Monique Lhuillier Fall 2009 collection at New York Fashion Week

A model presents a creation from the Monique Lhuillier Fall 2009 collection during New York Fashion Week.[Agencies]

Models present creations from the Monique Lhuillier Fall 2009 collection during New York Fashion Week.[Agencies]

Designer Lhuillier poses with models during a presentation of her Fall 2009 collection during New York Fashion Week in New York.[Agencies]

Models present creations from the Monique Lhuillier Fall 2009 collection during New York Fashion Week.[Agencies]

Models present creations from the Monique Lhuillier Fall 2009 collection during New York Fashion Week.[Agencies]

A model presents a creation from the Monique Lhuillier Fall 2009 collection during New York Fashion Week.[Agencies]

Models present creations from the Monique Lhuillier Fall 2009 collection during New York Fashion Week.[Agencies]

Models present creations from the Monique Lhuillier Fall 2009 collection during New York Fashion Week.[Agencies]

Models present creations from the Monique Lhuillier Fall 2009 collection during New York Fashion Week.[Agencies]

Taken From : China Daily


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Sophie Marceau stars in jewelry ad campaign

French actress Sophie Marceau, the new face of Chaumet, attends a press conference of the jewelry brand in Seoul, South Korea, on Wendesday, February 11, 2009. Ad photos featuring the siren have also been released. Sophie Marceau will arrive in Beijing, the next stop of her Asian promotional tour, on Thursday. [Photo: sina.com]

French actress Sophie Marceau, the new face of Chaumet, attends a press conference of the jewelry brand in Seoul, South Korea, on Wendesday, February 11, 2009. Ad photos featuring the siren have also been released. Sophie Marceau will arrive in Beijing, the next stop of her Asian promotional tour, on Thursday. [Photo: sina.com]

French actress Sophie Marceau, the new face of Chaumet, attends a press conference of the jewelry brand in Seoul, South Korea, on Wendesday, February 11, 2009. Ad photos featuring the siren have also been released. Sophie Marceau will arrive in Beijing, the next stop of her Asian promotional tour, on Thursday. [Photo: sina.com]

French actress Sophie Marceau, the new face of Chaumet, attends a press conference of the jewelry brand in Seoul, South Korea, on Wendesday, February 11, 2009. Ad photos featuring the siren have also been released. Sophie Marceau will arrive in Beijing, the next stop of her Asian promotional tour, on Thursday. [Photo: sina.com]

French actress Sophie Marceau, the new face of Chaumet, attends a press conference of the jewelry brand in Seoul, South Korea, on Wendesday, February 11, 2009. Ad photos featuring the siren have also been released. Sophie Marceau will arrive in Beijing, the next stop of her Asian promotional tour, on Thursday. [Photo: sina.com]

French actress Sophie Marceau, the new face of Chaumet, attends a press conference of the jewelry brand in Seoul, South Korea, on Wendesday, February 11, 2009. Ad photos featuring the siren have also been released. Sophie Marceau will arrive in Beijing, the next stop of her Asian promotional tour, on Thursday. [Photo: sina.com]


French actress Sophie Marceau, the new face of Chaumet, attends a press conference of the jewelry brand in Seoul, South Korea, on Wendesday, February 11, 2009. Ad photos featuring the siren have also been released. Sophie Marceau will arrive in Beijing, the next stop of her Asian promotional tour, on Thursday. [Photo: sina.com]

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The 3-year-old girl who desperately needs a heart transplant-like her twin sister

Rare condition: Three-year-old Katie (left) has had a transplant and twin sister Lauren (right) needs one too. [Agencies]

With their angelic smiles these adorable twin sisters appear to be like any other healthy and happy three year old girls.

But little Lauren Williams is in desperate need of a heart transplant, her twin Katie is recovering from a heart swap and their mother also needs the life-saving surgery. The family have been diagnosed with the extremely rare heart condition dilated cardiomyopathy, which causes the heart to enlarge and pump blood less efficiently.

Katie was diagnosed at just three months old and got her new heart a few months later but she will need a second transplant in 10 years. Doctors originally thought Lauren had escaped the potentially fatal condition but now she's been diagnosed as being in the early stages as well - as has her mother Louise Snape, 31. Louise said: 'We live in limbo land. We have to take everyday as it comes.

'I lost my father to the condition and my sister, cousin and step brother have all died. 'The girls were a miracle and they mean the world to us but I can't think in weeks, I have to think in days and that's something I had to learn early on as a mum.'

Both Louise and Lauren need transplants as soon as possible.

Miss Snape grew up without knowing she had the condition because her father decided it would be kinder not to tell her.

She had to give up work after she was diagnosed when the girls were four months old.

The sisters are both on medication and although Katie is recovering well from her operation, she still needs to be fed through a tube.

Louise, from Middleton, Greater Manchester,said: 'A lot more needs to be done to recognise these conditions as early as possible.

'I think all babies should be screened if they are born into a family with a history of heart problems.'

Her plea comes as the British Heart Foundation launches an appeal for a ?113,000 screening machine for the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital. Dad Simon, 40, gave up his factory job during Louise's difficult pregnancy and has cared for his family at home since. He said: 'The hardest part is watching them struggle and take their medication, but the girls are amazing and understand so much. They're an inspiration.'

Taken From : China Daily

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Mothers who enjoyed stimulating childhood 'have brainier babies'

A new study has found that a mother's childhood experiences may influence the brain development of her sons and daughters.[Agencies]

A mother's childhood experiences may influence not only her own brain development but also that of her sons and daughters, a study suggests.

Researchers in the US found that a stimulating environment early in life improved the memory of female mice with a genetic learning defect.

This was an expected result which supported previous research. What was surprising was that after becoming adults, the mice appeared to transmit the beneficial effects of their childhood experience to their own offspring.

The newborn mice inherited the same genetic problem, but like their mothers were not impaired by it.

Dr Dean Hartley, one of the researchers from Rush University Medical Centre in Chicago said: 'What is so unique about this study is that we provided an enriched environment during pre-adolescence, months before the mice became pregnant, yet the beneficial effect reached into the next generation.

'The offspring had improved memory even without an enriched environment.' The findings imply that the severity of childhood learning disorders may be affected by what an individual's mother experienced as a child, the scientists said. When the mother mice had not yet reached adolescence they spent two weeks in an enriched environment which included stimulation by novel objects, social interaction, and voluntary exercise. At the end of this time their memory defect was reversed. The scientists were careful to take account of the fact that mice with such a background might turn out to be more nurturing mothers. They did this by allowing some of the second generation mice to be raised by foster mothers lacking the same early enrichment experience. It made no difference, even these mice, like their biological mothers, were able to overcome their inherited learning defect. The researchers reported their results today in The Journal of Neuroscience. They believe the phenomenon can be explained by epigenetics - environmentally-induced changes in the structure of DNA and chromosomes which are passed on to offspring. Commenting on the study, Dr Anthony Hannan, an epigenetics expert from the University of Melbourne in Australia, said: 'This study and others are revolutionising our understanding of how nature, starting with an individual's DNA sequence, and nurture, including the way life experience alters the way DNA is expressed, can combine. 'Not only to regulate the health of subsequent generations, but also possibly the incidence of disease.'

Taken From : China Daily

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Jessica Biel attends Scientific and Technical Awards Ceremony for 81st Oscars

Actress Jessica Biel attends the Scientific and Technical Awards Ceremony for the 81st annual Academy Awards in Beverly Hills, California February 7, 2009. [Agencies]

Actress Jessica Biel attends the Scientific and Technical Awards Ceremony for the 81st annual Academy Awards in Beverly Hills, California February 7, 2009. [Agencies]

Actress Jessica Biel attends the Scientific and Technical Awards Ceremony for the 81st annual Academy Awards in Beverly Hills, California February 7, 2009. [Agencies]

Actress Jessica Biel attends the Scientific and Technical Awards Ceremony for the 81st annual Academy Awards in Beverly Hills, California February 7, 2009. [Agencies]

Academy President Sid Ganis and actress Jessica Biel attend the Scientific and Technical Awards Ceremony for the 81st annual Academy Awards in Beverly Hills, California February 7, 2009. [Agencies]

Academy President Sid Ganis (R) and wife Nancy attend the Scientific and Technical Awards Ceremony for the 81st annual Academy Awards in Beverly Hills, California February 7, 2009. [Agencies]

Honorees Dominique Chervin (L) and Bruno Coumert attend the Scientific and Technical Awards Ceremony for the 81st annual Academy Awards in Beverly Hills, California February 7, 2009. [Agencies]

Honoree Mark Kimball attends the Scientific and Technical Awards Ceremony for the 81st annual Academy Awards in Beverly Hills, California February 7, 2009. [Agencies]

Honoree Steve Hylen attends the Scientific and Technical Awards Ceremony for the 81st annual Academy Awards in Beverly Hills, California February 7, 2009. [Agencies]

Committee chair and four-time Oscar winner Richard Edlund attends the Scientific and Technical Awards Ceremony for the 81st annual Academy Awards in Beverly Hills, California February 7, 2009. [Agencies]

Honoree Ed Catmull attends the Scientific and Technical Awards Ceremony for the 81st annual Academy Awards in Beverly Hills, California February 7, 2009. [Agencies]

Actress Jessica Biel attends the Scientific and Technical Awards Ceremony for the 81st annual Academy Awards in Beverly Hills, California February 7, 2009. [Agencies]

Taken From : China Daily


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Gold thread made wedding dresses displayed in Japan

A model displays gold thread made wedding dresses, and tiaras, designed by Japanese designer Yumi Katsura, and priced 70 million Japanese Yen in Tokyo February 4, 2009. [Agencies]

A model displays gold thread made wedding dresses, and tiaras, designed by Japanese designer Yumi Katsura, and priced 70 million Japanese Yen in Tokyo February 4, 2009. [Agencies]

A model displays gold thread made wedding dresses, and tiaras, designed by Japanese designer Yumi Katsura, and priced 70 million Japanese Yen in Tokyo February 4, 2009. [Agencies]

A model displays gold thread made wedding dresses, and tiaras, designed by Japanese designer Yumi Katsura, and priced 70 million Japanese Yen in Tokyo February 4, 2009. [Agencies]

A model displays gold thread made wedding dresses, and tiaras, designed by Japanese designer Yumi Katsura, and priced 70 million Japanese Yen in Tokyo February 4, 2009. [Agencies]

Taken From : China Daily



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Hathaway,Cruz and other celebs arrive at nominees luncheon for 81st Oscars

Actress Anne Hathaway, nominated for best actress for her role in "Rachel Getting Married", arrives at the nominees luncheon for the 81st annual Academy Awards in Beverly Hills, California February 2, 2009. [Agencies]

Actress Anne Hathaway, nominated for best actress for her role in "Rachel Getting Married", arrives at the nominees luncheon for the 81st annual Academy Awards in Beverly Hills, California February 2, 2009. [Agencies]

Actress Penelope Cruz, nominated for best supporting actress for her role in "Vicky Christina Barcelona" arrives at the nominees luncheon for the 81st annual Academy Awards in Beverly Hills, California February 2, 2009. [Agencies]

Actress Penelope Cruz, nominated for best supporting actress for her role in "Vicky Christina Barcelona" arrives at the nominees luncheon for the 81st annual Academy Awards in Beverly Hills, California February 2, 2009. [Agencies]

Actress Kate Winslet, nominated for best actress for her role in "The Reader", arrives at the nominees luncheon for the 81st annual Academy Awards in Beverly Hills, California February 2, 2009. [Agencies]

Actress Kate Winslet, nominated for best actress for her role in "The Reader", arrives at the nominees luncheon for the 81st annual Academy Awards in Beverly Hills, California February 2, 2009. [Agencies]

Actress Kate Winslet, nominated for best actress for her role in "The Reader", arrives at the nominees luncheon for the 81st annual Academy Awards in Beverly Hills, California February 2, 2009. [Agencies]

Actress Amy Adams, nominated for best supporting actress for her role in "Doubt", arrives at the nominees luncheon for the 81st annual Academy Awards in Beverly Hills, California February 2, 2009. [Agencies]

Actress Amy Adams, nominated for best supporting actress for her role in "Doubt", arrives at the nominees luncheon for the 81st annual Academy Awards in Beverly Hills, California February 2, 2009. [Agencies]

Actress Amy Adams, nominated for best supporting actress for her role in "Doubt", arrives at the nominees luncheon for the 81st annual Academy Awards in Beverly Hills, California February 2, 2009. [Agencies]

Actress Amy Adams, nominated for best supporting actress for her role in "Doubt", arrives at the nominees luncheon for the 81st annual Academy Awards in Beverly Hills, California February 2, 2009. [Agencies]

Actor Robert Downey Jr (R), nominated for best supporting actor for his role in "Tropic Thunder", arrives with his wife Susan Levin at the nominees luncheon for the 81st annual Academy Awards in Beverly Hills, California February 2, 2009. [Agencies]

Actor Sean Penn, nominated for best actor for his role in "Milk", arrives at the nominees luncheon for the 81st annual Academy Awards in Beverly Hills, California February 2, 2009. [Agencies]

Actor Josh Brolin, nominated for best supporting actor for his role in "Milk", arrives at the nominees luncheon for the 81st annual Academy Awards in Beverly Hills, California February 2, 2009. [Agencies]

Director Danny Boyle, nominated for best director for his film "Slumdog Millionaire", arrives at the nominees luncheon for the 81st annual Academy Awards in Beverly Hills, California February 2, 2009. [Agencies]

Taken From : China Daily

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Plums are new super-food and full of disease-fighting antioxidants

Plums are being heralded as the new 'super-food' by scientists. They found the purple fruit matched or exceeded blueberries in antioxidants and phytonutrients, which help prevent disease.

Researcher Dr David Byrne, of AgriLife Research, said tests revealed one plum contains about the same amount of antioxidants as a handful of blueberries. Antioxidants are molecules that sweep through a body looking for free radicals to knock out. Free radicals are atoms or molecules that lurk where diseases like cancer and heart disease are found. Fellow scientist Dr Luis Cisneros, who helped with the Texas-based research, said: 'Blueberries have some stiff competition. 'People tend to eat just a few blueberries at a time - a few on their cereal or maybe as an ingredient mixed with other fruit in a fruit salad. 'But people will eat a whole plum at once and get the full benefit.' Catherine Collins, principal dietition at London's St George's Hospital, welcomed the research.

She said: 'Plums are very good for us and because they tend to come in punnets for about ?1 they are fairly cheap.

'If everyone was eating two or three small plums a day that would be great. Many of the healthy chemicals and antioxidants in fruit and vegetables are in the different colour agents and so people should try to eat a rainbow of different coloured fruit.

'Plums are also low in calories and fat free. The important thing is not to peel your plums - you must eat the skin because that's where many of the colour agents and antioxidants are.' Weight for weight UK supermarkets such as Tesco and Sainsbury charge around three times more for blueberries than plums.

The US team examined the full content of plums then tested the effect of the compounds they found on breast cancer cells and cholesterol in the lab. The scientist carried further research which threw up information which they hope can be used for breeding efforts to produce better fruit.

Dr Byrne noted that one benefit the team found was that the phytonutrients in plums inhibited breast cancer growth without adversely affecting normal cell growth. He said this type of research needs further study.

Dr Cisneros added blueberries, peaches and nectarines have similar benefits to plums.

Taken From : China Daily


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