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Bitcoin leaps 15% to highest in nearly a month on increased confidence in currency’s future – CNBC

Posted on July 21, 2017 by Danzig

Bitcoin jumped Thursday to its highest price in almost four weeks as digital currency developers appeared to come closer to an agreement that would prevent a split in the cryptocurrency.

Bitcoin rose more than 15 percent, to $2,675.67, its highest level since June 25, according to CoinDesk. As of 1:33 p.m. ET, the digital currency traded near $2,648. It's up about 4 percent for July and more than 170 percent higher for the year.

Bitcoin three-month performance

Source: CoinDesk

Developers need to agree on activating an upgrade known as Segregated Witness by Aug. 1 in order to prevent the digital currency from splitting, or forking. Coinbase's GDAX exchange has said it might pause bitcoin trading if the currency splits.

"Bitcoin is rallying largely because the probability of Segregated Witness being activated is increasing as more miners signal that they will activate it," said Ari Paul, CIO of BlockTower Capital, a cryptocurrency investment firm. Not every miner has to agree, but at least 80 percent need to.

The move higher also came amid increased interest in the digital currency world from Wall Street. Forbes reported Tuesday that bitcoin is a top holding of investor Bill Miller's hedge fund.

"The institutional interest in this space has picked up again, not that it really died off too much," said Brian Kelly, a CNBC contributor and founder of BKCM, which runs a digital asset management strategy for clients. "Institutions are looking to get back in in a meaningful way."

Ethereum also jumped more than 18 percent, to near $230, its highest since Tuesday, according to TradingView charts of Coinbase data. Ethereum plunged below $200 over the weekend.

The gains in Ethereum came despite news Wednesday that hackers stole more than $30 million in Ethereum from wallets as the result of a security flaw. Earlier in the week, thieves stole more than $7 million in Ethereum by hacking the initial coin offering for CoinDash.

Bitcoin leaps 15% to highest in nearly a month on increased confidence in currency's future - CNBC

Bitcoin Surged By $300 in the Past 24 Hours. Here’s Why. – Fortune

Posted on July 21, 2017 by Danzig

A model Bitcoin stands in front of a binary code on January 06, 2017 in Berlin, Germany.Photograph by Thomas TrutschelPhotothek via Getty Images

After plunging for the majority of July, Bitcoin is clawing back toward its all-time high.

The cryptocurrency jumped 15% to $2,628 in trading Thursday, adding about $316 over the course of 24 hours. For comparison, Bitcoin was trading at about $1,863 this past Sunday. Now it's about 15% off from its all-time high of $3,019 from this past June.

Coincidentally, Bitcoin's price surge coincided with law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and Europe taking out two of the biggest "dark web " operations known to accept Bitcoin and Ethereum Thursday, including online black market Alphabay .

But the surge also comes amid growing confidence in Bitcoin 's scalability: As the cryptocurrency has grown more popular, processing transactions has become slower and more costly, with some trades lasting days. But in the search for a solution to the problem, Bitcoin's adherents have split into two factions called Bitcoin Unlimited and Bitcoin Coreboth of whom consider their idea the better option, Slate reported.

Part of the reason for Bitcoin's volatility in recent months comes from a fear that those two factions won't be able to compromise, effectively forcing Bitcoin into two incompatible cryptocurrencies.

There is hope, however, for compromisewith statistics website Coin Dance showing that this "middle ground" dubbed BIP (Bitcoin Improvement Proposal) 91 has about 72% support. It needs roughly 80% support before August 1 to be implemented.

BIP 91 could also help Bitcoin scale its blockchain, a record of all past transactions. As of now, it can only add about 1 megabyte of data every 10 minutes. BIP 91 would introduce an update that would up that limit to 2 MB in about three months. It would also introduce a way to fit in more transactions using that 2 MB of data. This, in theory, would make transactions faster and cheaper.

At the same time, fellow cryptocurrency Ethereum has also bounced back by about $40 since the start of the week, a 26% increase. In general, cryptocurrencies have recovered from their respective dips this week, as fears of a bubble appeared to abate slightly.

At Fortune 's Brainstorm Tech conference on Wednesday, SoFi's CEO even voiced his support for Ethereum, which he says has a better chance of being used as a currency than Bitcoin .

Ethereum, though, has dipped over the past 24 hours, falling to about $200 from above $240.

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Bitcoin Surged By $300 in the Past 24 Hours. Here's Why. - Fortune

Bitcoin bubble dwarfs tulip mania from 400 years ago, Elliott Wave analyst says – CNBC

Posted on July 21, 2017 by Danzig

The principle is a sophisticated form of technical analysis widely followed by traders that analyzes cycles of sentiment in an attempt to predict market performance five waves typically signals a coming downturn.

Regarding bitcoin, "under the Elliott Wave model, what we're seeing, we're making a final fifth wave from six cents," the younger Prechter told CNBC in a phone interview Thursday. "It does not imply it will go to zero. It does not imply it will go to six cents. I do think it will happen to the clones [newly formed digital currencies]."

The Elliott Wave for bitcoin

Source: The Elliott Wave Theorist

In September 2010, Elliott Prechter wrote in The Elliott Wave Theorist about bitcoin when it traded at 6 cents. Very few in the financial world seriously considered the digital currency at the time.

"It proved to be the buying opportunity not just of a lifetime, but so far of all time," Prechter said.

Bitcoin hit a record of $3,025 in June, 50,000 times its price in 2010. The digital currency traded near $2,652 Thursday, more than twice where it started the year.

Bitcoin (July 2010 - July 2017)

Source: CoinDesk

As a result of the meteoric price surge, Wall Street has started paying closer attention to bitcoin in the last several weeks.

For example:

To Prechter, the forecasts for bitcoin to rise dramatically resemble calls in 1999, just before the burst of the dotcom bubble, for the Dow Jones industrial average to reach 100,000.

He said the excitement surpasses the tulip bulb mania in The Netherlands in the early 1600s.

As Investopedia tells it, tulip bulbs became such a prized commodity that by 1636 they were being traded on many Dutch stock exchanges and "many people traded or sold possessions to participate in the tulip market mania."

"Like any bubble, it all came to an end in 1637, when prices dropped and panic selling began," according to the article. "Bulbs were soon trading at a fraction of what they once had, leaving many people in financial ruin."

"Technology has advanced greatly, but human psychology is still the same"

Source: The Elliott Wave Theorist

Some analysts have also compared the excitement around bitcoin and other digital currencies to the Beanie Babies craze in the 1990s.

Prechter also pointed to the challenges bitcoin and its rival ethereum are facing in order to expand their reach.

Bitcoin faces an Aug. 1 deadline for developers to agree on a system to upgrade the network and prevent the currency from splitting. Meanwhile, transaction fees ran up to $5 in June and are still near $2.

In June, some sales of new digital currencies clogged the ethereum network, creating a backlog of orders. Separately, ethereum prices briefly plunged from above $300 to 10 cents on one exchange before recovering.

To be sure, Prechter told CNBC that a mania "can be both a mania and a revolution at the same time."

Like many digital currency enthusiasts, he sees significant potential in the cryptocurrencies for automating the banking and legal industries.

"The distant future of crypto is bright," Prechter said in the report. "Crypto tech is like the internet in 1999: It was poised to take over the world, but the NASDAQ still fell almost 90% during the dot-com bust of 2000-2002."

But bitcoin may not be part of that future.

"It's too soon to know if Bitcoin is Facebook or MySpace," Prechter said.

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Bitcoin bubble dwarfs tulip mania from 400 years ago, Elliott Wave analyst says - CNBC

How can I buy bitcoin in the UK? – Telegraph.co.uk

Posted on July 21, 2017 by Danzig

However, the process isn't always entirely straightforward. Legal bitcoin services are heavily regulated, given the currency's association with online black markets, and its cryptographic nature means security protocols can be complicated.

A bitcoin wallet is where you hold your bitcoins. Alternatively you can download the entire bitcoin program (around 150GB), but you're probably not going to go to those lengths, and there's no reason whyyour computer is more secure than a popular website, so the best option is to use an online wallet, which is sort of like a digital bank account.

There is no shortage of wallets, but one of the biggest and most popular is Blockchain.info, which is backed by millions in venture capital funding and has an easy to use website and mobile app. It also takes security steps to make sure your bitcoins are as safe as they can be.

Go to Blockchain.info/wallet to sign up, or download the mobile app. The sign up process is as easy as doing so for an email or social media account.

Blockchain.info has a series of security measures that you should take to make sure your bitcoins are safe once you do get your hands on them. Other wallets are likely to have the same protocols.

Note down your Wallet ID, found in Settings (you'll need it again to log in in future), and use the security centre to verify your email, set up two-factor authentication and so on. After that, you're ready to buy.

Once you've got your wallet, you're ready to add some bitcoins to it. As of the time of writing, one bitcoin is worth over 1,500, but fear not - they are infinitely divisible, so you can buy 10 worth (about 0.005 bitcoins) if you want.

To do this, you have to find a broker. If you're getting confused, think of it like buying a foreign currency from the Bureau de Change: the wallet is your bank account and the broker is the Bureau de Change.

Brokers are the ones handling your real money - you send them cash via a credit card, bank transfer or some other method, and they send bitcoins to your account. Because of this, they often have strict "Know Your Customer" requirements that include identity verification.

How can I buy bitcoin in the UK? - Telegraph.co.uk

STATE SOFTBALL: Comets fall short in State Semifinal – Mason City Globe Gazette

Posted on July 21, 2017 by Danzig

FORT DODGE | For two hours the Charles City Comets fought, but would fall short to the Ballard Bombers, 5-1.

From the scoreboard, its hard to tell, but the game they left behind Thursday was a tough one as the Bombers would capitalize on their short game to scatter the defense.

At the top of the first, Ballard freshman Skylar Rigbys walk put a runner on base at the top of the order. Following two fly-outs, Rigby stood at second when freshman Isabel Hobbs was up to bat. Sophomore Samantha Heyer fired another pitch, missing junior catcher Ciana Sonbergs glove. Rigby was in full sprint, as she rounded third Charles City junior Tayler Schmidt stood inside the foul line. Rigby pushed Schmidt down with her arms in full extension. Schmidt collapsed to the ground as Rigby scored the first run 1-0.

I just saw her in my base path and knew I had an opportunity to score, Rigby said. I knew I had to get it done for my teammates.

That was just the start of it. Heyer struggled to connect with Sonberg at the circle as wild pitches and passed balls would add to the score.

The second inning lasted 30 minutes as the Charles City defense struggled to find a rhythm. Following sophomore Karlee Ahrenholtzs strikeout, Hannah Elliott lit the bat with a chopper to left. Bella Johnson followed suit with a short single to right. Elliott stole second and advanced to third on Johnsons single, then scored on a passed ball, 2-0.

Jenna Moodys bunt tricked the infield, allowing her to reach second on error and Johnson to run home, 3-0. The Comets shifted their defense a few steps closer to the infield.

Theyre a really good bunting team, Comet head coach Brian Bohlen said. Some of them were really outstanding bunts that most teams arent going to field. They just put the ball where we couldnt get to it and thats just testament to how good of a team they are.

Moody didnt stay on base long, scoring on a wild pitch for a 4-0 score. Abby Carlin drew a walk to load the bases and Rigby would run home on a wild pitch, 5-0.

The Comets only score would come from a solo home run by senior Sara Martin in the bottom of the second, giving the crowd hopes of a comeback. But the Comets would amass five hits to the Bombers nine, leaving runners stranded in scoring positions in the following innings.

As the game neared the two-hour mark, Ballard scored one more time on a wild pitch in the bottom of the sixth to make it 6-1.

Heyer finished with six strikeouts, four walks and five earned runs, but she stood tall as she exited the field.

I made some mistakes that were crucial, but were going to fight for third place tomorrow, Heyer said. Its amazing that we can possibly be one of the top four teams in the state, and thats such an honor even if we arent in the championship game. That also leaves goals for next year, too.

The Comets will take on Oskaloosa at 9:30 a.m. Friday for third place in Class 4A.

Reach sports reporter Leah Vann at 641-421-0526.

Follow her on twitter at @GG_LeahVann

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STATE SOFTBALL: Comets fall short in State Semifinal - Mason City Globe Gazette

Workington Comets slip to 51-39 loss at in-form Sheffield – Times & Star

Posted on July 21, 2017 by Danzig

Workington Comets failed to tame the Tigers as they went down 51-39 at Owlerton to leave Sheffield empty-handed.

Comets almost got off to a dream start as Craig Cook and Mason Campton gated on a 5-1, only for Josh Grajczonek and Todd Kurtz to drive up the inside of the captain to share the points.

Tigers debutant Jan Graversen won heat two with ease ahead of the visitors guest Tom Perry, while Rob Shuttleworth was last behind Georgie Wood, another making his first appearance for the hosts.

It was the home side who gated on a 5-1 in heat three and Ty Proctor seemed too eager to impress on his old track, wiping out Ryan Douglas and being excluded as the race was awarded to put Sheffield six points up.

Heat four had to be rerun after Thomas Jorgensen and Lasse Bjerre made a mess of the tapes before the Tigers made it 16-8 with a 4-2 thanks to Bjerre and Wood as Jorgensen let the lead slip.

Comets seemed to wake up in heat five as Cook and Campton combined for a 5-1 to halve the deficit, only for Grajczonek to rocket round in front of Jorgensen and Kurtz to stretch it back to six points.

Proctor had no problems impressing in heat six as he led from gate to flag, but Bjerre and Graversen chased for a draw, then Campton continued his fine form with a superb win in heat seven, closely followed by Perry for yet another away 5-1.

Jorgensen got in on the act by beating former Workington No1 Grajczonek in heat eight, but Shuttleworth was last so the Tigers held on.

A 5-1 for the home side threatened to drain Comets momentum in heat nine, Grajczonek and Kurtz making light work of Matt Williamson and Proctor.

Bjerre got the better of Cook and Campton to make it 36-30 after 11 heats, before Douglas gave Comets an opening as he crashed out and was excluded in heat 12.

Proctor capitalised the win but Graversen got his nose ahead of Perry for a Comets 4-2 to make things interesting with three heats left.

The usually dependable Cook continued to have something of an off night by his own high standards, trailing Grajczonek while Bjerre beat Jorgensen to put the home side six points up with two heats to go and leave Comets hopes of a point in trouble.

Those chances looked very slim after the Tigers secured a 4-2 in heat 14, with Williamson splitting Douglas and Graversen, and the hosts condemned Comets to a long journey home disappointed with a 5-1 in the final heat.

Comets co-promoter Steve Whitehead, who was team manager for the night, said he was disappointed with the result but not the performance.

He said: "Sheffield Tigers were relieved.

"I'm not taking anything away from them, they're a good side.

"Craig Cook was pretty poorly so that didn't help us and to even score seven points was good.

"He'd probably have scored 13 fully fit and that would have made it something like 46-44.

"Mason Campton was the star and a few people might wonder why I didn't put him in heat 15 but when we got the three lads together Ty and Thomas were keen and Mason thought maybe it was best to go with the heat-leaders."

Sheffield Tigers 51

1. Josh Grajczonek 2, 3, 2, 3, 3, 2* = 15+1

2. Todd Kurtz 1*, 3, 1, 1, 2* = 8+2

3. Ryan Douglas 2*, 0, 1*, Fx, 3 = 6+2

4. Kyle Howarth R/R

5. Lasse Bjerre 3, 1, 2, 3, 1, 3 = 13

6. Jan Graversen 3, 1, 0, 2, 1 = 7

7. Georgie Wood 1, 1, 0 = 2

Workington Comets 39

1. Craig Cook 0, 3, 2, 2 = 7

2. Mason Campton 3, 2*, 3, 1* = 9+2

3. Ty Proctor X, 3, 0, 3, 1 = 7

4. Matt Williamson 1, 0, 1, 2 = 4

5. Thomas Jorgensen 2, 2, 3, 0, 0 = 7

6. Tom Perry 2, 0, 2*, 1, 0 = 5+1

7. Rob Shuttleworth 0, 0, 0 = 0

HEAT BY HEAT

HEAT 1 Campton, Grajczonek, Kurtz, Cook 62.2, 3-3

HEAT 2 Graversen, Perry, Wood, Shuttleworth 62.6, 4-2, 7-5

HEAT 3 Kurtz, Douglas, Williamson, Proctor (Excluded) Nt, 5-1, 12-6

HEAT 4 Bjerre, Jorgensen, Wood, Shuttleworth 62, 4-2, 16-8

HEAT 5 Cook, Campton, Bjerre, Douglas 61.3, 1-5, 17-13

HEAT 6 Grajczonek, Jorgensen, Kurtz, Perry 61.9, 4-2, 21-15

HEAT 7 Proctor, Bjerre, Graversen, Williamson 62.4, 3-3, 24-18

HEAT 8 Campton, Perry, Kurtz, Graversen 63.7, 1-5, 25-23

HEAT 9 Jorgensen, Grajczonek, Douglas, Shuttleworth 63, 3-3, 28-26

HEAT 10 Grajczonek, Kurtz, Williamson, Proctor 62.2, 5-1, 33-27

HEAT 11 Bjerre, Cook, Campton, Wood 62.6, 3-3, 36-30

HEAT 12 Proctor, Graversen, Perry, Douglas (fell excluded) 63.6, 2-4, 38-34

HEAT 13 Grajczonek, Cook, Bjerre, Jorgensen 62.4, 4-2, 42-36

HEAT 14 Douglas, Williamson, Graversen, Perry 63.4, 4-2, 46-38

HEAT 15 Bjerre, Grajczonek, Proctor, Jorgensen 63.4, 5-1, 51-39

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Workington Comets slip to 51-39 loss at in-form Sheffield - Times & Star

Workington Comets legend Carl Stonehewer set to speak about career in West Cumbria – News & Star

Posted on July 21, 2017 by Danzig

Stonehewer affectionately known as Stoney to fans will be in Workington on August 25 for a sportsmans evening at The Waverley Hotel.

Stoney almost stole the show when he took to the stage with speedway commentators Nigel Pearson and Kelvin Tatum at a talk-in at Derwent Park in March.

Stonehewer, who now works as a HGV driver, won the Premier League Riders Championship in 2000 and 2001 in Comets colours, secured the Fours and Pairs titles multiple times and clinched the Young Shield in 2008.

He was also the first Premier League rider to qualify for the Grand Prix series.

After announcing his retirement in early 2006 following a horror accident, Stonehewer returned to Comets in 2007.

He eventually retired in 2010 after a spell with Redcar.

The 45-year-old had fallen out of love with the sport until he started teaching his son Beau to tide at Northside speedway training track last summer.

Since then he has been seen regularly at Comets meetings.

The event will be limited to 130 tickets at 10 each and will include a buffet, raffles and auctions.

Workington Comets legend Carl Stonehewer set to speak about career in West Cumbria - News & Star

Comets light up Barrow Celtic with new chapter in women’s football – NW Evening Mail

Posted on July 21, 2017 by Danzig

BARROW Celtic Comets are on the lookout for new recruits to bolster their ranks ahead of an exciting new chapter in the clubs history.

The Comets begin life in the Lancashire FA County League in September and are looking to add experience to their talented but youthful ranks.

Celtic manager Kevin Crickett has been working with the same group of girls from junior level, and that squad are now graduating from under-16s to open-age football.

Crickett is hoping to attract some senior players so they have a good blend of youth and experience.

Its about getting lasses carrying on playing football, said Crickett, whose side will come up against the likes of Bolton Wanderers, Burnley and Wigan Athletic.

Since we started the under-10s, weve had a group of girls who have stuck together to play football in the same team through the years, with the added bonus of other girls joining last years under-16s squad.

Now we want to bring another 10 or 12 older players into the squad, alongside the 12 lasses who are carrying on, so we can have a mixed squad of different age groups.

This year we will be playing a higher standard of football in the Lancashire Womens League so there will be a lot of games against higher-standard teams.

We are playing for the experience and with confidence and commitment hopefully we will a few games.

The main thing is enjoying the football and learning and progressing to a higher standard.

Celtic started their pre-season preparations recently with a match between the Comets and their dads at Ormsgill.

Anyone wanting to join the Celtic ranks, training sessions for over-16s take place on Fridays between 5.45pm and 7pm. The Lancashire FA County League starts on September 10.

Comets light up Barrow Celtic with new chapter in women's football - NW Evening Mail

Leo Pharma gets EC nod for psoriasis treatment Kyntheum – Pharmaceutical Business Review

Posted on July 21, 2017 by Danzig

PBR Staff Writer Published 21 July 2017

AstraZenecas subsidiary MedImmune announced that its partner Leo Pharma has secured approval from the European Commission (EC) for its Kyntheum (brodalumab) to treat moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis.

The approval allows to market Kyntheum in all 28 European Union (EU) member countries, as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway.

Kyntheum is a new biologic medicine developed to treat moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis in adults who are candidates for systemic therapy. It is claimed to be the only biologic that selectively targets the IL-17 receptor subunit A.

It effectively blocks the biological activity of several pro-inflammatory IL-17 cytokines, by binding to the receptor with high affinity.

Psoriasis is a chronic and immune-mediated inflammatory skin disease affecting around 125 million people across the globe, including about 14 million Europeans.

In July 2016, AstraZeneca entered into an agreement with Leo Pharma to develop and commercialise Kyntheum in Europe.

Outside of Europe, Valeant Pharmaceuticals had secured commercial rights for brodalumab except in Japan and certain other Asian countries, where the rights are held by Kyowa Hakko Kirin.

Currently, brodalumab was approved in the US and Japan for adult patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis who are candidates for systemic therapy.

The psoriasis clinical trials program for Kyntheum included three clinical trials, comprising of Amagine-1 with 661 patients, Amagine-2 with 1831 patients and Amagine-3 with 1881 patients.

According to AstraZeneca, data from the three randomized and controlled Amagine clinical trials determined Kyntheum was well tolerated with an acceptable safety profile.

Leo Pharma president and CEO Gitte Pugholm Aabo said: Those most affected by psoriasis often feel controlled by their condition, the stigma it brings, and the diverse complications associated with it.

We hope that the EU approval of Kyntheumwill help many more people to regain control, and live lives unrestricted by psoriasis, while our role is to support them throughout their journey to clear skin.

Image: Head office of the European Commission. Photo: courtesy of Amio Cajander.

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Leo Pharma gets EC nod for psoriasis treatment Kyntheum - Pharmaceutical Business Review

European approval for LEO Pharma’s in-licensed psoriasis drug … – The Pharma Letter (registration)

Posted on July 21, 2017 by Danzig

Kyntheum (brodalumab), a new biologic medicine developed for the treatment of moderate-to-severe plaque

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European approval for LEO Pharma's in-licensed psoriasis drug ... - The Pharma Letter (registration)

Could Cannabis Be Used Medically To Treat Psoriasis? – CannaTech.news

Posted on July 21, 2017 by Danzig

Cannabis is proving to be an effective treatment for a wide number of medical conditions including Crohns disease, glaucoma, and chemotherapy-induced nausea

There is also mounting evidence that cannabis has a profound effect on the immune system. Which leads us to our next question: Is cannabis an effective treatment for psoriasis?

What is psoriasis?

Psoriasis is an autoimmune disorder in which your immune system mistakenly identifies a foreign invader within your body and produces white blood cells in response. These cells, known as T cells, then proceed to attack your bodys healthy cells.

The condition is characterized by red, itchy patches of skin caused by the buildup of immature T cells on the skins surface. Areas of the body most commonly affected are the back of the forearms, shins, around the navel, and the scalp.

Somewhere between 10 to 20 percent of people who have psoriasis will go on to develop psoriatic arthritis, a form of chronic inflammatory arthritis that causes painful swelling and stiffness of the joints. If left untreated, it can even lead to permanent joint damage.

Psoriasis is thought to be a genetic condition that is triggered by environmental factors. Scientists have found 25 different genes that increase a persons likelihood of developing psoriasis, but it is stress that seems to induce most outbreaks. Many patients also report the worsening of symptoms when chronic infections are present, as well as when there is a dramatic change in the season and climate.

Psoriasis and mental health

The numerous uncomfortable symptoms of psoriasis such as pain, fatigue, and sleeplessness can have a profound toll on the mental health of sufferers, as one can imagine.

Up to 60 percent of psoriasis patients report significant psychiatric symptoms, according to the National Psoriasis Foundation. The organization also notes that those who suffer from psoriasis are at an increased risk for depression, anxiety, and suicide.

Cannabis as a psoriasis treatment

While psoriasis isnt curable, there are a number of useful treatments that can help patients to manage their symptoms. These include several different drug and light therapies, although some have serious side effects and others become less effective as patients build up a resistance to them.

In light of the physical and emotional strain of psoriasis, new treatment options are very much in need. Given the wealth of recent research on cannabis and its effectiveness in treating a wide variety of conditions, it is now being explored as a possible treatment optionfor psoriasis.

In order to access the value of cannabis in the treatment of psoriasis, research has focused on a number of different aspects of the disease.

Slowing cell growth

Some studies, such as this one, show that cannabis may be useful in slowing the rapid growth of keratinocytes, which are the immature skin cells that psoriasis patients produce. The authors of the above study go on to state that their results support a potential role for cannabinoids in the treatment of psoriasis.

Pain relief

Cannabis is a common intervention for sufferers of pain it may even be more effective than opioids in controlling acute and neuropathic pain. This paper suggests cannabis may also have the ability to reduce chronic pain and postoperative pain.

Suppressing the immune response

Although much more research is needed, there are some studies which point to cannabis being an effective immunomodulator that can diminish the immune response. This can reduce the severity of inflammation associated with some conditions, including autoimmune disorders like psoriasis. This paper, published in Nature Reviews. Immunology, gives credence to the wealth of information that indicates cannabis to be an effective immunosuppressant and anti-inflammatory agent.

While most of this research has focused on the oral application of cannabis, many psoriasis patients also us cannabis oil topically, reporting that it helps controls the irritation and proliferation of speed irritations whilst reduces inflammation.

Future research

Due to the fact that cannabis is still classed as a Schedule I substance under the United States Controlled Substances Act, research into its therapeutic uses has been restricted. However, the recent relaxation of a number of state laws, along with widespread mainstream attention on cannabis, has seen more important research initiated.

The next few years are extremely exciting in relation to the medicinal uses of cannabis and, as the above evidence points to, it may well become a valuable agent in the treatment of autoimmune disorders such as psoriasis.

[Featured image credit-The Cannabis Reporter]

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Could Cannabis Be Used Medically To Treat Psoriasis? - CannaTech.news

Here’s Why This Airline Was Named The Best in the World for over Two Decades – Reader’s Digest

Posted on July 21, 2017 by Danzig

IM_photo/shutterstockAirline carriers have been getting a bad rap lately. But Singapore Airlines might just change your mindabout that.

For 22 years, this carrier has been namedthe best international airline in the world by Travel+Leisures Worlds Best Awards. Readers ranked the airlines based on categories such as cabin comfort, service, food, customer service, and value. (Singapore has the best airport in the world, too!) Its the only company to have held the No. 1 spot in any Worlds Best category for as long asthe competitionhas been in existence. And its easy tosee why!

Book a Premium Economy seat, and youll forget youre not riding the high life (pun intended) in first class. At 19.5 inches wide, the seats allow for some extra-comfy shoulder room, and built-in footrestscoupled with an eight-inch reclinermake you feelyoure practically at home. (Heres how to sleep well on an airplane.) And lets not forget the two USB ports, adjustable reading lamps, priority treatment from check-in to boarding, and neat amenitiessuch as a cocktail table, noise-cancelling headphones, and champagne. Since itsall included in the price, youwill essentially getafirst class treatment while traveling in coach.

Already amazed? Were just getting started. If you upgrade to first class, prepare for heaven on earth. The 35-inch-wide leather seats can transform into flat beds, and the new Boeing 777-300ER flights include mood lighting and curved privacy partitions, to boot.

Forget about those tasteless, mushy meals you have to choke down on other flights. Singapore Airlines uses a pressurized tasting room to ensure their meals taste just as good at an elevation of 30,000 feet as they would on the ground, in spite of the way cabin pressure changes can affect how you perceive taste, Travel+Leisure writes.

An international panel of eight renowned chefs preps in-flight meals that include steak, caviar, and two different champagnes for first and business class passengers. Youll even find regional favorites on the menu, such as Randys Donuts in Los Angeles and Blue Bell Ice Cream in Houston. Frozen meals, who?

Plus, theres so much to look forward to in the future. Singapore Airlines recent upgrade allowsbusiness classpassengers both a cradling and a lounging position.And its among the first to flythe worlds biggest passenger planes, whichincludeamenities such as onboard showers and even a lounge. Book us a ticket, stat!

If youre flying economy witha different airline, dont worry: Heres how to get some serious upgrades.

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Here's Why This Airline Was Named The Best in the World for over Two Decades - Reader's Digest

Maldivesthe sunny side of life wins big at World Travel Awards … – Emirates 24|7

Posted on July 21, 2017 by Danzig

Maldivesthe sunny side of life has been titled as the Indian Oceans Leading Destination, Indian Oceans Leading Beach Destination and Indian Oceans Leading Dive Destination at the 24th Annual Indian Ocean Gala Ceremony of the World Travel Awards (WTA) held last evening at the beautiful five-star Sun Aqua Vilu Reef Maldives.

In addition to the Destination awards, the Maldives won awards in a staggering 36 categories. Industry stakeholders from across Resorts, Hotels, Travel Agencies, Seaplane operator and Airport were the recipients of these awards.

Hospitality leaders from across the globe were presented during the colourful ceremony held in recognition of the best travel destinations of 2017. WTA is reputed as the Oscars of the Travel Industry. Established in 1993, it is widely regarded as the best networking opportunities in the travel industry among industry leaders, governments, luminaries international print and broadcast media.

The Chief Guest of the Ceremony, Maldives Deputy Minister of Tourism Mr. Hussain Lirar said, Maldives Ministry of Tourism is thrilled to have won these prestigious awards. Maldives and World Travel Awards share a lot of common values. Most importantly we both celebrate excellence in hospitality and the highest level of service to visitors.

Last year the award ceremony was held successfully at the five-star luxury retreat Sun Siyam Iru fushi, Maldives. The details of awards can be accessed from the following link: http://www.worldtravelawards.com

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Maldivesthe sunny side of life wins big at World Travel Awards ... - Emirates 24|7

Free Russia World Cup train travel to be available for booking from December – RT

Posted on July 21, 2017 by Danzig

Fans traveling to FIFA 2018 World Cup games in Russia next year will be able to book free train tickets from December, it has been announced.

All fans with tickets for matches will be able to book free rail travel between the 11 host cities from December, an official responsible for transport at the tournament said earlier this week, TASS reported.

"We usually offer tickets 45 days before the scheduled train departure, but we want to shift the date to half a year in advance," Terenty Mescheryakov, head of the 2018-Transportation Directorate, said.

"This is why we want to publish the schedule in early fall and make tickets available for booking starting in December or after the New Year celebrations, Mescheryakov added.

"We are putting into operation more trains and the exact number will be announced after the schedule gets approval.

"We have the task of providing good travel between the cities and we will cope with it."

Fans who have tickets for games and also so-called FAN-IDs will be able to book the tickets.

A similar program was available during the recent FIFA Confederations Cup in Russia, which ran from June 17 to July 2 in four host cities: St. Petersburg, Moscow, Kazan and Sochi.

Next years World Cup will be held between June 14 and July 15, and in addition to the cities above will also see matches in Saransk, Kaliningrad, Volgograd, Rostov-on-Don, Nizhny Novgorod, Ekaterinburg and Samara.

READ MORE:We expect 1mn tourists for 2018 FIFA World Cup Deputy PM Mutko

Qualifying is still underway across the globe, but the teams that reach the competition will go into the official draw which is set to take place at the Kremlin in Moscow on December 1.

Ticket prices for the 2018 World Cup were announced by FIFA last year, and start from US$105 for non-Russian residents. They will go on sale after the draw has been made, according to Russian Deputy Prime Minister Vitaly Mutko, who is a member of the organizing committee for the tournament.

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Free Russia World Cup train travel to be available for booking from December - RT

Elite Lady Sox travel team off to strong start in softball World Series – Dothan Eagle

Posted on July 21, 2017 by Danzig

Backed by three shutouts, including a no-hitter and a perfect game by Amy Woodham, the Elite Sox softball team won all three of its pool games and opened bracket play with another win at the World Series in Gulf Shores.

The Sox beat the Dynasty of Spanish Fort 4-2 and the Pensacola Posse 3-0 on Wednesday. It finished pool play early Thursday with a 12-0 win over High Intensity of Tuscaloosa before opening bracket play with a 4-0 win over the Huntsville Sharks.

Woodham, a Slocomb graduate, pitched a four-inning no-hitter against Pensacola with three strikeouts and followed it with a three-inning perfect game in the 12-0 run-rule win over High Intensity. Rehobeths Lauren Rase pitched a five-inning complete game with four strikeouts in the opening win against Spanish Fort and fired a two-hit shutout over five innings against Huntsville.

Offensively against Spanish Fort, Woodham hit a two-run homer and Rase and Amya Myhand both had a single. Against the Pensacola Posse, Rase and Emmie Coachman both had a RBI single and Woodham and Myhand added a hit each.

In the rout of High Intensity, Coachman of Cottonwood was 3-for-3 with a solo homer and three runs batted in and Rase hit a two-run homer and drove in four runs. Woodham and Myhand added a hit each. In the final game against Huntsville, Asia Jones of Cottonwood had a solo homer and a double, Rase had two singles with a RBI and Myhand had a single.

Elite Lady Sox travel team off to strong start in softball World Series - Dothan Eagle

IBM Wants You To Use Its "Crowdsourced Supercomputer" To Help Fight Climate Change – IFLScience

Posted on July 21, 2017 by Danzig

Its hard to argue that climate change isnt the number one issue of our times. Its not just a generational problem that needs solving, its an existential one. Its the all-encompassing antagonist that makes every other problem worse, and everyone except the US government, at least knows it.

IBM has also acknowledged the extent of the problem, and has strongly thrown its support behind the Paris Agreement. Now, speaking to IFLScience, the company has revealed that its going to do its part in solving the crisis by unleashing its secret weapon: a crowdsourced supercomputer.

Since 2004, IBM has run the World Community Grid (WCG), an international network of personal computers that, when linked up, contribute their processing power and cloud storage space. This giant web acts as a supercomputer one of the most powerful computational systems on Earth.

We can have an ordinary, solitary supercomputer dedicated to working on these efforts, but eventually even a supercomputer would run out of capacity, Juan Hindo, manager of the WCG, told IFLScience.

WCG volunteers download an app to their computers and devices. When theyre not being used, the devices automatically perform virtual experiments driven and directed by a team of researchers all around the world.

This model is infinitely scalable, and also taps into a resource that would otherwise be going to waste. Researchers are given access to a massive amount of computing power for free, along with a community of volunteers who are excited and engaged in learning about the work.

That element of public engagement, and bringing in the public into your research, and raising awareness of your work is something you would not get by doing your work on a normal supercomputer, Hindo said.

It currently has over 730,000 volunteers and millions upon millions of devices working on problems as diverse as Zika, childhood cancer, clean energy, and water filtration technologies.

Environmental science projects have emerged in the last few years, but this push on climate change is the most ambitious venture yet. The WCG will be made available to five innovative climate change research projects, all to the tune of $200 million.

Were casting the net wide, Sophia Tu, Director of Corporate Citizenship at IBM, explains. Were looking for work to get us to solutions, to show us how to adapt to climate change, how to mitigate it.

Migration patterns, the spread of disease, changing drought patterns, crop resilience were open to anything on this. We know that climate change is an interdisciplinary field, so we dont want to rule anything out.

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IBM Wants You To Use Its "Crowdsourced Supercomputer" To Help Fight Climate Change - IFLScience

With EPYC, AMD Offers Serious Competition to Intel in HPC – TOP500 News

Posted on July 21, 2017 by Danzig

While a number of commentators have written off AMDs prospects of competing against Intel in HPC, testing of the latest server silicon from each chipmaker has revealed that the EPYC chip offers some surprising performance advantages against Intels newest "Skylake" Xeon destined for the datacenter.

Since Intel integrated the 512-bit Advanced Vector Extensions (AVX-512) feature into its new Xeon Skylake scalable processor (SP) platform, it can theoretically double floating-point performance (and integer performance) compared its previous Broadwell generation Xeon line. The latter chips supported vector widths of only 256 bits. With EPYC, AMD decided to forego any extra-wide vector support, implementing its floating-point unit with a modest 128-bit capability. That leaves it with a distinct disadvantage on vector-friendly codes.

However, the majority of HPC codes dont take advantage of AVX-512 today, since prior to Skylake the only platform that supported it was Intels Knights Landing Xeon Phi, a processor specifically designed for vector-intensive software. Many HPC applications could certainly be enhanced to use the extra-wide vectors, although for others, like sparse matrix codes, it may not be worth the trouble. In any case, adding AVX-512 support to the code base will be done one application at a time.

Without the performance boost from extra-wide vector instructions, the theoretical floating-point advantage of the new Xeon over the AMD EPYC processor disappears. At least that is what can be concluded from testing done by the gang over at Anandtech. They recently ran a series of floating-point-intensive tests, among other, pitting the EPYC 7601 (32 cores, 2.2 GHz) against the comparable Xeon Platinum 8176 (28 cores, 2.1 GHz). Both are considered high bin server chips from their respective product lines.

The testing comprised benchmarks based on three real-world codes: C-ray, a ray-tracing code that runs out of L1 cache; POV-Ray, a ray-tracing code that runs out of L2 cache; and NAMD, a molecular dynamics code that requires consistent use of main memory. The tests were performed on dual-socket servers running Ubuntu Linux.

Somewhat surprising, the EPYC processor outran the Xeon in all three floating-point benchmarks. For C-ray, the 7601 delivered about 50 percent more renders than the 8176 in a given amount of time, while for POV-Ray, the 7601 scored a more modest 16 percent performance advantage. For NAMD, Anandtech used two implementations, a non-AVX version and an AVX-version that uses Intels compiler vectorization smarts (but not specifically for AVX-512). In both cases, the EPYC processor prevailed by 41 percent, with the older implementation, and by 22 percent with AVX turned on. Anandtechs conclusion was that even though the Zen FP might not have the highest peak FLOPS in theory, there is lots of FP code out there that runs best on EPYC.

Its worth noting that in Anandtech also performed a Big Data benchmark, in which the Xeon edged the EPYC by a little less than 5 percent. In this case, the test was a collection of five Spark-based codes, which measured mostly integer performance and memory accesses. In general, the EPYC processors should do better on data-demanding codes due to its superior memory bandwidth, but it was not clear how memory intensive these particular codes were. It would be interesting to see how these two architectures match up on in-memory database benchmarks.

Execution speed aside, AMD silicon looks even more attractive when you consider price-performance. The Xeon 8176 lists for $8,719, while the EPYC 7601 is priced at $4,000. With the Xeon line, you could move up to a faster clock (2.5 GHz) with the top-of-the-line 8180 for around $10,000, or move down to the Xeon 8160 (same clock, 24 cores) for $4,700. But either way, AMD looks to be undercutting Intel on price for comparably performaning server silicon.

Of course, if an application can take full advantage of AVX-512, the performance advantage would shift to Intel. (Perhaps not a price-performance advantage though.) One other thing to consider is for AVX-512-friendly codes, the Xeon Phi itself offers the best performance and price, not to mention energy efficiency. The only caveat here is threads on the Xeon Phi execute about 1 GHz slower than on their Xeon counterparts, so if single-threaded performance is critical to some portion of your code or codes, youre going to take a pretty significant performance hit.

In a discussion posted on Facebook earlier this week, Forrest Norrod, SVP and GM of Enterprise, Embedded & Semi-Custom Products, said he was pleased with how their new server chip is positioned against its rival. He made particular mention of the favorable floating-point performance, noting the results on EPYC have been tremendous, head-to-head, against the competitor.

He went on to explain that while the EPYC design team considered implementing a wide vector capability, they felt it was too expensive in terms of die area and power requirements to load down the CPU with such a capability. Instead they opted for a more general-purpose floating-point unit, plumbed with dedicated FP pipes to improve performance.

Also part of the Facebook discussion was AMD Engineering Fellow Kevin Lepak, who explained that another facet of the decision to keep the EPYC floating-point unit more generalized was due to AMDs GPU computing product line, which essentially fulfills the role of a dedicated vector processor. The company felt it didnt make much sense to overlap this capability in their CPU platform as long as they were offering both. As noted earlier, Intel made the exact opposite decision, vis--vis their Xeon and Xeon Phi lines.

Norrod and Lepak also delved into the rationale for implementing EPYC as a multi-chip module (MCM) processor, rather than as a monolithic chip, as Intel has done with its SkylakeXeons. A 32-core EPYC processor, for example, is comprised of four eight-core dies glued together with the Infinity Fabric. Intel has been critical of AMD for its MCM approach, claiming it hinders performance at various choke points. AMD counters that its a more effective way to get its extra-large feature set eight memory channels, 128 PCIe lanes, built-in encryption, and so on into the processor, while also serving to lower costs via increased manufacturing yields.

None of these technical arguments amount to much for customers, who will be focused on performance, price-performance and performance-per-watt across their own applications. If AMD can deliver superior numbers on even two ofthese criteria, Intel will likely lose its 90 percent-plus market share in HPCfor the first time in nearly ten years. And that would be a true EPYC event.

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With EPYC, AMD Offers Serious Competition to Intel in HPC - TOP500 News

California stem cell agency researching cures for brain cancer afflicting McCain – Sacramento Bee

Posted on July 21, 2017 by Danzig

Sacramento Bee

California stem cell agency researching cures for brain cancer afflicting McCain
Sacramento Bee
Earlier this year, Karen Ring, a stem cell scientist and overseer of CIRM's social media, wrote on the agency's blog about a notable, early-stage clinical trial involving glioblastoma. She described the work as a new cell-based therapy that melted ...
CIRM Approves $5.8 Million Grant for CAR-T Therapy That Targets Cancer Stem CellsNewswise (press release)
$5.8M to Help UCSD Develop Cancer Stem-Cell DrugsTimes of San Diego

all 3 news articles »

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California stem cell agency researching cures for brain cancer afflicting McCain - Sacramento Bee

Spirituality in Therapy, Spiritual Counseling, Therapy for …

Posted on July 21, 2017 by Danzig

Spirituality,a search for transcendent meaning or the belief in some sort of greater existence outside of humankind, can be linked to religion, but the practice of spirituality is generally considered to go beyond religion and link individuals with something larger, such as the universe itself.

Boththerapistsandpeople seeking treatment mayhesitate to include spirituality or religion in the practice of therapy, due to the potential of differing beliefs and the possible controversy of the topic. But research suggestsa therapist's inclusion of an individual'sspiritual beliefs may assist in therapy and in the process of healing.

Spirituality is generally considered to be broader than any religion one might practice, as it takes into account cognitive and philosophic areas of thought as well as aspects of emotions and behavior. Some might describe spirituality as the attempt to understand one's nature or the meaning of one's existence, but spirituality is also linked to one's path to internal awareness and happiness. Many cultures and belief systems hold that one's spirit is the essence of one's existence, and thus, spirituality may also describe for some people their connection to each other and to themselves.

Though some may describe themselves as spiritual without adhering to the principles of any religion or even having any religious thought, for others, religion is the manifestationof their spirituality. This manifestation may involve the performance of ritualsin one tradition or in some combination of traditionswith varying degrees of commitment and involvement in that faith. Spirituality may also describe the attention peoplepayto their ownwell-being and that of others. For many, the practice of dance, yoga, meditation, or volunteer work, among others, are outlets in which to express spirituality.

An ethical therapist will not attempt to push personal beliefs on a person in therapy or otherwise attempt to change that individual's spiritual or religious beliefs. However, if it becomes apparent in therapy that a person's beliefs are causing unnecessarydistress or if the person expresses difficulty reconciling contradictions between personal values or goals and the constraints of spiritual or religious belief, the therapist or counselor may draw the individual's attention to this area.In this case, the therapist may put forth theeffort to assist the individual in the process of clarifying what is essential for that individual to achieve optimal well-being.

When a personobtains benefit from spiritual practices, a therapist can also assist in the process of more deeply understanding the person'sspiritual self. This does not involve any particular teaching on the part of the therapist, but rather, encouragement to inquire into the individual'snature, conscious mind, unconscious mind, surroundings, and so on. A person's choices and the motivation for and consequences of those choices might also be discussed, and a therapist may ask peoplein therapy who have expressed religious or spiritual beliefshow thosebeliefs impact choices they have made and what they believea higher power might want from them.

However, discussion of religion and spirituality in therapy, even to this extent, is still controversial, and many people believe the inclusion of religiously guided treatments may bring about more harm than good. Some research indicates discussions of spirituality and religion in therapy may be challenging for individuals coping with certain issues. However, because spiritual distress may manifest with both mental and physical symptoms, a therapist who addresses these topics may be able to provide greater healing and support.

For many, spiritual beliefs play a significant role in the ability to cope with adverse events in life. Spiritual practices may offer social and emotional support, help peoplefind meaning and purpose in life, provide comfort in times of grief, and provide ethical and moral guidelines that many choose to live their lives by. Individuals who gain strength from their spiritual faith may find it difficult to achieve progress and healing in therapy when unable to address and incorporateall dimensions of who they are.

Prayer, religious meditation, or some other aspect of spiritual connectionmay form part of an individual's self-care routine,as might church orvolunteer work in the community. Some individuals or families may be deeply committed to their faithandbase much of their lives around spirituality or religion. When a person who is religious or spiritual seeks treatment, sensitivity on the part of a therapistmay be beneficial to treatment because it may lead to a broader evaluation of the person seeking treatment and allow the therapist to explore a wider variety of treatment solutions. Therapists who are aware of therapeutic strategies based in spirituality, such as spiritual journaling or forgiveness protocols, may also be able to provide people in therapy with resources on these topics, whether or not they are able to address them personally.

Many 12-step programs base their principles on belief and trust in a higher power, though this power may not be named specifically. One recent study foundthe spiritual beliefs of people in therapy impacted their levels of worry, stress, and tolerance of uncertainty.Those participants who trusted in a higher power were found to be more trusting and to have lower levels of worry, stress, and intolerance. Other studies have determinedspiritual therapy may be helpful for those experiencing substance abuse.

Spiritual therapy is a form of counseling that attempts to treat a person's soul as well as mind and body by accessing individualbelief systems and using that faith in a higher power to explore areas of conflict in life. People who believe in a guiding higher power may find spiritual therapy helps them achieve a deeper connection with this power. Through spiritual therapy, aperson who is experiencing depression may finda moral conflict is present in some area of life. Anxiety may result when a person is unconsciously engaging in acts of self-sabotage. Spiritual therapy is only one method of uncovering and addressing areas of conflict and possible mental health concerns that may arise in life, but some people may find it to be a beneficial model.

This type of therapy may also involvecommuning with nature, meditation, music, and other non-traditional therapeutic practices, all of which may be employed in an effort to connect the body and mind with the soul and explore the deepest part of one's self. While spirituality is often categorized with religion, one's spirituality may have nothing to do with religion but be simply an awareness of the universe and one's connection to it. Often, individuals who describe themselves as spiritual state their desire to attain a feeling of harmony with the universeand pursue spiritual therapy in an effort to achieve this goal.

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Spirituality in Therapy, Spiritual Counseling, Therapy for ...

Regina woman says she needed spirituality while in solitary confinement – News1130

Posted on July 21, 2017 by Danzig

VANCOUVER A Regina woman who spent 3-1/2 years in solitary confinement cried Wednesday as she recalled how a spiritual ceremony led by a First Nations elder helped her through difficult times at a British Columbia prison.

BobbyLee Worm, 31, was testifying at a B.C. Supreme Court trial launched by the B.C. Civil Liberties Association and the John Howard Society of Canada over the use of indefinite solitary confinement.

Worm was sentenced to nearly six years in prison in June 2006 for armed robbery. She served time at the Edmonton Institution for Women before being transferred in July 2008 to the Fraser Valley Institution for Women in Abbotsford, B.C., where she occasionally participated in spiritual ceremonies.

Prison officials limited an elder to certain elements of a spiritual ceremony, she said.

The elder would still want to see me regardless of how they were telling her how to give me my spirituality because she knows how important it was to me to have that in my life at that time, Worm said through tears.

It helped me keep grounded and keep myself together in order to get through those times.

Justice Peter Leask stopped proceedings to give Worm a break from testifying about her experiences, which involved long stints in 23-hours-a-day isolation, including one term that lasted almost a year.

Worm told the trial she was handcuffed in her cell while an elder met with her through a food slot.

The constitutional challenge was filed in January 2015. The federal government tried to stop the trial, saying legislation introduced last month would impose a time limit on solitary confinement terms.

However, the two groups say a warden would still have the final say and cases such as the 2007 in-custody suicide of Ashley Smith of Moncton, N.B., could still happen. The judge rejected the governments argument.

Correctional Service Canada maintains that so-called administrative segregation is used when inmates are difficult to manage, their safety may be at risk in the general population, or if there is no reasonable alternative to maintain the safety and security of an institution.

The court heard 50 allegations were made against Worm at the Edmonton prison, stemming from damage to property, possession and dealing of contraband, fights, assaults and uttering threats.

Worm told court she once tried suicide and said in her affidavit dated June 1 that she understood through counselling in prison that her repressed anger led her to assault inmates, leading to more time in isolation.

Her parents were intravenous drug users and she also turned to similar drug use, eventually contracting hepatitis C, she said in the affidavit.

She wanted to complete her Grade 12 education in prison but sometimes refused to participate because she was overwhelmed by trying to learn while being restrained as a teacher spoke to her through a food slot, Worm told court.

When she saw a teacher in another room, Worm said she was led out of her cell in shackles and handcuffs and learning became challenging because her hands were cuffed from behind and she couldnt use a pencil.

I just got tired of everything that came with it, trying to get that, she said of a high school diploma.

Worm said she eventually earned privileges such as guitar lessons but was handcuffed during that time.

It would have been a good nightclub act, the judge said, to which Worm responded: Ill have to keep that in mind.

In 2013, she settled a lawsuit against the federal government, filed on her behalf by the B.C. Civil Liberties Association, which said shed suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of abuse her during childhood and adolescence.

Correctional Service Canada is currently required to release prisoners from administrative segregation at the earliest possible time. The proposed law would establish an initial time limit of 21 days, with a reduction to 15 days once the legislation is law for 18 months.

Follow @CamilleBains1 on Twitter.

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Regina woman says she needed spirituality while in solitary confinement - News1130

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