Daily Archives: July 13, 2017

By Matt Vensel Star Tribune

July 13, 2017 5:58am

A number of its quirkier sports from its early days crashed and burned (we miss you, street luge) and the icons who initially captured Americas attention are growing old (Tony Hawk, a rare extreme athlete with crossover appeal, turns 50 next year).

But the X Games are still shredding and by most measures are bigger than in 1995, when ESPN debuted the extreme sports spectacle on ESPN2, the network it had launched in part to attract a younger demographic of sports fans.

This week, when the X Games make their first stop in Minneapolis and are expected to attract more than 100,000 fans over four days, the tricks will certainly be crazier (please dont try at home a double backflip on a motorcycle), the ramps will be taller (the most daunting drop-in ramp is 82 feet high) and the event will have more of a festival feel, with live music and interactive art exhibits.

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X Games' evolution from curiosity to mainstay rooted in breathtaking ... - Minneapolis Star Tribune

July 12, 2017 Vera Engelbrecht and Thomas Happe have gained a glimpse into the evolution of green algae in the lab. Credit: RUB, Marquard

A new jigsaw piece in the evolution of green algae has been identified by researchers at Ruhr-Universitt Bochum together with colleagues from Max Planck Institute in Mlheim an der Ruhr. They analysed the hydrogen-producing enzyme of a phylogenetically old alga. Its properties were radically different from those of analogous enzymes in more recent algae. The team headed by Vera Engelbrecht and Prof Dr Thomas Happe from the research group Photobiotechnology in Bochum outlines their results in the journal Biochimica et Biophysica Acta.

Docking to photosynthesis

Hydrogen-producing enzymes, so-called hydrogenases, have originally occurred in numerous bacteria. Green algae, too, contain such enzymes, using them for the light-driven generation of hydrogen. "The origins of this enzyme in algae had long been a mystery," says Vera Engelbrecht. "We have now analysed a link in evolutionary history of hydrogenases that had previously been missing."

Algae which are relatively young in evolutionary terms contain specialised hydrogenases that show significant differences to the original varieties in bacteria. They are smaller and have a specific surface used for docking to the cell's photosynthesis machinery. To this end, they bind to ferredoxin, a molecule that mediates electron transfer. Thus, they are able to produce hydrogen using light energy.

Different from young algae

The phylogenetically old alga Chlorella variabilis has likewise the ability for light-driven generation of hydrogen. The researchers from Bochum and Mlheim isolated and characterised the Chlorella hydrogenase. Unlike in young algae, it shares many characteristics with the original bacteria enzyme and is unable to bind to the electron carrier ferredoxin.

"We found the results surprising," explains Thomas Happe. "Chlorella appears to still have an original metabolic pathway, which has changed completely in phylogenetically younger algae." The question why the more recent algae have developed a specialised hydrogenase in order to dock to photosynthesis via ferredoxin remains to be answered. "We are currently attempting to identify the precise metabolic connection of chlorella hydrogenase and to detect photosynthetic protein complexes in the organism that are as yet unknown," says Happe.

Explore further: How green algae assemble their enzymes

More information: Vera Engelbrecht et al, The structurally unique photosynthetic Chlorella variabilis NC64A hydrogenase does not interact with plant-type ferredoxins, Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Bioenergetics (2017). DOI: 10.1016/j.bbabio.2017.06.004

Researchers at Ruhr-Universitt Bochum have analysed how green algae manufacture complex components of a hydrogen-producing enzyme. The enzyme, known as the hydrogenase, may be relevant for the biotechnological production ...

How green algae produce hydrogen in the dark is reported by biologists at the Ruhr-Universitt Bochum in the "Journal of Biological Chemistry". Hereby, they have uncovered a mechanism for the production of the gas which ...

Researchers from Bochum have engineered a hydrogen-producing enzyme in the test tube that works as efficiently as the original. The protein a so-called hydrogenase from green algae is made up of a protein scaffold ...

(Phys.org) Hydrogen as a regenerative fuel produced in gigantic water tanks full of algae, which need nothing more than sunlight to produce the promising green energy carrier: a great idea in theory, but one that fails ...

New research results from Uppsala University, Sweden, instill hope of efficient hydrogen production with green algae being possible in the future, despite the prevailing scepticism based on previous research. The study, which ...

Researchers at the Ruhr-Universitt Bochum (RUB) have discovered an efficient process for hydrogen biocatalysis. They developed semi-synthetic hydrogenases, hydrogen-generating enzymes, by adding the protein's biological ...

If there is anything scientists are certain of when it comes to bats and their supposed role in causing human disease, it is that they still have a lot to learn.

Those young squirrels now scampering around your neighbourhood were born in this year's earliest litters and are more likely to survive than squirrels born later and still curled up in their nests, according to a new University ...

CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing is based on a tactic bacteria developed to protect themselves from viruses.

Researchers are developing ways to harness DNA, the blueprint of biological life, as a synthetic raw material to store large amounts of digital information outside of living cells, using expensive machinery. But, what if ...

A research group at the Biozentrum, University of Basel, has developed a new method to measure the half-life of RNA molecules. The study revealed that commonly used methods provide distorted results and that RNA molecules ...

Researchers at the National Institutes of Health have discovered a key step in the process that HIV uses to inject its genetic material into cells. Working with cultures of cells and tissues, the researchers prevented the ...

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Evolution of a bacterial enzyme in green algae - Phys.org - Phys.Org

Patch.com

AT&T Launches New '5G Evolution' Network In Indianapolis Patch.com INDIANAPOLIS, IN AT&T customers in Indianapolis got a mid-week surprise as the company launched 5G Evolution in parts of the city in Wednesday. The 5G Evolution network brings faster wireless speeds for Indianapolis customers and those in select ... AT&T launches 'ultrafast' 5G Evolution in Indianapolis | FierceWirelessFierceWireless Evolution from 4G LTE to 5G Wireless Network Gains MomentumNasdaq AT&T unveils '5G Evolution' network in IndianapolisFox 59 Droid Life (press release) (blog) -Android Headlines -PhoneDog all 21 news articles »

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AT&T Launches New '5G Evolution' Network In Indianapolis - Patch.com

Andy Serkis stars for a third time as ape leader Caesar in the sci-fi film 'War for the Planet of the Apes.' 20th Century Fox

Andy Serkis rides to his final journey as ape leader Caesar (with Amiah Miller as Nova) in 'War for the Planet of the Apes.'(Photo: 20th Century Fox)

When Andy Serkis saddlesup as horse-riding ape leader Caesar in War forthe Planet of the Apes (in theatersFriday), itmarksthe end of a six-year, three-film journey.

Playing the role via motion capture, which records an actor's subtlest movements to be enhanced withdigital technology,Serkis introducedCaesar as a laboratory chimp whose intelligence is greatly boosted by anAlzheimer's drug in 2011s Rise of the Planet of the Apes.

Andy Serkis arrives for the premiere of 'War for the Planet of the Apes' in New York.(Photo: Jason Szenes, EPA)

Caesar turned revolutionary leader fighting for ape freedom in 2014s Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, a battle thatcontinues in War.

To have that opportunity to play a character, aging through twists and turns, but also evolving, is fantastic. And hard to let go of, says Serkis, 53.

The actorshares hismemories fromeach performance:

Caesar (Andy Serkis) didn't realize he was an ape in 2011's 'Rise of the Planet of the Apes.'(Photo: Weta Digital)

Serkis modeled his performance as the realistic title character in Peter Jacksons 2005 film King Kongonsilverbackgorillas. But hetook a different approach playing young Caesar, who grew up from infancy in a human household run by caring lab assistant (James Franco).

The actorwas inspired by Oliver, a famous, human-like chimpwho died in 2012.

Oliver was bipedal, rarely walked on all fours. He would sit in chairs. His facial expressions were very human-like, says Serkis. People believed he was almost the missing link. I based Caesar on Oliver.

Young Caesar starts out joyous in his life, full of energy, often more hunched, andunaware he isn'thuman. The ape's youthful exuberancetook its toll.

It was killer playing him as a young chimp on the knees, the legs, the thighs, very physically tiring, says Serkis. In many ways, it became easier to play Caesaras he became more upright.

Caesar grew into a revolutionary ape leader in 2014's 'Dawn of the Planet of the Apes.'(Photo: 20th Century Fox)

Improvements in the performance-capture suit andhead-mounted camera (to chronicle facial expressions)used byvisual effects company Weta Digital allowed Serkis and director Matt Reeves to take the ape performance out of the studio and into natural environments inDawn.

Horsebackwas Caesar's mode of transport, even if the animalsdidn'tappreciate his ape-like war speech. Every single time, when I got the first word out, myhorse would bolt sideways to try to get out there as quickly as possible," Serkis says. "They did not like it. It made them skittish.

Review: 'War for the Planet of the Apes' hits glorious stride in third film

Caesar grew more upright and used sign language as the leader of an advanced ape society. His human vocabulary grew, too.

But I wore a mouth guard to stop me from thoughtfully forming wordsand overly articulating, says Serkis.

Andy Serkis dealt with the outdoors and snow as Caesar in 'War for the Planet of the Apes.'(Photo: 20th Century Fox)

Serkis skipped the mouthguard in the third film, showing a human command of language, used sparingly."We didn't want it to become too casual," he says

Now fullyupright, Caesar's behavior is brutishin the third film because of the terrible way he'streated."He feels most human-like,"says Serkis. "But Caesar isthe most animalistic in terms of his rage."

Podcast: All hail Caesar (Andy Serkis) in 'War for the Planet of the Apes'

Further suit advancements allowed filmmakers to shoot outdoors in the snow-filled Canadian locations. Butthe form-fitting suits didn'tprovide much warmth.

"We were in the Canadian winter, so it would get very cold and the suits are unforgiving," says Serkis. "The snow and rain werevery tough."

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The unlikely evolution of Andy Serkis' Caesar in 'Planet of the Apes' - USA TODAY

The story of the SK Gaming, the Brazilian Counter-Strike powerhouse, has many starting points. For international awareness, it began at MLG X Games Aspen in January 2015. It was an incredibly important event for the region: few tournaments up to that point had a Brazilian qualifier, so it was one of the few chances for a Brazilian team to travel outside the country. In the finals of that qualifier, six players of note were in attendance:

Gabriel FalleN Toledo

Fernando fer Alvarenga

Marcelo coldzera David

Epitacio TACO Pessoa

Lincoln fnx Lau

Joao felps Vasconcellos

KaBuM.TD, with FalleN and fer, eliminated fnxs team, familiarei$, in the semifinals. In the grand finals, KaBuM faced Dexterity, which had coldzera, TACO and felps. The end result was a convincing win for KaBuM, which moved on to play at the main event. That early battle could be considered one of the starting points of the Luminosity Gaming (now SK) legend.

Perhaps the beginning of the legend started in CS 1.6, when the first great Brazilian team mibr won the world championship at ESWC in 2006. That was the lineup that proved to the Brazilians and the world that they could compete with the best. It was there that fnx won his first Major.

Or perhaps it started with an innocuous meeting at WCG 2011, where an unknown coldzera had his picture taken with his FalleN, his personal hero. It was a chance meeting between two players who teamed up years later to conquer the world.

Whatever the case, the rise of the Brazilians is one of the legendary stories in CS:GO history. They started with nothing: no servers, no tournaments, no teams, and no salaries. They gave no excuses. When they had no leader, FalleN took on the role. When they needed an AWPer, FalleN took on the role. When left with no recourse, they started a community stream to get to the Major qualifiers. When they had no slot in North American ESL Pro League, they moved to the United States to get one. They seized whatever opportunities, no matter how infinitesimal the chance for success, and somehow created a miracle. But calling their ascension in the CS:GO world a marvel might be unintentionally insulting. It was accomplished through sacrifice, effort, skill and a little bit of luck.

When I look at the rise of the Brazilians as a whole from KaBuM.TD to SK Gaming, I believe that their guiding principle that has led them to such success has been their ability to learn, change and evolve regardless of difficulty. Each of the six players at different points in time were symbols of that change. That willingness to make difficult decisions when needed has been their hallmark back to the KaBuM.TD days, and it remains a cornerstone of their philosophy today.

FalleN is the leader of the operation. His tactical prowess made him a respected figurehead around the world. But as a leader and as a player he refuses to rest on his laurels. He sees every victory as a stepping stone to the next achievement, every loss as a lesson to be learned. His philosophy of the game has been ingrained into every teammate, and because of that osmosis, FalleN can focus more on his own individual play, comfortable knowing his players will know how to respond in any situation.

Fer was the initial star of the team. Like FalleN, he is someone who learns from his losses and is willing to change. When coldzera and FalleN became the star players, he took a back seat and was able to find a niche, aggressive role that still helped out his team. In the current era, fer is one of the stars of the team and his aggressive play style has shaped SKs current identity. As a player and person, Fer is willing to do whatever it takes to win.

Coldzera is the superstar of the team. He is a generational talent, but like Fer and FalleN, he has assimilated the attitude of learning from losses. Recently we saw a rare underperformance from him at the ESL Pro League Finals. Two weeks later, he had already learned from his loss and become even stronger.

I saw that a lot of my positions were off and I had bad plays in my bomb sites, he told HLTV. So I created more plays for myself and created more setups with my teammates on bomb sites. I also played more death match and put more hours into the game.

Those three were the core of Luminosity from 2015 until SK signed the roster SK last year. For a while they were able to string together good international performances and reach the playoffs, but they had hit their ceiling. They wanted more. They needed more. So when they realized that something needed to change, they decided to make a dramatic roster change six days before the FaceIt Stage 3 Finals in November2015. They brought in TACO and fnx.

The prevailing wisdom was that a team needed time before a roster change could be adequately implemented, processed, and optimized. There was no point in doing it days before a tournament. But the decisiveness, even in the face of supposed common sense, was characteristic of the way this lineup has always dealt with roster changes. They are willing to give a lot of time to teammates to improve and learn. But if they couldnt reach the level required, the team made the change regardless of outside circumstances. Fast, decisive action happens so they can change for the better in the future.

The FaceIt tournament was a watershed moment for FalleN and the team. With so little time to prepare, the team went for a loose style of leadership. It resulted in the teams highest-ever placing as it reached the grand finals. FalleN had already been one of the best in-game leaders in the world, but after that, he realized he could take his own game, his own leadership, to another level. The evolution of that lineup would have been deterred without the speed with which it made the roster change. Fnx and TACO themselves became symbolic of the continued evolution in the team.

Fnx as a player seemed to be undergoing a transformation himself at the time. He had spent months playing in Games Academy and had become a good teammate. His entrance into the Luminosity lineup was symbolic of renewed vigor, reminiscent of his time on mibr all those years ago. As a player, he was willing to do whatever it took to win and because of his great experience and game sense, he fit into the Luminosity system like a glove.

In game he is the easiest player to play with, FalleN said. He just knows everything he needs to do, almost every time.

While fnx symbolized the glory of days past, TACO represented the new generation. He is perhaps most emblematic of FalleNs approach to Counter-Strike. Among all the players who have come under FalleNs tutelage, TACO seems to have gotten the most out of it. He has become one of the most versatile role players in the game and is always willing to play the hard roles, facilitate his teammates and create space. The reason he was chosen wasnt because of any inherent potential, but attitude.

We needed someone to be our entry-killer and TACO had the right mindset for that position, FalleN said. Also, he is very dedicated and seemed the correct guy to pick up.

The team continued to incrementally evolve. The players were able to get over the hump of getting wins in finals. They were able to overcome Natus Vincere a brief stumbling block and they created their own era by winning back-to-back Majors at MLG COlumbus and ESL One Cologne in 2016. Even then, they never stopped learning, never stopped changing. After the MLG Major, they tried to incorporate Cache into their map pool but failed. Instead, they were able to build upon Cobblestone and eventually Dust 2.

But that constant development halted after their Cologne victory. Something imperceptible had changed in the team. They were still getting top finishes, but their maps slowly stagnated, their T-sides became less inspired, and they were no longer selecting new maps or giving out new looks to their defaults. It all came to a head at ELEAGUE Season 2 when they played Astralis in the semifinals. Astralis defeated SK on Train, a map where SK was considered unbeatable. It was clear something had to change, and again SK made a decisive move.

Fnx had symbolized change and regrowth, a return to the glory days. In his Valve profile, the video ends with the line He is no longer a player you have to play with, but a player you want to play with. At some point that was likely true, but no longer. The age-old habits that led to his removal from previous lineups had resurfaced. He had lost his motivation and his will to change. He had to be removed.

It was a bold move as SK had better chances of going farther in the Major with fnx rather than going in with a stand-in, someone who wouldnt be around after the Major. The team did it anyway. With Ricardo fox Pacheco, they were able to create a strong tactical team in a short period of time that reached the semifinals of the ELEAGUE Major. Afterwards, SK finally added its permanent new fifth in felps.

Felps, like coldzera and TACO, was part of the new generation of talented Brazilian players. He was a hyper-aggressive star in a team already packed to the gills with talent. Initially, SK tried to play to his strengths with a looser style of calling. It was largely successful at DreamHack Las Vegas, where SK took second place.

They tried it again at IEM Katowice but fell out of the group stages. Although the skill was there, the loose style was too inconsistent to work against the level of competition SK was supposed to measure up against. Once again, the team knew it needed to change something in its approach. SK decided to orient its tactics around the aggressive gameplay of fer and felps, but with some constraints on what positions they would take and hold. While felps slowly absorbed the overarching notions of FalleNs teamplay, fer was given more freedom to take aggressive risks. That allowed FalleN to increase his output on the AWP and break out of his disconcerting slump. Simultaneously, the more structured play style helped coldzera become the superstar of the team as his mid-round decisions were reemphasized. The eventual approach that emerged from this stretch of tinkering was a hybrid of old and new, tactical and loose. This made a dramatic change in the map pool. Overpass and Train faded away into the background as Mirage, Cobble and Cache took center stage.

Even since the beginning, this Brazilian lineup has continued to evolve. It makes the correct roster changes whenever the current squad runs its course; it alters its style of play according to what players possess and whatever meta is most robust at the moment. This is SKs defining feature and this progress is what has made this team grow stronger from year to year, lineup to lineup.

Cover photo courtesy of MLG and ESL, illustration by Raphie Rosen

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From charity streams to the top of the world: The evolution of SK Gaming - Slingshot Esports