半导体产业进入无利繁荣时代

在近期一次SEMI产业策略论坛发表的演讲中,Lam Research Corp.的总裁兼CEO Stephen Newberry认为,半导体产业已经进入了“无利的繁荣时代”。2003年以来,每比特/功能的价格已经比每比特/价格的成本下降得更快,使得整个产业的利润遭到侵蚀。这似乎成为了一个无法维继的市场,随着时间的推移必须进行自我修正才行。     

Formaldehyde content of milk in goats fed formaldehyde-treated soybean oil-meal

Formaldehyde is used in ruminant feeding for different purposes including the protection of dietary proteins from ruminal degradation. The formaldehyde content of milk of goats fed various levels of formaldehyde-treated soybean oil-meal has been determined by using a sensitive HPLC method. Results showed a significant linear correlation between ingested formaldehyde and formaldehyde concentration in milk. About 0.02% of ingested formaldehyde was excreted in milk, as free formaldehyde.     

The Influence of Immigration on Global City Housing Markets: The Canadian Perspective

Current demographic trends in Canada include population aging and declining household growth. These trends generally result in falling housing demand and stable or declining house prices. Housing markets in Canada's major cities, however, have been characterized by increases in demand and prices in recent years; due in large part to the influence of arriving immigrants. The destinations of 76 percent of international immigrants to Canada are the three global cities—Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal—where they have a very significant effect on housing demand, particularly as under current immigration policy many of those arriving come with considerable wealth. Their influence, however, is much broader and includes the growth of exclusive, prosperous immigrant neighbourhoods, new architectural designs and other neighbourhood changes. Not all immigrants, however, arrive with wealth. Many are poor, live in less attractive neighbourhoods and pay unrealistic amounts of their inadequate incomes for poor quality housing. Some end up homeless on the street. The role of immigrants in housing markets is an important consideration for urban and housing policy.     

Neutron Reflectometry Characterization of Interface Width between Sol-Gel Titanium Dioxide and Silicon Dioxide Thin Films

Neutron reflectometry (NR) was used to directly measure the interface width between a titanium dioxide and a silicon dioxide film deposited by sol-gel processing. In a bilayer heated to 450°C, NR measurements showed that the interface width is 0.8 nm. This width is the same as the roughness of a sol-gel silicon dioxide surface after the same heat treatment, suggesting no interdiffusion or mixing at the bilayer interface.     

Cuticle chirality and body handedness in Caenorhabditis elegans

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Norway has the highest reported incidence of hip fractures in western Europe. Little is known about the epidemiology of falls in Norway where the winter season is long and dark. The objective of this work was to study reported falls and their consequences among elderly Norwegians living at home. METHODS: A cross-sectional design was used for the study. Interviews were performed in the homes of 431 subjects, aged 67-97 years, living at home. Information on falling was gathered through six questions: whether the subject had fallen during the last six months, and if so, how many falls they had, where the last fall occurred, its perceived reason, the activity the subject had been engaged in when the fall occurred, and the resulting injury. RESULTS: In all, 24.1% of subjects reported falling during the last six months, and 9.5% had suffered more than one fall. Falls were most frequently linked to external events (63.1%). Outdoor falls were more frequent (59.0%; 95% CI = 51.2-82.0) than indoor falls. Older subjects were associated with more frequent indoor falls (p < 0.05), but gender was not significant. Fifty-one per cent of subjects had fallen while walking and 53% had suffered an injury from the last fall. In 13.4% of the women and 16.2% of the men, the last fall had resulted in a fracture. CONCLUSIONS: Compared to the results of other studies from industrialized Western countries, a similar crude fall rate, similar frequency and similar type of injury were found. However, in contrast to other studies, no gender difference was observed with regard to falling, place of falling and fracture rate.