Thus, although seed morph did not affect the expression of life history traits, germination season and watering regime significantly affected phenology, plant size and accumulation and allocation of biomass to reproduction. Flexibility throughout the

life cycle of D. strictus is an adaptation to the variation in timing and amount of rainfall Proton Pump inhibitor in its cold desert habitat.”
“ObjectiveLittle is known about whether rural-urban differences exist in patients after hip and knee joint replacement surgery. We compared patient characteristics, pain and functional outcomes of rural and urban patients undergoing joint replacement surgery in a single high-volume metropolitan centre. DesignProspective cohort study conducted in patients who underwent

primary elective hip (THJR) or knee replacement (TKJR) between 1 January 2006 and 31 December 2009. SettingA university-affiliated tertiary referral centre situated in the central metropolitan region of Melbourne, Australia. ParticipantsOne thousand nine hundred fifty-five consecutive patients undergoing primary total joint replacement. Main outcome measurePain and function were assessed preoperatively and 12 and 24 months postoperatively. The main independent variable was geographic location specifically comparing patients residing in rural/regional compared with urban communities. ResultsA total of 2193 primary joint replacements were performed GDC-0068 ic50 (981 THJR and 1212 TKJR) in 1955 patients. Rural patients presented at a younger age and with earlier radiographic disease than their urban Y27632 counterparts. There was a higher rate of rheumatoid arthritis among rural patients presenting for TKJR. There was no difference in pain and function scores between groups at 12 and 24 months post-surgery. ConclusionIn our series of 1955 patients undergoing total hip and knee joint replacement

surgery, rural patients presented at a younger age and an earlier stage of disease progression. At 24 months, rural patients had pain and functional outcomes as good as their urban counterparts. More research is required to determine which factors lead to the early presentation of rural patients.”
“This report reviews the diagnosis, treatment and follow-up of 15 Chinese patients with tuberculous sacroiliitis (TBS) from 1997 to 2007. Buttock pain and lower back pain were the main complaints. All patients received antituberculosis chemotherapy treatment for at least 18 months; 10 also underwent surgery, with seven undergoing modified Smith-Petersen arthrodesis (evaluated using a visual analogue scale [VAS] for pain and the Oswestry Disability Index [001]). No simplex tuberculous synovitis existed at diagnosis. Bone-marrow oedema, cold abscess and soft-tissue oedema responded to antituberculosis treatment. Thirteen patients (86.7%) had satisfactory outcomes.