Kittens: Their microbiomes are what they eat

ScienceDaily (Oct. 22, 2012) ? For animals as well as people, diet affects what grows in the gut. The gut microbial colonies, also known as the gut microbiome, begin to form at birth. Their composition affects how the immune system develops and is linked to the later onset of metabolic diseases such as obesity.

Common wisdom is that cats, by nature carnivorous, are healthiest when fed high-protein diets. Researchers at the University of Illinois wanted to find out if this is true.

"There are a lot of diets now, all natural, that have high protein and fat and not much dietary fiber or carbohydrates," said animal sciences researcher Kelly Swanson. He and his team examined the effect of dietary protein:carbohydrate ratio on the gut microbiomes of growing kittens.

One month before mating, eight domestic shorthair female cats were randomly assigned to one of two dry diets: high-protein, low-carbohydrate (HPLC) or moderate-protein, moderate-carbohydrate (MPMC). When the kittens were born, they were housed with their mothers until they were 8 weeks old, weaned, and then fed the same diets as their mothers.

After weaning, the 30+ kittens were twin- and triple-housed within the dietary-group cages. They were allowed to go into a common area furnished with toys and scratching posts to play with people and each other.

"It became quite a party right away," said Swanson. "It was a bit chaotic but fun as well."

Twelve of the kittens became part of the study. The researchers took fecal samples at weaning and 4 and 8 weeks after weaning. They extracted bacterial DNA and used bioinformatics techniques to estimate total bacterial diversity.

"This was one of the first studies in cats to use sequencing to really lay out what is in the gut in regards to microbiota and apply it to nutrition," Swanson said.

The researchers found important differences between the two groups in microbiome composition. As they had expected, levels of proteolytic bacteria (which break down protein) were higher for kittens on the HPLC diet and levels of saccharolytic bacteria (which break down carbohydrates) were higher for kittens on the MPMC diet.

They also looked at relationships between the diets and physiology. The kittens fed the MPMC diet had high levels of bifidobacteria, which was linked to higher blood ghrelin levels. Ghrelin is a hormone that stimulates appetite and thus may be linked to weight gain.

At the same time, the bifidobacteria may promote better gastrointestinal health. Low levels in humans have been linked to inflammatory bowel disease.

Other bacteria found at higher levels in the MPMC kittens, including lactobacilli, are also linked to gut health. The researchers found a positive relationship between lactobacilli, blood cholesterol, and blood leptin levels. Leptin is the signal that tells the body to stop eating. Hence, lactobacilli may be linked to cholesterol metabolism, appetite, and body weight regulation.

Although kittens fed the HPLC diet had lower levels of some health-promoting bacteria, including Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, and Megasphaera, all the animals were healthy throughout the study.

Swanson hopes to use the associations found in this study as a basis for further research. "There were some interesting observations that could have applications for disease or the practical side of owning a pet," he said.

"The cat is fairly unique metabolically," he added, "But when it comes to gut microbes, there are a lot of similarities to other species. If you feed the bacteria in a cat, dog, or human colon the same substrate, there are probably going to be similar outcomes."

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Illinois College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.


Journal Reference:

  1. Seema Hooda, Brittany M. Vester Boler, Katherine R. Kerr, Scot E. Dowd, Kelly S. Swanson. The gut microbiome of kittens is affected by dietary protein:carbohydrate ratio and associated with blood metabolite and hormone concentrations. British Journal of Nutrition, 2012; : 1 DOI: 10.1017/S0007114512003479

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/~3/DvLfiyT8WH4/121022113609.htm

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World's best head for Hong Kong | SquashSite365

Best players to be featured in the world?s most vibrant city

The annual squash extravaganza Cathay Pacific Sun Hung Kai Financial Hong Kong Squash Open 2012 will take place at Hong Kong Squash Centre and Cultural Centre from November 25 to December 2.

The world?s top 30 players from the Women?s Squash Association (WSA) and the Professional Squash Association (PSA) will once again vie for a lucrative winning purse of HK$1.6 million in the world?s most vibrant city.

This year, the ever-popular Hong Kong Open has also been chosen as the inspection event for the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to determine which of the sports shortlisted should claim a place on the programme for the 2020 Olympiad.

As a centrepiece in the World Squash Federation?s bid for Olympic inclusion, Hong Kong Open, having been recognised as one of the favourite and best-organised events, would showcase the best of the sport to impress the IOC delegation.

?Hong Kong Squash is very proud to hold the Hong Kong Open for the 27th time with the support of Cathay Pacific, Sun Hung Kai Financial and all other co-sponsors? said Mr David Mui, MH, JP, Chairman of Hong Kong Squash.

?It also is an honour for us to have the opportunity to present the tournament, and the sport, in its best possible light to IOC delegation to ensure that squash gets the chance we all feel it deserves to become part of the Olympic programme.?

?We are very happy that the IOC selected Hong Kong for the squash leg of its inspection tour,? said Mrs. Heather Deayton, WSF Vice President. ?We are very confident that they will enjoy Hong Kong, and that they will see another great year of the Hong Kong Open.

?Bringing the sport to the next level, we are also delighted to appoint Dr York Chow to be the first ?WSF Ambassador for Squash?,? added Mrs. Deayton.

?Dr Chow besides is a keen squash player, who also has been very supportive. We believe that his strong sports background and his passion for squash will help promoting the sport in the international arena.?

The early stages of the tournament will be held at the Squash Centre before moving to the Cultural Centre in Tsim Sha Tsui for its semi-finals and finals.

For the women?s event, which has just been drawn at the press conference, Nicol David of Malaysia, the six-time world champion is the top seed of the women?s event, and will meet Sarah Kippax from England.

Our local number one Annie Au Wing-chi who has reached her career high of 6 in the world ranking, together with HK?s Joey Chan Ho-ling will face qualifiers, while the rising star Liu Tsz-ling who enters the main draw via the wild-card will meet Dipika Pallikal from India.

James Willstrop, the world number one and defending champion, is the top seed of the men?s event. He will face his compatriot Adrian Grant, who currently ranks 19, in the first round.

Our local hero Leo Au who recently won his first Hong Kong Champion title, is for the first time straight into the main draw via the wild-card spot. He will meet the fourth seed Karim Darwish from Egypt.

The Draws

Back row from the left, Mrs. Heather Deayton, Vice-President, World Squash Federation, Miss Carat Cheung, Miss Hong Kong 2012 & Miss International Goodwill 2012, Mr. Terry Smith, Vice Chairman, Major Sports Events Committee, Mr. Simon Large, General Manager Marketing, Loyalty Programmes & CRM, Cathay Pacific Airways Limited, Mr. David Mui, MH JP, Chairman, Hong Kong Squash, Mr. William Leung Wing-Cheung, BBS JP, Executive Director, Chief Executive Officer of Sun Hung Kai Financial Limited,Mr. Jonathan McKinley, JP, Deputy Secretary (Recreation & Sport), Home Affairs Bureau, Dr. York Chow, GBS and Miss Jacqueline Wong, Miss Hong Kong 2012 First Runner-Up 2012.
From the left of front row, Hong Kong players, Mr. Max Lee, Ms. Annie Au and Mr. Leo Au.

Source: http://squash365.com/?p=13923

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Testimony begins in Britney Spears defamation case

(AP) ? Testimony is set to begin in a defamation suit by Britney Spears' ex-manager against her parents.

Lawyers for Sam Lutfi declined to say whether he would be the first witness at Monday's trial in Los Angeles.

But one thing certain was that Spears will not testify. She remains under a court-ordered conservatorship and a judge told her not to participate.

Her father, Jamie, who is her conservator, has been in court with his wife, Lynne, whose book on her daughter's darkest days led to the defamation suit by Lutfi.

He was portrayed by lawyers for the family as a destructive force in Britney's life. His lawyers maintain he was just trying to help Britney and manage her career.

Lutfi is seeking millions of dollars from Spears and her family.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2012-10-22-Britney%20Spears%20Trial/id-7a6729c3beab435ca19ff2fe6451f6a1

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McCarron, No. 1 Alabama rout Tennessee 44-13

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) ? Practicing against the nation's best defense each day apparently is helping Alabama develop a championship-caliber offense.

A.J. McCarron threw for a career-high 306 yards and four touchdowns Saturday night as the top-ranked Crimson Tide trounced Tennessee 44-13 at Neyland Stadium. The Tide have scored at least 30 points in each of their first seven games, the longest streak to start a season in school history.

McCarron's four touchdown passes matched a career high set twice previously. He has 16 touchdown tosses with no interceptions this season. The junior quarterback called it the most complete game Alabama has played all year.

"We set the tone and we stayed on it," he said. "We never let up, and that was the biggest thing Coach keeps preaching."

McCarron got plenty of help from a pair of freshmen.

Amari Cooper caught seven passes for 162 yards, the most receiving yards ever by an Alabama freshman. He scored on a 23-yard reception in the first quarter and a 42-yard catch in the third. Cooper also had a 30-yard touchdown in the third period nullified by a penalty.

T.J. Yeldon ran for 129 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries for his second consecutive game with at least 100 yards.

"We just kept grinding and grinding," Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban said. "We squandered a few opportunities at times, but I think the key to the drill was just keep playing and play the next play. Compete and be relentless in how you do it."

Alabama's defense also was as relentless as ever.

Tennessee (3-4, 0-4 SEC) had scored at least 31 points in each of its first six games, but the Volunteers couldn't muster much offense against an Alabama team that entered Saturday leading the nation in total defense, scoring defense, run defense and pass efficiency defense.

Tyler Bray went 13 of 27 for 184 yards with two interceptions and no touchdown passes for Tennessee.

Tennessee has lost 11 of its last 12 SEC games and is 0-14 against the Top 25 since Derek Dooley took over the program in 2010. The different circumstances surrounding each team were evident from a look at the stands, as more than one-third of the 102,455 fans were cheering for Alabama (7-0, 4-0). By the midway point of the fourth quarter, many of the Tennessee fans already had headed to the parking lot.

"We got whipped by a great football team in just about every phase," Dooley said. "I'm really disappointed we didn't execute a little better on offense. That's probably the thing I was a little surprised at. The quarterback didn't play well. I'm not sure why."

Dooley returned to the sidelines less than two weeks after undergoing surgery on a fractured right hip. Dooley had worked from the press box last week in a 41-31 loss at Mississippi State. Tennessee officials said before the game he'd sit on a stool throughout the game, but he instead worked the sidelines on crutches while frequently being shadowed by an officer as well as assistant coach Antone Davis.

Tennessee's beleaguered defense forced a three-and-out on Alabama's opening possession, but the Tide scored on four of the next five drives to take a 23-10 halftime lead. Alabama's lone scoreless series the rest of the first half came when Cade Foster was wide right on a 44-yard field-goal attempt.

Cooper opened the scoring and put Alabama ahead for good when a coverage breakdown by Tennessee allowed him to get all alone in the right corner of the end zone for a 23-yard touchdown. Yeldon added a 1-yard TD run in the second quarter after C.J. Mosley's diving interception of Bray's wobbly pass gave the Tide the ball at the Tennessee 32.

"Awesome," McCarron said of Cooper. "(He) doesn't surprise me one bit. He can be as good as he wants to be. As long as he keeps working and keeps putting forth the effort, the sky's the limit for that kid."

The Vols' best hopes for a second-half comeback disappeared when they lost the ball on downs after reaching the Alabama 33 early in the third quarter. After Bray threw a third-and-1 incompletion, Tennessee linebacker A.J. Johnson took a fourth-down snap out of the Vols' "Beast" formation and was stopped short of the first down.

Alabama then put the game away by reaching the end zone on its next three drives.

McCarron connected with Cooper on a 42-yard touchdown pass that extended the Tide's lead to 30-10 late in the third quarter. McCarron found Kenny Bell for a 39-yard completion that made it 37-10, then Yeldon raced 43 yards around the right end with 9:07 left in the game.

"That's the greatest feeling in the world as an offensive lineman, (when) in the fourth quarter you can tell that you can run the ball," Alabama center Barrett Jones said. "They know it's a run, and you know it's a run, and you can still run it."

Before the game, Tennessee honored former Vols coach Phillip Fulmer and his 1997 SEC championship team that featured Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning, who made it to campus for the ceremony.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/mccarron-no-1-alabama-rout-tennessee-44-13-033220153--spt.html

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A Home Business Can Be Rewarding | Morton Metal Craft

You should know that there are so many great opportunities when it comes to home business. It?s great to work whenever you want and have no boss but yourself. Creating your own home business can take some planning though. Use our tips to help you get started.

Update your website if your inventory has run out on individual products. It?s very upsetting to order an item and find that you won?t receive it for weeks. Offer to ship the product when it comes back into stock, or suggest an alternative to keep your customers happy.

Save money by keeping good records about any expenditures you make for your business. Internet service and car mileage related to your business are a couple examples of business expenses. The great thing about these business-related expenses is that you can deduct some of them off your taxes. To avoid these unnecessary tax obligations, just remember to keep up with all of your business related expenses.

Immediate success is not prevalent in even the companies that guarantee their business program. Every home business requires an investment of time before results can be achieved. Just take your time and keep working on it, and you?ll be able to achieve the business success you have dreamed of.

You must determine how much you are going to price your merchandise for. If you are going to make your own product, you need to find out how much it costs to make. A rule-of-thumb standard says that to price a product, it should be set at twice what the merchandise costs to produce. This is the standard wholesale rate for most goods. To calculate the retail price, triple the wholesale price.

Reach out to your customers by finding out where they are. Making a real world connection with your customers can sometimes be better than reaching them online. Set up a special booth at a community event, or have a big sale in a specific area.

There are lots of home business owners congregating online. Try reading forums that are both dedicated to your target audience and even those outside of it. Other business owners may give you hints on how to run your own business.

Be certain that your home-based enterprise is compatible with your family?s lifestyle. A business that is going to demand huge changes in your family?s day-to-day lives might not be the best fit for your particular situation.

When it comes tax time, you want to make sure that you are taking all of the deductions and credits available that you can legitimately qualify for. Look for and claim every deduction that you can, and enjoy a significantly lower tax bill.

When working from home, try to always achieve your personal best. Running a home business has the potential to be fulfilling, but if you prioritize work over yourself, your self esteem could surface. Shower, watch your snacks and regularly exercise everyday. Apply this advice to improve your image and your self image.

During the process of setting up your home business, research local area business that are in similar markets and find out what they charge for goods and services. Base your rates on these businesses while trying to remain competitive. If you don?t charge what you?re worth, you won?t make enough to meet your needs.

As you can see, it will require a little bit of work and dedication to make the jump. If you can manage to pull through and stick to the plan, you will be able to accurately represent your dream in the company?s image and create something that is long-lasting and profitable over the years.

Source: http://www.mortonmetalcraft.com/a-home-business-can-be-rewarding

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Is Your Game Crowd-Ready?

mexican_wave_wideweb__470x309,0Several people have contacted me and asked whether such-and-such a game would work with crowdfunding, or whole sectors. Could educational games benefit from crowdfunding, for example. Or what about game-like projects, or gaming hardware innovations? The answers to these questions have little to do with the product itself. They are driven by what I call marketing stories.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/Rxke7hS6WpQ/

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Kremlin backer resigns seat, Russia opposition sees ploy

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Source: http://news.yahoo.com/kremlin-backer-resigns-seat-russia-opposition-sees-ploy-174335575.html

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No. 5 Notre Dame beats BYU 17-14 behind Riddick

Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te'o celebrates after an interception against the BYU during the first half of an NCAA college football game in South Bend, Ind., Saturday, Oct. 20, 2012. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te'o celebrates after an interception against the BYU during the first half of an NCAA college football game in South Bend, Ind., Saturday, Oct. 20, 2012. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Notre Dame tight end Tyler Eifert , left, makes a catch over BYU defensive back Preston Hadley for a touchdown during the first half of an NCAA college football game in South Bend, Ind., Saturday, Oct. 20, 2012. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

BYU running back Jamaal Williams (21) is knocked out-of-bounds after a 21-yard gain by Notre Dame safety Matthias Farley, right, and defensive end Sheldon Day during the first half of an NCAA college football game in South Bend, Ind., Saturday, Oct. 20, 2012. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Notre Dame defensive end Kapron Lewis-Moore, left, sacks BYU quarterback Riley Nelson during the first half of an NCAA college football game in South Bend, Ind., Saturday, Oct. 20, 2012. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Brigham Young wide receiver Ross Apo (1) is knocked out of bounds at the 2-yard line by Notre Dame safety Zeke Motta during the first half of an NCAA college football game in South Bend, Ind., Saturday, Oct. 20, 2012. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

(AP) ? Theo Riddick pounded his way for a career-high 143 yards and Cierre Wood added 114 yards as fifth-ranked Notre Dame overpowered a Brigham Young defense that entered the game third in the nation against the run, earning a 17-14 victory on Saturday.

Riddick had runs of 55 and 27, the two longest rushes of his career, to pace Notre Dame (7-0), which is off to its best start in a decade and has a big game ahead against No. 10 Oklahoma next week. The Cougars (4-4) fell to 0-3 on the road as they surrendered a season-high 270 yards rushing.

Backup quarterback Tommy Rees, starting in place of injured Everett Golson, completed 6 of 7 passes in the first quarter for 86 yards and a touchdown, throwing four of those to Tyler Eifert. But Rees missed his next seven passes and the Irish attempted only three passes in the second half.

Rees' only completion of the second half was a 31-yard pass to TJ Jones with a little more than a minute left in the third quarter. Riddick ran the ball up the middle for 19 yards to the BYU 5. Three plays later, George Atkinson III scored on an end around, cutting inside BYU safety Joe Sampson for the touchdown to give the Irish the 17-14 lead.

BYU had a chance to regain the lead on the next possession after an Irish penalty. On a third-and-16 from the BYU 10, the Irish stopped BYU quartereback Riley Nelson. But nose guard Louis Nix III was called for grabbing Nelson's face mask.

The Cougars drove to the Notre Dame 31, but Nelson was sacked for a 9 yard loss. Moments earlier Cody Hoffman was wide open for what would have probably been a touchdown, but Nelson's pass wasn't close.

Nelson was 23-of-36 passing for 177 yards with two interceptions and two TD passes.

On Riddick's 55-yard run from the 37-yard line, he ran into a pile at the line of scrimmage, put his hand down to keep his balance and then broke out of the pack before being caught by cornerback Jordan Johnson at the 8-yard line. But the Irish ran three straight running plays for a gain of 1 yard and had to settle for a 24-yard field goal by Kyle Brindza to cut BYU's lead to 14-10 late in the third quarter.

Brigham Young took advantage of Notre Dame mistakes to open a 14-7 halftime lead. After going 17 quarters without giving up an offensive touchdown, Notre Dame gave up two in a span of 2:18. Jamaal Williams set up the first score, rushing for 43 yards on five straight carries. He was thrown to the ground out of bounds on the final 21-yard run and Notre Dame safety Matthias Farley was called for a personal foul.

On third-and-goal, Nelson threw a touchdown pass to Hoffman, who was wide open in the back of the end zone after three Irish defenders covered receiver JD Falslev. That touchdown ended a streak of Notre Dame holding opponents without a touchdown on 11 straight drives into the red zone.

BYU got the ball back three plays later when a pass from Rees bounced off the hands of DaVaris Daniels, deflected up and was intercepted by Kyle Van Noy, who returned the ball to the Notre Dame 30. After Notre linebacker Daniel Spond was called for holding, Riley ran the ball for an 8-yard gain to the Notre Dame 12. After a 10-yard pass to Ross Apo, Nelson then threw a 2-yard TD pass that Kaneakua Friel caught as he went to the ground.

Notre Dame had a chance to tie the score late in the half after Riddick's 27-yard run, breaking two tackles and carrying three BYU defenders for the final 10 yards to the BYU 14. But the drive stalled and Brindza missed a 28-yard field goal wide right. He missed a 40-yard field goal on Notre Dame's opening drive of the game.

Notre Dame dominated the first quarter statistically, outgaining the Cougars 120 yards to 40, but led only 7-0. The Irish scored on Rees' 4-yard TD pass to Tyler Eifert.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2012-10-20-T25-BYU-Notre%20Dame/id-cbe80f43cada41cf8d4b8c36cc13abf0

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How CNAs, Long-Term In-Home Nursing Care - National News Today

www.smilenlove.com

Nursing Homes Aren?t Your Only Option

When a parent begins to decline, it?s often a very emotional, stressful, and sad time for adult children. It?s difficult to see someone you?ve looked up to begin to age and not be as capable as they once were. Added to this emotional journey is the fact that often there is a gap between ?needing a little help? and ?needing full time supervision and care?. Instead of putting off making a decision until the situation teeters on the verge of neglect, it?s better to know what options are available, and to utilize them. The peace of mind and quality of life that both parent and child will feel as a result is definitely worth it.

Nursing homes are one option, but they leave your parent without the independence of living at home and without the ability to pursue their hobbies and interests that mean so much to them. These two factors are a huge part of our quality of life, so it?s important to find an option that allows independence and pursuit of interests but also meets your parents? medical, social, and physical needs.? Personal care from a licensed Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA home care) can meet all of your loved one?s non-medical needs while allowing them to age at home.

The Advantages of Live in Home Care and CNA Long Term Home Care

? ?CNA Home Care for Non-Medical Needs: If your parents need close non-medical supervision, home nursing care from a licensed CNA is the way to go.? CNAs must undergo clinical training and pass an Illinois State Department of Public Health (IDPH) exam for their certification.? They are qualified to monitor health on a day-to-day basis (blood pressure, temperature, respiration, etc.), help with adaptive equipment (wheel chairs, walkers, canes, lift chairs, etc.), help with safe exercises, and non-invasive catheters, all while meeting universal hygiene precautions.? Additionally, Smile and Love, Inc. in-home service provides assurance through licensure, continual training that meets IDPH standards, home supervisory visits, and assessments.
? ?Physical Needs Met: Live in home care is also designed to meet all of your loved one?s physical needs so that they can continue to comfortably enjoy the things that still matter to them.? Long term home care includes assistance with personal hygiene (dressing, bathing, continence care, etc.), meal preparation, basic homemaking, and transportation (doctor visits, recreational activities, etc.).? In home non-medical care also is a major part of fall prevention.
? ?Companionship: Personal home care is much more than just assisting your loved one with all aspects of daily living.? As people age, they become more vulnerable to a host of emotional and psychological problems, including loneliness and depression as they begin to lose their ability to take care of themselves.? Live in home care provides companionship and friendly conversation that is an important part of making sure your loved ones continue to have their emotional needs met. Not only that, but in-home care can help encourage them to continue pursuing their interests and hobbies so that they have a higher quality of life as they age.

Learn More about CNAs Live in Home Care for Your Loved Ones

It?s very stressful and emotional to deal with the decline of a parent.? It?s important to make a decision about how to take care of them before they reach the point that they can?t take care of themselves any more.? Whether your parents need a little help or need constant physical care and supervision, in home care provided by Chicago?s Smile and Love, Inc. CNAs and caregivers can help them meet their physical needs in the safe and comfortable environment of their own home. Unlike a nursing home, in-home care gives your parents independence to continue pursuing the hobbies and interests that play such a big role in quality of life.? CNA home care professionals are highly trained and certified by the IDPH, so you can rest assured that your loved ones are well cared for and safe.? To learn more about live in home care and guidelines for picking the best long term home care provider, call 847-259-8767 or visit www.smilenlove.com .

Source: http://www.nationalnewstoday.com/health-and-fitness/how-cnas-long-term-in-home-nursing-care-provides-live-in-personal-care-for-aging-parents.php

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Fall TV: forget trying to please all, narrowcasting thrives

NEW YORK (TheWrap.com) - You may be watching the slow death of broadcasting.

Not of broadcast networks - they'll be fine. But the notion that shows can try to appeal to all might be as dated as the image of an old-time farmer broadly casting seeds. This season, some of the most narrowly targeted shows are proving to be the most successful.

Few could have predicted that three weeks into the season, NBC would be the top-rated network so far. Or that the biggest premiere - aside from football - would be a cable show about zombies. Or that the top new network show would be essentially a sci-fi Western.

Few if any nationally-aired shows meet the most narrow definition of narrowcasting, which is targeting a specific, small audience, especially in one geographic region. But shows like "Revolution," "The Walking Dead," and "Go On" all have built-in elements that could be a dealbreaker for some audiences. And still they are succeeding.

While NBC is up this season, ABC, CBS, and Fox are down - largely because their attempts to appeal to the masses haven't worked like they used to. Not all of NBC's have, either. The network pledged this season to go for broader comedies, but on Thursday canceled one of its highest hopes, "Animal Practice," a veterinary sitcom with a monkey as one of the leads.

You can't get much broader than that, except with singing shows and football. Football is thriving. But singing competitions are down. Fox's "X Factor" has slipped in part because of much tougher competition than it faced last fall. NBC's "The Voice" didn't air then. But the show has fallen hard from midseason, when it got a huge boost from a Super Bowl lead-in.

You can't get much more potentially off-putting, meanwhile, than AMC's "The Walking Dead," which nonetheless scored TV's highest scripted-show ratings in a year with Sunday's third-season premiere. The episode featured a discussion of what would happen if a baby turned into a zombie in the womb, which might turn off lots of viewers. But 10.9 million people were at least willing to give Sunday's premiere a shot. The show has grown dramatically since its debut, while getting gorier and gorier.

Narrowcasting at its best means locking in on one audience with not trying to please everyone. No show does it better than "The Walking Dead." Not including football, its 5.8 rating in the key 18-49 demographic Sunday was the best since the "American Idol" finale in May, and the best for a scripted show since a "Modern Family" episode last October. "Modern Family" ended last season the top scripted series on TV.

The success of a few decidedly different shows doesn't mean it's time to carve up television into small niche networks - though that's certainly what's happening in cable and online, as more and more channels devote themselves to cooking, cars, and a given sport.

Despite the triumphs of narrowcasting, when mass-appeal programming works, it really works. The top-rated show on television is NBC's "Sunday Night Football," which is down very slightly this season to a still-excellent 8 rating in the demo. But as much as they might like to, networks can't air football around the clock.

The lesson of this season may be that you can't please all the people all the time, but that you don't need to please everyone to score some very respectable ratings.

Take "Sons of Anarchy." The FX biker drama isn't for most. (This week's episode featured a man being beaten to death with a snow globe.) But FX's highest-rated show has repeatedly bested its Tuesdays-at-10 competition this season. Its network rivals - NBC's "Parenthood," CBS's "Vegas" and ABC's "Private Practice" - are all decidedly middle of the road.

CBS is the broadest of the broadcast networks, and has the numbers to prove it. Though NBC leads in the key demo this season, CBS has easily the largest overall audience. It can thank its safe, comfortable mix of procedurals and sitcoms.

But even that approach isn't working as predictably as it used to. CBS's most successful new show is also its weirdest. The Sherlock Holmes update "Elementary," in which Watson is a woman, is second only to NBC's even weirder "Revolution," which imagines life after all power sources go out. (The latest episode of "Revolution" features a fun update on a classic Western train robbery - something we haven't seen since, um, AMC's "Breaking Bad," did it over the summer. But "Breaking Bad" is a famously, wonderfully insane show.)

Many of CBS's most conventional series are down. Last season, all of its Monday comedies scored a huge boost from curiosity about how Ashton Kutcher would score on the new season of "Two and a Half Men." This season, against competition from "The Voice," the Monday comedies have slipped.

Now "Men" has moved to Thursdays with the broadly appealing "Big Bang Theory," where they make life much harder for rivals "X Factor" on Fox and NBC's smart but little-watched Thursday comedies. NBC has made no bones about its plan to go for broader comedies this time out.

But only one of those comedies - the most daring - is scoring big. The Matthew Perry comedy "Go On" tries to mine comedy from a group of people dealing with grief. Viewers seem to appreciate it: "Go On" is the top-rated new comedy of the season.

"Animal Practice," a show more likely to look for laughs by putting a cute monkey in a costume, is gone, along with the CBS underdog procedural "Made in Jersey," the first show to be cut this season.

NBC's "Guys With Kids" is also struggling for viewers. But NBC climbed to No. 3 in the ratings last season after years in fourth through another form of narrowcasting: Choosing easier fights. Rather than unveiling big shows against serious competition in the fall, it debuted "The Voice," its biggest show besides football, in April 2011. It then aired it in midseason, instead of the following fall, where it nearly tied "Idol" as the No. 2 show on television after "SNF." Then NBC used its strength this fall to launch "Revolution," which airs Mondays after "The Voice."

It's not surprising that "Revolution" debuted to strong numbers. The surprise is that it's held on to a solid audience, at least so far.

The J.J. Abrams-produced "Revolution" is similar to many shows that have come since his ABC hit "Lost": One huge event changes everything and mysteries pile up. But as the mysteries get more confusing, or don't seem to move toward solutions, viewers tend to fall off, as they did for "The Event" on NBC, "FlashForward" on ABC, and Abrams' "Alcatraz" on Fox.

Part of the problem is serialization. "Lost" was not an easy show to start watching five episodes in.

But "Revolution," interestingly, is. Your humble correspondent watched the premiere, left the show for a while, and came back to this week's episode, No. 5. It was surprisingly easy to follow, and just eccentric enough. It added mysteries while solving some from the first episode. It actually worked.

It also gained in ratings over the episode a week before.

"Walking Dead" is also growing instead of shrinking. It has repeatedly broken cable records, and has a shot this season of becoming the highest-rated scripted show on TV. It would be the first cable show to do so.

The zombies aren't in the same league as football yet. But give them time.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/fall-tv-forget-trying-please-narrowcasting-thrives-203533705.html

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