24^th International Conference on Neuroscience and Neurochemistry July 23-24, 2018 Birmingham, UK

Biography:

Sheena Vella, MSc. is a social and cultural psychologist and has worked in the field of migration for the past 7 years in Malta and the U.K. Her photovoice research on the social representations of asylum seeking and the future in Malta was awarded a distinction from the Institute of Social & Cultural Psychology at the London School of Economics & Political Science. She has worked at the University of Malta, within government open centres for asylum seekers, and the NGO and voluntary sector. She is currently co-ordinator of the Integration and Community Development activities at Migrants Resource Centre in London. She is particularly interested in empowerment and development models of migrant and refugee women, development of transcultural competencies and social justice.

Abstract:

Migratory experiences often exacerbate the mental health care needs of vulnerable migrants and refugees. Mental health services access and provision, therefore, need to be adaptive to the specific needs of these populations. Thus, development and promotion of these types of services require that migrants be not only at the heart of physical and mental health delivery models but also be able to influence them. My Health project, a thirty-six months initiative oriented to identify health needs of newly arrived migrants – women and children in various European cities, is implementing innovative participatory methodological strategies. The aim is to move from a consultative process to a more participatory and inclusive one in the access/provision of health services. Preliminary findings regarding the innovative strategies used by My Health, namely community participation activities, visual expressions of people’s stories and a stakeholder learning alliance, show that professionals involved are increasingly aware of a) the need to develop better networks with diverse communities, b) the importance of conscious participatory design that moves beyond consultation with migrants through research, and c) the need to recognise and bolster the role of migrant professionals. Furthermore, by using pictograms health and mental health professionals are mastering new ways to communicate effectively using images, reducing a high reliance on verbal language. Lastly through the learning alliance, professionals and researchers are becoming aware of how involving a more comprehensive network can increase the impact of their work on a broader range of stakeholders. Overall both the intended and unintended results of the innovative strategies used by My Health—an initiative supported by the European Commission, so far are demonstrating creative ways to be used when engaging with mental and physical service delivery for newly arrived migrants.

Biography:

Sharron Dolan is a Senior Lecturer in Pharmacology and Assistant Head of the Department of Life Sciences at Glasgow Caledonian University. After completing her PhD in Neuropharmacology at University of Stirling with Dr Peter Cahusac, she took up a BBSRC funded Post-Doctoral position with Professor Andrea Nolan at Glasgow University’s Veterinary School, working to characterize the spinal mechanisms of inflammatory pain and analgesia. She took up a tenured post as lecturer at GCU in 2004. Her research over the past 20 years has focused on understanding the neuronal mechanisms of pain and inflammation and more recently focused on mechanisms underlying co-morbid pain with diabetes and obesity.

Abstract:

Obese individuals are more likely to be affected by chronic pain, however, the biological mechanisms underpinning this comorbidity are not known. A causal link may be dysregulated secretion of inflammatory adipokines both from expanding adipose tissue and centrally. The aim of this study was to characterize altered pain processing and changes in inflammatory cytokine expression in spinal cord in rodent models of obesity. Responses to thermal and mechanical stimulation of the hind paw were assessed in adult male Wistar rats fed a high fat diet (HFD; 22%) or normal diet for 16 weeks (n=6/group) in absence of inflammation, and then in response to intradermal hind paw injection of carrageenan (3%; 50μl), a model of acute inflammation. Spinal cord was collected and adipokine mRNA expression, cholesterol and triglycerides (TAGs) measured using real-time PCR and ELISA. Rats fed a HFD gained significantly more weight than controls (502 ± 12g vs. 444 ± 7g; P<0.01), and displayed plasma hyperinsulaemia and hypercholesterolaemia (both P<0.05 vs. controls) but normoglycaemia. Acute nociceptive responses were unchanged in obese rats but they displayed potentiated mechanical and thermal hyperalgesia and increased paw edema (all P<0.05 vs. lean controls) in response to carrageenan. Significant changes in levels of resistin C reactive protein, TGFβ and visfatin (but not IL1β or TNFβ) were detected in obese rat spinal cord. The increased pain and inflammation in obese rats fits with the hypothesis that obesity is a chronic low-grade inflammatory disorder, producing a state where responses to inflammatory challenge are potentiated. The altered adipokine profile observed suggests adipokines may be useful biomarkers for monitoring initiation and progression of pain with obesity, or even be involved in the development of co-morbid pain in obese individuals.

Biography:

Joyceline Ntoh Yuh is a Feminist and Doctoral candidate in the University of Oldenburg, Germany. She holds an MA in Women & Gender Studies from the ISS Erasmus University Netherlands. Her research interest includes HIV/AIDS related issues, Psychology, Gender, Sexual and Reproductive health. Since 2006, she took keen interest in the field of HIV/AIDS were she researched on the impact of HIV on agriculture affecting mostly women with the UN FAO gender unit (Italy), mainstreaming HIV policies in UNFFE Uganda, HIV stigma & child bearing in Africa and currently facilitates workshops with MA students in the area of gender, sexuality & HIV/AIDS. She is also a Reviewer in the Journal of AIDS Clinical Research & STD (USA) and works as a counseling volunteer in the AIDS Help NGO, Germany.

Abstract:

Reports from Germany (2012-13) points a 70% increase in heterosexual transmission with about 40-50% from Sub Saharan Africa marking new diagnosis especially in women. HIV-related stigma among African women is rather complex using the intersectionality framework for analysis, which distinguishes the subjective experiences and realities of women's lives, not just as a single category stemming from a gender-based research critique. Meanwhile, HIV-stigma denotes the link between sero-status and negative behaviors toward people who are seropositive. Stigma thus reflects guilt, shame, denial, prejudice, discrediting, discrimination, stereotypes, denial, rejection and self-blame. African women are particularly vulnerable to stigma due to various factors often undermined or neglected. It is imperative to mention that women are generally susceptible to infection due to biological and other socio-cultural reasons, which eventually positions them into a high risk category. Furthermore, women tend to be negatively perceived when infected and labeled promiscuous for transmitting the virus to their partners, without knowing the transmission dynamic. Stigma further constrains relationships within families and communities. This in the long term results into secrecy affects infection status disclosure and seeking of the much needed support services. This highlights the link between HIV and mental health because people living with HIV are prone to mental problems compared to the others. Thus, their psychological and social wellbeing becomes essential just as their physical health. HIV-related stigma further complicates the overall wellbeing of these women in realizing their potentials in life, which tends to hamper their productivity and sense of purpose. The in-depth study of six women shows the dilemmas and challenges faced by seropositive women in the face of HIV, dealing with disclosure issues, anxiety, depression, social isolation, stress, fear and rejection. This convenient sample examines how psychological impact continues to affect sero-positive women negatively in living fulfilled lives while impacting on their unfulfilled sexual satisfactions due to continuous use of condoms and other related anxieties. At times, such insecurities become overwhelming, pushing them to neglect their self-esteem as women. Interpretative phenomenological analysis here aims to gain deeper understanding from participants’ perspectives on how they manage to make opinions and viewpoints of their own experiences, events and social world. It is then vital to provide lived experiences and interpretations in own terms, than simply attributing to pre-existing theoretical preconceptions, by getting details of each case than general claims (ibid).

Biography:

Parasuraman Basker had been awarded Doctoral degree in zoology from Annamalai University, Tamil Nadu, India. Following it he was Research Associate in ICAR and UGC research projects on the fauna of Carabids (Coleopteran Insect) in South India and mosquito cytogenetics in the University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore and Bangalore University respectively. Subsequently, he was posted as Senior Entomologist in 1995 in the Department of public Health and Preventive Medicine through Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission (TNPSC). In his credit 33 Research Abstracts presented in 8 International and 25 National Conferences since 1983. 21 research papers have been published in reputed national and international journals. He visited Canada, Malaysia, Morocco, Singapore and Spain as presenters with the Government of India Travel Grants (CSIR, INSA, ICMR and NRHM).

Abstract:

The neuroendocrine complex of adult insects consists of neurosecretory cells (NSC) of the brain, corpora cardiaca (CC), and corpora allata (CA). Following the pioneering work of Weyer (1935) in honeybees, several investigators have been explored on the histomorphology of NSC, CC and CA in many orders of insects including in hemipteran insects. The present study is dealt the regulatory mechanism of the male accessory reproductive glands (MARG) of a hemipteran cotton pest Serinetha augur. Histological and electrophoretic studies were made to understand the interrelationship of the neuroendocrine complex (NEC) and the MARG of the insect. The brain of Serinetha augur is divisible into three regions, namely proto-deuto and tritocerebrum. Protocerebrum lies at the anterior region, deutocerebrum is in the latero mid region and tritocerebrum is in the latero posterior region of the brain. The neurosecretory cells (NSC) in the brain complex have been arbitrarily classified into four types (A, B, C and D) and are connected by pars intercerebralis. NSC in this region is distinguished as median neuro secretory cells (MNC). Among NSC identified in three regions of the brain of Serinetha augur A is found larger (13- 18 microns) which is located in tritocerebrum with weak reaction of chrom alum haematoxylin and phloxin (CAHP) due to lower concentration of neurosecretory materials. The type B are 10-12 microns situated in protocerebral region with higher concentration of neurosecretory materials. C and D are moderate and weak reaction respectively with aldehyde fuchsin (AF) and CAHP indicate lesser amounts of neurosecretion. On the regulation of the MARG, it was understood that CA took part directly for its maturation and function. It was proved by the experiments of gonadectomy and extirpation of the MARG. Besides, electropherogram of brain complex in pre and post mating insects showed the quantitative changes of protein. This observation further supports the view that NSC in brain complex has a regulatory role in the MARG which has varieties of vital functions in sperm transfer activities.

Biography:

Wafaa Ramadan has completed her MBBS degree this June at the age of 24 years from AlFaisal University, Riyadh, KSA. She has a diploma in clinical research activities and a certificate for one year training in developmental genetic department. Dr. Wafaa graduated with first honor degree and has the award of being best intern of the year. She has three papers published, she is the first author in the one she's presenting. Her field of interest is neurology and neuroscience and her work is dedicated towards it.

Abstract:

Introduction: Dominant SCN1B mutations are known to cause several epilepsy syndromes in humans. Only two epilepsy patients to date have been reported to have recessive mutations in SCN1B as the likely cause of their phenotype. Here, we confirm the recessive inheritance of two novel SCN1B mutations in five children from three families with developmental epileptic encephalopathy. The negative clinical exome in one of these families highlight the need to consider recessive mutations in the interpretation of variants in typically dominant genes.

Materials & Methods: We conducted autozygosity mapping and a multi-gene panel in five children with epileptic encephalopathy from three unrelated consanguineous families with normal parents.

Mutation Analysis: In family one and three the same splicing variant was identified (NM_001037.4:c.449-2A>G). In family two a missense homozygous SCN1B variant (NM_001037.4:c.355T>G:p.Y119D) was identified with high pathogenicity scores using in silico prediction tools (PolyPhen (0.997), SIFT (0) and CADD (27)). These variants were completely absent in >7,000 Saudis screened for these genes using exome sequencing and gene panel testing. They were also absent in ExAC.

Conclusion: Although dominant mutations are the typical class of mutations in SCN1B in the context of epilepsy, recessive mutations in this gene have also been reported, albeit very rarely (two patients to date). The negative clinical exome in one of these families highlight the need to consider recessive mutations in the interpretation of variants in typically dominant genes.