A wiper blade has a wiper head for mounting a wiper bracket, a wiper lip, and a tilting web connecting the wiper head with the wiper lip, the wiper head and the tilting web being composed of a material selected from the group consisting of polychloroprene and a polymer mixture including portion of at least 60 weight percent polychloroprene and at least one another elastomere, the wiper lip at least in a part which comes in contact with a glass pane being composed of a material selected from the group consisting of natural rubber and a synthetic elastomere based on a diene with hydrocarbon structure.

The present invention relates generally to wiper blades for motor vehicles and air vehicles.
Wiper blades of the above mentioned type are subjected to high mechanical loads by dust, insect residues, or other hard dirt components which make the glass surface to be cleaned rough. On the other hand, they are subjected to mechanical loads by the tilting which always alternates during the wiping process in its direction, and in the movable condition because of the pressure against the glass pane. In addition to the mechanical loads, also chemical actions or environmental actions affect the wiper blades, for example ozone, oil as well as alcohol and/or detergents in the window washing fluid.
Wiper blades are produced as a rule continuously by extrusion or coextrusion of cross-linked polymers or polymer mixtures. The extruded strands are cross-linked to elastomeric profiles and cut into the required length. The wiper blades have a wiper head (also known as a base part or a back), with which the wiper blade is mounted in a bracket system of the window wipers. Holes or recesses are provided in the wiper blade for one or several spring rails of an elastic metal, which stabilize the wiper blade and must provide a maximum uniform pressure over the total length of the wiper blade.
At the side facing the glass pane the wiper head has a tilting web which is known as a neck, a hinge or a web. The wiper head is connected with a wiper lip which during operation of the window wiper acts as a functional part of the wiper blade which holds the glass pane free from water. The tilting web is the part of the wiper blade which is mechanically loaded the most. Depending on its height and design of the opposite surfaces of the wiper head and the wiper lip, the wiper lip in the movable condition can deviate with its main transverse axis (identified in the drawing with reference numeral 4) by up to 45.degree. from the perpendicular to the glass pane. In the operational condition the lip runs behind the head, whereby during each directional change a tilting movement is required. The main transverse axis changes correspondingly its position during the operation by up to substantially .+-.-45.degree..
The wiper lips on the one hand can be adjusted to the geometry of at least curved glass pane or in other words must be flexible. On the other hand they have to be sufficiently hard to provide mechanical removal of dirt particles deposited on the glass pane. Finally, they must be wear-resistant, so that over a long time they provide high cleaning quality without forming stripes.
Wiper blades in accordance with the prior art have all parts composed of a single elastomeric material. This is very convenient for manufacture. However, this does not take into consideration different requirements for different parts of the wiper blades. When for example the material is relatively soft and highly elastic, it satisfies important requirements with respect to the tilting web. However, it suits very little for the head, since during the operation not seldom it turns out of the claws which hold the wiper blade in the metal bracket. When the material to the contrary is harder and less elastic, it is well suitable for the head, but less suitable for the mechanical loads to which the tilting web is constantly subjected.
Wiper blades only from one material, namely natural rubber or a mixture of natural rubber and chloroprene rubber or a rubber of diene type, butadiene, butadiene rubber and styrol-butadiene rubber are disclosed for example in the German patent document DE-C2 35 27 093. Natural rubber and other rubbers of diene type contain olefin double bindings and are sensitive to ozone. By treatment with a hypochlorite (chlorinating) the surface of the wiper blade is hardened. This is advantageous for the wiper lip whose wear resistance is increased. However, a compromise has to be maintained when a complete chlorination of the surface is performed to provide wear resistance, since it makes the surface of the lip less flexible so that it does not sufficiently adjust to the glass pane. For a tilting web of natural rubber and/or other rubbers of diene type the chlorination is damaging since it provides a permanent deformation under the action of pressure. Such an action is applied to the wiper blade in a movable condition and in operation since it is continuously pressed against the glass pane.
The wiper pane in accordance with the invention disclosed in the German patent document DE-C2 35 27 093 is composed substantially only of one material, namely EPDM rubber, a mixed polymer of ethylene, propylene and diene which is cross-linked with peroxides and is resistant against ozone. The wiper blade at the lower end of the lip which faces the glass pane and in the upper peripheral zones of the head has small segments of secondary quantity of diene rubber. EPDM has a high friction coefficient which makes difficult insertion in particular of the inwardly located spring strips and makes necessary a surface coating of the springs strips or the use of the sliding-assisting means such as molybdenum sulfide.
Wiper blades of different, coextruded materials are known, in which in contrast to the German patent document DE-C2 35 27 093 the different materials are provided in comparable quantities. In the European patent document EP-A1 0 625 452 a wiper blade is disclosed which is composed at least of two different materials. In one described embodiment the head and the tilting web are composed of the same material, while a lip which is composed of a different material surrounds a reinforcement in which the small tilting web runs. This embodiment have the above mentioned disadvantage that the material is not completely right for different requirements applied to the head and to the web.


Disclosed is an assembly-friendly table frame, which relates to the field of lift tables. The table frame includes an upright and a base stand mounted to the underside of the upright; one of the base stand or the upright is securely coupled with a connecting member, and the other thereof is provided with a locking bump; the connecting member includes an insert-fitting rail and a locking slot provided in the insert-fitting rail; the locking bump is sequentially inserted into the insert rail and slid to be snapped into the locking slot; the table frame further includes an ejector member configured to eject the locking bump out of the locking slot. Further disclosed is a table applying the table frame. An advantage of the present disclosure lies in enhancing convenience of assembly and disassembly between the upright and the base stand.

Tables are indispensable furniture in life and work. Conventional tables, e.g., office desks, mainly include a tabletop, uprights disposed at both sides under the tabletop, and base stand mounted to bottom of the uprights; generally, the base stands are mounted vertical to the uprights. However, such configurations are unfriendly to package and ship. To reduce package size, many manufacturers generally package the base stands separately from the uprights before shipping, leaving the assembly work to end users or dealers.
Currently, the connection between uprights and base stands basically relies on fastening screws. To enhance stability, more screws are usually used. Such an assembly manner is inconvenient for end users to assemble and disassemble.

ZHEJIANG JIECANG LINEAR MOTION TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.


A brake force control apparatus which can quickly supply pressurized brake fluid to wheel cylinders immediately after a condition for starting a brake assist control is established. The brake force control apparatus has emergency brake determining structure for determining an emergency brake operation performed by a driver, a high pressure source for generating a fluid pressure which is higher than a fluid pressure generated by a master cylinder, and a supply for supplying brake fluid from the pump to a wheel cylinder based on the determination made by the emergency brake determining structure. Actuating structure is provided for actuating the high pressure source before the fluid pressure is supplied by the supply.

Conventionally, as disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 4-121260, a brake force control apparatus is known which increases a power ratio of a brake booster when a brake pedal is depressed at a speed exceeding a predetermined speed. A driver of a vehicle operates a brake pedal at a high speed when a rapid increase in a brake force is desired. Hereinafter, such a brake operation is referred to as an emergency brake operation.
The above-mentioned conventional brake force control apparatus determines that the emergency brake operation is being performed when the brake pedal is operated at a speed which is greater than a predetermined speed. In this case, a relatively high brake pressure as compared to that generated during a normal brake operation is generated by pressurizing brake fluid stored in a reservoir and supplying the pressurized brake fluid to wheel cylinders. Hereinafter, this brake control is referred to as a brake assist control (abbreviated as a BA control).
According to the above-mentioned conventional brake force control apparatus, when the emergency brake operation is performed, an advantageous situation can be established for a rapid increase in the brake force by generating a relatively large power ratio as compared to that generated during a normal brake operation. Thus, when the driver requests a rapid increase in a brake force, it is possible to correctly satisfy the request.
In order to generate a relatively high brake pressure as compared to that generated during the normal brake operation when the emergency brake operation is performed by the driver, it is necessary to provide the brake force control apparatus with a means for pressurizing the brake fluid. A pump can be used as such a means. However, when a pump is used as a high pressure source, the increase in the brake force may be delayed due to a delay in the response of the pump, if the pump is started to be operated after a condition for starting the BA control is established. In this case, it is impossible to generate a brake force which appropriately satisfies the request by the driver.


An optical waveguide includes a first end surface; a second end surface, such that the second end surface is smaller than the first end surface; and a body extending between the first end surface and the second end surface, the body defining a complexly-contoured outer surface. An optical waveguide includes a first end surface; a second end surface, such that the second end surface is smaller than the first end surface; and a body extending between the first end surface and the second end surface, the body comprising one of a gradient-index material and a step-index material.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to optical waveguides.
2. Description of Related Art
Many modern devices incorporate optical waveguides. Generally, an optical waveguide is any structure having the ability to guide the flow of radiant energy, such as light, along a path parallel to the structure's optical axis and having the ability to contain the energy within or adjacent to the structure's surface. Examples of optical waveguides include optical fibers, light pipes, and the like. Such optical waveguides often comprise glass, acrylic, or the like.
FIG. 1A depicts an exemplary, conventional, frustoconical, optical waveguide 101. Such frustoconical optical waveguides are used, for example, to collect light from a larger aperture and concentrate the light at a smaller aperture. Light enters optical waveguide 101 at an optical entrance 103. If a light wave entering optical waveguide 101 at optical entrance 103 is substantially collimated, i.e., every ray of the light wave is substantially parallel to one another, and the collimated light wave is parallel to an optical axis 105 of optical waveguide 101, substantially all of the collimated light wave exits optical waveguide 101 at an optical exit 107. In other words, the amplitude of the light wave entering optical waveguide 101 at optical entrance 103 is substantially the same as the amplitude of the light wave exiting optical waveguide 101 at optical exit 107.
For example, as shown in FIG. 1A, a light ray 109 of the collimated light wave enters optical waveguide 101 at optical entrance 103 and propagates substantially unattenuated through optical waveguide 101 and optical exit 107 without encountering an outer surface 111 of optical waveguide 101. A light ray 113 of the collimated light wave enters optical waveguide 101 at optical entrance and propagates through optical waveguide 101 but encounters outer surface 111, generally at 115. At 115, light ray 113 is totally, internally reflected and propagates through optical exit 107.
Total internal reflection occurs when light is refracted or bent at a medium boundary enough to send it backwards, effectively reflecting the entire ray. When a light ray propagates across a boundary surface (e.g., outer surface 111) between materials with different refractive indices, the light ray will be partially refracted at the boundary surface and partially reflected. However, if the angle of incidence (e.g., angle a) is shallower (closer to the boundary) than the critical angle, then the light ray will stop crossing the boundary altogether and, instead, totally reflect back internally within optical waveguide 101. The critical angle is the angle of incidence wherein a light ray is refracted so that the light ray travels along the boundary between the media and is defined as:
            θ      c        =                  sin                  -          1                                  [                              n            1                                n            2                          ]              ,wherein θc is the critical angle, n1 is the refractive index of the less dense material, and n2 is the refractive index of the more dense material. Total internal reflection can only occur where a light ray propagates from a denser medium to a less dense medium, i.e., from the medium with a higher refractive index to a medium with a lower refractive index. For example, total internal reflection will occur when a light ray propagates from glass to air, but not when the light ray propagates from air to glass.
In the example illustrated in FIG. 1A, as in all optical waveguides, optical waveguide 101 comprises a material having a higher refractive index than a medium 117 in which optical waveguide 101 is disposed. Since the angle of incidence a between light ray 113 and outer surface 111 is less than the critical angle for the interface or boundary between optical waveguide 101 and medium 117, light ray 113 is totally internally reflected within optical waveguide 101, as depicted in FIG. 1A, if outer surface 111 contains no optical defects. In a practical sense, however, outer surface 111 will contain optical defects and, thus, the amplitude of light ray 119 is somewhat attenuated at each encounter with outer surface 111. Accordingly, a light ray 118 entering optical waveguide 101 will exit optical waveguide 101, but only after encountering, and being reflected by, outer surface 111 a plurality of times. Because of the inherent optical defects in outer surface 111, the amplitude of light ray 118 is more attenuated in optical waveguide 101 than the amplitude of light ray 113 or light ray 109. Correspondingly, the amplitude of light ray 113 is more attenuated in optical waveguide 101 than light ray 109.
Even if the light wave entering optical waveguide 101 through optical entrance 103 is not collimated light, the amplitude of the light wave exiting optical waveguide 101 through optical exit 107 may be substantially undiminished. For example, as shown in FIG. 1B, a light ray 119 enters optical waveguide 101 at an angle b and is refracted at an angle c at optical entrance 103 because medium 117 exhibits a lower refractive index than optical waveguide 101. Note that, optical axis 105 is perpendicular to optical entrance 103. Snell's law characterizes optical refraction, in that:n1 sin(θ1)=n2 sin(θ2),wherein:
n1 is the refractive index of a first material (e.g., medium 117);
θ1 is the angle of incidence (e.g., angle b) of a light ray in the first material (e.g., ray 119 in medium 117);
n2 is the refractive index of a second material (e.g., light ray 119 in waveguide 101); and
θ2 is the angle of refraction (e.g., angle c) of the light ray in the second material.
Light ray 119 encounters outer surface 111 of optical waveguide at angle d, generally at 121. Because, in the illustrated example, angle d is less than the critical angle for the boundary between optical waveguide 101 and medium 117, light ray 119 is totally internally reflected within optical waveguide 101 and exits optical waveguide 101 through optical exit 107 substantially unattenuated, except for attenuation due to optical defects in outer surface 111.
At greater angles of incidence at optical entrance 103, however, the amplitude of a light ray may be further attenuated as the light ray propagates through optical waveguide 101. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 1C, a light ray 123 strikes optical entrance 103 at an angle of incidence e and is refracted at optical entrance 103 at an angle of refraction f. Light ray 123 propagates further through optical waveguide 101, encountering outer surface 111 generally at 125 and at 127. At 127, however, light ray 123 strikes outer surface 111 an angle of incidence g, which exceeds the critical angle for the interface or boundary between optical waveguide 101 and medium 117. Accordingly, light ray 123 is split, with a first portion of light ray 123 being refracted into medium 117 as light ray 123′ and a second portion of light ray 123 being reflected in optical waveguide 101 as light ray 123″.
At each successive encounter of the remaining, reflected portion of light ray 123 (e.g., light ray 123″) with outer surface 111 of optical waveguide 101, the remaining, reflected portion of light ray 123 is further split into a refracted component, propagating into medium 117, and a reflected component, reflected into optical waveguide 101. The remaining, reflected portion or component of light ray 123 is further split because the angle of incidence of the remaining, reflected portion of light ray 123 with outer surface 111 is greater than the critical angle of the interface or boundary between optical interface 101 and medium 117. Thus, light rays having larger angles of incidence upon optical entrance 103, such as light ray 123, are not totally, internally reflected within optical waveguide 101 but are substantially attenuated, if not completely attenuated (as illustrated in FIG. 1C), as light ray 123 propagates through optical waveguide 101.
As mentioned above, conventional, frustoconical, optical waveguides are often used to gather light at a larger aperture (e.g., optical entrance 103) and focus or concentrate the gathered light at a smaller aperture (e.g., optical exit 107). However, such optical waveguides are ineffective in applications wherein the light rays entering the larger aperture that are to be focused or concentrated at the smaller aperture are not totally, internally reflected within the optical waveguide. In some implementations, conventional, frustoconical, optical waveguides are used to concentrate or focus light onto a detector or other such electronic sensor. However, in some operational situations, the amplitude of the light exiting the optical waveguide onto the detector may be insufficient for the detector to properly operate, because a preponderance of the light rays striking the optical entrance of the optical waveguide have large angles of incidence at the optical entrance, as discussed above. In such situations, the orientation of the optical waveguide must be changed with respect to the direction at which the light rays are propagating, which may cause, for example, packaging problems. It should be noted that conventional, frustopyramidal, optical waveguides suffer from the same problems noted above with respect to conventional, frustoconical, optical waveguides.
While conventional, right-cylindrical, optical waveguides, such as a right-cylindrical, optical waveguide 201 of FIG. 2, do not generally suffer the problems described above, particular implementations of such optical waveguides do present other problems. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 2, optical waveguide 201 is disposed in housing 203 such that light, represented by an arrow 205, propagates through opening 207 defined by housing 203. Packaging constraints, however, may require optical waveguide 201 to be positioned such that an optical entrance 209 of optical waveguide 201 is not flush with housing 203. In implementations wherein housing 203 experiences high velocity fluid flow adjacent thereto, as represented by an arrow 211, a gap 213 between housing 203 and optical waveguide 201 may induce severe turbulence and undesirable turbulence-induced forces on housing 203. One example of such an implementation is in airborne or waterborne vehicles, such as missiles, rockets, aircraft, drones, torpedoes, and the like.
While there are many designs of optical waveguides well known in the art, considerable shortcomings remain.


An email server receives an email. The email has a list of email addresses that includes the sender email address and the recipient addresses. The email is then sent to the recipients. An indication associated with one of the email addresses, such as the email address is invalid, the email address is for an incorrect recipient, the recipient does not want to receive responses to the email, and the like, is received. In response to the indication, responses to the email are filtered by not sending the response to an email address in the list of email addresses.

In current email systems, it is easy for the sender of an email to accidentally add an incorrect person to an email. For example, where the names of the persons are similar (i.e., Jon Smith and John Smith), a person can easily select the wrong person to send an email to. This results in the wrong person getting the email. Even though the person who incorrectly received the email may forward the email to the correct person, a problem still exists. If the email is part of an email chain that has other recipients, the wrong person continues to get copied for all the emails, thus exacerbating the problem. To correct this problem, the incorrectly addressed recipient of the email can send an email to all the recipients of the email and ask them to remove the incorrect recipient from the email chain. This is problematic at best, as sometimes a person may forget to remove the incorrect recipient from the email list.
Similarly, if the subject matter of the email chain has changed, a person may want to remove themselves from the email chain in order to not receive additional emails that are no longer of interest to the person. Likewise, if an email address is invalid, persons on the email chain may get messages indicating that the email address is invalid.
The above problems clog up users' email systems with unwanted emails and cause frustration for the users who already have difficulty managing large email in-boxes. What is needed is a solution where users can control responses in email chains.

Removing or correcting email recipients from an email chain

Abstract: Other features allow the recipient to identify a correct recipient of email. Also, if an email address was sent with an invalid address, based on a non-delivery report, the invalid address can be removed from responses to the email. The above systems can also be implemented between domains and with peer-to-peer clients.


A barrier employed to keep children and/or pets in or out of certain areas in the house. The barrier includes four panels. Two main panels slide parallel to each other to lengthen or shorten the barrier as a whole. Two side panels stabilize the main panels and extend to the front and rear faces of the main panels to provide a self-supporting in-house barrier. Each of the panels includes a wooden frame. The wood lends less weight, less sharp edges, and more pleasing aesthetics than, for example, a metal gate. Legs are connected to the side panels to further stabilize the side panels and main panels.

One type of gate intended for the inside of a home may be a pressure gate that, by its structure and design, is supported by internal pressure between, for example, two door jambs. These gates are often formed of metal or include a relatively great amount of metal.
Another type of gate intended for the inside of a home may be a gate that is fixed via pin connectors to and between two opposing structures such as two opposing door jambs. These gates too are often formed of metal or include a relatively great amount of metal.


An information processing apparatus according to the present invention includes: an input position detecting unit for detecting a position of an operator positioned on an operation input unit; a direction detecting unit for detecting a moving direction of the operator based on time change of the position of the detected operator; a magnification change unit for changing a magnification of a screen in accordance with a number of the operator detected by the input position detecting unit; and a display content moving unit for moving a content displayed on the screen along the moving direction of the operator detected by the direction detecting unit.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus, an information processing method and a program.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, portable information processing apparatuses each equipped with a touch panel or touch pad (hereinafter referred to as "touch panel") have been widely used. Such portable information processing apparatuses include, for example, a portable phone, a PHS (Personal Handy-phone System), a portable movie player, a portable music player, a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) and the like. Further recently, a television receiver, a portable game player and a remote controller are also equipped with touch panels. Out of these information processing apparatuses, some are not equipped with operating means other than touch panels. A user of such an information processing apparatus performs almost all operations with use of a touch panel.
For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-76926 discloses a method of switching screen displays based on the moving direction of the finger that is in touch with the screen. With use of such a method, the user may use the information processing apparatus by intuitive operations.
An example of applications executed by such an information processing apparatus equipped with a touch panel is a map application for displaying a map of a desired place. When the method of JP-A No. 8-76926 is applied to this map application, the user can scroll the map displayed on the screen by moving the finger, stylus or the like (hereinafter referred to as "operator").
In addition, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-256338 discloses a method of scrolling the screen by changing the map in scale in accordance with a distance between the screen center and the position touched by the operator.

Information processing apparatus, information processing method and program for magnifying a screen and moving a displayed content


Described herein are techniques for dynamically monitoring and managing resource usages of processes running on a node in a multi-node database system. High resource usages of processes can be proactively detected and alleviated, thereby making such a node to perform significantly better than otherwise.

In a multi-node system, nodes may appear as a single system to application servers and user applications. Each node may handle its share of the workload during the normal operation when all the nodes in the multi-node system supposed to be up are in fact up. When one of the nodes fails (or is out of service for whatever reason), a particular node may be required to take over some, or all, of the failed node's share of the workload.
Unfortunately, the takeover (or failover) node may have used its capacity for its own share of the workload to such an extent that the node can hardly take over the failed node's share of the workload. For example, the takeover node may already use 60% of CPU time for processing its own share of the workload. Servicing the failed node's share of the workload may require more than 40% of additional CPU time. Thus, when the failed node's share of the workload is over flown to the takeover node, the takeover node does not have sufficient CPU time for processing both its own share and the failed node's share of the workload. This may cause the takeover node to fail.
This situation may be worsened, because the application servers and user applications that initiate the workload may not be aware of the fact that one or more nodes of the multi-node system are out of service. In fact, it may appear to the application servers and user applications that the multi-node system is handling an ever smaller number of transactions than before. The application servers and user applications may increase the number of requests sent to the multi-node system. As a result, more nodes in the multi-node system may fail.
As clearly shown, techniques are needed for dynamically monitoring and managing resource usages of processes in computer systems.
The approaches described in this section are approaches that could be pursued, but not necessarily approaches that have been previously conceived or pursued. Therefore, unless otherwise indicated, it should not be assumed that any of the approaches described in this section qualify as prior art merely by virtue of their inclusion in this section.


Methods and apparatus to provide secure application attestation using dynamic measurement kernels are described. In some embodiments, secure application attestation is provided by using dynamic measurement kernels. In various embodiments, P-MAPS (Processor-Measured Application Protection Service), Secure Enclaves (SE), and/or combinations thereof may be used to provide dynamic measurement kernels to support secure application attestation. Other embodiments are also described.

As computer connectivity becomes more commonplace, securing computing devices from malicious entities, malware, etc. becomes a more challenging task. One way to increase security is to manage the privileged kernel of an operating system. As a result, ensuring the state of critical applications and being able to attest to their integrity to third parties may increase the security of the operating system as a whole.
Moreover, anti-virus software may be used for well-known types of attacks. However, such software is generally unable to address unknown threats or software that subverts the operating system and the services on which the anti-virus software depends.

Secure application attestation using dynamic measurement kernels


A both ultraviolet-visible and double monochromatic fluorescence dual detector has a small inner-casing, which combines both ultraviolet-visible and double monochromatic fluorescence dual detector widely used in the high performance liquid chromatography by taking the first to use deuterium lamp as the individual light source of the dual detectors, the individual sample detection cell and the individual electrical circuit, the device comprises a detection optical member, which including a first monochromatic spectroscopic device—raster G1, a second monochromatic spectroscopic device—raster G2, a light source, four groups of lens needed for processing the light paths; and a detection electromechanical member, which includes: a central controller, a proposed amplifying module, an auto gain module, a noise processing module and a logarithm amplifying module. The dual detector realizes the sensitivity and stability, also the elimination of noise and drift.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the detecting and analyzing instrument, especially to both ultraviolet-visible and double monochromatic fluorescence dual detector for high performance liquid chromatography.
Description of Related Arts
The liquid chromatograph is an instrument for detecting and analyzing organic compound samples quantitatively and qualitatively, and is widely used in petrochemical, medical care, environment protection, food, traditional Chinese/western medicine, beverage, biochemics, and health products etc. to detect and analyze the component of the sample. At present, liquid chromatography mainly comprises high performance liquid chromatography, ion chromatography, capillary chromatography, gel permeation chromatography and the like, wherein high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) is most widely used.
Liquid chromatography mainly includes a high pressure infusion pump, a high pressure sampling system, a chromatographic column, various detectors and a data processing system connected with the computer. Before the analyzing and detecting process, firstly various mobile phases should be mixed, stirred and degassed, then the sample is prepared into a sample solution which enters into the high pressure sampling system and is delivered into the chromatographic column through the high pressure infusion pump. Since each component of the sample solution has different partition coefficient in two phases, after many times of absorption-desorption partition process, the sample can be separated, as per different time passing the chromatographic column, into chromatographic peak of individual component for the convenience of qualitative analysis, which flowed out in turn from the chromatography column and entered directly into the detector. In the detector, the concentration of each component of the sample is converted to different voltage signals by the detector. After amplifying, zero setting and other processing arts, the output voltage signals are connected with a computer through the data processing system, and the analysis results of the individual component of the sample are saved, displayed and printed in the form of chromatogram and data. From the above content, the stability and detectability of the detector is the key of the whole chromatography instrument. The technical performance of the detector directly decides the technical performance of the whole chromatography instrument, and is an important prerequisite of the accurately qualitative and quantitative analysis of the sample.
In the prior art, ultraviolet visible detector is the earliest as well as the most widely used detector, but it still has heavy technical problems so far: the existing ultraviolet visible detectors cannot overcome or solve the objective existing worldwide technical difficulties: 1. The photoelectric signals generated by the three major components in the optical member of the instrument—lighting lamp, monochromatic device-raster, and receiving photosensitive diode are quite different from each other due to the variation with different wavelengths, and the instrument operates in accordance with Beer-Lambert Law: absorption unit AU=LOG photoelectric signal of incident light/photoelectric signal of transmission light=absorption coefficient×sample concentration (after logarithm), among which the denominator on the right of the equal sign is unknown and the numerator is variable, so none of the existing products can calculate the AU value for each wavelength in the whole wavelength range? As a result, absorption unit AU value of only one optical wavelength can be inspected and calculated, while that of other hundreds of wavelengths cannot be calculated, calibrated, inspected, or checked correctly, but main technical targets in noise and drift indicating the stability of the instrument are calculated and calibrated by absorption unit AU value; as more than 99% of the objective existing wavelengths cannot be calibrated or checked correctly and no technical methods are adopted, technical targets of one wavelength is used to act as different technical targets of other hundreds of wavelengths, and the personnel of inspection agencies are not able to inspect or check so many wavelengths; 2. As there is no special art other than general amplifying processing for weak photoelectric signals, and the simultaneous amplifying of signal together with noise and drift cannot solve the long existing worldwide technical difficulty of the mutual exclusivity and contradiction between sensitivity and stability (i.e. failing to increase the signal to noise ratio), the existing products in the existing production or use have low sensitivity and stability. Therefore, the inspection of samples that should be inspected are often neglected, and it is inevitable that the products are actually not as good as they are described in the publicity documents, and some instruments with wavelength range (190˜210 NM) even does not conform to the detection standards and cannot be used, and are actually the "defective products" that cannot be used in the whole wavelengths. More notably, scientific and technical personnel have found that a great number of "DAD diode array ultraviolet detectors" to be used for high performance liquid chromatography, which are produced in some countries and exported to universities and research detection institutions in different countries across the world, actually go against and misuse the theory of "Beer-Lambert Law" studied in physics of middle school: first, monochromatic device without the front of sample detection cell (which is indispensable in practice as well as classical instrument) are introduced in the past trade fairs, and this can be proved by actual products; wavelengths of the front of sample detection cell can only be replaced with those of the back of sample detection cells after spectroscopical process. Actually, this kind of misuse and faking can prove to be the only choice by theories and practice, because the classical and correct set should be the monochromatic component of the front of sample detection cell, and only one photosensitive diode, instead of array of hundreds of photosensitive diodes, is needed to stay close to the back of the detection cell, which shows that components of the array have no practical meaning; secondly, the hybrid light of various wavelengths in front of the sample detection cell enters to the sample detection cell, and actually turns technical targets of optical instruments such as the accuracy, precision, and repeatability of wavelength into dummy false targets and those instruments won't become real optical instruments; thirdly, a lot of non-analytical wavelength's light also have different absorption by the sample and thus generate false photoelectric signals, then such signals will act as analysis wavelength's photoelectric signal and create a hoax of high sensitivity (it can be proved by two absorption peak signals of different wavelengths both sensitive to the same naphthalene sample in Embodiment 1 in Specification); fourth, adding a lot of absorption coefficients of non-analysis wavelengths will lead to relatively large errors in calibration curve compared with that of the classical and standard products, causing the mistake that the result of quantitative analysis is different from that of the classical products; fifth, more chromatographic peaks of other wavelengths to unknown impurities in sample will be generated, and it will be mistaken for high detectting ability.
Fluorescence spectroscopical detector can be classified into: spectroscopical component with low-grade of one monochromator and high-grade of two monochromators. As the high-grade double monochromator spectroscopical component is far difficult than the single monochromator component of ultraviolet detector, the photocurrent signal generated by the secondary emission wavelength will be extremely weak (lower than that of the ultraviolet by 4˜5 orders of magnitude). Therefore, smaller signal-to-noise ratio and extremely bad stability will be generated, causing great difficulty in development, and it is hard to meet necessary standards in technical performance. This explains that no products used in the liquid chromatographic high-grade fluorescence have been successfully developed in China, and fluorescence detectors with high performance in liquid chromatograph containing double monochromator are also rarely seen in other countries. Most of them are low-grade fluorescence detector with only one monochromator. In addition, for such detector has no special art in the elimination of noise and drift to increase signal-to-noise ratio, there is no doubt that the technical performance is worse than that of ultraviolet. The excitation wavelength or the emission wavelength cannot be correctly decided even if sample of high concentration are needed for the detection of chromatographic peaks to appear. These two wavelengths should be known, but in fact now one of them is unknown, which brings great difficulties to researchers conducting qualitative analysis of many unknown samples.

Both ultraviolet-visible and double monochromatic fluorescence dual detector for high performance liquid chromatography


An image-forming device, especially an optical magnifying device, e.g., binoculars or a telescope, has an image influencing optical component, more specifically an eyepiece. The same is held by means of a holding device in such a way that the optical component is axially displaceable along the optical axis of the image-forming device. The holding device comprises a component holding element that is attached to and cannot move relative to the optical component, said component holding element having an adjustment marking, e.g., a dial with a plurality of individual markings reflecting the current axial position of the optical component. The holding device additionally has a marking member to accentuate at least one individual marking on the adjustment marking. With the aid of the marking member the axial position of the optical component can be marked prior to an axial readjustment of the same so that the axial readjustment can easily be reversed. This simplifies adjusting the image-forming device to the optical requirements of different users.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is concerned with a holding device for an image-influencing optical component, especially for an eyepiece, of an optical image-forming device, especially an optical magnifying device, e.g., binoculars or a telescope, according to the preamble of claim 1. The invention is furthermore concerned with an image-forming device incorporating such a holding device.
2. Background Art
Holding devices of the above type are known on the market for holding eyepieces in binoculars. With the aid of the axially displaceable optical component, the image distance of the binoculars can be adjusted especially to users with different visual acuities. To name an example, the binoculars may be used both by a person with non-defective vision, as well as by an eyeglass wearer. It is a shortcoming of the known eyepiece holding means that a re-adjustment of the axial positions of the eyepieces is required each time the user changes. Such an adjustment becomes particularly difficult in the case of a binocular eyepiece if different axial positions for different users must be adjusted for each of the two eyepieces in a pair of binoculars.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to improve a holding device of the above type in such a way that adjusting the eyepiece to the requirements of different users is simplified.
This object is met according to the invention with a holding device having the characteristics of claim 1.
A marking member enables a first user to accentuate on the adjustment marking of the holding device the axial eyepiece positions that are optimal for him. After the image-forming device has been used by another user in the meantime, the optimal axial position for the first user can quickly be reset with the aid of such an accentuation without requiring an optical adjustment.
An implementation of the holding device according to claim 2 ensures that the marking member is not inadvertently moved during use.
Fixing means according to claim 3 permit a simple yet reliable fixing of the marking member.
A snap-in locking device according to claim 4 results in an increased flexibility regarding the design of the marking member and component holding element using an interposed snap-in locking member compared to a design of the snap-in locking device in which the snap-in locking member is integral with the marking member or component holding element.
A snap-in locking member according to claim 5 can be designed very simply.
A snap-in locking ring according to claim 6 may be disposed between the marking member and component holding element in such a way that it is virtually undetectable from outside, so that the snap-in function is designed hidden inside the holding device.
The components of a holding device according to claim 7 may be executed without undercutting.
A snap-in locking ring according to claim 8 is easily accessible.
A marking member according to claim 9 offers the option of fixing the same with a high position resolution and, hence, precise accentuation of the axial position being marked.
It is a further object of the present invention to create an image-forming device that, when the user changes, can be easily changed for adjusting purposes to the optical requirements of the new user.
This additional object is met according to the invention with an image-forming device having the characteristics of claim 10.
The advantages of the image-forming device result from the described advantages of the holding device.
An embodiment of the invention will be explained in more detail below based on the drawing.

Holding device for an image-influencing optical component of an optical image-forming device and image-forming device in corporating such a holding device


An inside rearview mirror assembly for use in the passenger compartment of a motor vehicle includes a base, a stay detachably mounted on the base, and a mirror unit supported on the stay. The base and the stay have respective joint surfaces intimately contacting each other, partly spherical interfitting projections and dimples formed respectively on front ends of the joint surfaces, and non-contact surfaces disposed forwardly of the projections and dimples and providing a gap between the stay and the base. When the mirror unit is subjected to an impact, the stay is angularly moved forwardly about the projections and dimples, and detached from the base.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an inside rearview mirror assembly for use in the passenger compartment or cabin of a motor vehicle, and more particularly to an attachment structure for such an inside rearview mirror assembly.
2. Description of the Relevant Art
Generally, an inside rearview mirror assembly mounted in the passenger compartment of a motor vehicle such as an automobile includes a base fixed to a vehicle body portion such as the upper end of a windshield or the front end of a compartment roof, and a stay connected to the base and holding a mirror.
When the motor vehicle collides with another motor vehicle or some other object, the head of the driver of the motor vehicle tends to hit the inside rearview mirror assembly. To protect the driver's head in such an accident, the inside rearview mirror assembly of such a structure is required to allow the stay to come off the base when abnormal external forces are imposed on the stay.
One such a collapsible inside rearview mirror assembly is disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Utility Model Publication No. 55-85339, for example. The disclosed inside rearview mirror assembly includes a resilient member comprising a leaf spring attached to a stay and held in engagement with a base, thus assembling the stay and the base together. When the stay is subjected to abnormal external forces applied, the stay is forced to slide with respect to the base, permitting the resilient member to be separated from the base and hence the stay to drop off.
When the stay drops off the base, the stay slides with respect to the base against a relative frictional force therebetween. Since such a frictional force is determined dependent on a plurality of factors such as the surface roughness of each of the contact surfaces of the stay and the base, the area of contact between the stay and the base, and the like. Therefore, it is difficult to stabilize the load or force required to cause the stay to come off the base.

Inside rearview mirror assembly for motor vehicle


Methods and apparatus for applying focused pressure to a target vessel to dilate the target vessel for hemodialysis.

Many patients in the world suffer from renal failure from multiple underlying conditions including hypertension, genitourinary tract infections, and diabetes, a condition that affects about 20 million people in the United States alone.
Unfortunately, many of these renal failure patients result in progression to ESRD, which requires dialysis where the blood is filtered and when possible eventually a renal transplant. Dialysis options include temporary central catheter treatment, peritoneal dialysis and hemodialysis via fistulae or grafts placed in the arms connecting an artery and vein. The vein is accessed to allow blood to flow from the patient's vein to a dialysis machine, which has a filter that removes waste, surplus fluids, and balances electrolytes. The filtered blood is then returned to the patient's vein downstream from the arterial access site. Many patients and healthcare providers prefer hemodialysis via arms sites as the best hemodialysis option.
If the patient elects hemodialysis as a treatment option for the end stage renal disease, the following procedure is typical. The patient's arm veins are evaluated clinically and measured with duplex ultrasound to find a vein that is 3 mm or larger. A 3 mm vein is a suitable candidate for surgical connection to an artery. The patient's arm arteries are palpated for a pulse to find a target artery to which the vein is to be connected. The physician connects the target artery and vein either at the wrist or elbow depending on the best vein and its location. In this manner, the physician forms a fistula between the two vessels. In the example where the connection is made at the wrist, the fistula can be made between the radial artery and the cephalic vein at the wrist (brescia fistula). The patient is sent home with instructions to exercise his/her hand and arm during the day to increase blood flow in the artery and vein with the hope that this exercise will increase the vein size by the increased flow. One often used exercise technique involves squeezing a device such as a ball with the hope that the vein will enlarge. The patient is observed for about six to eight weeks to monitor if enlargement of the vein has occurred keeping in mind that at least a 10 mm diameter vein would provide for better quality dialysis as compared to a smaller vein diameter. If after weeks of such exercise, the vein does not enlarge or thrombose, alternative treatment options are discussed. Such alternative treatment options include another fistula placement in another location, fistula salvage by endovascular means, synthetic graft placement, or catheter placement.
Many studies have concluded that arm veins connected to arteries provide the most dependable, durable vascular access option for hemodialysis. After this procedure connecting the arm vein and artery, patients are told to wait and watch if their vein becomes large enough to be used for dialysis. It is hard to predict which veins will enlarge to the appropriate size for dialysis use. Unfortunately, many arm veins fail to dilate and enlarge enough after subjecting them to arterial flow to allow for dialysis to occur. Some patients are told that their veins are too small and others are given no justification. This results in more surgery and possible graft placement or prolonged catheter usage at higher costs to society. Each eventual procedure also has increased risks to the patient as dialysis is delayed.
In some cases where the vein is considered sufficiently large for hemodialysis, but below the 10 mm diameter target, it can be more susceptible to function loss in a relatively short period of time during the hemodialysis treatment. Fistulae last longer if the vessel used for dialysis is properly dilated to the target diameter of about 10 mm. The vein being treated undergoes significant trauma as a patient typically undergoes about three hemodialysis sessions per week. Eventually the fistula (vein) to which the artery is connected fails in that it does not stay dilated or functional. This failure can happen more quickly when the vein fails to dilate to the optimum diameter before hemodialysis. Once the vein fails, another vein and artery must be connected to provide another vein for hemodialysis. This process requires surgery and is uncomfortable and there are a limited number of veins that are suitable for dialysis.
Extensive research has shown that intermittent compression, external heat application, and topical agents like nitric oxide help dilate superficial veins. Typically, when a dialysis technician initiates dialysis treatment where a needle is place in the target vein, the technician will apply intermittent pressure on the patient's arm with their fingers to dilate the vein prior to needle placement.
There is a need to provide improved vein dilation methods and devices to sufficiently and/or effectively dilate a vein for hemodialysis or maintain vein dilation for a longer period, while a patient is undergoing hemodialysis treatment.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Hemodialysis vein preparation apparatus and methods


A two-sided sheet contains a plurality of different travel-related items. The two-sided sheet includes a first travel-related item in the form of a baggage tag having a front major surface facing a first direction and on which baggage tag information is printed. The two-sided sheet also includes a second travel-related item which is other than a baggage tag and which second travel-related item has a front major surface facing a second direction which is opposite the first direction and on which other information is printed. The two-sided sheet further includes adhesive disposed between the first and second travel-related items to provide a single sheet in which the second travel-related item can be peeled away and separated from the baggage tag.

The present application relates to travel-related document items such as baggage tags and boarding passes, and is particularly directed to a two-sided sheet containing a plurality of different travel-related document items and a method of operating an apparatus to provide such a two-sided sheet.
When a passenger travels via a transportation provider, such as a plane, a boarding pass is usually printed and provided to the passenger so that the passenger can later present the boarding pass to board the plane. If the passenger has a piece of baggage to check in, a baggage tag is usually printed and attached to the baggage. A baggage claim stub is also usually provided to the passenger so that the passenger can later present the baggage claim stub to claim and/or identify the baggage. A baggage receipt may also be provided to the passenger when, for example, baggage (or excess baggage) has been checked in and fees have been paid. Baggage receipts, baggage claim stubs, baggage tags, and boarding passes are example different types of travel-related document items. It would be desirable to improve ways in which travel-related document items are provided to a passenger when the passenger travels via a transportation provider.

Two-sided sheet containing a plurality of different travel-related document items and a method of operating an apparatus to provide such a two-sided sheet


Novel human chemokine receptors, MCP-1RA and MCP-1RB, and processes for producing them are disclosed. The receptors, which are alternately spliced versions of MCP-1 receptor protein may be used in an assay to identify antagonists of MCP-1 which are therapeutically useful in the treatment of atherosclerosis and other diseases characterized by monocytic infiltrates.

This invention relates to novel cytokine receptors that mediate the chemotaxis and activation of monocytes, to the DNA sequences encoding the receptors and to processes for obtaining the receptors and producing them by recombinant genetic engineering techniques. The novel receptors appear to arise via alternative splicing of the DNA sequences.
A growing family of regulatory proteins that deliver signals between cells of the immune system has been identified. Called cytokines, these proteins have been found to control the growth and development, and bioactivities, of cells of the hematopoietic and immune systems. Cytokines exhibit a wide range of biological activities with target cells from bone marrow, peripheral blood, fetal liver, and other lymphoid or hematopoietic organs. Exemplary members of the family include the colony-stimulating factors (GM-CSF, M-CSF, G-CSF, interleukin-3), the interleukins (IL-1, IL-2, IL-11), the interferons (alpha, beta and gamma), the tumor necrosis factors (alpha and beta) and erythropoietin.
Within this family of proteins, an emerging group of chemotactic cytokines, also called chemokines or intercrines, has been identified. These chemokines are basic, heparin-binding proteins that have proinflammatory and reparative activities. They are distinguished from other cytokines having proinflammatory and reparative activities (such as IL-1 and platelet-derived growth factor) by their characteristic conserved single open reading frames, typical signal sequences in the N-terminal region, AT rich sequences in their C-terminal untranslated regions, and rapidly inducible mRNA expression. See, e.g., Wolpe, FASEB J. 3:2565-73(1989) and Oppenheim, Ann. Rev. Immunol. 9:617-48(1991). Typically, the chemokines range in molecular mass from 8-10 kD; in humans, they are the products of distinct genes clustered on chromosomes 4 and 17. All chemokines have four cysteine residues, forming two disulfide bridges.
Two subfamilies of chemokines have been recognized, based on chromosomal location and the arrangement of the cysteine residues. The human genes for the xcex1, or Cxe2x80x94Xxe2x80x94C, subfamily members are located on human chromosome 4. In this subfamily the first two cysteines are separated by one amino acid. The members of this subfamily, the human proteins IL-8 (interleukin-8), beta TG (beta thromboglobulin), PF4 (platelet factor 4), IP-10, GRO (growth stimulating factor, also known as MGSF, melanoma grow stimulating factor) and murine MIP-2 (macrophage inhibitory protein-2), besides having the Cxe2x80x94Xxe2x80x94C arrangement of their first two cystein residues, exhibit homology in their amino acid sequences in the range of 30-50%.
In the beta subfamily, the first two cysteine residues are located adjacent to each other, a Cxe2x80x94C arrangement. The human genes encoding the xcex2 subfamily proteins are located on chromosome 17 (their mouse counterparts are clustered on mouse chromosome 11 which is the counterpart of human chromosome 17). Homology in the beta subfamily ranges from 28-45% intraspecies, from 25-55% interspecies. Exemplary members include the human proteins MCP-1 (monocyte chemoattractant protein-1), LD-78 xcex1 and xcex2, ACT-2 and RANTES and the murine proteins JE factor (the murine homologue of MCP-1), MIP-1xcex1 and xcex2 (macrophage inhibitory protein-1) and TCA-3. Human MCP-1 and murine JE factor exert several effects specifically on monocytes. Both proteins are potent chemoattractants for human monocytes in vitro and can stimulate an increase in cytosolic free calcium and the respiratory burst in monocytes. MCP-1 has been reported to activate monocyte-mediated tumoristatic activity, as well as to induce tumoricidal activity. See, e.g., Rollins, Mol. and Cell. Biol. 11:3125-31(1991) and Walter, Int. J. Cancer 49:431-35(1991). MCP-1 has been implicated as an important factor in mediating monocytic infiltration of tissues inflammatory processes such as rheumatoid arthritis and alveolitis. See, e.g., Koch, J. Clin. Invest. 90:772-79(1992) and Jones, J. Immunol. 149:2147-54(1992). The factor may also play a fundamental role in the recruitment of monocyte-macrophages into developing atherosclerotic lesions. See e.g., Nelken, J. Clin. Invest. 88:1121-27(1991), Yla-Herttuala, Proc. Nat""l. Acad. Sci. USA 88:5252-56(1991) and Cushing, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 87:5134-38(1990).
Many of these chemokines has been molecularly cloned, heterologously expressed and purified to homogeneity. Several have had their receptors cloned. Two highly homologous receptors for the Cxe2x80x94Xxe2x80x94C chemokine IL-8 have been cloned and were shown to belong to the superfamily of G protein-linked receptors containing seven transmembrane-spanning domains. See Holmes, Science 253:1278-80(1991) and Murphy, Science 253:1280-83(1991). More recently, a receptor for the Cxe2x80x94C chemokines MIP-1xcex1 and RANTES has been molecularly cloned and shown to belong to the same seven transmembrane-spanning receptor superfamily. See Gao, J. Exp. Med. 177:1421-27(1993) and Neote, Cell 72:415-25(1993). This receptor, which is believed to be involved with leukocyte activation and chemotaxis, exhibits varying affinity and signaling efficacy depending on the ligand. It binds with the highest affinity and the best signaling efficacy to human MIP-1xcex1. To MCP-1, the receptor exhibits high binding affinity relative to RANTES and huMIP-1xcex2 but transmits signal with lower efficacy. See Neote, Id., at 421-22. Although pharmacology studies predicted the existence of a specific MCP-1 receptor, and the chemokine receptors already cloned could not account for the robust responses of monocytes to MCP-1, to date no specific receptor for MCP-1 has been reported. See Wang, J. Exp. Med. 177:699-705(1993) and Van Riper, J. Exp. Med. 177:851-856(1993). The difficulty may arise at least in part from the fact that in the chemokine family individual receptors may or may not bind multiple ligands, making functional sorting, tracking and identification impractical. It has also been speculated that the receptor members of the family may not share structural featuresxe2x80x94to account for why the MCP-1 receptor has to date eluded researchers. See Edgington, Bio/Technology II:676-81(1993).
There remains a need in the art for additional receptors to these chemokines. There also remains a need in the art for receptors specific for each of the Cxe2x80x94C proteins, especially a receptor specific to MCP-1. Without a specific receptor to MCP-1, there is no practical way to develop assays of MCP-1 binding to its receptor. The availability of such assays provides a powerful tool for the discovery of antagonists of the MCP-1/MCP-1 receptor interaction. Such antagonists would be excellent candidates for therapeutics for the treatment of atherosclerosis in tumor growth suppression and in other diseases characterized by monocytic infiltrates such as rheumatoid arthritis and alvcolitis.
In one aspect the invention provides novel human chemokine receptor proteins MCP-1RA and MCP-1RB, which are substantially free from other mammalian proteins with which they are typically found in their native state. MCP-1RA and MCP-1RB are identical in amino acid sequence (SEQ ID NO:2 and SEQ ID NO:4) from the 5xe2x80x2 untranslated region through the putative seventh transmembrane domain, but they have different cytoplasmic tails. Hence they appear to represent alternatively spliced version of the MCP-1 gene. The proteins may be produced by recombinant genetic engineering techniques. They may additionally be purified from cellular sources producing the factor constituitively or upon induction with other factors. They may also be synthesized by chemical techniques. One skilled in the art could apply a combination of the above-identified methodologies to synthesize the factor.
Active mature MCP-1RA is an approximately 374 amino acid protein having a predicted molecular weight for the mature protein of about 42,000 daltons. Its alternatively spliced version, MCP-1RB, is an approximately 360 amino acid protein having a molecular weight of about 41,000 daltons. The MCP-1R proteins of this invention display high specificity for MCP-1 when expressed in Xenopus oocytes.
Another aspect of this invention is DNA sequences (SEQ ID NO:1 and SEQ ID NO:3) that encode the expression of the MCP-1RA and 1RB proteins. These DNA sequences may include an isolated DNA sequence that encodes the expression of a MCP-1R protein as described above. As used here, xe2x80x9cisolatedxe2x80x9d means substantially free from other mammalian DNA or protein sequences with which the subject DNA or protein sequence is typically found in its native, i.e., endogenous, state. The DNA sequences coding for active MCP-1RA and 1RB are characterized as comprising the same or substantially the same nucleotide sequence as in FIGS. 1 and 2 (SEQ ID NOS: 1 and 3), respectively, or active fragments thereof. The DNA sequences may include 5xe2x80x2 and 3xe2x80x2 non-coding sequences flanking the coding sequence. The DNA sequences may also encode an amino terminal signal peptide. FIGS. 1A-1D and 2A-C illustrate the non-coding 5xe2x80x2 and 3xe2x80x2 flanking sequences and a signal sequence of the MCP-1RA and 1RB sequences, respectively, isolated from the human monocytic cell line MonoMac 6 and expressed in Xenopus oocytes.
It is understood that the DNA sequences of this invention may exclude some or all of these signal and/or flanking sequences. In addition, the DNA sequences of the present invention encoding a biologically active human MCP-1R protein may also comprise DNA capable of hybridizing under appropriate stringency conditions, or which would be capable of hybridizing under such conditions but for the degeneracy of the genetic code, to an isolated DNA sequence of FIGS. 1A-1D or FIGS. 2A-2C (SEQ ID NOS:1 and 3). Accordingly, the DNA sequences of this invention may contain modifications in the non-coding sequences, signal sequences or coding sequences, based on allelic variation, species variation or deliberate modification. Additionally, analogs of MCP-1R are provided and include truncated polypeptides, e.g., mutants in which there are variations in the amino acid sequence that retain biological activity, as defined below, and preferably have a homology of at least 80%, more preferably 90%, and most preferably 95%, with the corresponding region of the MCP-1R sequences of FIGS. 1A-1D or FIGS. 2A-2C (SEQ ID NOS: 2 and 4). Examples include polypeptides with minor amino acid variations from the native amino acid sequences of MCP-1R of FIGS. 1A-1D and 2A-2C (SEQ ID NOS: 2 and 4); in particular, conservative amino acid replacements. Conservative replacements are those that take place within a family of amino acids that are related in their side chains. Genetically encoded amino acids are generally divided into four families: (1) acidic=aspartate, glutamate; (2) basic=lysine, arginine, histidine; (3) non-polar=alanine, valine, leucine, isoleucinc, proline, phenylalanine, methionine, tryptophan; and (4) uncharged polar=glycine, asparagine, glutamine, cystine, serine, threonine, tyrosine. Phenylalanine, tryptophan, and tyrosine are sometimes classified jointly as aromatic amino acids. For example, it is reasonable to expect that an isolated replacement of a leucine with an isoleucine or valine, an aspartate with a glutamate, a threonine with a serine, or a similar conservative replacement of an amino acid with a structurally related amino acid will not have a major effect on activity or functionality.
Using the sequences of FIGS. 1A-1D and FIGS. 2A-2C (SEQ ID NOS: 1, 2, 3 and 4) as well as the denoted characteristics of a MCP-1R receptor molecule in general, it is within the skill in the art to obtain other polypeptides or other DNA sequences encoding MCP-1R. For example, the structural gene can be manipulated by varying individual nucleotides, while retaining the correct amino acid(s), or varying the nucleotides, so as to modify the amino acids, without loss of activity. Nucleotides can be substituted, inserted, or deleted by known techniques, including, for example, in vitro mutagenesis and primer repair. The structural gene can be truncated at its 3xe2x80x2-terminus and/or its 5xe2x80x2-terminus while retaining its activity. For example, MCP-1RA and MCP-1RB as encoded in FIGS. 1A-1D and FIGS. 2A-2C (SEQ ID NOS:1 and 2; SEQ ID NOS:3 and 4) respectively, contain N-terminal regions which it may be desirable to delete. It also may be desirable to remove the region encoding the signal sequence, and/or to replace it with a heterologous sequence. It may also be desirable to ligate a portion of the MCP-1R sequences (SEQ ID NOS: 1 and 3), particularly that which includes the amino terminal domain to a heterologous coding sequence, and thus to create a fusion peptide with the receptor/ligand specificity of MCP-1RA or MCP-1RB.
In designing such modifications, it is expected that changes to nonconserved regions of the MCP-1R sequences (SEQ ID NOS: 1, 2, 3 and 4) will have relatively smaller effects on activity, whereas changes in the conserved regions, and particularly in or near the amino terminal domain are expected to produce larger effects. The comparison among the amino acid sequences of MCP-1RA and 1RB (SEQ ID NOS:2 and 4), the MIP-1xcex1/RANTES receptor (SEQ ID NO:5), the orphan receptor HUMSTSR (SEQ ID NO:6) and the two IL-8 receptors (SEQ ID NOS: 7 and 8), as illustrated in FIG. 4, provides guidance on amino acid substitutions that are compatible with receptor activity. Amino acid residues that are conserved among the MCP-1R sequences (SEQ ID NOS: 2 and 4) and at least two of the other sequences (SEQ ID NOS:5, 6, 7 and 8) are not expected to be candidates for substitution. A residue which shows conservative variations among the MCP-1R sequences and at least two of the other sequences is expected to be capable of similar conservative substitution of the MCP-1R sequences. Similarly, a residue which varies nonconservatively among the MCP-1R sequences and at least three of the other sequences is expected to be capable of either conservative or nonconservative substitution. When designing substitutions to the MCP-1R sequences, replacement by an amino acid which is found in the comparable aligned position of one of the other sequences is especially preferred.
The practice of the present invention will employ, unless otherwise indicated, conventional techniques of molecular biology, microbiology, recombinant DNA, and immunology, which are within the skill of the art. Such techniques are explained fully in the literature. See, e.g., Sambrook, Molecular Cloning: A Laboratory Manual, Second Edition (1989); DNA Cloning, Volumes I and II (D. N. Glover, Ed. 1985); Oligonucleotide Synthesis (M. J. Gait, Ed. 1984); Nucleic Acid Hybridization (B. D. Hames and S. J. Higgins, Eds. 1984); Transcription and Translation (B. D. Hames and S. J. Higgins, Eds. 1984); Animal Cell Culture (R. I. Freshney, Ed. 1986); Immobilized Cells and Enzymes (IRL Press, 1986); B. Perbal, A Practical Guide to Molecular Cloning (1984); the series, Methods in Enzymology (Academic Press, Inc.); Gene Transfer Vectors for Mammalian Cells (J. H. Miller and M. P. Calos, Eds. 1987, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory), Methods in Enzymology, Volumes 154 and 155 (Wu and Grossman, and Wu, Eds., respectively), (Mayer and Walker, Eds.) (1987); Immunochemical Methods in Cell and Molecular Biology (Academic Press, London), Scopes, (1987); Protein Purification: Principles and Practice, Second Edition (Springer-Verlag, N.Y.); and Handbook of Experimental Immunology, Volumes I-IV (D. M. Weir and C. C. Blackwell, Eds 1986). All patents, patent applications, and publications mentioned herein, both supra and infra, are hereby incorporated by reference.
Additionally provided by this invention is a recombinant DNA vector comprising vector DNA and a DNA sequence (SEQ ID NOS: 1 and 3) encoding a mammalian MCP-1R polypeptide. The vector provides the MCP-1R DNA in operative association with a regulatory sequence capable of directing the replication and expression of an MCP-1R protein in a selected host cell. Host cells transformed with such vectors for use in expressing recombinant MCP-1R proteins are also provided by this invention. Also provided is a novel process for producing recombinant MCP-1R proteins or active fragments thereof. In this process, a host cell line transformed with a vector as described above containing a DNA sequence (SEQ ID NOS: 1 and 3) encoding expression of an MCP-1R protein in operative association with a suitable regulatory sequence capable of directing replication and controlling expression of an MCP-1R protein is cultured under appropriate conditions permitting expression of the recombinant DNA. The expressed protein is then harvested from the host cell or culture medium using suitable conventional means. This novel process may employ various known cells as host cell lines for expression of the protein. Currently preferred cell lines are mammalian cell lines and bacterial cell lines.
This invention also provides compositions for use in therapy, diagnosis, assay of MCP-1R, or in raising antibodies to MCP-1R, comprising effective amounts of MCP-1R proteins prepared according to the foregoing processes. Another aspect of this invention provides an assay to assess MCP-1 binding, useful in screening for specific antagonists of the MCP-1 receptor. Such assay comprises the steps of expression and isolation of the recombinant MCP-1 receptor(s) and/or their extracellular domains and the development of a solid-phase assay for MCP-1 binding. The availability of such assays, not heretofore available, permits the development of therapeutic antagonists, useful in the treatment of atherosclerosis and other diseases characterized by monocytic infiltrates.
A further aspect of the invention therefore are pharmaceutical compositions containing a therapeutically effective amount of an MCP-1 antagonist identified using the assays of this invention. Such MCP-1 antagonist compositions may be employed in therapies for atherosclerosis, cancer and other diseases characterized by monocytic infiltrates. An additional aspect therefore, the invention includes a method for treating these and/or other diseases and pathological states by administering to a patient a therapeutically effective amount of MCP-1 antagonist, or an active fragment thereof, in a suitable pharmaceutical carrier.
Other aspects and advantages of this invention are described in the following detailed description.

The Regents of the University of California


GaAs(1−x)Sbx layers are grown by MOCVD. For lattice matching with InP, x is set to 0.5, while beneficial alternatives include setting x to 0.23, 0.3, and 0.4. During MOVCD, TMGa (or TEGa), TMSb, and AsH3 (or TBAs) are used to fabricate the GaAs(1−x )Sbx layer. Beneficially, the GaAs(1−x)Sbx layer's composition is controlled by the ratio of As to Sb. The MOCVD growth temperature is between 500° C. and 650° C. The GaAs(1−x)Sbx layer is beneficially doped using CCl4 or CBr4. A heavily doped GaAs(1−x)Sbx layer can be used to form a tunnel junction with n-doped layers of InP, AlInAs, or with lower bandgap materials such as AlInGaAs or InGaAsP. Such tunnel junctions are useful for producing long wavelength VCSELs.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELs). More specifically, it relates to tunnel junctions for long-wavelength VCSELS.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELs) represent a relatively new class of semiconductor lasers. While there are many variations of VCSELs, one common characteristic is that they emit light perpendicular to a wafer's surface. Advantageously, VCSELs can be formed from a wide range of material systems to produce specific characteristics.
VCSELs include semiconductor active regions, which can be fabricated from a wide range of material systems, distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) mirrors, current confinement structures, substrates, and contacts. Some VCSELs, particularly those used at long-wavelengths, incorporate tunnel junctions. Because of their complicated structure, and because of their material requirements, VCSELs are usually grown using metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD).
FIG. 1 illustrates a typical long-wavelength VOSEL 10 having a tunnel junction. As shown, an n-doped InP substrate 12 has an n-typo electrical contact 14. An n-doped lower mirror stack 16 (a DBR) is on the InP substrate 12, and an n-type graded-index InP lower spacer 18 is disposed over the lower mirror stack 16. An InGaAsP or AlInGaAs active region 20, usually having a number of quantum wells, is formed over the InP lower spacer 18. Over the active region 20 is a tunnel junction 25. Over the tunnel junction 25 is an n-type graded-index InP top spacer 22 and an n-type InP top mirror stack 24 (another DBR), which is disposed over the InP top spacer 22. Over the top mirror stack 24 is an n-type conduction layer 9, an n-type cap layer 8, and an n-type electrical contact 26.
Still referring to FIG. 1, the lower spacer 18 and the top spacer 22 separate the lower mirror stack 16 from the top mirror stack 24 such that an optical cavity is formed. As the optical cavity is resonant at specific wavelengths, the mirror separation is controlled to resonant at a predetermined wavelength (or at a multiple thereof). At least part of the top mirror stack 24 includes an insulating region 40 that provides current confinement. The insulating region 40 is usually formed either by implanting protons into the top mirror stack 24 or by forming an oxide layer. In any event, the insulating region 40 defines a conductive annular central opening 42 that forms an electrically conductive path though the insulating region 40.
In operation, an external bias causes an electrical current 21 to flow from the electrical contact 26 toward the electrical contact 14. The insulating region 40 and the conductive central opening 42 confine the current 21 such that the current flows through the conductive central opening 42 and into the tunnel junction 25. The tunnel junction converts incoming electrons into holes that are injected into the active region 20. Some of the injected holes are converted into photons in the active region 20. Those photons bounce back and forth (resonate) between the lower mirror stack 16 and the top mirror stack 24. While the lower mirror stack 16 and the top mirror stack 24 are very good reflectors, some of the photons leak out as light 23 that travels along an optical path. Still referring to FIG. 1, the light 23 passes through the conduction layer 9, through the cap layer 8, through an aperture 30 in electrical contact 26, and out of the surface of the vertical cavity surface emitting laser 10.
It should be understood that FIG. 1 illustrates a typical long wavelength VCSEL having a tunnel junction, and that numerous variations are possible. For example, the dopings can be changed (say, by providing a p-type substrate), different material systems can be used, operational details can be tuned for maximum performance, and additional structures and features can be added.
While generally successful, VCSELs similar to that illustrated in FIG. 1 have problems. One problem in realizing commercial quality long wavelength VCSELs is the available mirror materials. Since long wavelength VCSELs are often based on InP, for proper lattice matching InP/InGaAsP or AlInAs/AlInGaAs mirrors are often used. However, because those materials have relatively low refractive index contrasts, 40-50 mirror pairs are typically needed to achieve the required high reflectivity. Growing that number of mirror pairs takes a long time, which increases the production costs.
Another problem, which is addressed by the tunnel junction 25, is optical loss. In long wavelength VCSELs it is often critical to limit optical losses. To that end, p-doped materials, which absorb more light than n-doped materials, are replaced by n-doped materials and the tunnel junction 25. That junction converts holes into electrons that are injected into the active region.
Tunnel junctions used in semiconductor lasers are thin (say 10 nanometer), reversed biased structures. Such tunnel junctions are usually n++/p++ structures in which the p-region is highly doping (greater than 1×1019 cm−3) using a low diffusivity dopant such as carbon. This enables a low voltage drop in a device having low free carrier absorption and sufficient free carriers.
Prior art semiconductor laser tunnel junctions have been reported using MBE-grown Be-doped InGaAsP or MOCVD grown C-doped AlAs. However, the reported doping in InGaAsP appears insufficient, while the strain of AlAs on InP materials appears excessive. Thus, a new long wavelength VCSEL would be beneficial. Even more beneficial would be a new tunnel junction suitable for use in long wavelength VCSELs. Still more beneficial would be new tunnel junctions that use MOCVD-grown layers and that are suitable for use in long wavelength VCSELs.

Carbon doped GaAsSb suitable for use in tunnel junctions of long-wavelength VCSELs


A method and system are described for adaptively adjusting data communication of a rateless coding system, including adaptively estimating a symbol coding length, determining a symbol threshold, determining if the adaptively estimated symbol coding length is less than the symbol threshold, adjusting a transmission power level based on the second determining act and adaptively adjusting a modulation scheme based on the second determining act. Also described are a method and system for decoding communication of a rateless coding system, including receiving encoded symbols, determining if a length of the received encoded symbols is greater than a threshold number of encoded symbols and decoding the received encoded symbols if the length of the received encoded symbols is greater than the threshold number of encoded symbols.

Unlike block codes or convolutional codes, the rate is specified in rateless codes. Rateless coding schemes known in the art include Luby Transform (LT) codes and Raptor codes. Fountain codes (also known as rateless erasure codes) are a class of erasure codes with the property that a potentially limitless sequence of encoding symbols can be generated from a given set of source symbols such that the original source symbols can be recovered from any subset of the encoding symbols of size equal to or only slightly larger than the number of source symbols. A fountain code is optimal if the original k source symbols can be recovered from any k encoding symbols. Fountain codes are known that have efficient encoding and decoding algorithms and that allow the recovery of the original k source symbols from any k′ of the encoding symbols with high probability, where k′ is just slightly larger than k. Rateless coding schemes were originally applied to erasure channels, and more recently to noisy channels. Some conventional rateless coding schemes use length estimation, which is any scheme which estimates or predicts how many bits or symbols are needed for successful decoding of a rateless code.
Theoretically, length estimation can predict the required length of rateless codes in a communications system. However, in practice, when applying length estimation to rateless code communication systems, the error rate is high because rateless codes do not reach the channel capacity in many situations. Channel capacity is a measure of the maximum number of information/data bits per symbol that can be transmitted and reliably received. As a result, additional decoding overhead on the receive side is required to compensate for the incorrect length estimation on the transmit side.
Some prior art length estimation methods account for this by applying a static scaling factor. In some conventional rateless coding schemes using length estimation, a fixed scaling factor is applied to the length estimation to compensate for inaccurate code length estimations. If the fixed scaling factor is equal to one, then it is effectively uncompensated.
There was no power adjustment in prior art rateless coding schemes. If the required number of coded bits was too much at the given power level, then errors would occur because not enough coded bits could be transmitted before the deadline. That is, there was no option to improve the SNR by increasing the power level and thus reduce the number of coded bits that should be transmitted in order to be successfully decoded at the receiver side. On the receive side, there was correspondingly no consideration given in the prior art to increasing the power at the transmitter side in order to increase the ability of the receiver to decode the transmitted coded bits before the deadline. If the SNR was good then little was to be gained by increasing the power level.
In prior art rateless coding schemes, length estimations were not adaptive nor was adaptive modulation employed. That is, if too many coded bits were required to be transmitted such that it was impossible to meet the deadline, then there was no alternative but to incur the errors and performance degradation.
It would be advantageous to apply adaptive length estimation, adaptive modulation and power adjustments to rateless/fountain coding schemes. As used herein, "/" denotes alternative names for the same or similar components or ideas. That is, "/" can be taken to mean "or" herein.

Method and apparatus for improving throughput and error performance of rateless coding systems


Methods, apparatus and media for receiving emergency broadcast information in a broadcast-multicast service of a communication system. The methods, apparatus and media include scheduling a broadcast of emergency broadcast information in designated control channel cycles for designated subscriber stations. The control channel cycles are transmitted with the designated control channel cycles including the emergency broadcast information. Subscriber stations awake according to their designated control channel cycle and receive the transmission of their designated control channel cycle on a broadcast-multicast service. The subscriber station determines if emergency broadcast information is in the control channel cycle assigned to the subscriber station and responds accordingly.

1. Field
The present invention relates generally to emergency broadcasting and, more particularly, to methods and apparatus for sending emergency broadcast information to remote terminals.
2. Background
Communication systems may use a single carrier frequency or multiple carrier frequencies. Generally in wireless communication systems, a channel consists of a forward link (FL) for transmissions from an access network (AN) to an access terminal (AT) and a reverse link (RL) for transmissions from the access terminal (AT) to the access network (AN). The access terminal (AT) is also commonly known as a remote station, a mobile station or a subscriber station and may be mobile or stationary. Each forward or reverse link may incorporate a different number of carrier frequencies.
Modern communications systems are designed to allow multiple users to access a common communications medium. Numerous multiple-access techniques are known in the art, such as time division multiple-access (TDMA), frequency division multiple-access (FDMA), space division multiple-access, polarization division multiple-access, code division multiple-access (CDMA), and other similar multi-access techniques. The multiple-access concept is a channel allocation methodology that allows multiple user access to a common communications link. The channel allocations can take on various forms depending on the specific multi-access technique. By way of example, in FDMA systems, the total frequency spectrum is divided into a number of smaller sub-bands and each user is given its own sub-band to access the communications link. Alternatively, in TDMA systems, each user is given the entire frequency spectrum during periodically recurring time slots. In CDMA systems, each user is given the entire frequency spectrum for all of the time but distinguishes its transmission through the use of a code.
Communication systems have also incorporated broadcast services. For example, Broadcast-multicast services (BCMCS) provide point-to-multipoint communication service in a wireless communication system to a plurality of subscriber stations that receive broadcast data through a wireless communication medium. The broadcast data (i.e., content) transmitted by the wireless communication system to the plurality of subscriber stations may include, but need not necessarily be limited to, news, movies, sporting events, and the like. The specific type of content transmitted to the subscriber stations may include a wide array of multi-media data, such as text, audio, picture, streaming video, etc. The content is typically generated by a content provider and is broadcast to the subscriber stations that subscribe to the particular service over a broadcast channel of the wireless communication system.
As subscriber stations have become far more functional than providing mere one-to-one voice communication, there is a need to provide broadcast notifications, such as emergency information, to subscribers. While emergency notifications may require a finite amount of resources, there is a need to provide an emergency notification service that does not consume significant power in order to vigilantly monitor for emergency notifications.

Method and apparatus for emergency broadcast using an emergency broadcast-multicast service


An antenna attachment device and method that can attach to a vertical or angled structural member such as, for example, a vertical or an angled antenna tower leg, and that can support a mounting pipe at a desired angle such as, for example, in a vertical position.

The invention pertains to mounting devices and methods. More particularly, the invention pertains to the field of assemblies and methods for attaching a component such as, for example, an antenna device, to a supporting structure such as, for example, an antenna tower.
A wide range of types of antennas including, for example, mast antennas, dish antennas, horn antennas and other types of antennas and related components are often supported by an antenna tower or other structure to provide elevation to the antenna.
It is generally desirable that a mounting device be provided for conveniently mounting the antenna to the tower. Since the spatial orientation of the antenna is often critical, it is desirable that the mounting apparatus be configured to permit proper spatial orientation of the antenna.
It is also common for antenna towers to be tapered. That is, often an antenna tower has longitudinal frame members, referred to as tower legs, extending along its length from a wide tower base to a narrow section or point at or near the top of the tower. The tower legs are often canted at an angle anywhere from substantially vertical to five or more degrees off of vertical. Often, the antenna element is intended to be mounted via a mounting pipe which should be vertical to support the antenna element in the vertical directions. The angle of the tower leg presents a problem in that it is generally desirable to have a simple bracket device that would attach to the mounting pipe and hold the antenna element in a vertical direction.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to have a bracket that can attach in one place to a tower leg, and can attach in another place to a pipe mount of an antenna or other component to hold the pipe mount in a vertical orientation.
Further, since the tower leg or some other structural component on the tower may in some situations be completely vertical, and in other situations may be at an angle, it would be desirable to have a bracket that is easily adaptable between a vertical tower leg, and a tower leg having any of a variety of angles, for example, between zero and five degrees from vertical.
In the prior art, it has often been necessary to manufacture custom attachment devices that are usable only with a specific angle of tower leg. Custom attachment devices are generally difficult to retrofit for use in a different angle. Moreover, having a number of custom devices for each possible angle can require an increase in stocking effort for a manufacturer and/or installer.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for an antenna aattachment device and method that can attach to a vertical or angled structural member such as, for example, a vertical or an angled antenna tower leg, and that can support a mounting pipe at a desired angle such as, for example, in a vertical position.
The foregoing needs are met, at least to a great extent, by the present invention, which at least in some embodiments provides an antenna attachment device and method that can attach to an angled structural member such as, for example, a vertical or an angled antenna tower leg, and that can support a mounting pipe at a desired angle such as for example in a vertical position.
In one aspect the invention provides an apparatus for mounting an item to a structural member, the apparatus comprising: a first clamping assembly that clamps onto the item and clamps onto the structural member and connects them at a first distance from each other; and a second clamping assembly that clamps to the item and clamps onto the structural member and connects them at a second distance from each other, said second clamping assembly having at least one spacer removable to vary the second distance between the item and the structural member.
In another aspect the invention provides a clamp assembly for clamping an item to a structural member, the assembly comprising: a back plate; at least two threaded rods attached to the back plate; a mounting clamp attached to the threaded rods and having a cylindrical pipe portion; at least one fist U-bolt configured to partially surround the cylindrical pipe portion of the clamp and rotatable around the cylindrical pipe portion; an attachment plate attached to the U-bolt; and at least one second U-bolt for attaching to the item in conjunction with the attachment plate.
In another aspect the invention provides an apparatus for mounting an item to a structural member, the apparatus comprising: first means for clamping onto the item and clamping onto the structural member and connecting them at a first distance from each other; and second means for clamping onto the item and clamping onto the structural member and connecting them at a second distance from each other, said second clamping means having at least one spacer removable to vary the second distance between the item and the structural member.
In another aspect the invention provides a clamp assembly for clamping an item to a structural member, the assembly comprising: first means for clamping onto the item and clamping onto the structural member and connecting them at a first distance from each other, and second means for clamping onto the item and clamping onto the structural member and connecting them at a second distance from each other, means permitting rotation between the first and second means; and removable spacing means.
In another aspect the invention provides a method for mounting an item to a structural member, the method comprising: clamping a first clamping assembly onto the item and onto the structural member and connecting them at a first distance from each other; and clamping a second clamping assembly onto the item and onto the structural member and connecting them at a second distance from each other, and inserting a removable spacer to vary the second distance between the item and the structured member.
As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception upon which this disclosure is based may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.