Another successful field trip

Our sixth field trip was another successful one. We achieved our goal of recruiting another 250 individuals (254 to be exact), and in doing so we passed the 1,500th individual recruited to the study. Specifically, a total of 1,547 members of the Jirel population have now successfully completed all elements of the eye exam and other aspects of data collection. As the US-based team gets ready to depart Kathmandu for home, we leave you with yet another collection of random images taken throughout our time here. We sincerely thank the Jirel community and thank you for your interest. We'll be in touch very soon with more research staff profiles and more on on the laboratory procedures that will be happening in the very near future. Until then...

Why...?

Back in Kathmandu

The research team is now back safe and resting up in Kathmandu. After an early departure from Jiri, we made pretty good time to get back to Kathmandu considering the usual traffic congestion on approach to, and in the city, plus a few other things along the way...

1. You have to take care when passing 'shrubs with legs' along the way.

2. A bus driver decides to stop on the road where there is no way to get around it. The apparent reason for the stop: passengers were upset over the driving because they were being shaken up to the point where someone bumped their head.

Ah yep, there is no way around this one just yet.

So the bus has moved a little but now we have a bunch of passengers off the bus expressing their concerns to the driver and others.

Dispute is over and everyone is back on the bus. We just have to wait for the cows to be ushered off the road.

3. One of the vehicles suffers a leak in the diesel fuel line.

There seems to be a leak somewhere?

We better 'jack' it up so that we can get a clearer view. When the jack is too difficult to get (due to luggage) or you don't have one, a few rocks will suffice.

Time to get underneath...

...and into the vehicle.

And yes, a diesel fuel leak is confirmed.

With thanks to some ingenuity from our driving staff and some high quality plastic found in the back of one of the vehicles the leak was contained and we were back on our way. While the repairs were taking place there was time to get a couple of scenery shots in, though.

 

JES Research Staff Profiles: Tom Tripathi

NAME:
Tom Tripathi

INSTITUTION:
Tilganga Institute of Ophthalmology (TIO), Kathmandu, Nepal

POSITION:
Senior Maintenance Officer

JES ROLE/TASKS:
Equipment maintenance, assist with various elements of ophthalmic data collection, comedian

PROFESSIONAL INTERESTS:
Biomedical (ocular) imaging equipment, novel imaging technologies

PERSONAL INTERESTS:
Master of Ceremonies, dancing, impersonating famous people

SOMETHING RANDOM ABOUT YOU:
Striving to score a lead/main acting role. Tired of landing a bunch of stand-in/cameo acting roles

JES Research Staff Profiles: Pradeep Banjara

NAME:
Pradeep Banjara

INSTITUTION:
Tilganga Institute of Ophthalmology (TIO), Kathmandu, Nepal

POSITION:
Research officer; Data manager; Data collection; Field research-related coordinator

JES ROLE/TASKS:
Optical coherence tomography (OCT) operator; OCT data collection

PROFESSIONAL INTERESTS:
Ophthalmic research

PERSONAL INTERESTS:
Traveling, experiencing new places both within and outside Nepal

SOMETHING RANDOM ABOUT YOU:
Avid gardener and very meticulous (to the point that it can frustrate our project ophthalmologist, Dr. Suman ji)

Lunch, with a view

Today (Nov. 12) marks the halfway point of our data collection activities and a much deserved rest day for the research team. While the team takes a break, here are a few images taken from our new lunch venue. Enjoy!

Sukuti: dried buff jerky in the early stages of preparation

JES Research Staff Profiles: Suman Thapa

Over the life of this blog thus far we've witnessed some insight into the activities behind the data collection process. Now it is time to introduce to you some of the hard working individuals behind these activities. Over time, members of the JES research team will be featured in a staff profile. Today, we start with our project ophthalmologist.

NAME:
Suman Thapa

INSTITUTION:
Tilganga Institute of Ophthalmology (TIO), Kathmandu, Nepal

POSITION:
Professor of Ophthalmology; Head, Glaucoma Research; Deputy Director, TIO

JES ROLE/TASKS:
Project Co-Investigator; Ophthalmologist; Musical entertainment

PROFESSIONAL INTERESTS:
Glaucoma research, cataract surgery, eliminating global blindness

PERSONAL INTERESTS:
Music, writing love songs in Jiri, walking the trails in Jiri

SOMETHING RANDOM ABOUT YOU:
Would have been a hippie if lived adult life through the 60’s and 70’s

Eye clinic upgrades

Since our last data collection session in March 2017 our eye research clinic has undergone a few modifications/upgrades. These changes minimize congestion and promote a better flow between different data collection stations for our study volunteers, as well as autonomizing our blood collection area.

In the left panel (below) a sign directs our volunteers to the new area where visual acuity testing, refractive error testing and A-scan ultrasound biometry now take place. The sign is written in Nepali (roughly translated as 'vision and refraction'), an Indo-Aryan language derived from Sanskrit, and the symbol to the far right that may look like the Arabic numeral 9, is in fact the Nepali numeral 1. In the right panel (below) we are now looking out of the vision and refraction testing area where an obscured Ram Chrandra ji is pointing to a Tumbling E chart for one of our study volunteers.

In the left panel (below) a female study volunteer waits to undergo visual acuity and refraction error testing, and A-scan biometry. Meanwhile, a rooster passes by in the background. The right panel (below) is a closeup of the entrance to the 'vision and refraction' room.

In the left panel (below) our new signage indicates to study volunteers that this area is the 'special investigation' testing area. Here, study volunteers undergo visual field testing with the Humphrey visual field analyzer and assessment of the anterior and posterior of their eye with optical coherence tomography. The symbol beneath the 'special investigation' door sign (in Nepali) is the Nepali numeral 2. In the middle panel (below) we see Dr. Suman ji (his back to us) walking into the 'eye examination' area where he performs pre- and post-mydriatic slit lamp examinations. The symbol to the right of the 'eye examination' inscription on the wooden cross bar is the Nepali numeral 3. Meanwhile, Dr. Brad ji provides yet another account of his motocycling adventures or his plans to expand aspects of the Jiri Growth Study. The right panel (below) depicts the entrance to the new 'blood collection' room. The symbol (looks like alpha rotated 90 degrees counter-clockwise) to the  right of the inscription on the wooden cross bar is the Nepali numeral 4. Meanwhile, we see Dr. Sandy ji double checking some data entered into the anthropometry book.

The left panel (below) depicts a close up of where the study volunteers sit to have their blood pressure, pulse and mean arterial pressure recorded. Blood is also collected. The blood sample is used to test cholesterol and blood sugar levels, and isolate DNA in order to identify genetic loci influencing variation in eye health metrics and risk of developing eye diseases such as glaucoma and cataract. The right panel (below) is a close up of some of the extra room the research team has to perform their tasks.

Another modification to our field activities is testing blood sugar (HbA1c) on the fly, so-to-speak, and not at the end of the day. By doing so, study volunteers get an estimate of their blood sugar levels (important for diagnosing diabetes) soon (5 minutes) after their blood is drawn. The left panel (below) depicts the area where testing HbA1c levels takes place and the the right panel (below) is a closeup shot of the testing area.