BackgroundTo identify risk factors for the development of presenile nuclear cataract in health screening test.MethodsThe cross sectional study included a total of 532 eyes of 266 participants aged 30 to 49 years of Samsung Medical Center from February 2013 to April 2015. Presence of nuclear cataract was defined when the log MAR visual acuity with correction was greater than or equal to 0.2 and one or more of the following were met: Pentacam Nuclear Staging (PNS) grading score ≥ 1, average value of nuclear density ≥ 15%, maximum value of nuclear density ≥ 30%. Possible risk factors were obtained from blood tests and questionnaires of a health screening test of Samsung Medical Center. Association between nuclear cataract and risk factors was investigated using univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis by generalized estimating equation (GEE) models.ResultsFive factors were significantly associated with presenile nuclear cataract: current smoking [odds ratio (OR) = 2.80, 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.10–7.12, p = 0.0310], non-exercise and high amount of daily physical exercise (OR = 3.99, 95% CI, 1.27–12.52, p = 0.0178; OR = 2.92, 95% CI, 1.38–6.22, p = 0.0053), asthma (OR = 8.93, 95% CI, 1.12–71.15, p = 0.0386), tuberculosis (OR = 4.28, 95% CI, 1.36–13.50, p = 0.0131), and higher total iron binding capacity (OR = 1.01, 95% CI, 1.00–1.02, p = 0.0059).ConclusionsPresenile nuclear cataract is related to current smoking, non-exercise or high amount of physical exercise, asthma, tuberculosis, and iron deficiency status. The association of non-exercise group and presenile nuclear cataract seems to be related to co-morbidity. Patients with asthma, tuberculosis, or iron deficiency anemia are recommended to receive frequent ophthalmic examination to detect cataract.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1186/s12886-018-0928-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

The electrical properties of surface-passivated GaAs nanowires (NWs) were investigated and compared with those of unpassivated NWs. Surface passivation was carried out by chemically etching the native oxide of the GaAs NWs with ammonium polysulfide, (NH 4) 2 S x , while the native oxide of the unpassivated NWs was etched in hydrochloric acid solution. The GaAs NWs were grown by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition via a Au-catalyzed vapor-liquidsolid growth method. Sulfur-passivated single-GaAs NWs showed 3-fold increase in mobility, indicating that sulfur passivation reduces the presence of surface states, contact resistance, and the Schottky barrier at NW-metal contacts.

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