Abstract: A mounting device may include a top plate including a cone-shaped center portion, a flange coupled to the cone-shaped center portion, a number of apertures defined in the flange, and a number of fasteners engaged with the apertures to couple the top plate to a surface of a structure. The flange seals a bottom side of the top plate to the surface of the structure. The flange includes a seal coupled to the bottom of the flange. The cone-shaped center portion has a convex paraboloid shape. The flange includes at least one surface that is parallel to a surface of the structure, and a transition between the cone-shaped center portion and the flange forms an angle. The top plate has a diameter sufficient to displace a load greater than 50 pounds over the surface of the structure.

Abstract: An apparatus for rapidly determining a control parameter t=t.sub.0 at which the sum S of n functions F.sub.i (i=1, . . . n) reaches a minimum, a maximum, or a given value, wherein each function F.sub.i (t) changes its first derivative only at given discrete values t.sub.ij of the control parameter t is described. The apparatus has a random access memory (RAM) addressed by the values t.sub.ij, a circuit for summing the second derivatives of the functions, a circuit to perform a double integration to evaluate S, and a comparator to determine the optimum control value; also disclosed is a new gate array (GA) which rapidly reproduces the addresses used to address the RAM while skipping all others. This gate array is advantageously used as a part of the apparatus for determining a control parameter. Further, the use of the devices in a communication network is described.

Abstract: An apparatus for rapidly determining a control parameter t=t.sub.0 at which the sum S of n functions F.sub.i (i=1, . . . n) reaches a minimum, a maximum, or a given value, wherein each function F.sub.i (t) changes its first derivative only at given discrete values t.sub.ij of the control parameter t is described. The apparatus has a random access memory (RAM) addressed by the values t.sub.ij, a circuit for summing the second derivatives of the functions, a circuit to perform a double integration to evaluate S, and a comparator to determine the optimum control value; also disclosed is a new gate array (GA) which rapidly reproduces the addresses used to address the RAM while skipping all others. This gate array is advantageously used as a part of the apparatus for determining a control parameter. Further, the use of the devices in a communication network is described.

Abstract: Round or oval package, containing a bottom portion with one or more compartments and a peel-off lid mounted on the edges of the compartment or compartments, wherein the lid is divided into lid segments, wherein each lid segment covers a compartment and each lid segment is sealed onto the bottom portion along the circumference of the compartment and each lid segment contains an initial tearing aid and each lid segment can be partially or completely peeled or pulled off by the seal seam along the circumference of the compartment. The package is sterilizable and the sides of the bottom portion and of the lid facing towards the inside of the container comprise a polyolefin or polyester layer.