An Independent Data and Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB) Recently Evaluated the Interim Patient Safety Database for Simufilam in On-Going Phase 3 Clinical Trials.
The DSMB Recommended the Phase 3 Trials of Simufilam Continue as Planned, Without Modification
The president of the United Auto Workers (UAW) union says a fresh offer of a 21% pay hike from Stellantis is "definitely a no-go" as his rank-and-file have "asked for 40% pay increases" at the bargaining table.
The comments from Shawn Fain come as the UAW strike at plants owned by the Big Three automakers – Ford, General Motors and Stellantis – entered its fourth day Monday.
"We've asked for 40% pay increases and the reason we've asked for 40% pay increases is because in the last four years alone, the CEO pay went up 40%. They are already millionaires," Fain said Sunday on CBS’ "Face the Nation."
"It's shameful that one of the leaders of one of the corporations is sitting in his second home in Acapulco while we are bargaining rather than being at the bargaining table.," Fain added.
United Auto Workers members march in downtown Detroit on Friday. (Paul Sancya / AP Newsroom)
When asked about Stellantis’ 21% pay hike offer, Fain said it is "definitely a no-go."
The automaker said Saturday that "the offer currently on the table would provide Stellantis Hourly Employees with cumulative raises of nearly 21% during this next contract, with an immediate 10% increase at the time of ratification."
"Additionally, we proposed increasing wages for all our Supplemental Employees with a new starting wage rate of $20 per hour – a $4.22 per hour, or 26.7%, increase," it continued.
Stellantis also said Saturday it has "delivered four comprehensive economic proposals to date.
Sen. Bernie Sanders and UAW President Shawn Fain speak at a rally in support of United Auto Workers members as they strike in Detroit, Michigan. (Bill Pugliano / Getty Images)
"Our bargaining team continues to work days, nights and weekends in a responsible manner to fully understand and address each of the Union’s nearly 1,000 demands. Our team continues to take a serious and responsible approach to find creative solutions for each of these demands," it added. "When we work together, we win together. And we look forward to getting everyone back to work as soon as possible."
About 12,700 UAW workers are on strike and have ground production to a halt at three auto plants in Michigan, Ohio and Missouri that produce the Ford Bronco, Jeep Wrangler and Chevrolet Colorado, among other models. The strike officially began on Friday and this is the first time the UAW has done a simultaneous strike against the Big Three.
Supporters and workers cheer as United Auto Workers members go on strike at the Ford Michigan Assembly Plant on Sept. 15, 2023 in Wayne, Michigan. (Bill Pugliano / Getty Images)
The UAW is conducting what it is calling a "stand up strike" in which its unionized workers from designated locals are asked to go on strike at their respective facilities, while those elsewhere around the country continue to work. Union leaders believe this will give them options to potentially escalate the strike incrementally at more facilities as negotiations continue, with a nationwide strike remaining an option.
https://www.foxbusiness.com/economy/uaw-rejects-stellantis-21-pay-hike-offer-weve-asked-40
by Zachary Stieber via The Epoch Times,
A scientific journal is rejecting a request to retract a study that found people who received a COVID-19 booster were more likely to become infected when compared to unvaccinated people.
Analyzing numbers from California's prison system, a research group found that those who received one of the bivalent boosters had a higher infection rate than people who have never received a dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.
Their study was published by the journal Cureus following peer review.
Each study has an author who fields questions and comments. They are known as the corresponding author.
Cureus confirmed that the study's corresponding author has asked the journal to retract the article.
"I can confirm that we were contacted by the corresponding author with a request to retract. However, we have determined that there is no basis for retraction and therefore it will remain published," Graham Parker-Finger, director of publishing and customer success for Cureus, told The Epoch Times via email.
The study was listed as beginning to undergo peer review on Aug. 16. Peer review finished on Aug. 23. The paper was published on Sept. 4. The peer review has not been made public.
Luke Ko, listed as the study's corresponding author, said that he's 17 years old and still in high school.
Mr. Ko told The Epoch Times in an email that while others are listed as co-authors, he was actually the sole author of the paper.
"I initiated this study independently, with dual aims: first, to showcase my analytical skills for college admissions, and second, to emphasize the importance of continuously administering updated vaccines to prisoners," Mr. Ko said.
Those listed as co-authors "had only given verbal commitments to serve as mentors," he added. "They were not given the chance to validate the data I entered, particularly the incorrect figures related to COVID-19 cases in prisons. Furthermore, they did not have the opportunity to review the final draft of the paper, which was submitted to Curesus.com [sic] without their approval."
Mr. Ko claimed to have used ChatGPT for analyzing the data used in the study and said he made "significant errors." He did not specify what the alleged errors were.
"All mentors mistakenly listed as co-authors share my desire to have the paper retracted," Mr. Ko said.
Mr. Ko has not responded to follow-up messages.
The California Correctional Healthcare Services, for whom several of the listed co-authors work, said that an investigation into the paper is happening.
"We are currently looking into the details of this publication and cannot provide additional comments at this time," a spokesperson for the agency told The Epoch Times via email.
The agency declined to provide contact information for the authors it employs, Drs. Gary Malet, Huu Nguyen, and Robert Mayes.
A number listed for Dr. Malet was disconnected while a person who answered a number listed for Dr. Nguyen said it was the wrong number.
No contact information could be located for Dr. Mayes or Lisa Chang of Governors State University, the fifth listed co-author.
The study's focus was the rate of COVID-19 infections from January to July among inmates. It divided inmates into three camps: those who received a bivalent shot, those who were vaccinated but had not received a bivalent, and the unvaccinated.
During the time period, there were 2,835 COVID-19 cases. Of those, 1,187 were among inmates who had received a bivalent, and 568 were among the unvaccinated.
Researchers also drew from vaccination records and found 36,609 inmates had received a bivalent, while 20,889 had received no shots.
The bivalent vaccines were introduced in the fall of 2022.
The researchers calculated infection rates for the bivalent vaccinated and the unvaccinated but excluded the third group, inmates who received a vaccine but not a bivalent, for unclear reasons.
The calculations resulted in the finding that the infection rate among the bivalent vaccinated was 3.2 percent, above the 2.7 percent in the never-vaccinated group.
The gap between the groups was the highest among those aged 65 and above, though it was described as not statistically significant.
The study stated that "the bivalent-vaccinated group had a slightly but statistically significantly higher infection rate than the unvaccinated group in the statewide category and the age ≥50 years category."
The conclusions claimed that the study "supports the benefits of COVID-19 vaccination at a population level, especially in vulnerable, high-density congregate settings."
Dr. Ray Andrews, a retired doctor, disagreed.
"The results showed the vaccines are not effective," he told The Epoch Times.
Other papers and observational data have also suggested the effectiveness of the vaccines, which have never had clinical trial efficacy data and were replaced by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration this month, plummets over time.
Cleveland Clinic researchers, for example, found in June that employees at the clinic who were "up to date" with their vaccines, or had received a bivalent dose, had a higher risk of becoming infected when compared to others.
SeqLL Inc. (“SeqLL” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: SQL, SQLLW), announced today that its board of directors has set September 26, 2023 as the record date for its special stock dividend and cash dividend to be made to the holders of its common stock pursuant to the terms of the Agreement and Plan of Reorganization dated as of May 29, 2023, as amended (the “Merger Agreement”), by and among the Company, SeqLL Merger LLC, Atlantic Acquisition Corp., Atlantic Merger LLC, Lyneer Investments, LLC, IDC Technologies, Inc. and Lyneer Management Holdings LLC. The dividend distribution of shares of common stock of the Company and the cash dividend will be made to all SeqLL common stockholders of record as of the close of business on September 26, 2023 (the "Record Date"). The cash and stock dividends, which are contingent upon, and subject to, the consummation of the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement, are expected to be completed on or about October 2, 2023 (the "distribution date"), subject to certain conditions.
The amount of the cash dividend will be determined in connection with the closing of the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement. The number of shares to be issued in the stock dividend will be determined based on the price per share at which the Company’s common stock is sold in a public offering to be completed prior to the closing under the Merger Agreement. No fractional shares will be distributed in the stock dividend. Additional information regarding the cash dividend and the stock dividend is set forth under the heading “Proposal I – The Merger Proposal” in the Company’s proxy statement included in the Company’s Schedule 14A filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 10, 2023 (the “Proxy Statement”).
No vote or action is required by SeqLL shareholders to receive the special stock and cash dividends. SeqLL shareholders who hold their shares through brokers or other nominees will have their shares of common stock and cash dividend credited to their accounts by their nominees or brokers.
Avinger, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVGR), a commercial-stage medical device company marketing the first and only intravascular image-guided, catheter-based system for diagnosis and treatment of vascular disease, today announced full commercial launch of its Tigereye® ST next generation image-guided chronic total occlusion (CTO) crossing system. With the initiation of full commercial launch, all current and prospective accounts can now order the Tigereye ST device.
Prior to full commercialization, Avinger conducted a limited launch at 11 clinical centers in the United States, with approximately 50 CTO procedures performed with Tigereye ST by 13 physicians. These initial cases highlighted the successful implementation of the new design features into the platform, as well as an excellent safety profile, efficacy in crossing very challenging lesions, and exceptional product reliability.
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/avinger-initiates-full-commercial-launch-120000962.html
Reports that a top US government regulator is taking a hard look at the safety of the iPhone 12 —citing radioactivity concerns that led the French government to ban the device earlier in the week — may be greatly exaggerated, the Post has learned.
At least one news outlet stated Friday that the FDA was specifically investigating the 2020 edition of the popular smartphone — something an agency spokesperson disputed in an email exchange with a reporter.
“Based on the evaluation of the currently available information, the FDA believes that the weight of scientific evidence has not linked exposure to radio frequency energy from cell phone use with any health problems at or below the radio frequency exposure limits set by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC),” FDA press officer Jim McKinney told The Post.
“The FDA continually monitors the scientific studies and public health data for evidence that radio frequency energy from cell phones could cause adverse health effects,” he said.
The FDA is responsible for regulating smartphone safety, along with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
The Post has also contacted the FCC for comment.
Earlier on Friday, the FDA was quoted as “reviewing the available information,” in a story published by the Daily Mail.
The phone fracas comes after French scientists flagged the device for emitting levels of electromagnetic radiation that are absorbed by the body at rates that exceed European Union restrictions.
French digital minister Jean-Noel Barrot clarified that the iPhone 12’s radiation levels were slightly higher than the authorized threshold but stated that they were still below the level which warranted a potential health risk.
Apple has disputed France’s claims, with Reuters reporting that “the iPhone 12 was certified by multiple international bodies as compliant with global standard.”
Still, other members of the EU, including Germany, Belgium and Spain have all signaled they may also be close to banning the popular tech product.
Just don’t look for the United States to follow suit — according to the FDA, at least.
The news comes as Apple unveiled the iPhone 15 on Tuesday to considerable fanfare.
Meanwhile, the tech giant sought to appease the French by offering a software update “to accommodate the testing methods used in France.”
Apple has sold about 100 million iPhone 12’s worldwide, Apple Insider reported, and reported a total of 900 million users in 2022, according to Business of Apps.
The World Health Organisation has never substantiated any adverse health effects caused by the pocketed devices.
However, a plethora of previous research has suggested that exposure to radiation from cell phones can cause a long list of health issues.
Some studies have warned that smartphones may cause cancer, infertility and memory loss.
But iPhone fanatics are still eager to get their hands on the newest device.
So many fans were eager to gawk at the latest version of the gadget that the Apple Store website was out of commission Tuesday morning — hours before the launch of the most expensive iPhone to date.
https://nypost.com/2023/09/15/apple-iphone-12-ban-what-frances-move-could-mean-for-us-users/
In his latest research note, analyst Brian Balchin confirms his positive recommendation. The broker Jefferies is keeping its Buy rating. The target price is revised upwards from EUR 201 to EUR 190.
