ChatGPT in a Contract Drafting Class

Our presentation will discuss the impact of ChatGPT on contract drafting pedagogy. Specifically, we will examine ChatGPT’s basis of knowledge and whether it has sufficient theoretical foundation to be used as a pedagogical tool; whether ChatGPT’s practical application supports proven methods of instructional delivery; and ChatGPT’s functionality as an assessment tool. 1. ChatGPT’s basis of knowledge and whether it has sufficient theoretical foundation to be used as a pedagogical tool Our presentation will compare the pretraining of ChatGPT and to the typical Contract Drafting pedagogy. We will start by showing the program on a screen and asking it how it was trained and what principles it follows to draft contracts. We will then compare this to the principles students are taught to apply in a typical contract drafting class. Our working hypotheses is that ChatGPT draws from internet resources and follows basic principles of clear writing. In contrast, transactional attorneys typically either draft from scratch following whatever conventions they were trained on, or they start with a form or sample document and then revise it for a specific transaction. 2. Whether ChatGPT’s practical application supports proven methods of instructional delivery We will then show an example of how ChatGPT works by giving it a prompt that would be typical in any contract drafting class and asking it to draft the applicable contract from scratch. It takes less than a minute for the program to draft the type of contract students typically draft in class. We will examine the sufficiency of ChatGPT’s output. The next step will be to highlight errors and other issues with the document ChatGPT drafts. We will ask the program if it can draft the contract following certain conventions (since drafting courses are typically taught according to conventions) and see whether it can actually do what it says it can do (it can’t). Ultimately, we will look at techniques that can be used to improve the quality and completeness of the documents ChatGPT produces so that it aligns more with the way contract drafting classes are typically taught. The program works better, for example, if you ask more specific questions and provide feedback on the output

Maize brace root formation and correlation with juvenile nodes and tassel structure [abstract]

Abstract only availableGlobal warming causing changes in weather patterns is making drought a more frequent occurrence. Drought is a major limiting factor of maize production worldwide. To maintain high production levels, it is important to identify maize lines which are tolerant to water-stress conditions. A significant trait in drought tolerance is an extensive root system. Root systems in maize are composed of not only below ground roots but also above ground roots. These above ground roots are commonly known as brace roots, and they function to keep the plant upright and provide a surface for nutrient and water uptake and gas exchange. Preliminary studies have demonstrated correlations between brace root architecture and tassel branching. There is a negative correlation between central spike length and number of nodes with brace roots. Studies also indicate brace roots emerge from juvenile nodes The objective of this study is to examine these relationships on a set of 25 diverse maize lines. Leaf traits were measured to identify juvenile, transitional, and adult leaves. These data will be used to determine if juvenile nodes give rise to brace roots. Various measurements of tassel structure will be gathered and statistically analyzed for relationships between tassel traits and brace root architecture. Examining tassel structure and juvenile node number may help in the selection of maize lines with an increased number of brace roots which allow for adaptation to water-stressed environments

“As Tough As It Gets”: Women in Boston Politics, 1921-2004

This study seeks to answer the question: Given the wealth of talent and resources women possess—and the state offers—why is it so tough for women to gain representation in Boston City Hall? To answer this question, and to document the efforts women have made over almost 100 years, we examine the history of women who have run for and won—or lost—election to the Boston City Council in the 20th century. How does the structure and culture of a given urban political arena (i.e., “Boston politics”) affect women’s opportunities as elected officials? What is women’s political culture and how has it differed from patriarchal models of urban political culture? What constitutes political ambition and participation for women? How do women fare in Boston compared to other capital cities in the United States? This history of women and the Boston City Council uses public records, media reports, and oral histories with candidates and elected officials to tell a story that fills a gap in scholarship regarding the roles of women in Boston city politics. First, we will provide a brief description of the historical context—how “Boston politics” has shaped, hindered, or, in some cases, promoted women’s election to the City Council. Second, using data gathered from historical records, oral histories, interviews, and other sources, we will provide a chronological history of women who ran, won, and lost their bids for election. Finally, the paper concludes with an analysis of the reasons it has been so difficult for women to gain anything approaching equal representation on the Boston City Council. This analysis includes systemic constraints such as bias in gender roles and expectations; traditional notions about women’s capabilities and responsibility; familiarity with the political process; the role of gatekeepers; and fundraising and other forms of support

Zephyr: The Fourth Issue

This is the fourth issue of Zephyr, the University of New England\u27s journal of creative expression. Since 2000, Zephyr has published original drawings, paintings, photography, prose, and verse created by current and former members of the University community. Zephyr\u27s Editorial Board is made up exclusively of matriculating students.https://dune.une.edu/zephyr/1003/thumbnail.jp

Lysosomal protein surface expression discriminates fat- from bone-forming human mesenchymal precursor cells

Tissue resident mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) occupy perivascular spaces. Profiling human adipose perivascular mesenchyme with antibody arrays identified 16 novel surface antigens, including endolysosomal protein CD107a. Surface CD107a expression segregates MSCs into functionally distinct subsets. In culture, CD107a(low) cells demonstrate high colony formation, osteoprogenitor cell frequency, and osteogenic potential. Conversely, CD107a(high) cells include almost exclusively adipocyte progenitor cells. Accordingly, human CD107a(low) cells drove dramatic bone formation after intramuscular transplantation in mice, and induced spine fusion in rats, whereas CD107a(high) cells did not. CD107a protein trafficking to the cell surface is associated with exocytosis during early adipogenic differentiation. RNA sequencing also suggested that CD107a(low) cells are precursors of CD107a(high) cells. These results document the molecular and functional diversity of perivascular regenerative cells, and show that relocation to cell surface of a lysosomal protein marks the transition from osteo- to adipogenic potential in native human MSCs, a population of substantial therapeutic interest

Assessing gender responsiveness of COVID-19 response plans for populations in conflict-affected humanitarian emergencies.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated rapid development of preparedness and response plans to quell transmission and prevent illness across the world. Increasingly, there is an appreciation of the need to consider equity issues in the development and implementation of these plans, not least with respect to gender, given the demonstrated differences in the impacts both of the disease and of control measures on men, women, and non-binary individuals. Humanitarian crises, and particularly those resulting from conflict or violence, exacerbate pre-existing gender inequality and discrimination. To this end, there is a particularly urgent need to assess the extent to which COVID-19 response plans, as developed for conflict-affected states and forcibly displaced populations, are gender responsive. METHODS: Using a multi-step selection process, we identified and analyzed 30 plans from states affected by conflict and those hosting forcibly displaced refugees and utilized an adapted version of the World Health Organization's Gender Responsive Assessment Scale (WHO-GRAS) to determine whether existing COVID-19 response plans were gender-negative, gender-blind, gender-sensitive, or gender-transformative. RESULTS: We find that although few plans were gender-blind and none were gender-negative, no plans were gender-transformative. Most gender-sensitive plans only discuss issues specifically related to women (such as gender-based violence and reproductive health) rather than mainstream gender considerations throughout all sectors of policy planning. CONCLUSIONS: Despite overwhelming evidence about the importance of intentionally embedding gender considerations into the COVID-19 planning and response, none of the plans reviewed in this study were classified as 'gender transformative.' We use these results to make specific recommendations for how infectious disease control efforts, for COVID-19 and beyond, can better integrate gender considerations in humanitarian settings, and particularly those affected by violence or conflict

Sociocultural Determinants of Teenage Childbearing Among Latinas in California

Objectives U.S. Latinas have a persistently high rate of teenage childbearing, which is associated with adverse outcomes for both mother and child. This study was designed to investigate the roles of socioeconomic factors and acculturation in teenage childbearing in this population. Methods Logistic regression was used to analyze the association of measures of acculturation (language spoken at home, nativity, and age at immigration) and respondents’ parents’ education with age at first birth in a stratified sample of post-partum women in California. Results The unadjusted odds ratio for teenage birth for Latinas versus non-Latina Whites was 5.2 (95% CI 4.1–6.6). Nativity was not significantly associated with teen birth, but speaking Spanish at home was positively associated and immigrating at a later age was negatively associated with teen birth. Overall, these measures of acculturation accounted for 17% (95% CI 8–28%) of the difference in odds of teen birth between Latinas and non-Latina Whites. Higher levels of education among respondents’ parents had differentially protective effects across the racial/ethnic groups. Controlling for disparities in respondents’ parents’ education without changing its differential effects across racial/ethnic groups reduced the odds ratio for Latinas compared to non-Latina Whites by 30% (95% CI 14–60%). Conclusion These findings call into question common assumptions about the protective effect of acculturation on teen fertility and suggest that improving childhood socioeconomic factors among Latinas may decrease teen childbearing