Monthly Archives: August 2017

Cryptocurrency Wallet Jaxx Announces Support for Cofound.it-Approved Tokens – CoinJournal (blog)

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Blockchain projects listed on Cofound.it will see their tokens automatically approved for integration into Jaxx, a multi cryptocurrency and digital token wallet. A new partnership formed between the two companies is intended to support and promote the best and most innovative projects in the blockchain space by improving their tokens liquidity.

This will mean the crypto community has immediate access to hold, transmit, and swap some of the worlds best cryptocurrencies natively and securely within their Jaxx wallet, said Jan Isakovic, CEO and co-founder of Cofound.it.

Singapore-based Cofound.it provides a blockchain-powered platform that connects startups with investors and experts for funding and advice. It aims to create a full startup ecosystem, using the power of the blockchain to fuel interactions, Isakovic told Reuters.

We believe that the key advantage of token crowdsales are not funds collected, but the fact that the funds come from engaged supporters. They act as evangelists and early adopters, helping fuel very fast initial growth when compared to traditional startups.

The platform intends to become the place where the best startups in the blockchain industry go to expand their potential and find investment. It would also be a venue where experts with proven track records offer their expertise, and where investors go to find the best projects to support.

Cofound.it distributes its own cryptocurrency called CFI, which holders can use to pay for services on the platform such as early access to listed token crowdsales, and project submission. CFI are also used to pay partners and experts who participate and contribute on the platform.

Besides Cofound.it tokens, others that will launch directly into the Jaxx wallet include Santiment, Maecenas, Musiconomi, Digital Assets Power Play, and X8currency, the companies said.

Anthony Di Iorio, founder and CEO of Jaxx and Decentral, said the partnership with Cofound.it gives a stamp of approval to the currencies and projects hosted and trading within our ecosystem.

We are confident that through our partnership with Cofound.it, Jaxx will help to bring greater stabilization and further growth to the entire blockchain community via our universal command center for universal technologies which is needed to mature the nascent crypto market, he added.

Jaxx is currently undergoing a significant platform expansion with more tokens integrations to come in the near future. Jaxx currently supports Bitcoin, Ethereum, DASH, and Litecoin, among other cryptocurrencies.

The wallet also enables crypto-to-crypto exchange with in-wallet conversion via Shapeshift.

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Cryptocurrency Wallet Jaxx Announces Support for Cofound.it-Approved Tokens - CoinJournal (blog)

Bitstamp Will Add Ether Trading to Cryptocurrency Exchange – CoinDesk

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European cryptocurrency exchange Bitstamp will launch new trading pairs for ether next week.

Beginning on August 17, Bitstamp will add markets denominated in US dollars, euros and bitcoin for the ethereum-based digital currency. As part of the release, Bitstamp also revealed a new pricing structure for its markets, which unifies the fees it assesses among the exchange'strading pairs.

In an effort to promote the new markets, Bitstamp will waive trading fees for those pairs until October 1. It will continue to offer discounts through the end of the year.

Bitstamp is one of the last major cryptocurrency exchanges to list ether. In statements, the exchange indicated that it will add support for additional assets, framing the unified fee structure release as part of that process.

Founded in 2011, Bitstamp is one of the world's oldest bitcoin exchanges. According to data from CoinMarketCap, Bitstamp operates the third most voluminous exchange in US dollar terms, reporting about $43 million in trades over the past 24 hours.

The addition of ether comes amid new developments in that digital asset's market. As CoinDesk reported yesterday, ether prices crossed the $300 line for the first time in a month.

Ether markets have subsided somewhat since then, trading at roughly $294 at press time.

Image via Shutterstock

The leader in blockchain news, CoinDesk is an independent media outlet that strives for the highest journalistic standards and abides by a strict set of editorial policies. Have breaking news or a story tip to send to our journalists? Contact us at [emailprotected].

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Bitstamp Will Add Ether Trading to Cryptocurrency Exchange - CoinDesk

What is bitcoin? – CoinDesk

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Last updated: 20th March 2015

Bitcoin is a form of digital currency, created and held electronically. No one controls it. Bitcoins arent printed, like dollars or euros theyre produced by people, and increasingly businesses, running computers all around the world, using software that solves mathematical problems.

Its the first example of a growing category of money known as cryptocurrency.

Bitcoin can be used to buy things electronically. In that sense, its like conventional dollars, euros, or yen, which are also traded digitally.

However, bitcoins most important characteristic, and the thing that makes it different to conventional money, is that it is decentralized. No single institution controls the bitcoin network. This puts some people at ease, because it means that a large bank cant control their money.

A software developer called Satoshi Nakamoto proposed bitcoin, which was an electronic payment system based on mathematical proof. The idea was to produce a currency independent of any central authority, transferable electronically, more or less instantly, with very low transaction fees.

No one. This currency isnt physically printed in the shadows by a central bank, unaccountable to the population, and making its own rules. Those banks can simply produce more money to cover the national debt, thus devaluing their currency.

Instead, bitcoin is created digitally, by a community of people that anyone can join. Bitcoins are mined, using computing power in a distributed network.

This network also processes transactions made with the virtual currency, effectively making bitcoin its own payment network.

Thats right. The bitcoin protocol the rules that make bitcoin work say that only 21 million bitcoins can ever be created by miners. However, these coins can be divided into smaller parts (the smallest divisible amount is one hundred millionth of a bitcoin and is called a Satoshi, after the founder of bitcoin).

Conventional currency has been based on gold or silver. Theoretically, you knew that if you handed over a dollar at the bank, you could get some gold back (although this didnt actually work in practice). But bitcoin isnt based on gold; its based on mathematics.

Around the world, people are using software programs that follow a mathematical formula to produce bitcoins. The mathematical formula is freely available, so that anyone can check it.

The software is also open source, meaning that anyone can look at it to make sure that it does what it is supposed to.

Bitcoin has several important features that set it apart from government-backed currencies.

The bitcoin network isnt controlled by one central authority. Every machine that mines bitcoin and processes transactions makes up a part of the network, and the machines work together. That means that, in theory, one central authority cant tinker with monetary policy and cause a meltdown or simply decide to take peoples bitcoins away from them, as the Central European Bank decided to do in Cyprus in early 2013. And if some part of the network goes offline for some reason, the money keeps on flowing.

Conventional banks make you jump through hoops simply to open a bank account. Setting up merchant accounts for payment is another Kafkaesque task, beset by bureaucracy. However, you can set up a bitcoin address in seconds, no questions asked, and with no fees payable.

Well, kind of. Users can hold multiple bitcoin addresses, and they arent linked to names, addresses, or other personally identifying information. However

bitcoin stores details of every single transaction that ever happened in the network in a huge version of a general ledger, called the blockchain. The blockchain tells all.

If you have a publicly used bitcoin address, anyone can tell how many bitcoins are stored at that address. They just dont know that its yours.

There are measures that people can take to make their activities more opaque on the bitcoin network, though, such as not using the same bitcoin addresses consistently, and not transferring lots of bitcoin to a single address.

Your bank may charge you a 10 fee for international transfers. Bitcoin doesnt.

You can send money anywhere and it will arrive minutes later, as soon as the bitcoin network processes the payment.

When your bitcoins are sent, theres no getting them back, unless the recipient returns them to you. Theyre gone forever.

So, bitcoin has a lot going for it, in theory. But how does it work, in practice? Read more to find out how bitcoins are mined, what happens when a bitcoin transaction occurs, and how the network keeps track of everything.

The above table is an advertising unit. For more options, please see our guide to buying bitcoin.

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What is bitcoin? - CoinDesk

Buoyant bitcoin stirs crypto-bubble fears – CNBC

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It is mainly the new "token" cryptocurrencies that are issued in ICOs with no regulatory oversight, which have exploded since the start of the year, that are causing the most anxiety.

One, the "Useless Ethereum Token", which appears to have been set up as a way of showing how worthless many of the ICOs really are, is nonetheless changing hands for 3 cents a unit. "No value, no security, and no product. Just me, spending your money," its website states.

"It's just so easy to raise money on an ICO right now, it just feels like there's a gold rush going on there," said Moffat. "Some of the new currencies - beyond bitcoin and Ethereum - could crash to zero."

By mid-July, about $1.1 billion had been raised in ICOs this year, roughly 10 times more than that in the whole of 2016, according to cryptocurrency research firm Smith + Crown.

The rapid ascent of ICOs prompted the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to warn last month that some ICOs should be regulated like other securities.

This is new digital territory and how the rapidly proliferating cryptocurrency market will play out is anyone's guess.

While critics say the highly correlated nature of the currencies means the weakness of newer entrants could bring the whole house down; others argue market forces will ensure the best players prevail.

"Will some of these (currencies) go away? Of course," said Vias of Ripple.

"We're going to see Darwinism in real-time here. Only the strong will survive."

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Buoyant bitcoin stirs crypto-bubble fears - CNBC

Top Wall Street strategist expects bitcoin to be the best asset through year-end – CNBC

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Bitcoin will likely outperform stocks and bonds the rest of the year, according to the first major Wall Street strategist to issue a report on the digital currency.

"I think bitcoin is an underowned asset with potential for huge institutional sponsorship coming," Fundstrat co-founder Tom Lee said Wednesday on CNBC's "Fast Money."

"It has a lot of characteristics that are very similar to gold that I think will make it ultimately attractive as an alternate currency," he said. "It's a good store of value."

Here's Lee's outlook on bitcoin given on the show into year-end:

Gold or bitcoin? Bitcoin?

"Yes."

Would you rather own bitcoin versus a basket of U.S. stocks?

"Between now and year end it's easily bitcoin."

Will bitcoin be the best performing asset?

"Yes."

Bitcoin leaped to record highs this week above $3,500, more than tripling in value for the year despite a split in the currency last week into bitcoin and bitcoin cash, an alternative version supported by a minority of developers.

Bitcoin traded 1.5 percent higher near $3,428 Thursday morning, according to CoinDesk. Bitcoin cash steadied after wild swings in its first week, trading near $303, according to CoinMarketCap.

Another digital currency, ethereum, rose 1 percent to just under $300, according to CoinDesk.

Bitcoin three-month performance

Source: CoinDesk

Lee published a report in early July outlining the potential for bitcoin to rise above $20,000 and potentially reach $55,000 by 2022. Formerly the top stock strategist at JPMorgan and a perennial favorite of big institutional investors, Lee was also one of the few on Wall Street to predict that a Donald Trump win in last year's election would cause stocks to rally, not fall like most had seen.

Lee sees another reason for optimism about bitcoin.

"Institutions have to directly buy the coin today through a broker, but both the CBOE and the CFTC have opened up options futures trading, so I think it's going to grow in holdings," he told CNBC.

In the last month, the Chicago Board Options Exchange said it plans to offer bitcoin futures by early next year, while the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission approved a digital currency trading firm called LedgerX to clear derivatives.

Market strategists have noted there are few highly attractive investment opportunities with U.S. stocks at all-time highs and bonds steady as the Federal Reserve remains on a gradual pace of monetary policy tightening and gold in a trading range.

The median S&P 500 target of strategists surveyed by CNBC is 2,475, just a point above where the stock index closed Wednesday. Lee happens to be the most bearish among those strategists with a year-end target of 2,275, or 8 percent below Wednesday's close.

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Top Wall Street strategist expects bitcoin to be the best asset through year-end - CNBC

Bitcoin is almost triple the price of gold here’s what traders think … – CNBC

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Two traders are unfazed by bitcoin's meteoric surge and say that between the cryptocurrency and gold, you're better off trading the yellow metal.

Bitcoin has jumped 240 percent this year to a high of $3,288 on Wednesday, while gold was trading at $1,280. But despite the bitcoin gains, Brian Stutland of Equity Armor Investments and Path Trading Partners' Bob Iaccino believe gold is still a better bet than bitcoin from technical and fundamental perspectives.

"When you look at gold over the past couple of months, [it has] tracked very well [relative] to the cryptocurrency," Stutland said Tuesday on CNBC's "Futures Now." "If you price adjust and volatility adjust, I think gold still has a little bit of catching up to do."

As for Iaccino, he believes that while bitcoin's popularity is indisputable, a takeover by another digital currency could be possible, leading him to believe that bitcoin is more unstable than many may think.

"Bitcoin, right now, is the most popular [cryptocurrency] and it is the most valuable one," he said. "But I don't see it as a store of value, because any [other cryptocurrency platform] could come out with a slightly better technology and completely replace bitcoin."

In order to catch up to all the action bitcoin is seeing, Stutland wants to buy gold at the $1,265 level, targeting a move up to $1,285 by December expiration with a stop at $1,250, a key support level that gold has held, according to the trader.

"The volatility is tremendous, so you're going to see wild swings in here and that is something to be aware of," he said.

Gold actually rose more than 1 percent on Wednesday off threats delivered by President Donald Trump and North Korea's Kim Jong Un to one another, the yellow metal being one of the biggest safety trades in times of possible turmoil. Bitcoin, on the other hand, dropped more than 3 percent Wednesday, reversing some of the cryptocurrency's gains from the week

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Bitcoin is almost triple the price of gold here's what traders think ... - CNBC

As bitcoin comes off its record high, the next step is to avoid a ‘lightning fork’ – CNBC

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Currently, bitcoin transactions are validated through a process called mining, where powerful computers solve a complex math problem before the transaction is recorded on the blockchain. A whole confirmed transaction can take up to an hour.

The Lightning Network promises to reduce this process to seconds. It requires participants to agree to a transaction on a separate channel and then the blockchain will update their accounts accordingly. This can be done without the need for miners or third parties such as digital wallet providers.

The developers of Lightning say this means transactions can be instant, will allow for micropayments of bitcoin and enable a larger volume of transactions. It may even help bitcoin be used more on the high street.

"Lightning can be used at retail point-of-sale terminals, with user device-to-device transactions, or anywhere instant payments are needed," the developers said in a summary document.

Lightning will make bitcoin a long-term competitive payment platform and could revolutionize peer-to-peer payments, according to Gatecoin's Menant.

"Particularly with regards to micropayment transactions that may be useful for emerging markets with low-value local currencies," he said.

"It can also be implemented to facilitate machine to machine payments, using its smart contract framework, so that firms running various automated processes can benefit from direct payment relationships between its software and that of its clients or suppliers."

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As bitcoin comes off its record high, the next step is to avoid a 'lightning fork' - CNBC

Bitcoin retreats from all-time high even as Fidelity debuts digital-currency tracking – MarketWatch

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MarketWatch
Bitcoin retreats from all-time high even as Fidelity debuts digital-currency tracking
MarketWatch
A single bitcoin was valued at $3,393.76, off by about 2.5%, based on levels from late Tuesday in New York, according to digital-currency research site Coindesk.com. The total market value for the most popular digital currency was at $55.4 billion ...
Coinbase Becomes First Bitcoin 'Unicorn'Fortune
$100 Million: Coinbase Raises Biggest-Ever Round for Bitcoin StartupCoinDesk
Bitcoin Exchange Gets $100 Million InvestmentBloomberg
TheStreet.com -Engadget -CNBC -Reuters
all 43 news articles »

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Bitcoin retreats from all-time high even as Fidelity debuts digital-currency tracking - MarketWatch

Orbital Elements: Comets – IAU Minor Planet Center

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Disclaimer: Mention here of a particular software package does not in any way represent an endorsement of the product.

This page and the associated data files are made available courtesy of the IAU's Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams, Minor Planet Center and the ICQ.

The elements can be saved to your local machine by using your browser's `Save As' facility, ensuring that you select `Plain text' as the format for the saved document.

This page may be freely pointed-to from your own Web page but elements offered here are intended for your own personal use and must not be further distributed.

Users are warned that the magnitude parameters quoted in some of these packages are uncertain.

Please ensure you've read the note in /iau/MPCStatus.html on new downloading restrictions.

Elements are currently available for the following packages:

Information on the MPC's format is here. Information on the other formats may be located on the relevant home pages.

Data for further packages may be added when data on the proprietary formats used for the storage of orbital elements is made available by the software authors. It is recommended that new software support the MPC orbit format.

Disclaimer: CBAT/MPC reserve the right not to include data for a particular software package.

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Orbital Elements: Comets - IAU Minor Planet Center

Penn Manor alum Caroline Lovett returning home as Comets’ new girls lacrosse coach – LancasterOnline

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Caroline Lovett is coming back home. The Penn Manor school board earlier this week approved Lovett, a 2011 alum, as the Comets new girls lacrosse head coach. This comes on the heels of Lovett being hired as a fourth grade teacher for the coming school year at Penn Manors Pequea Elementary. She returns to the area after spending the last two years as a fourth grade teacher in Caroline County, Maryland.

I knew I wanted to come back to Lancaster, Lovett said. Then a teaching position opened up. I got the job. I knew I wanted to coach at Penn Manor if Jenn Forney needed any help.

Forney resigned as the Penn Manor girls lacrosse coach in May after four years at the helm.

I saw she (Forney) had resigned, Lovett said. Im like Well, its a lot but Ill go for it.

A standout hoopster and laxer at Penn Manor, Lovett played lacrosse for four years at NCAA Division III Washington (Md.) College. She was a full-time starter and one of the leading attacks in her final two years with the Shorewomen in 2014 and 2015, finishing her collegiate career with 67 goals and 44 assists in 48 games played.

So I did camps and clinics when I was at Washington and fell in love with it (coaching), Lovett said. And after I graduated from there I was missing the sport and wanted to get back involved.

Lovett did just that the last two years with a club lacrosse program along the eastern shore in the lacrosse hotbed of Maryland, coaching seventh-, eighth- and ninth-graders.

The girls, she said. Live and breath lacrosse down there.

Lovett is aiming to instill a similar passion back at her alma mater in hopes to return the Comets to the glory days she experienced not too long ago when Penn Manor went a combined 75-16 in her four years there from 2008 through 2011, the last three of those seasons reaching the District 3 semifinals, including a runner-up finish in 2009. Penn Manor went a combined 32-37 the last four seasons, including a 4-13 mark in 2017.

I think its all gonna start with having a coach who is dedicated to the sport and holds the girls accountable, Lovett said. Instead of jumping into strategy and things we work on in practice its important to build a relationships with the girls and make them understand they need to be dedicated to the sport...once we have that established in the fall I hope to incorporate the skills and practices I learned to get the team back on the right track. But I know its a journey. Im not expecting us to win every game right away.

Lovett also admittedly understands coaching club lacrosse and a high school program are two different animals. After all, 20 of the 25 L-L boys and girls lacrosse programs have changed head coaches at least once since 2016. And Lovett will be one of eight new head coaches on the L-L lacrosse landscape in 2018.

I thought about it a lot actually, she said. Because of my experience playing in high school I know there a lot of politics that goes into high school sports...thats one reservation I had is its gonna be different from where Im coaching club with how involved the parents get...I think being a teacher will help me in that regard. Thats why I didnt let that aspect weigh too heavily on my decision because Im dealing with parents everyday in a professional manner as a teacher.

It is kinda crazy being 24. I do feel like Im kinda young. I dont know this many people this young who go into coaching shortly after graduating (college). I think itll be an adventure.

By the way, Lovett is the older sister to brother Cameron Lovett, who just graduated from Penn Manor and is soon headed to play basketball at NCAA D-III Union (NY) College.

Other searches: Searches for new head lacrosse coaches are still ongoing at Cocalico (boys), Garden Spot (boys), Hempfield (boys) and Lampeter-Strasburg (boys and girls).

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Penn Manor alum Caroline Lovett returning home as Comets' new girls lacrosse coach - LancasterOnline

Comets Themed Labatt And Labatt Blue Light Cans Available This Fall – WIBX AM 950

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photo courtesy of Utica Comets

Utica Comets fans will be able to drink specialty-themed cans of Labatt and Labatt Blue Light this fall while showing their support for the team.

The 16-ounce cans, packaged in six packs, will be shipped to Labatt Blue and Blue Light retailers in six counties including, Oneida, Herkimer and Madison as early as October.

The blue and green cans will feature the Comets logo on both the front and back with the slogan #cheerstohockey.

An official release party, in conjunction with McCraith Beverages, the local Labatt USA distributor, is planned for early October.

The reveal of the Labatt Blue Comets cans is a great way to kick off the fifth anniversary season, said Comets President Robert Esche. McCraith has always been a valuable sponsor to the Comets brand, and this can design takes the partnership to another level. Im extremely excited to enjoy these cans with the rest of Comets fans throughout the Mohawk Valley this October.

New Addition To Utica Aud Will Be Suite For Comets Fans

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Comets Themed Labatt And Labatt Blue Light Cans Available This Fall - WIBX AM 950

Mason running back Matt Sora is all about the Comets and the community – WCPO

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MASON, Ohio -- Mason football coach BrianCastneris not sure if he will coach another player like Matt Sora.

Castner, who begins his eighth season with the Comets and25thyear coaching high school football, cant say enough about the senior running back.

Matt and I have grown to be close,Castnersaid at practice last week. Hes a two-year captain. I think he wants to do a lot of things here because this is where he grew up. He wants to give back to this community when he plays on Friday nights. Its never about him.

Sora, an Indiana State commit, rushed for 1,262 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2016 for the Comets (7-5). He was also first-teamAll-Greater Miami Conference.

But its the way he carries himself in practice, with teammates and off the field that makes his leadership important to Mason as it prepares for the season opener Aug. 25 atSpringboro(7 p.m. kickoff).

Mason is trying to build off back-to-back postseason appearances including a first-round win over Elder in 2016. Sora had 250 rushing yards and three touchdowns against the Panthers in that playoff game. But this year is a new team.

For us as a team, we want to write our own story, said senior linebacker JakeBracher, one of the teams four captains. Its going to have a storybook ending -- its going to be awesome.

WCPO Insiders can learn where Matt Sorapracticed sprints in the offseason last year to prepare for the season and why his leadership is so important to the Comets this fall.

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Mason running back Matt Sora is all about the Comets and the community - WCPO

Sterling Comets win bocce tournament – South Platte Sentinel

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Aug 9th, 2017 | By South Platte Sentinel | Category: Sports

Monday, July 31, the Sterling Comets Special Olympics team took on members of the Sterling Police Department and other city officials in a friendly round of the Italian lawn-bowling game at Propst Park. Here, players watch the results while waiting for their turn to throw in bocce ball.

By Lisa Broaddus Special to the South Platte Sentinel

The Sterling Comets Special Olympians hosted their year end barbecue and bocce tournament at Propst Park on July 31.

The tournament was played against the fire department, law enforcement and city officials.

It was a fierce tournament that ended up with a narrow win by the Sterling Comets. A great time was had by all.

We all would like to give a huge thank you to the fire department, law enforcement and city officials for their support and participation of the Sterling Comets Special Olympian program.

City officials who attended were Don Saling, Bob Brown and also Chief Tyson Kerr.

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Sterling Comets win bocce tournament - South Platte Sentinel

Meteor Showers in 2017 That Will Light Up Night Skies – New York Times

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All year long as Earth revolves around the sun, it passes through streams of cosmic debris. The resulting meteor showers can light up night skies from dawn to dusk, and if youre lucky you might be able to catch one.

If you spot a meteor shower, what youre really seeing is the leftovers of icy comets crashing into Earths atmosphere. Comets are sort of like dirty snowballs:As they travel through the solar system, they leave behind a dusty trail of rocks and ice that lingers in space long after they leave. When Earth passes through these cascades of comet waste, the bits of debris which can be as small as grains of sand pierce the sky at such speeds that they burst, creating a celestial fireworks display.

A general rule of thumb with meteor showers:You are never watching the Earth cross into remnants from a comets most recent orbit. Instead, the burning bits come from the previous pass. For example, during the Perseid meteor shower you are seeing meteors ejected from when its parent comet, Comet Swift-Tuttle, visited in 1862 or earlier, not from its most recent pass in 1992.

Thats because it takes time for debris from a comets orbit to drift into a position where it intersects with Earths orbit, according toBill Cooke, an astronomer with NASAs Meteoroid Environment Office, who spoke toThe New YorkTimeslast year.

The name attached to a meteor shower is usually tied to the constellation in the sky from which they seem to originate, known as their radiant. For instance, the Orionid meteor shower can be found in the sky when stargazers have a good view of the Orion constellation.

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Meteor Showers in 2017 That Will Light Up Night Skies - New York Times

Janssen’s Tremfya (guselkumab) Makes its Debut in the Psoriasis Market and Early Dermatologist Feedback Reveals … – PR Newswire (press release)

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Possible barriers to rapid uptake will come in the form of differentiation from the existing biologics, namely Janssen's own Stelara, as well as from the IL-17 inhibitors, Novartis' Cosentyx and Lilly's Taltz. In response to Tremfya's launch, one respondent questioned, "What contribution does Tremfya provide in a sea of psoriasis options?" While close to half of the respondents feel that Tremfya is a significant advance over the TNF inhibitors and Celgene's Otezla, only one in five believe it is a significant advance over the IL-17 inhibitors or Stelara.

Additionally, a number of respondents note a general lack of knowledge and voiced some confusion regarding Tremfya's mechanism of action. Others appear to be under the impression that the biologic was an IL-17 inhibitor and several noted that Tremfya is associated with a suicide risk; implying a potential confusion between Tremfya and Siliq, Valeant's recently approved IL-17 inhibitor that carries a black box warning for suicidal ideation. The lack of knowledge can partially be explained by low sales representative contact rates, with only one-third of the sampled dermatologists reporting contact to date. As Tremfya penetrates the market and representative contact rates increase it can be assumed that this confusion will dissipate.

The third quarter update of RealTime Dynamix: Psoriasis, which will field at the end of August, will include an in depth analysis and tracking of Tremfya's launch and will also highlight benchmark launch comparisons to Taltz, Lily's IL-17 inhibitor which was approved in 2016. At one month post-launch, 86% of dermatologists were aware of Taltz's approval, one-third reported use of the IL-17 inhibitor, and two-thirds had been briefed by a sales representative all metrics Tremfya needs to match or exceed for successful entry into this increasingly competitive market.

RealTime Dynamix: Psoriasis is an independent report series published on a quarterly basis. The series tracks the evolution of the PsO market, provides a deep dive on launch effectiveness, and highlights opportunities for pipeline agents.

About Spherix Global Insights Spherix Global Insights is a business intelligence and market research company specializing in renal, autoimmune, neurologic and rare disease markets. We provide clients with strategic insights leveraged from our independent studies conducted with healthcare providers and other stakeholders.

All company, brand or product names in this document are trademarks of their respective holders.

For more information contact: Lynn Price, Immunology Franchise Head Email: info@spherixglobalinsights.com

View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/janssens-tremfya-guselkumab-makes-its-debut-in-the-psoriasis-market-and-early-dermatologist-feedback-reveals-that-distinction-from-stelara-and-the-il-17-inhibitors-will-be-key-to-success-300502261.html

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Janssen's Tremfya (guselkumab) Makes its Debut in the Psoriasis Market and Early Dermatologist Feedback Reveals ... - PR Newswire (press release)

Anchoring Improves Compliance of Injections for Psoriasis – Medical News Bulletin

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Anchoring is defined as having the tendency to make subsequent judgements based on the first piece of information received. A group of researchers determined that anchoring improves patient adherence to injections for psoriasis.

Psoriasis is an autoimmune disease which is managed with several different medications. Among these medications, biological therapy has been proven to be effective; however, adherence can be difficult because of the fear associated with injections.

A research letter published in JAMAdescribes the results of a study conducted to determine if anchoring patients diagnosed with psoriasis before initiation of treatment would improve treatment compliance. Anchoring is defined as having the tendency to make subsequent judgements based on the first piece of information received. In this study, the researchers assessed if patients offered with monthly injections for psoriasis would adhere to the injection if they were initially presented with a once-daily injection. A total of 100 patients diagnosed with psoriasis, aged 18 years and older and not previously prescribed injectable medications were included in the study. Participants were randomized to two groups. One group was initially anchored by assessing their willingness to have once-daily injections for their treatment before determining their willingness to have monthly injections. The other group was only asked about their willingness to start a monthly injection.

The results of the study show that the group who received anchoring with a once-daily injection were more willing to start a monthly injection compared to the other. Anchoring has been studied in other areas such as psychology and behavioral economics, but its applications in the practice of medicine have yet to be proven. One of the issues encountered is the manipulation of the patient perception with regards to their decision making. The clinician is faced with the ethical dilemma of what to use as an acceptable anchor when offering procedures or treatments to patients.

Resource:

Oussedik, E., et al. (2017). An anchoring based intervention to increase patient willingness to use injectable medication in psoriasis. JAMA Dermatology. doi:10.1001/jamadermatol.2017.1271

Written byKarla Sevilla

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Anchoring Improves Compliance of Injections for Psoriasis - Medical News Bulletin

Psoriasis severity linked to increased risk of uveitis – Medical News Bulletin

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In a large study in Taiwan, investigators looked at the pattern of incidence of uveitis (eye inflammation) in people with psoriasis. They found that as the severity of psoriasis increased patients had an increasing risk of uveitis compared to people without psoriasis.

Psoriasis is a common chronic inflammatory condition of the skin. While its cause is still unclear, it is thought to be an autoimmune diseasewhere they bodys own defense system reacts abnormally to healthy cells. Although psoriasis mainly affects the skin and nails, in some cases sufferers may develop several other associated inflammatory conditions including arthritis. Psoriatic arthritis can lead to joint destruction and disability. (For more information on psoriasis click here)

Uveitis is an inflammation of part of the eye called the uveal tract this includes the iris, ciliary body and choroid tissue.Symptoms include a painful red eye, light sensitivity and blurred vision. One or both eyes may be affected. Uveitis can have several different causes, but it has alsobeen linked topsoriasis although the relationship is not well defined. In order examinethis further, researchers in Taiwan reviewed a large group of patients with psoriasis and looked at the pattern of incidence of uveitis in these patients compared to people without psoriasis. The findings were recently reported in JAMA Ophthalmology.

The National Health Insurance Research Database in Taiwan contains comprehensive health data on the Taiwanese population and is a useful resource for studying the pattern of diseases. The researchers reviewed all those in the database who had psoriasis between 2000-2011. They divided these patients into four subgroups according to the severity of their psoriasis and whether or not they had associated psoriatic arthritis. The four groups were: mild psoriasis without arthritis, severe psoriasis without arthritis, mild psoriasis with arthritis, severe psoriasis with arthritis. Over 147,000 psoriasis patients were included and compared with the same number of people without psoriasis (control group).The researchers looked at the occurrence of uveitis in all of these subjects and compared the relative risk between the psoriasis groups and controls.

Patients with severe psoriasis and arthritis had the greatest risk of developing uveitis, followed by those with severe psoriasis but no arthritis, and mild psoriasis with arthritis. There was no significant increase in the risk of uveitis in the mild psoriasis with no arthritis group compared to the control group.

The researchers concluded that the incidence of uveitis differs according to the severity of psoriasis. There greatest risk is in patients with severe psoriasis andarthritis. They suggest that doctors should be aware of these varying risk levels and should educate psoriasis patients about the signs and symptoms of uveitis so that they can seek medical attention if necessary.

Written By:Julie McShane, Medical Writer

Reference

Chi CC, Tung TH, Wang J, et al. Risk of uveitis among people with psoriasis. A Nationwide cohort study. JAMA Ophthalmology. Published online April 13, 2017.

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Psoriasis severity linked to increased risk of uveitis - Medical News Bulletin

Survey Reveals Psoriasis Patients’ Journeys Take Different Paths – Benzinga

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PHILADELPHIA, PA--(Marketwired - August 09, 2017) - A new Health Union national survey of more than 1,000 individuals diagnosed with psoriasis reveals that each person's symptoms and treatment journey is different and some patients' paths are more circuitous than others.

Psoriasis In America 2017 was conducted online between April 4, 2017 - May 26, 2017 and released through Health Union's online community, PlaquePsoriasis.com. Survey respondents reported being frustrated with their psoriasis symptoms on a daily basis, with 70 percent reporting flaking skin, 62 percent itchy skin, and 44 percent cracked skin for all seven days during the past week.

Psoriasis is an autoimmune disease causing chronic inflammation of skin and other parts of the body. In the United States, there are an estimated 7.5 million adults with psoriasis. Plaque psoriasis is the most common type of psoriasis, representing about 80 percent of cases. Psoriasis symptoms have different levels of severity -- from mild to severe -- which are medically characterized by the percent of the body surface affected by skin lesions.

For many people, their psoriasis journey reveals signs of autoimmune disease that go beyond their skin. Among current symptoms reported by survey respondents, 58 percent are affected by pain and 66 percent are affected by fatigue. In addition, 45 percent report that their nails are currently affected, which is considered an early warning sign of psoriatic arthritis.

Because psoriasis is a chronic condition with no cure, many people can become discouraged with the available treatment options. Six out of 10 survey participants reported having never gone into remission from their psoriasis symptoms. Still, for some people, remission is possible. With treatment, many patients can have longer periods of remission and relief from skin symptoms.

Chris Petit, PlaquePsoriasis.com patient advocate agreed.

"Even when your skin is clear, the fear of it coming back is always there. You're never 100-percent done with it until they find a cure," he explained.

Almost half of survey respondents started on a prescription medication to treat their psoriasis within a month of diagnosis. Even with treatment, patients continue to deal with skin symptoms which may worsen before they get better. This stress and anxiety can cause further skin flares, adding to the frustration.

"Writing about my psoriasis journey on PlaquePsoriasis.com has been a great way to help others," Petit added. "In the beginning it was rough. Over the years I've learned to embrace it. You can't let the disease run your life -- you have to take control. It doesn't define who you are."

In fact, 73 percent of survey respondents report turning to a psoriasis-specific website to learn more about managing their condition.

"The results of this survey highlight the complex journey facing people who live with psoriasis," said Tim Armand, president and co-founder of Health Union. "People come to PlaquePsoriasis.com when they experience judgment and isolation and don't know where else to turn. We are proud to be able to provide this much needed resource for support and information."

A summary infographic of the survey results is also available. More details about the survey are available upon request.

About Health Union, LLC and PlaquePsoriasis.comHealth Union inspires people to live better with challenging health conditions -- combining new, original content every day with digital, social and mobile technologies to cultivate active online health communities. Health Union platforms are unique ecosystems dedicated to illuminating the voices and experiences of people with type migraine, rheumatoid arthritis, type 2 diabetes, and more. Its services and offerings foster open and honest interactions about these health conditions between and among patients, caregivers, professionals, providers and industry partners to help all stakeholders make more informed decisions about healthcare. PlaquePsoriasis.com is Health Union's online community dedicated to people living with psoriasis, where patients and supporters of people living with this condition can connect, share experiences, and learn about managing the condition.

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Survey Reveals Psoriasis Patients' Journeys Take Different Paths - Benzinga

Will ‘Dare to Dream’ superyacht concept revolutionize world travel? – CNN International

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This striking yacht design, aimed at those with a strong passion for both sailing and aviation, could revolutionize the way we travel the sea.

The brainchild of Monaco-based artist George Lucian, Dare to Dream affords sufficient space for an airship to land on deck.

The airship itself is called 'Flying Diamond' and can accommodate two people, as well as a saloon for dinners, cocktails and relaxation.

At 140 meters in length, Dare to Dream has the space to host at least 12 guests, though there will also be entertaining and living spaces on board the airship.

"My concept is inspired from the yachting industry and military vessels design," Lucian says.

Lucian adds that the design was also inspired by his fascination for the zeppelins which transported passengers across the Atlantic in a luxurious and romantic manner at the beginning of the last century.

The airship is 100m in length and would offer the yacht's owner the chance to gain a different perspective while sailing the Mediterranean, for example.

The owner can leave the yacht and spend a couple of days flying above to ocean -- or have dinner floating above the bay of Monaco -- before returning to deck.

Lucian says the elegance and tranquility that cruise liners and airships offered at the beginning on the 20th century has been lost.

He wants Dare to Dream to give its owner a feeling of old-fashioned elegance.

How long before Dare to Dream takes to the high seas?

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Will 'Dare to Dream' superyacht concept revolutionize world travel? - CNN International

Signature Travel Network Partners with TCS World Travel – TravelPulse

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PHOTO: A Boeing 757 with TCS World Travel livery on the tarmac. (photo via Flickr/Alec Wilson)

Signature Travel Network announced a new partnership with TCS World Travel, which employs private jets to provide highly personalized travel experiences for travelers.

Alex Sharpe, Signatures president and CEO, said, "Signature is the only consortium to partner with the company on a national level. I am thrilled that our consultants have better access to private jet travel, and now we are focused on training and supporting our members as they market this luxurious experience to their clients."

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TCS World Travel was founded in 1991 as TCS Expeditions and launched its first around-the-world private jet expedition in 1995. Pioneers in the private jet travel industry, the company has developed and operated more than 240 expeditions to more than 200 destinations.

Signature Travel Networks current portfolio of preferred supplier partners includes 975 hotels and resorts, 30 cruise partners, 91 destination specialists, 50 tour and land operators as well as a variety of specialty suppliers, travel insurance providers and car rental companies.

READ MORE:The Home-Based Travel Agent's Keys to Success

We are excited to launch this partnership with Signature Travel Network to bring awareness to our expanded portfolio of seamless, all-inclusive journeys, saidSidhelley Cline, president of TCS World Travel.

Signature travel consultants understand the needs of high-end travelers and share our goal of providing luxurious once-in-a-lifetime experiences with the highest level of service, she added.

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Signature Travel Network Partners with TCS World Travel - TravelPulse