Zagzebski on Rationality

This paper examines Linda Zagzebski’s account of rationality, as set out in her rich, wide-ranging, and important book, Epistemic Authority: A Theory of Trust, Authority, and Autonomy in Belief. We briefly describe the account that she offers and then consider its plausibility. In particular, in the first section we argue that a number of Zagzebski’s claims with regard to rationality require more support than she offers for them. Moreover, in the second section, we contend that far from offering Zagzebski a quick way of dealing with radical scepticism, her account of rationality actually seems to be particularly vulnerable to this problem

Maximizing Beneficence and Autonomy: Ethical Support for the Use of Non-Pharmacological Methods for Managing Dental Anxiety

This article examines advantages associated with nonpharmacological behavioral management techniques and suggests that there are benefits to their use (such as achieving a more lasting solution to the problem of dental anxiety) that are not realized with medication-based interventions. Analyses that use Kantian and existential viewpoints for exploring the use of medication versus behavioral interventions for managing life problems yield parallel conclusions: there are advantages gained by using behavioral interventions that are not always associated with medicationbased interventions. These analyses, taken together with an understanding of the psychology of dental anxiety management, suggest that using nonpharmacological techniques for the management of dental anxiety can maximize adherence-to the ethical principles of beneficence and patient autonomy. The authors discuss the barriers that make nonpharmacological interventions for anxiety management difficult for dentists to routinely use, and suggest that additional training in these methods and increased collaboration with mental health professionals are needed for dentists

SEX-SPECIFIC GROWTH AND LONGEVITY OF ‘EHU’, Etelis carbunculus (FAMILY LUTJANIDAE), WITHIN THE HAWAIIAN ARCHIPELAGO

M.S.M.S. Thesis. University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa 201

Influence of Dapagliflozin on dietary mediated physiological and behavioral changes, The

2019 Spring.Includes bibliographical references.The diabetes medication, Dapagliflozin, is a sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitor. The mechanism of action is decreasing renal absorption of glucose, leading to glucosuria, and modest weight loss. We hypothesized that SGLT2 inhibition would potentiate the favorable influence of dietary counseling on body composition and physiological adaptations in overweight or obese adults. Fifty sedentary overweight/obese men (n = 12) and women (n = 38) were randomly assigned to 12 weeks of dietary counseling for weight loss, supplemented with daily ingestion of either placebo or Dapagliflozin (up to 10 mg/day); coded as Pill A and Pill B. Dietary counseling consisted of weekly, one-on-one, 30-minute meetings targeting modest calorie restriction. Before and after treatment, body composition, resting metabolic rate (RMR), insulin sensitivity, appetite and satiety were measured. Twelve weeks of dietary counseling decreased (P 0.264). Dietary counseling also decreased lean mass (treatment main effect: P 0.055). Overall, 12-weeks of dietary counseling leads to favorable modification of body mass and fat mass regardless of pill assignment. However, Pill A appears to reduce the dietary counseling mediated loss in lean mass. Except for lean mass, the effects of dietary counseling for weight loss were not influenced by SGLT2 inhibition

Are Terrorist Networks Just Glorified Criminal Cells?

The notions of organized crime and terrorism have an old and rich history around the globe. Researchers and practitioners have been studying events and phenomena related to these notions for a long time. There are pointers in the literature in which it is misleading to see the unfair comparison between terrorist and criminal networks with the argument that all actors involved in these networks are simply evil individuals. In this paper, we conduct a systematic study of the operational structure of such networks from a network science perspective. We highlight some of the major differences between them and support our hypothesis with analytical evidence. We hope our work will impact current and future endeavors in counter terrorism, especially within the cyber realm, inside the United States of America and across our allied nations

Evidence of a Modest Price Decline in US Broadband Services

In this paper, we construct a price index for broadband services in the United States between 2004 and 2009. We analyze over 1500 service contracts offered by DSL and cable providers in the United States. We employ a mix of matched-model methods and hedonic price index estimations to adjust for qualitative improvements. In general, we find some evidence of a quality-adjusted price decline, but the evidence points towards a modest decline at most. Our estimates of the price decline range from 3% to 10% in quality-adjusted terms for the five-year period, which is faster than the BLS estimates for the last three years. These modest price declines look nothing like other parts of electronics, such as computers or integrated circuits, which raises many questions. The results also inform a range of policy discussions about US broadband services.

The Broadband Bonus: Accounting for Broadband Internet's Impact on U.S. GDP

How much economic value did the diffusion of broadband create? We provide benchmark estimates for 1999 to 2006. We observe $39 billion of total revenue in Internet access in 2006, with broadband accounting for$28 billion of this total. Depending on the estimate, households generated $20 to$22 billion of the broadband revenue. Approximately $8.3 to$10.6 billion was additional revenue created between 1999 and 2006. That replacement is associated with $4.8 to$6.7 billion in consumer surplus, which is not measured via Gross Domestic Product (GDP). An Internet-access Consumer Price Index (CPI) would have to decline by 1.6% to 2.2% per year for it to reflect the creation of value. These estimates both differ substantially from those typically quoted in Washington policy discussions, and they shed light on several broadband policy issues, such as why relying on private investment worked to diffuse broadband in many US urban locations at the start of the millennium.