North America-based manufacturers of semiconductor equipment posted $2.39 billion in billings worldwide in December 2017 (three-month average basis), according to the November Equipment Market Data Subscription (EMDS) Billings Report published today by SEMI. The billings figure is 16.3 percent higher than the final November 2017 level of $2.05 billion, and is 27.7 percent higher than the December 2016 billings level of $1.87 billion.“December 2017 monthly billings for North American equipment manufacturers ended the year at the highest levels in this record-breaking year,” said Ajit Manocha, president and CEO of SEMI. “For 2017, total billings for North American equipment companies soared over 40 percent compared to 2016.”The SEMI Billings report uses three-month moving averages of worldwide billings for North American-based semiconductor equipment manufacturers. Billings figures are in millions of U.S. dollars. Source: SEMI ( … [Read more...] about North American semiconductor equipment industry posts December 2017 billings
American
Promoting self-esteem among African-American girls through racial, cultural connections
For African-American students, data, alongside societal attitudes and stereotypes, often present a negative picture: a wide academic achievement gap separating them from their white peers. Higher rates of discipline and absenteeism. Discrimination by other students, teachers and the larger community. And just last summer, a study indicated that black girls, from an early age, are perceived as more aggressive and sexual - less innocent - than white girls. But what if, a University of Washington education professor reasoned, black students were encouraged to explore and embrace their racial identity at school? Could cultivating a positive self-image, exclusively around race and ethnicity, make a lasting difference in student performance and confidence? The answer, Janine Jones found, was promising. In a paper published in December in Psychology in the Schools, Jones describes her work last spring at a Seattle-area middle school where African-American girls participated in an … [Read more...] about Promoting self-esteem among African-American girls through racial, cultural connections
Internists say tax legislation could harm health care for millions of Americans
Statement attributable to: Washington, DC (December 20, 2017)--The American College of Physicians (ACP) is deeply concerned that the repeal of the Affordable Care Act (ACA)'s individual mandate that is included in the tax reform legislation that Congress just passed will cause tens of millions of Americans to lose health insurance coverage. The repeal will also cause premiums to rise sharply and insurers to pull out of the health insurance marketplaces. Americans want improvements to our health insurance system; they want more people to be covered at more affordable prices. The legislation passed by Congress will do exactly the opposite. Congress needs to put aside any further effort to repeal the ACA. Instead it should attempt to mitigate the harm that will be caused by the tax legislation by immediately passing the Alexander-Murray market stabilization and Collins-Nelson re-insurance bills. But, even if bills such as these become law, Congress and the administration need to be … [Read more...] about Internists say tax legislation could harm health care for millions of Americans
Attitudes of American public on service denial to same-sex and interracial couples
The first national survey of public attitudes on allowing businesses to deny service to same-sex couples reveals that Americans who support service refusal do so regardless of whether the denial is for religious or nonreligious reasons. Presently, legislatures and courts are debating whether businesses can deny services to same-sex couples for reasons that are religious. This issue has reached the U.S. Supreme Court in the upcoming case of Masterpiece Cakeshop, Ltd. v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission. Proponents of service-refusal contend that requiring a business to provide services undermines religious freedom--and, for some businesses, artistic expression and freedom of speech. Opponents respond that service-refusal to sexual minorities discriminates in the same way as service-refusal to racial minorities did in past. Yet little is known about public views on this issue. Brian and Powell and colleagues conducted an online survey of 2,035 individuals. Respondents saw one vignette … [Read more...] about Attitudes of American public on service denial to same-sex and interracial couples
Cigarette smoking is increasing among Americans with drug problems
While cigarette smoking has declined in the U.S. for the past several decades, since 2002 the prevalence of smoking has increased significantly among people with an illicit substance use disorder, according to a new study by researchers at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health and the City University of New York. Until now, little was known about whether the decline in smoking was also occurring among individuals with illicit substance use disorders. The findings are published online in the journal Addiction. The data show that smoking rates increased among those with substance use disorders, including hallucinogens, inhalants, tranquilizers, cocaine, heroin, pain relievers, simulants, and sedatives, while cigarette smoking decreased among individuals with cannabis use disorders, as well as among those without any substance use disorders. The researchers analyzed data from 725,010 Americans ages 12 and older in the National Survey on Drug Use and Health for 2002 to … [Read more...] about Cigarette smoking is increasing among Americans with drug problems