Abstract: Less toxic agents for reversal of heparin or low molecular weight heparin anticoagulation which are synthetic protamine-like polycationic peptides having a total cationic charge which is less than that of n-protamine. In preferred embodiments, arginine residues of n-protamine are replaced with lysine residues for ease of manufacture. Selective positively charged arginine residues have been replaced with an uncharged amino acid residue or its analog, such as glycine or glutamine, in order to reduce the total cationic charge on the polycationic peptide to the range of about [+14] to [+18], preferably [+16]. In specific embodiments, there are sequences of 29 amino acid residues wherein 4 to 5 clusters of 2 to 4 positively charged amino acids are separated by 2 to 6 neutral amino acids. The C-terminus and the N-terminus can be modified to mitigate against in vivo degradation by carboxypeptidases and aminopeptidases.

Abstract: Background processing for PCMCIA card service functions for registered Card Services clients includes a Card Services Background Processing Application and a Card Services dynamic link library (DDL) residing in the system VM, and a Card Services VxD residing in priority ring 0. A request for a Card Services function is generated by a Card Services function requester. The Card Services function requester is either a Card Services Client or a PCMCIA socket adapter. In response to the request, the Card Services VxD sets-up a path between the Card Services function requester and the Card Services DLL. The Card Services DLL contains the Card Services functions, and the appropriate Card Service function is executed. If the Card Service function requested requires background processing, the Card Services DLL posts a message with the Card Services Background Processing Application. The Card Services DLL then acknowledges the request for Card Services function to the Card Services requester.

Abstract: A computer system contains an Intel.TM. 80386 or later microprocessor as a central processing unit (CPU) and a system memory coupled to the CPU. The computer system runs Microsoft.TM. Windows v. 3.1 operating system in enhanced mode. The system memory contains a system virtual machine (VM) and at least one DOS VM. A target VM contains shared code routines for use by all VMs loaded in the computer system. When access to the shared code routine is desired from a calling process in a calling VM, the calling VM transfers control and calling data parameters to a shared code virtual device driver (VxD). The shared code VxD performs data translation for the calling data parameters so that the target VM can access the data parameters. The shared code VxD invokes calls to a Windows Process scheduler to schedule the target VM and block selection of the calling VM. The target VM, upon invocation by the scheduler, executes the shared code routine and generates return parameters.

Abstract: Operation of a microcomputer-based instrument is controlled by software including a control interface system, a command execution system, and a steady state system. The steady state system includes a group of subsystems operating as concurrent tasks, each carrying out various instrument operations. The control interface system includes a set of subsystems, each responsive to configuration control input signals from a separate control signal source, and each converting configuration control signals into "configuration commands". Each command identifies a particular procedure for configuring the operating state of one or more instrument hardware or software steady state subsystems of the instrument. Each command is stored in memory in one of several queues (one for each control interface subsystem) until the procedure it invokes is carried out.

Abstract: Menus displayed on a screen of an instrument permit an operator to adjust and monitor the operating state of the instrument. Various menus are added and removed from the display in response to changes in the operating state of the instrument so that those menus appropriate for the operating state of the instrument are automatically displayed while inappropriate menus are automatically removed from the display. Displayed menu items may be added, removed or modified in response to changes in the operating state of the instrument, as evidenced by changes in the configuration parameters, so that only those menu items which are appropriate to a given operating state are displayed.