This study examined measurement invariances of the 14-item Muslim Attitudes Toward Religion (MAR) and the 15-item Muslim Experiential Religiousness (MER) scales in 4 Muslim samples in China (N ϭ 191), Iran (N ϭ 346), Malaysia (N ϭ 236), and Pakistan (N ϭ 320). Results supported weak invariance (equal indicator loadings) for both MAR and MER and partial strong invariance (equal indicator intercepts) after freeing intercepts for 3 items of MAR and for 4 items of MER. Regression analyses of the 2 scales with intrinsic religious orientation evidenced the 3-I model of Muslim religious spirituality that Muslim spirituality initiates, invigorates, and integrates expression of Muslim religiosity in its implications for psychological adjustment. Validation of these scales in 4 linguistically and culturally diverse Muslim cultures substantiates the usefulness of these measures for assessing the distinguished but integrated constructs of Muslim religiosity and spirituality. Suggestion for brief and revised scales is also given.

Although local transmission of malaria has been eliminated, the disease is frequently imported to China by Chinese travelers returning from Africa. Optic neuritis (ON) is occasionally reported in malarial cases and usually shows good visual recovery and prognosis. Herein, we report severe visual loss with poor recovery due to bilateral ON in a malarial patient who traveled from Nigeria. While he was still in Nigeria, his visual acuity dropped to no light perception in both eyes after the third episode of malaria, which was confirmed by a positive blood smear for malarial parasites. His general condition gradually improved after a 6-day course of artesunate therapy. However, visual acuity in both eyes remained unchanged after artesunate therapy alone, with gradual improvement subsequently shown after pulse steroid therapy. Our case indicates that early antimalarial drugs combined with pulse steroid therapy may be of great importance for good visual recovery in ON cases after malarial infection.

Scrub typhus is an acute febrile illness caused by Orientia tsutsugamushi infection, and typically manifested as fever, eschar, lymphadenopathy, rash, and other flu-like signs. Ocular involvement was not uncommon, and mostly occurred at post-fever or recovery stage in scrub typhus cases. We hereby report a case of scrub typhus presenting as unilateral optic neuritis (ON). A 56-year-old man going wild fishing nearly every day complained of a blurred vision and an inferior visual field defect in the right eye two or three days after an insect-bite like shin induration in his left leg. He was diagnosed as ON, and treated with dexamethasone in the local hospital. Unfortunately, his right eye vision progressively deteriorated during steroid therapy. Three days after steroid therapy ceased, he suffered from a high fever and painful subcutaneous masses in the left groin. Peripheral blood test by metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) was positive for Orientia tsutsugamushi, but negative for other pathogens. The diagnosis was then revised to scrub typhus and ON. His systemic symptoms rapidly disappeared after oral doxycycline and omadacycline therapy. However, his right eye vision continuously deteriorated to hand motion. Further serum tests for aquaporin 4-IgG antibody and myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein-IgG antibody were both negative, but for anticardiolipin IgM and beta-2-glycoprotein-I IgM were both positive. The patient’s right eye vision gradually improved after doxycycline combined with steroid pulse therapy. Our case indicates that ON in scrub typhus cases may present as a parainfectious inflammation, and that mNGS is a useful and valuable method for early diagnosis of scrub typhus.

Purpose: To assess differences in post-surgical radial peripapillary capillary (RPC) density changes between femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery (FLACS) and conventional phacoemulsification surgery (CPS) using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA).Methods: Fifty-two eyes of 52 patients were enrolled in this study. Depending on their preference, patients with age-related cataract underwent FLACS or CPS. Automated peripapillary maps and capillary density calculations were retrospectively evaluated using OCTA before surgery and on day 1 and months 1 and 3 postoperatively.Results: The whole-image and peripapillary RPC densities were lower at day 1 and months 1 and 3 postoperatively than before surgery in the FLACS group (all P < 0.05). However, there was no change in the whole-image and peripapillary RPC densities before and after surgery, across different time-points, in the CPS group (all P > 0.05). Moreover, comparison of data corresponding to each time-point between the FLACS and CPS groups showed no significant differences in any metrics prior to surgery (all P > 0.05). However, the whole-image and peripapillary RPC densities were significantly different at day 1 and month 1 after the surgery (all P < 0.05). At the 3-month follow-up, we did not observe significant differences (all P > 0.05). Conclusions: Postoperative whole-image and peripapillary RPC densities were lower in the FLACS group than in the CPS across time-points. While the short-term RPC density changes were resolved, to elucidate the long-term implications of FLACS, especially for eyes with glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, etc., further investigations are required.

Purpose To assess the changes in retinal vasculature and thickness after femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery (FLACS) using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA).Methods Fifty-six eyes of 56 patients with age-related cataract were enrolled in this study. Patients were divided into FLACS or conventional phacoemulsification surgery (CPS) due to the choice of operation. Vessel density (VD) and thickness at the macular area and optic nerve head (ONH) were checked by OCTA at baseline and at 1 day, 1 month and 3 months after cataract surgery.Results In the FLACS group: The radial peripapillary capillary (RPC) density displayed a significant reduction during the follow-up (P < 0.05), even when the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness was not significantly changed. There was a significant negative correlation between the changes in RPC density and femtosecond laser-assisted pre-treatment time (FLAPT) at 1 day and 1 month after cataract surgery respectively (both P < 0.05). At 3 months postoperatively, the macular thickness had a significant increase in all regions (all P < 0.05). In the CPS group, the retinal VD and thickness did not show statistically significant changes in all regions during the follow-up (all P > 0.05). However, the best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was significantly improved in both groups postoperatively (both P < 0.001).Conclusions OCTA provided a promising analysis of retinal vascular alterations, demonstrating the reduction of RPC density and the increase of macular thickness after FLACS. However, these changes had no effect on the improvement of visual acuity after cataract surgery.