Home and Dwelling: Re-Examining Race and Identity Through Octavia Butler’s Kindred and Paul Beatty’s The Sellout

The question of how to exist, to dwell, within one’s physical and psychological home has become an urgent one in an increasingly globalized world. Yet the answer to this question has never been more fleeting. Lacking universal political or sociological narratives in what can be oversimplified as a post-colonial or post-modern milieu, reformulating the question of how one dwells within one’s home has become both relevant and essential. This essay explores a return to the question of how one dwells, not in pursuit of a theoretical harmonizing answer, but to reevaluate how the question is generally framed—a return to the foundation of how one exists, or more precisely, how a one exists. Through Martin Heidegger’s essay on dwelling and Michel Foucault’s understanding of history as power, my reading of two works of modern fiction captures the struggles of subjects attempting to define their place in the world. Examining how the protagonists of Octavia Butler’s Kindred and Paul Beatty’s The Selloutdwell within their homes provides much insight into how race, identity, and history impact dwelling in a global age

Highlights From the Annual Meeting of the American Epilepsy Society 2022

With more than 6000 attendees between in-person and virtual offerings, the American Epilepsy Society Meeting 2022 in Nashville, felt as busy as in prepandemic times. An ever-growing number of physicians, scientists, and allied health professionals gathered to learn a variety of topics about epilepsy. The program was carefully tailored to meet the needs of professionals with different interests and career stages. This article summarizes the different symposia presented at the meeting. Basic science lectures addressed the primary elements of seizure generation and pathophysiology of epilepsy in different disease states. Scientists congregated to learn about anti-seizure medications, mechanisms of action, and new tools to treat epilepsy including surgery and neurostimulation. Some symposia were also dedicated to discuss epilepsy comorbidities and practical issues regarding epilepsy care. An increasing number of patient advocates discussing their stories were intertwined within scientific activities. Many smaller group sessions targeted more specific topics to encourage member participation, including Special Interest Groups, Investigator, and Skills Workshops. Special lectures included the renown Hoyer and Lombroso, an ILAE/IBE joint session, a spotlight on the impact of Dobbs v. Jackson on reproductive health in epilepsy, and a joint session with the NAEC on coding and reimbursement policies. The hot topics symposium was focused on traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic epilepsy. A balanced collaboration with the industry allowed presentations of the latest pharmaceutical and engineering advances in satellite symposia

Taxation and Reducing Recidivism: A Legal Comparative Analysis of Reducing Recidivism in States and a Federal Solution for the Future

In this article, we will focus on employer-based tax incentives for hiring ex-offenders. Central to the discussion will be the Work Opportunity Tax Credit ( WOTC ), which provides a tax credit to employers who hire qualified employees/ex-offenders under the program. Additionally, we will explore various state programs modeled on a tax-based incentive and conduct a comparative assessment of where federal and state programs are effective and where there is potential for reform. Without targeted policy solutions to address employment obstacles, ex-offenders are left facing persistent employment barriers as they attempt to return to their communities and start a new life after incarceration

Invasive alien plants in the Pampas grasslands: a tri-national cooperation challenge

The challenge of managing biological invasions requires novel approaches and coordinated efforts, especially among countries linked by intense trade routes and sharing common biomes. This is the case in Southern South America, where Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay maintain intense commercial relationships, whilst sharing continuous portions of the Pampas grasslands. Transnational similarities in this case exceed ecological features, including a common colonization history and similar development trends. This study represents a tri-national cooperation effort to describe the alien plant flora invading the Pampas grasslands of Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay and analyses their characteristics in order to detect species and traits that are shared among the three countries and those that have not yet managed to invade the whole region. Furthermore, we highlight the opportunities and needs of a common approach across countries to deal with plant invasions. Information about alien plant species was retrieved from the IABIN Invasives Information Network (I3N) project databases of Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay, complemented with some national herbaria. Three hundred and fifty-six alien plant species were recorded growing in natural or semi-natural habitats of the Pampas. A total of 50 species were found in Pampas grasslands of the three countries. Argentina shared 48 and 36 species with Brazil and Uruguay, respectively, while the Brazilian and the Uruguayan Pampas shared only 20 species. Poaceae, Asteraceae and Fabaceae were the families with the highest number of invasive species, and herbs were the most common life form (75 %). Most invasive plants originated from Europe, Asia and Africa, and almost one-quarter of the species is associated with some human use, especially gardening. We discuss the opportunities and needs for international cooperation, as the prevention of introductions from one country to another through the use of risk analysis tools, definition of priority invasive species, as well as the detection, containment, eradication and control of common invasions. Furthermore, we suggest the establishment of coherent regional legislation and the inclusion of social issues and the public perception in the biological invasion quest.Fil: Fonseca, Carlos. Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte; BrasilFil: Guadagnín, Demetrio Luis. Universidade Federal de Santa Maria; BrasilFil: Emer, Carine. University of Bristol; Reino UnidoFil: Masciadri Bálsamo, Silvana. Universidad de la República; UruguayFil: Germain, Paola. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Departamento de Biología, Bioquímica y Farmacia. Grupo de Estudios en Conservación y Manejo; ArgentinaFil: Zalba, Sergio Martín. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca. Centro de Recursos Naturales Renovables de la Zona Semiárida. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Centro de Recursos Naturales Renovables de la Zona Semiárida; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Departamento de Biología, Bioquímica y Farmacia. Grupo de Estudios en Conservación y Manejo; Argentin