Invasive plants are an increasing threat to global biodiversity. Effective management depends on accurate predictions of their spread. However, modelling the geographic distribution invasive species, particularly with correlative species models (SDMs), is challenging. SDMs assume that in equilibrium environment (i.e. they occur all suitable environments); this assumption likely be violated for ...

The ability of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) to influence the performance of nonnative invasive plants in their introduced range has received increasing attention. The dependence of the invasive nonnative vine pale swallow-wort on AMF was studied in three greenhouse experiments. The aims of the present work were to (1) determine AMF colonization levels of field-collected pale swallow-wort ...

Fragmented landscapes may have implications for the genetic structure of populations and microevolution plant species. In particular, landscape fragmentation and/or population isolation might affect evolution mating systems. Here, we study consequences on a perennial herb, Vincetoxicum hirundinaria with mixed system. Our area, south-western Finnish archipelago, was formed after glacial ice shee...

Cervical cancer is a major health problem worldwide and is the most frequent cause of cancer in women in India. Early detection and affordable drugs with clinical efficacy have to go hand-in-hand in order to comprehensibly address this serious health challenge. Plant-based drugs with potent anticancer effects should add to the efforts to find a cheap drug with limited clinical side effects. Kee...

Independent component analysis (ICA) is a statistical method used to discover hidden factors (sources or features) from a set of measurements or observed data such that the sources are maximally independent. Typically, it assumes a generative model where observations are assumed to be linear mixtures of independent sources, and unlike principal component analysis (PCA), which uncorrelates the d...

In semiarid drylands water shortage and trampling by large herbivores are two factors limiting plant growth and distribution. Trampling can strongly affect plant performance, but little is known about responses of morphological and mechanical traits of woody plants to trampling and their possible interaction with water availability. Seedlings of four shrubs (Caragana intermedia, Cynanchum komar...

Rapid urbanization is placing increased pressure on natural, restored and designed ecosystems to provide services growing human populations. The establishment spread of invasive alien species within around urban areas threaten biodiversity ecosystem functioning, the they provide. Consequently, there a need protect manage where invasions will have greatest socio-ecological impact. Limited resour...

PURPOSE To compare the pharmacodynamic effects of an anodyne spray (XQAS) containing extracts of two herbs, Cynanchum paniculatum (CP) and Illicium henryi (IH), with those of spray containing the vehicle alone, CP alone (CPS) or IH alone (IHS), when applied topically acute soft tissue injury (STI) in an animal model. METHODS Acute closed STI was modeled by hammer blow in the hind leg muscle o...