was found between screen duration and headache, eye strain, blurred vision and refractive errors. Conclusion(s): High screen time is found to be related to ophthalmic problems like difficulty refocussing and eye redness which if not addressed properly might result in detrimental effects. Copyright © 2022 Lahore Medical And Dental College. All rights reserved.

Trends of myopia development among primary and junior school students in the post-COVID-19 epidemic period.

Purpose: To investigate the trends of myopia among primary and junior school students in the post-COVID-19 epidemic period. Method: A prospective of cross-sectional study using spot photoscreenings in 123,538 children among primary and junior school students from 2019 to 2021 was conducted to evaluate the development of myopia in Xuzhou, China in the post-COVID-19 epidemic period. Equivalent refraction and the prevalence of myopia were recorded. Results: The spherical equivalent refraction of myopia decreased across all grades except grade 1 (0.23 ± 0.56 D in 2019, 0.24 ± 0.63 D in 2020) from 2019 to 2020. However, refraction exhibited a hyperopic shift in 2021 compared to 2020 for grades 1-5 (no significant decreased for grade 4). The prevalence of myopia in all grades increased in 2020 compared to 2019, and the most dramatic changes were observed from grades 2-5 and grades 7-8 (P < 0.05). The changes in myopia prevalence in grades 1-4 were mild, and the reduction in myopia for Grade 5 is significant from 2020 to 2021. Nevertheless, students in grades 6 and 9 exhibited the greatest growth in myopia prevalence (P < 0.01). All grades had higher myopia prevalence in 2021 compared with 2019, except grade 1 (P = 0.25). The prevalence of myopia in girls was higher compared with boys, and the urban myopia prevalence was higher than in rural areas over the 3 years except in 2019 (P = 0.18). Conclusions: The prevalence of myopia increased during the COVID-19 epidemic. However, the spherical equivalent refraction of lower grade children drifted to hyperopia and the trends of myopia development remained stable in the post-COVID-19 epidemic period. We should be more concerned about the prevalence of myopia in graduating for the primary or junior grades in the future.

Provision of Reading Glasses During Underserved Community-Based Tele-Ophthalmology Screenings

Purpose : The most common cause of blurry vision in the United States is refractive error. Despite being a correctable condition, over 8.2 million people are estimated to have their refractive error go undiagnosed or untreated. Minorities and low-income groups in particular have significantly increased odds of inadequate correction and double the rates of near-vision impairment. We aimed to address this gap in care through the provision of refractive glasses during community-based tele-ophthalmology screenings. Methods : Eight free eye screening events were held in Newark and West New York, NJ. Demographic information, intraocular pressure, visual acuity, auto-refraction, retinal imaging, and optical coherence tomography were obtained from each subject as part of a comprehensive tele-ophthalmology protocol. Reading glasses were provided as needed based on the recommendation of a certified telemedicine reader. Eligible recipients completed surveys on site regarding access to eye care. They were surveyed again by phone after one month to assess degree of satisfaction and vision improvement. Results : 38 subjects (mean age 53, 47% male) qualified for presbyopia correction and received reading glasses. 97% were Hispanic and 3% were African American. Of the 33 that returned surveys, 88% reported not seeing an eye doctor annually. The most common reason was lack of insurance or inability to pay (71%). Others included having no need to see an eye doctor (10%), disliking eye doctors (7%), not knowing the importance of regular eye exams (3%), and COVID-19 (3%). Of the 25 subjects that were reached for follow-up, 92% reported using the glasses daily. Those that did not reported the power was too strong or they did not feel they needed them. Subjects noted an average improvement in vision of 4.4 out of 5 and an average satisfaction of 4.7 out of 5 (Figure 1). Conclusions : Glasses distribution is an effective way to address refractive error in underserved communities. Given the gaps in knowledge and utilization of eye care identified in our study, there is an obvious need for continued outreach to these areas. Further studies will include larger populations and evaluate mobile refraction devices to increase ease and reach of glasses provision.

Effect of COVID-19 lockdown on refractive errors in children aged 5-12 years: a retrospective study

Purpose : To explore whether the COVID-19 lockdown increased the incidence of myopia among age-school children. Methods : Retrospective study recruiting children aged 5-12. Selection: random. Inclusion criteria: healthy children presenting for an eye exam since 2016. Exclusion criteria: presence of ocular comorbidities other than refractive error, spherical equivalent (SE) less than -4D or greater than +4D, BCVA less than 20/20, blepharoptosis, media opacities, corneal or retinal dystrophies, strabismus, amblyopia, nystagmus, or concurrent therapy with atropine 0.01%. Outcome measure: age measured in months, SE of the right eye (RE) measured in diopters (D) under cycloplegia (cyclopentolate 1%). Statistical analysis: ANOVA, Chi-square, Tukey's test. Significance: p < .05. Results : A total of 803 children. In the years prior to COVID-19, the mean SE ± SD diopters in the RE: 0.54 ± 1.49 D in 2016 (n = 160), 0.43 ± 1.84 D in 2017 (n = 145), 0.34 ± 1.41 D in 2018 (n = 152), 0.35 ± 1.75 D in 2019 (n = 166) (ANOVA, p = .659) (Fig. 1). In 2021 (n = 180), the mean SE was -0.08 ± 1.44 D (ANOVA, p = .005). Using the Tukey's test, the mean SE of 2021 changed by -0.619 D 95% CI [-1.091, -0.147] and -0.501 D 95% CI [-0.986, -0.016] as compared to the SE of 2016 and 2017, respectively (Fig. 2). Mean age was comparable in all groups (ANOVA, p = .307). The decrease of the mean SE of the 2021 group corresponds to an increase in the percentage of myopes (≤-0.5D) and a decrease in the percentage of hyperopes (≥ 2D). Myopes represent the 24.10% of children aged 60-96 months, and 63.86% of children aged 97-144 months. Hyperopes represent 9.64% of children aged 60-96 months, and 6.02% of children aged 97-144 months. This represents a statistically-significant increase in the number of myopes (Chi-square, p = .016) and decrease in the number of hyperopes (Chi-square, p = .001), as compared to the previous years (2016- 2019). Conclusions : This retrospective study shows a statistically-significant decrease in the mean SE in children aged 5-12 in the year following the COVID-19 lockdown (2021). The percentage of myopes has increased significantly, while the percentage of hyperopes has decreased. Children aged 8-12 years showed the greatest refractive change. The lifestyle changes imposed by the lockdown were likely responsible for the increased prevalence of myopia observed in 2021.

The effect of home confinements on myopic risk profile in European adolescents: The Generation R Study

Purpose : To battle the spreading of the COVID-19 virus, all over the world measures like home confinement and nation-wide lockdowns have been implemented at regular intervals. These measures have shown an increase in myopic incidence particularly in China, which applied a very strict lockdown and home confinement. The Netherlands used a so called “intelligent lockdown” which allowed children to go outside. We evaluated the association between COVID restrictions and myopia risk factors in an European cohort of adolescents. Methods : A total of 1101 participants (mean age 16.3 ± 3.65 yrs) of the population-based prospective birth-cohort study Generation R filled in a questionnaire about their behavior before, during, and after lockdown in the Netherlands. These participants had undergone cycloplegic refractive error measurement at 13 years of age. We evaluated time spent outdoors, time spent online (handheld or other devices), time spent on near work (education and non-educational) from March-October 2020 in myopic (spherical equivalent <-0.5D) and non-myopic children. We used a repeated measures ANOVA to compare differences between these time periods, and logistic regression corrected for age, gender, and ethnicity to evaluate differences between myopic and non myopic children. Results : During and after lockdown the children spent signicantly more time online (+113 and +59min/day) on both hand held (+64 and +10 min/day) and other devices (+49 and +7 min/day), and on educational nearwork (+73 and +63min/day). Non-educational near work increased only significantly during lockdown (+176 min/day). Time spent outside did not change significantly and was ±2 hours/day. Children of non-European descent spent more time online (235min/day vs 260 min/day, P= 0.004) and on non-educational near work (452 min/day vs 559 min/day, p=0.0002). We found no significant difference in behavior between myopic and non-myopic children. Conclusions : The Dutch lockdown for COVID increased digitized near work in adolescents, but did not affect outdoor exposure. Children without myopia did not do better than those already myopic. Based on these results, we expect that the COVID pandemic will also lead to an increase in myopia prevalence and progression in European children, but to a lesser extent than in Asia.

Bunazosin inhibited axial elongation with an increase of the choroidal blood perfusion in a murine model of myopia

Purpose : The prevalence of myopia is accelerating worldwide possibly because of the decrease in outdoor activity including COVID-19 home confinement. We have reported the effective treatments of suppressing myopia progression, including oral administration of crocetin (Mori K et al. Sci Rep. 2019) and violet light exposure (Jiang X et al. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2021). In this study, we examined the therapeutic effects of bunazosin, known as one of the α1-adrenergic receptor antagonists, in a lens-induced myopia mouse model. Methods : C57BL/6J mice were induced myopia at 3-week-old by a method established in our research group (Jiang X et al. Sci Rep. 2018). For 3 weeks, mice were equipped with lenses in both eyes, a left for 0 D lens as internal control and a right for -30 D lens as myopia induction. During this period, we administered 0.01% bunazosin hydrochloride solution by intraperitoneal injection (IP group) and eye drop (E group) once a day, and PBS as control. Ocular components including refraction error, axial length, and choroidal thickness before and after myopia induction were measured by an infrared photorefractor and an SD-OCT. The choroidal blood flow was evaluated by an SS-OCT angiography. Results : In the eye with -30D lens of control group, significant changes in a myopic shift of refraction (p < 0.01), axial elongation (p < 0.05), and choroidal thinning (p < 0.01) compared to 0D lens were observed. In contrast, IP or E groups showed no significant difference between both eyes, suggesting myopia progression was suppressed by bunazosin treatment. The choroidal blood flow of the eye with -30D in E group (58.9±8.9%) was higher than that of the control group -30D (44.0±6.4%)(p < 0.05). Conclusions : Bunazosin has a preventive effect on myopia progression by suppressing axial elongation and choroidal thinning together with an increase of choroidal blood flow.

Assessment of eye pain symptoms among pediatric students during the COVID-19 pandemic

Purpose : Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS) is a form of asthenopia that manifests with symptoms such as eye pain/discomfort, headache, and blurred vision, among others. Early identification of CVS is especially relevant during the COVID-19 pandemic, which has led to an increase in virtual schooling and digital screen time among children worldwide. This study seeks to evaluate differences in etiologies of eye pain, treatment recommendations, and the relationship between refractive errors and eye pain in the pediatric population before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods : After IRB approval, we retrospectively reviewed the records of patients who visited our tertiary care institution between 2018 and 2021 with a chief complaint of eye pain, determined by the encounter's primary ICD-10 code. Patients who visited before 03/11/2020, when the WHO declared COVID-19 a pandemic, were classified as the pre-pandemic group (PPG), while patients who consulted after this date were classified as the during-pandemic group (DPG). Demographics, symptoms, refractive error, treatment, and schooling method were recorded as covariates and analyzed using a Chi-square and Fisher's exact test. Results : 38 patients were included in the study (21 PPG;17 DPG). The mean age was 10.1 ± 3.2 years, and the majority were African American (44.7%). Virtual school attendance for the PPG and DPG was 4.8% and 58.8%, respectively (P<0.05) (Table 1). There was a higher prevalence of reported blurry vision, headaches, eye redness, eye swelling, and rubbing among DPG patients (Table 1). Counseling on screen time minimization was more likely to be documented in the DPG (Table 2). A greater proportion of patients were prescribed new glasses in the DPG though there was no significant relationship between eye pain and refractive error or anisometropia in either group (P>0.05). Conclusions : The increased prevalence of CVS symptoms in the DPG suggests an association between virtual schooling and CVS in children. There is a role for ophthalmologists to improve rates of counseling for the prevention of eye pain-related symptomatology with digital device usage. Further studies will survey parents to assess their awareness of conservative treatments for eye pain such as artificial tears and decreased screen time.

Indications and Outcomes of Surgery for High Myopia: STAAR Intraocular Collamer Lens (ICL) vs. LASIK

Purpose : Although the ICL is more invasive than laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis (LASIK), it is indicated for patients with very high myopia, commonly over -7D. ICL is associated with certain risks including cataract and glaucoma which may develop years after surgery requiring additional procedures. In this study, we examined the outcome and safety profile of ICL vs. LASIK at 1 week, 1 month, and 1 year postoperatively. Methods : In this retrospective study, we examined records from a single surgeon (KK) as well as 2 patients with post ICL complications requiring ICL removal. An important aim of this study was to use the 1 year follow up data since this is one of the standard ICL follow up visits. We hypothesized that the FDA approved ICL (2005) would have a comparable target refractive outcome and safety profile when compared to LASIK. Results : There were a total of 45 ICL eyes and 65 LASIK eyes. Preoperatively, ICL patients had a significantly higher manifest refraction spherical equivalent (MRSE) and cycloplegic refraction spherical equivalent (CRSE) than LASIK patients (p<0.05). For patients who received the ICL implants, the average MRSE at 1-week, 1-month, 1-year post-op was -0.37D±(0.13), -0.29D±(0.09), -0.53D±(0.15);and -1.60D±(0.16), -0.36D±(0.15), -0.36D±(0.07) for patients who received LASIK. The differences in post-op MRSE between ICL and LASIK were not statistically significant (p>0.05). The only significant differences were 1 month LogMAR best corrected visual acuity and 1 year LogMAR distance uncorrected visual acuity (p<0.05), in which LASIK had better visual acuity. Common postoperative findings in both groups were refractive target deviations and punctate keratitis. Reoperation rates in the ICL and LASIK groups were 21.4% and 10.8% respectively, which was not statistically significant (p>0.05). 42.6% of ICL patients underwent the procedure during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to 26.2% of LASIK. Conclusions : Our results demonstrate that ICL is safe and effective for patients with high myopia. Although ICL patients had a significantly higher preoperative MRSE compared to the LASIK group, the ICL patients were able to achieve similar refractive targets. There were no cases of glaucoma or cataract at 1 year in the ICL group. In conclusion, ICL surgery is as safe and effective as LASIK surgery in correcting patients with high myopia, regardless of pre-operative refractive error.

Microwave treatment to optimize physicochemical properties of modified Busil (Xanthosoma sagittifolium) starch

COVID-19 pandemic encourages the utilization of local food sources to ensure food availability. Busil (Xanthosoma sagittifolium) was readily available and affordable in Banjarnegara Regency in the Province of Central Java in Indonesia. However, the busil starch utilization was still rare due to the low functional properties of the native busil starch. The objective of this study was to explore busil starch physicochemical characterization enhancement after microwave irradiation treatment, especially on the stability of heat processing. This research was conducted in two steps. First, microwave treatment (with a variation of energy and irradiation time) of native busil starch (NBS), and the second was modified busil starch (MBS) physicochemical characterization. A rise in amylose was observed on MBS. SEM analysis was shown MBS granules are breakdown. Through viscosity, final viscosity, setback viscosity, peak time, and the pasting temperature of MBS generally were increased. Meanwhile, peak viscosity and breakdown viscosity of MBS was decreased. Thermal properties of MBS like onset (To), peak (Tp), and conclusion (Tc) temperatures were also increased. The degree of whiteness index (DW) of MBS was decreased. FTIR analysis has shown that microwave treatment did not cause functional group alteration. XRD analysis has also demonstrated no change in the diffraction pattern but a slight change in the crystallinity index. Generally, microwave treatment leads to MBS thermal stability and potentially broaden MBS utilization on food processing product.