2011: Provenance of Des Moines lobe till records ice-stream catchment evolution during Laurentide deglaciation.Mapping and analysis of deposits of the Des Moines lobe of the Laurentide Ice Sheet, active after the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), reveal several texturally and lithologically distinct tills within what had been considered to be a homogeneous deposit. Although the differences between tills are subtle, minor distinctions are predictable and mappable, and till sheets within the area covered by the lobe can be correlated for hundreds of kilometres parallel to ice flow. Lateral till-sheet contacts are abrupt or overlap in a narrow zone, coincident with a geomorphic discontinuity interpreted to be a shear margin. Till sheets 10 to 20 m thick show mixing in their lower 2 to 3 m. We suggest that: (i) lithologically distinct till sheets correspond to unique ice-stream source areas; (ii) the sequence of tills deposited by the Des Moines lobe was the result of the evolution and varying dominance of nearby and competing ice streams and their tributaries; and (iii) in at least one instance, more than one ice stream simultaneously contributed to the lobe. Therefore the complex sequence of tills of subtly different provenances, and the unconformities between them record the evolution of an ice-catchment area during Laurentide Ice Sheet drawdown. Till provenance data suggest that, after till is created in the ice-stream source area, the subglacial conditions required for transporting till decline and incorporation of new material is limited.

Critical limb ischemia (CLI) is the end stage of lower extremity peripheral vascular disease (PVD) in which severe obstruction of blood flow results in ischemic rest pain, ulcers and/or gangrene, and a significant risk of limb loss. This open-label, single-arm feasibility study evaluated the safety and therapeutic effectiveness of autologous bone marrow cell (aBMC) concentrate in revascularization of CLI patients utilizing a rapid point-of-care device. Seventeen (17) no-option CLI patients with ischemic rest pain were enrolled in the study. Single dose of aBMC, prepared utilizing an intraoperative point-of-care device, the Res-Q™ 60 BMC system, was injected intramuscularly into the afflicted limb and patients were followed up at regular intervals for 12 months. A statistically significant improvement in Ankle Brachial Index (ABI), Transcutaneous Oxygen Pressure (TcPO2), mean rest pain and intermittent claudication pain scores, wound/ ulcer healing, and 6-minute walking distance was observed following aBMC treatment. Major amputation-free survival (mAFS) rate and amputation-free rates (AFR) at 12 months were 70.6% and 82.3%, respectively. In conclusion, aBMC injections were well tolerated with improved tissue perfusion, confirming the safety, feasibility, and preliminary effectiveness of aBMC treatment in CLI patients.

A spinal cord injury (SCI) is any injury of the spinal cord caused due to trauma and mostly comprise of damage to the nerves associated with the spinal cord and they can be classified as being complete or incomplete. Spinal cord injuries account for a majority of lower body disabilities due to accidents and trauma. Cell transplantation, as a therapeutic intervention for spinal cord injury (SCI), has been extensively studied by scientists and researchers in recent years using stem cell that has shown considerable promise in treating patients with SCI and thus restores lost functions by replacing lost or damaged cell populations. Spinal cord injuries account for a majority of lower body disabilities due to accidents and trauma. SCI also paves way for a lot of other disabilities associated with blood vessels as well and bone deformities. The global burden of SCI, economically, runs into millions as complete cure is not possible. The number of clinical trials that have been conducted for phase 1 studies of spinal cord injury is a staggering number and currently 246 trials are being conducted in their initial phases. However, many questions remain unanswered and more continue to emerge. This review will comprehensively cover publications in the field from the last years and examine the biological effects of SCI.

A three-dimensional (3D) geological model of known and potential aquifers as well as enclosing materials in the Fargo-Moorhead region of North Dakota and Minnesota was required for a current water supply assessment coordinated by U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation and their partners. A multi-agency team funded by Reclamation therefore compiled, interpreted, and integrated existing geologic mapping at a scale of 1:200,000 for an area (Figure 1) extending from 46 to 47.5 degrees north latitude and from 98 to 95 degrees west longitude, an area 190 km east to west and 170 km north to south. These maps were merged with drillhole data (Figure 2) for 30,000 sites, 60 Quaternary stratigraphic control sites, and new subsurface correlations to produce a 3D geological model extending down to the top of Precambrian rocks, compiled at a scale comparable to that of a 1:500,000 map. This new 3D geology and an accompanying USGS compilation of the quantitative properties of selected major aquifers will provide the framework necessary to conduct subsequent water resource analyses. To construct the 3D geology, drillhole cross-sections were constructed using ArcView 3.3, ArcGIS 9.0, and custom extensions. Thirty-four regional cross sections were constructed at 5 km spacing. Drillhole logs and surficial geology were displayed along the locus of each cross section to facilitate correlation. Four smaller areas encompassing important aquifers, ranging from 1,300 to 3,200 square km in area, were chosen for more detailed analysis. East-west cross sections were constructed in these areas using 0.5 to 3 km spacing. Creating these cross sections in ArcView allowed sand and till boundaries to be correlated by overlaying shapefiles in the same view window. A series of points for each stratum were extracted from the cross-section shapefile lines and converted into X, Y, & Z values. These points as well as cross-sections scanned and registered in 3D space were then used as the basis for construction of surfaces and volumes in GOcad software (Figure 3). Modeled strata were constructed for a total of 36 lithostratigraphic units (Figure 4), including Quaternary sediments as well as Cretaceous, Ordovician and Precambrian rocks, and these are now being prepared for further application to regional groundwater inventory, to help ensure long-term water supply for the region.

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