AWARD WINNING SCIENTIST

Chen Hualan， Director of Chinas National Avian Influenza Reference Laboratory and a researcher at the Harbin Veterinary Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences， was crowned winner of the 2016 LOreal-UNESCO for Women in Science International Award in Paris on March 24， along with four other scientists. Each awardee received a prize of 100，000 euros （$113，000）.

Chen was nominated for her outstanding research on the biology of the bird flu virus， which led to the development and use of an effective vaccine， the award committee announced.

Chen， 47， has studied the avian influenza virus for more than 20 years. After the H7N9 strain of bird flu broke out in China in 2013， Chen led her team to discover the source of the virus by gathering and testing over 1，000 samples.

The LOreal-UNESCO for Women in Science International Award was jointly established by the UN Educational， Scientific and Cultural Organization and French cosmetics company LOreal in a bid to award female scientists who have made outstanding contributions to science and provide support for their research.

From Coal Production To Tourism

Oriental Outlook March 24

Unlike large industrial enterprises that suffered heavy losses last year in Shanxi Province， the provinces tourism industry achieved a revenue of 344.75 billion yuan （$53 billion）， registering a 21.1-percent year-on-year increase， according to the provincial statistics bureau. Tourism has become one of the industries with the greatest potential for growth in the previously coal-reliant province.

A large investment laid the foundation for the boom of the industry. As of 2015， the economic downward pressure prompted 215 energy enterprises to turn to develop tourism， and 32 billion yuan （$5 billion） was therefore invested by such enterprises into the sector.

Village tourism including camping， self-driving tours and agritourism has developed rapidly thanks to support from the local government. Last year， village tourism received 60 million tourists， accounting for 9 percent of the provinces tourism revenue. Such tourism has also served to alleviate poverty in rural areas.

However， tourism development in Shanxi still faces problems such as difficulties in getting bank loans， over-reliance on ticket sales and vicious competition resulting from redundant construction. These problems need to be solved in order to transform and upgrade the local tourism industry so as to enable it to become a new growth point for the province.

Addressing Blood Shortages

China Newsweek March 21

Hospitals in many cities across China are facing serious blood shortages， with the amount available at blood banks in some cities falling below the warning line. Many surgeries have had to be postponed owing to the short supply of blood.

Under such circumstances， black market blood dealers are becoming increasingly rampant. Buying and selling blood is illegal in China. The reason behind the shortfall can be attributed to citizens lack of awareness regarding voluntary blood donation. According to statistics from the National Health and Family Planning Commission， the blood donation rate in China stood at just 9.5 per thousand people in 2014.

However， according to the World Health Organization， the rate should reach 10 to 30 per thousand in order to satisfy a countrys clinical needs. The rate for developed countries has already reached 45.4 per thousand.

To solve blood shortages， blood banks and hospitals should inform each other of the amount of blood they have and need， respectively， in order to grasp the actual condition of supply and demand. More importantly， voluntary blood donation should be promoted among citizens.

Gong Jiwu， head of the Blood Transfusion Department at Beijing Hospital， suggested that in order to encourage blood donation， blood transfusions should be excluded from medical insurance. Voluntary blood donors should be able to take blood for free when they need it. Those who cannot donate blood due to physical conditions should be compensated by commercial insurance when they take blood， he said.

Medical Care With Technology

Guangzhou Daily March 28

The Guangdong Cloud Hospital was jointly launched by the Guangdong Province Hospital Association and the Guangdong Yunhui Technology Co. on March 25， becoming Chinas first provincial cloud hospital. Patients are able to see doctors online through the platform， and will be given electronic prescriptions. The patients will then purchase the medicine online and have it delivered to their homes.

In addition to the cloud hospital， Guangdong has made a number of other experiments to align the Internet with medical care. For instance， online registration and payment systems were introduced in many hospitals， which received positive public reception. The practice has not only improved efficiency in hospitals but has also provided more convenience for citizens.

The Guangdong Cloud Hospital demonstrates the potential of technology in improving medical services. Currently， stringent medical resources in big cities coupled with the huge demand placed on them have made it increasingly difficult to secure appointments with doctors， and subsequently pushed up the price of medical services. New technologies such as cloud hospitals may help reduce hospital workloads. Meanwhile， simplified medical procedures made possible by online medical services will make it easier for patients to access medical treatment.

However， at present patients buying medicine online cannot get reimbursement through medical insurance. Therefore， relevant government departments should work together with Internet companies to clear the obstacles for online medical services.

INSTANT ONLINE CELEBRITY

Jiang Yilei， nicknamed Papi Jiang online， has spurred heated discussion in cyberspace for recently securing an investment of 12 million yuan （$1.85 million） from four investors.

Papi， a masters student in directing at the Central Academy of Drama in Beijing， started uploading self-made video clips on social networking platforms last October and gained rapid popularity. Her works talk about show business， hot topics and relationships in a humorous and sarcastic way.

In less than six months， Papi accumulated more than 8 million fans on Chinas Twitter-like microblogging site Weibo. As of March 20， her 40 video clips have been viewed more than 200 million times on various video-streaming sites.

Luo Zhenyu， founder and host of the online social-issues talk show Luoji Siwei （Logical Thinking） and one of the four investors， has announced detailed cooperation plans with Papi. They are going to auction off streamed advertisement space that will appear before Papis online video clips.

“We should uphold the spirit of craftsmanship to strive for the best and create more brands that satisfy customers.”

Premier Li Keqiang， in a message to winners of the Second China Quality Award， which honors organizations and individuals for their commitment to top-quality products and services， on March 29

“My goal was a result of our teamwork and the guidance of our head coach Gao Hongbo.”

Huang Bowen， a player with Chinas National Soccer Team， in an interview after scoring in a decisive match against Qatar and helping the team move into the final round of World Cup qualifiers after 15 years on March 29

“We urge Japan to learn from history. The Japanese Government should listen attentively to calls for justice from Japan and the international community.”

Hong Lei， Foreign Ministry spokesperson， commenting on the coming into effect of Japans new security legislation， which eases restrictions on overseas operations by the countrys Self-Defense Forces， at a press briefing on March 30

“We have maintained frequent exchanges with medical institutions along the Mekong River， particularly with hospitals in Thailand.”

Wang Xiaofei， Director of the Xishuangbanna Dai Ethnic Hospital in southwest Chinas Yunnan Province， recently telling Xinhua News Agency that cooperation with Southeast Asian countries is presenting new opportunities for Dai ethnic medicine， which uses herbs and has a long history