A drug that is used to treat serious bleeding could save thousands of lives of mothers giving birth. A world test of the drug found it reduced (降低) the risk of bleeding deaths during childbirth by nearly one third. The study included 20,000 women in 21 countries, mainly in Africa and Asia. The test was carried out by London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. The drug is called tranexamic acid (凝血酸). It is low-cost and researchers said it does not cause serious side effects (副作用) for mothers or babies.

    The drug is used to treat mothers for serious bleeding during childbirth. Postpartum hemorrhage (产后出血) is the main cause of mothers' death around the world, according to the World Health Organization.

    Haleema Shakur is the project director for the test. She said though medical condition is improved in many countries, serious bleeding after childbirth remains a big problem in some parts of the world. “It's one of the biggest killers of mothers. In Africa and Asia, about 10% of women will end up with serious bleeding.” The drug works after a mother gives birth.

    Shakur said the best results were reported when the drug was given to women as soon as possible after childbirth. “The earlier you give it — within the first three hours after giving birth — the better the result is.”

    The next step will be to provide training for doctors and nurses on how to use it and then to find where the drug is needed. During the test, women were given the drug in a hospital. But researchers are looking for easier ways to use the drug so it can be more widely used in small clinics and the countryside.

    Holi, also called the Festival of Colors, is a popular Hindu spring festival observed in India, Nepal, Bangladesh. It is celebrated at the end of the winter season on the last full moon day of the lunar month.Holi originally was a festival to celebrate good harvests. It developed to honor a legend from the Hindu Mythology（神话）. The story focuses on a cruel king, who hated his son,Prahlada. He attempted to kill his son but failed each time. Finally, the king asked his sister Holika, who was said to be safe in fire, to get rid of his son. However, when the aunt tried to burn Prahlada, it was the prince who ended up being safe in fire while the aunt herself was burnt to death. Holi honors this event every year and huge bonfires（篝火）are burnt on the eve of Holi. The festival spreads over 16 days. During these days people often have fun and play with colored powder and water. Holi is also celebrated with exciting parades which are companied by folk songs and dances.

    The festival begins on the night of the full moon. Bonfires are lit on street corners to drive away the air of evil spirits and bad feelings, and to symbolize the destruction of bad Holika, after whom the festival was named. In the morning, the streets are filled with people running, shouting and laughing.

    At noon, the craziness comes to an end and everyone heads to either the river or the bathroom, then relaxes and enjoys candies. A tired and contented silence falls over India.

    Jimmy is an automotive mechanic, but he lost his job a few months ago. He has good heart, but always feared applying for a new job.

    One day, he gathered up all his strength and decided to attend a job interview. His appointment was at 10 am and it was already 8:30. While waiting for a bus to the office where he was supposed to be interviewed, he saw an elderly man wildly kicking the tyre of his car. Obviously there was something wrong with the car. Jimmy immediately went up to lend him a hand. When Jimmy finished working on the car, the old man asked him how much he should pay for the service. Jimmy said there was no need to pay him: he just helped someone in need, and he had to rush for an interview. Then the old man said, “Well, I could take you to the office for your interview. It's the least I could do. Please. I insist.” Jimmy agreed.

    Upon arrival, Jimmy found a long line of applications waiting to be interviewed Jimmy still had some grease on him after the car repair, but he did not have much time to wash it off or have a change of shirt. One by one, the applicants left the interviewer's office with disappointed look on their face. Finally his name was called. The interviewer was sitting on a large chair facing the office window. Rocking the chair back and forth, he asked. “Do you really need to be interviewed?” Jimmy's heart sank. “With the way I look now, how could I possibly pass this interview?” he thought to himself.

    Then the interviewer turned the chair and to Jimmy's surprise, it was the old man he helped earlier in the morning. It turned out he was the General Manager of the company

    “Sorry I had to keep you waiting, but I was pretty sure I made the right decision to have you as part of our workforce before you even stepped into the office. I just know you'd be a trustworthy worker. “Congratulations!” Jimmy sat down and they shared a cup of well-deserved coffee as he landed himself a new job.

    A 27-year-old inventor, Joco Paulo Lammoglia, has come up with a new device named the AIRE mask, which is capable of converting the wind energy provided by the wearer's breath into electrical energy. This means breathing has become a source of renewable energy. The inspiration for the invention came from his watching children blowing on pinwheels (纸风车).

    The device is worn like a mask equipped with tiny wind turbines (涡轮) and it can work its magic even while people are sleeping, jogging or hanging around, since energy is created from one's breath. The principle of this AIRE mask is simple. The invention uses the wind flow created by breathing and changes it into energy that can charge mobile phones and iPods. Simply put this mask connected to your mobile phone on your face. The rest takes place naturally through your breath that provides power to run turbines which produce electricity.

    Lammoglia explained how useful he hopes the AIRE will become. He said, "I hope to bring the concept into production and reduce the carbon footprint. It can be used indoors or outdoors, while you're sleeping, walking, running or even reading books." Apart from saving energy and contributing to environmental protection, it also encourages the practice of physical exercise. This is an entirely all time renewable energy source. Its energy is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

    Lammoglia explained why he thought the AIRE was so useful, saying, "Though many of our modern devices offer benefits, they tend to consume a high amount of electrical energy. This may cause problems for the environment, especially if the energy used by these devices is obtained from non-renewable sources.

    The AIRE mask will be future's cheaper source of charging mobile phones. It would save energy and allow people to never have to worry about their phone dying unless they stop breathing.

    Have you ever run into a careless cell phone user on the street? Perhaps they were busy talking, testing or checking updates on WeChat without looking at what was going on around them. As the number of this new "species" of human has kept rising, they have been given a new name — phubbers (低头族).

    Recently, a cartoon created by students from China Central Academy of Fine Arts put this group of people under the spotlight. In the short film, phubbers with various social identities bury themselves in their phones. A doctor plays with his cell phone while letting his patient die, a pretty woman takes selfie(自拍照) in front of a car accident site and a father loses his child without knowing about it while using his mobile phone. A chain of similar events eventually leads to the destruction of the world.

    Although the ending sounds overstated, the damage phubbing can bring is real. Your health is the first to bear the effect and result of it. "Constantly bending your head to check your cell phone could damage your neck," Guangming Daily quoted doctors as saying. "The neck is like a rope that breaks after long-term stretching." Also, staring at cell phones for long periods of time will damage your eyesight gradually, according to the report.

    But that's not all. Being a phubber could also damage your social skills and drive you away from your friends and family. At reunions with family or friends, many people tend to stick to their cell phones while others are chatting happily with each other and this creates a strange atmosphere, Qilu Evening News reported.

    It can also cost you your life. There have been lots of reports on phubbers who fell to their death, suffered accidents, and were robbed of their cell phones in broad daylight.

    To improve Chinese on our campus, several programs will be organized. Here is some information.

    Language Partner Program

    The aim of this program is to promote Chinese language study for American students, through this program, native speakers of Chinese can help our Chinese language students, who can help students or scholars from China with their English in exchange. If interested, please contact Yuan Lu, yuan-lu-2@uiowa.edu

    The Chinese Corner

    The Chinese Corner is a non-threatening, pleasant place for faculty and students who want to practice their oral Chinese. Learners of all levels are welcome to join, since we have topics suitable for each level. At the Chinese Corner, you can make friends with Chinese students and exchange opinions on cultural issues. You will surely learn something new every time you come! We welcome whoever wants to speak Chinese.

    Contact person: Bo Sun, bo-sun@uiowa.edu

    The Chinese Host Family Program

    The purpose of this program is to help our American students to gain first-hand experience of Chinese culture, lifestyle, customs, and conventions through establishing friendship relations with Chinese families. Students who join this program will be invited by their Chinese host family to join their family activities on a regular basis. Please sign up for this program.

    Cross-University Chinese Language Performance Competition

    This competition gives students in and outside of Iowa a great opportunity to show their oral Chinese proficiency as well as their talent in performing. As many as four universities have participated in the competition, including The University of Iowa. Each university presents a set of programs, and then participants are awarded prizes at an awards ceremony.

    Mid-Autumn Festival Celebration

    The Chinese Program hosts an annual celebration for the Mid-Autumn Festival. We invite all students and faculty members to join our party. You will meet Chang'e, the goddess of the Moon, learn a beautiful Chinese legendary story and taste moon cakes as well as other Chinese food. If you know some Chinese characters, you may win a prize! Come and join us!

    For more, please see the Flyer.