guiding an organization to be responsive is a formidable challenge Building a business for long-term success requires focusing on big-picture sustainable decisions and being prepared to adjust when necessary It also means steering clear of myopic behavior This is the overarching message Mario Meise conveys when he hops on a Zoom call with Machine Design to talk about 40 years as a supplier of industrial control components and instrumentation Four decades is a significant milestone for any family-run business it is a moment to reflect on what it takes to remain resilient When Heinz Meise founded Altech Corporation in 1984 his business vision was to source spare parts for users of European equipment in the United States It was a business he was credentialed to pursue Heinz had worked on rocket systems while still in German service and stationed in Texas “My father’s first job was with a company called AEG Telefunken which was back then a contemporary to Siemens,” recalled Meise other than when it pertains to appliances in Germany he anchored his company headquarters in Flemington because of the proximity to major highways that’s where I came to be,” mused Meise “I must have been in my mid to early teens but I remember my dad asking me in his study That early memory of involvement in decision-making provides a perspicuous glimpse into generational leadership and the unique dynamics that involve family ties succession planning and being considerate of the viewpoints of different generations.  Meise was 27 when he was entrusted with the responsibility of running the company “I literally grew up with the business,” he said I’ve picked up freight from the airport I’ve taken orders to the airport late at night “I became the warehouse manager in April 2020,” said Taylor whose transition to a full-time role in the company follows a conspicuously similar pattern Taylor honed his skill set from the ground up first by helping to label packages in the warehouse and performing odd jobs shipping and receiving to making assemblies taking pallets to distributors and driving scrap to the scrapyard Out of 33.2 million small businesses in the United States few can report of not being challenged to adapt their supply chains to the ebb and flow of the market And even though economic cycles move from expansion to contraction and back again leaders can only confirm their organizations are truly resilient when they face adversity and overcome challenges there are two standout events: The Great Recession and the COVID pandemic “We survived 2008; everybody did,” Meise said the speed of orders dried up and production was cut back firms following just-in-time inventory practices were hit hard When the COVID pandemic hit in March 2020 shelter-in-place orders and travel restrictions triggered unprecedented disruption to production and supply chains and left some businesses unable to cope Even though Altech was deemed an essential business its operations were not immune to the knock-on effects who has since been promoted to product manager “The infrastructure that was already in place was designed for just-in-time inventory,” said Taylor “The second you stuck a wrench into years of just-in-time delivery and logistics It really made people question where their raw materials and product come from and how it gets here.” That Taylor could take on more responsibility just as the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 viral disease a pandemic on March 11, 2020, was opportune. The pandemic triggered unprecedented disruption to production and supply chains and left many businesses unable to cope. “[The pandemic], quite frankly, was one of the hardest challenges I had faced to that point,” said Taylor. “There were a lot of unknowns at the time, which added to the fear and civic concern. No one really knew what was going on.”  He recalled watching New York’s then-governor, Andrew Cuomo, share daily briefs during the early days of the pandemic and witnessing the supply chain effects firsthand, as small ships were coming into New York City. Altech responded without delay with accommodation for employees. “We made some major changes, specifically in how we treat our employees and how we pay them,” said Taylor. Altech paid for their gasoline and wear-and-tear on vehicles, as well as increased employee’s sick leave. Moreover, Altech started profit sharing to increase employees’ compensation. The biggest accomplishment, stressed Taylor, was reassuring employees that the company had their backs. “I think they really appreciated it,” he said. “And it really gave me an appreciation for the things that matter when it comes to running an operation.” “COVID taught everybody the virtue of patience,” said Meise. “Everybody was in the same boat. Everybody had a hard time getting things. So, everybody relaxed and wasn’t pushing so hard.” The result of this was that people were more understanding of lead times and product availability, reflected Meise. “Still, no matter how much inventory you carry, there is always one customer, one distributor, one client, who won’t be satisfied because they need it yesterday,” Meise added. These days, persistent supply chain issues are buoyed by international conflicts, sustainability issues, labor shortages and financial downturns. “With recent supply chain issues coming up, we had been expediting nicely but placing double inventory because nobody knew when or how they would get inventory they needed to finish a project,” Meise said. “This has resulted in the supply chain getting very full.” Meise pointed out that interest rates have increased in certain economic hubs. “When interest rates go up, projects become more expensive, projects get postponed, the cost of manufacturing becomes expensive and the cost of goods gets more expensive as well,” he explained. “So, demand goes down and we have a state where everybody has a lot of inventory, followed by a decline in business—to the point where clients are not taking the inventory.” He has also observed that the level of patience he witnessed through the pandemic (“where everybody is trying to help each other”) is starting to wane. “The past few years really shone a light on how fragile this global economy really is,” said Meise. “And it’s leading a lot of countries, a lot of companies to onshore a lot of [components and materials] they had offshored over the past 40 years.” Times of adversity and recovery from major events ultimately influence the decision-making approach that leaders must take. To this end, the pandemic has been a big stress test for Altech. Current disruptions—trade embargoes, geopolitics, a rise in regulations, ESG and labor shortages—signal a new set of risks. Meise is listening carefully to what the market needs him to do. Fortunately, Altech’s small footprint enables the company to react quickly, he said. At weekly stand-up meetings, project managers now extend conversations to supply chain threats. “Employees dealing internationally with our suppliers are aware of what’s happening with each other’s suppliers,” he said. Collecting, analyzing and disseminating intelligence will help his team understand how events relate, why they are meaningful to the organization and help them identify ways to address vulnerabilities early on. Conscious leaders engage in the natural disorder of the market and don’t recoil; they know that the backdrop of economic chaos is not their story alone, but in a sense, the narrative arc that most small businesses live through. Today was Altech’s turn to tell the story of how it pivots as necessary—and to give hope. For Meise, that means staying humble and taking care of staff to foster resilience. He still banks on his mother, Estela Meise, who is Altech’s CFO, and his daughter, Naomie Meise, is being mentored in the marketing department. “The most important knowledge base is the knowledge your people hold,” he said.  Taylor echoed his father’s sentiment. “Knowing when to listen, using the information properly and being willing to take risks and follow your gut in this regard,” he reflected. “There’s a whole network of people that are affected by everything that we do. And we owe it to them, not only to run a sound business, but we owe it to them because this is how they make a living.” Both principals agree there’s much to be said about maintaining foundational values. And for Meise, the task at hand is to press on with a purposeful refrain: “Being steadfast is important, holding on to certain traditions are important, and still being open to change—listening to your staff, listening to your son’s thoughts, supporting and having your staff’s back. My door here is always open.” Follow Rehana Begg via the following social media handles: ​CategoriesCategoriesEnglishGENERALWorld's largest titan arum in bloom at Meise Botanic Garden13 August 2024 A new titan arum began flowering on Monday evening at Meise Botanic Garden The plant has an impressive height of 3.21m making it the largest of its kind in the world An official measurement of the plant will take place this morning Meise will have a new record in the Guinness Book of World Records The first titan arum at Meise Botanic Garden flowered in 2008 The current specimen originally came from the Ghent Botanic Garden and arrived in Meise in 2014 The plant is considered the largest flower in the world and is also one of the smelliest plants on Earth – it emits a foul smell of rotten flesh when in bloom This putrid smell is meant to attract insects The flowering of the titan arum lasts only 48 to 72 hours To give as many people as possible a chance to see the flower the site will remain open until 21.00 on Tuesday and Wednesday #FlandersNewsService | A titan arum in bloom at Meise Botanic Garden in May 2020 © BELGA PHOTO LAURIE DIEFFEMBACQ Copy linkGet updates in your mailboxYour email addressSubscribeBy clicking "Subscribe" I confirm I have read and agree to the Privacy Policy rapid and high-quality information 24 hours a day from Belgium and abroad to all Belgian media not to mention entertainment and lifestyle our journalists and press photographers produce hundreds of photos and news stories Since the end of March 2022 English has been added as a language businesses and various organisations that need reliable information Belga News Agency also offers a comprehensive range of corporate services to meet all their communication needs www.belganewsagency.eu Text description provided by the architects. Lying at the heart of the 92-hectare Meise Botanic Garden The Green Ark Project features the successful renovation of 7,600 m2 of greenhouse complex and the installation of a spectacular hyperboloid pavilion made with sustainable Kebony Clear wood housing more than 10,000 species of endangered plants across 22 different greenhouses each independently regulated to ensure optimal temperature and climate conditions for the diverse collection of flora Amongst the pioneering new technologies installed at the Green Ark is an irrigation system that recycles the rainwater that falls onto the building contributing to the reduction of energy consumption which has been halved in comparison to the old greenhouse facilities The Green Ark will also act as a learning hub, educating the Meise Botanic Garden’s 240,000 annual visitors about the ever-increasing threat that climate change poses to the planet’s biodiversity and the innovations to protect the environment for future generations. © N/AThe fast-growing FSC-certified softwoods used by Kebony are specifically planted for this purpose and grow to the desired sixes in 25-30 years while hardwoods can take 80-200 years to grow The dual modification™ process permanently transforms the wood cell walls by forming locked-in furan polymers increasing the dimensional stability and hardness of the wood guaranteeing both long life and a high level of safety You'll now receive updates based on what you follow Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors If you have done all of this and still can't find the email The ground floor provides views into the surrounding greenhouses The wooden pavilion adjoins some of the site's 22 greenhouses The roof structure is made from Kebony's modified softwood set in the heart of Belgium's Meise Botanic Garden is an ultra-sustainable visitor pavilion by NU Architectuur Atelier The Green Ark now graces the Meise Botanic Garden on the grounds of Bouchout Castle in the Flemish Brabant The new pavilion is part of a project to revive and extend 7,600 sq m of greenhouses in this centre of plant conservation is fashioned from Kebony Clear wood to create a dramatic lattice structure at the heart of the 92-hectare Botanic Garden’s conservatory complex The Meise Botanic Garden is one of the world’s largest conservatories of endangered plant species The restoration project encompassed the Garden’s 22 different greenhouses each one dedicated to a particular environment while education and conservation are also a key part of the activities on site NU have created a dramatic centrepiece in the Green Ark a pavilion that sits at the heart of the one of the newly restored conservatories and offers visitor and educational experiences The new structure has a curved roof of Kebony wood shingles that appear like scales as they cascade down its steep curved sides the huge arched roof reveals the naked wood structure raised up on a concrete frame with a glazed ground floor that looks into the surrounding sweep of glasshouses The wooden pavilion adjoins some of the site's 22 greenhouses Working alongside the Flemish Government and De Keyser Wood Industry NU have made the most of Kebony’s FSC certified softwoods The company has become renowned for its ‘modified wood’ process – and for its support of artists architects and designers – which uses softwood’s much faster growth rate and a special process of combining the wood with furan polymers to increase its solidity and stability This puts Kebony’s softwoods on a par with hardwoods at a fraction of the cost and growing team leading to far more sustainable outcomes for sourcing and carbon capture The roof structure is made from Kebony's modified softwood NU’s Green Ark makes a timely and striking statement epitomising a more ecologically-led approach to structural timber and avoiding the use of tropical hardwoods The new pavilion is also set up to recycle rainwater from the shingled roof while the rest of the roof structure is a flat terrace that gives elevated views into the surrounding greenhouses There is also a connection to the on-site seed bank offering visitors an insight into the ongoing conservation work at the Meise Botanic Garden NUarchitectuurAtelier.com Kebony.com escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox PlantentuinMeise.be Jonathan Bell has written for Wallpaper* magazine since 1999 covering everything from architecture and transport design to books He is now the magazine’s Transport and Technology Editor He is also the host of Wallpaper’s first podcast In the context of the university’s 600th anniversary researchers of the KU Leuven Plant Institute in collaboration with Onan Coffee & Tea launched the 600 Years Blend; an exclusive coffee blend that celebrates the university and the scientific research on sustainable coffee production The blend is composed of coffee beans from Brazil and is a tribute to the researchers and farmers committed to sustainable coffee production Researchers of the KU Leuven Plant Institute and the Meise Botanical Garden developed this special coffee in collaboration with Onan Coffee & Tea they want to highlight the importance of traceability The blend contains coffee beans originating from two areas that play a crucial role in the conservation and the future of coffee: Ethiopia and DR Congo The 600 Years Blend was launched at an event called ‘Een boontje voor (duurzame) koffie’ (A taste for (sustainable) coffee) which was part of the KU Leuven Inside programme on 15 and 16 February at the Plant Institute in Heverlee Visitors could sample coffee from the rain forests of Ethiopia and the Congo Basin in collaboration with the Meise Botanical Garden contributes to the conservation of wild coffee in tropical forests people could visit the Coffee Stories exposition in the University Hall where they could dive into the rich history and heritage of coffee who recently obtained his PhD on robusta coffee in Congo and is a recognised coffee grader highlights the scientific and ecological value of this blend: ‘A sustainable coffee production starts with scientific insight and innovation we are taking a step towards more awareness around the coffee cultivation process and around the need to conserve the rain forests where coffee originated from.’ limited edition and can be purchased from 15 February at KU Leuven KUp in the University Hall The coffee beans are roasted by Onan Coffee & Tea and are suitable for espresso and filter coffee More information on the website of Onan Coffee & Tea symbolises a balanced commitment to environmental stewardship and educational outreach and is the focal point of the larger project The pavilion too and its distinctive dome, with its hyperbolic paraboloid profile, exceeds its visual bearings, which draw from both Bernard Rudofsky’s tectonics and "vernacular poetry", according to the architects. It is a multi-functional and educational space, designed to enhance visitor interaction with the garden’s diverse plant species while also highlighting the critical issues of climate change and biodiversity loss Its integration into the landscape—tucked away in a romantical park setting—creates a serene and contemplative atmosphere but also inspiring them to slow down and observe The decision to use Kebony Clear Wood to craft this pavilion stems from a need for sustainable yet visually appealing material. Developed in Norway Kebony Wood is especially renowned for these properties and more which involves chemically and thermally treating FSC-certified softwoods aesthetically pleasing material that is comparable to tropical hardwoods This innovative approach not only offers superior stability and longevity but also contributes to carbon sequestration partly addressing one of the most pressing challenges of our time The pavilion’s roof, clad in Kebony Wood shingles, exhibits a fish-scale texture that enhances its visual fluidity and echoes the natural forms found within the garden. This textural detail serves both an aesthetic and practical function, allowing the pavilion to coalesce with its environment while providing a weather-resistant surface that contributes to the building's sustainability the Green Ark features a dramatic arched wooden structure supported by a concrete frame glazed ground floor allows for uninterrupted views into the surrounding greenhouses creating seamless connections between the pavilion and the garden The design thus celebrates the conglomerated beauty of the plant collection in the gardens while also underscoring the pavilion’s primary function as an educational hub By demonstrating practical applications of green technology the pavilion serves as a striving example of sustainable design within a setting designed to enhance a natural environment Visitors to the Green Ark therefore have dual opportunities of engaging with the architecture including admiring its rustic but enduring appeal and gaining insights into the innovative solutions being employed to address climate change and protect endangered species Through its architectural and ecological significance and a programme outlined to pronounce that the Green Ark can function as an educational centre within the Meise Botanic Gardens It offers a range of interactive experiences designed to engage the public in the conservation efforts underway workshops and guided tours are integral to the pavilion’s mission providing visitors with a deeper understanding of the challenges facing global biodiversity and the role of conservation in mitigating these threats The pavilion’s design facilitates this educational role through its spatial organisation flexible interior of the pavilion can be adapted for various functions Its elevated terrace provides panoramic views over the garden enriching the visitor experience and fostering a greater appreciation for the natural world The design language of the Green Ark is informed by its unique site within the Meise Botanic Garden The pavilion’s placement and form were carefully considered to harmonise with the existing landscape a reflection of the English landscape garden tradition This approach ensures that the Green Ark also respects and complements its historical context Approaching the Green Ark involves a journey through a grove of trees culminating in the discovery of the pavilion nestled amid the greenhouses This experience echoes the exploratory nature of botanical research inviting visitors to immerse themselves in the garden’s rich plant collection Describing the project’s spatial organisation Its construction and operation are very clearly and rationally conceived It has a logistical west side that connects to the backbone of the Botanical Garden The technical corridors and the Green Ark pavilion are arranged in such a way as to avoid conflicts between different flows of users; the view into the heart of the Green Ark or Seed Bank does not interfere with professional operation The pavilion in the Green Ark is designed as a vantage point a separate walk is designed to the Green Ark pavilion and the Seed Bank We position an orangery between the pavilion and the Seed Bank allowing an internal connection between the two The orangery is a large covered deployable space that opens out onto the boulevard between the Green Ark and the service building with the Seed Bank the orangery is also an event extension of the pavilion and can be used during the summer months." innovative environmental technologies and commitment to public education highlight the pivotal role architecture may come to play in addressing an iota of the global challenges thrust upon it Pooja is an architectural historian by education writer-editor-curator by choice and traveller by passion She has worked with Historic Environment Scotland the Victoria and Albert Museum in Scotland She has executed multiple architectural exhibitions and publications exhibitions and publications for effective communication of architecture and design All her free time is spent exploring the world through books and travel From vernacular knowledge to modern sustainability Middle Eastern pavilions serve as living archives of architectural thought offering fresh frameworks for global adoption STIR engages with the curators of the Togo Oman and Qatar pavilions—debuting at the Venice Architecture Biennale 2025—on representation the book presents a fictional story depicting algorithms exercising control over humans and how this affects the built environment Tipnis shares how the toolbox democratises the practice of restoration via DIY resources to repair tangible urban heritage made of common building materials Exclusive preview for subscribers. Learn More Make your fridays matter. Learn More © Copyright 2019-2025 STIR Design Private Limited Please confirm your email address and we’ll send you a link to reset your password All your bookmarks will be available across all your devices Password must be 8 characters long including one capital letter By creating an account, you acknowledge and agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy by STIR Select the Conversation Category you would like to watch Please enter your details and click submit Single account access for STIRworld.com,STIRpad.com and exclusive STIRfri content Verification link sent to check your inbox or spam folder to complete sign up process by Pooja Suresh Hollannavar | Published on : Sep 02, 2024 This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. The action you just performed triggered the security solution. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. Serum eye drops (SED) are an effective treatment for dry eye syndrome. However, autologous serum collection can have challenges. Patient-tailored (allogeneic) SED (PT-SED) can be made from healthy blood donors. Australian Red Cross Lifeblood has manufactured both autologous SED (Auto-SED) and PT-SED and, in May 2021, introduced Meise vial packaging. This study aimed to explore SED patient-reported outcomes and vial packaging satisfaction. A prospective cohort study was conducted with recruitment between 1 November 2021 and 30 June 2022. Participants completed the dry eye questionnaire (DEQ5), health-related quality-of-life (SF-8™), functional assessment of chronic illness therapy-treatment satisfaction-general (FACIT-TS-G), and general wellbeing surveys. Existing patients completed these once, and new patients were surveyed at baseline, 3 months post-treatment, and 6 months post-treatment. SED improved dry eye symptoms in most patients, regardless of the serum source. Patients using PT-SED showed decreases in some quality-of-life measures; however, recruitment was reduced due to operational constraints, and concurrent comorbidities were not assessed. General feedback for SED and vial packaging was positive, with some improvements identified. Volume 10 - 2023 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fmed.2023.1252688 This article is part of the Research TopicWomen in Science: Ophthalmology 2023View all 8 articles Introduction: Serum eye drops (SED) are an effective treatment for dry eye syndrome autologous serum collection can have challenges Patient-tailored (allogeneic) SED (PT-SED) can be made from healthy blood donors Australian Red Cross Lifeblood has manufactured both autologous SED (Auto-SED) and PT-SED and This study aimed to explore SED patient-reported outcomes and vial packaging satisfaction Methods: A prospective cohort study was conducted with recruitment between 1 November 2021 and 30 June 2022 Participants completed the dry eye questionnaire (DEQ5) health-related quality-of-life (SF-8™) functional assessment of chronic illness therapy-treatment satisfaction-general (FACIT-TS-G) and new patients were surveyed at baseline Results: Participants who completed all study requirements were 24 existing and 40 new Auto-SED and 10 existing and 8 new PT-SED patients Auto-SED patients were younger [56.2 (±14.7) years] than PT-SED patients [71.4 (±10.0) years] Participants used a mean of 1.8 (±1.1) SED DEQ5 scores improved within 6 months from 14.0 (±2.9) to 10.6 (±3.4) for Auto-SED and from 12.9 (±3.7) to 11.4 (±2.8) for PT-SED General wellbeing measures improved in the new Auto-SED from 7.0 (±1.9) to 7.8 (±1.7) but were reduced for new PT-SED from 6.7 (±2.9) to 6.1 (±2.9) Discussion: SED improved dry eye symptoms in most patients Patients using PT-SED showed decreases in some quality-of-life measures; however recruitment was reduced due to operational constraints and concurrent comorbidities were not assessed General feedback for SED and vial packaging was positive These differences can make effective comparisons of patient outcomes following the use of SED more challenging and impact the understanding of which proteins or growth factors are vital for the most effective SED composition Australian Red Cross Lifeblood (Lifeblood) is the national provider of fresh blood and blood products manufactured from blood donations made by voluntary Lifeblood manufactures both autologous serum eye drops (Auto-SED) and patient-tailored (allogenic) serum eye drops (PT-SED) diluted to a concentration of 20% in 0.9% saline SED components are transported using dry-ice to an approved health provider (AHP) close to the patient’s home Auto-SED patients receive a 12 months supply and PT-SED patients receive a 6 months supply which are stored by the patients in domestic freezers Both sources of SED have a 12 months expiration date following manufacture SED users are asked to dispose of vials at the end of the day As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 health service restrictions prevented the collection of autologous donations from patients within AHPs Photograph of the original tubing segments (top) used for serum eye drops and the Meise vials (bottom) introduced in May 2021 Previous studies have shown that Auto-SED has sustained benefits for dry eye in Australian patients (14). However, there are limited standardised studies on the effectiveness of comparing Auto-SED and PT-SED, especially for patients who have been swapped between SED types. One Netherlands study did indicate that autologous and allogeneic SED have comparable efficacy and tolerability (18) we explore both Auto-SED and PT-SED patient group perspectives on the effectiveness of SED products on their eye symptoms and quality of life using standardised dry eye and quality of life surveys Views from all SED patients were also explored on the vial packaging The study was reviewed and approved by the Australian Red Cross Lifeblood Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC) (Mondy 21092021) The study was conducted in accordance with the National Health and Medical Research Council’s National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research (2007 Eligible SED patients between 1 November 2021 and 30 June 2022 who were able to provide written informed consent and were not current Lifeblood staff members were identified through the National Blood Management System (NBMS) administered by Lifeblood Potential participants were screened by a research study nurse to determine study eligibility patients were invited to participate in the study via email or postal letter and data were collected via the online web platform Qualtrics (Qualtrics If a valid email address was not available or if the participant requested it paper-based surveys were sent to the recorded postal address Participants were also able to complete the surveys with research team assistance over the telephone if they requested so participants received a reminder email within 10 days Follow-up telephone calls were also conducted if no response had been received 2 weeks after initial contact If participants asked for the survey to be completed via telephone a research staff member would read out the questions and complete the form on Qualtrics Any feedback provided outside of the survey questions was not recorded to ensure that the feedback was the same as for participants who completed the survey online or via paper-based copies A research study nurse verified details regarding patient medications and clinical indications The survey tools used were chosen because they are well-reported and objectively standardised measurement tools within the medical field to measure patient-reported outcomes They were chosen to determine not only whether dry eye symptoms were reduced but also whether the relief of these symptoms assisted patients with other general wellbeing measures and provided insight into the wider health status of this patient group The dry eye questionnaire (DEQ5) assesses a patient’s experience of dry eye symptoms on a typical day over a month. Questions were included to ascertain the severity and degree of eye discomfort, eye dryness, and excessive wateriness. The five measures are combined into a total score ranging from 0 to 22, where the lower the score, the less severe the symptoms (22) The short form health survey (SF-8™) is a shortened version of the SF-36™ health survey and provides a generic assessment of health-related quality of life in adults, including physical health and functioning, role limitations, bodily pain, vitality, social functioning, mental health, and emotional challenges (23, 24) with higher totals indicating better health The National Eye Institute visual function questionnaire (NEI-VFQ-25) captures vision and health-related quality of life and is one of the most commonly implemented patient-reported outcomes in ophthalmology research (25) two items from the NEI-VFQ-25 have been used to describe the current level of wellbeing and distress these are “I am often irritable because of my eyesight” and “I do not go out of my home alone because of my eyesight.” Scores ranged from 2 to 10 with a higher score indicating a greater level of wellbeing experienced The functional assessment of chronic illness therapy-treatment satisfaction-general (FACIT-TS-G) version 4 measures a patient’s satisfaction with the treatment they have been administered (26) Patients are asked to rate the effectiveness of the treatment compared to expectations physician evaluated effects of the treatment whether they would use the treatment again The responses are combined to provide a score ranging from 0 to 25 with a higher score indicating more satisfaction with the treatment SED treatment-related questions, frequency and volume of SED use, and views on SED were also asked and are outlined in Supplementary Figure S2 Text from open fields within the survey was analysed and coded for inclusion in relevant themes Opt-in participation in a 30 min semi-structured, in-depth phone interview was also conducted on up to five selected individuals per SED group (see Supplementary Figure S2 for a detailed question list) The participants were invited to a qualitative interview at the time of enrollment until up to five individuals had been interviewed per group The interviews were recorded with consent and transcribed by a contracted transcription service Participants received a token gift card to the value of AUD50 to recompense for their time Interview transcripts were analysed using an inductive method with some sections of the transcript coded Statistical analyses of the quantitative data were performed using the statistical software IBM SPSS (IBM SPSS Statistics 28.0; IBM Corporation) Demographic and donation characteristics were described by means (±SD) for continuous parametric variables medians (Med) [interquartile ranges (IQR)] for non-parametric variables and by totals (percentages) for categorical variables Independent t-tests were conducted to determine any univariate means differences between the timepoints for parametric data and a Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used for non-parametric variables Statistical significance was determined as a two-tailed p-value of ≤0.05 Consort diagram of patient enrolment and completion of study requirements a total of 28 existing (50.9% of existing invited) and 44 new (53.0% of new invited) Auto-SED patients and 10 existing (58.8% of existing invited) and 12 new (52.2% of new invited) PT-SED patients consented to participate in the study participants who completed all study requirements for analysis consisted of 24 existing (43.6% of existing invited) and 40 new (48.2% of new invited) Auto-SED recipients (44.4% of total patients provided with Auto-SED) and 8 new (34.8% of new invited) PT-SED patients (42.9% of total patients provided with PT-SED) Previous autologous SED patients that were now being provided with PT-SED due to operational and manufacturing reasons were combined with existing PT-SED patients to enable a more robust analysis Table 1 summarises the demographic and clinical indications for SED requirements The mean age of existing Auto-SED patients was 58.0 (±12.2) years and 55.1 (±16.0) years for new Auto-SED patients PT-SED patients were older than Auto-SED patients with a mean age of 70.7 (±11.5) years for existing patients and 72.3 (±8.7) years for new patients Most (82.8% for Auto-SED and 94.4% for PT-SED) of the patients requiring SED were women SED treatment was required due to the diagnosis of Sjögren’s syndrome (51.6 and 61.1% for Auto-SED and PT-SED SED were also required for neurotrophic corneal diagnosis in 17.2% of Auto-SED patients Dry eye symptoms were experienced for approximately 5 years or more and nearly all patients (82.8% Auto-SED and 88.9% PT-SED) had tried at least one other treatment prior to SED Existing Auto-SED patients had symptoms longer than new Auto-SED patients [15.4 (±14.7) years and 4.9 (±5.5) years Existing PT-SED patients had symptoms for a shorter time than new PT-SED patients [10.0 (±13.5) years and 23.3 (±17.3) years DEQ5 measures were found to change significantly in new Auto-SED patients from baseline to 6 months post-treatment [14.0 (±2.9) to 10.6 (±3.4), p < 0.001] (Table 2) Although not statistically significant in new PT-SED patients the DEQ5 scores trended down from baseline to 6 months post-treatment [12.9 (±3.7) to 11.4 (±2.8)] DEQ5 scores were similar for existing Auto-SED and existing PT-SED at 12.7 (±2.7) and 12.9 (±3.3) the SF-8™ survey showed no improvement from baseline to 6 months post-treatment [19.6 (±6.7) to 18.7 (±6.0)] the SF-8™ was slightly improved at 6 months post-treatment but this was not significant [26.3 (±9.5) to 29.3 (±7.7) the SF-8™ score was higher for PT-SED users than for Auto-SED users General wellbeing improved for new Auto-SED users 6 months post-SED treatment [7.0 (±1.9) to 7.8 (±1.7) p = 0.002] but not for new PT-SED users [6.7 (±2.9) to 6.1 (±2.9) the wellbeing score was higher for existing Auto-SED patients than for existing PT-SED patients [7.1 (±2.1) and 6.4 (±2.3)] The FACIT-TS-G surveys did show a slight improvement in new Auto-SED patients 6 months post-treatment [16.4 (±5.8) to 17.6 (±5.3)] but was not improved in new PT-SED patients [20.1 (±4.1) to 18.4 (±4.6)] the FACIT-TS-G surveys were similar between existing Auto-SED and existing PT-SED patients [21.5 (±3.8) and 19.2 (±4.6)] The number of times SED were used per day and the number of drops each time were similar between Auto-SED and PT-SED users with approximately two drops used up to six times per day (Table 3) Up to four vials were discarded due to damage Up to 180 vials were reported to be discarded due to expiration dates being reached Many patients indicated positive sentiments towards their SED treatment with many comments indicating that they were considered “life-changing.” “It helps me quite a lot because I have a lot of eye complications so the eyedrops really help my eyes feel comfortable that’s how weird and dry they were but the eyedrops really and it turns out that the serum eyedrops seem to have helped heal that scarring so that’s been very pleasant.” “Prior to using the drops my morning vision for up to 3 h after waking was poor About 3 weeks after commencing the drops (miraculously) my morning vision was restored to normal This has had a huge positive impact on my life my vision generally has improved such that I have less need for reading glasses these drops have helped me enormously and I am very grateful!” “Serum drops have been life-changing for me I have multiple autoimmune conditions and in the last year or more I have reacted badly to every eyedrop that I tried… both over the counter and prescription (I also react badly to any oral medications I have to use for my dry mouth) all the nasty symptoms of dry eye have eased and most feedback was to provide options to help patients travel with the SED while frozen some patients reported that storing SED during that time was challenging which we have had—I do not know—the last year It’s much easier to use than the old straw… (When asked what they liked) That I do not have to sterilise them And that you can just snap the top off and use them you cannot take them (Meise vials) with you You cannot take them with you without going to a lot of trouble so I just take over-the-counter eye drops to see me through during the day … I just find when I have used them at room temperature well I’m not going to (take them out)—it’s too problematic to travel with them that they need to stay frozen so no… Even just outings I will not take them with For overseas I have to get a licence to travel with (SED)—because it’s human blood you have to get a special clearance for that So… I was unable to travel with them because I did not get the clearance in time… I just did not know to travel with them because I did not know how to keep them cold on the flight… When I called up my airline they told me that I needed a special clearance and I had one box left at home—I had two boxes at work luckily—and I took them to the evac(uation) centre and they had a freezer there that was on a generator because there was no power… By the time I got to the next place they’d all thawed out It’s because I was desperate… (My eyes were) really badly irritated from having no sleep and being—probably rubbing them They were the worst I’ve ever had them… DEQ5 is a reliable and quick tool to measure SED impact on dry eye, and we feel this could be routinely used for monitoring effectiveness in patients who are new to SED treatment (22) and distress were not as suitable for assessing SED outcomes as there were disparate responses across users Disparate findings were likely due to PT-SED patients being significantly older than patients using Auto-SED PT-SED patients may have more associated comorbidities Information on associated comorbidities and symptom burden for SED users during the study period was not obtained; therefore it was challenging to compare the wellbeing outcomes associated with SED to those that were extraneous Strength of this study was the use of objective standardised surveys and following some patients from before SED was applied to 6 months post-treatment improvements were gained within 3 months of SED use Limitations included the lack of information on comorbidities that may have impacted the overall wellbeing of the patients While information on co-treatments was collected the regime of these treatments when used in conjunction with SED was not provided in detail and would not be useful for any future studies There was also limited recruitment of PT-SED users as a result of regulatory submissions and operational constraints following the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic impacting SED production during the study recruitment period Further to disruptions caused by SARS-CoV-2 the study period was additionally impacted by large geographical areas of Australia experiencing extreme weather events that impacted SED users’ distress and wellbeing Data biases from telephone interviews were reduced where possible by using standardised tools and questions where they may be more positive when they are able to discuss the survey questions with a researcher so their views on effectiveness may have been diminished their views on the new vial packaging are particularly valuable as these patients would have been exposed to both the new vials and had used segmented tubing previously We chose to assess these patients in conjunction with new SED users to determine whether the vial packaging was preferred The use of vial packaging was strongly supported Some indicated that too much serum volume was being discarded from daily vials as the vial volumes were larger than the previously used segmented tubing Some patients indicated challenges with opening the vials due to arthritis and other comorbidities affecting fine motor skills Other patients were frustrated by the lack of solutions to allow travel while keeping the vials at the appropriate cold storage requirements Further to the limited information on patient-reported outcomes following SED use, there is also limited information on whether donor factors affect batches of SED that could influence the effect on patients (19, 28) have been shown to be effective and generally well-tolerated Using tools such as DEQ5 routinely to allow regular standardised measures of associated symptoms and track sustained improvements can be valuable this cohort of SED users indicated that their dry eye symptoms were significantly reduced regardless of the source of the drops provided and that vial packaging did improve the patient treatment experience The raw data supporting the conclusions of this article will be made available by the authors The studies involving humans were approved by Australian Red Cross Lifeblood Human Research Ethics Committee The studies were conducted in accordance with the local legislation and institutional requirements The participants provided their written informed consent to participate in this study and had access to the data to assess and verify study results All authors contributed to the article and approved the submitted version Australian governments fund Australian Red Cross Lifeblood to provide blood blood products and services to the Australian community We would like to thank Australian blood donors who provide blood and blood products for the community to enable this study We thank all of the recipients of serum eye drops who participated in this study and Kosta Thompson who provided study administration support Lifeblood Pathology and Clinical Governance administration team and Lifeblood Clinical Nurse Advisors for support in patient identification and SED manufacture support And we also thank Abby Edwards who assisted with interviews and Catherine Willis who assisted with detailed process mapping of serum eye drop manufacture and distribution The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher The Supplementary material for this article can be found online at: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmed.2023.1252688/full#supplementary-material The definition and classification of dry eye disease: report of the Definition and Classification Subcommittee of the International Dry Eye WorkShop (2007) CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Impact of dry eye syndrome on vision-related quality of life Dry eye-related risk factors for digital eye strain Identified risk factors for dry eye syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Australian Institute of Health and Welfare Google Scholar Current trends in pharmaceutical treatment of dry eye disease: a review Comparison of autologous serum eye drops with conventional therapy in a randomised controlled crossover trial for ocular surface disease Patient-reported outcome measures for a large cohort of serum eye drops recipients in the UK Autologous serum eye drops for ocular surface disorders Patient perceptions of autologous serum eye drops for severe dry eye disease Serum eye drops for the treatment of ocular surface diseases: a systematic review and meta-analysis Sustained benefits of autologous serum eye drops on self-reported ocular symptoms and vision-related quality of life in Australian patients with dry eye and corneal epithelial defects Beneficial effect of artificial tears made with autologous serum in patients with keratoconjuncitivitis sicca Preparation and clinical evaluation of succinylated collagen punctal plugs in dry eye syndrome: a pilot study Serum eye drop preparation in Australia: current manufacturing practice Allogeneic and autologous serum eye drops: a pilot double-blind randomized crossover trial Serum growth factor stability in different eye drop packaging systems during storage Validation of a closed system for dispensing serum eye drops Research electronic data capture (REDCap)—a metadata-driven methodology and workflow process for providing translational research informatics support Validation of the 5-item dry eye questionnaire (DEQ-5): discrimination across self-assessed severity and aqueous tear deficient dry eye diagnoses Use of structural equation modeling to test the construct validity of the SF-36 health survey in ten countries: results from the IQOLA Project How to score and interpret single-item health status measures: a manual for users of the SF-8™ health survey Google Scholar The NEI VFQ-25C: calibrating items in the National Eye Institute visual function questionnaire-25 to enable comparison of outcome measures Development and validation of the functional assessment of chronic illness therapy treatment satisfaction (FACIT TS) measures Allogeneic serum eye drops: time these became the norm PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Blood derived treatment from two allogeneic sources for severe dry eye associated to keratopathy: a multicentre randomised cross over clinical trial Knight E and Hirani R (2023) Patient-reported outcomes of serum eye drops manufactured from Australian blood donations and packaged using Meise vials Received: 04 July 2023; Accepted: 17 August 2023; Published: 05 September 2023 Copyright © 2023 Gemelli, Mondy, Kakkos, O’Donovan, Diaz, Knight and Hirani. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY) distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited in accordance with accepted academic practice distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms *Correspondence: Rena Hirani, cmhpcmFuaUByZWRjcm9zc2Jsb29kLm9yZy5hdQ== Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher. 94% of researchers rate our articles as excellent or goodLearn more about the work of our research integrity team to safeguard the quality of each article we publish. Page unavailable.This page either does not exist or is currently unavailable From here you can either hit the "back" button on your browser to return to the previous page, or visit the ABCNews.com Home Page You can also search for something on our site below Meise Botanic Gardens' titan arum has officially entered the record books the plant’s flower is the largest “corpse flower” ever recorded Under the supervision of a bailiff the flower was measures and turned out to be 12cm bigger than the previous record-holder This is more than enough to ensure it a place in the Guiness Book of Records staff at the Meise Botanical Garden realised their titan arum is a particularly large specimen Their initial measurement showed that the plant that is currently flowering was some 3.16 metres tall This was 6cm bigger than the previous record holder they had to wait until Monday for a bailiff to come and officially confirm the new record The result of the official measuring of the plant exceeded expectations The Botanical Garden’s Koen Es told VRT News "We have a world record At 3.22 metres the titan arum is even bigger than expected The corpse plant has gained a place in the Guinness Book of Records." but our plants are also very well cared for by gardeners with a lot of experience They have rightly received congratulations from colleagues from all over the world They have even heard about it in Australia." — A woman who appeared to have been "forcibly kidnapped/abducted" on Tuesday afternoon was found safe in Wheat Ridge investigators received a tip that the missing woman were at an apartment along the 10200 block of 44th Avenue The unit was owned by one of Foster's relatives Deputies began to negotiate with Foster and agreed to release Meise who confirmed to deputies she had been kidnapped and was being held against her will Foster refused to surrender and the West Metro SWAT team was called in They were able to rescue Foster's grandmother — The Colorado Bureau of Investigation has issued an Endangered Missing Alert for a woman who was kidnapped by her ex-boyfriend in Aurora was last seen by witnesses being "forcibly kidnapped/abducted" around 5:47 p.m 3 inches tall and 135 pounds with brown hair and blue eyes According to the Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office Foster is Meise's ex-boyfriend and had been stalking her 10 inches tall and 190 pounds with bald or brown hair and blue eyes He has multiple tattoos on his head and neck It is believed the two are traveling in an unknown direction on Interstate 70 The vehicle is described as a black 2008 Lincoln MKZ with Colorado license plate BTM-A53 A metro-wide Be On The Lookout (BOLO) alert was issued Anyone with information about Meise or Foster's location is asked to call 911 or the Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office at 303-795-4711 107 North Broad StMilford, CT 06460">203-874-0268 Marina Pavido: How did the idea of making Great Freedom come about Sebastian Meise: There are documents that testify how some people we found it unbelievable and started researching to find out what was behind it I knew very well that at one time homosexuality was something forbidden but I did not know how long this prohibition had lasted It was something that touched me deeply and that I wanted to further research P.: The film mainly depicts a beautiful love story but it also deals with very topical issues How important do you think it is today to do politics through a film I believe that a film should not primarily have political aims I believe that a film can hardly lead to important political changes the starting point is the life of homosexuals in wartime but then the story focuses on these two men who meet in a kind of dystopian world and develop a relationship in a world where it is practically impossible for it to exist P.: The protagonists Hans (played by Franz Rogowski) and Viktor (Georg Friedrich) initially seem very different from each other M.: The characters developed almost by themselves The character of Hans came about as a result of several encounters with people who went through the same experiences as him These were people we met during our research and who Hence the idea of his relationship with Viktor: Viktor is a man Hans often meets during his time in prison he is a figure who recurs frequently during his life in prison Their story came out almost naturally and we ourselves were almost surprised what could happen between them over the years (laughs) P.: There are certain objects that play a rather important role in the film How do such objects manage to communicate what the two characters do not say to each other M.: In this case it is not simply a matter of film language It is something that they both do not really need but it is nevertheless something that is there at that moment and that is employed to create a contact between them What I find most moving in this story is that their relationship is something that is difficult to define Even in real life you often meet people with whom you establish a relationship that is difficult to define or perhaps cannot be defined P.: The location where the story takes place could almost be defined as a non-place What were the main difficulties during filming although the cells were very narrow and in some cases it could be complicated to shoot scenes there And then there was also the problem that it was very cold in winter there were other spaces that were quite large I really liked the atmosphere within the crew where lots and lots of stories have taken place we often talked about what those who had been there before us had experienced I believe that these real locations can give the whole film an even more realistic character although even simply with post production you can give the film the effect you want P.: Freedom is something that paradoxically can also be found inside a prison the greatest difficulty lies in finding funding does not always manage to be ‘free’ has always looked for ways to make art production as free as possible Yet I think it is important to have limits when you have too much freedom you feel lost When did you realise you wanted to be a director Then I said to myself: you should become a director (laughs) But maybe I already had the feeling that these two ‘half-talents’ could lead to a bigger talent So I took the exam to enter the Filmakademie and it finally worked out even though being a filmmaker does not have much to do with the professions of musician or painter I believe that a film has a lot to do with music in general also in terms of the narrative rhythm itself It could almost be considered a kind of ‘musical composition’ P.: Are there any films or directors that were particularly important during your studies as a filmmaker my father often made me watch Werner Herzog’s Fitzcarraldo (at least once a year we had to watch it Fitzcarraldo in my opinion describes very well what it means to make a film: it is about carrying out a gigantic project but in the end the result is something we never expected P.: One last question: are you currently working on any new projects but at the moment it is still in its infancy and I think it will go on slowly and for a long time yet (laughs) Privacy Policy(function (w,d) {var loader = function () {var s = d.createElement("script") tag = d.getElementsByTagName("script")[0]; s.src="https://cdn.iubenda.com/iubenda.js"; tag.parentNode.insertBefore(s,tag);}; if(w.addEventListener){w.addEventListener("load" false);}else if(w.attachEvent){w.attachEvent("onload" loader);}else{w.onload = loader;}})(window Cinema Austriaco 2019 – 2025 All Rights Reserved – Online magazine registered at the Court of Rome (No MEDFORD — Two cooperative sober living homes are allowed to continue operations after receiving approvals last month after hours of testimony before the Zoning Board who runs the two homes on South Main Street through Empower Recovery LLC opened the facilities in the summer and received the new Class F Cooperative Sober Living licenses from the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs gentlemen — are in recovery from alcohol or drug addiction and have gone through the stages of treatment and are looking for a structured place to get their lives together,” he said at the first meeting in October Meise is allowed to have up to five men in each of the properties with each home required to have a house manager Meise serves as the house manager for one property that is attached to his home as a part of a duplex while he has a full-time manager at the other drug-free location for people struggling with addiction to maintain their sobriety as long as they follow a set of rules taking drug tests about three times a week participating in meetings and fulfilling chores around the household “We know what it’s like to suffer and have nowhere to go,” house manager Ryan Korsick testified at the December meeting argued that despite Meise's good intentions the homes are having a negative impact on their neighborhood “Property values are going to be negatively impacted by the operation of these sober houses,” resident Timothy Kearns said “Our quality of life has already been impacted.” Residents cited parking issues and house members having loud conversations outside They also expressed concerns about potential fights and arguments if a resident is evicted Meise testified that his house manager called the police once to help escort someone out of the home who refused to leave after breaking a rule Residents said they were concerned about the disruptions this could cause in the neighborhood asked that some of the standards laid out by the National Alliance of Recovery Residences be adopted into the house rules particularly the section on “how to be a good neighbor.” Those include recommendations like having “policies and procedures (to) provide neighbors with the responsible person’s contact information upon request.” “What is the protocol when a resident gets evicted?” he asked at the December meeting Resident John Merefield said that he didn’t agree that the facilities are operated like regular single-family homes “I don’t think two of these places belong together,” he said “It’s bad enough that somebody’s going to have this by them but they shouldn’t have to have two of them right next door to each other.” Meise’s fiance who is in recovery and helps him run the homes said she and Meise are trying their best to help those in addiction and will make people leave if they violate their rules she said she believes some residents have stigmas against those seeking help “I’m just so emotionally angry about this but when you say ‘these people’ and when you have to live next to ‘these people,’ that hurts,” she said I don’t want to be near them.’ We didn’t chose to be addicts and we fought hard to change our lives.” The board eventually voted to approve the variance for both properties with a set of conditions requiring Meise to maintain his annual licensing from the state These were the first Cooperative Sober Living Residences approved in the township townships and applicants are still trying to figure out all the steps it’s a fairly new use for all of us,” she said at the December meeting Walters said she has represented multiple sober home owners from Burlington to Salem counties as they tried to navigate through the new regulations “The regulations that established this new Class F license (2018),” Walters said at the October meeting “All the CSLRs that were operating (without a license) .. everyone is going through the application process.” The element requested is either not valid or does not exist ALBION – Two people from Albion were arrested this morning for allegedly making and possessing methamphetamine Law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at 40 Beechwood Blvd Police seized over 8 grams of methamphetamine the Orleans County Major Felony Crime Task Force is reporting The Task Force was joined in executing the search warrant by the State Police S.O.R.T the Albion Police Department and the Medina Police Department They both have been charged with 1 count of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the second degree (Class A II felony) 1 count of unlawful manufacturing of methamphetamine in the third degree (Class D felony) and 1 count of criminal possession of precursors of methamphetamine (Class E felony) They were arraigned in Orleans County Court by County Court Judge Sanford Church He sent bail at $20,000 cash or $100,000 bond for Richard Meise Judge Church sent bail for Linda Meise at $10,000 cash or $20,000 bond She also has been committed to the county jail Both are to appear in Gaines Town Court at 10 a.m and additional arrests and charges are pending A proud member of LION Publishers – supporting local The outcome of the seven judiciary races that took place Thursday in the City of Dickson and Dickson County was both predictable—and stunning Attorney Michael Meise easily unseated incumbent Andy Jackson for Juvenile Court Judge after Jackson's 33-year run Meise finished had 6,075 votes compared to Jackson's 3,539 votes Meise said he felt a lot of love from Dickson Countians during the course of the campaign "I feel overwhelmed by the support and the love and just so many people who have helped me," Meise said upon getting the official results reconfirmed what a wonderful county I live in and what wonderful people we have here." will take the bench in Circuit Court Divisions I and II for the 23rd Judicial District Suzanne Lockert-Mash was elected judge for 23rd Judicial District Circuit Court Lockert-Mash had 9,129 votes while Smith finished with 8,631 votes More than 5,000 of Smith's votes were from Dickson County The 23rd Judicial District includes Dickson Craig Monsue won the General Sessions judge seat by a narrow margin over Jim Sowell but handily over Joe Hall Thompson after General Sessions Court judge Durwood Moore retired from that spot after having served since 1974 Monsue finished with 2,609 votes while Sowell garnered 2,529 votes Municipal Court Judge Reese Holley was uncontested and will be returning to oversee the City of Dickson's municipal court for the next eight years Circuit Court judges Robert Burch of Division I and George Sexton of Division III both retired – An Orleans County couple has been accused of manufacturing and possessing methamphetamine were arrested after an investigation into meth distribution in Albion A search warrant was executed on the couple’s Beechwood Boulevard home during which investigators say more than eight grams of meth and more than four ounces of methamphetamine oil Each suspect was charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance unlawful manufacturing of methamphetamine and criminal possession of precursors of methamphetamine Richard Meise was remanded to the Orleans County Jail on $20,000 cash bail or $100,000 bond Linda Meise was remanded to jail on $10,000 bail or $20,000 bond Investigators say further charges and arrests in the case are pending By 2022-05-25T08:00:00+01:00 Austrian writer-director Sebastian Meise will lead a five-person jury for the Competition programme of the 28th Sarajevo Film Festival (August 12-19 Meise will be joined by filmmakers Lucile Hadzihalilovic from France and Antoneta Alamat Kusijanovic from Croatia; Serbian actor Milan Maric; and Katriel Schory consultant and former director of the Israel Film Fund Meise’s Great Freedom won the jury prize in Un Certain Regard at Cannes 2021 going on to take the Heart of Sarajevo for Best Feature Film and for Best Actor for Georg Freidrich at last year’s Sarajevo Film Festival “I have always had a personal connection to the Sarajevo Film Festival,” said Meise “Sarajevo is a special place and the unique founding spirit of the festival is omnipresent here It is the deeply humanistic belief that film can do what politics cannot: unite people.” Meise joins a list of former jury presidents that includes Mike Leigh Bookmark this page to keep track of all the latest festival dates CAD $90,000 in cash and prizes presented at Friday’s ceremony in Toronto The extended version of Anselm Chan’s ‘The Last Dance’ also picked up two awards ’Thunderbolts*’ has achieved the third-biggest opening number for a US studio film in 2025 Bookmark this page and keep track of the latest film release dates in the UK & Ireland The posting on Trump’s Truth Social platform is sending shockwaves around the world Screen International is the essential resource for the international film industry access to the Screen International archive and supplements including Stars of Tomorrow and World of Locations Site powered by Webvision Cloud By 2021-08-20T07:58:00+01:00 Austrian director Sebastian Meise’s second film Great Freedom won the top prize at this year’s Sarajevo Film Festival as well as the best actor award for Georg Friedrich which premiered in Un Certain Regard at Cannes is set in post-war Germany and follows Hans (Franz Rogowski) who is imprisoned again and again for being homosexual Due to the German Criminal Code’s Paragraph 175 which made homosexual acts between men a crime his desire for freedom is systematically destroyed The one steady relationship in his life becomes his long-time cell mate Austria’s FreibeuterFilm produces with Germany’s Rohfilm Productions and sales are handled by The Match Factory it seems incredible that it took Germany until 1969 to amend Paragraph 175 and 1994 to completely abolish it It tells the story of two people who couldn’t be more different but find each other in their longing for love and freedom The mechanisms of oppression that form the basis of their story are ultimately interchangeable I can say that Section 175 is one of the biggest scandals in recent German history This paragraph was not only inhuman but also unconstitutional Under the pressure of global reform movements The fact that it was only abolished 25 years later was perfidious This saved the state hundreds of thousands of reparations and it did not have to admit that it had violated basic human rights The criminalization and ostracism of gay people could continue Rehabilitation of the 175 post-war victims only happened in Germany in 2017 It came so late that it can almost be described as a mockery because most of those affected had already died and many of them who were still alive no longer wanted the absolution of the state They had spent their entire lives with the stigma and the criminal record of the sex offender I have the feeling that younger generations are also tired of fighting for recognition In a democracy that is committed to human rights LGBT rights should not have to be discussed Much has certainly been achieved in terms of equality but I cannot understand why that happened only a few years ago And how fragile this achievement is can be seen in Hungary today What do you think it says about Nazi heritage of Germany and the general hypocritical attitude of Europe as a whole It is well-known that the Nazi bureaucracy largely remained in office after the war What was completely new to me in the persecution of homosexuals is the role of the allies Since they had similar laws in their own countries it was apparently alright for them that gay men were tortured and murdered in the Third Reich How did you construct the story and the characters We read an article about real cases involving gay German men who were liberated from concentration camps only to be transferred directly to prison so that they could finish serving their sentences according to Section 175 This was the first time I learned that this paragraph even existed and I wondered why I had never heard of this historically significant fact Further research showed the meticulousness and abstruse effort the state invested in pursuing so many harmless men We also did many interviews in Berlin and Vienna with people with first-hand experience These encounters formed the basis for our main character Since the prohibition of love is ultimately also the prohibition of life we have chosen to tell Hans’ story based on his imprisonments What were the biggest challenges with filming in a real prison The mood this place put us in was very important for the atmosphere we wanted to create in this film even if the shooting was complicated from time to time but the limited space and the history of this building helped us imagine the fates that had played out here over the course of the years Even though none of us could imagine what it was like to be locked up You cast two of the most prominent actors currently working in German language How did you work with them on this story that is essentially about the need for love I think most of us know the need for closeness and intimacy In this sense the relationship that grows between these two men is as sincere as any other form of love I find it interesting that a lot of people have the urge to define this relationship Do we have to squeeze everything into a category These two men share something deep and the circumstances they find themselves in allow them to engage with each other Franz and Georg were the only actors I could imagine in these roles and I couldn’t have made this film without them One of the main tasks was to capture the special chemistry that exists between them as actors This in the end has become the heart of the film I am so grateful that I was able to work with them and learn from them The Barcelona producer’s credits include Carlos Marqués-Marcet’s They Will Be Dust Indie veterans say they have little clue as to how a volatile situation will affect them “We are looking to take minority shares in independent scripted film and TV companies,” says Alexandra Lebret The updating list includes titles’ sales agents and key deals Warner Bros./Legendary video game smash passed $720m at the global box office through April 20  The EU is seeking to boost financing for European filmmakers through its equity investment scheme and loan-guarantee facility You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser to improve your experience Skip to Content Map and Directions Buy Tickets Login Donate Donate to the Spring Appeal Buy a Membership Renew a Membership Buy a Gift Membership Buy Gift Cards Buy DVDs and other merchandise Other ways to support Film Forum Our email newsletter comes to your inbox every week with Film Forum's upcoming films and events Sebastian Meise is an Austrian director and screenwriter His acclaimed debut feature film STILL LIFE premiered at San Sebastian IFF and won several awards such as Best Feature Film at Diagonale Film Festival His documentary film OUTING was presented at the Hot Docs Festival in Toronto His second feature film GREAT FREEDOM with German shooting star Franz Rogowski and Berlinale Silver Bear awardee Georg Friedrich in the leading roles had its world premiere in the Official Selection Un Certain Regard of the Cannes Film Festival 2021 He co-founded the Vienna based production company FreibeuterFilm.  Franz Rogowski worked as a dancer and performer at renowned German theatres such as Schaubühne Berlin and Thalia theatre Hamburg before being cast by Jakob Lass in FRONTALWATTE and LOVE STEAKS (Best Actor he joined the Münchner Kammerspiele theatre and at the same time solidified his on-screen credentials with leading roles in Sebastian Schipper‘s award-winning VICTORIA and Jan Henrik Stahlberg‘s BEDBUGS as well as in supporting roles for Michael Haneke’s HAPPY END and Terrence Malick’s A HIDDEN LIFE He had leading roles in TRANSIT by Christian Petzold and IN THE AISLES by Thomas Stuber which both screened in the Official Competition of the Berlin International Film Festival For the latter he received the German Filmprize Lola His latest performance in UNDINE by Christian Petzold premiered at Berlinale Official Competition 2019 Ira Sachs is a filmmaker whose work includes the features FRANKIE Now Playing Email Us Map & Directions Site Credits Privacy Policy Film Forum acknowledges the Lenape peoples This acknowledgement reflects our commitment to shedding light on the ongoing legacies of settler colonialism and forced migration Film Forum is committed to accessibility. If you are using assistive technologies like a screen reader or magnifier and are experiencing difficulties accessing this website, please let us know by emailing filmforum@filmforum.org Wind gusts of 30+ mph along with afternoon and evening blowing dust, could reduce visibility. Weather MapsRadarWoman accusing El Paso officers of beating her after DWI crash has DWI case dismissedby Fallon Fischer Texas (KFOX14/CBS4) — The woman who accused El Paso Police Department officers of beating her in front of her children following an alleged DWI crash had her DWI court case dismissed on Wednesday according to a news release from Attorney Randall Kallinen who represents Anna Marie Barnes Kallinen identified the officers who took place in the alleged beating asJarred R The attorney also said that Barnes has filed a federal lawsuit for the alleged beating that took place while Barnes was handcuffed "An El Paso federal court has twice found enough evidence for a trial on the failure of El Paso to discipline officers for excessive force and failure to train," Kallinen stated The attorney claims the El Paso Police Internal Affairs Department has "has failed to discipline Meise and gave Frank an 8-hour paid suspension." RECOMMENDED:El Paso police officer suspended following abuse claims from woman RECOMMENDED:Woman claims she was beaten by El Paso police officer following crash in westside "It is horrific what happened to Anna Now that the criminal court has vindicated Ms Barnes we shall be moving forward with the lawsuit," said Kallinen "El Paso needs City and County officials who are serious about stopping violent police officers and not protecting them." A crash report filed by EPPD states Barnes was involved in a single-vehicle wreck along the 1700 block of Stanton near the 200 block of Rim Road on August 27 around 10 p.m Barnes was charged with driving while intoxicated with children under 15 years of age and resisting arrest search or transport previously claimed Barnes' nose was broken by one of the two police officers that responded to the crash They also initially claimed that a separate police officer "watched" and "blocked" the view from El Paso Fire Department EMS at the scene as the other police officer beat Barnes The police report states Barnes smelled of alcohol Barnes' attorney previously said that a doctor determined Barnes was "clinically sober" and gave clear answers "To cover up the severe beating officers Frank and Meise made up a story that she was driving while intoxicated yet they failed to do any Standard Field Sobriety tests or request a breath test and when Barnes agreed to a blood test the Texas Department of Public Safety cleared her of intoxication," Kallinen stated in the news release sent Friday RECOMMENDED:DPS: Woman charged with DWI following alleged beating by EPPD officer was not intoxicated The reports stated when officers tried to handcuff Barnes she began to back away and pulled her arms away to break from the officer's grip The report mentioned that while Barnes continued to resist arrest an officer used their leg to sweep Barnes out from under her causing her to fall on her back The officer then tried to handcuff her and she resisted the officer proceeded to strike Barnes several times with an open palm and states she quit resisting after being struck the third time Kallinen said Barnes requires facial reconstruction following the alleged beating Photographs Barnes' attorney provided show her with two bruised circles around her eyes and blood-shot eyes A second photo shows a steering wheel intact from Barnes' SUV The attorney claims Barnes' injuries were not from an airbag deployment The third photo shows a thin tree held up with a 2x4 along the sidewalk with minimal damage and community leaders will discuss the lawsuit at a press conference at 2 p.m Count on us to update you with what is said We reached out to the El Paso Police Department for comment but were not given one because "The El Paso Police Department does not comment on pending litigation," EPPD spokespersonAdrian Cisneros said RECOMMENDED:Suspects who make school threats will be arrested, says El Paso juvenile detention chief Sign up for our newsletter and get each day's top news stories delivered to your inbox. nowFeatured Video - 10 videosVideo4:45 Trump repeats 51st state taunt as Carney prepares for White House visitThe National |10 minutes agoVideo5:43 Canadians retrace their fathers’ footsteps in the NetherlandsThe National |10 hours agoVideo3:10 Air Canada flight credit stolen, used for stranger’s luxury trip | Go PublicThe National |2 hours agoVideo1:59 How GM job cuts could impact OshawaCBC News |May 4Video2:31 Crowds line streets to thank Canadian veterans in NetherlandsCBC News |May 3Video2:05 Gaza faces starvation crisis as Israel blockade enters third monthThe National |10 hours agoVideo2:01 Adidas launches new shoe tailored for people with Down syndromeThe National |10 hours agoMore CBC NewsVideo1:32 It is a priority for CBC to create products that are accessible to all in Canada including people with visual Closed Captioning and Described Video is available for many CBC shows offered on CBC Gem König Galerie is pleased to present Holle-Vanderbilt by artist Michaela Meise (b Agnes stands a gathering of chairs and table; alongside it a ceramic figurine sits over her woven tapestry and feathered pillow-like ceramics furnish the scene the Berlin-based artist continues her investigation of the wooden object potentialities of clay and systems for display Meise brings together distinct topics that at first seem disparate or even contradictory: modern political and cultural artifacts encounter fairytale lore and celebrity-inspired décor Recycled motifs and borrowed reference material are lacquered onto flea market furniture–each operating as a host for pressed Elderflowers feminine fabrics or the engravings of text and currencies that decorate their surface There is a stark directness with which Meise sticks on her cutouts; constellations created seem to bear no strict correspondence to one another and each piece also bears its own idiosyncratic design so that these works become something of an archeological artifact The specific method of textile lacquering implemented by Meise is also something borrowed American trust fund millionaire Gloria Vanderbilt after which the works and exhibition in part takes name is the proverbial Renaissance woman: at once a model Vanderbilt was known for her maximalist use of layering textiles and lacquering vivid fabrics onto the floor Her aesthetic is a blend typical of American bourgeoisie and also indicative of the country home such a language clashes with the weight of various content: the carved Euro and the Krautrock lyrics your father was such a good Nazi Among these empty seats crouches Frau Holle Meise’s ongoing experimentations with clay take the shape now of a Grimm fairytale a popular German story recorded from an enduring pre-Christian legend of a destiny goddess and a deity who shakes her featherbed over the world to make it snow Paralleled against the imagery woven across the other works on view Meise continues her juxtaposition of antiquated mythology against contemporary everyday narrative Such complex relationships are also established through Meise’s titling system where she forges new identities and lineages by hyphenating pairs of family names with Vanderbilt persisting as a foundational molecule the journalist currently in a Turkish detention is fused to the heiress Vanderbilt through Meise’s syntax very different legacies come to an awkward and contentious head-to-head Vanderbilt–a name woven into the fabric of modern American mythologies Vanderbilt–a conglomerate brand name that elicits the highest echelons of the American Dream the one that newcomers seeking refuge might project onto American shores–a dream rapidly disintegrating Vanderbilt–which echoes other comparable dynasties: The Clintons The Trumps; each whose inner lives and workings vividly circulate within the public imagination growing and shifting cumulating identities building stories which are not unlike a myth or even a fairytale Dana is a reporter and Travel Tomorrow’s Associate Editor She graduated in Political Science and International Relations She moved to Brussels from Romania for her studies and Mont des Arts made her fall in love with the city and remain here Spreading over 92ha, just outside Brussels, the Meise Botanic Garden is one of the largest botanic gardens in the world but also a place where you can learn more about the plants you admire on your visit From the plant palace to the culinary garden there are so many things to see and do at the garden I can only hope this article will convince you to visit yourself and admire its beauty you walk on the path that leads to the castle It used to be covered by large beech trees the cobblestone road is guarded by young meta sequoias The species used to be endangered until more specimens were discovered somewhere in China and now it is planted in gardens and parks around the world From the over 20,000 plant species housed at the Meise Botanic Garden more than 7,000 are from temperate zone and thus can be found outside await to be discovered by curious botanic lovers The rose garden is the youngest addition at Meise. It is only 4 years old and not yet at its final stage, as the plants still need time to grow. The roses are planted systematically in concentric circles, based on their historical development, species and provenience. You would be inclined to think that the weather needs to be nice to enjoy a visit at a botanic garden and while a sunny day can indeed allow you to make the most out of the garden at Meise, there are plenty of things to see even on a typical Belgian rainy day. The plant palace is a 1ha greenhouse complex hosting over 10,000 plant species. Each greenhouse of the complex showcases a different biome, so you are transported from the tropical rainforest… Along the way you will find the incredible giant water lilies, which have just started to grow. But also camelias and rhododendrons that fill the room with their sweet gentle aroma. The castle was part of the Bouchout Estate and dates back to the 11th century. Now, it is home to a permanent exhibition that tells the unique history of the estate and the castle and, throughout the year, temporary exhibitions inspired by the world of plants are organised here. This beautiful small museum introduces you to all the surprising characteristics of wood. Here, you can find out all about nature’s most plentiful product and the many ways in which it is used through interactive and engaging activities. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Plantentuin Meise (@plantentuinmeise) If you have the time and are well rested it is certainly the best solution to discover the estate While there are clear paths all around the park since there is still a chance to get lost in the “wild Meise” and wooded areas if you do not have this much time available the Meise Botanic Garden has some special paths prepared Depending on what you would like to see more each walk is designed to show you a different side of the garden showcasing the most beautiful blooms of a specific time of year to the historic gardens or “people and plants” walks As the Meise Botanic Garden is the perfect get away for families the park is designed to be interesting and engaging for children the garden organises sometimes for children there are always interactive elements for children to discover in the plant palace King Amaryllo also takes children on a path that follows the seasonal walks so kids can keep engaged while their parents enjoy the gardens But the king does not only bring the amusement of searching for his cartoonish face around the estate With every occasion he teaches children something about the plants they are seeing so it is a fun and learning experience at the same time one of the most interesting activities prepared for children one that I am still sorry I have not yet had the chance to experience myself A course of over 1km of “walking fun” created solely with natural materials awaits as long as the weather is warm enough for being barefoot Essential cookies enable basic functions and are necessary for the proper function of the website Statistics cookies collect information anonymously This information helps us to understand how our visitors use our website All rights reserved Support forthis publication has been provided through the National Endowment for the Arts Moving Image Source was developed with generous and visionary support from the Hazen Polsky Foundation