Tugai forests represent key riparian ecosystems of the arid landscapes of Central Asia, where vegetation dynamics are strongly influenced by seasonal hydrological variability and increasing anthropogenic pressure. Assessing the population structure of dominant shrub species can provide important insights into the condition and resilience of these floodplain ecosystems. This study examines the demographic structure, vitality, and morphological variability of Lycium dasystemum populations in the Syr Darya River valley. Field surveys were conducted in six subpopulations located in Tugai forests differing in hydrological conditions and levels of anthropogenic disturbance. Population structure was assessed using ontogenetic spectra, ecological density, and regeneration indices, while vitality indices and morphological traits were analyzed to evaluate population condition and phenotypic variability. Species turnover dominated β-diversity patterns (βsim up to 81%), indicating floristic differentiation among the studied communities. Clear spatial differences in demographic parameters were detected among subpopulations. Subpopulations occurring in relatively stable habitats showed more balanced ontogenetic spectra, higher vitality indices, and signs of active regeneration, whereas subpopulations exposed to stronger anthropogenic pressure were characterized by demographic imbalance, reduced recruitment, and lower ecological density. Morphological analyses revealed moderate phenotypic plasticity, suggesting that some traits may be associated with local floodplain habitat conditions. These findings indicate that maintaining suitable floodplain moisture conditions and regulating grazing pressure may contribute to the persistence of L. dasystemum populations and the conservation of Tugai vegetation in the Syr Darya basin.

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Corydalis repens Mandl & Muhldorf is an early spring-blooming species within the genus Corydalis . In this study, we present the complete chloroplast genome of C. repens for the first time. The assembled genome is 188,101 base pairs (bp) long and is organized into a typical quadripartite structure consisting of a large single-copy (LSC) region of 89,844 bp, a small single-copy (SSC) region of 757 bp, and two inverted repeat (IR) regions totaling 48,750 bp. The overall GC content is 40.2%. The plastome encodes 141 genes, including 94 protein-coding genes, 38 transfer RNA genes, and eight ribosomal RNA genes, along with a single pseudogene ( clpP ). Phylogenetic reconstruction indicates that C. repens is nested within section Corydalis and shows the closest affinity to C. maculata . These findings provide an important genetic resource for future studies on the evolutionary history and conservation of the genus Corydalis .

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Endometriosis is caused by the growth or infiltration of endometrial tissues outside of the endometrium and myometrium. Symptoms include pain and infertility. Surgery and hormonal therapy are widely used in Western medicine for the treatment of endometriosis; however, the side effects associated with this practice include disease recurrence and menopause, which can severely influence quality of life. Angiogenesis is the main biological mechanism underlying the development of endometriosis. Numerous natural products and Chinese medicines with potent anti-angiogenic effects have been investigated, and the molecular basis underlying their therapeutic effects in endometriosis has been explored. This review aims to describe natural products and compounds that suppress angiogenesis associated with endometriosis and to assess their diverse molecular mechanisms of action. Furthermore, this review provides a source of information relating to alternative and complementary therapeutic products that mediate anti-angiogenesis. An extensive review of the literature and electronic databases, such as the China National Knowledge Infrastructure, PubMed, and Embase, was conducted using the keywords 'endometriosis,' 'traditional Chinese medicine,' 'Chinese herbal medicine,' 'natural compounds,' and 'anti-angiogenic' therapy. Anti-angiogenic therapy is an emerging strategy for the treatment of endometriosis. Natural anti-angiogenic products and Chinese medicines provide several beneficial clinical effects, including pain relief. In this review, we summarize clinical trials and experimental studies of endometriosis using natural products and Chinese medicines. In particular, we focus on anti-angiogenic products and alternative and complementary medicines for the treatment of endometriosis and additionally examine their therapeutic efficacy and mechanisms of action. Anti-angiogenic natural products and/or compounds provide a new approach for the treatment of endometriosis. Future work will require randomized trials with larger numbers of subjects, as well as long-term follow-up to confirm the findings described here.

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In forest ecosystems, the onset of spring photosynthesis may have an important influence on the annual carbon balance. However, triggers for the onset of photosynthesis have yet to be clearly identified, especially for temperate evergreen conifers. The effects of climatic factors on recovery of photosynthetic capacity in a Korean pine forest were investigated in the field. No photosynthesis was detectable when the soil temperature was below 0 °C even if the air temperature was far beyond 15 °C. The onset of photosynthesis and sap flow was coincident with the time of soil thawing. The rates of recovery of photosynthetic capacity highly fluctuated with air temperature after onset of photosynthesis, and intermittent frost events remarkably inhibited the photosynthetic capacity of the needles. The results suggest that earlier soil thawing is more important than air temperature increases in triggering the onset of photosynthesis in Korean pine in temperate zones under global warming scenarios.

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