Given a paragraph, generate a claim that is supported by the given paragraph. 1) The claim must contain information from within the paragraph. 2) A sentence within the paragraph can be used as a claim. 3) The claim should not have contradictions within the paragraph. 4) The claim should be at most one sentence long.
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Question: Maria Andrade of Cape Verde, Robert Mwanga of Uganda and American Jan Low, who all are from the Lima, Peru-based International Potato Center, and American Howarth Bouis of the international research group HarvestPlus were honored in a ceremony at the U.S. State Department. Kenneth M. Quinn, president of the World Food Prize Foundation, called their work “a breakthrough achievement in developing and implementing biofortification.”  He defined biofortification as “the process of breeding critical vitamins and micronutrients into staple crops, thereby dramatically reducing hidden hunger and improving health for millions and millions of people.”  The honorees’ work has focused on the orange-fleshed sweet potato, an important source of vitamin A, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. Vitamin A deficiency, especially there and in Asia, is a cause of blindness and premature death, according to the International Potato Center, an agriculture research center based in Lima, Peru. “The impact of the work of all four winners will be felt around the globe but particularly in sub-Saharan Africa,” said Gayle Smith, head of the U.S. Agency for International Development. The prize is awarded annually by the World Food Prize Foundation for food and agriculture innovation. The scientists will share the $250,000 prize equally and it will be awarded at a ceremony during World Food Prize week in Des Moines, Iowa, in October, when the prize will celebrate its 30th anniversary. Past recipients include John Kufuour, a former president of Ghana; former U.S. Senators Bob Dole and George McGovern; and Grameen Bank founder and Nobel laureate Dr. Muhammad Yunus of Bangladesh.

Answer: Sweet potato experts win World Food Prize.


Question: CES is allowing space for sex tech companies as a one-year trial. At the show, such companies were scattered throughout the health and wellness section, near startups pitching fitness trackers and infrared saunas. Lora DiCarlo, a startup that pushed for changes after organizers revoked its award, showed off its Osé robotic “personal massager.” It’s one of a dozen companies at the show focused on vibrators, lube dispensers and other sex tech products. Founders of these startups say their products are about empowerment and wellness for women, something they say has often been overlooked in tech. The historically male-dominated tech trade show has received criticism in past years for having an all-male lineup of speakers and for previously allowing scantily clad “booth babes,” fostering a “boys’ club” reputation. Besides allowing sex tech, CES organizers brought in an official “equality partner,” The Female Quotient, to help ensure gender diversity. The Female Quotient, which trains companies in equality practices, will hold a conference for women during the four-day show, which opened Tuesday. “It’s been a process,” said Gary Shapiro, the head of the Consumer Technology Association, which puts on CES. It’s been a longer process for many sex tech companies to convince investors that they are part of a growing trend that has enough customers. Much of the push has come from the startups’ female founders and from younger consumers who talk more openly about sexuality. As with other technologies, some exhibitors including Lora DiCarlo had prominent booths at CES, while others such as the wearable vibrator company Crave were tucked away. Crave’s exhibit included a camper with a “Build-a-Vibe-Workshop,” where attendees could get an engraved vibrator to wear around their neck. Sex tech has existed in some form for decades. But the gates really began to open in 2016, said Andrea Barrica, founder of sex education site O.school. That year, several other “fem tech” companies made progress in areas such as menstruation and menopause. Those paved the way for sex tech to grow and get investors interested. “Larger institutions are starting to take note, all the way from VC firms to large Fortune 100 companies,” said Barrica, who recently published the book “Sextech Revolution: The Future of Sexual Wellness.” Large institutions like CES had no choice but to look at sex tech, she said. The journey hasn’t been easy. Sex tech founders, many of them women, recount being turned down by dozens of investors. They faced decency arguments and entrenched corporate standards that equated them with porn. But investors are becoming more receptive, said Cindy Gallop, a former advertising executive turned sex tech entrepreneur and founder of the website MakeLoveNotPorn. “It’s entirely because of our refusal to allow the business world to put us down,” she said. Founders insist that their devices — ranging from vibrators to lube dispensers to accessories — have effects outside the bedroom. “Sexual health and wellness is health and wellness,” said Lora DiCarlo, CEO and founder of the company of the same name. “It does way more than just pleasure. It’s immediately connected to stress relief, to better sleep, to empowerment and confidence.” DiCarlo’s $290 Osé device has gotten $3 million worth of advance sales, bolstered in part by the attention it received after CES organizers overturned a decision by an independent panel of judges to give the vibrator a prestigious Innovation Honoree Award in the robotics and drone category. The organizers, CTA, told the company it reserved the right to rescind awards for devices deemed “immoral, obscene, indecent, profane or not in keeping with CTA’s image.” DiCarlo and other female founders pushed back for banning them but allowing humanoid sex robots meant to serve men the previous year. Following criticism, CES organizers ultimately  reinstated the award and apologized. A few months later, the show announced policy changes such as a dress code to prevent skimpy outfits and new “Innovation for All” sessions with senior diversity officials. Osé began shipping to customers this month. DiCarlo said the company is planning to introduce new devices, including less expensive options. Sex tech companies still face major barriers to growth. Polly Rodriguez, CEO of sexual wellness company Unbound, said the company is profitable and customers are more open about buying products than they once were. But she said she still faces roadblocks advertising on social media, and many traditional investors snub the company. “Things are better, but there’s just still this genuine fear of female sexuality more broadly within the institutional side of technology,” she said. And while Gallop offered to speak at CES, conference organizers declined, saying sex tech was not a part of its conference programming. ___ AP Business Writer Joseph Pisani contributed to this report. ___ AP’s CES coverage: https://apnews.com/Consumerelectronics

Answer: Sex tech from women-led startups pops up at CES gadget show.


Question: The recall brings into question the safety of European supplies of the drug, which become the target of a U.S. investigation after a spike in fatalities and severe reactions in some patients taking heparin sold by Baxter International Inc.   “What is significant about the German recall is that the heparin active ingredient in their product was not obtained from SPL,” or Scientific Protein Labs, Baxter’s supplier, FDA Deputy Commissioner Janet Woodcock said. “We’re concerned about worldwide, this contaminant, in heparin and making sure it is safe, (and) out of the heparin supply,” Woodcock said. German authorities do not expect a shortage of the drug, FDA said. The FDA began probing Baxter’s heparin several weeks ago after it was linked with to four deaths and hundreds of severe reactions, such as breathing problems and rapid drops in blood pressure. On Wednesday it said it identified a contaminant that may be linked with the drug’s problems. Some 19 fatalities have now been associated with use of the drug in the United States, the FDA said on Wednesday. However, all the deaths have not been linked to a specific drug maker. The other major U.S. heparin supplier, APP Pharmaceuticals Inc, has ramped up production to avoid a drug shortage. Tests on APP’s heparin have not found any contamination, Woodcock said on Wednesday. No fatalities were seen in Germany, and “less than 100” severe reactions led to the recall, the FDA said. The German product manufacturer, Rotexmedica GmbH, could not be immediately reached for comment. Heparin is derived from pig intestines. It is used in dialysis and heart procedures, among other surgeries, to avoid blood clots. FDA officials also advised companies and countries to begin using a sophisticated testing technique the agency used to find the potential contaminant, to test all heparin on the market. “With this testing method, there will be a way to protect the heparin supply,” Woodcock said. Baxter’s main supplier is Wisconsin-based Scientific Protein Laboratories LLC (SPL), which has a major facility in China, a main subject of FDA’s investigation. About 80 percent of the active pharmaceutical ingredients come from foreign sources, according to U.S. government investigators. Most of the world’s heparin supply is from China, according to Baxter. The FDA inspects only about 7 percent of foreign manufacturing facilities annually, according to the Government Accountability Office, a congressional watchdog agency. China’s reputation has been tainted after health scares with pigs and massive recalls of pet food and children’s toys containing lead paint. Sidney Wolfe, head of health research at the consumer group Public Citizen, said the FDA has poorly allocated its resources for inspections. “China has a tiny fraction of plants being inspected as opposed to India, which is dangerous considering that China is a country far less advanced,” Wolfe said. The FDA conducted about 13 inspections at Chinese plants in 2007, versus 65 at plants in India. China has 714 facilities against India’s 410, according to the GAO report. Baxter has recalled most of its U.S. supplies of the drug. It sells the product in other European countries but not in Germany. But Baxter does not sell the specific vial-based product linked to the four U.S. deaths in European markets, company spokeswoman Erin Gardiner said.

Answer:
FDA says Germany recalls blood-thinner heparin.