An Examination of the Causal Relationship among Self-Identity Development, Using SNS and SNS Addiction <Article>

The adolescent is the big turning point during the life. Adolescents must find positive answer for the question “what is with the quality of oneself” through interactions with neighboring people to develop SELF-IDENTITY. On the other hand, Social Network Services (SNS) are highly familiar to them, making “SNS addiction” become a big social problem. This study attempted causal relationship among self-identity development and using SNS, consequently SNS addiction, from the viewpoint of personal connections. A two-wave panel survey was conducted in April and July 2013. One hundred and thirty two Undergraduate students were requested to complete scales, which measures Identity development, loneliness, SNS addiction, the number of acquaintance in real life connected on SNS (real network size) and connected only on SNS (net-only network size). Results indicated that real network size significantly caused directly Identity development while net-only network size did not. Moreover, for those who had huge real network size, Identity development was promoted as net-only network size was huge. These results suggest that only for those who have the abundant network in real life, it may be said that the relations only on SNS become meaningful for developing their own Identity. Furthermore, they can show knowledge of importance to cultivate network in real life at first to receive benefits of using SNS

Magnetized Fast Isochoric Laser Heating for Efficient Creation of Ultra-High-Energy-Density States

The quest for the inertial confinement fusion (ICF) ignition is a grand challenge, as exemplified by extraordinary large laser facilities. Fast isochoric heating of a pre-compressed plasma core with a high-intensity short-pulse laser is an attractive and alternative approach to create ultra-high-energy-density states like those found in ICF ignition sparks. This avoids the ignition quench caused by the hot spark mixing with the surrounding cold fuel, which is the crucial problem of the currently pursued ignition scheme. High-intensity lasers efficiently produce relativistic electron beams (REB). A part of the REB kinetic energy is deposited in the core, and then the heated region becomes the hot spark to trigger the ignition. However, only a small portion of the REB collides with the core because of its large divergence. Here we have demonstrated enhanced laser-to-core energy coupling with the magnetized fast isochoric heating. The method employs a kilo-tesla-level magnetic field that is applied to the transport region from the REB generation point to the core which results in guiding the REB along the magnetic field lines to the core. 7.7 $\pm$ 1.3 % of the maximum coupling was achieved even with a relatively small radial area density core ($\rho R$ $\sim$ 0.1 g/cm$^2$). The guided REB transport was clearly visualized in a pre-compressed core by using Cu-$K_\alpha$ imaging technique. A simplified model coupled with the comprehensive diagnostics yields 6.2\% of the coupling that agrees fairly with the measured coupling. This model also reveals that an ignition-scale areal density core ($\rho R$ $\sim$ 0.4 g/cm$^2$) leads to much higher laser-to-core coupling ($>$ 15%), this is much higher than that achieved by the current scheme

Hot Electron Spectra in Plain, Cone and Integrated Targets for FIREX-I using Electron Spectrometer

The traditional fast ignition scheme is that a compressed core created by an imploding laser is auxiliary heated and ignited by the hot electrons (produced by a short pulse laser guided through the cone). Here, the most suitable target design for fast ignition can be searched for by comparison of the spectra between varied targets using an electron spectrometer

Direct fast heating efficiency of a counter-imploded core plasma employing a laser for fast ignition experiments (LFEX)

Fast heating efficiency when a pre-imploded core is directly heated with an ultraintense laser (heating laser) was investigated. \u27Direct heating\u27 means that a heating laser hits a pre-imploded core without applying either a laser guiding cone or an external field. The efficiency, η, is defined as the increase in the internal core energy divided by the energy of the heating laser. Six beams (output of 1.6 kJ) from the GEKKO XII (GXII) green laser system at the Institute of Laser Engineering (ILE), Osaka University were applied to implode a spherical deuterated polystyrene (CD) shell target to form a dense core. The DD-reacted protons and the core x-ray emissions showed a core density of 2.8 ± 0.7 g cm−3, or 2.6 times the solid density. Furthermore, DD-reacted thermal neutrons were utilized to estimate the core temperature between 600 and 750 eV. Thereafter, the core was directly heated by a laser for fast-ignition experiments (LFEX, an extremely energetic ultrashort pulse laser) at ILE with its axis lying along or perpendicular to the GXII bundle axis, respectively. The former and latter laser configurations were termed \u27axial\u27 and \u27transverse modes\u27, respectively. The η was estimated from three independent methods: (1) the core x-ray emission, (2) the thermal neutron yield, and (3) the runaway hot electron spectra. For the axial mode, 0.8%< η <2.1% at low power (low LFEX energy) and 0.4%< η <2.5% at high power (high LFEX energy). For the transverse mode, 2.6%< η <7% at low power and 1.5%< η <7.7% at high power. Their efficiencies were compared with that in the uniform implosion mode using 12 GXII beams, 6% < η <12%, which appeared near to the η for the transverse mode, except that the error bar is very large

Pharmacological Effects of JTT-551, a Novel Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase 1B Inhibitor, in Diet-Induced Obesity Mice

Protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) is a negative regulator of leptin signaling as well as insulin signaling. JTT-551 is a new PTP1B inhibitor, which is reported to improve glucose metabolism by enhancement of insulin signaling. We have evaluated an antiobesity effect of JTT-551 using diet-induced obesity (DIO) mice. A single administration of JTT-551 was provided to DIO mice with or without leptin, and DIO mice were given food containing JTT-551 for six weeks. A single administration of JTT-551 with leptin treatment enhanced the food inhibition and the signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) phosphorylation in hypothalamus. Moreover, chronic administration of JTT-551 showed an antiobesity effect and an improvement of glucose and lipid metabolism in DIO mice. JTT-551 shows an antiobesity effect possibly by enhancement of leptin signaling and could be useful in the treatment of type 2 diabetes and obesity

Pharmacological Effects of JTT-551, a Novel Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase 1B Inhibitor, in Diet-Induced Obesity Mice

Protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) is a negative regulator of leptin signaling as well as insulin signaling. JTT-551 is a new PTP1B inhibitor, which is reported to improve glucose metabolism by enhancement of insulin signaling. We have evaluated an antiobesity effect of JTT-551 using diet-induced obesity (DIO) mice. A single administration of JTT-551 was provided to DIO mice with or without leptin, and DIO mice were given food containing JTT-551 for six weeks. A single administration of JTT-551 with leptin treatment enhanced the food inhibition and the signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) phosphorylation in hypothalamus. Moreover, chronic administration of JTT-551 showed an antiobesity effect and an improvement of glucose and lipid metabolism in DIO mice. JTT-551 shows an antiobesity effect possibly by enhancement of leptin signaling and could be useful in the treatment of type 2 diabetes and obesity

Combination Therapy of an Intestine-Specific Inhibitor of Microsomal Triglyceride Transfer Protein and Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor γ Agonist in Diabetic Rat

We investigated effects on glucose and lipid metabolism in combination of JTT-130, a novel intestine-specific microsomal triglyceride transfer protein (MTP) inhibitor, and pioglitazone, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) γ agonist. Male Zucker diabetic fatty rats were divided into 4 groups: control group, JTT-130 treatment group, pioglitazone treatment group, and combination group. The Zucker diabetic fatty rats were fed a regular powdered diet with JTT-130 and/or pioglitazone as a food admixture for 6 weeks. Effects on glucose and lipid metabolism were compared mainly between JTT-130 treatment group and combination group. JTT-130 treatment showed good glycemic control, while the plasma glucose and glycated hemoglobin levels in combination group were significantly decreased as compared with those JTT-130 treatment group. The reduction in the plasma triglyceride and free fatty acid levels in combination group was higher than that in JTT-130 treatment group, and glucose utilization was significantly elevated in adipose tissues. In Zucker diabetic fatty rats, combination treatment of JTT-130 and pioglitazone showed better glycemic control and a strong hypolipidemic action with an enhancement of insulin sensitivity. Combination therapy of MTP inhibitor and PPARγ agonist might be more useful in the treatment of type 2 diabetes accompanied with obesity and insulin resistance

JTP-103237, a monoacylglycerol acyltransferase inhibitor, prevents fatty liver and suppresses both triglyceride synthesis and de novo lipogenesis

Aim Monoacyglycerol acyltransferases (MGATs) are known to play important roles in intestinal TG absorption. In contrast, the role of MGATs in the liver is still unclear. We investigated the effects of JTP-103237, a novel MGAT inhibitor, on hepatic MGAT activity and hepatic lipid metabolism. Results JTP-103237 reduced hepatic triglyceride content and hepatic MGAT activity in a high sucrose very low fat (HSVLF) diet induced fatty liver model. Interestingly, JTP-103237 suppressed not only triglyceride (TG) and diacylglycerol (DG) synthesis, but also fatty acid (FA) synthesis (de novo lipogenesis) in this model. JTP-103237 also suppressed lipogenesis-related gene expression, such as sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1-c. Moreover, JTP-103237 decreased plasma glucose levels and total cholesterol and reduced the accumulation of epididymal fats in HSVLF diet fed mice. Conclusion In the present study, JTP-103237 prevented carbohydrate-induced fatty liver and suppressed both TG synthesis and de novo lipogenesis, suggesting MGAT inhibitor may prevent carbohydrate-induced metabolic disorders, including NAFLD, obesity and diabetes