Latest news with #Pike
Korea Herald
2 days ago
- Health
- Korea Herald
FROM THE ALZHEIMER'S ASSOCIATION INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE 2025: U.S. POINTER STUDY SHOWS STRUCTURED LIFESTYLE PROGRAM TARGETING MULTIPLE RISK FACTORS IMPROVES COGNITION IN OLDER ADULTS AT RISK OF COGNITIVE DECLINE
Key Takeaways TORONTO, July 29, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Alzheimer's Association U.S. Study to Protect Brain Health Through Lifestyle Intervention to Reduce Risk (U.S. POINTER) — a two-year, multi-site clinical trial testing two different lifestyle interventions in a representative population of older adults at risk for cognitive decline and dementia — found that both interventions improved cognition in older adults at risk of cognitive decline. Trial participants in the structured (STR) intervention showed greater improvement on global cognition compared to the self-guided (SG) intervention, protecting cognition from normal age-related decline for up to two years. The STR intervention differed from the SG intervention in intensity, structure, accountability and support provided. The results were reported for the first time today at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference (AAIC) 2025 in Toronto and online. "Effects Of Structured vs Self-Guided Multidomain Lifestyle Interventions for Global Cognitive Function: The U.S. POINTER Randomized Clinical Trial," was published in The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) simultaneously with the report at AAIC 2025. U.S. POINTER is the first large-scale, randomized controlled clinical trial to demonstrate that an accessible and sustainable healthy lifestyle intervention can protect cognitive function in diverse populations in communities across the United States. "As the burden of dementia grows world-wide, U.S. POINTER affirms a vital public health message: healthy behavior has a powerful impact on brain health," said Joanne Pike, DrPH, Alzheimer's Association president and CEO. "This is a critical public health opportunity. The intervention was effective across a broad, representative group — regardless of sex, ethnicity, APOE genetic risk, or heart health status — demonstrating its applicability and scalability for communities across the country," said Pike. "The positive results of U.S. POINTER encourage us to look at the potential for a combination of a lifestyle program and drug treatment as the next frontier in our fight against cognitive decline and possibly dementia." U.S. POINTER leadership acknowledges participants, their family members and study site staff for their unique and essential contributions: "You helped change what we know about brain health. Thanks to your dedication, time and support, U.S. POINTER delivered groundbreaking results. Your children, grandchildren and generations to come will benefit from the commitment you made." Both interventions focused on physical exercise, nutrition, cognitive challenge and social engagement, and heart health monitoring, but differed in intensity, structure, accountability and support provided. "The potential to improve cognition with fewer resources and lower participant burden is compelling. It highlights that while not everyone has the same access or ability to adhere to more intensive behavior interventions, even modest changes may protect the brain," said Laura D. Baker, Ph.D., Professor of Gerontology and Geriatrics, and Internal Medicine, at Wake Forest University School of Medicine and Advocate Health, and U.S. POINTER principal investigator. "These are the initial results. Over the coming weeks and months, study leadership will be exploring all of the data collected in the trial to paint an even more comprehensive picture of the U.S. POINTER intervention effects on brain health," Baker said. People with cognitive decline and dementia often have a variety of damaging changes in their brain. This means effective treatment will likely require a multi-pronged or combination strategy to address multiple disease mechanisms. "Complex diseases like heart disease and cancer use combination treatment strategies tailored to individual characteristics. The next generation of treatments for diseases like Alzheimer's will likely integrate drug and non-drug strategies. U.S. POINTER provides a strong foundation for such combination approaches," said Heather M. Snyder, Ph.D., Alzheimer's Association study primary investigator and senior vice president of medical and scientific relations. "While these results are fascinating and extremely hopeful, how they are rolled out to the public — especially those at risk for Alzheimer's and other diseases that cause dementia — needs to be handled with care and individual attention to tailor to the local environment," said Snyder. The Alzheimer's Association has invested nearly $50 million to lead this study to date, with additional support from the National Institute on Aging at the National Institutes of Health for add-on studies exploring imaging, vascular measures, sleep and gut microbiome-related health data. In addition to its investments to date, the Alzheimer's Association will invest more than $40 million over the next four years to continue to follow U.S. POINTER participants, and to bring U.S. POINTER interventions to communities across America. U.S. POINTER is a phase 3, five-site, two-year, single-blind randomized clinical trial of two lifestyle interventions in older adults at risk for dementia. U.S. POINTER was developed to assess whether the results of the FINGER study [ Lancet, 6-6-15] generalize to a larger, more diverse U.S. population at risk for cognitive decline and dementia, using culturally adapted protocols. The primary aim was to compare the effects of two multimodal lifestyle interventions on global cognitive function in 2,000+ at-risk older adults. Secondary aims assessed intervention effects on specific cognitive domains, and potential differences based on baseline cognition, sex, age, APOE-e4 genotype, and cardiovascular risk. The study was conducted at five geographically dispersed U.S. academic centers and health care systems in partnership with the Alzheimer's Association. Participant eligibility criteria were designed to enrich the risk of cognitive decline and included older age (60-79 years), sedentary lifestyle, suboptimal diet and cardiometabolic health, and family history of memory impairment. 2,111 participants were enrolled and randomized to STR (n=1,056) or SG (n=1,055). Mean age was 68.2 years, 68.9% were female, 30.8% were from ethnoracial minority groups. Seventy-eight percent (78%) reported a first-degree family history of memory loss, and 30% were APOE-e4 carriers. Retention was high, with 89% completing the final 2 year assessment. At two years, there was a statistically significant intervention group difference on the primary outcome. Global cognitive composite scores (primary outcome) increased over time in both groups but the improvement over time was statistically significant for a greater benefit for the STR versus SG: 0.029 SD per year (95% CI, 0.008-0.050, P =0.008). For secondary outcomes, the increase in executive function z-score was greater in STR than SG by 0.037 SD per year (95% CI, 0.010-0.064). Processing speed showed a similar trend but was not statistically significant. There were no group differences in memory. Looking ahead, the Association will build on the momentum of U.S. POINTER by launching several programs and initiatives, including: About AAIC AAIC is the world's largest gathering of researchers from around the world focused on Alzheimer's and other diseases that cause dementia. As a part of the Alzheimer's Association's research program, AAIC serves as a catalyst for generating new knowledge about dementia and fostering a vital, collegial research community. AAIC 2025: AAIC 2025 newsroom: AAIC 2025 hashtag: #AAIC25 About the Alzheimer's Association The Alzheimer's Association is a worldwide voluntary health organization dedicated to Alzheimer's care, support and research. Our mission is to lead the way to end Alzheimer's and all other dementia — by accelerating global research, driving risk reduction and early detection, and maximizing quality care and support. Our vision is a world without Alzheimer's and all other dementia®. Visit or call +1 800.272.3900.
Cision Canada
2 days ago
- Health
- Cision Canada
FROM THE ALZHEIMER'S ASSOCIATION INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE 2025: U.S. POINTER STUDY SHOWS STRUCTURED LIFESTYLE PROGRAM TARGETING MULTIPLE RISK FACTORS IMPROVES COGNITION IN OLDER ADULTS AT RISK OF COGNITIVE DECLINE
Key Takeaways Two lifestyle interventions in U.S. POINTER improved cognition in older adults at risk of cognitive decline. A structured intervention with more support and accountability showed greater improvement compared to a self-guided intervention. In a large, representative group of older adults at high risk for cognitive decline, multidomain lifestyle interventions were delivered with high adherence and safety. Cognitive benefits were consistent across age, sex, ethnicity, heart health status and apolipoprotein E-e4 genotype. TORONTO, July 28, 2025 /CNW/ -- The Alzheimer's Association U.S. Study to Protect Brain Health Through Lifestyle Intervention to Reduce Risk (U.S. POINTER) — a two-year, multi-site clinical trial testing two different lifestyle interventions in a representative population of older adults at risk for cognitive decline and dementia — found that both interventions improved cognition in older adults at risk of cognitive decline. Trial participants in the structured (STR) intervention showed greater improvement on global cognition compared to the self-guided (SG) intervention, protecting cognition from normal age-related decline for up to two years. The STR intervention differed from the SG intervention in intensity, structure, accountability and support provided. The results were reported for the first time today at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference (AAIC) 2025 in Toronto and online. "Effects Of Structured vs Self-Guided Multidomain Lifestyle Interventions for Global Cognitive Function: The U.S. POINTER Randomized Clinical Trial," was published in The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) simultaneously with the report at AAIC 2025. U.S. POINTER is the first large-scale, randomized controlled clinical trial to demonstrate that an accessible and sustainable healthy lifestyle intervention can protect cognitive function in diverse populations in communities across the United States. "As the burden of dementia grows world-wide, U.S. POINTER affirms a vital public health message: healthy behavior has a powerful impact on brain health," said Joanne Pike, DrPH, Alzheimer's Association president and CEO. "This is a critical public health opportunity. The intervention was effective across a broad, representative group — regardless of sex, ethnicity, APOE genetic risk, or heart health status — demonstrating its applicability and scalability for communities across the country," said Pike. "The positive results of U.S. POINTER encourage us to look at the potential for a combination of a lifestyle program and drug treatment as the next frontier in our fight against cognitive decline and possibly dementia." U.S. POINTER leadership acknowledges participants, their family members and study site staff for their unique and essential contributions: "You helped change what we know about brain health. Thanks to your dedication, time and support, U.S. POINTER delivered groundbreaking results. Your children, grandchildren and generations to come will benefit from the commitment you made." Both interventions focused on physical exercise, nutrition, cognitive challenge and social engagement, and heart health monitoring, but differed in intensity, structure, accountability and support provided. Structured lifestyle intervention. Participants attended 38 facilitated peer team meetings over two years, and were provided with a prescribed activity program with measurable goals for: aerobic, resistance and stretching exercise; adherence to the MIND diet; cognitive challenge through BrainHQ training and other intellectual and social activities; and regular review of health metrics and goal-setting with a study clinician. Self-guided lifestyle intervention. Participants attended six peer team meetings to encourage self-selected lifestyle changes that best fit their needs and schedules. Study staff provided general encouragement without goal-directed coaching. "The potential to improve cognition with fewer resources and lower participant burden is compelling. It highlights that while not everyone has the same access or ability to adhere to more intensive behavior interventions, even modest changes may protect the brain," said Laura D. Baker, Ph.D., Professor of Gerontology and Geriatrics, and Internal Medicine, at Wake Forest University School of Medicine and Advocate Health, and U.S. POINTER principal investigator. "These are the initial results. Over the coming weeks and months, study leadership will be exploring all of the data collected in the trial to paint an even more comprehensive picture of the U.S. POINTER intervention effects on brain health," Baker said. People with cognitive decline and dementia often have a variety of damaging changes in their brain. This means effective treatment will likely require a multi-pronged or combination strategy to address multiple disease mechanisms. "Complex diseases like heart disease and cancer use combination treatment strategies tailored to individual characteristics. The next generation of treatments for diseases like Alzheimer's will likely integrate drug and non-drug strategies. U.S. POINTER provides a strong foundation for such combination approaches," said Heather M. Snyder, Ph.D., Alzheimer's Association study primary investigator and senior vice president of medical and scientific relations. "While these results are fascinating and extremely hopeful, how they are rolled out to the public — especially those at risk for Alzheimer's and other diseases that cause dementia — needs to be handled with care and individual attention to tailor to the local environment," said Snyder. The Alzheimer's Association has invested nearly $50 million to lead this study to date, with additional support from the National Institute on Aging at the National Institutes of Health for add-on studies exploring imaging, vascular measures, sleep and gut microbiome-related health data. In addition to its investments to date, the Alzheimer's Association will invest more than $40 million over the next four years to continue to follow U.S. POINTER participants, and to bring U.S. POINTER interventions to communities across America. U.S. POINTER is a phase 3, five-site, two-year, single-blind randomized clinical trial of two lifestyle interventions in older adults at risk for dementia. U.S. POINTER was developed to assess whether the results of the FINGER study [ Lancet, 6-6-15] generalize to a larger, more diverse U.S. population at risk for cognitive decline and dementia, using culturally adapted protocols. The primary aim was to compare the effects of two multimodal lifestyle interventions on global cognitive function in 2,000+ at-risk older adults. Secondary aims assessed intervention effects on specific cognitive domains, and potential differences based on baseline cognition, sex, age, APOE-e4 genotype, and cardiovascular risk. The study was conducted at five geographically dispersed U.S. academic centers and health care systems in partnership with the Alzheimer's Association. Participant eligibility criteria were designed to enrich the risk of cognitive decline and included older age (60-79 years), sedentary lifestyle, suboptimal diet and cardiometabolic health, and family history of memory impairment. 2,111 participants were enrolled and randomized to STR (n=1,056) or SG (n=1,055). Mean age was 68.2 years, 68.9% were female, 30.8% were from ethnoracial minority groups. Seventy-eight percent (78%) reported a first-degree family history of memory loss, and 30% were APOE-e4 carriers. Retention was high, with 89% completing the final 2 year assessment. At two years, there was a statistically significant intervention group difference on the primary outcome. Global cognitive composite scores (primary outcome) increased over time in both groups but the improvement over time was statistically significant for a greater benefit for the STR versus SG: 0.029 SD per year (95% CI, 0.008-0.050, P =0.008). For secondary outcomes, the increase in executive function z-score was greater in STR than SG by 0.037 SD per year (95% CI, 0.010-0.064). Processing speed showed a similar trend but was not statistically significant. There were no group differences in memory. Looking ahead, the Association will build on the momentum of U.S. POINTER by launching several programs and initiatives, including: A personal brain health assessment tool. A virtual brain health training program for health care providers. A community recognition program for organizations championing brain health. A brain health roundtable that will unite leaders across health care, public health, community and corporate sectors to accelerate impact. About AAIC AAIC is the world's largest gathering of researchers from around the world focused on Alzheimer's and other diseases that cause dementia. As a part of the Alzheimer's Association's research program, AAIC serves as a catalyst for generating new knowledge about dementia and fostering a vital, collegial research community. AAIC 2025: AAIC 2025 newsroom: AAIC 2025 hashtag: #AAIC25 About the Alzheimer's Association The Alzheimer's Association is a worldwide voluntary health organization dedicated to Alzheimer's care, support and research. Our mission is to lead the way to end Alzheimer's and all other dementia — by accelerating global research, driving risk reduction and early detection, and maximizing quality care and support. Our vision is a world without Alzheimer's and all other dementia®. Visit or call +1 800.272.3900.
Gizmodo
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Gizmodo
‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' Pulled Off Something Better Than a Classic Zombie Story
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds loves itself a trope, and sometimes that really is a 'for better or worse' kind of situation. So when this week's episode, 'Shuttle to Kenfori', revealed that its antagonists were some very fast-running plant-based zombies (The Last of Who?), I braced myself to hit all the very well-worn marks of the genre. But thankfully 'Kenfori' surprised me, and sidestepped a thematic cynicism to deliver a surprise sequel to one of season 2's standout episodes.'Shuttle to Kenfori' sees the Enterprise facing an off-the-books mission to a demilitarized zone between the Klingon Empire and the Federation, when it turns out that Captain Batel's not-so-happily-cured of her Gorn infestation as last week's premiere largely handwaved. Needing the aid of an exceedingly rare plant being studied by Federation agri-scientists before the outbreak of the war with the Klingons as Batel's only hope, the Enterprise is forced to watch from afar as it sends off Dr. M'Benga and Captain Pike to the abandoned research station on the titular planet to find the chimera plant before any passing Klingons discover Starfleet's flagship violating peacetime treaties. 'Shuttle to Kenfori' jukes and jives as it reveals its true layers. At first you think you're getting another episode about the aftermath of Discovery's Klingon war, especially with the pairing up of M'Benga and Pike to contrast the doctor's experience on the front lines with Pike's relative distance from the events of the war—and especially when a (wonderful-looking) Klingon D7 drops out of warp above the planet and sends a scouting party and promptly blows up their shuttle. But as Pike and M'Benga prepare for a shootout, we're hit with our first twist: the station's research into using the chimera planet to hybridize sustainable crops led to a viral outbreak that consumed all living matter on the planet, Federation and Klingon alike, leaving running, clawing, moss-covered zombies in its wake. So in quick succession, we get all the typical zombie story hallmarks. There's plenty of gross-out horror, from Klingon disruptors vaporizing the undead, to smushed body parts, and even one of the Klingon scouts getting swarmed and eaten alive—gut-ripping galore that doesn't go quite into full horror, but still makes you squirm. M'Benga admonishes Pike over his use of 'the z-word.' Tensions about Batel's conditions get put aside the second Pike stands next to a viewport that practically screams 'a zombie is about to slam on this for a jumpscare,' only for exactly that to happen. And then, of course, differences are put aside when the one remaining Klingon offers to work together with the Starfleet duo in order to try and make it off Kenfori alive. If this was all 'Shuttle to Kenfori' was, it might be a bit of a letdown. For as much as the show loves playing with genre tropes, at its best it does so by doing more than what 'Kenfori' does here with zombies, largely pointing at things and situations you'd expect and shrugging as it puts a veneer of Star Trek over it. But thankfully, there's another twist in store. When the Klingon, M'Benga, and Pike get to the top of the research station, with a Klingon scout ship waiting to take them to freedom, the Klingon reveals her true intent. It turns out their vessel wasn't patrolling the demilitarized zone, it was hunting for M'Benga—and that she is Bytha, the daughter of Ambassador Dak'Rah, the Klingon turncoat who had some very personal history with M'Benga and Nurse Chapel's wartime experience in last season's 'Under the Cloak of War'. Bytha, it turns out, wants vengeance, but not for the death of her father. She wants to kill the person who killed Dak'Rah—something 'Shuttle to Kenfori' has M'Benga be much more specific about, compared to the fascinatingly morally vague conclusion of 'Under the Cloak of War'—to try and regain her family's honor in the eyes of Klingon society, their house diminished for Dak'Rah's allegiance with the Federation after the war. On a dime, the episode turns again, now not about ticking off zombie tropes but bringing a fascinating extra layer to that prior episode, and to M'Benga again. But not in the way you'd expect 'a zombie episode' to be about that idea. If anything, especially by having M'Benga at least fully admit, to the shock of Pike, his role in Dak'Rah's death, you might think we're about to get into that whole 'humanity (and Klingons alike) are the real monsters' kind of deal, as M'Benga and Bytha engage in an honor duel to the death. But in a stark contrast to the season opener's view of the Gorn, instead we get a much better parallel to 'Arena' here than any of Strange New World's Gorn episodes have managed to deliver so far: a Starfleet hero dealing with their capacity for violence and darkness, acknowledging it, but also learning to go beyond it. Even as M'Benga remarks about his blasé relationship with his part in the Klingon War (he even says to Bytha, when she asks if he recognizes her, that he's killed so many Klingons that he pays no attention to specific identities), the duel becomes a fight for him to move past that history, the history that saw him lead to a violent continuation of that cycle in confronting and killing Dak'Rah, and show her that he has become a better person. In doing so, he is willing to accept an amicable understanding of Bytha, and of Klingon rituals around honor, sparing her from their duel but respecting that she chooses to sacrifice herself to the zombie hordes to buy M'Benga and Pike time to escape with their chimera plant sample in tow. It trades the dark ambiguity 'Under the Cloak of War' ended on when you'd expect a tropey zombie story to revel in that kind of darkness, and offers instead a perfectly Star Trek message: that even having been touched by darkness, this is a future that represents a possibility that people can grow and become better versions of themselves. So it's interesting then that what 'Shuttle to Kenfori' ends on isn't really M'Benga reconciling with the progress he's made, but the slipping of another member of the Enterprise crew. While all the zombie action on Kenfori has been playing out throughout the episode, back aboard the Enterprise, the bridge crew (among whom all the women have suddenly got their hair tied up, the hilarious reason for why revealing itself in a brief moment where the bridge loses artificial gravity—I guess no one on production wanted to deal with floating hair!) have been playing a bit of a space-submarine game with the Klingon battlecruiser. Not wanting to be seen violating the treaty, and getting into a risky fight that could stop them from rescuing M'Benga and Pike, Una approves a plan to slowly enter Kenfori's orbit, cloaked by an asteroid field, rather than Ortegas' risky, loud move of trying to warp into orbit, beam the away team out at speed (with a bit of help from Scotty, who of course will have history with that kind of risky maneuver!), and warp back out. Things go awry when the D7 notices Enterprise anyway, leading to the crew falling back to Ortegas' original plan… only for Una to realize that Ortegas, who has her own troubled history as a veteran of the Klingon War, purposefully disobeyed orders to force a potential conflict with the Klingons. It's clear that, despite suggestions to the contrary, her traumatic encounter with the Gorn has left Ortegas in a vulnerable state, one that is going to be antagonized by Number One's punishment of her by taking her off the bridge roster for weeks. Not only is it an interesting continuation of Ortegas' arc this season (at last, she has something to do, even if she's just been punished by being given nothing to do!), it's a fascinating parallel with how M'Benga's arc develops this episode. After all, journeys of learning and healing aren't linear paths: there is progress and setbacks, recoveries and slips. But Star Trek is about the potential of allowing people the chance to go on those journeys in the first place, to grow into a place among societies that have managed to do that on interstellar scales. Placing that utopian ideal at the heart of a zombie episode is perfectly Star Trek, and far better than just playing the shambling hits. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what's next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
Time Out
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time Out
Review: ‘Inter Alia' starring Rosamund Pike at the National Theatre
Playwrights usually want to flex their range after their first big hit. But it's to the credit of Susie Miller that she cares so much about the issues explored in her smash Prima Facie that she's come up with a follow up that you have to at least describe as 'a companion piece'. Both Prima Facie and Inter Alia are named after legal terms, both are about high-achieving female members of the legal profession, and while Prima Facie was a monologue and Inter Alia is a three-hander, both have a huge-scale female role at their centre that makes them the perfect vehicle for a screen star looking to scratch the stage itch. And so both have had Justin Martin-directed UK premieres starring major celebrities: Jodie Comer made her stage debut in Prima Facie, while Rosamund Pike treads the boards for the first time in years in Inter Alia. The most crucial similarity, however, is not entirely apparent from the first half hour or so of Inter Alia, which is basically an extended sequence of Pike's high court judge Jessica frenziedly girl bossing as she juggles her extremely high-powered job with a busy social life and being a mum to vulnerable teen Harry (Jasper Talbot). It's a breathless performance from Pike, who crests and surges from neuroticism to icy confidence. It's draining: there's barely room for us or her to breathe, and a sequence where she sings Shania Twain's 'Man! I Feel Like a Woman!' in a karaoke club feels like the conclusion of an extended intro basically designed to let Pike show off. But she is good: of course she's posh, but she's earthy, likeable, open, vulnerable, somewhat demystifying of her profession. And it's not entirely unsubtle writing, just full tilt. We're bouncing around in Jessica's head, and being asked to consider that she is attempting to fulfil several impossible roles: neither the perfect mother nor the perfect judge really exist, and certainly not a seamless mix of the two. Martin's production is notably more sophisticated than Prima Facie: he and his team use puppetry, illusions, child actors, live music and other effects to create a world that's half naturalistically rendered, half foggy memories of Harry's childhood. It's impossible to discuss what happens next without spoilers: if I dropped a veiled reference to Netflix's Adolescence you'd get it straight away. So let's cut to the chase: like Prima Facie, Inter Alia concerns rape and the difficulty in securing a conviction for it. The accused here is of course Harry, and despite Jessica's feminist politics and her awareness of the statistics and sensitivities around these sorts of cases, she wants to believe there has been a mistake. But Miller is very good at exploring the ambiguity of rape cases. On the one hand there's the fact that ambiguity is why most of them fail in court – it is extremely difficult to obtain clearcut evidence (helpfully Jessica early on describes a rare successful prosecution). But there's also a moral vagueness that Jessica and her husband Michael (Jamie Glover) cling to, the sense that due to different understandings of the incident Harry and the girl in question might both be 'right', that she Jessica can hold on to her principles and her beloved son by telling herself Harry did wrong but misunderstood the situation. Miller's plays explore why rape convictions are so rare, and portraying Harry as wildly unsympathetically would not help in that regard, Inter Alia gets a lot stronger after the rape storyline emerges: it gives the play a sense of purpose, channelling Pike's manically fizzing energies towards something more than than a showcase of her range. Miller is more interested in the emotional and legal terrain Jessica finds herself in here than diagnosing exactly why a young man might do this. But her play is not incurious in that respect, and there's a particularly powerful scene when a frantic Jessica excoriates her self-absorbed husband over his failure to explain boundaries to their son. It's cruel of her to lay this on him; but she strikes a nerve that begs the question. Yes, Inter Alia is kind of a big performance lecture exploring a subject that is close to Miller's heart to the point of artistic fixation. It is a contrivance that her plays concern women who are high up in the legal profession and thus able to clearly explain the mechanics of what's going on. But once warmed up Inter Alia hits home thoughtfully and forcefully. Adolescence can't be the only word on this subject. And where that used virtuoso camerawork and cleverly shifting perspectives to tell its story in an artful manner, Inter Alia benefits from a gale-force Pike and a sophisticated production from Martin – its final image will chill you to the bone.
Daily Mirror
7 days ago
- Daily Mirror
Three German Shepherds launch 'pack attack' as woman left needing plastic surgery
The horror attack involving three German Shepherd cross dogs took place in a public field and left the victim with multiple wounds to her hands and fingers which required plastic surgery A dog owner has been warned she could be jailed after her three German Shepherd cross dogs launched a savage attack on another woman in a public field. Sarah Pike, 51, from Exeter, appeared before Exeter Magistrates' Court, where she admitted being the owner in charge of dogs dangerously out of control that caused injury. The attack happened at Exwick playing fields in December, and left the victim with multiple bite wounds to her hands and fingers. She later required plastic surgery. The prosecutor described it in court as a 'pack attack', telling magistrates that the three dogs - named Zac, Storm, and Nala - had acted together during the incident. Pike also pleaded guilty to two additional charges of being in charge of dogs dangerously out of control on the same day. She was told she could face up to six months in custody. Following the incident, the three dogs were seized by police, and two other dogs - previously in Pike's care - were euthanised after separate attacks on 'other dogs and humans', the court heard. District Judge Angela Brereton told the hearing that an expert report would now be prepared to assess the temperament of the dogs. A destruction order may be made depending on the outcome. Pike is due to be sentenced in September. Last month, a dog latched onto a woman's face in Liverpool and left her needing 20 stitches after what began as a seemingly innocent gesture on a night out. Mum Cody Davies had been out with a friend when she stopped to stroke a dog, which she described as a "pitbull type". Within seconds, it jumped up and bit her in the face. The 31-year-old said she was left with "blood pouring" from the wound and that she was lucky not to lose her lip following the attack on Mathew Street at 1am on Sunday, June 29. Cody, from Port Sunlight, was taken to Aintree Hospital from the city centre where she received 20 stitches to her face. Following the attack, the mum urged others to not approach dogs unless they're certain they are safe. "I feel terrible and I feel so sad. I love my dogs and this dog was just playing with its owner in the street so I went over to stroke it," Cody told the Liverpool Echo. "When I went over, the woman didn't say anything about not approaching them but when I did, it jumped up and bit my face. I was running around with my hands covering my face and blood pouring from my face. "No taxis would take me because I was covered in blood and thankfully someone rang an ambulance for me."
