This paper presents a Galerkin-based meshless method for calculating stress-intensity factors (SIFs) for a stationary crack in two-dimensional functionally graded materials of arbitrary geometry. The method involves an element-free Galerkin method (EFGM), where the material properties are smooth functions of spatial coordinates and two newly developed interaction integrals for mixed-mode fractu...

Treatment of sacral insufficiency fractures (SIFs) has traditionally been conservative, but several patients have been treated with percutaneous sacroplasty. Unfortunately, in the setting of severe, bilateral SIFs, cement may not withstand shear forces present at the lumbosacral junction, and surgical hardware may not provide adequate fixation in osteoporotic, cancellous bone of the sacrum, lea...

Multilayers of nanoburger structures of silver island films-SiO(2)-silver island films (SIFs-SiO(2)-SIFs) were used as substrates to study the fluorescence of close-proximity fluorophores. Compared to single-layered SIFs, multilayer nanoburgers exhibit several distinctive properties including a significantly enhanced fluorescence intensity, decreased lifetimes, and increased fluorphore photosta...

Metal-enhanced fluorescence (MEF) studies of the optical brightener Tinopal-CBS (4,40distyrylbiphenyl sulfonic sodium salt) have been undertaken using steady-state and time resolved fluorescence measurements on silver island films (SiFs) deposited on glass slides and silver nano-particles adsorbed onto cellulose based filter paper. Nearly a 4.5 fold enhancement in fluorescence intensity is obse...

We report the application of our newly described crystallization technique, which employs silver island films (SIFs) and microwave heating, to rapid crystallization of L-arginine acetate (LAA). Using our technique, LAA crystals (~ 1.2 mm in length) were grown from a 20 μl solution in 1 min on surface functionalized SIFs. In control experiments (glass slides and at room temperature) the growth o...

Safe injection facilities (SIFs) have shown promise in reducing harms and social costs associated with injection drug use. Favorable evaluations elsewhere have raised the issue of their implementation in the United States. Recognizing that laws shape health interventions targeting drug users, we analyzed the legal environment for publicly authorized SIFs in the United States. Although states an...

Sacral insufficiency fractures (SIFs) are a common, under-recognized cause of debilitating low back pain, particularly in elderly patients with osteoporotic bone disease or risk factors for bone demineralization. Conservative therapy has been the mainstay of treatment for these types of fractures. This places patients at increased risk for the development of secondary illnesses associated with ...

BACKGROUND Supervised injection facilities (SIFs) are venues where people who inject drugs (PWID) have access to a clean and medically supervised environment in which they can safely inject their own illicit drugs. There is currently only one legal SIF in North America: Insite in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The responses and feedback generated by the evaluations of Insite in Vancouver ...

In this paper, metal-enhanced fluorescence (MEF) from 6-propionyl-2-dimethylaminonaphthalene (Prodan) in different solvents when placed in close proximity to silver island films (SIFs), surface-deposited nanoparticles, is studied. We observe that MEF is wavelength dependent: the enhanced emission of Prodan on SIFs in different solvents changes from 1.5to 3-fold as compared to a glass control sa...

We report the first observation of metal-enhanced phosphorescence (MEP) at low temperature. Silver island films (SiFs) in close proximity to Rose Bengal, significantly enhance the phosphorescence emission intensity. The enhanced phosphorescence intensity is 5-fold brighter from SiFs as compared to a glass control sample at 77 K. In addition, enhanced fluorescence emission and spectral narrowing...