instruction:
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.
question:
The story does a good job of pointing out one advantage of the pill approach compared to delivery via colonoscopy–the reduced cost. “There was a significant difference in cost. Though the procedures were done in a Canadian hospital, the FMTs delivered by colonoscopy cost nearly $500 USD more than the capsules, which cost about $300.” This was a close call. Early on, it says the pill was 90% effective for treating recurrent Clostridium difficile infections. Later on, the story explains that both were equally successful in treating the Clostridium difficile infections. It would take a bit of deduction to figure out that the 90% treatment rate applies to both the pills and colonoscopies. And the study puts this figure close to 96%. But we’ll give the benefit of the doubt and rate it satisfactory. The story gets a satisfactory here for including the differences between the two methods of delivery: One source is quoted saying, “colonoscopies and the anesthesia required for the procedure can put a lot of stress on a person’s body and can be complicated for the people most at risk for C. difficile infections.”  It could have gone a step further and reminded readers that a colonoscopy is an invasive procedure with the inherent risks of infection and perforation that obviously aren’t there when taking a pill. The story did not mention the other adverse events described in the paper such as nausea and vomiting, though. The story comments on the size of the study and quotes a researcher about strengths (a randomized, controlled trial) and limitations (selection bias) of the study. Selection bias, in this case, means many people were excluded from the clinical trial if they had any number of issues (patients with severe or complicated cases were excluded, for example), potentially biasing the results. In a more real-world setting, the effectiveness rate may drop once it’s tried on a wider range of people. No disease mongering here. The story does include comments from an independent source unaffiliated with the research. But, it doesn’t specify that the source has received research money from a drug company that’s developing microbiome drugs. Standard treatment for C. diff is antibiotics. This should have been mentioned. Unfortunately, the story doesn’t spell out whether the pill form FMT is now, or soon will be, available to the public. The story does mention that numerous other clinical trials are using FMT as a possible treatment for various diseases but it is unclear whether the pill form is an option for physicians at this point. What’s new here is that a pill form for delivery of a fecal transplant is being tested against a colonoscopy. The story established this. It does not appear to rely on a news release.
answer:
Fecal transplant via a pill? Newsweek’s coverage points out possible selection bias of study participants


question:
It’s true that triatomine   bugs, which are often called “kissing bugs,” have been linked to Chagas   disease in the United States. Researchers with the American Society of   Topical Medicine and Hygiene   estimated that there were about 300,000 cases of Chagas disease in the U.S. by   early November 2014. The potentially fatal disease is caused by an   infection by a parasite called Trypanosoma cruzi, or T. cruzi, and was   first diagnosed in the U.S. in 2007. Kissing bugs feed on the blood of sleeping humans and animals. After   they feed, infected bugs defecate, and T. cruzi parasites from their   feces are able to enter the body through the eyes, mouth, nose or an   open wound, according to the   Mayo Clinic. The   Mayo Clinic says it’s also possible to become infected by eating   uncooked contaminated food, blood transfusions, infected pets and   spending time in forests where infected animals like raccoons and   opossums live. Symptoms of Chagas disease are often mild or non-existent at first,   which is why it’s called “the silent killer.” As the disease progresses,   patients experience fever, body aches and swelling around the bite mark. More advanced symptoms include irregular heartbeat, an enlarged heart,   problems with digestion and bowel movements and strokes, according to   the   Centers for Disease and Prevention (CDC). The   World Health Organization   estimates that 8 million people are infected with Chagas disease, most of them in   Latin America. Researchers from Baylor University collected 40 kissing bugs from 11   counties in south-central Texas and identified 17 patients from Houston   who were diagnosed with Chagas disease, the Washington Posts reported in   November 2014. “We   are astonished to not only find such a high rate of individuals testing   positive for Chagas in their blood, but also high rates of heart disease   that appear to be Chagas-related,” Nolan Garcia, a researcher with the   American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, said. Posted  11/12/14    Comments
answer:
 The Latin American “kissing   bug” has infected people in the U.S. with Chagas disease, which is also   called “the silent killer.”      


question:
Jason Wahl, director of the Division of Medical Marijuana, says opening the final dispensary is a milestone for the program. The state has issued more than 1,850 identification cards to qualifying patients, Wahl said. North Dakota is the first in the nation to add an electronic card option for patients, caregivers and agents of dispensaries and manufacturing facilities. Other dispensaries are located in Bismarck, Devils Lake, Fargo, Jamestown, Grand Forks, Minot and Williston. For a qualifying patient or designated caregiver to enter the display area of a dispensary, they must have their registry identification card.
answer:

Eighth, final medical marijuana dispensary opening in ND.