1. A method for reducing vascular hyperreactivity in vascular muscle cells comprising exposing the vascular muscle cells to an effective amount of a selective estrogen beta receptor agonist that is selected from the group consisting of 5\u03b1-androstane-3\u03b2,17\u03b2-diol, a derivative of 5\u03b1-androstane-3\u03b2,17\u03b2-diol that has estrogen beta receptor agonist activity, epiestriol, and diarylpropionitrile.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the vascular hyperreactivity is manifested by coronary arterial vasospasm.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the vascular hyperreactivity is manifested by hyperreactivity of peripheral arteries.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein the estrogen beta receptor agonist is 5\u03b1-androstane-3\u03b2,17\u03b2-diol.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein the estrogen beta receptor agonist is a derivative of 5\u03b1-androstane-3\u03b2,17\u03b2-diol that has estrogen beta receptor agonist activity.
6. The method of claim 5 wherein the derivative of 5\u03b1-androstane-3\u03b2,17\u03b2-diol is selected from the group consisting of 5\u03b1-androstane-3\u03b2,17\u03b2-diol-3 hemisuccinate, 5\u03b1-androstane-3\u03b2-diol-17-sulphate sodium salt, 5\u03b1-androstan-3\u03b2,17\u03b2-diol-3-acetate, 5\u03b1-androstan-3\u03b2,17\u03b2-diol-17-acetate, 5\u03b1-androstan-3\u03b2,17\u03b2-diol-diacetate, 5\u03b1-androstan-3\u03b2,17\u03b2-diol-dibenzoate, 5\u03b1-androstan-3\u03b2,17\u03b2-diol-dihemisuccinate, 5\u03b1-androstan-3\u03b2,17\u03b2-diol-diproprionate, and 5\u03b1-androstan-3\u03b2,17\u03b2-diol-17-hexahydrobenzoate.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein the estrogen beta receptor agonist is epiestriol.
8. The method of claim 1 wherein the estrogen beta receptor agonist is diarylpropionitrile.
9. The method of claim 4 wherein the 5\u03b1-androstane-3\u03b2,17\u03b2-diol is administered to a patient and the amount of 5\u03b1-androstane-3\u03b2,17\u03b2-diol that is administered is sufficient to obtain a serum concentration of between 30 and 3000 pgml.
10. The method of claim 9 wherein the amount of 5\u03b1-androstane-3\u03b2,17\u03b2-diol that is administered is sufficient to obtain a serum concentration of between 30 and 300 pgml.
11. The method of claim 1 wherein the estrogen beta receptor agonist is administered to a patient in concert with a hormone replacement therapy.
12. The method of claim 11 wherein the hormone replacement therapy is selected from the group consisting of estrogen, androgen, and progestin therapy.
13. The method of claim 1 wherein the exposure of the vascular muscle cells to the estrogen beta receptor agonist is by administering the estrogen beta receptor agonist by topical application to skin of a patient.
14. The method of claim 13 wherein the estrogen beta receptor agonist is in a topical preparation selected from the group consisting of a liquid, cream, gel, lotion, ointment, and transdermal patch.
15. The method of claim 1 wherein the exposure of the vascular muscle cells to the estrogen beta receptor agonist is by other than topical administration to skin.
16. The method of claim 15 wherein the exposure is by oral, rectal, vaginal, topical, sublingual, nasal, intradermal, inhalation, or sustained implant administration routes.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A method for enabling registration of a user to use a computer system, the method comprising the steps of:
providing a printed registration form containing information relating to user registration, the form including a plurality of coded data marks, each coded data mark containing coded data indicative of an identity of the form and of a reference point of the form, the coded data marks being substantially undifferentiated marks positioned relative to a set of predetermined nominal mark positions;
receiving, in a processing system associated with the computer system, indicating data from a sensing device regarding the identity of the form and at least one of a position and a movement of the sensing device relative to the form, the sensing device, when placed in an operative position relative to the form, sensing at least one of the coded data marks and generating the indicating data using the coded data contained in at least said sensed one of the coded data marks; and
identifying, in the processing system and from the indicating data, at least one parameter relating to user registration, and storing the at least one parameter so as to be accessible by said computer system.
2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said at least one parameter relating to the user registration is associated with at least one zone of the form, and wherein the identifying step includes identifying said at least one parameter from the zone relative to which the sensing device is positioned or moved.
3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the coded data contained in each coded data mark is at least partially determined by the position of the mark relative to the set of predetermined nominal mark positions.
4. A method according to claim 1, in which the at least one parameter is a text parameter of the user registration, the method comprising the step of identifying, in the processing system, that at least one of the movement and the position of the sensing device relative to the form represents an action of entering handwritten text data by means of the sensing device and effecting, in the processing system, an operation associated with the text parameter.
5. A method according to claim 4, comprising the step of converting, in the processing system, the identified handwritten text data into computer text.
6. A method according to claim 5, wherein the converting step is performed using an online text recognition program.
7. A method according to claim 5, wherein the at least one text parameter comprises registration data identifying said user.
8. A method according to claim 7, wherein the registration data includes identification and contact details associated with said user.
9. A method according to claim 1, in which the parameter is a user authorization parameter, the method comprising the step of identifying, in the processing system, that the user has entered a handwritten signature by means of the sensing device and storing data identifying the handwritten signature so as to be accessible by the computer system.
10. A system for enabling registration of a user to use a computer system, the system including:
a printed registration form containing information relating to user registration, the form including a plurality of coded data marks, each coded data mark containing coded data indicative of an identity of the form and of a reference point of the form, the coded data marks being substantially undifferentiated marks positioned relative to a set of predetermined nominal mark positions;
a processing system associated with the computer system, for receiving indicating data from a sensing device for identifying at least one parameter relating to user registration, the indicating data being indicative of the identity of the form and at least one of a position and a movement of the sensing device relative to the form, the sensing device generating the indicating data using the coded data contained in at least one of the coded data marks; and
data storage for storing the at least one parameter so as to be accessible by said computer system.
11. A system according to claim 10, wherein the coded data contained in each coded data mark is at least partially determined by the position of the mark relative to the set of predetermined nominal mark positions.
12. A system according to claim 10, wherein said at least one parameter relating to the user registration is associated with at least one zone of the form.
13. A system according to claim 12 which includes the sensing device, wherein the sensing device is operative to sense at least one of the movement and the position of the sensing device relative to the form using the coded data contained in at least said one of the coded data marks.
14. A system according to claim 12, wherein the form includes at least one text zone, and wherein the processing system is used for interpreting the indicating data representing at least one of the movement and the position of the sensing device in the at least one text zone of the form as handwritten text.
15. A system according to claim 14, wherein the processing system is used for converting said handwritten text into computer text data comprising said at least one parameter relating to user registration.
16. A system according to claim 15, wherein the at least one parameter relating to user registration includes information selected from the group of: identification information for the user; address information for the user; telephone details for the user; and privacy preferences for the user.
17. A method for user registration of a computer system, the method comprising the steps of:
providing a printed document registration form including registration information and a plurality of coded data marks thereon, the coded data including an indication of an identity of the form and a plurality of reference points on the form, each coded data mark containing coded data indicative of an identity of the form and of a reference point of the form, the coded data marks being substantially undifferentiated marks positioned relative to a set of predetermined nominal mark positions;
receiving in the computer system indicating data from a sensing device, the indicating data including information regarding an identity of the sensing device, the identity of the form and at least one action of the sensing device in relation to the form generated by the sensing device using the coded data contained in at least one of the coded data marks;
deriving, from the indicating data regarding at least one action of the sensing device in relation to the form, an identity of a user to be registered; and
storing, in the computer system, registration data for the user including the identity of the user associated with the identity of the sensing device.
18. A method according to claim 17, wherein the at least one action of the sensing device in relation to the form includes the formation of handwritten text andor markings on the form.
19. A method according to claim 18, wherein the indicating data regarding the formation of handwritten text andor markings on the form is used to derive the identity of the user and contact details for the user to be registered.
20. A method according to claim 17, wherein the coded data contained in each coded data mark is at least partially determined by the position of the mark relative to the set of predetermined nominal mark positions.
21. A method according to claim 17, comprising the step of receiving in the computer system authorising data from a second sensing device, the authorizing data including information regarding the identity of the second sensing device, the identity of the form and at least one action of the second sensing device in relation to the form generated by the second sensing device using at least some of the coded data, the second sensing device being associated in the computer system with a second user authorized to permit user registrations.
22. A system for user registration of a computer system, the system comprising:
a printed document registration form including registration information and a plurality of coded data marks thereon, the coded data including an indication of an identity of the form and a plurality of reference points on the form, each coded data mark containing coded data indicative of an identity of the form and of a reference point of the form, the coded data marks being substantially undifferentiated marks positioned relative to a set of predetermined nominal mark positions; and
a computer system used for receiving indicating data from a sensing device, the indicating data including information regarding an identity of the sensing device, the identity of the form and at least one action of the sensing device in relation to the form generated by the sensing device using the coded data contained in at least one of the coded data marks, the computer system comprising:
a processor for deriving, from the indicating data regarding at least one action of the sensing device in relation to the form, an identity of a user to be registered; and
data storage for storing registration data for the user including the identity of the user associated with the identity of the sensing device.
23. A system according to claim 22, wherein the at least one action of the sensing device in relation to the form includes the formation of handwritten text andor markings on the form.
24. A system according to claim 22, comprising the sensing device.
25. A system according to claim 22, wherein the coded data contained in each coded data mark is at least partially determined by the position of the mark relative to the set of predetermined nominal mark positions.