SPARC 2018 Internationalisation and collaboration : Salford postgraduate annual research conference book of abstracts

Welcome to the Book of Abstracts for the 2018 SPARC conference. This year we not only celebrate the work of our PGRs but also the launch of our Doctoral School, which makes this year’s conference extra special. Once again we have received a tremendous contribution from our postgraduate research community; with over 100 presenters, the conference truly showcases a vibrant PGR community at Salford. These abstracts provide a taster of the research strengths of their works, and provide delegates with a reference point for networking and initiating critical debate. With such wide-ranging topics being showcased, we encourage you to take up this great opportunity to engage with researchers working in different subject areas from your own. To meet global challenges, high impact research inevitably requires interdisciplinary collaboration. This is recognised by all major research funders. Therefore engaging with the work of others and forging collaborations across subject areas is an essential skill for the next generation of researchers

The impact of a focused education session on the knowledge, attitude and intended behaviour regarding breastfeeding by Saudi women who are pregnant for the first time

Background As one of the richest countries in the world, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has transitioned into a rapidly growing nation socio-economically during the last decade. This progress, however, has resulted in nutritional repercussions, specifically in hasty modification in lifestyle, supply of food, and eating patterns. Data for Saudi Arabia correlates such transformation strongly with decline in breastfeeding. The global policy recommendation for infant feeding from the World Health Organization and UNICEF is that infants should be breastfed exclusively for the first six months. Yet, despite the great advances in healthcare services in Saudi Arabia, data reports a downward trend in breastfeeding practice. Aims This study was designed to explore the effects of a focused education intervention on the attitudes, knowledge, and intended behaviours regarding breastfeeding by Saudi women who were pregnant for the first time in Hail City. Study Design This study utilised a mixed methods design using scored tests (pre-test and post-test) as well as a follow-up test and interview. A pre-test was conducted prior to the introduction of the breastfeeding education intervention, and a post-test was also implemented immediately after the program. At two months after the intervention (postnatally) a follow-up interview was undertaken which included a follow-up test. A sample of 23 Saudi women was selected and assigned to the intervention group, while 10 Saudi women who were also pregnant for the first time were assigned to the comparison group. Results A change of breastfeeding practice in KSA can be achieved, but only through a series of small steps. It is vital to start the process of transformation of breastfeeding in KSA by first addressing women’s knowledge and attitude. The intervention in this study was affective in increasing the participants’ knowledge about breastfeeding, and this increase continued at follow up. The intervention shaped participants' core thought on the subject of breastfeeding. Although the measures did not show significant change in attitudes, the women explained in interviews that their attitudes had, indeed, changed, but they still felt unable to act on this due to the constraints of Saudi society and culture. Behaviour changed in the women decided to breastfeed, even though they knew that this could not persist once they had to return to work. Participants stated unequivocally that the breastfeeding educational intervention was beneficial, providing a safe space for women to converse with others about the benefits of breastfeeding and creating an opportunity for word of mouth messages to spread that are vital to societal and culture changes. Conclusion The education session was effective according to the test results on knowledge and attitude regard breastfeeding. Narrative data offered additional insights into the barriers to both initiation and maintenance of exclusive breastfeeding

Changes in the Cytoplasmic Composition of Amino Acids and Proteins Observed in Staphylococcus aureus during Growth under Variable Growth Conditions Representative of the Human Wound Site

Staphylococcus aureus is an opportunistic pathogen responsible for a high proportion of nosocomial infections. This study was conducted to assess the bacterial responses in the cytoplasmic composition of amino acids and ribosomal proteins under various environmental conditions designed to mimic those on the human skin or within a wound site: pH6-8, temperature 35–37°C, and additional 0–5% NaCl. It was found that each set of environmental conditions elicited substantial adjustments in cytoplasmic levels of glutamic acid, aspartic acid, proline, alanine and glycine (P< 0.05). These alterations generated characteristic amino acid profiles assessed by principle component analysis (PCA). Substantial alterations in cytoplasmic amino acid and protein composition occurred during growth under conditions of higher salinity stress implemented via additional levels of NaCl in the growth medium. The cells responded to additional NaCl at pH 6 by reducing levels of ribosomal proteins, whereas at pH 8 there was an upregulation of ribosomal proteins compared with the reference control. The levels of two ribosomal proteins, L32 and S19, remained constant across all experimental conditions. The data supported the hypothesis that the bacterium was continually responding to the dynamic environment by modifying the proteome and optimising metabolic homeostasis