mikro-gen was a uk software company based in bracknell , berkshire that produced games for home computers in the early to mid-1980s .

the company was formed by mike meek and andrew laurie in 1981 , in order to capitalise on the growing boom of microcomputers in the home .

the company had a solid reputation but became more prominent with its series of games featuring wally week and his family , all of which got excellent reviews in the highly respected computer magazine crash .

later , the company invested £ 130,000 in producing the mikro plus , which shadowed the spectrum 's 16k rom with ram , allowing 64k of data for games .

however , only one title , shadow of the unicorn was produced .

the company was brought out by creative sparks distribution in 1987 , which subsequently went into receivership .

mikro - gen

john minson is despatched to the land of wally week to discover what mikro - gen have in store for the mikro plus .
last month , crash revealed the secrets of the shadow rom , mikro - gen’s astounding add - on which transports the spectrum into a 64k machine : the mikro plus . but what about the software ? this month we reveal the secrets of the shadow of the unicorn .
sinclair aside , mikro - gen’s hardware could represent one of the most exciting developments the spectrum has seen for a long time . when you look at the deal , a superb game , a built in joystick interface , a microdrive routine and an azimuth alignment routine all for £14 . 95 i think you will agree that mike’s pet term ‘megagame’ sits on mikro - gen’s shoulders more easily than it ever did on imagine’s . and it couldn’t have come from a nicer bunch of wally . . . .
because of the extra space available and because specific routines can be tailored for each game , mikro - gen are able to add extra features . two such features are planned to appear in the first two releases . the first allows users to make a microdrive copy by giving a single command , the routine will do the rest . mikro - gen’s mike meek feels strongly about the problems caused by poor cassette recorders and so wants an azimuth alignment routine built into the plus . more and exciting extras are being considered for the future .
mikro - gen are not well known for their hardware add - ons . in fact their last dabble into that market was with the very first zx81 joystick ( zx81 : an early 1k sub - £100 machine with built in basic and membrane keyboard — galactic encyclopaedia , early earth computers ) . their latest project , the mikro - plus promises to make a much greater impact on the spectrum world .
another quick download and i’m watching some of the fastest , smoothest 3d vector graphics i’ve seen on the spectrum . they’re part of the next mikro plus release which is a science fiction adventure .
mikro - gen have invested the greater part of £130 , 000 in this breakthrough and ordered 25 , 000 units of unicorn . i don’t think their trust in it is misguided — in fact it could take the home micro world by storm . if you can’t wait until the official release date — 17th september — you can enjoy a preview of unicorn at the pcw show in london a couple of weeks earlier .
shadow of the unicorn , which is to be the first game in the mikro plus range , is scheduled for release in mid september and will sell for £14 . 95 . for your fifteen pounds you’ll get an innocuous - looking black box , ( in appearance very much like any number of spectrum peripherals ) , a tape containing the bulk of the game code , a map and a seventeen - chapter illustrated novel . mikro - gen have commissioned the book - with - the - game from program author , dale mcloughlin , and it sets out the background to the adventure . oh . . . and five pee change !
the ability to shadow the monitor rom is not in itself new , it’s an old trick and the bbc and amstrad machines have such facilities built in . mikro - gen have put together a piece of hardware which replaces the spectrum instructions with code for a game : the rest of the game is loaded in from the cassette . but , the real breakthrough is the price — £14 . 95 will get you a complete hardware and software package .
snowball from level 9 claimed to have 2000 + locations using clever text compressor to fit it all into 48k . to get around this hardware and memory limitation , several companies began to think about supplying an expansion unit for the spectrum , to allow for bigger and better games . shadow of the unicorn from mikro - gen , it is the only one that actually made it to release though , coming with a 16 rom expansion that allowing for more data to be used .
once you’ve loaded a mikro plus game , you’ll encounter another feature : a second menu allows you to copy the loaded code onto tape or microdrive automatically . it’s all most sophisticated , and when you consider that there’s also a built - in joystick port , it really does look like mikro - gen have made a breakthrough in user friendliness . this is of course totally alien to the doings of their previous hero ( hero ? ! ! ) wally week . does this voyage into the realm of fantasy signal an end to the wally clan ? not a bit of it . some more downloading and it’s time for a special early sneak preview of the christmas wally game , three weeks in paradise . sworn to secrecy , i can’t say more than that it takes the wally format another step forward and features w week in a loincloth ! and of course it’s a mikro plus game , but if i reveal more they’ll send harry the hippie round to play me his grateful dead bootlegs !
how often have you heard that computer games could be infinitely better if only there was more memory in which to put the things . way back in the good old days , imagine promised us a ‘mega game’ that would only be possible through an extra box of bits stuck onto the back of a spectrum . we held our breaths ; and nearly asphixiated . but , if any of you are still without breath you can relax . mikro - gen have taken over where imagine failed to tread . at this year’s pcw show they are launching an add - on and two games that they hope will set new standards for spectrum software .
the hardware itself looks rather like a joystick interface and conveniently enough it has one of those built in . with this unit plugged into the spectrum the programmer can put together a program 50 % larger than is usual , mike meek of mikro - gen claims . because routines designed specifically for that particular game can be put into the chip the memory of the whole machine can be used more efficiently . the built in joystick port is a good example : memory does not have to be wasted catering for a number of different joystick protocols . some areas of the spectrum’s memory are shared by other functions , those ‘slow’ areas cause delays in accessing the routines . up till now programmers have had little choice , they had to use what memory was available . now the fastest areas of memory can hold the code that does the hard and fast work . filled in vector graphics can become a reality .
mikro plus offers more than just larger programs . on connecting the unit you’re immediately presented with a menu that allows you to load the game from tape or microdrive , or you can enter the tape alignment routine . previous tape - based azimuth adjustment routines , as well as costing extra , have depended on you getting the program into memory in the first place — from tape ! as this one is contained in the firmware , all you have to do is enable the routine and then play a tape into it ; obtaining maximum tape head response is simplicity itself .
lim 15 pcna gen expression test sperm cells are proliferating cells by meiosis , meiosis shown to be active in the testis is an important indicator of whether the formation of sperm in azoospermic men . in this sense , the identification of proteins involved in meiosis provides important findings related to sperm production . lim15 / dmc1 is a protein playing a role during meiosis stage in dna synthesis based on recombination . studies showed that lim15 / dmc1 is an only protein expressed in meiosis - specific cells and in meiotic stage lim15 / dmc1 collaborates pcna protein . ( 1 ) pcna is expressed in both the somatic cells in meiotic cells . the expression of these two proteins is a critical for meiosis . in a recent study , pcna expression were also used to determine if there is a response to gonadotropin in patients during therapy ( 2 ) lim15 / dmc1 and pcna expression can reach a result whether patient gives a response to gonadotropin treatment . it is necessary to say as a result , lim 15 gene expression analysis which enables the production of sperm in the testis is an important marker of potential meosis process . therefore , analyzing lim 15 gene expression in patients : 1 . is there a sperm production in patient ? 2 . does a patient have potential to produce sperm ? 3 . does this treatment increase sperm production in patient ? 4 . anticipation of whether treatment is effective or not will be answered .
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we look at computer retail outlets . in this , the first of an occasional series , the crash team checks out w . h . smith .
in our second comparison we roll out the barrel and take a look at kong games .
comic strip excitement as shipwrecked arcadians discover the true identity of cross . . .
the phones have been buzzing ! this month we publish britain’s first ever top selling software chart compiled from votes .
include games from ultimate , silversoft , mikrogen , rabbit , mikrogen , rabbit , microsphere , software projects , micromega , c . d . s . and many , many others .
the book tells a tale : long ago , far away in a land where peace had reigned since before living memory , an ancient locked book was found . when its key was turned all manner of evils were loosed and two hitherto peaceful nations were plunged into bloody war .
as the novel ends , the game begins . you have a cast of ten characters to guide towards the completion of ten separate tasks that will return the land to its former idyllic state . prince mithulin ; avorath , the wizard whose staff has been lost ; holdin , a military commander , and queen rolquin . ulin - gail is a satyr , part of a race whose members normally shun humans , while sharmek is a dwarf leader ; guinol belongs to a race of subterraneans and vilyan is a woodman . kielmath , the sorceress , and lairmath , an apprentice wizard , were turned evil when the book was opened , but will come over to your side as the game progresses .
the land itself is vast , with six and a half thousand locations , each one looking onto three more distant ones . there are towns and castles to contend with , as well as the nalesh — unpleasant half - sized creatures which have to be killed swiftly .
all this has taken 500k of source code , developed on a six - user hm systems minstrel . obviously there isn’t room in the spectrum to develop it all until the shadow rom is connected — and as this must be dedicated to the game it’s a chicken and egg situation . certainly all 64k will be packed with code , and the programmers are currently busy trading off features to make best use of that memory . there may still be alterations to both the game as i saw it and the characters shown here before the final version for release is completed .
as we all know , the spectrum uses the z80 processor which is capable of addressing 64k bytes of memory . of that 64k only about 42k odd is available for use by software , the rest is either screen working space or taken up by the 16k monitor program . the monitor program is responsible for storing the machine code routines that perform all of the operations we take for granted . for example if you want your spectrum to print a flashing character to the screen it will have to look up the machine code operations that it needs to do this — and the instructions are held in the form of routines inside the rom . if you can replace the sinclair rom chip with one of your own , with your own routines built into it , you could alter the entire machine . there are disc systems which , while they don’t physically remove the spectrum chips , are able to mask or shadow them . with the shadow roms in place the disc can download the routines of its own ; the spectrum can be changed into a dedicated word processor , or communications terminal .
initially the system will be launched with two games , battle of the planets and shadow of the unicorn . each one comes complete with cassette and the add - on , the add - on being specific to the individual game . battle of the planets is a massive , superbly animated arcade shoot - ’em - up split into three linked , but separate games . ‘i would feel happy selling each part of the game separately , ’ mike told us , ‘so all three together we see as a real blockbuster’ .
the second game , shadow of the unicorn is a role playing adventure featuring ten individual characters where everyone’s a wally had only five . the game is so involved that a book is provided to set the scene for the game .
the future possibilities for this system are fantastic . if volume sales take off as expected then the games will soon cost even less than the £14 . 95 you’ll have to fork out at the start . some software houses are tentatively talking about licencing deals . asked what uncle clive thought about the system mike replied , ‘well i can tell you that there is a definite tie - up between ourselves and sinclair research . i do know what sinclair’s plans are but we have signed a non - disclosure agreement and intend to abide by it . ’
we tied mike to the chair and threatened to nail his hands to the table . ‘tell us this mike , are these plans going to help sinclair , ’ ( ready the nails ) . ‘no . . . ( hammer raised ) yes — no question about it . ’
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producer : mikrogen memory required : 48k retail price : £6 . 95 language : machine code
meet a new hero — your average british worker by the name of wally week . wally week is destined for big things — like a three percent wage rise next month . wally works on a car assembly line , in fact he is the assembly line . in this highly original platform type game you must help wally build a series of cars .
the game has two basic screens , starting off in the stock room . there are three platforms with a single ladder to the first level and two at either end from the second to the third . on the two upper levels are situated the six parts of a car . what you do is walk wally along the floor , up the ladders and collect the parts , one at a time and then take them down and through the door to the assembly room . this contains a large hydraulic lift , and on its first level are some of the already assembled bits of a car . when wally walks his collected stock part over the appropriate area of the vehicle the carried part is automatically deposited in its correct position . then it’s back to the stock room for the next bit . each piece has a time limit .
sounds simple enough , even for your average british workman . but then , this is a computer game so nothing is as it looks ! the factory is populated with robots and bouncing tyres which kill on contact , and from the overhead gantries in the assembly room , falling air cooling blades cause problems . fortunately , wally can jump . to add to his problems the gantries in the stock room keep moving in and out and in difficult positions are various static objects which are designed to tempt an honest man away from his work like teapots ( mind the oil cans as well ) .
when ( if ) all six parts are correctly assembled , the car is driven off to be replaced by the rudiments of the next one . in all there are ten cars to build starting off with a humble 2cv and ending up with . . . ah , well that’s up to you .
‘ automania is a game about wally — the game itself is far from being a wally game . in fact it’s a superb game with excellent graphics and animation . i really enjoyed it . this will be a game of the month i’m sure . i found the choice of the first car very appropriate for wally — you know , the upturned pram on wheels vegetarian mobile . this is probably the best game yet from mikrogen . ’
‘ automania has some of the best animation and realistic graphics that i have ever seen . all the graphics are large and colourful , and needless to say they move smoothly . there is much more to this game than just building a car — it’s a race against time — a very fast ticking clock . colour and sound is well used with a continuous ‘manic’ style tune throughout , which may be stopped if it drives you mad . the best game that mikrogen have ever produced and worth buying . ’
‘great colour , great sound , amazing graphics . the animation of wally is just superb . not only is he a large , highly detailed caricature ( rather andy capp like ) but he is beautifully animated with plenty of neat touches from his flat cap and beer paunch to the cheeky way he turns to look out at you after completing some particularly difficult task well . on top of that comes a game which has been well planned and implemented to provide just the right combination of temptingness with skill difficulties . timing jumps in two directions over a static obstacle where you must land or take off from a constantly moving platform is very tricky . automania is highly playable and extremely addictive — don’t be put off by what at first appears to be a rather plodding speed , a bit bear bovver - like , wally walks faster than some of the obstacles , slower than others and all in all it makes for a properly paced game of high entertainment value . ’
control keys : preset — q / a up / down , o / p left / right , m to jump , but all keys may be user - defined joystick : zx 2 , kempston , and almost any other via udk keyboard play : very responsive use of colour : very good graphics : superb , with excellent animation sound : great tune ( continuous ) with well used sound effects — sound may be switched off skill levels : 1 lives : 3 screens : 2 but with 10 cars to build in each originality : very original use of traditional game components general rating : very good to excellent , playable and addictive .
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genetic counseling aims to reduce the incidence to prevent the repetition of genetic diseases in the society .
consanguineous marriagemeans being relatives with your partner . the risk of disease will increase according to your relativity degree .
some of the most frequent disorders include , congenital malformations , gonadal defects , mental retardations infertility related disorders .
the treatment of genetic diseases is not usually available and the early diagnosis of genetic diseases is , therefore , of vital importance . prenatal genetic diagnostic or preimplantation genetic diagnosis ( pgd ) prevents births with genetic diseases . on the other hand , cancers , some chronic disorders and predispositions can be detected at a ver . . .
mikrogen genetic diagnostic laboratory was established in 2005 and its services particularly focus on reproductive genetics . our laboratory performs preimplantation genetic diagnosis applications with over 20 years experience , and also performs the screening of single - gene diseases , tests for hla typing for tissue - compatible sibling , tran . . .
dmd carrier as mikrogen genetic diagnostic laboratory , we have added dmd carriage screening to our panel . dmd is an x - linked inherited disease and rflp heterozygous carrier who cannot be identified via rflp method is screened by mlpa method . for detection of dmd carriage , we use kits in the form of two panels containing all specific probes for dmd gene exons ; named mrc holland salsa mlpa kit p035 - p034 - a3 a3 dmd . results will be reported after analyzing datas with coffalys program . for couples carrying dmd using preimplantation genetic diagnosis method , we allow them to have a healthy child .
as mikrogen genetic diagnostic laboratory , we have added sma carrier testing screening to our panel . heterozygous carriers who cannot identify via rflp method are screened by mlpa method . multiplex ligation - dependent probe amplification ( mlpa ) and str analysis are used to identify deleted and duplicated regions in sma . mrc holland salsa mlpa probe mix is used for mlpa applications . results will be reported after analyzing datas with coffalyser program . for couples who are carriers of sma preimplantation genetic diagnosis method can be performed to allow them have a healthy child .
charcot marie tooth as mikrogen genetic diagnostic laboratory , we have added charcot marie tooth disease screening to our panel . in this respect , we are investigating charcot marie tooth frequently observed patients with pmp22 deletion / duplication . the pmp22 gene is encoding peripheral myelin protein . duplication of this gene is known to cause charcot marie tooth type 1 . ( lupski , j . r . et al ( 1993 ) . these duplications have been reported to occur both in inherited manner and as de novo mutations . cox10 , tekt3 , pmp22 genes , all associated with charcot marie tooth , are scanned to identify deletions and duplications by multiplex ligation - dependent probe amplification ( mlpa ) and str fragment analysis . mrc holland salsa mlpa kit p033 - b2 cmt1 / hnpp region kit is used for mlpa ( multiplex ligation dependent probe amplification ) test .
fmf whole gene analysis as mikrogen genetic diagnostic laboratory , we have added all mefv genes associated with fmf screening to our panel . in this respect , we are also investigating other exons in addition to widely screened exons by squence analysis method . ( 2 , 3 , 5 , 10 )
osteogenesis imperfecta as mikrogen genetic diagnostic laboratory , we have added osteogenesis imperfecta screening to our panel . in this respect , we are investigating point mutations frequently observed in col1a1 gene using sequence analysis method .
marfan as mikrogen genetic diagnostic laboratory , we have added marfan syndrome screening to our panel . in this respect , we are investigating all point mutations in frequently observed in fbn1 gene associated with marfan syndrome using sequence analysis method . marfan syndrome is inherited in an autosomal dominant manner . fbn1 gene sequence analysis suggested that 70 - 93 % patients have mutations in this gene . since this gene has 65 exons , 3 , 6 , 10 , 28 , 29 and 56th exons , which are densely populated with mutations , are screened by sequence analysis method .
as mikrogen genetic diagnostic laboratory , we have added noonan syndrome screening to our panel . in this respect , we are investigating point mutations frequently observed in ptpn11 and sos genes associated with noonan syndrome
phenylketonuria as mikrogen genetic diagnostic laboratory , we have added phenylketonuria disease screening to our panel . in this respect , we are investigating all point mutations in pah gene associated with autosomal recessive form the disease phenylketonuria .
brca1 as mikrogen genetic diagnostic laboratory , we have added brca1 gene screening to our panel . in this respect , we are investigating mutations in brca1 gene using sequence analysis method .
mikrogen genetic diagnostic laboratory was established in turkey in 2005 ( accredited with iso ) . its services are particularly focused on reproductive genetics , using both molecular and cytogenetic tests accredited by the european molecular genetics quality network . mikrogen’s services cover pre implantation , pre - and post–natal genetic testing . mikrogen’s mission is to provide modern and reliable health care services which aim to satisfy their patients by providing modern , quality services whilst nurturing the virtues of professional self - development . we aim to conduct research , share our knowledge with other practitioners in our sector and increase public awareness about genetic diagnostic services and research . mikrogen’ vision is to become a leading corporation ( mikrogen genetic diseases diagnosis center ) at national and international level related to the health care services we provide . please find detailed information in our
multiplex assay ( mikrogen recombead ) for detection of serum igg and igm antibodies to 13 recombinant antigens of borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato in . . . - pubmed - ncbi
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dessau rb 1 , møller jk 2 , kolmos b 2 , henningsson aj 3 .
department of clinical microbiology , slagelse hospital , slagelse , denmark ramd @ regionsjaelland . dk .
a multiplex - bead - based assay for the detection of serum antibodies to borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato was evaluated . the assay contained 13 different antigens in both the igg and the igm assay ; thus , a total of 26 measurement results were available from each sample . a total of 49 danish patients with lyme neuroborreliosis ( lnb ) , 218 danish blood donor controls , a set of 61 swedish patients with lnb and 139 swedish non - lnb patients investigated for suspected lnb were used . there are four parts developed in this study : a characterization of the sero - epidemiological antibody - response pattern , the construction of a diagnostic score , evaluation of the scoring method using an independent dataset and an assessment of the analytical quality of the multiplex assay . the vlse igg had the highest diagnostic value with an auc ( area under the curve ) of 96 % on the receiver operating characteristic curve . the ospc igm had aucs just above 80 % . all the other antigens had both low quantitative reactivity and lower contrast in the patients with lnb compared to controls . the diagnostic value of the assay may be improved by using a logistic model giving a sensitivity of 90 and 79 % for the specificities at 92 and 98 % , respectively . overall , the patients with lnb had serum reactivity in igg vlse , but modest antibody reactivity in the remaining 12 igg and 13 igm antibody measurements . using a logistic regression model with five igg and two igm antigens , the sensitivity and specificity of the assay was improved ; but the igg vlse component alone contributed most of the diagnostic contrast .
mikrogen ' s scope of business covers the development , production and distribution of genetically engineered in vitro diagnostics .
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laboratory of immunogenetics , department of medical microbiology and infection control , vu university medical center , room o | 2 – 6e59 , de boelelaan 1108 , po box 7057 , 1007 mb amsterdam , the netherlands . tel : + 31 ( 0 ) 20 - 44 48417 ; fax : + 31 ( 0 ) 20 - 44 48418 ; e - mail :
eleanne f . van ess , sander ouburg , joke spaargaren , jolande a . land , servaas a . morré ; performance of the multitarget mikrogen chlamydia trachomatis igg elisa in the prediction of tubal factor infertility ( tfi ) in subfertile women : comparison with the medac momp igg elisa plus , pathogens and disease , volume 75 , issue 7 , 29 september 2017 , ftx067 , urltoken
there is a need for more accurate chlamydia trachomatis ( ct ) igg antibody tests for tubal factor infertility ( tfi ) diagnostics . we evaluated the predictive value for tfi of medac elisa plus ( momp ) and multitarget mikrogen elisa ( momp - cpaf - tarp ) . based on medac elisa plus results , 183 subfertile women underwent either hysterosalpingography or laparoscopy to diagnose tfi . tfi was defined as extensive adhesions and / or distal occlusion of at least one tube . women not fulfilling the definition of tfi served as controls . serum was subsequently tested with mikrogen elisa and results were compared . 48 patients had tfi , 135 were controls . mikrogen elisa tested 125 patients positive / borderline of which 32 % had tfi . medac elisa plus tested 77 patients positive / borderline of which 29 . 9 % had tfi . mikrogen tested 40 out of 48 tfi patients positive / borderline , medac 23 out of 48 . kappa value was 0 . 34 . ppv of mikrogen elisa and medac elisa plus were respectively 32 % ( 95 % ci 26 % –39 % ) and 30 % ( 95 % ci 24 % –37 % ) , and npv 86 % ( 95 % ci 81 % –91 % ) and 76 % ( 95 % ci 70 % –82 % ) . both tests were comparable in the prediction of tfi . however , mikrogen elisa had a higher npv and might be more reliable in identifying patients without tfi . kappa - value showed limited concordance between both tests .
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prevalence of hepatitis b and hepatitis c infection from a population - based study in southern india .
abnormal protein and mrna expression of inflammatory cytokines in the prefrontal cortex of depressed individuals who died by suicide .
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packed with great features , reviews and specials . the magazine contains material not in the video shows , and often has guest reviewers .
my games are now available on real media . go and grab them now .
adventure gaming began in 1976 when william crowther created the very first text - based game , written in a language called fortran . the game was loosely based on a large cave that he had explored as a caver and was created on a pdp - 10 mainframe . shortly after , don woods found the game , and with crowther ' s blessing , expanded it into what now is known as colossal cave , the grandfather of all adventure games .
the game was purely text based and accepted 1 or 2 word commands to guide the player through various puzzles in a bid to collect all of the treasure within the cave and return it safely to the house . from this single game spawned every other adventure game and it was no surprise that when home microcomputers came along in the early 80’s , people would begin to write their own versions and create new variants .
because the game was text - only meant that almost any micro could be used as long as it had enough memory to hold the parser , objects , locations and mechanics of the game . the spectrum had several versions of the classic , notably adventure 1 from abersoft ( later bought and published by melbourne house as classic adventure ) and colossal cave by level 9 .
amongst the first wave of spectrum spin - off adventures that moved away from caves and gave the player a different world to explore were ones produced by artic computing . there initial set proved very popular , frequently entering the top ten despite some very dodgy actions that could be performed on a female android in one game .
the only problem often raised was that sometimes the games proved difficult , not because of the actual challenges , but because the player had to guess the correct wording to use… do you use collect , get , pick up , take… to pick up an item ? this is where magazines jumped on the band wagon , and began offering help pages for lost adventurers .
text - only games relied heavily on the imagination of the player , much the same way a book does , but with the advance of computing power , graphics began to creep in . initially they were poor line drawn squares , relegated to a small area at the top of the screen like magic mountain ( right ) from phipps associates , but as time went on , they slowly improved , filling the top , and sometimes the whole of the screen .
the major jump in advancement for the spectrum came in 1983 when melbourne house published the hobbit . this game completely changed adventure gaming , providing a complex parser and rich graphics , coupled with a good story and large vocabulary . like colossal cave before it , the hobbit spawn a multitude of copies – some better than others .
adventures began to grow and well known scenarios soon arrived , taking ideas from films , comic books and television . there has always been a niche market for adventure games , and a company called gilsoft wanted to target this group when it launched the quill , a utility that allowed people to create their own games . this had a knock - on effect of flooding the market with text - only games . later an add - on allowed graphics to be added… again another flood of games .
the next logical major step was animation . not only did we get text and graphics , but now moving images too , all to enrich our experience . these usually took the form of small animated characters like those in valhalla or scenes to move the plot forward like those used in the scot adams games . slowly the textual element of adventures was been eroded until we reached a new genre… the arcade adventure .
text input for this new genre was either reduced significantly or eliminated altogether , as the player now relied on the graphics to portray the action , with just a few text prompts to help things along .
there were still some people willing to experiment though , one notable game was slaine ( right ) from martech . here the player’s thoughts drifted around the screen and had to be selected to perform the action . this method was quite intuitive but difficult to control without a mouse and never really caught on .
with all of these new features , the games themselves could seem restricted , especially in size , but some games just grew to enormous proportions despite the limitations of memory . lords of midnight boasted 32 , 000 views , and although leaning towards role playing , it was still a part of the adventure family .
imagine were famously working on a similar concept for their much publicised but never completed game bandersnatch , one of the two mega - games that have since gone down in micro computing folklore . it seemed that the limitations of the spectrum were holding adventures back , and the genre had gone as far as it could , at least on the 8 bit machines .
some companies , like magnetic scrolls and level 9 , through firebird , still put out quality games , relying on atmospheric text and complex game play . despite this , the adventure game days were numbered , sadly along with the spectrum itself .
luckily , for any avid adventure fans , the spectrum and the genre is not completely dead . adventures are still being released , albeit slowly , with a great mix of puzzles , atmospheric text and sometimes even graphics .
the game format came along way from its early text only days , but some say you still can’t beat the imagination when it comes to adventures .
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three percent of the world ' s population is chronically infected with the hepatitis c virus ( hcv ) and at risk of developing liver cancer . effective cellular immune responses are deemed essential for spontaneous resolution of acute hepatitis c and long - term protection . here we describe a new t - cell hcv genetic vaccine capable of protecting chimpanzees from acute hepatitis induced by challenge with heterologous virus . suppression of acute viremia in vaccinated chimpanzees occurred as a result of massive expansion of peripheral and intrahepatic hcv - specific cd8 + t lymphocytes that cross - reacted with vaccine and virus epitopes . these findings show that it is possible to elicit effective immunity against heterologous hcv strains by stimulating only the cellular arm of the immune system , and suggest a path for new immunotherapy against highly variable human pathogens like hcv , hiv or malaria , which can evade humoral responses .
all prices are net prices . vat will be added later in the checkout .
we acknowledge r . h . purcell and j . bukh for provision of the h77 viral inoculum ; j . burns and l . kierstead for assistance with the intrahepatic lymphocyte cultures ; p . sczerba for clinical chemistry ; c . m . walker and r . h . purcell for discussion ; j . fontenot , d . hasselschwert , n . smith and the staff at the new iberia research center for the care of chimpanzees and samples and m . emili for artwork . we also thank c . m . rice , d . mathis , j . w . mattaj and g . migliaccio for critical reading of the manuscript . this paper is dedicated to the memory of elisabetta sporeno , who will be missed by all her colleagues . this work was supported in part by ministero dell ' istruzione , dell ' università e della ricerca - miur ( project “vaccino per l ' epatite c” , legge n . 488 / 1992 ) .
istituto di ricerche di biologia molecolare “p . angeletti , ” via pontina km30 , 600 , 00040 pomezia , rome , italy .
kinetics of hcv rna , amino acid substitution and epitope recognition for chimpanzee 96a022 .
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a resurgent bioscience sector pulls europe into recovery , while u . s . biotech leaders train the next generation of an essential skilled workforce .
it may be a tad too early to say the good times are back in the biotech industry , but things certainly are “hotting up , ” as they like to say in great britain—and , fittingly , the uk is at the forefront of this resurgent growth sector . so we’re opening this year’s annual global tour of the biotech / pharma industry with a look at manchester’s remarkable development as one of the world’s leading centers for innovation , particularly in the realm of biohealth research . manchester has it all , from some of the world’s most advanced centers for the study of major diseases , to labs exploring new ways to analyze health data and the national graphene institute , which promises to unlock revolutionary applications for the use of the super - strong , ultra - light wonder material , graphene .
the national graphene institute ( shown here in rendering ) will be the world’s leading research facility to explore the properties and potential applications for graphene , including biohealth uses in diagnostics and gene therapy . ( photo : midas . )
from the gateway in the uk , we travel across europe and give you a progress report on the countries and locations that are doubling down on their investment in biotech growth , which our friends across the pond like to quantify in three distinct segments : red ( pharma , medical ) , white ( industrial ) and green ( nutrition technology ) . then , it’s back to the u . s . , which isn’t quite so fussy ( and biotech tends to encompass the pharma sector as well ) , where we’ll give you an update on some of the state biotech leaders . our itinerary includes the new biosciences training center , now under construction in georgia , and a look at the life sciences greenhouses in pennsylvania , which nurture the seedlings of innovation until they’re ready to blossom into commercial use .
in the uk , manchester is a city of medical and technology pioneers . from the industrial revolution , the splitting of the atom , and the first modern computer to the first test - tube baby—manchester claims to be synonymous with innovation .
the region is home to 250 biotechnology companies that employ more than 20 , 000 people and four universities which have a strong track record in working with industry on biotech projects . manchester , for example , houses the largest cancer research and treatment center in europe and the uk’s largest children’s hospital .
as a member of the european super league of biomedical clusters , and the european city of science for 2016 , manchester offers excellent international connectivity and unique gateway organizations and support systems to help companies gain an important foothold in the national health service ( nhs ) . “manchester continues to go from strength to strength as a city of innovation , ideas and delivery , ” says tim newns , ceo of midas , manchester’s inward investment agency . “the concept of highly connected urban science parks linked with academia , the nhs and excellent connectivity is enabling the city to gain recognition as a top location for biomedical companies around the world , ” he adds .
in fact , with over 30 nhs organizations , manchester has a significant proportion of the uk national health service market with a population of 11 million within a one - hour drive . some notable entries over the past year include hitachi european big data laboratory and allscripts , a u . s . - based company that established their emea headquarters in manchester . in addition to this , there have been a number of spin - offs and start - ups , for example elucigene , reacta biotech or zilico nexcelom .
manchester has a proven track record in establishing partnerships between industry , academia and nhs . according to newns , “manchester is well placed to lead in this area with europe’s largest clinical / academic campus located here . it is closely connected with a wide range of incubator and growth facilities ideal for all stages of a company’s life cycle . this—coupled with a large , stable talent pool and relatively low costs of operation and living—is a winning formula for business innovation and investment . ”
in order to help business gain access to the market and to ensure that innovation that can meet unmet medical needs is adopted by the market , the city has developed a combination of gateway organizations : northwest ehealth ( nweh ) , manchester academic health science center ( mahsc ) , manchester integrating medicine and innovative technology ( mimit ) , the farr institute and university of manchester intellectual property and trustech .
“nweh benefits greatly from its location in manchester and its strong relationship with the other elements of the health eco - system and digital economy , ” says nweh ceo martin gibson .
the organization is a not - for - profit partnership between the university of manchester , salford royal nhs foundation trust and salford clinical commissioning group . it develops innovative software that unlocks the value of healthcare data for the benefit of patients . the goal is to provide a software solution to the nhs and the commercial sector and manage data for over 700 million patient events . “the unique set of circumstances has attracted a lot of interest , ” gibson says .
one example is glaxosmithkline . the company came to work with nweh to get the benefits of the integrated systems . “quite recently we have got an understanding with hitachi , who have set up their big data laboratory in manchester . we and our partner organizations have the resources to help them with what they want to do in the healthcare sector , ” gibson continues .
manchester academic health science center ( mahsc ) is a partnership between the university of manchester and six leading nhs organizations . they want to give patients and clinicians rapid access to the latest research discoveries , and improve the quality and effectiveness of patient care .
the center has been designated as an academic health science center , one of only six in the uk . it is becoming a major biomedical hub , providing clinical and research leadership and helping health care organizations reap the benefits of research and innovation to drive improvements in care .
manchester integrating medicine and innovative technology ( mimit ) forms a cornerstone of the mahsc health technology hub . it uses its innovation development pathway to facilitate collaborations between clinicians , scientists , engineers and industry to develop innovative technology for patient benefits . mahsc partners , for example , with hitachi , which launched hitachi’s european big data laboratory in october 2013 . the laboratory aims to create technologies in response to global needs .
the farr institute of health informatics research comprises four nodes distributed across the uk and led from university of manchester . with a 17 . 5 million pounds research award from a 10 - funder consortium , plus additional 20 million pounds capital funds from the medical research council , the farr institute delivers cutting - edge research linking electronic health data with other forms of research and routinely collected data ; it also builds capacity in health informatics research . to facilitate collaboration across the four nodes and secure patient data , farr institute provides the physical and electronic infrastructure .
finally , trustech is an nhs organization that improves healthcare through the development of innovative products and services . it works with innovation from within the nhs as well as from business to develop and evaluate technologies for the nhs market . it has worked with many international med - tech companies to help them develop and adapt their technologies for the uk market . trustech is linked directly with nhs hospitals as well as science park facilities and can provide many services from desk research to physician and patient evaluation of technology .
one of the most important sites in the city is called “the corridor . ” it’s home to knowledge - intensive organizations and businesses that operate in the area of biomedical , pharmaceuticals , clinical trials , medical devices and oncology - related healthcare . its facilities are state - of - the - art , which include the manchester science park and the soon to open citylabs , manchester’s biomedical center of excellence . part of this is because the university of manchester , manchester metropolitan university , the hospitals of the central manchester foundation trust and several leading medical research institutes are located there .
due to the close proximity of the research centers and universities , the city is able to draw on a large talent pool . the university of manchester is one of the largest schools , with more than 6 , 000 biotech and medical graduates every year , a figure that increases to 25 , 000 when including graduates from the 22 universities within an hour of the city center .
the university of manchester is ranked 7th in europe . the university’s faculty of medical and human sciences provides outstanding opportunities for mutually beneficial partnerships with industry . more than 7 , 000 students pursue their studies there .


solar frontier kabushiki kaisha is a japanese photovoltaic company that develops and manufactures thin film solar cells using cigs technology .

it is a fully owned subsidiary of showa shell sekiyu and located in minato , tokyo , japan .

the company was founded in 2006 as showa shell solar , and renamed solar frontier in april 2010 .

solar frontier

solar frontier achieves world record thin - film solar cell efficiency of 22 . 9 %
cis - based thin - film pv technology in solar frontier k . k .
solar frontier sets thin - film pv world record with 20 . 9 % cis cell
cis - based thin - film pv technology in solar frontier k . k . - sciencedirect
solar frontier first announced its decision to build the tohoku plant in december , 2013 . after completing its construction in april 2015 , solar frontier began ramping up the newly installed production lines . the tohoku plant now manufactures cis solar panels
fig . 5 : the
banwell solar project ,
a 7 . 2mw project in banwell in the uk ( source : solar frontier )
solar frontier is the world’s largest provider of cis solar energy solutions . our expertise covers the entire solar energy value chain , from pioneering next - generation cis modules through to independent power production .
82 . 5 mw installation from solar frontier at catalina , u . s . , wins intersolar award
solar frontier’s newest cis solar panel factory features its most advanced production technology . compared to solar frontier’s main production plant in southern japan , the 900mw kunitomi plant , the tohoku plant requires only two - thirds the investment and manpower per megawatt . it also requires only one - third the time to manufacture a cis solar panel . this technology enables solar frontier to achieve globally best - in - class production costs
in 2014 , solar frontier and new jointly developed a 7 . 2mw mega solar power plant incorporating cis - based solar panels in banwell in the southeast of the uk ( fig . 5 ) . according to solar frontier , the result was highly valued and led to the joint development of 100mw facilities .
“solar frontier’s prototype modules show the far - reaching potential of our cis technology . these modules are ultralight ,
in the european market , solar frontier works out sales strategies responding to the renewable energy policy of each country .
solar frontier’s cis modules generate more electricity * in real - world conditions – where it counts for the customer .
- solar frontier , the world’s largest provider of cis solar energy solutions , announced today it has commenced commercial production at its 150mw tohoku plant in miyagi prefecture , japan .
– solar frontier and psa singapore terminals have completed the first ever installation of solar frontier’s prototype ultralight and bendable cis thin - film modules . the new modules , designed and engineered in japan , were installed at psa’s newest terminal building in singapore
solar frontier’s cis technology maintains high output even when installed in east - west orientation , as well as horizontally or vertically .
the tohoku plant is a cornerstone in solar frontier’s global growth strategy . the new plant features upgrades to solar frontier’s existing cis production lines using advanced technology developed at its atsugi research center . these will enable best - in - class production costs and new product advantages . the tohoku plant also serves as a model for solar frontier’s future production plants as the company looks to expand its global production footprint . solar frontier will use the ramp - up phase to test and verify its latest cis line technology
the start of commercial production at the tohoku plant marks the continued successful cooperation between solar frontier , ohira village and miyagi prefecture .
the tohoku plant’s new production line is based on the proven production process at solar frontier’s 900 mw kunitomi plant in southern japan . the tohoku plant will enhance solar frontier’s leadership in cis as well as help further adoption of thin - film technology around the world .
in addition to making the most economical solar energy solutions , our mission is to also make the most ecological ones . solar frontier’s cis modules have been designed to meet environmental standards and requirements .
meanwhile , the uk has introduced the rps system , and , in the same manner as the us , construction plans of mega solar power plants are based on bot . based on this background , solar frontier europe signed contracts for development and sale of solar power plants with a total output of up to 100mw in the uk , in collaboration with german renewable energy developer new energy for the world ( new ) . the solar power plants will incorporate panels manufactured by solar frontier .
this archived blog was the active site for getting updated hubble frontier fields information during the frontier fields observing campaign ( 2013 - 2017 ) . the observations are now in from hubble , but the science of the frontier fields is just beginning…
cis is different . solar frontier has worked with leading solar panel technologies since the 1970s , including crystalline silicon . we realized in the early 1990s the unique potential of cis - and we’ve pursued it ever since .
the cis technology offered by solar frontier delivers higher specific energy yields ( kwh / kwp ) than other technologies . the main reasons for this are :
“solar frontier’s new 20 . 9 % efficiency record resulted from a cis cell cut from a 30cm by 30cm substrate produced using a sputtering - selenization formation method - the same method we use in our factories . the significance is twofold : it ensures we can transfer our latest achievement into mass production faster , and it proves the long - term conversion efficiency potential of solar frontier’s proprietary cis technology , ” said satoru kuriyagawa , chief technology officer of solar frontier . “solar frontier has entered into the next phase in the development of cis technology , and we look forward to building on this achievement and driving our efficiency even higher . ”
electricity costs are increasing worldwide . from office complexes and factories to farm buildings , harbor facilities and airport terminals , solar frontier is offering businesses an energy alternative :
solar energy has remained primarily a terrestrial endeavor because , in most cases , it is simpler and cheaper to mount photovoltaic ( solar ) panels on land .
anti - reflective some pv modules have a glass surface that strongly reflects sunlight . solar frontier modules use patented anti - glare glass - for aesthetics , safety and efficiency .
solar frontier is now approaching four gigawatts of cis modules and system shipments . these are used for a variety of applications , from residential to utility - scale , across multiple climates .
in the solar panel industry , cis is known for its economical , ecological advantages .
helming said transforming the aqueduct into a solar - energy producer is entirely feasible today .
hero image credit : ibm solar panels by ibm research , used under cc by .
solar frontier , the world’s largest cis solar energy solutions company , announced today that it has completed the construction of its fourth production plant , the tohoku plant . the new 150 mw production plant , located in miyagi , japan , now moves into the ramp - up phase .
solar panel installations have primarily been installed on land . now two california water utilities are building floating solar - power projects at their reservoirs to reap energy savings and other benefits .
dan coe , esa / aura astronomer , in front of the first frontier fields image , abell 2744 .
solar frontier europe , a subsidiary based in germany , focuses on these markets and has been selling the
power set ,
a system consisting of solar panels , storage batteries , a monitor and a pv inverter that controls them , for use mainly in houses . the output of solar panels and the capacity of storage batteries can be selected from 10 patterns of combinations .
solar frontier’s unique cis technology uses zero cadmium , is lead - free and has no special recycling requirements . we are certified as compliant with the eu’s restriction of hazardous substances regulations ( rohs ) .
click here to get the solar irradiation data for your region in europe – for free .
jennifer mack , a hubble research and instrument scientist , answers questions about her role on the frontier fields project .
since the solar frontier cis modules are more sensitive than other technologies to this light at longer wavelengths , and even into the infrared range , the relative quantity of energy recovered at these times is significantly higher .
appearance solar frontier cis modules have a black module surface and a black aluminum frame * . the color comes from our proprietary production process . only two silver busbars are visible on the edge of the module .
water can also enhance solar generation . ironically , too much heat reduces a solar panel’s energy output . every panel is rated for certain temperature limits , above which energy output plummets . but a watery surface will always be cooler than the bare ground on which most solar arrays are built .
ibm is promoting the use of solar energy by creating a groundbreaking mobile application that drives universal electrification in africa . this user - friendly app calculates the solar power needs of an individual home or business based on its location and the appliances used to recommend a solar system set - up .
astronomer rachael livermore answers questions about her role on the frontier fields program and the path she took to get there .
that occur as light from distant galaxies becomes magnified and bent by the vast mass of the frontier fields’ galactic clusters .
astronomer gabriel brammer answers questions about his role on the frontier fields program and the path he took to get there .
the simple , user - friendly app calculates the solar power needs of an individual home or business based on its location , the number of appliances that run on solar and how many hours they run for . the app ' s algorithm draws on detailed solar radiation data for locations across south africa to recommend a solar system set - up based on the worst - case month of the year .
some are saying that thin - film solar panels are finished . others are convinced that their time is ahead : even though crystalline solar panels are dominating the panel market by 90 percent , suppliers of cis panels continue bringing interesting innovations to the market . the world’s largest manufacturer is solar frontier in japan , who are this year is extending their range of thin - film packages in terms of roof shape and size .
in its pursuit of a world where solar energy enables a cleaner , more comfortable life for all .
while the market for small roof - top installations is dominant in these parts , elsewhere , greenfield solar parks are booming . first solar in the us is the leader in terms of cost . they produce and install thin - film panels made from cadmium telluride . with their cis panels , solar frontier is also successful in this segment , because the process of depositing the absorbers to the metallic rear electrode can be fully automated .
frame the black frame of the solar frontier modules is an integrated functional and design element . it is made of long - life anti - corrosion aluminum which is screwed at the corners . this guarantees long life reliability and aesthetics .
ideal installations usually face south at a tilt angle of 30 degrees and below . but not every rooftop meets these conditions . the low - light behavior of solar frontier’s cis modules enables high electricity yield even on rooftops with east / west orientation and whether installed vertically or horizontally . this is not the case for crystalline silicon solar panels .
now a few water agencies are embracing floating solar to maximize the utility of their storage ponds and reservoirs . floating solar panels can provide energy that offsets operating costs and reduces greenhouse gas emissions . and there are other benefits : floating solar panels throw shade on the water surface , which can reduce evaporation and algae growth .
the stsci frontier fields team receives the 2016 aura team award for its unparalleled efforts in implementing the hubble frontier fields director ' s discretionary program and providing rapid [ astronomical ] community access to high - level data products generated from the observations .
- aura
solar frontier’s powersets are suitable for domestic roof - top installations of more than 15 . 6 square metres in surface area . because they are variously configurable , they can be installed on top if very different roofs and at very different inclinations .
solar frontier has developed this cell using the same coating process followed by selenisation which they are using in mass production . this allows them to disseminate all of their recent advances into all future sites of production . for example : some of the technology that was employed to develop what was in april 2014 solar frontier’s record holder at 20 . 9 percent , is already being implemented at the tohoku factory . the panels produced there now are 14 . 7 percent efficient . ( heiko schwarzburger )
that is not an option solar installers would currently recommend , kurien says , simply because it is not worth their time . “if you want to find out what your options are for your house , solar installers are going to try to steer you towards going off the grid , or running your entire household off solar , ” he says .
tricia royle , senior program coordinator , answers questions about her role on the frontier fields program and the path she took to get there .
sonoma county water agency’s oceanview water treatment pond was the test bed for this floating solar panel array last year . a final installation is expected to be complete by the end of 2017 , with an output of 1 megawatt of solar electricity .
a ground - breaking app is driving the leap to universal electrification in africa . and better yet – it’s all solar .
large - scale floating solar projects have been installed in japan and china , as well as on ponds at california wineries . but
a decisive factor was the reliability of cis panels in an ammonia - rich environment : thyssen krupp materials’ 2 , 970 square metre storage depot in veghel is close to the breeding grounds of sea gulls , bird droppings are a problem for owners of the solar installations , as it affects the performance of the panels . solar frontier’s cis panels are certified ammonia - resistant and perform well even in such an environment .
nippon yusen kaisha ooi terminal , japan
solar frontier’s cis modules were the ideal solution for our needs . they offer excellent efficiency , stable output and outstanding durability . we intend to install these panels in our facilities in other areas .
tetsuya muraki green energy group nyk trading corp
coober pedy airport terminal australia
the area around coober pedy is hot , dry and dusty . in conditions like these , cis thin - film panels are the perfect solution for dependable and economical solar energy .
theo strecker project engineer solar shop australia pty ltd
for the commercial segment , solar frontier offer larger - scale installation blocks as standard packages , which can be combined to fit roofs of any size . for instance , thyssen krupp materials in the netherlands had a total of 2 . 3 megawatts installed on the roofs of their storage depots .
the prototype modules were developed at solar frontier’s atsugi research center in japan . the atsugi research center has been at the forefront of advancing cis thin - film technology , driving forward cis conversion efficiency in research and mass - production , and creating advanced products with the potential to unlock new markets .
snail trails are a phenomenon that can only exist on crystalline silicon modules . there are three different types of snail trail : discoloration of the silver - ( ag ) paste at right angles across the c - si cell , discoloration along the edge of the cell ( formation of a
frame
) , and discolorations emanating from the cell connections ( also called
fingerprints
) . due to the chemical composition of solar frontier cis modules and the technological differences between these and c - si modules , it can be guaranteed that snail trails will not occur on solar frontier modules .
conversion efficiency is a popular measurement used to compare the performance of solar modules . actual performance after installation , however , depends on how differing pv technologies react to their surrounding environment and climate . solar frontier’s cis modules are proven to generate more electricity ( kwh / kwp ) in real operating conditions than crystalline silicon modules . together with high automation and precision manufacturing in japan , cis modules provide long - term competitive and reliable returns on investments for customers .
wearing an astronomically themed dress of her own creation , rachael poses in front of a large picture of abell 370 , the first strongly lensing galaxy cluster discovered . it was the last of the frontier fields galaxy clusters to be imaged . her dress is actually made up of the frontier fields , and the top front piece is abell 370 .
the team plans five more floating solar projects on other treatment ponds . in total , they’ll produce enough electricity to power 3 , 500 homes .
so read this , too : “ first solar new 365 w series 5 modules : significant further variable bos cost reduction through easier installation ” .
this occasional series focuses on members of the frontier fields team . it highlights the individuals , their jobs , and the paths they took to get to where they are today .
that is beginning to change . the floats and other mounting components unique to water - based solar are slightly more expensive , but that difference will evaporate as more projects are built . and as solar has proliferated in some areas , it has become harder to find available land for new installations .
, a san francisco firm , to develop a floating solar panel system for several of its treatment ponds . pristine had not built a floating solar system before . but after some research and testing , the first system was installed as a pilot project at the oceanview treatment pond in summer 2016 .
dirt is another enemy of solar panels . wind - blown dust inevitably collects on panels , preventing some of the sun’s energy from reaching photovoltaic cells . this can reduce energy output by 20 percent or more . most ground - mounted solar arrays get cleaned only two or three times a year .
tokyo － april 2 nd , 2014 － solar frontier , in joint research with the new energy and industrial technology development organization ( nedo ) , has achieved 20 . 9 % conversion efficiency on a 0 . 5cm2 cis cell . this is a world record conversion efficiency for thin - film photovoltaic technologies , beating solar frontier’s previous world record of 19 . 7 % conversion efficiency for cis thin - film cells that do not contain cadmium , on top of the previous - best 20 . 8 % cell efficiency record set for all thin - film pv technologies . the result has been independently verified by the fraunhofer institute , europe’s largest application - oriented research organization .
that will make it hard for manufacturers of crystalline cells and panels to grow as fast as the thin - film segment . satoru kuriyagawa , chief technology officer at solar frontier , held out the prospect that “this most recent success will bring us ever closer to our long - term goal of exceeding 30 percent with cis panels . ”
but these are simple “engineering challenges , ” helming said . in many cases , floating solar offers more advantages than drawbacks . one advantage is reducing algae that
so here’s an interesting thought experiment . what if we could take a well - known galaxy and put it behind one of our frontier fields galaxy clusters ? what would that look like ?
“in expanding our product range to include domestic roof - top installations , we are reacting to the strong demand in the market and are giving our installation companies more variety and freedom of choice , ” wolfgang lange , ceo of solar frontier europe comments . “this provides our customers with even more individual solutions for their roofs . and they’re easy to install .
the study found that mounting solar panels on just a single 80 - mile stretch of canal serving the bay area would avoid water losses worth $ 1 million annually .
“there would be a whole bunch of companies that would jump at the chance to cover the aqueduct with solar at no cost to the state , ” he said .
many africans , whether living in the countryside or in the slums of fast - developing cities , could benefit from small solar , be that simple solar lamps that include a mobile phone charger or higher wattage set - ups . and these kinds of solutions are increasingly available off - the - shelf , complete with micro - financing options .
i helped jennifer lotz select the six frontier fields clusters —with a lot of input from other astronomers . i had hoped my babies would do well ! so far they have , and i am proud .
i am happy to have helped make the frontier fields observations as deep and as efficient as possible to maximize the scientific return from extremely valuable observing time on hubble . with only a relatively minor change to the observing strategy , taking extra care to avoid extra glare from bright foreground light from the earth , we enabled the frontier fields to see ever fainter and more distant galaxies than otherwise would have been possible .
some of the recipients of the 2016 aura team award . the team received the award in july 2016 for the hubble frontier fields program , which began in 2013 . credit : p . jeffries / stsci .
there are some big fish to catch in the floating solar business . one of the biggest of all is the california aqueduct , owned by the state department of water resources (
the san diego agency signed a contract with pristine sun to install a 6 - megawatt solar array floating on its olivenhain reservoir that will cover about 10 percent of the water surface .
’s analysis may not have considered the prospect of floating solar panels , which pose a much less intensive installation process . they could also be easier to move temporarily to allow inspections .
in germany , in particular , an increasing number of houses are introducing self - sufficient systems where batteries are installed in basements for storage of solar power ,
gakumazawa said .
i am proud to be contributing a small part to hubble’s great legacy . in addition to my frontier fields work , i am leading a large new hubble program called relics to observe 41 more lensing galaxy clusters . complementary to the frontier fields , relics is casting a broader net with shallower imaging . our goal is to find the best and brightest distant galaxy candidates for more detailed study with current telescopes and with the james webb space telescope .
it should be noted that the nasa frontier fields program is bigger than just the core hubble frontier fields program at stsci . there are also teams of people working with nasa’s other great observatories , the chandra x - ray observatory and the spitzer space telescope , to acquire images of these fields in invisible x - ray and infrared light . there are teams of astronomers proposing for follow - up observations of the frontier fields using many ground - based observatories in radio , millimeter , infrared , and visible light . in addition , there are the astronomers and mathematical modelers who are taking this publicly available data and using it to broaden our understanding of the physics of the cosmos .
solar frontier cis modules have been developed to provide the best possible outputs , that is to say the highest yields measured as kwh per kwp , under these less than perfect conditions as well . the result is optimum energy generation under all light conditions , including those that are not ideal . you can find more information and real comparative yield data in the area entitled cis vs . other technologies on our homepage .
workers assemble a floating solar panel array last year in a pilot project at sonoma county water agency’s oceanview water treatment pond in windsor , calif . ( photo courtesy sonoma county water agency )
rodgers’ agency first sought bids for a floating solar project five years ago and got no “viable results , ” she said . it tried again about 18 months ago and received several proposals .
solar frontier’s latest efficiency record was achieved at the atsugi research center ( arc ) in kanagawa , japan . as part of the arc’s customer - centric approach , it focuses on boosting the conversion efficiency of its cis modules , developing its proprietary mass production machinery , and reducing overall system costs for end users . the arc has been at the forefront of advancing cis technology , setting numerous world records since it was established in 2009 .
gabe checks out the telescope for observations of the june 21 , 2001 , total solar eclipse from lusaka , zambia , as part of the williams college eclipse expedition . credit : j . pasachoff .
edeka parking rooftop , germany
solar frontier’s cis thin - film modules have convinced me for a number of reasons : their high performance and efficiency as well as being ecological , free of cadmium and lead . the installation is the perfect example of how we can use parking lot roof space to generate ecological energy . we are very proud to have been nominated for the environment award of the city of schwabach .
roland krawczyk tenant edeka supermarket
in july 2016 , the hubble frontier fields team was given the aura team award . aura – the association of universities for research in astronomy – operates the space telescope science institute ( stsci – the science operations center for hubble ) for nasa .
left : frontier fields hubble image of pandora’s cluster , abell 2744 . right : lensing magnifications ( color ) and distortions ( swirls ) of distant galaxies according to one model produced by johan richard and the “cats” ( clusters as telescopes ) team .
solar power , often seen as an expensive luxury in the west , can bridge a vital gap . just as sub - saharan africa leapt straight from a landscape with barely a telephone wire to a region replete with mobiles , smartphones and even mobile currency , swaths of the continent may sidestep the grid and move straight to solar : clean , green and – thanks to africa ' s climate – reliable energy .
today , astronomy is increasingly relying on larger projects that require teams of men and women with diverse skill sets , including the hubble frontier fields program . frontier fields was conceived following the successes of prior hubble deep - field programs . these include the hubble deep field , hubble ultra deep field , candels , and in particular , clash – which helped build our understanding of gravitational lensing around galaxy clusters . the general frontier fields program also both benefited from , and enhanced , our understanding of mathematical models that predict how light from distant galaxies will be lensed by foreground massive clusters . of course , all of the deep - field studies are possible because of the work of prior luminaries such as edwin hubble , henrietta leavitt , and albert einstein .
in california alone , using a very conservative estimate of available inland water surface area , helming estimates floating solar could produce 20 gigawatts of electricity . that’s more than 10 percent of the state’s total energy need .
the frontier fields images , while beautiful , aren’t all that easy to comprehend to eyes outside the astronomy community . look at them and you see streaks of light and blurry smudges mixed into a field of obvious galaxies . it can be difficult to interpret the
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used by water utilities have long been viewed with a single purpose : holding water . now a handful of pioneering water utilities are looking at their aquatic real estate with a new purpose in mind : solar energy generation .
south africa ' s grid is currently under pressure , with a system of rolling blackouts in place . so many small businesses have been exploring how to keep running during the hours when the city goes dark . “a lot have bought generators and some have used solar , ” kurien says . “i thought an app that enabled people to explore how solar works , without having to sit with an expensive consultant , could be an answer . ”
our cis solutions generate more electricity ( kilowatt - hours per kilowatt - peak ) than crystalline silicon in actual operating conditions . this is key to cost - competitive and reliable returns on investment in the solar energy market .
traditional home solar installers and installation apps require a level of technical detail that the average householder simply does not know . the new app strips out that complexity . “it tells your average joe who might not have any technical background or idea what a kilowatt - hour is , and just knows ' i have two lightbulbs in my house and a fridge and a tv ' , just how much solar power he might need , ” says algio .
the olivenhain project may include battery storage , rodgers said . this would allow the water authority to maximize revenue by selling electricity during evening and late - afternoon hours , when solar output drops off but energy demand is peaking .
“africa has the potential to leapfrog straight into clean and reliable energy sources like solar , ” algio says . “because the lessons have been learnt in the developing world , africa has the opportunity to bypass the intervening stages . ”
solar start - up m - kopa makes an 8 - watt solar panel that comes with two lightbulbs , a torch , a mobile phone charger and a radio . currently available in kenya , tanzania , uganda and ghana , customers pay an initial deposit of $ 30 followed by 365 daily 50 - cent payments , using mobile phone currency : if they miss a payment , the system powers off until the debt is up - to - date .
for the frontier fields , five groups of astronomers from around the world collaborated to gather the best possible data on all six clusters and produce gravitational lensing models . i coordinated these efforts and processed their model submissions for all astronomers to use . this lens modeling work is unprecedented both for its collaborative nature and the accessibility that all astronomers now have to the magnification estimates . with deep frontier fields imaging now in hand , astronomers are able to study the lensing in much more detail and are producing the best dark matter maps and lensing models ever .
covering portions of the canal with solar panels . it concluded this wasn’t feasible because of the need for frequent visual inspections of the canal and the water surface itself . it also cited challenges in attaching panels to the canal banks .
solar panels are affected by heat . some technologies are better at handling it than others . cis delivers high yields – even in desert environments . this is indicated by the lower temperature coefficient of cis compared to crystalline silicon modules .
the introduction of the new plant comes as solar frontier works to bring its cis technology to more customers around the world . compared to crystalline silicon modules , cis modules generate a higher energy yield ( kilowatt - hours per kilowatt - peak ) in real world conditions . the tohoku plant will build on the performance advantages of cis with new product upgrades . this includes module conversion efficiencies of over 15 % and adjustments to the voltage and current of its cis thin - film modules , enabling more freedom in system design .
but in the real world , this very rarely happens . roofs have different orientations . temperatures climb to extremes – especially in deserts . trees , chimneys , buildings and even clouds cast shadows . humidity , lighting conditions and a myriad of other climatic conditions fluctuate between environments . every one of these factors can impact the energy yield of a solar power system . solar panels , based on their technology , will react differently to real - world conditions – some better than others .
one drawback to such installations is that the floating solar panels and their anchoring systems must not interfere with water system operations . that means preserving access to drains and other plumbing . in some cases , panels may need to be easily removable .
the project which is situated in the towns of veghel and zwijndrecht comprises two roof - top installations on top of storage depots . including a total of 30 inverters and 13 , 472 cis panels , it is one of the largest solar projects in the netherlands . the panels were delivered starting may 2015 and installed in june of that year . the generators were already connected to the grid in july . between july and november , the installations produced six percent more solar electricity than expected .
and a new app undergoing testing in ibm research ' s johannesburg lab could bring the benefits of small solar to residential users , both rural and urban , including people who are already connected to sub - saharan africa ' s often unreliable grids .
will install floating solar panel arrays later this year . the panels will float on its oceanview treated wastewater pond in windsor , where shade from the panels will reduce the cost of algae control , and the electricity produced will help power the treatment process .
) , which exports vast amounts of water from north to south . the aqueduct offers more than 400 miles of canal surface area that could be covered with solar panels in a region of the state – the san joaquin valley – that is relentlessly sunny .
even classmates in my kids’ pre - kindergarten classes know hubble when they see it ! hubble has something for everybody , from atmospheres of extra - solar planets to the most distant galaxies , and therefore has had an immeasurable impact on society’s scientific imagination and curiosity .
the buffer layer in the cis module by solar frontier is responsible for the light soaking effect . this layer is a component of the cis thin film and ensures that the charge is transported more easily between the photoactive layer and the transparent contact ( tco ) on the front of the module . initially , this buffer layer forms an energy barrier , which makes the flow of electrons more difficult . excited by the photons in the sunlight , the first electrons begin moving and neutralize the faulty areas which at first still remain in the boundary areas between the layers . this causes the energy barrier to shrink , electrons can flow more easily , and the serial resistance is lowered . consequently the flow of energy increases and the module functions more efficiently . unlike classic cis , one of the remarkable features of the solar frontier technology is that toxic cadmium is replaced with zinc . not only is this less harmful to the environment , it is also essential for creating the light soaking effect . as a result , the properties of the buffer layer are improved and the module output increases . this effect is the result of years of intensive work by our research and development department .
“psa is pleased to be involved in a project that underlines our commitment to green energy technologies . alongside our electrically powered automated rail mounted gantry cranes at our new terminals , these solar modules will also help to reduce psa’s carbon footprint as we continue to promote environmental sustainability
in germany , spain and italy , which introduced the feed - in tariff ( fit ) scheme earlier than other countries and led the solar power generation market in europe , introduction of compact equipment for self - consumption has been accelerating following the decline in purchase price .
responding to the increasing needs for self - consumption systems intended for small offices , this spring , the company commercialized
power set industrial .
solar panel output is limited to two patterns of units – 21kw and 33kw – to enhance the cost performance of systems .
the agency had already built solar arrays on rooftops and parking lots , said then - general manager grant davis . ( davis was recently appointed director of the california department of water resources . ) the next choice was ranch land , but that posed a conflict with livestock grazing operations .
cuinse 2 ( cis ) - based thin - film photovoltaic ( pv ) technology is recognized as a second - generation thin - film pv technology and its module efficiency has currently reached a level comparable to that of the market - dominant wafer - based polycrystalline - si pv technology . solar frontier k . k . ( sfkk ) employs not only non - si pv , but also cd - free and pb - free concepts in its products . based on this concept , sfkk has already moved to the giga - watt production stage in 2011 . in this paper , current status and future prospects of sfkk are reviewed .
the app not only empowers lighter electricity consumers to go off - the - grid for a fraction of the cost and complexity of a full solar install by professional installers . it enables wealthier users to move off - grid piece by piece , greening their homes one appliance at a time .
in 2015 found that covering the aqueduct with solar panels would more than pay for itself . it could also prevent over 9 , 000 acre - feet of water evaporation per day . on an annual basis , that’s equal to the entire capacity of lake oroville , the state’s second - largest reservoir .
the james webb space telescope is a large infrared telescope with a 6 . 5 - meter primary mirror . scheduled for launch in october of 2018 , webb will be the premier observatory of the next decade , serving thousands of astronomers worldwide . it will study every phase in the history of our universe , ranging from the first luminous glows after the big bang , to the formation of solar systems capable of supporting life on planets like earth , to the evolution of our own solar system . this illustration shows the cold side of the james webb space telescope , where the mirrors and instruments are positioned . credit : northrop grumman .
frontier fields draws on the power of massive clusters of galaxies to unleash the full potential of the hubble space telescope . the gravity of these clusters warps and magnifies the faint light of the distant galaxies behind them . hubble captures the boosted light , revealing the farthest galaxies humanity has ever encountered , and giving us a glimpse of the cosmos to be unveiled by the james webb space telescope .
my formal title is research & instrument scientist in hubble space telescope’s instruments division . i help manage the frontier fields data pipeline , which delivers the best possible calibrated data products to the astronomical community . i am also part of the wfc3 [ wide field camera 3 ] instrument team where i work on calibration of the uvis [ ultraviolet and visible light ] and ir [ infrared light ] detectors .
the data pipeline team keeps an eye on the frontier fields images as they are arriving from the telescope . for a given cluster , these come in a steady stream over a period of about 6 weeks , so we have to keep on top of things . first and foremost we need to be sure that the telescope was pointing in the right place and that it was stable throughout the exposure .
i am an esa / aura astronomer at the space telescope science institute ( stsci ) in baltimore . i use gravitational lensing to search for distant galaxies in hubble and spitzer space telescope images . i am the gravitational lens model coordinator for the frontier fields program . i also work to support astronomers’ use of hubble’s advanced camera for surveys and the near - infrared camera on the upcoming james webb space telescope .
later in the summer of ’97 , i went to new england to tour potential colleges , where , during a short visit to williams college , i met professor jay m . pasachoff and his students who were preparing an expedition to observe the solar eclipse in aruba the following year . that brief encounter , along with the recent experience observing hale - bopp , showed me that studying astronomy would offer an ideal combination of research in the physical sciences and travel to exotic locales to observe both aesthetically and scientifically magnificent phenomena . i was privileged to later study and research with professor pasachoff myself , including an unforgettable expedition to observe the solar eclipse in lusaka , zambia , in 2001 .
increasing solar penetration in africa will improve health , bring electricity to rural hospitals and free citizens from the toxic smoke of paraffin , coal , wood or dung cooking fires . it will drive education by electrifying rural schools and increasing access to the internet . it will empower small businesses . and , of course , it will help to slow the pace of climate change .
the new powerset maxi is supplied in all output sizes between 4 . 8 and 9 . 9 kilowatt , and there is also a three - phase piko inverter by kostal solar electric that has two mpp trackers . the powerset maxi ’s second mpp tracker makes for a very simple system solution for large domestic roofs involving two strings , which is very quick to plan and install .
on top of it all , gravitational lenses extend hubble’s view deeper into the universe . very distant galaxies are very faint . gravitational lensing not only distorts the image of a background galaxy , it can also amplify its light . looking through a lensing galaxy cluster , hubble can see fainter and more distant galaxies than otherwise possible . the frontier fields project has examined multiple galaxy clusters , measured their lensing and matter distribution , and identified a collection of these most distant galaxies .
gravitational lensing had been used often by astronomers , but its power had yet to be fully exploited . no one had taken ultra - deep images of a galaxy cluster with hubble or spitzer . i advocated for this to a committee convened by former stsci director matt mountain . and now it has become a reality in the frontier fields program led by jennifer lotz . the ultra - deep images of galaxy clusters are revealing the faintest galaxies ever studied , magnified by gravitational lensing .
if you could build the ideal solar power system , you would choose an installation facing south with a tilt angle best suited to the direction of the sun . the environs would be absolutely free of shade and the air would be clear and devoid of impurities – whether dirt , dust , fog or smog . the weather would always be cold and sunny , bringing out the highest possible energy yields .
“it seems like there is quite a bit of interest , which is exciting , ” said helming . “now in california and hawaii and japan , and other parts of the world , there are challenges sometimes finding new locations where you do have fairly high concentrations of both rooftop and ground - mount solar . it makes a lot of sense to look at these underutilized assets owned by water agencies and municipalities for this potential application . ”
“from my perspective , it was about education . you don ' t need to spend a small fortune , like tens of thousands of dollars , to put your whole house off - grid , ” explains ibm engineer toby kurien . “if you just wanted to run your business , you could run your laptop , printer and internet using one solar panel and two batteries , and that whole system would cost $ 100 or so . ”
i sew , and have become known for my space dresses ; i’ve had several hubble images printed on fabric and turned them into clothing – including two hubble frontier fields dresses – that i wear for outreach events and at conferences . i’m also still interested in science fiction , so i make costumes for science fiction conventions , and sometimes run the conventions themselves . when i moved to the us four years ago i was excited to discover renaissance faires , which seem to be huge outdoor costume parties with jousting and fried food .
so , now , we can also say that we’ve been lucky . the hubble space telescope and the science instruments have performed well , getting us all the data we had hoped and planned to get . as we continue to work on the data , we’re now seeing the more refined versions of the frontier fields images which we will release to the community soon . they are indeed beautiful and interesting , and they will help the community—all of us—to better prepare for the soon - to - come james webb space telescope observations .
when astronomers are granted time on hubble , their program is assigned to a program coordinator to make sure the observations are feasible and schedulable on the telescope . when problems occur any time between acceptance and execution , it’s the program coordinator who helps get problems resolved . we act as liaisons between the various groups at the space telescope science institute ( stsci ) — science , operations , scheduling — and the observers — principal investigators and co - investigators . i tend toward the large - scale and long - term observations like frontier fields .
that means that thin - film panels generally produce better yields in warmer climes . in places where sufficient space for solar parks , thin - film is beginning to have the edge . it costs less than one us dollar per watt of annual output to establish a factory for cis panels , whereas investments in new factories for crystalline panels costs about four times that . primarily , it is producing the silicon cells that is much more complex and expensive .
after the first servicing mission to hubble in december 1993 , the newly installed wide field and planetary camera 2 ( wfpc2 ) imaged the central portion of a remote cluster of galaxies called abell 851 , or cl 0939 + 4713 . at the time this observation was taken , though only of 10 orbits depth in one filter , it was one of the deepest detailed optical images ever taken of the night sky . this observation was a precursor to and helped inspire the later hubble deep fields and frontier fields and other similar work . credit : alan dressler ( carnegie institution ) and nasa .
i like the view from where i sit in operations . i like watching a hubble program develop from the initial science outline in the phase 1 , to a workable phase 2 , to a successfully executed set of observations . i especially love the large and multi - cycle programs — 47 tuc , hubble deep field , ultra deep field , andromeda , candels , and now frontier fields . they allow me to work with people who have such a passion for what they do on these in - depth programs and challenge me to find new ways to get them the science they need .
having been a member of all of stsci’s internal working groups for the various community service deep field projects we have done here since the very first one , and even one of its important predecessors , it has been very interesting to me , and the most fun , to be a part of the debate , discussions , and activity involved in designing and planning these observations , and the way that process has taken place over those years . so , in this blog article , i’d like to share my own longer , and more personal context for the frontier fields program and those which went before .