Forage from cropping systems as dry season supplements for sheep

Information on the utilisation of legume hays from an intercropping system as a feed supplement is limited. Three forage legume hays (Stylosanthes guianensis, Lablab purpureus and Aeschynomene histrix) were compared by feeding them as supplements for yearling West African Dwarf rams (LWt 18.0±2.2 kg) fed a basal diet of mature guinea grass (Panicum maximum). The performance of the rams was evaluated in a 60-day growth trial, using a completely randomised design with 6 rams per treatment. Organic matter digestibility and nitrogen retention were assessed in a separate trial using the same design; but with 4 animals per treatment. In the growth trial, rams supplemented with S. guianensis and A. histrix gained more weight (P<0.05) than those on the L. purpureus supplemented diet. Average total weight gains were 33.3, 13.2 and 31.2 g/d for S. guianensis-, L. purpureus- and A. histrix-supplemented diets, respectively. Organic matter digestibility was 643, 568 and 523 g/kg for S. guianensis-, A. histrix- and L. purpureus-supplemented groups, respectively. All treatments resulted in positive nitrogen balance. We concluded that feeding forage legumes from cereal-based cropping systems as a supplement can maintain liveweight in sheep and even achieve modest weight gains during the critical dry period when feed quality is poor

Understanding consumer perceptions of frailty screening to inform knowledge translation and health service improvements

Published electronically October 2020BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: despite growing support for the clinical application of frailty, including regular frailty screening for older adults, little is known about how older adults perceive frailty screening. The purpose of this study was to examine older adults' perspectives on frailty screening to inform knowledge translation and service improvements for older adults with frailty. RESEARCH DESIGN: interpretive descriptive qualitative design. PARTICIPANTS: a total of 39 non-frail (18%), pre-frail (33%) and frail or very frail (49%) South Australian older adults aged 62-99 years, sampled from community, assisted living and residential aged care settings. METHODS: seven focus groups were conducted and analysed by two independent investigators using inductive thematic analysis. RESULTS: three themes were identified. First, older adults question the necessity and logic of an objective frailty measure. Second, older adults believe any efforts at frailty screening need to culminate in an action. Third, older adults emphasise that frailty screening needs to be conducted sensitively given negative perceptions of the term frailty and the potential adverse effects of frailty labelling. DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS: previous screening experiences and underlying beliefs about the nature of frailty as inevitable shaped openness to, and acceptance of, frailty screening. Findings correspond with previous research illuminating the lack of public awareness of frailty and the nascent stage of frailty screening implementation. Incorporating consumer perspectives, along with perspectives of other stakeholder groups when considering implementing frailty screening, is likely to impact uptake and optimise suitability-important considerations in person-centred care provision.Mandy M. Archibald, Michael T. Lawless, Rachel C. Ambagtsheer, Alison L. Kitso

Transdisciplinary research for impact: protocol for a realist evaluation of the relationship between transdisciplinary research collaboration and knowledge translation

Transdisciplinary teams are increasingly regarded as integral to conducting effective research. Similarly, knowledge translation is often seen as a solution to improving the relevance and benefits of health research. Yet, whether, how, for whom and under which circumstances transdisciplinary research influences knowledge translation is undertheorised, which limits its potential impact. The proposed research aims to identify the contexts and mechanisms by which transdisciplinary research contributes to developing shared understandings and behaviours of knowledge translation between team members.Using a longitudinal case-study design approach to realist evaluation, we outline a study protocol examining whether, how, if and for whom transdisciplinary collaboration can impact knowledge translation understandings and behaviours within a 5-year transdisciplinary Centre of Research Excellence. Data are being collected between February 2017 and December 2020 over four rounds of theory development, refinement and testing using interviews, observation, document review and visual elicitation as data sources.The Health Research Ethics Committee of the University of Adelaide approved this study. Findings will be communicated with team members at scheduled intervals throughout the study verbally and by means of creative reflective approaches (eg, arts elicitation, journalling). This research will be used to help support optimal team functioning by identifying strategies to support knowledge sharing and communication within and beyond the team to facilitate attainment of research objectives. Academic dissemination will occur through publication and presentations.Mandy M Archibald, Michael Lawless, Gillian Harvey, Alison L Kitso