Abstract: A fire engine having an extension ladder mounted thereto, wherein said extension ladder may be rotated through a full 360 degrees while the ladder is fully extended—regardless of the vertical angle or position of the ladder with respect to the longitudinal axis of the fire engine. The ladder is mounted to the fire engine between a forward portion and a rearward portion. The fire engine employs at least two sets of vertically offset and laterally extendable stabilizers, that are adapted to communicate with the ground and stabilize the fire engine while the ladder is in use. The stabilizers are mounted substantially beneath the mounting point of the ladder and are designed to reside within the width of the fire engine body when retracted. Each set of stabilizers is arranged to diverge in the direction of extension in order to provide maximum stabilization to the fire engine.

Abstract: The present invention is a method for depolymerizing or "cracking" polymeric materials. The method of the present invention may be used in the disposal and/or recycling of such materials. Products of the degradation of polymeric materials using the present method may be recycled or more easily treated for disposal.The present invention is a process for degrading, depolymerizing or "cracking" a polymeric material, otherwise amenable to cracking by alkali fusion, comprising the steps of:(a) preparing a molten reaction mixture comprising:(i) a basic material;(ii) a source of copper; and(iii) said polymeric material; and(b) maintaining said molten mixture at a temperature sufficient to reflux said molten mixture for sufficient time to depolymerize said polymeric material.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an extruded fluoropolymer-acrylic composite and a method of producing same. The extruded product of the present invention comprises a layer of at least one first polymeric substance comprising a mixture of: (1) from about 1 to about 70 percent by weight of at least one acrylic material, (2) at least one fluoropolymer, and (3) at least one inorganic pigment in sufficient amount to render the first polymeric substance reflective to infrared light and opaque to both ultraviolet light and light and light having a wavelength of about 350 to about 2500 nanometers; in contact with a layer of at least one second polymeric substance being of a chemical character so as to be amenable to adhesion to the at least one first polymeric substance in the extrusion product. The preferred embodiment of the invention method is conducted under vacuum.

Abstract: A method and kit for the isolation and quantitation of glycated hemoglobin and other glycated proteins, specifically albumin, from a single sample of whole blood. Glycated hemoglobin is calculated from an eluate resulting from the contact of the whole blood hemolysate with a boronated resin. Glycated albumin and other plasma proteins are calculated using immunoturbidimetry, resulting from reaction between a buffered antibody solution and the albumin or other protein in the previous eluate.

Abstract: A firefighter's garment as disclosed herein may be a coat or trousers or a vest. The garment has an outer layer, an intermediate layer, and an inner layer. A spacer element or elements are positioned between two of the layers of the garment. The spacer element or elements in the firefighter's garment establish and maintain an air space or air spaces between the layers of the garment, even when localized pressure or weight is applied to portions of the garment. Thus, the firefighter's garment has excellent heat insulation qualities without being heavy and/or bulky. Thus, a firefighter wearing the garment is continually protected and is subject to minimum stress and is able to work more effectively than a firefighter wearing a firefighter's conventional garment.

Abstract: The present invention includes a material member adapted for use in the extremity portion of a protective garment, a flexible extremity portion of a protective garment, a flexible extremity portion of a protective garment containing such a material member, and a protective garment containing such a flexible extremity portion.In broadest terms, the material member of the present invention is one adapted for use in the extremity portion of a protective garment. The material member, considered as having a vertical axis, a horizontal axis and a flex point at the intersection of said axes comprises at least one layer of material, at least one of those layers containing an aperture defining an aperture area. The aperture encompasses the flex point and extends in both directions along the vertical axis; its width above the horizontal axis being less than its width below the horizontal axis. The aperture is covered by at least one cover piece each having a covering portion thereof covering the aperture.

Abstract: The present invention is addressed to providing an infusion administration container which is effective in establishing about a normothermic temperature of a physiologic solution for its infusion into an animal, such as a human medical patient. The infusion administration container comprises an upper flexible bladder adapted to contain at least one first chemical agent and a first lower flexible bladder adapted to contain at least one second chemical agent. These first and second chemical agent(s), when combined, result in an exothermic reaction. A passageway interconnects the upper bladder and first lower bladder with manually openable closure means disposed within the passageway to separate the chemical agents until the closure means is opened. A second lower flexible bladder, adapted to contain an administrable physiologic fluid, is disposed in heat-exchange relationship with the first lower bladder.

Abstract: This invention provides a primary standard and/or secondary standards for assay for glycated proteins in samples such as blood. The primary standard is composed of a polymer or copolymer of an amino acid, such as lysine, serine or those listed on table 37 (pages 100-110 of the second edition of Organic Chemistry by Robert Morris and Robert Nielson-Boyd) glycated with a known amount of glucose, preferably .sup.14 C glucose or .sup.3 H glucose, and free of unbound glucose. The preferred secondary standards are composed of glycated native protein per se, or a mixture of a glycated native protein and native protein that has been standardized against a primary standard to give the actual glycated protein value. These primary standards and secondary standards may be packaged and sold as a kit that contains a primary standard and/or a secondary standard and the reagents needed to perform the glycated protein assay.

Abstract: A firefighter's helmet having a rigid shell provided with a forward portion and a rearward portion and side portions. Attached to the rigid shell and extending downwardly therefrom are support members which are positioned at the rearward portion of the shell, and at the side portions of the shell. A flexible securing member is supported by the support members. After the helmet is positioned upon the head of a firefighter the flexible securing member is drawn firmly at the back and sides of the head of the firefighter. Also, portions of the flexible securing members are positioned under the chin of the firefighter and attached together. Thus, the helmet is secured upon the head of the firefighter, and the helmet cannot move with respect to the head of the firefighter who wears the helmet.

Abstract: A partially cationized protein-containing substance that exhibits enhanced immunogenicity as compared to the native protein-containing substance and is useful in mammalian immunization by oral or parenteral administration.