Ukrainian Bitcoin Exchange Kuna Partners Dedicated … – Finance Magnates

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TaaS, a tokenized closed end fund dedicated to blockchain assets, has partnered with two cryptocurrency exchanges, Livecoin and Ukraines Kuna, to offer its tokens for trading. Userswill be able to trade the tokens after the conclusion of TaaS Initial Coin Offering (ICO), which will run untilApril 27, 2017.

The London Summit 2017 is coming, get involved!

So far, the TaaS ICO has raised more than BTC 2,873 ($3.3 million) from 1539 investors with twenty days left to go.

TaaS Co-founder and President Ruslan Gavrilyuk said: TaaS is proud to partner with Livecoin and Kuna, helping early adopters capitalize on the surging blockchain and cryptocurrency spaces. With the TaaS token tradable on the Livecoin and Kuna exchanges, more investors can gain easy, fully transparent and convenient access to the vast cryptocurrency market.

Livecoin CEO Svetlana Geller said: The partnership with TaaS will aid us in our mission to provide a modern and easy-to-use service for accessing cryptocurrency exchange markets. Our agreement with TaaS will prove mutually beneficial in allowing both companies to bring even more people into the burgeoning space of digital currency investments.

Kuna Founder Michael Chobanian added: Kuna is delighted to add TaaS, an innovator in blockchain technology investment, to the Kuna cryptocurrency exchange. We believe Kunas customers will greatly appreciate the opportunity to take advantage of TaaS groundbreaking offering and that the partnership will help to grow and strengthen Kunas platform.

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Ukrainian Bitcoin Exchange Kuna Partners Dedicated ... - Finance Magnates

Bitcoins Startups Fear No Ban in India, Say Technology Will Make Inroads – Entrepreneur

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You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media.

There seems to be a lot of controversy surrounding Bitcoins legality in India. The government and ministers are cautioning the users repeatedly gainst the risk involved with the usage of this digital currency.

The minister of state for finance, Arjun Ram Meghwal, last week reiterated concerns against the use of digital currencies in India.

"The absence of counter parties in usage of [virtual currencies] including bitcoins, for illicit and illegal activities in anonymous/ pseudonymous systems could subject the users to unintentional breaches of anti-money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) laws," he said in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha.

Despite all the warnings, Bitcoin startups of India remain confident and feel largely insulated by the consequences of the risk involved with the cryptocurrency. Bitcoin startups such as SearchTrade, Zebpay, Unocoin and Coinsecure have taken a step forward to form the Digital Asset and Blockchain Foundation of India (DABFI) for the orderly and transparent growth of the virtual currency market.

Understand Legal And Value Discovery Process for Bitcoin:

Vikas Gupta, CEO, SearchTrade feels Bitcoins are a risky investment not withstandinggovernment opinion or policies around it.

One must understand both legal as well as value discovery process before jumping into investing in them. The government has not explicitly said it is illegal; my understanding is they insist it is illegal to indulge in illegal activities with them, he explained.

Talking about the self regulatory body formed by the Bitcoin start-ups, he said, We are creating a self-regulatory framework due to lack of defined policies in the space to protect both consumers and businesses involved in the space. For e.g., we have made it mandatory for our members to implement KYC, anti-money-laundering and suspicious trade reporting in their day to day operations. We are working on many such initiatives to help the budding ecosystem.

In addition, at DABFI Vikas along with other members are engaging with various government departments to help them better understand the technology and frame policies for the future.

Bitcoin Investment Faces Both Technical And Legal Risks:

Another bitcoin exchange company, Zebpay buys and sells bitcoins in India.

Sandeep Goenka, COO and Co-founder, ZebPay believes that investing in bitcoin is high reward, high risk.

Bitcoin has been the best performing currency for a year since its inception except 2014. However, the investment faces both technical and legal risks. Hence even if you consider it, it should be a very small part of your portfolio, he said.

According to Sandeep, bitcoin is legal under all existing laws. If it is banned in future, his company will stop operations. However, he added that it needs to be understood that the ban won't stop cryptocurrencies. It'll only stop its legitimate use.

Referring to the Indian governments strong stance towards the bitcoin usage, he said They have genuine concerns like for any new technology, whether its a taxi hailing app, drones, health tech or cryptocurrencies. However, legitimate exchanges give them radar to the industry. If they ban us, international apps will continue to serve the underground market. All this will achieve is stopping legitimate use and Indian companies.

Bitcoin Will Always Face Legality Issues:

According to Mohit Kalra, CEO and Founder ofDelhi-based bitcoin startup Coinsecure,something so decentralized and disruptive like bitcoin will always face issues regarding legality. Even for semi-decentralised cab systems like Uber and Ola Cabs, it took a lot of years for the regulators to come out with proper regulations. This delay definitely not means it was illegal to operate such services.

We are seeing a similar trend with bitcoin, there are different opinions currently. Making bitcoin illegal will force exchanges like ours to shut down, thus promoting users to trade in cash illegal market. Doing so will be the complete opposite and against to what government expected after demonetisation, he said.

While theres global uncertainty over the legal status of bitcoin in India, Mohit further explained that a ban on something so decentralized will only force all the users to trade illegally. It will only result in government not getting any service tax from the companies or income tax from the users on what they earn from trading or mining.

A self confessed Bollywood Lover, Travel junkie and Food Evangelist.I like travelling and I believe it is very important to take ones mind off the daily monotony .

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Bitcoins Startups Fear No Ban in India, Say Technology Will Make Inroads - Entrepreneur

Extension Block Proposal Stumbles In Attempt to End Bitcoin Block … – CryptoCoinsNews

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The block size debate has gotten to a point that some bitcoin observers think it could doom bitcoin. Bitcoin has defied all the bitcoin naysayers and prospered, recently setting record market capitalization. Will internal strife prove its ultimate undoing?

A recent proposal designed to appease both sides in the bitcoin scalability debate may be doomed because of the way in which it became public. Laura Shin, a Forbes columnist, reported on the Extension Blocks proposal and its role the increasingly contentious conflict over changing the bitcoin block size.

The Extension Blocks solution was made public Monday without first being presented to the bitcoin developer community. Reception to the proposal was mixed on Reddit and Twitter.

Emin Gun Sirer, co-director of the Initiative for Cryptocurrencies and Smart Contracts and a Cornell associate professor, said the proposal is technically clever and politically brilliant.

But he expected opposition to the solution will come from a non-technical cause the effort to sidestep protocol and engage the media before the development community.

Block size debate observers consider it to be about the size of blocks; the number of transactions that can be processed in a specific time period. Shin, however, claims the underlying goal of the debate is the control of bitcoin.

The existing bitcoin network limits the amount of transaction blocks that get added to the ledger to 1 MB. The miners that add the transactions want to raise that limit.

The developers say increasing the block size will compromise bitcoins decentralization by putting it under the control of concentrated powers, be it individuals, institutions, governments or other entities. Increasing the block size limit will require a hard fork, which could split the network into two blockchains and possibly compromise bitcoins value.

The developers support Segregated Witness (SegWit), which would allow more transactions per block by making the blocks more efficient. This solution would not require a hard fork.

Andrew Lee, CEO of Purse and a supporter of the extension block proposal, said the extension block addresses both camps concerns. Extension blocks allow larger blocks and also deploys SegWit and doesnt require a hard fork.

Also read: Op-Ed: A new blocksize proposal goes nowhere

Extension blocks process transactions outside of the 1MB block but tie them to blocks on the bitcoin blockchain. Stephen Pair, CEO of BitPay, said the extension block is a good idea since it improves the networks capabilities and allows people to experiment. Eric Lombrozo of Bitcoin Core opposed the proposal since it is untested.

SegWit, on the other hand, has been released but has not been adopted by enough computers to make it active.

Samson Mow, formerly with BTCC, said the new proposal goes outside the norm of how open source software is developed. He said proposal supporters are falsely stating that everyone supports it and that it defies bitcoins principles of decentralization, openness, and transparency.

Mow said the way extension blocks were proposed has a political bent to it and could pressure developers to support it by making them think the amount of support is greater than it really is.

Shin noted the extension block proposal could already be compromised by a lack of community trust, despite assumptions about bitcoins trustless nature.

BitPays Pair was skeptical when asked if extension blocks will end the two-year scalability debate.

Featured image from Shutterstock.

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Will self-regulation by Bitcoin players spur RBI to authorise use of virtual currencies? – YourStory.com

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The Digital Asset and Blockchain Foundation of India aims to create awarenessabout the benefits and risks of cryptocurrencies, liaise with regulators and get clarity on taxation, attract investment and set up incubators to promote startups.

Four years after it first warned the users of virtual currencies (VCs), including Bitcoin, in 2013 of the potential financial, operational, legal, and security-related risks that they were exposing themselves to, the Reserve Bank of India(RBI) recently again expressed concern over the risk-prone Bitcoin players, who have no authorisation to deal with Bitcoin.

But these warnings seem to have had no effect on the Bitcoin and cryptocurrency players, who that have now gone a step further and set upthe Digital Asset and Blockchain Foundation of India (DABFI) as a kind of self-regulatory body to lay down rules and regimes for the trading of Bitcoins and other blockchain-based digital assets.

The DABFI initiative is being spearheaded by Bitcoin startups such as SearchTrade, Zebpay, Unocoin, and Coinsecure, and follows from the need to ensure an orderly and transparent growth of the virtual currency market. The foundationis mandated to standardise KYC (Know Your Customer), AML (Anti-Money Laundering), and STR (Suspicious Transaction Report) norms for the member companies and create awareness about the benefits and risks of crypto-currency.

In addition, DABFI will alsoliaise with regulators and get clarity on taxation, attract investment and set up incubators to promote startups, build global relations and actively engage with the international community, and create a public website and regularly print reports on and around Bitcoin and the blockchain.

The foundation is currently working on creating awareness among investors and firms against such schemes and programmes that lead to problematic transactions and mistrust around cryptocurrencies. Vishal Gupta, CEO, Searchtrade and founding member of DABFI, says,

Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies have tremendous benefits for most marginalised people, merchants, tax departments, and regulatory authorities. It has better price discovery, is anti-inflationary, and the transactions are irreversible.

Vishal says he appreciates RBIs warning in the light of many multi-level marketing (MLM) and network marketing companies offering cloud mining and alt coin, and promising unreal returns to investors. These companies, according to him, are trying to ride the popularity of Bitcoin and trapping uninformed investors with their schemes.

According to Bitcoin startups, since there is no formal recognition of Bitcoin or cryptocurrency, raising capital from accredited investors becomes a major challenge for them. Besides, there is little clarity about the taxation that is applicable to various types of Bitcoin transactions.

The RBI, on its part, maintains that it has not given any licenceor authorisation to any entityor company to deal with Bitcoin or any virtual currency, and as a result, any user, holder, investor, or trader dealing with virtual currencies will be doing so at their own risk.

In response to RBI's stance, Vishal says there is no real need to apply for any licence to deal in Bitcoin, since it has not been definitively identified as a currency yet. So, most businesses treat it as commodity trading, which does not require any sort of licensing.

Bitcoin players believe that self-regulation has worked for various industries that are not covered by any regulation. The Code for Self-Regulation in Advertising, for instance, adopted by the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) has been widely accepted by regulators (through incorporation in the relevant rules), courts, and industry alike. DABFI has engaged an international law firm, Nishith Desai Associates, to assist it in developing norms for self-regulation.

Self-regulation does not work outside the framework of existing laws, but rather tries to create best practices for participating members to comply with established norms. Since blockchain is a relatively new technology, one that is still evolving, self-regulation helps, since experts who are in the know of development and working in the industry can keep pace with rapid developments and study compliances with the law on a day-to-day basis, says Vishal.

He emphasises that there are around 400,000 to 500,000 people who have bought or sold Bitcoin, and that the total market size is approximately Rs 2,000 crore a year in India. Most investors primarily use it as an investment rather than as a currency. Think of it as digital gold rather than currency, says Vishal. According to Mohit Kalra, CEO and Founder, Coinsecure,

"Regulating something so decentralised as Bitcoin is not an easy task. By the time authorities figure it out, all DABFI members will be working on self-regulation to ease out complications for the authorities and the community in the future.

Referring to the RBI caution, Sandeep Goenka, Co-founder of Zebpay, says, "The cautionary note addressed to the regular public is correct in its intention. Cryptocurrencies do face technical risks. However, the cautionary note should not be used against companies who are trying to do legitimate business and self-regulating themselves.

The Digital Asset and Blockchain Foundation of India is an association of people who are keen to propagate the use of digital assets like Bitcoin and Ethereum within India. It is engaged in educating people about the risk associated withinvesting and trading in cryptocurrencies. It also creates and propagates practices Bitcoin businesses must adhere to based on consultations within the industry, as well as with regulators and various other stakeholders. in addition, DABFI has organised various events, bringing in Indian and overseas experts to share their experiences in Bitcoin so as to help people gain a better understanding of the subject.

Cryptocurrencies and blockchain are poised to have a profound impact on both Indian as well as global economic landscape. Beyond currency, blockchain development is now moving into the space of decentralised contract and record management. This has huge implications for transparent governance and land record management, says Vishal.

Website:DABFI

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Study: 43% of Bitcoin Transactions Aren’t Processed after First Hour – CryptoCoinsNews

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A new study by the UCL Centre for Blockchain Technologies reveals that 43% of the transactions are still not included in the Blockchain after 1h from the first time they were seen in the network and 20% of the transactions are still not included in the Blockchain after 30 days, revealing therefore great inefficiency in the Bitcoin system.

The bitcoin network was studied over a period of three months where some 12,000 unique nodes were found to be connected with confirmation times less inefficient for large value transactions. The study says:

In this case, we note that the process is still rather slow but most of the value is included in the Blockchain within 3h (93%) and after 30 days only 0:1% of value is left to be included.

The study makes a number of interesting claims. They say, for example, that nearly 200,000 blocks were received during a one week period when only around 2,000 blocks were real or relevant. Giuseppe Pappalardo, a Research Assistant at UCL and one of the papers author, explained this discrepancy to CCN as follows:

When a node receives a block it has to verify all transactions included in the block and the whole block itself. If both transactions and the block are valid, the block is announced to the nodes peers using the inv message. So when a node send to us an INV message related to a block/transactions it should imply that the block passed verification.

The massive presence of dated echo block sent by a large group of nodes can be due to the fact that not all nodes maintain a full copy of the blockchain and therefore are unable to verify blocks. Another scenario could be that these nodes are not performing any verification at all.

Without proper verification, old blocks keep [being] broadcasted by peers in a loop.

That appears to be a clear inefficiency as many resources are being used for no good reason. Regarding transactions themselves, its not clear whether the amount of fee paid and its role in transaction inclusion was studied, with the authors instead only differentiation between small value and large value transactions, leading to an interesting statement:

2 million bitcoins waiting to move image from tradeblock

The Bitcoin system fails in taking accurate record of the transactions with some of them taking months before being recorded in the Blockchain. We note that this inaccurate recording does not seem to be caused by the fact that block size is limited to 1MB and only few thousands transaction can be included into a block. It seems indeed that the network is not saturated yet, with average block size 0.8MB, with only 3% of blocks exceeding 0.99MB band and even with some blocks without transactions.

The study was undertaken around May last year just before blocks became full with Blockchain.info reporting that the current average blocksize over the past 24 hours is 0.96MB. Since last year, transaction backlocks have become far more common, with more than 2 million bitcoins, worth around $2.5 billion, currently waiting to move.

However, the study does point out that regardless of the blocksize there remains no mechanisms that ensures that all transactions are actually processed, as miners are free to choose what transaction, if any, to include in their block.

Nakamoto did include a mechanism, but its not enforceable as its not at a protocol layer. That is whats called first-seen. Nodes/miners are meant to process the first seen transaction, so forming a queue through this method, but it breaks down with full blocks. Without full blocks it remains unenforceable, but since its a logical way of processing transactions most miners would probably apply it as they did prior to full blocks.

The added benefit of first seen is that double spends are very difficult although possible through a miner who does not use first-seen even when the transaction has no confirmation. Making bitcoins transactions as good as instant in most cases, especially in physical settings.

Its not clear whether the authors are aware of the first seen mechanism which has now largely been superseded by a fee-paying prioritization method. Pappalardo says that further investigation is needed to ascertain why some transactions are not included, before adding:

What we suggest is that miners have no incentives to include all transactions and therefore some are missed and after a while becomes increasingly unlikely that a miner willingly include old transactions.

Pappalardo further said that despite the intentionally-provocative negative view on the bitcoin network efficiency, at the UCL Centre for Blockchain Technologies we strongly believe in the great potential of blockchain and its peer consensus mechanism. With this paper we call for a debate on the right system of incentives to make a peer-to-peer blockchain system efficient in recording transactions correctly and timely.

Asked what system of incentives might improve efficiency, Pappalardo said that without any incentive for proper processing and timely recording of transactions it is unlikely the system will spontaneously invest efforts to become more efficient.

This topic has been a matter of public debate, for now, two years with some suggesting the base layer should be kept inefficient through enforcing an upper limit of 1MB blocks so that everyone uses the Lightning Network, while others arguing for the reinstatement of the first seen mechanism through lifting the 1MB limit.

Those arguing for a retention of the inefficiency have gained the upper hand by blocking any changes to the protocol, including the latest proposal of extension blocks. The end result is that now almost half of bitcoin transactions need to wait for more than an hour with independent studies proclaiming bitcoins payment network is inefficient.

Whether such inefficiency will be addressed in bitcoin remains to be seen, but scientific and impartial independent studies are always a welcomed addition to the never ending blocksize debate.

Featured image from Shutterstock.

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Comets edge Marlies for big home win – Utica Observer Dispatch

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Ben Birnell

UTICA The Utica Comets earned two valuable points Friday.

A gritty performance against the Toronto Marlies helped the Comets remain in the mix in a tight North Division playoff race.

The Comets held off a late Marlies charge for a 3-1 victory to open an important three-game weekend before an announced capacity crowd of 3,870 at the Utica Memorial Auditorium.

"It was one of those games we won it in the stretches," said Comets coach Travis Green, whose team also stopped six-of-seven Toronto power plays. "Our penalty killers had to come up big. At this time of the year when you beat a good team like that it goes a long way."

The fourth-place Comets have 77 points with five regular-season games remaining. With help from an Albany (79 points) win over St. Johns on Friday, the Comets moved a point ahead of the IceCaps. Utica and St. Johns play Sunday. The top four teams in each division qualify for the playoffs.

"(The win) is huge," said Cody Kunyk, who scored the eventual game-winner in the second period on the power play to continue a career season. "It took every line doing their job. A team like them, we had to give them our best effort."

The result gave the Comets (34-28-7-2) a franchise-best nine consecutive home wins and pushed the team to 14-6-1 in their last 21 games.

Rookie Thatcher Demko earned first star honors with 25 stops including big saves in the third for his 22nd victory of the season. Joseph LaBate also scored a power-play goal for the Comets, who finished 2-for-6 on the power play. Wacey Hamilton added an empty-netter.

"The margin for victory is so tight. With our team especially, we dont score goals easily and we know that," Green said. "To get a goal or two on the power-play goes a long way."

Toronto (40-27-4-1), which had a seven-game win streak snapped, clinched a playoff spot for the sixth consecutive season with St. Johns loss. Garret Sparks had 19 saves and allowed two or fewer goals for the ninth consecutive game.

First period

The Marlies controlled early, but the Comets answered with the lone goal.

Utica took the lead on the teams second power play. Off a faceoff win, Colby Robak sent a Chad Billins pass from the left point through traffic to the net where LaBate redirected in his sixth of the season with 7:51 remaining.

The goal was the fourth time in the last five games the Comets scored on the power play.

"I thought we got some of the momentum once we got the goal," said Green, whose team had two big penalty kills one soon after the goal to limit the Marlies fourth-ranked power-play unit.

Second period

Utica extended its lead with another power-play goal in a back-and-forth frame.

With the Comets on a 5-on-3 advantage, Darren Archibald sent a short pass from the bottom of the right circle to Kunyk, who chipped in his 15th of the season from in front past a sprawling Sparks about seven minutes in. Alex Grenier had a nice cross-ice feed to help set up the goal.

"We were kind of in the wrong position," Kunyk said with a smile. "Arch made a heck of a pass to me. I was fortunate for it to go in."

Third period

The Marlies didnt go quietly, though. Toronto broke up the shutout with about seven minutes to play and the Comets killing a 5-on-3 advantage. Mike Sislos one-timer from the top of the left circle made it 2-1.

"They got some momentum and we hung tough," Green said.

Toronto continued to pressure the Comets had to kill another penalty after the goal -- and pulled Sparks with 1:49 remaining, but the Comets shut the door. Hamilton added his ninth of the season with 55 seconds left to seal the win.

Up next

The Comets play their penultimate road game of the season at 7 p.m. Saturday when they take on the Rochester Americans for the third time in nine days. The teams split a home-and-home series last weekend.

Notes: Fridays game was the Comets 90th consecutive sellout, though there were some unfilled seats throughout the Aud. The team has sold out 75 consecutive regular-season games. Brett McKenzie was released from his amateur try out contract Friday. McKenzie, who joined the Comets on March 22 after a strong juniors season, didnt appear in any games. Veteran forward Pascal Pelletier was a scratch Friday.

Comets 3, Marlies 1

Toronto 0 0 1 1

Utica 1 1 1 3

1st Period-1, Utica, LaBate 6 (Robak, Billins), 12:09 (PP). Penalties-Campbell Tor (holding), 8:37; Rychel Tor (tripping), 11:05; Sautner Uti (interference), 12:31; Archibald Uti (unsportsmanlike conduct), 16:47.

2nd Period-2, Utica, Kunyk 15 (Archibald, Grenier), 7:02 (PP). Penalties-Pedan Uti (cross-checking), 4:37; Nielsen Tor (holding), 5:02; Griffith Tor (tripping), 6:16; Hamilton Uti (hooking), 13:44; Johnsson Tor (hooking), 14:40; Oleksy Tor (closing hand on puck), 19:40.

3rd Period-3, Toronto, Sislo 13 (Leipsic, Griffith), 6:52 (PP). 4, Utica, Hamilton 9 (Rendulic), 19:04 (EN). Penalties-Sautner Uti (hooking), 5:12; Cassels Uti (tripping), 6:00; Archibald Uti (tripping), 8:03.

Shots on Goal-Toronto 6-8-12-26. Utica 6-14-2-22.

Power Play Opportunities-Toronto 1 / 7; Utica 2 / 6.

Goalies-Toronto, Sparks 20-8-0 (21 shots-19 saves).

Utica, Demko 22-14-4 (26 shots-25 saves).

A-3,870

Referees-Cameron Voss (41), Chris Ciamaga (13). Linesmen-Tory Carissimo (54), Brian Oliver (74).

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Comets knock on door of opportunity, but fall to Franklin County HS 1-0 – YourGV.com

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In what was another great game in the recent tradition of close one-run games between the Halifax County High School and Franklin County High School softball teams, the Comets pounded on the door of opportunity but couldn't get the door ajar.

The Comets got a pair of runners on the sacks in the sixth inning, and got a runner on base in four other innings, but couldn't come up with the hit needed to punch a run across the plate in a 1-0 loss to the Eagles Thursday night at Halifax County High School.

It was the third straight game between the two teams that was decided by one run.

"The situation came up where we couldn't scratch up a hit when we needed to," said Comets Head Coach Woody Bane, "but my girls played their hearts out. We played good defense. Lauryn Chappell pitched well. We're headed in the right direction. We've got to scratch for that hit when we need to."

The Comets, 4-4 on the season, had six hits in the game, with Megan Watts leading the team with a 3-3 effort at the plate that included a double. Jeri Lynn Tyler, Mackenzie Lawter and Anna Clowdis each had one hit.

Halifax County High School played solid defense throughout the game, holding the Eagles scoreless when they had two runners on base in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings. The Comets had one double play in the game, that coming in the top of the fourth inning when Watts snared a line drive and fired the ball to Karina Velazquez at second base to pick off an Eagles runner.

Chappell threw a good all-around game from the mound, striking out two batters while scattering six hits and two walks.

Trailing 1-0, the Comets produced their best scoring opportunity in the bottom of the sixth inning. Tyler, the leadoff batter, opened with a base hit. Chappell hit a hard line drive shot to leftfieldthat was caught for the first out of the inning. Lawter hit a screaming line drive right at the Franklin County High School second baseman that was caught for the second out. Clowdis reached base with a hit that sent Tyler to second base. A wild pitch allowed the two runners to move to second base and third base. The inning ended when Katie Cole went down on strikes.

Earlier, the Comets got Watts, their leadoff batter in the third inning, on base with a hit. That threat went by the board when Watts was erased on a double play that started with Kaitlyn Richardson popping up a bunt to the Eagles' third baseman.

Chappell led off the fourth inning for the Comets by getting on base with a walk. A sacrifice bunt by Lawter moved Chappell to second base, but that was as far as Chappell would get.

Franklin County High School was able to take advantage of an opportunity in the top of the second inning to produce what would become the game-winning run. With one out, the Eagles' Karle Cundiff got on base with a hit. A sacrifice bunt from Kelsey Pendleton moved Cundiff to second base. Caroline McConnell followed with a base hit, with Cundiff sliding across the plate, missing the attempted tag by Lawter, the Comets' catcher, by inches to score the run.

"You couldn't have asked for a better high school setting, high school game," said Franklin County High School Head Coach Bryan Forbes after the win that improved his team's record to 6-0 on the season.

"For a high school game, it was a great competition. Our girls battled and they (Halifax County High School) battled. The run we scored probably shouldn't have scored. I didn't give the bunt (signal to Pendleton) but the young lady put it down anyway."

Forbes said this was the first game this season that his team had been held to less than six or seven runs in a game.

"This showed me that we can play with anybody on a given day even if our bats are not as hot as they have been lately," he remarked.

While the Comets came up shy on the scoreboard against the Eagles, the good play on the part of the Comets in this game and in the team's wins in its three previous games has Bane feeling good about the direction the team is heading.

"I'm really happy with my team," Bane pointed out.

"We're really going down the right road right now. We're getting healthy. We're going to be alright."

Prior to the game, Franklin County High School made a donation to the Olivia Noblin Scholarship Fund, and the Eagles softball team gave Stanley Noblin, father of late Comets second baseman Olivia Noblin who lost her life in a highway traffic crash in late December, an Eagles team shirt with his daughter's No. 9 on it in honor of the late Comets second baseman.

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Velma-Alma Comets eliminated from Jake Leffler Tournament – Duncan Banner

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The hosting Velma-Alma Comets struggled in their opening games of the 2017 Jake Leffler Tournament, losing both to be eliminated on Friday afternoon.

The Comets opened the tournament with a laid-back attitude, and that cost them a shot at the winners bracket and their ace pitcher.

Velma committed over 10 errors in Thursdays matchup against the Lindsay Leopards. Six of those double-digit errors would come in the second-inning of Thursdays game.

Velmas Tyler Martin was forced to throw to the entire Leopard lineup in that second-inning nightmare. Martin was able to get his outfield five chances at catchable fly balls in the inning, but the Comet outfielders would only field one of them successfully.

Lindsay would score seven runs on six errors and two hits in that second-inning, setting the stage for the Leopards to run rule the home team in four-innings.

With all the maroon disappointment of the opening game, Velma didnt back down from their opponent in Fridays elimination game.

The Comets gave a run at the Sterling Tigers after Sterling had been relinquished to the losers bracket by Comanche in a 3-2, extra inning win over Sterling on Thursday.

The Comets seemed unimpressed by the air of favoritism that often cloaks itself around the Sterling Tigers, at least in the early innings. Velma jumped on top of the tigers as early as possible, after plating a run in the top of the first inning.

Velmas Gabe Bench was able to reach base successfully after drawing a walk. Tyler Martin reached next, advancing Bench to second. Martin navigated the bases aggressively, and that would draw a pickoff attempt from Sterlings catcher. The attempt went awry.

As the ball rolled into the outfield, Bench rounded third and score.

Velma wasnt bent on being a one-inning wonder, and fought back against the Tigers in the second. After enough Comets reached safely to load the bases, Bench hit an RBI-single to tie the game at 2 runs each.

The outfields inability to field a ball successfully would come to cost the Comets again, and, just like Thursdays game, it happened in the second inning.

With their rotation-leading pitcher Tyler Martin burned in Thursdays loss, Sophomore Everett Wade would get the call to the mound against the Tigers. Wade performed almost as well as Martin did on Thursday, by giving his fielders multiple opportunities at outs.

The Comet defense failed to prop up their pitcher, however, giving up two errors in the outfield that ultimately resulted in six Sterling runs. Velma would be unable to come back from Sterlings grasp of the momentum, and, with the help of a four-run third inning, they defeated the Comets by 12-2 in four innings.

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Velma-Alma Comets eliminated from Jake Leffler Tournament - Duncan Banner

Parkites face Comets as three-day League resumes – Trinidad & Tobago Express

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PORT OF SPAIN

The fifth round of the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board three-day league competition bowls off today with defending champions Queens Park Cricket Club hoping to put some distance between themselves and former winners Merry Boys.

The Parkites and Merry Boys are level on 90 points at the top of the Premier Division One standings and the race for the trophy will be heating up with just three matches to go. The defending champions face the struggling Alescon Comets at Queens Park Oval in St Clair while Merry Boys travel to Penal to face First Citizens Clarke Road United at Wilson Road. Clarke Road are last on the eight-team table on 41 points while Comets are fifth on 45. In the other games starting today, third place Central Sports (65 points) host fourth place PowerGen Penal Sports (45 points) at Invaders Ground in Felicity while seventh placed Tableland Sports (43 points) travel to Barrackpore to face sixth placed Jailal Enterprises Victoria Sports (44 points). All three-day matches bowl off today and continue on April 22 and 23. National League 3-Day Fixtures PowerGen Penal Sports vs Central Sports, Felicity First Citizens Clarke Road United vs Merry Boys, Wilson Road Tableland Sports vs Victoria Sports, Barrackpore QPCC vs Alescon Comets, Queens Park Oval

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Parkites face Comets as three-day League resumes - Trinidad & Tobago Express

Olson, Comets overpower Wildcats in nonconference game at home – SaukValley.com

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By Adam Feiner afeiner@saukvalley.com 815-625-3600, ext. 5550 @AdamFeinerSVM

STERLING Nonconference baseball games early in the season are good indicators of what teams need to improve on or continue to do.

What Newman will continue to do is ride the arm of ace Luke Olson, whose strong performance on the bump paced the Comets to a 9-2 win over River Ridge-Scales Mound Friday afternoon.

Olson didnt give up a hit in 5 1/3 innings of work. However, after 74 pitches, Newman coach Tom Wilson made the move to KC Knack to save Olson for next Wednesdays matchup against the team that knocked the Comets out of the postseason last year, Milledgeville.

When asked about coming off the mound, Olsons response was atypical of any pitcher working on a no-hitter.

I wanted to stay in there, Olson said. But they want to save me so I can throw next week. I was trying to keep my pitch count down, but I threw too many balls and walked too many people.

He was a bit overpowering for us, River Ridge-Scales Mound coach Jeremy Knauer said. We had seen pitchers like him before, but not this past week. We didnt make the adjustment back. Hes got good stuff.

The sophomore set the tone from the start by striking out the side in the first inning. His rhythm continued, as his curveball and slider confused Wildcat hitters as much as his fastball overpowered them. After a walk with one out in the sixth, Wilson made the switch to Knack with a 3-0 count on pinch-hitter Andrew Brown. Brown walked on Knacks second pitch.

That set the table for the Wildcats first hit. Nick Parr doubled down the third-base line to score pinch-runner Jaxon Westbrook and make it 5-1 Newman. A fielders choice brought home another run for RRSM, but Knack escaped any further damage by inducing a groundout from Austin Kutz to end the inning.

It was the first time in the game that River Ridge/Scales Mound (2-7) had any momentum.

Newman pounced on the Wildcats with two runs in the second. A double by Knack led off the inning, followed by a Travis Williams single. Ethan Behrens squeeze bunted Knack home. Zach Rice singled up the middle to bring in Williams and make it 2-0 Comets.

Behrens manufactured Newmans third run. He beat out an infield single to start the inning, then stole second. Zach Rice laid down a successful sacrifice bunt, but Behrens never stopped running from second, as he rounded third and beat the catcher Stadel to the plate. Four batters later, Nate Olson beat out an infield single to bring his brother home and make it 4-0.

In the fifth, it was Williams manufacturing a run for Newman. The junior reached on a fielders choice, stole second and third, and came home on a wild pitch to pad the Comet lead.

The Wildcats faced an uphill climb all game on the mound. RRSM was one of just a few teams in all of Northwest Illinois to play all of their scheduled games this week, which resulted in limited pitching options Friday. Ben Crist, Ben Francke, Bennett Reese and Alex Nesbit all made their varsity pitching debuts against Newman.

We were ecstatic to be in the game, Knauer said. You never want moral victories, but when you have four kids that have never pitched [at the varsity level] before, you almost take this as a moral victory for the kids. I was proud of how we played, for the most part.

Newman (3-3) tacked on four runs in the bottom of the sixth off three Wildcat errors and an RBI single from Chase Graham. No Comet had more than one hit, but eight players had at least one hit.

A week off from games had Newman anxious to get out and play, which was all they were looking for Friday.

We were looking for the sun, and we actually got it for a change, Wilson said, somewhat jokingly. We worked on our pitching. Luke did a great job starting, and KC did a good job finishing.

Baseball

Newman 9, River Ridge/Scales Mound 2

Star of the game: Luke Olson, Newman, 5 1/3 IP, 2 ER, 0 H, 9 K, 74 pitches

Key performers: KC Knack, Newman, 1-for-4, 2B, 1 2/3 IP, 0 ER, 2 H; Travis Williams, Newman, 1-for-4, 2 SB, 2 runs; Zach Rice, Newman, 1 for-1, 2 RBI; Nick Parr, RRSM, 1-for-3, 2B, RBI

Up next: Newman at Bureau Valley, doubleheader, 1 p.m. Saturday

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Olson, Comets overpower Wildcats in nonconference game at home - SaukValley.com

Comets notebook: Crucial weekend on tap for Utica – Utica Observer Dispatch

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Ben Birnell

Another big weekend looms for the Utica Comets.

The Comets, aided by a 13-6-1-0 run in an up-and-down season, need a little bit help as they battle for a North Division playoff spot. As the Comets (33-28-7-2, 75 points) begin another three-game set Friday, they are a point behind St. Johns and two back of third-place Albany. The top five North teams are separated by 10 points. The top four teams in each division qualify for the American Hockey Leagues playoffs.

With six games remaining over the last nine days of the regular season, coach Travis Green said the Comets have to continue to work hard in order to pick up victories.

I think you always wonder if your team can get it done when the chips are in the middle, said Green, whose team has won eight consecutive home games going into Friday. Theyve shown they can make it. It is not surprising to me. I wouldnt expect our team to go away. Im not expecting it now.

Utica draws a tough matchup against division-leading Toronto (40-26-4-1, 85 points) at 7 p.m. Friday at the Utica Memorial Auditorium before traveling to Rochester on Saturday. St. Johns visits Utica on Saturday afternoon for arguably one of the Comets most important games of the season. Utica has earned at least four out of a possible six points in each of its three-game weekends since early March.

I think we just have to take it one game at a time, forward Mike Zalewski said. This is playoff hockey right now. We know whats at stake and what we have to do.

That starts with limiting a Toronto team that has a seven-game win streak. The Comets also know they must stay out of the penalty box against Toronto, which has 14 power-play goals on 41 opportunities (34.1 percent) in seven meetings this season.

The Comets have been helped by stellar play from rookie goaltender Thatcher Demko, who is 12-3 with a 2.01 goals-against average in starting 15 of the last 17 games. Offense has been spread around with seven players combining to score the teams nine goals in regulation last weekend.

(Demko) has been our backbone, said Jordan Subban, whose 16 goals are third-most among AHL defensemen. Confidence is key. Hes just been lights-out.

A surprise for Zalewski

Zalewski got some unexpected news Wednesday night.

Thats when the New Hartford native said he found out hes getting his own bobblehead figure. Zalewski said he found out when his girlfriend told him after seeing the Comets post an announcement about the collectible on their Instagram page.

I have never had something like that, Zalewski said with a laugh Thursday. It is pretty cool. I was pretty happy.

The bobblehead, which features Zalewski in a celebration pose while wearing Uticas green alternate uniform, will be given out before next Wednesdays game against Syracuse. According to the Comets, there is a limit of one bobblehead per fan in attendance and will be distributed upon entering the building through one of our three entrances.

The bobblehead is among the festivities planned for the teams Fan Appreciation Week over the final three home games Sunday, Wednesday and next Friday. The team is raffling off several prizes, including memorabilia and gift cards from local businesses. Before Sundays game, team awards, including MVP and best defenseman, will be presented.

Zalewski said Comets defenseman and friend John Negrin was having some good-natured fun with him Thursday about the bobblehead. Zalewski is the third Comets player to become a bobblehead. Darren Archibald and Joacim Ericsson bobbleheads were given out in previous seasons.

Im sure there will be some autographs, Zalewski said.

Roll call

Assistant captain Wacey Hamilton skated Thursday in a red no-contact jersey, but seemed to be moving around well.

Green said Hamilton, who has missed nine games this season, is day-to-day with an upper-body injury.

Also not on the ice Thursday was Negrin, who was spotted in a walking boot after practice.

Hes out a couple weeks at least, Green said of the defenseman, who has missed 39 games because of injuries this season.

Both were injured in Sundays win over Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Green said.

Olympics for AHL?

Since the National Hockey Leagues announcement this week that it will not stop for the 2018 Olympics, many have wondered how national teams might fill their rosters.

With the AHL serving as the primary development league for the NHL, it is feasible players could be involved. No decision on the matter has been announced and more discussion will likely happen among officials.

I do think theres a pretty good possibility we will be stocking some of those Olympic teams, AHL President and CEO David Andrews said Tuesday on SiriusXMs Stellick and Simmer.

Green has some experience on the international stage, helping Canada win the Spengler Cup in 2007. He said he thinks players enjoy participating in events like the Olympics.

We wouldnt be talking about it if there wasnt a dynamic, Green said. As a fan you enjoy watching it, but I also know theres a business side of it. It is not as simple as it seems. Theyre not easy decisions to make. I respect the decisions they make.

Green said he wasnt sure how a scenario would work in which players in the AHL on an NHL contract could join a national team.

I havent given it much thought, Green said.

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High School Softball: Wilkey powers Comets past Westmont – Kankakee Daily Journal

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When you think it can't be done, Kenna Wilkey continues to defy all odds.

Reed-Custer's star pitcher hurled a complete game, no-hitter Friday night and struck out 20 hitters in a 10-0 win over Westmont. She was also 3-for-3 at the dish.

Antoinette Hill helped Wilkey's cause with a 2-for-4 night at the plate, including a home run.

Magan Harris and Madison Bauer both went deep Friday night as Watseka topped Urbana 12-0 in six innings.

Harris finished 3-for-4 with a double, home run and five RBIs, and Bauer added a 2-for-3 day with a double, homer and three RBIs.

In the circle, Taylor Hotaling (6-1) went the distance for Watseka, striking out 16 and not allowing a single hit.

The Tigers (6-1, 1-0 I-8) scored one in the fourth, two in the sixth and one in the seventh to edge Coal City on Friday night.

Leading the way was Morgan Scivally, who picked up the win in the circle by throwing a complete game and allowing no earned runs on six hits and 11 strikeouts. The sophomore also collected two hits and knocked in two runs at the plate.

Molly Cann also posted two hits and an RBI while Paige Glass hit her fourth home run this year.

For Coal City, Kali Caruso finished 1-for-3 with an RBI, and Leah Campos finished 1-for-3 with a run. Leslie Youskevtch took the loss in the circle, throwing all seven innings and allowing four earned runs on six hits.

Kaylee Warren took the loss in the circle for the Bearcats, throwing six innings and allowing seven earned runs on 10 hits.

Brittney Bailey was 2-for-3 at the dish with a home run and two RBIs. Jordan Fritch also had two hits, going 2-for-3 with a run.

St. Anne 22, Families of Faith 4

The Cardinals pummeled Families of Faith on Friday night behind a plethora of strong offensive performances.

Brandi Chase was 4-for-5 with a double and an RBI, Payton Kerness finished 3-for-4 with a triple and an RBI, and Grace Langellier was 3-for-5 with a home run, four RBIs and four runs. Kenzie Nicholson also had three hits and three RBIs.

Lincoln-Way East 10, Bradley-Bourbonnais 3

Defensive miscues doomed the Boilermakers on Friday night in a loss to the Griffins.

Hunter Sherman was the losing pitcher, throwing three innings and surrendering six runs on 12 hits and three walks.

Camryn DeBell led BBCHS' offense, going 2-for-4 while Miranda Wehrle was 1-for-3 with two RBIs.

Justine Reents got another win in the circle, throwing three relief innings of shutout softball. The senior was also 1-for-4 at the plate with two RBIs.

Lorri Kucharski was 3-for-5, and both Emma Hafner and Bella Egizio collected two base knocks.

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High School Softball: Wilkey powers Comets past Westmont - Kankakee Daily Journal

Comets edge Martinsville – YourGV.com

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Mandy Lewis scored the go-ahead goal early in the second half, and that score proved to be the game-winner, as Halifax County High School edged Martinsville High School 2-1 at Halifax County High School on Wednesday.

The Bulldogs had taken a 1-0 lead in the first half, but the Comets responded at the 32-minute mark of the half when Summer Lacks scored off a direct kick from Erin Glass to tie the score.

The Comets (3-4) got the game-winner early in the second half, when Lewis notched a goal off an assist from Lacks, making the score 2-1.

Halifax County High School kept the Bulldogs off the scoreboard the remainder of what Coach Sid Young described as a fast-paced and physical game.

Everyone played hard, said Young, whose team is at full strength after dealing with various injuries the first weeks of the season.

That is nothing but positive news going forward, with the Comets starting to develop better depth through more players in the rotation, Young pointed out.

It makes you more comfortable subbing more often, he explained.

We want to see the kids improve and do well. I was real pleased with the subs the second half, and thats what you want to see.

The Comets finished with 15 shots on goal, compared to eight for Martinsville, and Comets keepers Mollie Slate and Amanda Coleman had four and three saves, respectively, compared to 13 for the Bulldogs keeper.

Halifax County High School led in corner kicks by a 6-3 margin and direct kicks by an 11-6 margin, and each team had seven indirect kicks.

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Psoriasis, often misdiagnosed, may lead to heart disease | Miami … – Miami Herald

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Miami Herald
Psoriasis, often misdiagnosed, may lead to heart disease | Miami ...
Miami Herald
Many doctors think psoriasis is cosmetic condition, but it's actually caused by the immune system. Failure to diagnose it properly can can lead to serious health ...
7 Things People With Psoriasis Want You to Know - SheKnowsSheKnows.com

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Psoriasis, often misdiagnosed, may lead to heart disease | Miami ... - Miami Herald

Men More Prone to Severe Psoriasis: Study – WebMD

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By Robert Preidt

HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, April 6, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Severe psoriasis is much more common in men than women, a new study from Sweden reports.

Researchers reviewed data from more than 5,400 people in Sweden with the common skin disease. The study found that women had a significantly lower rate of severe psoriasis than men.

This was true for all age groups and for all parts of the body except the head, where severity scores were about the same for both sexes.

The discovery that men's psoriasis is often more serious helps explain a gender gap, with more men than women seeking psoriasis treatment, said study senior author Marcus Schmitt-Egenolf. He is a researcher at Umea University's Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine.

"These findings should motivate a gender perspective in the management of severe psoriasis and its comorbidities, such as cardiovascular and metabolic disease," Schmitt-Egenolf said in a university news release.

Psoriasis is an autoimmune skin disease. Unlike severe psoriasis, most autoimmune diseases such as lupus and multiple sclerosis are more common in women than in men.

The study was published recently in the American Journal of Clinical Dermatology.

WebMD News from HealthDay

SOURCE: Umea University, news release

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Men More Prone to Severe Psoriasis: Study - WebMD

Psoriasis and skin cancer – ModernMedicine

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Dr. Lebwohl

Certain psoriasis therapies contribute to the development of skin cancers, while other treatments protect against skin cancers, and still others have not been shown to increase or reduce skin cancers.

Since the description of psoriasis, it has been known that sun exposure makes the disease better, but it also causes skin cancers, says Mark Lebwohl, M.D., a professor and chair of the Department of Dermatology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City.

In an interview with Dermatology Times, following his presentation on psoriasis at the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) annual meeting in March, Dr. Lebwohl also notes that when broadband ultraviolet (UV) phototherapy was introduced, by chance, it omitted most wavelengths under 300 nm, which happen to be the wavelengths that are the most carcinogenic.

A 25-year review published in the Archives of Dermatology in 1981 reported no increase in skin cancers among patients with psoriasis and atopic dermatitis who were treated with broadband UVB phototherapy.

You would expect narrowband UVB would be even safer that broadband, Dr. Lebwohl says. At least so far, it appears that narrowband UVB does not contribute to skin cancer. Nonetheless, in patients who are cancer-prone, we are cautious about the use of phototherapy.

On the other hand, PUVA (photochemotherapy) causes a dramatic increase in squamous cell carcinomas, and after many years, an increase in malignant melanomas.

Oral therapies

The oral therapy first used for psoriasis was methotrexate.

Now that we have access to registry data, it appears that the drug does cause an increase in skin cancers, specifically squamous cell carcinoma, Dr. Lebwohl says.

The transplant drug cyclosporine, which was subsequently introduced for the treatment of psoriasis, definitely causes an increase in skin cancers, Dr. Lebwohl adds.

An Australian study published in the journal Transplantation in 1996 found that among kidney transplant patients treated with cyclosporine, the most common cause of death was metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the skin.

For transplant candidates who stay on cyclosporine, the frequency of skin cancers keeps rising year after year, Dr. Lebwohl says. In fact, in patients who have been on immunosuppressive transplant medication for 20 years, the frequency of squamous cell carcinoma of the skin approaches 50%.

The next drug introduced to treat psoriasis was the precursor to acitretin, called etretinate.

That drug has actually been shown to be clearly protective against the development of skin cancers, Dr. Lebwohl conveys. Thus, in a patient prone to acquiring basal cells and squamous cells, taking acitretin results in many fewer skin cancers. But once the patient stops taking the retinoid, the skin cancer count rebounds.

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Psoriasis and skin cancer - ModernMedicine

Is It Possible to Have Psoriatic Arthritis Without Psoriasis? – Health.com

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Experts in the field of psoriatic arthritis have long faced a chicken-and-egg question: Can you have psoriatic arthritis without havingpsoriasisfirst?Some say yes. Some say no. Others say yes and no.

"There is a lot of debate going on," says Ted Mikuls, MD, professor of internal medicine in the division of rheumatology at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha.

Like psoriatic arthritis, psoriasis is an autoimmune disease, meaning the immune systemattacks a part of the body. With psoriasis, the immune system attacks the skin (leading to telltaleraised red or silvery patches), while psoriatic arthritis attacks the joints (causing stiffness, pain, and swelling).About 80-85% of people who develop psoriatic arthritis have psoriasis first, according to the National Psoriasis Foundation. For the remaining 15-20%,arthritis precedes the skin condition.

"It is much, much more common to have the psoriasis first," says Marcy OKoon Moss, senior director for consumer health at the Arthritis Foundation in Atlanta.

But the question remains: If a patient first experiencesjoint symptoms of psoriatic arthritis, does that mean they don'thave psoriasisor just that their psoriasishasnt been detected yet?

RELATED: The 5 Types of Psoriatic Arthritis You Need to Know About

Certainly it is at least partly a detection issue, says Dr.Mikuls. Existing psoriasis might be largely invisible, such as hiding in your belly buttonor behind your ears. "Skin psoriasis can be very, very subtle and appear in places we dont look at closely," hesays.

But you alsocant rule out the possibility that psoriatic arthritis can occur without psoriasis, he adds. You dont need to have been diagnosed with skin psoriasis to receive a diagnosis of psoriatic arthritis. Doctors can make a diagnosis based on a family history or personal history (such as if you had psoriasis but its cleared up), says OKoon Moss.It can also go the other way: A 2015 study found that 10-15% of people with psoriasis had psoriatic arthritis that simply had not been detected.

Another thing to consider is that people who have both psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis dont necessarily have the same degree of symptoms; their psoriasis can be mild while their arthritis is bad, or vice versa. "There can be a real disconnect between the severity of your skin involvement and your arthritis," says Dr. Mikuls.

Clearly, more research is needed on this topic to be able to fully understand whether or not you can have psoriatic arthritis without any psoriasis. But Dr. Mikuls stresses the importance of speaking to your doctor if you're experiencing symptoms of either condition, since getting a correct diagnosis is critical for your treatment.A few years ago, he explains, a 100%-accurate diagnosis of psoriatic arthritis may not have mattered quite so much. Today, though, it's very important."In the past, we would have said treatments [for different types of arthritis] overlap," he explains. "But more and more were learning that [treatments] really are uniquely different in many ways."

Take DMARDs (disease modifying antirheumatic drugs), for example. Dr. Mikuls explains that they were an earlier psoriatic arthritis treatment that might also work for other forms of arthritis. But newer psoriatic arthritis treatments, like biologics, may work for psoriatic arthritis but not other forms of arthritis, such as rheumatoid arthritis.

And not all cases of psoriatic arthritis are the same, nor do all treatments work the same way for everyone. "The lesson learned in rheumatology is that patients dont always present the same way," says Dr. Mikuls.

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Is It Possible to Have Psoriatic Arthritis Without Psoriasis? - Health.com

In psoriasis, report shows Taltz closing in on Cosentyx – The Pharma Letter (registration)

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Two independent surveys of 200 rheumatologists and dermatologists have unveiled recent developments

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In psoriasis, report shows Taltz closing in on Cosentyx - The Pharma Letter (registration)

Updates in Psoriasis Treatment: New Data from Vienna – Healio

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Updates in Psoriasis Treatment: New Data from Vienna
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Plaque psoriasis is a debilitating, noncurable autoimmune disorder, having a significant impact on quality of life, associated with depression, anxiety, social isolation, unemployment, and suicide. Various therapies, such as topical formulations and ...

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Updates in Psoriasis Treatment: New Data from Vienna - Healio

Liquor sale: SC order on liquor sale: World Travel and Tourism … – Economic Times

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NEW DELHI: The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), a global forum for the industry, called for a coordinated countrywide response to the Supreme Court ban on the sale of alcohol in proximity to highways, reflecting concern that move will take a toll on the revenue of several companies with interests in India. Some members of the industry, meanwhile, threatened a strike if the matter wasn't resolved soon.

WTTC said the ban will have a significantly negative effect on hotels and restaurants in India and will curtail investment for job creation in the industry.

In December, the SC had directed states and Union territories to cease granting liquor licences to outlets along national and state highways. No shops should be visible or directly accessible within 500 metres from the highways, the top court had said.

In its March 31 order, the Supreme Court rejected review petitions seeking clarification on the earlier judgement, forcing a vast number of hotels, restaurants and pubs to stop serving alcohol to guests, leading to losses in sales and tax revenue.

"While we acknowledge the importance of implementing policies that address the abuse of alcohol when driving, we call on the Indian government to reverse or amend the current ruling," said David Scowsill, chief executive officer, WTTC. "I do not believe that this ban was aimed at the travel industry. It is an unbalanced approach that will have negative consequences for the countrys economy, as business and leisure customers cancel their bookings in those affected establishments."

Various options are being considered to mitigate the effect of the ban, including legal challenges, redesignation of highways as district roads and increasing the motorable distance to outlets.

Riyaaz Amlani, president, National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI) said he hopes the denotification process in various states of highways being renamed goes through. "If that fails, then we will have no option but to go to the president," he said.

Key industry groupings such as Federation of Hotels and Restaurant Association of India (FHRAI) and NRAI are planning to meet on April 11 in New Delhi with other tourism and travel bodies to discuss the matter.

Industry associations said they may be forced to declare a strike if talks with the state governments fail.

"Let the tourists be out on the roads. We are contemplating calling a nationwide bandh if our efforts to deal with the state governments fail," said Dilip Datwani, president of Hotel and Restaurant Association of Western India (HRAWI).

The order, based on a public interest litigation filed by an NGO called Arrive Safe, is aimed at checking drunk-driving on highways but industry experts say it will do little to discourage the practice.

Western industry associations met Maharashtra tourism minister Jaykumar Jitendrasinh Rawal on Thursday.

The state government assured them that move would not hurt the industry.

Amlani said around 30,000 restaurants and bars in India will lose their licences as a result of the ban. Other incidental losses could affect 1million jobs in the industry, according to previous estimates.

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Liquor sale: SC order on liquor sale: World Travel and Tourism ... - Economic Times