Single-case evaluation of oral feeding intervention and gastrostomy tube fading in adults with intellectual and multiple disabilities.

Background: Some adults with intellectual disabilities do not acquire oral feeding skills and are dependent on gastrostomy tube supplementation.

Methods: Two adults with intellectual and multiple disabilities received intervention for oral consumption during daily meals (standardised food and liquid quantities, individualised procedural guidelines, and consumption-contingent consequences) while the frequency and amount of gastrostomy tube feedings were gradually decreased and eliminated.

Results: Compared to baseline (pre-intervention) conditions, the adults increased oral consumption of food and liquid during the intervention and gastrostomy tube supplementation was eliminated.

Assessing inter-rater agreement of the intellectual disability-frailty index short form: A descriptive pilot study.

Frailty is a health concern for many adults with intellectual disability and should be measured to detect at-risk conditions, monitor disease, plan treatment, and gauge mortality. This descriptive pilot study evaluated measurement consistency (inter-rater agreement) of the Intellectual Disability-Frailty Index Short Form among multiple assessors with 20 adults ( age = 48.3 years) who had intellectual and multiple disabilities.

Characterization of Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis disseminated infection in dairy cattle and its association with antemortem test results.

Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP) disseminated infection in dairy cattle affects animal health and productivity and is also a potential public health concern. The study objectives were to characterize MAP disseminated infection in dairy cattle and to determine the role of antemortem tests in detecting cattle with disseminated infection. Forty culled dairy cows representing a variety of serum enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) results and body conditions were selected for the study.

Seroprevalence of Mycobacterium avium subsp paratuberculosis infection among dairy cows in Colorado and herd-level risk factors for seropositivity.

Objective: To estimate seroprevalence of Mycobacterium avium subsp paratuberculosis (MAP) infection among adult dairy cows in Colorado and determine herd-level factors associated with the risk that individual cows would be seropositive.

Design: Cross-sectional observational study.

Animals: 10,280 adult (> or = 2 years old) dairy cows in 15 herds in Colorado.

Sensitivity of test strategies used in the Voluntary Johne's Disease Herd Status Program for detection of Mycobacterium paratuberculosis infection in dairy cattle herds.

Objective: To evaluate sensitivities at the herd level of test strategies used in the Voluntary Johne's Disease Herd Status Program (VJDHSP) and alternative test strategies for detecting dairy cattle herds infected with Mycobacterium paratuberculosis.

Design: Nonrandom cross-sectional study.

Sample Population: 64 dairy herds from Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Colorado, Ohio, and Wisconsin.

Assessment of test results when using a commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for diagnosis of paratuberculosis in repeated samples collected from adult dairy cattle.

Objective: To determine the proportion of adult cattle that change test status when an ELISA for antibodies against Mycobacterium avium subsp paratuberculosis (MAP) is used to assay samples collected twice at variable intervals and to determine whether cows with an initial strong positive result were more likely to maintain positive status, compared with all cows with an initial positive result.

Design: Cross-sectional observational study.

Animals: 3,757 adult dairy cattle.