We discuss the weak-field limit of induced gravity and show that results directly depend on the coupling and self–interaction potential of the scalar field. A static spherically symmetric exact solution is found and its conformal properties are studied. As an application, it is shown that the light deflection angle and the microlensing quantities can be parametrized by the coupling of the theory.

This study focuses on the shape optimization of concrete gravity dams considering dam–water–foundation interaction and nonlinear effects subject to earthquake. The concrete gravity dam is considered as a two–dimensional structure involving the geometry and material nonlinearity effects. For the description of the nonlinear behavior of concrete material under earthquake loads, the Drucker–Prager...

Anther formation and dehiscence are complex pivotal processes in reproductive development. The secondary wall thickening in endothecial cells of the anther is a known prerequisite for successful anther dehiscence. However, many gaps remain in our understanding of the regulatory mechanisms underlying anther dehiscence in planta, including a possible role for jasmonic acid (JA) and H(2)O(2) in se...

The characteristics of sites of intramural cancer spread were examined by comparing the intraductal ultrasonography (IDUS) and wall thickening findings at sites of intramural cancer spread and non-spread, in patients with malignant bile duct stenosis who had undergone percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage (PTBD).The subjects were ten patients with extrahepatic bile duct cancer, two with pa...

AIMS Post-systolic wall thickening (PSWT) occurs after aortic valve closure. This waste of thickening does not participate in ejection. PSWT increases with myocardial ischaemia and stunning but the effects of anti-anginal drugs on PSWT during myocardial dysfunction remain unknown. The effects of two heart rate reducing agents, i.e. the beta-blocker atenolol and the selective I(f) current inhibi...

Laser photocoagulation has been used successfully for the treatment of clinically significant macular oedema to reduce the risk of loss of vision in diabetic patients. A quantitative method for measuring retinal thickness was applied to 20 patients with diabetic macular oedema before and 4 months after focal laser treatment to assess the reduction in retinal thickening and its relation to visua...

BACKGROUND Although dobutamine echocardiography is being increasingly used to determine the presence of viable myocardium in patients who have undergone successful reperfusion therapy, the physiological basis for such a use has not been clearly defined. Because postischemic myocardium has contractile reserve, we hypothesized that the absolute degree of wall thickening induced by dobutamine duri...