Loot box purchases and their relationship with internet gaming disorder and online gambling disorder in adolescents: a prospective study

In recent years, the video game industry has introduced Loot Box (LB), a new type of microtransaction in which a gamer uses real currency to purchase a random virtual item within a video game. Recently, LBs became more widespread and there is evidence suggesting their similarity to online gambling. Although some studies have investigated the association between LBs with disordered gaming and disordered gambling, very few have done so with clinical indicators of these problems. Furthermore, to the best of our knowledge no longitudinal evidence of such relationships currently exists in the literature. Therefore, the present study aimed to 1) ascertain the stability of LB purchasing in minors and 2) investigate the associations between LB purchasing with gambling online and online gambling disorder within six months. A prospective cohort study was conducted at two time points six months apart. In total, 2.213 Spanish adolescents (1.067 [48.9%] boys) aged between 11 and 17 years participated in both waves. The purchase of LBs was prevalent and stable in the sample across the six months. While a positive relationship was found between purchasing LBs and online gambling six months later, the relationships between purchasing LBs and the presentation of online gambling disorder and gaming disorder require further study

Purificación y caracterización parcial de la glutamina sintetasa de nódulos radicales de haba.

Glutamine synthetase (GS, EC 6.1.3 .2) from the plant fraction of Vicia faba L. nodules was purified to apparent homogeneity using Sepharose-anthranilic acid affinity chromatography. The enzyme is composed of three 40 kD polypeptides and has a native molecular weight of 310-330 kD, determined by gel filtration chromatography and native gradient polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, respectively, and showed crossreactivity with antibodies obtained against Phaseolus vulgaris nodule GS. Two isoenzymes, GSn-1 and Gsn-2, were separated in nodules by anion-exchange chromatography on QSepharose, while just one form could be identified in roots, all the isoenzymes being identical in subunit composition and native molecular weight. The transferase to semibiosynthetic activity ratio of all three GS forms was found to be unusually low. Glutamine synthetase abundance in nodules was quantified by densitometry, representing about 5% of total soluble protein extracted. Possible significance of these and other characteristics of V. faba GS is discussed.La glutamina sintetasa (GS, EC 6.1.3 .2) de la fracción vegetal de nódulos radicales de Vicia f aba L. se ha purificado hasta homogeneidad aparente utilizando cromatografía de afmidad con sefarosa-antranílico . El enzima está compuesto de tres polipéptidos diferentes de 40 kDa y presenta un peso molecular nativo de 310-330 kDa, determinado por cromatografia de exclusión molecular y electroforesis nativa en gradiente de poliacrilamida, respectivamente, y mostró reacción cruzada con anticuerpos obtenidos frente a la GS de nódulos de Phaseolus vulgaris. Dos isoenzimas, GSn- I y GSn-2, fueron separadas en nódulos mediante cromatografia de intercambio aniónico en Q-sefarosa, mientras que sólo una pudo ser identificada en raíz. Todas ellas mostraron idéntico número de subunidades y peso molecular nativo. La relación de actividad transferasa-semibiosintética fue , para las tres isoformas de GS, inusual mente baja. La abuandancia del enzima en nódulos fue cuantificada mediante densitometría y representó aproximadamente el 5% de la proteína soluble extraída. Se discute la posible significación de estas y otras características del enzima en V. f aba

Short root mutant of Lotus japonicus with a dramatically altered symbiotic phenotype

Legume plants carefully control the extent of nodulation in response to rhizobial infection. To examine the mechanism underlying this process we conducted a detailed analysis of the Lotus japonicus hypernodulating mutants, har1-1, 2 and 3 that define a new locus, HYPERNODULATION ABERRANT ROOT FORMATION (Har1), involved in root and symbiotic development. Mutations in the Har1 locus alter root architecture by inhibiting root elongation, diminishing root diameter and stimulating lateral root initiation. At the cellular level these developmental alterations are associated with changes in the position and duration of root cell growth and result in a premature differentiation of har1-1 mutant root. No significant differences between har1-1 mutant and wild-type plants were detected with respect to root growth responses to 1-aminocyclopropane1-carboxylic acid, the immediate precursor of ethylene, and auxin; however, cytokinin in the presence of AVG (aminoetoxyvinylglycine) was found to stimulate root elongation of the har1-1 mutant but not the wild-type. After inoculation with Mesorhizobium loti, the har1 mutant lines display an unusual hypernodulation (HNR) response, characterized by unrestricted nodulation (hypernodulation), and a concomitant drastic inhibition of root and shoot growth. These observations implicate a role for the Har1 locus in both symbiotic and non-symbiotic development of L. japonicus, and suggest that regulatory processes controlling nodule organogenesis and nodule number are integrated in an overall mechanism governing root growth and development