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BEIJING, Jun 27 (Xinhuanet) -- Doctors are more likely to be wasting patients' valuable time when they want to make their patients more at ease by chatting, according to a new study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine Wednesday.

In the study, researchers recruited 100 actors posing as new patients to pay 113 visits to 100 primacies care providers.

After analysis of the visit transcripts, researchers find that 34 percent doctors talked about their own health, personal life, or political views during the visit, 85 percent of which are not useful or relevant to the patient.

What is more only 21 percent of the time does the physician return to the patient topic preceding the disclosure.

"We found that physician self-disclosures were often non sequiturs, unattached to any discussion in the visit," said researcher Susan H. McDaniel, PhD, of the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, and colleagues in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

Researchers believe these disclosures detract in some way from the doctor-patient relationship. The doctor-centered disclosures actually benefit the doctor, not the patient.

"They should not use self-disclosure. If they want to complain about their rent or the stress of the work, they should complain to their colleagues, not their patients." McDaniel said.

from http://www.cdao.com.cn

BEIJING, Jun 27 (Xinhuanet) -- Los Angeles County launched a campaign against sexually transmitted diseases by using drink coasters, murals, sidewalk chalk art and other unconventional approaches Tuesday.

The campaign is to combat rising rates of sexually transmitted diseases like syphilis, chlamydia and gonorrhea, targeting at gay, bisexual men, African American women and Latinas.

The county will spend 1.3 million U.S. dollars in efforts to reach "people who are not going to be watching mainstream television or reading the newspapers," according to Dr. Jonathan Fielding, director of the county Department of Public Health.

In Los Angeles, over 30,000 women get chlamydia every year, and syphilis in homosexual and bisexual men increased 365 percent between 2001 and 2005.

Although the county Board of Supervisors ordered a campaign last year, "it hasn't made the kind of progress that we absolutely need to make," said Fielding.

Craig E. Thompson, executive director of AIDS Project Los Angeles, praised the new campaign as being "sexier" and more likely to capture people's attention than the previous effort.

"We go from campaign to campaign," Thompson said. "Maybe we get people's attention for a while, then we don't have anything out there."

Michael Weinstein, president of AIDS Healthcare Foundation, also praised the new campaign and hoped that the county can set up a system in which every sexually active person gets screened at least every six month. ??
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LOS ANGELES, June 25 (Xinhua) -- Hollywood socialite Paris Hilton probably could not wait for her release from a Los Angeles jail, but some of her neighbors said they dread her return, the Los Angeles Times reported Monday.

Already annoyed by the wild parties the 26-year-old hotel heiress has thrown since she moved in, her neighbors in Hollywood Hills are bracing for her expected return Tuesday and the ensuing crush of media.

Residents of the affluent neighborhood fear a repeat of June 8,when paparazzi and other media representatives flooded in to follow Hilton's tearful ride to court and then to jail as helicopters buzzed overhead, according to the newspaper.

"Dear Neighbor, since the arrival of Paris Hilton to our neighborhood, we've seen our quality of life deteriorate," reads a flier being distributed around the neighborhood where Hilton leaves, on a twisty road of gated homes above the Sunset Strip. It called for a united stand by the neighborhood when Hilton gets out of jail.

Christopher Hauck, a resident who lives across the street from Hilton, said that just her parties were disruptive, with guests urinating in public and stumbling about drunk.

"I'm amazed that people have tolerated it as long as they have," he told the newspaper.

Paparazzi were camping out at the jail in a Los Angeles suburb overnight just in case the "Simple Life" reality television show star is released sooner than Tuesday, which is when authorities say Hilton will be let out.

Hilton was sentenced last month by a Los Angeles judge to 45 days in jail for driving on a suspended license in violation of her probation in a drunken driving case -- which was reduced to about 23 days for "good behavior."

Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca was accused of giving Hilton the star treatment when he tried to reassign her to home confinement after just three days in jail, citing an undisclosed medical condition. A judge ordered her back to jail the next day.

Baca said that because of her celebrity status, Hilton actually received harsher punishment than most people convicted of the same offenses.

from http://www.cdao.com.cn

BEIJING, Jun 26 (Xinhuanet) -- Washington D.C. Judge Judith Bartnoff Monday dismissed the case of a dry cleaning customer suing for 54 million U.S. dollars over a pair of misplaced pants and ordered the plaintiff to pay the defendants' court costs.

The plaintiff Roy L. Pearson, an administrative law judge, claimed that the dry cleaners' "satisfaction guaranteed" in the shop window poster misled customers and broke consumer protection law.

Pearson accused the Chungs, the dry cleaner, of losing a pair of suit pants he had brought in for 10.50 dollars and entitled him to thousands of dollars for each day over nearly four years since 2005.

"A reasonable consumer would not interpret 'Satisfaction Guaranteed' to mean that a merchant is required to satisfy a customer's unreasonable demands,?? said Bartnoff. ??

"The court finds that the plaintiff is not entitled to any relief whatsoever,?? Bartnoff added.

Lisa A. Rickard, U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform President, called the 54 million-dollar lawsuit "the epitome of a frivolous lawsuit." However, "the case highlights a bigger problem."

"Some will say this outcome proves the system worked, and justice was served. To the contrary, this case only proves that the system is truly broken and in bad need of repair," she said.

from http://www.cdao.com.cn

BEIJING, June 26 (Xinhuanet) -- Hollywood Tom Sizemore was sentenced to 16 months in state prison by a judge who ruled the alleged discovery of methamphetamine in the actor's car had violated his probation in a previous drug case, media reported Tuesday.

Sizemore was arrested last month with another suspect. In court papers, Deputy District Attorney Sean Carney alleged that Sizemore violated his probation by being under the influence of methamphetamine, opiates and marijuana, and by possessing methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia.

Sizemore faces up to six years in prison if convicted of all the charges. He has been in jail without bail since June 5, when he surrendered on a warrant alleging he had violated his probation.

Sizemore was convicted in 2003 of domestic violence involving his ex-girlfriend, former Hollywood madam Heidi Fleiss. He remained free pending an appeal.

In October 2004, he pleaded guilty to a felony count of possession of a controlled substance identified as methamphetamine and was placed on probation. The probation was revoked in 2005 when Sizemore was caught using a prosthetic device during a drug test.

His probation was later reinstated, but he tested positive for drug use last year and was given another three years' probation, authorities said.

"Sizemore has been in every program, and here he is again. He abused the privilege of probation and needs to be in a lockdown setting," Superior Court Judge Cynthia Rayvis said.

(Agencies)
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LOS ANGELES, June 26 (Xinhua) -- Troubled Hollywood celebrity Paris Hilton was released from jail Tuesday after serving a three-week sentence in a case that roiled local political waters with charges of hypocrisy and favoritism.

The 26-year-old hotel heiress made a red carpet-type exit from a Los Angeles jail early in the morning, smiled brightly, waved demurely and fell into her mother's arms after 23 days in sheriff's custody for driving on a suspended license.

Her triumphant emergence concluded an episode that began as another story about a young celebrity in legal trouble but expanded to reflect both fissures within local justice system and community misgivings about unequal treatment.

While Hilton was driven off to freedom in a Cadillac Escalade luxury SUV, on her way -- not to her own Hollywood Hills home, but to her parents' compound in the exclusive Bel-Air area, paparazzi and television crews pursued the vehicle on the ground and from the air.

According to a spokesman of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, Hilton thanked the guards, nurses and other staff before leaving the jail, where she was incarcerated in the medical ward.

It was reported that CNN's Larry King will get the first crack at interviewing Hilton about her jail life. She is slated to appear on the network's "Larry King Live" Wednesday evening.

Paris Hilton was sentenced to 45 days in jail last month for driving on a suspended license in violation of her probation in a misdemeanor alcohol-related reckless driving case, but her sentence was reduced to about 23 days for "good behavior."

County Sheriff Lee Baca was accused of giving Hilton the star treatment when he tried to reassign her to home confinement after just three days in jail, citing an undisclosed medical condition. Hilton was ordered back in jail the next day by the judge.

Paris Hilton to do 1st post-jail interview

Jailed socialite Paris Hilton will give her first post-prison interview on veteran CNN newsman Larry King's show on Wednesday, the cable network has confirmed. Full story

Paris Hilton to serve more time in jail

Paris Hilton will have to serve more time in jail than most inmates sent to L.A. County Jail for similar offenses, according to media reports Wednesday. Full story

Officials ask report on Paris Hilton's release

Officials here asked Tuesday for a report on why Hollywood celebrity and hotel heiress Paris Hilton was sent home from jail last week, amid persistent claims that local law enforcement gave the socialite preferential treatment. Full story

Paris Hilton determined to stop acting "dumb"

Paris Hilton has decided that she will no longer "act dumb."

The remark was made in a telephone call Sunday with Barbara Walters, in which Hilton described her brief spell behind bars last week -- after which she was released and then sent back to jail by an outraged judge. Full story

Paris Hilton leaves the Los Angeles County Correctional Facility in Lynwood, California June 26, 2007. Hotel heiress Hilton, who commanded as much attention behind bars as on the Hollywood party scene, regained her freedom on Tuesday after serving three weeks in jail for violating probation in a drunk-driving case.(Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

Paris Hilton leaves the Los Angeles County Correctional Facility in Lynwood, California June 26, 2007. Hotel heiress Hilton, who commanded as much attention behind bars as on the Hollywood party scene, regained her freedom on Tuesday after serving three weeks in jail for violating probation in a drunk-driving case.(Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

Paris Hilton leaves the Los Angeles County Correctional Facility in Lynwood, California June 26, 2007. Hotel heiress Hilton, who commanded as much attention behind bars as on the Hollywood party scene, regained her freedom on Tuesday after serving three weeks in jail for violating probation in a drunk-driving case.(Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

Paris Hilton leaves the Los Angeles County Correctional Facility in Lynwood, California June 26, 2007. Hotel heiress Hilton, who commanded as much attention behind bars as on the Hollywood party scene, regained her freedom on Tuesday after serving three weeks in jail for violating probation in a drunk-driving case.(Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

Paris Hilton talks to reporters as she arrives at the 2007 MTV Movie Awards in Los Angeles, California June 3, 2007.(Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

Rick and Kathy Hilton leave the Twin Towers Correctional Facility in Los Angeles June 12, 2007. The couple were there to visit their daughter, Paris Hilton, who is serving a jail sentence for violating her probation on a driving under the influence of alcohol charge. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)
Photo Gallery>>>

Paris Hilton's house with yellow ribbons and two American flags adorning the front gate is shown in West Hollywood, California June 21, 2007. Hilton is currently serving her sentence for probation violation and is scheduled to be released from jail on June 25, 2007. Hilton's neighbors have raised concern with officials about their neighborhood being swarmed by news media upon her release. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

from http://www.cdao.com.cn

BEIJING, Jun 27 (Xinhuanet) -- A producer sued his former employer CBS news Monday for 50 million dollars in New York, claiming he was discriminated against for being gay and was fired for publicly discussing his assault experience, according to media reports Wednesday.

Richard N. Jefferson, 52, had started as a producer for CBS in January 1989 until he was fired on Nov. 20, 2006.

He was beaten with a tire wrench in a gay-bashing incident while on vacation in St. Maarten, an island in the West Indies on April 6, 2006.

Jefferson later complained about the slow response of the St. Maarten police to the attack and demanded a full investigation.

Jefferson said that senior vice president Linda Mason had asked him "appropriate questions" and tried to control his public comments about the incident.

"She told me this was a gay rights issue and I said it had nothing to do with gay rights; I was the victim of a crime," Jefferson said.

Jefferson claimed CBS "improperly pried into his private life, dictated his after hours activities, restricted his First Amendment rights, created false complaints about his performance," and then "terminated him on the basis of his sexual orientation," seeking up to 50 million dollars in damages from CBS, CBS News and Linda Mason.

CBS spokeswoman Sandra Genelius said Jefferson's contract was not renewed "due to legitimate issues with his performance that had been previously discussed with him," and the lawsuit reveals "a stunningly selective recall of the facts."

CBS News supported Jefferson's "right to discuss the attack publicly and to seek justice, which he clearly did," Genelius added.
from http://www.cdao.com.cn

BEIJING, June 27 -- Tim Henman overcame Carlos Moya 13-11 on his seventh match point in the final set yesterday, completing another emotional five-set victory and giving Britain's long-suffering fans hope for another title run at Wimbledon.

A double-fault by Moya on the third match point of the 24th game of the set gave Henman a 6-3, 1-6, 5-7, 6-2, 13-11 win that enthralled the Center Court faithful at the All England Club.

Henman, a four-time semifinalist playing in his 14th Wimbledon, had been tied 5-5 with Moya in the fifth set when the first-round match was stopped by darkness on Monday night. Henman missed four match points at 5-4.

"It would have been pretty sweet to finish it off last night," he said. "Perhaps this scenario is even better."

The two men returned to Center Court after Amelie Mauresmo had opened the defense of her women's title yesterday by beating Jamea Jackson of the United States 6-1, 6-3 in just over an hour.

That was slightly less time that it took Henman and Moya, the 1998 French Open champion and former No. 1-ranked player, to complete their match.

Both players pulled out some brilliant shots under pressure - including aces, running passing shots and stab volleys - to keep the match going.

Henman saved two break points while serving at 11-all - the first with an ace down the middle, and the second with a stunning second-serve ace, a high-kicking delivery into Moya's backhand corner.

In the next game, Henman got to 15-40 on Moya's serve by lifting a soft backhand lob that just drifted over the leaping Spaniard's racket. Henman squandered the first match point with a mishit backhand return, and Moya saved the second with a backhand volley winner. After an error at deuce, the match ended with Moya hitting a second serve long.

"You'd like to finish on a running forehand pass, but at that point you're open to any gifts," said Henman, who has a tradition of pulling out five-set victories at Wimbledon.

Henman has lost in the second round at Wimbledon the last two years. The last British man to win the title at Wimble-don was Fred Perry in 1936, but Henman has been closest to ending that streak.

"This place is so special to me and I've had so many experiences over the years I always believe that good things are going to happen," he said.

Mauresmo, who beat Justin Henin in last year's final, is seeded only No. 4 because she was sidelined following an appendectomy in March and had a groin problem that led to an early exit at the French Open.

"It's great to be back as the defending champion here," Mauresmo said. "I feel good. This year is a little bit different because I didn't feel that well at the French Open, so it definitely makes it better here this year for me."

Mauresmo was never really tested by the 158th-ranked Jackson, who underwent hip surgery in December, hasn't won a match on the tour this year and looked shaky in her first Center Court appearance.

Mauresmo, who set the tone by going to the net on the first point for a winning forehand volley, raced to a 5-0 lead before the 20-year-old Jackson held serve for her first game.

Jackson settled down and took more chances in the second set, but it wasn't enough.

In other early women's action on a chilly day in southwest London there was a harsh lesson for junior world champion Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.

The 15-year-old Russian was handed a wildcard in recognition of her Australian and US Open junior titles but was no match for Slovakian 10th seed Daniela Hantuchova, losing 0-6, 1-6.

In men's play, No. 9 James Blake beat Igor Andreev 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 to extend his record over the Russian to 5-0. Other winners included No. 13 Richard Gasquet, No. 15 Ivan Ljubicic and No. 26 Marat Safin.
from http://www.cdao.com.cn

BANGKOK, June 27 (Xinhua) -- A number of top badminton players led by world NO. 2 Chen Jin and third-ranked Chen Hong will take part in the 2007 SCG Thailand Open Grand Prix Gold next month.

The Chinese stars head the 120,000 U.S. dollars tournament, which will be held at Bangkok's Nimibutr Gymnasium from July 3 to 8, local newspaper the Bangkok Post reported on Wednesday.

It has attracted 400 shuttlers from 40 countries and it is the biggest event ever held by the Badminton Association of Thailand, said the association's president Charoen Wattanasin.

"The tournament attracts many world-class players because it is one of the 2008 Olympic qualifying events," said Charoen.

Apart from Chen Jin, who was the 2007 Swiss Open champion and last year's Thailand Open runner-up, and world No. 3 Chen Hong, the Chinese squad also include Thailand Open defending champion Chen Yu, who is ranked fifth in the world.

Thailand's challenge will be led by world No. 8 Boonsak Ponsanawho is seeded fourth in the tournament. The Thai star will take on Malaysia's Pei Wee Chung in the first round of the men's singles.
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BEIJING, June 26 -- Not content with gold medals and millions of dollars in endorsements, Liu Xiang says he is ready to smash the 110m hurdles world record for a second time.

"I think I have the chance to break the world record again this year and I am sure I can run faster," Liu was quoted as saying on Sina.com. "Breaking the record requires a lot of factors and also luck, so I cannot tell how I will perform. But I think this year is probably the right time.

"I know a lot of people have very high expectations of me, but I won't set a target for myself before any tournament. I am not a high jumper, there is no clear standard for me. All I want to do is to win the race."

Liu broke the world record with a time of 12.88 seconds in Lausanne, Switzerland in July last year and prior to that he had equaled the record of 12.91 when he won the Olympic title in Athens in 2004.

The 2007 season has started promisingly, with the 24-year-old winning five out of six international tournaments.

A 12.92 victory in New York earlier this month, the fastest anyone has run this season, made him the only one on the planet to go sub-12.94 four times.

"The recent victories have made me more confident about winning at the worlds," said Liu. "Osaka has been a lucky city for me because I have never lost a competition there."

Liu's coach Sun Haiping is also confident that his man can do the business at the World Championships in Osaka in September.

"He is able to win there," Sun was quoted as saying on Sina.com. "Sometimes I joke that I wish the Beijing Olympics would take place this year, as I am sure Liu would win the gold medal.

"He is in incredible form and his desire to compete is really, really high. His times have always stayed around 13 seconds.

"Now with the world's best all coming together, it is a good chance for Liu to compete with them and better know their form ahead of the Beijing Games.

"The rankings show that Liu is very strong. We want to keep the top position as long as possible."

The Osaka tournament also gives Liu the opportunity to fill the one hole in his CV: the lack of a gold medal at the world championships.

"Gold is my sole target at the worlds in Osaka," said Liu after returning to Beijing after two weeks training and competing in the United States.

"I think the time is ripe for me now. I've had some great performances over the past two months and I've trained really hard and stayed away from injuries, so I am confident I will taste gold in Osaka this time."

He will face stiff competition in Osaka from American Dominique Arnold and Doucoure.

Legs Insurance

Following nightmare injuries suffered by gymnast Wang Yan and star spiker Tang Miao, Sun is planning to buy Liu an insurance policy - for his legs.

Wang and Tang both broke their necks last week and may remain paralyzed for life.

"Liu has life insurance from the national team but I hope there is a kind of insurance that is specifically for his legs," said Sun. "There isn't this kind of insurance in China, but given his legs bring not only world records and gold medals but also guarantee a big market behind him, I will talk with officials about it."

Liu is arguably the most popular athlete in China and his endorsement fees have rocketed over the past two years to make him the second richest Chinese athlete behind Houston Rockets center Yao Ming.

He recently signed a deal with Amway reportedly worth 10 million yuan (US$1.25 million). His earnings have increased 30 fold since 2004.

Liu has a total of seven sponsorships this year for products ranging from sports equipment to credit cards.

According to his coach Sun, the sponsorships are divided into different levels with a top contract costing over 10 million yuan (US$1.25 million) and the second level five million yuan (US$625,000).

But Liu says the deals are more about the fun than the money.

"I don't put pressure on it," he said. "Staying on the track the whole day makes me dull, I need to relax off it, for example by making some ads or public appearances. I think this is also a good way to communicate with my fans and give something back to society."

Local media estimate that the young Olympian could be earning more than 20 million yuan (US$2.5 million) per year.

Liu will leave for Paris later this month for the Golden League event that takes place on July 6.
from http://www.cdao.com.cn